Somewhere buried deep inside him, Isa had hoped that he might never have to sit in this room again. It wasn't like the place provoked any anxiety; the walls were painted a soft robin's egg blue color, accented with a row of white flowers along the trim, and the lighting was subdued and relaxing in contrast to the harsh fluorescent glare one might expect in such a place. No, it was simply that if one found themselves in this room, rarely did a pleasant experience follow. Isa knew it all too well.

Simple maroon chairs lined the walls, most empty, but a few occupied by people of varying ages. There was a young girl who coughed uncontrollably into a handkerchief while a middle-aged woman, supposedly her mother, sat beside her with worry on her face. There was an old man with a cane who appeared to be asleep. There was a young, heavily pregnant woman surrounded by four more children under the age of five. There was a teenage boy with tear streaks on his face clutching his considerably swollen arm. Beside him was another boy of similar age, holding a skateboard and looking guilt-stricken. Isa fixed on the two boys for a moment, struck briefly by a memory from his past with Lea.

"Oww… It really hurts… What if they can't fix it?"

"They'll fix it. Just don't move around. Keep the ice on it."

"You promise I'll get a red cast?"

"I promise you'll get the brightest red cast they have."

"Mr. Demyx?"

A petite, friendly-looking woman with dark hair pulled into a tight bun and carrying a clipboard emerged from the door on the other end of the room. She had a warm smile on her face as she scanned the room for her patient. Demyx sat fidgeting in his seat, making no outward reaction to the sound of his name. Isa nudged him, knowing full well he had heard her. "All right, Demyx. It's your turn."

Demyx braced himself in his chair, "You're going to come with me, right?"

"They only allow family in there with you."

"I can tell them you're family! You want to be my brother? Uncle? Husband?"

Seeing the interaction, the friendly nurse approached the two, her eyes glistening with compassion. Isa stood and tugged at Demyx's sleeve, coaxing him out of his seat. "Pull it together, Demyx. You'll be fine. Now go."

With an audible gulp, Demyx turned to face the nurse, who bowed her head politely and gestured for him to follow her to the door. "If you're ready, Mr. Demyx, you can follow me."

"Wait! Isa…"

Demyx caught Isa by the arm and refused to let go. Isa sighed heavily, shaking his head. "I'll be right outside."

"Don't make me go in there alone!"

The nurse leaned in and addressed Isa in a low voice. "Is it his first time?"

Isa made several gentle attempts to free himself from Demyx's grasp, only for the skittish musician to tighten his grip. "Yes, I'm not sure he's ever seen a doctor."

"And you are…?"

"I'm a friend. He has no family."

The nurse raised an eyebrow, seemingly unconvinced, but quickly relented. "All right, you can come in with him. We'd rather our patients be comfortable for their first visit."

The nurse led the two of them through the door and down the hallway toward an old fashioned clinic-grade scale. It took another nudge from Isa, but Demyx stood on the metal platform without much fuss. The number was alarmingly small — Isa could bench press him if he wanted to. After scribbling the measurements on her clipboard, the nurse directed the two to a nearby exam room with blinding white walls. Isa shuddered as he stepped inside, likening the decor to that of the Castle That Never Was.

"Okay, Mr. Demyx, can I see your arm?"

Demyx sat quietly on the metal table, still refusing to release Isa's sleeve. He recoiled when the nurse reached for him. "What are you going to do to it?"

"I'm going to test your blood pressure. It won't hurt at all."

The nurse completed a series of preliminary tests, which Demyx obediently submitted to, albeit apprehensively. She noted every result on her clipboard, giving no indication of whether or not the numbers were acceptable. After a few moments, she smiled and bowed at the waist.

"The doctor will be in shortly."

As soon as she left the room, Demyx let go of Isa's arm. He returned to fidgeting as he sat tensely on the cold metal exam table, crinkling the sanitary paper lining the top of it. "That wasn't even the doctor?"

"That was a nurse."

Demyx whipped his head all around as he observed the instruments hanging on the walls. The clinic was more high-tech than Isa remembered, but he saw a fair few medical tools that he recognized quite well. Demyx gaped at each one in horror as if he were viewing a collection of medieval torture devices. "Okay I changed my mind. I want to go home. Let's get out of here before she comes back."

