Chapter 21: Seizing
(Same tags apply as in Chapter 1)
The Highwind's jet engine flared blue as the ship rose into the atmosphere heading for its next destination, Cosmo Canyon.
Yuffie entered the bridge and was assaulted by the sounds coming from the bridge. The brightness from the halogen lights drove into her eyes with the intensity of serrated knives. Her stomach did summersaults and cartwheels in her abdomen bringing bile into her throat. Her brain felt as if it was spinning like a top within her skull. She staggered her way to a wall at the back of the bridge and leaned against it, closing her eyes as she tried to keep her attention on the voices around her.
Nanaki padded towards the flaxen haired pilot. "Cid, how soon will we reach the Canyon?"
Cid grinned around his cigarette. "From Wutai to Cosmo it would have taken us 'bout a half hour. At this speed, we'll get there in about fifteen minutes. I managed to get a little more outta her.
Tifa looked up from her conversation with Barret with concern. "Do you think its safe for us to be going so fast? This ship has taken quite a beating Cid."
He frowned at the brown haired beauty. "Hell no! My ship is the toughest in the world! Sure she needs some fuckin' work, but she's still strong."
The door opened and Vincent entered. "Tifa, Cloud requires your assistance in the mess. Apparently he has managed to burn what you were preparing for dessert."
"Crap! I knew I shouldn't have left him alone. Who woulda guessed that he could actually manage to burn chocolate pudding…instant pudding at that!" She said running from the bridge muttering "Milk and pudding mix, that's all!"
Vincent glanced around the bridge and spotted Yuffie and felt the hair rise on back of his neck as Chaos yelled to him.
'Vincent! Catch her!'
"Yuffie!" he shouted as he ran forward.
.::-o-::.
Yuffie felt the pain increase in her head tenfold. 'What in the hell is wrong with me?' Suddenly her legs gave out on her as she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her.
.::-o-::.
He caught her as she was going down and lowered her to the ground. Her eyes were glazed over as though she was looking straight through him. It chilled him to see her in such distress.
"Yuffie! Are you okay?" He asked as the others gathered around him. "Cait! Get Tifa!" The mog bounced quickly off the bridge.
Tears began to leak from her dazed eyes. She tried to lift her arms but felt extremely weak. "My head…it hurts…please…it won't stop Vince…"
"I'm scared..." She whispered.
Vincent watched in horror as her eyes rolled back into their sockets and her body tensed and began to shake. Tifa and Cloud ran onto the bridge gasped at the scene before them.
Yuffie let out a pained grunt as every muscle in her body contracted.
He ripped off his cloak and placed it under her head. "She's having a seizure…Tifa help me, everyone else get back!"
Vincent and Tifa protected the young ninja as her body thrashed on the cold floor. Tears filled the eyes of the martial artist as she watched Yuffie but could do nothing to help. Vincent felt his heart contract painfully as her pain filled grunts and moans reached his ears. The ninja's body arched off the floor a final time as she collapsed. The contents of the ninja's stomach made its way in her mouth while she remained unconscious.
Vincent pulled the limp body of the teen on her side allowing the bile to drain from her mouth. "Hopefully she didn't inhale any bile." He said quietly, as Tifa began gently patting her back and watching her labored breathing. "If she did aspirate during her seizure, it could possibly have dire consequences."
"We need to get her to a doctor now!" Tifa choked out around the lump in her throat.
Nanaki stepped forward and pressed his cold nose against the young ninja's hand. "The medical center at the Canyon is small, but is one of the best on this planet."
Cid retook the helm and pushed the engines a little harder. "We'll be at the Canyon in five minutes. We can use the rope ladder and the crew will land the ship." He looked at the trio still on the floor and felt heaviness in his chest. "Poor kid. Vincent, can you carry her down?"
He did not reply but nodded.
Cloud came forward and pressed his hand against her forehead and felt her cold, clammy skin. Cloud started for the door, no longer wanting to see his young friend in such a state. "I'll go grab some blankets, we have to get her off the ship."
