Disclaimer: I do not now or before and most likely not in the future, own Final Fantasy, Square Enix or any of the characters.

A/N: I'm not sure of the medical parts of this story, I am not a doctor or nurse, so please remember that this story is full of pseudo science. Also, I have finally updated "Intra Tentatio Insania" and "To You I Give My Heart," check them out and let me know what you think.

Thanks to my after-post beta SubZeroChimera and my before-post beta Queen of Jokers!

"Hope is the dream of a man awake." -French Proverb

Nexus

Chapter 14

Harding entered the lab, and Hojo was there already looking at something under the microscope, "It has been several days, go ahead and get a blood sample and run a pregnancy test," Hojo ordered without looking up.

Harding went and got the vials, needles, tourniquet and gloves. Placing the tourniquet on her arm, he looked at her as she slept, seemingly peacefully. He hoped that everything that Hojo had planned for her didn't require her to be awake at all. He didn't want her in pain. After the blood was drawn, he went and did the test. While they waited on the results, they made a trip over to the infirmary. Chase wasn't in there, so Hojo went in the file cabinet and rustled around until he found the file he wanted. Hojo left and Harding followed him back to Lab 4.

Looking over the file, Hojo rubbed his chin, and then hit his hand down on the desk, "That's it!" He jumped up and went to the microscope.

"Sir, is there something that I can help you with?" Curiosity was about to explode at his temples.

"Just a moment," Hojo held up a finger in the air and then placed it back under the papers he looked over.

Harding stood there, waiting impatiently. He started tapping his fingers restlessly on the counter. Hojo raised his head and shot a glare at him, then went back to the microscope. Harding nervously stopped and pulled his hand off the counter. Finally, he looked over at Harding, "The cells are communicating with one another!"

"I don't understand, sir."

"The link between C and S. Now I just need to determine how deep the connection goes. I need to find out if it can be turned off and on at will, once specimen C integrates the Jenova implant of course." The timer went off to indicate that the results of the test were ready. Harding slightly jumped and Hojo just about ran him over to get over there. "This is fantastic!" Hojo exclaimed. "The health of specimen B is of the utmost importance now. Ready the vitamin and mako injections."

"Sir?!"

Hojo swelled his chest toward Harding and spat out, "Did you not hear me the first time? Do not jeopardize the success of my project with your sense of morality or stupidity."

Taken by surprise by his outburst, "It's not that sir, but shouldn't we wait until the fetus has developed a little farther before the mako injections?"

Hojo relaxed and put his hand to his chin and rubbed it lightly, "Perhaps you make a valid point. We will wait for two weeks before starting the mako injections to make sure that full implantation has taken place."

Being brought back into the lab for their regular mako shots, Cloud and Sephiroth were brought in and put on the tables. Cloud refused to walk to the table and fought the whole way over, "No! Please!"

"Now C, stop fighting," Hojo said in a condescending way.

"Get your hands off of me!" The sound of Cloud's shackles clanked and rattled with his continued struggle.

Sephiroth watched with interest. When Drake pulled on him to put him on the table, he then fought against his restraints too, in support of the blond, "Hojo leave him alone."

Hojo nodded to Harper and he punched Cloud in the jaw, knocking him down to the ground. Cloud curled into a ball as much as he could with his hands cuffed behind him and took the subsequent beating. Sephiroth had to lean against the table to keep from falling. Hojo wrote down quickly on his notes. Hojo holding his hand up to Harper and speaking to Cloud, "Now, are you willing to comply?"

Cloud and Sephiroth said nothing. Harper pulled Cloud to his feet, turned him around to face the table. He pushed his head down on the table. Sending a quick cry of pain as the metal against his head made the sound of a sour note from a tuning fork. Harper yelled in Cloud's ear, "Now stay!" Sephiroth had to lean on the table meant for him.

After they were strapped down to the tables, Wolfe brought some electrodes and began sticking them onto both of them, on their temples, necks, and chests.

