Chapter 35
Sephiroth gently laid Alex down on the table in the center of the room. It looked like an operating table, which wasn't surprising. Thankfully he was able to find blankets in the second cabinet he opened. He had two of them out and over her within a minute.
Once she was covered, he took one of her hands and rechecked her pulse. He did not release it once he was assured her heart was still beating. Instead, he gently squeezed her fingers as he whispered, "Please wake up. I cannot stand the idea that you might not."
He barely heard the sound of banging cabinets from the other room. He wasn't paying attention to anything except for the shallow rise and fall of Alex's chest. At least until Lorne raced in with a tray filled with sterile equipment. She barely spared a glance at him before she said, "As soon as the elder gets here, I will need you to leave. Until then, I need your help."
Sephiroth immediately set Alex's hand back under the covers as he said, "What do I need to do?"
Lorne gave him a grateful nod as she pointed to Alex. "Situate her so that she is lying on her back with her arms out on the extensions. If she doesn't stay that way, then make sure you strap her down. I'll clean up and then examine her."
Sephiroth was uncomfortable with the idea of strapping Alex to the table. He hated it himself and knew she would likely react poorly if she awoke in that state. That didn't keep him from turning her gently, so she was face up, and her arms were out. Thankfully, she stayed that way.
By the time he was done, Lorne already had the blanket lifted and pushed back so she could try and confirm where the blood had come from. Before she lifted Alex's skirt, she gave Sephiroth a stern look. "I won't ask you to leave since I may need you, but you should go stand over there for now."
Sephiroth immediately went to stand on the far side of the room and watched as Lorne started to examine Alex. It was only a few minutes later that she whispered, "Oh goodness. I was afraid of that. And she's already unconscious."
Sephiroth didn't get to ask what was going on as Lorne looked up and said, "Quickly, we are going to have to perform surgery, and I will need you—"
She was cut off when the elder entered on Angeal's heels. They both looked grim as they saw Alex. There was no hesitation when Lorne said, "Elder, I'm glad you're here. I cannot confirm a fetal heart rate, and I believe the hemorrhaging is due to a miscarriage. We will need to perform surgery."
Bugenhagen immediately went to clean up. Angeal was already at Alex's side, and his face was pale as he looked down at her. Lorne's voice was soft as she called out to him. "Angeal, I'm going to need you and Sephiroth to leave. I promise we will do all we can to help here, but you'll only be in the way."
Angeal's brow furrowed, but he didn't argue. After a few moments, he nodded and turned to leave with Sephiroth on his heels. He only paused long enough to say, "I know you will do everything in your power. Please make sure I don't lose her." The young woman gave him a firm nod before he turned to go.
Once they were in the outer room, Angeal started pacing. Sephiroth watched him for a few moments and wished he knew what to say to ease the man's mind. Unfortunately, even if he did know what to say, he wasn't sure he would have been able to. He wasn't sure he had a right to speak with either sibling anymore. If he had not been so uncertain, things might not have gotten this bad.
Several minutes passed in silence as both men tried not to let the worry get to them. Sephiroth was so involved in his thoughts that he hadn't even realized Angeal had come over until the man put a hand on his arm.
Angeal's voice was low when he said, "You can't blame yourself. I know why you didn't check on her earlier. Even if you had, she could have been in danger still. None of us expected this to happen."
Sephiroth frowned at the reassurance. "Even if this could not have been prevented, had I followed my instincts, we could have gotten to her before it got this bad. Now—"
Angeal shook his head when the general cut off. His voice was strained but not angry when he said, "Don't think about that. We should try to think positively. I trust Lorne, and I know Bugenhagen will do all he can to help."
Sephiroth took a deep breath and nodded. There was no point in self-recriminations, even if they were deserved. Instead, he would focus on how to assist once the healers were done.
It was nearly an hour later when Genesis came running in. Sephiroth frowned at the man but could not bring himself to say anything when he caught sight of Genesis's wide eyes and pale face. The man's voice matched his expression as he said, "Where is she? I heard she was taken here, and she was unresponsive."
Angeal sighed and ran a hand down his face before he gestured toward the operating room and said, "They still have her in there. We'll find out soon how she is. For now, if you are going to stay here, then sit down and shut up. We don't need any extra drama."
Genesis looked taken aback before he scowled. Even though it was easy to see he was angry, Sephiroth was shocked when the man silently took a seat while they all waited. Perhaps he realized Angeal never would have spoken like that if things were not dire.
Thankfully they did not have to wait much longer. It was less than half an hour later that Bugenhagen and Lorne exited with Alex on a stretcher. All three Soldiers stepped forward, but Lorne held up a hand to stop them as she said, "She's going to be alright, but we—we lost the baby."
She paused and looked down before she continued. "We can allow you all to stay here for a short while if you do not try to touch her or become too loud. After an hour, we will ask that you only stay here one at a time."
