He was woken by Rinoa, her concerned face looking down on his. His whole face hurt. Gingerly, he touched his scar. His glove came away wet.
Damn, he thought, it's bleeding again. However, he had no time to worry about that. The whole Garden was once again in a state of panic.
"How long was I out?" Asked Squall.
"Only half a minute, maybe," came Rinoa's concerned response. Squall immediately sprang into action again, retrieving his discarded megaphone. Even from his vantage point at the crossroads of the south gate, stairs and the ring corridor, he could see daylight through where the training centre once stood.
"Attention, everyone," Squall's voiced came through the megaphone for the second time in as many minutes, "Again, it is vital that you do not panic and stick to your given tasks. Anybody currently in the training centre is to finish what they're doing and evacuate immediately. Everyone else, once you're done, assemble in the quad."
Again, his voice had a calming effect, as everyone diligently went about their tasks. Quickly, Squall located Troy, the Garden's resident explosives expert, and dispatched him to the rebuilt quad. Squall was damned if he was going to send the students of the Garden to their death. Again, he set off up the stairs, this time clinging onto the handrail as he climbed. On his way up, he noticed that a few of the monsters had escaped the training centre, but fortunately, there were plenty of SeeDs on hand to deal with it. He continued up to the third floor, and entered Cid's office.
There, he found Cid, Quistis and Xu waiting for him. He entered and took the seat they had been reserving for him. Cid filled him in on the exact details of what happened, where exactly the explosions had taken place and the current casualty report from Dr. Kadowaki. He also explained that they had heard his radio calls, but could not respond. Satisfied with these explanations, Squall excused himself, explaining that he had a Garden to help out, and went back downstairs to help the students get a bearing on what had happened.
It was a full seven hours before they managed to calm everything down to a reasonable level. The training centre had been fully evacuated and sealed, except for the investigation team currently trying to piece together what had happened, and the wounded were, well, less wounded. Zell too was conscious, and asking for hotdogs.
Guess he's going to be fine, then. Squall thought with a smirk. However, he then had to stifle back a yawn. It was 2AM and he was shattered. Legendary hero he may be, but he still needed his sleep, same as everyone else. Cid had ordered an investigation that wouldn't be finished until at least Midday, so Squall had ordered everyone to get some rest. Guess I had better follow my own orders, then, thought Squall, as he headed to his and Rinoa's room. When he entered, he was in for a surprise- Rinoa had not gone to bed, but had in fact waited up for him. She greeted him with a smile, and he responded in kind. He walked over to her, and gave her a hug and a kiss, much like he'd done several hundred times before.
"I thought I ordered you to get some sleep," Squall joked.
"You know how I am with following orders," Rinoa responded.
"We'll see about that," Squall said, as in one swift move, his hands were under Rinoa's thighs, and he had lifted her and dumped her on her back, on the bed. Rinoa didn't seem to mind too much, as she lay there, smiling. Squall removed his boots and his jacket and joined her on the bed, trying not to show that he was exhausted.
"You tired?" She asked.
"Nope," Squall lied.
"Fibber," she responded. She could always tell the instant Squall was lying.
Squall closed his eyes. "Okay, today has been a bit tiring, I'll admit, but I'm fine."
They laid there for a few seconds, before Rinoa asked-
"So what did they want you for in Esthar?"
Damn! Laguna! Thought Squall. In all the commotion, he'd completely forgotten about it. Still, he was in no mood to tell anyone about it now, while he needed his sleep.
"Angel," said Squall, addressing Rinoa by his pet name for her, "It's a long story. Can I tell you tomorrow morning?"
"Sure," replied Rinoa, "you need your sleep. Garden needs it's commander sharp, especially now." She leaned over and kissed him again. "Good night, Squall."
"Good night, Angel," replied Squall, turning off the light. Within 30 seconds, he was sound asleep.
Six hours later, at 8AM, Rinoa's alarm clock went off, and she awoke, alarmed to find herself alone in bed. Obviously Squall had decided he needed his sleep, but only up to a point. She rolled over onto his side of the bed, somewhat surprised to find herself rolling onto a piece of paper. Obviously Squall had left her a note. She picked it up and read it.
"Dear Angel," it said, "I'm sorry to have left you this note but I needed to get up and be active. I'll be in the cafeteria until 9, if you want to continue that conversation we started last night. Love, Squall"
Rinoa put down the note and smiled. Typical Squall, she thought, ever since he became commander he can't not be doing anything. She slowly got up and headed to the shower, then dressed and went to meet her boyfriend in the cafeteria.
When she arrived, however, she had a struggle finding him amongst the throng of people- medics, wounded, and people who simply wanted their breakfast. She was surprised, however, to find Squall in the third group, eventually locating him sat with a serious-looking Quistis and Irvine at a table at the back, munching on a croissant. Noticing her, he waved her over (he couldn't shout as his mouth was full), and she sat down opposite the table from him, where he had set her breakfast down for her. However, she wasn't very hungry.
