Greetings and salutations everyone! Sorry for the long disappearance, but I was just lazy and never got around to pumping out this chapter til now! Okay well, not really lazy completely, but busy too! I got lasik surgery early July and went to an anime con, cosplaying as Zack the following week.

It was pretty funny because I kept dropping my glove and my friend turned to me about after the seventeenth time I dropped it and she's like "If I hear you drop that glove again, I am going to smack you with it. If I even hear that soft plop noise, I will kill you." XD If you already knew that, then ignore that last bit, if not, there ya' go! Anyways, I'll let you guys get to reading now ^^; Enjoy!


~7: Like Balloons~

The first thing that ran through Cloud's head as he came to was how comfortable he felt. He slowly cracked his cerulean blue eyes open, vision blurred by the heaviness of his eyelids. He blinked once, twice, to clear out the fogginess in his sight and clear out the double vision. His eyes connected to an alabaster white ceiling with dark brown support beams slashing across in a vertical fashion. There was a ceiling fan on and switched to low to create a small amount of circulation within the room.

He turned his head to the right to get a better look at the environment he was in. There was a dresser in the corner across the room with a small lamp and assorted model airplanes and tanks on the top. Adjacent to the dresser was a small box TV with a VCR underneath. A few dusty tapes lay in their cases in a shelf below the small entertainment center.

Next to the small table with the electronics was the closet, the door shut and covered in posters of old muscle cars and Shin-Ra advertisements. In front of the closed closet door was a deep blue duffel bag that was crammed full and was barely able to zip closed properly. Of what the bag was full of, the blonde did not know.

Cloud looked down to find himself tucked snugly into a full sized bed adorned in midnight navy blue sheets. He pulled his arms out from under the thick covers and pushed them off his body as he slowly began to sit up. When he looked at his injured leg, he found it wrapped up in tan bandages and tended to. He gently flexed his foot, wincing slightly when the smallest waves of prickling pain tickled through his body like the numbness of a limb falling asleep.

It didn't hurt as bad as before and he made more of a wider range of motion with his leg, but jerks or sudden movements would cause the large gash to ache. He'd have to be a little careful when wandering around or walking. The eleven-year-old then remembered that he had his bag on him before falling unconscious, and now it was missing. After a brief scan of the room, he noticed it on the floor resting against the large dark colored dresser.

He needed to take stock and see if anything else had gone missing since the bag received that tear in the jungle. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and gently let them rest against the shaggy tan carpet below. He eased himself into a standing position by using his arms more than his legs. His face contorted and twisted into a grimace at the stinging pain in the back of his left calf, but he managed to be successful in standing up. As long as he put his weight on his right leg, he'd be just fine.

He limped over to the tattered looking satchel and used the dresser as an anchor while he leaned down and curled the strap into his right hand. He lifted the bag up and took it back to the bed. He opened the flap and checked his things. Rations, water bottles, his tent and hunting knife were all there. Aside from his missing ethers and potions, he had everything checked and accounted for. The blonde nodded in conformation and set his satchel on the ground and let it lean against the bed.

Cloud wondered whose house he might be recovering in, and who had gone out of their way to patch him up and... change his clothes? When looking himself over, he noticed he was in a completely new set of clothes. He still had his hair tucked into his sky blue chocobo feathered hair tie, but instead of Cosmo Canyon apparel, he was dressed in navy green cargo shorts and a plain black shirt. Both articles of clothing were a size too big for him, but otherwise fit fine.

After one last scope of the room, he noticed both pairs of his old clothes from Nibelheim and Cosmo together folded up and looking relatively clean. His old sets must have been washed as well. The blonde desperately wanted to know who went out of their way to do all this for him. He decided to approach the closed bedroom door and stand right before it.

However, his ears then picked up the sounds of hushed voices from behind the protection of the closed door. His ears twitched as he honed in on the voices and strained to listen in to hear what they might be talking about. To get a better listen, he pressed his ear against the door's flimsy wood.

"...You aren't going to admit that this whole situation is just a little bit too coincidental? I mean, think it out, not five minutes after the Reactor blows up we follow a blood trail and find a child not even from around here hiding in the jungle?" A new voice that Cloud had never heard before spoke up in an accusatory manner.

