As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

Dwarven Vow 137
Tha cuibheas cho math ri beairteas.
Just enough is as good as a feast.

30-

"Here. It's the room on the left."

Dirk and Kratos had been following Yuan side-by-side up to that point, but once they reached the hallway there was only room for one person at a time to pass. They both stopped, glanced at one another, and motioned the other ahead. There was a pause as they realized that they were both deferring to the other, and a tense moment passed as they tried to figure out what to make of the situation. Finally, Kratos took a step back and nodded in Dirk's direction. To his satisfaction, Dirk nodded back with a smile and led the way down the hall.

Anna was watching Lloyd, seemingly ignorant of the situation outside of the room. Dirk had to knock on the doorframe to get her attention. She jerked her head up and gasped.

"Dirk? Wh-what are you-" Her question cut off as she saw Kratos step in behind him. "Kratos! Oh, thank goodness!"

Dirk stepped aside so that Anna could get to Kratos more easily. She jumped to throw her arms around his shoulders and pressed her face against his chest. Dirk saw Kratos' rigid countenance relax a little as he returned the embrace, and he, himself, relaxed as he turned back to look at his son.

Lloyd's eyes were half-closed, but he seemed at least partially aware of what was going on around him. "...Dad?" he murmured, making a visible effort to open his eyes wider. "...Dad, you're really here…"

"O' course I'm haur. As soon as I heard whit happened, I came reit away."

Lloyd closed his eyes again, and a smile spread across his face as he sighed. Dirk bit his lip, choking back his own sigh of relief, and reached a hand out to brush through Lloyd's hair.

"...are you… going to scold me…?" Lloyd asked.

"Nae." Dirk shook his head. "I've picked up bits an' pieces ay whit happened. Ye were protectin' a friend. E'en if I'm frustrated wi' ye fer makin' me worry, ye waur upholdin' yer Dwarven Vows. I'm prood o' ye, Lloyd."

"...Dwarven… Vow number… two…" Lloyd spoke with a weak cough. "...riamh leig… l-leig, uh, sea-"

Kratos spoke up to stop him. "Don't push yourself, Lloyd. Just rest for now."

"...Kratos?"

"What? Why do you sound so surprised?"

"N-no… not surprised… just happy you're here. I… I..."

"Dorn't feel like ye hae ta make conversation fer our sake. If ye need tae sleep, then sleep. We'll be reit haur wi' ye."

"I'm okay… in a manner of speaking." Lloyd replied with an exhale that sounded like an attempt at a laugh. "But what… happened… to me? All I remember… is that Zelos and Colette… were in danger…"

"Well, you were taken to the hospital," Kratos began, "but I haven't the slightest idea how you ended up here."

"You were hit in the back by a magical high-pressure burst." Song had been watching from the door frame after Dirk and Kratos entered, and took the opportunity to step tentatively into the already-crowded room. "They took you straight to the hospital where you underwent emergency surgery and had your wounds patched up. Unfortunately, somebody at the hospital tried to kill you with blood-thinners, so I kinda… kidnapped you."

Kratos glared at Song. "That was your solution?"

"I had exhausted all other options! I didn't know who was after Lloyd and why. And, to be fair, I told Lloyd that I don't condone this sort of thing except in emergency situations! He was just too, uh, unconscious to hear me."

"Um," Lloyd lifted one hand from the bed, "how would a blood-thinner kill me? Is thin blood bad?"

"For somebody with a heart attack or blood clot, no. For you, yes." Song walked over to the bed and leaned over so that he could speak with Lloyd face to face. "It keeps blood from clotting, so there's a danger of bleeding out if you have any injuries. With the amount of internal bleeding something like that would've caused, you'd have died of blood loss before anyone knew what was happening."

There was a pause, and Lloyd let out a groan.

"I don't get it. How would I have died of blood loss if… if all the blood stayed inside my body?"

Song frowned.

"Uh, Lloyd, are you feeling okay? It might just be the pain medicine messing with you, but I'd feel better ruling out some kind of neural damage-" He didn't get to finish his sentence before the others broke in.

"I'd say it sounds like Lloyd is back to normal." "Yoo've dain a guid job, doctor." "That's my Lloyd!"

It might've been the stuffiness of having that many people in such a small room, but Song could swear he felt a drop of sweat run down his brow. What the hell was Lloyd like normally?

