By Word of Mouth,
By Ealinesse
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: I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series - characters, items, ideas, nothing. I do not claim to. The only characters I do own, are not even in the story yet, though I do claim right to them when they pop up.
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Chapter Five: "Quit yer bitching"...
Reno sat up, momentarily disoriented as he took in the scenery around him. He looked to the fire, and the fields, confusion warring for dominance on his face just before the memory returned. That was right… The dragon, the sky cab.
He turned around to look inside but winced as his shoulder twinged with pain, and he put his hand on the injury to ease the ache. When it subsided Reno took his hand away, about to pull his sunglasses down in front of his eyes to halt the biting glare of the dawn sun. He stopped, however, when he spotted the crimson fluid on his fingertips. He looked down, seeing that the wound had opened again. His neck protested the movement, but he ignored it, more worried about how sluggishly the wound was bleeding. He'd have to do something about it before he went anywhere.
Getting to his feet in what he considered took too much time, Reno stretched quickly, trying futily to work off the last remnants of sleep. The wave of exhaustion would not be so easily erased, however, as although he managed to rub his eyes open, his body refused to store any energy. He felt as if he'd run a marathon and slept for but a minute before rising again. And he felt faintly dizzy. Nor was he hungry.
Reno looked to his shoulder, refusing to give in to the inevitable suspicion.
Instead he turned to go inside, noticing that no one else was awake yet – not even Yuffie. He crouched next to his pack, and ignored the figure of the ninja before him. Chucking all in his bag that had fallen out from the rough treatment on the trip, Reno frowned as he failed to find his blazer amongst all the mess. He scavenged the immediate area, his eyes finally coming to rest on Yuffie's slumbering figure. Or, more correctly, just what she was slumbering on.
'Well she's most certainly made herself at home.'With as much stealth as he could muster, Reno slipped the jacket out from underneath her head, instead replacing the item with a blanket strewn across the floor. He winced as he stood again, carrying his bag with him, and moved outside lest he make any more noise. When he reached his destination he pulled out a Cure Materia he'd had on him for a long time, and cast the selected spell on his shoulder.
It didn't work.
He tried again, scowling as he watched the emerald sparkles settle around his shoulder before flaking off it, repelled by some outside force. Cursing with words that did little to help his situation, Reno began to rummage through his bag for an Antidote, finally conceding to the fact that the wound wouldn't heal anymore until the poison he now knew was inside it was neutralised. No wonder he felt so crook…
When he came up dry, Reno sat back, running a shaky hand through his hair. He searched his memory, trying to remember all the facts he could about the poison from a Red Dragon from his Turk training days. He realised though, that it was useless. The best he could do was leave now and hope for the best. He wasn't desperate enough yet to ask the brat – or anyone else for that matter – for an Antidote, should they have one. Yep, this always happened to him.
He realised he should probably bandage his shoulder since it wasn't going to heal of its own accord. It was still bleeding a little, and although small movements caused him pain, it was nothing compared to the ache of his muscles, or the sick feeling at the bottom of his gut. He also knew that this was nothing compared to what it would he if he didn't get help fast. Reno frowned, pulling off his slashed shirt and making a makeshift bandage out of the tattered remains. As he tied off the somewhat awkward wrapping, he pulled another of the few shirts from his bag, and pulled his jacket on over top.
Was it just him or was it getting colder, and not warmer as the day moved on, never mind the blue, cloudless sky? He shivered and chafed his covered arms, then stopped dead.
Weren't chills yet another symptom?
As hastily as he could, Reno got to his feet, deciding he'd better leave now should he want to get to Wutai in time. Slinging his bag over his back, he worked the kinks out of his neck as he began to walk away…
Though he hadn't walked ten steps when a voice from behind him gave him cause to groan.
"And where do you think you're skiving off to? You wouldn't possibly be thinking of leaving me here to deal with the rest of the passengers, now would you, Turkey?"
Reno turned, his eyes narrowed. He bit back a smart comment as he noticed the shuriken that rested laxly in her grip, by her side and ready for use in a moment's notice. He scowled, realising the opportunity had passed itself by, and now he'd have to wait for the others to wake so they'd leave. The last thing he wanted were more wounds to match the ones in his shoulder, and no matter what Elena said, girls always fought with their nails as a last resort.
And besides. If he really got desperate he could perhaps ask one of the others if they had an antidote…
But that was a long way off yet.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Yuffie watched with a smug grin as Reno plodded on ahead of her, looking for all the world like a scolded child berated with the influence of a wooden spoon. It was a close comparison, really, if one could imagine Yuffie's Conformer as the offending spoon, and her as the disciplinary mother - for that was very close to the outcome of their fight not half an hour ago. She still didn't know why Reno had given up so easily, though, instead choosing to just nod and go along with whatever she said.
