Disclaimer: What more do you people want!? I have explained to you that I in no way own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. Now stop rubbing it in!

Author's notes- This chapter, although quick was stressful. I apologize for its brevity, but I'm sure you guys won't mind it too much considering the next chapter is already lined up and ready to go. I also hope that by now you guys understand how to tell whenever the point of view changes or time passes. Its getting really tiring to add that to every chapter.

Midnight Call

He tapped his pencil against the manual more in dread and nervousness than boredom or annoyance. The lamp light cast a dull yellowish light over his study materials. It was getting late. He should have Toby in bed already. He should be in bed already. Irvine found that he couldn't sleep. He wasn't surprised. Taking exams always made him nervous. He needed to relax; he couldn't afford to mess this exam up. With the end of his eraser he guided his eyes as he reread the element attack portion of his junctioning manual. He had it practically memorized; special thanks to Quistis. Irvine allowed himself to further slump down against the side of his bed.

Toby came walking around the side of his bed, chicobo plush in tow. He stopped for a moment and just stared at his father. Irvine was rubbing his temples, trying to clear his mind and calm himself. The little boy looked around pitifully before refocusing his attention on the teenager sitting before him. His small fingers allowed the chicobo to fall silently to the cool floor. Slowly and unsteadily he made his way over to his father and sat down beside him. Irvine paused and looked down at him. The small boy leaned against his side and closed his eyes.

Irvine slid his books from his lap with his left hand and scooped Toby up with his right. He noticed with a little dissatisfaction that the boy barely stirred. Dr. Kadowaki had diagnosed Toby with having a some type of sinus and ear infection, so it wasn't unusual for Toby to be feeling bad. Irvine carefully laid his son in the crib and reached over for a tissue. He lightly wiped the baby's nose and was rewarded with a grimace in protest. Irvine grinned at the display. Toby hated tissues with a passion and would throw away the box if Irvine kept them within his reach. He discarded the tissue in the trash can and looked back at the books on the floor. Late night cramming might not help him but he didn't feel ready for tomorrow's exam. If he failed what would happen? Right now he was on hold and thus couldn't be deployed on any mission. This was due partly because he was in the process of becoming an instructor, and partly because he was a single parent with a young dependent child.

He trudged into the bathroom and turned the water on. He reached his hands in and splashed his face lightly. His eyes looked hazed and tired. It was as if all energy had been drained from them. He was near exhausted. Reaching behind his head, his hands fought to pull his ponytail out. He really hated it whenever his hair managed to get tangled up. It was very difficult to handle then. He finally succeeded and watched as some of his hair fell back to his face. From what he could tell, he had his mother's hair. That was all he could assume. Edea didn't have a picture of his father. He swept some of his once layered hair over to the side and looked at himself. His thoughts shifted to Selphie. He wondered, like he had many times before, what Edea was trying to suggest about his girl. It worried him. He unbuttoned his flannel shirt and stopped short of pulling of his A-shirt. Something didn't seem right.

It was a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was definitely a new sensation to him. He started to become nervous and wasn't sure why. He stood still in front of the sink and mirror in complete silence. Then it hit him. It was too silent. His thoughts immediately fell on Toby. The boy was thick-headed and stubborn whenever it came to bed time. It didn't matter how tired he was, he would throw a fit and fight until he was either rocked to sleep or just eventually overcome by it.

Irvine hurried back into the bedroom and over to the crib. Toby lay silently, and Irvine could see the rise and fall of his chest. For a moment he was momentarily baffled. He then hesitantly placed a hand on Toby's forehead. Irvine withdrew his hand quickly and then put it back. He had a fever. Irvine's first instinct, oddly enough, was to tell himself to stay calm. He looked down at the infant and watched him uneasily. What was he supposed to do? His hand slid down the boy's shoulder and chest. The rise and fall of his breathing was off as well. Irvine pulled his hand back quickly and looked around. He didn't have the slightest clue as to what was going on or how to handle it.

He pushed away from the crib and fumbled with the phone that was sitting on his bed. With shaky fingers he dialed the infirmary. He heard the clicking sound that signified that his call was being transferred to Dr. Kadowaki's quarters. He looked at the clock on the wall. How late was it? 'Past midnight,' Irvine thought unhappily. The phone rang a few more times, as Irvine watched Toby through the rails of his bed. Why wasn't she answering fast enough? Irvine was beginning to grow worried. Finally she answered.