"I will be testing your connection with each other and your cooperation is strongly suggested." Hojo turned and headed to Sephiroth, "It is very important that you let me know when you feel something from C." With that he went over to Cloud, "This may hurt." He lifted up a mallet and it came down on Cloud's left hand. It didn't break any bones, but it still stung like getting caught in a vice. A startled scream escaped from him and a groan from Sephiroth. Hojo immediately put the mallet back on the side table and went to Sephiroth and asked where it hurt. Through clenched teeth, he refused and turned his face away from the Professor who scanned Sephiroth with his eager eyes. He leaned closer and got to Sephiroth's ear, "S, your contribution to this test is very strongly recommended." Sephiroth kept his eyes pointed at the far wall and didn't move.

Hojo stood up and sighed, "Very well. Suit yourself." Hojo put his hand on Sephiroth's bare shoulder and ran his hand softly and slowly down his arm and his pale skin prickled with goose bumps. Hojo ran his fingers down to the knuckles of the tight fist Sephiroth squeezed his fingers into. The scientist lifted the former General's fist and slid his hand under it and held it gently. With his other hand, Hojo softly stroked the fist.

Sephiroth moved his eyes to Hojo and down at his hand, "It's okay S, I understand." Hojo's words sounded quiet and concerned. Sephiroth loosened his grip for just a second and Hojo took the opportunity and straightened his fingers out. Hojo held tight as Sephiroth tried to pull his hand into a fist again. He ran his fingers between Sephiroth's fingers and picked up his pinky finger. When the snap of bone popped in the air, Sephiroth jerked his head back and a groan found its way out of his throat.

"Now, S. Where did you feel C's pain? Just remember, we can do this all day. You and C both have a lot of fingers left." Sephiroth breathed hard and held up his left hand as much as the restraints would allow. "Fascinating." Sephiroth straightened his right hand as much as his broken finger would allow. Hojo looked over at Cloud who had his neck strained looking over the top of Sephiroth's head, "C! I don't allow cheating. Do you understand?" Cloud straightened his neck back and said nothing.

Walking back to Cloud, he wiped alcohol and iodine on the blonde's arm and then picked up a scalpel. A small superficial cut into the skin, Cloud hissed and Sephiroth groaned. Hojo put that scalpel down, picked up another one, then went to Sephiroth, "Now S, did you feel that?" Sephiroth just glared at him. "Where did you feel it that time?" Staying still and quiet, Sephiroth kept his glare fixed on Hojo's face, "S are you sure you don't want to tell me?" Turning his face from him again, the former General indicated his left forearm. "Excellent! Wolfe, Burton, don't forget to get these results down. Record the readings from the monitors."

"Yes sir," Wolfe went over and began writing on his notes. Burton went to the monitors and writing the read outs down in the notebook.

Going around to Sephiroth's right arm, he did the same procedure of sterilizing his arm and then pierced a small cut into his skin. Sephiroth let out a grunt though his teeth. Hojo went over to Cloud and asked if he had felt that. Cloud looked at him. "Answer me C." The blond nodded his head yes slowly and Hojo asked eagerly, "Where did you feel it?"

Cloud stuttered questioningly, "M-my leg?"

Hojo looked at him very intently, narrowing his eyes, "Now C are you lying to me? I don't like people lying to me." Cloud nodded his head yes slowly. "C, what am I going to do with you?"

"I'm sorry, please don't! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Cloud's pleas were ignored.

Hojo grabbed Cloud's pinky finger on his left hand and twisted it upward until it snapped. Both Cloud and Sephiroth let a quick pained cry out. "Now C, are you going to lie to me anymore?"

Cloud shook his head vigorously as he breathed out.

Zack was doing some sit ups when Davis came to get him for his injections. As soon as Zack saw who it was he pounced on him before he was completely in the room. Zack performed a running punch to the face and then he grabbed his arm and pulled him farther into the cell.

As Davis was stumbling forward, Zack jumped up and dropped his elbow down on the base of his skull, knocking them both to the ground. Zack rolled out and jumped to his feet. The former Soldier went to punch him again, but Davis was able to dodge it.

The guard kicked up and caught Zack in his side causing him to stumble over on top of Davis. He got an elbow hit to Zack's eye then he rolled away from the angered brunette and jumped to his feet. Zack kicked Davis's feet out from under him dropping him to the ground again and he got one hand on his chest as he let punch after punch fly to the side of the guard's face.

