Jenova's Wrath
Chapter Two
"Thank you Dr Kawanaki, I really appreciate your help."
Shalimar disconnected the call and turned back to her notes. A pile of manila folders about a foot high stood awkwardly on her desk, propped up by her empty coffee cup. She took an uncertain glance at the cup, wondering whether or not to risk retrieving it for a refill before deciding it was a bad idea. Besides, the notes took priority. Coffee could wait. But first, time to tell the team.
Shalimar left her office and walked into her main lab, where most of her team had gathered along with Cloud, Zack and company for Shalimar's announcement. It wasn't breaking news, but it was important, and she didn't want to repeat herself thirty or so times.
"Okay, guys listen up," she said as she climbed on a stool at the front of the room. "You're all aware of who Tifa Lockhart is I'm sure, but I don't want that interfering with our work on her case. One of her friend s is Zack Fair, who I'm pretty sure you all remember. If he finds out you've not been treating this professionally while I'm not watching, he'll kick your asses. Believe me."
She caught Zack's eye and they exchanged a smirk. They knew he wouldn't interfere, but she was making a point.
"Also, Tifa's condition is very unusual. She'll require constant vigilance on your part as my team and her prime carers, but also from her friends," she added, turning to the group clustered by the far wall. "You'll be spending most of your time with her, so we really need you to let us know, even if the smallest thing changes. I'll be getting some of my team to run you through the machinery Tifa is connected to and how to read it – that way you'll know when to come running for me."
Cloud nodded his head, gripping Yuffie's shoulder as he did so. Shalimar felt pity for the girl – she looked positively terrified.
"Djaveris, where are you?" asked Shalimar, looking confusedly at her team. A young male scientist with dark tanned skin and olive coloured eyes stepped forward.
"Here Doctor."
Shalimar rewarded his reply with a glare before turning to the group at the back.
"This is Aide Johnson. He's my most trusted scientist on my team and acts as my second in command, if you will. Any problems if I'm not here, speak to him. Otherwise, my phone's always on me and I'm never too busy," she assured them. As the group nodded, she turned back to her team, moving to sit on a lab bench rather than standing on the stool.
"Guys, this case is a very important one, and judging from the calls I've had today, it's turning out to be rather severe. I'm not sure what's involved but I'm pretty sure it's gonna be a long and hard slog."
She looked at them all smiling encouragingly. They looked back attentively. They held an enormous amount of respect for this woman.
"We can do this. I know we can figure this out and if needs be, treat it and kick this disease in the ass. We've done it before plenty of times, we can do it again. I need to you work on this like your lives depend on it – you never know, they actually might."
She gleaned a few weak smiles from this and she sighed, content. They understood what she meant, she knew it.
"I'm just asking to work your hardest, and forget about anything but this case. Got it?"
They nodded as one.
"Good. Go and check the board for roles – I forget who I assigned to what." She smiled weakly. "You know what my memory is like."
They smiled back at her and dispersed. Shalimar watched them for a short while before disappearing into her office to make coffee and return to her notes.
--(FFVII)--
"Is everything in order?"
"Yes sir."
"Good. Where is my son?"
A tall man walked into the room and the younger scientist left. The man with dark hair in a ponytail turned to his prodigy and smiled, satisfied.
"Excellent. Your training seems to have worked. How do you feel?"
The taller man shrugged, a complacent look on his handsome, smooth features.
"Fine – any fool could pass those training programs. They were not difficult."
The dark haired man nodded, looking all the time happier and happier. Things were going exactly as planned and soon, when the Goddess had started her magnificent work, his plan could come to completion and then… Then, the road to greatness was only a few steps away…
--(FFVII)--
"Doctor! Shalimar, please come quick!"
Yuffie burst through the door to Shalimar's office, her face white. Shalimar jumped to her feet.
"What is it?"
"Tifa's waking up!"
