Author's Note: You know, I almost didn't write this one. The idea came to me months before I wrote it but I quickly dismissed the concept. Then, one night, well, it just kind of happened. To tell you the truth, I'm glad that it did.

Promised Land

"Mrs. Strife?"
Tifa's head jerked up at her name. She wrung her hands a little before walking over to see the secretary.
"Yes?" Tifa asked.
"Wife to a. . . Mr Cloud Strife?" The secretary asked, checking the name off of a clipboard in front of her. She was a small, dry woman. Her voice had a high, nasal quality.
Tifa nodded, her throat dry.
"There are some forms that you need to fill out. There seems to be some trouble with your husband's insurance."
The woman looked up from her clipboard, trying to see if Tifa was paying attention.
"Yes, of course. Please, when can I see him?"
"That's up to the doctors. Now, he became ill, when exactly? Yesterday?"
Tifa nodded.
"He just wouldn't wake up. . . I didn't know what else to do but call the ambulance. Cloud's never sick."
"Uh huh. Well, when your husband first came to the hospital, you neglected to fill out page four on your application form here. . ."
"What does that mean?"
"Well," the woman drawled, "Since you didn't fill it out appropriately we'll have to charge you-"
"That's enough Gladis!" An authoritative voice snapped.
Tifa turned around to see a doctor approaching.
"Stop patronizing Mrs. Strife."
". . . of course Doctor."
"I'm terribly sorry Mrs. Strife. Gladis sometimes forgets the importance of tact."
He glared at the woman behind the desk but she made a point to fiddle with her clipboard.
"Mrs. Strife, my name is Doctor Kensington. I'm treating your husband. If you'll follow me."
Tifa nodded and hurried after the doctor. She felt like she was going to be sick. She hated hospitals. Cloud did too. That morning though, there hadn't been anything else to do. They had taken Cloud into the emergency but Tifa had had almost no word since then.
They stopped in the middle a corridor lined with windows. Tifa started when she realized that they had stopped in front of Cloud's room. She could hardly see him, he was so covered in blankets. There was an IV connected to his arm. Monitors blinked around him.
"Oh God. He looks so pale." Tifa whispered.
The doctor sighed.
"Mrs. Strife, there's no easy way for me to say this."
Tifa whipped around.
"Doctor. . . what's wrong with my husband?"
"It's some sort of fast-acting virus. The initial signs are headaches, fevers, and then the patient goes comatose. We've had five other cases this month."
"Cloud, he. . . he had said that his head hurt. . . that night. . . he was a little hot but. . . can't you do something?"
The doctor shook his head slowly.
"Your husband's vital systems are deteriorating exponentially. I'm afraid he has another day at the most."
"Another. . . Oh my god. Oh my god."
Tifa turned her face, bowed her head to the glass and pressed her palm against it.
"This can't be happening."
"I'm very sorry. There's nothing we can do."
Tifa felt the tears coming. She tried to rub them away.
"Can I. . . can I talk to him?"
The doctor nodded.
"The chances that he'll wake now are small but. . . there's no risk of contamination so far as we can tell. If you'd like to see him. . ."
Tifa faced the doctor nodded vigorously. She turned to the window again and tried to straighten her hair. It had a bit more grey at the temples than it had used to but. . . She wiped her eyes and tried to smile. If Cloud woke up. . .
She turned to face the doctor and nodded again. He led her into the room

The slight whir of machinery greeted Tifa. Faint beeps marked her husband's heartbeat.
"I'll leave you two alone now." Tifa heard the faint clink of a door behind her but Tifa didn't watch the doctor leave. All she could see was Cloud. There were little bits of grey in his hair too though he denied it. Her hand trembled as she touched his face. Tifa smiled a little, tears rimming her eyes.
"Oh Cloud." She whispered quietly. It was too much for her. She collapsed beside him, her strength gone.

Tifa felt numb. She didn't know how long she had knelt by his bed. She heard herself talking.
"Oh Cloud, I'm here for you. I'm right here Cloud. And our daughter, she'll come too. I called her last night when you were sick. She'll come. . . Oh God, she loves you so much."
Tifa's voice cracked. Slowly, she got off the floor and found a stool to sit on. She pulled it right next to Cloud's bed and took his hand.
"Do you remember. . . do you remember that time that we bought her her first bike? You took her out for her first lesson that very day. She was so nervous. You took her around the block twice. She was so proud the first time that she rode up to us on her own."
Tifa chuckled and then gasped, fighting down tears.
"And then there was that time that Barrett and Marlene came for a picnic. All five of us headed up to the park with our big picnic basket. The girls, they went hunting for grasshoppers."
"Remember her first high school dance? She insisted that you take you on your motorcycle. Wasn't that ridiculous? Her in that beautiful gown, with her helmet down, holding onto your back."
"There were. . . so many good times. . ."

Tifa trailed off, unable to speak anymore. For a while, she just sat there, holding Cloud's hand. Absently, she rubbed her thumb across the back of his hand.
Cloud's eyes flickered. Tifa leaned forward expectantly.
"Cloud? Cloud! Oh, Cloud! Wake up! Please!"
His head turned a little at the sound of her voice. Slowly, his eyes opened. The fire in them seemed a little dimmed but to Tifa they were still the most beautiful sight imaginable.
". . .Tifa. . .?" Cloud's voice rasped.
"Oh yes Cloud, I'm here."
"I thought. . . I heard you. Calling."
"Oh Cloud, I'm right here."
He turned his head a little more to see her better.
"Don't cry Tifa."
He tried to lift his hand to touch her face but couldn't move well enough. Instead, Tifa took his hand and helped him cup her face. She smiled through her tears.
"I'm okay Cloud. Everything's okay."
Tifa laughed and cried out at the same time.
"I can't. . . I hear her calling Tifa. . ."
"Who Cloud?"
"It's so hard to stay. . . She says that it'll be okay. That it's beautiful."
"What do you mean?"
But then suddenly it hit her.
"Oh Cloud. . . Oh. . ."
She pushed her face down against his hand.
"I. . .love you." he whispered.
"I love you too Cloud. . . Oh God, I love you so much."
Tifa felt his hand go weak against her cheek. She watched him as he closed his eyes. The monitor whined monotone. She bent forward and kissed his lips.
"Go to her," Tifa whispered quietly to him. Then, she bent her head to his chest and cried.