Hello everyone!

Wends-Thanks for reviewing. I know what you mean. My own FF8 game is sitting over in the game bin collecting dust, even though I really wanna play it. Stupid memory card was faulty and didn't work in my PS2. I'm not that motivated to turn it on and have it fail again... Anyway, I tried to keep Leon as grumpy/a closet bunny rabbit. He did need more screen time darn it! Let's start a revolt! KH2 had better include more Leon centric scenes!

animegirl999-Thank you so much for the review. I love feedback! Cloud is being a bit of a sneak isn't he? The basis for writing is character manipulation, and I think manipulating Cloud to sneak around Leon indirectly helps me manipulate Leon better. If you understand what I just said, you deserve a golden star...

Okay, two reviews, I can live with that. Better than noting, and I do appreciate it! Keep reading and keep reviewing.

I own nothing!

"Sure is slow today," Cloud said absently pulling lint off of his apron.

"I know," Riku agreed. "But Sora will be happy he hasn't missed anything."

"I'd be happy to miss everything."

"All of us are well aware of that, Cloud."

"Just making sure." He leaned back in his stool and rested his head on a stuffed bear—typical position.

Riku eyed Cloud for the mistreatment of merchandise, but decided against scolding him. He already knew he would be having a tough enough time with Cloud's tomfooleries without Sora, and he really wanted to delay his inevitable ranting as much as possible.

"Well...I guess I'll get started on some of those flower arr—"

"Don't say those words in ear shot!" Cloud roared, overdramatizing on purpose.

"Cloud...really."

"Any direct referral to those horrendous monster weeds you call flow—I mean the forbidden word is not to be made in my presence, on and off work!"

Riku sighed. "Alright, fine. Just get to work...and don't think I didn't notice you drinking coffee yesterday. Don't do that anymore."

"Oh..." Cloud said sheepishly. "You saw that?"

"Yes, I saw that. Cut it out." He opened the dividing door and scuttled around in the back room.

"Yeah...whatever." He huffed, folding his arms. The morning was too slow. He had every intention of enjoying another cup, whether Riku saw it or not.

"Alright, Cid, breathe in...and out."

"You know, I used to be a Shaman, but in my old age, my powers have worn."

"Is that so? Inhale again please."

"Yes, yes it's true. If only I had my turtle shell and snake skin. Then I'd really show you something."

"I'm sure. Can you sit up?"

"Yeah, yeah, hang on a minute. All these dang cords you got me strapped to make it hard to do anything. You know, a paste made from the blood of a young sloth and river clay would be far more potent than this useless, not to mention expensive medication."

"Hmm. I'll look into that." Leon said resisting the urge to frown. He pulled out a flash light and shined it into the man's hazy eyes.

A few hours ago he had been briefed on a patient that had fallen off a porch and hit his head landing into the street. At first, Leon thought he may have not seen the stairs, and was a little disoriented because of a concussion.

"Follow the light with your eyes."

"What Light?"

"The one I'm shining into your face."

"Oh. Hey, did I ever tell you I was a Shaman?"

But a quick examination and a blood test proved otherwise. Cid's Blood alcohol level was off the charts. He was nothing more than a hopeless drunkard that had fallen down the stairs attempting to fly—such efforts he had seen many a time.

"Well Cid," Leon said disapprovingly. "Your hang over is going to be tremendous, though I doubt this is a new experience for you. Can I get you anything?"

"I'm hungry. Perhaps you have some food for this old Shaman?" He said with a lazy droop in his eyes.

"I suppose. I'll have the nurse bring up some apple sauce."

"Yes!" Cid smiled smugly in his disgusting stupor. "Apple sauce. Bring me apple sauce...and Jell-O. Mashed, processed pommes and the gelatinous cartilage of cow knees will make a fine poultice!"

Leon's brow puckered in annoyance. "...No Poultices."

"Not even a small one?"

"No." He scribbled something down on a clip board and exited, catching a breath of something about a butter made from monarch caterpillars and pussy willows.

"I could really use some coffee..." Leon muttered to himself a few hours later. He was now heading down the hallway. His back was aching as were his feet. As usual the hospital was short handed, and he was the one exclusively responsible for the care of the other patients, especially Seifer's.

But he really didn't feel like contending with the haughty employee from the gift shop at the moment. He was tired and achy, and bound to lose his temper. Leon wasn't about to lose his cool to an arrogant, lazy, ill-positioned employee—he believed his name was Cloud—so he'd probably end up skipping the coffee—which he so desperately needed—and just sit in the cafeteria until his three o'clock appointment. (Of course, the cafeteria was positioned just in front of the gift shop...)

"Cloud! Put that coffee down!"

"Oh, no one was here to drink it! Waste not want not!" Cloud shouted, sugar packets littering the counter. "Besides, I wanna make sure it's all gone before that jerk Leon gets—Oh shoot."

Riku opened the dividing door to scold Cloud some more, but followed Cloud's line of vision to Leon, sprawled out in a chair a few meters before them, seemingly taking a nap.

"Heh! Well, would you look at that! Maybe I should wake him up!"

