SEVEN

I glanced at Elmyra. "Can we see her?"

She nodded. "Of course. Jessie's still unconscious, but she may hear you if you talk to her. It can help. I think it might be best if you saw her one at a time, though. At least for now."

"Thanks," I told her. Then I turned to the others. "Awright. Mind if I go first? I… I got some things I need to tell Jessie before we leave. Jus' in case… hell, I don't even wanna thinka that…"

"I know," Cloud agreed. "It's fine."

Tifa smiled. "We understand, Barret. Go to her."

I stood up an' made my way toward the stairs. Lena was sleepin' on the little sofa now as Wedge sat on the floor with his back to it, holdin' her hand same as he'd been doin' ever since he laid her down there. We was gonna get her taken care of, too. That medicine she needed. Mako sensitivity had wound up killin' hers an' Biggs' mom, but we was gonna make damn sure it didn't happen to her.

Marissa called to me. "Barret?"

"Yeah?" I said. "What's on your mind?"

She looked at the three of us. "You guys think you could give some blood? Jessie's lost a lot from when she was shot and from the shrapnel that was stuck in her leg. Not to mention the rest of her injuries as well as the operation Elmyra and I did to treat them."

I held out my good arm. "Take as much as ya need."

"Same here," Cloud added.

"You can count on me," Tifa agreed.

Marissa chuckled. "Thanks, guys. A pint from each of you ought to be enough, at least for now."

Wedge gave her a thumbs up. "Me too, if you need it."

"I'll remember that, Wedge," she said.

Marissa an' I went upstairs then, headin' straight into Jessie's room. She was in there, layin' in bed, her eyes closed. Marissa an' Elmyra had gotten her changed outta her ruined clothes an' into a white nightgown that was probably Aerith's, an' her long auburn hair was spread out in a loose fan 'round her head an' over her shoulders.

Fresh gauze bandages was fitted neatly in place on Jessie's forehead, neck, cheek, an' lotsa other spots, an' her right arm was carefully bound up from shoulder to wrist an' wrapped in a clean sling. An IV ran from the back of her left hand to a slim plastic bag hangin' from the tall rack we'd brought up earlier, pumpin' medicine an' probably antibiotics into her system at a steady clip. Hooked up next to it was a monitor showin' Jessie's heart rate an' other vitals, beepin' in time with the spikes on the screen. It was slow, but it was still there.

"Hang on, girl…" I murmured. "We here for ya."

Marissa pointed to a cushioned chair next to the bed. "Have a seat, Barret. This won't take long."

I did. "Not too big on needles."

"You and most other people," she agreed as she put on a paira latex gloves. Then she took a needle an' swab offa the dresser an' unwrapped 'em. "You'll be fine. Ever done this before?"

"Been stuck, but never gave blood," I answered.

Marissa set up the bag. "It's not that hard. Just relax. It'll be over in less than ten minutes, and then I'll put the blood into Jessie. You might feel a little light-headed, but that's normal."

I nodded. "Let's get to it, then."

She got right to work, stickin' me on the inside of my left elbow, an' soon she had that bag fillin' up with blood. While we waited, we talked a little, mostly 'bout Jessie and how we'd each come to know her. It was interestin', learnin' 'bout who she'd once been. I'd never pictured her as the shy, nerdy office type, but that was Jessie in her Shinra days. Still as smart as a whip, though. A goddamn prodigy, no less. She'd earned her rank an' then some. I was impressed.

After a few minutes, Marissa took the needle out. "There, all done. Now let's get you a dressing. I've got a few different colors here—looks like the clinic had a good selection."

"Hmm…" I shrugged. "A dressin', huh?"

"Yeah. I'll tie it around your arm to hold the bandage in place," she explained. "You won't need it for long, though."

When I heard that, I had me an idea. "You got red?"

"Right here," Marissa picked one up.

"Tie it on, then," I told her.

She looked at Jessie an' smiled. "I see. Like her headband."

"Damn right," I grinned.

Marissa fastened the strip of red cloth in place 'round my elbow an' then got to work, hangin' the bag on the rack and settin' the controls to send the blood into Jessie through another line hooked up to the IV. It started flowin' soon enough, then Marissa left us alone, slippin' quietly inta the hall an' closin' the door softly behind us. When we was alone, I stood up an' gently took Jessie's hand, watchin' the IV as I gazed at her. I'd never seen her so quiet before, so hurt.

