Disclaimer: I've issued a petition that we're paid to write for FF8, who's with me? LoL, that'll be the day! Just like I'm not getting paid for this , I don't own FF8, sorry!
Chapter 13: The Deal Amongst Friends
Inside the tension filled, close-quartered hospital room, Rori sat at the edge of her tall bed with her feet dangling at its end. She wondered why the woman seated before her had asked her mother to leave the room. Obedient as ever, Rori carried out her mother's wishes: To stay inside the room and behave. Doing so, however, meant that she would endure most of this time listening to the doctor speaking in a very slow way, as though every word would not register correctly to Rori's young mind.
Kadowaki understood the little girl to be three years old, but she had no idea how articulate Rori actually was. She expected to have a young abandoned girl, so alone that she couldn't speak for herself or chose to maybe not even speak at all. It was a documented fact that troubled children usually smiled the least compared to children with normal upbringing. To Dr. Kadowaki, there was nothing worse than an unsmiling child. Because of her belief, she took her career very seriously. She admitted when walking into Rori's room for the first time and noticing the two adults inside with her, Rori's face seemed to be exactly as she had expected; the girl was pouting and looked as sad as an abused child who expects or wants for nothing would appear.
Even though she saw that Rinoa was holding on to her and showing some affection, it wouldn't be enough to convince the feisty old woman that the entire accident was an accident after all. Fact: Parents can pretend that their lives are perfect whenever out in public's view, but behind closed doors in the comfort of their homes, their lives aren't perfect and their attitudes toward their children are completely reprehensive. Again, Rinoa might look like a very good mother, but Rori could be a product of a dysfunctional household, considering that Kadowaki had heard about Rinoa's arguments right in the halls of the hospital the past days! So who knew what would happen when that same 'innocent' woman went home with Rori!
Kadowaki's mind roared with sympathy for Rori. I've got to get this girl into a home where she is loved and not just abandoned out in the street to be struck by a car!
Finally, she cleared her throat and began her questioning, "…Rori, I'm your friend. You can tell me anything you want, okay? I'm here to help you." Kadowaki said as she pulled her chair close to Rori's bedside. Rori stared at her quizzically for a moment before she smiled and replied, "Okay!"
"Here's a question I know you'll like to answer. When is your birthday?"
Rori cheered, "Oou, in four months!"
"Really? How exciting! What are you going to do for fun—Get some cake and ice cream?"
"Mommy won't tell me. She said it's a surprise!"
"Oh, a surprise, I bet you can't wait for that."
"Nope." The little girl said, shaking her head furiously from side to side.
"Alright Rori," The doctor started, wearing her serious face, "…Now…are there times when you feel sad?"
The little girl's eyes had saddened. How could she go from one exciting topic to another that completely kills the atmosphere? "…I don't know…I guess." She tried to answer, her kiddy voice like music to the ears of Kadowaki.
"Tell me…why do you get sad?" She had asked, opening her notebook to a fresh page.
"…I don't know." Rori answered, scratching around the bandage on her forehead.
"Does your mom make you sad?"
Rori laughed, "No! Mommy likes playing games with me!"
"Really? What kind of games do you play?" This time, the old doctor pushed her pen to the paper, preparing herself to scribble in some notes.
"…Well…hide and seek!" Of course this game would make the list. It might have been the only game Rori could remember to tell every adult that asked which game was her favorite. Then again, it was the only game with a proper title. She certainly couldn't think of a name to say about 'Miss Tickles.'
"Hide and seek! Yes, I think everyone loves hide and seek!" She said, faking Rori's enthusiasm so she could break down more of her defenses.
"Yep! It's my fav-or-ite!" She said, ensuring that every syllable was pronounced correctly.
"You know Rori, is there something your mom does that…bothers you?"
Rori's enthusiasm died down, "…Bothers me?" Once again, she noted the woman had asked something that would slaughter the wave of fun Rori found when talking with her.
"…Do you ever feel like something is wrong."
"…Oh…" She mouthed, her eyes searching the walls on her right for an answer. Rori felt whenever her mom was not feeling well, she could tell just by looking at her eyes that Rinoa had been crying. Once, in the middle of playing around the house, she remembered Rinoa's eyes had filled with tears that rushed like rivers down her cheeks. Rori watched her mother run into the bathroom, and come out a few moments later in an attempt to carry on, but the sadness was still there; still eating away at her soul. "…Sometimes, mommy gets sad."
"…Is that true…? How sad?" Kadowaki softened her voice, trying to win over Rori's trust.
Rori whispered as though revealing a terrible secret, "…She cries."