She refused to take any note of how pale he looked. Or the way he held his shoulder. The last thing she wanted was to begin to feel sorry for a Turk, wounded or not.
She had won, and that was all that mattered.
Yuffie's grin visibly widened when Reno, for the thousandth time that morning, drop-kicked his useless nightstick across the dusty ground, where it stopped not four metres before the second swing-bridge. Over the air she heard his curses, and shook her head. All morning the redhead had been in a foul mood, focussing all his frustration on his broken weapon. But even she could see that it was half-hearted as the pale Turk stopped and retrieved the weapon seconds later before crossing the bridge before him.
She watched as he crept slowly across the ancient structure, not overly cautious of the gorge he was hanging over, but wary of the many gaps that the bridge had accumulated over the years. And then, suddenly, he staggered as his hands went to his shoulder. Even from her distance she heard a distinct groan and a yet another muffled curse word. Confusion gripped her, but was quickly discarded for anger as Reno gripped a handhold and turned to face her with a shaky grin.
But even from her distance away from him she could tell it wasn't faked. She would have been a fool to admit that it wasn't hot. In fact, this had to be one of the best days of the year, but was it so hot that one would sweat? Surely not. Despite the cloudless appearance, the temperature was neither humid nor dry. Walking did not exhaust you that easily, and they hadn't been walking for long.
So why did Reno look so tired and pale? And why was there sweat beading across his forehead? Why did his feet lag and why did he cough every few minutes?
She had her suspicions, but she wasn't about to act on them. Not until it became an annoyance, at least.
'Which may not be so far away,' she thought as she saw Reno stumble for what must have been the thousandth time ahead of them.
* * * * *
Reno decided he was now in what he liked to call his own personal hell. For the past hour or so his skull, and, in a debatable matter of opinion, his brain - or 'lack thereof' according to Yuffie's earlier theory - felt like it was going to explode. Not only that, but it felt like it was going to take the rest of the world with it. His world, at least, and maybe the next.
But it didn't just end there.
Though the day wasn't particularly hot and there was barely a cloud in the sky, it felt like every singular ounce of heat was focussed directly on him. Magnified, perhaps, by ten. His much slower gait at the front was, well, getting even slower. And though he was no old man, he felt like one. Could you get chronic arthritis at twenty five? Reno scowled as for the thousandth time his vision blurred, and he had to blink heavily to get it back. He had no idea how long he'd been doing that, but he was certain that it wouldn't work for much longer. It was becoming a chore.
And besides, why keep your eyes open when you didn't need to? Wouldn't it instead be better to collapse back down to the ground where he'd at least be able to get some decent rest?
Maybe then he'd be able to catch his breath.
Stumbling onward slowly he heard a soft snicker behind him, and turned to see Yuffie eyeing him, along with the blonde woman, Dania. The joke was quite obviously at his expense; the evidence of which was confirmed when they realised he was looking at them. They shut their mouths quickly, but found humour as soon as he turned back around. His pulsing headache soon continued, and he wished like hell he had brought a PHS with him just so he could ring Reeve and leave without the lot of them.
He smirked and continued his awkward, stumbling steps. The joke would be on Yuffie soon enough, he decided, when she was carrying his sorry ass back to Wutai by herself, just like she'd said she wouldn't…
* * * * *
...He didn't realise how correct he was until an hour later, when a powerful wave of dizziness nearly washed him off his already unsteady feet. After wiping a growing layer of perspiration off the top of his brow, he wondered not for the first time that day why he couldn't just swallow his stubborn pride and ask somebody for an Antidote. Wouldn't he feel better, then?
No. Probably not. He'd soon swallow his nightstick whole than accept help from the brat, who was sniggering behind him. Again finding something humorous out of the whole situation. He had no idea why, though. Every five minutes one of them came up to her and asked 'are we there yet'.
As he stumbled for the umpteenth time that day, Reno only just managed to catch himself before he fell. Putting a hand to his throbbing shoulder he hoped like hell Yuffie hadn't noticed. The last thing he needed was her to…
The thought went unfinished as an unexpected way of dizziness and nausea pressed him to his knees. 'Well here's a new revelation,' he thought wryly as he struggled to contain the bile that continued to rise in his throat. Putting a hand to his forehead, he placed the other on the cool grass, wishing like hell he had some cool water to refresh him. As it was, there was certainly no alcohol on hand, and there was no telling what that particular substance would do to him in his current condition.
His headache grew instantly worse as Yuffie knelt quickly down beside him, her voice a tad more worried than he thought she had any right to be. Damn, he must look bad to make her lift a finger for him.
"Reno? Hey Turk, answer me!"
How long had she been calling him? Seconds? Minutes?
"Reno-"
Biting back the nausea, Reno managed to gain his breath for just a moment. "What, brat!"
