Don't Play with Fire (Turks FF7)

13) Revealed

I wake up to the feeling of someone moving me, the stabbing feeling on my bloody skin getting worse with each movement they make. Of course, I'm not really awake. It's like I'm half conscious, like one of those dreams where you can't open your eyes all the way because their lids are so heavy. All I can really make out is that familiar Turk uniform, and hear a low, quiet voice saying something. Are they speaking to me? I don't know. They might be. Something's familiar. Maybe this is just a deja vu moment. Then I'm sleeping again.

The next time I'm awake, I'm all snuggled up in an infirmary bed. I jolt out of my restless sleep, nearly making it into a sitting position before I feel a sharp pain in my back and ease back down. Ouch.

"You may not want to do that."

"Tseng?" I frown and prop myself up on my elbows.

"You know, I'm not particular pleased that I had to fly back here because my niece was reported missing." He called me his niece for once. "Or that you happened to be bleeding out in my living room. You'll be paying for the damage to my wall, by the way."

"...Sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"It seems rather obvious. You threw a drunken fit in my apartment..."

"No, that's not it."

"Then what?" He raises an eyebrow. Dang, he looks pretty annoyed.

"They came back," I mumble, looking down at my hand.

"What came back?" I sigh and look around the room. No one.

"The voices." He sits in silence, watching me while I exhale heavily and lean my head back to stare at the ceiling. "They told me to kill you and Rufus. Reno too. They want me to hurt Rude."

"And Marx?"

"Good as dead," I huff. "I don't get it. Why are they coming back now?"

"Marx said he could hold them off for ten years."

"Wait," I frown. "You told Marx to inject me with that stuff?!"

"It was only to..."

"No! I don't care! Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Because you act like this."

"I'm only acting like this because I found out way later on," I huff, crossing my arms.

"Kat, you..."

"No, not me," I snap. "Just shut up." He sighs and we sit in silence until I cool down. "How long was I 'missing'?"

"Three days."

"And Reno didn't say anything?"

"No. Why? Did you tell him you were going to throw a tantrum next door?"

"No," I bite down on my lip, chewing thoughtfully. You're mine, Kitty Kat. No one else's. What did he mean by that?! Whatever's going on, it just needs to end so that I don't completely lose it and just kill everyone out of frustration. "How do I get an apartment around here?"

"You give me the money and I'll take care of the rest."

"Thanks. Just take whatever you need from my account, I hardly spend any gil anyway."