The mighty have fallen

“The mighty have fallen”
Part 6


Cloud was amazed by how much gil Sephiroth had stashed in the little box. Looking at the neat stacks of bills, he deduced there had to be around fifty thousand, and Sephiroth informed him that he had more tucked away in the old Shinra headquarters in Midgar. Unfortunately the latter part of the money was buried under tons of rubble now, if it wasn’t reduced to ash. Sephiroth didn’t seem to care.

“How did you save up that much money?” Cloud asked him as they left the base.

“By not spending it on luxuries,” Sephiroth answered simply. “I used my salary to buy what I needed and the rest went into the safe boxes for emergency use or savings. What we recovered here should be plenty for me to live off of, for a long time.”

Cloud chose not to comment, understanding that the only real reason Sephiroth even cared about retrieving his Junon stash was so that he didn’t have to rely on Cloud’s money for his needs. Hell, he was better off than Cloud and that wasn’t even half of the money he’d put away!

They took another trolley back to the lab and retrieved Cloud’s suitcase and the briefcase containing Sephiroth’s documents. Cloud called Reeve’s cell phone to let him know that they were leaving and the WRO executive wished him luck and told him to call if he needed anything. Sephiroth held up admirably as they made their way through the parking garage to where Fenrir was parked, but Cloud could tell he was struggling not to stumble. His hands weren’t free to help the other man so he hoped his legs held up until they reached the cycle.

“This is us,” Cloud said as he stopped in front of the huge bike. “I’ll just stow these in the carriage compartment and we can be off.”

Sephiroth eyed the powerful bike, lifting his eyebrows at the various gadgets and weapon compartments and the huge exhaust pipes in the back. “Impressive,” he said honestly.

Cloud smiled with pleasure. “This is Fenrir. He’s seen a lot of action with me.”

“You do realize it’s a bike, not a person or a pet?”

Cloud was used to being teased by his friends for naming his bike. He put his palms over the ends of Fenrir’s handles as if to cover them. “Shhh! Don’t hurt his feelings!” he lectured with a mock look of horror.

Sephiroth’s mouth twitched in amusement and he coughed to hide a laugh. “We can’t have that, can we?”

Cloud smiled at him again, enjoying the brief banter. Sephiroth gazed at him with softened eyes for a moment before looking away. The silver-haired man frowned, disliking the affect that Cloud’s innocent smile had on him. He had to be careful…prisoners that empathized too strongly with their captors eventually became willing slaves.

Cloud sobered as well, feeling the walls come up between them. He swallowed his disappointment and put the luggage and briefcase away, securing the handle of the compartment firmly before straddling Fenrir’s seat. He looked up at Sephiroth, wondering why he hadn’t gotten on behind him. “You coming?” he asked.

Sephiroth stared at him expectantly, crossing his arms over his chest. Cloud then realized what was wrong; he expected their positions to be reversed. “Oh, I don’t think so,” Cloud said. “Nobody drives Fenrir except me. Come on, Sephiroth…sitting behind me isn’t going to make you lose macho points. Besides, you’re not in any condition to handle him even if I did let you drive.”

Sephiroth stood there stubbornly for a minute, debating inwardly. Cloud waited with lifted eyebrows, refusing to back down. Finally, the taller man sighed and carefully climbed on. Cloud could feel him trembling against his back and he frowned. “Hang on tight, okay Sephiroth? Oh, and you might want to put these on…” he opened up one of the smaller compartments by the steering bars and took out two pairs of goggles, reaching behind to hand it to his companion.

Sephiroth took the goggles with a less than enthusiastic expression on his face. Cloud could see his grimace from the corner of his eye and he insisted; “You’ll be glad you’re wearing those when we get out on the open road. If a bug hits you just right you could get blinded.”

He heard Sephiroth sigh and felt him move to secure the goggles. Cloud did the same with his own pair and again reminded; “Hold on tight.”

He regretted it when Sephiroth’s arms came around his waist and squeezed so hard he couldn’t breathe. “Too tight!” Cloud protested breathlessly. He felt the man’s body quiver with laughter and rolled his eyes, realizing he’d done it on purpose. The hold loosened a bit and he shamelessly enjoyed the feel of Sephiroth’s body against his back. He inserted the key to the ignition and cranked Fenrir up, smiling when he heard Sephiroth release a startled curse, clearly unprepared for the volume of the powerful engine.