Dirk cleared his throat and raised one hand. "May I mak' a request? I trysted Colette an' Genis that I'd contact 'em as suin as I found out whaur Lloyd was, but thes city's jist tae big and I dorn't hae the slightest idea whaur I am, much less how tae gie back there."

"Oh, don't worry!" Song chimed. "I'll take care of that. I'm sure Lloyd's friends are worried too. Plus, I've always wanted to visit Zelos Wilder's mansion…"

"Do you need a military escort?" Kratos offered.

"No, you should stay here! I'll be back with Lloyd's friends before you even know I'm gone!"

There were a couple of words of protest, but Song ignored them and headed back out into the hallway instead. He passed through the main room, waving at his other patients, and then headed through the kitchen to the entryway. Yuan was sitting at the kitchen table, feeding Adora, and he glanced up as Song passed by.

"Now where are you off to? Isn't everybody finally happy?"

Song shook his head. "Lloyd's friends apparently have already been told about the kidnapping. They're worried sick, and Dirk promised to tell them when he found Lloyd. I'm going to-"

Yuan leaned his head back and let out a long groan. "Fine, fine. If you'll put Adora to bed, I'll go deliver the message-"

"I wasn't asking you. I'm going."

"Excuse me?"

Song shook his head. "You're not on good terms with Zelos right now, and everyone's staying at Zelos'mansion. I'm going."

Yuan narrowed his eyes. "There are easier and far less dramatic ways to see the inside of that mansion, you know-"

"It's not about the mansion!" Song raised his voice, but the sudden loudness spooked Adora. She coughed and spit up milk, prompting Yuan to drop the bottle and reach for the towel. He glared at Song while he did so, and Song held up his hands innocently.

"I, uh, I should get going! I'll be back with guests soon, so… see you!"

He took the time only to grab his coat and started down the stairs as he pulled it on. Yuan called down with a quick warning before it was too late.

"Please at least use Zelos' front door!"

The voice that came from the bottom of the staircase was muffled, but still understandable. "Too risky! Never know who might be watching!"

Yuan sighed and shook his head, speaking to Adora under his breath as he gently cleaned her face. "See, this is the difference between trying to be cool and actually being cool. He thinks that breaking-and-entering like some sort of Mizuho ninja will make him cool. But you and I know that the coolestway to make an entrance is a bold but direct confrontation. There's no point if you don't make a clear statement."

Adora had been staring at him, seemingly listening, but she continued to stare after he'd finished and finally burped, spitting up over her chin and the front of her blouse.

"Yes! Exactly!" Yuan chimed as he reached for the towel again. "Oh, Martel would be so proud of you…"

"Knock, knock. Sheena?"

Zelos opened the door and peeked in, prepared for some sort of scolding or even getting a large object thrown at him. But the room looked empty, save for the bed, which had a conspicuously large lump in the center, covered by blankets. There was no response from said lump, but Zelos could see slow, shaky breaths. He sighed and walked over to sit at the foot of the bed.

"I know you're not asleep, Sheena. I could see you pacing around the balcony not five minutes ago."

Sheena poked her head out from under the blankets. "What do you want?"

"Can't I come check in on a friend? It's concerning to see a woman who just lost the man she loves not shedding a single tear."

Sheena shot to a seated position, tossing the blankets off her shoulders. "W-we haven't lost him! We just don't know where he is right now!"

"That's the definition of lost, isn't it?"

There was a pause, and she frowned. "Sorry. It's just, the way you said it. I didn't like how it sounded."

Zelos nodded. "Yeah, I regretted it as soon as I said it. I was going for the idea of losing a dog or something, but that feels wrong to say. But no matter how I say it, it doesn't change what's going on. You have just as much right as any of us- maybe even moreso- to be upset. You haven't cried, you haven't yelled, you've kept a super level-head about everything. How?"

Sheena sighed and finally allowed herself to look at him. "You may not have noticed, but Mizuho culture places great value on stoicism."

"Oh really?" Zelos shrugged and rolled his eyes. "No, I hadn't noticed."

