Author's Note: For the next three chapters, Kuja may seem a little bit OOC. The reason why is because of the entire time he spends in the hospital. He should be afraid…but I made him stay calm and collected, even though he was sick.
Tainted Feathers
Chapter 6-Realization
Zoë:
"You shouldn't have brought him out here, Zoë."
I groaned and covered my face.
"He was being stubborn about staying home. I wasn't about to argue with him about it."
Mother let out an exasperated sigh.
"Just like your father, he is. Well, we can't keep him here in this condition. We'll have to take him to the hospital."
I froze. Kuja wasn't from this world. He would be treated like an experiment…if something should go wrong.
"But Mother, Kuja's not like us," I protested.
"Nonsense."
"I'll just have to show this to you then."
I opened the door to Kuja's room and took a moment to watch him. He was sitting in the middle of the bed in the position we left him in. His face was literally red and every now and then, his chest would heave in labored breath. I sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the sheets off of him slowly. His clothes stuck to him pitifully and I knew he had to be in ultimate discomfort. His tail snaked out from under his side, barely twitching with movement. I touched it softly, generating a little gasp from his partially opened mouth.
"See, Mother? He has a tail. The doctors will experiment on him if we aren't careful."
Mother rubbed her chin.
"Indeed, but he needs our help. We have to take him to the hospital."
"Oh wait…maybe Kuja can help us," I suggested.
I pressed my cool hand against his cheek. Kuja moaned and nuzzled against my hand.
"Hmm…it's so cool…Zoë?" He asked.
"Kuja, we have to take you somewhere…public. Can you hide your tail?" I asked.
He frowned for a second and then uttered some words under his breath. Kuja seemed to relax and drift back off to sleep. His tail had disappeared even though I could still feel it wrap around my hand lovingly.
"Alright, let's go."
Hospital
Kuja:
This place was different from anything I've ever seen before. I tried to take in all I could as Zoë and her mother carried me in. On the way here, I threw up twice outside the car…
"Kuja, are you ok?"
I couldn't see Zoë directly so I nodded feebly. My body felt heavy and limp. It was nearly impossible for me to walk without support now.
"I'm being so much of a burden," I whispered.
"No, you aren't, Kuja. Now be easy. We've got to get you checked in."
The hospital entrance hall was noisy and full of people with various injuries. I couldn't help but cringe at the moans and screams of the dying and injured. At last, I was sat down in a chair off to the side of a big desk. Zoë stood beside me, rubbing the place on her arm where my tail curled around.
"Zoë…what is this place?" I asked softly.
Zoë squeezed my tail and patted it softly.
"It's the hospital's emergency room. Just be easy, my dear. Everything will be ok."
Why do I think otherwise? I shrugged lightly, feeling pain erupt in my shoulders. Zoë's mother walked out of seemingly nowhere and started to talk to her. I started to listen in, but it seemed like I had no strength. My vision blurred on the edges and began to spin. No…I had to stay awake! I owed that much to myself. Just as soon as it had come, the dizziness passed.
"So they have a room open right?" Zoë asked.
"Yeah, don't worry, I've got my doctor to look after him."
I didn't want anyone looking after me. I wanted Zoë to stay with me. A thin, light-skinned woman in a white coat and pants walked in my line of sight.
"Ah, Dr. Williams. It's good to see you. Kuja is the person you'll be taking care of," Zoë said softly.
Subconsciously, I felt my tail tighten around her arm. I didn't want this person to take care of me. Dr. Williams touched my forehead softly and shook her head.
'You've tried to get his temperature down, right?" She asked.
Zoë and her mother nodded.
"It won't come down by itself. That's why we felt like we needed to bring him here," They both muttered.
"Alright, I've gotten him a room. I'll handle it from here," Dr. Williams said.
She waved at an attendant nearby and mouthed some words. She pulled my tail off of her arm and kissed me on the cheek. She felt so cool…
"Dr. Williams will be taking care of you for a while. Just know that I am close by," She whispered in my ear.
