NIGHT 54: West Wing, South Hall 1-A
[From here.]It was probably a good time to declare everyone legally dead, because this was the fourth hallway in a row. This was what being proactive felt like. Yes. He was going to roll with that. Proactive and paranoid as hell, that was him
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Almost there -- and it was a good thing, too, since his flashlight had just shorted out completely. "Well, that didn't take long," Zack muttered to himself, wishing he'd left the thing behind. It was just one more thing to carry, but at least this way he knew that he could ditch the thing if he really had to.
Finally, though, he spotted a pair of patients who were talking in the hallway. That was good to see. Whether he was early or late was still a mystery, but he figured that he'd find out soon enough, and so he didn't slow in his trek down the hall.
[For Cloud.]
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This hall wasn't as empty as the others; as Cloud went further along, the flashlight's beam landed near a couple of other people. There was someone up ahead of them, too, but he couldn't see who it was clearly right then. At first he tensed, not knowing if they were part of the place's staff or the military or something worse, but drawing nearer, he could see that they weren't. A quiet exhale and then he was moving past them, muttering an "excuse me" as he did so.
A few steps further, though, and Cloud froze almost as though someone had inflicted Stop on him. And then kicked him in the ribs for good measure. His breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened, thoughts that had been ambling along at a steady gait screeching to a halt because what he was seeing in front of him was-- it was--
Impossible.The flashlight jerked to life in his stiff hand, aiming the light directly at the face of the man approaching. Cloud knew his eyes hadn't been as sharp as usual today, knew he was having to look closer at things that ( ... )
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He wasn't the sort to anger easily, though, and so he'd been prepared to just give a friendly warning to the offending patient that that wasn't the... best idea.
But before he could get a word of that out, the other patient spoke first. Spoke his name. In a voice Zack most definitely knew. The other's disbelief and concern made him sound even more like the Cloud that Zack remembered from years ago, rather than the more confident and settled one he'd spoken to in this place ( ... )
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Dreams didn't make his chest tighten like it was doing now.
Except for that recurring Wall Market one, a voice inside reminded him, but Cloud silenced it with a swallow, waited for the white noise in his head to begin, for the nightmare to start. Nothing happened. He blinked, then, and the hand that wasn't holding the flashlight twitched before reaching up to slowly clasp the one on his shoulder, more to confirm its existence than anything else. Solid. Warm. Real."I can't, though," he admitted finally, quiet and uncertain compared to his normally ( ... )
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He glanced down at the hand that was placed over his, smiling briefly -- and yet there was a hint of sadness to it. Even if they'd been reunited twice now, he had come to realize how much of an effect his death had had on his friend. It had driven Cloud to a point where he'd completely blocked it out, putting himself in the shoes that he hadn't wanted to admit had left him, even if it had been unwillingly.
Granted, Cloud didn't know that he knew that, seeing how he'd told him all about it before this disappearing act. Zack let out a small sigh, knowing that there was far too much to cover and not enough time for them to do it. Tifa was waiting ( ... )
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Each bit of information that his currently befuddled mind received was like a small explosion, and the most unbelievable one of all was-- well. On a regular day, if anyone else had stood in front of him and calmly declared that they were no longer on Gaia, he'd ask if they were one brick short of a wall. Or maybe ten bricks. And if they added that Shinra wasn't behind this situation, that would only be a cause for more disbelief on his part. Human experimentation and Shinra were so inextricably linked in Cloud's mind that the possibility that the Company wasn't behind this was extremely dubious, to say the least.
But the bottom line was, this wasn't just anyone telling him all this, this was Zack. Who'd died, according to not only what Cloud remembered but also what he himself was saying. Definitely not a regular day; for one crazy moment, he had to wonder if he wasn't dead himself. As that hand slid away from his shoulder, he wet his suddenly dry lips, swallowed. If anyone but Zack had been saying this, it wouldn't ( ... )
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