Chapter 12: Side Effects And Truth Revealed
In Odine's lab, Carole was seated on a chair with her wrists tied together on ehr back and her feet tied up at the ankles. Odine was standing in front of her. Some guards were by the door.
"I don't want to harm you," he said. "Just tell me vat I vant to know and you'll be fine."
Carole was frowning. She wasn't scared at all.
"Vere iz Sorceress Rinoa, now?"
"Why?" the captive asked arching an eyebrow.
"I'm curious. Zere are some experiments I'd like to perform on her. I vant to know about her powerz, if I could plant genes in babies so they could have powers instead of drawing."
"You're crazy! And you're crazier if you think I'm gonna tell you where she is!"
"I though so."
He signaled for the guards to approach. They came and held her arms tight while Odine approached her with a needle. Then she started to get scared.
"Wha... what is it?"
"It iz a truth serum. It'z still under experiment."
He gave her a shot.
"There. Now if you don't speak, the effects are unknown."
"Unknown? Then you're using me as a guinea pig?! Ugh..."
"The effect is quick... Speak up: vere iz Sorceress Rinoa?"
"I may be a SeeD... with purpose to kill Sorceresses... I'm no traitor..."
She lowered her head and moaned. She was trembling from the effect og the drug.
"Come on, stop resisting and tell me."
"No... never! Aaugh!"
She stopped moving , uncounscious.
"Stubborn girl. But zis could be interesting. I'll see the side effects of this serum. Take her in the cell below."
The guards took the girl away.
When they were about to enter the lab's area, Gackt stopped Squall.
"Wait, Squall. We can't go in without a plan!"
"You're right..."
Miaka interfered.
"There's no time to think: Squall you hide up. Gackt and I will lure the guards out and you'll go save her."
"Sounds like a plan. Let's do it!"
He went by the entrance of the lab and hid himself beside. He signaled the others he was ready. Then Miaka and Gackt stood in front of the stairs under the entrance and began shouting.
"Hey! Give us back our friend!" Miaka called.
"Don't make us come and get her!" Gackt added.
"Are you scared of us? What are you all, sissies?"
In the lab, Odine was looking at the duo.
"Those are the girl's team mates. Don't let them in, I still need her. After them!"
The guards hurried outside after Gackt and Miaka who both ran away, insulting the guards to be sure they would follow. Then Squall hurried in. The cell was locked at the end of the hall so he took the lifting platform. He bursted in the lab. The old scientist almost had a heart attack.
"Vat? Who are you?"
"Where is she? Where is the girl you kidnapped?"
"I don't know vat you're talking about," Odine lied lifting his hands.
Squall lost his self-control. He took his gunblade in hand and pointed the tip at Odine's throat. The man started to shake, scared.
"Where is she?" Squall yelled. "Tell me!!"
"In... in ze cell below!"
Squall made a step to the window.
"If you move..."
He looked through the window like he did as Laguna looking for Ellone some time ago. He saw her lying on her side, apparently tied up and uncounscious.
"Carole!" he called placing a hand on the window.
He looked at the control panel and found the button to open the cell's door. He pushed it then turned to Odine, pointing his gunblade at him. He frowned madly and bared his teeth.
"I'll kill you if something happens to her! You hear? I'll kill you!!"
"No! Please!"
Squall managed to calm down. If anything at all would have happened to Carole, he could always tell Laguna. As the president, he had the authority so he would take care of it. He hurried down and through the opened door. He kneeled next to the uncounscious girl.
"Carole, are you alright? Say something!"
He cut the ropes from her wrists and ankles and opened her eyelid. Her pupil was dilated.
"She's been drugged."
Seeing her chest move up and down normally reassured him. At least she was alive. Now Squall didn't care about Odine anymore. The only thing important to him was to get her out of there fast. He took her arms over his shoulders and her legs around his waist. Her head rested close to his neck and he could feel her warm breath on his skin.
"Let's get out of here."
He left the place with the girl on his back. Outside, he didn't see the others so he guessed they were still fighting the guards. He rested Carole up the small stairs and sat by her side, his arm protectively wrapped around her shoulders, her head on his. He would just wait either for her awakening or for the others to come back. He really hoped she would wake up quick.
He was still looking at the city when he felt movements against his arm. He looked at Carole and gently shook her to help her awakening. She opened her eyes.
"Are you alright?" Squall inquired.
Carole blinked several times and frowned, fear painted on her face as she sat straight. She waved before her eyes and placed her hand right before them.
"Ah..."
Her voice sounded strange.
"What's wrong?"
