Chapter 2

Injury

Rufus left the office quickly pausing at the door he turned to Angeal, Tifa trainer

"Angeal go check on Tifa and if she's able to walk tell her I need her in my office in ten minutes" Rufus order and then headed straight down to the riding school the door slamming shut behind him. Angeal just stood there by the window with a glum look across his face, he had no idea what Rufus actually had in store but he was sure he would be pushing the boundaries again just like the last time.

Rufus arrived at the riding school just as Cloud was leading Ivy out and to the isolation stable block.

"I saw you from the viewing booth and I want to know what a stable boy was doing riding a horse that my star performer should be riding" Rufus demanded blocking Cloud's path to the stables.

"I'm sorry sir it's been years since I last rode and I just couldn't resist" Cloud said scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"Alright then well take poison Ivy back to her stable and then I want you in my office in ten minutes" Rufus order and just as quickly as he arrived he left. Cloud left the school then and took Ivy back to her stable quickly he untacked her and left her in her box and then he deliberately slow he headed to Rufus's office.

Tifa was sitting in the large family type room with a ice pack resting on her ankle. Aerith was sat next to her and they were chatting away about what had just happened.

"So did you get a good look at the new stable boy?" Tifa asked

"Yeah he's alright but he can't compare to my Zack" Aerith sighed clearly thinking of her man again.

"Alright! He is so hot but he seems familiar I just can't place him though" Tifa sighed tapping her finger against her lip. Aerith was about to say something else but the door opened and Angeal walked in clearly not happy about something.

"Hey Tifa Rufus wants you in his office, can you walk though?" Angeal passed on the message, Tifa tired to stand but she must of really done a number on that ankle she tried to hold back the slight scream and with a wince but the slight scream did escape her lips.

"Oh Tifa what are we going to do with you?" Angeal said more to himself shaking his head a little, Aerith let out a small giggle. "Alright Tifa as soon as soon as you've been to see Rufus I'll have someone take you to the hospital now come on I'll give you a piggy back"

Angeal and Tifa arrived at Rufus's office seconds after Cloud had arrived, Cloud stood awkwardly by the door almost debating whether or not he should knock. Angeal shook his head once again and then tapped lightly on the large door.

"Enter" Rufus said. Cloud followed Angeal and Tifa into the room all of them wondering what Rufus had called them for.

"Alright I'm sure you want to know why you've been summoned here well I witnessed what had happened with Poison Ivy earlier today and well first off I'm shocked at what happened when you Tifa were meant to ride her you obviously were doing something wrong so as soon as that ankle of yours has recovered you are getting back on that hor.." Rufus began before Tifa interrupted

"Of course I will I want another shot at riding her I can tame her I'm sure" Tifa deafened

"Well I'm sure you can but after seeing Mr Strife here ride her without a problem he will be schooling her even when you get back in the saddle Ivy is your responsible now Strife so I want you Angeal and Tifa to coach him get him up to speed and see what we can get out of the pair" Rufus concluded, Tifa was clearly unhappy about handing over a magnificent looking animal such as Ivy to a novice but since that novice just happened to be Cloud her anger ebbed slightly.

"So when do we start training then?" Cloud asked eager to get back in the saddle

"Tomorrow I'm set up a schedule today and have it posted for tomorrow alright now you may go" Rufus declared. Angeal got Tifa to her feet and helped carry her out of the office, Cloud was about to head off back into his yard duties but Angeal stopped him.

"Strife I'm going to take over your duties this afternoon I have a much more important job for you I need you to take miss Lockhart here to the hospital and get her ankle checked out" Angeal explained

"But why can't you do it?" Cloud asked

"Because I have a lesson to teach in an hour that's why" Angeal retorted not bothering to turn around he just kept going.

"So are you going to do what he says" Tifa said a small grin forming at the corners of her lips, glad she was going to be spending some 'alone' time with this hot new groom, the blonde suddenly felt very nervous he was going to have to help her and that meant he was going to have to touch her even if it weren't in an intimate way he could still feel the blush starting to colour his cheeks as he took some of weight as she put her arm around him. They rather hobbled to the car park rather than walked and Tifa let out a small gasp as her eyes swept over the large and powerful bike they had paused beside.

"I'm not getting on that" Tifa gasped the bike looked far to intimidating to her and she was sure if she got on it she would be hitting the deck, the wild horse Ivy didn't scare her but this machine did.

"Well how else are you going to get to the emergency room?" Cloud shrugged as he pulled Tifa closer to the monstrous bike.

