Chapter 7 Safe
Seifer was standing with his head and shoulder leaned against a tree when Quistis returned. He had his eyes closed and she could see he was shivering.
"Seifer, I'm back," she said moving to his side. He didn't respond. "Seifer?" she pulled off a glove and ran her fingertips across his temple feeling how feverish he had become. "Time to go."
"Cant" he murmured not opening his eyes.
"Seifer, look at me" she stepped in front of him "It's not far, I swear. Just a little bit more." She cupped his cheek with her ungloved hand. "I'll help you."
Seifer opened his eyes when he felt her cool hand on his cheek. Looking down into her blue eyes he nodded.
....................................
They moved slowly across the meadow, Seifer leaning heavily on Quistis. Once there Quistis managed to get the door open and half carried him into the room.
She stopped to catch her breath then helped him to the floor. "It's not the Presidential Palace but at least we're out of the rain" she told him ironically.
Seifer didn't respond to her comment he just pulled his knees up and laid his head down then took a deep breath.
"Here" she kneeled down next to him and held out her canteen "keep this here with you. I'm going to go out and find something that will burn so we can get a fire started."
He took the canteen with a shaking hand and set it down on the floor then watched Quistis as she made her way over to the pack she'd left by the door earlier.
She rummaged through the pack and pulled out a thermal blanket then returned to him and wrapped it carefully around his shoulders. "I'll be right back."
As she turned to leave she heard him say softly "Be careful."
....................................
Once outside Quistis made her way around the building checking for possible escape routes in case they were tracked down. Along the way she noticed there was a small stream to the left at the edge of the trees. 'Good' she thought 'one less thing to worry about.'
At the back, where the building had collapsed the trees came up close. Quistis made a note of this before moving over to the pile of fallen boards. She poked around until she found some dry wood. She also noticed a large pile of dead leaves trapped under the rubble.
When Quistis had as much wood as she could carry she grabbed a handful of the dry leaves and then headed back. She worried about leaving Seifer alone for long in his condition.
She dropped the wood inside the door as she came in, and then looked at Seifer. He sat hunched over and hadn't moved, but he looked up slowly when she approached him.
"I'm back." She said taking off her gloves and stuffing them into her parka then moving over to her pack Quistis snatched the small hatchet hanging from one of the loops. Next she moved everything she would need over to the fireplace. Seifer watched as she hacked up some of the wood into smaller pieces then laid the dry leaves and slivers of wood in a pile and lit it.
Seifer watched with the ghost of a smile. He realized without her he'd probably be dead by now. Quistis smiled back when she noticed him watching her and returned to what she was doing.
Once Quistis had the fire going to her liking she pulled her pack across the floor and started taking things out. When she got to the mess kit she opened it and removed the items leaving the pail empty.
She looked over at Seifer and asked him to hand her the canteen. After she retrieved it she filled the pail with water and hung it on the hook that was inside the fireplace.
With that done she looked around frowning. That's when she noticed there was a door at the back of the room. She got up and went over to it.
When she finally got it to open she saw it led to the ruined part of the cottage. 'Good a short cut to the wood' she thought then her SeeD training kicked in and the idea of a possible escape route slipped into her mind as well.
Seifer watched as Quistis disappeared through the open door. He could hear her bumping around. When she came back she had her arms full of dry leaves. He sat puzzled as she did this several times until she had a rather large pile of the leaves.
"Are you planning a bonfire?" he asked jokingly.
She looked up with an answering grin "You'll see" and went back to work. When she was happy with what she'd done she moved back over to Seifer's side.
"Give me your coat," she requested.
"What?" he looked at her, confused.
"I need your coat." She told him.
"Why?" He knew his mind was fuzzy but he didn't understand why Quistis would ask for his coat, especially when he was still cold. "Are you crazy. I'm freezing," he snapped.
"You'll see in a minute. Please." She slipped the blanket off his shoulders. He paused for a minute, frowning, before reaching down and fumbling with the buttons.
Quistis could see he was having trouble so she kneeled down in front of him and brushed his hands away "here let me help you." She reached over unbuttoning his trench coat then taking one hand in hers removed the glove then repeated the process with the other hand.
Seifer searched her face before looking into her eyes "Thank you" he said hoarsely.
Everything stilled for a split second as she sat there with her hands wrapped around his larger one staring into his green eyes. A piece of wood shifting in the fire caused her to jump, the moment broken.
Quistis turned to the fire, glad for the distraction and pulled the pail off the hook with a corner of the blanket. She poured the boiling water into the mug she had set out earlier. Rummaging through her pack she pulled out a package of tea and plopped a bag of it into the water. When that was done she turned back to Seifer.
