"Hello? Ow. Tifa! Hi. Yeah, I know I haven’t talked to you in two months. I kind broke and arm and smashed my other hand. I wasn’t really able to use the phone for long calls. Did Reeve tell you guys?"
"Tell us what? He’s been pretty busy and we haven’t talked to him for a while. He just said Vincent was in the hospital and that was why we couldn’t talk to him. Have you told him we killed Jenova yet?"
"I think Cid did when he went to see him. I’m really worried."
"Have you been to see him?"
"Cid said I shouldn’t bother. I just got off the cast yesterday."
"What cast?"
"You… didn’t hear anything about what happened, have you, Tifa?"
"Only that Cloud says Vincent need to recharge the batteries in the PHS."
"Um, Tifa… Was… Did Cloud notice anything weird about Jenova?"
"…No. Why? What happened? I thought Jenova couldn’t work with the drugs Vincent was taking."
"She got used to it."
"Oh my God. What happened?"
"I got a broken leg and Cid’s got a broken heart. Vincent was possessed, but I was unconscious during the last half of it. I’m not too keen on the exact details, but…"
"But…? What happened Shera?"
"Jenova died."
"And?"
"And she took him with her. The doctors managed to restart his heart, but… but he’s not coming back for a long time. On a GCS test, he got a four. No one’s sure he can hear anyone. He doesn’t react to intense stimulation, barely to intense shifts in light. There’s no brain damage, so he’s been moved out of the ICU."
"Oh my God. I had no idea. How’s Cid taking it?"
"Talking less and swearing more, mostly. Sometimes it’s hard to get him to eat anything. Mostly he’s been paying a lot of attention to me. And the plane. The way he’s been going on, you’d think we’re both in traction. Actually, he’s been focusing on anything he can find to focus on. He hasn’t visited since Reeve asked him to show up."
"What about you?"
"I… I’ve been there enough recently. I checked on him. Gave him that toy Barret sent him last…time… he…" Tifa could hear Shera sobbing over the phone.
"Shera?" Tifa asked. "Shera, it’s me. Shera?"
"I’m sorry," Shera said, sniffling and quieting her crying. "I… Oh, God. Oh, god, Tifa. I gave him that last time and his hand curled around it and his mouth… he wasn’t quite smiling, but… but he knew it was there. He knew it was there last time. I gave it to him yesterday after they took the cast off… and… he… It’s like he’s dead, Tifa. Nothing happened. He never did anything. There’s no one there with him, but… he scares me so much. He never wakes up. He doesn’t move. Not enough. I can’t do this. And Cid needs me… He thinks Vincent’s never going to wake up. He says he knows he’ll never wake up. He refuses to go see him and…" Shera burst into sobs again and couldn’t continue speaking.
"Shera. Shera, if you want, I can come over. It won’t be any problem. Shera?"
"It’s like he’d dead, Tifa," Shera sobbed. "He’s… He’s just not there anymore."
Tifa sighed. "Shera? Is it okay with you and Cid if Cloud and I drop by for a visit? I just thought of something, and… and if it doesn’t work you should see some friends anyway."
"Can you see Vincent too? For me?"
"Sure. We both can."