THIRTY-SEVEN

It was quiet when we finally entered the collapsed expressway, and I didn't like it. I drew my handgun, my eyes going from one shadow to the next as I led the guys forward. I hadn't brought the A32 along with me because, despite all the practice I'd been putting in, I still didn't feel totally confident with it yet. I didn't always take it with me on my trips across the slums for work, either.

We made our way slowly down the ruins, checking every corner as we went and looking around every piece of rubble. The acrid stench of mako filled the air, and although it ate at my throat and made my eyes water, I knew it had to be a lot worse on Lena, wherever she was. While much of this place was underground, the mako fumes still found their way in here more often than not.

The red ladders leading to the lower sections of the road had been extended, which meant someone else had gone through here recently. I kept my eyes open and my ears alert as the guys and I descended. Huge mechanical arms stood here and there along the way, old construction equipment that had been left behind long ago along with several of the big cargo containers they were used to move.

"Sure she went through here?" Wedge wondered.

I nodded. "Positive. She knows the way, and she knew how much I needed the chip. But still, I wonder why she was in such a hurry to get it to me today. I never told her to rush."

Biggs shrugged. "Dunno. Somethin' must've scared her."

"Could be," I agreed. "Come on."

We moved on, checking another tunnel nearby. It split off from the main portion of the highway until it hit a dead end, but Lena wasn't in there. So we went back, climbed up the next ladder, and kept on going down the wide, broken road, Biggs on my left and Wedge on my right. We crept along as quietly as we could, not wanting to draw attention to ourselves. A pair of terpsicolts—weird monsters that looked like giant, flying seahorses—floated across our path, but between the three of us, we made short work of them.

"Well," Biggs grimaced. "I think we pretty much just announced to anything else around that we're here."

"Can't be helped," I told him.

He reloaded his gun. "I know. Let's just hope that's all we'll run into in this place. And that nothing found Lena."

Wedge adjusted his grip on his rifle. "I hope she's okay…"

"So do I, Wedge," I agreed. "So do I."

We went on, making our way into another sunken area of the road. I recognized it as the place where Lena and I had run into Beck and his idiot friends, but fortunately, they weren't there. But I did see the same abandoned campsite in the middle of it. Wisps of smoke rose from the remains of a small pile of wood, meaning it had been used recently. But if not by Beck's gang, then by who?

Bits of trash lay scattered around the area, and off to one side was a dirty blanket stained with blood in several places. My mouth went dry when I saw it. And then a shiver swept down my spine when I noticed something familiar next to it. A black fingerless glove with gray lining, just like the ones Lena often wore.

I picked it up. "No…"

"Shit!" Biggs swore. "Somebody's got her… or did a while ago. And she's hurt. We've gotta save her!"

"Look!" Wedge pointed ahead of us.

Biggs and I followed his gaze and saw a trail of blood drops leading away from the campsite toward another side tunnel and away from the ladder leading back to the upper part of the highway. Abandoning our focus on stealth, we raced across the clearing and sped into the tunnel. It was rough and uneven, made from the crumbling ruins of the Sector 6 plate, which had collapsed years ago, and curved slightly to the right as it descended further underground.

The mako fumes were stronger here, a faint greenish mist hanging in the air as they stung my eyes and throat, and they grew even thicker as the tunnel rose up again and exited into a smaller, enclosed area full of rubble and broken bits of road. In the middle was a cluster of eaters, their mandibles clacking as they bit and tore at something lying on the ground motionless in front of them. At first, I couldn't tell what it was, but when we got closer, my eyes widened.

"Lena!" Biggs and I yelled.

She was there, the eaters swarming all over her, and as soon as they heard us coming, they spun around to face us, their maws gaping open. But we were already moving, roaring in fury as we opened up with our guns. Two went down in seconds, riddled with bullets. The other three surged toward us on their four insect-like legs, and I holstered my gun as they got close and brought up my fists.

While Wedge toasted the eater on my left with his flamethrower, I charged the middle one, pummeling it with a flurry of punches just the way Tifa had taught me. Then I dodged its tail as it snapped at me like a whip. Before it could recover, I responded with a roundhouse kick to its head, crushing it and sending the monster flying. Biggs emptied his gun into the third eater at the same time, shot after shot ripping into it and sending it screeching back until it collapsed.