"I admit it is all a little strange, but to accuse an child of blowing up a Reactor? I don't even think he's older than ten, so stating that he's involvedis just absurd." A feminine voice countered.

"It was an earthquake that destroyed the Reactor. You felt the shaking just like everyone else." The familiar voice of Zack seconded with the female.

"Yeah, it was an earthquake, I know that. But don't you find it odd? We never have earthquakes around this time of year, and never to that level of severity either." The unknown male voice challenged.

"It's like monsoons out near the ocean, Jason: They don't happen often and when they do it's always at the strangest timing. The little one just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time is all." Mrs. Fair urged on, trying to compare this situation with another.

"Did any of you scour the Reactor after you took that mystery boy back here?"

"Did you happen to do so, Jason?" The female responded, answering a question with one of her own.

"Yeah, I did, Mrs. Fair. You know what I found? No monsters around the area, not even the harmless ones." The one known as Jason countered.

"They probably got scared during the earthquake, what does that even have to do with anything?" Zack questioned.

"So that means it wasn't one of the monsters that had anything to do with the Reactor blowing to bits! And not only that, but you know that the power source to make that Reactor run was a red crystal like thing? When I checked the hole it was supposed to be in, it was missing."

"Yeah, a Materia? You're pretty dense if you work around the reactor and don't even know what the thing is powered by!" Zack insulted.

"Hey, you don't have to go about insulting me just because of what I think!" Jason growled.

"Zackary, I can handle this. I appreciate your desire to help and protect the child, but insulting Jason isn't the way to go about doing so. Anyways, are you saying that the boy pulled it out, used whatever magic that was inside, and caused the whole ground to shake?" Mrs. Fair gently reprimanded before relaying her next question to Jason.

"That's the only thing that makes sense! Argh, I'm getting nowhere asking you guys. Where's the kid? I wanna ask him a few questions!" Jason bellowed, the sound of wood scraping over tile echoing loudly even from behind the door.

Cloud pulled his ear away from the door and stepped back, nearly falling over when he put too much weight on his injured leg. One of the villagers was on to him! He was going to barge in here and demand the answer straight from his own mouth! Then everyone would know that it was his fault that the Reactor was destroyed! His hands clamped over his mouth to prevent an onset of frightened whimpers from protruding past the door's protection.

"I think not! He is still resting and I will not have you barge in there and ask your silly questions!" Mrs. Fair exclaimed.

"They aren't silly! You'll see, once I'm done with him, all of our questions will be answered and we can get him out of our village and on with our lives!" Jason argued, the sound of his voice growing closer to the door.

"Don't even touch that doorknob or so help me I will-" Zack threatened with a growl in his voice.

"Zack, stop. I told you before, I will handle this." Mrs. Fair chided harshly before speaking again. "Jason, the child is resting, I would prefer you to stay out of the room and leave him be."

"Oh, you're defending him now? He's an outsider! Since when did Gongagans betray their villagers for the sake of a wandering catastrophe?"

Cloud was scared, offended, and guilt ridden. He backed away from the door as fast as his injured frame would let him and crashed against the floor with a soft thump against the carpet. His hands curled around his head as his fingers tugged at small strands of stray spikes. People he barely even knew were defending him even though he was the one responsible for the earthquake and damage to the Reactor. What could he do now? It was only a matter of time until everyone found out the truth and kicked him out or whatever it was they would do to him!

"I would suggest getting a move on." Beta spoke up with his usual boisterous and strong voice.

"H-huh?" Cloud whimpered out, hearing the middle voice, but not really hearing him speak up.

"If you're getting too freaked out, just get your stuff and leave the village. We've probably lost a good chunk of travel time after you blacked out any ways." The former Hero explained.

"Okay..." The blonde responded as he gently eased himself off the floor and back on his own two feet again.

He limped back over to the bed and reclaimed his satchel from the floor before walking towards the dresser and picking up his folded and older sets of clothes as well. He undid the flap of the bag and stuffed the clothes inside before resealing it. He did a double take at the bedroom door. He couldn't leave through there, that was way too risky. Not to mention Jason and everyone else were probably still in the living room or something.

"Try the window." Beta suggested.

