Disclaimer: Final Fantasy belongs to Squaresoft and various other interested parties, not me. I'm not making any money from this, and no infringement of copyright is intended. This is a work of fandom, intended as appreciation of the original work.

Chapter 23

The one downside to having a company made up mostly of potential SOLDIER candidates was that the entire unit pretty much ground to a halt around the time of the exams. Cloud was far from the only one going through the motions of his duties while mumbling bits of trivia to himself. Nobody assigned any missions or duties to omega company that might be mentally taxing in the week before the written.

It also meant that the SOLDIER exams tended to be scheduled at the most convenient time for omega company. Since they were generally scattered across the globe in smaller units along with the SOLDIERs, it took a concentrated effort to get everyone who wanted to take the exams back to Midgar for the duration. This year they were being held just a few weeks before Cloud's sixteenth birthday, rather than a month or so after as they had been last time.

Most of them had been through it before, so they knew what they needed to study for - which was to say, pretty much everything that was in the manual, and quite a lot of stuff that wasn't. When they weren't all studying, they were paired or grouped together for physical training. Minor concerns like sleep and food were low on the list of priorities, and it fell to the minority of the company not taking the exams to ensure their comrades-in-arms stayed alive long enough to make it to the exam at all.

Cloud might have passed the written exam last year, but he was far from willing to assume that he would remember enough to pass again this year. He was treating it as if he'd never taken the test before, and starting from scratch with his studying.

It was at times like this that he missed Zack the most. Working in the same unit with his best friend was a million times better than hoping they would occasionally have leave at the same time in the same place, but it still didn't replace the closeness they'd enjoyed when they were both the same rank in the same platoon. Studying for the written by himself or with his current toonmates just wasn't the same as huddling up on Zack's bunk with a flashlight and a textbook.

Worse, Zack wasn't even there to help coach or drill him, or just figuratively hold his hand. The SOLDIER 1st Class they were both assigned to as support had decided that since they all needed to come back to Midgar for Cloud to take the exams anyway, now was an opportune time for Zack to get his next set of mako enhancements. Zack hadn't exactly been able to say 'no', though he had managed to talk Captain Marek into returning a few days ahead of schedule so he would be over the worst of the effects by the time the exam actually started. He'd promised to be there to distract Cloud while he was waiting for the results of the written, and to cheer him on in the physical.

First Cloud had to get that far, though. So he threw himself into preparing with everything he had, being even more obsessive about it than he had the year before. Even most of omega company remarked on his strength of focus with awe in their voices.

They didn't understand. Failure wasn't an option for Cloud, not this year. Not only would not passing mean disappointing himself, Zack and even General Sephiroth, but it would mean a whole year more before Zack would be able to touch him without worrying about breaking him. Cloud was already heartily sick of the fear in his best friend's eyes, however deeply hidden, whenever they had a chance to be together. He wanted things back the way they had been before, when they could be carelessly rowdy with each other if they wanted to be. Having Zack treat him like he was made of glass only reminded Cloud how far beneath Zack he was in standing and ability.

He wanted them to be equals again, and that was the need that drove him to continue studying or training long after the others had given up for the day. Never mind that Zack would now be 2nd Class while Cloud was only 3rd. They would both be SOLDIERs, and that was the important part.

And when he lay aching and exhausted in his bunk late at night, his eyes hurting from all the reading and muscles protesting the abuse he put them through, he comforted himself with the other promise Zack had made just before heading off to the labs. Thanks to the fact that they'd been at opposite ends of a minefield for that whole week they hadn't had a chance to do anything to celebrate Zack's seventeenth birthday, nor had there been any opportunities since. Zack had promised a chance to make up for that combined with a celebration for Cloud's victory - in the new, single room he would have as a 2nd Class. Cloud still wouldn't have his mako enhancements yet, but he was looking forward to it anyway.

