Chapter 7: Point of View

He hadn't expected it to work.

The moment he even mentioned it he figured he had finally pushed too far. Instead they were both in the surveillance room and sifted through security footage from the last two weeks.

Of course Xu hadn't left them alone. With them was a small surveillance team with instructions to oversee the pair. SeeDs were stationed at the door, in the event the outsiders opted to try anything.

Since the meeting in Xu's office Rinoa had not said a word to him. No matter how hard he tried, she just shrank closer to her monitor and tuned him out. She was furious for what she saw as a betrayal of trust. Irvine understood her feelings and under any other circumstances he would have kept his mouth shut. But if they wanted Xu to work with them there had to be some give and take. It would take a blind idiot to truly believe Squall was responsible for all of this and if they held back this information it would only hurt them.

They spent two days in that room with different shifts of surveillance teams. Xu demanded half-hourly reports on their progress. She probably expected them to withhold information and even though it was tedious work Irvine was willing to play ball. So far they had not found anything through the footage. The time between Selphie's return to Garden and Squall's collapse a week later was exactly as he had expected but there had to be something recorded, something that could help them.

He'd bet his hat on it.

The time passed sporadically, with no break taken by either youth. He would blink only to realize the screens had progressed without his knowledge. Rinoa had her back to him so he could never gauge if she fared the same.

Someone shook him awake during one of his long blinks. He jumped out of his chair, his scattered thoughts jumbled together as Rinoa dragged him by the arm to her station. All anger was forgotten as she pointed at a monitor. "I think I found something."

With excitement building he called at the surveillance guys while Rinoa flopped back into her chair and started the video. By the time the SeeD had joined them the screen showed Irvine as he walked out of the Library and down the hall. But when he checked the time stamp he realized the Library would not close for another couple of hours. He wondered why he had left so early until he saw the date in the upper right hand corner with the time stamp.

It was the day Squall collapsed.

"What're..." Rinoa cut him off with a hiss as she pointed at the screen.

They watched as the Squall studied through the books on the table in front of him. Occasionally he moved to a book shelf, scoured the racks for a particular item before he withdrew it and returned. Then as the time stamp read a half hour before the Library closed, Squall wrote something down, returned a book to the shelf and left.

Irvine frowned in contemplation. "Find tha footage of tha hall."

It wasn't until Rinoa pushed her chair back that the SeeD hit a few commands on the keyboard across from her. After he paused the screen, another one flashed and showed the area across from the Library entrance. The SeeD logged the dates that matched the time stamp and adjusted until they saw Squall emerge into the hall and start towards the elevator by the directory.

"Fast forward it," Rinoa ordered.

The SeeD did as told and the brisk walk Squall took transformed into a quick jaunt as he disappeared around the corner and out of view. The SeeD adjusted the screen on another monitor and after a moment they were able to pick up where they left off. Squall quickly crossed the distance from the Library and disappeared down the path towards the Infirmary.

"Why do you think he's headed there?" Rinoa wondered aloud.

Irvine didn't have an answer, though his thoughts returned to the book the brunet put away. If they could find it, maybe it would yield a clue. But he couldn't be entirely sure. "Keep watchin'," he suggested. Maybe the answer would present itself.

Doctor Kadowaki was ready to close up for the night but stopped when Squall entered. They spoke – their words muted without audio – and the Doctor moved to her office as Squall went to the end of the room. He stopped in front of Selphie's bed – the diminutive SeeD almost out of view from the angle of the video.

"Hey, slow it down," Irvine instructed and the SeeD did as told. The image returned to regular speed.

Squall did not get any closer than the foot of Selphie's bed. Hands pressed at his side, he occasionally moved around the bed. What he looked for, no one could tell; half the time his back was to the camera. He did this for another minute before he stepped back, head down and pressed his fingers to his forehead. After a moment, the arm lowered and he repeated his previous actions.

Rinoa sat up with a gasp. "Did you see that?"

"He cast a spell, didn't he?" Irvine asked. Rinoa nodded. "Which one?"

"I don't know, I can't tell just from the video." She squinted as she watched Squall continue his examination. He jumped in surprise so abruptly he backed into the wall behind him then started for the door. Doctor Kadowaki emerged from her office just in time to see him go. She looked behind her then followed after him.

"What did the Commander see?" The SeeD asked as he adjusted the view of yet another monitor.

"The only thing I'm sure about is he cast Scan," Rinoa said. "With other spells you can see what the effects are. Even Protect and Shell. But you can't see what happens with Scan at all."

"Makes sense," Irvine agreed. Scan could also simulate night vision goggles and pinpoint minuscule things that were almost invisible to the eye. It could also detect magic or magic-effects. "Think ya can get a gander?"

"Rewind the tape." Rinoa added a please when the SeeD gave her an uncomfortable look. Soon they were back to the point where Squall had started his search.

As she closed her eyes Irvine could feel magic pool around the Sorceress. While she did not assume her casting stance Irvine was aware of which spell she used and waited for the effects to take hold, even as the other SeeD prepped the next footage. When she opened her eyes, her gaze was hazy and out of focus, like some kind of film had fallen over the pupils and turned the browns of her eyes to chalky grey.

She watched the scene unfold once again, her features pursed in concentration and betrayed nothing as she watched the young man flee the Infirmary, followed soon after by the doctor. She blinked and shook her head. "It had no effect. Whatever he saw we need to be there in person to see it too."

"The next monitor's ready for you," the SeeD offered. Once given the signal he started the file.

Squall emerged from the Infirmary but only made as far as the cafeteria before he stopped and collapsed. The doctor tried to rouse him but to no avail.

Rinoa cursed and fell back into her seat. "So we still don't know why he suddenly collapsed." Then she turned to Irvine, her features hopeful. "But we at least know he found something."

"That book he put away. Ya reckon if we find it, it might give us a clue?"

Before she could answer there was movement from nearby. He saw the rest of the surveillance team fly out of their seats. "What's wrong?"

"All units!" Another SeeD spoke into a communications device. But whatever else he said was drowned out as the rest of his team fled the room.

Irvine and Rinoa exchanged puzzled glances,but it didn't take long for him to realize what was wrong. On the far wall where the other people had been cloistered for the last two days was an array of monitors that matched the ones Rinoa and Irvine watched. But what was different about them was that their view of Garden was in real time.

And under the section labelled 'Infirmary' all they could see was static.