of mistakes and switched bodies

-chapter four-

"They were lucky that Rinoa was there. Any longer and these two might not have made it if they hadn't been healed when they had, especially Seifer. I think every single one of his ribs were broken." Dr. Kadowaki said as she looked at Seifer, who was laying on the medical bed, still unconscious. She turned to look at Squall. "Squall only suffered from a head injury. He'll be alright once he wakes up."

Quistis shook her head, saying as she crossed her arms over her chest. "How long until they wake up?"

"It should only be a matter of minutes." answered Kadowaki.

Rinoa, who was kneeled by Squall's bed, nodded. She couldn't help feeling that if she had been able to get to the battle sooner none of this would have ever happened. Still, everything was alright now. For that she was glad. She looked up as a pained groan came from Squall's throat.

"Squall! I think he's waking up!" Rinoa stood up and watched, hoping.

"Wha'?" Squall sat up, his hand on his forehead, almost as if he was holding his head up. "Fuck. I got one hell of a headache."

"Squall?" Quistis took a few steps forward.

"D'you see my face?" Squall looked up. "Do I look like puberty boy? You need to get your eyes checked, Instructor."

"S...Seifer?" Rinoa took a few steps back.

"Yeah?" He looked at her.

"Um, Seifer," Quistis wasn't sure what to say. Did that blow to the head do more than just knock him out? Seemed like it knocked a few screws loose. "Do you remember what happened?"

"Not much. I blacked out after a fuckin' T-Rexaur slammed its tail into my side."

"Was that all that happened?" Kadowaki asked.

"Why don't you ask Squall about the rest? He stayed awake longer than me."

The three women watching him found it hard to take in the scene laying before them. They knew this person was most definitely Squall. He looked like Squall, was dressed like Squall, and even sounded like Squall. There was only one problem. He had the same choice of words and the memory of Seifer. Quistis glared, turning her gaze on Rinoa, who looked just as stunned as the rest of them.

"Ok, Rinoa, what did you do? I thought you said you just used a cure spell on them." Quistis said.

Rinoa put her hands on her hips. "That's all I thought I did!"

"You obviously did more than that!" Quistis pointed at Squall(Seifer). "Don't you remember what spell you used?"

"No." Rinoa thought for a moment. "I remember using a curaga spell, then something else happened. I wasn't sure what, but something lit up the area. I didn't know what it was, but the curaga worked so I didn't worry about it."

"Are we forgetting about me over here? I want to know what all this is about." Squall(Seifer) demanded to know. He was already out of the bed and standing beside it. It was strange to see Squall standing in Seifer's traditional 'Seifer' pose.

Quistis and Rinoa didn't appear like they were going to say anything, so Kadowaki was about to speak. Just before the doctor was able to get a single word out, Quistis stepped forward. "Seifer, look in that mirror on the wall beside you."

Squall(Seifer) took a few steps up to the mirror and looked into it. He punched the mirror, shattering it as he took a few steps back.

"SHIT! FUCK! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME, YOU BITCH!?" He almost screamed.

"Calm down, Seifer! We'll figure this out." Quistis tried to settle the man down.

"Figure what out?" He was tempted to draw Hyperion, but all he found was the Lionheart. He looked down. Squall's clothes. He had Squall's face. Squall's everything! Now he knew why he had felt so different. He just thought it was the after affects of some type of medicine Kadowaki had given him to dull the pain or something. He balled up his fist and slammed it down on the bed. "What is there to figure out? As if my life wasn't bad enough you had and go do this to me!" He glared at them. If looks could kill. "Where's my body?"

Kadowaki pointed. Squall(Seifer) walked over to the other bed. Sure enough, the body of Seifer was still laying there, eyes closed in unconsciousness. Damn, he looked bad. Did the T-Rexaur really do all that to him? Squall's mind was in there somewhere, he knew. His eyes narrowed.

"Switch us back." Squall(Seifer) demanded.

"I don't know how." answered Rinoa.

"You're a sorceress, aren't you? I don't want to hear that you don't know crap." He glared. "Switch us back!"

"If she said she doesn't know how, then she doesn't know how, Seifer. It's as simple as that." intervened Quistis.

"So I'm stuck in this pitiful excuse for a body for the rest of my life?" Squall(Seifer) crossed his arms. "Shouldn't this be considered indecent exposure?"

"I'm sure Squall won't like this any more than you do, Seifer."

"We can't tell the headmaster yet. Not until we have a definite solution." Quistis assumed her thinking pose.

"Headmaster..." Kadowaki thought for a moment as well. "That gives me an idea. What about Edea? She's a sorceress, too, right? She should be able to switch their minds back to their original bodies."

"That's a great idea!" agreed Rinoa.

"There's just one problem." All eyes turned to Quistis. "Edea won't be back for a few days. Her and the headmaster are visiting the White SeeD ship, remember? We won't even be able to contact them for at least 48 hours."

"Oh great." Squall(Seifer) cursed beneath his breath. He started to walk out.

"Where do you think you're going?" Quistis asked him.

"To kill myself. Where else?" He shrugged. Quistis frowned. "To my room! All this has given me a headache."

"Wouldn't it be a little weird if people saw Squall going into Seifer's room?" asked Kadowaki.

"Fine. Then I'll go to Squall's room. As long as I'm able to get some sleep." He walked out of the infirmary before anyone could say anything further.

Quistis sighed and looked back toward the inert form of Seifer(Squall). "Now all we have to do is tell Squall what happened when he finally wakes up."

It seemed to them that none of them wanted that pleasure. They knew Squall would take it slightly easier than Seifer had, but still.....