Hey guys! Sorry for the wait. Had a busy few weeks. This chapter's longer than usual. I guess for some that's a good thing...but I think a few of you have said you prefer shorter chapters if I remember correctly. So I apologize. I thought about cutting it in half but I sorta needed it to end in the way it did. And they only way to do that was to have it a little longer. So sorry haha! Oh, before I forget, a few people have mentioned to me that the changing perspectives in the story has been a little hard to follow. Unfortunately, this story will be doing that a fair bit. I've tried to keep it as clear as possible but if it still seems confusing let me know and I'll work on it. And if I still suck at it then I'll do away with it haha! Oh, and one more thing. A few people mentioned that I should have Zack let Cloud know that his name is in fact Cloud and not 'Spike' but I believe I wrote in either the Prologue or Chapter I that his name was one of the only things Cloud knew when he woke from his coma. So he knows haha! He shant be thinking his parents were THAT strange. :D
Songs for this chapter are: 'The Sunfish Song' - Ronald Jenkees; 'Weak and Powerless' - A Perfect Circle; 'The Remedy' - Abandoned Pools; 'Me Vs. Maradona Vs. Elvis' - Brand New; and 'Umbrella' - Dntel
All but 'The Remedy' by Abandoned Pools can be found on the playlist on YouTube. To check out 'The Remedy' go to http : // new . music . yahoo . com / videos / Abandoned+Pools / The+Remedy--2154526 without the spaces of course. Hopefully the link works haha. It was a challenge to write out. But I tried it out and it worked so hopefully it does for you too. It's a great song so check it out if you can.
That's all from me for now. Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter III
"Where are you now?" Tseng's smooth voice floated through Reno's cell as his partner, Rude, pulled their vehicle to a stop at the end of a laneway leading to a small house.
"Outside some tiny-ass log cabin thing in the outskirts," Reno replied as he rolled down the window next to him. "It's pretty well the last stop before we re-enter the city. So, if they aren't here, then…It could take a hell of a lot longer to find them then we've been imagining."
Tseng's small sigh was just barely noticeable over the line. "Alright," he said after a moment. "Report back to me when you've searched the house," he instructed.
"You got it," Reno replied before flipping the cell shut.
000
"Hold still," Jacob ordered as he was preparing to apply some antibacterial cream to Zack's wounds. Zack paused mid-turn. He'd been looking to see where Cloud had gone once again. Somehow his friend had managed to duck out of the room unnoticed. It made Zack nervous. With Cloud being sick, his anxiety and paranoia were in overdrive. There were a thousand scenarios he could play out in his mind in which he and Cloud would need their strength, potentially to fight, and neither of them were in any condition to do so. He wanted desperately to believe they were no longer being searched for. That they were forgotten. Presumed dead. Anything that would mean they'd be left alone in peace to put back together their broken lives.
Cloud appeared then from the hall leading to the bathroom. He stopped in the doorway, leaning against the frame and crossing his arms over his chest. He smiled a little when Zack looked at him. It wasn't really a smile, but it was the closest thing to one that Cloud ever really expressed. A small movement that seemed to take some thought and effort. Zack had been privileged enough to have seen some of those few real smiles that had made their way past his friend's usual stoicism. The few that represented a genuine happiness. It had been so long since he'd seen a smile like that from Cloud. He had changed so much over a few years. And yet, when Zack looked at him, he could still see the ambitious kid with dreams of becoming a SOLDIER that he had met all those years back. It was sad to imagine that Cloud gone forever. His friend seemed calmer and stronger now, but so unbelievably vulnerable at the same time. Zack felt the overwhelming need to protect him and keep him close, but he wouldn't be able to forever. Cloud would have his own life one day. And Zack would have his.
"There's some minor infection started," Jacob spoke, pulling Zack's attention back to the task he was in the middle of. "Hopefully we can get it under control before—"
The man was interrupted by several firm knocks at the front door of the house. The quiet following those knocks was deafening. Zack looked again at Cloud before all eyes turned on Jacob's daughter.
"What?" Andrea questioned. "I didn't tell anybody," she assured Jacob. She looked at Zack and Cloud briefly before turning back to her father. "I swear," she added.
Another few knocks.
Zack's heartbeat sped up. Adrenaline shot through him as he was struck with the immediate urge to flee the house through the backdoor. He and Cloud wouldn't make it far.
