New Blood

Elena had taken pity on Kerri and convinced Tseng to allow the girl to remain with her today.  Kerri's grin when Elena had told her Tseng wouldn't be training her had caused the blond to burst out laughing.  “Don't look so happy,” she'd teased, “I'm more of a slave driver than Tseng.”



“I'll take that chance,” Kerri replied, not believing her in the slightest.  She had been right; the two women had spent most of the morning talking and getting to know each other better, something that wasn't possible during fight practice.  Of course, not much actual work got done, but neither of them worried themselves about it.  



“So, why Lei Lei?” Kerri asked her.



Elena rolled her eyes.  “Because Reno knew that it pissed me off at first.  It's what my family called me when I was a little girl.  It's what my sister still called me when she was a Turk.  It was Reno's way of making me feel too young to be a part of them.”



“What an asshole,” Kerri remarked.



Elena smiled.  “Yes, he really was back then.  He doesn't mean it the same way now, which is the only reason I let him live.”  Both women laughed at that for a moment.



“And...your sister?” Kerri asked uncertainly.



Elena's eyes grew sad for a moment.  “We don't talk about the missing ones much.  It hurts, Kerri.”



“I'm sorry, Elena, I didn't mean...”



“No, it's all right.  You didn't know.  You'll have to hear about it one day, just not right now, ok?”



“All right.”  Kerri reached out and took Elena's hand for a moment and squeezed.  The blond looked startled for a moment, then smiled and squeezed back.  



“No wonder Reno likes you so much,” she said before she could catch herself.  Kerri blushed and glanced down, looking sheepish.  “Hey, at least you're not catching the hell from him that I did,” Elena joked.  “You're catching it in a...different...way, aren't you?” she added wickedly.



Kerri gasped in mock outrage.  “Elena!”  She picked up a piece of paper, crumpled it, and threw it at the other woman.  



Elena dodged it, laughing.  “Have you started having to go home at lunch to change your underwear yet?” she couldn't resist adding.  That did it.  Both women lost it, helpless with laughter.



When Tseng suddenly swung open Elena's door, they quickly tried to compose themselves, feeling a bit guilty at being caught slacking.  Tseng didn't seem to notice, however, and they didn't have to wait long to find out why.  “We need a healer to meet the chopper, Elena.  See to it at once,” he ordered.



His words dried up their remaining giggles instantly.  “What happened?” Elena said, already reaching for her phone.  



“An assassination attempt on the boss.  Reno foiled it, but he was shot in the process.”



Kerri felt her blood turn to ice.  “Is he alive?” she said through lips that felt totally numb.



“Yes, but he needs a healer.  Kerri, in the supply closet at the end of the hall, there's a hard stretcher and blankets.  Get them.  Then stay with Elena, do whatever she needs you to do.” Tseng ordered her.



Kerri was gone like a ghost as soon as he finished speaking, slipping silently past him.  “Is he going to be all right?” Elena asked.  



“He'll live, but he's hurt, and he needs that healer.  Get one here and get his ass on the roof to meet the chopper.”  With that, Tseng was gone and Elena began dialing the hospital.



When Kerri returned, Elena was on the phone, and not sounding happy.  “I don't care if you're a little short staffed today.  You can spare one person.  Get someone over here right NOW or you can explain why not to Rufus Shinra!”  She was silent for a moment, then said, “That's what I thought you'd say.”  She hung up, turned to Kerri.  “Go down to the lobby, meet the healer and bring him to the roof as soon as he gets here.”  The girl nodded and handed over the supplies she'd gotten to Elena.  Still without a word, she ran to the elevator.  Elena was right behind her, but headed for the stairs instead, praying as she went.



***



As soon as the chopper landed, the healer ran for it, bent over to avoid the wind from the still spinning blades, holding his bag to his chest.  Tseng and Elena followed with the stretcher.  Tseng had taken one look at Kerri's white, strained face and ordered her to keep out of the way.  It was all she could do to follow that order, her worry for Reno telling her to go to him, make sure for herself that he was all right.  