“You’ll get used to it!” Cloud hollered as he put the bike in gear and drove out of the parking garage. Just as they were getting ready to turn onto the street, Cloud realized something. Sephiroth’s long, streaming hair would be nothing but a tangle of knots by the time they reached Kalm, and it could easily catch on something. He stopped the bike and twisted in his seat.

“You might want to tuck your hair into your coat before we go. Otherwise it’s going to be whipping out like a banner and I don’t even want to think about how long it’ll take to comb it out.”

Sephiroth nodded and reached up and behind, grabbing his hair and twisting it over and over again, doubling it up and finally stuffing it down the back of his coat. Satisfied that he wouldn’t have to be faced with the tragedy of having to cut the beautiful hair off due to incurable knots, Cloud kicked Fenrir into gear again and pulled onto the street when there was an opening in traffic.

~***************************~

Due to traffic, it took them nearly an hour to get out of Junon and hit the open road. They were making good time, though they would have made better time if Cloud weren’t afraid to bring Fenrir up to top speed. He kept picturing hitting a rut or a bump and Sephiroth flying off the back of the bike as a result. As they traveled, he wondered if his companion was cold. There was a chill in the air and with Sephiroth’s constitution down the way it was, he was afraid he’d end up getting the flu or something.

“You warm enough back there?” he hollered over his shoulder. “If you get cold you can duck down behind my back…it might shield you from the wind a little.”

Sephiroth assured him that he wasn’t too cold and he was thankful that Cloud couldn’t see his face. Truthfully his nose and ears were turning red, but he would die before he complained about it. The blonde’s concern for him was partly annoying and partly endearing. He really wished Cloud would stop being so damned chivalrous.

After an hour, Cloud pulled off at a rest stop. “I don’t know about you but I’ve got to take a leak and stretch a little,” he said as he swung his leg over the side of Fenrir. “Are you hungry? They’ve got a hotdog stand here.” He pulled his goggles down to hang around his neck.

Sephiroth did the same with his goggles, and his nose crinkled at the hotdog offer. “I’d rather eat road kill, but thank you. I’ll just take a piss and if they’ve got coffee, I’d like a cup.”

Cloud noticed how red the other man’s nose and ears were, and he frowned. “I’ve got a mask stashed away in here if you want to cover your face.”

“Just stop it,” Sephiroth said crossly. “I’ll be fine.”

With that, he gingerly mimicked Cloud’s earlier action, staggering a little as he got to his feet. He saw the hurt in the blonde’s eyes and refused to try and salve it. Cloud needed to get over whatever silly notions were in his head concerning their relationship. It wasn’t healthy for either of them to do otherwise.

“The restrooms are this way,” Cloud said in a subdued voice. “I think they sell coffee at the stand, we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Sephiroth told himself that he didn’t care about the slump in the young man’s shoulders or that he looked like a kicked puppy. He followed Cloud to the building with the restrooms and schooled his features into an impenetrable mask. Instead of going in the urinal he chose a stall for privacy. He attributed Cloud with enough sense not to go soft-eyed and erect in the pants at the sight of him pissing but he didn’t want to test it. He unzipped his pants and listened to the sound of Cloud doing the same. As he emptied his bladder, a little voice in his head suggested that it might not be a bad idea to nurture Strife’s obvious attraction for him, rather than try to choke it.

~You could use his feelings to find a weakness and exploit it,~ that cold voice of logic whispered, ~You can still receive him even if you can’t give unto him~ Sephiroth shook his head and pressed his lips together angrily, wiping his limp member off with a bit of toilet paper and stuffing it back into his pants. He didn’t resent Cloud enough to use him that way, at least, not yet. As for allowing something to bloom for its own sake, he’d already been down that path once. There was no point to it, he’d never feel pleasure like other men and Cloud was too fucking noble to take advantage when it didn’t provide the same relief for Sephiroth that it would for him.

Sephiroth flushed the toilet and watched absently as his Mako-tinged DNA swirled around before vanishing. He wondered briefly what life would have been like if Hojo’s alterations hadn’t made him so different from other men. He heard Cloud wash his hands and leave the bathroom. He left the stall and went to the sink to wash his hands, using his teeth to pull off his gloves first. While he soaped and rinsed his hands off he glanced up and saw his reflection in the mirror.

