"Have you heard about the new illness going around?"
Finishing the last bite of his breakfast and setting down his spoon, Barret glanced across the table at his wife, wondering where this had come from. "No, why? Are you not feeling well?"
Myrna laughed, placing her hand over his and interweaving their fingers. "Always such a worrywart. I'm fine, just concerned. They're calling it mako poisoning."
"Mako? Isn't that the stuff that powers the reactors? Why would they name it after that?"
"Apparently, almost everyone who's come down with it was exposed to large amounts of mako in some way before getting sick."
Barret frowned. "The reactors have been running for ten years without issue. Why would people only start getting sick now?"
His wife shrugged, pulling her hand back as she got up and began clearing the table. "I don't know. Maybe there were earlier cases, but Shinra managed to cover them up. Mako is being used in more and more things these days, after all."
It took all of his willpower not to groan. This again? "You've been complaining about Shinra for years now when all they've done is help Midgar grow." He didn't like to argue with her, but Barret had never been able to understand why she was so opposed to the company. Grabbing their dishes, he followed her into the kitchen.
"Because you place too much blind trust in them! Yes, they've helped the city to grow, but at what cost?" She returned the leftover bread to the pantry before walking to the sink where he'd left the dishes. Grabbing one of the bowls, she began furiously scrubbing it clean.
Since they'd had this argument before, he knew what she was referring to. "I'm still not convinced there's enough proof that the reactors created the desert."
Even though he couldn't see her face, Barret knew Myrna was rolling her eyes. "Yes, because it's just a complete coincidence that within a year of their construction, the plants around the city began to die. It only took them three years to completely wipe out everything that used to grow out there."
"But we don't know if that would have still happened even if they hadn't been built!" Barret insisted. "Shinra said they'd realized it was inevitable and that they built the reactors to be ready for when we'd need them."
Usually, this was where their argument ended, but today, Myrna turned off the sink and set the now very clean bowl down before spinning around to face him. "But don't you see? That's exactly the problem! Shinra says so. Do you actually think they'd admit to creating an environmental disaster?"
Barret hesitated. What she was saying did make sense. "So . . . what? You're saying that they knew what the reactors would do and didn't care?"
"Possibly. But even if they didn't know, they still lied to us and claimed that they'd come up with a solution in advance, when in reality they were the ones who created the problem in the first place."
"And now you think they're responsible for this new sickness going around?"
Myrna nodded. "Just today there was an official announcement from Shinra that a mistake was made by the doctors who'd first identified the illness and that it has nothing to do with mako. They even went so far as to specifically state that mako is one hundred percent safe. Which makes perfect sense, after all, they wouldn't want people to be afraid of mako, that's the entire backbone of their organization at this point."
"So how bad is this mako poisoning then?"
"Bad, Barret," she said, her face falling in a way that made his heart clench. "Thankfully there haven't been too many cases, but so far, from what I've heard, not a single person has managed to recover. The first death was five days ago, a single mother, but there have been three more deaths since."
A chill ran through him. Gently grabbing her shoulders, he stared into her eyes. "Please tell me none of the patients you're responsible for looking after are sick with this."
She laughed, although the sound was filled with more pain than joy. "There you go again, worrying like always. We know it's not contagious, that's pretty much the only good news. But yes, I've been treating patients who've come down with it, the clinic is too small not to. I was part of the team trying to save that mother. That poor boy . . ."
"Shit . . . Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Barret asked, running his hand through his hair in frustration.
One of her eyebrows arched as she gave him that look. "Because I knew you'd overreact. Exactly like you just did. I'd been trying to come up with a way to tell you, but nothing really came to mind so . . . here we are."
"And you're sure you're safe?"
This time he was able to see as she rolled her eyes. "Yes. One hundred percent, perfectly healthy, I promise you."
Taking a step forward he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. "Good. I don't know what I'd do without you." Her hair tickled his nose, but he ignored it, savoring her comforting presence.
Myrna laughed into his chest, hugging him back.
"There's something else bothering you, isn't there?" He felt her go stiff and knew he'd guessed correctly. Letting her go, he stepped back to give her room. If she didn't want to talk about it then he wasn't going to press her.
"There . . . is," she said, hesitantly. "It also has to do with Shinra, though, so I imagine you're not going to like it."
He smiled at her, doing his best to be reassuring. "Go for it. It's not like I worship them, I'm just not convinced they're as bad as you make them out to be." If she was correct about mako being dangerous then that was going to be changing.
