Few words were spoken between the group of five, consisting of Cloud, Tifa, Barrett, Cid, and Yuffie, for much of the time it took to walk to the small town of Kalm. Other than the obvious things like Sephiroth and whether Red XIII would live to see another day, each of them had something on their minds that they didn't feel like discussing at the time, so everyone remained silent, preoccupied with their own thoughts.
Tifa was, of course, absorbed with thoughts of Cloud and what his true feelings were for her. A hard thing to consider as he hung onto her shoulder, hobbling on one good leg. She even caught herself a couple of times daydreaming about marriage, having a family and living peacefully in Nibelheim with him into their old age. She shook the thoughts off. C'mon, girl, keep it together. Now is not the time for that, she quickly reminded herself.
Cloud's mind was the usual blur, dealing with one complicated situation after another. Foremost on his mind was the 20-year-old brunette who was supporting part of his weight as they hiked on, and at the same time, also the 22-year-old lighter-haired brunette who he had known for such a short time. He missed her sorely.
Of course, he loved Tifa. All his logic said that it would be easy to live out his days normally with her and be happy. What Cid had said to him was true, and he knew it. "Everyone knows you and Tifa have something… maybe you should act on it." The words replayed over and over in his mind. He glanced sidelong at Tifa, who met his gaze and smiled at him sweetly. Neither of them said anything, but their thoughts were, for the most part, in unison.
I love her, Cloud thought to himself.
"I love you," Tifa said aloud.
Cloud's blinked, taken aback. "You… what?"
Tifa, unaware that she had said that out loud, looked at him like he was crazy. "What? I didn't say… did I just say that out loud? Tell me I didn't just…" She paused as the look in Cloud's eyes answered her question. She looked ahead desperately for someone to take Cloud from her shoulder, to avoid this situation she was in. Cid, Barrett, neither of them were close one to hear what had just happened, but they were all in plain sight. And none were close enough for her to transfer the blonde man she was supporting. Her face flushed deeply red as she tried to find a way out of this awkward situation. Little did she know one would be provided for her.
Cloud opened his mouth to respond. Tifa's heart jumped up into her throat, left with nothing to do but hope his response was compliant with what she had let slip out to him. "I…" He was cut off by Yuffie walking up from behind them and turning to face them, walking backwards. "'Bout time," she said with a grin. "A blind man could've seen that one coming." She whirled again and walked ahead, revealing to them the dried laceration that crossed her entire lower back from her right hip to her bottom rib on her left side.
"Do you see…" Cloud began, all thoughts of the earlier situation temporarily diminished.
Tifa nodded. "Yeah. She's awfully tough for a 16-year-old. She's not even walking funny." She grinned at Cloud, and his arm draped over her shoulder. "Wuss."
Cloud smiled and fell silent, not much wanting to argue with the woman who had just admitted a love for him. The two of them didn't exchange another word until they reached Kalm.
* * * * *
Cloud and Tifa could see their counterparts waiting up for them at the edge of the small country town. They seemed to be involved in a conversation of their own, and while neither of the two could hear what they were saying, they both took note to the fact that they all kept glancing over at different moments, and nodding to each other. Tifa rolled her eyes as she put two and two together. She glanced at Cloud, who had a similar expression on his face. They had, for the most part, let the earlier situation escape them, both of them stewing about it in their own minds.
As they approached the rest of the group, Barrett and Cid took turns looking amusedly at the unofficial couple, as Yuffie tried to look uninterested. Not wanting to deal with them at the moment, Tifa changed the soon-to-be subject. "Where's the hospital?" Vincent and Red should be there by now."
Hearing this, everyone snapped back into reality. Solemn looks could be seen on all their faces. Tifa knew the answer to her question, but was happy to have come up with something before questions about Cloud and herself starting flying around.
"This way, I think," Barrett said, as he started walking off into the town. Everyone followed, none of them having spent enough time in the town to know any better.
Minutes later, they came across a small, run-down looking three story building, with a small, partially rotted wooden sign that read, "K lm Hos it l."
"You're kidding me, right?" were the first words, coming from Yuffie. "I'm trusting my health to this place?" Nobody argued, and everyone's expressions seemed to agree with the smallish Wutian.
Cloud replied. "Look, I'm not crazy about the place, either. But we'd better hope they're a better medical place than they look, or else Red is history." Barrett and Cid walked in wordlessly. "And Yuffie, don't be so selfish. It's not all about you." he added.
