Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Guardian ❯ Chapter 6

“Guardian”

Chapter 6

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*Disclaimer: The world that this story is set in and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters.*

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Autumn came and other than a few occasions of opening his eyes, Reno showed no further signs of improvement. Cloud got a phone call from Reeve near the end of the season, claiming that the treatment was ready. He was torn. He knew that Reeve wouldn't approve trying it on a human being if it could cause death or further injury, but having been the unwilling recipient of experimental treatments himself, Cloud was wary.

 

“Cloud, I promise you I wouldn't even suggest trying this out on Reno if I weren't almost positive that it won't hurt him.” Reeve's voice was calm and reassuring, but the “almost” part caught Cloud's attention.

 

“'Almost'?” Repeated the fighter. “Do you want to run that by me again?”

 

Reeve sighed. “As with any medication, there's always a chance—no matter how small—that an individual might react badly to it. Something that works wonders for most people could cause an allergic reaction in a small percentage of others. We're prepared for that possibility, if you're concerned about it.”

 

Cloud looked out the window at the gloomy sky and he bit his lip. “What's involved in this treatment of yours?”

 

“We won't be administering the entire thing at once,” explained Reeve. “Bringing him out of his condition too quickly could cause shock and trauma, so we'll give him incremental dosages, starting out once per week and eventually increasing it to two. If there aren't any changes or if his condition seems to get worse, we'll stop.”

 

“Have you talked to Rufus about this yet?” Cloud thought he already knew the answer but he was procrastinating out of fear for what the treatment might do to Reno.

 

“Of course. You should receive a call from him soon. He wants to be there for the first treatment.”

 

Cloud grimaced. “Good, because if it kills Reno I want him to see it.”

 

“Stop it, Cloud,” Reeve's tone changed to one of quiet authority. He was using his “uncle” voice. “Rufus wants Reno to get better as much as you do. The man might be a lot of things but he's not indifferent to whether or not Reno survives. You're being childish.”

 

Cloud clenched his jaw. “No, I'm being realistic. He's the one that wants to risk this treatment, not me.”

 

“And if Reno dies because of inaction?” Reeve pressed. “Would you blame yourself as vehemently as you're willing to blame Rufus if something goes wrong with the treatment?”

 

Cloud's mouth worked as he tried to come up with a counter-argument to that. “He might come out of it on his own,” he finally said. The argument sounded lame to his own ears.

 

“Yes, or he might slip into a full-blown coma and die,” sighed Reeve. “At this point, nobody can say whether acting or leaving him be would be more dangerous for him. Give us a chance to try…that's all I'm asking.”

 

Cloud looked at his unconscious patient—who might have become a permanent lover if things hadn't gone so wrong. Reno looked like he was sleeping, but for the occasional frown that creased his brow when he struggled against the contamination. He was just as breathtaking as always, though his hair was now a more natural auburn shade and his face was a touch thinner than it used to be.

 

~What the hell do I do? Reno, what would you want?~

 

“Give me a couple of minutes,” Cloud finally said in a soft voice. “I'll call you back…I just need to think about it.”

 

“I understand,” Reeve said sympathetically. “I'll talk to you soon.”

 

Cloud ended the call and sat down in the chair beside Reno's bed. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, ignoring the sounds of activity and voices downstairs. He could talk to Aerith and Zack on occasion and Tifa had somehow joined him in his mind the second time he had Mako poisoning, after they both fell into the Lifestream. If those things were possible, it should also be possible for him to communicate with Reno, somehow. It was a long shot, but it was worth a try.

 

He relaxed as much as possible and thought of Reno with his head, heart and soul. He'd never tried to deliberately have a vision before…usually they just happened whether he wanted them to or not. He had no idea what he was doing or whether it would work or not. He frowned as he heard footsteps outside his bedroom door and he shut the sound out, concentrating so hard that his head began to ache. Just when he was about to give up, the world seemed to dissolve around him—including the sounds.

 

Cloud found himself in a small, dim, smoky room. There was a bar against the back corner but no sign of anyone. “Uh, Reno?” he called uncertainly. It looked like the Turk's sort of place but there was no sign of—

 

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YA WAITING FOR, BLONDIE? GIMME THE FUCKING JUICE, ALREADY!!”

 

The voice came out of nowhere and it sounded like it was yelling right into his ear. Cloud was so startled that he yelped and backpedaled…

 

…And the next thing he knew, he was back in his room, falling backwards to the floor in his chair.

