The Measure of a Man: Chapter 10

"Cid, what are you doing all the way out here? I thought you were supposed to have left already, too," Cloud asked, adrenaline still rushing through his veins while he gathered Zack up off of the ground.

"I was getting' ready to fly outta here this mornin'. My Tiny Bronco – that's the plane I built and got down here with – is tied down just past those trees there. I released Rima this morning to go back to whatever Chocobo flock she's part of, and I was on my way back to the clearing when I heard someone screamin' like crazy out here. Turns out it was you. And yer damn lucky that blizzard held me up a whole day, too; looks like yer friend's in bad shape."

"He is," Cloud said in a near-whisper, adjusting his grip on Zack when he started to cough again. "He's got pneumonia, and it's gotten really bad in a really short time." Cid shoved his hands in his pockets, spitting his cigarette out into the snow and grinding it out so the smoke wouldn't drift into Zack's face. "Is there any way you can help us? I'm sorry to trouble you again, but –"

"Save yer apologies, kid. I'd be one heartless son of a bitch if I didn't help you guys now. Shin-Ra or not, yer still just kids. Can't have ya dyin' on me." He looked over his shoulder toward the clearing, then back at Cloud. "Alright, lemme think… The Bronco can only hold me, and ya can't fly her yerself… Can ya hang tight fer just a minute? I'll be right back." Cloud nodded, leaning down to refasten one of the loose buttons of his uniform jacket so that Zack would be as warm as possible.

"We'll be here." Cid nodded and dashed off, leaving a trail of large footprints behind him as he churned up the deep snow. Cloud sat down on the ground, letting Zack lean against him as his body instinctively sought out warmth. A moment later he finally stirred again, very short of breath but at least a little more alert than he had been.

"Cloud…?" he asked in a hoarse whisper. "You… okay?"

"What do you mean am I okay? You're the one who should be worried about being okay!" Zack shook his head and smiled, coughing softly and looking down at his legs.

"Yeah… well… sick or… not, I'm still a… SOLDIER," he rasped. "It's still… my job to make sure… everyone makes it out… okay before… me." Cloud smiled, an almost hysterical chuckle bubbling up in his throat before he could stop it.

"You are exhausting, Zack. You know that?"

"You… know it… Spiky." He smiled, a pitiful attempt at his usual grin, and looked up at the gray sky. "So, where are… we?"

"Really close to our original campsite. And we're getting help now. Everything's gonna be okay."

"Help? You found… Angeal?"

"No, not –"

"Hey!" Cid shouted, running back toward them with a large bundle in his arms. "Ya still hangin' in there?"

"We're still alive, yes," Cloud shouted back, a grin of relief on his face when he realized Cid really had come back like he said he would. The older man reached them in record time, dropping a bundle of blankets, food, and water beside them.

"This oughta last fer a little bit while I go find yer friend. What was his name, 'Angel' or somethin'?"

"Angeal," Cloud corrected with a chuckle. "He's one of the Legendary Trio of SOLDIER. You know, the big, dark-haired one on the posters who actually wears his regulation uniform?"

"Oh, him? Yeah, I know what he looks like. Don't worry, then. I'll hop in the Bronco and find him as quick as I can."

"You're the greatest, Cid," Zack said softly from his seat on the ground, now nestled in a few more blankets and feeling much warmer.

"How can we repay you?" Cloud asked, hoping he had enough money if that's what the man asked for. Cid just snorted and shook his head.

"Tell ya what, guys. You don't tell anyone at Shin-Ra that I'm the one who helped ya and we'll call it even, alright? Can't have them knowin' the man who's s'posed to hate 'em so much is goin around helpin' 'em now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. This'll just be my good deed for the year or somethin'. But we're wastin' time now. You two just hang tight, and I'll get help as quick as I can." With that, the pilot dashed off into the snow again, disappearing into the trees before Cloud could think of anything suitable to shout after him. Not long after, the sound of a roaring engine cut through the suffocating silence, and Zack and Cloud both sagged in relief. Finally, it was almost over.
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"Any sign of them yet?" Angeal called over his shoulder as he heard Sephiroth and Genesis approaching him. A tense silence was all that met his ears, and he sighed heavily, knowing exactly what that meant. "Alright, we'll keep looking then."

"Angeal, wait," Genesis said hesitantly, catching up to his friend and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Tseng's got the helicopter out circling around now. Maybe we should leave this up to him for a bit."

"No. We have to keep looking. The longer we wait, the more likely it is they won't –" He clenched his fists at his sides, unable to finish that thought aloud.

"I know, Angeal. But you haven't slept in two days, and you've barely eaten or drunk anything. You're going to make yourself ill if you don't rest, and then where will we be?"

