Chapter 13: Promise?
Ultimecia hovered above them, her, Squall and Irvine balanced somehow in the middle of space. Her faceless body floated through the star field, throwing curses and spell at the three with equal abandon. They had dodged around those they could, and gritted their teeth against the pain and absorbed the rest.
"Time…"
She knew this dream. Ultimecia would become less calm, and suddenly a massive blue apparition would appear under them, and blast where they had been standing a second ago, before they jumped away.
"It will not wait…"
Quistis turned and snapped her whip at the woman as Irvine fired round after round of pulse ammo at her.
"No matter…"
"Just die already!" Irvine screamed.
"How hard you hold on…"
Squall leaped up and threw the Lionheart over his shoulder, scoring a huge gnash down Ultimecia's side. She didn't seem to notice.
"It escapes you…"
Quistis ducked backwards for a second, and then her eyes blazed blue light and twin beams slammed into Ultimecia's front.
"And…"
Squall dodged under a wild swipe, and struck forward one last time with his Gunblade. Quistis breathed a sigh of relief as she-
But she didn't.
"All that remains…"
The sightless face turned slightly, and stared directly at Quistis, the strange orb in the centre, nearly hypnotising her.
"Is…"
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Quistis woke up in a cold sweat, eyes wide, and reached out to her table, fingers closing around the glass of water on the nightstand. She gulped it down and tried to get her breath back.
That never happened. She died then…
She ran a hand through her hair and it came away covered in sweat. And she never looked at me either.
She jumped as a shrill beep sounded right next to her ear, and then cursed and thumped her alarm clock. The first rays of sunlight were drifting through the window already, and she interspaced her arm with the sun. She was definitely turning into a night person.
She thought about just going back to sleep, but the dull and slowly increasing ache in her skull told her this was not going to be the best option. Reluctantly she climbed out from under the sheets and got ready to face the morning.
On the way out of the dorm she nodded amiably at a few students who waved at her, one of who blushed. She shook her head inwardly as the boy wandered off, trying to ignore the constant throbbing in her head.
She stopped as suddenly the world started to swim, and grabbed the nearest wall before she could collapse. She didn't know how long she stood there, but when the world stopped spinning she was still leant against it, and-
"Instructor, are you alright?" a passing student asked quietly, staring at her.
Quistis looked around at the young girl and smiled. "Yes Brea, I'm-" She tried to stand up straight, but she couldn't, "-not." She fell forwards, and the student squeaked as Quistis fell backwards against the wall. "Instructor!"
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Dr Kadowski looked up from her papers as the door to the infirmary swung open, and then her eyes widened in shock and she shoved her chair backwards against the wall as a student walked into the room, supporting Quistis Trepe. She moved around and looped her other arm around the limp woman and guided her slowly to a bed. The student just stood there near the door, and finally Kadowski turned to her. "Thanks for bringing her here," she said gently.
The girl didn't move to leave, but instead stayed rooted to the spot, staring at Quistis unconscious form on the bed. "Is she gonna be OK?"
She looked at her again. "Are you one of her students?" she asked. Brea nodded. "She's going to be fine," she said forcefully. She looked down as a hand grabbed her, and saw Quistis staring up at her. "Quistis! You're awake!" A hand grabbed her coat, and Quistis lips opened soundlessly. She leaned closer, and then looked back up at the student. "Go find Headmaster Cid and tell him Quistis is in the infirmary. Go!"
The student almost ran from the room, and Kadowski sighed. "OK Quistis, she's gone, you can tell me what's wrong now."
So she did.
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Seifer walked jut behind Cid as he walked into the infirmary. Cid went turned and walked straight over to Dr Kadowski, and started talking to her. It didn't seem to be an open conversation, so he just leaned against a wall and crossed his arms.
Why do they even want me here?
He sighed irritably and walked towards the door, and then stopped when he heard a weak cough. He turned and pushed the flimsy plastic curtain aside, and paused.
Quistis lay under the hospital sheets, sleeping, an IV lead snaking into her arm below her rolled-up sleeve. Seifer shuddered slightly as he looked at her face. When she was awake she could at least put on an air of normality, but when she was sleeping the mask fell down, and she looked in pain. He absentmindedly brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face, and she whimpered slightly and turned away from him, parting her lips slightly as she did so. "…"
Seifer frowned, and leaned forward slightly. "What?"
"…Hurts…" Quistis whispered.
Seifer stood back in surprise and stared at her for a second. It hurts. Make it stop. So simple in theory…
A hand touched his shoulder and he turned to see Cid looking at him. Kadowski moved to the side of Quistis' bed and adjusted something on the IV lead. Instantly Quistis relaxed, and the look of pain left her face, and she slept as normal people did.
"Seifer," Cid began seriously, "no doubt you are wondering what-"
"She already told me Sir," he replied, before Cid went off.