She set the cup down by him then pulled her pack over and grabbed the first aid kit out of it, setting it aside also. "Ok, lets get that coat off" she ordered getting up.
Seifer looked up at her. Seeing she wasn't going to let him argue, he sighed and then held out his arm to her.
Quistis carefully pulled first one then the other sleeve off. She noticed the dark blood stain on the inside of the coat when she spread it out over the pile of leaves.
"What happened to you" Quistis whispered turning back to him.
"You don't want to know," he answered wearily taking a sip of the tea. For now there was no fight left in him. He was just too tired to care what she thought.
"Fine. Take off your shirt. You obviously need medical attention. It wont be too hard to figure out." Quistis unzipped her own coat and tossed it over with his.
Seifer put the cup down and rose to his feet slowly, waving Quistis away when she looked like she would jump up to help him. He opened the front of his shirt and Quistis gasped as bruises were exposed running across his chest and stomach.
She shot to her feet, outraged at what she saw, then horrified when the shirt slid down Seifer's arms to the floor as he turned from her.
The slash marks crisscrossed his back all the way down. He' traveled all night with these raw welts and never said a word. She knew the weapon used. Intimately. Only a whip could do this.
Quistis took a shaky breath "Seifer go lay down and I'll see to your back."
"And where would I do that" he inquired irritably looking over at her.
She pointed to the pile of leaves covered with coats "I know it's not much but it was all I could think of" She shrugged "It beats the cold floor."
Seifer shook his head; stepping to the makeshift bed he lowered himself onto his stomach without saying another word.
Quistis busied herself putting more wood on the fire, giving her time to get her emotions under control. When that was done she picked up the first aid kit and blanket then went over to Seifer.
She kneeled down next to him and put her hand hesitantly on his arm "This is going to hurt".
"Do you think you can hurt me any worse then what I've already endured?" he let out a bitter laugh "just do it". Seifer tried to relax as he heard her setting out the things she would need.
....................................
Quistis sat against the wall watching Seifer sleep in the dim light of the early morning. His face was softened by sleep, the ever-present smirk gone. She leaned over and brushed his hair away from his forehead then pulled the blanket up higher around him. He sighed in his sleep.
She was so tired that her eyelids slid closed. On the edge of sleep a thought went through her mind 'we're safe-----for now'.
....................................
Seifer was standing with his head and shoulder leaned against a tree when Quistis returned. He had his eyes closed and she could see he was shivering.
"Seifer, I'm back," she said moving to his side. He didn't respond. "Seifer?" she pulled off a glove and ran her fingertips across his temple feeling how feverish he had become. "Time to go."
"Cant" he murmured not opening his eyes.
"Seifer, look at me" she stepped in front of him "It's not far, I swear. Just a little bit more." She cupped his cheek with her ungloved hand. "I'll help you."
Seifer opened his eyes when he felt her cool hand on his cheek. Looking down into her blue eyes he nodded.
....................................
They moved slowly across the meadow, Seifer leaning heavily on Quistis. Once there Quistis managed to get the door open and half carried him into the room.
She stopped to catch her breath then helped him to the floor. "It's not the Presidential Palace but at least we're out of the rain" she told him ironically.
Seifer didn't respond to her comment he just pulled his knees up and laid his head down then took a deep breath.
"Here" she kneeled down next to him and held out her canteen "keep this here with you. I'm going to go out and find something that will burn so we can get a fire started."
He took the canteen with a shaking hand and set it down on the floor then watched Quistis as she made her way over to the pack she'd left by the door earlier.
She rummaged through the pack and pulled out a thermal blanket then returned to him and wrapped it carefully around his shoulders. "I'll be right back."
As she turned to leave she heard him say softly "Be careful."
....................................
Once outside Quistis made her way around the building checking for possible escape routes in case they were tracked down. Along the way she noticed there was a small stream to the left at the edge of the trees. 'Good' she thought 'one less thing to worry about.'
At the back, where the building had collapsed the trees came up close. Quistis made a note of this before moving over to the pile of fallen boards. She poked around until she found some dry wood. She also noticed a large pile of dead leaves trapped under the rubble.
When Quistis had as much wood as she could carry she grabbed a handful of the dry leaves and then headed back. She worried about leaving Seifer alone for long in his condition.
She dropped the wood inside the door as she came in, and then looked at Seifer. He sat hunched over and hadn't moved, but he looked up slowly when she approached him.
"I'm back." She said taking off her gloves and stuffing them into her parka then moving over to her pack Quistis snatched the small hatchet hanging from one of the loops. Next she moved everything she would need over to the fireplace. Seifer watched as she hacked up some of the wood into smaller pieces then laid the dry leaves and slivers of wood in a pile and lit it.
