Woven Ties

Woven Ties

AN: Resources: Wikipedia for information on barbiturates.
//

The PHS screen lit up and a jingle erupted from the small device. A dainty hand answered it.

“I’m sorry I haven’t got good news,” Cloud’s voice spoke from the speaker. “But Reeve asked me to update you…” There was a long second of silence. “Cid?”

“He’s…he’s in the hospital.”

“Shera?”

“Could you come down? Please…?”

//

Tifa found herself back at Junon hospital, with Barret and Cloud on either side. It was dark, almost 11.00pm at night when they stepped into the brightly lit reception area. The sliding doors opened again barely three seconds later and in walked Nanaki and Yuffie, each looking concerned. They had all come.

They were shown to an isolated room on the third floor of the large hospital, into a quiet ward with no other patients or nurses. It was a similar room to the one Cid had been released from the last time he was there, except as Tifa entered she did not see him sat on the edge, tying up his bootlaces. He was in the bed, silent and almost peaceful looking. Aside from the wires trailing from his body he seemed fine. But they knew otherwise.

Shera was sat by his side when they entered, but she rose to her feet at their arrival, a sad expression on her face. “Thank you for coming,” she said quietly, her tone soft as though she had been crying earlier.

“We couldn’t not come,” Barret told her gently in his rough voice, stepping up to Cid’s bedside. They filed in the room, casting their eyes down on their fallen team member. It seemed so sad that one of their numbers had been abducted, possibly for immoral conductions, while another lay seriously ill. Avalanche was broken. How long would it be until it was whole again?

“The doctors said there was a complication with the antidote,” Shera explained, returning her brown eyes to the Captain. “It reacted badly with the toxin.”

The steady beat of the heart monitor was all that made a noise in the silent room as they watched Cid sleep. It was strange to see the pilot quiet and still. He had always been the embodiment of life, always been active and never one to laze. It just didn’t seem real.

“How long will he be like this?” Cloud asked softly, raising his large, blue eyes to Shera’s.

The woman didn’t answer straight away. Her brow creased in a slight effort to hold back her emotions. “The doctors –” she swallowed “– said he could be like this for weeks…possibly even months…They don’t know.” She pressed her lips together, trying to control her shaking. “They – they’ll do all they can…but they just don’t know…”

Tifa wrapped her in a much-needed embrace, comforting the woman where the others could not. Thankfully she hadn’t burst into tears, but she appreciated the gesture greatly. Everyone turned their eyes back down to Cid. How long would it be until they could laugh with him, talk with him, hear him swear and help Cloud lead the team…?

How long until their team was whole again?

//

Avalanche remained in Junon that night. They took up lodging at the Inn Cid, Vincent, Tifa and Barret had stayed at before. They all gathered in Cloud, Barret and Nanaki’s room soon after for some needed company and talk.

“This seems so unreal,” Yuffie moaned softly as she watched her feet. She was sat on the end of the nearest bed. “Cid was completely fine a few days ago…”

“Illness can often strike unexpected,” Nanaki said wisely. He sat beside her on the floor, twisting his head around to look at the young ninja. “As proven the first time Cid was here.”

“Cid’s strong. I’m sure he’ll overcome it soon,” Tifa said, though her tone was more wishful than confident. She was sat on the other bed opposite Yuffie. The inn brought back memories of the breakfast they had eaten with Vincent in Junon. It seemed so long ago, yet only a week had passed. “It would be nice to find Vincent for when Cid wakes up,” she smiled weakly.

“I can’t believe how much I miss that old guy already,” Yuffie said lightly, a smile on her face. “Especially Vincent…no one else can ever match his scariness.”

It prompted a few smiles from the group, but the atmosphere just wasn’t in the mood for jokes. They were facing a situation they could never have been prepared for, and one they unfortunately weren’t able to train and fight against. It was out of their experience range, and because of this they felt uncomfortable, small, and scared. Each of them knew that their missing friend could possibly be experiencing a horrible ordeal at that very moment. He could be in extreme pain, suffering torture or simply just unaware. They didn’t know. It was the worst feeling in the world. Together they had saved the world, and they had formed an unbreakable friendship through this. One team member’s pain was another team member’s suffering. They looked out for each other like family.