When all three men gave their assent, she gestured for Angeal to help her. Bugenhagen had already headed to the door with a bundle in his arms. Sephiroth was the only one that seemed to notice as he stepped forward with a frown. Before he could ask, the elder shook his head and said, "You do not want to see."
Sephiroth frowned at the statement, but he knew there was truth in the old man's words. When he didn't respond, Bugenhagen gave him a nod. "We will respectfully prepare him to join the lifestream. You have my word."
The general felt a twist in his chest at those words. It was not as intense as what he felt when he was scared for Alex, but it was the same pain. He had been so focused on her that he had not considered the child, but those words, the fact that the child was a boy, brought home to him that a life was taken. He wasn't sure why the pain kept growing as he considered the conversation he had with Alex, but he tried to hide it as he nodded and said, "Thank you."
That was all he could produce, but Bugenhagen seemed to understand. He gave the general a nod before he took the child away. Sephiroth only watched for a moment before he turned to see Angeal and Lorne had already moved Alex to one of the beds, and the curtain was partially drawn.
He joined them as they all sat in silent vigil for the next hour. Lorne had gone to clean up but was back as soon as she was finished. She sat next to Angeal and took his hand in a gentle grip. Sephiroth noticed the action but did not say anything. Now wasn't the time to care about anything except when Alex would awaken.
When the hour was up, Lorne stood and gestured for the rest to follow. When they were a short distance away, she whispered, "Angeal can stay for now, but I promise we will get updates to the rest of you as soon as we get them. Even though she lost a lot of blood, her blood pressure is stable, if a little low. She's breathing fine, and her pulse is steady. The only thing that worries me is her fever hasn't gone down much, but I'm sure it will pass soon. We will be helping her along as much as we can. It may take a few days for her to recover, but I'm sure she'll be all right. Why don't you two go rest for now? One of you can come back later and relieve Angeal."
Angeal made a protesting noise, but Lorne cut him off with a frown as she said, "Don't even try to say you'll stay. The last thing Alex will need when she wakes up is to see you looking like you're half dead because you stayed up for days. She won't need to worry about you, so you need to take care of yourself too."
Sephiroth eyed the diminutive woman with curiosity. She had always seemed to be mild-mannered, but he wasn't entirely shocked. She was a healer, after all. He had seen his fair share of them that would bully a person until they were satisfied their instructions were being followed.
Angeal finally sighed as he nodded and turned to the other two. "Can one of you come back by midnight?"
Genesis was the first to answer. "Of course, even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return."
Angeal looked as though he desperately wished to say something to the man about his awful habits, but instead, he sighed and gave them both a nod before he turned to go back to Alex's bedside.
The next morning, Sephiroth made his way to the infirmary early. He was sure he would be turned away, but that was fine. He simply wanted an update on how Alex was doing. He was surprised when he walked in to see Angeal was already there as well. However, it did not seem as if he had been there long. Lorne smiled and waved him over before she whispered, "I was just telling Angeal that nothing much has changed. Alex is still resting, and her vitals are looking better. Now it's only a matter of time."
Angeal gave the girl a grateful look, but Bugenhagen walked in before any of them could respond. He gave them all a nod in greeting before he said, "General, it is good I found you this morning. There is something I need to speak with you about."
Sephiroth's brows drew down as he asked, "Is something amiss?"
The elder shook his head, and his eyes flicked to the bed where Alex was still sleeping before he looked back and replied, "Not at all, but I do believe this should be a private conversation."
That answer did not serve to reassure any of them. Genesis's voice was hard, but at least he kept it low as he said, "If this involves Alexandra, then we should all hear."
Angeal was frowning as he added, "In this case, I believe Genesis is correct. Does it have anything to do with my sister?"
Bugenhagen looked contemplative for a moment before he shook his head, "This is concerning the general. If you would excuse us for a moment, please." He then turned to the door with Sephiroth in tow.
They did not go far. It was only a little down the cave that the elder stopped and turned to Sephiroth with a saddened expression as he said, "Please forgive me if this is abrupt, but I felt you have the right to know. I have heard from Miss Hewley a little of what happened—enough to realize her mind could be put at ease with a bit of information."
Sephiroth was only more confused, but it barely showed as he said, "If this is something to do with what happened, then the others should know as well."
Bugenhagen seemed to shrink a little as he shook his head sadly. "If you choose to share, that will be your decision, and Miss Hewley's, of course."
That statement finally had alarm bells ringing in Sephiroth's head. He had a sinking feeling he already knew what was coming and found he almost didn't want to know—to have it confirmed.
He could not form the words to keep the man from speaking, so the elder continued, "I only tested the child's blood to reassure her that her concerns were unfounded. I did not expect to be able to identify the father, but the DNA pattern was one I have become familiar with over the last few weeks."
He paused and looked Sephiroth in the eye as he said, "The child was yours. I will not ask why, but I felt it was your right to know."
