After Effects
By: Yuffie Kisaragi
~(A/N: Weeeeeellll now. I'm bored, so I thought I'd go ahead and type up this chapter and try to post it. Last time, Godo announced to everyone that Yuffie had been attacked and that her wrists were slit. He called everyone to see if anyone had the same blood type as she. Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo....Read and Review!)~
Chapter Four: Derek Sherum "I was thinking more along the lines of Destruction or Destructor." -Derek
Sherum
"Vincent, Barret, and I can't donate," Cloud said, looking at the floor.
"Whatcha mean, I can't donate! 'Course I can!" Barret practically yelled. It was true that Yuffie could be a pain, but she was almost like family to him at this point.
"You've had an amputated arm, then a gun grafted in." Vincent replied from the corner. "Cloud has Mako and Jenova cells inside of him, and I have the Chaos beast inside of me."
"I've got B," Tifa said, wondering what blood type the young materia hunter was.
Godo, catching the uncertainty in Tifa's voice, nodded. "She needs A negative or O negative blood types." He looked around the room. Everyone either shook their heads or looked down at the ground, no one spoke. Lord Godo sighed. "They'll continue to try and find a match at the hospital, but... If she doesn't get the blood transfusion within 23 hours, she'll..." His voice trailed off, everyone knowing what he meant. First, she'd go into a coma, and eventually they'd have to unplug her, killing her.
Tifa closed her eyes, fighting back tears. "She's only seventeen," Cloud heard her whisper under her breath.
Everyone stayed silent, no one wanting to believe that the seventeen-year-old thief was going to die. One voice broke the silence. "I'm an A neg." Tifa's head shot up and she looked at Reno, usually so full of arrogance, but now so... scared? Tifa looked at his face, his eyes, usually hiding his emotions well, failed to camouflage his sadness and uncertainty. Could he actually...?
*No,* Tifa thought silently. *Surely, he and Yuffie can't... There's just no possible way they could... Not without everyone or at least someone knowing!*
"I was trying to think if there was any reason that I couldn't donate." He glanced at Rude. "The Turks didn't have to get injected with Mako, since they relied mostly on skill of stealth rather than strength. I've never been used as a lab rat, and never even had a serious cold. So, I should be able to, right?"
Aliah sat on her hospital bed reading a book. She looked about seventeen or eighteen and had long black hair down to her knees and emerald green eyes. Her hair was tied back, leaving out her bangs that were to her chin. She was reading a journal that she'd written when she was ten and in the hospital for the second time since she'd woken in the hospital when she was nine.
"Miss Shakra," a nurse said, walking into the room. "Is your migraine better now?"
Aliah smiled, and put the journal away. "Yeah, it's better. You don't have to worry about ducking behind things right now." The nurse smiled back at her and Aliah noticed the lunch cart. "I don't suppose that my lunch is a steak."
The nurse laughed, "No, I'm sorry, my dear. But it's the best Turkey Hot Shot in five cities." She started to set the lunch on a small table near Aliah, when Aliah put her hand up to her left temple. She cried out in pain, and closed her eyes tightly. The nurse hit the call button and a nurse's aid came quickly. "Go get Dr. Odine. NOW!" The aid did as she was told.
Aliah opened her eyes and tried to focus on anything, but her vision blurred. Sounds ran together, and all was black. In the place of an eighteen-year-old girl was a huge black demon with wings and fiery red eyes. (A/N: Chaos beast, anyone!?!) It let out a tremendous roar, which brought the doctor even faster.
"Aliah! Thiz haz got to ztop! Ze patternz, Aliah!" The demon's eyes turned to emerald green as the girl fought to regain control. She thought about a complicated number pattern and soon was herself again.
She looked at the doctor, "I controlled it! I did it!"
Dr. Odine smiled, "Yes, yes. You controlled it." He started to go on, but a voice over the inercom interrupted him, calling him to go to the lab. He left in a hurry, so Aliah didn't get to question him about anything.
Reno sat down in the chair and rolled up his sleeve, exposing his arm. The lab technition put on the turnicut and drew blood using a buterfly needle. ~(A/N: Hah! Being the daughter of a medical assisstant can be really cool every now and then!)~ "Okay, sir. You're finished." The lab tech said, taking off the turnicut.
Reno rolled down his sleeve and put his jacket, then started out the door. "Oh!" He spun around to face the lab technition. "Do you know what room Miss Yuffie Kisaragi is in?"
The lab tech nodded. "Yeah, room 354."