 

“Cloud!” Tifa was suddenly at his side and so was Marlene. The two of them helped him up and righted the chair. “Easy,” Tifa soothed as he sat down. She brushed his golden bangs out of his eyes and peered at him with concern. “Are you okay? I thought you dozed off in the chair but then you yelled and tipped over!”

 

Cloud's heart was still thundering. He blinked, feeling disoriented. “I'm okay,” he said uncertainly. Truthfully, he was spooked. He scooted closer to Reno and studied him intensely. “Reno?” he murmured, wondering if he'd imagined the redhead screaming in his ear a moment ago. He almost jumped again when the glowing, azurite eyes opened and focused on him for the briefest moment before going blank again. The Turk's left arm flopped out and he slapped Cloud weakly on the forearm. After that, Reno's eyes closed again and he went limp.

 

“Okay Reno,” Cloud said, wide-eyed. “I'll get you the `fucking juice'.”

 

Tifa stared at him with incomprehension and confusion, while Marlene put her hands on her hips and gave Cloud a severe look.

 

“You need a break, Potty Mouth,” Marlene insisted earnestly.

 

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

 

After Cloud got off the phone with Reeve for the second time, Tifa sat down on his bed and searched his face with concerned brown eyes. “So, what made you change your mind?” She asked.

 

Cloud glanced down at Reno. “You'd probably think I was nuts if I told you.”

 

She smirked. “It's a little late to worry about that now.”

 

“I'm serious, Tifa,” Cloud protested, though he smiled a little.

 

She shrugged. “Try me.”

 

He sighed and combed his fingers through his hair. “Okay, here goes. You remember when you found me in Mideel and I had Mako poisoning?”

 

She nodded. “I'll never forget that.”

 

“Well, do you remember how you got into my head and helped me piece my memories together?”

 

Again, she nodded.

 

Cloud cleared his throat and continued. “I think…I think I did something that let me talk to Reno. It wasn't like my visions with Aerith and Zack and it wasn't like what you did when we fell into the Lifestream, but something definitely happened. I was in a little room with a bar and I was thinking about Reeve's treatment and wondering whether Reno would want to take it or not. The next thing I knew, I heard him yelling in my ear and that's when I fell over. I guess it shocked me so much I must have kicked myself backwards in the chair or something.”

 

Tifa didn't look completely disbelieving, which was encouraging. “What did he say to you?”

 

Cloud grimaced. “He asked me what the hell I was waiting for and he told me to give him the fucking juice.”

 

Tifa's brows shot up. “Well, that sounds like Reno, all right. But you said there was a bar in the room…are you sure he wasn't just ordering a drink?”

 

He considered the question for a moment. It did seem possible, knowing Reno. He could imagine the Turk stuck in that little room in his mind with nobody to talk to and nothing to do or drink. He imagined that to a social butterfly like Reno, it was probably torturous. It was possible that Reno saw him and was actually referring to a drink, screaming in desperation so that he could have something…anything…to end the terrible boredom. Still, Cloud knew that on some level—even subconsciously—Reno was partially aware of what was going on around him.

 

“I think,” said Cloud carefully, “that even if he was just screaming for a drink, he was really desperate. He wants out of there, I'm sure of it.” He sighed heavily and reached out to stroke the Turk's auburn bangs away from his pale forehead. “I know Reno well enough to know he wouldn't want to spend his life as a vegetable. I think…he'd rather take the chance than be stuck like this.”

 

Tifa looked at the Turk and she was forced to agree. “It must be hard for you to agree with this,” she murmured. She looked at Cloud and smiled softly. “I'm glad you're trying to do what you think he'd want, though.”

 

He nodded, but he was frowning unhappily. She got up and went to him, squeezing his shoulders supportively. “You love him, don't you?”

 

Cloud shrugged and flushed a little. “I…I'm not sure what I feel but I know I care about him. I don't want to see him get hurt because of something I let happen.”

 

“You're doing the selfless thing, putting your own feelings aside and giving him the chance you know he'd like to take.” Tifa insisted. She planted a soft kiss on his cheek. “I'll go and get his lunch warmed up for you, okay?”

 

“Thanks, Tifa.” Cloud reached out and took Reno's hand in his, rubbing it slowly.

 

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Rufus and the Turks arrived first and there was a bit of confusion when Reeve and his chosen doctor showed up. Cloud and Tifa's home wasn't very large and the bedroom they kept Reno in could only hold so many people. Cloud was already downstairs with Tifa and the kids but the Turks were crowded around Reno's bed, watching as the doctor took out his medical kit and started preparing the injection.