Sephiroth was stunned, and that unfamiliar ache in his chest was back. For a moment, he could not take a breath. He had suspected, as had Alex, but having it confirmed made it real. Neither of them had asked for this child, but having lost it before they even had a chance to learn to deal with it was a painful blow.
It was several moments before Sephiroth managed to look at the other man again. His voice was low as he said, "Thank you for letting me know."
The elder let out a soft sigh as he nodded. He didn't say anything else before he turned to leave the general alone with his thoughts. There were plenty to keep him occupied. However, Bugenhagen had been right about one thing—this was Alex's news to share as much as his. He did not like to think about hiding anything, but he would wait until she woke and let her help him decide what was right for them.
Things fell into a waiting pattern over the next three days. Angeal spent the bulk of his time sitting with Alex, but Lorne would not let him stay for more than twelve hours in a day. She insisted that he take care of himself too.
She also reassured the Soldiers that it was not unusual for Alex to not have woken yet. With as much blood as she lost, her body was only running what was necessary to give her time to recover. Especially since the fever took an extra day to finally go away. Still, Lorne was insistent that Alex would wake within a week. In the meantime, they had to wait.
Late evening on the third day, it was Sephiroth's turn to take over for Angeal. He and Genesis had been forced to agree to split the time since Lorne put her foot down when the red-head had wanted to argue. She had basically told him to leave his ego at the door, or he wouldn't be allowed in. Genesis had balked at the threat, but with Angeal there to back the woman up, he finally capitulated. Thankfully, that had been the last of the issues from him.
It had only been an hour since Angeal left, and Sephiroth had his hand clasped over Alex's where it rested on top of the sheets. He sat there like that often and wished he knew what it would take to make her open her eyes. He logically knew it was just a matter of time, but despite knowing it was true, a part of his mind feared that she would not. It was irrational and frustrated him, but he could not stop.
The curtain around Alex's bed was pulled most of the way back, so Sephiroth's attention was drawn to the door when it opened, and Lorne led in a young woman with short black hair. He frowned at the disturbance but was glad when the healer said, "We have a patient resting in here, so I will ask that you please stay quiet. If you take a seat at that desk, I will be right with you."
The woman nodded and headed toward the chair, but she stopped as soon as her eyes landed on Sephiroth. He gave her a blank stare as her eyes widened, and she pointed at him before she yelled, "What in Gaia's name is he doing here! I thought this place was anti-Shinra!"
Lorne was already by her side with a reprimanding scowl. "If you cannot keep your voice down, I will ask you to leave. I have already told you we have a sick patient. Her visitors are none of your concern."
Sephiroth started to stand to deal with the disturbance himself, but his attention was drawn back to Alex before he could. He had felt her hand move, and his eyes were searching her face to see if she was waking.
He barely heard the woman as she stuttered out, "But he's the Silver General of Shinra! He's their poster boy."
Sephiroth heard Lorne reprimand the girl again, but he ignored it as he shot to his feet and leaned over the bed. Alex's eyes had started to flutter as well. His actions must have finally garnered the attention of the two women on the other side of the room. The stranger was the first to speak. "What's he doing? What's going on?"
Lorne's attention was diverted to the bed as well, and she gasped before she said, "Is she awake? Do I need to go tell Angeal?"
Sephiroth ignored that question as he gently put his hands on Alex's shoulders. She groaned, and it was the most wonderful sound he had heard in ages. When her eyes finally opened, her brow drew down in confusion before she rasped out, "Sephiroth? Why are you here? What's going on?"
For the first time since he was a child, he could not hide his emotions. His relief was written across his face as he leaned further and pulled her into a gentle embrace as he said, "I am glad you woke. I have been worried."
Alex looked even more confused than she had previously, but she didn't get to ask again. Both Sephiroth and Alex's attention was drawn to the other side of the room when Lorne squealed and jumped in place. "Oh, this is great! I've got to go tell Angeal. I'll be right back!"
Alex looked across the room and saw Lorne leaving and the strange woman standing there with her mouth open in shock. She then looked back at Sephiroth as she asked, "Why am I in the infirmary? What happened?"
Sephiroth lost his smile at the thought of explaining everything to her, but he didn't get a chance to. Alex must have remembered something as her eyes widened, and she gripped his arm firmly as she whispered, "The baby. I was sick and hurting. I tried to get help, but I think I fell." She then looked into Sephiroth's eyes with a horrified expression. "Tell me!"
Sephiroth could not face that look in her eyes. He had never thought of himself as a coward, but the thought of hurting this woman made him pull her closer as he whispered, "I apologize; there was nothing they could do. Our son did not make it."
A/N: I know, what a horrible cliffhanger. I promise that the next chapter is already in the works, but this next scene deserves all the attention I can give it. It will be a real jumping point. Anyway, I hope this wasn't too depressing, because we will find that silver lining. Even if it takes a while. Thanks for reading and cheers!