Am I dead…?
No…I can't be dead…
I still feel…and I still smell…and I still hear…
But why can't I move? Why don't I have the strength to move?
Why don't I have that willpower to ignore the pain and keep going with my job?
Argh, it's all my fault for letting Seifer get away…I should have attacked him when I had the chance…
'Shh, she's waking up,' a soft voice said next to Reis.
Ha, they haven't realised that yet?
'I'm amazed she's still alive…I can't believe it…that's the first time an instructor had been this dangerously wounded by a student. Golly, I think Seifer's in for a massive ass-whooping when he's captured,' a rough voice said, followed by a loud smack.
I wonder where he's gone…I want my revenge…I want to get out of this bed and start working like usual…Why can't I move myself? It's just not fair…
'She's sustained third degree burns to half her skin surface area. Whoever pulled that off must be very magically-powerful,' she heard Dr. Kadowaki say.
No way…I would've died before then…
'Would you students please leave? I know you're worried, but she needs rest,'
It's alright, Dr. Kadowaki…Oh, damn it, I can't speak. My throat is dry and I can't move a single muscle.
Reis could hear mutinous muttering as the footsteps died away and the infirmary door shut with a loud bang.
'Well, Reis? Are you awake?'
Yes, I am…
'Don't worry, you're safe now…Seifer got away, but Quistis and Commander Xu managed to haul you here after you got badly burnt. Quite a horrific incident…all the students were in an uproar when they heard of this,'
Falsehood or truth? They couldn't possibly like me THAT much…
'You need plenty of rest before you can start working again. Here, have some water,'
Ugh…did he have to move my mouth that hard? It feels as though my jaws were fused together…
'There, that's better. Have some sleep, I'll let visitors in one by one if you want. Move your finger once if you say yes to this,'
Mmph…there, one finger slightly up. That should be enough…I feel as though I've run ten miles…
'Alright, I'll tell the students outside that they can come in one by one,'
The door opened again with a squeak and a series of light footsteps could be heard.
Whoever this visitor is…I have a feeling I know her…the little girl…from my training group…?
'Oh…M-Miss Reis…' the girl cried softly, sobbing into Reis' hair, 'I heard from the other students…I should have helped you, at least I could've helped you take Seifer down…'
Foolish girl…you could've well died if you tried helping me…Seifer's not the sort of guy to spare people, I know that now. Better for you to have stayed in your dormitory like you did.
'I don't think I can bear seeing you like this anymore, miss. I'll leave you to rest now. See you later, when you can teach us again!'
Ahh…they miss me teaching…how sweet…
The visits continued for over an hour, students confiding to Reis about how much they liked her as an instructor, their feelings about her and their condolences for her suffering. Some were hysterical; others were…cold…almost unfeeling, as though pressured by their peers. All the same, Reis appreciated this; if she could she would have cried. Never in her life had she experienced this form of recognition; she had been the hunted while in Goland Colliery, she had been the centre of jealousy in Lionel; even getting cursed while protecting her true love. After the battle with Altima she had been branded a heretic like Ramza and hunted; if it were not for the dragons of Ivalice responding to her pleas for assistance, she would have been exposed to endless battles for her life.
'Alright, you all have to get out, students,' Dr. Kadowaki shouted at the group of students who had forced their entry, 'She needs rest, can't you see the time? It's nearly midnight. Get to your beds before Cid sees you out of bed against the night curfew,'
He then turned to Reis.
'Right…you've sustained quite severe burns. We need to treat that now. Please bite this tightly if you can, changing the bandages might hurt,'
He gently pushed in a wooden stick into her mouth, allowing her to bite it. Pulling off the bloody bandages from her back, Dr. Kadowaki held back a disgusted comment as he saw the severity of the burns once more. The raw, red flesh was exposed, clotted at parts, the back of her ribs showing where the skin had literally burned off. As he began to unwrap the bandages further along, he began to see other damages to Reis; swellings had erupted near the stab wound on her shoulder, where the heat was insufficient to burn the skin and flesh away; as it could not take away the skin, the flames left large blisters on her once-creamy skin. Taking a small needle, the doctor pushed it into the largest of the swellings, bursting it and letting a small amount of pus fall onto the soft cotton towel that he held ready. Dabbing away the remains of the foul liquid, he washed it with a small amount of disinfectant; Reis emitted a shrill, soft squeal of pain and bit down on the stick as the fluid stung her exposed flesh.
Wrapping Reis again in fresh bandages was a challenge. It was hard to carry on wrapping, when that beautiful face distorted in agony as the doctor placed each fold of bandage linen over the open flesh, each time causing more and more pain. Tears began to flow from Reis' eyes, the doctor carrying on with sorrow, knowing that it was necessary, no matter how unpleasant it was for her. If it were not put on, she would be dead of infection. If it were put on, she had to endure great pain.
I don't want to die…the pain…the pain…it's unbearable…but if I die…I will meet Beowulf again…we would be reunited once more…is there no easier way?
'There, done…you may rest now…forget the pain,' the doctor whispered into Reis' left ear, cutting off the end of the bandage as he finished wrapping the last of the exposed burns. Flicking off the light, he left Reis to sleep in the warm comfort of the infirmary, where she would not be disturbed by students during the night.
The following morning…
'Ouch…' Reis whispered to herself, barely audible.
She tried to raise one shaking arm, restraining back the agony in her mind with great effort, the burnt skin and flesh stretching beyond their stiff limits as she tried to raise it higher, causing her to lower her arm with a soft yelp of pain.
When would I be able to walk around again? God…I miss teaching already…and the students too…
Looking around the infirmary, she saw Dr. Kadowaki already awake, filling something in the corner. She could see a small bar of soap…and a metal basin with a woolen towel inside.
'Awake already, Reis? Had a good night's sleep?' the doctor asked her, falsely cheerful.
'Yes, doctor, I'm awake,' Reis lisped, lips dry and voice virtually silent.
'Good…Now, I will need to check the other wounds other than the severe magical burns. You know which ones I'm talking about,'
He's not going to…wash them, is he? That's going to hurt again…so much for 'Forget the pain'…
'Don't worry, it won't hurt. I've managed to visit Balamb and purchase a jar of painkillers,'
Painkillers…?
'Drink this with the water…open your mouth, just swallow the object inside the water…' he said, tipping the pill and a glass of water into Reis' mouth.
The effect was immediate. The pain seemed to lessen at once, fading away to simple memories. Those are some real 'pain-killers', they really kill the pain…I like that…very much…
'Now, tell me if it hurts…' he added, rinsing the wound on her thigh with ointments of various kinds. Not one thing did Reis feel…not pain, not even the slightest touch. It was as though her senses had been dulled to the point where she could not feel any more sensations.
'That's good,' he sighed, washing the wound with some steaming water. Under normal circumstances this would have caused Reis to jump, but under the influence of those pills, she did not make a single twitch.
Days passed in similar ways, the doctor cleaning the wound every morning and evening. Reis' creamy skin began to return to its original state, the wounds in her leg and shoulder sealing by the end of the week and leaving only thin scars. This she knew would disappear in time, just like her slashed face. The doctor discharged her by midday of Sunday, by which she was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of students who carried her all the way back to the dormitories.
It was all a strange feeling…those hands passing you along through the halls, one by one, as though you were a parcel of goods…I'd have thought that they were insane at first if I had not seen their grief at my pain…I now know what else makes them strong. Devotion. They were devoted to me beyond anything that I had met before…That was possibly why some of them could execute attacks flawlessly and gracefully, all combined with strength, speed and power, all in an attempt to please me and impress me…I have much to learn from these students…