"Thanks," Reno replied and headed out into the hall. He walked to the end of the corridor, to the elevator, and up to the second floor. Then, he followed the numbers to room 354, ICU. ~(A/N: ICU is an abbreviation for Intensive Care Unit.)~
A nurse stopped him before he could enter her room. "I'm sorry, sir, but I need a name before you can enter."
"Reno Tarksin."
"Oh! Mr. Tarksin. You're the one who's donating blood. You may enter, sir." Reno nodded a thanks and walked in. He looked around the room, for some reason he was actually surprised about how dark it was. The only light came from a window and fell across Yuffie's bed. He looked at the young ninja girl.
She had bandages on each of her wrists, a breathing tube, and an I.V. She looked completely helpless and Reno really didn't like to see her like that. She was pale and her eyes were closed. The red-head Turk walked across the small hospital room and took hold of her hand, It was so cold.
To his surprise, ~(A/N: But maybe not yours)~ she flinched. His eyes went wide. *Maybe if I talk to her,* he though silently.
"Uhh...Hey, Yuffie. It's me...Reno. I....er...Wow...I'm completely at a loss on what to say. Tell you what, you make it through this and remember this promise...And I'll...er...One date, kiddo." He shrugged, he really didn't know what to say. Anything to get her to wake up, he'd try. His hand was still holding hers, warming it. He started to set her hand back down on the bed, but she squeezed his hand. He stared at her face. She opened her eyes and looked like she was trying to focus on his face. He stared into her dark brown eyes.
"Y-Yuff? Yuffie?" Her eyes closed and her grip was limp once again. He lifted her hand and kissed it, then set it down on the bed and walked out.
Cloud sat on the hard bench in the waiting room. All around him, his friends whispered, waiting for news about the youngest member of Avalanche. Tifa came over and sat down next to him.
"Cloud?" He looked at her. "I have something I want...No..I *need* to tell you." Cloud looked at her carefully. What was she getting at? "Cloud, I...I love you."
Cloud's eyes widened. She *what*? "Tifa...I...I don't know what to say."
Tifa looked at the floor. "I understand. You still miss Aeris. I just had to get that off my chest. It was eating away at me." *I'm such a moron!*
Cloud shook his head and grabbed her hand. "That's not it, Tifa! Not at all. I love you too, but I was afraid to tell you." Tifa looked back at him and smiled.
She started to say something, but Dr. Odine came out. Everyone looked at him, but Barret and Reno stood up. "Vell," the doctor started. "She'z doing much better. Mr. Reno, your blood may have done ze trick. She should be juzt fine and you should be able to zee her tomorrow in room763." He turned and walked into his office.
"763," Tifa repeated softly to herself.
"Which means she'll be out of ICU," Elena added. A wave of relief swept across the room. Elena suddenly approached Cloud. "Can I talk to you?"
"Sure."
"Could I...er...join AVALANCHE?"
Reno's jaw dropped. "ELENA!?!?"
Cloud looked around at his friends. Cid shrugged, Red didn't object, Barret nodded once, and it was obvious that Vincent didn't care. He turned to Reeve, who shrugged, and then to Tifa. At first, he was certain she'd say no, but then she smiled.
"Welcome to AVALANCHE, Elena."
Elena grinned. "Thank you, Tifa, Cloud, everyone." She turned to Reno. "Oh, yeah. I quit. Didn't you say I didn't make a very good Turk? Well, then find yourself a new Turk!" No one noticed, because they were all too busy laughing at Reno's shicked look, but a smile crossed Vincent's face. A small one, but a smile none-the-less.
Yuffie woke up around one the next morning. She looked around the room she was in, it wasn't her room, the room she went to sleep in. She remembered a burning pain in her wrists, hearing Reno say something and looking up into his blue eyes. Her throat hurt and she remembered a breathing tube. A lump in the chair in the corner stirred. She strained to see who it was and could make out red hair.
"Reno?" she asked hoarsely. The figure looked at her.
"Yuffie?" It asked with a yawn.
"Reno," the young ninja said with a sigh. "Where am I?"
"In room 763 at Wutai Hospital. Do you remember anything?" He was next to her bed now.
"I fell asleep after you and Rude left, then felt a burning pain in my wrists, heard your voice, felt a tube get yanked outta my throat, and now this...What happened?" She tried to sit up, but felt naseous.
"Lay down. You've been out for three days. Shake went in and someone had slit your wrists. You had a blood transfusion yesterday. Godo called everyone to see if anyone had the same blood type."