The headmaster blinked, and recovered magnificently. "Then I assume she asked you the same thing she asked me?"
Seifer nodded, glancing at Quistis as he did so. For the first time since she had told him he actually took the time to look at her, while she could not ask him what the hell he was doing. Her naturally pale skin had paled even more; not as much as Fujin's, but noticeable. She seemed… faded, and it made him sick. He looked away, not wanting to see her like she was now, defenceless and vulnerable. She'd hate that.
"Asked… yes, she did," Seifer said. He looked back up at Cid. "And I meant it."
Cid shook his head. "I didn't mean… Never mind. I know she can trust you. She knows it as well, or else she would not have told you."
Or she was really pissed and just shot it out.
Actually I prefer that first one…
"I know."
"Cid? Mr Almasy?"
The two looked around at Dr Kadowski addressed them. She gestured down, and Seifer looked down as Quistis opened her eyes.
"Instructor?" Seifer asked, and then cursed himself. Almasy, you are an asshole.
Quistis frowned slightly, and coughed. "Seifer? Why are you here?" she asked quietly.
Dr Kadowski took over. "Miss Trepe, you're… you're not well. You have to stay in the infirmary-"
Quistis shook her head madly, and then fell back against the pillow and clutched at her head.
"-And that is precisely the reason why," the doctor finished.
Quistis sniffed. "…Useless…"
Cid stood forwards. "Remember what I told you in Esthar," he said, and Seifer was surprised at how stern he sounded.
Quistis however just nodded. "Sir…"
Cid sighed. "I'm sorry, I really am, but I need to go." He turned, and walked out of the infirmary, leaving Seifer standing next to Quistis' bedside as Kadowski watched over her.
Quistis looked up as Cid left and sighed. "What are you doing here?" she asked quietly.
Seifer shrugged. "Cid said you were here and asked me to come. I don't know why, could have something to do with the small matter of your incapacitation."
Quistis started to laugh, and then stopped when she started coughing. Seifer made to move forwards, but Kadowski got their first.
"You're on water alone for now," she said simply, and moved over to her desk, keeping one eye on the two.
Quistis sipped it gratefully. "Hyne, I feel so pathetic lying here," she said.
Seifer groped for words of encouragement. "You got one hell of a reason to be here though," he said.
Quistis sighed again. "I know." She tried to sit up, but the IV lead plugged into her forced her down again with a snarl. "Goddamnit, none of this is right, I… I don't know…" she sat back down, and a fleeting look of despair crossed her face. "That bastard Odine got my damned hopes up and…"
Seifer's eyes widened in surprise. "He screwed with your head?" Yes, way to console, Almasy. You may have a career in this yet…
"Yes!" Quistis brushed a tear from her eye, and coughed weakly. "This shouldn't be… this kind of thing doesn't happen to me!" she whispered.
Seifer didn't know what to say. Again. So he said the only thing he could really think of. "I'll think of something."
For a few seconds the only sound in the room was that of Kadowski shuffling papers on her desk, and then-
"Seifer?"
"…Yeah?"
"You really meant that, didn't you?" Quistis asked, with something like wonderment in his voice.
Seifer shuffling around slightly. "Yes," he admitted.
Quistis stared at him for a second, head resting on her arms. "Why?" she asked.
Because… "Because it's possible… at some point in my life… I may have grown to… admire you. Slightly."
Quistis gaped, and then laughed at him. She quickly broke
out in coughs, but she didn't seem to mind. She settled back and smiled at
him. "Thank you. You're not such a bad fighter yourself, when you're not
being a total jackass."
Seifer shrugged. "What can I say, jackass is a character trait of mine."
Quistis smiled, and then rested her head back against the
pillow. "Thanks Seifer. I know you'll try. Wow… she's really using up
some morphine…" She trailed off aimlessly, and was asleep before she had
finished the last sentence, burrowing herself deeper into the pillows in an
attempt to block out the rest of the world.
Seifer watched her for a few seconds more, and then turned and walked from the
room, nodding politely at Kadowski and indicting the sleeping form of the
Instructor. The door closed behind him, and he breathed in air that didn't
taste like disinfectant. He walked away, fully aware that it was entirely
possible he would never see Quistis outside that room again. For some reason
that really pissed him off. He snarled and punched the wall as he went
past.
Halfway down the corridor towards the library, he stopped. Damnit… he kicked a random leaf that had blown in, and sighed as he remembered what he had said to Quistis.
I'll think of something…
And I just know I'm going to.
He started up again and walked into the library. Looking around, he spotted Rosie and made a bee-lien for her. He whistled, and she looked around. "Do you have any books on diseases and cures?" he asked.
Rosie nodded and pointed. "Over there."
Seifer thanked her shortly and walked over. Studies could wait for at least one day. It wasn't a romantic dream. It wasn't even a dream.
But it was a promise.
_____________________________________________________________________Bleeeeh…