Once More, With Feeling... – Chapter 39: Checkup
Summary: Cloud gets a checkup, and does some checking up.
Author: Illusor Meaneld
Rated T: for Descriptive violence and injuries, No Adult Situations, No Cussing.
Disclaimer: I did not create, and do not own the characters from Final Fantasy 7, They are owned by Square-Enix, and I am simply borrowing them for my own (and hopefully your) enjoyment.
Despite his initial trepidation, Cloud found himself smiling as he read through the letters from his mother, most of them were simple anecdotes about their small town and its inhabitants, the local gossip that was one of the few entertainments in such a secluded area. She diligently reported all the fuss that his trip to Midgar had stirred, things like how the Mayor, despite his previously stated dislike of Cloud, had begun loudly proclaiming that he 'always knew that Strife boy would amount to somethin'.' And how the Old Inn-Keeper had been heard to say that if 'that young Strife boy made SOLDIER,… why, he'd name a drink after him.' The letters read almost more like a diary than sent missives, if not for the occasional, 'so how is Midgar treating you?' and 'have you met any cute girls yet? Or are you still too young for that sort of thing?' or 'I found some of your underwear left here, do you have enough? Should I send these to you?' which, despite Cloud's mental age, made him flush like an eight-year old, groaning in teenager appropriate mortification. One thing Cloud hadn't expected though was that the letters made him smile, he couldn't remember much about his mother, mostly due to Hojo's tinkering in his late teenage years. But for the first time in over 80 years, he felt like he had one again. It left a deliciously warm feeling in his chest, one that made him squirm a little in his seat, and threatened to bubble up his throat and pop out his mouth into giggles.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd had the urge to 'giggle'…
He rather liked the feeling…
Before he could succumb and do something emasculating, Cloud heard a familiar rap on his door, followed by his red-headed roommate poking his head through the newly opened door.
"Hey Cloudy, how're ya feelin'?" the young Turk tried to prop himself nonchalantly against the doorframe, but the quick flicker of his eyes in the direction of Cloud's letters gave him away. He's worse than a cat… Cloud mentally shook his head in exasperation.
"I'm doing fine Reno," He smiled at the teenager, "I've read all my mail, but haven't had a chance to write anyone back yet."
"Ah… uh, well… that's good… um… so… uh, I know ya said ya want'd ta read it in priv'te n' all, but I don' suppose ya could gimme a hint about that Bugenhagen letter couldya?"
Cloud laughed, I guess Reno didn't learn to fib his way through everything until he got older. And really, honest was something Cloud wanted to encourage as much as possible with the red-head. "Alright, alright, I've read it, I can't really make sense of the old man myself, go ahead and read it Reno." Cloud chuckled, handing the letter over. "Let me know what you think, Bugenhagen can be pretty radical sometimes."
"Thanks!" Reno piped, hastily snatching up the letter, "Yer a real partner ya know?"
Cloud just shrugged, grinning crookedly to himself as he unhurriedly packed up his letters from home, tucking them away as safely as possible while Reno was occupied. The boy might be more honest at this age, but that didn't exactly translate to 'saint' so the blond was thorough in his efforts to remove temptation from curious and sticky young fingers.
"'Dear Mistah Strife'" Reno read aloud, "Formal one ain' 'e?" He snickered before continuing.
"'It's good ta hear from y,.' I guess you sent 'im a letter with tha Rarab things, 'an' bett'r ta see such an asp'rin' young man with so solid an in'rest in tha Planet an' her,' HER?... didn' think tha planet had a gender yo… just thought… well, anyways... 'inhab'tan's. Though perhaps I should say such an amazin' gen'leman' Tha' didn' make any sense yo…" Reno glanced at Cloud incredulously as he read; the blond just smirked and shrugged. The redhead cleared his throat before continuing.
"Lessee, now he says, 'I've metta few friends a yers, who knew ya from b'fore.' … before what?" Cloud just shrugged again, and the young Turk kept reading, a few lines of frustration appearing on his brow. "'They tol' me some fascinatin' tales 'bout you, quite a strong character you have,' he's got THAT right, 'I'd love ta meetcha. It's not often someone like me finds an individual with as much gather'd wisdom as I've heard … perp'ted?" Reno frowned,
"Perported" Cloud corrected calmly, "It's a little more obscure of a word, but it means 'rumored' basically. Or 'told' … 'reported' something like that."
