As they awaited results from his second surgery, Kairi's mother had to fill her in on what happened. It put Kairi in a state of shock. At first she was reeling at the fact that she'd been in a coma for almost four months, and then at the fact that Sora had given her a part of himself to keep her alive.

"So it wasn't a dream..." She murmured to herself.

It was another waiting game to let the anesthetic wear off of him a second time. Kairi's bed had been propped up to allow her to sit upright, recovering her strength one second at a time. The mayor held onto Kairi's hand every waking moment, like she was afraid to let go. Except, that is, when the nurses brought a small paper cup of ice chips for her to suck on, when she told them she was thirsty. The mayor filled in Kairi's questions of what was going on at home, and what she and Sora had been doing to help with the rebuilding efforts, trying to fill in the gaps. She gently told her the extent of the damage, trying not to shock her again, so Kairi was able to ease into the reality of the situation.

Her entire home… destroyed...

Kairi didn't know the first thing about "building" anything- what was she even going to do? Follow her mother around and learn from her? Hand out supplies like Sora had apparently been doing?

She really didn't know, and all the what-ifs just made the situation all the more overwhelming.

Time passed, and Sora awoke again, this time even more disoriented. Or so it seemed. He remembered everyone at least, even if he was speaking nonsense to them all. If the situation hadn't been so dire, Kairi might have found it funny. But she couldn't, the memory of him slipping off into unconsciousness and being wheeled off to another surgery too fresh for her.

"Can I sit with him?" She asked the nurse.

The nurse seemed to consider her request carefully. And then: "Alright. Let me help."

She brought a chair over to his bedside, then lowered her bed frame to help her up. Kairi was shocked at how difficult it was for her to stand- not just from the surgery, but in general. Her legs felt like they would buckle any moment. The nurse eased her down, bringing her IV over beside her, giving Kairi free reign to reach out and take his hand.

She was so thin. Now holding his hand within hers, she could see the difference clear as day, and it shocked her. She had already been slim before the disaster, now she was practically skin and bones. No wonder she hadn't been able to stand before- she would be surprised if she had any muscle left.

A new stomach, and no strength. She really was lucky to be alive.

But… did donating an organ to her strengthen his romantic feelings for her?

She gently squeezed his hand, already tearing up and hoping that wasn't the case. He'd already done so much for her, she'd hate to have to reject him a second time. She prayed with every fiber of her being: please, please let him be over me!

She just wanted her friend back.

Sora blinked, stirring at the sound of a sniffle and turning to her. "Kairi? Kairi what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, I just..." she quickly wiped at her eyes. "I just really missed you!"

He smiled at her- but with the anesthetic, it looked a little lopsided and goofy. "Don' be sad, Kairi. We'll always be together! For forever, now! I'll always be with you!"

She did giggle, then winced from the pain. But she didn't mind too much, glad to see a little of his memory returning. "Yeah. Together forever."

It took another nap for Sora to completely shake off the medicine and come back to the world of the living. When he did, he was greeted with multiple faces smiling down at him and checking him over.

"Are you feeling alright?" The nurse asked.

"Yeah," He answered."How's Kairi? Did her body take the organ?"

"It has so far. And she's also doing well," She smiled at him.

"Oh, that's good." He sighed with relief and closed his eyes for a moment to relax. But then he realized someone was holding his hand, so he stared at it and frowned in confusion. Then he looked up at the person holding it, and blinked blankly.

Kairi smiled. "Morning, sleepyhead. You gonna waste the whole day away?"

His mouth parted, and he gaped openly like a fish for a moment as he processed her face. Then yelped with shock as he pointed at her. "Kairi! You're awake!"

The nurse and mayor started to giggle at his clear shock.

"Yup," she chirped. "Glad to see you recognized me."

He whipped up suddenly, much to the nurse's displeasure. "I thought you'd still be asleep! When did you wake up?"

"A few hours ago, right after surgery. Guess it was my turn to wait."

There was a quiet moment where he just stared at her in shock, a deeply wound tension in his chest easing at the sight of her talking and awake. And then he reached out to her, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her in for a hug. "I'm so glad you're ok!" He gushed into her shoulder. "I was afraid you'd never wake up!"

She closed her eyes, and hugged him back gratefully. "I had a bit of a scare too. I was afraid I was gonna lose you when they had to wheel you away."