Yuffie glared at him. "Shut up and let your woman carry you in," she retorted.
Cloud gave a look to Tifa, who, getting his meaning, backed away and let him walk on his own power. The pain was bad, but he had been able to deal with it, and it was more of a dull throb now than a sharp pain. He took a couple of shaky steps before glancing back to Yuffie with a cocky grin. Tifa shook her head and smiled amusedly at his machismo as he walked by the young warrior. Yuffie reached a concealed hand down to his left leg and gave it a flick.
Cloud groaned in response and, waving his arms towards Yuffie, fell to the ground. The young Wutian easily sidestepped his flailing, with nothing but a few fingertips grazing her clothing. He rolled on his side to look up at Yuffie. "Bitch," he muttered. Yuffie gave a triumphant grin and turned her back, walking in with the others.
Well, at least he feels good enough to screw around, Tifa thought to herself. Somewhat less worried about Cloud than she had been before, she strode over and helped him to his feet. She looked after the girl as she walked into the ragged building. "Wow, you really showed her, Cloud."
She expected a glare from Cloud, which she would have in turn giggled at. Instead he grinned widely at her, invoking the brunette to ask, "What's that look about? I expect you'd be pissed right about now, since Yuffie just humiliated you."
Cloud grinned wider. "Not so." He held up a small, round, grayish object with four holes in the middle.
Tifa stared at him for a second. "It's a button. So?"
The blond man began his reply. "She won't notice for a little while. Only when she tries to make a sudden movement with her arms or something. When that happens…" He was cut short by the doors of the hospital flinging open again, and a red-faced Yuffie storming straight towards them, her arms concealing a single exposed breast.
"You BASTARD!" She screamed at the blond. Cloud tossed the button to her, and she snatched it back with a scowl. "Think that belongs to you," he said in an amused tone.
"Remind me later I have to kick your ass." Yuffie retorted, as she tucked herself back into her top. She turned around and walked back into the hospital without waiting for a response.
Cloud laughed hysterically, and Tifa again just shook her head, grinning. "You never grow up, do you, Cloud?" the brunette woman asked as they walked up to the building, Cloud still limping on his own power, but with Tifa near enough to catch him if he stumbled.
"Nope." Cloud replied with a grin, "and you, Miss Lockheart, had best watch your back, as well."
Tifa, a little shocked, while at the same time secretly gratified and flattered, gave him a "don't even think about it" look.
"Okay, fine, fine." Cloud said with a grin, reading her meaning.
They walked a few silent steps more up the steps of the building, and Tifa jumped in surprise as she felt Cloud's fingers pinch her rear end.
* * * * *
A flustered Tifa Lockheart walked into a bright white room 218, followed by a still grinning Cloud Strife. Cid, Barrett, and Yuffie were already in there, the two men sitting in chairs, the young Ninja leaning against a wall still holding her top together, and a tall, dark-haired man with a neatly bandaged shoulder occupying the bed. The scarf and headband that normally covered most of his face were gone, and his hair fell freely around his newly disclosed face, framing it nicely. Tifa caught herself staring at him for a moment before snapping out of it. How could I have traveled so long with Vincent, she thought to herself, and not known how cute he was until now? She looked away, only to find Yuffie staring at her from the other side of the room. She grinned and nodded silently, as if to say, Yeah, I know.
Yuffie observed the room around them. "This place doesn't look as shabby on the inside as it does on the outside.
Ignoring the 16-year-old's comment, Cloud asked the question he wasn't sure he wanted the answer to. "How's…" he hesitated to ask the man in the bed, "how's Red XIII doing?"
"He's critical," Vincent began, "but stable. They say if he makes it through the next hour, he's got a good chance for full recovery. A small miracle when you consider the fact that seven of his ribs were broken, as well as a leg. It's a lucky thing the veterinary clinic works in conjunction with the hospital, and they apparently do well in emergency surgery, otherwise he would not be alive right now."
The blond nodded. "Jenova," he said simply.
Everyone looked at him.
"Red XIII was an experiment by that freak, Hojo." Cloud continued, "where he was implanted with Jenova cells. It's probably those alone that are keeping him alive. But…" he hesitated, "with Jenova itself gone, the Jenova cells in him will probably die off soon. And then…"
"It all depends on his will to survive." Tifa finished for him.
