I AM NOT DEAD! I have just been a: really flipping busy and b: totally uninspired. I feel totally awful about leaving you all hanging like I did but I'm back now and hopefully will have something more for you all soon. I know that this chapter might be a little short but I hope you can forgive me for it because in this chapter we start getting into the real meat and potatoes of the storyline. I hope you all like this chapter and leave lovely reviews. I love seeing them. :)
Zack didn't realize that he had fallen asleep until someone was shaking him awake. Blinking bleary blue eyes he saw the doctor standing in front of him. That woke him right up. Straightening he opened his mouth to say something but the doctor beat him to it.
"He's going to be fine. Sure, I had to stitch him back together, but he will be fine. He's still unconscious right now so even if you go see him he won't say anything," the doctor said before sighing softly. "There is one thing that has me a little worried, though."
"What? What's wrong with him?" Zack asked feeling decidedly worried.
"Nothing is wrong. Other than the obvious that is," the doctor said, holding up her hands in a placating gesture. "It's just that I found something in his blood that is decidedly odd for a civilian."
"Oh? What did you find?" Zack asked, worried that it was something harmful.
"Well, I don't know how, but I found mako. I'm not sure how much, but I would hedge a guess of him having enough to be either a Second or First Class, actually," she replied with a shrug. "I would actually have to send a blood sample to the labs to confirm, but I swear I saw his blood glow slightly under direct light."
"Really? That is odd. Really odd," Zack put a hand to his chin before his eyes widened almost comically. "I almost forgot! I need to call Seph!"
The doctor smiled softly at the hyper SOLDIER as he dug out his phone. Turning she slipped back into the room only to find that the blond was actually awake. Well, not fully awake, but he was certainly conscious. Hazy mako-blue eyes were half lidded as the blond tried to register his surroundings. Upon sighting the doctor the haze dissipated slightly and the blond tensed. It was almost as if he was expecting her to attack him or something.
"Hello," she said softly, keeping both hands in plain sight. "I'm Doctor Melinda Reed. You can call me Dr. Melinda or Dr. Reed, whichever you prefer."
The blond stared at her for a few seconds before nodding slowly, "Cloud... Strife..."
It took him a minute to get the words out, but that was to be expected what with how heavily sedated he was. Dr. Reed smiled before asking if she could come closer. Cloud nodded after a few seconds, but he was still tense as she stepped slowly to the side of the bed. She started checking on the little bit of equipment attached to the blond, explaining what she was doing as she went. The woman was slightly unnerved by the look the blond was giving her and she actually thought that he seemed to already know what she was doing. Either way she continued explaining until she had finished and stepped a bit away. Thankfully before the situation got any more awkward Zack stepped into the room.
"Hey! You're awake!" The dark haired man said as soon as he focused on Cloud.
"I still... feel... like I... got hit... by a train," the blond managed to grit out past the medication.
Reed stepped forward after a moment and Cloud's sharp blue eyes were on her in a second, "I'm just going to turn down the amount of pain meds you're getting. It should go a long way to help clear your head."
Cloud nodded slowly before looking back at the ceiling. Zack settled in a chair on the blondes other side while the doctor adjusted the amount of medicine Cloud was receiving. After she finished she quickly stepped back. Zack noticed her reaction, but didn't say anything about it. He turned his attention quickly back to the blond, who was finally able to be more aware of his surroundings.
"The Infirmary?" he asked, glancing around slightly.
"Yep! You passed out in the elevator on the way up here," Zack shifted slightly before continuing. "I ended up calling Sephiroth because you were practically bleeding out. He's actually the one who made sure you made it here alive. Literally and figuratively."
Cloud just blinked at him for a few seconds, but before he could say anything the door opened again. Blue eyes widened slightly as Sephiroth stepped into the room. Reed practically pressed herself into the corner as he did. Cat-like eyes green eyes spared the woman a quick glance before coming around to focus on Cloud. The blond tensed up slightly, but didn't do anything else. Despite himself Cloud was relieved not to see madness in those eyes, only a mild curiosity.
"You're awake," the General said softly.
"All thanks to you, according to Zack that is," Cloud replied, his voice held at a careful neutral.
Sephiroth didn't say anything to that, he just turned to Reed with a raised eyebrow. The woman stepped slowly out of the corner, clearing her throat as she did. Quickly she detailed everything that happened with Cloud's injuries to the General. He nodded before turning back to the blond. Reed clearing her throat again had him turning back to her, a faintly irritated look on his face.
"Yes?" he asked giving her a deadly look.
"There is something else," she said folding her arms across her chest. "I found mako in his system and large quantities of it."
Sephiroth and Zack both cast looks at Cloud, who didn't really seem all that surprised by the news. Glancing between the both of them he sighed softly. Looking back up the blond found Zack giving him a very concerned look while Sephiroth's face was carefully neutral. Even the doctor looked a little worried.