“I think I’ll talk to the doctors tomorrow,” Cloud spoke up for the first time since they had left Cid’s hospital room. “I want them to explain to me how they couldn’t have seen this ‘complication’.”

Barret made a noncommittal noise. “I don’t think those doctors know what the fuck they’re doing.”

“They’re all Cid has right now,” Tifa responded softly.

They were all quiet. The sense of helplessness struck them hard.

“Maybe he was so worried for Vincent that he made himself sick,” Yuffie said. “I’ve heard it happen once before. When people love each other that much they make themselves physically ill worrying about them.”

“It’s possible,” Tifa said in a quiet tone.

Cloud was looking distinctly puzzled right then. “What…? Are you saying Cid and Vincent were together?” He asked.

Everyone nodded, even Nanaki. Cloud blinked. “I didn’t know…it explains a lot, though.”

They talked a bit more, however they were anything but in the mood for idle chatter. Yuffie and Tifa had soon returned to their room, talking quietly about their own thoughts and fears. It was well past midnight when they finally fell asleep.

//

The door shut quietly behind him and Cid looked into the dark room. The moonlight filtered in through the small, double window on the opposite wall, casting enough light for the pilot to see. The sounds of distant noise, laughter and theme park machinery reached the hotel room. The window was open.

“This all yer gonna do? Sit and brood?” Cid asked. “Not what I’d be doing with my second chance at life.”

The figure sat at the window didn’t even look at him. He was washed in moonlight, watching the bright orb silently. “I wouldn’t call this a life…” Vincent replied distantly, his deep voice soft yet so cold towards the pilot.

“Yer alive, ain’t yer?” Cid shot back.

Vincent didn’t reply for a second. “Barely.” Cold.

Cid huffed in mildly amused irritation, scratching the back of his neck. “Look, Vincent, this could be one of the last few days we have on this shit hole. Why don’t you fuckin’ make the most of it? Get out there with the others and have some fun. You could sure as hell use some.”

Vincent turned to him at that point. The moonlight lit his outline sharply. “If this is one of our last days, perhaps you should be having fun.” He leveled his intimidating gaze at Cid. Cid was not affected. “Not wasting your time trying to convince me to partake in such attractions.”

“Why do you look down on everythin’?” Cid asked after a second, surprised his temper hadn’t battered its way from his mouth in some choice obscenities.

Vincent’s expression changed, then, and he looked back at the window. “Is that how it seems?”

Cid walked towards the window, sensing his teammate tense up at his approach. He watched the scene from the glass, realizing their room had a perfect view of Golden Saucer’s rides and attractions. He could see people on the rollercoaster; see all the bright, twinkling lights. He crossed his arms and watched for a second more.

“Why is it,” he began meaningfully and a little aggressively, “I get the impression yer don’t wanna be here, but yer’ve been watchin’ it all this time?”

He sensed Vincent’s emotion, just a tiny bit. And then it disappeared. “I’m merely observing the area…”

“Bullshit.” Cid turned to face him. “Why’re yer so cold to yerself?”

“Why are you so concerned?” Vincent replied back.

Cid stared at his dark red eyes. “Yer part of the team, Vince. Now maybe that don’t mean jack shit to you, but to me and Cloud it does. Hell, to the rest of us it does.”

Vincent looked directly at him, and for a second Cid could understand how Vincent might be described as frightening. The man’s red eyes glowed unnaturally in the dark, colorless face shadowed. His aura was not only intimidating, but threatening. Beneath that slim form was something inhuman.

“Your concern is wrongly misplaced.”

Cid saw past the dangerous façade. Something else was churning underneath that protective cover, and he could sense it. “In your case, I think concern is well placed.”

Either Vincent decided not to reply or had nothing to come back with. He merely turned back to the window, watching the theme park from the high vantage point.

Cid watched him for a second and then shook his head. “Can’t understand yer, Vince.” He went to the farthest bed and flopped onto it, hands behind his head. The pattern on the bed sheet was blurry, as was the color. “Punishing yerself for no reason… I think you’ve been through enough of that.” He added in a slightly quieter voice.

