Parenthood'z Nightmare

Chapter I - The Brick Room

Hojo stormed down the long halls of his Laboratory in Junon, furious as his assistant chased after him, their white coats billowing behind them.

"A week, a week!" Hojo cried out, scurrying around corners and through various rooms. "IT's most likely expired by now!" He stopped at a metal door bolted shut with six locks and three keypads. "Give me those cards Rachna!" He held out his dry hand, scowling as his nervous assistant rummaged through her pockets.

"Y-yes Professor!" She replied with a trembling voice, handing him the three various cardkeys.

"A week! Sephiroth is due to arrive at any moment!" He threw the cards back at Rachna and then demanded the six skeleton keys.

"The message was never received because of the War." Rachna explained, attempting to save her own skin. "The Lab's been abandoned because they thought the Experiment was discarded, they were going to allow it to expire—"

"Silence!" The bolts snapped open, releasing steam as the interior mechanics mobilized the hinges and the door swung open. A rancid stench emerged as a small dark room was exposed. It was a bitter January and the rooms walls glittered with a layer of frost. Had it not been for the weak movement in the corner as two eyes hid themselves from the light after days of darkness both Scientists would have believed the stench was one of rotting flesh rather than the human waste surrounding a thin grey blanket (an unfortunate bed) where a small emaciated child huddled into the corner, face cast downwards as trembling hands clutched a burst plastic bottle, once filled with water.

Arranged at the Child's blackened feet sat a metal bowl and spoon, scraped free of mould which had been devoured in a desperate attempt to survive.

"IT's still alive!?" Hojo exclaimed, pushing Rachna into the room.

She grimaced; there was nowhere to tread without feeling something squelch beneath her heels. She pulled a face and grunted unhappily as she crouched down and forced the matted dark hair away from the Child's face. The child weakly turned away. "IT's trembling." She announced.

"Quickly, clean IT up before Sephiroth arrives!"

"IT's rather unresponsive." She carried the Child she didn't want to hold into the florescent lighting. Having been shielded from light for a week and suddenly forced to experience artificial lighting the Child's eyes burnt. A screech escaped the Child's throat, croaky screams of pain as small grubby hands covered large green eyes.

"Quiet!" Hojo barked, scaring the Child whose trembling increased. "Have IT treated for dehydration; I'll have this mess cleared up."

Rachna carried the loud Child down the halls into a large sterile room where an examination table was placed in the centre. She wondered where to begin; starvation, dehydration, infection and sickness had all set in, malnourishment had stunted the healing of old wounds, infected and hidden under filth. How could this be explained to the SOLDIER?

She gave the Child a bottle of water and watched as the liquid was hastily consumed. There was no time to prepare a shower sterile enough to clean the Child before Sephiroth's arrival and only a slow liquid diet over a period of weeks could treat the starvation, mere minutes could not improve the situation! But the minutes had passed and a loud ring sounded.

Through the security camera screens Rachna saw Sephiroth and his companion outside, waiting impatiently at the large heavy gates. Both she and Hojo hurried away to greet them, leaving the Child alone.

As the water bottle fell from frost-bitten fingers the Child sought to follow it, falling to the floor and crying out at the impact, although unable to produce tears due to thirst.