Blood & Sympathy (FFVII: Vincent x OC)

Ch65 - Back From the Dead

Jocasta was on her way to the university when her phone rang. It buzzed in her bag and she stopped walking to check on it. The people who would usually call her were Sephiroth, Hester, Cid, Barret, Shera. Tifa and Cloud were a little bit harder to reach since Jocasta wasn't putting any effort at all to stay in contact.

She flipped her phone open and she was surprised when she saw Tifa's number on the screen. Jocasta looked at the time. She had a few minutes time before the class. She pressed the phone by her ear after she answered the call.

"Joe! Marlene... he took her... please... I didn't know who else to call,"

Tifa's voice came breathless and exhausted. It sounded as if she was physically hurt and it made Jocasta tense up.

"Tifa? Where are you now?"

"Aerith's church... Sector... Five... Midgar,"

"I'm on my way," Jocasta ended the call and she approached the street.

Her eyes searched for a cab to get her there. She never got herself a car because she knew she was drunk almost all the time, and owning a car would probably be a bad idea. But before she had the chance to stop one that came her way, another car stopped right in front of her and the window of the passenger's seat rolled down revealing the driver.

"Hop in, Doc," It was Reno. He had that cocky little smile on his lips and his red hair fell messily on his face. He was the one driving while Rude was sitting beside him, wearing those sunglasses even though there was no sun in the sky except maybe from the clouds that covered it.

"How...?" Jocasta tried to ask as she shot them both a confused look. How in the hell did they know...? But maybe it was foolish of her to wonder. The Turks are... the Turks. They know everything.

"We contacted the university. You're clear for today," Rude informed her.

Jocasta took a moment to process the information "Right,"

"You gonna get in or walk your way to Midgar?" Reno asked sarcastically.

He had a pretty good point. Jocasta hurried into the car and settled on the back seats, resting her bag beside her. Reno started driving messily in the streets, receiving a couple of beeps and people cursing at him and giving him the finger. No wonder they did with the way that he drove. Rude was trying to let him know that he was being dangerous but Reno remained alarmingly calm.

"You guys taking me to Midgar's Sector 5 slums, right?" she had to make sure.

"Ya, Doc. You look good!" Reno commented looking back at her through the mirror and giving her a wink.

"Uh... thanks?" Jocasta didn't know if she should feel flattered or uncomfortable. She cleared her throat. Better change the subject. "How's the President?"

"President Shinra has had quite a progress with his Geostigma," Rude answered as his hand slipped up his tie, tightening the knot of the silky fabric.

Jocasta chuckled "Glad to know,"

"Did you have something to do about it, Doc?" Reno asked.

"Maybe yes, maybe no," Jocasta answered playfully. Did she actually feel cheered up for once? Strange feeling. She hadn't smiled to somebody for a while.

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"Alright, Mr. Wallace, try moving the index finger now,"

Hester's voice came and Barret tried his best to twitch the muscles on the way that he used to when he had fingers on his left hand. The metallic hand didn't move at first and he tried a little bit harder.