"Demyx, we're not going anywhere. You promised you'd get this exam."

"Well, I lied! I can't do this!"

"Yes, you can. Just relax."

Demyx tried to climb down from the table, but was no match for Isa's strength. "You said they wouldn't do anything I don't want!"

"They won't," Isa diligently held him in place, never raising his voice no matter how hysterical Demyx got. "Calm down, Demyx."

Demyx's eyes welled up with fear, "Please, I just want to go home! I'll get rid of my stash! I'll flush it all down the toilet! I can cure myself!"

As he restrained his agitated friend, shushing him firmly, a large familiar-looking glass jar sitting atop a high shelf caught Isa's eye and he was struck with a brilliant idea. "Demyx, do you know that they give candy to the best patients?"

"What?"

"You didn't hear it from me," Isa grinned slyly, speaking with a persuasive tone. "But the strongest kids get candy."

Demyx crossed his arms indignantly. "I'm not a kid!"

"But who doesn't like candy?"

The two stared at each other in silence for several seconds before Demyx relented and ceased his struggling. Satisfied with his victory, Isa released his hold and stepped back. "You have to be brave and you can't cry. Then they'll be so impressed that they'll reward you with candy."

Demyx glared at him, "You know, you're lucky I'm in a compromised emotional state right now or I'd drown you where you stand."

The door opened again, and the two were greeted by an older man with graying hair and glasses. His face was cheerful and warm, just as the nurse's had been, and his voice was smooth and melodious. "Hello, Mr. Demyx, my name is—"

The man paused, his jaw dropping when he laid eyes on Isa. "Isa? Is that you?"

Isa, looking visibly uncomfortable, absentmindedly tugged at his hair and averted his eyes. "Uh… hello, Doctor Shad…"

The doctor beamed widely at Isa, genuinely glad to see him. "My goodness, you've grown! I hope you're well! It's a nice change to see you here and not bleeding. Have you been keeping out of trouble?"

"Well, uh… you could say that…"

Isa was surprised that this doctor was still working at the clinic. Doctor Shad had been the very same man he and Lea visited on countless occasions as kids. He was the gentlest doctor in the whole clinic, and his kindness was unmatched. Even as he knew his patients were getting into trouble, he concerned himself only with their health and well-being, dedicated to serving the public as only he knew best. He was truly an honorable man, well-liked by the community and a respected physician by even the best in his field. It eased Isa's mind to know that this was the man who would be treating Demyx.

Demyx cut in, clearing his throat loudly. "Sorry to interrupt this touching reunion, but it took me a lot of persuasion and bribery to come in here and it's going to wear off."

"Demyx is a friend of mine," Isa gestured toward the quivering man with a light chuckle. "He's a bit nervous to be here."

"Well, Mr. Demyx, there's no need to be afraid. I'm going to give you a thorough examination and we'll go from there. I won't do anything invasive and it won't hurt. Sound okay?"

"Okay, fine, just get it over with…"

Demyx sat rigid as stone as the doctor performed his exam. As Doctor Shad pulled tools off the wall, his patient tried to scoot away, only to be intercepted by Isa each time. The doctor only smiled and explained each instrument, even demonstrating their use on himself and Isa before approaching Demyx with them. Demyx flinched every time the doctor's hands neared him, but Doctor Shad never lost an ounce of patience with the young man.

The exam couldn't have taken more than ten minutes, but to Demyx it felt like an eternity. Every instrument looked barbaric and was cold on his skin. The doctor was nice enough, but Demyx knew that his kindness was only a deception, designed to lure him into a false sense of security before performing a painful treatment.

He remembered quite well the medical 'care' he'd received in the Organization. Vexen was the only member who was halfway qualified to treat his comrades' injuries, and although Demyx had sustained very few, he would never forget a single one of them. Vexen was a master of cunning, using his underling, Zexion, to draw the wounded into a state of calm with his superb bedside manner. Once his patient's guard was down, he dove in with knives and needles and stinging potions, and he repaired every injury presented to him with rough handling and no mercy.