"Really? About what?" The doctor inquired, scribbling down unreadable characters into her notebook which Rori had taken an interest in. What could she have possibly been writing down that entire time? Was something happening to her mom, was that why she wanted to know so much about her?
Rori was lost in confusion.
"...Is she okay?" The girl asked, gripping the sheets that lay across her bed.
"Oh yes, Rori, your mother is just fine. I'm trying to understand what happened to you on that day you came here, to the hospital."
"…The ax-acci-"
"Yes, the accident. Very good, Rori." Kadowaki managed a true smile for a change.
"…Thank you." Rori responded, unsure if she could believe anything the woman would say to her further.
Understanding that Rori thought too highly of her mother, Dr. Kadowaki decided to keep the concentration on how she had wound up in the hospital. "Tell me what happened to you, Rori."
Rori only stared at her. She didn't remember everything that had happened, but she remembered what happened up until she was hit by the car. The real question was: Should she tell the nosy old woman or wait for her mother to come to the rescue? They waited in silence for some time before Rori finally gave in and began to tell her what came to mind on that day.
Meanwhile, down the corridor from Rori's room, Squall stood beside Rinoa sipping his coffee as she was speaking into the telephone, "Quistis, I need your help. …Can you stop by again? It's really important."
"Sure, but is Rori okay?" Quistis' voice sounded through the phone.
"Oh, yeah, Rori's doing great, but it's about the hospital. They're giving me a bit of trouble. You see, they're suspicious about Rori's accident, and now a doctor is inside with Rori, questioning her about what happened…" She could take a guess what was going on inside the room, since she merely repeated Squall's idea and improvised from there in.
"Rinoa, that woman has no right to intrude—as your attorney, I—" She sighed, and said finally, "I'm on my way!" And with that, Quistis terminated the line. Rinoa wondered if it was a good idea to tell her the situation so soon. For all she knew about Quistis' driving, the woman could've been a maniac on the highway when the situation threatened the Law.
She sighed, placing the phone back onto its hook.
Squall, pulling the cup away from his mouth, had asked, "…Well?"
"Well… She's on her way here now." She answered unsurely. Who could tell if it were good news or a tragedy waiting to happen?
"That's good then. Quistis is your lawyer, isn't she? We'll know how far we can allow that doctor to go--where her boundaries are, at least."
"Yeah…" Rinoa said, staring down into the surface of her cold coffee that sat on the small table. She took a deep breath and reached for her own cup in hopes that it would warm the coldness in her heart. Her cold heart was directed toward the woman questioning her daughter at the moment. Rinoa couldn't even begin to imagine what was happening inside the room where Rori was being interrogated. It was almost like an excerpt from an old suspense novel where the innocent man was blamed and interrogated for hours at a time like a criminal: Closed doors, blinds drawn, one on one conversation, I wonder if she using a spotlight? Rinoa thought to herself, feeling a smile spread across her lips. That's ridiculous…who am I kidding? Dr. Kadowaki would probably use chains…
Squall was there still, watching her amuse herself. He wanted to jump in and ask what was so funny, but just watching Rinoa grin was more than entertaining. As long as she smiled, he felt that tranquility as well. It was the promise he had made to himself before about not being satisfied until Rinoa was satisfied, and if she ever wanted for anything, anything at all, no matter what the cost, he would do what he could to supply.
"Squall…?" She asked, interrupting his muse. He noticed her eyes had never left their marks across the quartered waiting room.
"…Hmm?" He muffled, bringing the cup to his mouth quickly to hide the fact that he had been staring at her.
"…I don't think I could've gone through any of this if you weren't here with me. I..." She paused, facing him slowly with a warm smile. "…Thank you…so much."
He grinned, placing the cup onto the table from whence it came. "You really don't have to thank me, besides… I should be here. I'm only getting a taste of how you've lived so far."
She laughed, squeezing her index finger and thumb together, "…Yeah, an itty bitty taste."
Squall smirked at her sarcasm, and brought his voice down to a whisper, "…I bet the whole deal isn't all that bad either."
Rinoa's laughter had ended immediately. She returned his smile warmly, saying nothing in return; instead, she leaned forward onto his chest and heaved a mollifying sigh. All she wanted was to be close to him again, as near as he would allow her to be. That was all she ever really wanted from the beginning, even if she had come off as independent.
He could express the same feeling with his silence as well. Squall wanted to be forgiven for his past choices. Anything he could do to compensate for the lost time, he was willing. When feeling Rinoa leaning onto him, he would cease the moment, but before Squall could keep her there longer, the nurse's voice tore through his act, "I'm sorry, Ma'am, Dr. Kadowaki should be concluding her time now. I just thought you should know that." The kind nurse said. Rinoa stepped back from Squall's warmth.