"Gotcha, 'perported ya do. Ya have some amazin' friends out there,' yeah, like me! ' they both asked me to pass on' HEY! He ain' talkin' 'bout me an' Zack is he? What's that ol' fart think he's doin'? We're your friends!" Reno huffed, his hands tightening just enough to put a few crinkles in the letter he was reading.
Cloud couldn't help but laugh, touchy touchy! "I haven't told him about you two yet! I was a little preoccupied with my rarab rescue project last time I sent him a letter!"
Slightly mollified, Reno waved one hand dismissively, "Well ya better get on it yo, ya don' want him makin' that mistake again right?" Cloud shook his head gravely, stifling more snickers as the red-head turned back to the missive. "'they both asked me to pass on that they're very proud of you. It eases this ol' man's heart ta know ya have tha Planet's best int'rests in mind, an' I hope ya keep up the good work. Yers in u'mos' Sincer'ty, … Bugenhagen. P.S. … Z. an' A. send their love.' … Huh?" Green eyes flicked back up to Cloud's blue ones, "Z an' A? Who the planet is Z. an' A.? Tha only 'Z.' I know is 'Zack', 'A.' Could be Angeal if it's Zack… but ya said ya hadn' tol' him 'bout us yet. "
Cloud held up his hands in surrender, "Your guess is as good as mine," He explained helplessly, "I have no idea what he's talking about." Reno frowned furiously before turning back to the letter muttering to himself as he perused it again for clues.
Cloud smiled wryly to himself, the only 'Z.' he knew was Zack as well, and he didn't expect Bugenhagen would have left some sort of cryptic message about Angeal… He didn't know that many people with 'A.' names either come to think of it, 'Aeris' was pretty young still, and as far as he knew she hadn't left Midgar… Azul? Cloud chuckled softly to himself, it couldn't be Azule, he wouldn't show up until sometime in the futu- Cloud covered his face with one hand and groaned, the Future Of course…! Sometimes he really felt like he had 'blond' moments. The letter made perfect sense in that context. Zack and Aeris from the Future life-stream… they HAD mentioned something about 'checking up on him', but he'd thought they'd check up on HIM. What the Planet were they doing in Cosmo Canyon chatting up Bugenhagen?
"Yo Cloud, what'sup?" the young Turk watched him curiously,
The blond shook his head, "Just trying to figure out the letter," He chuckled again, "Sometimes I think Bugenhagen writes me back before he's taken his medication."
Reno snickered, "Yeah, I think I can see that one, it's total gibb'rish ta me, yo."
They laughed together at the idea, and spent a while sitting in Cloud's room trading more and more outrageous theories about the strange letter. It was one of the more relaxing mornings Cloud had enjoyed in a long time.
Come Afternoon after the two of them had enjoyed a simple lunch of sandwiches, Reno reminded Cloud that he had a checkup appointment back at Shinra to see how he was healing up, and hopefully clear him for light duty instead of bed rest. Reno had apparently acquired another car after his assignment this morning, surprising Cloud even further that he'd never noticed, at least until the red-head turned the key in the engine and the sleek black vehicle started with a quiet purr. This car, which must have been outrageously expensive, drove down the streets quiet as a whisper, and as smooth as silk. The blond actually found it rather unnerving, as prickles of unease slid up his spine at the near-silence. He'd rather stick with the powerful growl and rumble of his motorcycle, thank you very much!
That mild discomfit followed him inside the building, and only increased with the antiseptic smell that hit him as the doors to the infirmary opened. He'd been rather incapacitated when he'd been brought in here before, so the smell hadn't bothered him so much, or… at least he assumed that was the case, he couldn't accurately remember. The thought was pushed from his mind as Cloud took in the scene before him. The nurses and doctors were looking far more harried than they had been a few days ago, and he blinked as several of them moved hastily by, some of them arguing with each other in undertones. Puzzled by the change, Cloud surveyed carefully, noting that much of the traffic was passing through a quiet door tucked into the side hallway; a quick mental analysis informed Cloud that this particular door was the one leading into the Science Department lower laboratories. Hojo had insisted on the connection, since he couldn't stand the thought that anyone should have access to medicinal facilities that weren't somehow 'his' inside Shinra. In this case, it seemed there had been overflow the other way around. Now that he was paying attention, the blond noticed that several of the 'Doctors' were from the Science Department proper, and when the connecting door opened, he could see what looked like regular patients on the other side, with 'Infirmary' nurses. He didn't have much time to ponder this however, as Reno and his presence was finally noticed and they were approached by one of the young nurses.