Cloud nodded.
"How soon?" Cid asked, uncharacteristically softy.
Cloud shrugged. "Who knows? Minutes, hours, days? I don't even know if I'll know when it happens. But somehow I know it will. It's like there's something inside me that's winding down, shriveling up. It doesn't hurt; I can't even really feel it. I just kind of… sense it."
The remark earned him concerned looks from everyone in the room. Knowing him just as he was, just as Cloud, it was hard to remember that he, too, had been infused with Jenova cells.
"I know of what you speak, Cloud," came Vincent's response after a long pause. "It feels as though a foreign substance inside of me is withering away."
Cloud looked at him in response, but offered no words. He merely nodded. A long awkward pause followed, as memories of the past struggle resurfaced in everyone's minds, having been reminded of Jenova.
Tifa was the first to snap out of the trance that had seemingly swallowed the room. "What are we doing?" She blurted suddenly, snapping everyone else out of his or her trance at the same time. "We've got two injured people here, and we're standing right in the middle of a hospital! We need to get you two," she gestured toward Cloud and Yuffie, "a bed."
The comment met with objections from both of them, each saying they'd be fine and didn't need a bed, but Tifa wouldn't hear of it. In truth, the match that had started outside the hospital between Yuffie and Cloud was still going on, each of them trying to prove their toughness over the other. Tired of their obstinate behavior, Tifa rolled her eyes and left the room to check the two of them in at the front desk, whether they liked it or not.
Barrett grinned at both Cloud and Yuffie. "Looks like you're gettin' a room, after all, you two." Yuffie scoffed and looked away to a bare wall. Cloud had begun to take on a sick expression, and had clenched his stomach. Barrett looked at him oddly, and everyone else's glance followed. "Hey… you awright, Cloud?"
Cloud groaned. "I don't feel so good. I'll be back in a sec." He stumbled out of the room, and began trying to find a bathroom. It didn't make sense, what was happening to him. One minute he felt fine, and the next, his insides twisted into knots. His stomach lurched again, and he tried his best to quicken his pace. He felt his way along the wall, his left leg still not very reliable, until he toppled into the women's bathroom. Paying this fact no mind, he continued in. His vision began to double, and he managed to throw open the door of a stall (which, luckily, was empty,) and tumble in. No sooner did he fall to his knees but his insides again raged against him, and his stomach heaved, too strong to be held back this time. It was unlike any sickness the 21-year-old had ever felt. It was too strong to be a simple flu. His vision was nearly gone, and he could only tell where he was by his two hands on either side of the toilet bowl. He could feel himself losing consciousness as he expelled another wave. He gathered enough sense to push himself to the side and land on the floor before blacking out.
* * * * *
Yuffie Kisaragi sported a very irritated look as a nurse wheeled her fresh bed away to a separate room. She was beyond trying to argue anymore as she lay on her front side, as instructed, so as to keep her injury from further damage.
Tifa watched the bed until it turned the corner, before turning back to Barrett behind her and asking, "Now where did you say Cloud was again?"
Barrett shrugged. "Said he didn't feel right, and he took off outta here. To a bathroom, I guess. That was about…" he checked a clock on the wall, "half an hour ago."
Tifa frowned. "I hope he's alright. I need to use the bathroom, too. If he gets back before I do, get him to room 211. He's got doctors waiting for him there."
Barrett nodded in response before the brunette strolled down the hall and into the ladies' room. She took the first stall, and, after relieving herself, began to walk back out. Some unexplainable feeling, like a chill, made her freeze in place, turn around, and spot a single stall door slightly cracked open. Normally she would have paid this no mind, had it not been for the presence of an extremely familiar boot.
"C…Cloud?" She stuttered out. No answer came from the stall. She instantly became embarrassed, thinking that he had spied on her from underneath the stalls. Since when did Cloud become such a lech? Tifa thought first. She swung the door open, and what she saw shocked her. Cloud was laid out on his front side, breathing heavily in his unconscious state. She took a step forward to claim him from the floor, and caught a glimpse of what rested in the toilet bowl. She backed away two steps in horror. "What the…" is as far as the young woman could get. Within the bowl laid a bright blue liquid mass, one that seemed almost to be alive. It bubbled and writhed around, as if it were dying of something burning it slowly to nothing. Tifa gasped as she realized what the mass was. "Jenova," she whispered, as if trying to keep it from hearing her. She looked at Cloud.
