© Antidarius 2020
*This is a work of fan-fiction. The author, Antidarius, does not claim ownership of any characters or titles mentioned that are the existing property of other entities.*
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D.I.A.N.N.E.
Chapter 4: Ascending to The Heights
P: 24 M: 28 S: 16
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--Day Four: Sunday, 23
rd
May, 1999--
I pulled off the headband with an arm that felt as heavy as lead. My whole body was a roaring furnace of pain; every muscle felt strained and pushed to its limit, and perhaps beyond. Even my hair hurt. Sweat drenched me as well as the chair beneath, leaving me with a chill as it cooled on my skin. Absently, I noted there was daylight coming through the windows.
"Christ," I mumbled as I took a moment to gather myself. "That was hard." Tifa had put me through an excruciating sparring session, teaching me even as she flipped, tripped and kicked me all around the training room. Then, somehow, we had ended up fucking right there on the floor. That part had made all the pain worth it, in the end.
I pulled myself upright with a groan. I reached my feet well enough, but then fell back down into my chair heavily, unable to support my own weight. I was fucking exhausted! "Dianne?" I called as I fit the band back over my head.
"Yes, Jake?"
"Scan me, please. I want to make sure I haven't broken anything."
"Certainly, Jake. One moment." There was a pregnant pause, but finally she offered her assessment. "Your bones are intact, Jake, apart from two fractured ribs. You have several strained muscles and you are dangerously dehydrated. I strongly advise rest and the ingestion of as much fluid as you can hold, preferably clean water. You will also need to eat as soon as possible in order to assist the reparation of your muscle tissue. I suggest a combination of a glutamine supplement along with some quality protein."
I blinked, trying to understand what she was saying; my head was feeling a little fuzzy. What the hell was glutamine?
Water. I need water.
Focusing on one thing at a time, I gathered what little strength I had left and pulled myself out of my chair again, groaning as pain lanced through my chest courtesy of my cracked ribs. This time, I managed to stay on my feet and totter to the kitchen. My hand shook as I held a glass under the tap.
I need to be careful,
I warned myself.
I could hurt myself if I push too hard.
I drank one glass, then another, and then another, as if my body was soaking up the liquid like dry sand. I drank until I felt like my stomach would explode, then I finally put the glass down.
"Did I at least gain any benefits from that horrendous ordeal?" I asked Dianne as I pulled the fridge open with one hand while the other cradled my side.
"You did, Jake," Dianne confirmed. "Your physical statistic has increased to twenty-five, and your mental and social have increased by one point each, to twenty and thirteen respectively."
"Uh-huh," I murmured dully as I closed the fridge. There was nothing to eat in there -- nothing safe for consumption, anyway -- and I was quickly developing a ravenous appetite. That was a problem; I was hardly able to get myself out of the house for food, and there were no places in town that delivered anything before dinnertime, as far as I knew. Should I just go to sleep and eat later? My stomach growled ominously at the thought.
As I pondered my dilemma, a knock came at the door. "Christ," I muttered as I shambled to where I'd discarded my shorts on the floor near my armchair. Pulling them on as fast as my wrecked body would allow, I hesitated. Did I even need to open the door? It was probably just some salesman. My decision was made when I heard a high, feminine voice from the other side.
"Jake? It's Debbie!"
I was moving toward the door before the last word was out of her mouth, but my hand stopped on the handle. Why was I so eager to see her? She'd flaked out on me last night. But what if she really did have a family emergency? What if it wasn't her fault?
You're being an idiot, dude,
I told myself.
A real sucker.
But that critical voice inside me couldn't answer the question: if Debbie didn't care about seeing me, why was she at my front door right now?
I pulled the door open to see her standing there in the morning sunshine, looking like a short, sexy angel. She wore a black tank top that left her flat tummy bare and showed some of the cleft between her ample tits, and a short white denim skirt that displayed her tanned legs nicely. For some reason, I also noticed she was wearing the same sandals as the other day in the game shop. There was a large paper bag in her hand, and I thought I caught the smell of food.
"Debbie," I said flatly as I blinked against the brightness of natural light.
At the same time, she said, "You look awful!"
"Uh, thanks," I replied, not sure how to take the comment.
"Are you sick?" She asked, a concerned look crossing her pretty face.
I shook my head. "No. Just tired. Been up all night." I wished I had something witty to say, but as usual, my brain was devoid of cleverness in these situations.
"Okay," she said, eyeing me over as if she didn't believe me. "Can I come in?" She held up the bag. "I brought breakfast as an apology for last night."
"Yeah, okay. I'm starving." I stepped back and waved her in, pulling the screen door closed behind me. The main door I left open; I couldn't smell anything out of the ordinary, but it probably stunk of sweat and cum in here to an outsider.
"Nice place," she remarked kindly as she looked around.
I barked a laugh, then winced as my ribs protested. "Hardly," I retorted. "But thanks for the thought. It's not much, but it's what I can afford while still living alone." I took the bag from her and placed it on the small, rickety round table to the left of the door that was one of my few possessed items of furniture, along with two chairs of the same dubious quality. The bag was heavy, and I was excited to see what lay inside.