"Good Afternoon, can I help you boys with something?" The kindly-looking older woman inquired with a smile.
"Yeah, my partner here is back for 'is checkup, should have an appointment an' all that yo."
"It would be under 'Cloud Strife'." Cloud anticipated, speaking up before the woman could finish glancing at him questioningly.
Ducking back over to a nearby counter, the nurse glanced at a clipboard present there. She returned nodding at them, "Yes, we have a Mr. Strife down, here for a follow-up dear? Are you feeling all right?"
"I'm feeling just fine ma'am." Cloud returned pleasantly, "I got a little banged up before, but I feel fit as a racing chocobo."
She chuckled at him, "That sounds great. I'm sure this won't take too long. If you would just follow me please dear, your partner can wait for you out here. There's a few magazines to read if you like." She explained turning to Reno as she spoke. The red-head frowned at her, and opened his mouth to protest, only to shut it and shrug at Cloud's gentle shooing gesture. Cloud obediently tagged along behind the woman, noting with mild alarm that they passed through the connecting doors he'd noticed earlier and into the Science Department. He felt an unpleasant shiver run down his spine as the secondary undertone was added to the already discomfiting hospital fragrance, combining to create a scent unique to Hojo operated facilities. The nurse led him to a free metal table, which was mercifully taken from the Infirmary side instead of further into the labs, as it was still equipped with privacy curtains, something Cloud knew from experience Hojo's exam tables distinctly lacked. He levered himself onto it without protest, his smile already becoming a little strained.
"Just wait here dear, the doctor will be with you shortly. There's been a bit of a mess with some of the computers, no big deal, Maintenance should have it fixed up before you know it." Cloud nodded, still smiling as she walked away. The computers? He looked around discretely, noticing the large number of technicians and the maintenance, … had Shelke's virus really been THAT effective? As he quietly listened to some of the arguments passing back and forth between workers he quickly ascertained that yes, it had… The virus had hacked files like Shelke promised, but apparently the young woman had a bit of a vindictive streak, and the program was automatically repeating itself instead of just hiding things once. A little more eavesdropping and he realized that the issues with the Infirmary stemmed from Hojo's attempt to commandeer their computers, which had, coincidentally, spread the virus there. It was programmed to detect Hojo's handiwork, a vicious little piece of genius… Cloud had to work to stifle a smirk of satisfaction. Just in time as a middle-aged man in a white coat approached,
"Good Afternoon Mr. Strife, how are you? I hear you're feeling better?" Like many Shinra doctors Cloud had met, the man appeared tired, a rather less interested in his patients condition that was ideal.
"I'm not in any pain, and I feel more energetic." The blond returned easily,
"Very good," the physician hesitated slightly at that response, and Cloud hid a grin… he'd seen a few too many doctors, their questions never changed… the next few moments passed rather expectedly for Cloud, stretch his injured limbs when instructed, a quick physical check for reflexes, gloved fingers testing the previously abused areas for swelling, that extremely annoying penlight in his eyes to check pupil response after his concussion. The checkup rather turned into a blur, as auto-pilot kicked in for the blond, going through the motions he'd done so many times before, usually at Reeve's insistence. After a few scribbled notes, and a slight frown at Cloud's strangely anticipatory behavior, the doctor gestured further back into the room. "Everything looks pretty good here, but we're going to take a quick X-Ray just to be certain, if you would just follow me?"