Yuffie looked down at her arms. There were bandages on her wrists. "Whose blood did I get?"
"Tomorrow. Right now, you need rest."
"Kay, but answer me one thing?"
Reno stretched, "What's that?"
"Why are *you* here instead of someone from AVALANCHE?"
Reno smiled sleepily. "I've got guard duty tonight." What he neglected to tell her was that he had *volunteered* for guard duty all night.
Aliah walked down the hospital corridor, seeing the same names as yesterday, some more, some gone. She walked past room 763, but the name caught her attention. "Yuffie Kisaragi?" she asked herself, as if unbelieving. She walked over to a nurse. "Is Miss Yuffie Kisaragi in room 763?" The nurse nodded. "Lord Godo's daughter?"
"Yes, you should meet her, Miss Aliah. You and she might get along."
"I might, thanks." She walked back towards Yuffie's room. She entered slowly and saw Yuffie glaring at a guy in the corner.
"Yuffie, I told you! I don't know!" the guy said.
"Reno, you JERK! You said..." she followed his look and saw the dark haired girl. "Aliah?" Her eyes went wide.
"Yup! How ya doin', Yuffers?"
"Oh, Gawd! I can't believe that you remember my nick name!" She struggled to sit up.
"Yuffie," Reno said warningly. "Lay down, your father would throw a fit."
"Oh, shuddup, Reno! Go...Get something to eat.." As if summoned by this statement, Reno's stomach growled.
"Sherum's in the hospital too." Aliah said suddenly.
"Sherum?"
"Derek Sherum. You and he were like brother and sister, then you took off when we were fifteen."
"Oh, Derek! Why's he here? I kinda figured why you were.."
"Ahem," Both girls looked over at Reno. "I'm going to go get something to eat." He started out the door. "Oh! And don't get up." He left and Yuffie stuck out her tongue. Aliah laughed.
"Who was that guy?"
"Reno? Oh! He's Reno Tarksin of the Turks." She saw Aliah's eyes go wide. "He's always trahing my fun.
"But, wow. Is he gorgeous or what?" Aliah added with a laugh. Yuffie rolled her eyes.
"So, why's Derek here?"
"He was doing something and fell from a 100 foot drop. I was going to go see him today, since he just came in yesterday. I only know all this, because I overhear the nurses talking. He broke his leg and was lucky nothing really major didn't happen. How 'bout you? Why're you here again?"
"I had knee surgery, then the day I went home, an assassination attmept, including my wrists being slashed. Who would be so stupid unless they were trying to say I was going to commit suicide." She swung her legs over the side of the bed. "I had a blood transfusion and was out for a while." She stood up slowly. "How 'bout you? Demon, still?"
"Yeah. Hey, how 'bout I get you a wheelchair and we'll go visit Lotulis?" Aliah hurried out of the room and returned a few moments later with a wheelchair. Yuffie reluctantly say down in the wheelchair.
"What room?"
"739, way down on the West Wing. Ready?"
"Driver," Yuffie said with a grin. "To room 739, West Wing, Wutai Hospital."
"Aye, aye, ma'am!" Aliah replied with the tip of an imaginary hat. The two girls laughed and started down the hallway when a spiky headed guy, a girl with long dark brown hair, and a large black man with a little girl on his shoulder rounded the corner.
"Shit," Yuffie muttered under her breath, then, "Hi, guys!" Aliah pulled th chair to a stop in front of the group.
"Yuffie! What are you doing awake! And out of bed!?!" the dark haired girl asked.
Yuffie ignored the question. "Aliah, these are my friends from AVALANCHE. The siky jerk is Cloud Strife, the girl is Tifa Lockheart, the large black guy is Barret Wallace, and his daughter is Marlene Wallace."
"Hello," Aliah said with a smile. "My name is Aliah."
Cloud was mesmerized by Aliah's emerald eyes, they reminded him so much of Aeris's. *Stop it!* he commanded himself. *I love Tifa Lockheart. Aeris was just a stupid little crush. Everyone was effected by her death, even Vincent, Cid, and Barret! So, stop it now!*
"We're going to visit an old friend, Derek Sherum. He's in room..er..."
"739," Aliah finished for the ninja. "We'll only be a few minutes."
"Okay," Cloud said. "Be back in a few minutes, otherwise Dr. Odine and Lord Godo will throw a fit."