"Come on the bike is not going to bite anyway if you hold on tight nothing is going happen" Cloud smirked clearly enjoying the distress this was causing Tifa.

They arrived at the hospital after what Tifa would call a hair raising ride and after Cloud had dismounted and offered a hand to Tifa, Tifa was actually shaking when Cloud helped her off the bike she feared. Cloud was struggling to suppress a laugh as a smile played on his lips, how could this girl that rides horses that can easily chuck her off be so scared of a bike Cloud silently thought as he lead her into the emergency room.

The pair sat in awkward silence until Tifa was called through and suddenly she felt scared is never liked hospitals much even though she was in about sore ankle it still didn't mean so wasn't nervous so she turned to Cloud the only person that could help her through the one thing she was scared off well besides a fear of Cloud's bike.

"Can you please come with me?" Tifa asked in a small voice rather embarrassed by it all

"What scared of the doctor are we" Cloud teased not bothering to hide the smirk, Tifa just shoved him playful as she followed the doctor into a private cubical. Once the curtain was pulled closed the doctor began the routine questions and the usual medical stuff they have to know.

"Alright so how did you injury your ankle miss Lockhart?" the doctor began

"I fell off a horse" Tifa replied trying her best to keep her voice calm.

"Rather chucked" Cloud muttered under his breath.

"Okay so how long ago was that then?"

"Almost two hours ago" Tifa shrugged

"Okay now tell me does this hurt?" the doctor said as he placed his fingers onto Tifa's ankle and pressed lightly, Tifa winced in pain and reached out for Cloud's hand. Cloud raised an eyebrow but eventually he took hold of Tifa's hand.

"Okay miss Lockhart I don't think you have broken it but we'll send you up for an x-ray anyway but I do believe it is just a really bad sprain but we'll wait on the results of your x-ray to be sure" the doctor finalized and left the cubical leaving Cloud and Tifa alone again and awkwardness followed especially when Tifa realised she was still grasping Cloud's hand who was still a stranger really but a hot one at that.

After a wait of around ten minutes Tifa was taken via wheelchair to x-ray and she was told to stay very still which for Tifa wasn't an easy thing to achieve even though when riding you could hardly see move her leg but when she was told to stay still she always struggled to stay motionless. The x-ray was over in seconds and then it would be another wait until she would get the results from the x-ray so she sat alone in the same cubicle with an ice pack resting on her ankle as Cloud had gone on a coffee run. When Cloud arrived back with the hot stimulates the doctor had arrived with the x-ray and the placed it onto the on the wall light box. He mumbled on about various medical mumble jumble before Tifa was able to get a straight answer to whether or not her ankle was broken.

"As I previously thought your ankle is just sprained so we'll put a support on it and I'm afraid to say that you won't be back in the saddle for at least a week" the doctor confirmed before he left and within seconds of him leaving a nurse came in with different bits and pieces and began wrapping Tifa's ankle in some kind of support bandage.

When they arrived back at Shinra stables Aerith was their waiting for them, she was dressed in her hot pink zebra rebel rider jodhpurs and a baby pink polo and by her side she carried her riding hat she had probably been exercising Indi since Tifa would be out the saddle for at least the next week.

"So how was my baby today then? And you better not of put that pink saddle cloth on him" Tifa asked sighing she and even Indi hated that pink saddled cloth it looked ridiculous on Indi, it suited Aerith's horse Casper but not Indi. Aerith was chewing on her lip she had been caught pink handed she could never hide the smile that would grace her lips when she had put that cloth on Indi.

"Well you caught me of course I put my pink saddle clothe and even with that he was a star just worked him in walk and trot, and had him going over some trotting poles" Aerith smiled trying to soften Tifa a little she knew Tifa's feelings to well all Aerith's saddle cloths besides one she hated all pink all girly and too in your face all but her show one a white one but it still had pink trim. Tifa just rolled her eyes at her as Aerith came to give Tifa a hand to walk as even though she no longer needed to lean on someone Aerith was always doing what she could to help.

"So what the verdict? When can you get back in the saddle then?" Aerith asked

"Just a really bad sprain and in around a week at the earliest so I'll be on tack cleaning duty and rug repairing all week and well teaching of course" Tifa sighed shaking her head at the thought she loathed tack cleaning but when a rider couldn't ride Rufus always put them on tack cleaning.

"Well your first job is to go to the riding school you have to ride Ivy and you Tifa have to teach him" Aerith said waving her finger at the two of them. Cloud just walked off with Tifa staring after him and a pang of jealously did hit her as well as something she couldn't quite place. They followed after Cloud to the riding school where Angeal and Ivy were already waiting.