SIX

I pulled up at the house less than ten minutes later and parked the Gust alongside the Hardy. Then, holding onto Jessie, I carefully got off the bike and took her in my arms. The door opened almost as soon as I reached it, and Elmyra ushered me inside.

"Good, you found her," she said. "I'm glad. Go ahead and bring her upstairs, Cloud. Marlene's asleep in Aerith's bed, so take your friend to the guest room. I've got it all ready for her."

Hurrying across the room, I carried Jessie upstairs and took her to the same bedroom I had slept in earlier. Elmyra followed me, and I saw she'd been busy. The bed was all neat, with the blankets pulled aside so I could lay Jessie right into it. Stacks of towels and bandages stood in a row on the dresser along with a set of clean clothes.

"Let's go ahead and get her boots off," Elmyra suggested. "She'll be more comfortable that way. I'll get her changed later once I've gotten a good look at her and seen to her injuries."

That made sense to me, so after gently setting Jessie onto the bed, I helped unfasten her ruined shin guards and take them off. Between me and Elmyra, we got them and the boots off and set them off to the side in one corner of the room. Then we carefully covered Jessie up and left her arms laying on top of the blankets, the right one still in the ragged sling I'd made for her in the pillar.

Elmyra turned to me. "Alright, we've got her settled in. Now I need you to hurry over to the clinic and pick up a few things for me. I made a list while you were gone."

"What are you looking for?" I wondered.

"Medical supplies, that sort of thing," she explained. "Certain items and equipment. I'll need them to help your friend."

I nodded. "You'll have them."

Elmyra turned toward the door. "Then let's go downstairs. The list is right on the table."

I followed her into the hall and back to the first floor. There was, as she'd said, a sheet of plain paper laying flat on the round table. I picked it up and scanned the handwritten list. There was a lot there, probably more than I could take in a single trip. But I'd get it back here as fast as I could, one way or another.

"Just ask for Dr. Morris," Elmyra said. "He's an old friend, and he'll get you set up. I've worked with him for years, and Aerith often brings him herbs to help treat his patients."

I put the list in my pocket. "Got it. I'll be—"

Just then, the front door opened and the others hurried inside, Tifa at the head of the pack. I sighed in relief when I saw her and the rest of my friends, glad they'd made it back safely. And then I knew how I was going to get all the supplies and equipment here from the clinic in one trip. The answer was right in front of me.

"Cloud, you're here!" Tifa said. "I was worried about you."

I walked over to her. "Good to see you, too."

"Jessie upstairs?" Barret asked.

"Yeah," I answered. "Just got her settled in a few minutes ago. She's still with us, but… she's getting weaker."

Wedge blinked. "What do we do, Cloud?"

"We're gonna go to the clinic and pick up the stuff Elmyra needs to help her. I've got the list, so let's get to it."

"You heard him!" Barret told the others. "Move out!"

The clinic was just a short ways down the road and across from the Leaf House. It was the same one we'd met Marissa at earlier, and we all hurried inside. It was, just as she'd told us, packed with wounded from the plate collapse, sitting or standing wherever they could. Nurses and a few doctors went back and forth between them, tending to who they could and slipped into the few patient rooms the place had to check on the injured who were in them.

I thought I recognized a few of the people in here from some of the odd jobs I'd done around town when I wasn't out on patrol with Wedge or traveling across the slums with Jessie, and I nodded to them. Didn't know what else to do, but I didn't want to ignore them, either. Tifa and Barret talked with some of them, having lived in Sector 7 longer than I had and knowing the residents better.

"Mom?" Wedge suddenly hurried over to an older woman and put his arms around her. "There you are!"

She hugged him back. "Wedge, you're alright!"

He let of her as we walked over. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just a few bumps, but nothing serious. Wymer told me he'd sent you and Dad ahead after the evacuation, so I wasn't worried. But I'm still glad to see you. Is Dad here, too? And what about Kyle?"

"Your father's here, probably talking to one of the nurses to try and get us seen. We got a bit scuffed up on the way here—all that jostling in the crowd, you know. As for your brother, he's on his way back to Wall Market again. I think he wants to try and forget what he saw at home. I can't say as I blame him, but…"

"I know," Wedge sighed. "Me either."

His mom nodded. "Can you stay a while and visit?"

He shook his head. "Wish I could, but Jessie's hurt really bad, and I need to help my friends get some equipment and stuff from here so we can save her. We'll come back and see you when we can, though. In the meantime, tell Dad I said hi, okay?"

"Of course," she smiled. "Do what you need to do, Wedge."