"Don't use that tone of voice! I'm being serious!" Sheena scolded him, but her voice dropped off at the end of the sentence. "It's not just romantic love that we try to hide from others. All kind of affection is generally kept private. At this point, it's not necessarily intentional, just something that kids learn through observing adults' behavior. It's natural for a child to express their sadness when they lose someone they love. Back when I failed to make a pact with Volt and saw so many people I cared about die, I was horrified. I wanted to scream and cry and shut myself away. But the adults around me were all silent. Tiga told me that the best way to honor the dead was to continue with life as normal- that those we love wouldn't want us stop our lives for their sake. That's what I always believed."

"Hm." Zelos nodded as he listened, waiting a moment to make sure he didn't interrupt her. "I always tried to put on a smiling face, but that was my decision as a public figure. I can't imagine everyone around me doing the same thing. Hiding your emotions like that can prevent you from healing… it's no wonder Kuchinawa held onto his grudge for so long. I'm surprised there weren't more people seeking revenge on you."

"Gee, thanks."

"Er, I didn't mean it like that! I just…" Zelos sighed and shook his head. "I get it. You're trying to hide your worry, not just for our sake, but for Lloyd's sake as well."

Sheena reached over the side of the bed to retrieve the blankets. "That's right. When we do find Lloyd- and I know we will- I want him to know I stayed calm and was true to my traditions. Our love is to stay sacred and secret."

A smile spread across Zelos' face, and he stifled a laugh. "Sacred and secret? Are you for real?"

"Why are you laughing?!" Sheena bristled and clutched the blanket in her fists.

"Sorry, sorry. I know I shouldn't. It's just that your feelings for him have never been secret. You're so easy to read."

Sheena frowned. "I am not easy to read."

"You really are. It was clear there was something, even when you first appeared to help us save Raine and Genis. I was honestly pretty mad at first- all that time I'd spent trying to woo you, and you fell for some yokel from Sylvarant?" Zelos laughed a little in spite of himself. "But then I wised up."

Sheena nodded. "Yeah, I think we're all aware of your little man-crush on Lloyd."

"You can just call it a crush, Sheena. Adding an extra word doesn't change what it is."

There was a pause, and Sheena grinned back at him. "Glad to see you've finally decided to join us. The weather's fine out here."

"I-I've always been open about-!" Zelos began, but stopped himself with a sigh. "Ah, who am I kidding? Thanks for the warm welcome."

Sheena laughed a little and turned away so that she could cover her mouth. Zelos caught it, though, and nudged her shoulder.

"Hey, I made you laugh! That's kinda the opposite of what I came here to do, but I'll take it."

"As rude as you've been, I can't say it hasn't helped." Sheena sighed. "So thanks. I don't feel like sleeping, so I think I'm going to take a walk. Do you want to join me?"

"An invitation!" Zelos exclaimed, a bright smile lighting up his face. He jumped to his feet and motioned toward the door. "I'm going to stop by and check on Seles and Hazel first, but it would be an honor to accompany you. After you, my lady."

Sheena responded with a good-natured groan and a shake of her head. "I just hope Seles is having an easier time than we are."

"Zelos, dear, come in. How are you doing?" Veronica opened the door and motioned him and Sheena into Seles' room. "You just missed Hazel. Tokunaga saw her out."

"Ah, that's a shame. I wanted to thank her." Zelos passed Veronica by so that he could go straight to Seles' bed. "You doing alright, Sis?"

Seles was sitting up in bed, flipping through the pages of a book. "As well as I can be, I suppose. Now that Hazel left, I was going to get some sleep. Where is Colette?"

"Asleep," Sheena answered, "same as Genis and Raine."

"I'm glad to hear it. Colette was so worked up earlier, I feared she'd never get to sleep."

Sheena sat down on the side of the bed and placed her hand over Seles'. "I was afraid of the same thing. What about you? Will you be able to sleep?"

"..." Seles was quiet. "I can try, at least."

"You should go ahead and take your evening medicine," Veronica suggested. "It will help you relax. I'll fetch it for you."

"Thank you." Seles nodded in Veronica's direction and waited until she had left the room. Once the nurse was gone, Seles let out a groan and fell back on her pillow. "Ugh, I don't wanna take any more medicine. Those huge pills are the worst."

"They're meant to help you," Sheena assured her, though Seles wasn't convinced.

"Really? A lot of good they seem to be doing!"

"...yeah, it's true." Zelos sighed. "But part of me wonders how bad things would be if you didn't have the medicine."

