A/N: Well, it's been awhile since I last updated. I was waiting for the reviews on the last chapter, but oh well. Sorry for the wait. Here's the thirteenth chapter. A warning though, things are about to go crazy.
Chapter thirteen
The doctors gently transferred Zell onto an operating table, immediately going to work on the ravaged body. Selphie stood in the corner, next to the opening that lead into the room, silently weeping as she saw what she was sure was to be Zell's final moments played out.
As the doctors, worked on cleaning Zell's stomach wound, he jerked awake, arching his back in agony and releasing a blood curdling scream, before one of the doctors injected him with a powerful chemical, which immediately knocked him out. Selphie's sobs intensified, as she turned away and cradled her head in her hands. One of the doctors finally noticed her, and quickly walked over, attempting to direct her out of the room.
"I'm sorry ma'am, but I'm afraid you have to leave." The nurse requested.
"Please, just let me stay here. I won't get in your way." Selphie pleaded. The nurse didn't listen, and insisted that she leave. "You can't be here, we are in the middle of a delicate medical procedure."
"I'm not going anywhere." Selphie said sternly.
"I'm afraid this isn't an option ma'am, now if you'll-" The nurse placed her hands on Selphie's shoulders, and turned her toward the door, pushing her toward the exit.
"Get your hands off of me!" Selphie yelled, sending a powerful right hook toward the nurse's jaw, on pure instinct. The nurse crumbled to the floor, in an incapacitated heap. Several other doctors immediately jumped Selphie, dragging her toward the exit. Selphie thrashed and struggled, but in her current condition was unable to overcome them, and so stopped resisting.
Seifer walked through the dimly lit halls of Balamb Garden, inhabited by none other than himself, and the shadows. Seifer always thought there was something creepy about Balamb Garden at night, although the tall blonde couldn't say exactly what it was. As he came before the elevator, Seifer took a deep breath, and shook his head at the situation. Things didn't look good for ol' chicken wuss so far. Seifer was obviously never friendly with Zell, but he knew how close he was to Quistis.
Sure, they had their disagreements, and even a few fights, but overall they loved each other like siblings. The tall blonde couldn't imagine the affect it would have on Quistis if Zell were to die. Still, there was nothing he could do.
Zell's life was in the hands of God, and the doctors.
Stepping in the elevator, he pressed the third floor button, as the doors gently slid shut. The elevator began on it's journey, before halting violently a few moments later.
"What the hell?" Seifer muttered, pressing the third floor button again. When he pressed it a third time, the support cables snapped, sending the elevator careening downward into the lower levels of the garden.
Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Selphie sat alone, in a small waiting room. The cold air, which filled the entire structure, made her shiver. Dried tears lay upon her face, her green eyes were bloodshot, and dark circles sat just under them.
Her skin was unusually pale, and her hair ragged. Her short yellow dress was still soaked from the rain. If Zell died, she didn't know what she would do. She never could work up the courage to tell him how she felt, and now it was too late. .
To tell the truth, she had always had even the smallest crush on him, ever since they first met. But ever since Irvine ended up leaving the picture, Selphie realized she was in love. She was truly in love.
She was lucky the nurses didn't kick her out of the hospital for what she did. Fortunately, the nurses were compassionate, and understood her situation.
… … … … … … … … .. …
Zell awoke, to find himself floating in a black void of nothingness. Black, as far as the eye could see. He grew fearful, breathing heavily, and looking around him for any sign of another presence. There was none. None at all.
He yelled out, in pure fear, frustration, and anger. He couldn't tell where he was, or even if he was alive. The last images he remembered, were that of standing on the Balamb dock.
Zell walked out onto the dock, folding his arms and letting out a sigh. He had a difficult day. Cid had threatened to fire him if he didn't start performing better on his routine missions. The entire problem however, was that he was distracted. He couldn't stop thinking about Selphie. He wasn't sure, but it felt like he was in love with her. He had never been in love before, so it was a hard feeling to discern. Before another thought could cross his mind, the voice of the very woman he had been thinking of pierced the silence.
"Hey." Selphie said shyly, from her spot several meters away from the dock.
"Hey Selph." Zell replied.
"Listen, Zell… There's something I need to tell you." Selphie stated
"What is it?" Zell asked, raising an eyebrow. Before Selphie could tell him how she felt, a truck full of teenagers came careening from the street.
"Zell, watch out!" Selphie yelled in horror. It was too late. The truck flew off of the platform, down toward the water, clipping the support beams for the dock. The structure collapsed, taking Zell with it.
Realizing what had happened, Zell let out another scream of frustration. He was dead. He knew it. Or at least he thought so.