4. Deep Secret Shared
"She's shaking lesser as before" Zell noticed. "Maybe I should alarm Squall about this, something is definiatly wrong! I wonder why she doesn't want to go the infirmary...".
"I can't tell him, right? Seifer would do the same to Quisty and Selphie and he would kill all those who I care for!......but I can't keep this to myself, I can't go on lying! I may end up in a madhouse if this continues. Oh Squall......why aren't you here....I need you! ...........................I'm just going to tell Zell and make sure Seifer doesn't find out.." Rinoa putted her glass down and thought how she would start.
"Zell...." he looked up to her, suddenly out of his thoughts. "Tell me Rinoa...please" he replied.
Slowly and still thinking how she could start best, she spoke; "I'm...not....a virgin anymore.." "was this the right way to start?" She looked how he would react.
"The Hell! You and Squall...are you pregnant?! Is that why you're so sick?!" he was surprised. "Pregnant? No! I haven't even thought about that!" she paniced inside her head. "No! At least..I don't hope so, but....Squall and I.....we haven't done anything yet" she confessed. She sarted to cry, how she wished she could have shared her first time with him.
"Who?!.......SEIFER!!!??" he remembered how Seifer had carried her off earlier. Rinoa could only cry harder,which made Zell thought he was right.
"No! How Could You Cheat On Squall..And With Him?!?! Your Terrible! Shame On Yourself!!" he was mad. Rinoa tried to let him know he was wrong, "No...no" she sobbed, but Zell kept on rambling.
"And To Think He Was So Worried He Let Me Stay Here!! I Don't Even Want To Be Near You!!" Zell walked towards the door to leave her alone once more.
"No..don't leave me alone..he might come back..Zell stay!" she paniced again.
"He Raped Me Okay, He Raped Me!!" she cried out, she collapsed on the floor as she tried to stand up. "He raped me...." she sobbed. Zelll froze and closed the door he had just opend. "R...rape" he stutterd. He ran towards her and kneeled next to her, "Rinoa..I'm so sorry" he got her back on the bed. "Don't...don't tell anyone.." she said. "Why! If He Thinks He's Gonne Get Away, He's Got Another Thing Coming!!" Zell was furious, of Seifer and also for him being so stupid to let her Seifer take her away!
"Zell..." she hushed him and he helped her back onto the bed, sitting down next to her. "Just listen.." and with a trembled voice she told what had happend, how he had hurted her, threatend her and how she had lied to everyone.
Zell looked in horror as she told her story, rage building inside of him. Rinoa stopped, "It..it's all my fault" she said. "Your fault?! Are You crazy? Ofcourse it ain't your fault! Man, I'm gonne kill that guy!" Zell stood up and looked down at Rinoa, she looked defestated and her beautifull body and face was changed by that idiot.
"Rinoa, please go to the infirmary" Zell adviced. "I want too, but what if they found out I was raped?" she was scared of what Seifer would do if everything came out. "Y'know, doctors have this code of secretcy or something, they can't tell anyone if you say it's confidential" Know-it-all Zell told. "C'mon, let me take you there" he reached his hand out to her. Rinoa looked into his eyes, "Can I trust him? Will everything be okay if I do this?..."
shivering she took it.
* * *
"My God Zell, who?" Dr. Kadowaki asked as soon as they had Rinoa on the bed. They were now standing out of her reach. "I can't tell doc. But I guess you already know" Zell told. "Sei.." she started, but Zell hushed her. "Nobody must know this, this must stay between the three of us, we'll take care of it" he told. The doctor hesitated, but then said she had no choice but to keep it a secret.
"I will examen her tonight and will save the DNA of the man, she probably still has some of his sperm inside of her.." she started. Zell shivered in disgust, "Because if he is going to get a trial, this will be good evidence. I will treat her tonight, if you come back in the morning, everything will be done" she stated.
Zell nodded, "I'll go tell Rinoa goodnight". He walked into the room, seeing Rinoa still shaking under her blancets. "Rinoa, I'll be back tomorrow, with a small surprise to make you feel better" he promised her something he didn't even knowhe could get. "He...he won't be able to hurt me here, right?" she asked scared. Dr. Kadowaki walked in and shook her head, "No my dear and don't worry, I won't tell anyone...." she turned to Zell "Can I start doing my work now?"
"Don't be afraid Rinoa.." Zell gave Rinoa a soft kiss on her forehead, not for love, but for compassion, to make her feel better. He walked away, leaving Rinoa in the good doctor's hands. "Now tell me what exactly happend..." she asked.
* * *
"Squall? Zell here", "Something wrong with Rinoa?" Squall knew Zell wouldn't just call for a chit-chat, especially around that time, something had to be wrong! "Yes, she's gotten real sick. She's in the infirmary right now, for her sake...could you come back?" Zell's voice was no longer in usual happyness, but sad. This made Squall more worried. "I'll do anything for her, you know that Zell. I'll try to be there tomorrow around noon... "Thanks man, she'll aprreciate it and so will I" he made an attempt to hang up. "..and Zell...take good care of her as long as I'm still away, don't let anything hurt her" Squall finished. "I will man, see ya tomorrow" and he hang up.