Demyx perched on the edge of the table, ready to strike, even as Isa stared him down, daring him to try something. The doctor finally backed away to scribble on a notepad nearby, smiling and praising his new patient. "You did great, Demyx! All right, are you ready for the run-down?"

"Give it to me straight."

The doctor read from the notepad as he spoke, listing the ailments calmly. "You're pretty dehydrated. Slightly underweight. Your blood pressure and pulse are a little elevated. Seems like your body is under some stress."

Demyx scratched his head nervously, staring at the ground. "I, uh… I've been living on the streets for a few weeks…"

The doctor's face softened and his voice lowered slightly. "I see… that explains a lot of what I'm seeing. I found a rash that looks like hives and a lot of nasty looking bites, likely from some pests that got to you in your sleep. Some of them are infected and I'll want to treat them before they get any worse, okay?"

Demyx began to tense up again. "What are you going to do?"

"I'd like to give you a vaccination and send you home with a topical antibiotic solution."

"Isa you promised no needles…"

"I certainly did not."

"I told you I hate needles…!" Demyx once again tried to make a break for it, hopping off the table before anyone could stop him. Isa caught him around the waist before he could reach the door, dragging him back to his place and, testing his theory from earlier at the scale, lifted the musician off the ground and set him back on the table with ease. Demyx was so shocked by the impressive show of strength that he froze with his jaw hanging open. Having gained his full and undivided attention, Isa pleaded with Demyx to take the treatment.

"You could get very sick if you ignore this. Don't you want to get better?"

Demyx shook his head, his voice rising in pitch with every refusal. "I'm already sick! I'll take my chances!"

"Demyx, listen. It will take seconds. You won't even know it's happening."

"Do you want a minute to decide?" The ever-patient Doctor Shad, now slightly flustered, endeavored to put the man at ease, having dealt with a plethora of terrified children, but very few terrified adults.

"I don't need it, I already decided!"

Isa rolled his eyes, taking the kid by the shoulders in exasperation. "Good lord, Demyx, do you want to hold my hand?"

Demyx stared at him without a word for almost a minute, making his decision uninterrupted by either of his companions. Finally, with a shuddering sigh, his shoulders slumped as his body visibly relaxed in defeat. "Okay. Okay, fine. Just do it fast."

The doctor went to work preparing his supplies while Demyx removed his sweatshirt. Isa blinked, stunned as he caught a glimpse of the poor kid's body. He was so thin that his bones were visible, and there were painful-looking sores and blemishes scattered all over his skin. It was obvious how desperately this injection was needed. Keeping his word, Isa offered Demyx a hand, swallowing his pity for the time being. Demyx wasted no time clutching tightly to Isa's fingers with the strongest grip he could muster. Isa didn't flinch; Demyx was welcome to break them if it meant he would sit still and behave himself for the next few minutes. Anything to get him to accept this very necessary treatment.

"You have to hold still," Isa held Demyx in place as he continued to fidget and squirm. "Don't struggle."

"I'm trying!"

"Just calm down. You're going to be fine."

Isa clasped his friend's shoulder in an effort to quell his violent trembling. The doctor returned with his supplies ready, spreading a yellow liquid onto the fleshiest portion of Demyx's arm. The musician winced, jolting back from his touch.

"He hasn't even done anything, Demyx."

"That was cold!"

The doctor assumed his position, "Okay, Demyx, why don't you turn your head for a moment?"

Demyx tightened his grasp, starting to panic as Doctor Shad approached him. Isa scanned the room for a suitable distraction, taking notice of a poster on the opposite wall. It was a pleasant photo of happy-looking golden retriever puppies frolicking in a field of grass, designed to put frightened children at ease. "Look, Demyx, that picture on the wall has dogs on it."

"Aww, they're so cute… look at their little puppy noses…"

Taking advantage of the diversion, Doctor Shad hurriedly began the treatment. "Take a deep breath… you'll feel a tiny pinch."

"A what?! I'll feel a what?!"

"Relax," Isa whispered, barely audible over Demyx's hyperventilating. "Look at the dogs."

"I already looked at the dogs! They're super cute but I don't see how that—!"

"Good job, Demyx!"