"Alrigh', we'll meetcha atcher room." Barret said and the four started off the opposite direction that Yuffie and Aliah did.
When the girls arrived at their destination, the door was slightly ajar. Aliah pushed it open and they saw a game console and t.v. The line for the controller led from the console to the bed where a blonde guy lay, his leg propped up and casted.
"Derek?" Yuffie asked as Aliah pushed her into the room. The boy paused the game.
"Yeah?" He looked at her and Aliah. "Yuffie! Aliah!" Aliah pushed Yuffie next to Derek's bed and sat down in a chair. "What are you two doing here?" He glanced at the wheelchair. "And you in a wheelchair!"
"We're visiting you. Aliah's here for the same reason as always and mine's a long story."
"I still need a name for the demon. I was thinking Chaos." Aliah said and stretched.
Yuffie looked thoughtful, "No, someone else I know has a Chaos beast inside him. How about Massacre or Mass for short?"
"Naw, that's too bloody." Derek said with a grin. "I was thinking more along the lines of Destruction or Destructor."
Aliah looked at Yuffie. "Someone else with a demon, who?"
"His name's Vincent Valentine. I like Destrustion."
"Destruction it is, then." Aliah said. "D'ya think that Mr. Valentine would talk to me, to help me figure out why I'm the way I am?"
"Probably."
"So," Derek said, focusing his grey eyes on Yuffie. "How've you been, Yuffers?"
Yuffie grinned. "Better than some, worse than most." Derek looked confused. "Well, y'know when I ran off when I was fifteen? A year later, I met up with this spiky headed jerk named Cloud Strife."
Derek's eyes got wide. "*THE* Cloud Strife? Ex-SOLDIER, leader of AVALANCHE, Cloud Strife?"
"Yeah, that's him. Anyway, I helped him battle the evil Shinra, watched the flower girl girl, y'know, the last of the Ancients, die, and helped defeat Sephiroth. Cool, huh? Not to mention that I got all of their materia afterwards."
Cloud sat down in a chair. He hated waiting. "What room was she going to again?"
"739," Tifa yawned. "Wanna go get her?"
"Yeah, c'mon. Barret can find us later." Barret had gone down to the cafeteria with Marlene, and they hoped he wouldn't return too soon. The two fighters started down the hallway towards the West Wing when Reno rounded the corner.
"Oh, hey. How's she doin'?"
Cloud looked over at Tifa, whose eyes shone as if she was hiding a secret. "We're going to go get her from her friend's room right now."
"No way! I told her to stay in bed!!!" Reno looked a bit upset.
"We let her go," Tifa replied, scoffing. "Go to bed, Reno. You've got bags under your eyes. Don't wanna screw up your look." Her eyes gleamed and Reno glared at her, then walked away muttering something along the lines of bitch.
Cloud and Tifa walked to Derek's room. Inside, they heard laughing, so Tifa knocked on the door. Aliah answered it, tears in her eyes from laughing. "Oh! Mr. Strife, Ms. Lockheart! Come in and meet our friend, Derek Sherum.
Cloud and Tifa walked into the room and saw a blonde boy with piercing grey eyes and Yuffie in a wheelchair laughing.The boy looked up and saw Cloud and stopped laughing. His eyes got wide. "You...You're...You're...Cloud Strife!! And Tifa Lockheart! Oh, wow!"
Cloud and Tifa both looked confuzzled. Aliah stepped in. "Let me explain. You are Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockheart, two of the main members of AVALANCHE. AVALANCHE was Wutai's greatest hope, Derek and I are from the outskirts of Wutai. THerefore, you are automatically loved by Derek. He practically idolizes you two. An ex-SOLDIER and a bartender from the slums."
"I met you two once or twice, before Nibelheim burned." Both of the older fighters looked interested suddenly. "I used to live there. I remember the night I saw you two out on the well. I was about seven or eight, I suppose. Hung out with two girls."
Cloud thought for a minute. "You're the kid who lived on the other side of Tifa's house. You mom was...um...Sherri! And your dad wasn't home very often."
Derek grinned "Yup!" He suddenly got serious. "My sister was still living with Mom when...Seph...Sephiroth went to Nibelheim. I was pissed off at Mom and went with Dad to Midgar. I...I wasn't there when they both died....Me and Dad were supposed to be going home the next day."
WAHA! Finally finished it! I'm sorry it took so long, but I've been busy with other stuff... FYI: That means I didn't feel like typing up that chapter yet. Kay! So, Review and I'll get the next chapter up ASAP!