When it was over and the eaters were dead, we raced over to Lena. She was bruised and bleeding, her clothes ripped and torn and her skin and hair damp and dirty. She wasn't moving, and although there were a lot of bites on her from the eaters, I didn't think they'd been completely responsible for this. Lena had been beaten, cut, and stabbed, with dark red slashes on her arms and face.

"No!" Biggs crouched next to her. "Lena!"

"Is she…!?" Wedge breathed.

I knelt on her other side and checked her pulse. "She's alive! Barely. Lift her head, Wedge. Biggs, open her mouth."

While the guys did as I'd told them, I took a few potions out of my belt pouch—I always carried some, just in case—and opened them up. Then I gave them to Lena, one at a time. Three in total. As we watched, some of her smaller injuries began knitting themselves closed, and her bleeding slowed. Then she stirred, her eyes fluttering open a little, and winced in pain. When she saw us, she gasped and tried to shrink back, as if she didn't know who we were.

"Lena, it's us!" I told her. "We're your friends!"

"We're here, sis," Biggs took her hand. "You're safe now."

Wedge gently slid his arm around her. "Lena?"

"W… Wedge?" she murmured, her eyes still half-closed. "Is that… you? Biggs? Jessie? Are they… are they gone?"

I patted her shoulder. "Yeah, it's us, Lena. Nobody else."

"Who attacked you?" Biggs asked.

"Vice…" Lena breathed. "Must've been… eight of 'em. I tried to get away, but… I wasn't fast enough… they caught me and… and… h-hurt me… stole the chip… and… left me here…"

I drove a punch into the ground, my blood boiling. "Shit! I knew it had to be them. Bastards are more organized than I thought. Somehow they must've found out about the chip."

"Why would they want it?" Biggs frowned.

"Not to use it, but to sell it," I answered, seeing it all so clearly now. "It's worth a lot of gil to the right buyer. No wonder Lena was in a rush to get it to me. She must've realized they knew she had it. This is all my fault for getting her involved in this."

Wedge shook his head. "You couldn't have known."

Biggs nodded. "Don't blame yourself, Jessie. Lena knew it could be dangerous. What matters now is getting her someplace safe. We oughta be close to Sector 5, so let's get her over to the clinic. Wedge, you carry her. Jessie and I'll handle any hostiles."

"Right," Wedge agreed.

"Those thugs must've dumped her here when they were done with her," I said. "They probably figured the eaters would dispose of her for them. But luckily, we got here just in time."

As Wedge started to pick Lena up, she was suddenly wracked with a violent coughing spasm that left her gasping for breath. Her skin was pale, with a greenish cast to it that I hadn't noticed before, and burned with fever as her breath came in shallow, ragged gasps. Wedge held her carefully in his arms, and she sagged weakly against him, clearly sick as well as badly wounded. Not a good combination.

"Damn!" Biggs grimaced. "These fumes are ripping her apart. She must've been laying out here in this stuff for hours after those assholes got through with her. Never seen it this bad."

"Then let's get her outta here now," I said. "Those potions helped a bit, but her bleeding hasn't really stopped. Did you remember to grab a first aid kit when we were at the watch base?"

He patted his belt pouch. "Right here. But let's wait 'till we get back to the campsite. Air's a bit cleaner out there."

"Sounds good," I agreed.

We hurried back the way we'd come, Biggs and I in front, Wedge a little behind us with Lena. She drifted in and out of consciousness, and her hair hung limply around her face. Worry and guilt raged inside me, but I did my best to ignore them for now.

We got back to the campsite just a few minutes later. Wedge gently set Lena down on the blanket, and we quickly got to work. While Biggs took out his first aid kit and bandaged her wounds, I flipped open my belt pouch and got out a clean cloth and a small bottle of water. Then I carefully cleaned the blood and dirt off of Lena's face and arms as best I could. Her abdomen, too, where it was exposed below her shirt. When she woke up again, her eyes were wet and haunted as she took in where we were, and she began trembling.

"Not here…" she whispered, tears leaking from her eyes. "Please… somewhere else… take me away… anywhere but here… it hurts… this place… it hurts so much… I can't…"

"We'll get you outta here real soon," Biggs murmured, still working on her injuries. "Almost done, I promise."