Cloud did exactly that. With staggering steps, he approached the window. There were no curtains or blinds in front of it to hinder his escape. He got a solid grip near the base of the window and used all of strength to push up the pane. It slid up smoothly and with a gentle hum. Hot summer air greeted his face as the cool breeze in the room took flight outside into freedom. He tossed his bag out the open window so it would not slow him down, the satchel hitting the grassy ground just a few feet below the window.

The blonde put his right leg out first, wincing as he had to put all his weight on his injured leg in order to slip out of the house undetected. He ducked his head down and popped it back up outside where copious amounts of sun greeted his ghostly pale skin and made his wheat blonde hair shine like yellow fire in the mid-afternoon light. He then shifted his weight and leaned off the windowsill and down to solid ground on his good leg, taking the weight off his bad one. After that, it was just the simple task of bringing his other leg down and under him.

He hitched his satchel over his shoulder and adjusted it where it rested comfortably against him. The blonde then took the opened window and pushed it back down, not closing it all the way and leaving a small crack. Inconspicuous to the naked eye. With that, he made sure to be careful and avoid any eyes of the villagers as he limped around the back of the house and further out of the village square.

If he stayed, it would only mean bad things for him further down the road. Not only that, but Beta had a point. They had already burned enough daylight and they didn't need to be burning any more of it. Due to the sun's high position in the sky, it made the air hotter and the humidity more sticky and moist like it had been in the Cosmo valleys. Cloud couldn't wait until summer was over. He never liked the heat anyways. He preferred the biting cold over the sweltering heat any given day.

He had only walked to the edge of the village square before his leg began to pulse and flare with a new onslaught of pain with every step he took. His left hand rested over his leg as if that could magically ebb the pain and will it away. He probably hadn't rested it enough yet, but he couldn't risk staying here when one of the villagers was already on to his trail and the truth following him like bread crumbs. He still had Titan's Materia on him as well, so there was the proof to link him to the crime.

If only he hadn't gotten caught on that skeleton tree, he could have just drank a potion and went on his merry way after taking out the reactor. However, life wasn't that simple and always enjoyed throwing hurdles and obstacles in the blonde's path. He remembered Gamma saying that this was the price of being Gaia's savior right after he was driven out of his village. Now he was starting to see what his youngest persona meant.

By the time he made it to the outskirts of the village and closer to the treacherous jungle that took away his vials and turned him into a mutant frog, his leg was burning and flaring something intense. Every step, every movement, every twitch, twist, or turn had shock-waves of fiery burning pain encroaching his leg and swarming around the bandages like the uncomfortable summer heat was doing to his skin. Just before entering the jungle, his leg gave out underneath his weight and sent him crashing to the dirt-laden ground below him.

He curled his hands into fists tightly, pulling up some loose dirt in his tight grasp. He made move to get back up, but only found that even moving his wounded leg a minuscule amount caused intense pain as if he was being stabbed with a searing hot blade as the hot metal was twisted over and over again in the same spot. He felt a warm and sticky kind of moisture clinging to the bandages where the deep gash on his calf was. He didn't know what that was about, probably sweat seeping into the clotting wound.

"Cloud, I'm not sure why you're trying to leave, but I would hold off on it for now." Gamma gently spoke up with his usual bright and wispy voice.

"But I have to get going. We've already wasted lots of time here." The blonde explained to his youngest persona as he tried to move his leg again.

"While that may be true, you are still in no shape to be walking around right now. You needed to rest just a little bit longer."

My leg is fine, it just hurts because I'm putting too much weight on it is all. Once this pain goes away, I'll be fine and we can get going."

"Please listen. With all this exertion and summer heat, there's a possibility your leg has become infected, hence the excruciating pain and sticky moisture. If anything, just spend a few more hours in the shade before going anywhere if you simply must leave now." Gamma insisted, trying his best to look out for the ornery child's well-being.

"Okaaay, I just don't know what Alpha and Beta are gonna think of that though." Cloud drawled as he released the dirt still clutched in his fists.

"If they care at all about your health and well-being like I do, they will not press the issue of moving on."

"Hmm, you know, I really do like you better than Alpha or Beta." Cloud hummed as a tiny smile fluttered across his lips.

