Sephiroth's soul redemption

A/N:
Before you go "Who is Hazel again?" let me refresh your memory. She is Jeh-ri's ex girlfriend. They split up after the combat competition and she went to study at the Project Ark academy to be come a scout captain.
Erik and Enak’s story II, Hazel’s demise.

Hazel awoke from her sedation. She felt utterly groggy and disoriented.

She tried to remember what was going on, and what had happened before. After receiving the initial order to take off and head off to a neighbouring system, she had received additional orders to investigate a factory on a planet, which was capable of producing large amounts of pharmaceutical chemicals.

Hazel had committed the info to memory before erasing it from her receiver, and had programmed her scouter craft to continue on its heading.

She should have awoken several hours before arriving at her destination, but she found herself no longer in her hibernation pod.

As she tried to move her fingers, she found they were restrained somehow, as were her legs, feet and arms.

Keeping her eyes shut, as to give the impression she was still out, she tried to get an impression of her surroundings, but she couldn’t hear anything, although she was aware of something moving close to her.

Soft wads of cotton were removed from her ears, and she felt a latex covered hand touch her cheek. “Now you can hear again, but stop pretending to be unconscious, your brainwaves have betrayed you.” A light man’s voice said.

She opened her eyes and tried to see, but it took a while before she could discern anything. Bright overhead lights stung her eyes. Now she could see that she was in a room filled with laboratory and medical equipment.

When she looked at her arms and legs, she could now see why she couldn’t move. Heavy metal pins pierced her arms, running neatly between the bones of her lower arm, and were connected into metal bars attached to the examination table she was laying on. The same had been done to her lower legs. Straps had been tied around her upper arms and upper thighs, that interrupted the nerve impulses to her brain. Hence the lack of pain and control over her limbs, she realized.

The pressure suit had been cut from her body and all kinds of drips and tubes had been stuck in the insides of her elbows. One very thick tube rose from her navel, where her lifeblood flowed thick and red from her body.

“Oohh now look at your adrenaline rise now you realize your predicament. It is necessary for now, just to make sure you won’t reduce everything here to rubble and try to escape, my pretty one.” The man beside the bed drawled. His voice was breathy, effeminate for a man. The undisguised amusement in his voice seriously scared Hazel.

“I realize that sooner or later you would find a way to circumvent the nerve impulse interruptors, and you would be able to move, that is why we resorted to more.. brutal measures.”

Hazel tried to see who was talking to her, but couldn’t get a clear view as there was a semi transparent plastic curtain between her and the man.

“It was quite incredible, you know. When we pushed the restraint bolts through your arms and legs, it was as if the muscles and major blood vessels moved aside as to minimize the damage.”

She now started to realize what had happened to her. She had been intercepted while in hibernation, and was now to be used like some kind of lab rat. She had no way of freeing herself without causing damage so severe she would need days to heal.

“What do you want from me” she asked, but her voice sounded weak and thin. A wave of nausea swept over her, and there was a strange buzzing in her ears, making it hard to think.

“I actually already got everything I need to know, my dear. All that is left to do now is to see how much that wonderful little life-form in your body can handle before it dies, then we will have to perform an autopsy as fast as possible before your tissues decompose too much.” He informed her, his voice business like and distant.

Hazel tried to get an idea of the man that sat at her bedside, and shuddered inwardly at the things he had been able to do to her while she had been totally defenceless.

“You know, we never knew that an Althean woman has a self defence mechanism built in to prevent and punish unwanted intercourse.” He told her. “One of the idiot lab assistants had the brilliant idea of having a little fun with you while you were incapacitated. He died quite horribly, actually. Those tiny fangs built in to your vagina are so subtle, he didn’t notice something was wrong until the flesh-eating virus your sim released started devouring the offending appendage. After that no one dared touch you.” He said as his voice now had sunk to a whisper, and she saw his gloved hand reach for her through a small gap between the curtains, but he seemed to change his mind.

Maybe he can be provoked into doing something stupid, she thought. “I feel so damn weak, what have you been doing to me.” she moaned.

“You really want to know?” He asked,” But that is thrilling! I never had the chance to talk to my test subjects and find out what it does to them psychologically.” He chortled, “Usually all test subjects I get go in to delirium from the fevers they get when they get infected, and are unable to speak coherently. You have no idea how annoying that is!”

