Chapter 29

"I hate school!" Sora groaned.

"We all do," Roxas pointed out from his spot at the coffee table.

"Why do they have to give us so much right after spring break!" The brunette complained, stretching out across the couch behind Roxas.

"Sora, it's been a week since we got back."

"Exactly! It's only been a week!"

Roxas sighed, shaking his head and smiling. "You're just too lazy is all."

"I am not lazy!' Sora squeaked indignantly.

"Uh, yeah you are."

"Hmph," Sora crossed his arms, not looking at his brother.

It had already been a week since the trial had ended. Since then life had resumed it's normal pattern. School, homework then out with his friends. With the exception that Seifer and his gang were no where to be seen at school, seeing as they were currently spending at least ten years each behind bars.

Roxas opened his mouth to speak again when a loud knocking came from the front door.

"Oi faggot! Let me in!" Came Paine's loud, impatient voice as she continued to pound on the door.

Roxas cocked an eyebrow, looking questioningly at Sora, who just shrugged. Climbing to his feet Roxas made his way to the door, opening it cautiously.

"I'll have him back to you later!" Paine called into the apartment as she grabbed the blond's wrist.

"Alright! Thanks Paine!" Aerith called from the kitchen.

"You. Me. Now." The girl said as she pulled Roxas away from the door, leading him downstairs.

"Wa-wait! What's going on!"

Paine said nothing as she pulled him along behind her, angling toward a modest black sedan which sat idling in the parking lot out front.

Pulling the door open Paine pushed him roughly inside, climbing in after him and slamming the door shut once more.

"Now Paine-" Armand started, looking back at the two of them in his rearview mirror. But he stopped as Paine reached up, quickly pulling away the bandages that wrapped around the blonds neck, hiding the bruise that still wrapped around it from view.

Roxas had taken to wearing it once school had started. It was easier than making excuses or telling the real story.

"Wa-wait Paine!" Roxas stuttered, trying to push the girl away.

Finally Paine pealed away the last of the bandage, revealing the still darkly colored bruise.

"She was right," Paine said, grabbing Roxas' chin and lifting up, twisting his head so she could better see his neck. "It's not healing." With that she let go, sitting back and buckling her seatbelt, leaving Roxas pinned against the far door, looking confused and somewhat frightened.

"Thank you, Paine. But I'm sure we could have figured that out without scaring the boy."

Paine shrugged, looking out the window.

"Wh-what's going on?" Roxas finally asked.

"I'm sorry Roxas. I should have known it would have been better for me to get you myself. Aerith called this morning, she's concerned that your bruise isn't healing and that you've been feeling tired a lot lately. So we're taking you to the hospital to get some tests done."

"Tests!? No wait, I'm fine though! Really!" Roxas protested quickly.

"We can't be too careful. Besides it's not going to hurt to get a few tests done, is it?"

"No bu-!"

"Good!" Armand said cheerfully, pulling from the parking lot and angling toward the hospital.


Roxas wasn't sure why he was feeling so nervous. They were only running a few tests, just to be careful. Armand himself had said it was all just a precaution, that there was probably nothing wrong. That they were all just being too quick to jump to conclusions.

But even so Roxas felt jittery as he sat in the small white room, waiting for the nurse.

Across the room sat Paine, her legs and arms crossed as she popped her gum loudly, a bored look on her face.

"That gown suits you," she said sarcastically.

"I know, I wish I could wear them more often," Roxas said, rolling his eyes.

They fell quiet again; Roxas shifted slightly, his paper gown rustling.

A few moments later the door swung open and a nurse bustled in.

"Hello their Roxas! How are you?" She said happily.

"I'm fine."

"That's great! Now the Doctor said he already did the rest of the tests, all that's left is a blood test. I hope our not afraid of needles!"

Roxas shook his head, "I'm not."

"Good! Now let me have that," she said, reaching out and grabbing Roxas wrist as she tore open the wrapper for a disinfectant wipe with her teeth. As she swiped it over the crook of his elbow her eyes drifted downward, falling on the scars that crossed his forearm and the long ragged one left by Seifer which ran from the inside of his wrist to the inside of his elbow.

"Poor dear! Those are some scary scars there! You're lucky you made it through all of that!" She crowed, looking at him sympathetically.

Roxas looked slightly taken aback, usually people asked what had happened before jumping to conclusions.

"H-how did you know what they were from?"

"Sweetie, when you've been in this business for as long as I have you get good at judging these sorts of things." She said sadly, lifting a syringe and pulling the cap off. "You've stopped, right hun?"

"Y-yeah."

"He better have," Paine said, her voice even as she watched Roxas. "If not I'll kill him myself."

The nurse chuckled. "You've got a good friend there. No you'll feel a slight pinch." Roxas didn't flinch as the needle pierced his skin; he was too busy looking at the scars that marked his wrist. He could remember how it felt to make each and everyone of them. And he could remember just how scared he was when he felt Seifers blade sink into his skin, ripping easily through.

"There! All done sweetie! You can go ahead and get dressed. Oh and your father said to tell you to go treat yourselves at the cafeteria. He has some business to take care of but he'll be done soon." She informed Paine.

As the nurse left the room Paine stood slowly, taking her time. Roxas sat silently on the examination table, feeling the after affects of his nostalgia.

"If I ever catch you doing it again, I will kill you." She said evenly. "Even if I have to drag you back from hell with my bare hands. And you know I can do it too," with that she turned, pulling the door shut behind her.


"You're slow," Paine said, falling into step beside Roxas.

"Well sorry. I tend to wear more clothes than you seem accustomed to."

"Very true," she said, pulling a cigarette from her pocket.

"Why do you always wear that stuff?" Roxas asked, motioning to her leather outfit.

"What can I say? I like to turn heads," she shrugged.

They both fell quiet as they walked onto the elevator, moving to the back, letting two more people board before pressing the button.

"Mommy, do you think Emily will like her present?" The little girl said, lifting up a stuffed horse, a red ribbon tied around its neck.

"She'll love it," the woman said with a smile.

Paine and Roxas watched silently as the girl's face fell slightly.

"Mommy," she said again, reaching up and tugging on her mother's shirt. "Why did Emily have to come back to the hospital?"

"Emily's sick. You know that sweetie," the woman said, her voice sad.

"Is Emily going to get better?"

"Of course she will," she said, but her face said otherwise. "Oh here's our floor."

The two of them watched as the little girls face lit up when the doors opened.

"Emily!" She called, running from the elevator and throwing her arms around a frail girl seated in a wheelchair. The girl looked to be about fifteen, her head bald, dark circles ringing her eyes. But her smile was large as she wrapped her arms around the little girl.

Roxas felt tears tug at his eyes as he watched the scene before him. The door to the elevator closed then, blocking the small family from view.

"Poor girl…" Roxas said softly, sticking his hands in his pockets and looking down at the floor. "I wonder if she'll be okay…"

"Who knows…" Paine sighed.