"Come with me," Jacob ordered, motioning for Zack and Cloud to follow him. Cloud took Zack's arm and helped him to a stand from the couch. They followed Jacob through the kitchen and into a back room where a washing basin sat. Bending down, Jacob grasped onto a mat in the center of the floor and pulled it out of the way, revealing a small square door. As the man pulled on the rope handle the door whined open. A set of narrow steps led down about five feet. Zack looked at Jacob skeptically. "Well," the man said "hurry up!" he urged.
"Alright," Zack replied, trying to hide the nervousness in his tone. He was trying not to freak. Cloud was watching him, observing his reaction. "Come on, Spike," he urged as he stepped down onto the first step in the crawlspace. Cloud followed after him, though a verbal protest was about to spill from him. He didn't like the thought of hiding in some hole, defenseless. Whatever the threat, they should face it head-on. Down there they were just…sitting ducks.
"You too, Andi," Jacob said once Cloud and Zack were at the bottom of the stairs. His daughter looked at him in surprise.
"What?" she questioned fast. "Father—"
"Andrea, do what I say," he ordered, cutting her off. She complied reluctantly. All three of them had to lean over to match the clearance of the space. They looked up at Jacob with looks of apprehension. "Stay quiet," he said. "I'm sure it's no one to be worried about," he assured. With that said, he shut the door and pulled the mat back over it. He made his way to the front door where the knocking had become more persistent and impatient-sounding. Slowly, Jacob unlocked the door and pulled it open, completely enveloped in apprehension over who might be on the other side…
"Hi there," Reno spoke with a wide smile as the door to the log home opened finally and he found himself facing a middle-aged man on the other side of the doorway's threshold. "We were beginning to think no one was home," he commented.
"How much longer would you have continued to knock before coming to that conclusion?" the man asked sharply.
"Heh, funny," Reno spoke back to him as he moved his head to toss a few bright red strands of hair from his face. "Maybe you can help us out, we're looking for some friends of ours."
"Turks have friends?" the man questioned. Reno looked over at his partner.
"You're full of jokes, old man," he said as he faced the man again. "Mind if we come in and have a look around?" he asked firmly. He waited for the man to step back, knowing he would eventually, either by choice or force.
As Reno gazed around the main room, Rude nudged him and pointed to a large sheathed sword leaning against the back wall. Reno smirked out of realization they may have finally found something.
Down in the darkness of the crawlspace, Zack and Cloud strained their ears to pick up any sounds or bits of conversations they could. It all sounded relatively muffled at first but after a minute, the sounds grew more distinct. Footsteps were headed toward the back of the house. Zack nearly ceased breathing altogether as he realized the steps had stopped directly above them. A bit of dust floated down through the cracks in the floorboards, forcing them to cast their eyes downward.
"Don't know what you're hoping to find back here," Jacob spoke. There was the sound of plastic rustling.
Jacob watched the red-haired Turk sift through one of the garbage bags sitting in the room. He became more nervous as he realized how close he was to finding something revealing. He tried to stay calm and emotionally blank as he watched the Turk pull a bloodied SOLDIER uniform shirt from the bag.
"Well, guess we were hoping to find something like this," the young man said happily. He continued to pull the rest of the clothing out. "Two uniforms," he spoke over his shoulder to his partner. He turned to face Jacob, taking a step toward him. "Where are they now?" he questioned.
"Reno," Zack whispered in distain as he finally recognized the voice. His pulse quickened again, pounding in his ears.
"Who?" Andrea asked but Zack shushed her. They listened intensely to the short conversation between Reno and her father.
"They were here for a short time a few days ago," Jacob answered Reno's question without hesitation. "Don't know where they are now," he added.
"Is that right?" Reno asked. "There's a lot of blood on these uniforms. Were they injured?"
"One was. I aided him before he left."
There was a brief silence before Reno spoke again.
"Sorry, man, but I don't believe you. I think we're gonna take a little better look at the rest of your house."
The sound of shoes plodding on the floor above started up once again and softened as they moved away, back towards the front of the house.
"Who the hell is up there?" Andrea whispered in a mixture of fear and anger.