"Huh?" He pulled back to look at her questioningly. "Whadyou mean?"

"Something went wrong with the surgery the first time. They had to hurry you back into the operating room to fix it."

"O-oh..." he winced. A beat. "… Am… am I ok now?"

"I..." she tilted her head slightly in thought. "I think so?"

Then they both turned to the nurse, looking at her with a mixture of alarm and worry.

She smiled in a placating manner to them. "We'll watch you and make sure everything is alright. But we've already fixed the tear, so everything should be fine now."

Two sighs of relief. Then Sora realized he was still holding onto her, and snapped his arms back with a blush. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking down and away from her, but Kairi seemed unperturbed, tilting her head down as she tried to catch his eye.

"How're you feeling?"

"Pretty good. I mean," he put a hand on his belly and winced. "My stomach hurts a little, but it's not too bad. You?"

"Mine too." she mirrored his move. "I guess that's normal, considering."

"Heh, yeah..."

"Kairi," The nurse gently touched her shoulder. "I know you want to see him, but it's been a few hours since you've been sitting. I think you should lay down."

"Oh, ok," she relented, then smiled at him. "I'll see you soon."

"It's not like we'll be apart. You're just going over there."

"Oh." This time it was her turn to blush, and she smiled sheepishly to Sora. "Right, I forgot."

He just chuckled.

They settled in for a bit, and the room became quiet- Kairi realizing just how tired she really was, and Sora wanting to let her sit back and rest. The room was quiet, until the doctor arrived.

This doctor was a little younger than the last one, with dark brown hair and a slightly taller physique. He nodded at everyone in greeting, and smiled warmly at Kairi.

"Hello," he greeted.

"Hello," she greeted, bowing back.

"I'm Dr. Hashino. I performed your surgery."

"Oh, hello."

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright."

"Have you had anything to drink?"

"No. The nurses gave me a little ice earlier."

"If possible, I'd like you to try to drink water tonight, even if it's just a few sips. If you can manage, I'd like to start you on some broth tomorrow. Normally, I'd take it slower, but given how weak your body is right now, I think you should try to take in nutrients as soon as possible. No one was expecting you to be awake so soon after surgery."

She nodded. "I understand. I'll try to drink a little tonight."

"Good. Tomorrow we're going to start you on a set of new medications. I'll give your mother a list to help you keep track."

As he went over all the medications, their purposes and the necessary timetables for each of them, Sora wondered if Kairi was really going to be all right. Sure, she was awake and living now, but all of this sounded so hard. A couple of the medications would only be for a couple months, however, so he took small solace in that.

Kairi, however, seemed overwhelmed. She was quiet as she listened, wondering how she was going to keep track of all this.

Sora, seeing her face and mood, brightened up automatically. "Don't worry, Kairi, you'll get the hang of it! I'll even help you keep track of it, if you like."

The three looked at him, and Kairi looked dubious. "Sora, you can't even keep track of your own grades. How are you supposed to help me?"

"Hey, I'll have you know I've gotten a lot more responsible since the last time you saw me." He argued, jabbing his chest with his thumb. "I can keep track of anything."

"That's good," the doctor said. "You'll need that to keep track of your own."

"Wha- me!?" He clarified in shock. "What do I need them for? I'm not the one with a new organ."

"You'll need antibiotics to fight infection. Didn't they explain that to you at the consultation?"

It got quiet for a moment, before realization dawned on his face. "Ooooooooh yeah I forgot..."

Kairi snorted, and let out a stream of giggles before she managed to speak again. "Don't worry, Sora, you'll get the hang of it! I'll even help you keep track of it, if you like."

The mayor tried to hide her smile with her hand, though it was useless with how her shoulders shook. The doctor tried not to laugh, but failed in fighting down his smile or stop the snort. Sora blushed, and crossed his arms defensively as he looked away, but couldn't say anything in response.

Some time later, after the doctor left, Kairi had glanced over to see if Sora had stopped sulking yet. When she did, she noticed two white pieces of paper that had escaped her attention before.

"What're these?" She asked, plucking one up with each hand.

And of course, since Sora was still pouting, the mayor had to answer."That's Donald and Goofy."

"Donald and..." she looked to the two scribbled cut outs with with confusion. "Goofy?"

