Selphie is still lying next to Irvine when the door chime goes. She jumps up and checking that Irvine is still not awake, she goes to open the door. She lets Squall and Dr. Kadowaki into her dorm, and Dr. Kadowaki immediately goes over to Irvine. She checks his breathing and his pulse and then asks,

“Ok … so tell me, what happened to him?”

Squall and Selphie are stood a little away from the couch with Irvine on it, as if afraid to go any closer to Irvine. Selphie glances at Squall who only nods once and then she says,

“Well I was returning to my dorm after lunch and I saw Irvine standing in front of my dorm. We exchanged a few words and at that time he seemed fine, but then I ran into his arms, only then he started saying he needed to lie down, speaking through gritted teeth and disjointedly. I could see he was in great pain; he flinched when I touched his back. He couldn’t walk properly, I had to help him and even lying down seemed to pain him. He winced as his back touched the sofa. When he tried to walk he couldn’t stand straight, and couldn’t walk properly, only small shuffling steps. He slipped into unconsciousness fairly soon afterwards I think.”
“So why is Squall here?”
“Irvine asked for him before he became unconscious, he knows more than I did.”
“Squall?”

Squall sighs and says, while looking at the ground, unable to meet Dr. Kadowaki’s piercing eyes,

“I don’t know more, just different things. He told me it’s been happening for six months now, though I didn’t know about the pain. He hid that from me. It’s happened ever since the … accident, he’s been blacking out more and more regularly and they’ve been getting longer and longer. The most recent one before this one was about three and a half hours.”
“Since the accident, hmmm, right. Selphie go and get Zell, we’re gonna need his help in getting Irvine to the Infirmary.”
“I can carry him on my own Dr. I’ve had to do it twice now.”
“Not the way I want him carried, sorry Squall, but I need him kept in a certain position, and neither Selphie nor I are tall enough to do it correctly. Zell is about your height so he is needed.”
“You know what’s wrong?” asks Selphie
“I think I do, but I hope to Hyne that I’m wrong. Now please go Selphie. Squall we may need Rinoa, could you fetch her please?”

‘Rinoa? Is it really that serious? What have I done to Irvine?’

“Yeah, sure.”

He and Selphie leave her dorm in search of the two people they need.

*~*~*~*~

‘I wonder how Rinoa can help. Is it really so serious that we need the most powerful magic user in all the Gardens? Oh Irvine … what have I done to you? I really didn’t mean to injure you so badly that there would be repercussions. I really didn’t mean to hurt you in the first place. I’m so sorry. This is probably all down to me, the one I trust most, well other than Rinoa, I have hurt the worst. The one I was forced into the ‘mission’ with. Irvine. I remember it so well … I’ll never forget what he did for me then. Never forget it …

*Flashback*

I was tricked into going to the Serengetti Plains. Irvine too, though he knew about the plan to get me there. He knew we weren’t sent there to rescue people. We I guess in some sense that was true. He was sent to rescue me. They wanted me to open up … I was still very closed off, even after the problem with Rinoa and I, I just wouldn’t open up. Fear I guess. Irvine helped. But it took a while and it must have been hard on him as well. I never realised how selfish I was being until now. I guess the bit I remember the best was when I first allowed him in. We had been out there for four days. I had pretty much blanked him. But it was cold, and I was weakening under his pressure, though I tried to resist it for as long as I could. I couldn’t take much more …

“Squall why are you so cold to us?”
“…”
“Talk to me.”
“That would be admitting to weakness.”
“Squall please, let me in, let me help. I care about you, but you are hurting everyone by being like this. You hurt me, Rinoa, Selphie, Zell, Quistis; you even hurt yourself don’t you? Come on, we all want to help, it is just that we felt you would probably open up to me best, seeing as you already have.”
“…”
“Squall I want to help you.”
“… I never opened up.”
“You did. By showing me your tears, you let me in. You shed tears over me, and now I want to help.”
“…”

Irvine moved over closer to me. I could feel the heat from his body. It was … welcoming. I had felt so alone for so long, but it was Irvine, yes my first friend, but I didn’t know how to open up to him, didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know how to let him in, so he could understand.

He reached for my shoulders, but I flinched away.

“Relax Squall; I’m only going to massage your shoulders. Even from the other side of the fire I can see that you are really tense. I only want to help. So relax.”

I let him work on my shoulders, but I didn’t relax, or at least not to begin with. I had no intentions of ever doing so. But his fingers were just too damned clever. I relaxed without meaning to, before I realised what was happening. I let him in. He changed position once I relaxed. Changed so that I was sat between his legs as he worked on my back more. I relaxed more and more, unable to stop myself from leaning back into his touch, I ended up resting against his chest.

“That’s better Squall, relax, I’m here to help you. Let me do something for you, and you do something for me …”
“… What?”
“Talk to me, tell me your hope, you fears, just talk to me like a friend.”
“I … I don’t know how.”
“Sure you do, you’re just out of practice, just try.”
“O … ok.”