"Turks," Zack informed her. His mind raced around the thought. The Turks were still after them, which meant that even though he and Cloud were a continent away from the torture they'd left behind, they were still within Hojo's reach. He hadn't thought much before about how the old professor would have reacted upon seeing his specimens had escaped his lab. Angry but not completely worried at first. Zack and Cloud had made attempts at escape before but had never succeeded. But then, as he would have received call after call from guards posted around the building and outside that the specimens were nowhere to be found he would have become furious. And anxious. A four-year project suddenly over before completion. It would be considered unacceptable. He would have people all over the world searching for them.
It was a long, nerve-wracking twenty minutes before a door closed at the front of the house and someone came toward the back, sliding the mat over the hidden door in the floor and pulling the door open. For a split second Zack saw Reno there, his EMR poised and ready to use. But it was merely his fear creating the image. It was Jacob who opened the door.
"They're gone," he spoke down into the crawlspace. His daughter was the first to climb the stairs upwards. Zack urged Cloud ahead of him before making his way up slowly.
"What happened?" Andrea questioned promptly.
"Nothing. They searched the house and then left," he explained. "They took some things with them, however. Your uniforms," he said as he looked at the boys. "And your weapon," he added, turning his eyes toward Zack.
"Dammit!" Zack cursed loudly as he slammed his one palm against the wall next to him.
"I'm sorry I wasn't able to stop them from taking it," Jacob said sincerely. Zack took a deep breath, letting out slow.
"It's my fault. I shouldn't have left it out there in the room," he replied in a softer tone. The thought that his old mentor's sword was in the hands of Reno made him sick to his stomach. He would need to get it back. No matter what.
"You know them?" Cloud spoke up then, now able to ask the questions that he'd suppressed while in the crawlspace.
"Yes," Zack confirmed with a nod, placing a hand on the left side of his ribcage and rubbing gently at one of his aching wounds.
"They're looking for us," Cloud stated rather than questioned. "Are they the one's we're running from?" he inquired. Zack tore his eyes from Cloud to glance at Jacob and his daughter. He wasn't comfortable discussing such details with them present. He wasn't comfortable discussing it at all.
"Sort of," he said, knowing very well his answer was an ambiguous one. "Did they say anything about coming back here?" he questioned as he turned to Jacob.
"No. I don't see why they would. They seemed satisfied with the thought that you had left days ago. I think you're safe," the man stated.
Zack was doubtful of that. Turks were pretty thorough about their work. He wouldn't be surprised if they sent out spies to keep an eye on the house. Then again…it was Reno. He couldn't put it past the Turk to screw up now and then.
"I think we need to leave as soon as possible," Zack declared. "We're endangering ourselves and you by staying here so long. By morning I should be able to keep myself standing long enough to get into the city."
"What's so special about the city?" Andrea asked. "You don't think they'll be looking for you there?"
"Sure they will," Zack replied. "But it'll be like the hiding in plain sight sorta deal. It's just for a little while."
"What exactly are these Turks after you for?" the girl inquired next. Zack could feel Cloud's eyes on him. He was as interested in Zack's answer as Andrea and her father. Zack didn't know how to answer. He waited for a lie to pop into his head that he could feed his audience but his mind remained blank. After a few moments of his silence, Jacob nudged his daughter and told her to help him get dinner ready. Reluctantly, she complied. Left alone, Zack finally met his friend's eyes again. He knew to expect more questions.
"Who were they?" was his first question.
"Turks," Zack said simply.
"I know that, but you know them," Cloud replied fast. "How do you know them? Do I know them?" He spoke with a rising urgency in his tone. He knew what Turks were. He didn't know how he knew but he did. Still, his knowledge bank involving them was fuzzy. Zack ran a hand through his over-grown hair. "Were they the ones who gave us mako?" Cloud asked next when he said nothing.
"They—" Zack began but stopped abruptly. He thought hard about what he wanted to say, beginning again slowly. "They're just some guys working for the people looking for us," he said as lightly as possible. "I told you though, Spike, there's not really much I can tell you right now."
Cloud exhaled with mild frustration as he placed his hands on the washing basin in front of him. "If you do remember something," he spoke, looking up at Zack, "you'll tell me, right?" His eyes were pleading.
"I will," Zack agreed painfully. He hated lying to Cloud. He was already re-thinking his decision to pretend to have memory loss. It made him feel more guilty than he'd ever felt before in his life. For a moment, he thought about telling the truth. And asking Cloud to forgive him for lying. It was on the tip of his tongue, but at that moment Cloud became suddenly paler, his eyes becoming slightly unfocused. Zack moved toward him, placing a hand on his back. "You okay, buddy?" he questioned.
