Chapter 2
The hours turned into days as Rinoa kept her bedside vigil besides Squall. Dr Kadowaki, the school doctor had been tending to him for six days now, yet he had not woken up. She kept telling Rinoa to keep hope, and that she was sure he would recover. But that was a lie. She knew his chances were slim. She'd never seen a student injured this badly. Whatever had happened to him, it was like no magic she had ever seen.
Irvine, Zell, Quistis and Selphie all visited daily, in the hope that he had opened his eyes, but to no avail. But Rinoa was the only one who'd stayed nearly all the time. She wore a sling from where she had dislocated her shoulder from the mystery bag snatcher. The only thing that kept her going, and that gave her hope was that she would one day get her revenge on this girl for doing this to her Squall. She had never seen magic like this. Even Ultimecia had not been able to release this type of debilitating power. She didn't know who this girl was, but she swore that if she were still alive, she would kill her if she had the chance.
Rinoa was asleep sat on a chair with her head on Squall's bed. Her good hand was holding his. Dr Kadowaki looked in, and sighed. "Poor girl." She said to herself. She didn't have the heart to admit to her the awful truth. That Squall may never wake up. She had been by his side every day, talking to him, reading to him from his favourite magazine, Weapons Monthly. She only ever left his side to eat, and that was not very often. She admired her spirit. She refused to give up hope. She wanted to show to him the hope and dedication he showed to her when she was truck by a similar fate.
Quistis walked into the infirmary. She weakly smiled at Dr Kadowaki. "How is he?" she whispered
"No change." She replied. She nodded toward Rinoa. "To tell the truth, I'm more worried about her." Rinoa stirred in her sleep.
"I know" replied Quistis. "She never leaves his side."
"The best thing for her would be to get some air, take a breather for a couple of hours. Can you try Quistis? Take her into Balamb for a while. It'll do her the world of good."
Quistis sighed. "Ill try, but I bet she won't come." She walked over to where Rinoa was sat and gently shook her good shoulder. "Hey there." She said quietly when she opened her eyes. Rinoa immediately sat bolt upright.
"What happened?" she looked at Squall, and saw to her dismay he was still unconscious. "Did I fall asleep?"
"Just for a little while." said the Doctor.
"Dammit! I have to be awake for him. What he wakes up and I'm asleep?" She began to stroke his hair out of his eyes.
"Rinoa," began Kadowaki, "Quistis and I both think you need to get out for a while."
"Yes," joined in Quistis "how about we pop into Balamb for a while and you can get some air?" Rinoa said nothing, she just continued stroking Squall's hair.
"You need to get some exercise." Said Kadowaki. "Doctor's orders. That shoulder won't heal properly unless you start moving."
"I can't leave him." She said "What if he wakes up and I'm not here for him? He'll be all alone." Quistis and Dr Kadowaki gave each other worried glances behind her back. Quistis mouthed "I told you" to her.
"Rinoa..."
"Look, I already told you. No!"
"You have to get out." Protested Kadowaki.
"No! You have to get out. You two obviously don't care about Squall."
"Don't tell me I don't care about Squall!" Quistis shouted loosing her patience. Rinoa wasn't the only one who had had a tough time. "I've known him a hell of a lot longer than you have. If there's one thing I do its care too much!"
"Then why do you want me to leave him on his own?" Rinoa shouted.
"It'll only be a couple of hours."
"He might wake up!"
"He's never going to wake up!" as soon as the words left Quistis's mouth she regretted them. Rinoa walked up to her and slapped her round the face, hard.
"Don't you dare say that you bitch!" Rinoa shouted. "He will wake up. And I'll tell you why. Because he's a fighter. He's not going to lay down and die. And so long as we are all there for him he'll get better just you wait and see. He'll show you all! He'll show you..." she fell on the floor and began sobbing. Quistis knelt down and hugged her. She began crying too.
"Shhh. Shhh. Its ok, it'll be alright." Quistis tried her best to comfort Rinoa but she was inconsolable. Quistis had done her best to hide her fear over Squall, but now, she let down her defences, and let it all out. Rinoa wasn't the only one who loved Squall. Quistis in her own way loved him too. Except she loved him more like a brother than a lover.
"I'm scared Quisty..." Rinoa mumbled.
"Me too Rinny. Me too." She stoked her hair and rocked her gently. Dr Kadowaki exited the room and left the two women to console their differences.
