Three Minutes Too Fast Chapter 26: Stranded, a final fantasy viii fanfic

Chapter 26

Stranded

-x-

"That's all?" the male SeeD asked when they finished wrangling the last of the Grats back into the area. "So, we lost about thirty monsters, five of them Rex."

"Damn, this will cost us tons." Xu wrote something in her notepad. "Thanks for the help, Nida. You too, Squall." She saw the girl behind him. "And Squall's girlfriend. Thanks for helping us getting all these beasts back."

Squall sighed, noting the green blood all over his jacket and pants. He didn't really want to look back. Whatever expression Rinoa was sporting now behind him, he didn't really want to know.

"You're welcome!" she said as Xu said something to Nida. Both walked to the deeper area past the bridge. The Grat they were just kicking into the Centre fled into the bushes, flailing and whining something that sounded like revenge. All other monsters they had gathered in their earlier rounds had gone from the collecting fences, all four corners of the white planks for emergency fences chewed and ruined past the limit of repair.

"So," Rinoa said when Squall turned back to the exit of the Training Centre. "Do you have anywhere else you need to go now?"

What now?

"Because, well," Rinoa said, clasping her arms on her back and following the gunblader out. "Since I came here, I didn't have time to have a tour on this Garden. So I was wondering…"

Now that he was free to do something else until there was another command from Cid, Squall wondered about the trio in their suicide mission. They were unlikely to make it into the base, stemming from the fact that the missiles did land, although far from where the Garden was supposed to be. Maybe they survived.

Squall glanced back. Rinoa smiled at him. Her clothes, her hair, all free from any kind of monster liquid she was supposed to have right now. She did help, in a way, but she drew the limit at actually touching the monsters. Zell would be more helpful.

That particular blond had escorted, or to be more literal, carried Quistis back to the infirmary. Squall had said that he could do that too. Quistis didn't look his way. Zell returned his jacket to him and said, "Honestly? After you kidnapped her against everyone's will? Nah, I can do it just fine." Then he carried the instructor bridal-style. Squall wanted to mention that it would be better if he just carried Quistis on his back as he did, but they had gone in a flash. Then Xu appeared and mentioned something about cleaning up the monsters, which was what Squall felt like doing after all that. Too bad, it wasn't exactly what he expected to do.

"I need a shower," he said.

"Yeah, of course," Rinoa said. "I can wait until you're done."

Hmm…

They walked out of the Training Centre. Squall glanced around. The janitors and several cadets were moping and cleaning up the floor and walls of the main hall. The cadets were probably those on the losing side. NORG's side. NORG… come to think about it….

"I have something else to do," he said. Rinoa followed him into the tunnel to the dorm area. "Where are you going to wait?"

Rinoa blinked. "Well… I think I can wait in your room. Can't I?"

His room?

"Can't I? I've been in Seifer's room. I've seen girls and boys in and out from the same room. It's fine, right? There's no rule about that."

There wasn't, as long as the guest didn't stay past the visiting hours. Squall never felt like entertaining guest in his room. Aside from the rare occurrence of Selphie, Seifer and more often Zell, he didn't really care for anyone else in his place. The three just barged in anytime they pleased, ethics and norm be damned, and even if he kicked them out, they would just come back the next hour. Seifer, he never opened the door for, had the master card from his DC position. He sure liked to gloat that fact in front of him before 'officially confiscating' something from Squall when the gunblader didn't show up for their duel due to one or many reasons, most often Card game. To think someone like that was allowed to have that much control over anyone, to think that he could just open anyone's door, probably his girlfriend's door many times…

Girlfriend?

Squall looked down. "I need to go as soon as I change my clothes. You can't stay."

"Oh." Rinoa skidded to a halt. "Oh."

Squall glanced at her. "Do you have anywhere else you can go? Where did you sleep all this time?"

"Um. Rai and Fuu's room." Rinoa gave a bland smile that didn't reach her eyes. "You know? Just do your business. I'll be fine. Are you free tonight? We can go then."