She heard some fast tapping sounds coming from the other side of the curtain, and she realized he was actually clapping his hands with excitement, and bobbed up and down on the chair he was sitting on.

Great, the first time on a mission and I am in the hands of this universes largest sadistic lunatic. I am in such trouble! She thought. She tried to keep the man talking while she tried to establish the telepathic link with her Sim. It barely responded. Apparently they had sedated it and then it tried to work itself almost to death to keep the host body alive. The quiet reassuring voice just present over the edge of her consciousness was now only capable of responding weakly.

It told her of the endless infections caused by fungi and bacteria she had been deliberately injected with, and that it and her body were almost used up. Hazel hadn’t been aware as she had been kept sedated, but now she had been allowed to wake up. She told the Sim about what the man on the other side of the curtain had told her, and that they didn’t have long. She tried to suggest to put forth some kind of emergency call to the other scouts, but a sad silence of her sim confirmed her fear. It was simply too weak for something so tiring.

As the man kept prattling on about all the wonderful pathogens he had created, she decided to not let him have the pleasure to infect her to death, but take her destiny into her own hands.

Hazel suggested a fever spike, but her body didn’t have the reserves to raise the temperature to the required 44 degrees centigrade, and her body only got enough nutrients from the navel tube to keep her alive. To rupture the aorta was impossible too, as her blood pressure was regulated outside her body’s control.

The man kept rambling on about some bacteria he had developed, that mutated under certain radiation, and managed to wipe out all the flora on the face of a planet in just a couple of days. It even killed the flora that was necessary to digest food, making it impossible to absorb nutrients so the subject died of starvation, especially if their digestive system was too specialized. That is probably what he has in store for us, sim. She thought as desperation gripped her heart.

Then she got an idea from her sim, as it prepared a tiny parcel, and placed in the bloodstream, it would avoid the filter systems that monitored her blood, but released it to a small secondary circulatory system, that had been there since she was a baby. The parcel floated higher and higher, past her heart and up to her head, where it was caught in the soft spongy material at the base of her skull, designed to dissolve clots. It attacked the parcel with an enzyme and started to break it down, but as the outer casing fell apart, a very concentrated form of stomach acid was released in the bloodstream, rapidly spreading through the arteries in her brain. It started to corrode and dissolve the walls of the main vessels.

“Just hang on, Hazel. Just a little longer..”

Just then an alarm started to sound interrupting the madman’s rant. “What the devil is going on? Your blood pressure is rising, how is that..”
Then another alarm sounded as her heart-rate became erratic. Several of the larger blood vessels in her brain ruptured under the slight but sudden pressure rise, and the last thing knew as her brain got flooded and chocked, was a bright flash of light.

“Goodbye, sweet Hazel.. I have enjoyed sharing your life.. maybe we will meet again..”

Then her ghost tore free from her dying body. She briefly looked down upon herself, as the man behind the curtain was running from monitor to monitor, looking at printouts.

“An aneurysm? How the hell did she managed that?” he shrieked. Then a second and a third man entered the lab.

“What is going on here? What have you done, you idiot!” one man snapped.

“I don’t know, Sir, all the securities were working perfectly, all her physical functions were arranged outside her body. She totally had no control.”
He said, as he moved franticly around the lab, wiping the nervous sweat of his forehead.

“You brought her out of sedation, didn’t you, you moron! Put a heart stimulator in her and put her on artificial respiration. Put her in a uterus-tank if necessary, but keep her alive!” The third man barked.

“Sir, readings indicate that the body is already showing signs of decomposition. Even putting her in a Uterus-tank will not stop the rotting process.” The second man said.

“Then freeze her. You get to do a full autopsy.” The second man said.

“But I hate the cold.” The sadist said.

“And I hate stupid little fungus growers with ego problems who let a test subject die that cost more than half a planet!” The second man roared.

Hazel had seen enough, she felt the spirit realm call to her, to come take her place, but before she let herself be reabsorbed in the life stream, she needed to warn her people. She sensed a group of people in a joined in a very powerful consciousness. It had to be the Charrander Clan, as it was the most powerful one on Althea.

She showed them what had happened to her. Then she reached out to her former lover very far away, touched him as he slept and said him farewell. The life stream reached out for her, and enveloped her, cradling her, until the time would come when new parents would call her down to rejoin life.