Then Lena managed to roll weakly onto her side, and her eyes slid closed as she drifted off again, still shaking as she tried to hold herself. I laid a hand lightly on her shoulder, more worried about her than ever as a dark suspicion slowly began to surface in my mind. I didn't wanna look too closely at it yet, though. So I just comforted her as best I could while the guys finished binding up her wounds.

Once they were done, we got underway again. Just like before, I led the way alongside Biggs while Wedge followed just behind us carrying Lena so tenderly in his arms. We didn't find any other monsters on our way to Sector 5. Didn't run into any Vice thugs, either. Lucky for them. I think Biggs was almost disappointed.

"I swear," he growled as we made our way through the ruins, "If we see those Vice bastards, they're gettin' their asses ripped open. For sure. Goddamn sons of bitches…"

I clenched my fist. "Just save some for me, Biggs."

He nodded. "Count on it."

About ten minutes later, we finally left the old highway behind and emerged in the outskirts of Sector 5. We hurried on, following the dirt trails through the slums until we got to town. It was bustling here, just like always, as we made our way to the clinic.

About halfway there, near where the kids made their little hideout, I saw someone familiar, a girl of about ten with long brown hair tied in a low ponytail. She wore a pink dress with hearts over a beige shirt, and her eyes found me right away.

"Jessie!" she exclaimed. "Is that you?"

I nodded and thought of something. "Yeah, Sarah, it's me. Listen, is Aerith around? I could really use her help."

Remembering well enough how Aerith had tended to me when I'd been hurt so badly by that hell house, I knew she could help Lena, too. I'd experienced Aerith's healing abilities myself and knew just what she could do. And, if my suspicion was right, Lena would recover from her ordeal better if another woman was there to support her. Aerith would gladly help her any way she could.

Sarah shook her head. "Sorry, no. She went plateside a while ago to sell her flowers and won't be back for hours."

"Damn…" I swore. "I should've remembered…"

"What do you mean?" Wedge asked.

I sighed. "Nevermind. Sarah, hurry to the clinic and let Dr. Morris know we're coming. Lena's really hurt and sick and needs to be seen as soon as possible. Can you do that?"

"Yeah, I'll tell him, Jessie," she said. "Don't worry!"

Then she ran off, weaving quickly through the crowds as we made our way onward. The clinic wasn't far, but it still took us a few minutes to get there. As soon as we went in, Dr. Morris hurried over to meet us, two nurses at his side. He was a middle-aged guy with a white lab coat, dark hair, and glasses. I'd met him before now and then when I'd lived here and knew he was a good man who really cared about his patients. Sometimes he'd ask Aerith to bring him herbs to go along with some of the more traditional medicines he used.

"Ah, good, you're here," he said. "Let's get Lena settled in."

He motioned to the nurses, and with Wedge's help, they put her on a stretcher while Biggs and I explained to him what had happened and how those thugs from the Vice gang had so brutally attacked her. I had the feeling it had gone further than that, but I didn't wanna mention it in front of the guys, especially Biggs.

Once Lena was in place, Dr. Morris and the nurses took her in the back to treat her, and all we could do was have a seat in the small lobby and wait. The minutes went by, one after another, slow as could be, and it felt like an eternity. Wedge took a candy bar from his pocket, looked at it, then sighed and put it away again. Biggs clenched and unclenched his fists, his face a thundercloud. As for me, I just sat there and wished I'd never asked for Lena's help with the chip.

After about an hour, Dr. Morris came back out, calm but grim. We all stood up and went over by the main desk to meet him. I'd known it wouldn't be good, we all had, but still… none of us wanted to hear him say how bad it was. But we had to.

He sighed. "Lena's in very bad shape. We can treat her injuries, and we are, but she was exposed to the mako fumes for an extended period of time, far beyond what her body is used to handling. And as a result, her wounded state, combined with her sensitive condition, has left her greatly weakened and extremely sick."

"What's the prognosis, doc?" Biggs asked.

"Her physical condition is very delicate right now," Dr. Morris said. "However, I believe she'll eventually make a full recovery. It'll take time for her to heal, so Lena's in for an extended stay. But even after I release her, she'll need some support and care for a while. Her emotional state is as fragile as her health, I'm afraid."

Wedge scratched his head. "What do you mean?"

Dr. Morris went on. "Aside from her injuries, Lena's suffering from extreme emotional trauma. She recoiled when I examined her, and she didn't want to be alone with any of the male nurses. I believe the two of you are the only men she trusts right now. Elmyra, my head nurse, will see to her care for the time being. She's in good hands, don't worry. It'll take time, but Lena should be alright."