Seifer watched with the ghost of a smile. He realized without her he'd probably be dead by now. Quistis smiled back when she noticed him watching her and returned to what she was doing.
Once Quistis had the fire going to her liking she pulled her pack across the floor and started taking things out. When she got to the mess kit she opened it and removed the items leaving the pail empty.
She looked over at Seifer and asked him to hand her the canteen. After she retrieved it she filled the pail with water and hung it on the hook that was inside the fireplace.
With that done she looked around frowning. That's when she noticed there was a door at the back of the room. She got up and went over to it.
When she finally got it to open she saw it led to the ruined part of the cottage. 'Good a short cut to the wood' she thought then her SeeD training kicked in and the idea of a possible escape route slipped into her mind as well.
Seifer watched as Quistis disappeared through the open door. He could hear her bumping around. When she came back she had her arms full of dry leaves. He sat puzzled as she did this several times until she had a rather large pile of the leaves.
"Are you planning a bonfire?" he asked jokingly.
She looked up with an answering grin "You'll see" and went back to work. When she was happy with what she'd done she moved back over to Seifer's side.
"Give me your coat," she requested.
"What?" he looked at her, confused.
"I need your coat." She told him.
"Why?" He knew his mind was fuzzy but he didn't understand why Quistis would ask for his coat, especially when he was still cold. "Are you crazy. I'm freezing," he snapped.
"You'll see in a minute. Please." She slipped the blanket off his shoulders. He paused for a minute, frowning, before reaching down and fumbling with the buttons.
Quistis could see he was having trouble so she kneeled down in front of him and brushed his hands away "here let me help you." She reached over unbuttoning his trench coat then taking one hand in hers removed the glove then repeated the process with the other hand.
Seifer searched her face before looking into her eyes "Thank you" he said hoarsely.
Everything stilled for a split second as she sat there with her hands wrapped around his larger one staring into his green eyes. A piece of wood shifting in the fire caused her to jump, the moment broken.
Quistis turned to the fire, glad for the distraction and pulled the pail off the hook with a corner of the blanket. She poured the boiling water into the mug she had set out earlier. Rummaging through her pack she pulled out a package of tea and plopped a bag of it into the water. When that was done she turned back to Seifer.
She set the cup down by him then pulled her pack over and grabbed the first aid kit out of it, setting it aside also. "Ok, lets get that coat off" she ordered getting up.
Seifer looked up at her. Seeing she wasn't going to let him argue, he sighed and then held out his arm to her.
Quistis carefully pulled first one then the other sleeve off. She noticed the dark blood stain on the inside of the coat when she spread it out over the pile of leaves.
"What happened to you" Quistis whispered turning back to him.
"You don't want to know," he answered wearily taking a sip of the tea. For now there was no fight left in him. He was just too tired to care what she thought.
"Fine. Take off your shirt. You obviously need medical attention. It wont be too hard to figure out." Quistis unzipped her own coat and tossed it over with his.
Seifer put the cup down and rose to his feet slowly, waving Quistis away when she looked like she would jump up to help him. He opened the front of his shirt and Quistis gasped as bruises were exposed running across his chest and stomach.
She shot to her feet, outraged at what she saw, then horrified when the shirt slid down Seifer's arms to the floor as he turned from her.
The slash marks crisscrossed his back all the way down. He' traveled all night with these raw welts and never said a word. She knew the weapon used. Intimately. Only a whip could do this.
Quistis took a shaky breath "Seifer go lay down and I'll see to your back."
"And where would I do that" he inquired irritably looking over at her.
She pointed to the pile of leaves covered with coats "I know it's not much but it was all I could think of" She shrugged "It beats the cold floor."
Seifer shook his head; stepping to the makeshift bed he lowered himself onto his stomach without saying another word.
Quistis busied herself putting more wood on the fire, giving her time to get her emotions under control. When that was done she picked up the first aid kit and blanket then went over to Seifer.
She kneeled down next to him and put her hand hesitantly on his arm "This is going to hurt".
"Do you think you can hurt me any worse then what I've already endured?" he let out a bitter laugh "just do it". Seifer tried to relax as he heard her setting out the things she would need.
....................................
Quistis sat against the wall watching Seifer sleep in the dim light of the early morning. His face was softened by sleep, the ever-present smirk gone. She leaned over and brushed his hair away from his forehead then pulled the blanket up higher around him. He sighed in his sleep.
She was so tired that her eyelids slid closed. On the edge of sleep a thought went through her mind 'we're safe-----for now'.
....................................