Vincent’s head turned part way sharply, his expression changed again. Cid couldn’t read it though, and as the man turned back to look out the window Cid wanted to press on more. But he didn’t. From what they’d heard and read Vincent had been through a lot of hell. Torture changes people. Perhaps Vincent would never smile or enjoy himself again. Cid found himself wondering a lot about the enigma, Vincent Valentine. As he lay there in the man’s company, their tense atmosphere eventually dwindled down to a tolerable air, and Cid began breaking the silence with intermittent topics…

//

In the morning Reeve phoned. He told them he had tried to contact Cid, only to discover from Shera that the pilot was comatose. He was shocked.

“I had a transport job for him,” the commissioner explained to Cloud, still recovering from the terrible news. “But…well…I was shocked to hear what had happened…”

“It took us all by surprise,” Cloud said tonelessly into the phone. The team he had gathered three years ago, the very team that was now more family than friends, was incomplete. Their morale had been dampened and Cloud felt the effects strongly.

“I would like to stop by and visit him, but…”

“You’re busy,” Cloud finished for him. “Don’t worry about it, Reeve.”

Reeve sighed sadly on the other end. “With the contents of the dart revealed there’s nothing left to analyze except the dart itself, and where it’s come from…”

Yuffie stretched onto tiptoes to listen in, though it was unnecessary. “What does it look like?”

Reeve paused. “It’s a thin dart. The vial is slotted into the metal encasing. It’s barely an inch long, but it looks like there was something at the end that’s come off…”

“Like a little bead?” Yuffie asked excitedly.

“Hmm…yes. Yes, a small bead could have sat in the dent.”

Yuffie stood straight, her features lit up. “I bet I know where that’s come from!”

//

They had taken an airship directly to Wutai. Yuffie was certain she knew where the dart had come from. When they asked her how, she merely stated she was a ninja, of course. That must have been reason enough. They followed her lead once they set foot in Wutai, leaving the craft at the large airport. It was a fine day, almost mocking in its bright, cheerfulness. Birds chirped and the inhabitants of Wutai were welcoming and happy. Completely opposite to how they all felt.

They followed their ninja teammate to a store near the edge of the town center. It was shaded by a neighboring tree, looking almost picture perfect with the speckled sunlight filtering in through the leaves, bouncing off the slanted roof. In contrast, the inside was much darker, and as they stepped inside they realized it was a weapons store. But the weapons themselves were among the uncommon variety. The shop lacked swords and guns since they were sold at the main store in the center of town.

The man behind the counter looked up as Yuffie strode over and placed her hands on the counter.

“Your darts,” the young ninja began. “We need to know immediately if anyone bought one recently.”

The man, who looked older than he probably was due to the creases in his face, merely looked at her. His expression was bland, and he was chewing a toothpick or something similar. “Don’t sell darts,” he replied in a gruff tone.

Yuffie blinded as the team stepped closer behind her. “Yes you do. You make them here yourself.”

The man shook his head, bored. “No. I don’t.”

The young ninja hesitateed for a confused second, and then tried again. “You do,” she insisted. “I happen to know that they’re the finest darts crafted this side of the ocean. In fact, the planet.” A different tactic. She folded her arms and adopted a thoughtful expression. “Many of my fellow ninjas have often complimented your work. I’ve used them myself…you obviously don’t remember me.”

The man’s expression did not change, but he looked at her. “Hm. Fine. I do make them. Now what do you want?”

Dismissing the reason why he’d lied in the first place, Cloud stepped beside Yuffie. “We need to know who – if anyone – recently bought any of your darts.”

The shopkeeper crossed his arms. “I don’t give out that information.”

“Hey, whoever you sold one of those things to it was used against a friend of ours,” Barret told him roughly. “We’re gonna find out who.”

The dart maker shrugged offhandedly, unaffected by the news. “I don’t release customer details.”

“His life’s in danger!” Yuffie leaned across the counter, hoping a more dramatic response might coax some sympathy from the stony man.

“Sorry.” He didn’t sound it at all. If anything it was more of a queue to leave.

A row erupted. Barret lost his temper and began hurling insults at the man, demanding to get that information, while Cloud tried to reason with him between his friend’s rude remarks. The store was filled with the loud noise of their argument, and no one noticed a customer enter, freeze, and abruptly leave again, chased away by the ruckus. Eventually Yuffie’s wild deal defused the situation as both parties stopped to hear her out. Quite surprisingly, the man agreed.