With a growl, Zack stopped and leaned forward, closer to his face, "Don't you ever touch him again, or I will fuck you up." He put his hands around his throat and squeezed his hands together watching the blood vessels in his eyes expand and burst. For the first time, Zack felt the want to kill and it was shocking that he couldn't stop himself. In a part of his mind, he was thankful that he was being pulled off of the unconscious guard, but he still fought to get back to finish the job. The infantry soldiers zapped him four times before he stopped fighting.

Finally getting him restrained, they took him to the lab and the other two soldiers took Davis to the infirmary. Zack didn't know about his dislocated shoulder until they were strapping him in the chair. They got him all strapped in except for his right arm. Doctor Medlock was in the lab already with Sephiroth and Cloud dressing their newly acquired wounds from Hojo. Cloud and Sephiroth had bandaging on both of their forearms. Cloud sported splints on three of his fingers and Sephiroth's hand had a finger splint as well.

"Zack?" Cloud studied him, concerned.

He blinked and then looked at him and as soon as he focused on Cloud, his eyes immediately softened and his face relaxed, his tone was strained and quiet, "Hey buddy."

Noah went to look at Zack's shoulder, but Hojo told him to leave, "But Professor, He needs to-"

"You can leave now doctor," Hojo glared and waited for Noah to leave.

Hojo, examined Zack from across the room then walked closer, "This is starting to become a problem with you." He stood right in front of him, grabbed Zack's hand and yanked on his arm to amplify the pain. "Now what am I going to do with you?" Zack grit his teeth and breathed in hard and held it.

Zack didn't want Hojo to break him, but he was making it damn hard. Hojo pulled on his arm again, a little harder, and the brunette let a small loud grunt out. Hojo didn't seem satisfied without a scream, so he spoke calmly in a superior sounding voice, "Is this how you're going to make me deal with your problem behavior?" Hojo looked at him and smiled a small lipless smile and jerked harder than before. Zack cried out in a short outburst, Hojo seemed a little more pleased with that, "I would hate for something like this to happen again, wouldn't you?" Again he yanked hard and kept the pressure on, amplifying the pain even more. Zack's scream was a little longer, "Now that's better." Turning to Burton, Hojo ordered, "Prepare the injections."

Noah Medlock was the only son of two wealthy executives in the Shinra Corporation. His two older sisters had followed in their parents footsteps and they were all hard-nosed business people. Noah had always been different from his family. He didn't want to be a wealthy businessman; he always wanted to be a doctor. His compassion for others was his greatest gift, he loved being around people and always had been a caregiver in some form or another.

When he had been offered this job through Shinra, he jumped at the opportunity to work with Hojo. Hojo was very well known in the scientific community as a visionary. Noah walked into this job and Hojo immediately went for the jugular, so to speak. The young doctor's discretion and his ability to be open-minded were first and for-most in the Professor's book. Signing the confidentiality agreement was his first initiation into this world of pain that Hojo considered a playground full of inhumanity.

Meeting the Professor's fully conscious human specimens threw the tender-hearted young doctor into a psychological frenzy. He hated what was happening, but what could he do? He couldn't talk to his parents, so he had to decide for himself what he was going to do. Tapping the pen nervously against his chin, he ran his fingers through his blond hair and stared at the medical profiles of the three men.

Thinking about the few things he had witnessed and the things that he could imagine had already happened, made him gag in revulsion. What Hojo had told him was in store for the three of them scared him. A tear fell from his cheek onto the picture of Cloud as his eyes bounced around all three pictures.

He gathered the profiles together and placed them neatly back in the filing cabinet. Straightening himself up, he walked out of the infirmary with his mind made up.

After receiving their injections, they were taken back to their cells. Cloud immediately went to help Zack while he lay on the floor where he was thrown.

"Tell me what to do, Zack."