By: Yuffie Kisaragi
~(A/N: Weeeeeellll now. I'm bored, so I thought I'd go ahead and type up this chapter and try to post it. Last time, Godo announced to everyone that Yuffie had been attacked and that her wrists were slit. He called everyone to see if anyone had the same blood type as she. Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo....Read and Review!)~
Chapter Four: Derek Sherum "I was thinking more along the lines of Destruction or Destructor." -Derek
Sherum
"Vincent, Barret, and I can't donate," Cloud said, looking at the floor.
"Whatcha mean, I can't donate! 'Course I can!" Barret practically yelled. It was true that Yuffie could be a pain, but she was almost like family to him at this point.
"You've had an amputated arm, then a gun grafted in." Vincent replied from the corner. "Cloud has Mako and Jenova cells inside of him, and I have the Chaos beast inside of me."
"I've got B," Tifa said, wondering what blood type the young materia hunter was.
Godo, catching the uncertainty in Tifa's voice, nodded. "She needs A negative or O negative blood types." He looked around the room. Everyone either shook their heads or looked down at the ground, no one spoke. Lord Godo sighed. "They'll continue to try and find a match at the hospital, but... If she doesn't get the blood transfusion within 23 hours, she'll..." His voice trailed off, everyone knowing what he meant. First, she'd go into a coma, and eventually they'd have to unplug her, killing her.
Tifa closed her eyes, fighting back tears. "She's only seventeen," Cloud heard her whisper under her breath.
Everyone stayed silent, no one wanting to believe that the seventeen-year-old thief was going to die. One voice broke the silence. "I'm an A neg." Tifa's head shot up and she looked at Reno, usually so full of arrogance, but now so... scared? Tifa looked at his face, his eyes, usually hiding his emotions well, failed to camouflage his sadness and uncertainty. Could he actually...?
*No,* Tifa thought silently. *Surely, he and Yuffie can't... There's just no possible way they could... Not without everyone or at least someone knowing!*
"I was trying to think if there was any reason that I couldn't donate." He glanced at Rude. "The Turks didn't have to get injected with Mako, since they relied mostly on skill of stealth rather than strength. I've never been used as a lab rat, and never even had a serious cold. So, I should be able to, right?"
Aliah sat on her hospital bed reading a book. She looked about seventeen or eighteen and had long black hair down to her knees and emerald green eyes. Her hair was tied back, leaving out her bangs that were to her chin. She was reading a journal that she'd written when she was ten and in the hospital for the second time since she'd woken in the hospital when she was nine.
"Miss Shakra," a nurse said, walking into the room. "Is your migraine better now?"
Aliah smiled, and put the journal away. "Yeah, it's better. You don't have to worry about ducking behind things right now." The nurse smiled back at her and Aliah noticed the lunch cart. "I don't suppose that my lunch is a steak."
The nurse laughed, "No, I'm sorry, my dear. But it's the best Turkey Hot Shot in five cities." She started to set the lunch on a small table near Aliah, when Aliah put her hand up to her left temple. She cried out in pain, and closed her eyes tightly. The nurse hit the call button and a nurse's aid came quickly. "Go get Dr. Odine. NOW!" The aid did as she was told.
Aliah opened her eyes and tried to focus on anything, but her vision blurred. Sounds ran together, and all was black. In the place of an eighteen-year-old girl was a huge black demon with wings and fiery red eyes. (A/N: Chaos beast, anyone!?!) It let out a tremendous roar, which brought the doctor even faster.
"Aliah! Thiz haz got to ztop! Ze patternz, Aliah!" The demon's eyes turned to emerald green as the girl fought to regain control. She thought about a complicated number pattern and soon was herself again.
She looked at the doctor, "I controlled it! I did it!"
Dr. Odine smiled, "Yes, yes. You controlled it." He started to go on, but a voice over the inercom interrupted him, calling him to go to the lab. He left in a hurry, so Aliah didn't get to question him about anything.
Reno sat down in the chair and rolled up his sleeve, exposing his arm. The lab technition put on the turnicut and drew blood using a buterfly needle. ~(A/N: Hah! Being the daughter of a medical assisstant can be really cool every now and then!)~ "Okay, sir. You're finished." The lab tech said, taking off the turnicut.
Reno rolled down his sleeve and put his jacket, then started out the door. "Oh!" He spun around to face the lab technition. "Do you know what room Miss Yuffie Kisaragi is in?"
The lab tech nodded. "Yeah, room 354."
