Pins & Needles Chapter 2
Infiltration
By Asyria
Night had completely come when Raijin had reached Balamb Garden. He approached his former home with unease and hesitation. His fear of the residents within could not stop him from getting Seifer and Fujin the help they desperately needed. Even if all the people in the Garden wanted them dead.
Raijin looked at his watch, 8:30 it read. Most everybody is in the cafeteria for dinner, he remembered. If he snuck in though the parking lot, he could go over to the dorms and wait for someone he knew that might help him. But that wasn't going to work, he couldn't chance getting caught. Maybe Headmaster Cid could help. He might, but it would be too hard to get to him. Headmaster Cid was never alone. Don't be stupid!, he scolded himself, Think! There's gotta be some way, ya know! Seifer and Fu are hurtin'! Hurting? What did they normally do when they were hurt? Dr. Kadowaki! "She's a doctor, she's gotta help us!" He exclaimed to no one. He also remembered that Dr. Kadowaki's room was in the upper section of the dorms, where the higher-ranking SeeD's were. That meant a possible run in with Squall Leonheart and the others, which would inevitably lead to death or prison. But he knew the doctor would help, everybody else would be unlikely to aid them.
Raijin breathed a heavy sigh, concluding that this was his only option. He crept around the side of the Garden to the parking lot. There were only a few cars there and the lot was well lit. He listened closely first, and when not hearing the sounds of voices or walking, he peeked his head around the corner. Satisfied that no one was in there, he slowly walked along the wall towards the glass corridor leading to the hall.
Before opening the door in front of him, he listened for people again. Hearing none, he opened the door. He walked quickly down the outer hall toward the archway that led to the main hall. After reaching the archway, he backed against the left side of the wall. No one was approaching on the right. He turned his head around the corner, looking left. Two women were walking his way from the library. Please don't be coming to the parking lot!, he prayed to himself.
He balled up his fists and silently waited for them to pass him by. When they did, heading for the dorms, he breathed a sigh of relief. As the two women reached the archway to the dorms, Raijin looked around once more. When the coast was clear, he dashed for the dorms. As he reached the archway, he made sure nobody was coming out of the dorms. He saw no one and continued to Dr. Kadowaki's room.
The halls of the SeeD officer's dorms were quiet. It's more lavish design allowed Raijin to hide behind corners if someone approached. When he reached the doctors room, he quietly knocked. Raijin heard her response from inside and waited for her to open the door. He bit his lip in panic and looked anxiously around him. It seemed like he waited hours for her to open the door.
Dr. Kadowaki's face snapped up to Raijin when she opened the door. "Raijin!? What…"
"Please, there's an emergency, ya know!" He interrupted quickly, "Can I come in, I don't wanna get caught."
She stepped aside, to let him in, and quickly shut the door behind him. She looked at him as he paced the room. "What's going on? What's the emergency?"
Raijin stopped pacing. "It's Seifer and Fujin, they're in trouble, ya know!"
Dr. Kadowaki approached him. "Okay Raijin, calm down and tell me what happened."
He took a deep breath and held it for a second. He told her what had been happening since the three of them found themselves in Balamb after Ultimecia's defeat seven months ago. "I didn't know what else to do, Dr. Kadowaki! I can't let them go on like this!"
The doctor nodded. "I know. You did the right thing, Raijin!" she told him firmly, "Don't ever doubt that!"
Raijin nodded slowly. "But how can we help them? If our landlord finds out what they've been doing, he'll kick us out for sure! We're already really behind on the rent, ya know!"
"We're just going to have to bring them back here." She told him.
Raijin's eyes sprung wide with shock. "Here!? We can't bring 'em here! Squall would never let us back!"
Dr. Kadowaki crossed her arms. "I don't think Squall would be that unforgiving."
"But Seifer would kill me if I brought them back here! Especially if Squall knew what Seifer's been doing. He'd be humiliated, ya know!"
She frowned. "That's true, Seifer doesn't need anymore more humiliation. The recovery will be bad enough."
Raijin's face cringed in confusion. "How is recovery bad?"
The doctor looked at him and sighed. "What they have been using, the white powder, is called heroin."
"Heroin?"
"Yes, it's a highly addictive drug. Very powerful and very dangerous. It can kill you even if you've only done it once."
"It can!?" He cried.
Dr. Kadowaki nodded solemnly. "They've been very lucky, Raijin," she said, "Like I said, heroine is very addictive. When someone stops using it, they go through what's called withdrawal. And since it's a powerful drug, the withdrawal effects are very bad."
Raijin looked at the floor, devastated. "Can't you just cure 'em?"
She shook her head. "The drug is in their blood, we have to keep them somewhere safe and isolated until it's out of their system."
"How long does that take?" He asked.
"Depends on the person. It could take anywhere from a few days to two weeks."
"But where can we keep them isolated, ya know?"
She shrugged. "Only here, in the Garden."
"What about Squall?"
Dr. Kadowaki paused, thinking to herself. Her eyes lit up as an idea formed. "Raijin, I'm going to call someone to come over here. I'm pretty sure we can trust her."
Raijin looked nervous and he scratched his head. "Who?" He asked.
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