"So, what is wrong with him?"
The doctor sitting on the other side of the desk sighed, as if he was about to explain the meaning of sex to a five year old. Marlene knew that expression all to well when Cloud told her what happened to her father. First it was the "He's gone away for a while" explanation, followed by a reassurance that he still loved her. She only managed to find out the truth when she was eleven years old...
"Well," he began, fidgeting in his seat. "Well...Marlene, do you know what DNA is..."
"Of course I do!" she snapped. "I don't want a Biology lesson!" She took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself down. This was the kind of Doctor that would give be a 'wollypop' during a check-up. "What is wrong with him?"
He paused before continuing. "His DNA structure is starting to...break down" he said, choosing his words carefully. "We don't know why, or how, we just know that at this rate, he will be dead within a week." He watched Marlene for a reaction. "I'm sorry..."
Marlene didn't display any visible reaction for a second, until one tear rolled down her cheek. Cloud has taken care of me since I was five. If he dies, I'll be all alone...The emotional impact of that single thought brought even more tears to her eyes.
The doctor produced a handkerchief for her which she accepted gratefully. "Is there anything you can do?" she asked, drying her eyes, while at the same time, cursing herself for crying.
"No," he confessed. "In recent years, we have acquired technology which allows us to see a single DNA strand. However, we don't have the technology to alter it..." He seemed to think for a moment. "Was Cloud displaying any symptoms before he collapsed.
"He said he had been suffering from headaches and I noticed that one of his arms seemed to go stiff when I was fighting him..."
"Makes sense. Those symptoms were as a result of some of his DNA breaking down. That and the heart attack that he suffered..."
Marlene was lost in thought. There's no reason why his DNA would suddenly start to break down. There must be a reason why..."Has this happened before?"
"We don't have anything in our medical records..."
"Nothing at all?"
"Well, some bodies were recovered from the Northern Crater 6 years ago. Records show that they died because their DNA structure broke down."
Bodies? "How many?"
"About eleven bodies where recovered, all had died from the same cause."
"Do you know when they died?"
He checked his computer. "About eleven years ago, just before the Meteor incident in the year D.S. 64." (During Shinra).
She absorbed all this information quietly. If the doctors can't do anything about it, then I guess it's up to me to do something.
And so she wished the doctor well, and decided to head back home.
Trouble is, I don't know where the hell to start...
The doctor sitting on the other side of the desk sighed, as if he was about to explain the meaning of sex to a five year old. Marlene knew that expression all to well when Cloud told her what happened to her father. First it was the "He's gone away for a while" explanation, followed by a reassurance that he still loved her. She only managed to find out the truth when she was eleven years old...
"Well," he began, fidgeting in his seat. "Well...Marlene, do you know what DNA is..."
"Of course I do!" she snapped. "I don't want a Biology lesson!" She took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself down. This was the kind of Doctor that would give be a 'wollypop' during a check-up. "What is wrong with him?"
He paused before continuing. "His DNA structure is starting to...break down" he said, choosing his words carefully. "We don't know why, or how, we just know that at this rate, he will be dead within a week." He watched Marlene for a reaction. "I'm sorry..."
Marlene didn't display any visible reaction for a second, until one tear rolled down her cheek. Cloud has taken care of me since I was five. If he dies, I'll be all alone...The emotional impact of that single thought brought even more tears to her eyes.
The doctor produced a handkerchief for her which she accepted gratefully. "Is there anything you can do?" she asked, drying her eyes, while at the same time, cursing herself for crying.
"No," he confessed. "In recent years, we have acquired technology which allows us to see a single DNA strand. However, we don't have the technology to alter it..." He seemed to think for a moment. "Was Cloud displaying any symptoms before he collapsed.
"He said he had been suffering from headaches and I noticed that one of his arms seemed to go stiff when I was fighting him..."
"Makes sense. Those symptoms were as a result of some of his DNA breaking down. That and the heart attack that he suffered..."
Marlene was lost in thought. There's no reason why his DNA would suddenly start to break down. There must be a reason why..."Has this happened before?"
"We don't have anything in our medical records..."
"Nothing at all?"
"Well, some bodies were recovered from the Northern Crater 6 years ago. Records show that they died because their DNA structure broke down."
Bodies? "How many?"
"About eleven bodies where recovered, all had died from the same cause."
"Do you know when they died?"
He checked his computer. "About eleven years ago, just before the Meteor incident in the year D.S. 64." (During Shinra).
She absorbed all this information quietly. If the doctors can't do anything about it, then I guess it's up to me to do something.
And so she wished the doctor well, and decided to head back home.
Trouble is, I don't know where the hell to start...