* * * * *

Jeh-ri awoke with a start, and looked around the room, all his friends around him now sitting up, as if they also heard the same cries of sadness and farewell of their fellow Project Ark captain. All awoke as if they all had, and in fact had, shared the same bad dream.

“Oh Great Creator did you feel that?” Leisa asked as she hurriedly crawled over to Jeh-ri, who was still coming to grips with the image she had send them. Her tortured and helpless body on the examination table.

“Ohh Hazel.. noo..” Jer-ri stammered, as he buried his face in his hands, the full horror of his former lover’s death striking home. “Oh God, Leisa, what have I done? I sent her to the P.A.A. to be killed!… I should have left her to complete her training at the temple..” He sobbed.

“That is ridiculous, Jehr, and you know it.” Erik said, as he grabbed the hysterical redhead by his upper arms. “What was Nathan doing sending her out that far for a examination, anyway.” He muttered, trying to hide the fact that his own voice was breaking.

There was a knock on the door, and Zach appeared at the other side of the door as Enak opened the door. “It is not a good time right now, Zach.” he said softly.

“I know, Enak. There is an official message from the P.A.A. waiting for you in the General’s office. You are all wanted in there right now.” Zach said, sounding more serious than he ever had.

Pushing the need for grieving aside they threw on some clothes and followed Zach up to the elevators that took them to Sephiroth’s office.

The General stood looking out his window as they entered.
He was tapping a printout of a high level communiqué in one hand as he walked up to Erik and handed it over. He opened the envelope and read it.

“We are being called back, people. More scouts have gone missing, and Nathan wants us all back in his nest. All except you, Jeh-ri.” He said as he turned around, and placed one hand in his neck, pulling the shaking redhead close.
Jeh-ri sighed deeply. He knew it was a question of time before the presence of his friends would no longer be necessary, and he would be left alone here, as he still had a mission to complete.

“When?” He simply asked, keeping his eyes downcast, still having his grief to cope with, this was the final blow. He never wanted to be invisible as badly as he did right now, wanting the ground to open up under him and just make him disappear.

“The Astronef is arriving tomorrow evening, at sundown. I think it is unnecessary for me to say that this is sudden, but expected. You are dismissed of all duties immediately, you are free do spend your final day here as you see fit, within reason of course.” The General said, his voice low and official as he shot a gentle warning to the mow-hawked man.

“I will see what I can do to give you a proper send off, though.” Zach ventured carefully, but seeing the look of utter sadness in Jeh-ri’s eyes, sensed there was something beside the upcoming event of being separated from his friends that warranted the tears that were on the verge of spilling.

“Don’t, Zach. I realize you mean well, but this isn’t the time. Our people are under attack, and Hazel has been killed while on a simple intelligence gathering mission.”

“What? How do you know?” Zach asked, just then the Generals secretary came in with another envelope, which was directed at Jeh-ri. It had the Chimaera on it, signalling it was from Nathan’s hand.

Jeh-ri slowly opened the envelope, and pulled out the thin strip of printed foil.

My dear Jeh-ri.

I fear that this message will reach you too late, as Hazel’s spirit will have reached you sooner.
I have no words to offer, no comfort to give, except that she was very worthy of her appointment here. All her teachers spoke very highly of her, as she bloomed and acceded our wildest hopes here. Even Tah-cha-et was pleased with her sword-man ship skills.
We have no way of recovering her body, as her scouter was found dismantled in an illegal salvaging organisation, and we didn’t get a clear picture of where they took her.

As for you, I realize I am throwing you to the wolves by pulling the others back. I feel there is more to your task as it seemed at first. You will receive something very precious soon, and it can only be begotten where you are right now. I realize you want to leave with your friends, but you need to stay out of harms way, just a little longer, trust me, little one, Erik an Enak will look over you and never be very far away.

I am and will not ever abandon you.

I love you

Nathan..


“We need to grieve for Hazel tonight, Zach. if you don’t want to be there, as you hardly knew her, we understand.” Jeh-ri said, as he tucked the thin strip of foil away in his pants.

“I know you and her were very close, and I feel plenty close enough to you, that you can use a friendly face for support tonight.” He said. Jeh-ri knew that Zach was wrong to push him away right now. He just didn’t want to obligate the black haired man, but was very grateful that he offered his support, and accepted as he put his arms around his waist.

Sephiroth stood and took the scene in. At seeing how distraught they all were, it only confirmed his convictions, that it was no good to invest too much emotion and ties in friendships in this line of work. People die daily, and you can’t afford to fall to pieces. Then again, how would he feel if Zach had been killed that night during the ritual.