Tifa lay awake and smiling, her friends clustered around her, their expressions a mixture of relief, love and shock. They all turned as Shalimar entered and Yuffie plonked herself down on her friend's bed, hugging her tightly.
"Hey Yuffie, not so tight."
"Sorry Teef, I missed you."
Tifa smiled and hugged her friend, though more gently this time. She looked at Shalimar.
"You're Dr Cortescant, right?"
Shalimar nodded and Tifa smiled.
"Zack's told us so much about you. Thank you."
Shalimar shook her head.
"You're not out of the clear just yet – I still need to figure out what caused your coma. And usually, people don't just wake up out of them. Well, at least not without good reason," she added.
Tifa nodded and looked at her.
"I guess you're gonna want to do more tests then, right?"
Shalimar nodded.
"I just want to give you a check up now. If you check out, then you can go home. There's no point you staying here if you're alright. I can carry on doing the tests here."
Tifa nodded and smiled at Cloud, who looked thankfully to Shalimar who turned to leave. She stopped at the door.
"Oh, before I forget, I need to do a background check – you know, things that have happened to you over the years. I'll need your help for that, is that okay?"
"Sure, if it helps."
Shalimar nodded and left.
--(FFVII)--
Shalimar was bent over the eyepiece of a microscope, trying to replace the lens when a shadow blocked her light. She looked up and rubbed her eyes – the clock on the wall said it was nearly ten. She'd been here just over twelve hours and she was starting to get tired. Finally she turned around to address her shadow when Zack's stern face stopped her from making a witty comment.
"Get your coat," he said firmly. "You're coming home tonight."
Shalimar stared at him.
"Look," he said. "You haven't slept in a proper bed in weeks, you haven't eaten properly for just as long. You need to come home!"
"You're not my father, Zack," she said. "And I don't think I'm dating you..." She paused for effect, a mock expression of contemplation on her face. "So why are you trying to take care of me so much?"
She raised her eyebrows at him and he sighed.
"You know why," he said resignedly. "So please? You know I hate being in your house on my own."
She laughed.
"Zack, I said treat it like your home, not a prison cell."
He shrugged.
"So shoot me." Shalimar looked sharply at him and he looked contrite. "Probably the wrong metaphor…"
She nodded, fervently agreeing. He smiled.
"I like company, and you know that. Plus, I'm starving and we need to go food shopping."
And with that, he steered her out of the door and off to the supermarket.
--(FFVII)--
"Okay, I admit it, you were right."
Zack smirked as he cleared their plates and loaded the dishwasher. Once finished he brought over the coffee pot and put it on the table, pouring mugs for both Shalimar and him. Shalimar accepted hers gratefully and sipped it carefully, looking thoughtful.
"So, you got any ideas on this one?"
Shalimar shook her head.
"Not yet. I'm still waiting for file transfers from doctors all over the world. Once I have the files, my team can carry on their research and then I can summarise the fine details that are important. Once I know what's important and what's not, we'll have a better idea of how things are going with this."
Zack nodded. He sipped his coffee, watching Shalimar's face run through a myriad of expressions, from thoughtful to confused, to wistful and sometimes, even almost like she was on the verge of tears. Always she would smile at him and ask him why he was staring, and still he couldn't tell her why. She'd never know – she could never know, because her career stopped her from knowing. Zack was her patient and he knew she would always consider him as such, even if she said they were good friends. Unfortunately for Zack, good friends would never be good enough.
"Gil for them?"
Zack awakened from his reverie to find Shalimar's bright blue eyes fixed on him curiously.
"I just wondered what had you so deep in thought." She smiled teasingly. "You hate thinking!"
He smiled and shook his head.
"Just remembering stuff, that's all. Nothing to worry about."
She nodded understandingly.
"Well, I'm off to bed," she said standing up. "Need an early night for once.
"Night Zack!" she called as she walked off upstairs.
