Okay, so I'm sorry this chapter is a bit shorter than the last, but I wanted to get it out there. Secondly, thank you all for your reviews, and please keep them coming. I'm so thankful for you! You have no idea! Thirdly, keep in mind that drama is one of the genre's of this story... Much love.
- B.
Around four weeks later, the day for surgery had finally arrived and Tifa was quite nervous. Yes, she knew that Dr. Sephiroth had never once lost a patient, but this surgery was risky for both the mother and the baby. Tifa had to be present for the surgery to monitor the patients and assist Dr. Sephiroth. And aside from all of this, she knew Aerith had an appointment later on today, and she would likely try to convince Tifa to do DNA testing once more. But she didn't have time to think about that right now.
She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself before walking into the hospital. That's when her silent moment was interrupted by the loud and familiar sound of a motorcycle approaching. The doctor spun around to see Yuffie hopping off of the back of a bike Tifa hadn't seen in a very long time. Shock was one way to describe what she was feeling now that she knew that her best and closest friend was dating her ex-boyfriend.
Yuffie spotted Tifa and squealed in excitement. She hadn't had the chance to introduce the two yet, but the time had finally come. "Wait here, Cloud. There's someone I want you to meet." The nurse chimed before rushing up to her bewildered friend.
Cloud hadn't known that Tifa was the doctor Yuffie worked for, if he had, he would've told his current girlfriend about the history he and her boss shared. But that was about to happen now. And judging by the look on Tifa's face, it wasn't going to be pretty.
"Tifa!" Yuffie ran up to her companion and grasped her hands. "Come meet my boyfriend, Cloud!"
Before Tifa knew it, Yuffie was dragging her toward Cloud and his bike. Tifa could feel her stomach turning in knots. Had she known Yuffie was dating Cloud, she could've warned her sooner. "Hello Cloud." Tifa said coldly as she and Yuffie came to a stop.
"Tifa." Cloud responded with a nod.
Yuffie looked between the two curiously, wondering what was going on. Both of them suddenly seemed to tense up. "Do... Do you two know each other?" Yuffie asked as she began to piece two and two together.
Cloud wasn't about to speak. He knew that Tifa would answer immediately, and them things would get even more awkward than they already were if both of them tried to explain simultaneously.
"Not anymore." Tifa responded briskly. "I have to go, surgery is in an hour and I have to prep my patient." She quickly turned her back to the pair and walked into the hospital with haste. She didn't stop walking until she reached the elevators, that's when she noticed her hands shaking. What was that? She wondered in shock.
Yuffie watched her friend retreat before turning back to her boyfriend and looking at him with frustration. "What the hell was that about? How do you two know each other?"
Cloud looked down sheepishly before responding. "She's my ex-girlfriend. We dated a long time ago."
Yuffie blinked in shock. Cloud was the emotionally scared man Tifa spoke about? It couldn't be. He didn't seem that way at all! "What?" Yuffie could hardly speak. It came out as a sort of whisper. She was stuck. Should she go after Tifa? Was Tifa angry? Jealous? She needed to find out. "Never mind. I'm not mad, I'll call you later. I need to talk to Tifa." Yuffie gave Cloud a quick peck on the cheek before running after her friend.
She found Tifa in her office, pacing quickly while studying a patient's chart. She was nervous to approach. She knew how nervous Tifa was about the surgery, and this morning's event probably didn't help. "Tifa, I didn't know he was your ex."
"Yuffie, not now." Tifa barely glanced up from her clipboard to acknowledge her friend.
"Tifa, I understand you're upset but.."
"Yuffie, I'm not upset, you can make your own choices. But you need to know that Cloud isn't really who he says he is." Tifa let out a sigh and tucked the clip board under her arm. "I wish you had told me sooner."
"Hold on, what?" Yuffie was starting to get agitated. Was Tifa implying that Cloud was some sort of bad guy? Yuffie knew him, he was nothing of the sort.
"Look, you just sort of caught me off guard out there and I didn't want to make a scene in front of him. But believe me, Yuffie. He's bad news." Tifa placed a hand on her hip and gave her friend a stern but sympathetic look.