"Thank you. I'm really glad." Rinoa managed, speaking as she turned her full attention to the little nurse.
"Don't mention it." The woman said, turning away, but she stopped in the midst of her leaving and faced Rinoa again while raising a finger, "Oh, and putting all things aside, Mrs. Leonhart, I really don't believe you would do such a thing to your daughter. That little girl is just too sweet a child to have something terrible like that happen to her intentionally."
"Exactly." Rinoa smiled, touching the nurse's shoulder. "She's all I have." The young woman blurted suddenly.
Squall's eyes had immediately hit the floor. He rubbed the back of his neck as the two women began to head for Rori's room together. He knew Rinoa hadn't meant her words to sound so literal, but hearing her speak such a thing had given him a stubborn blow to the heart. …She's all we have, that's what she meant, right? Of course that's what she meant, what have you got to think about? Just stop thinking, Squall…
He consoled himself, fearing that his coaching had gone through one ear and out of the other. The fact that he had thought of it meant that somewhere in his heart, doubt still lurked. The fear and doubt still remained in his heart, but how?
"So your mother was yelling and when she yelled at you, you ran away." Kadowaki said, recapping what was said by Rori moments before.
"…Yeah."
"Rori…you know…its not good to run away from your parents, sweetheart. They love you."
"I know." The girl replied, looking down into the palm of her hands that had now rested in her lap. "…I thought she was mad at me."
"…Has she tried to hurt you?"
"Tried to hurt me?" Rori repeated the question to herself, looking up to the doctor as she began answering. "No! My mom never hurts me—is mommy in trouble!" The girl asked, drawing a horrible conclusion that she would never again see Rinoa.
"Rori, listen to me, I'm only trying to see how you got injured. That's all."
What did the old woman mean? What was going on around her? Why on earth was she separated from Rinoa! With the room growing smaller by the second, Rori felt trapped within the four walls. So many questions with answers that never seemed to satisfy the doctor, Rori was growing impatient. She was waiting for the door to open again. Waiting for her mother to run back inside, grabbing her and holding her, telling her every would be alright. But it never happened.
Rori felt a sting in her eyes, a familiar sting; one that would come whenever she pinched her skin between her fingernails to see if she were dreaming. What if something terrible happened to Rinoa? Would she need to be hospitalized too? The mere thoughts of the child were growing with anticipation and despair. Why wouldn't the answer come soon? Why weren't her questions being answered! Was anyone paying attention to her at all? Finally, Rori screamed, "I don't know! I don't know what happened! Why do you keep asking me that! I want my mommy! I want my mommy!" Rori squealed in a heap of heated tears.
"Oh, no, no, don't cry! Rori!" Dr. Kadowaki reacted, realizing that Rori was telling the truth all along. The girl couldn't possibly hold back incriminating evidence on Rinoa's behalf, could she? That meant that Rinoa was a good mother who would protect her child from whatever she possibly could, and that Rori was a victim of a freak accident.
When the doctor finally realized she was making a terrible mistake, she felt horrible! "My dear, I'm sorry!" Kadowaki said, standing from her seat and pulling Rori's head into her bosom. She knew exactly how to deal with kids, filled with her own knowledge from raising kids of her own. "Wait, I'll go and get your mother for you, okay?"
"…Wha—?" Rori said with a sniffle, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand as Kadowaki stooped from the bedside and headed to the door.
As the door to Rori's room finally opened, Rinoa had placed a hand over her heart and sighed to herself. Yes, the doctor had emerged, but Rori was not behind her. Everyone standing out in the hallway had heard whimpering following the woman as she exited. Rinoa's sigh had immediately become a gasp. She grabbed the shirt over her chest and glowered at Dr. Kadowaki. "What did you do to my child!"
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Leonhart." She said, sliding the notebook that was in her hand underneath her arm.
Because of her mannerism, Rinoa expected the news to be bad. She had folded her arms and lifted an eyebrow. Kadowaki saw this and frowned. "I understand how you must feel right now, that's why I have nothing more to say than that I understand this situation was completely misunderstood…"
Rinoa's tension had somehow shriveled, and she unfolded her arms. At first she was ready to make the doctor wish she had never stepped onto their floor, but now she was willing to hear the old woman through.
Just as Kadowaki was about to begin speaking again, Squall stepped between the two women and said, "…I don't mean to be rude, but could I possibly go inside and see her?"
He had said, speaking as concerned as any father would about his daughter.
"Sure." The doctor answered, allowing him to pass when she sidestepped out of his way. For a mere second, Rinoa felt butterflies in her stomach just by watching him head into the room. She was proud of him and nervous at once. She had wanted to follow him inside, but the doctor began to speak to her again.