"Yes. Sora left them here. To look after you while he was in surgery."

She looked to him with surprise, though he still had his back to her. (Though now it was because he was blushing again.)

"Sora..." Then she smiled. "You're so sweet."

"K-!" He choked as he whirled around, purely horrified. "Kairi! Don't call me "sweet"! I'm a man! Use something manly!"

Kairi burst out laughing. "Sora, you've got a lot of good traits, but "manly" is not one of them."

"Wha-" He reeled back, betrayed. "I'm manly, I'm plenty manly! I don't even like sweets."

"Sora, you still cry every time you watch Mufasa die."

"It's a sad scene, ok!? Anyone who doesn't cry from that is just heartless."

"Or just doesn't have a dad. Like me." She stuck her tongue out with a wink.

He harrumphed, lacing his hands behind his head as he flopped back onto the bed. "Ya know, sometimes I feel like you forget I'm a guy."

"And sometimes, I know you forget I'm a girl. So we're even."

"I wouldn't have to forget if you weren't such a tomboy."

"Oh please, you're lucky I'm a tomboy. Otherwise you'd have no one to play with growing up."

"Tha-" he gaped at her with shock. "That is so hurtful! I had Riku."

"And who did you have to play with every time you and Riku fought?"

He sighed. "You."

"Exactly," she pointed to her cheek with a cute tilt of her head. "You should count yourself lucky to have such a wonderful friend like me."

"Hmph! I count myself something alright."

"You-!"

"Is this a bad time?"

The nurse's voice startled them out of their bickering, and made them look positively contrite. They both blushed, glancing down bashfully. The mayor waved off her concern.

"They're fine. This is normal for them."

"I see." She came in carrying two small paper cups. "The doctor would like to see if they can drink."

The two took their drinks obediently, taking a couple small sips. Neither of them finished the whole cups, but the nurse didn't seem surprised at this. When she left, both Sora and Kairi took a moment to simply enjoy the comfortable silence.

Because truthfully, Sora did count himself lucky to have such a wonderful friend. She and Riku meant the world to him, and if he had lost her too, he wasn't sure what he'd do with himself. Maybe she would never return his feelings, and that was fine. He'd still do whatever it took to keep her alive.

Kairi, for her part, felt a great rush of relief from falling into their usual, playful banter. She had been so afraid things would be awkward between them, but even with everything going wrong, being around him helped everything feel normal. It made her feel so much better knowing that her best friend would always be by her side.

A few days after following what the doctor called a "clear liquid diet", both teens graduated to a "full liquid diet". They began to drink milk, and eat yogurt, and miso soup. Sora was eating smaller portions, but seemed to be slowly recovering his appetite. Kairi, however, was still struggling.

"You need to eat," her mother whispered gently.

"I know, Ma, but I'm not hungry," she argued. "And I don't feel good if I eat too much at once."

Sora worried that maybe this was a sign that her body was rejecting the intestine after all. The doctor had said it could happen in the following weeks. But so far the nurses didn't seem alarmed.

They did urge the both of them to try to sit up more and move, even if it was just to walk across the room.

"You will need to keep your muscles from atrophying," they explained. "And a little exercise will help you recover from the surgery."

So they did, moving a little bit every few hours, one day at a time. And even just that tiny bit exhausted Kairi.

"She's actually doing remarkably well," the doctor said, after a week. "Given how long she was in a coma, we expected her to take longer to heal, but she's recovering her energy much faster than we anticipated."

"But, she's still struggling to eat." The mayor argued.

"That's normal after surgery. Sora's actually the one progressing faster than average."

Both Kairi and the mayor blinked, then looked to Sora. He was relieved, knowing now this meant Kairi was ok and this didn't indicate anything bad. Kairi harrumphed, putting her hands on her hips.

"And here you are, making me look bad."

"Guess I'm still a bottomless pit," he joked, patting his stomach. "Even when it's not working right."

Kairi laughed, and the sheer relief that flooded the room made the journey a little bit easier.

"Well, that's a good sign," The doctor smiled at him. "I can give you a list of safe foods to eat the next few weeks, and as long as you follow it, you should be fine. Give it to your mother so that she can help make your foods properly."

The mayor looked at the doctor in alarm. "What's that?"