It had been a shock when he had seen him go into shock, and he had gotten a taste of what it could be like, and he didn’t like it. Not one bit. If then feeling nothing was the price to pay, to never have to experience that again, would he be able to do it? If the choice to be made was actually a conscious one, to never ever let anyone get close again, even pushing Zach away?

He looked at Jeh-ri, who was shaking from head to toe, restraining himself, not wanting to give in. “I could let you go on leave for a while, to let you grieve, graduate.” He suggested,

“Thank you, General, but this are orders for me to stay put. Nathan still outranks you, I am afraid.” He said finally, hanging his head in defeat, and not being able to face the cool, calm and collected General.

Jeh-ri wandered at Nathan insisting that he’d stay here, managing to guess somehow that Sephiroth might suggest for him to go on leave. Maybe it was because he suspected that once reunited with his native soil, making the trip back to Gaia alone unbearable. Making it also to re-establish the rapport he had with certain people here, as he would be gone for a while. He was really mad at his commander’s decision at first, making it seem unnecessarily cruel, but then slowly accepting his wisdom. Nevertheless, he still thought him to be a calculating bastard at times.

The P.A.A. people left his office, moving slowly, Zach hanging back a bit.
“I am impressed, General.” he said, looking at his friend with new eyes.

“What do you mean?” he asked, as he sat down behind his desk again.

“You letting Jeh-ri go on leave, when Nathan wouldn’t. That was really thoughtful, Seph.”

“It is standard procedure to allow a period of grieving in this matter, Zach.” Sephiroth stated dryly.

“Hazel was Jeh-ri’s ex-girlfriend, that is hardly reason for leave, and you know it.” He observed. “There is another reason, isn’t there?” Zach ventured. “Are you really that horrified at seeing someone cry, Seph?”

He thought it over, carefully choosing his words as he knew he would really get Zach very mad at him if he sounded too heartless, but yes. The idea of a grieving and distraught Graduate Seng hovering in his office was quite a disturbing one.
“I am afraid he wont be able to do his work properly if he hasn’t had a certain period of grieving behind him, Zach. And I do feel it would be better if he had his own people near to help him through it.” He said carefully, knowing there was no nicer way to put it. “He is going to be cut off from them as of tomorrow night.” He is going to be cut off from his collective, his loneliness increasing his emotional states.

Zach saw what he was getting at. Jeh-ri would have to cope all alone. “I think it is better if I make room for him in our dorm. If he keeps sleeping in that store room of his, he is going to loose it.”

“That is a good idea. Keep an eye on him.” The older man agreed.

With that Zach left his office, and went looking for the others.

* * * * *

That night the P.A.A. people gathered in their room, and packed away most of their gear, leaving only the things they would need for the following day.

Leisa busied herself drawing a circle on the floor with chalk, and gave each person there a leather pouch, which contained tobacco and herbs. In the centre of the circle she paced a large wooden bowl.

All knelt around the bowl and took a pinch of tobacco from the pouch. In turns they held the hand containing the tobacco up to the air, touched it to the ground, and held it over their hearts, then dropped it into the bowl.

Zach had placed himself outside the circle, opting to just be present and supportive, as he sat just behind Jeh-ri, and placed a hand on his lower back every now and then.

Erik started chanting the words that they had said in the shower after the combat competition had ended. This one Zach knew quite well, and joined in. only this time the chant had an entirely different load, as it was heavy and low. The black haired man watched them all as they wiped at their faces, not afraid to shed tears for their fallen sister.

More songs where sang as Enak beat a slow laboured rhythm on a small drum covered in a furry hide. Zach found that Erik actually had a nice singing voice, as it was low and trembled slightly. He closed his eyes and drifted along with the melodies.

He wandered what would be done for him when his time had come. Would his fellow SOLDIERs sing like this? Would there be some kind of ceremony to commemorate his life? From what he understood, that there wouldn’t even be a grave to visit, as her body was nowhere to be found. He hoped he would have a grave, a place for his loved ones to come and feel close to him when he was gone.

The singing and tobacco offerings went on for several hours, then Leisa stood up, and picked up the bowl. She placed a cloth over the top and started walking slowly through the corridors to the main entrance, the others following her. They got some strange looks from cadets and SOLDIERS as they walked by, but a warning scowl from Zach stopped anyone from asking questions or behaving inappropriately. Once outside she held the bowl high in the air, as a sudden gust of wind blew into it, picking up the contents and lifting the dried leaves up and away, scattering it to all directions of the wind.