Rinoa was not the only person to see Squall entering the room, but Quistis as well. She wondered if her imagination was playing tricks with her mind, or was there crying from the room he had just entered. Before she could investigate further, Rinoa had caught her attention with a wave of her hand, calling the young attorney down the corridor to Rori's room. She knew what she had to do. Still under the impression that Rinoa was in trouble, Quistis felt a burning surge of anger strike down into the pits of her soul. Not wanting to go overboard and yell at the woman for trying to take Rori away from her lovely mother, Quistis prepped herself to represent her client to the fullest.
When he entered the room, Rori was faced toward the chair with her back to the door. She had immediately turned around thinking that Rinoa would be there to hold her, but when she saw Squall, she was disappointed. She liked her new friend, but she needed her mother.
"Where's mommy?" Rori asked, the cheerlessness of her voice sinking through the depths of his heart.
"She's…She's outside." He said as he began to take a step toward her.
"Squall…I'm scared." She whined, "Nobody wants to tell me..." Rori rubbed her eyes to rid them of the sting that came with her tears.
Squall approached the bed slowly, carefully thinking of what he should say. He wasn't the best comforter, but he tried as best as he could to cheer her up.
"Hey…" He whispered, walking around the bed to see her face again. He adored her, even in her sadness. Though it was heartbreaking that she was sad, she looked so adorable, but he loved her even more when she smiled. In that instant, he forgot all about what he could or couldn't do, and reached for Rori as she sat on the bed. He brought her petite body into a full embrace, and marveled how she had wrapped her arms around his neck so naturally, just as she had with Rinoa. Rori cuddled her face in the nape of his neck as he whispered in a voice that caressed the sensors across her face, "Don't cry…please don't cry, sweetheart." He said, rubbing his hand over her back, "Your mom is right outside the door, she's just talking with the doctor who spoke with you, that's all."
The more he comforted her, the more he could feel her cries coming to an end. She hadn't said anything, only allowed him to make her feel safe and secure.
"Everything's alright." He said, moving his head onto hers with a sigh, "…It's okay." He had continued to comfort her while pacing the floor slowly. He didn't want to put her down, it was the first time he had ever held her at all. And he stood there, holding on to her little body, wishing he could make every pain go away, that he could've been there since the moment of her birth, wishing that he could've watched her take her first steps. At that moment, his eyes had watered, and he moved his hand to her hair that rested along her back. When she sniffled a few times, Squall said finally, "It's alright…daddy's gotcha."
Walking back and forth across the room became relaxing to them both, and soon, Rori had stopped crying all together. She was still holding on to him, not wanting him to put her down or leave. She looked around the room in a daze, still sniffling occasionally.
Apparently, his words went over her head. Either she hadn't heard him, or the feeling was so natural that the news hadn't surprised her. 'Daddy's gotcha'… Slowly, she rose from his shoulder and looked into his eyes, placing both hands on his upper arms to support her. Rori stared at him, in shock but expressionless.
"…Rori…aren't you going to say something?" He asked; his voice still in a whisper.
And she stared. She was staring into the eyes of her father, realizing that her connection with him was true. They were blue for a reason! Then the little girl smiled, "…I knew it!"
"Huh?" Squall questioned, staring at her quizzically. "What do you mean?"
"…I saw you kiss mommy at our house." She had said quietly, as though spilling the secret of the millennium.
"What?—when…how?" He tried to ask, raising an eyebrow.
"It's a secret! I saw it through the window!" The window of secrets as usual; every time there was a visitor that Rinoa had spoken with outside, she saw everything by peeking out of the window. Although busted on more than a few occasions, she couldn't get enough. It was fun to spy on her mother engaging in conversations with strangers. Upon seeing her mother become a little too friendly with the brown haired man, she drew the conclusion that there was something more to him. Rori had never seen Rinoa kiss Seifer, and so the little girl just figured Seifer was a good friend to Rinoa, nothing more, platonic… "Don't tell her I said it, though! I'll get in trouble."
"… I won't tell if you won't." He said with a grin, thinking back to the only day he had gotten a kiss from Rinoa. The day she begged him to stay for a mere second, making it the greatest second of his entire life.
"It's a deal!" She said, with an adorably cute smile that drew Squall into giving her a kiss on the cheek. Rori laughed and fell onto his shoulder again. She would call him something, but the words just wouldn't come. The news was too fresh, and she needed time to get used to it. Rori had found her father… her dad…
- - - - - - - - - -
Not long after, Squall had stepped out of the room to get Rori a soft drink. The girl was parched from sobbing all morning long and needed a drink besides water. When stepping outside, he saw Quistis at the end of the hall where the coffee was stored. As soon as she saw him, she began to approach him.