There was definately something not right, Squall knew it. Carole placed her hands over her ears, tapping them.
"Can't hear!"
"Don't yell like that!"
Unable to hear her own voice, Carole couldn't really control the intensity of her words. They were sounding wrong too.
She turned her head to where Squall was.
"Squall? Dat you?!"
"Don't yell, I hear you!"
"Ah... ah hear you..." [consider her words are messed up. Try to imagine how it would sound like. I heard someone deaf speak once and it's weird!]
"How come?"
"Dunno... juss...'feel' your words..."
"Huh... now it's a bit too low."
"Dis?"
"Okay, try to remember it. Now tell me what happened in there."
Carole tried her best to tell about the truth serum and the mysterious side effects.
"Guess... dis... is side effect..." she said.
Squall couldn't believe it. Blind and deaf... she was blind and deaf! But how could she 'hear' him? Speaking to her, his every words were said with his heart so she was receiving them.
"What can do?"
"I don't know," Squall said. "If Odine didn't know about the side effects, I doubt he'll be able to cure it. For now, we'll just wait for the others and then we'll think of something."
Carole rested her head against Squall and he wrapped his arm around her, rubbing her arm gently.
After few minutes of silence, she moaned and took her head in her hands.
"Can't take it!" She screamed. "No hear and no see... feel like dead..."
She had to think every word to be sure she said them. If it wasn't for her throat vibrating when she was speaking, she would have thought she couldn't speak at all.
She lowered her head over her legs.
"Don' want total silence, crazy!"
She making her sentences simple to make things easier.
"Total silence makes you crazy?"
"Nothiness... death!"
Squall placed his arm around her and held her tight against him. She closed her eyes, crying silently.
"I'm here," he said. "I won't leave you alone in nothingness. If you can 'hear' me, then I'll speak."
"Thank..."
She closed her eyes again, not that it would change anything.
"Hum... what's your favorite song?"
"Why...?"
"Just tell me."
"... 'Eyes on me', Julia hatily..."
"Julia Heartilly..."
Carole thought a second that she was stupid.
"Sorry... Rinoa's..."
"I know that song."
Carole smiled.
"Old but romantic. Wonda who she talk about..."
Squall knew only too well who she was talking about in that song. She was talking about Laguna, the man who never came back to her.
"Didn' know you like music..."
"It happened sometimes I listened to it..."
He rested his head on top of Carole's and closed his eyes. His arm around her shoulders moved up a little and his hand caressed her hair.
" 'Whenever sang my songs'," he started.
Carole started crying with emotion. His voice was ringing her heart. She never heard him sing before. She just wondered if it was really his voice she was 'hearing'.
Squall kept singing softly, caressing her hair to give her comfort, let her know she was not alone.
On the street to Odine's lab, Miaka and Gackt were coming back.
"Hope Squall found Carole," Gackt said.
"Hope she's alright," Miaka added. "Let's hurry."
They were approaching the area when Miaka suddenly stopped.
"What's that sound?" she asked.
Gackt paid attention.
"Sounds like Squall's voice..."
They listened a little longer then looked at each other with bewilderment.
"Squall's singing?!"
They hurried on the road and stopped at the sight with a smile.
"You never told me Squall could sing," Miaka whispered.
"I didn't know... he never did it before..."
Miaka closened up on Gackt and he put his arm around her. Both were smiling until Miaka thought something was wrong.
"Something's not right..."
"What do you mean?"
"Look: Carole's crying and looks scared, Squall looks worried..."
"You're right. But let's wait a second..."
Not stopping his singing, Squall opened his eyes and saw the others. He closed his eyes again and finished the song.
"Thank you," Carole whispered.
"What's going on?" Gackt asked as he approached.
Carole brought her head up and turned it.
"Who?"
"Gackt and Miaka are back," Squall said.
"Yeah!" Miaka exclaimed. "Glad to see you're fine."
Squall got up, never releasing Carole's hands and he helped her up. Not seeing a thing, she nearly lost her balance, but Squall helped her, his arm around her waist.
"What's wrong with her?" Miaka asked.
She looked at Carole's face and noticed her pupils were not focusing on anything.
"What happened?"
"She's gotten blind and deaf. She can't see or hear a thing but it seems she can understand my words."
"Sonna! What can we do?" Miaka asked.
"The only thing to do for now is for you to get the other team. Then head to the presidential palace. I'm going ahead with Carole so the president can see what that son of a bitch did to her!"
"You sure?" Gackt inquired.
"Yes, let's move."
"Okay."