* * * * *

The next evening came way too fast for Jeh-ri. The day seemed to fly by as his friends said their goodbyes to the other instructors and people they had trained. They’re sudden departure was met with a lot of disappointment from a lot of the younger and older men, as always something unusual would occur when they where teaching classes.

A distant roaring and a light tremor went through the building, as it announced the arrival of the Astronef that would take most of them home.

The General came down from his office to wish them all farewell and success in the oncoming campaign of finding the ones responsible for the demise of their people.

Enak thanked him in turn for his hospitality, and all the other events he had shared with them.

One by one they said goodbye to Jeh-ri, taking him by the lower arms and pressing their foreheads to his, then they all turned to the huge dark red spaceship that quietly hummed as it waited for them to board.

Jeh-ri toyed with the idea of simply disobeying orders and jumping into the waiting vessel, as it door slowly shut on him. It felt like he was cast out of paradise, condemned to always watch the people he loved leave in these ships, him always having to stay behind.

The engines of the Astronef roared low, then changed pitch again as it ponderously lifted itself from the ground, then turned and took off into the approaching night. As it started to pick up more speed, and left the planet’s atmosphere, Jeh-ri could feel the voices of his friends slowly bleed away, the silence in his head almost deafening. The die was cast. He was alone. Zach turned to him and put an arm lightly around his shoulders.

“I have moved your things into the dorm with me and Cloud. Than you'll have some company.” He said quietly, as the rest of the cadets that had come to see them off walked back inside.

“Thank you. I appreciate that. I will join you later.” He said softly as he pulled out from Zach’s arm and moved in the other direction. “I need to think for a bit.”

Zach nodded and disappeared inside the building. As he watched his friend retreat, he never wanted to be like the General more than now. To turn into something like stone, be free of all the emotions that were threatening to drown him. His depression inside was so heavy, it felt like it was going to pull his bowels down out of his body.

His heart labouring under the strain he started running, just anywhere, as long as he didn’t encounter anyone he knew. He left the main gates and ran down into Midgar, wanting to loose himself in the little streets of the lower levels. He ran until the air started to burn in his lungs, and the muscles of his legs stung with lactic acid.

As the sun went down he found himself in a familiar part of town. It was the part where Tifa had her bar. That meant that the other place they had frequently visited wasn’t far off. He went inside, through the paint smeared metal door, and found the place already crammed with people.

He drank, jumped around with the milling crowd, allowing himself to be pushed and pummelled to the point of bruising, than drank some more. He got into some kind of unspoken communication with some of the locals there, and ended up drinking too much for his own good. The alcohol numbed his grief out nicely, and he ended up in conversations that made no sense what so ever, but it didn’t matter alt all, as the guys he was with where in a similar incapacitated state. Through out the whole evening he had sensed a familiar tingle along the back of his neck. Making his scalp contract uncomfortably at times.

He was now starting to feel really tired, and the smoke and the noise in the place was starting get on his nerves. He waived his pals good night, and went outside for some fresh air.

The air out was cold and crisp, removing most of the dizzying veil of the alcohol, as he got a sudden tingle at the back of his neck. He had made a wrong turn somewhere, and had walked into an unfamiliar part of town.

“Eh, you. Where are you from?” he heard a dark raspy voice say.

Jeh-ri turned, and saw a small group of raggedly dressed man emerge from the shadows of one of the ally ways.

“You from that power plant, aren’t you.”

“Not really, but I do kind of work there.” He said, trying to clear the fog from his head.

“Close enough, I have wanted to see just how tough you people are there, and here you are, just walking around into my little corner of the world.” The other said, coming closer. Jeh-ri caught a whiff of the man’s breath. It was sour and metallic. He was on something, altering his emotional state. He tried to read the man’s energy, but the amount of drink in his blood disabled his senses.

“What is it that you want from me?” Jeh-ri asked, trying to get a clearer picture of what it was that had this person so agitated.