The blonde then rolled over on his back and sat up, not liking to be belly-down in the dirt any longer than he had to be. He winced and moaned a little when his wound flared in defiance from his movement. His dirt-coated fingers gently squeezed the slackening bandages wrapped around his calf. If only his reflexes had been faster, he could have avoided that piece of shrapnel that cut him smoothly like a knife through warmed butter.

Cloud planned to wait it out for a few hours beneath the shade of a tall palm tree near the outskirts of the village, he really did. However, fate decided to tangle itself even more with his injury and current inability to walk. Coming from the center of the village was none other than Zack. He was looking all around him with his hands on his hips as he looked to his left and right. From the thirty meter distance, it was hard to see the expression on his face. He walked slow, searching in just about every direction he could.

A part of Cloud wanted to run up to him and never leave his side. There was a feeling deep within the eleven-year-old that he did not understand, but it was a strong feeling in his gut and chest. He felt so safe around the ravenette, like he could tell him everything that was going on and he'd just believe him like that. He had a familiar air about him, a friendly aura that drew in just about any reserved piece of the child.

However, due to the lack of his memories of the older man, that part in him was small, minuscule and nearly non-existent. The rest of him reacted as any child that had just snuck out of home would: Scared and paranoid. He went to scoot away, to curl up and hide himself, but was stopped by the searing pain his wound was radiating. His hands squeezed the accursed wound tighter as his wide eyes never left the sight of the ravenette, hoping to the gods above that he wouldn't be spotted.

However, lilac eyes met with cerulean blue. Zack quickly began to sprint towards the blonde's location, nestled against a tall palm tree near the edge of the jungle. He could only watch wordlessly as the older boy slid down a small hill, hopped over a few fallen tree branches, and hurried over to him quick and nimble like a predator hunting unaware prey. The ravenette stopped in front of him and took a knee, resting against the ground in front of the blonde, who just stared up at him with big and relatively frightened eyes.

"What are you doing all the way out here, kiddo?" Zack asked as he took notice of his bag crammed full of his things.

He was answered with silence and a 'deer caught in the headlights' expression on his face as if he had just been scolded for something.

"You weren't planning on leaving with that nasty leg wound still bothering you, were you?" he questioned light-heartedly with an arched brow, figuring out that's exactly what the child was going to do.

"Mmm..." Cloud hummed uneasily as he broke eye contact with the ravenette to look down at the ground.

"Okay-" Zack began before plopping against the ground, sitting crisscross against it as he was able to get the blonde to look at him. "-You wanna tell me why you ran away from the house?" He asked as he folded his arms in his lap as he looked at the child dead-on.

That small piece inside Cloud surged strong in his chest and gut. That piece of him that told the rest of his mind and body that he could trust the ravenette. The few glimpses and visions he had seen of the teen reassured his mind that his other personas knew him and trusted him without a doubt. If they could, then he probably could as well. He knew he couldn't relay all of the information on why he ran, but he could at least supply the older boy with a reason for his fight-or-flight behavior.

"...I overheard you guys talking earlier, 'bout the explosion." Cloud spoke up after an elongated pause of patient silence.

"Ooooh, okay. So you were awake around that time. I had a gut feeling that you might be up, but I was too busy trying to keep Jason out of my room so he wouldn't bother you with his questions." Zack responded with a bright smile. However, that smile quickly fell and slipped into confusion. "Why did you run away though?" He asked.

"I... He scared me. He says that I made the Reactor explode and he sounded like he was really sure I did it..." 'yeah, I did make the Reactor explode and he has every right to be angered that no one believes him over me.'

"Ah, don't let him get to you, kiddo. Jason's the kind of guy that would try to get you to believe in the boogey-man if he thought it was real. Besides, I don't believe that you did it." Zack assured with a lazy wave of his left hand.

Cloud met his gaze head on after hearing that. "You don't think I did it?" He asked in a dumfounded manner.

"Nah. There's just, something about you. I'm not sure what it is, but it's telling me that it's not your fault and that I should trust you, weird, huh?" The ravenette expressed with a puzzled smile, unsure of why something was telling him to trust the boy.

The blonde just blankly stared at the older boy. Did his personas have so much of an influence on him in their past lives and vice versa that there was just some unseen connection between all of them that made them feel this way?