"What's wrong with her?" Biggs wondered. "No way she should be scared like that. She's known you for years."

"I hate to tell you this, but—" Dr. Morris began.

I quickly took him by the arm and led him away from the guys, my voice low. "Not in front of them. They can't know. Not yet. But I think I already do. She was raped, wasn't she?"

He nodded slowly. "Yes, I'm afraid she was."

It was what I'd suspected. My blood boiled at the thought of it, and it took all my acting skills to stay calm. I was plenty pissed, but if Biggs knew about Lena's rape, he'd go fusion and charge off in search of those Vice brutes to get payback, with Wedge along for the ride. That would only get them both killed, and I couldn't let that happen. I was already worried enough about them as it was.

"Shit…" I sighed. "I knew it. Can we see her?"

Dr. Morris thought for a moment. "I'll allow it, but only one of you at a time for now. She needs her rest."

"Then I'm going first," I insisted. "The guys can wait."

"I'll let them know," he said.

I didn't have any trouble finding Lena's room. It was just down the short hall, and I closed the door softly behind me when I went in. The heart monitor she was hooked up to as she lay in bed beeped steadily. I sat down in a chair next to the bed and just gazed at her for a moment, guilt festering in my heart as I thought about what she'd been through. She'd been cleaned, had her bandages changed, and had been put into a hospital gown. An IV ran from her left arm, and while the potions had healed some of her bruises, others were still there.

Just then, the door opened again, and I turned to see Elmyra come inside. She was wearing a set of dark green scrubs in place of the usual dresses she often wore at home, and a stethoscope hung from her neck. She still had her dark blond hair tied back in a bun like I remembered, and when she saw me, she gave me a small smile. I did the same before standing up and giving her a quick hug.

"Jessie," she said, returning my embrace. "Dr. Morris told me you'd come back. It's so good to see you again."

I nodded as I let go. "Same here. I just wish the circumstances were better. And that I could stay longer. I was hoping Aerith would be here, too. Tell her I miss her, would you?"

Elmyra gently squeezed my shoulder. "Of course. And you needn't worry about Lena. I'll take good care of her."

"Thanks," I told her.

Then I sat back down and watched as she carefully examined Lena. She put on her stethoscope and checked her pulse and breathing, then did her blood pressure and temperature. Once that was done, she hung another bag of medicine on the rack next to the bed and hooked it into the IV, replacing the empty one. Then she left.

Lena was sleeping for now, and that was probably the best thing for her at the moment. So I sat quietly, holding her hand and just thinking about all that had happened. She'd been beaten, raped, and left for dead by those assholes from Vice, all because I had asked for her help to find another chip for the bomb. As much as I tried, I couldn't help feeling as if I was responsible for all she'd gone through.

When I saw her eyes flutter open a little while later, I forced myself to give her a small grin. "Hey there. They give you some of that terrible hospital food yet? Tastes like melted rubber."

She didn't laugh or even smile. She just laid there, staring up at the ceiling, breathing softly in and out and coughing occasionally. I sighed, feeling the fever still burning under her skin, and just wished there was something more I could do for her. My heart ached to see my friend in pain, especially when I knew it was my fault. Biggs and Wedge had told me otherwise, but… I knew the truth.

I faked another smile and tried again. "Maybe we can get Wedge to slip a pizza in here for ya. Sound good?"

Lena sniffled softly. "I… I'm not hungry…"

"I know…" I patted her arm, dropping the act. "Just trying to cheer you up. Guess it's not so funny, though, is it?"

"Jessie…" she murmured.

I used the bed controls to help her sit up. "I'm here, Lena."

She looked at me, tears sliding down her cheeks. "They hurt me… those men. They… they took me… one after another… after another… over and over… used me until I was raw…"

"I know," I soothed, my arm around her. "I know…"

"They shouldn't have…" Lena cried.

I held her. "You're right. They shouldn't have. But they did. So just go ahead and cry, okay? It's alright. You don't wanna have this weighing you down. Let it all out, Lena. I'm here."

She did, sobbing brokenly in my arms as she sat there in bed, and I just kept her close and rocked her a little, my own eyes not entirely dry. I rode out the storm with her, gently stroking her hair as she rested her head on my shoulder and chest. As she clung to me, I did all I could to be there for her the same way Tifa always had for me.