"How's Zell?" She asked, ignoring her food.
"Not good," Quistis replied. "He's stable, but the Doctors say he's fractured his skull. He should make a full recovery within a couple of months."
"Is he here?" Rinoa asked, looking around. This time, it was Irvine, the usually cheerful sharpshooter who responded with the low tone of voice that had become standard in the Garden since the bombings.
"No," Irvine said, "He's being kept in the infirmary, with all the other badly wounded."
Rinoa nodded, then paused before asking the question she'd been dreading to ask.
"Was anyone killed in the explosions?" She asked, quietly. Suddenly, Quistis and Irvine both directed their attention towards their hands, leaving Squall to deliver the bad news.
"Wayne and Nicole didn't make it," Squall glumly informed her. Rinoa gasped and put her hand to her mouth- Wayne she didn't know too well, but she had been friends with Nicole, and the news had upset her. Noticing this, Squall reached across the table and gently squeezed her hand. Irvine took the opportunity to speak.
"We're gonna find the bastards who did this, right?" He asked.
"Absolutely," Squall replied. "The investigators are almost finished. We will find out who was behind this." There was another brief pause, before Rinoa spoke again.
"Squall," she started, "Last night you said you were going to tell me what happened in Esthar."
Squall looked down. He hadn't wanted to tell Rinoa under these circumstances. Or Quistis or Irvine, for that matter. Nonetheless, the subject had reared its ugly head, and he had no option but to reply.
However, as if on cue, the PA system sounded, and Cid's voice was heard, summoning Squall to his office.
"Looks like it'll have to wait," Squall said. He got up and left, but not before kissing Rinoa on the cheek. When he had gone, Irvine spoke up again, noticing Rinoa's untouched breakfast.
"Ya know, you really should eat something," he said. Much of the time, the responsibility of cheering people up fell on his shoulders, and he felt that this was one of those times.
"I'm not hungry," Rinoa replied. Usually, Irvine prided himself on his way with women, but he was falling flat on his face here. Fortunately, Quistis was there to throw him a lifeline.
"Squall did say that they'd find whoever was responsible," she interjected. Rinoa looked into her friend's bespectacled face, usually stern, but on this occasion was relaxed into a friendly smile. However, Rinoa was still depressed.
"But that won't bring Wayne or Nikki back, will it? Or repair Zell's fractured skull," Rinoa retorted.
"I know," Quistis replied, "but at the moment, it's all we can do." Rinoa nodded. Quistis had a point, but it didn't make her feel any better. Maybe Squall would have some good news when he finished meeting with Cid.
Damn, he thought, it's bleeding again. However, he had no time to worry about that. The whole Garden was once again in a state of panic.
"How long was I out?" Asked Squall.
"Only half a minute, maybe," came Rinoa's concerned response. Squall immediately sprang into action again, retrieving his discarded megaphone. Even from his vantage point at the crossroads of the south gate, stairs and the ring corridor, he could see daylight through where the training centre once stood.
"Attention, everyone," Squall's voiced came through the megaphone for the second time in as many minutes, "Again, it is vital that you do not panic and stick to your given tasks. Anybody currently in the training centre is to finish what they're doing and evacuate immediately. Everyone else, once you're done, assemble in the quad."
Again, his voice had a calming effect, as everyone diligently went about their tasks. Quickly, Squall located Troy, the Garden's resident explosives expert, and dispatched him to the rebuilt quad. Squall was damned if he was going to send the students of the Garden to their death. Again, he set off up the stairs, this time clinging onto the handrail as he climbed. On his way up, he noticed that a few of the monsters had escaped the training centre, but fortunately, there were plenty of SeeDs on hand to deal with it. He continued up to the third floor, and entered Cid's office.
There, he found Cid, Quistis and Xu waiting for him. He entered and took the seat they had been reserving for him. Cid filled him in on the exact details of what happened, where exactly the explosions had taken place and the current casualty report from Dr. Kadowaki. He also explained that they had heard his radio calls, but could not respond. Satisfied with these explanations, Squall excused himself, explaining that he had a Garden to help out, and went back downstairs to help the students get a bearing on what had happened.
It was a full seven hours before they managed to calm everything down to a reasonable level. The training centre had been fully evacuated and sealed, except for the investigation team currently trying to piece together what had happened, and the wounded were, well, less wounded. Zell too was conscious, and asking for hotdogs.
Guess he's going to be fine, then. Squall thought with a smirk. However, he then had to stifle back a yawn. It was 2AM and he was shattered. Legendary hero he may be, but he still needed his sleep, same as everyone else. Cid had ordered an investigation that wouldn't be finished until at least Midday, so Squall had ordered everyone to get some rest. Guess I had better follow my own orders, then, thought Squall, as he headed to his and Rinoa's room. When he entered, he was in for a surprise- Rinoa had not gone to bed, but had in fact waited up for him. She greeted him with a smile, and he responded in kind. He walked over to her, and gave her a hug and a kiss, much like he'd done several hundred times before.