Cait shuffled over sadly and handed Tifa a couple towels. "Why hasn't she regained consciousness?"
The brown haired woman sighed. "Her head injury was more serious than any of us realized, including Yuffie. I know that when people have seizures the muscle spasms they get are usually so intense, it exhausts them and they fall into a deep sleep." She placed the towels over the mess as Cloud brought the blankets in.
Vincent nodded in agreement as he and Cloud wrapped the ninja in the warm blankets. "Tifa is correct but I think that her unconscious state is attributed more to the head injury than exhaustion."
"Cait and I will go ahead and let the healers know you are coming." Nanaki and Cait ran from the bridge.
Vincent scooped the ninja up and quickly made his way to the rope ladder. He put her over his shoulder and easily made his way down the ladder. He jumped the last few rungs of the ladder, readjusted his precious burden and darted in the direction of the medical center with Tifa right behind him.
.::-o-::.
Tifa put on a burst of speed and passed the gunman and yanked open the door to the medical center. Vincent passed through seconds later not reducing his speed until he was inside of the brightly lit center.
Nanaki exited a room and called over him. "Vincent! Bring her over here. We'll wait out here."
He swiftly walked into the room that red had come from to find a fully equipped treatment room and a man and woman waiting for them.
"Mr. Valentine, this is healer Salis" he gestured to the auburn haired woman who looked to be in her mid forties. "and I am Xander. Please lay her on the bed."
Vincent obeyed without pause.
Salis took out a small light and peered into Yuffie's unseeing eyes. "Can you tell us what happened?"
Vincent took a deep breath trying to stamp down his rampant emotions as the two healers moved quickly around the young woman to stabilize her labored breathing. "We were scouting for a exit in the Northern Crater when the rock began to give way. She was hit in the back of the head by a falling rock."
Xander placed an IV in her small arm and glanced at Vincent. "Did she lose consciousness after she was hit?"
He shook his head. "She said that she had a headache but didn't feel it was serious. She had a seizure just before we arrived here and may have aspirated when she lost consciousness and vomited." There was a definite sadness and guilt in his voice.
Salis walked over to Vincent as Xander continued to work on Yuffie. "Mr. Valentine, you couldn't have known how serious the injury was. She didn't even know. Don't blame yourself, we will do all that we can to help her." She said patting his arm. "Why don't you wait with Nanaki and the others? You will be the first to know once we find out more about her condition."
He hesitated then nodded. He did not want to leave her alone, but knew that it was for the best. "Thank you. Please let me know when I can see her."
"Will do."
Vincent turned and left them duo working on Avalanche's youngest member.
His Yuffie.
.::-o-::.
Vincent quietly entered the waiting area where their friends had gathered. No one had noticed his stealthy entrance as he propped himself against a wall and tilted his head back and closed his eyes.
'It's my fault. I should have been more observant and now, Yuffie has been wounded and it's all my fault. Maybe if I had been on that ledge looking for the path, she would still be safe.' He thought as the guilt and sadness embedded itself deep in his chest.
Vincent took a deep breath and did something that he hadn't done since he was a child…He prayed. He prayed to the serpent god Leviathan, he prayed to the planet, and he prayed to any other deity that might hear him.
'Please, just watch over her and protect her Yuffie is an innocent young woman who deserves a chance at life. She brings light to so many, please don't take her away form us…don't take her away from me.'
Barret was the one to notice the dark gunman against the wall. Though the gun-armed man wasn't the most perceptive person on the planet, he could tell there was deep sadness coming from the stoic gunman. 'Stubborn ass man probably thinks it's his fault.' He thought sadly. "Vincent…" He said quietly as the others took notice of him also. "How is she?"
Vincent did not change his position against the wall as the room grew silent. "The healers are working on her right now. They are doing everything the can for her and will inform us of her condition soon." He said with his voice taking on it usual emotionless monotone.
Cid looked up from a spot on the floor that he had been staring at. "Vincent, I want to thank you for catchin' our lil' ninja in the crater. I don't want to think of what would have happened if you hadn't made it to her in time."