Tonight…

"I need to give my report to Cid afterwards." Squall looked to the direction of the main hall. "You should do something else. I'm probably going to have another mission coming up soon."

"Really?" Rinoa straightened up. "What mission?"

He would have to search for the missile base team, maybe he and Zell would have to leave by canoe or emergency boat to land. Was there any in this Garden? It wasn't a ship. Rinoa didn't need to know all this. She was a client. "It doesn't concern you."

Rinoa pouted. "I thought… well, I can help."

The only one other than Zell that Squall could trust with the mission was in the infirmary with both her arms paralyzed. He probably could get her out soon if it was important for the mission. She would know how to reach the missile base without alarming the Galbadians. Now, how he could carry her without making the doctor yell at him...

"It's not necessary," he said. "Do stay in Garden until we land. Afterwards I will be able to finish your mission."

"Is that all you think about?" Rinoa said. "How to finish my mission as soon as possible?"

Was there something from their briefing that he didn't catch? "Don't you want it to end soon?"

"I didn't… I—" Rinoa moved her lips but nothing came out. "You know what? I—I need to go now. I don't feel good." She sighed. "Of course, you don't care, do you?"

What was she talking about? "Is your condition important for the mission?"

"I really don't know what I'm doing here," she said. "What am I doing?"

He was wondering the same.

"I… I have to go. I'll talk to you later."

Squall watched his client walk away with her shoulder slumped. He raised his brow. Then he noticed the slime all over him, scrunched his face and headed to his room.

Whatever.

-x-

It was hard for him not to notice the woman leaning on his door. In fact, it would be hard for anyone not to realize there was an albino scowling to the innocent wall across from his room, looking for all means that she didn't really want to be there.

"Oh, hey, Fujin," Zell said, stopping far from her. "Um. Something's wrong?"

The woman glared at him. She raised a book with a blue cover in her hand. "THIS."

"Ah… what?" Zell thought he probably shouldn't come closer, but when Fujin stomped towards him, he asked Quetzalcoatl if the GF was ready for another fight, or at least prepared him for another fist to his face. The GF snored, sending the familiar buzz of electricity swimming in his head.

Fujin stopped in front of him and shoved the book to his chest. Zell reached for it and studied the book. "Oh. Goodbye Pupurun! Uh… wow. So you're the one who rented this and never returned it."

Her eyes were deadlier than a second ago. "MORON."

"…You're either talking 'bout me or your brother. I would like to think it's your brother."

A huff was all he got. Fujin turned and stalked off to the other direction.

"Uh, hey, Fuu!" Zell waved the book when she stopped and turned back to stare at him. "You know? Thanks! I owe you one!"

Fujin looked to the wall in the hall, as if contemplating something. She then said, "PAY."

"Whaa…?"

The woman opened her palm and waited.

"Oh," Zell said. "I—um, don't have that much money… or anything of the sort right now."

Fujin's eyes narrowed. She pointed at Zell's face. "LIFE."

"What?" He shouldn't say anything in the first place, Zell realized. "Um, no. I'm not giving you my life for a book. That's weird. And creepy."

Fujin didn't really care. She turned back and trotted down the path to the main hall.

"Whoa whoa, wait!" Zell ran after her. He had a niggling feeling on the back of his head that was neither Quez nor the two oxes, that letting her leave just like that would be severely detrimental to his future. He should give her something else… something less extreme. "Um, you know, have you eaten?" he asked when he reached her side.

Fujin tilted her head.

"'Cause, I got all these cadets coupons that I never used for any meal because they're not hot dogs coupons. I can't use them now that I'm a SeeD. So… you want them?"

Fujin studied his face. Then, she said, "DATE?"

"WHAT? NO!" Zell took a step back. "Well, it's not a date-date! It's um…"

"FINE." Fujin raised her hand again. "COUPONS."