"What the hell's wrong?" Yuffie placed a cool hand against the Turk's forehead, pulling her hand away as fast as she could when she felt just how hot he was. "You're burning up, you know that, right?"
He nodded.
Then she spotted the dark patch on his jacket, as well as the tinges of bright crimson on his once-white shirt. "And you're bleeding again. You know that too?"
He didn't, actually. Opening eyes he hadn't realised he'd closed, Reno bit his lip as he looked down at his shoulder. Sure enough blood was beginning to seep through the bandage he'd wrapped around it earlier. A fat lot of good that had done. But no Cure spell was going to heal that. Not until he got the Antidote he needed. Reno sighed. So much for a simple surveillance mission; he wasn't even in Wutai yet, and here he was injured already.
He looked up to Yuffie, his eyes dull. "Well, shit."
"You can say that again, Turk."
He didn't dignify that comment with a response, however, as his gut churned suddenly. A wave of dizziness caused him to lose his footing, and before he knew it he had fallen backward, onto the long grass. From his position on the ground, Reno winced, feeling his shoulder jar and his muscles groan in complaint as he reached out an arm to the ninja crouched beside him. He tried to get his arms under him, but it felt more like he was trying to life a ten-ton weight with arms made of jelly.
"A little help?"
"Oh no. Not until you tell me what's going on. I'm pretty sure I've got some idea already, but I won't know until you confirm it."
Reno winced. "Well, for once I can tell you that you're right."
She ignored his comment, though, and instead concentrated on his jacket, opening it and the shirt up before she got to the bandage. Reno didn't protest at the inquisition – he had to have energy to do that. He let his head rest back down on the ground and closed his eyes against the sun. Even with his glasses over his eyes the sun still seemed unnaturally bright.
"God. I don't suppose you have another bandage, Reno? This one's soaked through."
Reno winced as she began to peel the sopping bandage away from his wound, where it had begun to stick as some patches had dried. He batted her hand away. "Check my bag. Use the torn short."
There was a rustling sound and he realised that sure enough, Yuffie was searching for bandages. While she was doing this he somehow managed to sit up, his shaky arms somehow gaining strength in his moment's rest. Peeling off his jacket all the way, he began to work off his shirt, feeling the strain it was putting on his sore shoulder to undo the buttons. When his arms began to shake with the effort, he dropped them to his sides, more than a little annoyed. The job wasn't even half done yet.
"Fuck. What am I, a toddler?"
Yuffie looked back up at him under her eyelashes, amusement glittering in her eyes despite the situation. She began to unravel the fresh makeshift bandage into something useable. How many hours could she add to their travel time now that Reno was down for the count?
She smirked. "You really want me to answer that question?"
"Please don't." Reno groaned, going back for a second try with the buttons. This time at least, he managed to get two undone. But that was as far as it went. He looked up, frustrated with his sudden inability to take care of himself, and scowled at the ninja.
"Need help with that?"
"I can take care of myself."
Yuffie snorted. "I'm sure you can." Nonetheless, though, she did need to get the bandage changed so they could get on their way. She swatted away his hand and began undoing the buttons, trying to hide the blush that rose to her cheeks as Reno continued to gaze inquisitively at her. When she was done she looked up at him, seeing the clockwork roll on behind his eyes as he tried to think of something to say.
Eventually he opened his mouth, but Yuffie was ready for it.
"Don't even think about it, Turk."
His mouth snapped shut and he smirked. "Spoil my fun, then."
She ducked her head and untied the blood-soaked fabric wrapped around Reno's shoulder while he continued to glance up at her in confusion. She winced as she snagged a bit on dried skin, tugging it a little more than was necessary as she pulled it away. She looked up and saw him flinch, then proceeded to wash the remaining blood away. She tried not to look at the wound itself; the way it bled profusely, and how inflamed and angry the edges of it looked underneath it all. She sighed and shook her head. There was nothing she could do except bandage it up. Any spell cast on it would be wasted, as it wouldn't heal until she'd cured him.
Reno caught her wince at the sight of it, and much as he would had liked to, he couldn't force his stiff neck to look down. If he did so he was sure his head would explode, and that would be the end of it. Instead he rolled his eyes. "That bad, huh?"
Yuffie screwed up her face. "Why don't you take a look see?"
"I would if I could, brat."
"Here, let me help you. Simply tip your head downward-"
"Yuffie!"
"All right, all right."
As she began to bandage it, he stopped her with a hand over the wound. He winced even at the light pressure, but instead looked her in the eye rather than concentrating on the pain. That would get him nowhere fast. "I want to look at it."
"You already said you couldn't."
"Well get me your mirror, then. That'll work."
Yuffie shook her head. "… My what?"
"Your mirror."
"Reno, this is not the time to be worried about how you look, trust me. Snow White is more tanned than you right now."