"Hey, girl," I said. "You holdin' up okay? I know your body wants to give out on ya, but you gotta stay strong now. This ain't gonna be your last dance, I can promise ya that. You got your whole life aheada ya, an' it ain't time for you to get offa this train yet."

I stopped for a minute, thinkin' 'bout the night Jessie an' I had first met at Seventh Heaven. She'd only been in Sector 7 for a month an' had already made her mark on the place, fixin' people's gadgets an' buildin' filters for everyone so we could all have nice fresh water for drinkin' an' washin'. I'd known she'd be a good fit for Avalanche from the moment I first heard 'bout how smart an' skilled she was.

Marlene had taken to Jessie right away, an' she'd always treated my little girl right, lookin' out for her, playin' with her, an' lettin' her watch sometimes while she worked. Sometimes I had jus' looked at the two of 'em sittin' at her computer in the basement, Marlene in Jessie's lap. An' I knew they had a bond all their own. As I stood there nexta her bed an' gazed at her, I couldn't help but wonder jus' how in the goddamn hell I coulda ever thought she'd mean us harm.

"Jessie…" I sighed. "I want ya to know, you did a damn fine job out there tonight. Fought like hell an' showed me jus' as clear as day where your heart is. You put it all on the line, didn't back away for a second. I ain't gonna forget that. Not ever."

I went on. "I also wanna tell ya that… I'm sorry. Never shoulda put you through all the hell that I did. I shoulda trusted ya, Jessie. Shoulda believed ya. You ain't never done us wrong."

"It's my fault you're hurt so bad now," I sniffed, my eyes gettin' wet. "My fault that you're… that you're dyin'. If I hadn't made ya go into that goddamn tower, you'd still be okay. So I'm makin' you a promise, Jessie. I got you inta this, an' I'm gonna get you out."

I held her hand for a moment, not knowin' what else ta say. Wasn't nothin' left, really. Then I sat back down an' jus' kept her company for a while. The only sound was the beepin' of the monitor an' her breathin', which was so faint I could barely hear it. Jessie still had a coupla purple an' black bruises here an' there, probably from gettin' banged up durin' the blast an' her fall from the platform. They'd heal up in time, though, long as she got it. An' I was gonna see that she did.

Eventually, I got up. "Well, Jessie… guess I oughta go get me some shut-eye now. So you jus' hang on an' keep fightin'. Tifa's gonna be here next, an' she'll stay up here with ya for a bit. An' then that spiky-haired boyfrienda yours'll take over. Guess he ain't so bad. But, uh… don't tell him I said that, awright? Thanks. Night, Jessie."

As I sat in the chair and Marissa drew some of my blood, I gazed at Jessie, laying so still and quiet in bed. Like Barret, I hadn't seen her like that very often—she was always so vibrant and full of life. The last time had been when she'd been struck across the head by the Vice gang that night about a month and a half ago.

Cloud had saved her from being killed and had gotten her back to the bar where I had treated her. She had recovered in a day or two, and it had been that incident which had driven Cloud and I to go after Vice and put an end to their attacks. And now, just like then, Jessie was hurt, but so much worse this time, and my friends and I were about to go on another dangerous mission to help her.

"I hate seeing her like this…" I murmured.

Marissa nodded. "So do I, Tifa. It's not like her at all. But we'll save her. I've heard about Aerith, you know. Just a little. Kunsel told me a bit about her—she was a friend of his and Jessie's during her acting days. I didn't know she was an Ancient, though."

"Neither did I at first," I said. "But I should've suspected it. I fought alongside Aerith on our way to Sector 7 and saw how strong her magic is. And I'm sure she'll do everything she can for Jessie. I just wish their reunion could've happened differently."

Marissa sighed. "I know what you mean. I'd have liked things to be better, too. But I'm just glad I can be here for her."

"Me too," I replied. "Thank you. For everything you've done."

"Happy to help," she smiled.

I returned the favor. "You said that Jessie worked under you, right? Back when you two were at Shinra?"

"That's right," Marissa said, carefully withdrawing the needle from my arm. "She started out as a systems engineer at sixteen. I knew right when I interviewed her that she was perfect for the job. Jessie has a real gift for that sort of thing, you know."