"I…" his friend began to answer, barely audibly. He said something else but it was so quiet Zack wasn't able to make it out. He would have asked him to repeat it had Cloud's body not became suddenly limp. His friend lost his grip on the basin, his knees collapsing under him. Zack's hands shot out to grab onto him, keeping him from hitting the floor too hard.
"Cl—" he began to say his friend's name but hesitated, looking up to confirm neither Jacob nor his daughter were in hearing range. He couldn't be sure so he kept his tone low as he said Cloud's name. He shook Cloud lightly as he knelt next to him on the floor, trying to urge him to wake. His friend was sweating profusely and Zack noticed something else. A small blood spot forming in the left inner elbow in the material of the shirt Cloud was wearing. "What's happening?" Zack whispered aloud as he pulled Cloud's sleeve up. The circular metal bolt in Cloud's arm was glazed lightly in the red fluid that was seeping through the port. The bleeding wasn't profuse but the fact that it was happening at all was disturbing. It took a moment for Zack to realize that his other ports were bleeding as well. He grew fearful immediately that he was witnessing something that had happened to both he and his friend their first year in Hojo's lab. When the mako injections they'd been given had destroyed some of their veins and prevented their blood from clotting. This was different though. The amount of blood was small.
"Are you boys—" a voice spoke from nearby, ending abruptly. Zack looked up to see Jacob standing in the doorway. "What happened?" he asked as he came forward quickly.
"Uh…I'm not sure," Zack responded uneasily. "He just passed out."
"He's bleeding," Jacob noted as he fixed his eyes on the shiny circles imbedded in Cloud's skin. He'd noticed them before but never let his gaze linger. He'd wondered about them but hadn't questioned them.
Cloud's bout of unconsciousness didn't last long. It had only been about a minute or so since he'd lost consciousness that he began to wake again.
"Spike," Zack spoke fast, squeezing his shoulders. Cloud's eyes opened slowly and began to shift in confusion.
"What happened?" he questioned as he focused on Zack.
"You blacked out for a minute there, kid, are you okay?" Zack answered softly.
"I—I'm not sure," Cloud responded hesitantly. He reached up to grasp the side of his head with one hand. "My head's killing me," he added as he squeezed his eyes shut. Zack looked up at Jacob.
"Let's get you out to the other room," the man said to Cloud before taking hold of his one arm. He and Zack helped Cloud come to a stand and began leading him out to the main room. Andrea followed them out and watched as they sat Cloud down on the couch. Jacob left momentarily to retrieve some acetaminophen. Cloud held his head in his hands as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.
"How bad is the bleeding?" Jacob asked when he returned. He handed two tablets and a glass of water to Cloud. "I'm not sure I know how to treat it when it's coming from your…uh…your…" he struggled with what to call the unique feature Cloud possessed. Cloud looked down at the bit of blood seeping from the center of the circles in his wrists before turning his eyes toward Zack, wanting to know himself what exactly the metal pieces in his skin were.
"Ports. Is what they're called," Zack clarified. "The bleeding isn't bad. Hopefully it stops on its own shortly."
"Do you mind if I take a closer look?" Jacob asked. Zack looked at Cloud. His friend shrugged slightly before uttering a quiet 'Fine.'
Jacob sat down next to Cloud and leaned in to inspect the port in Cloud's left wrist. "How many do you have?" he questioned, but again Cloud didn't have the answer. He was aware of six. Zack supplied the real number. Eight.
"What are they for?" Jacob's daughter asked. That was an answer Zack wasn't willing to give. He was grateful to realize when he looked at his friend that Cloud didn't seem to want to know the answer to that question at the moment. He retracted his arm, pulling at the sleeves on his shirt before grasping onto Zack's forearm. There was a look almost of panic in his eyes but Zack knew what it really meant.
Cloud began to say something. "I need to—" But he didn't need to finish the sentence. Zack grasped his hand and pulled him from the couch, ignoring Jacob's inquiries about what was wrong. He helped Cloud to the bathroom quickly, just in time for Cloud to find his way to his knees in front of the toilet so that he could throw up once again. Zack watched with deep concern and pity for his friend, knowing well what that sickness was like. As Cloud finished, he took some deep and shaky breaths. Without turning around he said "I don't wanna stay here any longer."
"I know—" Zack began to reply but Cloud cut him off.