"Don't you dare move from behind this counter!" Riku hissed.

"Oh come on! I'll just bring him some of this coffee...nice, hot, skin burning coffee."

"I'm going to assume you were joking."

"Whole heartedly."

Riku narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to say something, but the phone started ringing; something that rarely ever occurred. Both Riku and Cloud stared at each other, and deciding that Cloud wasn't about to move, he picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" He said hesitantly holding the receiver to his ear. "This is—"

"RIKU!"

"Ah!" He pulled the phone away, startled by the loud cry. "Sora?"

Cloud only half paid attention. So the boy was calling in. Perhaps he was worried that his precious arrangements weren't properly being done. The nerve of some people. He busied himself by sweeping empty sugar packets, spoons and cups into the trash bin and fixing himself another batch.

Then he peered upward. There that menacing doctor was sitting in not ten meters in front of him, and here he was, confined to the back of the counter. His lips itched to yell snide comments across the cafeteria, but Riku was standing next to him, and would more than likely interfere. So, instead, he fixed his gaze into a sort of glare, that would more than likely make the doctor initiate confrontation and Cloud would then not be held responsible for his thoughts and actions after being provoked.

But Leon didn't move. He was still sprawled out in a chair with his head slung back and his mouth slightly agape, as if Cloud weren't even there. The whole visual irritated Cloud. It irritated him quite a lot. In fact, it actually made him angry.

"Sora, are you alright? You sound a bit hoarse."

"...I'm okay." Sora replied with a bit of a rasp. How's the shop?"

"Business is actually a little slow today. I'm not surprised. Cloud drank all the coffee."

"Oh."

It made Cloud so angry, that he intensified his glower, raised a fist in the air and opened his mouth to say something. He then glanced sideways at Riku,—who was entangled in the phone cord and secured in the conversation with Sora, but still had enough attention on Cloud to stop him from doing anything—and stopped. He repeated these actions several times before Riku finally whopped him in te back of the head.

"Are you feeling any better?"

"...No...actually, that's why I called." Sora said woefully. "I might have to miss tomorrow too..."

"Don't worry about it. Take as many days off as you need."

"Alright."

Cloud snorted, catching wind of the conversation and rubbing the back of his head furiously. "What's the matter with him anyway? Is it a cold?"

Riku asked Sora the question, and he in turn replied, "I don't think so. I mean, my head hurts, and my throat does too...but I can't—" He was cut off by a mad fit of coughs.

"Sora? Hey, are you alright?"

"I'm okay."

Riku chewed his lip nervously. He couldn't help but feel a little worried for his co-worker. "Um, hey, Sora, hang on a second, alright?" He covered the speaker with his hand.

He looked uneasily at Cloud, then sighed, raising his other hand. "Hey, Um...Doctor! Could you come here for a minute?" He shouted loud enough for his voice to carry to the sleeping Leon.

Cloud's jaw dropped in surprise. "What on earth are you doing?" He hissed, as Leon jolted up from his position on the chair. The last thing he wanted—and apparently wanted more than anything—was for that man to come anywhere near the shop, especially if he was beckoned.

"Just hush for a minute. I have to ask him something."

Leon straightened himself up, obviously not intending to doze off in the cafeteria, and more or less strode over to the counter, retaining some of his dignity.

"Um, Sora is sick, and um, I was wondering if you could tell me what he should do." Riku said more determined than embarrassed.

"That boy who works with the flowers?" Leon asked, blatantly ignoring the glower he was receiving from the blonde shop worker.

"Yeah."

"What's wrong with him?" Leon asked rubbing his eyes.

"Um, let's see, cough, sore throat, head ache..." he put the phone back up to his ear. "Hey Sora, do you have a fever?"

"...A small one."

"He says he has a small fever." Riku relayed, staring intently at Leon, who seemed to consider the symptoms.

"Tell him to rest up. It's probably the flu." He said with a yawn.

Riku repeated the information to Sora, who whined in protest.

"But I've been sleeping all day! I haven't moved from bed since last night! It isn't working!"

Riku looked back up at Leon, who was yawning again.

"Um...well, Sora said he's been in bed for a while, and he doesn't feel any better."

"Mmm." Leon arched an eyebrow. "Does he have any other symptoms?"

Cloud resisted the urge to punch Leon in the face to wake him up a bit. Yeah, that would do it alright. He'd just have to wait until Riku finished talking with him. Cloud could hardly wait.

Riku spoke back into the phone and waited for Sora to reply, as he was rattled with coughs again.

"Yeah. I decided to get some orange juice earlier...but I...I can't swallow it."

"What do you mean you can't swallow it?"

"It just won't go down. My tonsils..."

Riku quickly told Leon what Sora had said, and Leon's face seemed to droop a bit.

Leon frowned, glancing at his watch. His eyelids were already forming rings. He really wanted to go home that night and rest, but he had a feeling that what he said next would totally shatter his plans. His sense of good will overrode his desperate need for a break and a night at home to rest up properly. He sighed and rubbed his eyes again.

"...Have him come in."

So the plot thickens, ne? Read and Review!