"Huh?"

The doctor completed the injection swiftly and without incident. Demyx whirled around to see his arm, which now had a small, electric blue bandage on it. Isa smirked, pleased that it had gone so well. "There. It's over. See?"

Demyx, stunned, continued to inspect his arm with wide eyes. "That was fast…"

"And it wasn't so bad, was it?"

"And brave Demyx gets to dig in the candy jar now!"

Doctor Shad pulled the jar off the high shelf and set it in front of Demyx, who gleefully explored the contents with a beaming smile. Isa and Doctor Shad stepped away, chuckling over the whole experience.

"He's always been like that," Isa explained sheepishly. "Thank you for being patient with him."

Doctor Shad only smiled and shook his head. "I've had much worse than him. He's been no trouble at all."

They watched as Demyx pulled out several pieces of candy and examined each one before tossing them back in the jar and searching for more. The doctor turned to Isa with warmth in his eyes. "It sure is good to see you, Isa. It's been so long."

Isa returned his polite smile, but quickly hung his head in shame, remembering his decade-long broken promise. "I'm afraid I haven't exactly kept out of trouble… but I'm trying to make up for it."

Doctor Shad laid a hand on his shoulder with an expression of support and compassion on his cheerful face. "I can see that you've been through a lot. Don't forget, Isa, the mind needs healing just as much as the body. If you feel under-equipped, we can help."

Grateful for the offer, Isa bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you. But for now I have an excellent team helping me."

"That's good to hear. There was a time when that wasn't the case."

They were quiet for a few moments while Demyx admired his bandage, eagerly devouring the candy he'd earned. Isa recalled a similar image in his past, where Lea had been fawning over his bright red cast and practically inhaling the candy he received as a reward for his courage. They later returned to Isa's nook, where Lea emptied his pockets and revealed that he'd smuggled handfuls of candy along with him. The two sat in Isa's nest for hours eating it while Isa wrote messages and scribbled drawings all over Lea's cast with a marker. Isa had been so relieved and grateful that Lea wasn't upset with him for causing his injury that he made a point to decorate the plain-looking cast as well as he could.

"As a doctor, I have to ask…"

Isa snapped out of his reminiscing to find the doctor eyeing his forehead. He wasn't sure how to explain the origins of his scar to the man, wondering if Doctor Shad would understand, even if he stuck to the important points and skirted the details. "It… it's a long story."

"I'm listening."

Isa dropped his head again, sighing as he recounted the tale. "I got mixed up in this… cult. Demyx here was a member, even Lea joined with me. We lived for over ten years without hearts. It was very… traumatic."

The doctor's face fell with sympathy and concern. "Isa, that sounds terrible…"

"This," Isa brushed his fingers over the bold X between his eyes, "Was the result of a punishment from our leader. I was branded with a set of energy beams."

"May I?"

Anyone else would have been quickly denied. Isa had only ever let Lea touch the scar, and even that was because Lea insisted on treating the wound until it healed. However, Isa trusted this doctor unconditionally, and with a quiet nod, allowed him a moment to examine it. Doctor Shad's touch was as gentle as Isa had remembered. He used almost no pressure as he prodded at Isa's forehead with his fingertips. He traced along each line on all sides, carefully pressing into the skin as he inspected the damage. Isa could barely feel any of it.

"The scar tissue runs deep," The doctor's brow furrowed with concentration as he wrapped up his examination. "What a grisly injury… this must have been a nightmare…"

"I nearly bled out, but I opted not to have it sutured. It took over a year to heal. And… my face hasn't been the same since."

Isa had spent many years denying that he'd lost some feeling in his face, having hoped the numbness would go away after awhile. It never did, and by this point, he'd grown used to the lack of sensation. Doctor Shad offered some well-meaning advice, hoping to alleviate Isa's disappointment.

"There are things we can do. Do you want to try them?"

Isa turned away, "I've had my face cut up enough…"

"We don't have to go that route right away. There are some other less invasive options."

Isa closed his eyes and thought back to the day he woke up on the floor of Ansem's laboratory. He recalled the moment he peered into the window at his reflection and discovered that the scar was permanent. He kept his feelings to himself, but inside he was devastated, mourning the decent-looking face he'd lost and the normal life he supposed he might have had were he not disfigured.

