Disclaimer: Radiata Stories and all of its characters, places, etc. are copyrighted by Squarenix et. al.
A/N: Umm…well, this one is supposed to be a semi-crack fic, though I reckon that it's not, perhaps, all that funny. Thanks to all of you who have been reading. And for those who had spent their time typing reviews, your words have been most encouraging and are very much appreciated, thank you so much!

Medical Abomination
Theme #3 jolt, #16. Invincible; unrivaled, #28 Wada Calcium CD3

She hesitated at the entrance of the infirmary. Fingers wrapped tightly on the object she had bought on her way back to the castle, half expecting that it would suddenly grow feet and run away. It was frustrating, really. Why, in the name of Tottaus, should she be doing this? She wouldn't mind taking care of someone who happened to be injured, trying to save her while she had foolishly slipped from the stairs and taking the damage on her place. It was well and fine, as long as it wasn't him. Because this man, who was sprawled over the bed with one of his legs bandaged, always seemed to take pleasure from all of her awkward moments, knowing that the girl felt somehow indebted to him. And he would, every once in a while, intentionally insult her pride.

"Is that you, Ridley?" Oh, he noticed? She rolled her eyes. "Why are you just standing there? Come on in. By the way, I was going to write a report just before you arrived but the pen was on the table over there and the doctor said that I couldn't move my leg yet. Could you, please..."

"Of course," she replied tonelessly, snatching the pen from the said table (which she could have sworn that he could have reached it had he given more effort to stretch his arm) and handed it to Cross. Patient, she told herself. She shouldn't be miffed over something like this. The more she was annoyed, the more he would enjoy his little game.

"Thank you." He flashed her his infamous haughty smile to her disgust.

"Anyway," she started, the sooner she got this conversation over with was the better. "I bring you, er...well, you could call it a gift. You did save me and all, I think."

"Oh?" He raised his eyebrows in a sceptical way. He knew it had never been Ridley's way to suddenly shower people with presents, even when she owed them gratitude.

"Here." She thrust something small and cylinder-shaped into his hand as fast as she could, completely ignoring his look of utter mistrust. He observed his supposed 'gift' -- a plastic tube filled with some unidentified medicine (or worse, he predicted wryly), and frowned.

"Wada Calcium CD3," she announced. "A new formula of Calcium pills, or so I heard."

"Calcium?" He gaped dumbly, still disbelieving his fiancée's bad taste in gifts.

"Oh, please. Calcium is one of the alkaline, placed under Magnesium on the periodic table and is an essential constituent for your bones. It's also-"

"I know what Calcium is," he snapped, feeling a slight jolt of irritation. "Who in the world gave you the idea that I'd be needing this?"

She grinned inwardly, maybe with a little more effort and patience she could actually beat him at his own game. "As grateful as a goblin being taken for a bath, aren't you? It's about time you realise that your build is not invincible. You have broken bones, Cross. I think that it will help your fractured ankle to recover faster." And to stop you from being such a pain, she muttered under her breath.

"My body is fast to recover, even without the wretched Calcium on the first place. I don't need it."

She sighed, more dramatically than she had intended to do, and took the tube away from Cross' hand. "Some gentleman you are, throwing away something that other people gave you without any regard. Well, it's fine for me, though. I'll just tell your subordinates that their almighty Captain Cross of The Noire Mouton Brigade is happy to have his extra days in bed."

He let out a disdainful sniff before snatching back the object from her grasp. "Tch, fine! I'll devour those wretched pills. Happy, now?"

"Absolutely," Ridley flatly responded. She watched as he took the one of the pills and, with the help of a glass of water, swallowed it. But what occurred from there on was truly unexpected. Her eyes widened, surprised at the immediate reaction the supplement pill had on his body. She had never, in her life, seen people sent off into a sudden black-out as soon they consumed any medicine.

-

He woke up to find someone loitering about him.

"--ly awake. Geez, not that I'm worried or anything, but you seriously gave me a shock back there. I thought I had just killed you by accident or something."

His vision blurred, his head and chest gave a near-synchronised throb. He winced, trying to focus his sight at objects around him. Slowly, everything became apparent to his eyes. And the face that was hovering above him took his breath away. She was the most perfect masterpiece of beauty that God had ever made. Her face reflected some sort of grace and elegance he couldn't comprehend, with a pair of shining green eyes that were so deep and absorbing that he found himself lost in the realm they created. And her hair...her hair was golden, glimmering under the sunlight, which was filtering through the windows. He wanted, so much, to touch it and see it for himself if it was as soft as he--

"What's with you, Cross? Stop looking me like that, you're creeping me out."

Ah! Her voice rang clear and musical to his ears. "My fair lady," he said breathlessly.

"Excuse me?"

He took one of her hands; her skin was frighteningly soft, and he felt it burn under his grasp. "Lady Ridley, my fair...will you let me kiss you, just for once? I beg of you, make me yours and I shall be your sla--"

"AHHH! Get away from me!" She yanked her hand from his fervent grasp and ran for the door in haste as if her life depended on it, silently thanking the God that Cross had one fractured ankle.

She closed the door behind her and gulped, trying to recover from the shock and horror she had just experienced. Yet even then, she could still hear Cross clamouring his undying love for her from behind the door. She shuddered.

"I have to inform Morfinn," she breathed, "that his medicine doesn't work like he said it would."

- End -

19/03/06 -- Edited. Much thanks to Elysian Stars for the wonderful concrit.