The day before the exams, all of omega company was given leave. Captain Edmund was a wise enough commander to realize that asking his troops to concentrate on anything else today was a waste of his time and theirs.

Cloud had retreated to a corner of the mess, staking out his territory with his notes and books spread around him. Today was his day to double check that he still remembered everything he thought he did. He'd learned his lesson from last year; once he went to bed tonight, he wasn't going to touch another piece of paper until the exam started. No last-minute cramming for him.

Bemused, he wondered how the other exam participants would react if he tried to start a drill session again this year, like Zack had. Hell, enough of them had probably taken it last year to remember, he might even be able to get away with it.

Not everyone had come to the mess to do their studying, since it tended to be a noisy and busy room. Many had found other more private places to hole up in, but Cloud had enough focus to be able to tune out all the bustle around him and the mess was the only place where he could sit at a table and still be able to spread all his stuff out.

In fact, he had been so successful at absorbing himself and ignoring his environment that he almost missed hearing someone call out, "Officer in the room! Attention!"

It was the sudden scrape of benches across the room that alerted him to what was going on, and he hastily jumped to his feet and saluted. Mentally he cursed whoever it was and hoped they wouldn't be staying long; this was one disadvantage to studying in a public area that he hadn't considered.

"As you were," a now-familiar deep voice said, and Cloud started. Turning, he saw that it was indeed none other than General Sephiroth standing at the door to their mess.

While omega company certainly had more contact with the general than the rest of the regular troops, usually that was after they were already in the field, not here in Midgar. Cloud couldn't think of a single good reason the general would be here, unless maybe he was just checking up on the SOLDIER candidates.

To his further surprise, the general continued, "Is Corporal Cloud present?"

For a moment Cloud was almost too shocked to react, but he pulled himself together and saluted again. "Sir!"

"Ah, good." There was a faint hint of a smile on the man's face, quickly gone. "I was afraid you might be the type to squirrel yourself away just before the exams. Come with me, please."

"Sir, yes sir!" Cloud acknowledged. He spared a bare moment to consider what to do with his books and notes, and finally decided to leave them as they were. He had no idea what the general wanted him for, but he doubted it would involve studying.

The others in the mess gave him curious and even envious looks as he passed, and he shrugged slightly at them to indicate he had no idea what was going on, either. When he reached Sephiroth's side he stopped and saluted again, and the silver-haired man nodded. "This way."

Sephiroth led him into one of the nearby briefing rooms, used for meetings with small units of the company when they were either going out to or coming back from a mission. Indicating that Cloud should take a seat, the general closed the door behind them.

Perched nervously on the edge of his chair, Cloud studied the general and tried to decipher the man's purpose in bringing him here. Sephiroth looked grim, his green eyes narrow with an emotion that Cloud couldn't read but was certain wasn't good. Had Cloud done something to get himself into trouble? Frantically he reviewed everything he'd done in the last few days, trying to figure out if he'd broken any rules or stepped on any toes. He couldn't think of anything; he'd been absorbed in studying, and he'd been officially on leave since the moment their unit returned to Midgar so he hadn't neglected any duties.

"You haven't done anything wrong, corporal," Sephiroth assured him, probably reading his fears on Cloud's face. Cloud relaxed marginally, but stiffened again as the general continued. "I wanted you to hear this from me, first. Your friend is suffering from a severe negative reaction to his latest round of mako injections."

Heart pounding, Cloud stared at him and swallowed hard. "Like the last time, sir?" he asked, though he didn't think Sephiroth would be so grim if that was all it was. Zack had been delirious back then, but Sephiroth hadn't seemed overly concerned at the time. In fact, Cloud remembered he'd said it was a good indication that Zack might be able to go all the way to 1st Class.

"Considerably worse, I'm afraid," Sephiroth said. His voice was calm, but something that looked suspiciously like anger flared in his eyes. "It's very dangerous to receive the injections less than a year apart. Captain Marek mistakenly assumed that Lieutenant Zack's presence in the Specials meant he must have been 3rd Class for some time already, and apparently none of the lab techs thought to check the lieutenant's file."