It's the same color as his eyes. It must be from him. He was talking about the Jenova cells leaving his body at some point. That's gotta be it. So then… is the Jenova dying?
She broke from her thoughts to peer into the bowl again, where the mass looked much the same in activity but had gotten slightly smaller.
It is. I've gotta get Cloud outta here, but I can't risk someone coming in here! I don't know what that… thing is capable of! What if it can make itself a new home in a new body?
She paused, letting this thought sink in. She began to run through a list of options.
Got it.
Considering this the best option for the moment, and not having much time to think of anything clever, she dragged Cloud out a little by his ankles. Once she got him a fair distance away from the Jenova-infested toilet bowl, she picked him up and took him into the hospital hallway, where she laid him down and screamed, "HELP!" once, before rushing back in to the stall where the blue mass continued to wither to nothingness. She stood watch there with awe and disgust until it became a small collection of blue, and it finally began to fizzle, like peroxide on a severe cut, as the small portion of Jenova saw its last seconds. And then, the part of Cloud that had been implanted in him by the scientist, Hojo, and the one part of him that Tifa had not known since they were little, disappeared forever. Tifa flushed the toilet, seemingly for the sake of doing so, and left the room.
* * * * *
"W…what is that!?" came a cry from a tall dark-haired man dressed in white. He backed away several steps, finally falling backwards over a surgical table with a loud series of clangs. A bubbling blue liquid lay on the floor beside an unconscious Red XIII.
The other doctor in the room, an only slightly shorter blond, simply stared, dumbfounded. "S…should we try to clean it up? I've never seen a creature quite like this, so… maybe it's normal for this to happen."
The first doctor climbed to his feet, stepping around the wildly scattered surgical tools to stare at the mess with his companion. "I don't know about you, but I'm not touching that. Call the janitor."
The second doctor nodded to his colleague and called the janitor on the intercom across the room. Moments later, the grey-clad janitor walked in the room, looked at the mess on the floor, then looked at the doctors in disbelief. "That?" was his only response. Both doctors nodded. The janitor, a stout man with hair resembling that of the first doctor coming out from underneath a grey cap matching his suit, looked again at the two taller men before sighing and bringing his water bucket and mop over to the spot next to the bed. They don't pay me enough for this crap, was the thought that went through his head at he brought the mop down on top of the blue liquid. All three men stared in horror as the ragged mop disintegrated down to the handle. The janitor dropped the wooden rod, jumped back, and shot a look of dismay at the two wide-eyed doctors.
The blonde doctor was the first to speak. "Um… okay, that didn't quite work. What now?"
The taller doctor tilted his head to the side as he made an important observation. "Is it… is it getting smaller?"
The other two men blinked a couple times before the fact sunk in. "Yeah," said the blond doctor, "you're right."
None of the three men wanting to make a move, they stood by and watched as the Jenova mass withered away, its dying hiss partially covered up by the steady beeping of the heart monitor, which, none of the doctors seemed to notice, had begun to pick up in pace.
The janitor was the first to notice, as the doctors stared at the floor where Jenova cells had been seconds before. "Um… I think the thingy is uh," he trailed off, but motioned to the heart monitor, which was enough to get the doctors' attention.
Both doctors rushed over to the inanimate creature, Red XIII, and wildly began checking every monitor in the room for information on what was going on, as the heart monitor continued to race forward.
"BEEP…BEEP…BEEP..BEEP..BEEP.BEEP.BEEP" the heart monitor complained.
"Vital signs are dropping fast! What the hell's going on, here?" shouted the dark-haired doctor.
"I…I don't know!" the blond doctor shouted back. "None of this makes sense! We're already doing everything we can for him! If he can't pull through on his own…"
"BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP" the monitor continued to protest, screaming for attention.
"This is all we have left," the taller doctor said in defeat, holding up a small glass vial and a needle. "I'm going to give him a Hi-Potion IV. It'll help a little, but if his body can't hold up on its own, it won't do any good. We've done all we can do." He said sadly, even as the heart monitor continued to quicken its pace, and the janitor watched from the back of the room, a grave look on his face. The doctor carefully and skillfully took the back of Red XIII's neck and injected the fluid.