"I don't want to look at myself in the mirror!" He was feeling irritable, and when he was irritable, he was snappy instead of smart. Levering his eyes open to a squint, Reno watched Yuffie huff and cross her arms.
"Then why do you need a mirror?"
"To look at my shoulder and see what you're bitching about!"
Yuffie frowned at this and began to scramble through her own shoulder bag, shaking her head and muttering under her breath, occasionally looking up at him with a sidelong glance. He thought he caught the words 'stupid' and 'lazy', but right now he couldn't have cared less.
Finally, the chocolate-eyed girl frowned, her face forming into a pout as she began to close the bag. "Nope."
Reno resisted the urged to strangle the ninja, though he realised he couldn't if he tried. She'd probably be able to push him away with her pinky finger. Not even worth the humiliation. "Nope... what?"
"Nope I don't have one, idiot."
Reno cursed. "What are you on about, every chick has a goddamned mirror in her bag, no matter how small!"
"Well I don't!"
"Typical," he muttered, not caring how derisive he sounded.
Yuffie bristled, her scowl deepening. "Look, don't blame this on-"
"I have one," came a voice from behind them. The woman, Dania. Reno nodded his head as a small mirror was pressed into his hands and the figure that was shading him from the sun receded. He realised that under any other circumstance he would have enjoyed the impromptu view. Right now, though, he was more concerned with what was going on with the injury on his shoulder...
As he angled the mirror to where he could see it, his faced paled even more, if it was at all possible. He could only star. Not two hours ago the wound had looked reasonably sanitary. Right now, thought, it looked as if it were a completely different injury altogether. It was no hard to tell the difference between the three parallel claw marks, and though he knew they were there, Reno found it difficult to even place them. Place a shaky hand against his chest, he looked on in disbelief.
"No fucking way."
Yuffie sighed, not so pleased either with the latest developments. "Way," she said. "And it looks like I'll be carrying your sorry carcass home after all, Turk."
Reno winced as she took the mirror away and began wrapping the wound tightly with the new bandage. He failed to look at how the material soaked through again almost immediately. "Damn it, Yuff," he said. "That does hurt, you know."
"Hey, it's not my fault you decided to take a dance with the dragon. It's also not my fault you were stupid enough to get clawed in the process."
"And I suppose it's my damned fault that the Red Dragon was even after us in the first place?"
Yuffie twisted her face into a mock-thoughtful expression as she began to tie off the bandage. When she was done she reached past him and stuffed his shirt and blazer back into his lap, eyeing the unrestful people that watched them warily. She stood, offering a steady hand as he looked up at her in disbelief.
"Damn straight. Now get your ass up. I'm sure you can walk for at least a little bit longer before I have to begin dragging you."
Somehow he managed to stay on his feet. As the ninja let go and began to walk away he took a slow step forward, then another. Perhaps he could keep walking for a while after all. He guessed it helped that he was no longer leaking blood like a broken faucet all over the place. "Excuse me if I don't sound so thrilled about that last bit."
From the front of the now-progressing line, Yuffie turned around. Her eyes glittered in amusement, but there was some hidden concern written there, too. He was sure it was little to do with him, though, and more to do with whatever awaited her back home.
"Oh quit your moaning, Reno. I know you're gonna drop sooner or later, but we are not carrying you any further than we have to, whether you like it or not. We'll get home faster this way, and then you can go and do... well… whatever the hell you Turks do nowadays."
For lack of anything better to do Reno smirked and poked out his tongue. He didn't bother thinking about the fact getting to Wutai was going to be another problem entirely.
"Hey," Yuffie muttered, falling back in beside him, rolling her eyes and patting him on the back with mock sympathy. "It's your life."
And with that last little dig he could only watch as she trotted happily back up to the front of the line. Wisely, he refrained from comment and kept walking, biting his tongue to hold back the arsenic-laced thought. He could do with saving whatever amount of energy it took him to come up with a decent reply. Instead he focussed stonily on placing one foot in front of the other.
'Breathe,' he told himself. 'Keep walking. The sooner you get to Wutai, the sooner you can stop leaning on her shoulder… And the sooner you can strangle the life out of the smart little brat.'
* * * * *
Author's Note: I really don't like this chapter, I really don't. It seems fragmented to me, but I'm not too sure. Reno doesn't seem right, and neither does Yuffie. It may be because I've been working on it for a little too long at a time. Just tell me what you think, okay? Criticism - both constructive and opinionated - is always welcomed!
Sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out, but I haven't had a lot of time recently. (I sincerely apologise for the quality of writing, too.) But with all luck, I'll be able to finish this story soon, as my holidays are coming up. As far as the next chapter goes, look out for it in the next couple of days, because if should be up then - it's already half written. I hope I haven't lost any readers by neglecting this story so much!