"I don't care at this point, Genesis. We have to find them. If something happens because I was sitting here resting –"

"And what if they're totally fine and come waltzing up to us tomorrow but you're sick from overworking yourself? There are too many what-if's to worry about now, Angeal. You're a SOLDIER First Class; act like one and distance yourself from this mission a little. It's not a SOLDIER's job to get emotional."

Angeal was about to answer that with a very ungentlemanly string of words when he suddenly heard the sound of a plane overhead. Looking up, he was surprised to see it circling low, as if looking for a place to land. It took a few moments, but the pilot did eventually manage to get low enough for the three SOLDIERs to hear his shouted words.

"Hey! Angeal! I know where yer missin' friends are! Follow me, I'll lead ya to 'em!"

"Is this guy serious?" Genesis asked incredulously. "How does he even know who you are?"

"It doesn't matter, do as he says!" Sephiroth shouted, already far ahead of the other two thanks to his significantly longer legs.

"Tseng! Tseng, do you copy?!" Angeal shouted into his radio, clutching it almost hard enough to crack it while he ran after Cid's plane.

"Affirmative. What are your –"

"Someone's found Zack and Cloud!" Angeal shouted, not giving Tseng time to finish with the formalities. "He's flying a tiny one-person plane just past point 044. We're running behind him, but we need you to tail him too."

"Understood. Give me a moment to – Alright, we've spotted him. We'll pursue immediately." Angeal didn't bother answering, just stuffing the radio back into his pocket and running as fast as his legs could carry him.

"We're coming, you two," he thought with his heart lighter than it had been in days. "We're finally coming for you." The three of them sprinted through the trees and across the slick, icy terrain for nearly an hour, never slowing their pace and not giving any heed to their bodies' demands for rest. This was no time to be tired. They could hear the Shin-Ra helicopter flying overhead, tailing close behind Cid's Tiny Bronco as he led them to Zack and Cloud, but none of them bothered to look up; their gaze was directed forward, unwavering as they looked for the first sign of their comrades.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, they reached the edge of the clearing where Cid had left Zack and Cloud to wait. Sephiroth spotted them first, since he was running ahead of the other two by several meters, and bounded off toward them, already removing his long leather coat so he could wrap it around one of them if necessary. Angeal and Genesis were not far behind, and before either Zack or Cloud could say anything to them, all three generals were crouched down in the snow beside them, trying to determine their conditions while Tseng found a safe place to land the helicopter.

"General Rhapsodos! General Sephiroth! You came, too?" Cloud asked in shock, his eyes wide as he found himself surrounded by all of his idols at once.

"Of course we did. Our comrades needed our help," Sephiroth answered matter-of-factly. Genesis was about to comment as well when they were interrupted by a harsh series of coughs from Zack, who was still trying to smile despite being in obvious pain.

"Zack, are you alright?" Angeal asked worriedly, offering him water and only worrying more when he pushed it away in favor of hacking into his fist again.

"I – *cough* – I've had… better days…" Zack managed between coughs, giving his mentor a weary smile. "Kinda hard… to breathe right now… Feels like I swallowed… a knife…"

"He's got pneumonia, I think," Cloud said in response to Angeal's questioning look. "It didn't show up until about two nights ago, but it's gotten really bad since then."

"Well, it'll be alright. We'll get you down to Medical as soon as we get back. Both of you," Angeal added when he noticed how exhausted and weak Cloud was beginning to look. "Are you alright?" he asked when the blond lost his balance and fell to his knees.

"Fine… Just tired…"

"You'll be able to rest soon," Genesis said as Tseng approached them, having landed the helicopter fifty meters away.

"Are you ready to return to Midgar?" Tseng asked, although he already knew the answer. Cloud, surprisingly, was the first one to answer, and his words summed up all of their feelings perfectly.

"For the gods' sake, yes!"

Tseng smiled amusedly and Genesis helped Cloud to his feet while Angeal picked up Zack and carried him – protesting the whole way, of course – to the helicopter. Once they were there, Sephiroth and Genesis sat down near the front, leaving room for Cloud and Zack to sit with Angeal in the back. As an afterthought, Angeal snatched up the oxygen mask from the medical supplies in the back, handing it to Zack and watching him anxiously until he had secured it to his face and begun to breathe a little easier. Almost immediately, Cloud began to slump forward in his seat, almost falling to the floor before Angeal caught him and rested him back against the wall.

"Airsick again, Spike?" Zack asked, his voice muffled by the mask and his eyelids growing heavy.

"Nnnh…" Cloud grunted. "Too tired… to get sick right now…" He barely even felt it when someone threw a blanket over him, hardly noticed when his body was readjusted so that he could sleep without hurting his neck and back. All he knew was that he was very, very tired, and that for the first time in days he could finally sleep peacefully. Before the chopper had even made it out of the clearing, Cloud had already fallen asleep, and they would have made it back to Midgar before he even thought of waking up again.