"Uh. Great! Wait here, I'm gonna get them. Just—you know, it's not a date—" Zell said that as Fujin stared at him, "date," he finished lamely. Realizing that the woman probably was there out of a necessity to get rid of the book and not to hear him rambling, he ran to his door and slid the card on his identifier. "Okay, just… wait."

Fujin folded her arms. She should just tell Zell that the book was super late on the returning date and that now he would be the one to pay them instead of her brother, but this was more amusing. Besides, they were cadets. They didn't have the money to pay for such a ridiculous fee. Zell would understand. Once he realized that, like it or not, he should pay, and Fujin would see to it that the food coupons were already safe in her hand before that happened.

-x-

"Up you go!" the old man said. His yellow teeth shone against the sun, smell of cheap beer and bad tobacco accompanied his thin wrinkled form as he pulled the fish up. Sitting next to him, Seifer scowled.

"How in the hell did you do that?" he asked. "Five fishes in half an hour?" the gunblader glared at his rod. "Am I in the wrong place?"

"Like I tell ya, sonny," the old man said after throwing the fish into his full bucket. "Ya gotta understand what fish wants, that's all."

"What, to be ensnared and killed by you?" Seifer glanced to his own empty bucket. "Damn it."

The old man patted Seifer's shoulder as he sat back on his old creaky stool. "Remember, boy, fifty Gil a piece. Ya barely make anything for days."

Here he thought he was getting the best deal. Seifer peered to the centre of the Fisherman's Horizon. On top of a circular satellite, a small figure hopped and flailed about, holding a hammer and more likely something else deadly in her other hand. Technicians all around her were laughing at something she said. The small figure crouched and focused on something on the satellite. Seifer didn't have to look to know a certain sniper was having a jolly good time in the FH inn, smiling and greeting any weary tourist on transit to other continents. The inn host took one look at him, shook her head and said she had no need for a grump. A grump! Seifer could be charming if he wanted to!

Instead, without any mechanical skill or the supposed charm that Selphie and Irvine had, he had imposed on Flo and the Mayor for days, until Flo was tired of his scowl, his bad tea habit and his refusal to take off his coat indoors and pushed him to the direction of a dock.

Seifer looked down and flipped the page of the 'Occult Fan III' that he took from the old man's cabin. What was this crap? To think that anyone was willing to pay for something like this; when they didn't have the money or food for themselves. They had to store their weapons inside the Mayor's house when they arrived and somewhat forcibly escorted to Flo, something along the lines of 'peace and love for everyone'. Selphie had never looked so happy. The two men were just confused as hell.

There would be no boat to Balamb until they could scour enough money.

"Seify!"

The little technician ran to the dock, almost slipped on a wet plank, stumbled and crashed against his back. Seifer fell to the front, hands on the wet dock to steady himself. The metal rod dropped to the ocean, the sad glint waved goodbye to him as it drowned to the bottom of the blue sea.

"…What now?" Seifer said.

Selphie glanced down. "Did you just drop something?"

"…Just tell me what."

"Oh! You'll never guess who just arrived here!" Selphie patted his back. "Come on, we've got to meet him!"

Seifer didn't have to go. He stood up, turned to the direction of the Mayor's house and saw the grey hair, stern posture and tired face of Galbadia Garden headmaster walking towards them, Irvine sheepishly in tow.

"Unless he has a boat and we can go with him," Seifer kicked his empty bucket out of his way and moved Selphie to the side. "I'm out of here."

"Hey, hey, don't forget!" said the old man as his employee sprint into his cabin. "That rod and the bait were a thousand fifty! Now what are ya gonna pay me with?"

"Almasy!" the voice he didn't want to hear, now thunderous in the air behind him. "Almasy! Come here! Give me your status report!"

-x-

"Oh, no. You are banned from this area."

Rinoa looked up from the bed where she lay on.

"I'm injured."

Her eyes widened, Rinoa moved to the edge of the bed and peeked out from the curtain. "Squall?"