Damn, no wonder Cloud was worried about him. He looked like a wino with frostbitten ears and dark circles around his eyes. Sephiroth couldn’t remember a time when he’d ever looked this trashed before. The blonde kid probably thought he was going to drop dead any minute. Sephiroth shook his head and splashed a little cold water on his face, then patted it dry and wiped his hands. Shaking his head, he found himself chuckling a little as he pulled his gloves back on. Misplaced or not, Cloud’s concern for him was valid, considering how shitty he looked. Sephiroth was almost tempted to apologize for his earlier rudeness, but he reminded himself that it was better not to inspire warm feelings if possible.

He found Cloud at the hotdog stand and before he even made it to the window to order something, the blond was holding a steaming cup of coffee out to him. “I figured I’d save you the trouble,” Cloud said.

Sephiroth slowly took the coffee, working his mouth as he struggled to find a way to thank him without sounding overly affectionate. “Appreciated,” he got out in a clipped tone.

Cloud shrugged, realizing that for someone like Sephiroth, “Thank you” was a foreign concept. “Let’s sit down at that bench over there.”

Sephiroth complied, more because Cloud had unwittingly compelled him to do so than out of a desire to sit. It was maddening how he could force him to do things without even realizing it, but Sephiroth refused to arm him with the knowledge of just how much the trigger could do. The problem was he was a little afraid that he wouldn’t be able to stand back up again on his own when it was time to go. Sephiroth was feeling shakier and weaker with each passing hour and there was an indescribable feeling of anxiety rising within him.

Cloud bit into a hotdog topped with relish and onions, chewing in satisfaction. He saw Sephiroth staring at him and paused. “What?” he said as he swallowed.

“Do you know what’s in those things?”

“Yeah, but they taste good anyway.” Cloud grinned at him and took another bite. He noticed that Sephiroth hadn’t taken any cream or sugar packets and had started drinking his coffee without either of them. He swallowed what he was chewing and asked; “You’re just going to drink it black?”

“What business is that of yours?” Sephiroth inquired, though his tone was light.

“Hey, you criticized my hotdog, I’ll criticize your drink.”

Sephiroth’s mouth twitched, betraying a hint of a smile before resuming a neutral expression. “Too each their own.”

Cloud chastised himself for trying so hard to break down Sephiroth’s walls. It was stupid, dangerous and probably doomed to failure to try and form any sort of lasting relationship with the man…especially considering that he hadn’t given him any reason to think his interests swung toward men…let alone Cloud himself. With a sigh, the blonde continued to eat, washing it down with a can of diet soda. He was annoyed when Sephiroth again lectured his food choice.

“Do you know diet soft drinks aren’t any healthier than regular?”

Cloud glared at him. “Do you know caffeine isn’t good for you?”

Sephiroth smirked. “You’re a worthy opponent, Cloud.”

Against his will, the blonde grinned again. He didn’t understand why conversation with Sephiroth was so hard one minute and so easy the next. It was always stimulating, regardless of which direction it took. He finished his soft drink and Sephiroth finished his coffee. Cloud got up and took their trash to the nearest receptacle, then told Sephiroth it was time to get going again. The silver-haired man didn’t stand up immediately and for a minute Cloud thought he was delaying just to be a pain in the ass. Then Sephiroth placed both hands on the picnic table for leverage and slowly stood up. He was shaking with the effort.

Cloud hurried over and put his arms around Sephiroth’s waist, ignoring his protests as he helped him to the bike. “You’re beat,” he said in a comforting tone. “And you’re mortal. Quit expecting so much out of yourself or you’ll overdo it.”

Sephiroth stopped arguing and did something that shocked Cloud to his very toenails; he rested his forehead on the blonde’s shoulder. “Okay, now I know you’re in bad shape,” Cloud whispered, ignoring the people that stared with curiosity. He felt the tall form he was supporting tremble and he gulped, getting the other man to Fenrir as quickly as possible.

“Just hang in there, Sephiroth,” Cloud said as he helped him onto the bike before sliding on as well. “I’ll pick up the speed and get us to Kalm as fast as I can. All you have to do is hold onto me.”

He felt Sephiroth rest his head on his back and nod wordlessly. The urge to reach back and stroke the other man’s shiny hair nearly overpowered Cloud. Gritting his teeth, he replaced his goggles on his face and started Fenrir up. If Sephiroth got any worse he was definitely going to call a doctor after getting him to the house. He only hoped that the caffeine in the coffee hadn’t set off some sort of reaction.

~*********************************~

By the time they were twenty or so minutes away from Kalm, Sephiroth had fallen asleep against Cloud’s back. The blonde was forced to slow down and be very careful on his turns. He felt Sephiroth sliding to the side and he cursed and pulled over. “Sephiroth!” He called urgently, twisting in his seat to support him.