"Thanks," Reno replied and headed out into the hall. He walked to the end of the corridor, to the elevator, and up to the second floor. Then, he followed the numbers to room 354, ICU. ~(A/N: ICU is an abbreviation for Intensive Care Unit.)~
A nurse stopped him before he could enter her room. "I'm sorry, sir, but I need a name before you can enter."
"Reno Tarksin."
"Oh! Mr. Tarksin. You're the one who's donating blood. You may enter, sir." Reno nodded a thanks and walked in. He looked around the room, for some reason he was actually surprised about how dark it was. The only light came from a window and fell across Yuffie's bed. He looked at the young ninja girl.
She had bandages on each of her wrists, a breathing tube, and an I.V. She looked completely helpless and Reno really didn't like to see her like that. She was pale and her eyes were closed. The red-head Turk walked across the small hospital room and took hold of her hand, It was so cold.
To his surprise, ~(A/N: But maybe not yours)~ she flinched. His eyes went wide. *Maybe if I talk to her,* he though silently.
"Uhh...Hey, Yuffie. It's me...Reno. I....er...Wow...I'm completely at a loss on what to say. Tell you what, you make it through this and remember this promise...And I'll...er...One date, kiddo." He shrugged, he really didn't know what to say. Anything to get her to wake up, he'd try. His hand was still holding hers, warming it. He started to set her hand back down on the bed, but she squeezed his hand. He stared at her face. She opened her eyes and looked like she was trying to focus on his face. He stared into her dark brown eyes.
"Y-Yuff? Yuffie?" Her eyes closed and her grip was limp once again. He lifted her hand and kissed it, then set it down on the bed and walked out.
Cloud sat on the hard bench in the waiting room. All around him, his friends whispered, waiting for news about the youngest member of Avalanche. Tifa came over and sat down next to him.
"Cloud?" He looked at her. "I have something I want...No..I *need* to tell you." Cloud looked at her carefully. What was she getting at? "Cloud, I...I love you."
Cloud's eyes widened. She *what*? "Tifa...I...I don't know what to say."
Tifa looked at the floor. "I understand. You still miss Aeris. I just had to get that off my chest. It was eating away at me." *I'm such a moron!*
Cloud shook his head and grabbed her hand. "That's not it, Tifa! Not at all. I love you too, but I was afraid to tell you." Tifa looked back at him and smiled.
She started to say something, but Dr. Odine came out. Everyone looked at him, but Barret and Reno stood up. "Vell," the doctor started. "She'z doing much better. Mr. Reno, your blood may have done ze trick. She should be juzt fine and you should be able to zee her tomorrow in room763." He turned and walked into his office.
"763," Tifa repeated softly to herself.
"Which means she'll be out of ICU," Elena added. A wave of relief swept across the room. Elena suddenly approached Cloud. "Can I talk to you?"
"Sure."
"Could I...er...join AVALANCHE?"
Reno's jaw dropped. "ELENA!?!?"
Cloud looked around at his friends. Cid shrugged, Red didn't object, Barret nodded once, and it was obvious that Vincent didn't care. He turned to Reeve, who shrugged, and then to Tifa. At first, he was certain she'd say no, but then she smiled.
"Welcome to AVALANCHE, Elena."
Elena grinned. "Thank you, Tifa, Cloud, everyone." She turned to Reno. "Oh, yeah. I quit. Didn't you say I didn't make a very good Turk? Well, then find yourself a new Turk!" No one noticed, because they were all too busy laughing at Reno's shicked look, but a smile crossed Vincent's face. A small one, but a smile none-the-less.
Yuffie woke up around one the next morning. She looked around the room she was in, it wasn't her room, the room she went to sleep in. She remembered a burning pain in her wrists, hearing Reno say something and looking up into his blue eyes. Her throat hurt and she remembered a breathing tube. A lump in the chair in the corner stirred. She strained to see who it was and could make out red hair.
"Reno?" she asked hoarsely. The figure looked at her.
"Yuffie?" It asked with a yawn.
"Reno," the young ninja said with a sigh. "Where am I?"
"In room 763 at Wutai Hospital. Do you remember anything?" He was next to her bed now.
"I fell asleep after you and Rude left, then felt a burning pain in my wrists, heard your voice, felt a tube get yanked outta my throat, and now this...What happened?" She tried to sit up, but felt naseous.
"Lay down. You've been out for three days. Shake went in and someone had slit your wrists. You had a blood transfusion yesterday. Godo called everyone to see if anyone had the same blood type."
