Parenthood'z Nightmare

Chapter XXII - See no Evil Hear no Evil

In the earliest hours of the following morning, Gillian opened her front door before Sephiroth could knock.

He had an exhausted, ill and haggled appearance. "You're safe!" She quietly exclaimed, swinging her arms around him, ignoring how still and uncomfortable he became. "I didn't tell Alice you were coming home. It's a surprise. She's sleeping."

Sephiroth could barely hear her through the ringing in his ears. "...What?" He croaked.

She was a surprised at how bad he sounded, ushered him inside and sat him at the table. "Your coming home is a surprise to Alice."

He groaned. "I have deafness in my left ear. I can't hear you well."

"Oh." Gillian pushed her face close to his right. "Alice doesn't know you're coming home, it's a surprise, she's still asleep. I won't shout so I don't wake her. Are you hungry?"

He winced, hating the feel of breath on his ear. His stomach grumbled in reply, much to his embarrassment.

"I made vegetable stew, your favourite." She took the saucepan off the hob and tipped its contents into a bowl, placing it before him.

"Vegetable stew?" He quietly noted when it was placed before him. Gillian smiled sadly; he'd not heard a word she'd said. "Thank you." He took the spoon from her and paused. "Thank you for taking care of Alice."

She placed a glass of water on the table and sat down as he dug in. "I'll tell you all about it later." She said as he grunted his approval at each mouthful of stew, his spoon clinking on the china. She startled when he suddenly gasped, dropped his spoon and held his head. "Sephiroth?"

He didn't move his hands from either side as his head throbbed sharp white pain. Memories of charging through flame and explosion were so real he could smell the sulphur, his bouncing knee died down as the headache and ringing tinnitus dulled. He felt Gillian's hand pressed to his back. "Are you alright?" He saw her lips move.

"I will be. The food was delicious." He stood. "I'm going to wash then lay down."

"Alright. Exodus laid a mattress down in Angeal's old room, you can sleep there. He left some of Genesis' pyjamas too." She knew he hadn't heard her as he walked to the bathroom without reply. "Leave your clothes in the hamper!"

He closed the door and turned on the bath taps. He hissed as he peeled off his clothes, soiled from battle, sticky from the journey. His pauldron's clanked on the floor, he peeled his arms out his leather coat, carefully removing his harness; his muscles straining as he did.

He looked in the mirror at his drained face and the bruises on his chest, deep purple with green tinged around them.

He groaned when he bent down and took his tall stained boots off. He could still smell the Camp on them, the warfare. He wasn't sure how many pieces of bone and brain matter were stuck in the soles but knew it must be a lot, they would take forever to clean.

He unbuckled his belt and slid his trousers down, handling his right leg gently. He had torn a calf muscle, tight restricting leather was no doubt the worst thing for it. Even sliding off his boxer hurt, he had landed on his right hip, it was bruised an angry black, swelling with patches of red.

He sat on the edge of the tub when he took his grey socks off, resting his feet in the water he sighed at the relief, spreading his toes in the warmth before sinking the rest of himself in.

This hadn't happened before; he had never been put on leave... well... not since that one incident when he and Posie were six. Never had he been so injured in his adult years.