"Night, sweet dreams," he muttered quietly after her. He knew she wouldn't hear – she never did. She was always too far out of reach.
--(FFVII)--
Shalimar and her team were gathered around a small conference table in a side room off the main lab. The table was cluttered with files, folders, books and papers; evidence of a hard, solid week of research which had procured some fifty similar cases to Tifa's, the coincidences between them were striking and had sparked the need for a brainstorming session.
"Okay," started Shalimar, "what do we know?"
Johnson stood up and went to the large whiteboard on the wall opposite the long window, picking up a pen and starting to write.
"Well, we know a few main common factors. 1 – they're all women; 2 – they've all had unexplained but seemingly healthy comas; 3 – um… oh, they've all had operations involving blood transfusions or have had blood transfusions."
He sat down and Shalimar nodded, smiling at Johnson's need to show off.
"Where did the blood come from? Did any of it have a common source?"
Johnson shook his head, pulling a few files for reference.
"For some reason the blood sources weren't added to file. Some doctors have noted it, but a lot of these transfusions were shortly after the Meteor disaster – our medical services were in turmoil, as you know."
Shalimar nodded. It was true. The whole world had been in turmoil, that's why it was a wonder so many survived. But some didn't, her mind reminded her. No, some hadn't survived. Some hadn't even stood a chance.
"Right, well I want that investigated. It might be nothing, but better safe than sorry, to be quite honest."
She looked down at her notes and then back to her team again.
"Have any of you figured out what caused Tifa's coma? I know what we've ruled out, but how far have you got with the tests?"
Johnson looked around and then frowned. Everyone seemed to be quite content for him to speak. He sighed and then cleared his throat – he hated talking so much when he didn't feel well.
"Well, all our tests are basically inconclusive."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, they keep ruling things out, but that's it. We've got no idea what the hell's going on."
Shalimar smiled cynically and shook her head. Typical. Well if this disease wanted to play funny buggers, then she was game, and a much better player.
"Right, well just keep doing the tests. When you've finished, let me know and keep me up to date with reports on the research. I'm going to go over the files again and see if I can't get anything else out of them."
The team murmured their assent and dispersed to do their assigned tasks. Shalimar sat back and stared at the board. It was mocking her and she knew it, but she knew that if she bided her time, then something would come to her, eventually.
--(FFVII)--
Shalimar switched off the lights as she left the lab, late once again, only to find her way barred by none other than Vincent Valentine. She stopped, looking at him slightly curious before smiling.
"Mr Valentine," she said, her smile still in place. "A little late for a tour of the Shinra building, isn't it?"
He gave a slight smile, nodding his head in concession.
"A little late to be going home, is it not?"
She smiled and nodded.
"Touché," she said. She leant against the wall beside him.
"So, what can I do for you?" He turned to face her fully, looking at her seriously, his dark, crimson eyes searching her face, but for what, Shalimar didn't know.
"I've been asked to accompany you onto the Highwind for a meeting with Cloud and Tifa, etcetera," he said. Shalimar nodded, sensing that he wasn't just there to be her escort and set off down the corridor with Vincent walking alongside her.
"I also have a question to ask of you."
Shalimar smiled knowingly and nodded, looking at him with curiosity.
"Yes?"
Vincent surveyed her warily, then cleared his throat.
"I am not sure if you are aware but I do not have a high opinion of Scientists."
Shalimar stopped in her tracks and looked him squarely in the face.
"Mr Valentine, please, I am very well aware of your history with this company and the scientists involved in the tragedy that was your fate under the hand of Hojo. If there were any way to reverse his work, then I would be the first to try it, however, no amount of research will unearth such a process. I despise Hojo and everything he did and nothing will change that. You can trust me, Mr Valentine. I will do everything in my power to help Tifa, not damage her."
She stopped, slightly short of breath, but holding his crimson gaze with her defiant blue one. After a moment, he nodded, seemingly satisfied with a wry smile on his face.
