Shadow of the wolf
Part IV
It was darkening already on mount Nibel, and Rose was busying herself in the kitchen while the doctor Kei was up with Cloud. The poor child was in need of professional aid since he had been found, injured and on the brisk of hypothermia. She still didn't know what had happened to him, and neither did Cloud. Whatever had hit him made him forget most of the memories he had of yesterday. He was also falling ill, Nibel cold for sure, and Cloud meant everything to her. There was no way she could lose him to the same illness that had taken her very first child, Cloud's older brother, Sapphire. He had passed away a few weeks after his first birthday. Roman and her had been permanently marked by this tragedy, and when Cloud was born, they had always cherished him as their most precious possession. Roman was the one closest to their son, and when he was taken away Cloud had lost a part of himself, that she could tell. And now this…
"Miss Strife?"
Shaken out of her reverie, she turned to face doctor Kei, who had a very concerned expression. Immediately she asked if everything would be fine.
"Yes", he answered at first, "but I fear that the commotion made more damages that I can tell. His memory might be affected. As for the cold, he will need a little tending. Do not give him anything solid for a few days. He might have troubles with the antibiotics and the painkillers. Make sure he eats something when he takes those. Watch out for the fever bursts. If it goes too high, give me a call."
Rose nodded.
"Of course, I will. Thank you so much. How much do I-"
"Please, no", the doctor shook his head, "I do not take fees from cases like that. You already lost a son an a husband, it's the least that I can do."
After thanking and accompanying the good doctor to the door, she carefully made her way upstairs and entered the bedroom of her son. The broth would be ready soon. Cloud was lying in his bed, awake and whimpering; surely his head was hurting right now. She reassured her son, covered him warmly and wiped his face gently with a cloth soaked in cool water, telling him she would come back with a soup and something for the pain. Cloud began to cry softly and his mother gave him a plush, making sure he was at least comfortable so she could leave him an instant. How she wished Roman was still there…
Vincent held his son's hand with concern. All night long he had stayed by his side in the lab, even when Hojo had left, and only then did he allowed the tears to fall down. He always had been a fool. From the moment he wanted to enter the Turks. His misplaced devotion placed his son in a mortal danger. But his eyes were open now, this madness had to stop. He would do everything to save his son.
Sephiroth stirred on his bed, and for the first time since he's been transported into the lab, he came back from the darkness. His emerald eyes opened slightly, betraying his pitiful state, silently asking what happened to him. Vincent squeezed his little hand tighter and placed his other one on his forehead, taking care not to disturb any tubing around his son. He explained everything, softly, reassuring him, but also told him the truth about Hojo's intention.
"Rest, Sephiroth", he said softly, "You won't have to endure this torture much longer, I swear. Hold on a little longer, and when you're better, I'll take you out of here. I ask you to forgive me, for I have delayed this for too long. I am afraid I am not a very good father…"
Sephiroth's eyes widened at the revelation. There was hope… He would have said something, if not for the tubes in his throat, instead, he squeezed back Vincent's hand and lifted his other arm, asking to be held. The Turk knew he couldn't comply, but he stood up and did his best to hug his child.
"I'm sorry, Sephiroth. For everything. I know your mother surely didn't think that Hojo would make you suffer so much, or else she would have fled. If only I have knew, I would have disappeared with you the day your mother died. None of this madness would have befell on you." One last time he kissed his son's forehead. "Rest, my son. Rest and get better. Do not let Hojo know you're getting stronger. As soon as you'll be free from that machine, I'll try to get us out of here."
Rose looked up at the clock; it was way too early for her son to be up, so why were the lights on in the bathroom? She grabbed her robe and walked out, going for the lights, when she realised that Cloud was indeed inside, and he seemed to search for something. He was padding his way through the small room, groping, searching… Suddenly, Rose smiled; his eyes were closed, he was somnambular. Again.
"Cloud, honey", she called softly, "Cloud, what are you looking for?"
"My sword! I can't find it!", he finally cried, "I can't find my sword, I'll never be strong without it, daddy told me, I lost my sword!"
It wasn't the first time Cloud did this, but every time he was talking about his father in those episode, he would go completely hysteric. But now, with his injury and illness, it was better to wake him up now than let him trash and scream for the few minutes it normally lasted. She took hold of his shoulders and carefully shook him. "Cloud, sunshine, wake up, please. Come on, open your eyes!" Suddenly her son's legs gave up and he opened sleepy blue eyes to gaze at his mother. Immediately he winced and his hand shot up to his head. Rose supported him to his bed.
"Mommy?"
