A/N: Ok this is most likely one of the last few quickie updates. I have school on Monday, and although I'll try to write everyday, I really am sick of thinking after homework and stuff! So enjoy reading this once every few days while you can :)
Oh bah, Zell has to think -_-'', his thought dealies will be [words here]



~Chapter 8~


Quistis turned to Zell in shock.


"Are you insane?! What's wrong with you?" She knelt by Seifer and started trying to revive him. "Seifer? Please wake up..." Her voice grew softer as tears streamed down her face. "I haven't got a cure, I didn't take one with me..." She trailed off completely as her sobbing overcame her. She found Seifer's pulse, strong as ever, if a little irregular. Sighing in relief, she reluctantly stood up and faced Zell.


Zell just stared at her tear-stained face as she cleared her throat and wiped her eyes before speaking to him.


"Do you have a cure on you?" Her voice was husky and loud in the silence of the room. The banging of the dryer had stopped, signaling that her jeans were dry, but this was the farthest thing from her mind at present.


Zell's eyes narrowed, taking in the trench coat Quistis was wearing. He hadn't noticed before in his blind rage. He shook his head no. Actually he had two Curagas and a Full Life, but he wasn't about to help Seifer. The bastard had been kissing the girl he loved. Mentally smiling, Zell thought of how Quistis might-no, *would*-turn to him provided he died. Hyne how Zell hoped he died.


When he looked up, he saw that some of his glee must have shown on his face, for the blonde beauty was backing away from him.


"You know, I think I'm just going to...take him to the local hospital...they can help him easily." She slipped her jeans out of the dryer and put them on. Zell frowned.


"He'll be fine." [If he is, I'll just have to remedy that, but we'll see if he survives.] Quistis's expression became hard.


"Help me move him Zell, he's going to the hospital whether you think he should or not."


"Well if you want to take him, you're going to have to move him on your own. I sure as hell ain't helping."


Quistis walked right up to him and looked him in the eye.


"What's *wrong* with you, Zell? First you waltz in here and give Seifer a concussion, which he can possibly die from, now you're refusing to help me stop him from dying?!" She shook her head. "Are you possessed?"


"Well look at you, you little slut, you think you're acting like yourself? Half dressed with *his* coat on? What the hell are you thinking of?" Quistis's mouth dropped open.


"You have absolutely no right to say that to me! You're not my father, not my brother and definitely not my boyfriend! Where do you get off talking to me like that?"


Turning away from Zell, she hauled Seifer up into a sitting position and hooked her arms under his. Zell stood there silently, not knowing what to do in the face of her determination to save his worst enemy. She was putting in every ounce of effort she had energy to give. He watched her drag him to the stairwell, then step by step, up the stairs. It took her a good ten minutes to get him halfway up, during which time she didn't so much as glance in his direction. Heaving a great sigh, Zell resigned himself to help. The two of them took him up the stairs and out into the street in record time. Quistis was beginning to regret not having her phone activated. An ambulance sure would have been helpful right about now.


Quistis made no effort to speak to Zell on their way to the hospital. Everyone in the sleepy little town of FH was at work, they had no hope of getting a ride. Half an hour later, just when Zell was about ready to pitch Seifer in a nearby ditch and run off with Quistis slung over his shoulder, they arrived at the hospital.


"Excuse me," Quistis hailed a nurse. "My friend had an accident at home. He slipped and fell, banging his head on the cement wall in the basement." Zell marveled at her. After he had punched Seifer to within an inch of his life, after he had refused to help carry him to his salvation, after he had thought about kidnapping her and leaving Seifer to his own devices, she was still covering his tracks. He almost felt a bit guilty. Almost.


Quistis waited in the small, dim room for the friends and family of the injured. The hard, hateful chair dug into her back as she sat there, waiting for a doctor to tell her his condition. Vaguely, she saw Zell lurking around the coffee machine, but her eyes were too tear-filled to see him properly. She wasn't sure she wanted to. She didn't know or care what he had been thinking when he hit Seifer. Quistis wasn't sure she wanted to find out, but Zell would surely feel the urge to tell her sometime.


The doctor walked in at that moment, and Quistis's heart gave a little lurch. He extended his hand to Quistis and she took it, her small pale hand lifeless in the doctor's grip.


"Your friend had a near miss young lady. Ten more minutes and he would have been dead. Don't worry though, in a few days he'll be back to normal. Sorry if I scared you there, you look a little white. Anyway, don't lose any sleep, he's going to be just fine. Come back and see him tomorrow, he's going to be pretty out of it until then." He gave her a smile and then walked off to attend whatever other business was waiting for him.


She exited the room with her expression hovering somewhere between sobbing and smiling. When she saw Zell, she walked up to him, her face hard as nails. Punching him in the chest for all she was worth, she started screaming at him.


"Well you bastard, he's going to be ok, no thanks to you! If you ever, EVER scare me like that again I'll..." Zell straightened up from her punch just in time to catch her as she fell into his arms, sobbing like the world had collapsed on her.


He walked her home.


~*~


When Seifer woke up the next morning, the first thing he saw was gold. Gold, gold, gold, it spread itself out like a fan before his wondering eyes. Letting his vision travel farther down he smiled. Quistis, smiling like an angel, blue eyes sparkling, was looking up at him lazily from where her head rested on his chest. His smile grew into a grin when he noticed she was still wearing his trench coat.


"Why hello there," he said, "What a pleasant surprise."


She sat up and stretched like a particularly happy kitten.


"Morning, Seifer." He reached out an arm and ran his fingers slowly down her jaw line. She brought her face down until they were eye to eye. "Do you remember what happened?" Seifer groaned.


"Chickenwuss...didn't know the idiot had it in him." Quistis nodded.


"I wish he didn't."


"Quisty?" She had rested her head on his chest again and looked about ready to fall asleep. She hadn't taken the doctor's advice and had in fact lost all her sleep over him.


"Mmhmm?"


"Can we talk about this some other time?"


"Mmm..." He took this for a yes. She was close to oblivious to what he was saying anyway.


"Quisty?"


"Mmm..?" Her voice sounded fainter this time and he couldn't be sure that he reached before sleep did as he whispered in her ear.


"I love you..."









I worked three days trying to get this chapter right, so if you hate it I'll never forgive you!