The doctor turned and began walking before Cloud could even nod in response. The two of them were relatively ignored as they made their way through the uncharacteristically chaotic bustle within the Department. Cloud let his eyes wander, noting the changes with interest. He quickly noted with growing intrigue a couple of laptops left untended on a few mismatched desks, apparently commandeered from various other areas, another quick glance around and he realized the video cameras had a couple of blind spots due to the hasty rearrangements. Oh sweet Shiva! Gaia must really be watching out for me… One last quick assessment, noting that the doctors were all a extremely preoccupied at the moment, and verifying that yes, the cameras really couldn't see…
He followed the doctor to the X-Ray table with an extra bounce in his step. There was simply no way he could pass up this opportunity. He barely paid notice as the doctor set up the scan, following instructions sedately, his mind a whirl of possibilities. It seemed mere seconds before the physician was leading him back to his table, instructing him that it would be about 15 minutes before the results would come back. Cloud watched him leave, outwardly calm despite the excited beating of his heart.
As the next nurse passed he waved one arm frantically, a younger woman this time, she paused and approached him with a curious smile, "Ma'am? Can I use the bathroom please?"
She smiled in amusement, "Of course you can, the men's restroom, is right over there." She gestured to a little hallway with a restroom sign on the wall next to it.
"Thank you ma'am." Cloud returned with a smile, hopping off his table to jog down the hallway with intent. Unless he was very much mistaken, this particular set of restrooms, like a number of similar ones he'd found in his explorations, had a particular problem that was recurring in Shinra's sometimes corner-cut architecture. A quick assessment and Cloud picked the last stall, his face instantly split in a smile. Gaia was definitely bestowing her blessing today. In the lower left corner of the back of the stall was a familiar looking air-vent grate. It had rusted into a rather 'dried-blood' color, Cloud toed it curiously, grinning when it shifted. One glance at his shoes produced a contemplative frown. A fine smattering of red-brown dust decorated his footwear. Glancing around the blond reached for the nearby roll of toilet paper, wadding some up he used it to grab the edges a little tug produced a soft metal groan, with a smile, and with an experienced little twist, Cloud popped the decrepit thing free.
He'd always been small, but at 14 he was even more of a midget than he was used to, and he slid into the vent without any issues. Despite the deterioration of his entrance point, the rest of the vent was decently maintained, so he didn't have to concern himself as much with suspicious stains on his clothing. He slid down one ramp and ducked one corner, before he found the exit grate he'd spotted earlier, this one was better maintained, and took nimble young fingers to fiddle the loose screws off. Carefully removing the grate, he slid out underneath one of the desks with a laptop on it. He paused; huddling quietly in the back as he patiently listened to the disappearing footsteps of a passing nurse. Once the coast was clear, he settled the removed grate against the wall as quietly as possible. A few quick glances around as he reassessed his position from this new angle.
Once assured there was no potential witnesses in range, Cloud leaned out of the desk just enough to peer over the edge of the table at the laptop. Without raising himself from eye-level with the keyboard, he slid his hands out, arranging them carefully on the keyboard, before thumbing the touch pad to open the system folders, and typed a rapid. 'Shalua-Crescent' into the computer directory search bar. Once the pre-arranged pass code was inserted, all of the 'lost' files rapidly resorted and renamed themselves, decrypting before saving automatically to the hard drive. Cloud grinned, even at the 'slow' speed of the smaller computer; the data was passing through so fast the names were just flickers. It took all of a minute to complete. And with a practiced hand he kicked out the entire laptop hard drive, and tucked it into his pocket, the young blond nearly slithered back under the desk before anyone could come by, listening carefully before backing up into the air vent once more. He carefully retraced his route, closing the grate behind him, and doing his best to replace the screws as tight as possible, before rubbing the toilet-paper he'd nabbed over the metal to clean any prints. When he reached the bathroom he replaced the rusted grate too, propping it in place as best he could and rubbing away the rust-dust his efforts had placed on the floor. He washed his hands thoroughly to remove any rust or other evidence dusted off his clothing, making sure his shirt covered the stolen hard drive, and with a quick check over in the mirror and he walked back outside nonchalantly.
Cloud calmly settled himself back onto his table with a nod of thanks to the nurse in question when she passed by. It wasn't too much longer before the doctor returned, a small packet of paperwork in hand, he solemnly handed a copy of the new instructions to the young blond.