"Dangerous?" Cloud's voice cracked embarrassingly, something it hadn't done for quite a while, and he cleared his throat. His hands were gripping the edges of the seat tightly enough that if he'd been a SOLDIER he'd probably have broken pieces off by now. "How dangerous? Why? Is he going to be okay?"

"The injections are essentially a controlled dose of mako poisoning," Sephiroth told him frankly. "It takes approximately a year for the last of it to work its way out of the system. Adding more before that happens means creating an overdose, and it can have... adverse effects on the human body and brain. People have survived it in the past, but not everyone and not always as they were before."

Most of Cloud's brain was spinning in neutral, in a state of shock so profound he literally couldn't connect one thought to another.

Finally he pinched himself hard enough to give him something to concentrate on other than the shock. Closing his eyes, he drew a deep breath and looked up at the general again. "Thank you for telling me, sir." How awful would it have been to get this news from some impersonal lab tech, or worse, to hear about it through the grapevine.

"I'm sorry I have to give you such bad news so close to the exams, corporal," the man apologized sincerely.

"No, I'd rather know now, sir," Cloud said, though his voice wavered slightly. "Is there anything I can do for him?"

"He's been calling for you, actually," Sephiroth admitted. "Ordinarily you wouldn't be allowed anywhere near him; he's in the labs, not the infirmary. But in my experience having someone or something nearby that means a great deal to the victim can make a difference." Cloud had to resist the urge to squirm and blush under the dry look Sephiroth gave him, wondering just how much the general knew or guessed about his real relationship with Zack.

"Can I go to him, sir? Please?" Cloud pleaded, unable to stand the thought of Zack calling for him and believing that Cloud had abandoned him.

"I was hoping you would ask." Sephiroth nodded. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you that everything in this conversation, and anything you might learn from this point on, is highly classified. I'm trusting your discretion, corporal. Don't make me regret it."

"No, sir," Cloud said fervently. Somehow he thought a court martial would be the least of his worries if he ever broke Sephiroth's trust.

"Come with me, then." The general gestured, and led the way out of the room. Cloud marched along at his heels, worry winding him tighter with every step they took.

Sephiroth led him into the main Shinra building, and Cloud could feel the curious looks they drew from everyone around. He wondered what they thought was going on, watching the Silver General himself with a mere corporal tagging along like a faithful puppy. Once they got into the elevator and Sephiroth swiped his keycard to give them access to the higher levels, Cloud had to fight just to keep his breathing steady.

He was worried, more worried than he'd been since Mideel. Zack's collapse in the alleys after his first injections had scared him, but Sephiroth had come along and assured him everything was fine before he'd had a chance to really panic. Now even Sephiroth seemed worried, and Cloud figured anything that could get to the general had to be pretty bad, indeed.

What could he do? Cloud was just a kid, when it came right down to it. What if he couldn't help Zack enough? If the best scientists and experts in Shinra couldn't do anything, how was Cloud supposed to fix it?

But he had to do it, somehow. The alternative was too horrible to contemplate. When Cloud had left Nibelheim all those months ago it had been with the intention of proving his worth to himself and everyone else by becoming a SOLDIER. At some point along the way the dream had shifted and changed, and now Cloud literally couldn't imagine doing it without Zack at his side.

He forgot to even be nervous about the spooky atmosphere of the lab as he followed Sephiroth off the elevator and into parts of Hojo's territory he'd never been in before. You had to have a high security clearance to stand guard up here, Cloud knew. Under ordinary circumstances he would never have seen this area until it was time for him to get his own mako enhancements. He resisted the urge to look around curiously, focused on getting to Zack.

The room the general led him to could have passed for any high-tech hospital room. There was only one bed, but Cloud couldn't see Zack for the crowd of white-coated technicians bustling around. At the front of the group was none other than Professor Hojo himself, hands tucked behind his back as he calmly gave orders to his subordinates.