Regardless of how, there was undeniable trust and reassurance nestled deep within them. Like a hidden connection to the other, tied together by unseen fate. It was strong, like a pull. That small piece of Cloud that wanted to stand by the ravenette was only strengthened when around the older boy. He couldn't help but wonder if he had the same feeling as well.

Another stab of pain from his wounded calf snapped the blonde out of his musings lightning fast. His hands that were curled around the wound were no longer providing any dulling or ebbing of the nagging fiery burn. When his face scrunched up in discomfort, the ravenette was all eyes and ears. His larger hands gently traced one of the loose wrappings of the bandage as if trying to get a peek.

"If you can, prop your leg against my lap, okay, kiddo?" Zack directed as his hands gently patted the open space of his lap.

Cloud gently eased his affected leg up as the older boy gently took it by his ankle and rested it against his folded and clothed legs. He gently repositioned the blonde's leg so the back of his calf was not facing down. With careful and nimble fingers, he loosened the wrapping near the top in order to get a quick glance at the condition of the first aid. Through one of the larger gaps in the tan cloth, the raventte could see a yellowy-white secretion oozing from the back of his calf and he just knew it was puss.

"Okay, I'm not sure where you were trying to mosey off to, but you certainly won't be doing any leaving for a cool minute. Your leg has gotten pretty bad, buddy. It's infected for sure. But don't worry, me and my ma are gonna fix you up just fine." Zack deduced as he gently patted the younger child's kneecap in a comforting manner.

Cloud's eyes broke away from the older boy and found interest in staring at the dirt he was sitting in. There was no way he could leave now, not with that kind of diagnosis. He liked the quaintness of the village and the serenity here, but with Jason around and stirring things up for him, the blonde really didn't want to go back to the village square. However, he had absolutely no say so in the matter as soon as he felt the ravenette move and shift him. He soon found himself draped over his back with his weight being supported at the backs of his knees.

"Kay, hold tight." Zack directed before he started to walk back to the village.

Cloud did as he was told and wrapped his arms around the older boy's neck, having to duck his head down as he was being lead back into the village. He didn't know what to do about the heat on his back because of Jason's scrutiny and he didn't know what to do when it came to further progressing on with his journey. For now, he needed to heed Gamma's advice and take it easy for at least a few more hours before setting off again. He hadn't heard any protests or complaints from Alpha or Beta, so he was sure he was in the clear for the time being.

What had once been afternoon was slowly beginning to sink into early evening. Most of the blue in the sky was now replaced by gentle yellows and light oranges near the horizon line while what was left of the blue was beginning to darken into more of a lilac or violet color, resembling a tequila sunrise draining into an aqua punch. A large portion of time had been wasted with his leg wound and unconsciousness and they were sure to have fallen behind schedule.

He kept his head ducked down until he heard the sound of a door being gently popped open with an elongated squeal. He gently lifted his eyes and glanced around to scope out his surroundings. The house was small and quaint, but cozy and held a comforting aura. The blonde figured he was back in Zack's home again. He hadn't really been able to assess the living room or any other room in the home, so he let the earthy tones seep through his eyes of sky blue.

"Zack, is that you?" The voice of Mrs. Fair called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, it's me. I was able to find the little scoundrel near the village outskirts." He called back as he further entered the living room.

He gently deposited Cloud on the large pine green couch, adjusting his frame where he could lean his back against the arm rest while keeping his infected leg elevated and stretched out in front of him. Zack's mother than appeared from the small kitchen, her jet black hair pulled into a loose braid and draped over her right shoulder while her honey-gold eyes shimmered in the soft natural lighting the windows provided.

"Well, now that he's up, I think he can finally tell us his name. We can't keep calling him 'kiddo'." She spoke with a soft lilting giggle that reminded the blonde of the way his own mother laughed.

She made her way across the living room, circled around the couch and took a seat on an unoccupied portion of the furniture. Her eyes were kind as she looked at him and her small smile was soft. Zack draped himself over the back of the couch, folding his arms over the plush fabric and nestling his chin into his arms. His lilac eyes gazed at him too with a soft glimmer of curiosity sparkling brighter than stars.

"I'm Cloud." He responded with a soft nod, only flinching when his body gently moved even in the slightest.

"Does your leg still hurt, sweetheart?" Mrs. Fair asked in a comforting manner as her delicate fingers gently traced over the slackening bandages.