Sephiroth’s eyes fluttered open and stared blankly at Cloud. It took a minute for the green orbs to focus and he shook his head weakly to clear it. “I don’t know why I’m so tired,” he said in a frustrated tone.

“You need rest,” Cloud frowned. “We’re almost to Kalm, though. I’ve got to find a way to keep you secured in case it happens again. He bit his lip in thought, mentally reviewing everything he had stashed in Fenrir’s compartments. Rope. He had rope that he used for towing and securing needs. “This is going to sound bad but I think I need to tie us together,” Cloud said.

Sephiroth snorted. “That isn’t necessary. I can hold out until we reach Kalm.”

“I’m not willing to take that chance. You don’t need road rash and broken bones on top of everything else.” Cloud stubbornly ignored Sephiroth’s arguments and opened his supply compartment, fishing out the towing rope. “Here, help me get this around your waist. I’m not going to tie your hands or anything, I’m just going to give you some support so that you don’t fall off.”

Grumbling with annoyance, Sephiroth complied—again because Cloud had ordered him and he couldn’t refuse thanks to the trigger. Cloud hopped back on in front of him and together, they wound the rope around their waists until the blond was satisfied that it was secure enough to keep Sephiroth one the bike…or at least, attached to him. Given his greater weight there was a possibility that if Seph started to go, he’d take Cloud off the bike with him. It was a risk Cloud felt he had to take, though.

They got back on the road again and Cloud used every riding skill he had to keep the both of them balanced and the remaining part of the journey smooth. He felt no small relief when they crested a hill and he saw the town looming in the distance. He could smell the smoke of chimneys and the aroma of dinners being cooked. Hardly breaking his speed, Cloud drove into Kalm.

~******************************~

Tifa could hear the familiar rumble of Cloud’s bike in the street outside. His house was just a few doors down from her bar and home. She paused in wiping down the bar and peered out the window when she heard people on the street talking excitedly, saying something about a young man tied to Cloud’s back.

Sure enough, she saw Cloud drive by and it appeared that Sephiroth was tied to his back and unconscious. “What in the hell?” Tifa said in bafflement. Though she really wasn’t looking forward to being anywhere near Sephiroth, her curiosity at this strange predicament got the better of her.

“Jessica, I’m going to go say hello to Cloud and see if he needs anything. Will you look after things for a little while?” Tifa asked her employee. The barmaid nodded and Tifa hurried out, jogging down the street after Cloud.

Cloud pulled into his driveway, activating the garage door and going straight in before it was half raised. Tifa called his name, hurrying to get in with him before the door lowered again. The motorcycle’s engine drowned out her voice but she made it into the garage in time. Cloud cut the engine and began to untie Sephiroth. He yelped in surprise when a feminine hand grabbed his shoulder.

“Tifa,” Cloud gasped, “I don’t know how you got in here so fast without me seeing you.”

“What’s going on here?” She asked, eyeing Sephiroth’s disheveled, oblivious form.

“He’s been getting weaker all day,” Cloud answered, “I think he’s just overtaxed and needs rest. Can you get the door for me after I get him off the bike?”

“Of course,” Tifa said, “but do you think you can carry him?” She eyed the tall general and Cloud’s slighter frame dubiously.

“If I could lug Barret around that time he got wasted, I think I can handle Sephiroth. His height is going to make it awkward but the weight isn’t a problem.”

“I can walk,” Sephiroth said sluggishly, startling them both badly enough to make Cloud jump and Tifa squeak.

Cloud frowned but nodded. “We’ll try it your way but if you pass out again I’m going to have to carry you.”

With Tifa’s help, Cloud got the rope unwound and put away and then he got off of the bike to help Sephiroth. The silver warrior seemed to have trouble focusing his eyes and his legs buckled beneath him as soon as his feet hit the pavement. Cloud caught him and draped one of his arms over his shoulder, lifting him to a standing position again. “That’s it, one foot in front of the other,” he said to Sephiroth, whose head kept drooping drunkenly. He felt the other man shivering and he impulsively stroked his back as he supported him. Tifa held the door open for them and followed them into the den.

Cloud was trying to make it to the bedroom with his charge so that he could get him in bed and covered up, but Sephiroth’s stomach started to heave and he made an ominous sound. “Bathroom,” the general choked.

