Selphie races through the corridors to Zell’s dorm anxious to get to Zell’s dorm to find him and to get back to Irvine. She arrives at Zell’s dorm and pounds on the door, forgetting completely about the door chime in her rush to find Zell.

“Zell, Zell open the door.”

She suddenly remembers the door chime and presses it, waiting anxiously for the response, dancing from one foot to the other.

‘Come on, come on Zell, don’t even think about not being in your dorm, now isn’t a good time to be elsewhere. I need to find you; more to the point Irvine needs your help. And you chose now to get a social life. Hyne, where would you be, where would you be? Erm … Cafeteria! Yeah that’s gotta be it. Where else would you be other than eating those hot dogs.’

She leaves Zell’s dorm, running for the Cafeteria, dodging all the students milling round.

“Please be in the Cafeteria Zell … Please.”

She runs into the Cafeteria stopping just inside it, bent double, trying to regain her breath. Quistis sees her enter from her position and rushes over.

“Selphie, what’s with the hurry?”
“Where’s … Zell …?”
“He left about ten minutes ago.”
“… damn.”
“I think he said he was going to the Library.”
“Thanks.”
“What’s going on Selphie?”

Selphie doesn’t respond as she straightens up, still slightly out of breath, and runs out of the Cafeteria heading for the Library, dodging students again.

‘You’ve got to still be in the Library Zell, or I’m gonna kill you, after you help Irvine that is …”

*~*~*~*~

‘I’ve got to pluck up courage and talk to her some time, rather than just skulk about in here, pretending to read up about different martial arts … ooo that move looks interesting. And I think I could pull that off … ok so maybe I am researching too, but more glancing at her than actually reading …’

He turns slightly so he can see more of the pig-tailed librarian.

‘She really is pretty, it’s a pity she is only a cadet, though technically I’m not her instructor, I don’t have her in any of my lectures, so I wouldn’t actually be breaking any rules …’

“Zell,” shouts Selphie as she collapses on the floor in exhaustion.
“Whoa … what?”
“My … dorm … now …”
“Erm this is a library, please be quiet,” says the librarian.
“Shut up cadet,” blazes Selphie.
“Calm down Selphie. She’s only-”
“Zell … my dorm …”
“But what about Irvine?”
“Not that way … now … go.”
“Ok, ok.”

Zell starts to leave but noticing that Selphie isn’t following he stops.

“Zell go.”
“But I don’t know where your dorm is.”

Selphie sighs, but gets up from her position on the floor, and leaves the Library, running again, only this time much slower than she has been as she is tired. Zell breaks into a jog to match her pace.

‘I wonder what this is all about. What the problem is. Well I guess I’ll find out soon enough. As soon as I get to Selphie’s dorm.’

*~*~*~*~

Zell and Selphie arrive at her dorm just as Squall and Rinoa arrive.

“Squall? Rinoa?” asks Zell.
“Yeah, we’re all needed,” replies Squall.
“Hang on am I the only one here who doesn’t understand?” asks Zell.
“I don’t know what’s going on fully. All I know is that Irvine is really in need of our help. And we have to give it to him,” replies Rinoa.
“Irvine? Ok what is going on?” asks Zell.
“Later, inside … now … help …” gasps Selphie.
“Ok Selphie, but we will have to explain to Zell sometime,” says Squall.
“… will … but … not … now. Irvine … needs … help …”

She taps in her key code and enters her dorm, everyone else follows her. She collapses on the floor cushion breathing hard, checking on Irvine while she regains her breath. She strokes his hair and his cheek, while looking at him with a look of intense concentration on her face.