"I'll think about it."

"In the meantime, I'll send you home with some samples."

"Thank you, Doctor."

The doctor shifted to a more serious tone as he gestured toward Demyx, who was now examining the poster of dogs on the wall. "As for him… It's pretty bad. His vitals are all over the place. He's malnourished. He's covered in bites and hives. He's a lot sicker than he's letting on."

Isa nodded, filled with pity as he explained Demyx's situation. "He said he'd been sleeping in an alley and eating scraps… The other night he mixed narcotics with liquor and overdosed. He says he's in pain and can't sleep, and he's experiencing significant memory loss."

The doctor shook his head with a sorrowful expression. "I'm not surprised at all… but my heart aches for him."

"Can he be cured?"

"I'm going to be giving him some potions to help with the detox. It's going to be brutal, and he's going to need constant supervision to keep him away from an early relapse. The first few nights will be hellish. Altogether, it could take up to two weeks to completely purge his system of the toxins."

Isa, having heard all this before, glanced at Demyx, praying he would be up to the daunting task that lay ahead of him. "I'll stay with him. I've been where he is…"

"After that, it will take months, maybe years of therapy to address the underlying addiction. He's in pretty rough shape, but the fact that he came in here and accepted treatment is a very good sign."

"He's so young… I couldn't stand the thought of him throwing his life away…"

Doctor Shad patted Isa on the back. "It's a good thing you brought him here when you did, Isa. You're a good friend."

Isa smiled meekly, "Better late than never, I suppose."

The doctor put away some of his instruments and collected a few jars from a nearby cabinet, pausing to explain them to Demyx in between tasks. After a moment, he stuffed everything into a small bag and handed it to Isa with a pleasant sparkle in his eye. "I'm here every day if you need me, Isa. Don't hesitate to come in if there's anything else you'd like to talk about."

Isa nodded, filled with gratitude for this man's unending kindness. "I'll try to stay out of trouble this time." He gestured for Demyx to follow him out the door, "Come, Demyx. It's time to go."

As the two of them returned to the lobby, they found that there were more people inside than previously. Almost instinctively, Isa dropped his head so that his long hair fell into a position which shielded his face from curious onlookers. It was a reflex by now, protecting him from the shame and embarrassment of being stared at by strangers. Demyx had taken notice of his sudden compulsion and questioned him with a worried look.

"What's the matter, dude? Are you okay?"

"Let's just go. I'll explain later."

They had almost reached the exit when a small boy who couldn't have been older than five rushed up to the pair with a wide-eyed, curious look on his face. "Wow, mister! Your scar is really cool!"

The boy wore a plaid vest and tan shorts, and his hair was a light brown color, hanging in his face and obscuring one of his eyes. A young, flustered-looking woman hurried to his side and tried to nudge him away with an apologetic glance at Isa. "Honey, that's not polite…"

The child refused to budge, insistent on admiring Isa's face with a bright smile. "Hey, mister, I have a cool scar, too! Look!"

The child swept his long fringe off of his forehead to reveal a scar of his own, looking much more recent than Isa's. It wasn't as clean cut, appearing a little jagged, but its shape was unmistakable and nearly took Isa's breath away. Situated around the child's right eyebrow was the clear image of a crescent moon.

"I got it playing ball with my daddy. I think it looks cool! But your scar is way cooler than mine!"

Isa couldn't help but smile. He knelt down to the child's level, indulging in a closer look at his uniquely shaped scar. "I think yours is much more pleasant a sight than mine. Don't you agree, Demyx?"

"Oh, yeah, totally. Kid, your scar rules!"

The boy beamed at them, nearly jumping in his excitement. "Did you get yours playing ball, too?"

Isa paused, hesitating to tell the truth, but hesitating just as much to lie. "Something like that."

Just then, the door opened and the same nurse entered the lobby with her clipboard. "Tam?"

The little boy looked up at his mother, who held out her hand to lead him away. "Yes! I'm gonna get candy! Bye, mister!"