"Oh yeah, turns out his leg has an infection or somethin'. There's puss comin' out of it and everything! Kinda reminds me of an egg yolk." Zack explained, pulling his face away from his arms as he glanced over at his mother.

Cloud found himself cringing and getting even more worried about his condition than before. He whimpered softly and caught the attention of the two raven-haired counterparts. His mother sent a reprimanding glare towards her son while her right hand poised itself on her hip in a motherly fashion.

"Oops, sorry Cloudy, I didn't mean to freak you out." Zack sheepishly apologized as his right hand rubbed the back of his head, ruffling up his haphazard hair-style.

"...Am I gonna die?" Cloud asked in a little voice as his face flushed an irritated red as if he had been slapped.

"No, no, no. You're not going to die. You're going to be just fine, I'll make sure of that." Mrs. Fair responded with a soft smile.

"Just don't let her do to you what she did to me when I had an infection!" Zack joked with a big grin flashing across his tanned face.

"Zackary Kalem." His mother warned with a narrowed glare in her honey colored eyes, using the old 'I've already said your middle name and if I have to say your full name you're in big trouble'.

"What? You let me itch for a whole day before you did anything!"

"Because you went stomping off in the jungle where all the poison ivy was when I told you specifically not to go there! I had to make sure you learned your lesson." She explained with an arched brow.

Cloud found most of his earlier paranoia of his condition slipping away as he laughed at the bickering tale between mother and son. When he laughed, he noticed small grins tugging at the corners of both Zack's and his mother's mouths even as they continued to play-bicker with the other to keep the little one in their company happy.

When the front door swung open with that squeaky groan, that smile all but fled from his face and was replaced with anxious fear. He twisted his upper body to glance behind him and survey who had just entered. The black-haired man was tall and broad. His piercing violet eyes were sharp and his pupils were pinpoints. His facial features were sharp and defined: predominant jaw line, sharp cheekbones and a slender face that fit his build.

"Heya, Dad!" Zack greeted with a jovial smile.

It was then blatantly obvious where Zack had gotten his physical build, for the man standing by the front door with sharp eyes was in very good physical shape. Thick muscles and a broad torso only helped to further intimidate Cloud, not to mention that he was probably towering at about six-foot-two. He quickly turned his eyes away and looked down at his lap in a hurry as he felt his face flush and his blood run cold.

"So, we're letting the outsider into our home?" He asked with a deep baritone voice as a raven's black brow arched slightly as he made his way further into the house and into the living room.

"You didn't let Jason talk you into believing Cloud blew up the reactor, did you?" Zack quickly asked as he pulled away from the back of the couch.

"I have not encountered Jason today. I received word of an outsider from the other villagers I happened to see today. It seems out town is in an even divide in their opinions. Half of them side with the thought the child is the cause of the Reactor and the other half think the little one had nothing to do with it." The burly man responded as he stepped up to his own flesh and blood.

"Where do you stand on that spectrum, Whyatt?" Mrs. Fair spoke up gently as she met his gaze with her own.

"I do not side with either thought. I am not for him, but I am not against him." He responded as he circled around the couch.

Cloud's frightened eyes locked with Whyatt's, cerulean clashing with violet. The bigger man gently crouched on the ground in front of the space of the couch that the blonde was currently occupying. His firm face gently softened as he took a gander at the young one's current condition and poorly administered first aid treatment.

"I had also received word that he had been injured in the Reactor's malfunction." He spoke as a soft smile gently graced his lips and softened his sharp facial features. He seemed less intimidating all of a sudden and more fatherly.

"While he is an outsider, I cannot simply stand by and leave a wounded child untreated." He explained, his voice sounding like it was directed to his own family even though his eyes never broke away from Cloud's even after speaking.

His large hands reached up and skimmed the surface of the ever loosening bandages. Cloud remained still as the man observed the condition of his leg. He must retain more medical knowledge than the rest of his family. Whyatt then proceeded to unravel the bandages around his leg, pausing and remaining stationary when he hissed in pain or made a cracked whimper from behind closed lips. When the old wrappings had been removed, the older man exhaled harshly through his nose.

"His leg is infected without a doubt. If we're lucky I should still have some antibiotics back in my office." He explained.