"We've noticed," I agreed.

She went on. "She was only eighteen when I made her my assistant. Extremely talented and a very hard worker. Wasn't hard for me to pick who'd take over for me when I left."

I wasn't surprised. "Jessie's still that way. One of the first things she did when she first came to Sector 7 was build filters to fix the water for everyone. For a fair price, of course."

"That's her, alright," Marissa chuckled. "So, what color?"

I looked at the dressings. "Red. Barret told me why when I saw his. And I think it's a great idea."

She grinned. "Jessie's lucky to have such good friends."

"We're lucky to have her," I replied.

After she had carefully tied the strip of bright red cloth around my left elbow, Marissa hung the blood-filled bag on the rack and tapped a few buttons on the panel to get it flowing into Jessie. She watched it for a moment to make sure it was running the way it should, then nodded in satisfaction before turning to me.

"That should do it," she said. "I'll go downstairs now. I'm sure that you'd like to have some time alone with her."

I did, very much. "Yeah. Thanks again, Marissa."

Marissa smiled. "You're welcome. Whenever you're done, just find me and I'll get Cloud set up for his turn."

Then she was gone, and I brought my attention back to Jessie. Her chest rose and fell ever so slightly with each whispered breath, but that was the only sign of life that she showed. Her skin was pale and still felt cool beneath my fingers as I gently brushed a few errant strands of hair from her face when I stood up.

"Hi, Jessie," I said. "It's Tifa. Your big sister. I don't know if you can hear me, but… I just want you to know I'm here. We're gonna save you, I promise. Shinra's got Aerith—they took her—but we're gonna get her back. Then she's gonna come and help you. So you just hang on and be strong, okay? Everything's gonna be fine."

Then I thought of something. "When Aerith, Cloud, and I were on our way back to Sector 7, we had to go through the sewers to get there. Aerith gave me an idea for something fun to do after we had saved our home. And even though things didn't turn out that way, I think I'd still like to follow through on her suggestion."

"The bar's gone, but we're all gonna build a new one. I know you'll want to help, too, Jessie. And when it's finished, it's gonna need a lot of new stuff—glasses, coasters, drinks, that sort of thing. So the plan's that you, me, and Aerith all go shopping together on the plate. I hope you'll join us. We'd love to have you."

Jessie wasn't your usual girly girl—she was a wisecracking tomboy with a heart of gold—but I thought she'd enjoy hanging out with us for a while and doing something fun for the new bar. The three of us were sure to have a good time. Then I thought of something else Aerith had said, an idea she'd had about our trip.

I smirked. "Got a favor to ask. Think you could convince Cloud to be our bag boy? I don't think it would be that hard—you know he'd do anything for you. And if we need a second pair of arms, I'm pretty sure I can sweet talk Biggs into helping out, too. He's alright, by the way. So's everyone else. Even Wedge's cats."

I stopped for a while, just gazing at Jessie and wishing I could help her, wishing she hadn't been so terribly hurt. I had the Restore materia, but its healing magic was only good for surface injuries—bruises, cuts, sprains, broken bones, that sort of thing. It was the same with potions. They couldn't heal the internal damage she had suffered. Jessie'd had so much current racing through her body it was a miracle she was alive. If it had reached her heart, she'd have been killed.

But in spite of that, she was still dying. Jessie had endured so much pain—from the horrible electrical shock, the explosions, the loss of all that blood, the fall—that after everything she'd been through, it was no wonder her body was giving out on her. It wasn't the first time I'd seen her badly hurt, but it was definitely the worst.

I remembered then the journey that Jessie and I had taken through the sewers not long after she had joined Avalanche. The Shinra soldiers had caught us by surprise during our reconnaissance mission and we'd been forced to improvise, diving into the smelly tunnels to escape. But we had simply traded one danger for another.

The sahagins had sprung at us from out of nowhere, pulling Jessie into the muck and water and nearly drowning her. I'd gotten her out of there, but they hadn't given up easily and we'd had to fight them. In the midst of it, one of them had stabbed Jessie with its trident. She'd had to lean on me the rest of the way back home, and I had kept talking to her and encouraging her so she'd stay awake.