 

“There are too many people in here,” the doctor remarked as he filled the syringe with the allotted dosage of the dark blue medication. “I need for everyone except Mr. Tuesti and President Shinra to clear out and give me some room, please.” Dr. Keller was around Reeve's age and he wore his brown hair long and pulled into a ponytail. He wasn't a bad looking fellow and he didn't seem intimidated by Rufus or the Turks.

 

Rude was the most reluctant to leave, but with Tseng's coaxing he did as he was asked and followed the others out the door. When they went downstairs he spotted Strife in the living room, sitting tensely on the loveseat. Cloud was nursing a drink and Rude sorely wanted one himself.

 

“Pardon me,” the bald man said as he stopped in front of the blonde fighter, “is there any more of that stuff, man?”

 

“I'll pour you a glass,” Tifa offered immediately, seeing the tense set of the big man's shoulders. “Why don't you sit down next to Cloud? You can brood together.”

 

Rude cleared his throat and grumbled something as he complied. He saw a faint smile flicker on Cloud's lips out the corner of his eye. “She's kind of…matronly,” murmured the Turk. He remembered another, older lady that used to fuss over him at times and the guilt came rushing back. ~I'm sorry, Mrs. Flynn. Your son got hurt trying to protect me.~

 

Cloud nodded. “Yeah. She goes into big sister mode when she sees someone hurting. She's always been like that. She likes to take care of people.”

 

Tseng took a seat on the nearby couch and relaxed as much as he could. “Tifa has a good heart,” he observed. “For the longest time, I thought the two of you were a couple, Cloud.”

 

The blonde shook his head and smiled a little. “A lot of people get that impression, but we're just good friends. If I—” He glanced at Marlene and Denzel and chose his next words carefully. “If I hadn't been friends with her for so long, things might have been a little different.”

 

Tseng nodded in understanding, realizing that he didn't want to mention his sexual preferences for males in front of the kids. Denzel evidently already knew because the teenager rolled his eyes.

 

“I've already cracked your code,” the teenager said dryly, “I figured it out a while ago.”

 

Cloud cleared his throat and glanced meaningfully at Marlene, who looked confused and curious. “Keep that code to yourself, kid.”

 

Denzel bit his lip and shrugged. “Sorry.”

 

“What are you two talking about?” Marlene asked peevishly, prompting amused grins from Elena and Tseng. “Are you playing `secret agent' or something? Now's not the time!” She leaned closer to Cissnei and whispered, “Boys,” in an aggrieved tone, rolling her eyes.

 

Cissnei pinched her lips on a smile. “Marlene, Tifa told me you have a really nice doll collection. Will you show it to me?”

 

“Okay!” The little girl grabbed the brunette Turk's hand and guided her away eagerly.

 

“Smooth,” complimented Cloud with relief. He'd have to thank Cissnei for that later.

 

Tifa returned and she watched Marlene and Cissnei pass her by. “What's that all about?” she inquired as she crossed the room and handed Rude his drink.

 

“A much-needed distraction,” answered Tseng.

 

“Mmm, good call,” Tifa said with a nod. “Would anyone else like a drink?”

 

“I'm afraid I'll get sick if I try to drink anything now,” Elena said. She did look a little green and she was bouncing her knee nervously as she glanced at the ceiling. Cloud's room was roughly above the living room and she wondered if the doctor had given Reno his first injection yet.

 

“Nothing for me, thank you,” Tseng answered politely.

 

Tifa nodded and sat down beside him on the couch. “I'm sure Reno will be fine,” she said, trying to make all of them feel better.

 

Cloud noticed the unhappy frown on Rude's face as the bald man swallowed a couple of mouthfuls of the whiskey sour Tifa had made for him. He knew that frown…he'd worn it many times himself over the years.

 

“Hey, come outside with me for some fresh air,” Cloud muttered to the bald man.

 

Rude lifted a brow at him. “Fresh air? In Edge?”

 

Cloud shrugged. “Open air, then. I'm getting claustrophobic in here and you don't look like you're holding up much better.”

 

Rude couldn't find fault with that logic and getting out of the crowded house did sound good. He nodded and stood up, following the blonde out of the living room and to the front door. When they got outside and he shut the door behind him, Cloud rounded on him.

 

“Ditch the guilt,” Cloud said sternly, his sapphire eyes piercing on Rude.

 

The Turk averted his eyes. “I can't fucking `ditch' it, Strife. You weren't there. He threw me out of the way, man.”