"No! You don't know," he spoke heatedly. "They don't look at you the same way they look at me." Zack lowered his eyes. He hadn't thought about it but Cloud was right. "When they look at me like—the way that they do—I get feelings. Of sickness and…I dunno, pain. When they look at me, all I want to do is run away."
Zack did understand it. Now that he was thinking of it. It made sense that Cloud would feel that way. Jacob and his daughter did look at Cloud differently. They looked at him like he was something to inspect. Though they probably weren't meaning to.
"Alright," Zack said with a nod. He stepped closer to his friend, crouching down next to him. "In the morning, we'll leave. Okay?"
Cloud's expression was one of disappointment. He wanted to leave immediately. But he didn't verbally protest because he knew it would be better to wait the extra hours. "Fine," he agreed. Zack put his one arm around his shoulders, squeezing firmly.
"Everything will be alright, trust me," he spoke with a slightly forced smile. Cloud made no indication to suggest he believed or didn't believe Zack's words.
Zack had been serious about leaving first thing in the morning. He'd spent most of the evening thinking about where they were going to go when they got into the city. Cloud lay on the couch next to the cot Zack was on. Fortunately, the bleeding out of his ports had stopped not long after it had begun. It was mysterious and led to many questions. Questions that were likely to remain unanswered. Though Cloud's eyes were closed, Zack was sure he was still awake. Every so often he'd made a few small sounds. Sounds that scared the hell out of Zack because they were strikingly familiar and like the sounds he'd heard many times before when Cloud had been sick in Hojo's lab. Just hang on, Cloud, he begged silently. I'll find help for you, I promise.
Sometime just before midnight, Zack was surprised to find he'd actually fallen asleep as he had awoken suddenly from an intense nightmare. He had been trapped in a building, searching for a way out, but every knob he grasped on every door melted into his hands. He had been filled with fear and desperation and a feeling that something was chasing him. But there was no way out. It wasn't hard to decipher the meaning behind that dream. When Zack had awoken, he found himself sweaty and disoriented. He breathed out with relief when he realized where he was once again. He glanced at Cloud briefly before lifting himself from the cot beneath him and moving himself toward the hall leading to the bathroom.
After washing the sweat from his face with cool water, he stepped back into the hall, stopping when he was about to re-enter the main room. By the dim light of the small lamp on the one end table next to the couch, he observed Cloud from the doorway as he lay on the couch, shivering despite the thick blanket covering him. It seemed he'd finally been able to fall asleep though it probably wouldn't last long. His unstable health had been deteriorating quickly. Zack figured it was because of the amount of effort it had taken Cloud to get him down into the valley and to that log house. The over-exertion had done a number on his body's defenses, especially since it had been cold and raining, and now they were unable to hold back the poison that was taking over once again. Zack didn't know what to do.
"Your friend is not well," Jacob spoke from behind Zack. Jacob had heard movement down the hall and gotten out of bed to see if everything was alright. He'd spotted Zack and approached quietly. Zack wasn't surprised at the man's sudden appearance. His enhanced hearing had picked up his footsteps the moment he came from one of the bedrooms.
"No," Zack replied quietly. "He's been mako-poisoned."
"Mako-poisoned?" Jacob said in slight shock. "How bad?"
"Bad. He spent the last few months in a coma."
"He's going to need medicinal treatment or he could fall back into a coma at any moment. And the mako is likely still causing damage, even though he's not in a coma-state," the man pointed out. It was something Zack already knew.
"I know. But where am I supposed to get the medicines without going into a hospital or medical center?" Zack asked as he turned to face the man.
"I know someone. He's a doctor. I would have brought him hear sooner but you and your friend seemed so adamant that no one else know of you. He can come here—" Jacob began but Zack cut him off.
"No. It's bad enough you know about us—"
"He won't tell anyone," Jacob assured him. "You can trust him." Zack exhaled long before heading out of the hall towards Cloud.
"I don't know…" he muttered as he stood in front of his friend, crouching slowly next to the couch.
"He could die," Jacob said as he watched Zack place a hand on Cloud's forehead to check on his temperature. He could see the inner debate going on in Zack through the strain in his expression. It seemed to be one of the hardest decisions he'd ever had to make. Finally, as he pushed some of Cloud's blond hair from his face he made his choice.
"Alright," he barely breathed. It was a reluctant but definitive reply.