Squall straightened his form and dropped his hand. "What are you doing here?"

"Let me see that," Dr. Kadowaki said, taking Squall's hand and peered over it. "Just a small Grat slash. You didn't come here even when the T-Rexaur bit you in your bottom."

Squall glanced around. "Things change." He noticed the drawn curtain on the far end of the clinic.

"I will give you a medicine," the doctor said, "so you can go right back to your room and apply it on yourself."

"That's not necessary, doctor!" said Rinoa. She hopped down the bed. "If you're busy, I'll tend to his wound!" She smiled and walked around the curtain. "Sit here, Squall!"

Squall looked to the doctor, who retreated to her desk and her documents, then to Rinoa who pulled the curtain back. He peered down, to the side where the drawn curtain was, and stepped little by little to the bed next to Rinoa.

"There you go!" Rinoa fetched the bandages and antiseptic solution next to the bed. "Let's see, where did you injure yourself?"

Squall studied his hand, and with some hesitation, showed the bleeding wound to Rinoa.

"Oh, wow," Rinoa said. "That looks painful." She frowned. "I didn't remember you getting hurt when we're done with the monsters?"

"I—" Squall glanced to the doctor, who pretended she was not in the room. "—didn't."

"You didn't realize? Oh, Squall," Rinoa said. She touched the wound gingerly. "Hmm. I'm going to clean it up and then wrap it up! You're going to be fine," she said. Squall stared down at his hand.

"…Yeah."

Rinoa smiled at Squall, who didn't look up from his hand. She looked at the medicine table and said to the doctor, "I'm going to fetch some clean water from the bathroom."

The doctor smiled and said to Squall as the girl left the clinic, "I know young love is powerful, but really, you shouldn't have a hard time just to be near your girlfriend."

Squall blinked.

"I mean, it's admirable that you managed to get hurt in the only place in your hand where you will not have any problem wielding your gunblade later, but you should just ask her out in the first place. It's not like she'll say no."

Squall stared at the doctor as if he didn't understand anything that came out from her mouth. He folded his arms, uncaring about his wound and said, "Whatever."

The doctor gave him an amused smile and stared down to her paper.

Squall stood up, walked to the drawn curtain on the corner and slid inside.

"Hey, hey, don't bother her," he heard the doctor said.

"I won't carry her out."

"Don't wake her if she's sleeping too."

"…Whatever." Squall peered in. Quistis sighed and turned to look at him. She lay on the bed, in a new hospital gown, both arms frozen on her side.

"What now?" she asked as Squall excused himself inside the curtain.

Squall looked down to her arms. He pushed his own hand back, hiding his wound from view. Quistis just stared at him as if she knew what was going on.

"You really don't have to find a reason just to get in here and talk to Rinoa," she said. "What if you get really hurt and can't wield your gunblade anymore?"

"I wasn't—" Squall trailed off. He motioned to her arms with another hand. "How're your arms?"

"I don't know," she said. "Perhaps I can get the full functions on both back after the rehab." She stopped and looked at the wall. "…Perhaps not."

Squall didn't want to ask about her next move if she couldn't get her arms functions back. He knew she would. Something like this would only hold Quistis Trepe for a few weeks at most. She would be able to hold her whip…

"Your whip," he said. Quistis looked at him, brow raised. "I can clean it."

"What?"

"It's leather," Squall said. "I know how to clean leather."

Quistis frowned. "So did I… it's my whip."

"You can't clean it right away." Squall looked at her. "The longer the stain stays…"

Quistis gave a tired groan. "Yeah, I taught that class. I know." Squall waited until she looked at him. "Are you sure it's fine for you to clean my whip? Is it not imposing?"

Why would cleaning a whip be imposing? "It's fine."

"Sorry about this. I should just ask someone else to clean it. I mean, Nida knows how to clean my weapon too…" Quistis murmured. "I should just ask—"

"I will do it," he said, almost gruffly.

