Final Fantasy VII: Lifestream - Book 1: Arrival

FIVE

I was busy working behind the bar when the doors suddenly burst open. At the sound, I looked up and gasped, my eyes widening and the glass I'd been carrying slipping out of my hand to shatter on the floor. I raced over to see Cloud as he hurried toward me carrying Jessie, badly hurt and unconscious, in his arms.

"Jessie!" I breathed.

Wedge joined us, bolting up from his usual table in alarm when he saw what was happening. Ignoring the hushed murmurs of the crowd, I took Jessie's wrist, not liking the sight of the blood streaked down the side of her face. Her pulse was weak but steady as I looked up at Cloud. "What happened!?"

"We got jumped by more Vice thugs on the way back here," he told me. "One of 'em took her down before I could stop him. Struck her on the head with some kind of nail bat."

"Damn..." Wedge swore.

I turned to him. "Wedge, find Barret and tell him to send everyone out. Close up the bar, understand?"

"Right. Anything else?"

"Bring me a set of clean cloths and the first aid kit from behind the counter as soon as you're done," I said. Then I looked at Cloud. "Cloud, come with me. Take her upstairs and put her in your room. It's the only spare bed we've got, so it'll have to do for now."

He nodded. "Got it."

While Wedge hurried off to get Barret, I led Cloud upstairs and to the room he'd been staying in. He gently laid Jessie down onto the bed, and I leaned in to take a closer look at her wound. It looked pretty bad, with blood still seeping out from the gouges the nail bat had left in her temple. I carefully turned her head to the side as Wedge hurried in and handed me the supplies. Taking out some cloths and gauze bandages, I got to work cleaning the wound and binding it up. Then I looked at the potions in the first aid kit and took out one that was a little darker than the others. It was a stronger variety, made for more serious injuries and harder to find here in the slums than normal potions typically were. As I opened it, I glanced up at the guys.

"Cloud, hold her up for a minute, will you?" I asked. "Wedge, open her mouth so I can give her this."

They did as I'd instructed, and I slowly poured the hi-potion down Jessie's throat. Between Wedge and I, we got her to swallow it, and then Cloud eased her back down onto the pillow. I unbuckled her metal vest and put it aside along with her black chain shirt and boots, leaving the rest of her clothes alone, so that she would be more comfortable. Then I pulled the blankets up to her chest.

"Will she be alright?" Cloud asked.

I laid a hand on Jessie's shoulder for a moment before standing up. "I think so. That potion should help heal the wound. But she still needs to rest for a while. And she'll probably have quite a headache when she wakes up. I don't envy her that."

Wedge grimaced. "Man, Biggs is gonna be pissed..."

I didn't doubt it. Biggs cared for Jessie as if she were a sister, and he wasn't going to like what had happened to her tonight. I'd have to keep an eye on him and Wedge to make sure they didn't rush off in search of the Vice gang to try and get some payback. Wedge wasn't likely to do it on his own, but Biggs had a way of dragging him into things like that. I just hoped this wouldn't be one of those times.

"I know, Wedge," I agreed. "But you two are not to go after the Vice gang, understand? We don't need that right now."

He scratched his head. "Sure, Tifa. But you know how he gets."

"Yeah, I do. I'll handle him, though."

"Alrighty," Wedge said. "Guess I'll let you tell him, then. I'm gonna go get a snack. I'll put the first aid kit away, too."