Jacob made the call immediately to his doctor friend. After he'd hung up, he told Zack it would be a few hours before his friend arrived. Cloud woke about fifteen minutes later. He looked up at Zack who had seated himself at the other end of the couch. Cloud had had his legs tucked so close to his body for warmth he'd left ample room for him.
"Hey, Spikey," Zack spoke as he met Cloud's eyes.
"Hey," Cloud replied softly, his voice a little strained.
"How you feeling?" Zack questioned. Cloud shrugged a bit.
"Okay, I guess."
He didn't look okay. He started to sit up, turning onto his back and sliding himself up slowly. He rested his back against the arm of the chair and drew his legs up toward his torso. "What time is it?" he asked then.
"Just after midnight," Zack answered softly, rubbing his eyes a little. "You want some water or something?" he inquired.
"No," Cloud said as he shook his head slowly. "I'm so tired. But I still can't really sleep," he spoke lowly, holding the blanket closer to himself, tucking it under his chin. "And…" he started but trailed off promptly. Zack looked at him with a questioning expression. Cloud finished hesitantly. "I dunno…everything just…hurts."
"I know," Zack said sadly, placing his hand on one of his friend's blanket-covered knees. "Jacob's called someone. Someone that will be able to help hopefully." Cloud looked at him in surprise.
"What?" he uttered. "But—"
"I know," Zack cut him off. "Believe me, I know. But it's necessary. Unfortunately."
"But, I'm not that sick," Cloud retorted, drawing a sigh from Zack.
"Not yet. But it's likely to get worse. It's best to take care of it now," Zack urged.
"But what if—" Cloud started to protest but Zack interrupted again.
"Don't worry about it," he said with a comforting smile. Cloud lowered his eyes, looking at an empty glass on the coffee table. "I'm gonna make sure you're taken care of. You'll feel better soon," he said surely. Despite his friend's reassurances, Cloud was still worried.
Jacob's doctor friend arrived earlier than expected, just an hour and fifteen minutes after Jacob had called him. Both Zack and Cloud were startled by the sound of knocking at the door. Jacob was about to tell them to wait in the kitchen until he could confirm it was his friend when there came a muffled voice from the other side of the door calling out to Jacob.
"That's him," the man said as he approached the door promptly. He pulled it open and a tall man about the same age as Jacob entered the house.
"Jacob," the man greeted.
"Lars, thank you for coming at this hour," Jacob said back, taking the man's coat from him. "This is my friend, Doctor Pedgrin," he spoke to Zack and Cloud.
"Hi," Zack said as he rose slowly to a stand. "Good to meet you," he added as he offered his hand to the doctor. The doctor shook his hand and nodded politely. He looked at Cloud then.
"Are you the young man with the mako poisoning?" he questioned, his voice deep yet soft. Cloud didn't respond. He was too busy trying to keep his nerves from choking him. He didn't want to see a doctor. Any doctor. He hated even being in the same room as the man.
Zack broke the awkward silence. "You can help him?" he asked. The doctor nodded again. "I've brought the necessary medicines. As well as some antibiotics for you."
"That's great. We really appreciate it," Zack replied.
"Is your friend able to come over to the table?" the doctor asked next.
"Uh, yeah," Zack said as he watched the doctor set a black bag down on the table and open it carefully. He turned toward his friend then. "Come on, Spike," he urged as he went to take Cloud's upper arm. Cloud resisted Zack's light pull, squeezing the couch cushions on either side of him tightly.
"I don't like this," he said quietly to Zack.
"I know, but he's going to help you. And me. Both of us," Zack rationalized.
"I don't care," Cloud said a little less discretely, drawing a short look from the doctor. "I don't want his help," he spoke a little quieter again.
Zack exhaled forcefully. "I promise it will be fine," he assured his friend. "I promise. Okay?" They stared at one another a few moments before Cloud blinked a few times and drew in a deep breath. Zack knew that was his expression of acceptance. "Come on," he said with a smile, helping his friend up and guiding him to the table where he pulled out a chair for Cloud to sit in.
Cloud's rising anxiety was obvious as he sat at the table, rubbing his palms against his thighs nervously. Zack tried again to reassure him. "Don't worry, Spike, the doc's gonna make you feel better, right Doc?" he spoke brightly.
"Spike?" the doctor echoed with a raised eyebrow as he pulled a bottle of clear liquid from his bag and set it on the table.
"Just a nickname," Zack explained. "Though it kinda fits doesn't it?"