"We'd like to keep Kairi here a little longer, given her state, but since Sora is progressing so well, I can clear him in a few days to go home."

"Does he..." she glanced at the boy, then back to him. "Does he have to go?"

"I would recommend he stay home from school and still get plenty of rest the next couple weeks, but he's not having any complications. He should be fine."

That was the point where Sora looked at him oddly, wondering just how much he knew about what was going on. Did he seriously think kids in the area were going to school already? When there were no working schools to go to?

"No, Doctor, he…" The mayor leaned forward, voice becoming a little more forceful. "Does he have to go?"

The doctor gave pause, eyeing her with confusion as he spoke slowly. "Well, if his parents want to keep him here a little longer to be sure, we could, but it's not really necessary. I'd rather share this with them directly, but they haven't been by to visit."

She glanced to the boy in question, and unconsciously lowered her voice. "Can we speak outside?"

Kairi watched the adults leave with some confusion. "What could she be wanting to talk to him about?"

Sora, on the other hand, knew exactly what the problem was. Despite all the cleaning efforts the past few months, things still weren't nearly ready enough to even begin rebuilding. Donations had poured in from all over the world to help, but that still didn't make rebuilding houses and stores and restaurants any faster. People had finally gotten some clean clothes, shoes, daily water, food, and even toys for little ones. But they were still on cots, or sleeping bags, or nothing at all. Many people had moved away from the town, trying to find shelter with relatives to try to get back on their feet, but there were still many people to worry about. And even if Sora was allowed to stay on base with a bed, there wouldn't exactly be anyone there to "take care of" him. Or, worse, he'd be forced to go back to one of the camps.

A horrible place for someone to go normally, and even worse for someone recovering from surgery.

It seemed Kairi, and the doctor, didn't understand that reality.

(In the doctor's defense, it was because he didn't know they had come from Kin Town. When they transferred hospitals, he had looked over their medical information, not their residential address. Had he known, he would have asked him to stay, since there was also the issue of there not being any functioning clinics, hospitals, or pharmacies within walking distance of the damage. Sora wouldn't be able to refill his medication.)

But Sora just smiled at her. "Probably to tell him that my parents are still missing."

"Your what?!" She gasped, whispering urgently under her voice. "Your parents are… gone?"

"I know they're still alive!" He whispered back quickly, waving away her alarm. "We just haven't found them yet. There's a lot of places to look through, you know? But still, kinda hard to take care of me when they're not there to do it."

Kairi was still shocked, frankly stunned that no one had shared this information with her yet. How was Sora so optimistic about it?

The mayor returned, face grim, as she approached Sora's bedside. "Sora, do you know what insurance you have?"

"Uh… not really," he winced, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ma's the one that took care of all that."

"Think hard, there must be something you can tell us."

He frowned a moment, trying to think back, but then had a moment of confusion. "Wait, I thought I was staying for free."

"You were. And you won't have to pay for the surgery. But that wasn't intended for an extended stay. We will need to pay if we're going to have you stay here."

Sora grimaced. "Ah, ok… um, gimmie a minute," he pleaded, holding onto his head as he wracked his brain for any sort of information that might be useful.

But unfortunately, Sora had never paid attention to things like that. That was grown-up stuff, not things he had to worry about. He just had to focus on school and grades (which took plenty of time and concentration as is.) He couldn't remember a single iota of information on anything like that.

The mayor asked the doctor to give her a few hours while she made some phone calls, and she left the hospital to return to her hotel room. Kairi and Sora discussed the likelihood of her being able to find anything, and what would happen if she couldn't.

"Dunno," Sora confessed as he lay back. He laced his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. "I guess I could ask Leon and the others to help with a couple things, but they'll probably be busy most of the time."

"And those were… the army people you worked with, right?"

"Yeah." A beat. "Oh that's right, I forgot you were asleep when I told you all that-"

As he relayed the description of his new friends to Kairi, the day passed relatively quickly. He had great stories and funny anecdotes to share with her, making her forget, once again, the gravity of the situation she was in.

Except of course when she had to take her medication and struggle to swallow down some food. That had been a pretty good reminder of her state.

Her mother didn't return until nightfall, and that was close to the end of visiting hours.