Seles turned her head away, unwilling to answer the question. Sheena cleared her throat and began again.

"We were going for a walk in the courtyard. If you're feeling up to it, we'd love to have your company."

"Thanks, but I'm not feeling up to it." Seles shook her head. "I could use some fresh air, though. Could you open the door to the balcony?"

"Of course!"

Sheena stood up again and walked over to the balcony doors, pushing the curtain aside. She pushed the door open slightly, planning to leave it open just a crack to keep the cold out. However, she heard something odd from beyond the balcony, and stepped out to investigate. It sounded almost like it was coming from over the side, so she approached the railing and looked down.

She wasn't sure what to expect, but she knew it certainly wasn't that.

"Oh, hi, Miss! A little help here? By the time I realized I totally overestimated my stupid toothpick-arms, I was already all the way up here, and I really don't want to fall-"

Sheena leaned over the side of the railing and grabbed the man by his wrists. He smiled and started to offer thanks, but she flipped him over and caught him in a chokehold.

"Who the hell are you?! What are you doing, climbing onto my friend's balcony in the middle of the night?! Choose your words carefully, because I am not in a good mood."

"W-wow, you're strong…" the man choked out. "That's some impressive brachioradial strength. Do you work out?"

"Shut up! Give me one good reason I shouldn't throw you right back off this balcony!"

"...wait, do you want me to shut up? Or do you want me to give you a reason? They seem mutually exclusive-"

"Wait a minute. Doctor Lu?"

Zelos shuffled forward, recognising Song's voice. Sheena loosened her hold on him in surprise.

"You know this guy, Zelos?"

"Yeah!" Song chimed, offering Zelos a wave. "I'm a friend of his! Er, well, more of a friend-of-a-friend, but-"

"Friend of an acquaintanceat best," Zelos interrupted, "and at worst, friend of an enemy. What the hell do you think you're doing, climbing onto my sister's balcony in the middle of the night? You do know how this looks, right?"

"Don't worry about your sister, Zelos!" Song waved his hands. "Trust me, I'm as straight as the path through Gaoracchia Forest."

"So's my sister. That's not the point."

Sheena tightened her grip on Song once again. "Tell us why you're here before we call the authorities on your ass."

"Okay, okay!" Song choked, squirming in her grip. "So much for easing you into the news with small talk… the truth is, I'm here about Lloyd. Someone tried to murder him."

There was a pause. Zelos and Sheena glanced at one another, and Zelos finally approached Song, bending down to speak with him on eye-level.

"That's what you're here for?! That was old news hours ago, you idiot! Have you been hiding under a rock all day-?"

"No, no, no, no!" Song interrupted. "I mean at the hospital! Someone at the hospital tried to murder Lloyd! I wasn't able to trace the would-be murderer without putting Lloyd and myself in danger, so I smuggled him back to my place for the night. I thought you'd want to know that I have Lloyd at my house. It's no hospital, but it's a safe, murderer-free environment."

"...Lloyd…"

Sheena let go of Song, and he immediately dropped to the floor of the balcony. Zelos grabbed the hood of his coat to pull him to his feet and drag him back inside.

"First things first, how do we know you're not lying?" Zelos began as he shoved Song into one of the chairs. "For all we know, this could be something you and Yuan cooked up to mess with us."

"That's absurd! I would never hurt Lloyd- I swore an oath to primum non nocere!"

"To what?" Sheena frowned.

"Primum non nocere. First, do no harm." Seles translated, watching the scene from her bed. "It's an expression of non-maleficence, spoken by doctors in the Hippocratic Oath. Hazel adheres strictly to it."

"Exactly!" Song nodded his head. "My oath as a doctor forbids me from doing anything that would hurt others. 'On the doer of good, heaven sends down all blessings, and on the doer of evil, all calamities'- so states the Shujing-"

Zelos cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Alright, alright, alright. We'll give you the benefit of the doubt here. What you're saying is that Lloyd is safe, right?"

"Yes! Well… so long as the murderer doesn't know where he is. But I'm not sure how long I can keep him hidden. The attempted murderer must be a doctor or somebody in league with a doctor. Someone at the hospital intentionally prescribed strong blood-thinners that would've killed him, and we have to find out who it is-"

The conversation was stopped by the sound of the door opening, and the whole group paused to look. Veronica was standing on the other side of the door with a basket of pill bottles in her arms. She glanced around at the group and gasped as her gaze settled on Song.