"I know the time," He blurted out. "Something's wrong with Toby." He leaned against the dresser and clutched the phone cord tightly in- between his fingers. "He's burning up. I-I didn't check.....I don't know where the thermometer is. His temperature was normal a few hours ago. And he's not breathing to well either." Irvine waited for the doctor to respond. He didn't like her silence. After a few moments she asked him to bring Toby in. "Yes ma'am," Irvine's voice came out strained. He stretched the cord out so he could look down into the crib. He watched as his son moved his left leg abruptly, and then his right. The baby appeared to jerk for just a fraction of a second, but Irvine caught it. "Toby?" He asked as he leaned over the rail and shook him gently. Under his palm, Toby felt stiff. Irvine slid his hand down to his son's arm and was surprised at how tense the little muscles were. Toby's eyes just barely cracked open giving Irvine just a glimpse of white. He was taken aback by what he saw. He hadn't a clue what was going on until the boy's arms began to shake and move in spasms. "Toby!" He screamed as he let the phone drop and pulled the railing of the bed down lower. Irvine pushed the blanket out of the way and then watched helplessly, unsure of what to do.

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Doctor Kadowaki recoiled at the sound of Irvine's phone clanging against something. She frowned as she turned on the lights and slipped on a pair of tennis shoes. She could hear some movement on the other end of the line but she couldn't make out what. Keeping her cordless by her ear she grabbed her bag and put her essential instruments in it.

"Irvine!" She shouted, hoping that he might just by chance here her. Her shout wasn't answered, but she could hear Irvine calling Toby's name in a panicked tone. She quickly hung up and began to hurry to Irvine's dorm.

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Mitchell wasn't entirely sure what he was hearing over the dull sound of his television set. He clicked the set off while he listened to the voice. Curious as to what was wrong and just a little worried himself, Mitchell hurried out of his room and knocked on his neighbor's door.

"Hey Kinneas!" He shouted to no response. He knocked some more and then tried the door. It was locked. Thoroughly irritated and concerned, Mitchell returned to his room and picked up a screwdriver and a set of wire cutters. He came back to the door and knocked again. "Irvine!" He shouted.

"I can't get the door!" Irvine shouted back. Mitchell took that as his go-ahead and slid the screwdriver edge in-between the control panel and the wall. With a quick jerk he pulled it free and then carefully looked through the wires. It wouldn't be too hard, the wiring was pretty basic. He paused at the yellow one. He knew it to be the lock. With a quick snip he cut the wire and heard the lock release. It appeared that his training was paying off. The types of locks on the doors were set to automatically disengage if the power supply or wiring were interrupted. It was a well known safety feature to properly trained SeeDs. He then flipped the panel up and pressed the release button and the door slid open quickly. He stepped inside to see Irvine leaned down inside the crib.

"What's wrong?" Mitchell asked; growing increasingly worried by the scene in front of him.

"Get a towel or rag or something," Irvine said from where he was knelt over. Mitchell nodded and went in search of the items. It wasn't long after Mitchell had went in the bathroom that Dr. Kadowaki came in, nigh gown and all. She stepped over to the bedside, and only had to give Toby a brief look to know what was going on.

"He just came out of it?" She asked as she tried to work around a thoroughly panicked Irvine.

"Yeah. Just now," Was the only answer she received. Mitchell returned with a rag, and Irvine wiped at the drool around Toby's mouth.

Dr. Kadowaki frowned slightly as she lifted the baby up. He still appeared to be in a state of confusion. "I'd like to take him back to the infirmary." Irvine nodded quickly and grabbed his card key off the hook on the wall as he followed her out into the hallway. Mitchell was now left alone in the room. He ran his hands through his messy black hair as he slowly stepped back into the hallway. He nervously secured the panel back to the wall and listened to the retreating footsteps heading toward the infirmary.

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Verdanii - Glad you liked it.

Ameli Stoncius - Glad you liked the last one so much. Glad you liked the make out scene. If you couldn't tell, I was hesitant to post it. You should have seen me trying to proof read it to tell if it was okay to upload. I was here for hours.

aratcorien - I appreciate your review. Glad the make out scene was tasteful. I was so afraid to post it. I actually thought about taking it off a few times. What is Nikki planning? Hmm....

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You guys probably hate me right now. They say write what you know right? Please don't flame me or send any threats. *considers going into hiding* I'll update soon. Please read and review. I'd really appreciate it.