"BEE-BEE-BEE-BEE-BEE-BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE…." the monitor moaned.
"Dammit, we're losing him!" The blond quickly and instinctively grabbed the set of electrical paddles at bedside, preparing to give Red XIII, otherwise known as Nanaki of Cosmo Canyon, son of Seto, the great warrior, his final chance for survival. "It's now or never, buddy." He said quietly as he rolled the creature on his back and lowered the paddles to his exposed chest. The paddles made a whining sound as they charged and then his body pulsed as they passed an electric shock through him.
* * * * *
Despite everything that had happened, Tifa couldn't help but smirk at the magazine article she was reading. She was much more relaxed, now, having heard the doctor tell her Cloud was going to be fine. Upon hearing this, Cid and Barrett decided to get some much-needed rest, so they reserved a couple of rooms at the inn. Tifa, however, wanted to be there when Cloud woke up.
As she waited in room 211 for his awakening, she came across an article about Shinra's electricity monopoly, and whether or not it was morally right. The article seemed to stick up for Shinra, not surprising, since anyone who spoke out against Shinra usually paid with lives. It was an outdated issue, a few months before they had destroyed reactor number 1. President Shinra was all over the article, talking about "keeping the peace" in Midgar, and "protecting the citizens," and the real kicker, "serving the community." She shook her head with a smile and looked out the window, which gave a good view of the top half of the now mostly destroyed city of Midgar.
"Yeah, guess they got what was coming to them, huh?" came a voice in the room. Tifa looked alertly to Cloud, who was still passed out in his bed. Instinctively, she then looked over to the doorway and spotted the source of the voice. It was a slender, dark-haired man, dressed in a classy blue suit, looking very professional. His face was uncertain, as if unsure of how she'd react to seeing him.
Tifa looked confused at first. "Do I know…" she trailed off as his image clicked in her mind, and her expression changed. "Reeve."
Reeve nodded. "Yeah. No tricks, no spies, no stuffed animals with intense fighting abilities. Just me." He motioned out the window to Midgar. "Not like I have anyone to work for anymore. I just wanted to see how everyone was doing, since Cait Sith was out of commission, and I don't have a replacement to send this time." His gaze turned to Cloud. "How is he?"
Ignoring the question, Tifa's expression turned cold and hard as she crossed her arms. "You expect me to trust you? How many times did you betray us?"
The dark-haired man nodded, obviously not expecting this to be a walk in the park. "About half a dozen. Although it's not like I was ever working FOR you, so I don't know if you'd call it betrayal." Tifa's eyes narrowed upon hearing this, but Reeve still continued. "I remember each time I had to do it, and I regret it, Tifa. I liked you guys. Even Barrett, and as tough as he was with me, I think that's really saying something."
Tifa's expression was unchanged, though she was secretly taken aback, particularly about the fact that the Shinra Executive would use their names so easily. It was one thing hearing Cait Sith call them by their first names, and although she knew it was no different coming from Reeve, it still felt odd.
The man sighed. "I understand where you're coming from. I don't have the right to judge you if you don't trust me. But let me just ask you something Tifa."
"What is it?" Tifa asked, expressionless.
"Would you have had me disobey my orders, and help you against Shinra? It's not like I'm a Shinra loyalist to the end; I would have done it, if it weren't for one minor detail. They would have gotten somebody else to do it, and that person probably would have killed you in your sleep. After that, not only would they have killed me, they would have also killed…" He was cut short by the voice of a young girl, no older than four or five.
"Auntie Tifa!" shouted the gleeful voice of a young brown haired girl as she ran towards the woman. Reeve looked at Tifa and mouthed the word "her." Tifa's eyes widened slightly, but then focused on the girl in front of her.
Tifa's face lit up upon seeing the girl. "Marlene!" she cried joyfully, picking up the young girl with a hug and resting her on her hip. "Ooh, I missed you, Marlene. Your papa's gonna be awfully happy to see you, too."
"Where is Papa?" Marlene asked sweetly.
"He got sleepy, but we'll go visit him in a few minutes, okay?"
Marlene nodded with a smile, and Tifa let her back down to the ground.
Reeve smiled sincerely at the reunion before him. "Didn't I tell you to wait outside?" he knelt and asked the young girl.
"Yes, Uncle Reeve. But Auntie Tifa was in here!"