However, as soon as the doors slid open and she heard Reno's curses, she almost collapsed in relief.  If he could yell that loudly, he was probably going to live.  Rude got out carrying his partner, and laid him gently on the stretcher.  The big man was shirtless, splashed with his friend's blood, but the fairly calm expression on his face further soothed Kerri's fear.  He surely wouldn't look that way if Reno was badly hurt.  



The healer bent over, checking Reno's wounds.  The chopper blades came to a stop, and she could clearly hear Rude's admonishment, “Don't threaten the healer, Reno.”  The healer straightened, pointed to the stairwell door, and Tseng and Rude lifted it and followed the man.  



“Wait, wait a second!” she heard Reno say as they passed her.  “Fucking stop!”  With identical looks of exasperation, Tseng and Rude did as he said.  “Where the fuck is Kerri?” he demanded.



She ran over to him then, there was no way to stop herself from doing so.  “I'm right here, Reno.”  She laid her palm on his cheek and he smiled.  



“Just want to let you know that I'm fine, yo.” he said, still smiling at her.



“Let's go!” the healer yelled impatiently, and they got moving again.  Kerri started to follow when she felt a hand on her shoulder.  She turned, looking into the cool but undeniably sympathetic eyes of Rufus Shinra himself.  She'd only met him once before, briefly, when he welcomed her to Shin-Ra, and had been tongue-tied then as now.  



“He will be fine.  I promise you,” Rufus said, not missing the worried expression on her face.  “In fact, he continued, taking her arm and leading her after the rest, “I think that you, being the rookie and the least experienced, should have the job of looking after him while he recovers.”  



“Yes, sir.  Thank you, sir,” Kerri replied.



“Hmph.  Save your thanks until after you've spent a couple of days caring for him.  He is anything but  a good patient.” Rufus answered, his lip twitching upward in amusement.



*****



As soon as Kerri and Rufus reached the bottom of the stairs, they could hear Reno's arguing even before opening the door.  “What did I tell you?” Rufus murmured.  



“No!  I'm not going to a hospital!  Out of the fucking question!” he yelled.



“But, sir...” the healer began.



“I said no!  I'm staying at my own place, dammit!  You can patch me up and fill me full of your potions there and then leave me be.”



“Reno, be reasonable for once,” Elena pleaded.  “He's trying to help you.  Tseng, talk to him.”  A fresh bout of arguing broke out at these words, everyone trying to speak at once.



“Enough.” Rufus said mildly, but everyone went as silent as if he had screamed it.  He walked down the hall to stand beside Reno's stretcher, followed by Kerri.  “If the healer can remove the bullet and treat you here, you may stay at your apartment.  If not, you are going to a hospital if I have to shoot you again myself.  Is that understood?”



Reno grimaced, there was no arguing with the boss.  “Yes, sir.  I understand.”



“Good,” Rufus replied.  “Then there will be no further need for these theatrics.”  Looking at the healer, he said, “My office is just down the hall.  Tseng, Rude, if you will please bring the obstinate patient and follow me, the healer can do his job in there.  Elena, you will go and contact the military in Junon, find out what the situation is there.  Kerri, follow me, please.”  



“And that's why he's the boss, yo.” spoke up Reno as Rufus's orders were followed instantly.



=`=`=`=`



Reno got his wish.  Very much against the healer's advice, by that evening he was in his own apartment, the bullet in his shoulder removed, his wounds bandaged.  The healer had sent several healing and pain medications from the hospital, and Kerri was put in charge of administering them.  Tseng ordered her to keep them from Reno's reach.  “He's impatient.  He'll take a dose, then when it doesn't work fast enough to suit him, he'll take another.  Don't let him have them, and if he gives you any problems, call me.”   