Yuffie looked down at her arms. There were bandages on her wrists. "Whose blood did I get?"
"Tomorrow. Right now, you need rest."
"Kay, but answer me one thing?"
Reno stretched, "What's that?"
"Why are *you* here instead of someone from AVALANCHE?"
Reno smiled sleepily. "I've got guard duty tonight." What he neglected to tell her was that he had *volunteered* for guard duty all night.
Aliah walked down the hospital corridor, seeing the same names as yesterday, some more, some gone. She walked past room 763, but the name caught her attention. "Yuffie Kisaragi?" she asked herself, as if unbelieving. She walked over to a nurse. "Is Miss Yuffie Kisaragi in room 763?" The nurse nodded. "Lord Godo's daughter?"
"Yes, you should meet her, Miss Aliah. You and she might get along."
"I might, thanks." She walked back towards Yuffie's room. She entered slowly and saw Yuffie glaring at a guy in the corner.
"Yuffie, I told you! I don't know!" the guy said.
"Reno, you JERK! You said..." she followed his look and saw the dark haired girl. "Aliah?" Her eyes went wide.
"Yup! How ya doin', Yuffers?"
"Oh, Gawd! I can't believe that you remember my nick name!" She struggled to sit up.
"Yuffie," Reno said warningly. "Lay down, your father would throw a fit."
"Oh, shuddup, Reno! Go...Get something to eat.." As if summoned by this statement, Reno's stomach growled.
"Sherum's in the hospital too." Aliah said suddenly.
"Sherum?"
"Derek Sherum. You and he were like brother and sister, then you took off when we were fifteen."
"Oh, Derek! Why's he here? I kinda figured why you were.."
"Ahem," Both girls looked over at Reno. "I'm going to go get something to eat." He started out the door. "Oh! And don't get up." He left and Yuffie stuck out her tongue. Aliah laughed.
"Who was that guy?"
"Reno? Oh! He's Reno Tarksin of the Turks." She saw Aliah's eyes go wide. "He's always trahing my fun.
"But, wow. Is he gorgeous or what?" Aliah added with a laugh. Yuffie rolled her eyes.
"So, why's Derek here?"
"He was doing something and fell from a 100 foot drop. I was going to go see him today, since he just came in yesterday. I only know all this, because I overhear the nurses talking. He broke his leg and was lucky nothing really major didn't happen. How 'bout you? Why're you here again?"
"I had knee surgery, then the day I went home, an assassination attmept, including my wrists being slashed. Who would be so stupid unless they were trying to say I was going to commit suicide." She swung her legs over the side of the bed. "I had a blood transfusion and was out for a while." She stood up slowly. "How 'bout you? Demon, still?"
"Yeah. Hey, how 'bout I get you a wheelchair and we'll go visit Lotulis?" Aliah hurried out of the room and returned a few moments later with a wheelchair. Yuffie reluctantly say down in the wheelchair.
"What room?"
"739, way down on the West Wing. Ready?"
"Driver," Yuffie said with a grin. "To room 739, West Wing, Wutai Hospital."
"Aye, aye, ma'am!" Aliah replied with the tip of an imaginary hat. The two girls laughed and started down the hallway when a spiky headed guy, a girl with long dark brown hair, and a large black man with a little girl on his shoulder rounded the corner.
"Shit," Yuffie muttered under her breath, then, "Hi, guys!" Aliah pulled th chair to a stop in front of the group.
"Yuffie! What are you doing awake! And out of bed!?!" the dark haired girl asked.
Yuffie ignored the question. "Aliah, these are my friends from AVALANCHE. The siky jerk is Cloud Strife, the girl is Tifa Lockheart, the large black guy is Barret Wallace, and his daughter is Marlene Wallace."
"Hello," Aliah said with a smile. "My name is Aliah."
Cloud was mesmerized by Aliah's emerald eyes, they reminded him so much of Aeris's. *Stop it!* he commanded himself. *I love Tifa Lockheart. Aeris was just a stupid little crush. Everyone was effected by her death, even Vincent, Cid, and Barret! So, stop it now!*
"We're going to visit an old friend, Derek Sherum. He's in room..er..."
"739," Aliah finished for the ninja. "We'll only be a few minutes."
"Okay," Cloud said. "Be back in a few minutes, otherwise Dr. Odine and Lord Godo will throw a fit."
"Alrigh', we'll meetcha atcher room." Barret said and the four started off the opposite direction that Yuffie and Aliah did.