"…Squall." She said, folding her arms. "Rinoa's speaking with the doctor still, filling out the last of Rori's release forms. So, Rori's free to go once Rinoa returns."
"That's good…" He muttered. He was already certain that the doctor would take back her accusations, and so his main goal now was to get a drink for Rori, nothing more. Although glad to see her in response to Rinoa's earlier distress, he disliked Quistis' approach. After all, who was it that suggested the divorce to Rinoa and whose office were they to sign those dreadful papers at? Quistis'… "I'm sorry, but Rori's thirsty…"
"We don't really know each other well, but please hear me out." Quistis unfolded her arms and placed her hands on both hips. "Rinoa's raised a bright little girl who knows who she is in this world. But she's just a kid. …It's never too late you know. If you're not there, then she could lose herself...and turn out to be something she really doesn't want to be... You can change all that if you just stay." Her voice was low, trying to avoid an argument in the hallway like Rinoa had days before.
"…What makes you think I'm gonna leave?"
"...I'm not saying you will...I just know how it feels to grow up fatherless..." She said, her eyes focusing on every other thing but him. Admitting her personal life was embarrassing. For an attorney, she was taught to mean what was spoken from her mouth, but at that moment, she felt ashamed of herself, and mostly ashamed of her father.
And Squall gave her his final thought, "...Believe it or not, I do too...and that's exactly why I have no intention of leaving again." And with that, he turned away…
Who was the man she had spoken with? It certainly wasn't the one Rinoa had described to her before. Quistis notably gave him an approving smile as she watched him disappear down the hall.
Return No More…Once upon an Author's lol-ing
I'll see this through to the end…
Tough chapter, but I managed. Say, I'm thinking at least 3 more chapters and I'm done. Damaged Hearts is my shortest story, and it's also my second to last story. I'll probably begin work on Eternal Breath next year sometime. By the end of this month or October, I'll have this one completed. I didn't want to rush this chapter because a rushed update is a bad update, and if I STILL screwed up this chapter, let me know. People are reading but not reviewing enough, so some words of encouragement will do, not saying that I'm ungrateful for receiving the reviews I already got for the last chapter, but I just need to hear from everyone again. It's been a while, and I need to know that I haven't scared anyone away, you see?
Well now, replies, replies, replies:
Ayato: Hehe, I know, I loved that line too! As I was writing, I felt like I was losing Squall's character, but I think that line did it! Lol. Thanks again, and I hope you keep writing too! No worries, I can see the ending clearly in my mind, so I'll definitely have it finished soon. Thanks! I have promises I intend to keep!
milk tea with soya bean: You're not that far off, I mean…Seifer's responsible for landing her in the hospital, but it wasn't intended (at least, that's what he says…lol) and yeah, I think he took note that Squall and Rori definitely resemble, but she's just a kid… The guy's crazy about Rinoa and Rori, but…I wouldn't think he's the abusive type, although he is very possessive at times. 'Rinoa is MY Girl!" lol…okay, so he didn't say that, but you get what I'm saying, right? Lol… Quistis and Seifer…-runs away- lol…we'll see about that. Thanks!
SavannahX: Hey! I hope I wasn't too late in updating again. I'm trying to keep my thoughts together, but I have this undying feeling that my story won't connect with the past chapters. But everyone's saying it's okay…so I'm going to stop worrying about it, and just focus on writing exactly as it comes from me. Thanks for sticking around!
Jahliyah: I'm so sorry I scared you! I was without a computer for most of the year, so when I finally discovered the computer lab here at school, oh man, I had a field day. It's a little hard to concentrate because the library's always full, but at least I can get something from my mind. Yeah, I'm happy that they've finally put it all behind them, and I guess all that's left now is to say a few final words, and voila, the end! Lol Thanks so much! And your story's great! I knew you could do it!
Optical Goddess: Seifer is like the wind, he's everywhere. Trust me, I haven't forgotten about him. I just wanted Rinoa and Squall to have their moments together. They're not out of the hospital yet, so rest assured, Seifer will return. Lol…yeah, Squall was playing it smart by the end, lol…he didn't want to see Rinoa's head spin again. I don't really blame the guy. Anyway, Thanks for reviewing!
Well folks, I'll work on the next update all week long and give finishing touch ups by the weekend. How do weekly updates sound? Not bad? Let me know what you think...what you think about this chapter also, I want to hear from you! lol
StardustRay (I'm not changing the pen...I can never change the pen...)