Vincent blinked at Cid's words. This was the first time that he had heard the gruff pilot go more than five words without cursing. He nodded to the pilot but said nothing. He was still extremely concerned for the young lady in the other room.
.::-o-::.
An hour later, the members of Avalanche were sprawled in chairs, on couches and even on the floor. They hadn't slept since they returned from the crater and had been awake for well over 24 hours. Cloud and Tifa were asleep on the couch; Cid was sitting against the wall with his chin tucked against his chest. Barret was haphazardly perched on a chair with his arms crossed against his chest, Nanaki was curled up on the floor and Cait had gone into recharge mode.
Vincent was the only one who had remained awake but had his eyes closed. He knew that there would be no rest for him until he knew his Yuffie was safe. His eyes snapped open as he heard the door to the room open. Xander stuck his head out of the door and saw the sleeping forms of the planets saviors and gestured Vincent.
He entered the room and Xander closed it behind him. "We know that all of you are exhausted and I didn't want to wake the others."
Vincent nodded and watched as Salis wiped the dirt off of Yuffies face and placed an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose. "What is her condition?"
Xander took a deep breath and sat in a vacant chair. "The blow to her head caused a cerebral contusion which is basically a 'brain bruise.' She wouldn't have known how serious it was until it was too late. Sometimes it can take over 24 hours for serious symptoms to manifest."
Salis walked over and emptied the water basin into the sink and washed her hands before turning to Vincent. "She would have experienced dizziness, nausea and vomiting, slurred speech, and a headache which would have been easily mistaken for a concussion. But as the bruise expanded, her brain began to swell in the confines of her skull causing the pressure to build. Her symptoms began to intensify and eventually led to the seizure.
"She didn't regain consciousness while here, but it's probably for the best. We'll keep her sedated and on anti-inflammatory drugs until her pupil function returns to normal and the swelling goes down. She has already made a slight improvement and we think she should regain consciousness within the next 24-48 hours."
Xander walked into a room that Vincent hadn't noticed last time he was in the room. He returned with an x-ray and placed it on the light box but did not turn it on. "We will have to keep a close eye on her to make sure that the contusion doesn't continue to expand. If that happens, this injury could become life threatening very quickly and we'll have to look at possible surgical options."
He flipped the switch on the light box and the film he placed on it lit up. "This is a x-ray of Yuffie's lungs. You see this small spot over here?" He pointed to a small spot, the size of a golf ball in her left lung. "You were correct, she did aspirate into her lungs. I assume you turned her as she vomited?" Vincent nodded.
"That is what kept the amount of fluid in her lungs to a minimum. When a person has a seizure or is unconscious, their gag reflex becomes relaxed allowing fluid to flow freely into the lungs causing what's called aspiration pneumonia. She has a minor case so we've started her on a broad-spectrum antibiotic. She'll have IV antibiotics for seven days, if they are effective and she is able to cough up the fluid, she will be fine." Xander explained.
Salis looked over at the gunman. "Because of the care that you gave her and how quickly you brought her to us, we believe, barring no unexpected complications, that she will make a full recovery. We will redo the X-ray in seven days to make sure the fluid in her lungs is gone."
At the mention of unexpected complications, Vincent felt a cold chill run down his spine. "Is there a chance that her brain could have been damaged during this?"
Salis looked over at Xander before speaking. "That is a good question Mr. Valentine. We believe that there's a seventeen percent chance that she could develop some minor mobility difficulties but are extremely confident that she will make a full recovery. She may experience migraines and dizziness for a few weeks or months after the injury and she will have to be watched to make sure she doesn't injure herself during one of these spells. The fact that some of the swelling has gone down already is good for her overall condition.
"I think it would be best if you took your friends to the inn to get some rest. You are all exhausted both physically and emotionally and need some rest."