Tifa quirked an eyebrow at the dark-haired man. "Uncle Reeve?"
Reeve brought himself back to full height and shrugged with a grin. "Reno started it, and it just kinda stuck. She's been calling me that ever since."
Tifa blinked. "Reno… the Turk?"
Reeve nodded. "Yeah. The Turks and I kinda took turns baby sitting the little imp. She and Elena got real close, too." He knelt down again to Marlene with a smile. "Isn't that right, Marlene?"
Marlene also smiled and nodded. "Uh-huh!" She turned to Tifa. "Elena let me makeup her face!"
Reeve snorted, trying to conceal a laugh, which earned him another raised eyebrow from Tifa. He dug around his coat pockets until he pulled out two small photographs. "Here. She was actually a good enough sport to let us take a picture of her afterwards."
Tifa took the pictures and looked at the top one. She covered her mouth quickly to keep from cracking up. The short-haired blonde woman in the picture sported wildly drawn lipstick all around her mouth and a little bit up the sides of her nose. Her left cheek was a showcase for what appeared to be scribbles with an eyeliner pencil. Most of her face was unusually colored, showing evidence of Marlene's fascination with different colors of blush. Marlene sat atop the woman's shoulders with a huge grin, obviously laughing her head off, and even Elena seemed to be enjoying herself, regardless of the state of her face.
Reeve grinned at Tifa's reaction to the picture, which had now turned to restrained giggling. Tifa took a look at the picture behind the first one, and her expression was one of confusion at first. "What's this one?" she asked. The picture seemed to be nothing more than a dark brown circle with bright red scribbles all over it.
Reeve grinned wider. "Look closer."
Tifa looked again at the picture, and started grinning as she realized what the picture was. "Is that…"
Reeve nodded. "We caught Rude sleeping at his desk, and Marlene already had the lipstick, so Reno picked her up and… that happened. It took him two hours after he woke up to realize it was there."
"Was he mad?" Tifa asked, a little concerned.
Reeve laughed. "Who, Rude? No, no, no. He's actually a really nice, levelheaded guy. Him and Marlene got pretty close, too." Reeve lowered his voice so Marlene couldn't hear. "She knocked us all for a loop when she asked why Rude looked more like Papa than any of the rest of us."
Tifa giggled. "What did you tell her?"
"Nothing. Reno offered to take her out for ice cream, and she forgot all about it. We figured we'd let Barrett handle that one."
Tifa handed back the pictures and her face turned thoughtful. "You… you guys really took good care of her, didn't you?"
Reeve nodded. "She was a little angel, especially considering the circumstances we held her under. We never intended to hurt her. It's easy to place a label on everyone in Shinra, just because a few of the higher-ups have some twisted ideals. But a few bad apples doesn't spoil the whole bunch, as they say. The Turks are good people, even Tseng when he was alive. Like me, just because they work for Shinra doesn't mean they don't have a heart. There were quite a few people like that, that you probably didn't even know about."
Tifa sighed. "I know. But let's not get into that right now, we'll discuss it later." She jerked her head slightly towards Marlene, and Reeve nodded, getting her point.
Tifa turned to Marlene. "So, how about going and seeing Papa now, Marlene?"
Marlene, who had been sitting in a chair looking at Cloud, her legs dangling, smiled and hopped down. "Yeah!" She shouted, running over to the two adults, wondering which of them was going to take her. Tifa looked over to Cloud with a troubled expression.
Reeve looked over to the bed with an unconscious Cloud in it, then looked back to Tifa, still wearing that look, and smiled softly. "C'mon, Marlene, let's go see Papa." He put out a hand, which Marlene took without hesitation, and they walked from the room.
Just as Tifa picked up her magazine and went to sit down, Reeve poked his head back around the corner. "Oh, and Tifa?"
Tifa's head jerked back over to the doorway in surprise. "What is it?"
"Everyone can see you two love each other. Don't go forever just neglecting it." He said, and then his face disappeared again. Tifa just collapsed in her chair and sighed, raising her magazine to rest on her face. Having not slept for a day and a half, she was completely exhausted, and sleep quickly claimed her.