Zack explained to him how to put his shoulder back in. Although Cloud had a difficult time gripping Zack's arm because of the broken bones in his fingers, he breathed through the pain. Putting his foot under Zack's arm and held onto his wrist and hand, he then prepared himself, "Okay, on three, ready?" The brunette nodded slowly. "Okay… one… two…three!" Cloud pulled and lifted just like Zack told him, but he didn't do it hard enough. Zack let out a quick pained cry and put his head back down on the floor. Cloud backed up against the wall and slid down it, wrapping his arms around his legs. "Zack I'm so sorry, I tried. I'm sorry!" Cloud buried his face in his arms.

After a few seconds, Zack got Cloud's attention, "Spiky, I… need your help okay."

Cloud looked over at his friend, and his face was red and his arm was limp, "But I hurt you worse, I don't know if I can. I don't want to hurt you."

"It's okay I…need for you to do…this for me," Zack made determined eye contact with him.

Cloud nodded his head and went back over, reached down and put his foot back under the older boy's arm. Taking a deep breath, Cloud counted out loud, "One… two… three!" Cloud did what Zack told him, but Zack groaned loudly and rolled over on his back while holding his shoulder. Cloud went back to the wall and slid back down, "I'm sorry, I just can't do it Zack."

Through deep loud breaths of relief, "You g-got it that time."

"I did?" He stood back up and went to back to him, "Do you want help to your bed?"

"Maybe in… a minute. I'm pretty comfy here for… the time being."

Cloud rolled a blanket up and put it under his head. A little later Zack got up on the bed, "Zack? Can I ask you what happened?"

Zack lay on his bed looking up at the ceiling, arm across his chest, he rubbed at his throbbing shoulder, "Yeah, you can ask."

"Well? What happened?" Cloud stared at him.

"I got into a fight," Zack grinned shallowly.

Cloud slapped his hands on his own legs, "No shit! I got that much."

Zack turned his head to look at Cloud sitting at the foot of his bed and raised his eyebrows, "They wanted me to go to the lab and I didn't want to."

Cloud looked back at Zack and rolled his eyes, "You hard-headed asshole!"

Closing his eyes, Zack muttered, "Yeah? Well you know me."

The baby was developing quickly. Very quickly in fact. She had only been pregnant for four weeks but she already had a small bump developing. At the rate it was growing, the total gestation would only be six to eight months. Bonnie got her prenatal injections daily and she had mako injections three times a week. In addition to that, Hojo had started injecting mako directly into the amniotic fluid.

Harding got the heart rate and size of the baby and recorded it on the medical diagnostic record. He looked again at Bonnie's face. They had to intubate her three days ago when she started having trouble breathing. She had developed fluid in her lungs from lack of activity. A regimen of "exercises" was implemented to lower the chances of it happening again. This was added as part of Harding's job description. Thinking selfishly to himself with a sigh, he rolled his eyes, 'now I'm a physical therapist.'

After taking down both sets of vitals, he began his new task. He removed her sheet and covered her in a hospital gown. Rolling her onto her side, he was tying the back when he heard something. Rolling her back onto her back, he saw that her eyes were open slightly. He looked behind him to see if Hojo had heard. Satisfied that he hadn't, he opened her lid all the way open. Her deep brown eyes glowed with little green flecks and it was mesmerizing. She then focused on him, she was waking up.

Hojo spoke from behind him, "I guess we will have to increase the sedation as we increase the mako."

Harding jumped and almost dropped her head back down on the table, "Yes sir," he stuttered out sadly.

Sephiroth made himself busy with exercise. He was in his cell alone, which on any normal occasion was fine with him. However this was a lot different than normal. All the tests he had run on him and Cloud earlier made Sephiroth realize that Hojo was enjoying it; he could see it in his eyes.

He tried pushups but the cuts on his forearms and his broken finger proved to be too painful to attempt. Sit ups would suffice. Zack had told him that that was one way that he and Cloud passed the time sitting in their cell. They also would spar so Zack could teach Cloud more combat moves and kept him in practice. As awkward as it would be for him, he still wished he had a cellmate.

Sephiroth had several things that swam around in his head. How is he able to feel Cloud's feelings? Why couldn't Cloud feel his? What were Hojo's motives? Would he be leaving here alive? Why had he been made to destroy the town and its people? Would Hojo continue this line of research if he wasn't there?