"You were walking in your sleep again, honey. It's nothing."
"But… but I saw daddy in my dream! He wanted to stay! He didn't want to leave!"
Rose bent down to wipe away the tears marring Cloud's face.
"I know… I have dreams about him, sometimes, too. He always says he's sorry to leave us alone. But he is always with us, Cloud. He is on the top of Mount Nibel, watching us, protecting us…"
"I miss him!"
Cloud gripped his mother's robe and began to cry. Rose couldn't do anything else than sit down on the bed and hug him until he was too exhausted to stay awake. She stayed with him a little while, then she returned to her own bedroom.
"Thank you, Roman…", she said, "Come back anytime for him, he needs you more than me. Give him your strength, and don't forget to tell Sapphire I love him. Don't let them take my Cloud away…"
For two days and two nights Cloud did not sleep very well, waking up either because of the pain or because of his fevered dreams, screaming or crying, so Rose ended up very tired, too. But soon, mostly because of the Nibel cold and the massive energy drop accompanying it, Cloud was confined to bed, sleeping off days and nights. His mother was taking extreme care of him, treating his wound twice a day, feeding him, giving him his medicine on time. Too tired to fight, Cloud had frequent delirium attacks, and Rose finally had no choice but to call again at the good doctor Kei for help. The doctor's wife even proposed her to watch Cloud for a few hours so she could go out to buy what she needed. And during her tour, she fell on Vincent Valentine, who seemed, much like her, very tired. But he was at the bar, and it meant that he had been drinking, for a rare time. Roman had told her that Vincent wasn't drinking, and something must have happened. She was in the mood, too, so she sat down next to him and ordered a drink.
"Miss Strife…", he greeted her, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Good morning, Vincent. You don't mind me drinking with you, I hope?"
"Not at all, in fact, I need advice… and a noble soul to hear me out."
"And you seem to need it, as I do. You know you can always talk to me…"
There was a moment of silence, then Vincent breathed a sigh, and swallowed his drink.
"My son… Sephiroth… is being tortured, battered and molested almost everyday since he is able to walk. I have no power over the man responsible for this, and killing him would only put my son in greater danger. As we speak, he cannot breathe by himself. I have to get him out of there… I can't stand seeing him suffer anymore…"
The more Vincent spoke, the more Rose felt she had to do something. Finally, having heard enough, she stopped the Turk, ordered another drink for him and she offered her help. Even if there was danger, she felt she had to do it. He had saved her son once. It was time to return the favour, even if she could have the Shinra army on her back for the rest of her life.
Hojo unplugged everything connected to Sephiroth's light form, then proceeded in retiring the IV's and tubes from the boy, who winced when he felt them get out. It's without emotion that he unstrapped him and told him to return to his room. That he was a disturbance in the lab, now. However, when the youth asked where was Vincent, the scientist laughed, telling him he was out, probably drinking out his day off. The world was spinning around Sephiroth, and his drunken pace made his ascension very difficult. Fortunately, one of the guards posted at the entrance of the spiral stairway saw him in difficulty and came down to pick him up.
"Hojo wants you to go back to your room?", he asked him
Sephiroth nodded feebly. He really didn't know whether he should go there or not, as long as he could pass his dizziness he would accept any offer for help. The guard lifted him from the ground and began to walk upstairs, and the last thing he would remember was that he was being laid on his bed. Vincent told him to rest and to get better. He intended to do just that, so he let oblivion take care of him.
A few hours later he was shaken out of his sleep by an angry Hojo, but Sephiroth didn't even flinch. He was sweating and feverish, reality was still hazy for now, and he wished to be left alone. When he was taken out of bed and forced to stand, his body just dropped lifelessly to the ground, and he didn't make any efforts to stand, but a painful gasp of air did get out, alarming the scientist for once. He was immediately lifted and tucked back into his bed. Few minutes later Hojo grabbed his arm to reinsert an ice materia in the metallic bangle he still wore. The cold was somehow soothing, but the pain still lingered, and he felt his arm being prepared for an injection.
"I don't know why you reacted so violently to this pollen", he said, "I couldn't risk to loose you now and start again with a new specimen… I give you a few days to recover before your monthly Mako treatment."
The needle was pushed inside his arm and a very pleasant sensation overwhelmed his body. Anaesthetic. Painkiller. He couldn't believe Hojo had given him something /against/ the pain. It's been so long since the last time… he had forgotten… Blackness was welcomed and he slipped back into unconsciousness.
End of part IV
Waa! And I thought it was going to be a short fic… You see what happens when I've got my muse with me? Phew… See ya next chappie!