 

Cloud nodded slowly. “Yeah, and Zack took a dozen bullets trying to protect my useless ass. I couldn't protect Aerith and she died trying to help us protect the Planet. I know a little something about guilt…just ask any of my friends. Trust me, it's not gonna do anyone any good for you to sit there blaming yourself and at least Reno's alive.”

 

He boldly reached out and squeezed the taller man's shoulder. “If he hadn't thrown you out of the way, you'd both be laying there now. Just like if Zack hadn't hidden me and fought, we'd both be dead. It'd be a waste and at least you're able to take care of him. It's not healthy to play the blame game with yourself. It'll make you a ball of angst and give you mental issues…believe me.”

 

Rude sighed deeply and nodded, taking another drink. “I get that, but I can't just move on and act like nothing happened.”

 

“No, you can't,” agreed the blonde, “but there's healthy sadness and there's self-destructive sadness. You can worry about him, you can feel bad for him, but you don't have to keep blaming yourself to do all that.” He forced a little smile. “Besides, if Reno saw you acting like this you know he'd smack you around for it.”

 

That made Rude smile a little. He could picture his partner calling him a big puss and telling him to snap out of it. “We were there that day,” Rude murmured. “We saw the whole thing. Fair fought like nobody I've ever seen.”

 

Cloud paled a little and swallowed. “You guys were there?”

 

Rude nodded. “Yeah. We were trying to retrieve you on Tseng's orders, before the army could get to you. We didn't get there on time but Reno damned near crashed the chopper, thinking he'd fly low enough to give Zack a chance to grab hold of a ladder. Red's got more balls than common sense sometimes, man.”

 

Cloud felt a pang in his chest. “He tried to save Zack?”

 

“Yeah. We couldn't do anything openly though. It was a covert mission and like I said, we didn't get there on time. By the time the army cleared out and we could land and come look for you, you'd already taken off on your own. That surprised the hell out of us.”

 

Cloud's mind went back to that day and he somehow managed to hold his emotions in check. “Oh. Can you tell me what happened to Zack's body? I mean, did anyone bother to bury him or…or did Hojo…get his hands on…”

 

Rude looked at him with a mildly sympathetic expression. “Don't worry, Hojo never got his hands on Fair's body. Reno and I met up with Cissnei's team and we were gonna take his remains and give him a proper burial, but the Lifestream took him instead. I guess the Planet didn't want Hojo fucking with him anymore either.”

 

Relief swept through Cloud. He'd always wondered what happened to his friend's body but by the time he got his memory straightened out, it was gone. He had no way of knowing if it had decomposed or if someone buried it or what.

 

“Thanks,” Cloud said past an aching throat. “That's really good to know. I never knew you guys tried to help us.”

 

“No problem,” Rude said. “I figured I should let you know, since you're trying to help me keep my cool and all.”

 

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

 

After administering the injection, the doctor checked Reno's vital signs and his pupil reactions. “Hmm, the pupil response to light is good, for someone in his condition,” the doctor said as he held Reno's eyelids open and passed his penlight back and forth over his eyes. “With any luck, we should see results soon.”

 

“How soon would you estimate?” Rufus demanded.

 

Dr. Keller put away his penlight and frowned. “It's hard to say, Sir. He's the first human we've tried this treatment on. Some lab rats began to respond within a week but others took nearly a month before showing signs of improvement. All we can do now is wait and keep giving him the treatment in the agreed intervals.”

 

“I've arranged for Dr. Keller to stay here for the duration of Reno's treatment,” Reeve said to the president. He'll be staying at a hotel nearby, so that if anything goes wrong he can get here immediately.”

 

Rufus nodded and gazed down at his lover with pensive gray eyes. “I'm a bit surprised that Strife actually agreed to this, given his hatred for my company and his history with us.”

 

“Cloud's actually sweeter than he is judgmental, believe it or not,” Reeve smiled. “He can be stubborn but I think in the end, he decided to do what was best for Reno.”

 

The redheaded Turk suddenly bucked in his bed, startling the men to silence.

 

“You'd think I'd get used to that,” sighed Reeve when the Turk stilled again. “It always gives me a fright when they do that, though.”

 

It happened again and the doctor frowned. Reeve and Rufus shared a puzzled look.

 

“Does he often have spasms that close together?” questioned the doctor.

 

Reno twitched again a few seconds later…and again after that.

 

Rufus shook his head, his pale brows drawing together with suspicion and concern. “No,” he answered in a tight voice, “usually, his fits are brief and far apart.”