"Sora, we found your family's insurance company," She informed him. "They will be mailing the new cards and information here to you, since you're the only person accounted for. The hospital will take care of it once they receive it."

"Well that's a relief. Guess I get to stay after all."

She did not seem relieved, however, her face still somber as she turned to her daughter. "There is one other thing. Kairi, I… I am so sorry, but I cannot stay. I've been doing as much as I can from here, but the work is piling up, and it's getting harder and harder to do things long distance. I will have to return home. The people are also getting restless."

Sora understood instantly, and couldn't help but pity her. The hardest part of this whole thing wasn't just the cleaning and rebuilding, it was the grief. That wholly, largely suffocating grief that swept through the camps and left you breathless. Even as things became the new "normal" there was a hollowness there you couldn't explain, a sense of pain and agony that was quiet, but palpable. Truth was, Sora had been starting to feel guilty lately for not being on the front lines anymore. Even a plain, dreary hospital was a leisure compared to home right now, and he felt like he was getting the easy life, even with his current "injury". He wondered sometimes how Leon and the others were faring, and how the people were faring, and if everyone was getting along okay without his friendly disposition and forced cheer.

And Sora just worked as a translator! He couldn't imagine the burden on the elected officials.

Kairi seemed worried for a moment, alarm passing for just a flash over her face. "When will you leave?"

"In a few days. I just booked the flight." She reached out to squeeze her hand between hers. "But I will call the hospital everyday to make sure you're alright. And if anything happens, I'll book a flight right away and-"

"Ma, Ma, it's ok, it's ok!" Kairi protested, bringing on a smile. "The doctors say I'm doing ok. I've been eating better and my energy is coming back. You just focus on fixing home, ok? I'll be alright."

"And hey-!" Sora couldn't help but lean over his railing, eyes bright and smile big as he pointed to his face. "Once I'm a little better, I can help take care of her too! She's in good hands."

Kairi sighed. "Sora, we've been over this, you can't take care of anyone."

"Well, I can try! How hard can it be?"

The mayor took a deep breath- a deep, bone-tired breath as a small sense of relief eased her troubled mind. As long as they stayed together, she was sure they'd keep each other cheerful through this recovery.

As promised, Aerith came up to visit after a couple weeks, especially after hearing about the hemorrhaging scare. Sora spoke a long time with Leon and the others, having to assure them repeatedly of how well he was doing and that his recovery was going smoothly, but they seemed unconvinced. So Aerith made her arrival, and introduced herself warmly to Kairi. The girl couldn't help but notice the enameled pins on her bag.

"Are those Merlin and the Fairy Godmother?"

"Why, yes!" The woman smiled. "They're my favorite!"

"Oh, I love Cinderella! Have you seen the sequels?"

"Of course!"

Sora smiled, glad to see them hitting it off like he figured they would. Since Kairi was as much of a Disney nerd as he was, she was naturally able to talk to the new girl about it.

"I can't believe you're in the army." Kairi admitted after a while, as she looked at her. "You just look so… girly!"

Admittedly, Sora was a little surprised as well. He was only used to seeing her in camouflage. Now seeing her sporting a red jacket and pink dress was almost shocking.

"What? A girl can't be strong and feminine?" She countered, but it was in gentle teasing.

Kairi gasped softly, hands at her cheeks as she beamed at Sora. "I like her!" She said in Japanese.

"I knew you would," Sora grinned.

Aerith smiled mischievously. "Thank you!"

Kairi gasped, this time in horror, before she buried her reddening face in her hands. Sora laughed. It was a welcome break to have her with them, and they enjoyed her company. There was something oddly cheering about her presence, despite her tough background.

"Wow," Aerith marveled as she looked at their plates. Grilled mackerel with konbu salad, and miso soup. "The food here looks delicious! Much better than the ones in America."

"Eh? Really?" Sora blinked, taking a bite of the fillet."Is it bad?"

"I hear it's terrible." She said with a smile. "I've never actually stayed in one before though, so I don't know for sure. But..." She tilted her head slightly as she looked at the tiny plates. "Why so small?"

"We have to eat more small meals throughout the day. The nurses said it'll take a while before our intestines are working right again, so we have to eat a little bit at a time."