Quistis smiled. "You do like leather that much?"

"What?"

"Never mind." Quistis frowned. "I think Nida's friend took my belongings to my room… you should ask him if he can get my whip from the bundle. His name is Jack."

"Nida is a transfer," he said before he could stop himself.

"…So?"

How did you know him and his friends so much? How did you know Nida know how to clean your weapon? How did… How did… How do I say this…

"Whatever," he said in the end. "I'll get your whip."

Quistis smiled at him. "Thank you so much for this."

Squall pushed the curtain as he made his way out. "Thank you."

"For what?"

Squall glanced at her. "For saving my life."

Quistis's smile faded. "I was doing my mission."

Squall looked away and closed the curtain behind him. He walked to the door and almost crashed against Rinoa who was holding a small basin full of water.

"Oops!" She smiled. "That was close!" She put the basin on the table and turned back to see Squall vanished from the infirmary. "…Huh?"

-x-

He gave an impressive whistle from under his brand new hat, his body relaxed against the warm set of planks underneath him. Next to him, Martine snorted and took the last sip of his cognac.

"Mobile Garden," said Irvine, his eyes closed. "I should be there."

"What, so you could run faster than all those wimps?" Martine shook his bottle and peered into the clear glass under the sun. He groaned and flung the bottle far into the sea.

"Hey, no spoiling here," said Irvine without lifting his hat. "Flo'll smack you up. You gotta pick it up."

"Make me."

"You're not exactly a good swimmer, Dad." Irvine waited for the next slurred reply. When nothing came, he pushed the hat up a bit and peeked. "So, what now?"

"Nothing for me." Martine looked at the wide sea. Irvine thought it was impossible for someone to look so much older in just a few days. "Nothing left."

"Well, you just gave your last cash to me, which, by the way, thanks, Dad." It meant nothing in the end, when they heard Balamb Garden vanished from its spot.

Selphie had almost cried before the ex-headmaster assured her that it didn't mean the missile hit the Garden. Balamb Garden really disappeared. No trace. Martine knew nothing about it, until the day he was escorted out of his own Garden by some of his instructors. When he looked back, he couldn't believe it at first. He knew nothing about his red Garden capabilities of actually flying on the air. The last time he saw it, the Garden floated above the train station, almost crashing against the moving train.

I need a drink, Seifer said. Flo gave him tea, which earned her a scowl. Selphie took the cup from his hand and gulped it all in one go then complained about the fire on her throat. She didn't look up and the deadly glare of the gunblader wasted on a coughing girl.

Martine had walked out during the ruckus. Irvine followed soon after, to see his adoptive father sitting down and drinking his favorite cognac. When he held out a hand for a sip, Martine handed him his wallet and told him to get off. Therefore, he got the whole Gil off the wallet and pocketed it, which earned him a smack.

"I want to tell you that you still got us," said Irvine, removing his hat from his face. "All three of us. But I don't think it means much right now."

"So don't say it," said the ex-headmaster.

Irvine sighed and stared at the cloud above him.

"What happened to your PCS?" asked Martine a few minutes later.

Irvine took out pieces of the expensive satellite phone from his pocket and showed it to the man. "I dunno when it happened, probably when the soldiers pulled me away and all those dragging down."

Martine pulled his own PCS from his pocket. He stared down at it then handed it to Irvine. "I don't have Trey or Nida's numbers in it. I bought it after they're gone."

Irvine accepted the PCS with a frown. This was weird. "Why'd you give all this to me?" His face grew pale. "Shit. Shit. No."

Martine frowned and glanced at his sniper.

"No!" Irvine lunged and hugged Martine as tight as he could. "No!"

"What the—"

"Don't jump! No! I still need you! Although you're hot tempered and a bad father and an angry teacher and ugly all season and… well…" Irvine shut his eyes, tightening his hold. "Please don't jump! No!"

"Get off me, you brat!" His kind conscience earned him a hard deck on his temple. "After all that why would I want to die now?"

