Disclaimer: I don't own them ...if I did Zack would be alive...Like in my story!
Another Path
Zack groaned. His chest hurt, it burned. Every breath sent fire through his body. Why did it hurt? He could not remember. He felt a slight pressure on his shoulder but tried to ignore it. God, his bed had gotten stiff over the years, it almost felt as if he was sleeping on a road, grave sticking painfully into his back. Maybe he could switch mattresses with Cloud without him knowing, although Clouds mattress probably wasn't any better.
"Zack."
Zack groaned again. Of all the days Cloud needed help with his homework he had to choose the only day Zack felt like shit.
"Normally I would be dying to help you Spiky, but I don't feel so well." Zack began, trying his best to push thoughts of sleep from of his mind.
"Why don't you just read the question to me?"
There was a brief pause, most likely Cloud grabbing the text book, except there was no rustle of pages. Maybe Cloud could tell he didn't feel well and had planned accordingly. Smart of him.
"What? Zack, you've been shot." Came Cloud's confused reply.
Zack went still for a moment. He was shot? He snapped open his eyes only to close them again as the sun hit his retinas.
"Ah!"
He tried to move his hand to cover his eyes but felt the pressure intensify until his arm was immobile. He moved his other hand to his face and opened his eyes cautiously. He blinked a few times to clear his vision. A hot mid day sun stared down on him, heating his body. As near as he could tell it appeared that he was lying on what appeared to be the side of a road, but as to what road Zack could only guess. He glanced over at his other arm. It turned out the pressure he felt was Cloud holding his arm down to the ground, but for what reason was a loss to Zack. Cloud looked frazzled, his eyes blood shot as if he had been crying.
"You alright there Spiky?" Zack asked not bothering to hide the concern in his voice.
Had Cloud been shot as well? As far as he could tell from outward appearances the boy appeared to be fine.
Cloud gave him the biggest smile Zack was sure he had ever seen since meeting the boy.
"Yep."
Zack nodded his head, relived. He laid his head back onto the ground, rubbing at his eyes. He could feel a headache forming behind his eyes. So what had happened? Were they on a mission that had gone bad? If that was so where was the rest of the team? Were Cloud and himself the only survivors? He couldn't remember anything.
"Good. So, what the hell happened?"
Cloud's face quickly slipped into a frown, blue eyes narrowing, inspecting his face closely.
"You don't remember?" Cloud asked after a moment.
Zack thought for a moment. He supposed it was logical that he should know how he ended up in his current state. He remembered pain. Pain where did that come from? He remembered needles, Cloud's limp body falling down onto a cold steel floor. He remembered fighting, finding a trucker to give them a ride into town. He had seen the reflection of a sniper rifle. Cloud, look out. He remembered feeling a searing pain in his shoulder, more pain, and then darkness.
"Huh."
Cloud narrowed his eyes worriedly. He did not like the look on his friends face, it was too dark, his eyes had dulled momentarily and the smile was gone. The memories of the past few days were no doubt returning to him. After a few minutes of waiting for a reply Cloud broke his friend from his thoughts.
"Zack?"
Zack turned his head back to Cloud.
"What's that Spiky?"
"Do you think you could sit up?"
Zack glanced down his body. He could see large blood stains formed on his shirt, but he could not feel anything.
"Cloud?"
"Yes?"
"Cloud how many times was I shot?"
Cloud swallowed, trying to still the rising bile he felt as he remembered first exaimining his friend.
"Four."
Zack raised an eyebrow curiously. Four times, and he had survived? Must not have been good shots.
"Why can't I feel any of them?"
"Well, I suppose we should think about heading in to town."
Cloud nodded in agreement.
"Do you think we should wait for dusk?" Cloud asked, eying the sky.
It was midday, Cloud guessed around three or four, meaning they would only have to wait four or five more hours.
"Most likely, but I miss my girlfriend."
Cloud glanced over at his friend.
"You're willing to risk your life just to get to your girlfriend a few hours early?"
Cloud asked incredulously. As soon as the question had left his mouth Cloud knew the answer. It was Zack, of course he would.
Zack smiled, cautiously stretching his limbs. He could still feel the pain, but whatever Cloud had given him had taken the edge off.
"You have obviously never been in love Spiky."
Cloud's cheeks turned pink briefly, averting his eyes from his friend.
Zack gave a laugh.
"I know, I know Tifa."
Zack turned his gaze back to his friend. He had planned to say more, but the look on his friends face stilled his words. Mako enhanced blue eyes stared at him unshed tears filling them up, sickly sweet smile lingering on his lips.
"Cloud, what's the matter?"
Cloud shook his head and cleared his throat.
"I just thought I would never hear you laugh again."
Zack felt his chest tighten. He had been that far off? He slowly approached his friend and clapped a hand onto his friends shoulder.
"I'm not going anywhere Spiky."
Cloud smiled.
"Besides, even if I did die, you know I would haunt you."
Cloud rolled his eyes, turning to head down the path. He heard Zack follow his a second later.
"You'd be sitting in the toilet and suddenly hear cackling and you wouldn't know why. People will think you had lost your marbles."
Cloud sighed for good measure, but the smile never left his face.
"Tifa would even set you up in a home. You'd draw pictures of me like that kid did in The Ring."