A cry of pain and fear came from the middle of the crowd, and Cloud's heart clenched as he recognized Zack's voice. The older boy sounded almost hysterical, and his voice was hoarse as if he'd been screaming enough to wear it away. His words were mostly unintelligible, but Cloud could tell it was a plea for something. Release, perhaps, or begging someone to end the agony he was obviously in.

Without waiting for direction or permission from the general Cloud darted into the crowd and wormed his way between the scientists. His small stature stood him in good stead here, letting him work his way through the group with relative ease. He emerged at Zack's side and drew a sharp breath at the sight of his friend.

Zack was sweating and struggling, fighting the restraints that bound him to the bed. The straps were metal reinforced and looked heavy enough that Cloud wasn't sure he would even be able to lift one of them, but they seemed barely strong enough to contain the delirious SOLDIER. The older boy's eyes were open but it was obvious that he wasn't seeing what was actually in front of him, his expression filled with panic and suffering.

He cried out again, wrenching at his arms hard enough that Cloud was surprised he hadn't dislocated his own shoulders. This time Cloud was close enough to make out some of his words. "No! No, no... please, gods... Cloud! Noooo..."

"Zack!" Cloud exclaimed, and grabbed for his friend's hand without thinking. If he'd thought the older boy's grip had been crushing after his first mako injections, that was nothing compared to the way he clamped down on Cloud's hand now. Hissing in pain Cloud braced his body against the side of the bed and forced himself not to jerk away. "Zack!" he called again, praying his voice would reach his friend's fevered brain. "Zack, I'm here, it's okay!"

"What is this?" Hojo sounded annoyed, as if Cloud had interrupted him in the middle of an important experiment. "Where did it come from? Remove it at once, it's interfering."

It took Cloud a moment to realize that the 'it' in question was him, but he resisted when the technicians grabbed him by the arms and shoulders and tried to pull him away from the bed. "No! Let go, damn it! I'm not leaving him!"

Not that they could have gotten him away anyway, at least not without removing his hand from his arm. Zack had a death grip on him, and as painful as it was Cloud took it as a sign that his friend knew he was there.

"Release him," he heard Sephiroth order behind him, and the hands on him faltered. Some part of Cloud that wasn't focused entirely on Zack marvelled that they didn't back off immediately. He couldn't imagine anybody disobeying an order from Sephiroth, especially not when it was delivered in that tone of voice.

Of course, the techs weren't ultimately answerable to Sephiroth or the army, he was reminded when Hojo spoke again. "Sephiroth. Why are you here? Are you the cause of this? Take it away this instant. It doesn't belong here."

"Professor." Once again Cloud thought the title sounded more ironic than genuine when Sephiroth said it, as if there was no real respect behind it. "This is the friend the lieutenant has been calling for. I'm sure I don't need to remind you of the positive response to the presence of such friends in past cases of overdose."

It definitely wasn't Cloud's imagination; there was significant tension between the general and the professor. Hojo pushed his glasses up, staring at Cloud and Sephiroth with a cold gaze. "You have no authority here," the professor said bluntly to Sephiroth. "This is my purview, and I don't want any outside influences possibly damaging the subject's psyche further."

"On the contrary, professor." Cloud shivered at the low, dangerous tone in Sephiroth's voice, and he was amazed the techs still had the fortitude to hold their ground. "The lieutenant is a member of the Specials and therefore under my direct command, as well as being my responsibility as the general of Shinra's forces. That puts him very much under my authority. He is a SOLDIER, not a research subject."

Zack was muttering to himself, tossing his head and bucking against the restraints as spasms wracked his body. He coughed wetly, and vile green liquid ran down from the corner of his mouth as he shuddered. He'd subsided somewhat, no longer fighting the straps quite as hard, but Cloud wasn't sure if it was in response to his presence or not.