"So much for a fatherly embrace," Irvine spat out while massaging his head. Martine snorted, fixing his suit. Why did someone want to wear a grey double-breasted suit with a full gold button-set, white silk tie and platinum tie adornment to sit on the wooden dock of Fisherman Horizon, only the man knew.

"I can't rely on those two anymore." Martine buttoned his suit. "It's not like they had any more connection to me than being children on my care once."

Irvine frowned, wanting to say something about it but then decided to shut his mouth. The two probably would be glad to hear it, and it would be better for him not to tell the ex-headmaster about the two still cared and worshipped the grounds he walked on.

"So that leaves you."

He should know this would happen. Irvine glanced to the back, wishing Seifer and Selphie ran out now and barreled him, probably to the sea ahead or to the metal floor in front of them, giving him a good wide berth to get out of the hole he had just dug.

"Kino," Martine said. "I want you to—"

"Look what Seify got for me! Look!" Selphie launched out of the door, the said door slammed against the wall next to it in a loud crash. "Irvy, I got your Card!"

"Watch it!" said Flo.

"Sorry about that," said Seifer. He walked out of the house and closed the door. "But I'm not gonna pay for it even if it's broken."

"Oh, heyyy…" Irvine accepted the Card from Selphie. "Whoa. I look good in this."

Martine stared at the Card. "So she's trading it here."

"You're really the one who ordered my Card?" Irvine grinned. "The Queen did say she gave it to Flo. Can't believe you guys still remembered it," he said, looking up to the two.

"I don't want to remember, but somehow the tea talk turns to a speech about the Queen of Cards." Seifer shrugged. "Gotta get back to work. Hey, don't give it to him."

"Why not? It's my Card."

"But Seify got it for me," said Selphie, taking the Card from the sniper. "I'll show it to you anytime, Irvy. Gotta go fishing now. See ya!" Irvine only saw a blur of yellow following the grey trench coat to the far end dock.

"You've met Solange?" Martine asked. He watched Irvine's face. "So?"

Irvine raised one brow. "So what?"

After a strange staring battle, Martine groaned. "So nothing."

"You're always this weird or are these new symptoms I have to be aware of?"

Martine shook his head. "Ironic."

"What? Ironic what?"

"Listen." Martine gripped the sniper's coat. "Listen."

The sniper moved closer. "…I'm listening."

"Get my Garden back for me."

The sniper opened his mouth. "…How?"

"How should I know?" Martine pushed his sniper away. "Think about it."

"Yeah, but how?"

"No, I mean, you have to think about how to get me my Garden back."

"I would get you your Garden back if I know how."

"You have to think about how to do it then do it." Martine stood up and patted his suit from the invincible dirt. "I'm going to take my semi-retirement here until you do. Make sure you do it fast." He turned and headed into the Mayor's house.

Irvine closed his eyes. Suddenly he was exhausted.

-x-

"Nooo!"

Squall waited until Jack looked up from the floor where he was kneeling with one leg. He looked around. The cadets and janitors were too busy cleaning up to care about a boy and the gunblader playing a Card game in front of the directory right in the middle of the hall.

Jack moaned, shook his head and stood up. He gave Squall a sad smirk. "So that's it then." He motioned to the set of Cards in his hand. "Go get your prize."

Squall took three level 7 Card, then waited until Jack placed the rest in his box. "Well?"

Jack looked at him. "Well what?"

"The card?"

"I just gave you the Card. I'm not gonna play again. You can go find Club if you want to move up the ranks."

What rank? Squall found Jack only to find that he wouldn't say any word other than, "It's time!" and then they were somehow engaged in a Card battle. Squall didn't mind that part, but he didn't come here for a Card game, as surprising as it was.

"Not this," said Squall. "Qui—instructor Trepe's card."

Jack frowned. "You're jumping to that? Hey, that's skipping so many levels. You can't do that! You have to move up the ranks first!"

