Forty-five reviews! I must be good at this. Thank you all reviewers *bows*.
You are truly great. Now, let's get on with the story.
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Vincent watched Sephiroth as the silver haired man paced back and forth in the small waiting room outside the surgery room in the small hospital in Kalm. Tifa was in there right now, and the doctors were working very hard to save her life. Ever since they had come here a few hours ago, Sephiroth had been pacing in the waiting room, refusing to sit down even for a minute. All his invitations to sit down had been met by an angry growl and more pacing. Vincent himself had sat down in one of the uncomfortable chair as soon as they arrived.
"How can you be so calm?" Sephiroth snapped at him.
"I'm not. I just don't let it show." Vincent answered.
Sephiroth sighed in frustration and ran his hand through his hair. He couldn't help it, he just couldn't stay put. He had a lot of patience, but now it seemed to have deserted him. Tifa had been in there for three hours now, and he was growing more impatient by the second. Not knowing what else to do he resumed his pacing. Unbidden, his mind wandered back to when Tifa had been shot.
Those were the single most terrifying moments in his entire life. Dying didn't even come close to it. He could have killed Brent then. If it had been him, and not Vincent, he would have enjoyed tearing the bastard limb from limb. He knew what fear was; it was something that happened to others. He himself never felt fear, but in that moment, he had been afraid. More afraid than he cared to admit.
Sephiroth didn't know how long he and Vincent had been waiting when the door opened and a doctor stepped in. Sephiroth's head snapped around to face the man, and Vincent rose from his seat. The little doctor took off his glasses, and smiled at them.
"Are you here for Miss Lockheart?"
"Yes." Vincent answered.
"It was difficult, but we managed to get the bullet out. We wouldn't have been able to do so, if you hadn't come here so quickly."
"Will she be alright, doctor?" Vincent asked.
"Yes. Right now she's asleep, but she will wake in an hour or two. If you want to, you can go in there now."
"Thank you, doctor." Vincent said quietly.
They were lead into another room, well away from the surgery room. The walls were painted white, and there was one small window. In a narrow bed along one of the walls lay Tifa. The two men stopped in the doorway. Vincent put his human hand on Sephiroth's shoulder, and left the room, leaving the silver haired man alone with Tifa.
****************************
Sephiroth walked closer to the bed and sat down in the chair next to it. He watched Tifa quietly. She seemed so small and frail, lying there so peacefully. While asleep, no one could guess that she was one of the most fearsome fighters in the world. No one could ever fathom she was strong enough to break anyone who stood up to her. When she was sleeping, she seemed almost childlike, completely innocent. And, thinking about it, she probably was. Innocent, that was.
Sephiroth continued to watch her, not once taking his eyes off her. He didn't even notice that the sun had moved until Tifa started stirring. Immediately, he sat up straight, watching as she slowly awoke.
"..Sephiroth?.........What happened?" She mumbled.
"You were shot." He answered, trying to keep his voce steady.
".....Who? ..Brent?"
"Yes" Sephiroth managed to get out between gritted teeth. He still hadn't forgiven the Strife look-a-like for what he had done to Tifa, and he probably never would.
"Where is he now?" Tifa wanted to know.
"....Dead." Sephiroth told her, barely daring to breath in fear that she might get angry at him. Once again, he was annoyed because of that fear.
"Oh." Was all she said. Slowly, Sephiroth let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Too soon.
"...Who killed him?"
Well, might as well let her know the truth.
"Vincent."
"Oh."
Tifa didn't look at him, and was staring at the wall. He raised an eyebrow. This wasn't the reaction he had expected. He could have taken screaming, swearing, even tears, but not this. He shifted his gaze towards the window, unsure of how to handle this new situation. Detachedly, he noticed that the sun would be setting soon. It had been nearly a full day since she had been shot.
In the silence that followed, he heard a sound from the bed. At first, he was confused; he didn't recognize the sound, but then his mind kicked into action. Tifa was crying. She had her back turned to him, not wanting to let him see her cry. Sephiroth's heart twisted.
Silently, he rose from his seat and walked over to Tifa, sitting down on the side of the bed. She immediately tried to hide her tears, but he took her hands to keep her from hiding her face. Tifa had been half sitting in the bed, with pillows piled up behind her back. Now she turned towards him, still crying, and buried her face in his chest. Sephiroth sat absolutely still, shell-shocked, before he put hi arms around her and held her as she cried.