As he unconsciously increased the speed of his sit ups, he felt hot blood on one of his arms. Spinning around, he sat with his back against his bed and examined his bandaging. Somehow, he had popped some of his stitches open, he muttered sarcastically, "…Wonderful."

Standing up and going to the bathroom to wash up, he passed by the mirror and didn't like what he saw. All he saw now was a coward, a murderer, a Soldier with no honor, a killer at the will of a mad man.

Leaning on the counter in front of the mirror, he hung his head. Had his whole life been a lie? The images of that night, when Nibelheim burned, flashed though his mind; the screaming of the citizens of the small town, the searing heat of the fire, the offensive smell of innocent blood shed needlessly. Although he had had no control at the time, it was still by his hand. Part of the job of a Soldier, and the General, was to protect the innocent. What if Jenova took him over again?

His trembling hands went to the counter, leaning against it and his frustration, anger, sadness and sorrow came out in a scream of anguish. Punching the mirror, he shattered it and his right hand dripped blood from the fresh cuts. His eyes followed the blood droplets down to the broken shards on the counter and the sink and he exhaled slowly.

Starting the shower, he had always liked his showers hot and once it was at its hottest, he disrobed. Sitting on the floor in the shower stall, he watched as his vital life blood flowed from his arm and down the drain.

They were talking again and Zack was thankful; he missed talking to his friend. Cloud was doing some squats with Zack, they were able to do those despite Zack's shoulder and Cloud's broken fingers. The blond was telling Zack about the tests that Hojo did that morning.

"Yeah, and then… he hit Seph's hand… with the mallet… because he wanted… me to scream," Cloud relayed between breaths.

"That's insane, but… then again he is… a certified nut bag… if you ask me," Zack stated between his squats.

Cloud stopped suddenly and his eyes widened, his pupils dilated and he went down in a heap on the floor, "Spike!" Zack patted his face several times trying to rouse him. Finding Cloud's pulse, he noticed it was slow and weak and his breathing started to slow. Zack ran to the door and banged on it screaming, "Hey! Somebody! Cloud needs help! Call the Doctor!"

The door opened and Zack grabbed the person and yanked them through the doorway. It was one of the infantry soldiers he and Cloud had beaten up. Alarmed and trying to pull away from the frantic larger Soldier, Stringer asked with a squeak in his voice, "What is going on in here?"

"Stringer! Get some help quick! There is something wrong with him!"

"Okay, hang on," Stringer shut the door as he left.

Zack ran back to Cloud's side and put his head and shoulders onto his lap, "Come on Buddy, you can't leave me now." It seemed to be taking forever for the doctor to get there. "What is taking so long?" He yelled from his place on the floor. Cloud's body seemed to relax, with his breathing slowing more, "Just hang in there Buddy, help's coming," Zack stroked Cloud's hair back unconsciously.

As Stringer came rushing back through the door, Zack saw Sephiroth on a gurney as they went past the cell. Barber and Stringer had a new urgency to their demeanor when they came in and got Cloud. Zack helped them get Cloud's limp body onto the gurney they brought with them.

Zack questioned, "What is going on? What happened to Sephiroth?"

"I don't know, I just know that Sephiroth…" Barber started.

"Sephiroth what?!" His raised voice glanced off the walls and back to his ears.

Barber just looked at him with a little sadness, "I don't know."

"Barber we got to go before we lose this one too," Stringer quickly let out. They closed the door behind them.

Zack stood in the middle of the cold, silent cell and tried to process all that had transpired, "What did you mean this one too?" He slowly asked the closed door. Stumbling to the door, his hand touched the cold metal, goose bumps migrated up his arm. Turning around, his back smacked against the door and he slid down to the floor and ran his fingers through his hair. Resting his elbows on his drawn up knees, he shook his head as his heart beat hard in his chest, "What the hell is going on?" He asked himself quietly.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reads, favorites, subscribes and/or reviews, I appreciate your time and I dedicate all of this to you. To quote another author, "Getting reviews makes me feel all warm and squishy."

Please send me your reviews if you want. It is really easy. Just click your arrow in the little box, write what you thought or felt about the chapter and then click right down there, just below the box. A little lower… a little to the right… yeah, right there! Click it! *grinning*