Isa nodded and rose to his feet. The child scampered off toward the nurse and soon disappeared behind the door. Still smiling, Isa followed Demyx out of the clinic and into the street. The sun was bright, and they squinted in its blinding light for a few moments as they made the trek back toward the castle. Demyx had been hanging his head with his hands in his pockets, appearing to be deep in thought for a long while before finally speaking his mind.

"So… that's it, then. No more."

"It's your choice whether or not you do this, Demyx."

"I want to. I hate what it's done to me. It doesn't even feel good anymore, it just feels less bad. It isn't worth it."

Demyx looked increasingly forlorn as they walked along the busy streets of downtown. They passed by a secluded alleyway where human-sized figures could be seen wrapped up in tattered blankets and lying on the ground. Demyx paused, staring at them with a pained grimace. Ansem the Wise had an incredible system in place to take care of his citizens, but even the most compassionate governments let a few people fall through the cracks. Isa had been one of those people, and found it just as painful to look at the figures sleeping on the ground in front of them as Demyx did. Isa gripped Demyx's shoulder in support to remind him that he wouldn't end up back there again. "What you're about to do is incredibly scary. Some apprehension is to be expected."

"What if I screw up?"

"The newborn fawn stumbles many a time in the first hour after its birth. Ten times out of ten, it still gets back up and learns to walk."

Demyx scoffed incredulously. "Oh come on, I'm sure there are some that fail and never figure it out. What happens to them?"

Isa shrugged. "They die."

Demyx gulped audibly. "I guess the stakes are pretty high, then…"

"You've got a very compassionate group of people who will lift you back to your feet if you fall, Demyx."

They resumed their walk back to the castle. Demyx seemed less nervous, and smiled at his companion with gratitude on his cheerful face. "Thank you, Isa. You don't know what this means to me…"
"I know very well," Isa patted him on the back. "But you won't be thanking me in a few hours when the first withdrawal symptoms begin. You need to prepare yourself."

"The Doc said I need a sobriety coach…"

"Yes, someone must stay with you and keep you focused on your goal."

Demyx stroked his chin in thought. "I guess whoever it is will have to be pretty tough…"

Isa nodded, "Your sobriety coach will have a duty to keep you from relapsing. They will have to know when to be firm."

Demyx clasped his fingers behind his head, making a show of his gratuitous brainstorming. "And I guess they have to be really patient and supportive…"

Isa played along, biding his time until they arrived at the punchline. "Detox is painful. It will help to have a compassionate coach who is just as gentle as they are stern."

Demyx leaned heavily in Isa's direction as they walked. "And I bet it would be smart to have a coach who's been through it before…"

"Yes, if your coach understands your experience and is knowledgeable in the process—"

"Isa, will you be my sobriety coach?"

Isa couldn't help but laugh at the dramatic build up to such an obvious proposal. There was never any question that Isa would be the man to keep Demyx out of trouble for awhile, but he found it flattering that Demyx wanted to make such an official arrangement out of it. "Of course I will, Demyx. I'd be honored."

"What should I do now? To get ready?"

"I'm going to teach you some exercises to help you relax, and then you're going to go to sleep."

"You think I'll get lucky and just sleep through the whole thing?"

Isa averted his eyes, wishing he could give Demyx a better answer than the truth. "...Perhaps."

Fear gripped Demyx again, and he shuddered at the images his mind was conjuring against his will. "Tonight's gonna suck, isn't it?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

"I'm nervous as hell."

"It's warranted. But don't worry. You'll be fine."

"And you're going to be there the whole time, right?"

"Every second."

At times, Demyx forgot that this man had once antagonized him on a daily basis. It was heartbreaking to see that this was the man who had been sacrificed to create the unforgiving monster that was Saïx. Isa had replaced all of Saïx's hostility with gentleness. He prioritized the needs of his friends above his own without a second thought. He sought to approach every situation with kindness and empathy. Overflowing with gratitude, Demyx had developed a deep respect for Isa, having seen with his own eyes the miraculous transformation from monster to man. Isa was giving Demyx a hand up. Saïx would have likely left him on the street.

Looking slightly relieved but no less frightened, Demyx managed a weak smile at Isa. "You're a good friend… Coach."