* * * * *
"For the last time, I'm FINE! Just let me outta here, I don't need your crappy treatment!" shouted a very testy Wutian girl. Rie, the doctor assigned to Yuffie Kisaragi hated her job at the moment. Being from Wutai herself, she had dark, straight hair, brown eyes, and wasn't very tall. She looked to be around 35. Upon seeing the obviously Wutian name Yuffie, the woman figured it would be nice to talk to someone from her hometown. She didn't recognize the name at first, though she should have. Yuffie was the future Lady of Wutai, and she had a bad reputation at home for being a pain to deal with. The doctor was now learning about this reputation firsthand.
I'm glad I left Wutai, she thought to herself, as Yuffie glared irritably at her. This girl hasn't been the least bit cooperative, and she's gonna rule it someday. Why couldn't I have been assigned to that cute blond guy that came in with her? Oh, well. She put on a fake smile and tried again. "Miss Kisaragi,"
"Lady Kisaragi." Yuffie corrected.
Rie bit her lip, eyeing up the surgical tools across the room, and trying not to wonder which one would cause her the most pain. "Okay, then. Lady Kisaragi." She began, almost sarcastically, "Could you please change into this hospital gown?"
"No." Yuffie replied simply, obviously eager to make this woman's life as much like hell as possible.
Rie closed her eyes with a soft, inaudible sigh. "Okay. Could you at least roll over so I can clean your wound? Just so it doesn't get infected. I know you're a tough girl, and you'd probably be fine without my help at all, but humor me on this one, okay?"
Yuffie rolled her eyes and complied with the doctor's demands. "Whatever. The sooner you finish, the sooner I can get outta here."
That's it, Rie thought, play to her ego. This arrogant bitch will do anything you ask if you throw a compliment her way. She continued to treat the younger Wutian, which went like a rough negotiation process. By the time she was done, Rie was out 100 Gil and a Chocobo Lure materia. Yuffie grinned openly as Rie finished up bandaging the large gash on her back. The doctor was never happier to have left a room.
* * * * *
For the second time in 24 hours, Cloud Strife awoke from unconsciousness. Thanks to the treatment he received from the hospital, his senses rejoined him much quicker than last time. He moved his left leg a slight amount, and in doing so he found the pain that had been plaguing him since he awoke among the Highwind wreckage was almost completely gone. Between this, he thought, and as nice as this room is, I'd say this hospital is actually pretty good. Must just look shabby because everyone in the region goes to Midgar for treatment.
His eyes drifted around the room, and finally rested on Tifa, laid back, fast asleep, mouth open, and even snoring softly. A magazine was on the floor next to her. He smiled, knowing she stayed with him the whole time he was resting. This thought brought his attention to a troubling concept. What the hell just happened to me? He remembered everything, the temporary blindness, the throwing up, but he didn't have any answers as to what it all meant.
"Tifa?" Cloud said in a normal tone voice, trying to wake the woman out of her repose. She gave no response.
Cloud tried again, a little louder and more persistent. "Tifa? Hey, Teef! Wake up!" Again, the brunette gave no sign of even acknowledging his existence.
Cloud was beginning to get frustrated. Much as he hated to wake Tifa up, since he knew how worn out she must be, he needed some answers. The stationary IV next to his bed pretty much assured that he wouldn't be going over and shaking her to get her up. He looked around for another option and grinned as he found one and got a mischievous idea. Someone had left a glass of ice water next to his bed, possibly even for him. Reaching for the glass, he pulled out a single ice cube, half melted. It slipped around in his grip, but he was able to get a decent handle on it, and he lobbed it towards Tifa. It landed off to the side of her chair, having no effect. He grabbed another and lobbed it. He grinned, knowing his attempt would be successful this time. The watered-down ice cube landed precisely between her shoulders, and quickly slid precisely down her breastbone, until it disappeared down her shirt.
Tifa's eyes shot open at the sudden change in temperature. She shrieked and jumped up, but it made no difference. The ice cube had already melted down the front of her white top, leaving a wet trail descending and finally, pooling in it's resting place at the very peak of her chest.
Cloud couldn't help but smirk at her reaction as she looked at him. He smiled inwardly. I always wanted to do that. "Good morning, Tifa," the blond man said casually, as if nothing had happened.
"Good morning, Cloud. Feeling better?" Tifa replied sweetly, contrary to what Cloud expected.
Taken by surprise at Tifa's cheerfulness, Cloud became a little hesitant. "Uh, yeah. I feel fine. My leg feels much better. How are you?"