The doctor chuckled a little. "I suppose," he said. He reached in his bag and pulled out several items in plastic wrappers. He tore open the first wrapper to reveal a narrow syringe. No one in the room expected Cloud's reaction.
As soon as Cloud caught a glimpse of the syringe he was bombarded by sudden images. Leather straps on hard wooden chairs. A cold table with colder restraints. Agonizing pain. Green liquid…
His reflexes jumped into overdrive. He stood up fast, knocking over the chair he'd been sitting in and nearly falling over it as he stumbled backwards.
"Spike," Zack tried to talk to him, moving toward him. Cloud continued to evade, his back hit the nearby wall. He shrank against it, his eyes never leaving the shiny tip of the instrument in the Doctor's hand. "Spikey, stop!" Zack pleaded, grabbing hold of his arms, pinning them to his sides lightly. "Come on. You need the medicines."
"No," Cloud protested, not understanding why he was feeling so adamant about not wanting that needle near him and yet not willing to give in. "No, Zack!" he said, slipping up and calling him by his real name. Zack glanced at the others briefly before turning back to his friend. Yep, they'd heard it too. Cloud's eyes were still locked on the instrument in the doctor's hand.
Zack shook him a little. "Hey, look at me," he demanded and slowly Cloud complied, meeting his friend's violet eyes. "I promise it will be alright. You trust me right?"
Cloud stared back at him, tears welling up in his eyes. "Zack, don't make me do this, please," he said barely above a whisper. Zack was almost hurt over those words. Imagining Cloud would even think for a second he'd force him to do something, the way Hojo and his staff had. He moved a hand to the back of Cloud's neck, squeezing a little in gentle reassurance.
"No one's going to make you do anything. Alright?" he explained softly. "But if you don't accept the treatment you could end up in a coma. Or worse."
It took a few moments for Cloud to accept what Zack had said as being true. He knew it to be true. He could feel it. He had been very aware of his body's signals the past few days. Of the signs that were telling him each moment he was asleep he was teetering on the edge between waking and falling back into the darkness that had had a hold on him for what seemed like forever. The darkness that was all he knew before that moment he'd been freed of it on the cliffs. His muscles had been seizing up, becoming more difficult to operate, and the nausea and stomach pain had been worsening. Still, he couldn't bring himself to accept that man coming at him with the syringe. He didn't care if he died because of it.
Zack had an idea then. "Would you let me give it to you?" he asked. Cloud thought about it a moment before nodding slowly, though it was still clear in his eyes he didn't want the needle near him. "Doc," Zack said over his shoulder then, reaching a hand out to take the bottle of liquid and syringe. "Come sit, down," he said to Cloud next as he led him over to the couch. Sitting down next to him, he began to fill the syringe. The doctor watched him closely.
"You've done that before?" he commented. Zack gave a nod of confirmation, remembering all the numerous times he'd had to inject himself and Cloud when they'd escaped the lab. "Here," the man said as he dabbed a cotton ball with iodine. He passed it to Zack. Zack took it from him but paused before doing anything with it.
"Would you both mind if…" he began but Jacob took the hint immediately, motioning for the doctor to follow him into the kitchen. The doctor hesitated before leaving, taking two more bottles of liquid from his bag and picking up two more wrapped syringes before approaching Zack once again.
"There are two other injections he needs to be given," he said as he set the bottles and syringes down on the coffee table.
"Alright," Zack replied. He waited for the doctor to leave the room before reaching for Cloud's arm, turning it so his inner elbow was exposed. As Zack wiped the area with the cotton he looked into his friend's face. "You're remembering some things," he said quietly. It wasn't quite a question, but it wasn't quite a statement either. Cloud didn't confirm or deny anything. He closed his eyes instead and waited for Zack to be finished.
Through the whole procedure, Zack couldn't shake the feeling like he was hurting Cloud. Not necessarily physically, but mentally. And it was killing him. The last thing he wanted to do was cause his friend more emotional or mental anguish but it was necessary. He prayed that Cloud would be able to see that.
It was about 3 a.m. when the doctor left the house. He had announced before he left that he'd be back around 9 a.m. to check on Zack and Cloud. Zack had fallen asleep almost immediately after the man left but was awoken suddenly at around 5:30 by Jacob. The man spared not a single second in delivering the worst and most frightening news Zack would have thought possible. Cloud was gone.