Vincent looked at the small auburn haired woman and nodded. "I will wake them and inform them of her condition then send them to the inn. I, however, will remain here. I don't require rest right now and would like to stay with her." Though he was slightly tired, he didn't want to leave her alone.
Salis knew there would be no chance getting him to change is mind and nodded. "Is there any family that we should contact for her?"
Vincent paused before exiting. He knew that Yuffie didn't want anything to do with Wutai right now. "No. That is not necessary."
Vincent quickly woke the Avalanche members from their brief slumber. He waited a few moments while everyone fought off the effects of their brief sleep.
Tifa sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Do you have any news on Yuffs?"
He nodded. "She suffered a bruise to her brain which caused swelling and eventually the seizure. From what I was told by the healers, she wouldn't have know until it was too late that something was wrong. She also has a case of aspiration Pneumonia from inhaling a small amount of fluid into her left lung.
"They have her sedated to allow the swelling on her brain to recede and they are giving her drugs to keep the inflammation down and antibiotics for the pneumonia. She will stay sedated until her pupil function returns to normal."
Nanaki looked up at the stoic man before him. "Are there any permanent disabilities that will occur?"
"There is a seventeen percent chance that her brain was damaged and that might cause her mobility problems, but they are confident that she will make a full recovery."
Tifa was teary eyed but let out a sigh of relief at the chance that her best friend would be okay.
"I will remain here while you all return to the inn to rest. They are expecting that her condition will improve within the next 24-48 hours." The nodded and began silently filing out of the small clinic with their thoughts on Yuffie, praying for her safe recovery.
Tifa stopped at the door. "Cloud, I'll catch up with you in a few minutes." She walked over to Vincent. "Can I see her?"
He nodded and took her to the small form in the other room. There was a steady beep the resounded in the air as Tifa leaned to Yuffie's ear and began whispering. Vincent watched from the wall and focused on the steady beeping of the heart monitor that Yuffie was hooked up to, not wanting to listen in on Tifa's words to her.
Tifa kissed her on her forehead and smoothed her hair back away from her pale face. She walked over to Vincent and smiled. "She will be alright, I know she will." She wrapped her arms around Vincent's waist, pulling into a quick hug. "She's a fighter and if I remember correctly, she still owes you for something you did to her." She smirked at him and saw him giver her small smile in return. His cloak was still on the Highwind, leaving him clad in black pants and a black button-up dress shirt.
"I will gladly accept any punishment that she chooses to inflict on me. Go Tifa, get some rest."
"I'll come back later to sit with her so you can get some rest…" Vincent began to protest but was quickly cut of. "Don't you dare argue with me over this." She said putting her hands on her waist and giving him a slight smile. "You need rest just like the rest of us."
He sighed. This was one battle he could not win. "As you wish."
"Bye Vincent."
'She is a stubborn one, isn't she?' Chaos laughed at the gunman for having been put in his place by a female half the size of him.
'Be quiet Chaos.' Vincent said as he pulled a chair up to Yuffie's bed. He gently took her tiny hand in his large one, careful of the IV in place as he processed the thoughts flying through his mind and fought the guilt that resided within him.
'Maybe this is what Aeris spoke of. She did say that Yuffie would need help in weeks to come.'
o-o-Author's Notes-o-o
This chappy was actually suppose to be up two days ago.
-Three Seph's are sprawled on Ezri's floor and bed unconscious.- Reno is back!!! -Ezri jumps into the redheads arms and greets him affectionately-
Reno: -Grins- Hey babe! Miss me?
Ezri: YES!! -Ez looks at her readers- Oops…I forgot you guys were here. Geez, please don't kill me about this chapter guys…eh, screw it, try your best to hurt me! Reno is taking over in the protection area while the Seph's are recovering.
I know it had a lot of jargon but eh, I couldn't do much about it. I took a few small liberties with it but I couldn't help but to look into the subject of head injuries in my textbooks to make sure I had some of the facts straight.