“Selphie, you needn’t have pushed yourself so hard, Irvine isn’t going anywhere,” says Dr. Kadowaki.
“I know but I wanted to be near him, and also you scare him. I want to be with him when he wakes up, so he doesn’t get too scared,” replies Selphie.
“Well since everyone is here we can now move him. Rinoa I’ll talk to you when we get to the Infirmary. Squall, Zell, I want you two to carry him, as you are roughly the same height. I need you to carry him on your shoulders, this will keep his back fairly straight which I what I need. We could get a trolley for him, but the corridors are likely to be fairly crowded right now, so I think that will just cause added delays.”
“Dr. Kadowaki do you want me to cast float on Irvine to make it easier for Squall and Zell, they’d only have to guide him through the corridors,” asks Rinoa.
“Will it last until we get to the Infirmary?”
“It should do, but Squall and Zell would be ready to catch him if it did wear off.”
“If that does happen that could worsen the situation … hmm … well Squall, Zell, it’s up to you. You can either carry him as he is, or Rinoa can cast float on him. Which would you prefer?” asks Dr. Kadowaki.
“I’d prefer to carry him, rather than risking further injury if the float did wear off. I’m sure we can manage him can’t we Zell?” asks Squall.
“Hang on. What is going on? I get that Irvine is unconscious; I can see that, but why? When?” asks Zell.
“We don’t know why Zell, but we’ll tell you when later. Right now he needs our help, so carry him to the Infirmary,” says Selphie.
“Ok, ok. Well Squall, I’m sure we can manage to carry him.”
“Ok then, let’s get going then Zell.”

Squall and Zell first move the sofa away from the wall, so that they can get either side of Irvine. Squall takes the open side of the sofa and Zell takes the back side. Squall crouches down, getting Irvine’s left arm over his shoulder and starts to lift him.

“Selphie, help them by making sure that Irvine’s back doesn’t get twisted. Support his back from where you are,” says Dr. Kadowaki.

She takes some of Irvine’s weight off Squall, until they’ve lifted him Irvine enough that Zell can get under Irvine’s right arm and take the weight off Selphie. Squall and Zell then stand up fully, Irvine between them. Irvine’s head rolls forward and his hair drapes over it, obscuring his features. Squall and Zell wrap their free arms round Irvine’s back to help keep it in the correct position.

“Selphie, Rinoa, push the sofa out of the way so Irvine is no longer resting on it,” says Dr. Kadowaki.

They do this quickly and Irvine’s feet end up dragging on the ground as he is taller than both Squall and Zell.

“Right are you ready to move?” asks Dr. Kadowaki.

Both boys nod once in agreement.

“Right, Rinoa, Selphie go ahead of us, clear the corridors so that we can get through with Irvine easily.”
“Ok,” they both say in unison.

They leave the dorm, followed by Squall, Zell, and the unconscious Irvine, and Dr. Kadowaki leaves last after picking up her bag.

*~*~*~*~

‘Irvine, you feel so light like this, unlike when I carry you on my own.’

“You ok Zell?”
“Yeah fine, he seems really light unlike some …”
“Irvine’s taller than you; this means you took most of my weight. Like this we are pretty much sharing his weight equally so he feels light. He doesn’t feel so light when you carry him on your own.”
“I guess.”

‘Irvine, you’ve got to be ok. I hadn’t realised how much I need you, until I see you like this. Even though you don’t realise it, you help me in social situations, I only have to look over to you, not necessarily meet your eye, and I realise I know how I should be round people. Unconsciously you let me know I’m doing it right. I can’t stand the thought that I may never see you about Garden again. I’m so sorry that this is down to me, I never meant to cause you any trouble; let alone pain. Or Selphie for that matter. I’m just messing everything up right now. Hurting everyone, the people I care about the most.’

“Zell, Squall, put him on the bed in there please, on his back please. I’m assuming that was the most comfortable position for him as that’s how he chose to lie in Selphie’s dorm. Selphie you can sit in there with him if you want. Rinoa, come into my office, I need to talk to you and explain why I need your help,” says Dr. Kadowaki.

Squall and Zell carry Irvine over to the bed and gently lay him down on the bed. Selphie follows them in and once they lay Irvine down, she busies herself with trying to make him comfortable. She makes sure the pillows are under his head properly and she smoothes out his hair, removing it from his face which is where most of it has ended up.

‘Irvine, what can I do to help? I caused all this to happen, yet I don’t’ know how to sort it out, or what to do to help. I’ve already done what you asked me not to do. It’s my fault you are here, and I know you can’t stand it here …’

“Squall,” Zell whispers urgently while tugging on Squall’s sleeve.
“Hmm … what?” he replied in a hushed tone.
“We should go.”
“Wha …? Why?”
“Come on,” says Zell as he gestures towards Selphie and Irvine. “They should be alone.”

Squall leaves the room though somewhat reluctantly. He sees through the window Selphie get up from the chair and lye down on the bed next to Irvine, resting her head and right hand on his chest, and putting her left arm over him.

‘Irvine, I know it’s only been an hour, but please, wake up. I’d worry less if you were conscious. Mind you from your point of view it is probably better that you are unconscious and don’t know what is going on. And for tests it maybe easier if you are unconscious.’