After giving her another hug, he quickly rejoined us as Lena waved to her for a moment. Then we moved on, finding Dr. Morris a moment later. After I had shown him Elmyra's list and explained the situation to him, he led us to a storeroom in the back. Then we got started, putting supplies on a cart and either carrying what wouldn't fit on it or—in the case of one of those tall, narrow racks that bags of medicine were hung from—wheeled it along. Some other pieces of equipment were surgical tools, which I realized would be needed for getting those bullets out of Jessie's arm and shoulder, among other things.

Once we had everything together, we took it back to Aerith's house as fast as we could. Elmyra had us bring everything upstairs, some out in the hall until she could get to it while we put the rest inside the guest room where Jessie was. Tifa gently stroked her hair for a moment after putting down the items she was carrying.

"Hold on, Jessie," she murmured. "You're gonna be alright."

Barret took Jessie's hand. "Stay with us, girl."

When we were finished, Elmyra turned to us. "Alright, I've got all I need. Thank you for your help."

"No problem," Barret said. "So what now?"

Elmyra went on. "Go on downstairs and wait. This is going to take a while. Could be hours. So please make yourselves comfortable. If you want to look in on Marlene, Barret, she's asleep in the next room. Don't wake her, though. She needs her rest."

He smiled. "That she does. Thank you."

"Can I stay and help?" Marissa asked. "I'm a volunteer medic back on the plate, and Jessie's an old friend."

Elmyra nodded. "Of course. I could use an extra set of hands. This is going to be delicate work, and your experience is most welcome. We had better get started, though. As for the rest of you, go on downstairs. We'll join you when we're finished."

With a last glance at Jessie, I led the others out into the hall. Barret immediately went to Aerith's room to check on Marlene with Tifa right behind him, and when they came back out, we all headed quietly back to the first floor. The stillness in the small house was almost palpable. I leaned against the wall and folded my arms in front of me, thinking of Jessie. Elmyra and Marissa would do everything in their power to save her. All we could do now was wait.

Tifa sighed. "This is the hardest part. The waiting…"

"I hear ya," Barret agreed.

"I hope Jessie'll be okay," Wedge said.

Lena sank into one of the chairs at the table, her face flushed and a little green. "She will, Wedge. Don't… don't worry."

"You alright?" I asked.

"Just a little dizzy," she said. "Dunno if… the others told you, but… the mako fumes, they… they really get to me sometimes. Been fighting it all night, ever since… getting to Sector 7. But I guess… it's starting to catch up to me now. Just my luck…"

Tifa laid a hand on her shoulder. "Do you need anything?"

Lena gave her a weak smile. "I'll be okay. Just need to rest for a bit. Head's been… hurting for a while now, but… I did my best to ignore it. And my stomach, it… uh, oh… I think—"

Suddenly she lurched to feet, rushed into the bathroom, and threw up. It went on for a minute or two as Wedge went over to the door and waited for her, worry on his round face. Lena came back out a moment later, her steps wobbly and uncertain. He slid an arm around her as he guided her across the room and helped her lay down on a small brown sofa sitting comfortably along one wall.

Wedge sat on the edge and held her hand. "How's that?"

"Better, thanks," she told him. Then she gazed apologetically at us. "Sorry, guys. Bad timing, I know. Even after I get away from the fumes, I still feel sick for a while. I… I wanted to help you save Aerith, but… I guess I'm not in any shape to do that, huh?"

"It's awright," Barret said. "You jus' rest now. You earned it."

"You did great, Lena," Tifa agreed.

She grinned. "Thanks. Raise some hell for me?"

I nodded. "Will do."

"Glad to hear it, Cloud," she said. Then she looked at Wedge. "You should go see Biggs and let him know what's going on."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Lena gently squeezed his hand. "Yeah. I'll be fine. Elmyra said that it could be hours before they're done with Jessie. Plenty of time for you to visit Biggs. Knowing him, he's probably already worst-casing it over her. Better go set his mind at ease."

"Alright," Wedge leaned in and kissed her. "Be back soon."

Tifa met him at the door. "Mind if I join you?"

He smiled. "Not at all, Tifa. Let's go."

Then they were gone, and it was just the three of us. A clock ticked softly nearby. I hadn't moved. Barret sat at the table. Lena rested on the sofa. Time slowed to a crawl. Jessie was on all our minds, but we didn't say much. There didn't seem to be a need.

After a while, Tifa and Wedge came back. Wedge went to see Lena and sat on the floor by the small sofa while Tifa leaned against the wall next to me, her eyes on the floor. The minutes dragged on, one by one, and quiet hung over the room like a blanket. An hour became two, and then three. And four. And the waiting went on.