Yuffie half-heartedly giggled before shaking her head. "What are you talking about? Cloud is not bad news. He's sweet, kind and he's a gentleman. He treats me very well."
"Yuffie, I know him." Tifa warned.
"Look, just because you think you had a bad experience with him several years back, doesn't mean I will!"
"I'm just looking out for you, Yuffie. You don't need to get so upset about this." Now things were beginning to irritate Tifa. All she was doing was looking out for her friend.
"No, you're not looking out for me. I think you're just jealous! I saw the look on your face when you saw him. You've been single all these years because you haven't gotten over him, haven't you?!" Yuffie exploded. When she felt threatened, that's what happened. She couldn't lose people close to her, not after all she had been through as a child. This was how she responded to threats.
Tifa's wine colored eyes widened in shock. She couldn't believe what was coming out of Yuffie's mouth. She felt quite hurt, and angry. Tifa wasn't jealous. Cloud hurt her deeply in the past. He left her for someone he had never gotten over, in fact, Tifa suspected him of cheating but she never brought it up. She had heard rumors from friends that he had. But she supposed Yuffie would have to learn on her own. She had no time to deal with all of this now. "Go home Yuffie. I won't be needing you today." And with that, the doctor pushed her way out of her office to head up to surgery.
Yuffie was in such shock, she stood there for a few moments wondering what she should do. But the last place she wanted to be was around Tifa. So she gladly went back to the elevator and dialed Cloud on her way down to the first floor.
"Hello?" Came Cloud's familiar voice on the other end.
"Can you please come get me? Tifa sent me home." Yuffie tried to remain calm, but it was getting difficult.
"She sent you home? Why? Because of me?" Cloud's voice sounded rather concerned.
The 'ding' of the elevator shook Yuffie from her daze and she stepped out, pushing past other nurses and patients on her way out. "She's jealous, Cloud." She said after getting past the crowd. She made her way to the cafeteria and sat herself down at a secluded table in the corner. "Can you please come get me."
"I don't know if she's jealous, Yuffie. It happened a long time ago. You two just need to cal.."
"Don't tell me to calm down! You don't know how she reacted up there. She's a jerk, Cloud. Please come get me?"
"Okay, okay. Sit tight. I'll be there shortly."
Yuffie stood from the table and placed her phone in her coat pocket with a sigh. She couldn't believe what was unfolding between she and her friend.
She replayed the events in her mind as she walked to the entrance of the hospital to wait for her ride. How could Tifa have been so insensitive? Good thing she hadn't told her that she thought she may be pregnant.
Tifa had changed from her regular dress clothes into a set of light green surgical scrubs and pulled her long hair back before heading to her patient's room to make sure things were okay. She was still shaken up about what happened with Yuffie earlier, but determined not to let it get to her right now. Elena needed her.
The hallway to Elena's room felt like it went on for miles, and it wasn't bustling at all. It was only Tifa. Her heart felt like it was racing, and her hands were shaking again. Was it because of anger, or nerves? Tifa had done surgery before. But not on babies while still inside the womb. Sure she wasn't performing it, but she would be there every step of the way.
"Doctor Lockhart."
Tifa hadn't even heard the surgeon approach from behind. He looked as though he was ready. They definitely matched and belonged to the same team today. Seeing him didn't bring Tifa any ease about the situation. But judging by his scrutinizing look, he could tell something was wrong.
She gave him a quick hello and a nod before walking to the patient's doorway where she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. Sephiroth closed the patient's door and pulled Tifa aside.
Like always, the man remained expressionless, and seemed completely calm. "Doctor, I don't know what has you so stressed, but you have to leave all of that behind. You can't carry personal emotions into this situation. Your patient will sense that."
Tifa looked up at him, surprised at first. She felt as though she were hiding her feelings well. Perhaps Dr. Sephiroth seemed so stoic all the time was because he was leaving his own personal feelings behind to be the best surgeon he could be for them. "I'm sorry, Doctor. You're right."
"Take a deep breath, it's going to be alright." The man said, reassuringly.
Tifa closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. She felt a little bewildered. Was he trying to comfort her? Regardless, it was helping. She was beginning to feel more relaxed.