"I thought I ordered you to get some sleep," Squall joked.
"You know how I am with following orders," Rinoa responded.
"We'll see about that," Squall said, as in one swift move, his hands were under Rinoa's thighs, and he had lifted her and dumped her on her back, on the bed. Rinoa didn't seem to mind too much, as she lay there, smiling. Squall removed his boots and his jacket and joined her on the bed, trying not to show that he was exhausted.
"You tired?" She asked.
"Nope," Squall lied.
"Fibber," she responded. She could always tell the instant Squall was lying.
Squall closed his eyes. "Okay, today has been a bit tiring, I'll admit, but I'm fine."
They laid there for a few seconds, before Rinoa asked-
"So what did they want you for in Esthar?"
Damn! Laguna! Thought Squall. In all the commotion, he'd completely forgotten about it. Still, he was in no mood to tell anyone about it now, while he needed his sleep.
"Angel," said Squall, addressing Rinoa by his pet name for her, "It's a long story. Can I tell you tomorrow morning?"
"Sure," replied Rinoa, "you need your sleep. Garden needs it's commander sharp, especially now." She leaned over and kissed him again. "Good night, Squall."
"Good night, Angel," replied Squall, turning off the light. Within 30 seconds, he was sound asleep.
Six hours later, at 8AM, Rinoa's alarm clock went off, and she awoke, alarmed to find herself alone in bed. Obviously Squall had decided he needed his sleep, but only up to a point. She rolled over onto his side of the bed, somewhat surprised to find herself rolling onto a piece of paper. Obviously Squall had left her a note. She picked it up and read it.
"Dear Angel," it said, "I'm sorry to have left you this note but I needed to get up and be active. I'll be in the cafeteria until 9, if you want to continue that conversation we started last night. Love, Squall"
Rinoa put down the note and smiled. Typical Squall, she thought, ever since he became commander he can't not be doing anything. She slowly got up and headed to the shower, then dressed and went to meet her boyfriend in the cafeteria.
When she arrived, however, she had a struggle finding him amongst the throng of people- medics, wounded, and people who simply wanted their breakfast. She was surprised, however, to find Squall in the third group, eventually locating him sat with a serious-looking Quistis and Irvine at a table at the back, munching on a croissant. Noticing her, he waved her over (he couldn't shout as his mouth was full), and she sat down opposite the table from him, where he had set her breakfast down for her. However, she wasn't very hungry.
"How's Zell?" She asked, ignoring her food.
"Not good," Quistis replied. "He's stable, but the Doctors say he's fractured his skull. He should make a full recovery within a couple of months."
"Is he here?" Rinoa asked, looking around. This time, it was Irvine, the usually cheerful sharpshooter who responded with the low tone of voice that had become standard in the Garden since the bombings.
"No," Irvine said, "He's being kept in the infirmary, with all the other badly wounded."
Rinoa nodded, then paused before asking the question she'd been dreading to ask.
"Was anyone killed in the explosions?" She asked, quietly. Suddenly, Quistis and Irvine both directed their attention towards their hands, leaving Squall to deliver the bad news.
"Wayne and Nicole didn't make it," Squall glumly informed her. Rinoa gasped and put her hand to her mouth- Wayne she didn't know too well, but she had been friends with Nicole, and the news had upset her. Noticing this, Squall reached across the table and gently squeezed her hand. Irvine took the opportunity to speak.
"We're gonna find the bastards who did this, right?" He asked.
"Absolutely," Squall replied. "The investigators are almost finished. We will find out who was behind this." There was another brief pause, before Rinoa spoke again.
"Squall," she started, "Last night you said you were going to tell me what happened in Esthar."
Squall looked down. He hadn't wanted to tell Rinoa under these circumstances. Or Quistis or Irvine, for that matter. Nonetheless, the subject had reared its ugly head, and he had no option but to reply.
However, as if on cue, the PA system sounded, and Cid's voice was heard, summoning Squall to his office.
"Looks like it'll have to wait," Squall said. He got up and left, but not before kissing Rinoa on the cheek. When he had gone, Irvine spoke up again, noticing Rinoa's untouched breakfast.
"Ya know, you really should eat something," he said. Much of the time, the responsibility of cheering people up fell on his shoulders, and he felt that this was one of those times.
"I'm not hungry," Rinoa replied. Usually, Irvine prided himself on his way with women, but he was falling flat on his face here. Fortunately, Quistis was there to throw him a lifeline.
"Squall did say that they'd find whoever was responsible," she interjected. Rinoa looked into her friend's bespectacled face, usually stern, but on this occasion was relaxed into a friendly smile. However, Rinoa was still depressed.
"But that won't bring Wayne or Nikki back, will it? Or repair Zell's fractured skull," Rinoa retorted.
"I know," Quistis replied, "but at the moment, it's all we can do." Rinoa nodded. Quistis had a point, but it didn't make her feel any better. Maybe Squall would have some good news when he finished meeting with Cid.