Dead. Why aren't I dead? I'm alive?
There was no hope left in the man, to him, it didn't matter that he was still breathing. It wouldn't be too long before his life came to its end. Either by the virus infecting his body or the sharks that lured in these waters.
All that matters is...that he saved his Captain from sharing the same fate as him, he was safe.
Chris.
The sun wasn't kind on the injured man, beating down on him harshly and burning his sore skin, water pruning his body in a painful way. How long has he been in the water? Hours? Days? Piers winces as he opens his good eye up at the clear blue sky, was it all over? Did they do it? Did Sherry and Jake succeed in making a anti-virus? Was Chris safe back at the B.S.A.A?
God, he couldn't even imagine how his Captain was doing. He knew how protective his captain was with his men, specially his partners and...Chris must be devastated.
I'm so sorry, Captain.
Piers bit his bottom his lip and squeezes his eye shut, he knew how badly Chris handles with losing his men and he did that without hesitation. Guilt fills his chest, the look on Chris's face and when he begged him to go with him, ordered him to go with him...the first time he ever disobeyed one of his orders. A weak smile forms on the ace's lips, at least he went down protecting his captain. As long as he was safe, that's all that mattered.
Unconsciousness seeps into his mind and drags him under.
The feeling of rocks and minerals against his back doesn't slip his notice, rolling his head to the side like some old rag doll and looking at the blur landscape of what looks like a side of a river bank? No, some sort of shore line. Birds could be heard in the distance but apart from that, he couldn't tell if he was near the city or not but still in China for sure.
Piers tries to turn on his side but finds himself too weak to move, even tries to move his legs to least push himself farther up the bank to get out of the tide but struggles, only able to move his toes. A pitiful noise leaves his lips and it doesn't even sound human, sending a chill up his spine. The infection was spreading but slowly, a lot slower then it normally would with the others he's encounter with.
"Sir? Sir?" He faintly hears, Piers blinks his tired eyes. He can feel someone shaking his shoulder gently. "Can you hear me?"
"Dave, get away from that thing!" Someone else says, "Just leave it."
"Just shut it." Dave snaps, placing his hand on his blistered cheek then trailing it down to his pulse. "He's still alive, he needs to get to a hospital." Dave slides his arm underneath his head to cradle his head, "Can you hear me? Do you speak English or Chinese?"
"He doesn't look Chinese, is he in uniform? Maybe he's from the military?" Piers opens his lips but nothing leaves them, "Whatever he was, I think he's turning into one of those monsters."
Last thing the soldier hears before he passes out again.
Patient seems to be suffering from severe sunburn, dehydration and infection. The virus has caused mutation and is spreading from his arm to his back. Right eye also is infected with the virus, the scans indicate it hasn't reached the brain.
A breath of relief left the man's lips as he lowers Pier's chart into his lap, the entire way up here he'd been tense and expecting the worse of the worse.
He'll recover from this, he has too.
...Piers will be ok.
"Mr. Redfield?" Chris looks up from hearing his name being called and sees a Doctor walking in his direction, getting onto his feet, he greets the him.
"How is he? Is he ok? Can I see him?" Chris bit his lip upon speaking a little too quickly and hearing the worry in his own voice. Dr. Yin, one of the very little doctors who could speak English, rest his hand on his shoulder.
"He's fine, hasn't woken up yet but he'll recover." The Doctor takes the charts from the other and flips through the papers and looks back to him. "The anti-virus we've been given has stabilized and killed off most of the infection and won't continue to spread but..."
"But?" Chris raises a brow, "he'll be fine right?"
"Yes, of course but the damage already done by the virus can't be reversed. Nothing more can be done about the mutation of his arm and right side of his body, the only other option is to amputate."
"No,"
"Mr. Redfield, I hardly believe that's your cal-"
"If it's not life threatening then leave it be," Chris's hands turn to fists at his side, Piers had enough limbs torn off as it is.
"...Alright, then all there's left is to wait for him to wake up." The doctor's pager comes to life so he pulls it off his belt and reads it before placing it back. "I've got to go but if you want to see him, he's just through that door."
"Thank you," Chris bows his head before making his way to the door down the hall.
The room was dark on the inside, only sounds were the beeps from the monitors and the AC running in the ceiling. Chris quietly shut the door behind him, eyes never leaving the sleeping figure on the bed. He could slightly make out the features but he knew it was his partner.
Piers.
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