"Good, now let's go." The surgeon said as he held the door open for Tifa.
Tifa thanked him and shot him a smile before walking into the room. Had she looked back, she would have seen him return the smile.
"Good morning, Elena." Tifa said warmly. "How are you feeling?"
The mother-to-be sat up in her bed and gave Tifa a nervous smile. "Oh, I'm okay."
Sephiroth watched as Tifa circled around to the woman's bed and gently took her hand that was not hooked up to I.V. Fluid. She seemed like such a gentle, kind person. He had a lot of respect for her.
"It's going to be alright. Dr. Sephiroth is the best surgeon in Midgar. You're in good hands, I promise you that." Tifa said as she gave Elena's hand a light squeeze.
Elena's husband stood at her other side, gently stroking her hair. "You're gonna do great, I know it." He said softly.
"Thank you, Reno." Elena smiled weakly.
Sephiroth approached the bed and looked at Elena with a softer expression than Tifa had remembered seeing. "It'll take one to two hours, what we have to do is partially deliver the baby so we can repair her spine. Doctor Lockhart will be keeping a close eye on your vitals, mom, and if she sees anything that would alarm her, we will have to stop the surgery. You understand?"
Elena nodded and hugged her husband. "I understand. I'm ready."
Sephiroth nodded to Tifa and called for the surgical team to bring the woman up to surgery for her procedure.
It didn't take Cloud long to arrive back at the hospital. He had only gotten a few blocks away when he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. He felt a little concerned for Yuffie. The last thing he wanted was for him to be the cause of trouble and turmoil at Yuffie's job.
He felt as though things could or perhaps should be resolved rather quickly. All he needs to do was sit down with both women and explain a few things. He knew Tifa, and knew she was a good person. She and Yuffie could get along despite the history there.
He watched Yuffie zip up her coat and walk out the doors of the hospital. He could tell she was troubled by the look on her face, but she was more angry than anything.
"You alright?" Cloud asked, taking off his sunglasses and sitting upright as his legs supported his bike on either side.
Yuffie just shook her head. At this point she was transitioning from anger to sadness. She felt like Tifa had just stabbed her in the heart. She wondered why Tifa just couldn't be happy for her. Yuffie felt the surprising sensation of a tear slipping down from her she onto her cheek. But just as soon as it had fallen, she felt Cloud's warm and calloused hand wipe it away gently.
"Come on," his voice lulled. "It's gonna be okay, it'll blow over and you two will work it out."
Yuffie nodded and held back the flow of more tears before hopping on the bike behind him. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and pressed her face against the leather jacket he wore. "Can we stop by the store first?"
She hadn't told him yet, but she was a few days late, and she had missed a few of her birth control pills. It wasn't something she did on purpose. Her life was so busy and hectic, adding Cloud to it was wonderful, but it made her a little spacey. They hadn't been together long, only about a month, and the last thing Yuffie needed right now was an unexpected pregnancy. She just wanted answers.
"Sure." Cloud replied before starting up his bike and taking off. He enjoyed the feeling of her arms around him, her company was nice. He liked her a lot, and he always appreciated how different she was than most girls. She was tough, and funny, cute and sometimes sensitive. She was just well rounded, he got along with her so well.
Cloud drove them to a small grocery store nearby and parked the bike. He turned it off and started to get up when Yuffie stopped him.
"It's okay, I just need to get one thing. I'll be right out." She said before hopping off the bike.
"I can go with you if you want." He offered kindly.
Yuffie frantically shook her head. "No, no. It's just uh you know a girl thing." She blushed in embarrassment.
"Ohhh..." Cloud said when he realized what she meant. However, by that time she was already in the store.
She knew she could have her urine tested easily, and she had planned to do so today, but that went out the window when Tifa sent her home. Sighing, Yuffie walked to the family planning aisle of the store and looked around. She was nervous, hoping no one she knew would be there to see her buy a digital home pregnancy test. She quickly used self check out and put the box in a pocket on the inside of her coat before running back outside to meet Cloud.
"Ready?" He asked as he gave her a small smile.
Yuffie nodded silently and hopped back on the bike. "Ready." She said, but in reality she wasn't really sure she was ready for the answer...