Finally, after almost five hours, Elmyra and Marissa walked slowly down the stairs, their steps heavy. We all looked up, Tifa hurrying over to see them as I straightened up and let my arms drop to my sides. My heart hammered in my chest as I watched the two women, seeing then the truth in their eyes. Seeing it and hating it.

Barret stood up. "What's the news? How's Jessie?"

"She…" Marissa couldn't hide her tears. "She's dying. We were able to take out the bullets and… see to the burns and other injuries on the outside, but she… she's suffered so much trauma to her system… there isn't anything that… that we can do…"

Elmyra sighed. "I'm so sorry. I really am…"

Tifa fell more than sat on the nearest chair, her own eyes filling up, streaks of wetness sliding down her cheeks. "Jessie…"

"No…" Wedge choked.

Lena cried. "After all we did… after… after finding her…"

"Goddamn it!" Barret growled.

"How… how long?" Tifa breathed.

Elmyra sat with her. "A day, two at the most."

For a moment, I just stood there, unable to find any words. I felt as if my world had just been pulled out from under me. How could things be so cruel? We had gone back to Sector 7 and had found Jessie against all odds. And then I'd brought her safely back here after Shinra's forces had tried to take her away from me.

I clenched my fist. "I'm not losing her…"

Anger filled my blood. I wasn't going to accept this. I couldn't. Not after all we'd gone through to get her here, after Jessie and I had beaten fate together. There had to be a way to save her. There just had to be. It was out there somewhere. Something that I'd overlooked or forgotten. I just had to remember what it was. I had to.

"Cloud?" Tifa asked.

"She's not gonna die!" I insisted. "I—"

I froze, cutting myself off as a memory burst into my mind. Aerith and I at the Honeybee Inn, talking in that spa room she'd later reserved for me and Jessie. And as I remembered our conversation and where it had gone, I knew exactly what to do.

"I know a few tricks for healing bumps and bruises, and some things that go deeper," Aerith said. "Remember me telling you how I took care of Jessie after she fought that hell house?"

"She was in pretty bad shape, wasn't she?" I asked.

She nodded, sighing. "Very bad. She'd have died if I hadn't found her and Maddy when I did. Took more than a healing wind to keep her with us. Though I did use a few of those as well when I could."

I stopped halfway to the fountain and stared at her. "More? Just how strong a healer are you, Aerith?"

"Strong enough," she said. "Tires me out, though."

Barret blinked. "What is it, Cloud? You onta somethin', I can see it. Never seen ya so on fire before!"

"Aerith!" I exclaimed.

"What about her?" Tifa wondered.

I looked at everyone. "She's an Ancient, remember? You've all seen how she can heal. She saved Jessie once, years ago. Wasn't long after she left the plate—Aerith told me about it in Wall Market. Jessie had nearly died saving some kids from a hell house. She would've, too, but Aerith found her just in time and healed her."

"If anyone can save your friend, it's Aerith," Elmyra agreed. "She's a far stronger healer than she lets on. Maybe even more than she knows. You're right, Cloud. Aerith is Jessie's only hope."

I nodded. "One more reason to get her back. Today."

"Hell yeah!" Tifa shot to her feet.

"You a goddamn genius, Cloud!" Barret grinned, pumping his fist. "Let's go bust Aerith outta that shithole! Then we'll bring her back here double time so she can save Jessie."

Marissa's face lit up. "That just might work! But you can't rush into Shinra Headquarters without a plan. That place is like a fortress. I used to work there, and so did Jessie, remember?"

"She's right," I told the others. "And we'll also need to get some rest before we go or we won't be any good to either Aerith or Jessie. I know time's short, but we can't go in unprepared."

"You can all rest here tonight," Elmyra said, standing up. "And that includes you, Lena. I can see you're ill. Wedge, there are blankets in the closet, if you wouldn't mind getting her one."

He got right up. "Not at all, Missus G! Thanks!"

"Thank you," Lena told her.

"We still need to come up with a plan to save Aerith," Tifa said. "As worried as I am for Jessie, I'd go crazy if I stayed here. She's like a sister to me. I've got to help her. Aerith, too."

I nodded. "Then let's get to it."

Barret glanced over at Marissa while he, Tifa, and I all sat down at the table. "Know anythin' that might help? You was in that place, right? An' so was Jessie. For years, I'm guessin'."

"Yeah, I was," she answered, kneeling next to Lena and looking her over while Wedge covered her with a soft blanket. "And there might be a way you can sneak in. There's an emergency stairwell that goes all the way up to the 59th floor."

