Unreachable

"Bar's closed."

The patrons regarded Cloud with a quick understanding as they moved from their seats. He had had a bad feeling driving home. It seemed he had got back just in time. With Tifa's still body already in his arms he moved from the openness of the bar to their bedroom. He lay her carefully on the bed and closed the blinds. As she struggled silently to stay alive, he watched helplessly from their bedside. The way her hands quivered almost unnoticeable reminded him of when he found Denzel, an unconscious lump lying on the ground outside of Aerith's church. He exhaled silently as he saw that the stigma had now slivered in thin line up her neck. Marlene stood in the doorway watching him.

"Marlene, look after Tifa." He stepped passed her and back into the hallway.

Marlene pulled on the door until it was just ajar and took a seat on the chair adjacent to the bed. Tifa didn't stir.

"Why didn't you tell us you were sick, Tifa?"

In his office Cloud rustled through his draws for the books and notes he'd been studying. Paper flew in erratic directions in his impatience. Finally, he had them all and laid them across the desk, turning each of their covers over to their first page. He began to dial the numbers of each author and professor. It was only on the last number that he got through.

"Have there been any other developments since you published this book?"

There was a pause on the other end. "No."

"You still can't tell people how to even slow it down?"

"No, we don't know enough yet."

Fingernail marks were forming in the polished wood of Cloud's desk. He spoke a single word, "When?"

"There's no way to tell when we'll know more. I can't give you any more information beyond what we already know. I'm sorry."

Cloud sucked the air in through his teeth quickly. He forced the angry tension coursing through his body to dissolve before calmly placing the phone back onto its charger. The books, all the knowledge he had tried to gather, lay useless in front of him. A part of him wanted to laugh. It seemed the world's hero was a complete failure.

Everything felt heavy, as if bars of lead had been strapped to every limb. All her other senses were dull and foggy, much like how she recalled the flu feeling like. She pulled on her arms and shoulders with invisible strings attached to her joints and tilted her back upwards to counterbalance her weight. More slow manoeuvres later and she was sat upright on her bed, adjusting to the peculiar feeling of hardly being able to move. She know she shouldn't, but she wanted to get out of bed. After all, it wasn't as if her legs were broken.

She clutched at the side of her bedside table and pushed herself upwards, feeling her legs unfolding beneath her naturally, almost with a mind of their own. She reached for the bed post nearest the door and snatched at it, her system still adjusting to being upright again. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. For someone so ill, she had to confess her reflection could look worse. Maybe Marlene had been brushing her hair while she slept. Marlene... She didn't deserve all this.

Reaching the door Tifa rested her forehead on the flat surface, keeping her balance by gripping the doorknob. Her head was swimming in dark fog but it would soon subside, she hoped. When it eventually did she felt control over her legs increase a little more and she walked slowly into the hallway.

"You're up!" Marlene emerged from the stairs carrying a wet towel for Denzel, probably bedridden himself. It seemed all duties relating to taking care of Denzel were now resting on the little girl.

"Yeah..." Tifa was tried to smile but it was too much effort. "How's Denzel?"

"He's fine," Marlene nodded.

Tifa continued to look at her while the girl kept up her own gaze.

"You should be in bed too, Tifa."

It felt like a punch to the stomach. "But what about you, Marlene? You shouldn't really be here alone with us. Have you spoken to Barrett?"

Marlene's eyes darkened a little. "And leave you both here on your own? I'm not doing that!"

"Marlene..."

"We're a family, remember?"

"Yes but -"

"I'm going to stay here because I know you'd both do the same for me!" Hot tears began to roll down her cheeks.

" But, Marlene, you have to -" Marlene had already disappeared into Denzel's room, slamming the door behind her. Burying her face into her pasty palms Tifa exhaled a long, careful breath. This wasn't a battle she could win in her current state.

She looked to the door on her right. Cloud's office door was open as it always was. She reached across to the door frame for support and walked inside. First her eyes spotted their family picture, showing herself back when she was up and running around like the busy person she'd always been. Cloud looked withdrawn and was standing back a little from the rest of them, but there was something in the way that he was standing that made her feel as if he would have dived out in front of them at any moment to protect them from danger. Then there was Denzel to her right looking bashful. On her left was Marlene, smiling cheerfully.

Pulling her eyes from the framed picture she then looked at all the photos Cloud had been pinned on his wall, pictures of familiar places he'd been on his deliveries. Places she'd probably never go to again. She looked at the phone and a needy feeling came over her. She reached for the handset while lowering herself into Cloud's chair. Staring at the number pad, she wondered what she would say to him if he picked up. For a moment she doubted if she should even try. She began to pull one of her hands back to tuck her hair behind her ear when she spotted the title of one of the books her fingers were dragging over, "Geostigma: Research, Symptoms and Possible Causes". She pushed the book out of the way with her finger tips and saw the dozens of other books like it, all open at diagrams and illustrations, Cloud's notes sprawled all over the pages. The ink smudged and magnified as one of her tears fell onto them. She shook away her fear of contacting him.

She remembered Cloud's presence by her bedside when he had last spoken to her, even though he must have known she couldn't hear what he was saying. She remembered the ghostly and smudged image of his last smile as she'd felt someone caressing her face.

Tifa wondered if that smile he had shown her had been an illusion. She brushed away the dust on the family photo they had taken and then tried calling him. After several rings the messaging service took over...