Angel VII

I quickly came to my senses and decided that I had probably try to keep up lest things get too out of hand. Sephiroth could take Reno with no problem I was just unsure if he recognized his strength. Reno fled for the sanctuary of the barn. I was hot in pursuit as I heard Reno shrieking. Upon entering I saw him racing up a ladder into a hayloft to try and get away. This only led Sephiroth to bolt after him even harder. When Reno realized he was trapped he leapt from the hayloft onto the ground. It was a long drop probably about 20 feet. The young man took it, rolled flawlessly and was back up and running. It was Reno’s agility that had originally made me want him as a Turk. Sephiroth followed suit but something was wrong. I watched as the angel stumbled on his landing and yelped. I began to walk over to him, he had wrenched his ankle I am sure. Reno was long gone at this point. Sephiroth was still, staring at the ground as he laid there. I playfully reached for him when I saw…blood. I froze. “Sephiroth.” I breathed. His eyes looked up at me in pain. Then I saw his leg. The bone jutting out defiantly through torn flesh. Damn it, he was in shock. “Easy, easy.” I gently took my young lover into my arms. “Reno!” I bellowed. I held Sephiroth close to me as I began to notice the first signs of shock.
The redhead was grinning as he came around the corner. When he saw Sephiroth his expression dropped. “Wha…what happened?” He stammered as he dropped to the ground next to the angel.
“Landed wrong.” I pulled Sephiroth‘s head to my chest. I could feel him beginning to tremble. “He’s in shock, we need to get him back to the house.” We half carried our love back to the house. I’m sure the shock made everything feel like a dream. I could see the blood pouring down his leg. “We need to get him medical help right away.” I wondered with the amount of blood he was losing if he had clipped an artery or vein. The blood loss was making him weaker by the moment. By some miracle we had gotten him back to the house and laid him on the couch. I took his cold hand and gently kissed it. He moaned through clenched teeth. Reaching over and stroking his hair, I reassured him. “Shh, I‘m here.” I could hear Reno frantically dialing for the medical staff and recounting the incident. It felt like an eternity waiting for them although I am sure that they arrived in a matter of minutes. I never did let go of his hand. I just kept focused on those green eyes, glossy with pain. I let him know every moment that I was by his side. The medical staff was quick and courteous I’m sure but I never paid attention. I just remained by the angel’s side as we all piled into the helicopter. Reno had said he would stay behind and wait for us. The medics were busy stopping the bleeding and giving Sephiroth something for the pain. Soon he was semi conscious.
I’m frightened. Please stay with me.
Sephiroth? I looked quickly down at him. It was his voice but his mouth hadn’t moved. I gently stroked his hair. The medic was busy monitoring his vital signs. “Did he just say something?” I asked the young kid.
“No.” He answered giving me an incredulous look. “With the amount of morphine we gave him, he’s definitely not capable of speaking. He‘s probably not really even conscious.”
Tseng…please.
I squeezed his hand tighter as the medic began to insert an IV. I stroked his hair as he studied me through glazed eyes. “I won’t leave you, okay?” I gathered up my strength and thought as loudly as I could. Each word receiving intent. I love you, I will not leave you.
That voice again! I’m frightened. Was Sephiroth somehow speaking to my mind?
Shh…close your eyes and relax. Everything will be okay. I ran a gentle hand through his hair. I watched him close his eyes.
It hurts.
I know, let my love be with you. It’s all I can do right now.
I’m so very tired.
I love you. Go to sleep now, for me?
I love you too…
“He‘s finally asleep. Christ what do they give these Soldier guys to make them so resistant to drugs?” The medics voice startled me. The room spun and I felt exhausted. What had just happened?
They took Sephiroth into the operating room as soon as we got there. I sat there pensively waiting to see what would happen. A heavyset nurse finally wandered up to me. “Coffee?” She offered. I shook my head.
A hand closed around my shoulder and I whirled around. Rude. One of the latest Turks I had recruited. “Reno asked me to come.”
He stood attentively by my side. “Thank you for coming. I think everything will be okay.” His hand was still on my shoulder. I looked up into that expressionless face and glaring sunglasses. I knew that he was concerned but he never expressed it outwardly. Rude stood there for the better part of an hour with his hand on me. I could feel the energy he was offering me. He had this gentle healing feel to him. I took it all in allowing it to calm me.
We were both startled when the doctor came into the room. “Sephiroth will be fine.” The doctor was a man I had known years ago. A long time friend I guess you could say. His daughter had been raped and murdered and I took the case on board as a young Turk. Needless to say he was always grateful for me and my vengeance. “His leg has a spiral fracture in it. We used some pins and a dose of Mako. He should be just fine in about a month. We also have set him up with some materia in the cast itself.” The doctor removed his glasses. “With all of the advances we have made in medicine it is quite fascinating. Before, an injury like this would have probably lamed him and taken six to eight months to properly heal.” The older man regarded me with low eyes. “Professor Hojo has a notice if anything medically occurs with Sephiroth to be notified immediately.”
My guts twisted. “Can we forego that?” I asked softly.
The doctor studied me. “You want me to go against Hojo’s order?” He snorted. “And who will take care of the Soldier?”
“I will.” He knew I wasn’t kidding.
“Do you even have the experience?” His voice was raising.