 

As soon as he finished the sentence, Reno began to convulse violently. A hoarse moan emitted from the redhead's mouth and the doctor quickly rolled the redhead onto his side with the help of the other two men. He gripped Reno's jaw to keep his airway open, while Reeve situated the pillows under his head to keep it safely cushioned.

 

“Why is this happening?” Rufus demanded in a yell.

 

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

 

Cloud and Rude both heard the president's alarmed shout and the ruckus coming from inside of the house. The blonde tossed his glass down without even thinking about it, ignoring the shatter against the pavement as he charged through the door. Rude was close behind him as he sped past everyone on the first floor and took the stairs two at a time. The others followed with hollered inquiries but Cloud didn't spare any time conversing with them.

 

He shoved the bedroom door open so hard that it banged against the wall. Cloud saw Reno seizing on his side and his first instinct was to rush across the room and shove the doctor away from him. He somehow restrained himself and approached to squeeze in between Rufus and Reeve.

 

“What the hell did you do to him?” the fighter asked, his blue eyes flashing on the doctor.

 

“He's reacting much sooner than expected,” Dr. Keller answered with restrained calm. “I anticipated this possibility but I had no way to test it, until now.”

 

“Are you telling me you didn't test this on people before you gave it to him?” Cloud thundered.

 

“There were no human subjects available!” hollered the doctor right back, causing Cloud to recoil in surprise. This doctor had more guts than most other doctors he'd ever dealt with. “The medication works as an inhibitor, blocking the chemicals in the Mako that suppress the subject's neural functions—enough so that the subject's natural defenses can neutralize the poisoning.”

 

“So you're saying this seizure's a good thing?” Rude asked from behind Cloud.

 

“Yes,” answered the doctor in a strained voice. “His nervous system is coming back online, so to speak. It's out of control for the moment but eventually, the bridge between his mind and his body will be mended and he'll regain fine motor control, awareness and speech.”

 

“Shouldn't you put something in his mouth to keep him from swallowing his tongue?” Denzel asked nervously from across the room.

 

“That's a myth, kid,” Dr. Keller said. “It's actually not advisable to put anything in a seizing person's mouth. They could choke on it or it could cause damage to the jaw, throat or teeth. You keep them from biting their tongue by pressing on either side of the jaw to keep it from closing, like I'm doing now.”

 

“Oh,” Denzel said with interest. “Cool.”

 

“Come on, guys,” Tifa urged, “now that we know Reno's not dying, we need to give the doctor some room.” She began to usher everyone out of the bedroom, but Cloud and Rude both remained frozen to the spot. Deciding she would have better luck trying to move a pair of statues, she shrugged and left.

 

“One of you talk to him,” ordered Dr. Keller.

 

Everyone looked at each other blankly and the doctor glared at Rufus and Cloud in turn. “You two…talk to him, dammit!” Evidently Reeve had filled him in on who paid the medical bills and who the primary caregiver was.

 

“Okay, okay!” Cloud yelped. He wasn't used to such a pushy doctor and the man reminded him vaguely of Cid, with his sudden outbursts.

 

Rufus was likewise shaken and both of them leaned over Reno's bed and spoke his name at the same time. They stopped and stared at each other uncomfortably and the doctor sighed with impatience.

 

“Quit acting like a pair of junkyard dogs going for the same bone and think about the patient,” Keller ordered. To Reeve, he said: “It's a wonder this man's made it so far, with these people taking care of him.”

 

Rufus glared at him but Cloud was properly intimidated. “Reno,” the blonde murmured, “it's okay. We're right here. Rufus is next to me and Rude's here, too. The others are downstairs.” He wasn't sure what else to say and he looked up at the doctor uncertainly as Reno's spasms became less violent.

 

Dr. Keller nodded. “Good. Hearing a familiar voice will help keep him calm.” He looked at Rufus. “Now you.”

 

Rufus hesitated, looking down at his straining lover with something like pain in his eyes. He worked his mouth for a moment before speaking. “Come back to us, Reno. You're still very much needed and I have no intention of giving you up.”

 

Reno didn't respond, but his thrashing eased up a bit more and Rufus impulsively reached out to stroke his hair. “Rude, perhaps you should speak to him too,” the president suggested.

 

Rude stepped forward obediently and coughed into his hand before speaking to Reno. “Uh, look…that was a really bone-headed thing for you to do, taking a plunge to get me out of the way,” he said haltingly, “but I know how stubborn you are, partner. When you come out of this, we're gonna have those beers we planned on, and I'm buying.”

