Chapter Fifteen: Reparations
Somebody rapped a fist against Aralyn's skull and she winced, stifling a cry when he hit a bruise. "Anybody home?" The voice was that of a grown male, but was playful, like a little boy's dropped an octave.
"Leave her alone, Reno."
"Rude, you're no fun!" Her arm was lifted, inspected, and then dropped carelessly. She felt fingers prying her eyes open, and after the white light, she made out the image of a red haired man. "See? She's up!"
She was in a simply decorated room. She knew it was a hospital room, though great effort had been made to make the place feel less institutional. A table beside her held a beautiful arrangement of white and red roses, and the windows were draped in gauzy material embroidered with faded green vines that ran the height of the drapes. The walls, instead of being whitewashed, were a soft blue-gray. The bedding was soft, and the quilt was heavily stuffed. Her IV was even hidden behind the table.
A darker skinned, bald, and muscular man came to her rescue, jerking him back by the thin red ponytail that hung down his back. In Reno's attempts to get away, he flailed his arms back, striking Aralyn across one bandaged cheek in the process. She whimpered weakly at the sting.
"Ah! Sorry! I meant to hit Rude. I'm sorry!" Reno pulled away, looking away and bashfully ruffling his hair with one hand.
"You should go get the Boss." Rude reminded him.
Reno sighed and threw himself in the chair not far from Aralyn's bed. He swung his feet over the armrest and let his head loll back. "I don't feel like it. Rude, will you do me a favor?" When Rude didn't move, he made a dismissing motion with a flick of his hand in the other's direction. "Shoo, shoo. He said he wants to see her as soon as she's up."
Rude stared coolly at him through dark glasses for a while, but then left to perform Reno's errand.
"Smart guy," Reno smirked.
"Boss?" Aralyn asked. She cleared her throat and repeated herself. "What does Tseng want with me?"
"Nah. Different boss. Unless you're dying to see the guy-I could probably make that happen. I might even enjoy it."
Aralyn shifted in her bed. "No, no thanks. But who, then…?"
Reno stood, stretched for many long seconds, and then pulled a beverage out of the small refrigerator in the corner. He looked at her and took a large swig of his drink, taking a long time to swallow. When he did, he still did not answer.
"What about Cloud?" she asked.
"Chocobo-head?" He pulled a second bottle from the refrigerator and tossed the first into the trash across the room. He flicked the top open with a quick rotation of his fingers and offered it to Aralyn, but she shook her only head. "He actually made it in record time with his whole crew. But he ain't exactly a doctor, you see. So he called."
Aralyn made an odd face, and Reno quickly justified himself. "Not me personally! And stop giving me that look; I wasn't your nurse." He downed a large swig of the pinkish liquid in one gulp and then continued. "Cloud called Ru— er, my boss – who owed him a favor. He arranged it all."
The door was pushed open and a voice came from the other side. "I owed it not only to him, but to you, Aralyn."
Rufus Shinra walked into the room, tall and confident, with Rude right behind him. Aralyn sighed deeply and closed her eyes. Her brow was furrowed and her hands were balled into fists.
"Told ya she wouldn't be happy to see you, boss," Reno said. "I'm outta here before it gets really awkward." With a wave of his hand, he left.
"I can understand why you would be reluctant to speak with me, Aralyn," Rufus said cautiously, not stepping aside as Reno tripped over him in the doorway as he exited. "But I think you will agree that there are things that need to be discussed between the two of us."
"How'd you know about the roses?" She asked blandly, reaching out one wired hand to stroke the velvet petals longingly.
"Something Sephiroth once said to me, a very long time ago."
"Sep—I mean…what did he…!?" But she closed her mouth quickly, biting her bottom lip. She took a deep breath, and then continued. "Could we speak…in private?"