"Oh, you mean in the clinic right? I can get them!" Zack spoke up as he leaned over the back of the couch again as he spoke to his father.

"All right, they should be in my desk, bottom drawer on the left side. I've already locked up for the day so take the key." Whyatt directed as he fished out the key to unlock the front door from his pocket and held it out in his left hand for his son to take.

"Gotcha!" Zack responded with a bounce as he took the key from his father and pulled away from the back of the couch.

As he began to walk towards the front door with a jaunty bounce in his step, Cloud felt his stomach drop while the acid inside felt more like large stones weighing it down. His butterflies flew out of his stomach and swarmed all around his heart, making each beat feel constricting and suffocating as he struggled to remember how to breath normally instead of frantically. He didn't want him to leave just yet, he didn't want to be left with unfamiliar people he didn't have that strange connection with.

"-Wait!" Cloud cried as he all but whirled around and reached out with his right hand, regardless of the stinging in his leg that accompanied the movement and his infection.

Zack's ears picked up on the cry as soon as his hand touched the doorknob. He gently spun on his heel to look behind him as he kept his right hand on the brass knob. "What's up, kiddo?" He asked with a gentle grin.

Cloud then realized he had exclaimed for the older teen to wait out loud instead of internally like he had thought. He gently pulled his hand back when he took notice of his hand still stretched out into the empty air in front of him. He swallowed thickly as he felt all eyes on him.

"Please don't go." He spoke in his gentle alto voice before he quickly looked down as he felt his face flush with radiant heat.

"Don't be so scared, Cloudy. I'm only going to be gone for a few minutes. I'll come running back here, I promise." Zack explained with a genuine smile that make his eyes shine.

"...Okay." Cloud responded as he gently turned back around and eased himself down into a more comfortable position for his leg.

He heard the door swing open quickly and close just as fast. He trained his ears to listen to the fast padding of Zack running away from the house and to the clinic until he could hear those steps no more. Whyatt continued his work with the bandages, unraveling them and taking them off and away from his leg. He balled up the aged fabric and set it down next to him for the time being. His sharp eyes inspected the festering wound for a few more moments before deciding what to do next.

"I'll be back." He explained simply as he rose from the wood floor beneath him. With that, he made his way out of the living room and down a hallway where he disappeared from sight.

Cloud was then left alone with Zack's mother, who continued to sit across from him on the large couch. She looked at him with a motherly smile on her face and gently patted his uninjured leg with her slender right hand. He let her know the gesture was appreciated with a small grin of his own. He was still a tad bit shy when it came to people he didn't know all that well. He had always been a bit awkward in social situations unless it was with people he knew on a personal level.

It didn't take long for Whyatt to return with a few supplies nestled in his hands or bunched up against his chest and secured in place with his arms. He deposited the items on to the coffee table in front of the couch before resuming his former position sitting on his knees on the living room floor in front of Cloud. He grabbed a small white towel and uncapped a brown bottle of hydrogen peroxide before pouring a small amount of the liquid chemical into the washrag.

"This will burn and sting upon application, but it will cleanse and disinfect your wound." Whyatt explained as his eyes connected with the blonde's.

"...Okay." Cloud responded uneasily, not liking when anything could cause him pain or discomfort.

The older man rest the cloth against his affected leg and held it there with a firm hand. At first, the liquid was cold against his skin and bubbled slightly, making it tickle a bit. Then it started growing very warm as it continued to bubble. That's when it started to burn, then an intense round of stinging assaulted his infected wound. He let out a yelp of pain and writhed from the uncomfortable pain in his leg, but the large hand clasped over his leg kept him from wiggling or wrenching it away.

The cloth gently rubbed the irritated skin to further cleanse the injury and spread the peroxide around. Once the burning and stinging began to dull, the rag was pulled away and applied with another layer.

"I thought we were done!" Cloud cried as that rag drew close to his leg again. To protect it from more burning and pain, he shielded the area with his hands, cupping them around the irritated skin.

"I need to put a few layers on to ensure that I've deeply cleaned it up to prevent it from pussing and festering further." Whyatt explained.

"I don't want any more!" Cloud whined as he shook his head quickly, his bright blue eyes beginning to swell with future tears.

