Author's note: Thanks for all the reviews! I'd also like to thank one of my friends who 'tried' to help me finish chap5 but sucked at it. So if you disliked the previous chapter blame him. Sorry about making chapter 5 short too…Ran out of ideas and I was getting desperate to upload something. peace

P.S. Was thinking of giving Rinoa something better to do, like die or something, what do you think??

Legend: Words in italics are obviously thoughts, or to softly emphasize, whatever that means…while words in bold, are to emphasize, or for any other obvious reason. means transfer of character, obviously enough…

Warnings: If you want to read something that will stimulate your mind and enrich your vocabulary, or probably anything that a sane person would write, stay far away, I mean FAR AWAY, from my fics, for these fics can cause permanent brain damage and most likely insanity. Well…other warnings are: Shounen-ai / yaoi / a bit of angst / foul language / some MAJOR OOC / drugs / and some other stuff that might not be pleasant for children…if you don't like those stuff, I advise you to leave now. No lemon in this chapter!!!

Disclaimer: Do we even need this? I mean, if I owned Zell, Seifer and all the other ff8 characters, then I wouldn't need to write in , I would also be writing my own book by now! Anyway, Squaresoft owns all those cool characters, not me, so don't sue me.

Chapter 6

"Drugs?! What makes you think I'm taking drugs?!"

"Zell, there's no need to deny it anymore! The doctor told us himself! He found it in your blood man!"

"B…But that's impossible! I… don't remember taking any!"

"Then would you kindly explain to me, oh great one, why the doc found valium in your system?"

"VALIUM?! What the fuck?! I don't take that shit! Honest!"

"Are you implying that the doctor is a liar?!"

"Damn right he is! I'm tellin' ya Irvine, I don't do valium!"

"I don't think test results can lie Zell, but anyway, you still have to stay here for a week at least so the doctor can do more tests on you to see if you're stable enough on your own."

"A WEEK?! What the hell?! What am I supposed to do here for that long?! Lie around and do nothing? Let those damned doctors do anything they want with me? Poke me with those little instruments of theirs? You have to be kidding me!"

"Nope, no joke, you stay here for one week, as for us, we probably would stay here a few days, depends on Squall's decision."

"Squall? You told him already? What did he say?"

"I don't know yet, I didn't tell him directly… I made Quistis tell him." The hat-wearing man said with an evil smile spread across his face.

---

Meanwhile, back at the garden…

-knock-

…

-knock knock-

….....…

"Squall, it's me, I have something important to tell you."

"Enter."

As the door slowly opened, the blonde instructor replayed her little speech in her head over and over again so as to lessen the increasing anxiety inside her. After all, who could blame her, being the poor, unfortunate creature to inform Squall "Leonheartless" of one of his comrade's illness, is no walk in the park. It's more like a walk in a blazing path of hot coal and burning lava…while being chased by dozens of Tonberrys with their little knives out to get you.

"What is it Quistis?" He said, breaking her little reverie.

"Huh? Oh yeah…"

"Well? I haven't got all day."

"I am here to report about the mission you sent Selphie and the others on."

"Why are you the one giving me the report? They can easily give me the report instead when they return in a few days."

"You see… I don't think they'll be back in a few days exactly…More like a week perhaps? Or more…"

"What exactly are you talking about?"

Well here goes nothing…

"Zell collapsed the moment their mission was finished because he was taking drugs, specifically valium and now's he hospitalized, and is in critical condition and needs to stay there at least for a week so the doctors could do more tests on him."

"WHAT?! ZELL?! WHEN?! HOW?! WHY?! WH…?!"

"Take it easy Squall, take deep breaths… breath in… breath out… breath in…"

"Damn it, Quistis, this is no time for breathing exercises, though I do admit that would help."

"I know, too bad I didn't knew it earlier…I became unconscious when Irvine first told me."

"Quistis, could you leave me for a while, I need time to think."

"Sure, no problem."

---

Outside Squall's office…

Zell? Oh no… Could it be?

As I knew that Quisits was out of earshot… I started the breathing exercises.

Breath in…breath out… breath in… breath out…think happy thoughts…breath in… breath out… happy thoughts… breath in… breath out… Too much stress… Stress… not a happy thought… Umm… sleep… yeah…that's a happy thought alright.