“Okay, then it’s a deal.” Yuffie stated as Avalanche stepped back in the bright sunlight outside, clearing a space. “If Tifa can defeat you we get your customer details. Got that?”

The man, whose fighting spirit hadn’t been able to turn down such a deal, looked at her and grunted in confirmation. He faced Tifa and they bowed respectively, then he assumed a wide stance with his hands aloft and poised as Tifa did the same. Yuffie retreated to the sidelines, and a second later she called for them to start.

The two competitors had clashed in the blink of an eye. Their first exchange of techniques happened so fast no normal person could have followed. Tifa had taken on the defensive while the store keeper dealt the first attack, but she responded with a well placed block and, knocking aside the man’s offense, charged him off balance and threw a powerful punch into his abdomen. He had managed to evade the majority of the powerful attack by sliding back, but he was clipped by her fist and stumbled backwards. He quickly recovered in time to cross his arms and absorb the shin kick aiming for his chest.

Tifa was relentless. She dealt her attacks rapidly, barely giving the man time to return the blows. Her victory would give them a potential lead to Vincent’s whereabouts – she couldn’t lose. She let loose a ‘yah!’ as she swung her legs out, aiming to knock the man from his feet. But he jumped back, putting space between them. He leapt into a nearby tree, but a second later he was forced to retreat once again as the young woman came at him again. Had she not restrained herself she would have snapped off the large branch where the dart maker had stood. Not that she’d thought about it, but she didn’t want to destroy the beautiful outdoors.

They had taken the fight to the woods at the back of the weapon store. There were much more obstacles, but both found them to their advantage. It was harder to attack amongst the trees, but easier to evade and bide time for a better strategy. Tifa, however, was used to such environments. They had, after all, fought battles in a variety of surroundings when they were traveling to overcome Sephiroth. In the man’s effort to put some obstacles in her path, he had unwittingly signed his own defeat. He may have been used to his backyard, but Tifa was much more experienced than any other woman on the planet.

The man whirled around, thinking he had dodged one of her attacks, only to find himself in the path of her aerial assault. He had barely leaped back before she was upon him again. He cried out as she rushed him, grabbed his lapel and plowed him through the ground, gouging a trench behind. She heaved his body into the air and he rose in disorientation. She was beside him a second later, high above the ground. He grunted as she grabbed him again, and his effort to retaliate was in vain as she hurled him down. The world sped by him, and he struck the ground with such force earth and grass exploded from his point of impact. Tifa landed neatly nearby. She stood silent and still as the wind picked at her dark hair. A second later the man groaned and dragged himself from his hole.

The rest of Avalanche walked over to them, or in Yuffie’s case, skipped. She was grinning as she ran up to Tifa. “You won! That was awesome.”

“Your skill is…most impressive,” the storeowner said as he climbed to his feet. Dirt smeared his face and speckled his clothing, and aside from the obvious beating he’s taken he looked fine. In fact, he was almost smiling. “I will honor the deal, and show you my customer records.”

Tifa smiled. She and the team returned to the man’s store and he fished out an untidy folder of records and papers.

“I used to get a lot of business from the Turks,” the man explained. “But in the past few years they haven’t ordered anything.” He rifled through the sheets of papers on the other side of the counter as they watched and waited patiently. He pulled out two records stapled to each other. “The last purchase was made by a mystery customer, who only put their name down as TERA” he explained as his eyes skimmed over the text and showed them the record. “It was a man who came to collect the darts, and I think it was the same man who ordered them over the phone. That’s all I have. If you’re looking for later records, the last dates back to ten months ago.”

The team glanced at each other. Cloud nodded to the record in the storeowner’s hand. “What’s the date of purchase on the man known as TERA?”

The man consulted his paper. “Five months ago.”

Cloud stared at the record. TERA didn’t seem like a name, and it had been a man to order and collect.

“Shinra Manor was raided five months ago,” Yuffie spoke up. Being a hired person in the WRO gave her more insight into the cases they dealt with.

Cloud turned to look at her. “Shinra Manor, the crystals…then Vincent.”

“Don’t you have a contact number or anything?” Nanaki asked the dart maker.

He paused before shaking his head. “No. It’s not exactly a normal purchase. I can’t really keep details like that of my customers.”

“Yeah, well, maybe you should,” Barret mumbled, looking away irritably.