“No but I’m sure I could call on you if I need the help, right?” He was getting my drift by the moment.
He sighed. “I suppose.” He eyed me cautiously. “Are you even going to notify him of Sephiroth’s condition?”
A smile tugged at my lips. “No, not unless there is no other way.” I could feel Rude grinning behind me. Hojo was a worthless bastard anyway. There was something between him and the angel that made my skin crawl although I was unsure of its nature.
A nurse burst into the room. “Doctor? Professor Hojo would like to see you.” Damn it! I looked at Rude who began to move towards the door. Sephiroth’s words echoed in my mind. Please don’t leave me alone. I won’t. I promise. I quickly located Sephiroth’s room and walked in directly behind Hojo.
There was no love in my eyes as I glared at the slimy bastard before me. “Tseng, what a pleasant surprise.” He moved closer to Sephiroth and I could swear that I felt my hair stand up. “I heard that you are going to take care of the Soldier here?” Damn it.
“Yes I am.” I tried to keep my tone level.
Tseng! Please don’t leave me with him! I looked over trying to mask my look of surprise again.
Don’t worry, I won’t. I watched Hojo closely, knowing that Rude was shadowing me.
“Well I was going to run some test on Sephiroth but I guess it’ll just have to wait.” His last word was nasally and resigned. I noticed that my hands had clenched into fists and released my grip. Getting into a rage over this was going to do no one any good. Furthermore Hojo had the President‘s favor. At the very least the best I could hope for was to auction off Reno to Rufus, the President‘s son, in exchange for some favors. Not to mention oddly that the redhead would probably not complain about it. He stared at us for a full minute before leaving. I hated the way he looked at a person, as if they were some kind of lab report that he was engrossed in. I watched him leave.
I turned back to Sephiroth and jumped back in shock when I noticed his eyes were open. “Are you okay?” My hands were on him in a matter of seconds.
“You never left me.” He breathed. I sat on the bed and began to gently stroke his hair.
“My job is done here, Jack and Daniels are waiting for me.” Rude quipped.
“See you next week.” My eyes never left my lover.
“Keep Reno out of trouble.” Rude’s voice trailed off.
I looked down at the cast encasing his leg from the waist down. “Looks like you’ll have to wear shorts.”
“Yeah.” His voice was soft in the room. I could tell that he was tired. The drugs working overtime on his weakened state.
“Hey what tests were Hojo talking about?” I was curious.
Sephiroth paled, if that was possible. “Nothing.”
“Are you sure everything is okay? We can stay here another ni-”
“No!” Sephiroth eyes were blazing. “Take me home with you.” His voice softened. “Please.” He added as he lowered his head.
“Sephiroth, what is going on?” I gently ran my fingers across his jaw.
He opened his mouth to speak but just hung his head as cascades of silver obscured his face. “Nothing.”
I had enough. I grabbed his jaw and forced him to look at me. “What happened?!” Our eyes met in fire. I retreated as I saw the wound I put in those green pools. He lowered his gaze again. “Talk to me, Sephiroth, please.” I begged.
“I-” His words were a deadly whisper. “I can’t.”
“Sephiroth.” I consoled him, gently running my fingers through his hair. I felt his strong hands clinging to me. “Gods, please tell me what is wrong.” I felt him slowly shake his head. “It’s fucking Hojo, isn’t it?!” My words were of pure fury. “He did something to you, didn’t he.” I looked down at the angel in my arms. His head was still hung and obscured by that silver curtain. “What did he do to you?” Sephiroth sighed and nuzzled into my neck. “I love you and I want to be here for you but you can’t keep things from me.”
“He uses me.” The words were flat, ice cold.
A pit was forming in my stomach. “What do you mean he uses you?” I didn’t want to ask, I didn’t want him to answer either.
“Because I can do things. He puts me on display. Shows the other doctors the things I can do. If I don’t he’ll-” He trailed off.
I squeezed him closer. “He’ll what?” There was menace in my words.
“He’ll beat me.” And there is nothing I can do about it. “And he’ll-” Was that trembling I heard in his voice?
“He’ll what, Sephiroth.” It wasn’t a question. I knew.
“I’m very tired, Tseng.” His voice was small despite the deep bass resonance it had.
“He’ll what.” I repeated myself. He wasn’t going to get off that easy. It pained me to put the angel through this but I had to know.
“He’s begun to look at me differently now.” He was uncertain of his words. “That look like you had, in your eyes, when we..” He gestured weakly. “But you had love in your eyes, he had something...cruel…” Seeing Sephiroth show me weakness only enraged me. It felt odd to hear such a thing coming from him. “He wants me to be his.” Sephiroth was trembling. I pulled him closer to my embrace. “I want to be yours.” The angel was silent for a long moment. “I’m afraid, Tseng. If I do anything against him, he knows he can control me.” The angel took in a shuddering breath. “He knows what I care about and would gladly crush all of it.” Sephiroth moaned softly and tried weakly to move his cast.
“I know you hurt. We’ll be leaving…ASAP. Okay?” My young lover regarded me with relieved eyes. “Just try to get some sleep while I get a chopper, okay?” I held Sephiroth until I was certain he was asleep. I laid him down and gently pulled the covers over him. Just remember I love you.
That has become the only reason I am here and I don’t let her or him control me.
Who?
Silence.