Aerith was quiet, giving them the chance to eat, though looked at Kairi's plate thoughtfully. Not only were the portions quite small, the foods themselves were very lean- not very helpful to a girl who had literally been starving the last few months. Not only that, Kairi could only seem to finish half her fish, drink down half of her soup, and call it a day. Now she took a breath, as if to brace herself, then forced a bite of the konbu salad.

Aerith tilted her head. "Is it that difficult to eat?" She asked gently.

Kairi nodded slowly as she chewed, waiting until she managed to swallow it down. "I don't really feel hungry yet. I have to make myself to eat."

Sora didn't say anything as he took a gulp of the miso. He was closer to finishing his meals, so knew he was on the fast road to recovery; but even before the accident, Kairi had never been a huge eater, so in retrospect, it wasn't a huge surprise her appetite didn't jump back right away. Still, it didn't make him feel any better. She definitely wasn't gaining back any weight at this rate. She still just looked like skin and bones.

"Well, it has only been a few weeks," Aerith contended. "I guess you're doing pretty well."

"Yeah. I can't wait until I can eat normally again." She sighed softly. "I'd like to take a shower without feeling exhausted."

Aerith hummed, putting a finger to her chin. "And you're going to need a lot of calories to get your strength back."

Kairi sighed. "I know. That's why I'm trying to eat more. The doctor said I should focus on getting my intestines to work again, then we can worry about eating and physical therapy."

"Can you eat foods not from the hospital?"

The pair looked at her curiously, then blinked at each other in question.

"Is that allowed?" Sora wondered.

"We could ask," Kairi suggested.

As it turned out, normally they could- so long as it fit the patient's dietary needs. However, given that Sora and Kairi could only handle certain foods right now, the nurse wasn't sure that would be allowed, in this case.

"What about protein shakes?" Aerith asked.

Sora had been about to translate, but the nurse's face lit up, recognizing the term instantly. She shook her hands and head quickly in denial. "Kairi has already lost so much weight," she explained. "We cannot risk her losing more."

Aerith laughed once Sora translated for her. "Oh no, not those kinds of shakes. Weight gain shakes. The ones body builders use to gain muscles."

Sora gaped at her for a second, floundering on how on earth he could translate that. "How does it make you gain weight?" He asked her.

"It has lots of calories. Body builders drink it before their workouts so they have lots of energy. Its what helps them build muscles. If Kairi's having trouble eating, maybe a shake with high calories will help her get back the weight she needs."

He was at least able to translate that, and the nurse seemed both surprised and amazed, having been as foreign to the concept as Sora and Kairi were. She thought about it carefully for a minute, before realizing that too much protein would still upset Kairi's stomach, and it would not be a good option for her right now.

"But," she said, "I can ask the doctor. He will be able to tell you when she can have something like that."

"Perfect." Aerith smiled. "Thank you."

As the nurse left, Sora and Kairi looked at each other, then back to the woman.

"Do you really think it'll help?"

"I'm not sure. Tifa knows more than I do about it. But I figure it couldn't hurt to ask."

It was almost an hour before the doctor came in. He was surprised at the sight of Aerith, asking if she was Sora's relative, but after a quick introduction, all was cleared.

"Can she tell me more about these shakes?" He asked Sora.

Sora translated, and Aerith shrugged. "I can try, though I'm not an expert."

They were relatively simple questions. He wanted to know what type of protein they were, if they were supposed to replace food, and if they were high in fats or sugars, like milkshakes. Aerith informed him that there were different kinds made of different proteins, and that they were meant to be supplements for athletes, not meal replacements. She didn't think they had a lot of sugars, but she did know that they had other vitamins and nutrients. He considered this information carefully, before reaching his verdict.

"For now, it would be safer to monitor her intake through food," he decided. "But in about a month, she will be closer to eating normally again, and we won't have to worry as much. If you can find one that fits her diet, it should be fine."

"Great!" She whipped out her phone. "Tell me what's safe for her to eat."

He listed off foods they would need to avoid for a while- high-fiber foods that were more difficult to digest, and those that tended to cause bloating. Aerith was typing away in her phone to store the information.

"Perfect," she concluded once she finished. "I'm sure Tifa knows something that'll help."

"Aerith," Sora said once the doctor had left. "You really don't have to do all this."

"Yeah," Kairi piped up. "The hospital will take good care of me- there's no need to worry."