They thanked the storekeeper and left the small building, now with the name TERA to help them on their search. What was it? A code name? An abbreviation? They didn’t know. As they discussed it they passed slowly through Wutai town center, walking by tourists and locals who were all having a much finer day than they were. A familiar uniform materialize from a crowd of people.

“Avalanche,” one of the WRO soldiers acknowledged excitedly, standing to attention respectfully. He saluted them. “Nice meeting you here...” he faltered, and his enthusiasm seeped away. “We’re stationed here to search for your missing friend,” he explained more seriously; solemnly. “The commissioner assigned us to Wutai a week ago. Unfortunately we haven’t found anything yet.”

“I doubt you will,” Cloud answered softly. The air had changed drastically at the mention of Vincent.

Another of the three soldiers spoke out. “How is Captain Highwind? Has he recovered from the toxin?” When they looked at him he said, “I was in his unit. I also got injured.”

The team looked on, more alert. “Cid had a complication with the antidote and toxin,” Tifa explained. “Maybe you should get yourself checked out at Junon, too.”

The man frowned at the news. “Huh? But – I got myself checked out by my own town’s GP. They said I was fit as a fiddle. There was no trace of either substance inside me. They thought it was weird how both had just disappeared from my blood.” He shook his head. “Maybe I’m just lucky. I hope the Captain’s alright. I wish him a fast recovery.”

As the WRO nodded in farewell and resumed their assignment, the team looked at each other frowning.

“Why the hell did Cid have ‘complications’ and not that guy?” Barret wondered aloud.

“Maybe that guy’s younger,” Yuffie offered. If they weren’t mistaken there was a crack underlying her comment about Cid’s age joke.

Tifa glanced at the leaving WRO soldiers. “Not by much,” she said. “And Cid’s a healthy man…age would have nothing to do with it.” Then she added as an afterthought in a lowered tone, “and he’s not old, Yuffie.”

The ninja gave a feeble smile and glanced away. She caught a tourist watching. “This is a private convo, pal.” The man looked taken aback and walked away.

“Maybe…” Nanaki began hesitantly, as though unsure if he should voice his thoughts, “someone made Cid ill to stop him finding Vincent…”

His friends stared at him for a long silence, not sure whether to give that thought credit or not. Cloud’s thin eyebrows furrowed slightly. “That’s a big maybe, Red…”

“I dunno,” Barret said uncertainly, his dark eyes glancing from Nanaki to their leader. “I think that idea’s not as crazy as you think.”

“But the toxin made Cid ill weeks ago,” Tifa added.

The red-furred feline raised his single eye to her brown ones. “Someone could have made that toxin…” He was met with troubled and slightly skeptical expressions. “Both Cid and Reeve’s men were perfectly fine until they stepped into that hospital.”

“Well…yeah,” Cloud agreed, still looking unsure. His vibrant blue eyes shone in the sun as he tilted his head slightly, considering Nanaki’s comments. “But that’s a pretty serious thing for a doctor to do; to intentionally harm someone.”

“But they have the means to do it controllably,” Yuffie interjected softly.

Nanaki nodded. “Maybe it had to be done… maybe it all leads to Vincent…”

//

He pulled back slightly with an audible sound, raising his lashes to look into those blood red eyes. Vincent looked back, hazy but focused. Cid didn’t know when he had become addicted to those lips, to those eyes –hell, to Vincent. But he was glad he had. And, if he admitted it, he was surprised.

The room was cozy and warm; a small, stone fireplace inbuilt into the wall opposite the door provided a comfortable warmth from a flickering fire. It was a fair sized room to be found at Icicle Inn, but they had decided on comfort this once, rather than price. It was well below freezing that night, and from their shared room window they could see the blizzard raging on.

“What’re yer thinking’?”

Vincent watched him for a second more. He could look people in the eye for ages until the victim had to look away, or he could watch them like a lethargic predator watching an animal it wasn’t sure of the taste yet. But lately, when he looked at Cid, the pilot was more the eager prey than the frightened. And that once hardened expression of cold distrust had slowly reformed into something almost content.

“About our confrontation with Sephiroth,” Vincent finally answered. His deep voice was soft and laced with unintentional allure.

