Yuffie was lying on the floor, sweat beading on her face. Her hair clung to her face, but she didn't have the strength to care. Tifa knelt next to her, being supportive, holding Yuffie's hand. Tifa allowed her hand to be squeezed so hard it seemed it would be crushed to little bits, but she let Yuffie squeeze, because she knew it hurt. Vincent was standing by her feet, looking cool, calm and collected, not even letting an event like this shake his nerves.
Though no one else was there, she knew they'd be in the cockpit or deck of the airship, pacing nervously. But Yuffie didn't want them there β she didn't want to be crowded. It was bad enough it was happening on an airship, with no doctors or trained medical professionals around. She didn't need them crowding her, and overreacting. But as she rested and looked hopelessly at Vincent, she supposed someone was going to have to tell them soon.
She was having complications.
"I'm going to have to reach in and get it eventually." Vincent said.
Yuffie shook her head. "I'm not ready, I'm not ready."
"You have to Yuffie," Tifa reminded her softly, but Yuffie was shaking her head violently.
"It hurts," she said shakily, "and it'll just hurt more!"
"Yuffie," Tifa said soothingly. "It'll hurt for a second and then it'll be done. Come on, you can do this. We need to get it outta there!"
Yuffie was biting her lip so hard she was sure she was going to send her teeth through. So much had gone wrong. This was the worst thing that could have happened! They were on the airship, which meant she was already nauseous enough from this bucket-of-bolts and then this. Oh god, she was going to puke. Tifa's hand was given a harsh squeeze and Yuffie strained her neck to look at Vincent.
"Why did this happen to me?" she moaned.
"β¦it is your fault." Vincent said calmly.
Yuffie gaped before snapping her mouth shut and glaring. "My fault?!"
"If you hadn't been so careless, none of this would have happened."
Yuffie let out an angry sound, and if she could reach him or even move, she would have slugged him. "You have no clue how much this hurts Vincent! I would have been more careful too if I knew this was what was going to happen!"
Vincent was silent. Yuffie whimpered at a stab of pain, contracting slightly β not that she could even move any more than that. God, why didn't she get the drugs? She wanted the drugs! Not just the drugs, the heaviest stuff they had, to knock her out and just wake her up when it was all done. It hurt so badly and Vincent was such an insensitive prick. She squeezed Tifa's hand hard, and turned pained gray eyes to the man standing by her feet. "Are you ready yet?" he deadpanned.
"You can do it," Tifa said encouragingly.
Yuffie whimpered. She had to get it out from inside of her. "Hurry," she squeaked.
He took that too literally, Yuffie thought, letting out a screech of pain. He immediately started, as anxious as she was too get it all over with. Yuffie was squeezing Tifa's hand harder than ever, and her face was turning red. She fought not to arch her back, because every time she moved Vincent would glare at her with those blood red eyes. Blood. God, she didn't want to think about the blood. It hurt so bad β hurt for a second my ass, Tifa, this was never going to be over.
"Done." Vincent said.
Yuffie relaxed, slumping against the crates. Her hair was sticking to her face and neck, but Tifa brushed it away. A relieved sigh escaped her lips and she shut her eyes contentedly, taking deep breaths. When she let her eyes flicker open again, Vincent was standing by her, and he held up the object that had caused so much pain. She let go of Tifa's hand, sliding her own sweating hand back. Vincent held it out, and Yuffie carefully took the tiny object. She stared at it, the sheer size of it awing her; but then again, it had hurt enough for it to be this big.
Yuffie sighed with relief, thankful it was all over.
She had always hated splinters.