"Alright, Mr. Strife, it appears you're healing up nicely, now you can completely forgo any bandages or slings at this point, though I would still advise using an ice pack alternating with a heat pad if you experience any residual pain in either shoulder or ankle. You should still expect some stiffness for some time, Potions and Materia go a long way towards healing, but they're not miracles, your instructions are for light work only for the next two weeks, your superiors and instructors will be made aware, so don't be afraid to step forward if you feel an assignment will unduly stress your injuries." Cloud smiled as he took the papers nodding back before hopping off the table.
"So I'm free to go? Do I have to come back for another check up later?"
The doctor shook his head, "As long as you take care, and don't reinjure yourself you shouldn't need to come back, just take it easy."
Cloud offered a cheery salute before making his way back out through the connecting door into the Infirmary proper. He found Reno settled into one of the 'waiting' chairs situated next to the front door, a magazine propped in his lap, and one elbow tucked on the back of the chair as he read. Curious, the blond padded silently closer, twisting his head to get a glimpse of the magazine in question.
"Shinra Geographic?" Cloud blurted aloud in surprise, Reno jolted in his seat, nearly dropping the magazine in his haste to stand.
"Yo! Don't sneak up on yer partner like that … s'not cool!" the redhead gasped, clutching his free hand to his chest. "Gonna gimme a premature heart attack yo!"
Cloud just chuckled, walking towards the door as he gestured for his partner to follow, "Sorry, I just didn't think that was your kind of reading material."
Reno shrugged, holding the door open for the blond "S'not exactly, jus' with all that yammerin' 'bout rarabs an' Bugenhagen an' tree-huggin' stuff … jus' figured I'd see what all the fuss was about ya know?"
Cloud nodded, curiosity… of course… "Read anything interesting then?" He cocked his head as they walked down the hall, inviting the teenager to speak.
"Well… there's lotsa stuff in here," the young Turk lifted the magazine for emphasis, "didja know about HALF of this book is 'bout Cosmo Canyon? It's like… tha Tree-hugger Capital or somethin'."
Cloud just laughed, "Tree-hugger Capital, that's one I haven't heard before." As his chuckles calmed, the blond abruptly realized something, he whirled on his partner with a startled oath,
"Wait a second! Why do you still have the magazine?" He gaped, glancing from the incriminating material in his partner's hand to the youthful face, which was distinctly lacking in guilt. "I know you didn't have that before we went in Reno!" Cloud frowned,
The red-head shrugged, "S'not like they're gonna miss it yo, it's jus' a magazine, an' it's at least 3 years old anyway, 'bout time they gotta new one anyhow."
"RENO!" Cloud yelped, "You can't just walk off with things like that!"
"Cloudy, it's notta big deal, anyways; who do ya think publishes this stuff? It's SHINRA Geographic after all, they prob'ly gotta dozen more where this came from, nuthin' ta worry 'bout, I'm tellin' ya."
"But!... You don't even LIKE that stuff!" Cloud spluttered, waving in the general direction of Reno's stolen mag.
"I wanted ta know 'bout tha stuff ya like… figured I should know my partner as best I can yo! Yer not gonna stop me gettin' ta know ya … are ya?"
Cloud just shook his head helplessly. "No, … but … Just try not to do that again, okay?" Reno grinned, tucking the pilfered magazine under his arm with a nod. Cloud sighed, smiling ruefully in return, apparently Reno was only a LITTLE more honest at this age…
((Author's Note: Another Graveyard Shift chapter… there's just something about being stuck in a quiet room, when you have a laptop and nothing to interrupt you that makes for good 'writing' time.
Anyways, I know some times people get a little bewildered or disbelieving of my characterization of 'Reno'… but I actually based his personality on someone I REALLY KNOW! Who acted a lot LIKE Reno… the difference is, he's actually older than this Reno. XD So I gotta shake my head and snigger when people say that Reno acts too immature, if a 26 year old can act like that… well. Teenagers are fine with me.
More particularly though, I brought this up because I gave a specific nod to said friend in this chapter, he was ALWAYS walking off with things. Little things that no one would particularly miss, but always something, so I learned to keep an eye on him since otherwise he'd walk off with little buckets of peanuts or signs that said 'Free Dirt'…
-Jianre M. A.K.A … Illusor Meaneld.))