Eventually, she wore herself out but didn't let go right away. I didn't mind, and I continued to hold her for a while until she finally let go of me and sank back against the pillows, her eyes red and swollen from all the crying she'd been doing. Then I took the cloth from my belt pouch and carefully cleaned her face again.

"Thanks…" Lena said. "For being here…"

I took her hand again. "Anytime. And… I'm so sorry… I shouldn't have asked you to help me get the chip. It's my fault, what happened to you. If I'd only known… if I'd just thought…"

"Jessie…" Lena sighed.

"Oh, goddamn it all…" I sniffled, dabbing at my eyes.

She shook her head. "Don't blame yourself… okay? Even if I hadn't been… carrying the chip on me… it might still have happened. Those bastards… have been going after a lot of people."

I looked away. "But I painted a target on your back, Lena. Not what I'd intended, but… that's what it was."

"You're not responsible for this…" Lena insisted.

"Maybe you're right," I admitted. "I just… I feel terrible for putting you in that position, for what it led to."

She touched my face, wiping away a tear. "Let it go, Jessie…"

I took a breath and nodded. "I'll try."

"Good," Lena said. Then she managed a small, faint smile. "I think this is the first time… I've ever seen you cry."

I laughed a little bit and nodded. "Yeah. Tifa's usually the only one who does. I don't like to show too much of what I'm really feeling most of the time. Instead, I just do the cheerful, happy-go-lucky act. Guess I just don't wanna make anyone worry."

Lena gently squeezed my hand. "I get it. But it's okay to… let it out sometimes. Just like you told me."

"I'll keep that in mind," I promised. Then I went on. "Listen, Lena. Can you tell me anything about those thugs that hurt you? Was there a guy in particular that seemed to be in charge?"

She swallowed. "Dorian… he's the one who led the others. I heard them talking, Jessie. He's one of the gang's leaders, and he's got the chip. He also… hurt me the most… passed me around to his men like… like a prize. And they all… they all took me…"

As her voice quivered again, I kept holding her hand. "Take it slow, Lena. It's okay. You're safe now. They won't hurt you anymore. I'll make sure of that. So will Biggs and Wedge."

"Thanks, Jessie," she said, dabbing at her eyes with her other hand and taking a breath to steady herself. "But you can't tell the guys about what… what those men did to me. Especially Biggs. You know how he is. He'd end up getting hurt or killed trying to get revenge for me. And he'd drag Wedge into it, too. I don't want that."

"They'll never know," I promised. "Now… did those men mention anything about a base? Where it might be?"

Lena thought for a minute. "I think… somewhere in the outskirts. Not too far from town, but… definitely out of sight. They didn't really say anything specific. But it's probably somewhere out in the middle of all those junk piles. That's all I know."

I nodded. "Thanks, it's alright. I can take it from here."

"You're going after the chip, aren't you?" Lena gazed at me. "You're gonna try to get it back."

She was right, of course. "I have to."

If I didn't try, then everything Lena had gone through and suffered would be for nothing. And I couldn't allow that. It wasn't just about the bomb anymore. I needed to do this for myself as much as for her. I had to make things right. So I was gonna find the Vice gang's lair, sneak in, and steal the chip back from them.

"Weren't we just talking about not wanting the guys to rush off like that?" Lena said. "It's too dangerous, Jessie. And I… I don't want those men to do to you… what they did to me…"

"They won't," I promised, patting my belt pouch.

Before Lena could say anything else, she was wracked with another coughing fit. I patted her back to help her through it, and eventually it subsided. She looked at me, her eyes tired and drooping, and fought to stay awake for a while longer. I didn't wanna leave her, but I knew that she needed to rest. And that the guys needed to see her before she did. But there was something I had to be sure of before I left, so I leaned in close to her, gently brushing a few stray strands of hair from her face as she lay weakly in bed, so hurt and sick.

Lena's eyes held mine. "Watch yourself, okay?"

"I will, don't worry," I assured her. "Just promise me that you won't tell anyone. This is something I've gotta do myself. And if I see Dorian, I'll say hi to him for you. With a raspberry up his ass."

She clasped my hand. "I promise. Rip him a new one, Jessie."

I smiled. "You bet."