Deciding the continuing politely scathing argument between the general and the professor wasn't anything he could affect, Cloud leaned over his friend and brushed Zack's sweaty bangs off his face as he had in Mideel. "Zack, it's Cloud," he murmured, keeping his voice low enough that only Zack would hear it. "It's okay, everything is going to be fine. You'll be okay." He forced confidence into his voice, not wanting his terror to be communicated to his friend.

"Cloud?" For a moment Cloud thought the older boy was actually responding to him, but Zack wasn't looking at him. "Cloud? Gods, it hurts, it hurts, don't... Cloud..." He coughed again, harder this time, on and on until Cloud was afraid he might suffocate. His hand tightened on Cloud's again, and the younger boy's knees went weak at the surge of pain.

He really needed to stop putting himself in this position, Cloud reflected as he struggled through the pain. Well, the easiest way would be to become a SOLDIER himself, so Zack wouldn't be able to hurt him so easily. At the moment he was more worried about getting Zack through this alive than with passing the exam tomorrow, though.

A strong hand tugged at Zack's, prying the fingers loose from around Cloud's. For a horrible moment Cloud thought that meant Hojo had won the argument and he was going to have to leave, but when he looked up he found General Sephiroth was the one working him free. "I suggest that if you're going to touch him to reassure him of your presence, corporal, you find somewhere to do it such that he can't get hold of you in turn," the general said wryly. "I can't remain here to cast Cure on you every time he breaks something, and you won't do him any good if you're incapacitated by pain as well."

Once he had Cloud's hand free he cast the healing spell and released him, and Cloud sheepishly moved so his newly restored hand was resting on Zack's upper arm instead. "Yes, sir. Does that mean I can stay?"

"Yes. Stay out of the way of the technicians," Sephiroth ordered him. He glanced at Zack, who had subsided after the bout of coughing and was now lying quietly, staring blankly up at the ceiling as his chest rose and fell in ragged breaths. "It looks like he's slipped into the catatonic stage. That's good in that it means he won't fight and injure himself, but it's also the most dangerous response in terms of his sanity. He wouldn't be the first man to be lost in his own mind as a result of mako poisoning. Talk to him, see if you can draw him out of it."

Heart pounding with fear in his chest, Cloud nodded and tightened his grip on Zack's arm, saluting the general with his free hand. "You can count on me, sir. I won't let him slip away that easily."

"I know you won't, corporal," Sephiroth agreed with the faintest trace of a smile. "I'll have some rations and your manuals sent up, and I'll make sure someone comes to fetch you before the exam starts. Good luck." He returned Cloud's salute briefly, then turned on his heel and was gone.

Looking around, Cloud saw that Hojo had already left, presumably once he'd lost the argument with the general. Most of the techs had gone with him and the few remaining were studiously ignoring Cloud, as if they were afraid that acknowledging him would bring their boss's wrath down on all their heads.

That suited Cloud just fine. He left Zack's side just long enough to steal one of the stools from the monitoring station, moved it to the side of the bed and settled in to wait. And while he waited, he talked, in a low smooth voice that revealed none of his internal worry and panic.

At first he couldn't think of anything to say, stammering over whatever trivialities came into his head. He repeated the gossip currently circulating among omega company, which mostly had to do with the upcoming exams. Once that topic was exhausted he rehashed the popular battle stories and legends told among all the troops, most of which had to do with the war in Wutai and the Silver General. From there it was a natural progression to reminiscing over the battles and adventures Cloud and Zack had had, together and separately.

When his voice grew so hoarse from talking that he could barely squeak out the words, one of the techs dared to take pity on him and fetched him some water. Cloud acknowledged the kind gesture with a nod and stopped talking only long enough to gulp the water down.

