Chapter 4: A ROUGH SURVIVAL

"Sephiroth's not going to be satisfied until we're all dead dammit!" Berret cursed.

"He was the one who killed my father...but he didn't harm me..."

"That's because you have something he needs and can't take right now. So he's gonna wait, then when you have it, he'll do away with ya. That asshole just don't know when to shut his face and to leave others around. He's 7 cans short of a six pack that's for sure!" Berret then put his fist down. "That reminds me, I need a beer." Berret left to get one from upstairs.

"Oh Cloud...I should have warned you...I saw it the whole time....oh WHY DIDN'T I?!?" Tifa then started to cry.

"Don't cry Tifa...Cloud knows, and even I know it wasn't your fault. When Cloud wakes up...he'll think that it was his his fault. He'll even say it. But we all know it wasn't his fault.
It was mine. I was the one to interfere in the first place! It's my fault!" Terra then ran upstairs.

"Cloud...I'm sorry." Tifa held Cloud's hand up to her face. It felt cold. It was getting colder. Then when she looked at Cloud's face and it was getting more pale then ever.
"Cloud...your dying...oh my god! I've got to get some help!!" Tifa then ran upstairs to see Berret. She was too late though. Berret was drunk already. She then went on the phone and called Jessie and her gang.

"Hello? Jessie speaking. May I help you?"

"Jessie! It's Tifa. I've got a serious problem. It's about Cloud! I don't have time to explain though. Just....please you have to come over to help Cloud!"

"We'll be right over Tifa." Jessie then hung up as Tifa went back in the basement to check on Cloud. He was getting unstable.

"Cloud...please don't leave me....please...." Tifa sat down on the floor beside Cloud. She had put him on her bed since she wasn't going to have him on the couch. That would be selfish. Not to mention stupid.
Then there was a sudden moan from Cloud. It scared Tifa for a second, but she smiled having some tears in her eyes being happy that Cloud was going to fight it. He wasn't going to give up.
"Don't give up Cloud, help is ion it's way. You'll be fine. Keep fighting it."

Cloud couldn't hear Tifa's prayers for him to be ok, but he knew that she was worried for him.
Cloud didn't have a bandage on yet, because Jessie had to check it out first. Then they were going to put a bandage or whatever was needed to help him. Tifa wished she could use her healing magic again, but she had seemed to loose it after the earth and Midgar were safe again.

"I cam as quick as I could....OH MY GOSH...Cloud...he has a serious wound..." Jessie started to examine where the sword had went through.
Tifa watched Jessie do her work to do the best she could to help Cloud.

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"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have tried to stop them when it wouldn't have worked in the first place. I was so stupid doing that. What was I htinking?!" Terra scolded herself on the steps outside of the bar.

"Hey kid, what ya doin? Something wrong?" It was Vincent Valentine.
He was one to care and listen to others. If it was Cid, now that would be totally different.

"Yes, my brother might be dead right now because of me. It's all my fault."

"Who's your brother?"

"Cloud."

"You mean...THE Cloud Strife?!" Vincent was shocked.

"Yes...you know him?"

"Yeah, he's my best friend. I've got to see him. Do you think you could explain what happened to me after I see him?" Vincent asked as he rushed into the bar.

"Sure.." Terra sighed in reply.

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"So you think Cloud will be ok for now Jessie?" Tifa sighed.

"I hope so. That sword almost sliced some of his main arteries. It could have been worse. Cloud is quite strong. The one to never give up...and maybe that's why Berret got drunk. You think?" Jessie looked at Cloud's face. It was still pale, but it wasn't getting worse at the moment.

Just then, the girls heard Vincent's footsteps running wildly downstairs.

"Is he ok? Where is he?" Vincent had the most shocked expression upon his face. He was seeing his best friend in a critical condition. He wouldn't be able to hear him even if he tried.
"Cloud...will he be alright?/??" Vincent sat down on a chair beside the bed.

"We hope. He should live, but in his condition it might take awhile...I think." Jessie sat down too.
"We just don't know. It might be too much for him to handle."

"Cloud?! Never! He'll make it! I know he will...he's just got too!!!" Vincent covered his face.
"How did this happen?"

"Sephiroth..." Tifa sighed.

"SEPHIROTH! THAT JERK! How could he?! Cloud has always been a match for that ass!"
"I distracted Cloud....it gave Sephiroth the oppertunity to do it. It's all my fault." Terra said as she came to the basement.

"No...Terra. Don't blame yourself. Cloud would be telling you the same thing. You shouldn't blame yourself. You actually tried to help. If anything, it's my fault. I was the one that should've have warned him. I saw Sephiroth runnig to Cloud with his sword but I didn't say anything. It's my fault."

"Well we all should've helped too." Red Xlll came in along with Cid.

"But I'm going to be the only one who's never going to forgive myself. I'll be surprised if Cloud will..." Tifa remained in sorrow.

"Tifa...don't worry...I'm fine...you really shouldn't blame yourself. You look better with a smile on your face anyway..." Cloud weakly said as he opened his eyes and smiled at Tifa's glad expression that he was ok.

"Thank you Jessie. I owe you big time..." He smiled at her.

"You were always the quick recoverer out of us all." Jessie smiled back.

Cloud then saw the rest of the group and even Berret. He was faking his drunk act the whole time. Cloud thought. Berret did the strangest thing to Cloud...he actually smiled! Cloud then turned to Vincent and held out his hand.

"Cloud, I'm glad your ok man. You scared me for a sec there. You seemed to be paling more until Jessie came." Vincent shook Cloud's hand. It still felt some cold, but he still needed to recover.

"Sorry. But I did it for Tifa's sake." Cloud smiled at Tifa who was starting to cry.

"Oh Cloud. Thank you so much!!" She smiled as she went over and hugged Cloud keeping him close to her.
Cloud lifted her on the bed, and kept her embrace. He knew how she felt. But he did it to protect her.

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