"What rank?" Squall put his hand on his hip. "You delivered instructor's belongings into her room. I want the room card."

Jack was speechless. He gave a strange laugh. "I—uh, okay. I thought—you know, um."

Squall waited.

"Okay. Sorry about that, this morning's brawls must've gotten to me or something." Jack pulled a room card from his breast pocket. "You've got permission from Quistis, right?"

Squall narrowed his eyes. "That's instructor Trepe for you."

"Nah, she's Quistis." The cadet waved his hand and gave the card to Squall with another. "We know each other for so long, she's never the instructor."

Ignoring tense nerve in his jaw, Squall took the card. "Who is Club?"

"The next rank, of course." Jack realized something. "Don't tell me you came to me because you want the room card and not… ah, I'm such a fool." He grimaced and scratched his head. "Okay, so introduction is in order. I'm Jack, from CC club."

CC?

"We're a highly trained Card masters in Garden. There's me, Club, Diamond, Joker, and other members up there. We will agree to battle you once you finish up in one rank. If you can beat us, you will get our duplicate rank until you agree to let it go. So now you're Jack number 4."

Squall placed Quistis's card into his pocket. "What do I get?"

"As Jack? Not much, and you're just a number four." Jack shrugged. "I aim to go up the rank myself once I'm a SeeD. Once you become a King, you can get the entire rare Card compliment for a King. You can challenge everyone in Gaia and nobody will ever refuse if you show your badge. If you lose to a King, you lose it all. No ranks until you climb up again. There's never a number two King, so if you beat the King," Jack said with a chuckle, "that never happens, by the way, the previous King will lose it all. So it's the final Card battle where you challenge with everything you got."

"And this King… he's in the Garden?"

"Hmm. Yeah, pretty much. Don't think about it right now, you can just go slowly with the ranks. It'll be some time before you even see the King. The King's in a rest." Jack probably had said too much. "I mean, with nobody ever challenge the King. I gotta go."

Squall watched Jack sprint to the elevator. He didn't plan to find this club. With nothing much to do, he probably could try to find other members. If Jack himself has level 7 Cards, then others above him should have much better Cards. Maybe he could even get character Cards. Like those Trepies in the cafeteria boasting about having instructor's Card…

Squall's eyes widened.

-x-

The doctor nodded with a satisfied look on her face. She pressed Quistis's wrist and held it down.

"Now try the middle finger."

Quistis tried. Her middle finger twitched.

"This is good." The doctor sat straighter, releasing her hold on the instructor's hand. "This is before the rehab. I think there will be no problem for you to get your arms functions back once we're done with the whole programs."

For the first time in days, Quistis closed her eyes in relief.

"We still need to go slow with the program. No need to rush on anything, let the wound heals itself first." The doctor stood and moved to her desk. "You're very lucky. I rarely seen anyone able to get themselves healed without the help of magic nowadays. And to think you're not even junctioned to GF when you got injured." She frowned. "I don't think I've ever seen you junctioned?"

Quistis did junction to GF occasionally, but she didn't like it. It felt like the GF tried to crawl into her and take over her consciousness when she had them. She didn't think it was normal for any GF to do that, but she couldn't pinpoint why she felt unsafe with GF junction. The last GF she had, Shiva, cooed, coddled and called her the 'High Mistress', 'My Empress', 'Ruler of Our World' and behaved so unlike Shiva she knew from the book. It was weird. So weird that she ended up listing the GF to cadet training and under Squall Leonhart's name. She was sure Shiva didn't act that way to Squall, because he would have thrown the GF back into his computer slot.

So it was down time for her. Quistis never had a vacation in years. Now her vacation included two rehab programs a day, until she could move her arms as she used to. Then back to work. She should just order a ticket to Deling City and tour the Galbadian continent or something. Although if she did that right now, she'll be arrested when she stepped down the train, and back to the D-Prison. She'd rather stay here.