For the most part, though, the sound of the beeping monitors and Cloud's soft, steady chattering were constant in the room. In the beginning Cloud wasn't sure if he was even making a difference. Zack's breathing had evened out, but the older boy continued to stare blankly at the ceiling no matter what Cloud talked about. It wasn't until Cloud could ignore the needs of his body no longer and was forced to seek out a bathroom that he got confirmation that his presence was noticed; when he returned, Zack had grown restless and was moaning softly in pain again. He stilled when Cloud hushed him, and the blonde grew more determined than ever not to leave his friend's side.

At some point someone brought a bag containing all his books and notes from the mess to him, and he found a sealed field ration packet in the bag as well. "You said you wished you could help me study," Cloud told Zack with an uneven smile, settling back onto the stool with one of the books and the rations. "Now's your chance. Let me know when I make a mistake, okay?"

He started reviewing the material aloud, snatching gulps of the rations between sentences. Once or twice he deliberately made blatant mistakes, out of a wistful desire to see if Zack might not correct him after all. The older boy didn't stir, but it made Cloud feel obscurely better that he was able to study 'with' his friend.

More than a year as a trooper had taught him how to stay awake through the night when it was necessary, even on the most boring patrols or watch duties. Cloud kept reading and talking as the hours wore by, mostly oblivious to the movement of other people around him. Nobody interrupted him, and that was all that really mattered as far as he was concerned.

Unfortunately, they couldn't remain undisturbed forever. When somebody did finally rest a hand on Cloud's shoulder and shake him slightly to jolt him out of the almost trance-like state he'd fallen into, he turned on them and snapped. "What?"

Too late, the silver hair and bright green eyes of the man leaning over him registered, and Cloud nearly bit his tongue off. "Sir!" he exclaimed, scrambling off the stool and saluting. "I'm sorry sir, I thought you were one of the techs."

"Understood, corporal," the general nodded. "As you were. How is he?"

Glancing at Zack, Cloud bit his lip. "The same," he admitted. "He gets restless if I leave or stop talking longer than it takes to grab a drink, so I think he's aware that I'm here. But otherwise he hasn't changed condition at all."

"The fact that he's even responding that much is encouraging," Sephiroth said, and something relaxed in Cloud that had been tight enough to choke him until that moment. The general didn't look as grim as he had the day before, and if he said things were encouraging then Cloud believed him.

"At any rate, the written exam begins in an hour," the general continued. "I wanted to check on him, so I thought I would remind you myself rather than sending someone."

Cloud blinked in shock. The exam was starting? Already? That couldn't be right. It couldn't be starting now... Zack wasn't awake yet. "I can't leave!" he blurted out, wide-eyed. "Zack still needs me!"

That earned him a sharp look from Sephiroth. "Your loyalty is commendable, corporal, but I think the lieutenant will understand, once he wakes. If you hurry, you can grab breakfast before the exam starts."

Torn, Cloud looked from the general to Zack, and back again. Slowly he shook his head. "I can't, sir," he said, his voice hardly louder than a whisper. "He gets agitated if I leave even for a few minutes. He could hurt himself, or slip away entirely. I have to stay with him."

"I'll find someone to stay with him, corporal," Sephiroth assured him. "One of the other SOLDIERs he went through training with, perhaps."

Swallowing hard, Cloud shook his head. "With all due respect, sir, they're not the ones he was calling for. What if it makes a difference?"

"Corporal, you do realize I can't make any exceptions for you in this matter," Sephiroth insisted, frowning. "If you don't participate in the written exam, you won't have another opportunity to get into SOLDIER until next year."

Frankly Cloud was shocked that Sephiroth might even think he would expect some kind of exception to be made, and it showed on his face. "I would never ask for something like that, sir," he said, lifting his eyes and meeting the general's glowing gaze head-on. "There will be other opportunities to take the exam. There's only one Zack. I can't risk it."