Cloud guided his companion’s faltering steps to the downstairs bathroom, getting him through the door and to the toilet as fast as he could. Sephiroth fell to his knees and vomited up the coffee he’d drunk earlier. Cloud hovered over him and combed the shorter parts of Sephiroth’s hair away from his face with his fingers, holding it back so that it didn’t get in the way. Tifa stood in the doorway watching with a mixture of awe and concern as the man that used to be practically a god knelt and heaved his guts out.

Cloud’s concern grew to maximum heights as Sephiroth’s shivering grew worse and he heaved until a white, foam like substance came out. Cloud looked up at Tifa with alarmed blue eyes. “Tifa—“

“I’ll call Dr. Melvin,” She said swiftly, understanding his desire. She hurried into the den where the phone was, picked it up and began to dial. She wasn’t sure what to say when she got the doctor on the phone, so she just told him that she was at Cloud’s house and he had a very sick friend that needed medical attention.

Cloud rubbed Sephiroth’s back helplessly as the man continued to heave. He heard Tifa speaking on the phone with the doctor and he hoped he was available for a house call. After a while she came back into the bathroom, holding a damp washcloth.

“Here, put this on the back of his neck,” she suggested.

Cloud gently pulled the general’s hair out of the back of his jacket and lifted it away from his neck, pressing the washcloth firmly against the sweating skin. After a few moments of tortured dry heaving, Sephiroth finally stilled and rested his forehead against his arms, which he had crossed over the toilet seat. His breathing was shaky and uneven and his lips were pale.

“Can you try to get up Sephiroth?” Cloud asked gently. “We should try to get you out of your coat and into bed. Tifa’s called a doctor to come and look at you.”

For a minute he feared the man hadn’t even heard him, but Sephiroth nodded weakly and draped an arm around Cloud’s neck. With effort, the blonde got his charge to his feet and out of the bathroom. Tifa followed helplessly, knowing that she’d only get in the way if she tried to help. It wasn’t that she cared anything about Sephiroth; it was that she’s seen the sheer worry in Cloud’s eyes and she was a compassionate person at heart. If nothing else, she wanted Sephiroth to be okay for Cloud’s sake.

Cloud got the taller man onto his bed and after a brief struggle; he pulled his long coat off. Sephiroth collapsed backwards before Cloud could remove his harness, but as long as the coat was out of the way for the doctor to check his heart and lungs, it didn’t matter. Cloud took the taller man’s boots off and lifted his legs onto the bed, then covered him up to the chin. He sat on the edge of the bed and gently dabbed at Sephiroth’s pale, sweat-beaded face with the cool washcloth.

Tifa tilted her head to the side and watched her friend in action. He was taking such tender care of Sephiroth, certainly more than his position as the man’s keeper obligated him to. The barmaid narrowed her eyes thoughtfully as she watched the expressions play over Cloud’s face. She knew that expression and what it meant. Either Cloud was head-over-heels in love with Sephiroth, or he had a bad case of infatuation. She wanted to slap herself for being so blind! How could she have missed it?

“Cloud,” she began, trying to think of how to address the delicate situation. Did she even have a right to tell him how worried she was, how dangerous his feelings were not just for himself but for everyone?

There was a knock at the door and Tifa was forced to put aside her little talk with Cloud until later. She hurried to the front door and let the doctor in. “Thank you for coming so fast, Dr. Melvin.”

He was a middle-aged man with a bit of a potbelly and a generous nature. “Not at all, my dear. Where is our patient?”

Cloud whispered Sephiroth’s name helplessly and kept wiping at his face. His emerald eyes were half-lidded and blank. His breath trembled and his body shivered uncontrollably, as if he were suffering severe chills. Why then was he sweating? The symptoms were confusing to Cloud. He looked up when the doctor entered the room, then he stood up to move out of his way. Dr. Melvin put his medical bag on the floor and opened it up, producing his stethoscope.

“What was he doing when this started?” the doctor asked.

“Well, it didn’t really start until after we arrived in Kalm. He’s been weak and getting worse all day, but it only got this bad recently. He just threw up a little while ago and there was some sort of white foam.”

The doctor listened to the stricken young man’s heartbeat for a moment, then to his lungs. He pulled out a small flashlight and forced Sephiroth’s eyelids open one at a time to check his pupil response. When that was done, he leaned over the swordsman and smelled his breath. The doctor heaved a sigh and stood up to face Cloud.

“I need you to be straight with me, young man. What was your friend taking?”

Cloud stared at the man as if he’d sprouted a third eye. “Excuse me?”