.
Vincent watched Sephiroth as the silver haired man paced back and forth in the small waiting room outside the surgery room in the small hospital in Kalm. Tifa was in there right now, and the doctors were working very hard to save her life. Ever since they had come here a few hours ago, Sephiroth had been pacing in the waiting room, refusing to sit down even for a minute. All his invitations to sit down had been met by an angry growl and more pacing. Vincent himself had sat down in one of the uncomfortable chair as soon as they arrived.
"How can you be so calm?" Sephiroth snapped at him.
"I'm not. I just don't let it show." Vincent answered.
Sephiroth sighed in frustration and ran his hand through his hair. He couldn't help it, he just couldn't stay put. He had a lot of patience, but now it seemed to have deserted him. Tifa had been in there for three hours now, and he was growing more impatient by the second. Not knowing what else to do he resumed his pacing. Unbidden, his mind wandered back to when Tifa had been shot.
Those were the single most terrifying moments in his entire life. Dying didn't even come close to it. He could have killed Brent then. If it had been him, and not Vincent, he would have enjoyed tearing the bastard limb from limb. He knew what fear was; it was something that happened to others. He himself never felt fear, but in that moment, he had been afraid. More afraid than he cared to admit.
Sephiroth didn't know how long he and Vincent had been waiting when the door opened and a doctor stepped in. Sephiroth's head snapped around to face the man, and Vincent rose from his seat. The little doctor took off his glasses, and smiled at them.
"Are you here for Miss Lockheart?"
"Yes." Vincent answered.
"It was difficult, but we managed to get the bullet out. We wouldn't have been able to do so, if you hadn't come here so quickly."
"Will she be alright, doctor?" Vincent asked.
"Yes. Right now she's asleep, but she will wake in an hour or two. If you want to, you can go in there now."
"Thank you, doctor." Vincent said quietly.
They were lead into another room, well away from the surgery room. The walls were painted white, and there was one small window. In a narrow bed along one of the walls lay Tifa. The two men stopped in the doorway. Vincent put his human hand on Sephiroth's shoulder, and left the room, leaving the silver haired man alone with Tifa.
****************************
Sephiroth walked closer to the bed and sat down in the chair next to it. He watched Tifa quietly. She seemed so small and frail, lying there so peacefully. While asleep, no one could guess that she was one of the most fearsome fighters in the world. No one could ever fathom she was strong enough to break anyone who stood up to her. When she was sleeping, she seemed almost childlike, completely innocent. And, thinking about it, she probably was. Innocent, that was.
Sephiroth continued to watch her, not once taking his eyes off her. He didn't even notice that the sun had moved until Tifa started stirring. Immediately, he sat up straight, watching as she slowly awoke.
"..Sephiroth?.........What happened?" She mumbled.
"You were shot." He answered, trying to keep his voce steady.
".....Who? ..Brent?"
"Yes" Sephiroth managed to get out between gritted teeth. He still hadn't forgiven the Strife look-a-like for what he had done to Tifa, and he probably never would.
"Where is he now?" Tifa wanted to know.
"....Dead." Sephiroth told her, barely daring to breath in fear that she might get angry at him. Once again, he was annoyed because of that fear.
"Oh." Was all she said. Slowly, Sephiroth let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Too soon.
"...Who killed him?"
Well, might as well let her know the truth.
"Vincent."
"Oh."
Tifa didn't look at him, and was staring at the wall. He raised an eyebrow. This wasn't the reaction he had expected. He could have taken screaming, swearing, even tears, but not this. He shifted his gaze towards the window, unsure of how to handle this new situation. Detachedly, he noticed that the sun would be setting soon. It had been nearly a full day since she had been shot.
In the silence that followed, he heard a sound from the bed. At first, he was confused; he didn't recognize the sound, but then his mind kicked into action. Tifa was crying. She had her back turned to him, not wanting to let him see her cry. Sephiroth's heart twisted.
Silently, he rose from his seat and walked over to Tifa, sitting down on the side of the bed. She immediately tried to hide her tears, but he took her hands to keep her from hiding her face. Tifa had been half sitting in the bed, with pillows piled up behind her back. Now she turned towards him, still crying, and buried her face in his chest. Sephiroth sat absolutely still, shell-shocked, before he put hi arms around her and held her as she cried.