I nuzzled against the cool face the best I could before she moved away.
"Here's a wheelchair, Dr. Williams."
Zoë smiled and walked out of the emergency room. Two rough hands lifted me out of the chair and into the wheelchair. As Dr. Williams wheeled me into an elevator, I caught a fleeting glimpse of Zoë in the parking lot. Was I going to see her again…?
Hour Later
Zoë:
I wanted to be with Kuja those first few terrifying hours in the hospital. He was sick and he needed me. I felt so bad about it. After leaving the hospital, I returned to my mother's house. She seemed more thoughtful than ever—going as far as to weave blankets for Kuja. At the rate he was going, he would need several clean replacements. I even went as far as to offer to help her.
"Come sit down, Zoë. Kuja doesn't need you in the hospital too."
I glared at my mother and sat down.
"I wouldn't mind going back there. At least I wouldn't be far away from Kuja," I said dryly.
Mother laughed and leaned back in her chair.
"I understand how you feel, Zoë. But did you see Kuja's face? He looked like he was going to die from being separated from us."
Hmm…would Kuja behave like that? He was the type of person who remained calm and collected about anything.
"But Mother, you don't get it. I made love to this man. I…I may have his child," I muttered.
Silence followed my statement. I knew what Mother was going to say about my choice in men. Like dating a cat-like man was a good choice.
"Why?"
Mother's voice pierced the air.
"Because he showed me true love and he's better than Michael."
Mother shot me a look that said, 'I don't care' and sighed.
"Still…how do you know Kuja won't use you for your money?"
I snarled and got up from my chair.
"I can't believe you! You can't be happy for me!" I shouted.
"Why get so emotional about it? Men come and go."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My Mother didn't care about who I went with. I held back tears as I stormed out of the house. Where would I go? I had nowhere in particular to go, except for the hospital. I fished my keys out of my pocket and opened my car. I paused for a moment or two allowing silence to wrap around my being.
Kuja:
Maybe hospital living wasn't so bad. I had nurses feeding me and pampering me. The downside was that I threw up a lot during such treatments so I really didn't enjoy it very much. I spent most of my time halfway asleep. I lifted my hand up slowly, staring at the tubes running out of it. The nurses called them IV's, which was the funniest thing to me. The door opened softly as I turned over onto my side. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Zoë enter the room.
I turned back over and noticed the hint of tears in her eyes. What could have upset her so much? And how could I comfort her?
"Zoë," I whispered.
Zoë closed the door behind her and plastered a happy smile on her face.
"I see your food hasn't been cooperating with you," She commented.
I sat up and sighed.
"Well, it hasn't been the best lately. But I hope this doesn't upset you."
I kept a closer eye on her facial expression for any leaks or tattletale signs of unrest. I didn't have to look long for minutes after my last response she began to cry. I pulled off the many sheets holding me down to the bed and got up. At first, I stumbled backwards due to the fact that I hadn't been on my feet in over an hour. I edged over to Zoë as quickly as I could and hugged her close.
Zoë:
I felt like I would melt in Kuja's arms. Although he still felt quite warm, his embrace was welcoming. After a few minutes or so, he pulled away and smoothed my hair back carefully.
"Now, tell me what upset you so."
He sounded weaker than before, but that was to be expected. I released him and sat down in the chair near the bed. Kuja settled back into the hospital bed, his dulling blue eyes never leaving me.
"My Mother doesn't believe I'm in love with you. She's convinced that I'm wasting my time on you," I said softly.
For a moment, I saw Kuja's eyes flash crimson. I decided not to comment to keep his stress level down. Nevertheless, what I saw wasn't exactly normal for Kuja.
"Do you believe her?"
His voice sounded surprisingly clear and it even sounded stronger.
"Of course not. But you can't imagine how much that hurts, Kuja."
"Maybe I can."