"I know about the mako," Cloud said, speaking to the doctor but looking at Sephiroth. "There was an... accident... when I was younger. Some kids thought it would be funny to trip me so that I fell into a pool of natural mako. As a result I spent the next five years in a catatonic state and when I came out of it I had a SOLDIER's enhanced senses, strength, and speed."
"I see⦠That would partially explain how you were able to defeat that monster while injured as you were," Sephiroth said looking slightly thoughtful.
"That and a whole lot of training," Cloud said a faint smirk on his face and giving the Silver General his full attention.
Sephiroth nodded slowly at the blond even as he leaned back against the door frame. Cloud sighed softly before looking away. Shifting slowly the blond gauged the extent of his injuries. Now that he wasn't moving as much or trying to push his body past its limits his accelerated healing was taking effect. He could feel the way the stitches pulled slightly but they weren't really a problem just yet. They would need to me removed eventually but for now they were actually helping to speed his healing. Zack saw him shifting around and leaned over.
"You OK there?" he asked, sounding really worried.
"Yeah, I'm fine," the blond replied looking up. "I was just trying to see how my injuries were."
"Dude, you really shouldn't be moving around like that. You were really badly hurt and stuff like that takes time to heal," Zack said straightening up and crossing his arms, a worried look on his face.
"I've actually had worse Zack. This is nothing," Cloud replied folding his hands in his lap.
"How does almost getting torn in two count as 'nothing'?"
Two sets of blue eyes focused on the silver haired man by the door. Cloud was still a little tense but he didn't seem like he was going to leap out of the bed anytime soon, so that was reassuring. Zack on the other hand looked like he was going to pop with unasked questions. After a few seconds Cloud chuckled softly and looked away. Sephiroth gave the blond a raised eyebrow and the other held up his hands.
"Easy. Worse, for me anyway, is almost getting pulverized by a giant rock falling from the sky. Stuff like this," he gestured at his bandaged torso. "Is something I deal with every day."
"They why did you collapse?" Zack couldn't help but ask.
"I was pushing myself too far. There is a limit to everything, even the accelerated healing of someone with mako in their system," Cloud said with a small shrug.
Before anyone else could say anything the door suddenly slid open. Four sets of eyes snapped to the door, one in surprise and the other three in acknowledgment. Lazard stood in the doorway, a concerned look on his face. Upon seeing that the blond was awake the look vanished, replaced by a small smile. Stepping into the room he nodded at Sephiroth, Zack and Reed before walking over to the side of Cloud's bed. The doctor took it as her cue to leave and slipped out the door a few seconds before it closed, hands clasped in front of her chest. Cloud found it a little odd but before he could say anything about it Lazard spoke.
"How are you, Cloud?" he asked, tilting his head to the side a bit.
"Better. Not fully recovered but I should be fine in a bout a day or so," the blond replied with a shrug.
"Really? Only a day or so?" Lazard seemed truly puzzled by that. "I thought that Curing you didn't work."
"I that it might have been because whoever was trying to Cure me was freaking out too much to focus properly. I've personally discovered that a distressed emotional state has a tendency to affect the healing magic like that," the other replied with a small smirk.
"Really? That was it? I was just too freaked out to actually make the spell work?" Zack asked eyes wide.
Cloud turned to him and nodded, "More than likely, yes."
The dark haired SOLDIER sighed heavily and collapsed back into a chair, a huge smile forming on his face, "Good! I was so worried that it was just beyond my ability to heal or not!"
Cloud smiled softly before looking back at the others. Sephiroth's shoulders had relaxed slightly, he just noticed not because it was a huge change but because he was used to watching the man for any sudden changes, while Lazard smiled. Now that Zack had effectively dissolved all the tension in the room the older blond felt a little bit bad about why he was there. Clearing his throat he sat down in the other chair next to Cloud's bed. Both the sound and the motion drew the blonde's attention like a moth to a flame.
"Cloud, while I hate to ruin the moment, I came here for a reason," he began and from the way the spiky haired man tensed he knew where the director was going. "I came here with two options in mind. Option one if you were asleep to just leave a message asking you to come see me or option two. Option two being that, were you awake, I would ask you something."
"Seeing as I'm most definitely awake, ask your question," Cloud said still tense.
"Very well, even though I have a feeling that you know what I'm going to ask already," Lazard chuckled before pushing his glasses up his nose a bit. "Cloud, how would you feel about joining SOLDIER?"
Me: DUN DUNN DUNNNNNN! The big question! Also what is up with Reed? She seemed a little shady at the end... Stay tuned to find out Cloud's answer and more on the next chapter of You have GOT to be Kidding?!!