"Damn…" Barret blinked. "That's a lotta stairs…"

Marissa chuckled. "It's a long climb, but you'll have a better chance of getting in that way. Jessie used it to escape when she quit Shinra. She told me about it later—I'd already been gone for a while by then. You'll need to find keycards to get to the higher floors."

I'd figured as much. "Thanks, Marissa. Anything else?"

"Actually, yeah. The security office is on the 67th floor, so that's got to be where they're holding Aerith. There's a whole cell block up there. But there's someplace else you should go to first."

"Where's that?" Tifa asked.

Marissa went on. "Materials Storage. It's on the 63rd floor. Jessie hid something there once, a long time ago. Something she found but never got a chance to use or go back for later on—a star pendant. It'll protect whoever wears it from any kind of poison."

I stared at her. "You think it's still there?"

"Oughta be," she nodded. "Jessie slipped it inside an air duct in the main control room—you'll know it when you see it. Goes from floor to ceiling and you can step right into it."

"We'll pick it up, then," I promised. "Should be useful."

Marissa gazed intently at us. "You'll need it, believe me. Jessie went up to the security office one day—well, snuck up, really—to dig around and try to uncover the truth behind the massacre at Reactor 3. But she also took a quick peek at the Science Division while she was there—it's on the same floor. And I'll never forget what she saw."

"What was it?" Barret wondered.

"Monsters," she shivered. "Poisonous ones. Some small, but others bigger. One of them was huge, and Jessie overheard the lab techs saying something about its breath being highly toxic."

He swore. "Goddamn Shinra! Makin' monsters? As if them friggin' assholes wasn't bad enough."

I looked at Marissa. "I see where you're going. We'll probably have to fight these things to rescue Aerith, and our chances of success'll be a lot better if one of us is wearing Jessie's star pendant. We've also still got some of those antidotes Biggs gave us in the Sector 4 underplate. We'll use them too if we have to."

"How do we get to the Shinra Building, though?" Tifa asked. "The trains aren't running, and security's sure to be watching the Corkscrew Tunnel pretty closely. So we can't go in there. And then, if we do find a way, how do we get back to the slums?"

I sighed. "I don't know…"

Marissa snapped her finger. "Jessie's taken care of that, too! At least the second half. She told me that when she left the plate, she didn't ride a train down to the slums because her father was having them watched. So a friend helped her find another way."

"What was it?" I asked.

"There's an old cargo elevator at the end of the elevated highway in Sector 5,'' she answered. "It's abandoned now, but it still works. Goes all the way to the ground. Shinra used it for moving heavy materials while they were still building that area."

Tifa gasped. "That's it!"

"Exactly! Jessie rode it down here the night she left the plate. You'll need a keycard to unlock the outer door and get inside the slums, but I can give you mine. They're different from the ones that are used in the Shinra Building and can open any of Midgar's exit gates here or on the plate. Not many people have them."

"Thanks," I said. "But what about getting there?"

Tifa grimaced. "It's back to Wall Market for that, I guess. We'll have to see what we can find."

I nodded. "Good idea. Looks like we've got a plan."

"Sure do," Barret agreed. "Thanks to Jessie."

"She's still helping us, even now," Tifa murmured. "Even hurt as she is. Jessie's not giving up."

I felt the same way. "Neither are we."

"How do we get out to the enda the highway, though?" Barret said. "It's way too far to walk."

"I think I can help with that," Marissa replied.

He blinked. "How?"

"Just a minute and I'll explain," she answered, reaching into her kit. "I want to finish up with Lena first."

"Can you help her?" Wedge wondered.

Marissa smiled. "I think so. Acute mako sensitivity, right?"

"Yeah," Lena said. "How'd you know?"

"My husband had something similar. He was the supervisor over at Reactor 3 before… the massacre."

Tifa's eyes held nothing but sympathy. "I'm sorry…"

"Thank you," Marissa said.

"I heard 'bout that," Barret grimaced. "Happened not too long after I first came to this town. Goddamn nightmare that was. Real sorry you got caught up in it, Marissa."

She nodded gratefully. "I appreciate it. He was a good man. We had ten wonderful years together. I didn't know about his sickness for most of that time—he didn't want me to worry, so he always hid it or tried to explain it away. But it wasn't so different from what Lena has. And I've got an idea about how we can help her."

"Really?" Wedge's eyes lit up.

"Yeah," Marissa said. "You see, Shinra does have a medicine they've developed that can help treat it, but it's very expensive. Part of why the Reactor 3 massacre happened was because Shinra would rather ignore the terrible working conditions in those places and the health risks that go with them than make the drug cheaper and easier to get. Insurance doesn't cover it either, for the same reason."