-Reno sits Ez on a plush couch that magically appears, then lays his head on her lap as she runs her fingers through his hair.- Sorry guys, but doing this right now is comforting. These past few days have been rough. My cousins (ages 5, 8, 9, and 14) just arrived from Cali, so I've been spending time with them...I've missed them babies so much! I love 'em! They're just so sweet and cute!
My doggie was attacked in our backyard by our neighbor's stupid ass dog. Their damn psycho bulldog chewed through the fence and grabbed her by the neck as she walked past it. -Sniff- My poor Geta girl…
I've been having problems thinking about what to write next and the fact that I live a block and a half away from the damn Nabisco cookie factory and all I've been smelling them back chocolate chip cookies for the past 4 days isn't helping!! -sigh…Ez takes a minute to recompose herself.-
Okay, I'm done ranting…I think I just need to find a way to give myself a swift kick in the ass and everything will be okay. I think I'm gonna let Reno take over now… -Closes her eyes and continues to run her finger through his hair.-
Reno: It's nice to be back with my Ezzie…Anyway, Ez has a few people she'd like to thank…
Ez: Wait Reno, I gotta do something real quick! -pulls out a dart gun and loads 3 darts with hyper and fires at the unconscious forms of Seph Sephiroth and Sephy, instantly rousing them- Sorry bout the interruption, but they need to be awake for this.
Reno: S'okay babe. So like I was sayin', she would like to thank…
For the new reviewers:
Indigochipmunk
Demonsurfer
Kimbob
NightCrystal: Seph is headed your way so prepare yourself. He'll be at your whim until recalled…
And her lovely, glorious steady reviewers:
Sexynun
TheEvilOne69
Kidbuux256
Shadowkeepre: When she wrote that part in the last chapter, she could just hear him saying that and had to find a way to get it in there somehow.
Destiny Daae: Hey Skie, She's sending you a carton of Cigs and Nicorette gum and patches…you can try to wean Cid off the cancer sticks but personally, she doesn't think that'll work, hence the cigs…he'll be arriving shortly. Be gently with him, it's his first home visit.
Angel280: Ezri says that everyone should go read her stories "The First Christmas" and "Valentine Redemption" because the stories are wonderful! Ez is sorry but she has to recall the other Turks and Reeve to help her with the story about me, the one and only Reno. In their place, she is sending the one and only Cloud Strife to spend some time with ya. He should have the maraschino cherries with him when he arrives.
Torahiko: Ya see why she sent Yuffs to stay with ya for a while? She hopes you are having fun with the young Shinobi, poor Yuffs needs a break.
Deplora: -Reno grins at Deplora- Aw, Deplora my sweets, long time no see!
-Ez pops Reno on his forehead- Stop flirting you perv!
Reno: okay okay!! Ezri is sending Vincent to you…he has a Squall plushie complete with Griever pendent for you. Feel free to have fun with Vince.
Sephiroth2021: Sephiroth is on his way with a blade similar to the Masamune…he's gonna show ya how to handle the blade and deal with anyone that you need him to. Tifa says hi.
Lone Gunmen: She hopes that your writers block has now been destroyed with Rude's help.
Empress-Eerian-Sadow: Sephy is coming to you. He's the more romantic out of the three Seph's though Ezri says they're all fun. -Sephy winks before teleporting and arriving on Empress' doorstep-
Reno: Well I better get her back to work, maybe I can motivate her to finish the chapter she's working on. Don't forget, If you all get bored between updates, please go check out her other stories but don't forget to review.
Ezri doesn't own Final fantasy or any of its characters…Square-Enix does. Oh hey Ez!
Ezri: Huh?
Reno: -Gives her a big smile- Have you even noticed that you have broken 100 on your reviews? You're up to 108.
Ezri: 0.0 Really? -Checks her stats page- Woooooohooooooo!!!! Thank you all for your support of my story, ya'll don't know how much this all means to me. -Gets teary eyed- I don't wanna let ya'll se me cry so I'm going now!
Bye all! Thanks again!!!
Edited 1/14/07
7/26/07
Edited because of change in formatting. Also re-numbering chapters. Minor content edits.