Cid reached a hand to Vincent’s face, cupping the man’s smooth jaw. “Don’t think about him right now,” Cid answered in a tone just as gentle. He slowly drew them together and pressed their lips close. Vincent tasted like nothing he had ever experienced. He couldn’t describe him. They parted just barely. “It’ll spoil our time…” He pushed forward again, amazed by the natural magnetism Vincent’s lips held. He would never have guessed a guy could taste and feel so right. So soft.

When they broke the second kiss Cid smiled warmly and slowly withdrew to flop softly down on the bed they were sitting on. He pulled Vincent down, too, not surprised by the initial hesitation. He shoved a hand under his head while the other embraced and pulled the man closer. He looked up at the wall, aware of Vincent’s spiky ‘bed hair’ jutting into the corners of his vision as he rested his head in the curve of the pilot’s neck….

No. That had been a wishful vision. Instead Vincent pulled back, not comfortable with such closeness. A smile was in his eyes, but Cid knew the gunman was not one for sentimental gestures and touches. Not yet. Perhaps if this relationship grew he would be able to coax Vincent down beside him. Into his bed, and into his heart. The man was cold, frightening and dangerous on the outside, but Cid had found a painful, lonely broken shell of a man on the inside. It was hard to treat someone like Vincent, who was still so strong despite all of his misfortune, who wouldn’t accept help and wouldn’t ask for it. The man either had a lot of pride and dignity, or he simply didn’t care about his inner feelings and mental state. Cid didn’t know, it was hard to read Vincent.

“Are yer gonna be alright tomorrow in just that leather?” Cid asked, beginning a topic.

Vincent looked down at him. His crimson eyes glinted in the dim glow of the nightstand lamp. “I’ll be fine.”

Cid raised his gaze to the window. It was snowing heavily. “It’s gonna be really cold…” Vincent didn’t respond, he’d already given Cid an answer. But his lack of social behavior was normal. “Wish we could have a few hours for some fun in the snow,” Cid said with a playful smile as he set his blue gaze on Vincent.

A distinct softening on the gunman’s features was his adaptation of a smile. Vincent’s eyes met Cid’s for a long moment and something flashed behind them. Something needy but hesitant.

With deliberate slowness Cid pushed himself onto his elbows and closed the gap between them, taking Vincent’s lips in a series of leisurely, gentle kisses. He was pleased to feel the eagerness behind Vincent’s response. How it felt so incredible to kiss another man was beyond him.

Vincent was the one to break their contact. He pulled away and stood from his seat on the edge of Cid’s bed. His cold gesture wasn’t taken as such due to the soft expression on his face, and the fact that Cid knew this man and his behavior. Maybe Vincent would always be closed off, but Cid was glad that he had shared a little of his true self with him.

The gunman walked back to his bed, leaving a pleasant expression for Cid as he turned away and lay down on his own sheets. It was late, they would need rest for their trip into the cold, treacherous mountains tomorrow…

//

With this disturbing new theory in mind, they developed a quick plan to test it. Tifa was good friends with a woman known as Mai, who lived alongside them in Edge. Mai was a private physician. Avalanche would ask for her help.

It took a phone call to set their actions in motion. Mai would meet them in Junon and they would enter the hospital together for her to do what she needed to do. The doctor was skeptical of their accusations, but despite her arguments she agreed to help. Avalanche set off from Wutai and arrived in Junon nearly two hours later. It was a further hour before they met up with Mai at their designated location: the inn they had come to like so much. Its dark interiors reminded them of Vincent’s fashion sense.


“I think it’s best if only three of us enter together,” Cloud stated after the introductions were done. “Mai, Tifa and I will go.”

With that settled the three of them left the inn, leaving the others to wait patiently (or not, in Barret’s case) by the transport Mai had arrived on, and the transport they would all leave on.

The hospital was fairly busy, as it was evening time in Junon and the majority of nurses and doctors were required for such busy times. They passed by the reception desk and headed straight for Cid’s room. Thankfully only one nurse was keeping an eye on his ward, and they flashed a nodded greeting as they entered Cid’s isolated room. Cloud and Tifa stood in front of the door and window as Mai approached the bed. She looked at his charts and then subtly checked out their friend and the wires attached to him. She didn’t say anything as she did, and the two team members occasionally glanced casually out into the ward, keeping an eye out.

Mai took from her pocket a small packet and unwrapped a syringe. She carefully took a quick blood sample from the comatose pilot and capped the needle. She stowed it away again, straightening up.