Squall putted the phone down and looked at the faces of Irvine, Selphie and Quitis, all a little drowzy by the midnight call. "..I have to get back tomorrow......Rinoa's real sick" he started a little confused and sad. "I'll send a new troop from Garden, till I get back, Quistis, you are in charge. "Fine with me", "me too", "yeah! Me too!" Selphie ended the reply from his friends.
Squall walked outside and saw Laguna standing near the building, with a smile.
* * *
"Squall! I said I can't have you leave this Garden!" Laguna said. "Laguna!! I have to get back for Rinoa!" Squall replied. "No, you are too important here!". "You said You were sorry when you were gone when Raine died!" Squall saw how he had hurted Laguna by saying that, "Don't let me be away from Rinoa, when she's real sick, she needs me!". "Okay Squall, you gave me the picture...you're right" Laguna turned around as he silently wiped away a tear. "My dear Raine...I am sorry" he said under his breath to the stars.
"I'm sorry Laguna...I didn't mean to..." Squall wanted to apologize when he saw the president so hurt and sad, while he was smiling just ten minuts ago. Laguna turned back to him, "I have been wrong to keep you away from her, you can go, but I have an idear......"
* * *
Rinoa awoke and found Zell sitting next to her; "Goodmorning" he said cheerfully. Her eyes blinked for a couple of times, "Zell! I...I was safe tonight...he didn't come.." she looked happy for a moment, then she turned sad again. "Has Dr. Kadowaki told you what was wrong with me?" she asked.
"Take it easy dear, I'm right here with the official results. ((huhum)) As Squall had already told, you have an concussion, but not mild anymore, it's pretty bad. Let me see, bad concussion, badly bruised body all over, two broken ribs, pulled muscles in legs and arms, dehidration and lack of food and well....that was the physical problems. And because of your mental ordeal, you've gotten sick, also because of the dehidration and the wounds, well fever and trembling limps will keep on coming back for a while. All you can do is rest, take the medicine I have for you here, painkillers and anti-depressive pills. And ofcourse you must talk about your problem. Oh yeah..to all our joy you aren't pregnant, my dear" she ended with the happiest news, probably on purpose to cheer her up after the bad diagnoses.
Rinoa was so happy, "I'm not pregnant!" she hugged Zell out of relief, but in the proces hurted her ribs. She moaned and quickly got back in position. "We haven't done anything for your ribs, cause it's kind a hard to plaster and besides you are bed-ridden" the doctor said severe. Rinoa looked up sad to her, "bed....ridden? You mean I can't even get out in a wheelchair?" she whined. "Well....", "C'mon Doc! You can't lock her up!" Zell helped Rinoa out. "Fine, but be carefull with her....and in that case I am going to tape it with a special tape you can't take off yourself" she answerd with a smile. "And Rinoa....your recovery is going to take quite some time and I haven't got much place inside this infirmary, could you return to your own dorm to heal there?" she asked. "My own dorm? But I'm not save there!" Zell felt how she squezed his hand in fright. "C'mon Rinoa, you go sleep in Squall's dorm, I'm right across, I'll guard the room" Zell found the answer to her problem. "He won't even get close!" Zell started to punch the air before him, which made Rinoa smile. "You just stay here for the day and rest, It'll do you some good after the past nights" the doctor said and walked away. "Zell, keep an eye on the infirmary till I get back dear, I'll be back around 2 pm." the doctortold him as she walked away.
* * *
"Take it easy Squall, she's asleep and she's quite alright, despite of her injuries" Zell tried to calm down a worried Squall. As Zell and Rinoa had agreed on, he didn't tell Squall, he would probably break Seifer in two pieces!
"Just let her sleep for a while Squall" Zell said. Squall calmed down, "I just wanna see her for a minute, I won't wake her up" he said. Zell hesitated, then let his friend enter. Squall walked towards the bed and saw his love in a deep sleep. Her blancets had fallen off and she was shivering. Squall picked up the blancets and putted them over her. He kneeled next to her, "My sweet Rinoa, get well soon....I love you" he whispered and kissed her softly.
"I'm going to get Laguna's plan in action, you keep an eye on Rinoa" he quickly said to Zell as he walked off. He'd rather stay there with her until she would wake up.
* * *
"Why doesn't she wake up!" Squall was scolding at Zell, it had been five hours ago when he had arrived. "Dunno Man, it ain't my fault" Zell tried to protect himself. "Squall" he felt a hand on his shoulder. "She's going to be fine Squall, she just hadn't had many sleep last nights, she's catching up" Squall looked at the friendly face of the doctor. "You take her to your room and let her rest, take care of her there..." Squall nodded and went in to get his angel.
Inside he gently picked her up, she didn't even woke up, but in her sleep cuddled up to his chest. He walked off with her, thanking Zell silently when he entered his own dorm, as Zell did his across the hall.
Squall layed her down gentle, pulling the blancets over her sick and sore body.
".....Rinoa......" he sighed as he moved her hair out of her face and layd down next to her. "Promise me you'll wake up and let me see that happy smile again....I love that smile.....I love you.." he whispered to her, still caressing her hair.
He felt how the Garden was moving, that new gadget from FH was great, that auto-pilot...
Squall's mind turned back to the angel next to him, he watched how she was breathing. "Thank good she still Is breathing" he thought as he kissed her gently on her cheek.