Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Hazard Pay ❯ Chapter 20 ( Chapter 20 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: LilyMoonsAlias 
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Shounen / Supernatural / Romance / Hentai / Action | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 02.21.2008 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.0K | Visits: 327 | Status: Work In Progress
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Shounen / Supernatural / Romance / Hentai / Action | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 02.21.2008 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.0K | Visits: 327 | Status: Work In Progress
Reno's return to reality was slow and broken into stages. His nose wrinkled in distaste at the sharp, cold, antiseptic odor that let him know he was once again in the medical ward. He'd been there enough in his career with Shinra to be intimately familiar with every area. His ears picked up the insistent beep of a heart monitor and the otherwise quiet room told him he was most likely in critical care. Just grand. At least the tortuous tube was missing from his throat.
Taking as deep a breath as the pain would allow, Reno pried apart his gummy eyelashes. Yep. Bare, white walls. Overhead fluorescent lights from hell. Bed with rails and a mattress as comfy as rock. Various tubes and wires running from his body to IV poles, machines, and...oh joy, a catheter. The medical ward was great for instilling some humility into one's character.
Reno scuffled his left hand about in a blind search for the bed controls so he could sit up higher and encountered soft hair instead. He'd know those fluffy spikes anywhere. With a lop-sided grin Reno tugged on Cloud's hair to get his attention. After a few moments Cloud raised his head to blink sleepily at his lover. His hair was matted from where he had rested against the bed. There were dark shadows under his eyes and he still had smears of dirt and dried blood on his face. It was too obvious that he had never left at all, but Reno was happy to see at least a sling binding his injured arm.
"Finally back, are you?" Cloud asked, the relief on his face in stark contrast with the stilted question.
Reno snorted, winced from the way it jarred his chest and licked his dry lips until Cloud got the hint. A cup of water eased his throat enough so he could talk, but his voice sounded like rock run through a grinder.
"Everyone else okay?"
"All but you," Cloud answered shortly. He seemed to be brooding with tightly leashed anger but relented enough to continue. "Rude and Tseng were here. They'll probably be back after the debriefing."
"Hmmm." Reno relaxed at the answer and tried to brush his fingers over Cloud's hand. He stared in confusion when Cloud snatched his hand away and balled it into a fist. "What?"
"You were almost killed because of that stupid stunt!" Cloud hissed and rose to put some distance between them.
"Stupid? I was trying to keep you in one piece."
"And I told you before that I can defend myself."
"So says the man who can barely move his arm," Reno retorted.
The two men glared at each other until a nurse walked in to see what the commotion was about. Neither answered her soft query and she gave up with a much put upon sigh. She turned her attention instead to Reno and checked his vital signs and the readouts from the monitors.
"Are you having much pain?" Sheila, according to her name badge, asked the redhead.
Cloud frowned at his lover with tight lipped disapproval as if daring him to lie.
"Some," Reno admitted after a tense pause. "Feels like my ribs are broken."
"That would be because they are," Sheila smiled. "Plus you're probably having some pain from where the surgeon had to suture you front and back after operating to repair the puncture to your lung. There are some things even potions can't fix."
"Like dying," Cloud muttered.
"Well, I didn't!" Reno snapped, in pain and not willing to argue with a sullen, moody lover over whether his actions were justified.
The nurse wisely ignored the spat and made some notes on Reno's chart.
"Let me just check you over, Reno, then I'll get you something for pain." She turned to Cloud. "If you wouldn't mind stepping out for a few minutes?"
Cloud opened his mouth like he might object then abruptly shut it and left the room. Reno watched him leave. His disgruntlement must have shown on his face because the nurse patted his arm soothingly.
"I'm sure he's just been very worried. He's been beside you since you were brought from Recovery."
"Yeah," Reno mumbled and gave the nurse a pale imitation of his normal, cocky grin. "He's moody even in the best of situations."
After listening to his heart and lungs and flashing a light into his eyes along with the usual barrage of questions, the nurse assured Reno she would be back soon with the promised pain medication and left, closing the door behind her. When she returned Reno expected to see her followed by his angry lover, but she was alone.
"Where did he go?" Reno asked while she prepared to push the medication through his IV site.
"I didn't see him. Perhaps he left to go clean up and get some rest. I wouldn't fret. You need some rest yourself." Sheila finished and checked to see if Reno was lying comfortably. "There you go. I'll check on you later and the doctor will be in to talk to you, too."