“Cid Highwind, huh?” She said, mostly to herself as she cast her gaze down on the still figure. “Heard quite a bit about him. Looks just like I pictured.” She pulled his sheets up a bit and, with a last look at him, turned to Cloud and Tifa. “Let’s go.”

With their business taken care off, Cloud and Tifa bid a silent farewell to Cid as they left the hospital. No one suspected anything so no one questioned them. They rendezvoused with the rest of the team as the sun was setting. It cast a radiant glow over the horizon, but no one could appreciate such a view right then. They boarded their transport and were airborne in minutes. Another long wait of over an hour preceded their landing in Edge, and when they touched ground they all seemed to let out a shaky breath. But the wait was not over yet. Mai explained to them that she would need to test the blood sample she had taken, and it could take her a while.

“You should wait in Seventh Heaven for the results,” she said as they reached the bar. It was night time, but the bright moon provided plenty of light. A few people were milling about leisurely, enjoying a the early night. “I’ll contact you as soon as I have something… if I have something,” Mai added, though her tone was less skeptical than her initial reaction had been. With a nod, they watched her disappear.

“I hate waiting,” Yuffie said, casting her dark eyes down. She was worried for Cid, though she would never admit it.

Tifa put a hand on her shoulder and softly guided her to the door of her bar. “Let’s go inside,” the martial artist suggested. They all followed her in after unlocking the door and took up residence for the night inside her and Cloud’s home. Marlene and Denzel had been left in the protection of Barret’s friend, so there were no happy faces to greet them back into the dark bar. Tifa supplied them all with a drink, and as she sat down in the kitchen she realized that none of them looked very energetic. Conversation was going to be small that night. It made the waiting even worse.

//

It was raining heavily in the morning. The team roused themselves from a poor sleep and congregated to the kitchen for some liquid stimulant. Aside from their usual morning greetings no one spoke much. The day had awoken to a dull, wet morning and so had their moods.

A knocking on the bar entrance disturbed their silence, and Tifa left her drink to unlock the door. The team followed her, and sure enough to their guesses it was Mai who quickly stepped in out of the rain, her hooded jacket dripping. She looked flustered and much more alert than they were. But her expression caught their attentions, and they livened up, if only slightly.

“You were right to be suspicious,” Mai said before anyone could ask. Tifa locked the door behind her. The doctor pulled from her coat some pieces of paper with her scribbled handwriting on. She brandished them. “I checked for any foreign substances in Cid Highwind’s blood and found none. Not even this antidote the doctors claimed to have given him. If either one of them had caused his current condition there would be some traces in his system.”

“So it’s not the toxin or the antidote that’s caused it?” Tifa asked.

“No,” Mai continued hurriedly. “The one thing I did find in his blood sample was quantities of a barbiturate drug, pentobarbital. It’s used in controlled amounts to induce comas!” She sounded quite excited, or perhaps flabbergasted that such a thing had happened. Doctors were not meant to use treatments in such a manner. It was taboo in her books. “Cid Highwind’s not ill. Those doctors are lying.”

“If he’s not ill then why are they doing this?” Yuffie questioned, turning her brown eyes to her friends.

Cloud glanced Nanaki, who looked back knowingly; a horrible fact passing between them. “You were right,” Cloud said. It was both a relief and a troubling thought. Cid was not ill, but whoever had drugged him had done it for a sinister purpose.

Mai frowned at the spiky blond man. “What do you know?”

Cloud raised his blue eyes to hers. “We think whoever is keeping Cid in a coma is connected to Vincent’s disappearance.”

“Vincent? Vincent Valentine?” Mai questioned, looking at Tifa for confirmation. The two friends often spoke, and the martial artist had mentioned her teammates’ names occasionally. “He’s disappeared?”

“Abducted,” Nanaki corrected her. “Cid must have been a problem. Maybe he came too close in finding Vincent.”

“Then what the fuck are we chatting here for?” Barret suddenly roared to life, hammering his fists in the air to accent his words. “We’ve gotta get to Junon and get him outta there.”

“Yeah, let’s go!” Yuffie punched her fist in the air, catching on to the excitement.

Cloud nodded. He turned to Tifa and Mai still stood against the door. “Let’s go.”

//