Miaka was feeling really awful for her friend. They hurried to the city's entrance while Squall was using a flying platform that would take them to the palace faster. Carole was crying desperately.
"I helpless...can' move alone... a burden to you."
"Never!" Squall assured hugging her. "Never..."
What Laguna thought to be joyful was sad. Meeting Squall's girlfriend wasn't supposed to have been something that would make Squall mad. What he was mad about was the thing Odine did. Laguna found it hard to believe so he summoned the scientist. Of course at first Odine denied what he was accused of, but Squall's eyes forced him to tell the truth. Laguna shew himself more indulgent than his son who wanted Odine to die or at least banished from the city, exiled somewhere or thrown in jail. But the president decided to give Odine a chance to help the girl.
After some tests, Odine had to admit he didn't know what to do. The effects of the serum really surprised him. Laguna then ordered to confine himself in his lab until he'd find a way to heal her. Then he left right away to do what he was told.
Laguna apologized for what happened to the girl and hoped he could meet her again some other time in other conditions.
"I don't understand why she hears me," Squall said stroking her face from the hair over it.
"Your feelings must be very strong, going through her hearts to carry her your words," Laguna said.
"Maybe..."
He helped Carole up from the chair she was sitting on and placed her arm around his neck and his arm around her waist.
"The only thing we can do now is to go back to Garden," Squall said.
"I hope she'll get better."
"Me too. Good-bye."
"Bye," Carole said.
Laguna smiled sadly at the couple's back before they disappeared.
When Squall and Carole came out of the palace, Miaka and Gackt were waiting for them with the others. From the faces, Squall supposed Miaka and Gackt already explained the situation to the others.
"How is it?" Zell inquired.
"Can Odine help her?" Selphie asked.
Squall approached, holding Carole tightly. She was keeping her eyes closed and her head down, trusting Squall to lead her.
"He can't do a thing... that jerk!"
Miaka folded her arms and frowned.
"Baka! Why did he try something unless he knew how to cure it after?"
"What can we do?" Gackt asked.
Squall passed by them and walked away to the exit and the others followed. Carole whispered something about total silence and Squall made her rest her head on his shoulder and he whispered something to her. Quistis closened in.
"Squall, let us take her to the Ragnarok."
"No! I'll do it myself..."
He rubbed Carole's arm and whispered something to her again. Quistis walked up to his other side and went straight to the point.
"Squall, tell me. Are you... you two, is she..."
She wanted to speak straight, but the words just wouldn't come out. Squall stopped walking.
"What wrong?" Carole asked.
"Yes..."
Squall turned to the others.
"I'm with her, we're together. I love her! Happy?! And I'm not letting anyone else take care of her!"
Carole faced him, lifting her head as if she was looking at him and she placed her hands on his shoulders.
"Why you yell?"
Squall placed his palm on her cheek, rubbing the bottom of her eye with his thumb.
"Sorry," he whispered.
Quistis stepped forward, a fist clenched on her chest.
"But Squall... Why did you keep it a secret?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Zell asked approaching.
Quistis turned to him.
"What do you mean?"
Zell crossed his arms on his chest.
"We know how skillful Carole is, but not everyone does. For example, Squall has to take people in mission and he takes Carole. If their relationship is public, what will people think?"
"That he takes her because of their relationship!"
"Bingo!"
"Oh..."
Quistis looked at Squall to apologize.
"I guess you had your reasons. I understand, Squall. I'm sorry."
"No, I am. I shouldn't have yelled at you. With Gackt and Miaka already knowing, I thought it was enough. Should have told you too... You're my friends after all..."
Quistis stood with her mouth opened. She never heard Squall speak that way before.
"Wait a minute!" Selphie exclaimed turning to Gackt and Miaka. "You knew? How come?"
Gackt scratched the back of his head and Miaka gave a dumb face.
"We kinda surprised them in the training center..."
"What?!" the others exclaimed with wide eyes.
The couple quickly shook their hands.
"No, no, no! They were kissing in the corridor when we showed up!"
The others sighed with relief but Squall sighed with annoyment.
"Enough about this, let's get going."
He walked away to the Ragnarok, carole close to him again and the others followed. They boarded the ship and sat at their respective seats: Selphie in the pilot seat, Zell by her side and Irvine just behind her and Quistis on the other seats. But Squall didn't stand on the middle of the floor, he sat down in the rear back with Carole, still whispering only for her. With her head resting on his shoulder, she looked like she was sleeping and having a sweet dream from her smile.
"I'll take care of you, you'll see... But the hard part will occur when we get back to Garden... But I don't care anymore..."