Part two
- I just can't work properly with such inadequate material! Hojo shouted, Shinra won't let his most powerful SOLDIER die in your incompetent hands! He will be taken to the Shinra tower in less than 20 minutes and you don't have the authority to stop me!
The doctor and nurses winced at the tone of the professor, but none of them dared to rise any sign of protestation. Hojo turned his back and disappeared in the room to prepare his 'patient' for transfer.
******
- Now listen, you two, Tseng warned, we will be at the hospital soon. You don't say a word unless you are spoken to, ok? Hojo's on the grill since a week and I don't want him to throw one of my men off this helicopter just because he said something stupid…
- Why didn't they send SOLDIERS? We're not nurses, argued Reno
- Because SOLDIERS can't keep their mouth closed…
- But what's our business with…
- You'll see soon enough, and remember you don't talk to Hojo and for Heaven's sake don't be in his way…
The small aircraft began to land on the heliport, Rude and Reno grabbed the packages laying there while Tseng entered the building. They were about to finish when the large doors opened, letting out Tseng and a really angry Hojo. The two were pushing a stretcher and transporting some machines. Reno whispered to Rude:
- I wouldn't like to be at the poor guy's place…
Rude nodded. They took back their seat in the helicopter, and Reno's face paled when he recognized who it was. The General, the most powerful man of the army… No wonder they don't want SOLDIERS involved. He blinked several times before securing the different machines that kept him alive. It was a little cold, and soon after the takeoff, a beeping sound made them jump.
- Take off your jackets, Hojo commanded, his temperature's dropping…
They obeyed without hesitation.
******
Cloud looked at Zack in disbelief, shaking his head, trying to deny what he just heard.
- It can't be, Zack, no tell me you're kidding…
Zack brought him closer, leaning him against his chest.
- Cloud… Tseng told me Hojo was transferring him in his lab. And I saw him… he's extremely sick… I even heard Hojo said that the Jenova cells was causing the virus to mutate into a more dangerous one… I'm so sorry, it's all my fault…
- Zack, it could have happened to anyone of us… D-don't blame yourself… It's just… god, so terrible…
Cloud passed a hand into the raven hair, finding Zack's temperature a little high.
- You still have a little fever…
A sleepy mumble responded to his statement as he noticed that Zack was already falling asleep. He pushed him on his pillow and snuggled beside him, burying his nose into the spiky hair and lay there, unable to sleep.
Zack slept two days in a row. When he woke up, a strange brunette was talking with Cloud in the doorway of the bedroom.
- Arson? What are you doing here?, he croaked
- Commander! You're awake!, the young man greeted, Well, you're awake but you're in no shape to come down to work…
- Come on, Mike, I don't look that bad…
- No, Zack, you don't look bad, you just looks like the General smashed you into a wall, for God's sake… I'll tell the squad the good news, though.
- What good news?
- You can whine!
They continued to argue several minutes before Captain Mike Arson left. I wonder why Mike was here… he thought. Did he know I was sick? He looked so worried…
- I know someone who could use a shower…
- Not you too!
Cloud pushed Zack off the bed and almost threw him into the bathroom with the sheets, calling him stinky over and over again. The image the mirror send him back made him jump, and Zack even wondered why it haven't broken yet… and a sniff of himself almost put him back to sleep… Well, I guess he's right about that shower…
******
The professor was pacing furiously in the lab, trying to find a way to save the General…
- Why can't the antibodies mutate?!?, he screamed in exasperation, clutching his head.
Everything he tried failed miserably… The antibodies samples exposed to JENOVA cells were instantly destroyed, no matter the conditions. To make it work, he normally should expose the vaccine to a weaken sample of JENOVA cells… But such cells doesn't exist. And now, he didn't have antibodies anymore. On all the troopers, it had to be Strife… Wait a minute… Strife! That's it! With a mischievous smirk he turned toward the nearest lab assistant.
- Send me down Mr. Strife immediately.
******
In another part of the lab, Reno shifted in his chair, bored out of his mind. Damn it to hell… what can happen to a man that cannot even breath alone? He thought. His watch was displaying 3:25 pm, his shift should be over in five minutes… If only Tseng wasn't so punctual… The doors slid open and the wutaian entered, his face solemn as usual.
- Nothing to report, Reno?
- Nope, nada, rien… I even wonder why they want somebody here. Damn, /nothing/ happen, /nobody/ come near this place, like they were afraid of something… I'm outta there.
- Good evening, Reno
- Yeah… Whatever
Tseng sat down where his partner had been just moments ago. As he reached for a book stored in his pocket, some of the monitors started beeping, one of them indicating a pressure drop and an irregular heart beat. The fever was nearing the insane point of 43 C. Tseng jumped on his feet and turned his earplug on.
- Reno, bring back the professor doublequick…
- What's going on?
- Sephiroth's having an attack.
End of part two
Author's note
O_o Ouch! Ok, who threw me that lamp? This virus is getting a little hard on Sephiroth… and where is Cloud? ……… What does Hojo have in mind… Mmmm stay tuned!