"I said I'd come up to watch after you, didn't I?" Aerith joked to Sora before turning to Kairi. "And it's no problem. Sora spent so long looking for you, we'd feel bad if we didn't help a little bit."

Sora blushed brilliantly and ducked his head away, missing Kairi's fond smile.

"So don't worry about it," Aerith concluded with a smile. "I'm happy to help."

The rest of her visit passed uneventfully. Kairi was curious to learn about her past and time in the army, and Aerith was more than happy to answer her questions. She even showed her some pictures of her beloved flower garden at home. When she left, she told Sora she expected Tifa to text him a brand of protein powder that would fit their needs.

"I'm glad she came," Kairi admitted once she left. "She was really nice."

"Yeah. I just wonder how she expects us to get that shake stuff." He admitted, wrinkling his nose as he looked at his phone. "It's not like we can leave."

Kairi giggled. "She probably means after you're cleared."

"Ha. Yeah I guess."

The first couple weeks after surgery, staying in bed in the hospital was a welcome reprieve. The teens had to spend most of their time laying down and getting their strength back, so there wasn't much motivation to get out and about anyway.

After a few more weeks however, things were different.

They were stuck in the same room day in, and day out, with little stimulus. They began to spend more time sitting up in bed to talk to each other, and help Kairi walk around the room to get her limbs working again. But there were only so many times one could sing songs and quote Disney movies back at each other before it lost it's appeal.

So they watched TV. But there wasn't really anything exciting on.

Except dramas.

"No!" Kairi gasped dramatically, hands on her cheeks as she took in the sheer horror of what she was watching. "How could he say such a thing to her? He loves her so much!"

"Don't you see? It's because he loves her he has to say it!" Sora argued, gesturing to the screen emphatically. "He'd do anything to protect her- even if it means he can never see her again!"

"But that's just so cruel!" She folded her hands demurely. "They should be together! If he really loved her, then he'd find a way to stay by her side!"

"And risk putting her in danger? Never!" He turned away, hand over his heart. "He'd rather die than see the one he loves hurt! It's the feelings of a man in love!"

"But-"

Knock knock knock. "Special Delivery for room 207."

"Cloud!" Sora exclaimed, jumping up from his spot and breaking character instantly. "What're you doing here?"

"Didn't you hear me?" He deadpanned, hoisting up the cubical cardboard box in his one hand. "I'm a delivery boy."

"Hey there!" Tifa crossed in front of him. "Is… everything alright? You guys sounded pretty upset."

"Oh we're fine, just watching TV." ("But it's so saaaaaaaaad!") "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"We figured we'd surprise you. Are you surprised?" She teased.

"Oh yeah! Boy, am I glad to see you. Kairi," he turned to her. "This is Cloud an' Tifa, the ones I told you about. Cloud, Tifa, meet Kairi."

"Hello." Tifa greeted. "Sora's told us a lot about you."

"He's told me about you too. I'm glad to finally meet you."

"Likewise! Is it alright if we get another chair in here?"

"Sure, I'll ask the nurse." She turned around to press the button behind her bed. When she leaned back, she watched Cloud as he approached, looking at the box he lay on her bedside table. "What's this?"

"Your present." He answered.

Tifa grinned. "Isn't it obvious? It's the protein powder you needed."

"Eh? You brought it?" She gaped as she looked at the box. "I completely forgot about it..."

"Yup! It's plant-based, with no sweetners and plenty of vitamins to help supplement your daily meals." She pat the box almost affectionately. "This one's in the mid-range on the calorie intake. Since you're not looking into heavy workouts, this one should be perfect to help you gain back some weight, without over doing it. It's not safe to bounce back too quickly."

"Oh my gosh, thank you! I don't know what to say!"

"Don't thank me- thank Aerith! It was her idea. But don't worry about it. Happy to help. Drink it every morning after breakfast, ok? It may not taste very good, but if you mix it with your milk, you should be able to swallow it down."

"Ok!"

The nurse came in, and Sora quickly asked her to bring in an extra seat. When she left, Sora noticed Tifa leaning over and looking him over thoughtfully, instantly making him feel self-conscious.

"...what?" He finally asked.

"Aerith mentioned you guys couldn't eat well after the surgery. I was afraid you might've lost some weight." She straightened up again. "But you seem alright."

