Blood & Sympathy (FFVII: Vincent x OC)

Ch20 - Memories

Her hand reached back touching the still bleeding wounds that took their time to self-heal. She still wore her torn black t-shirt. She shivered as the cold breeze of the forest brushed over her bare shoulders and the holes of her shirt. She winced as her finger brushed over the torn flesh.

Deep wounds needed time to heal on their own, unlike scratches that healed instantly. But this time, Vincent’s claws had dug deep into her flesh. She felt exhaustion washing over her as she threw a bloody hand by a nearby tree and paused to catch her breath. She’d been looking for him the entire night, shouting his name within the forest that surrounded Gongaga Village.

Although he was nowhere to be seen, Jocasta knew he was there. Somewhere within the forest, brooding over some long-lost memory. Drowning in his guilt like he always did. She did that too, but when she realized that brooding wasn’t changing the past, she stopped it.

“Stubborn bastard,” She cursed under her breath and she decided it was better to retreat back to the camp.

By the time she reached it, the sun had started rising. The sky was a mixture of pink and blue, making a brilliant purple color that reflected beautifully on the dark-green of the trees. Jocasta heard birds chirping, but they weren’t louder than her thoughts of exhaustion. Thoughts of pain that spread over the still open wounds on her back.

She found Cid gathering the tent in a bag, chatting with Cait Sith. Once the two of them noticed her approaching, they turned around. Cid’s eyes widened as he hurried towards her passing her one hand around his shoulders in an effort to help her stand.

“Shit! Kid, you look even worse than before!” Cid said almost worriedly.

“That bad, huh?” Jocasta asked sarcastically as he settled her over a flat stone to sit down. Jocasta let out a sigh of relief as she finally bent her knees after hours of continuous walking.

“What in the blazes happened, lassie?!” Cait Sith asked.

“Did the bastard hurt ya?! I’mma have to have a few words with ‘im-” Cid said before Jocasta cut him.

“Shut up and grab my bag,” Jocasta said as she took off her shirt, revealing the grey bra she wore beneath. She winced as the movement of her shoulders stretched further open her wounds.

“What the hell are ya-?! Oh,” Cid cut himself midsentence as he caught sight of the wounds on her back. He handed her bag over to her and watched her pull some stuff out. He cursed “Fuck! It looks pretty bad, kid,” a hand found his hair, scratching his head nervously.

“You know how to stitch up wounds, right?” Jocasta asked as she looked at him turning her head over her shoulder.

Cid grew pale for a second “Dammit, woman, I’m a Rocket Scientist! Not a goddamn Doctor!”

She pulled out a needle and a soft metallic thread “C’mon, I’ll walk you through the steps,”

Cid made a step back, an expression of terror written across his face, and Jocasta tried her best not to laugh. “For fuck’s sake, I- I can’t u- use that needle to-”

“I can do it, lassie!” Cait Sith offered as he jumped off his Mog and hopped towards her.

It sounded like a goddamn terrible idea to hand a needle to the goddamn spy, but Cid was chickening out, and Jocasta was ready to pass out from hemorrhaging.

“Can I trust that you won’t try to kill me with a needle?” Jocasta asked as she drew her hand back before Cait had the chance to get his hand on that needle.

“Lassie, I won’t do anything you won’t ask. Walk me through the steps, will ya?” Cait Sith said.

Jocasta sighed as she handed him the needle “Alright,”