Sephiroth studied him, perhaps judging his resolve, and finally nodded. He had the same odd expression in his eyes that Cloud had seen in the cave on the glacier, when he'd been watching Zack and Cloud huddle together for warmth. "As you wish," the general acknowledged. "If he wakes or you change your mind you may join the rest of the exam participants, but you won't be granted any extra time to finish."

"Understood, sir," Cloud said, and saluted again. He was proud that his hand shook only a little as Sephiroth returned the salute and left. Inside he was dying a little with each passing moment, picturing another whole year as a regular trooper. His dream was slipping from his grasp once again, this time by his own choice.

What other decision could he make, though? Sinking back onto the stool, Cloud buried his face in his hands and forced himself to swallow the sobs that threatened to escape him. He knew it was the right thing to do, but that didn't make it any easier to face.

It wasn't until Zack started to whimper again that Cloud took a deep breath and sat upright, reaching for the book he'd been reading from before Sephiroth had interrupted him. His voice was a little unsteady with pain and regret, but it worked to comfort Zack anyway and that was the important thing.

Cloud nearly changed his mind half a dozen times in the first hour, before the exam started. Twice he even set his book aside and moved towards the door, but both times he couldn't resist glancing over his shoulder before leaving. The sight of Zack, pale and sweating and helpless in the restraints, reminded him that some things were more important than the exams and he returned to his seat both times.

After the second hour he covered the clock on the wall so he wouldn't have to see it ticking away the minutes, taping a blank sheet of paper from his notebook over it. By the end of the third hour he'd abandoned his books and notes altogether, stacking them in a haphazard pile out of sight on the other side of the bed and returning to just talking off the top of his head. He deliberately chose a topic that had nothing to do with the military, reciting every folk tale and children's story he could remember.

It all helped, and after a while the tightness left his throat and he was able to speak easily again. Maybe it was just the knowledge that even if he left now he wouldn't have time to answer enough questions to pass, and so the decision was out of his hands. Whatever it was, Cloud was grateful for it since it let him concentrate better on his friend.

Eventually he ran out of stories, and he cast about helplessly for another topic. He didn't want to go back to reading out of his manuals, but it was that or start telling stories about his own childhood and he didn't really want to go into that. Not that he didn't trust Zack with that kind of thing, but he and Zack weren't alone in the room.

He was so focused on thinking of something else to talk about that he was hardly aware of the quiet murmur from one side. "What, you're not going to tell the one about the golden chocobo that had a whole line of people stuck to it and trailing along behind?"

"Right! I forgot about that one!" Cloud exclaimed, perking up. "Once upon a time, there was a... Zack?" Belatedly the fact that he recognized the voice registered with him, and he whipped his head around to stare at his friend.

Zack's eyes were focused on him, and though he looked too tired to even lift his head there was a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Once upon a time there was a Zack?" he repeated in a cracked whisper. "Didn't know I had a namesake in this story."

"Zack!" Cloud choked up on the name, and couldn't get out any of the other words that he'd meant to come after it. Instead he threw himself forward and wrapped his arms around his friend's neck, struggling not to end up crying into Zack's shoulder. Finally he found his voice. "Oh merciful Alexander, you're awake! I thought I was going to lose you."

"Whoa, hey," Zack said hoarsely, sounding surprised. "What are you on about?" The straps creaked as he tried to move, and the surprise turned to shock. "Why am I tied down?"

"You were delirious, thrashing around and hurting yourself," Cloud explained, pulling back enough to see Zack's face and hastily wiping his watering eyes. "I think they were afraid you might attack them, too."

"Damn, I had a bad reaction again?" Zack grimaced. "Sounds like it was even worse this time; they didn't tie me down last time. I was hoping that wouldn't happen again."

Shaking his head, Cloud tried to figure out how much he should tell Zack of how close the older boy had come to death or possible insanity. All of it, he finally decided. Zack deserved to know. "You're not supposed to get the injections closer than a year apart," he said, his voice nearly as hoarse as Zack's. "It causes an overdose. Even the general was worried."