It had taken Jessie a little while to recover from her ordeal, and the guys had all fretted over her, but she had pulled through. Not long after that, I had begun teaching her my martial arts. Partly it was because of the interest she had shown in it after she'd seen me fight, but it was also because I'd been afraid for her after what had happened and wanted to be sure she could protect herself. She'd had her gun and grenades, but I knew they wouldn't always be enough.

I laid a hand on Jessie's shoulder. "You know, I was just thinking of that trip we took through the sewers a couple years ago. Gave me quite a scare when you got hurt. And… I'm scared now, seeing you like this. I don't want to lose you, Jessie."

For a moment, I couldn't go on. I just didn't want to think about it. About… not having my friend anymore. As bound and determined as I was to save her, I couldn't help the worry and fear that clutched at my heart. I just gazed down at Jessie, listened to her breathing and the slow but steady beeping of the monitor.

"There's something else I want to talk about, too," I continued. "It's about Cloud. I can't really share this with anyone else, but… the two of you are close now. So you've probably noticed it, too. You see, Jessie… I think something's wrong with him."

I sighed. "I can't put my finger on it, but these attacks that he's been having worry me. I know you've seen them, too. But there's something else as well. Maybe I'm not remembering everything right, but some of what Cloud's told me about our past, about what happened… it doesn't add up. And I'm wondering if he's talked to you about it, too. He really cares about you, Jessie. He trusts you."

"Maybe I'm just getting worked up over nothing, but… I needed to get it out. So, thanks for listening, Jessie. I'm going to keep on watching Cloud, and maybe when you've recovered, you and I can talk about it. I don't think I'll say anything to him just yet, though. I don't know what it would do to him. I'm a little scared to find out. I hope you'll help me. I'm sure you will. You love him."

I smiled a little as I thought about that. Of all the things that I had thought might happen after Cloud had so suddenly come back into my life again, watching him find love surprised me the most. He'd been so hard and distant at first, but Jessie hadn't been deterred. She'd probably seen it as a challenge. And she'd totally beaten it.

"I should go now," I said, shaking off the sudden wave of dizziness that swept over me, probably from donating my blood. "We both need our rest. Cloud'll be in here soon, and I know you'll like that. He'll stay with you until we have to go. We shouldn't be gone that long, so please hold on, okay? Stay with us, Jessie. Stay alive."

Taking her left hand in both of mine for a moment, I let out a long, slow breath. I would take the image of my friend, lying here so still and so hurt, with me in my mind. I'd let it drive me to help the guys rescue Aerith and, in doing so, save Jessie, too. Nodding to myself, my resolve renewed, I set my fear aside and focused on what had to be done. Then I gently set her hand back down.

"Goodnight, Jessie," I whispered.

"You ready?" Marissa asked.

I nodded. "Do it."

She did, inserting the needle into my arm. Just a quick sting and it was over. Nothing to worry about. Still, I was vaguely uneasy about it. I didn't know why, though. Something I couldn't really place. But as I sat and watched the blood—my blood—flowing into the tube and the bag, I reminded myself that Marissa was a friend and that doing this would help Jessie. And that was all that mattered.

"You okay, Cloud?" she asked.

"I'm fine," I told her. "Just not comfortable with doctors."

Marissa smiled. "I understand. And lucky for you, I'm not a doctor. Just a medic. Does that help?"

It did, actually. "Yeah, now that you mention it."

"Good," she chuckled. "Now just relax. It'll be over soon."

"SOLDIERs aren't allowed to do this," I said. "Not even First Class. Did you know that?"

She shook her head. "No. You quit, though, didn't you?"

I kept watching the blood flow. "That's right. So I don't exactly care about Shinra's rules anymore. Not that I ever understood this one. And if breaking it helps Jessie, then I'm fine with that."

"You really care about her, don't you?" Marissa said.

"I, uh…" I blinked. "Well, yeah…"

She giggled. "That's sweet. You really are new at this, aren't you? At being with someone, that is."

I looked away. "Still getting used to it."

"Well, you're doing fine so far," Marissa assured me.

"Thanks," I told her.

When the bag was full, she carefully took the needle out, then set it aside and put a small gauze pad over the wound. She'd been right about me, of course. Jessie meant a lot to me, but being close to her the way I was still surprised me sometimes. I hadn't expected to be like that with anyone when I had first come to Midgar. But now, I didn't want to let it go, to let her go. And I wouldn't.