"Xu? Can you take over for a while? I need a break."

"…"

"Xu?"

"…"

"Xu?! Where the hell did she go?"

---

After 30 minutes of breathing exercises, Squall resumed to his normal, calm and stoic self. Then after an hour of working, unfortunately without Xu to intervene, an individual who should know better than to disturb the lion at work came in.

"Squaaaall…" The raven-haired girl uttered in the most persuasive manner.

"What?" The other replied, without the utmost concern, still buried deep within the piles of papers on his desk.

"You've been cooped up in this office for days now, come and have lunch with me!"

"I'm sorry Rinoa, but I still have tons of work to do. And I still have Zell and the others to worry about."

"Work, work, work! Is that all you ever think about?!"

"No, of course not, I also think about talking, blinking and breathing." Squall said with a little more hint of sarcasm than necessary.

"Wha?! The nerve! I've had it up to here with your insensitivity and sarcasm! You…You're… You're such a meanie!!!"

"Meanie? .... That's the only insult you can come up with? Is that even a real word? Gods…Rinoa, did you even finish preschool? I mean, your vocabulary isn't necessarily complex."

"Well…uh…It's not my fault! It's my dad's fault! He's so stupid, I must have caught his disease or something!"

"Whatever... Now if you don't need anything else, I trust you know your way to the door."

"Wait, what do you mean by you have to worry about Zell and the others?"

"Nothing, it's none of your business…"

"Come on! Tell me! Tell me, tell me tell me tell me!"

"Rinoa… I don't have time for this!"

"Let's have a deal, you tell me what it is and I leave you alone for the rest of the day!"

"Tch… Fine."

"Yeah!"

"… Just so you know, Zell's stoned and is in the hospital. Now, bye!"

"W…why? W..where?"

"Bye!" Squall said more sternly this time.

"Hmph! Bye."

---

As I silently and half-reluctantly left the office of my oh so sensitive boyfriend, I started to doubt if my plan was good after all.

Hmm…I don't think this is working as it's supposed to… He's supposed to distract him, not kill him! Now, Squall will even be worried about him! I'm already having trouble with all his other friends constantly getting his attention! How am I supposed to get to him now? I think it's about time to have a little chat with an old friend…

---

Back at the hospital balcony…

"Selphie?"

"Ya?"

"Has he told you anything about the previous months?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh…If I tell you, will you promise me that you will tell no one, not even him, about it?"

"Well, gee, if it's that important. Yeah, sure, you have my word."

"Do you remember the time when his mom was in the hospital?"

"Yeah… he ran off, then somehow he came back… only he was being treated too."

"I brought him there, I followed him, then found him. Did he ever tell you why he was there?"

"No, not really, at first we agreed to let him tell us if he's ready…but he never got around to doing it. So, one of us, namely, Quisty, talked to him and asked him about. She said that he refused to answer and that it's none of our business."

"So..he never said anything... I'm only telling you this since I think you have the right to know, ok?"

"Of course..."

"I didn't see everything, but I have an idea of what happened. It's like this…I saw him near a building… he was holding a rusty old knife…he was about to place the tip of the blade on his arm…"

"Oh my! You mean he… he was about t-t…to…?!"

"Yeah, he was about to commit suicide." He said, finishing the sentence for her, and became contemplative after saying so.

"I… I…. don't know what to say…"

They both fell quiet, each pondering on the recent exchange. The silence…not uncomfortable, instead reassuring, their thoughts occupying the need for conversation.

Suicide?! Zell? No…I can't believe it. I don't think he's capable of that. Is he? Why would he result to something as… as grave… as that?! We know how hard it is to have lost his mom, aren't we doing our part to cheer him up? Did we fail as his friends? Didn't we comfort him enough?

---

"Don't you remember anything?" Irvine said, obviously frustrated.

"Why won't you believe me?! I don't take valium! This is bullshit!"

"Maybe I can bring light on a few things…"

"Xu?!"

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

Author's note: CLIFFHANGERS ROCK! Haha. Trust me, I don't like tormenting readers by making cliffhangers, it's just that it makes the next chapter much more anticipating to read! Anyway, sorry for the short chapter! I assure you, everything will be revealed in the next… few chapters!