A/N: "
italics between quotations are lyrics
"
Midgar Hospital, Pediatric Ward
Room #304
1:59:45 am.
A small bed with wheels is stationed near a window that overlooks the sector 7 slums. In the bed, under a heap of blankets, is a little girl. Under normal circumstances, she has light brown hair that bounces when she steps and brown eyes that sparkle.
These are not normal circumstances. Right now, the sparkle from her eyes has gone and her beautiful hair is flat and dark with sweat and it's glued to her forehead. She is asleep.
Tifa is not.
"
Hello, God, it's me again.
Two a.m., room 304
"
Tifa's hands are folded in front of her and she is kneeling next to the bed. She dares not breathe for fear that she will cry.
"
Visiting hours are over.
Time for our bedside tug-o-war
"
Marlene is very ill. Her sickness struck hard and fast, and now the doctors say she might not last until morning.
Tifa is afraid. And so, she prays.
"
This sleeping child between us
may not make it through the night.
I'm fighting back the tears
as she fights for her life.
"
Tifa doesn't understand. None of us do. Why must something so awful happen to a wonderful child like Marlene?
"
It must be kinda crowded
on the streets of Heaven
so, tell me, what do You need her for?
"
"Please," Tifa whispers. "Please don't take her away."
"
Don't You know one day
she'll be Your little girl forever?
But right now I need her so much more.
"
Marlene's seventh birthday was only two weeks ago. It had been a wonderful day with cake and presents. Marlene's favorite person in the whole world was even there to celebrate with her: Vincent Valentine.
The next day, Marlene was sick.
"
She's much too young to be on her own
barely just turned seven.
So, who will hold her hand
when she crosses the streets of Heaven?
"
the doctors suspect Mako poisoning. We say that's absurd because Marlene has never been exposed to Mako. The doctors tell us that an old reactor has been leaking Mako into Midgar's filtered water supply ever since Avalanche destroyed it.
Barrett is unconsolable about this fact.
"
Tell me, God, do You remember the wishes that she made
when she blew out the candles on her last birthday cake?
"
We tell him there's no way he could have known. He says he should have. We remind him that he saved the planet. He says he killed his daughter. We tell him she's not dead, and his hope holds out another day.
Marlene has been in the hospital for eight days. On her third day, as she played with the doll Vincent got her for her birthday, she asked Barrett, totally out of the blue, "When I grow up, will you marry me, Daddy?"
And for the first time, we saw Barrett cry.
"
She wants to ride a pony when she's big enough.
She wants to marry her Daddy when she's all grown up.
Well, it must be kinda crowded on the streets of Heaven
So, tell me, what do You need her for?
Don't You know one day she'll be your little girl forever?
But right now I need her so much more.
She's much too young to be on her own,
barely just turned seven.
So, who will hold her hand when she crosses the streets of Heaven?
"
Marlene wanted to sleep next to the window so she could look outside and monitor business at Tifa's Seventh Heaven. She looks so pitiful in her hospital bed. As if Sephiroth, Meteor, Kadaj and Geostigma weren't enough.
I don't know what I'll do if . . . .
"
Lord, don't You know she's my angel?
You've got plenty of Your own.
"
. . . . if she dies.
"
And I know You hold a place for her, but she's already got a home.
Well, I don't know if You're listening, but praying's all that's left to do.
So, I ask You, Lord, have mercy. You lost a son once, too . . .
"
Poor Denzel won't know what to do with himself. I might have to teach him to be a man sooner than he's ready. I think I'll join in Tifa's prayer.
"And it must be kinda crowded on the streets of Heaven,
so, tell me, what do You need her for?
Don't You know one day she'll be Your little girl forever?
But right now I need her so much more.
And Lord, I know once You've made up Your mind, there's no use in begging.
So, if You take her with You today, will You make sure she looks both ways?
And would You hold her hand when she crosses the streets of Heaven?
"
Tifa lifts her head and looks at me, and I can't tell if she's crying because her heart's broken or because it's healed. "Cloud . . . "
Dawn has broken.
The streets of Heaven . . .
A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. The song belongs to Sherrie Austin. Don't forget to tell me what you think!