"Do you want your leg to get so infected that if left the way it is it will have to be cut off?" Whyatt asked as he arched a brow as he patiently waited for the blonde to cooperate.

"...No." Cloud mumbled as he reluctantly pulled his hands away and curled them around his middle loosely.

The older man nodded and gently held the rag against his irritated flesh. The bubbles and cold started up and the burning and stinging followed suit shortly after. Cloud wanted to do nothing more than pull his leg away, fight to the death with that cursed rag and cry his eyes out because of this stupid pain. However, he sat still, having to wiggle when that stinging was a bit too much for him. He kept his yelps to a minimum and only whined and wriggled when it was a bit too much to handle.

When layer two was said and done, layer three popped by for a visit. It didn't sting as bad as the first two applications of bubbling cleansing chemical, but it still left a nagging burning in its wake. By layer five, even the burning was down to just a nagging itchy feeling against his skin. He even stopped squirming and whining by this point. He didn't understand why five thin layers had to be applied. He figure he would be fine with just the one.

After the peroxide finished its necessary job, the wound was then gently cleaned with standard soap and water. The soap didn't even sting and the water provided a cooling kind of relief to the burning area. After that, a small amount of medicinal ointment was applied to the cooling patch of angry red skin to further speed up the mending and healing process. Afterwards, a fresh layer of bandages were wrapped around his leg and tucked in to secure the area.

"You're very lucky you don't need any stitching. Otherwise those peroxide layers would have stung a whole lot more than they did. Just take it easy for now." Whyatt explained with a gentle pat to the blonde's kneecap.

By the time his external medical care had been administered, the front door swung open quickly and shut just as fast, the wood gently slamming into place as the dead bolt was locked to keep the door secured from outside forces. Zack appeared back in view with two sandwich bags stuffed full of pill bottles in either hand. He leaned over the back of the couch and handed the bags to his father before speaking.

"You had two kinds of antibiotics in your drawer and I didn't know which was which, so I just brought both." He explained with a big grin. His face was gently flourished a pink color from his escapade to the village clinic and back.

"Thank you, Zackary." Whyatt spoke as he looked over each bag and the contents inside each one.

"See, I told you I'd be back in a jiffy!" Zack spoke towards Cloud with a large smile consuming his face gently. He then looked over the medical job his father performed on the child and his smile grew. "I knew Dad would take good care of you. He may look a little intimidating, but he's a pretty cool guy." He added as his hand ruffled blonde spikes just below him.

Whyatt pulled one of the bottles out of the bag on his right and looked over the information labeled on the front of the bottle. It was a standard thirty milligram penicillin supplement. Since the blonde was only a child, he'd have to take a smaller amount to prevent subsequent liver damage or possible overdose. Since his infection wasn't as bad as he had seen before, he'd only have to take about a week's worth, two at the most.

"I'm going to have you break these capsules in half, only take a half once every day for the next two weeks. If you see improvement in the first week, you may wean off of the medication early. You'll have to change your bandages at least two times a day. If you follow this regimen properly, your leg should be healed relatively quickly." Whyatt explained as he handed the pill bottle to Cloud.

"Okay." He responded gently as he took the offered plastic bottle of antibiotics.

"Well then, I think it's about time to get some supper started, you'll be joining us of course, Cloud." Mrs. Fair spoke with a smile as she rose from the couch.

At that notion, the blonde's stomach growled. He hadn't eaten since he camped out after leaving Cosmo Canyon. A nice and fresh mean sounded very satisfying. It beat rations and cereal bars any day of the week, hands down. A smile tugged at the corners of Cloud's lips at the thought and at the kindness Zack and his family were showing him. He couldn't believe nice people like them really existed after spending so much time hated and belittled.

He hoped to run into more people like this on his journey.


A/N:And that's where I'll be ending this chapter for now! In the next one, we'll be finishing up the events in Gongaga and moving on! Whoot! :D I would have had this chapter out sooner, but it took me two or three weeks to think out and I even got so stuck I had to ask my Beta for some assistance, which really helped me out! Then it took forever and a day to actually write it out and finish it! But it's done and all that jazz!

So, let me know what you guys thought of the chapter okay? And a super special shout out to my Beta reader, Ocena Strex! Thanks for all your help! :)

With that, I'm out, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!

Toodles!
~Zimithrus1