Tifa stared. "That's terrible!"

"Damn Shinra bastards…" Barret muttered.

"So how do we help Lena?" I asked.

Marissa went on. "The drug's made in the Science Division—gotta be, since that's where Shinra does all its medical and scientific research. It's called thorastazine, and if you guys can 'borrow' a few bottles while you're in there rescuing Aerith, I should be able to get Lena's treatment started as soon as you get back here."

Barret grinned. "Oh, I think we can do that."

"We'll bring back as many as we can," Tifa promised.

"Thanks, guys!" Lena gushed. "I'd give you all a great big hug right now if I could. You really are the best."

Barret laughed. "Ain't no problem. You parta the family."

I nodded. "Yeah. Marissa, you said you could help us with getting out of the Shinra Building?"

"Right, one moment," she said. "Here, Lena. Take this."

Marissa took a small pill bottle from her kit, opened it, and handed Lena a slim caplet. After Wedge had helped her sit up for a minute and Elmyra had brought her a glass of water, she swallowed the pill, washed it down with the drink, and then settled back onto the couch as Wedge held her hand and sat on the floor by the sofa.

Lena's short, dark hair was damp as it lay around her on the pillow. "Thanks, Marissa. What was that?"

"Just a little something to settle your stomach and take the edge off the pain in your head and chest," she explained, putting her first aid kit away. "It'll help you sleep, too."

After patting her gently on the shoulder, Marissa stood up, walked over to the table, and joined us. I gazed at Lena for a moment, worried about her. I remembered then how she had been sick for over a month when I had first come to Midgar so many weeks ago. I hadn't even met Biggs until just before the Reactor 1 mission because he'd been away to look after her. I felt like I understood what she was going through, and although I didn't know why I was able to relate to her, it was important to me to get her that medicine. I would see to it.

Barret looked at Marissa. "So, 'bout our escape plan?"

"Right," she said. "Here's my idea. You'll need two vehicles—there's a good chance that Shinra's forces'll be right on your tail as soon as you get on the road, and you may have to fight your way to the end. I doubt they'll make it easy to get away."

"No kidding," I agreed. "They'll dog us the whole way."

Marissa smirked. "Which is why you should be driving the Hardy, Cloud. I saw it outside, and it's perfect! You can fight off Shinra's troops and keep them away from the others."

Barret scratched his chin. "An' what'll we be ridin'?"

"Shinra keeps a bunch of new vehicles on display on the first three floors of the building," she explained. "The keys are kept in an office on the third floor. Jessie and I still have friends on the inside, and I can let them know that you're coming."

"Who are they?" Tifa wondered.

Marissa shook her head. "Sorry, we keep that quiet. Their ability to fight Shinra from within would be compromised if they were exposed. Let's just say they're very high up in the company. And they have access to the keys, so they can easily grab a set and conveniently leave them in the ignition of one of the cars for you."

Tifa nodded. "I guess that makes sense…"

"Don't worry, you'll meet some of them once you get high enough in the building. As for the Hardy, if you don't mind, Cloud, I can drive it up to the plate through the Corkscrew Tunnel and have my contacts inside move it to the main showroom on the third floor where you can find it. Then it'll be all ready for you."

"Sure," I told her. "But how are you gonna get back here?"

She blinked. "Oh. Didn't think about that…"

Tifa leaned forward. "How about this? I'll ride the Hardy up to the plate instead, and you can drive alongside me on the Gust, Marissa. In the meantime, Cloud and Barret can go to Wall Market and find a way up to the plate from there. We'll meet across from the Shinra Building. That sound like a plan, guys?"

"An' a half," Barret said. "But ain't the tunnel too risky?"

Marissa shrugged. "Shinra's not looking for me, but I don't know if Tifa's on their radar or not."

Tifa didn't waver. "I'm going. For Aerith and Jessie."

"Aerith and Jessie," I agreed.

"Aerith an' Jessie," Barret echoed, holding out his good hand.

Marissa put hers on top of it. "Aerith and Jessie."

Tifa followed suit, laying her hand on top of theirs, and then with a determined nod, I covered hers with mine. We all sat there at the table, our hands joined and our hearts resolved. We knew what we had to do and what was at stake—Jessie's life and Aerith's freedom. And we were going to save them both, no matter what it took.

Jessie's survival depended on Aerith's healing abilities, and Aerith's rescue depended on what Jessie had known and done when she was at Shinra. They needed each other just as we needed them. As we looked at each other and Wedge gave us a thumbs up as he sat by Lena, I knew we'd succeed. We'd make our family whole again.