Now, he was finally asleep, thanks to the pain medicine the healer had given him before leaving.  Kerri was curled up in the large papasan chair in Reno's bedroom, a book open but unread on her lap, watching over him as he slept.  She thought that wounded or not, he still looked so peaceful while he was asleep, and far too handsome as well, even underneath the pallor caused by the amount of blood he'd lost.   Her eyelids drooped and she leaned over to place her book on the floor, then snuggled a bit deeper into the chair.  The stress of the day was catching up to her.  Drawing the blanket she'd found in Reno's closet up to her chin, she closed her eyes.  She'd left a lamp burning so that if Reno woke up he'd be able to see her, would know that he hadn't been left alone.  Within minutes she was fast asleep.



+~+~+~



Reno awoke a couple of hours later, biting back a moan.  Seemed the medications had worn off while he was sleeping, and the bullet wounds were throbbing in pain.  He looked over at the clock to see what time it was, and saw Kerri asleep in the chair.  In spite of the pain, he had to smile.  She looked like a little kid who had tried to stay up too late.  He hated to wake her, but he needed some more pain medicine, and knowing Tseng it hadn't been left within reach.  Not to mention he had to piss like a  chimera.   How in the hell was he supposed to do that?  He didn't think his leg would support him enough to walk to the bathroom.  Well, there was nothing for it but to try.  He heaved himself into a sitting position without too much trouble and swung his left leg onto the floor.  But when he tried to move his right leg, the flare of agony made him groan aloud.



The sound woke Kerri instantly.  She bolted upright and spotted Reno sitting on the edge of his bed, clad in nothing but a pair of cotton shorts, obviously trying to get up.  “What do you think you're doing?” she scolded, going to him.  “What do you need?”



“Some more pain medicine,” he answered, “and...”



“I have your medicine, Reno.  I'll bring it to you.  Just lay back down,” she said, cutting him off.



“Can't, babe.  I gotta piss.”



“Well, the healer left a urinal,” she said, quite embarrassed.



“A urinal?  Sorry, Kerri, no fucking way.  Not even if my leg was cut off,” he said, not unkindly.    “I hate to ask, but could you help me to the bathroom?”



She blushed, but nodded and bent to help him up.  He put his right arm over her shoulder and she  helped him to stand up.  “Be careful of your leg,” she said as she helped him toward the bathroom door.  



“Shit,” Reno groaned.  “I wish the asshole who shot me was still alive so I could kill him myself.”  The bullet had passed through his upper thigh fairly cleanly, but the pain was enormous.  They reached the bathroom, and he lifted his arm from Kerri's shoulder and grabbed the door jam.



“Can you manage, Reno?” she asked uncertainly, watching as he swayed on his feet.  



“Yeah, I think so.  Unless you want to help, that is?”  His wicked grin left no doubt what he meant, and he chuckled when she huffed impatiently and turned around.  “I guess that's a no,” he said, hobbling into the small bathroom.  He managed to relieve himself without losing his balance, thankfully, and made it back to the doorway.  Kerri was still standing there with her back turned, waiting.  “OK, babe, you can turn around now,” he said.  “You missed your chance at getting a good look at me.”



“I should just leave you there,” she remarked, but she was smiling when she came forward to help him back to bed.  Once he was settled again, she went to the bag beside the chair and got the medicine bottles and a spoon from it.



“What are these for, exactly?” he asked.  



“One is for pain, the other is a healing potion,” she answered, pouring first a dose of the one for pain into the spoon.  He opened his mouth meekly for both, grimacing at the bitter taste.  Seeing this, Kerri poured him a cup of ice water from the pitcher she'd put beside the bed.  



“Thanks, Kerri.” he said.  “I take it you got stuck with the job of babysitting me, huh?”  



“I wouldn't call it 'stuck',” she answered.  “I don't mind.  I was worried,” she admitted.  



“You worried about me, babe?”  Reno was touched.  



“Of course,” she replied with an are you daft expression that made him grin.  



“You don't have to worry.  Shoot me, and I just get pissed off, yo.  But I'm glad you're the one that's taking care of me.”  He paused, thinking, and then laughed.  To her curious expression, he answered, “Just my luck.  I've been wanting to get you in my bedroom since I met you, and now that you're here, I can't do a damn thing about it.”