A knock on the door. Quistis looked up from the bed. Cid smiled at the doctor and glanced to her bed.

"Am I interrupting something? Can I come in?"

"Come in, Cid." The doctor waved.

Cid walked in, hands in his pocket. He looked around. There were only the three of them in the clinic. "Slow time, doc?"

"Aside from a kid I banned from ever coming again until Quistis is healed and an emergency nurse who come and go as she pleases, yes."

Cid chuckled as he headed to her bed. He sat on the high stool. "How are you feeling?"

With or without drugs? "I'm fine."

Cid gave a vague nod. "I was thinking if you can start doing something for me. It's not something that requires your arm control."

Seriously?

"Or, if you rather just stay in here until you get a lot better, it'll be fine too." Cid shrugged. "I think you're not the type who likes to lie and sleep all day with nothing to do."

"Yes," Quistis said in a rush. "Yes, I'd like to work. If you're okay with someone who can't move much right now, I can work."

Cid smiled. "I'd like your mission report first, if that's okay with you?" Seeing her excited nod, he stood. "Although seeing that you did sacrifice yourself in order to finish what Martine told you to, I'd like to think your missions, both of them, were a success. But let's talk about this in my office." He turned to the doctor. "If that's okay, I'm going to bring the instructor to my office right now."

The doctor sighed. "Her legs are fine. Just… please make sure you hold on to her until she's good to stand on her own."

Cid smiled. "You're not going to ban me from your clinic for this?"

"As much as I'd like to, she's willing to go with you. Make sure you come back tonight, Quis. I have to monitor you for the night before you're free to go tomorrow."

"Thank you—" Quistis almost fell when her legs swayed under her. The headmaster grabbed her shoulder and steadied her. "Thanks, doc. I'll be back soon."

-x-

This should be it. Squall pulled the whip from a bundle carelessly placed on the bed. He looked over the leather whip, noticed that the blood had dried, and rough cracks formed on the surface of the smooth black leather. I should come here earlier. This will be hard to clean.

He did in a way try to come into Quistis's room earlier. He had to find Club first, and his suspicions were correct. The man who was walking from the cafeteria, the one he often bumped into when he had to rush, were a Trepie who regularly boasted about his Card in the corner of the cafeteria. He was also Club, and now Squall owned Quistis's Card. Club found it personal offense to battle with his dear Trepe's Card, and wouldn't do it until Squall offered him two Cards in his own series, the Brothers and Ifrit's Cards. Club was arrogant, and thinking that he could win with just a character Card and all level 7 Cards was the start of his demise.

Squall wouldn't do the same. He wouldn't battle with Quistis's Card no matter how much Club cried and begged. It was foolish to think someone would win with just a character Card. Plus he thought Quistis's Card was badly made. One of her eyes was smaller, squinty, and the hair color wasn't right. Hers weren't this yellow, and it was shinier under the sun. Her nose looked weird in the Card and her lips too wide. He found it his own personal offense to battle with a Card that looked nothing like the real person. Then he had to run from the cafeteria because Club tried to assault him under the immense stress of losing.

With Quistis' Card wrapped in a special Card plastic, tucked in the bottom of his Card box, Squall had entered the room. Jack sure didn't care much for her belongings, what with all spread on her bed. Quistis' orange backpack placed near her pillow. He didn't remember looking at it when she was with them on Galbadia Garden. Perhaps someone delivered it to Balamb. The top was unlocked and the contents scattered on the bed. After curling the whip and tying it to his belt, Squall started collecting them and placed them one by one into her backpack. Mirror, compass, small Galbadian map, two tent frames, the mini canvas tent, flashlights, comb, pressed powder, a tube of balm for leather, gloves… Then he saw the open letter. It was without a doubt Quistis's handwriting. Neat and carefully arranged, like her writings on the whiteboard.

Dear Mr. Cid Kramer

With this letter, I would like to resign from my position as an instructor and active SeeD in Balamb Garden. I need a change—

-x-

To be continued…