By Kristen Gupton-Williams

Porter and Quigley ran into the infirmary a short while later and began assessing the situation. There were dozens of broken or failing components in Vincent’s body and they needed to get working quickly. Quigley left only to return several minutes later with a huge array of parts in a box. While Angel kept a close eye on Vincent’s status, the two men got to the task of repairing what they could.

Tifa remained next to Vincent’s side, watching in awe as she saw the inner workings of her husband’s body. Whether it was done in madness or not, Hojo’s creation was something to witness.

After some time had passed, Quigley looked at Porter. "Shit, he needs a new converter coupling to get his body powered properly again, and I don’t have one."

Porter thought for a moment, trying to picture all of the things that he had brought with him from Midgar but knew that the requested part wasn’t in his inventory. "I don’t know what to tell you, I don’t have one."

Quigley shook his head and locked gazes with the former Turk, a dead serious look upon his face. "Porter, you do have one, and you know as well as I do that if this man doesn’t get it, he will die."

His mind struggled for a moment, and then suddenly, Porter understood what Quigley was talking about. The very part in question was readily available, as long as Porter was willing to sacrifice his companion. "You want me to kill my dog?"

"I don’t want to, Port, but if we don’t Vincent won’t make it." Quigley truly was sickened but they whole situation but felt that this man’s life was more important than that of the cybernetic canine. "I can’t make you, it’s your decision."

Tifa’s eyes went wide as she could tell that Porter was actually debating whether or not to do it. If it came down to it, she knew that she would go out there and dissect the animal herself in order to save Vincent. "Porter, please!"

Tears burned in the young man’s eyes. This was certainly going to be the hardest decision he ever had to make. Next to Rayna, D was the most precious thing he had in his life. The night when he had saved the dog and rebuilt him flooded into his mind. To put his healthy and beloved pet to death was unspeakably painful. He stepped back from Vincent’s bed and hung his head, ashamed that anyone might see the emotion burning within him. He had to allow it; there was no choice, after all, if it wasn’t for Vincent both he and Rayna very well could be dead now. Although the words stuck in his throat, he managed to get them out. "I’ll get him."

Everyone in the room felt the bittersweet relief of Porter’s sacrifice. None of them wanted to see the dog dead but with Vincent’s life in the balance what choice did they have?

After what seemed like forever, the door to the infirmary opened back up and a clearly crying Porter entered along with Rayna and his dog.

Quigley, having had to work on many of Hojo’s projects involving animals, knew what he had to do in order to make this as quick and painless as possible for D. He leaned over to Angel and whispered, "I need a syringe loaded with enough of whatever anesthetic you’ve got to put the dog down.".

Angel stepped over to a cabinet and pulled out an old vial pentobarbital before going and filling a large syringe with the clear liquid. Normally used as an anesthesia agent, in the dose she had it was more or less the same as a Veterinarian would use to do the same job. With a trembling hand, she gave the loaded syringe to Quigley.

He took the drug and went over to where Porter was now sitting, holding his dog. Rayna was trying to be strong for him, and knelt beside him, tears visibly streaking her face. Quigley knew that there would be an injection port under a panel on the dog’s back and he reached out and flipped it open. Porter’s crying was uncontrollable and he buried his face into D’s neck.

Quigley felt a lump in his own throat. "Porter, are you ready?"

There was barely any response from him except a pathetically whimpered, "Uh-huh."

Quigley attached the syringe to the injection tube and began to push the intentional overdose into D. Within a few seconds, the dog collapsed in Porter’s arms, and it was done.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the room; save of course Vincent who had no idea what was going on. Porter, knowing that it was over, rose unsteadily from the floor and leaned heavily on Rayna. His heart was broken and he no longer cared if the others saw how much he was hurt.

Quigley stayed on the floor and once assured that the dog was in fact dead, rolled him over onto his side and pulled open a panel on his abdomen. With quick precision, he removed the vital converter and then got up. He moved towards Vincent’s bed to complete the installation.

"Wait." Porter pulled away from Rayna’s embrace and turned to face Quigley. "I want to do it."

He didn’t protest in the least and handed the part to Porter as he came to Vincent’s side. Porter took the part, still warm from its use in D and got to the task of installing it. Even with his hands shaking as badly as they were, he got it hooked up within a few minutes. "There."

Shortly thereafter, the warning message within Vincent’s body went off, and he became more coherent. He looked up at Tifa and smiled.

Tifa in turn looked up at Porter, her eyes brimming with tears. "Oh God Porter, I can never repay you!"

Porter simply hung his head and shrugged. "I think I’m going to go now, if it’s okay." He took Rayna’s hand an walked out.

With the worst now over, Quigley inspected Vincent. "I’m going to have to still do a lot of little things, and get someone in here to weld some broken metal but the worst is behind us."

Vincent was still dazed from the drugs in him and had no real comprehension of what was taking place but feeling better and safe with Tifa close by, he allowed himself to fall off into sleep.