 

They watched anxiously as Reno's seizure slowed and stopped. The redhead sighed as if in relief and he relaxed. Rufus looked at the doctor questioningly and the man obliged.

 

“He'll probably drift in and out between sleeping and struggling, now,” Dr. Keller explained, “Seizures are pretty exhausting for the recipient, so it's best to let him rest between them. I'll administer the next treatment on schedule and in the mean time, just keep someone nearby as much as possible to turn him onto his side and support his head when he has his fits.”

 

Seeing the anxious expressions on Cloud and Rude's faces, he softened his voice. “I know it's upsetting to watch, but the spasms are a good sign. Just try to remember that.” He paused and stared narrowly at Rufus, who was pale and had his jaw set firmly but otherwise showed little expression. The doctor abruptly went to his medical bag and dug out a bottle of pills. He checked the label, nodded and unscrewed the cap to shake a couple into his hand.

 

“President Shinra, take these.” He held the capsules out to Rufus, who arched a brow and looked at him expectantly.

 

“And why do I get the dubious pleasure of medication?” Rufus inquired evenly. “Of the three of us, I think I'm the furthest away from hysterics.” He gave Cloud and Rude a meaningful look, pointing out their blatantly worried faces to the man.

 

“Your two companions are expressing a healthy and normal reaction to seeing someone they care for go through this,” Dr. Keller explained, “but you aren't. I'd almost think you were in a state of shock, but I'm more inclined to believe you're just uptight. These will help you relax. Now take the damned pills, Mr. President.”

 

Rufus met the doctor's challenging stare and for a moment, a silent battle of wills occurred. Unfortunately for the blonde, he was far more exhausted than he let on and he wavered.

 

“Which one of us is the doctor, here?” Keller asked calmly, destroying what was left of Rufus's resolve.

 

Rufus sighed and took the pills, ignoring the surprised looks that Cloud and Rude gave him. “I'll take them when I go back downstairs and can get some water,” Rufus said as the other man dropped the capsules into his hand.

 

“Then I'll go downstairs with you now,” Keller insisted. “I don't need you having a breakdown.”

 

Rufus scowled and allowed the doctor to follow him out of the room. Reeve, Cloud and Rude watched the two men go and the golden-haired fighter blew a low whistle.

 

“He's good,” Cloud muttered.

 

Reeve smirked. “That's why I chose him. He's also got a degree in psychiatry.”

 

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

 

Everyone except for Keller, Reeve, Rude and Rufus took a chopper back to Junon after that and the doctor made sure that Rufus took the two capsules he'd given him before leaving. He left his hotel room number and a few more anxiety pills with Cloud and he told him to call if he needed anything. Tifa went to open her bar for the evening and Denzel and Marlene both left to stay the night at friends' houses. Cloud was alone in the living room with Rufus and Rude. Reeve was upstairs taking the first shift to watch over Reno.

 

“So, is it kicking in yet?”

 

Rufus looked up at Cloud's soft inquiry. “Is what kicking in?”

 

“The medicine,” prompted the fighter. “Is it making you more relaxed?”

 

Rufus snorted and looked out the window. “I don't feel anything. `Nerve relaxant'—what utter nonsense. You would think a doctor would know that medication like that only works on people that actually have an imbalance or disorder.”

 

Cloud and Rude shrugged at each other and the blonde fighter turned on the television. “Well, maybe there's something decent on TV to watch.”

 

“I think I'll have a shower, if you don't mind.” As arrogant as he was, Rufus was ever the polite houseguest and he rarely just helped himself.

 

“Knock yourself out,” Cloud shrugged.

 

Rufus got up out of the armchair and stood still for a moment, shaking his head and putting a hand to it. Cloud and Rude looked up at him curiously and the president suddenly began to drop like a tree felled by an axe. Rude got to him first and the Turk caught him before he fell on his face.

 

“I've got him,” the bald man grunted as he turned his boss around in his arms and picked him up. He looked down at Rufus, who was blinking his steadily dilating eyes and wearing an almost comical look of confusion on his handsome features.

 

“Sir?” Rude inquired.

 

“I…I think I stand corrected,” Rufus answered sluggishly. He struggled to keep his eyes open as he looked up at Rude. “That was…abrupt.”

 

Cloud looked at the woozy president with a half-grin, unsurprised that the pills eventually affected him after all. “He can have my bed tonight,” he told Rude. “You can take the couch and I'll take the loveseat.”

 

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

 

-To be continued