Tifa slowly started to walk towards him, with a tempting little twist in her step. "Oh, I'm fine, Cloud. You say your leg's all better, huh?" she asked him, with a trace amount of sensuality in her voice.
Cloud swallowed and nodded, keeping his eyes on her very intently.
"Good, good. I'm glad to hear it." She said, her voice now noticeably lustful. She lightly ran a hand up his leg as she walked up to his side, making him shiver a little. "So… that didn't hurt at all, did it?"
Cloud shook his head, and began to enjoy this situation that he unwittingly put himself in. "No, Tifa, not at all. That felt pretty good, actually."
Tifa grinned at him, obviously satisfied with his response. "What about this, then?" she asked as she twirled a finger around on his chest.
"That's even better, Tifa." Cloud said, also picking up a lustful tone.
Tifa grinned, her eyes becoming feral, and she leaned over him, bending down to his ear, and giving him an easy look down her shirt. "If you wanted to put an ice cube down my shirt," she asked, "you should have just asked. I always hoped you might want to, if you know what I mean." She stood back to full height, smiling down on him.
Cloud's eyes widened, and he began to wonder if this was going where he thought it was going. "Tifa, I…" he began, but Tifa put a finger to his lips, silencing him.
Cloud, his awareness dulled by this sudden passion from Tifa, paid more attention to her left hand at his lips than her right hand, which snuck towards a table at his bedside. Her left hand slowly crept behind his head, and she leaned down again, as if to kiss him.
"Don't talk. Just show me how alright you are, right now." She said in a husky whisper.
Cloud dropped his jaw. "Right now? Here?" he asked, clearly shocked at her haste.
Tifa nodded. "I can't take it anymore, Cloud. I need you now." She moaned, leaning in a little closer to him.
Cloud paused, then shrugged. "Well, okay. Now it is, then." He said softly. He pulled himself up, and had nearly reached her tempting lips, when Tifa pulled back quickly and her right hand came flying down towards his head, bringing with it the ice water in his glass at bedside. Cloud shot up straight in his bed, soaked down to his shoulders.
"Serves you right, Cloud." Tifa said teasingly, an elated smile on her face at the success of her revenge plan. "That oughta teach you a lesson. If not, I'll spell it out for you. This," she smacked her rear end in a tantalizing gesture, "and these," she jiggled her chest, plainly trying to do everything in her power to taunt him in his defeated position, "are off-limits until further notice. Got it?"
Cloud stared, a blank, confused, and generally disappointed look plastered on his face, his jaw hanging limply.
"Oh, and try anything like that again, and," Tifa cracked her knuckles, "I won't play around teasing you. I'll just kick the crap out of you."
Cloud nodded, and finally picked up his jaw. Eager to put behind him that humiliation, he asked the question he wanted to ask in the first place. "So, Tifa, why am I in here, anyway? What happened to me?"
Tifa lost her contented smile as the question entered her mind. She hesitated as she tried to pick the best words for her response. "Well… Cloud, I'm not sure, but… I'm pretty sure… you got rid of your Jenova cells."
"So that's what I threw up? Jenova?"
"Yes, Cloud. At least, that's what I think."
"So, am I gonna be…" Cloud began, but Tifa cut him off.
"The doctors said there's nothing different about you now then there was before. You're going to be fine," Tifa smirked slightly and added, "but I bet you're not going to be half the fighter you were before."
Cloud, still wet from the shoulders up, sighed in relief. "Good. With any luck, we won't need to do any more fighting."
Tifa nodded wistfully. With any luck…
A few minutes of silence followed, which was finally broken by Cid Highwind opening the door to the room, a stoic look on his face. "It's about Red," he said to the two of them, wasting no time. Their hearts jumped into their throats, and they could do nothing but breathe shallow as they waited to hear the news about their comrade.
Author's Note: Okay, I tried to keep everyone as much in character as possible, except Cloud. Let's face it, Cloud is clueless about women half the time. I'm trying to make him a little more confident, and I'm trying to establish a certain amount of playfulness in him, without having him be just a lecherous jerk. Cloud and Tifa have known each other since they were kids; they should be able to joke around like this, right? Anyway, please review, criticism is welcome as long as it's helpful. Let me know if you like where I'm going with this, and tell me if there's anything that doesn't match with the story of the game, like mistaken facts. Next chapter, I start developing the plot line to THIS story, and stop patching up the loose ends from the game story.