He wasn't sure if it was his words or the obvious signs of his fear that reached Zack, but the older boy looked shaken. "Shit. That's the second time out of two that I've run into trouble because somebody was careless. Remind me to get the full disclaimer before I agree to the third set, if they offer them."

Laughing, because he had to or he really was going to cry, Cloud shook his head. "Right now I just want to concentrate on being glad you survived to make it to 2nd Class."

"Hey, fuck, speaking of which, what are you doing here?" Zack asked, startled. "Shouldn't you be studying for the exam?"

Cloud's breath hitched, but he managed to force a smile onto his face. "Don't worry about it. I've got plenty of time," he lied. Well, technically it wasn't even a lie - he had a whole year to study, now. Plenty of time, and then some.

Some of the techs came forward to run various tests on Zack, and finally one of them consented to unstrap him when he'd remained lucid for some time. He had to be assisted to a sitting position, his body once again completely uncoordinated because of the extreme enhancements. "Hades, I'm going to have to get used to moving all over again!" Zack said, grimacing. "You'd better pass that exam, Cloud, or I really am going to break you one of these days." Cloud bit his lip and said nothing, grateful for Zack's preoccupation with trying to figure out how to use his body.

Cloud had been half afraid that Professor Hojo would get the report from the techs than Zack was awake and come in to kick Cloud out, but thankfully Sephiroth beat him there. "Good," he said as he walked in and saw Zack sitting up and carefully sipping from a cup of water. "You had everyone worried, lieutenant. I literally couldn't tear your blonde shadow from your side." Cloud flushed brightly as Zack chuckled at him.

"My apologies, general," Zack said, sketching a weak salute that nearly hit him in the eye thanks to his lack of coordination. "I'll do my best not to repeat the trend next time. Can I get out of here soon? I'd rather do my recovering somewhere else, no offence intended to these fine gentlemen," he flicked a wry glance at the techs still present. "Besides, I have a promise to keep." He started to reach out to ruffle Cloud's hair, but thought better of it and returned his hand hastily to his lap before he ended up hurting the younger boy. "After interrupting his studies like this, the least I can do is be his cheering squad."

Looking at Cloud, Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "You didn't tell him, corporal?" Cloud couldn't meet his or Zack's eyes, picking at a snagged thread in his uniform pants. "I see. Well, I hope you don't end up regretting your decision."

That made Cloud snap his eyes to meet the general's, his expression stubborn. "I know what my priorities are, sir," he said firmly. "There's nothing to regret."

The half-unspoken conversation had clearly gone mostly over Zack's head, but suspicion was starting to creep into his eyes. "Wait," he said gruffly to Cloud. "You said you had plenty of time left."

"At least a year," Cloud replied, shrugging. The gesture wasn't as casual as he would have liked it to be, but it would do. When Zack turned a horrified look on him, Cloud punched him in the shoulder. "Don't look at me like that. And don't you dare blame yourself. Do you really think I could have just sauntered off to go write the exam when you needed me here? What the hell kind of friend would that make me, huh?"

"But...!" Zack looked back at him helplessly, clearly distraught. Cloud shook his head.

"It's only another year, not the end of the world. We'll deal. At least now that I'm in omega company we actually get to work together. Besides. I probably ought to be old enough to join the army before I make it into SOLDIER. Right, sir?" Greatly daring, he gave the general a hesitant smile, and the man chuckled in response.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that, corporal," Sephiroth replied. "I'll see about getting you transferred to the general infirmary now that you're out of danger, lieutenant. Congratulations on making 2nd Class."

"Thank you, sir," Zack saluted again, more carefully, though his eyes were still sad. "I just wish it could be a double celebration."

"You can only celebrate so many things at a time," Cloud said, shaking his head and shoving the regrets that did nibble at him firmly to the back of his head. "Next year it will be my turn, wait and see." And by all that was holy, he swore privately, nothing short of an act of the gods was going to keep him from passing next year.

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