"Very well," he said, setting off again down the corridor and then descending the stairs. "I think I may be able to find myself able to trust you a little, but no more. And, considering the circumstances, if we are to call you Shalimar, then you must call me Vincent."
She laughed gently.
"I wouldn't ask for anything else, Vincent."
--(FFVII)--
"What's this meeting about?"
Shalimar was sat at the large conference table alongside the rest of the group. Zack pressed a hand on her shoulder. Shalimar didn't miss the narrowed eyes she received from Tifa, but simply ignored it anyway.
"Hey, take it easy. We're not interrogating you or anything, We've just got some information on the group we were investigating before, well, you know."
Shalimar nodded and sat back. Cloud cleared his throat and walked to the front of the room, his eyes dark and gloomy. To say his air was foreboding would have been an understatement, thought Shalimar. The guy practically reeks of despair and hopelessness.
"The information we have is only based on rumour from several towns, but, the general theory is that…"
He faltered, and took a moment to get his voice back. He turned to the group, looking about ten years older than he was.
"Hojo is back. And he's the one responsible."
Zack's face went white; Yuffie gasped; Shalimar threw up.
--(FFVII)--
"Hey, you alright?"
Shalimar surfaced from the cubicle, her face pale as a sheet and splashed her face with some water, supporting herself on the basin. Her mouth tasted foul and she was itching to brush her teeth, but she wasn't home and has left her travel pack at work. Again.
Eventually she let go and leaned against the wall and nodded, closing her eyes. Zack came over and rubbed her shoulder, pulling a few long strands of hair out of her face and brushing her fringe aside to take her temperature. She brushed his hands away impatiently, though inside, she was touched by such concern.
"Zack, I'm fine, don't molly coddle me."
Zack looked serious.
"Shalimar, you are not fine. You've stopped eating properly again! And I know the fact that Hojo is back is bad news, but it's not enough to make someone redecorate the carpet!"
Shalimar smiled wryly at Zack's mild humour even though he was annoyed. It was part of why she liked him so much. He could always cheer her up, no matter what the situation was. She shook her head and started to walk forward, stumbled and fell straight into Zack's arms.
"'M sorry," she mumbled into his chest. He shook his head and settled back against the wall, still holding her in his arms.
"It's ok," he said. "Let me know when you feel better, okay?"
He felt her nod gently against him and he sat back. He was worried about her, but still couldn't hide the fact that he enjoyed having her need him for support, just the feeling that she needed him. He knew she thought of him as a good friend, but that didn't stop him feeling like a spare part straight out of her sports car.
The sound of someone clearing their throat made him look up straight into the slightly stormy face of Tifa. He flushed, his expression embarrassed.
"Don't mind me," she said, acidly. "We're waiting for you, Shalimar. Cid's nearly got us back to Edge."
Shalimar felt weak, but still pushed herself away from Zack's warm and cosy embrace, and struggled upright, grasping a cubicle door for support. She nodded weakly.
"Sure, I won't be a moment," she said quietly. Tifa gave her a last hard look before disappearing again with a pointed look at Zack. Zack rolled his eyes once she was gone and then turned to his friend.
"You sure you're ok?"
Shalimar nodded and looked at him. Her face was flushed with what could only be embarrassment and Zack thought it was very becoming of her. It brightened up her face and gave her a healthy glow. Not that he'd ever tell her that.
"I'll be fine, stop molly coddling."
And with Zack's help, she managed to stumble to the Bridge, feeling very ill at the thought of Hojo's return, and also furious with herself for losing composure so easily. She thanked her lucky stars that she hadn't been eating properly recently: it gave her the perfect cover of being ill instead of having had a severe reaction to the bad news. IF anyone figured it out, it would ultimately blow her cover that she had spent years creating and she couldn't have that. Not if she were to help Tifa, because, if they knew the truth, they would never trust her.
And she would lose Zack forever.
By Arachinea