Fate (Final Fantsy VII and VIII)

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Cloud's Point of Veiw

Pain.

That's all I felt when I woke up. Pain. The pain, it started at the wound in my stomach and spread through my body. Someone was bandaging the wound, and it was extereamly painful. I began to stir. I heard someone breath in sharply, then I heard a familiar voice.

"I can't do this without hurting him!"

I think she then rested her head on the bed I was in, because I felt long hair fall onto my chest. I tried to sit up, the pain increased (but I ignored it), and I heard some gasps. Then I felt three light fingers push my head back down.

"Safe your strength," Aeris whispered.

I slowly opened my eyes and lookef to see myself in a room similar to a hospital. It looked as if someone had bleached it white. Tifa was resting her head on the bed I was in, and Aeris was trying to soothe her worrying for me. I tried to say Tifa's name but...

Pain...

A cry escaped my lips. Tifa's head shot up, and Aeris gasped. I began breathing heavily and unevenly.

"You'll be okay, Cloud," Aeris cooed softly, "I promise you'll be fine."

"I have and idea!" a voice I think belonged to Rayna cried excitedly.

I opened my eyes to see Rayna digging through drawers. She muttered the same word over and over again as she examined bottle and medicine-container labels.

"Yes!" she cried when she picked up a bottle, then she turned around and walked over to where Tifa was and examined the bottle's back label.

I could barely bare the pain at this point, and by then I was sweating.

I winced when I felt something being stuck in my arm, like a needle, but then I began to relax.

Rayna was a genius. Whatever she used, it worked. The pain slowly faded away as I felt one of the girls begin to bandage me again, and as they did so, I fell asleep.

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I wondered how long I've been unconcious. But it'd obviously been for a while, because I felt someone unwrapping the bandage. I laid there with my eyes closed, because I still felt... I don't know. It was what that medicine that Rayna gave me did.

I opened my eyes for a second, just to see who was un-bandaging me. This was a young woman; a nurse. She had hair a that has such a light shade of blonde that it almost looked an ash-white, and her eyes were a light gray. She had her hair tied up in a neat bun, and her skin was naturally pale. She wore a shot white dress and a slightly longer apron and white ballet flats.

I looked around a few more times to see Aeris was the one scratching my shoulder. Rayna and Tifa sat in chairs near the back. Tifa's face were red and puffy around the eyes, proving that she had been crying. By now, Rayna must've done something to stop her crying, but her eyes were full of sorrow and worry.

I closed my eyes again. My eyelids felt heavy.

"How did you know what that medicine would help the pain?" Tifa asked.

"My mom was a nurse," Rayna answered. "She... worked at a nearby hospital. She really liked her job, and when I was little, I used to watch her work. Then one day, she said she quit her job and got a new one. She said her new job would mean travling a lot. That night, she packed up and left without another word. She... she didn't even say... goodbye..."

"Oh..." Aeris breathed.

I opened my eyes to see the Aeris slowly take her hand from my shoulder.

The nurse took of the final soiled bandage off of me, then said softly, "Let's leave the bandages off for now. You can speak to your friends in private now."

Thank you, I tried to say, but I ended up just mouthing the words instead. The nurse nodded, smiled, then left the room.

"Are you okay?" Aeris asked when the nurse left. "Are you in pain?"

I lifted my head and shook it lightly, then laid my head back down.

I asked Aeris to leave. I wanted to talk to Tifa, alone. I apologized, but she just smiled sincerely, then she and Rayna left. I called Tifa over to me. I knew that the medicine was going to cause me to fall unconcious soon, so I had to talk to Tifa now.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"You risked your live for me," Tifa said, "and I couldn't do anything! Aeris tried to soothe your pain, Rayna gave you medicine, and all I could do was sit and feel sorry!"

"Tifa..." I sighed. I felt exhausted now.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" I asked.

"Cloud, I can't help thinking this is all my fault!"

No... I thought. I was going to pass out again like... soon...

"Tifa..." I breathed, "Tifa... it... it was..." the rest if my words were drowned were by the medicine Rayna gave me.