Marissa held up a dressing. "Red, right?"

"You bet," I agreed.

"Thought so," she said, tying it on. "Jessie's really going to like what you guys are doing for her."

I knew she would. "She's important to us."

Marissa hung the bag on the rack. "I'm glad she found you."

"Same here," I said, gazing at Jessie.

After hitting a few buttons and watching for a minute to make sure everything was running the way it should, Marissa turned back to me. "All done. I'll be heading out now, but I'll step in every once in a while to check on her. Need a hand getting set up?"

I'd brought a pillow and blanket with me when I had come in here. "No, I'm fine. I'll take care of it."

"Okay," she nodded. "Goodnight, then."

After Marissa had stepped quietly into the upstairs hall and closed the door, I stood up and scooted the chair closer to the bed until it was right next to it. Then I sat back down, my eyes on Jessie again. I'd done all that I could for her, at least for now. All that was left was to infiltrate the Shinra Building, rescue Aerith, and bring her back here. But in the meantime, Jessie would be struggling to survive. She still was. As much as I wished I could help, this was one battle I couldn't fight for her. She was strong, though. She would hold out.

"Hey," I said. "We'll be heading out in a few hours—that's about all the time we can spare to rest—so do me a favor while we're gone. Don't stop fighting. Because we won't."

I sat there for a while, my hand drifting up to touch the red strip of cloth around my elbow as my eyes lingered on Jessie. Then I thought of something, got up again, and went over to the corner of the room. Her ruined clothes and gear had been carefully piled here. Setting the parts of Jessie's burnt and blackened armor aside, I picked up her ripped and bloodstained pants and reached into the front pocket.

There it was. The baby chocobo feather in its glass case. And it was intact, not a scratch on it. After putting Jessie's gear back in the corner, I went over to her bed and gently slid the feather under her right hand where it rested softly on her stomach at the end of the sling supporting her arm. I laid my fingers over hers for a moment, my eyes finding her face, and just stood there. I don't know how long. Maybe a minute, or it might've been ten. Either way, I didn't move.

Then I looked up as the door slowly opened. It was Tifa. "Thought you'd still be up, Cloud."

"Yeah," I sighed. "But you shouldn't be."

She chuckled softly. "Only for minute. I woke up downstairs a little while ago. Saw something and thought I'd bring it up here for you two. I know Jessie'll be happy to see it."

Then I realized that she was carrying Jessie's flower in the blue vase I'd gotten her. I nodded, seeing what she had in mind. "Good idea, Tif. Thanks. The dresser oughta be fine."

"Sure thing," she smiled.

Tifa carefully put the vase and flower on top of the dresser so they were on the side closest to Jessie. Then she just looked at her, watching her fight for life with every breath. After a moment, Tifa went over and straightened her blankets where they'd slipped down a little—both the one that had already been on the bed and the other one that Lydia had given her back in Sector 7.

"Take care, Jessie," Tifa whispered, gently stroking her cheek. Then she glanced at me. "You too, Cloud."

"Night, Tif," I nodded.

Then she was gone, slipping back into the hall. After setting up my own pillow and blanket in the chair next to the bed, I leaned in close to Jessie and lightly pressed my lips against hers. I held them there for just a moment, knowing she couldn't respond but wanting her to feel that I was still with her. As I kissed Jessie and took her left hand in my right, I realized I needed the connection as much as she did. Her mouth was cool and moist but still wonderfully sweet.

Eventually, I pulled away, but I stayed near her at first. "Remember what I told you, Jessie. Don't give up."

Then I settled back down into the chair, turning on my side to face her, the pillow underneath my head. I didn't let go of her hand, though. I used my other one to pull the blanket up over me. When I was done, I laid there with my fingers clasping Jessie's.

"I'm gonna get some rest," I told her. "But if you need anything, let me know. I'll be here. Always."

The alarm on my phone was set to go off in about four hours. That would make it early in the morning by the time the others and I left. It was probably gonna take longer for Barret and I to reach the plate than it would the girls, but I knew we'd find a way. Aerith needed us, and so did Jessie. I could almost sense them reaching out to me. Not in words, really. But in feelings, like a cry for help sounding in my head. One that I was bound and determined to answer. As my eyes slid closed and I let sleep start to take me, I kept holding Jessie's hand.

And I never let go.