‘I wonder what Dr. Kadowaki has been saying to Rinoa. They’ve been in her office a while now. I wonder what Rinoa has to do to help Dr. Kadowaki find out what is wrong with Irvine. What I’ve done to him …’

At this moment, Rinoa walks out of Dr. Kadowaki’s office closely followed by Dr. Kadowaki herself. They stop near Squall who is still standing by the window looking in on Irvine and Selphie. Zell is sat in the chair behind the receptionist desk, spinning round on it slowly.

“So … are you guys gonna tell me what’s going on then?” asks Zell.
“Yeah, it would be nice to hear the full story,” says Rinoa as she slips her hand into Squall’s. Squall looks first at their hands then to Rinoa but doesn’t say anything.
“Squall I think that it would be best if you answered this one,” says Dr. Kadowaki.

He sighs, and after sitting down on one of the vacant chairs he starts to talk. Rinoa sits next to him, never removing her hand from his. She gently traces his fingers with her other hand as he talks.

“Well it all started last night, or rather, that’s the first I knew of a problem. He came to my dorm at about 8pm while I was writing reports. We sat, in silence for over an hour. Eventually he started to talk to me, but it was only a couple of sentences, and he tried to leave, and I would have let him had it not been for one thing I would have missed had I not been looking carefully …”
“What was it Squall?” asks Rinoa, pushing him gently to talk.

‘I’m sorry Irvine, but they need to know.’

“… the fact he was crying. Well he wasn’t quite at that point, only a couple of tears, but it was enough for me to realise I couldn’t allow him to leave, to be alone …” ‘It was enough for me to realise he was begging for my help. Not with words, but with the fact he had come to me and was showing me he was upset.’

Rinoa squeezes Squall’s hand bringing him out of his thoughts.

“Sorry. He stayed in my dorm that night after he had finished crying. And this morning I tried to get him to talk about what was wrong, but he wouldn’t tell me. Well after I left you two in the Cafeteria I went first into Irvine’s dorm, but on finding that empty and Exeter missing from it’s case I went to look for Irvine where he told me he was gonna go this morning, to the Training Centre. I found him there, unconscious with a large Granaldo considering eating him. I got him out of the Training Centre and I know I should have brought him here, but instead I took him to my dorm as I know he is scared of here, yet comfortable in my dorm. I don’t know why he is scared of here though …”
“I do,” says Selphie.
“Selphie, how long you been standing there?” asks Rinoa.
“Long enough.”
“Is there any change?” asks Zell.

Selphie shakes her head as she slumps down against the door frame hugging her knees.

“Selphie, are you ok?” asks Rinoa.

She nods her head even though her eyes are rather red rimmed. Rinoa lets it go and Zell asks,

“So why is he scared of here?”
“I can’t say, that’s for him to tell you if he wants to, but I won’t betray him and his memories like that. Ask him yourself when he wakes up Zell. Squall, please continue.”
“Erm, yeah. He woke up soon after I got him into my dorm and onto my bed again. I questioned him again and this time I refused to let him go without answering me. I was possibly a little hard on him in that respect, but I felt he needed to talk and would feel better for it. I just had to get him talking. He told me he’s been blacking out for six months now, ever since I shot him, and that the period of time has been increasing each time. After he told me this I wanted him to come down here, but he refused vehemently, so I told him to at least go and see Selphie which I guess he did, only not quite straight away. Selphie do you want to tell the rest? You know better than me what happened next.”
“Ok, well I was returning to my dorm after lunch and after my detour to the Quad to see how decorations are coming along, and found Irvine outside my dorm. We talked for a few minutes, then I ran and hugged him, and I guess that triggered this whole thing off. He complained of an intense pain in his back and had to lie down it was so bad. He asked me to get Squall just before he blacked out. I found Squall who told me what he’s just told you all. And then he got Dr. Kadowaki. And that’s how we all got here.”
“It’s all my fault isn’t it Dr. Kadowaki?” asks Squall after a few minutes while looking at the ground. He has been doing so for the past few minutes.
“Partly, but it is more mine than yours,” Dr. Kadowaki says, “do you want to sit on a chair Selphie before I begin my explanation?”

Selphie nods and gets up from the floor, sitting in the only remaining chair before Dr. Kadowaki begins her explanation.

*~*~*~*~