Chapter Twenty-One:
A/N: Will anyone really be surprised when Tessa gets into a fight that could cost her becoming a SeeD?
Pixie-Stixs: I like your summary, but would you mind if I tweak it a bit? Oh, and another zombie story? Awesome! (I'm a zombie freak. If any of you anyone reading this, check out "As The World Dies" by Gothgoddessrhia at the "Dawn of the Dead" part of the site.)
Sorceress Eternity: Yes, I love "Night!" You actually saw the farmhouse? I would have loved to do that! I heard that Romero tried to do all of his movies in Pennsylvania. (The man is a frickin' genius!)
Gullwing Yunie: You didn't know Xu had a mouth like that? Well, neither did Tessa. That's why this chapter comes as a surprise. I didn't even think it was going to go where it did when I started writing it.
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"I knew it," Tessa thought aloud as she snapped off her latex gloves. She threw them into a plastic baggie and sighed.
"What did you know?" Xu asked. Since Tessa had begun her amateur autopsy, Xu had perched on the edge of the sofa, watching with morbid fascination. The room was empty of everyone else except Adette, who in the top bunk sleeping. Phelan, Zell, and Rinoa had gone to try and find someone to inform where the deaths were concerned.
"See this?" Tessa asked as she pointed at the bite on the dead woman's shoulder. "Where the skin is all black?"
"Yeah," Xu said as she leaned over the body. "What about it?"
"The last time I saw this the person was still alive, but she had a large black spot on a bite and it was all red, like it is here," Tessa explained. "I never saw for myself, but I was told the person recovered and walked away just fine, though."
"So, what is it?" Xu asked. "What was wrong with her?"
"I don't know!" Tessa exclaimed as she threw the baggie with the gloves across the room. "I've seen this so many fucking times, but I have no idea what it is!"
"Maybe it's new," Xu said. "Maybe you've discovered a brand new disease."
Tessa looked at her and shook her head. "I doubt it. The odds of a new disease are slim. Most likely it's a variation of an existing one, or the resurgence of an old one."
"Maybe Dr. Kadowaki would know. We could ask when we get back to the Garden," Xu said as she slid off the sofa and onto her knees. "Do you think she would know?"
Completely baffled by Xu's sudden personality changes, Tessa balked. "No, she didn't. I showed it to her, but she was just as clueless as I was."
"Then tell me what you do know," Xu said. She pulled her skirt over her knees and looked at Tessa.
"Is that an order?" Tessa asked, feeling a headache coming on.
"If it has to be, then it is," Xu said with a nod. "Now give me your report on today's, or should I yesterday's, events."
"Fine," Tessa said as she rubbed her forehead, exhaustion catching up with her. "As of this moment, all members of my team are alive and in good health. There have been four… no, make that three altercations resulting in violence being undertaken.
"The first was Rinoa Heartilly and myself, where we fought two men that seemed crazed. We thought that we had defeated the men, and in our attempts rescued an as of now unidentified woman. She was brought to this cabin and her wounds were treated.
"The second altercation was with said woman, when she herself went crazed and attacked the student known as Phelan Barson. He was not harmed, but the fight ended with the death of the woman by a gunshot to the head.
"The third included, again, Rinoa Heartilly and myself, as well as you. We again clashed with the two men that Rinoa Heartilly and I had earlier fought. I succeeded in removing one of the men from the train, and it is believed he is dead, though that is currently unknown. The other man was temporarily incapacitated and is currently being kept in a cabin on this train.
"It is my theory, through mere speculation and coincidence, that there is a disease connected behind all three events. The disease is currently unknown, and its symptoms are unknown as well."
"Very good," Xu said. You are dismissed, get some sleep."
"I want to get some samples first," Tessa said, trying to keep her eyes open. "All I have to do is swab the wound and…"
"Do you know what a yawn means?" Xu asked as she leaned forward. "It means you're tired. Get some sleep; this old girl will be here when you wake up."
"I know I'm tired," Tessa said irritably. "That's why I want to get these samples. If I wait, then they'll only get more contaminated. Now leave me the hell alone."
"I order you to stop!" Xu said angrily. "Miss Matleo, you are infuriating. You start to show promise, and then your big mouth screws you over. Now leave the damn body alone and get some sleep! You don't know how close you are to failing this exam."
"Yes, Ma'am," Tessa said sarcastically. She stood up and kicked her bag away from the body. "I'm going to sleep in the observation car, if that's okay."
"Go ahead, just get out of my sight," Xu snapped back, her voice filled with venom. "And if I catch you near this body for the rest of the night then I'll automatically fail you and you can ride this train back to Balamb."
"Stupid bitch," Tessa said under her breath when she got into the hall. Xu wasn't trained as a coroner. Tessa wasn't either, but she knew that with her medical training she was more likely to know than anyone else what was happening.
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"We have arrived at Timber Station," a man said over the PA. "You have two hours to vacate the train before we start boarding for the trip to Balamb."
"Hmm?" Tessa said as she sat up. She had to shield her eyes: sunlight was falling through the open windows and onto her face.
"Morning, Sleepyhead," someone said. Tessa sat up and saw Rinoa standing by the door leading back to the SeeD car. "Welcome to Timber."
"Huh?" Tessa said, since she was still not fully awake. "What?"
"We're in Timber," Rinoa said cheerfully. "Come on, we've got to go."
"How'd you know I was here?" Tessa asked as she stood. She swayed due to her fatigue and her muscles ached.
"Xu told me," Rinoa said. "She also said that you got into a fight with her. Is that true?"
"Well, she was interfering with my autopsy," Tessa said bitterly, remembering the events of the night before. "Is it my fault she doesn't understand medicine?"
"You don't have to worry about it," Rinoa said as she slapped Tessa on the shoulder. "As soon as we arrived some men in white uniforms came on the train and collected the body."
"What?" Tessa yelled. "She's gone? I didn't get my samples!"
"Samples?" Rinoa asked, clearly confused. "What are you talking about?"
"By samples, I mean bits of tissue from the death wound," Tessa said. "I t helps us understand why and how a person died."
"But she died because you shot her in the head," Rinoa said, still confused. "Why would you need samples to prove something you already know?"
"Forget it," Tessa said, afraid to voice her opinion. When she had fought the man in the blue suit the night before, she noticed that his skin was cold, like a cadaver's. The same was true with the woman that Adette had shot. "It's over, I'll just concentrate on my exam now."
"Good for you," Rinoa said happily. "We all need to move on."
"Yippee," Tessa said sarcastically. "I need to get off this damn thing."
"Cheer up," Rinoa said. "All we have to do is catch the train to Galbadia City and your exam is practically over."
"Reconnaissance," Tessa muttered to herself as she shook her head. "What good am I on a reconnaissance mission?"
"Well, you did a hell of a job last night," Rinoa expostulated, having overheard Tessa. "You saved a woman, and fought off a man trying to kill you."
"I… killed the woman," Tessa said regretfully, "and it was pure luck that I killed that guy. I haven't done anyone any good."
"Well, you look better," Rinoa said, peering into Tessa's face. "I'm surprised your face hasn't bruised."
"I used Cura," Tessa said with a modicum of pride in her voice. "Actually, it was the first time I healed myself with White Magic! I never sustained any damage that a Potion wouldn't take care of, before!"
"Good for you," Rinoa said, unaware of just how big a deal the moment was to Tessa. "Now let's get your stuff and meet the others in front of the train."