"Oh yeah, we're good now," Sora assured. "We've gotten some of our appetite back."

"Good to hear. Maybe you should drink a few shakes for a bit, just to be safe."

"He'll be fine, Tifa," Cloud assured, and he sounded somewhat amused. "It's not like he's overdoing it in this place."

"Well, it doesn't hurt to worry," she argued. "He's already thin as it is."

Now, Sora had never cared about being thin before. (And really, in Japan that was the desired body type, even for men.) But now that he saw Tifa and Cloud in their tank tops, he was starting to see the problem. He was so used to seeing his friends in their army uniforms, he never really had the chance to see their body types before, but Cloud was ripped and defined, with large biceps and a clear-cut vision of strength. Tifa wasn't as large as him, but her arms and waist were thick, with toned muscles that clearly showed the strength rippling beneath.

Riku and Wakka had been strong like that too, always leaving Sora and Tidus in the dust. He looked down and poked at his own bicep, suddenly self-conscious. Kairi noticed.

"You look fine, Sora," she assured.

Sora pursed his lips, not entirely convinced.

They sat and talked for a little while, the pair graciously answering some of Kairi's questions about the army and the US when the topic came up. Sora laid back and let them talk, glad for the break. He was happy to see Kairi each day, but truth be told it was exhausting trying to keep up his cheer day in and day out. He was happy to do it, knowing that her well-being was counting on it, but that didn't make it any less exhausting.

"Hey Cloud," Sora finally spoke up at one point. "How come you're just a private? Why aren't you a sergeant like the others?"

Sora wasn't an expert, but he'd been speaking with the others enough to know a little about the army and how it worked. A warrant officer was above an enlisted soldier, and given his age, Cloud should have been a sergeant like Leon and Aerith. He already knew Tifa enlisted late, so he wasn't confused about her.

"I was a deserter a few years back."

There was confusion from the pair, the Japanese people being unfamiliar with the term. "Deserter?" Sora frowned.

"It means he left the army," Tifa clarified. "He promised to help look after me when we were kids. He ended up skipping his deployment to do it."

"Oh..." Sora nodded in understanding.

"Ended up going to jail a couple years for it," Cloud confessed, arms crossed but otherwise fairly blasé about it. "And when I got back I got sent back to the bottom of the rung."

For a moment, Sora gaped, staring at Cloud in disbelief. So, this whole time, he was hanging out with an ex-criminal? And no one told him?

"So then I joined," Tifa grinned. "That way he can look after me without breaking any laws." She said with a wink.

Cloud smirked. "They didn't know what they were getting into. You wiped the floor with those sergeants."

"You can't blame them. It's not every day they get a world-class strongwoman as a new recruit."

Sora didn't seemed surprised, though he was a little confused. He knew she was strong already, but was she famous or something?

"World-class?" Kairi asked.

Instead of answering normally, Tifa grinned. "Wanna see me bench press Cloud?"

Kairi stared blankly, but Sora nodded excitedly. "She does! She definitely does!"

Cloud gave a long suffering sigh, but begrudgingly shifted out of his chair to comply. Kairi was completely lost, and utterly befuddled when Tifa lay on the floor at the foot of the hospital beds, and held up her arms as Cloud perched himself awkwardly over her hands. Both teens shifted to the foot of their beds, leaning over to watch. Cloud straightened and held himself rigid, and Tifa lowered and lifted him a few times with relative ease. Kairi gasped, and clapped automatically as she went into awe. Sora, who had already seen this, didn't clap, but grinned when he saw her reactions.

And a couple nurses, who had been passing outside and happened to see the spectacle, gaped at each other in awe. "Those American women are amazing!"

Tifa finally lowered him and he crawled off her hands to let her get back up again. She gave a small bow in good fun, then clapped her bicep.

"I train my core muscles for some extra power. Entered competitions and everything! I'm not as big as I used to be, but I've still got some strength in me!"

Kairi's brows shot up. And then she squinted at Sora critically. Sora caught her look, then wagged his finger meaningfully.

"Don't even think about it."

Unfortunately, she was definitely thinking about it.

Hello hello everyone! Thank you for sticking with me so far! We are FINALLY nearing the end of this prologue so I can finally get to the good stuff! One more chapter, and then it's off we go! :D