Reno felt the drug sweep through his veins, dulling the pain and making his thoughts fuzzy.
"Hazard pay," he mumbled. "Def'nitely deserve somethin' for puttin' up with him and his moods."
Reno heard the nurse chuckle quietly as she left and he let the drugs drag him into sleep.
Taking as deep a breath as the pain would allow, Reno pried apart his gummy eyelashes. Yep. Bare, white walls. Overhead fluorescent lights from hell. Bed with rails and a mattress as comfy as rock. Various tubes and wires running from his body to IV poles, machines, and...oh joy, a catheter. The medical ward was great for instilling some humility into one's character.
Reno scuffled his left hand about in a blind search for the bed controls so he could sit up higher and encountered soft hair instead. He'd know those fluffy spikes anywhere. With a lop-sided grin Reno tugged on Cloud's hair to get his attention. After a few moments Cloud raised his head to blink sleepily at his lover. His hair was matted from where he had rested against the bed. There were dark shadows under his eyes and he still had smears of dirt and dried blood on his face. It was too obvious that he had never left at all, but Reno was happy to see at least a sling binding his injured arm.
"Finally back, are you?" Cloud asked, the relief on his face in stark contrast with the stilted question.
Reno snorted, winced from the way it jarred his chest and licked his dry lips until Cloud got the hint. A cup of water eased his throat enough so he could talk, but his voice sounded like rock run through a grinder.
"Everyone else okay?"
"All but you," Cloud answered shortly. He seemed to be brooding with tightly leashed anger but relented enough to continue. "Rude and Tseng were here. They'll probably be back after the debriefing."
"Hmmm." Reno relaxed at the answer and tried to brush his fingers over Cloud's hand. He stared in confusion when Cloud snatched his hand away and balled it into a fist. "What?"
"You were almost killed because of that stupid stunt!" Cloud hissed and rose to put some distance between them.
"Stupid? I was trying to keep you in one piece."
"And I told you before that I can defend myself."
"So says the man who can barely move his arm," Reno retorted.
The two men glared at each other until a nurse walked in to see what the commotion was about. Neither answered her soft query and she gave up with a much put upon sigh. She turned her attention instead to Reno and checked his vital signs and the readouts from the monitors.
"Are you having much pain?" Sheila, according to her name badge, asked the redhead.
Cloud frowned at his lover with tight lipped disapproval as if daring him to lie.
"Some," Reno admitted after a tense pause. "Feels like my ribs are broken."
"That would be because they are," Sheila smiled. "Plus you're probably having some pain from where the surgeon had to suture you front and back after operating to repair the puncture to your lung. There are some things even potions can't fix."
"Like dying," Cloud muttered.
"Well, I didn't!" Reno snapped, in pain and not willing to argue with a sullen, moody lover over whether his actions were justified.
The nurse wisely ignored the spat and made some notes on Reno's chart.
"Let me just check you over, Reno, then I'll get you something for pain." She turned to Cloud. "If you wouldn't mind stepping out for a few minutes?"
Cloud opened his mouth like he might object then abruptly shut it and left the room. Reno watched him leave. His disgruntlement must have shown on his face because the nurse patted his arm soothingly.
"I'm sure he's just been very worried. He's been beside you since you were brought from Recovery."
"Yeah," Reno mumbled and gave the nurse a pale imitation of his normal, cocky grin. "He's moody even in the best of situations."
After listening to his heart and lungs and flashing a light into his eyes along with the usual barrage of questions, the nurse assured Reno she would be back soon with the promised pain medication and left, closing the door behind her. When she returned Reno expected to see her followed by his angry lover, but she was alone.
"Where did he go?" Reno asked while she prepared to push the medication through his IV site.
"I didn't see him. Perhaps he left to go clean up and get some rest. I wouldn't fret. You need some rest yourself." Sheila finished and checked to see if Reno was lying comfortably. "There you go. I'll check on you later and the doctor will be in to talk to you, too."
Reno felt the drug sweep through his veins, dulling the pain and making his thoughts fuzzy.
"Hazard pay," he mumbled. "Def'nitely deserve somethin' for puttin' up with him and his moods."
Reno heard the nurse chuckle quietly as she left and he let the drugs drag him into sleep.