"Do you remember the announcement Professor Hojo made a few days ago?" she asked, turning back to the sink as she resumed washing the dishes.
He nodded. "Of course." How could he have forgotten that? It was all anyone had talked about for the entire day and most of the next. Shattering the Barrier? Uniting the two worlds once again? Sure, it was something Shinra had been talking about for as long as he could remember, but it had always felt more like some kind of fantasy. The Barrier had existed for generations, so the concept that it might disappear during his lifetime was almost unimaginable.
"We never really had a chance to talk about it. What do you think?"
"I mean . . . It seems pretty far-fetched, no? They developed this weird kind of orb thing that's somehow going to remove actual, real magic that has been around long before any of us were even born? Shinra has accomplished some pretty impressive things, but this is on a 'hole new level. That said, they must be pretty damn sure it's going to work if they'd announce it the way they did, but I still find it hard to believe."
"What if it does work?" she asked, so softly he could barely hear her over the running water.
"Well . . ." Barret paused, unsure what to say in response. He'd never really bothered to imagine what life without the Barrier could be like. "I guess the most obvious change would be that the Ancients would be back. Assuming they're still alive."
"Do you think we'd be able to live peacefully alongside them this time, or would it be like it was before, an endless war with nothing but death on both sides?"
He clenched and unclenched his fists. What ifs like this were not his strong suit. "Dunno. A lot has changed since then. I don't even know why the war started in the first place, but I can't imagine we have a reason to start another one now. Unless . . . You think they'll attack as soon as it goes down?" He hadn't considered the possibility before. Maybe that was why Myrna was so concerned, the idea of people capable of using magic to attack them was certainly enough to make him worry.
She sighed, turning off the water as she once again turned back around to face him now that all of the dishes were clean. "I'd hope they wouldn't, but I can't imagine they'll be too pleased if we just tear down their magical wall. Even if they don't consider that an act of war, you've heard the way the President talks. It doesn't sound like he's planning on a peaceful resolution."
Unlike the conversation about mako, Barret was completely in agreement with his wife in this regard. He'd never liked the naked greed the President always showed whenever he talked about what lay on the other side of the Barrier. Yes, the Ancients had undeniably taken advantage of them and locked them away, but that didn't mean they should repeat the mistakes of the past in trying to get revenge. There had to be some kind of middle-ground solution where everyone could continue to live in peace. He hoped.
"Maybe we're worrying about nothing," he said, forcing a smile. "The Barrier is still here and I'm skeptical something that powerful can be destroyed by something so small. When did they even say they were going to use it?"
"Tomorrow." His attempt to try and cheer her up seemed to have failed as she continued to look sad. "I'm scared, Barret."
He was too, now, but admitting that certainly wouldn't help her feel any better. "I know. We'll be okay. I won't let anything happen to you."
Myrna snorted softly, a smile spreading across her lips. "Well, it's reassuring to know I'll have you to protect me if any Ancients drop by."
Ruefully shaking his head, Barret leaned in and kissed her. She was right, he wasn't much of a fighter these days, and if a real, magic-wielding Ancient showed up there was very little he'd be able to do about it. Still, he knew he'd do whatever it took to keep her safe.
"Come on," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist. "I'll walk you to the clinic today."
"Won't you be late?" Myrna asked, leaving the kitchen at his side.
"Maybe a little bit, but work has been pretty slow this week. No one is going to complain if I'm a few minutes behind schedule."
Locking up the house, they left arm in arm. Barret hoped their conversation had at least helped Myrna, because he was feeling far more concerned than when he'd woken up. Hopefully, this Shinra event was just some weird publicity stunt. He wanted tomorrow to come and pass like any other, with nothing remarkable happening. They were all far better off if the Barrier stayed where it was.
Surprise, it's Barret! He first showed up all the way back in the first chapter, although that was long enough ago that I wouldn't be surprised if people have forgotten. His role really picks up in the teenage years, but I wanted to build him up and establish both him and Myrna a bit in advance. I imagine it should be clear enough, but just to be absolutely certain: Barret does not have a gun-arm in this story. It's also pretty weird seeing Barret of all people defend Shinra, but yay propaganda! He's definitely starting to question things, though, and I can promise you that the Barret we all know and love is right around the corner. And with this snippet of additional info, it's finally time for the grand conclusion of the first arc of this story. I'm super excited to have reached this point, and I cannot wait to share it!
Next Chapter: Barrier