“I want to pound you until you are dead, soldier-boy, that is what I want.” The next moment the man fell on Jeh-ri swiping at him with his fists. He was fast and very strong, as the redhead ducked under and away from the attacking man. As he was unarmed he fell back to his hand to hand combat training, jumping and kicking at the man and this friends, as they all decided to join in at once. Jeh-ri was very thankful for muscle memory, as his mind still refused to adhere to the situation he was in, landing one foot in one face with a satisfying crunch as he broke a cheekbone.

One hand grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled him backward. He tumbled to the ground but folded over double and drove his knees into the head of the man trying to hold him. As he landed two more appeared at his sides and grabbed his arms forcing him to his knees. A third person, the one who had started this, came walking up to him slowly, grinning fiercely. He tried to punch Jeh-ri in the face, but he snapped his head to one side, and bit him hard into his arm. Another fist struck him on the temple, and stars of pain burst into his eyes.

Then there was a sudden shout of surprise as the man that had struck him went flying. The second got one got slammed into a wall, and the third ran into the darkened alley, but whatever had attacked his companions, chased after him and there was a sudden cry followed by a gargling sound as the persuer caught up with him.

Jeh-ri slowly got to his feet, still feeling kind of groggy from the booze in his system and the sound knock on the side of his head.

“I was wondering when you where going to show yourself.” He said, as the tall dark figure appeared from the shadows.

There was a deep sigh. “You are drunk.” A humourless voice said.

“Do you happen to have a twin brother?” Jeh-ri asked.

“Not that I am aware of, no.” The voice said.

“Thought not, than I guess you are right. I am drunk.”

“Did you think it would be a good idea to get into this part of town, when you can barely stand on your feet?” He said as he now stepped out where the weak street lights illuminated him.

“Frankly, I seem to have run out of good ideas lately. And I didn’t really take note where I was going. I just wanted to get back.” He slurred, but now the strength went out of his legs and he fell to his knees. He felt himself being thrown over a large shoulder like a sack of potatoes, as his rescuer started carrying him away.

“By the way, thank you for helping me, I was quite capable of dealing with the situation you know.” He said, and started to feel queezy as he hung there upside down.
He started to moan. “I don’t feel so good.” He panted.

“If you throw up on me, I will kill you.”

“You better put me down then!” he yelled, as nausea swept through him. He stumbled to a wall and leant there for support as he heaved all the contents of his stomach onto the pavement.

He looked on as the redhead tried to walk a few paces but collapsed again. He couldn’t help but wander what the appeal was of getting inebriated to the point of total humiliation, making yourself sick to your stomach. Having seen Zach in this state quite often, he had made a personal note to himself to never ever use alcohol. Seeing Seng in his currant state made him all the more determined about his conviction.

“If you are waiting for an apology about my drunkenness, you are waisting your time. I never asked you to come with me.” Jehri said, as he sunk to his knees again, trying to steady himself out. “I am grateful for your help, though.”

“Why have you done this to yourself?” The other asked as he squatted down so he could look the redhead in the eye.

“Have you ever lost anyone close to you? Have you never had such a bad day that you just want something to put some distance between you and the world around you?”

the other thought about it for a moment. “No to the first, yes to the second, but by the looks of you, it doesn’t seem to make much difference. It looks more like you trade one misery for another.”

“Depends on how you look at it. This misery I choose for, the other was forced upon me.” Jehri mumbled as the taller man scooped him up in his arms and started to carry him off.

"I feel like singing for some reason, but I cant seem to remember the lyrics.. I think my brain has gone a.w.o.l." Jeh-ri mumbled against the leather and steel clad shoulder.

“I think my brain would go a.w.o.l. too if it had to reside in your alcohol soaked head, Graduate.” He said softly, guessing the redhead wouldn’t catch that last remark.

Zach was waiting by the main gate as the General returned, and neatly deposited his burden in his friends arms.

“I thought I told you to keep and eye on him.” The silver head said sternly. “He was attacked in Midgar.”

“He said he wanted to be alone.” Zach said, getting defensive. “He is a grown man, Seph, he doesn’t need a baby sitter.”

“I think you should review that assessment for the moment, Zach.” The other said, and strolled off.

Jeh-ri lifted his head as he noticed he had been handed over. “Are you going to take advantage of me, Zach?” he asked, as he tried to focus his eyes to form a three dimensional picture.

The heavy mixture of sweat, smoke, beer and the sharp sour scent of vomit however made Zach change his mind quite rapidly. “I think I’ll dump you under the shower first, then we will see.” He said, as he carried the redhead back inside who had managed to pass out again.