“He’s having severe withdrawals that can only be associated with powerfully addictive narcotics or other medication. If you want me to help him, you’re going to have to tell me what he’s been on.”

Cloud’s eyes were huge in his face as he stammered, “Drugs? No way…there’s just no way he would…”

He met Tifa’s dark eyes and they shared an expression of understanding. “Hojo,” they both said at the same time.

Dr. Melvin looked alarmed. “Did you say Hojo? Are you talking about Hojo of Shinra?”

Cloud nodded grimly, anger filling him with fresh energy. “Yes, that Hojo. This man is…well, he’s his son and also his prized experiment. He was in a stasis until yesterday, so I guess his body is just now catching up to the lack of whatever drugs it’s used to getting. There’s no telling what kind of shit Hojo had him on.”

The doctor stared down at the shivering young man in the bed and shook his head. “I don’t know exactly what’s going on or who this fellow is, but if you can get him to give us some idea of what he was on I can help him more.”

Cloud nodded and went to Sephiroth’s side, calling his name. When he didn’t get a response, he looked at the doctor helplessly for a moment and then slapped Sephiroth lightly on each cheek. The green eyes flared open and focused on him, anger momentarily twisting his waxen features.

“Sephiroth, I need you to tell me what kind of pills Hojo had you on,” Cloud said quickly, hoping his companion was aware enough to understand the question.

Sephiroth’s eyes closed in concentration and amazingly, he was able to name off most of the medication that he was made to take daily. The doctor snatched a notepad out of his pocket and scribbled down the names of the medication, shaking his head in disgust.

“That’s all I can remember,” Sephiroth slurred, his eyes losing focus again.

“That’s fine…you did good, Sephiroth. Just relax.” Cloud couldn’t stop himself from reaching out and smoothing a wayward strand of silver hair from the general’s eyes. He looked at the doctor questioningly. “Well, can you do anything with that information?”

Dr. Melvin sighed heavily. “I can prescribe a sedative that will help ease his pain and prevent his body from going into shock, but he’s going to have to ride this out and let his body detoxify naturally. The combination of medications that man had him on…normal people wouldn’t be able to stand it. I don’t know what Hojo’s ultimate goal was for this young man but he had him on mood altering drugs, adrenaline enhancements, experimental drugs and a combination of other drugs that cause impotency. I’m not even sure what the experimental drugs do. It’s going to be a rough ride, son.”

Cloud stared helplessly from the doctor to Sephiroth and back again. “What kind of mood altering drugs are we talking about?”

“Well, normally they’re designed to keep a person numb. It’s generally used to combat severe depression and anxiety but my guess is he just wanted to numb this man’s emotions, given what I know of Hojo and his experiments.”

“You mentioned impotency,” Cloud said, blushing a little. “Is that permanent?”

“It’s difficult to say,” the doctor answered with a sympathetic glance at his patient. “It can be permanent for some subjects, but for others the effects wear off sometime after the body is flushed of the medication. It’s a ‘wait and see’ situation.”

Cloud nodded, clenching his hands into fists. “What else can I do for him?”

“Just watch over him, keep a vomit pan by his bed, try to make him comfortable and give him the medicine I’m leaving with you as directed. I don’t know how long he’s been subjected to these drugs but I’m guessing for extended exposure, it could take at least two weeks for him to detoxify. You have my number, yes?”

“Yes sir.”

“Just call me if his symptoms get severe or if his body temperature goes too high or too low. He may have minor seizures, too. If that happens, you’ll need to have him bite down on this…” he rifled through his bag until he found a rubber mouth piece, which he handed to Cloud. Then he searched his bags again and pulled out a bottle of pills, which he opened and counted. “I’ll have to bring you more of this tomorrow, but what’s in here should keep him sedated tonight.” He looked at Sephiroth again and clicked his tongue. “His own son. What a horrible thing.”

Cloud took the bottle numbly and watched the doctor close his bag and stand up. Seeing that he was too stunned to say or do anything, Tifa saw the doctor out and left Cloud alone with Sephiroth and his thoughts.

Cloud felt the unwelcome sting of tears behind his eyes as he watched Sephiroth shiver uncontrollably. He looked at the pills in his hand and wondered how long it would take for them to take effect. Swallowing a lump in his throat, Cloud whispered, “Go to sleep, Sephiroth.” He reached out and stroked the other man’s hair as his body relaxed into unwilling rest.

~******************************~

-To be continued