When the girls arrived at their destination, the door was slightly ajar. Aliah pushed it open and they saw a game console and t.v. The line for the controller led from the console to the bed where a blonde guy lay, his leg propped up and casted.
"Derek?" Yuffie asked as Aliah pushed her into the room. The boy paused the game.
"Yeah?" He looked at her and Aliah. "Yuffie! Aliah!" Aliah pushed Yuffie next to Derek's bed and sat down in a chair. "What are you two doing here?" He glanced at the wheelchair. "And you in a wheelchair!"
"We're visiting you. Aliah's here for the same reason as always and mine's a long story."
"I still need a name for the demon. I was thinking Chaos." Aliah said and stretched.
Yuffie looked thoughtful, "No, someone else I know has a Chaos beast inside him. How about Massacre or Mass for short?"
"Naw, that's too bloody." Derek said with a grin. "I was thinking more along the lines of Destruction or Destructor."
Aliah looked at Yuffie. "Someone else with a demon, who?"
"His name's Vincent Valentine. I like Destrustion."
"Destruction it is, then." Aliah said. "D'ya think that Mr. Valentine would talk to me, to help me figure out why I'm the way I am?"
"Probably."
"So," Derek said, focusing his grey eyes on Yuffie. "How've you been, Yuffers?"
Yuffie grinned. "Better than some, worse than most." Derek looked confused. "Well, y'know when I ran off when I was fifteen? A year later, I met up with this spiky headed jerk named Cloud Strife."
Derek's eyes got wide. "*THE* Cloud Strife? Ex-SOLDIER, leader of AVALANCHE, Cloud Strife?"
"Yeah, that's him. Anyway, I helped him battle the evil Shinra, watched the flower girl girl, y'know, the last of the Ancients, die, and helped defeat Sephiroth. Cool, huh? Not to mention that I got all of their materia afterwards."
Cloud sat down in a chair. He hated waiting. "What room was she going to again?"
"739," Tifa yawned. "Wanna go get her?"
"Yeah, c'mon. Barret can find us later." Barret had gone down to the cafeteria with Marlene, and they hoped he wouldn't return too soon. The two fighters started down the hallway towards the West Wing when Reno rounded the corner.
"Oh, hey. How's she doin'?"
Cloud looked over at Tifa, whose eyes shone as if she was hiding a secret. "We're going to go get her from her friend's room right now."
"No way! I told her to stay in bed!!!" Reno looked a bit upset.
"We let her go," Tifa replied, scoffing. "Go to bed, Reno. You've got bags under your eyes. Don't wanna screw up your look." Her eyes gleamed and Reno glared at her, then walked away muttering something along the lines of bitch.
Cloud and Tifa walked to Derek's room. Inside, they heard laughing, so Tifa knocked on the door. Aliah answered it, tears in her eyes from laughing. "Oh! Mr. Strife, Ms. Lockheart! Come in and meet our friend, Derek Sherum.
Cloud and Tifa walked into the room and saw a blonde boy with piercing grey eyes and Yuffie in a wheelchair laughing.The boy looked up and saw Cloud and stopped laughing. His eyes got wide. "You...You're...You're...Cloud Strife!! And Tifa Lockheart! Oh, wow!"
Cloud and Tifa both looked confuzzled. Aliah stepped in. "Let me explain. You are Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockheart, two of the main members of AVALANCHE. AVALANCHE was Wutai's greatest hope, Derek and I are from the outskirts of Wutai. THerefore, you are automatically loved by Derek. He practically idolizes you two. An ex-SOLDIER and a bartender from the slums."
"I met you two once or twice, before Nibelheim burned." Both of the older fighters looked interested suddenly. "I used to live there. I remember the night I saw you two out on the well. I was about seven or eight, I suppose. Hung out with two girls."
Cloud thought for a minute. "You're the kid who lived on the other side of Tifa's house. You mom was...um...Sherri! And your dad wasn't home very often."
Derek grinned "Yup!" He suddenly got serious. "My sister was still living with Mom when...Seph...Sephiroth went to Nibelheim. I was pissed off at Mom and went with Dad to Midgar. I...I wasn't there when they both died....Me and Dad were supposed to be going home the next day."
WAHA! Finally finished it! I'm sorry it took so long, but I've been busy with other stuff... FYI: That means I didn't feel like typing up that chapter yet. Kay! So, Review and I'll get the next chapter up ASAP!