The hours turned into days as Rinoa kept her bedside vigil besides Squall. Dr Kadowaki, the school doctor had been tending to him for six days now, yet he had not woken up. She kept telling Rinoa to keep hope, and that she was sure he would recover. But that was a lie. She knew his chances were slim. She'd never seen a student injured this badly. Whatever had happened to him, it was like no magic she had ever seen.
Irvine, Zell, Quistis and Selphie all visited daily, in the hope that he had opened his eyes, but to no avail. But Rinoa was the only one who'd stayed nearly all the time. She wore a sling from where she had dislocated her shoulder from the mystery bag snatcher. The only thing that kept her going, and that gave her hope was that she would one day get her revenge on this girl for doing this to her Squall. She had never seen magic like this. Even Ultimecia had not been able to release this type of debilitating power. She didn't know who this girl was, but she swore that if she were still alive, she would kill her if she had the chance.
Rinoa was asleep sat on a chair with her head on Squall's bed. Her good hand was holding his. Dr Kadowaki looked in, and sighed. "Poor girl." She said to herself. She didn't have the heart to admit to her the awful truth. That Squall may never wake up. She had been by his side every day, talking to him, reading to him from his favourite magazine, Weapons Monthly. She only ever left his side to eat, and that was not very often. She admired her spirit. She refused to give up hope. She wanted to show to him the hope and dedication he showed to her when she was truck by a similar fate.
Quistis walked into the infirmary. She weakly smiled at Dr Kadowaki. "How is he?" she whispered
"No change." She replied. She nodded toward Rinoa. "To tell the truth, I'm more worried about her." Rinoa stirred in her sleep.
"I know" replied Quistis. "She never leaves his side."
"The best thing for her would be to get some air, take a breather for a couple of hours. Can you try Quistis? Take her into Balamb for a while. It'll do her the world of good."
Quistis sighed. "Ill try, but I bet she won't come." She walked over to where Rinoa was sat and gently shook her good shoulder. "Hey there." She said quietly when she opened her eyes. Rinoa immediately sat bolt upright.
"What happened?" she looked at Squall, and saw to her dismay he was still unconscious. "Did I fall asleep?"
"Just for a little while." said the Doctor.
"Dammit! I have to be awake for him. What he wakes up and I'm asleep?" She began to stroke his hair out of his eyes.
"Rinoa," began Kadowaki, "Quistis and I both think you need to get out for a while."
"Yes," joined in Quistis "how about we pop into Balamb for a while and you can get some air?" Rinoa said nothing, she just continued stroking Squall's hair.
"You need to get some exercise." Said Kadowaki. "Doctor's orders. That shoulder won't heal properly unless you start moving."
"I can't leave him." She said "What if he wakes up and I'm not here for him? He'll be all alone." Quistis and Dr Kadowaki gave each other worried glances behind her back. Quistis mouthed "I told you" to her.
"Rinoa..."
"Look, I already told you. No!"
"You have to get out." Protested Kadowaki.
"No! You have to get out. You two obviously don't care about Squall."
"Don't tell me I don't care about Squall!" Quistis shouted loosing her patience. Rinoa wasn't the only one who had had a tough time. "I've known him a hell of a lot longer than you have. If there's one thing I do its care too much!"
"Then why do you want me to leave him on his own?" Rinoa shouted.
"It'll only be a couple of hours."
"He might wake up!"
"He's never going to wake up!" as soon as the words left Quistis's mouth she regretted them. Rinoa walked up to her and slapped her round the face, hard.
"Don't you dare say that you bitch!" Rinoa shouted. "He will wake up. And I'll tell you why. Because he's a fighter. He's not going to lay down and die. And so long as we are all there for him he'll get better just you wait and see. He'll show you all! He'll show you..." she fell on the floor and began sobbing. Quistis knelt down and hugged her. She began crying too.
"Shhh. Shhh. Its ok, it'll be alright." Quistis tried her best to comfort Rinoa but she was inconsolable. Quistis had done her best to hide her fear over Squall, but now, she let down her defences, and let it all out. Rinoa wasn't the only one who loved Squall. Quistis in her own way loved him too. Except she loved him more like a brother than a lover.
"I'm scared Quisty..." Rinoa mumbled.
"Me too Rinny. Me too." She stoked her hair and rocked her gently. Dr Kadowaki exited the room and left the two women to console their differences.