"Is that… Doctor Song Lu?"

Song perked up. "Miss Veronica St Martin? You're working for the Wilders now, right? What a small world!"

Zelos let out a long, loud groan. "Alright, and how do you two know each other?"

"Miss St Martin was an instructor at the Franciscan Boys' Academy when I served as an interim professor some years back," Song explained.

"I know that one," Seles spoke up. "It's the government's accelerated program for half-elf boys assigned to medical and STEM fields."

"Right! And my alma mater too!" Song tapped his chest proudly. "Though… I didn't realize until I started working there how hard it was being on the other side of the classroom. Miss St Martin helped me with lesson plans and grading for the few months I was there. I don't know what I would've done without her."

"Nonsense. You were a model teacher, Dr. Lu. Your boys learned much from you." Veronica walked over to Seles' nightstand and set the medicine down. "But what are you doing here? I heard you say something about malpractice at the hospital-?"

"Yes, that's right." Song replied with a grave nod. "Zelos' friend Lloyd was almost killed during his stay there. I took him back to my own house for his safety, but we need to find out what's going on and how it's connected to the assassination attempt today."

"D-Doctor Lu…" Sheena spoke up with an uncharacteristic waver in her voice. "I do want to discuss this more, but… could we see Lloyd?"

"Oh! Yes, yes!" Song shot to his feet. "I came on behalf of Dirk, who promised Colette and Genis he'd let them know Lloyd's wherabouts. You should all come with me to my place- I'm sure Lloyd wants to see you."

"He's conscious?" Zelos asked.

"Er, somewhat. His parents are with him now and he was able to recognize them and hold a conversation. He needs his rest, but I don't think there's anything wrong with him having company."

"What are we waiting for?" Sheena demanded, already halfway out the door and into the hallway. "Let's go wake up Colette and the others! Come on!"

"Sheena, wait for me!" Zelos took off after her, stopping only momentarily at the door. "Doctor Lu, give us a few minutes to get ready. We'll meet you by the front door. You should familiarize yourself with it, because I expect you to use it next time."

As a lingering quiet filled the room, Seles let out a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad that Lloyd is okay. I don't know what my brother would've done if anything happened to him."

"Do you want to go see Lloyd as well?" Song asked.

"No, I-"

"I'm afraid she can't," Veronica broke in, though she turned back to Seles when she realized that they were in agreement. "But we appreciate the offer. Seles, do you need any help with your medicine before you retire for the evening?"

Seles shook her head. "No, I can take it myself."

Veronica smiled. "Well, in that case, I'll leave you be. If Song would be so kind, I'd like to speak with him before he leaves with Zelos and the others."

"Yeah, of course!" Song followed her out into the hallway with a friendly wave back toward Seles. He continued speaking as Veronica closed the door behind them and started leading the way back toward the main staircase. "I don't want to delay Zelos, but it's been too long since I've seen you. How are you doing? What's-"

He couldn't finish his sentence. Veronica turned around and pressed a finger to her lips- the academic symbol for "quiet." It had been decades since Song had been on the receiving end of such a motion, but he instinctively followed along.

"As you said, there's no need to delay Zelos and his friends. I wanted to speak to you before you left because I heard you're the one who's provided shelter to Felix and Margie Patton over the past few weeks. Is this correct?"

Song froze up. "Th-that… depends on who's asking."

"Of course." Veronica bowed respectfully. "The Church of Mana is in your debt, Doctor Lu. After such a great service, it pains me to have to ask anything more of you. But I'm afraid you've misjudged the situation."

Song frowned, taking a wary step back. He wasn't sure he liked where this was going.

"Wait, you're one of-? I-I mean… what do you mean, I've misjudged?"

"Despite how it may seem," Veronica began again, taking a step forward to close the extra space, "Lloyd Irving's death at the hospital was indeed the will of the Church of Mana. I understand that you were acting upon the best interest of the patient in that situation, but you've put us in a bit of a predicament. I know your principle of non-maleficence, and I ordinarily wouldn't ask this of you. But as it stands now, you're the only one we can ask…"

Song took a deep breath, his stomach churning.

"Ask to do what?"