Chapter 27: Life and Death

I could tell right away that something was wrong. It was the way she swayed, the glossiness of her eyes, and the dilation of her pupils.

We didn't see this coming, but we should have. They knew a cloaked Tobin would protect her from any physical attack.

They also knew that he couldn't protect her from a drop of poison snuck into her drinking water.

Tifa, of course, bore the worst of it. Her vision suddenly became blurry. Her insides were on fire.

And then, she collapsed, and began to seize.

I immediately ran to her aid. I climbed up onstage, pushed my way through anyone who tried to stop me, and placed my fingers on her neck. She had a pulse, but she wasn't breathing. I immediately started pumping on her chest.

A lot was going through my head. Part of me thought I would be dragged off of her and arrested. Tobin remained cloaked, but God only knows the trauma he was feeling watching his cousin nearly dying. I never found out exactly what poison she had been given, but it seemed to be cyanide combined with some other drug.

A good minute went by with me jump-starting her. But, in the end, it paid off. Tifa gasped, whereupon I slid back to give her some air.

"Cissnei?" she asked weakly through her labored breathing.

"It's me," I assured her.

"Was I poisoned?" she asked.

I nodded, and wiped the sweat from my forehead.

"Did I die?" she asked.

"You weren't breathing," I replied. "But your heart never stopped."

"Damn," she muttered. "They really got me this time."

"Hold on," I commanded as I gave her my own water, which I knew was safe.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Someone poisoned your drinking water," I informed her. "The worst part is over. Drink mine. It's safe. You'll pee out the remaining toxins."

Tifa took a drink of my water. She then finished the bottle. After that, I gave her another bottle to drink. And another.

And then, she began to help herself up.

"Take it easy," I pleaded. "There's still some poison in you."

"But I have a debate to finish," she protested.

"We can reschedule," I assured her.

"The election's in two days!" she retorted as she helped herself to her feet.

Applause began to come from the audience. I knew there would be no arguing with Tifa, so I quit.

Dirk Downing was staring as if she had twenty heads. By all logic, she should be dead.

"I believe….there was…..one last question," Tifa began as she wiped her mouth with her hand. "Let's have it."

"Mrs. Strife," Downing began, in a somewhat shaky tone of voice, "there are people doing things that are newly acceptable. This includes two people in your circle of friends. Yet, it conflicts with the cherished beliefs of many people on the Western Continent. By allowing these new things to be acceptable, many people say that you are disrespecting the people whose beliefs those actions are against. How do you respond to that?"

"You mean same-sex couples?" Tifa asked.

"Yes," Dirk clarified.

Tifa took a deep breath, and answered.

"If something's against your beliefs and you're not doing it, aren't you done?"

She stopped there. She was allowed two minutes, but she had said everything she had to say.

"Mr. Balen," Dirk began, "how would you respond to that?"

There was silence.

Dead silence.

Jack Balen couldn't say anything.

He spent the next two minutes trying to think of a reasonable response, but he never could.

"Time's up," Dirk Downing said solemnly.

Jack Balen stormed off the stage in silence.

There was a loud applause.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Tifa declared as she began to walk off the stage herself. "I drank all that water. I have to piss like a racehorse."

The crowd let out a louder applause.

LATER….

Tifa took a sip from her liter-sized water bottle. It was her third in an hour, but she wanted to make sure the poison would be completely flushed out of her.

She was relaxed in Cloud's arms, reclining against him in the bathtub. Candles were lit throughout the bathroom; Tifa definitely found the atmosphere relaxing.

Still, she was becoming nervous; yet another attempt on her life had been made.

"You okay?" Cloud asked.

"I almost died tonight," she sighed. "Again."

Cloud held his wife close; the feeling of his skin on hers gave her more comfort.

"I know I beat him," she continued. "Now all I can do is wait. The election's in two days."

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Like we did it," she laughed as she took another sip of water. "It might have almost killed me, but we did it."

She then turned to face Cloud, and kissed him.

"Thanks again for being there," she said.

"It's Cissnei who needs to be thanked this time," Cloud reminded her. "She saved your life."

Thanks, Cloud.

"Trust me," she replied, "I would kiss her, if only it didn't freak her out."

I'll pass.

And then, Tifa turned around again, and got up.

I'm sure Cloud enjoyed the view of her bare butt, but the mood probably quickly changed when she pulled him out of the tub, quickly dried herself off and then did the same to Cloud.

All that water she drank had to go somewhere.

"I have to pee again," she announced. "Out!"

"Couldn't you just-"

She grabbed his arms, moved him out of the bathroom, and shut and locked the door.

Not surprising, right?

Tifa's bathroom habits were something even Cloud never had the privilege to; it was where she drew the line. So he stood out there, naked, with goosebumps forming on his bare butt, waiting for his wife to finish so they could resume their bath together; it was the third time that had happened in two hours.

And before you ask if I've gone to the bathroom in front of Tobin, my answer is: occasionally.

Because I accept the fact that everyone goes.

A minute late, Tifa opened the door with a sheepish look on her face.

"Sorry," she apologized. "You can come back in now."