I was sat between his legs, leaning on his chest, his arms round me waist, but I was either so relaxed, or so tired I didn’t mind. I was happy to sit there like that. I felt close to him. He asked me to talk, so I did, I wasn’t very good at talking, but Irvine persevered with me, and I let him in, and over the next few days, it got easier. He helped me, showed me how to show others I care. He taught me again. Helped me be comfortable with a hug, and, which I almost found the hardest thing, to trust. By the end of the second week, I was happy to sit and talk to him, to hug him, even to touch his hair, though I was done tentatively. His was so soft and silk like. He helped me so much over that time. I felt so close to him, in nothing other than a friendship way. And then he said I was ready to come back, and I was scared. Scared I couldn’t deal with this here. Scared I could only show it to him, and not Rinoa, whom I so desperately wanted to show it to. I was more open, more vulnerable, but he stayed close to me when we got back, and when we rejoined Rinoa, he smiled at me, letting me know it was ok. She was amazed at the difference, I mean I walked up and hugged her, something I hadn’t done before, and she cried.

*End Flashback*

‘I owe Irvine a lot, he needs mine, and everyone else’s support and love. We can’t leave him alone at this time, he needs us whether he can admit it or not. The same as me, I couldn’t admit it, and I’m not sure he can either.’

‘Ah Rinoa’s dorm.’

Squall presses the call button on Rinoa’s key pad.

‘I’m so glad I decided to have these installed. No more banging on doors, announcing your presence to everyone in the hall.’

Rinoa’s door opens to reveal here there trying to stifle a yawn. Her eyes light up when she sees it is Squall standing on the threshold of her door. She has on her clothes but not her boots.

“Oh, Squall, you came to see me.”

He doesn’t say anything just moves towards her, embracing her in a hug which she eagerly returns.

‘She definitely feels right in my arms, she just seems to mould correctly into my body, Irvine is ok to hug, but Rinoa sure feels better. Warm and soft, and just how she should feel. I can’t believe at one point in time I wouldn’t hug her, I like it now, I … enjoy it.’

“You smell of sleep Rinoa.”
“You woke me up! And is that a complement, or an insult?”
“Neither, it’s just cute.”
“Aww.”
“I’m sorry Rinoa, this was meant to be a social call, but it isn’t anymore. Something came up, something to do with Irvine.”
“Irvine? What’s wrong with him?”
“You’ll see, we need you …”
“Me? Ok let me just grab my shoes.”

She lets go of Squall but he won’t let go of her. She looks up at him in confusion but on finding that she can’t see his eyes she tucks his hair behind his ears, and gasps at what she sees. His grey eyes are swimming as he tries to blink back the tears that are threatening to spill down his face. His eyes are rather red rimmed though a tear hasn’t yet managed to fall from his eyes.

“Squall … Squall, its ok. Irvine will be fine. I’m sure Dr. Kadowaki can help him,” she says as she hugs him again. Holding him tight in her arms.
“It’s my fault, it’s all my fault,” says Squall in a low voice.
“You can’t blame yourself for everything Squall. I’m sure it’s not down to you.”
“It is, it’s because I shot him.”
“What do you mean? What’s happened to him?”
“Come … see …”
“Ok, but you’ve got to let me get my boots Squall, you’re gonna have to let me go. I can’t walk round Garden with out my boots, even though I will be with you.”

Squall reluctantly lets her go, his arms fall to his side, and his shoulders shake as he tries to get his emotions under control. He has his arms wrapped round his chest, holding himself, missing Rinoa.

‘Rinoa, come back. I need something to hold onto, need you back. I don’t want to be alone right now. I want to hold you, to be help back. Rinoa …’

Rinoa grabs her boots and pulls them on quickly before running back to Squall. He is almost back in control of himself. She puts her hand of his cheek, which he leans into, and she reaches up to kiss him. Not forcibly, but gently, coaxing his mouth to give response. He other hand moves to the back of his head, entwining her fingers in his long chocolate colored hair. She brushes her tongue along his bottom lip, in a request to deepen the kiss. Before allowing her, he removes his arms from round himself, his right arm moves to the back of her head, the left, to round her waist. He then allows her to deepen the kiss, his tongue meeting hers, weaving the complicated dance of response on counter response.

He pulls away after a few moments, and Rinoa opens her eyes and says,

“Ok now? Let’s go see Irvine in the Infirmary and see what I can do to help.”
“Selphie”
“Huh? What about her sweetie? Doesn’t she know yet?”
“No, she knows. I mean Selphie’s dorm, that’s where Irvine is.”
“Well color me confused.”

The corners of his mouth curve slightly, in what is classed in Squall’s books as a smile, and Rinoa says,

“I knew that would make you smile.”

She smiles back at him then she reaches up and gives him a quick kiss before taking his hand in hers and saying gently to him,

“Come on; let’s see how I can help.”

They walk hand in hand towards Selphie’s dorm to help as best as they can.

*~*~*~*~