Rebecca let out a sigh, tilting her head back. She closed her eyes, and stretched her arms, linked by her hands, over her head. It was the end of yet another grueling day. Being a rookie of the STARS Bravo team was never easy, but she was up to the challenge, even if that challenge got to be a little more than she was willing to handle at times. She blushed subconsciously as she remembered once cracking under pressure. She had been ordered to fulfill complex procedures at a much quicker pace than she had been accustomed to, and it the result had been less than satisfying.
A week ago, Chambers had been involved with a training run that had involved her dragging a wounded member of her team (or rather, a dummy) to safety, and healing him while in the middle of a pitched firefight between local law enforcement and a drug cartel. One half of the Bravo team had played the "good guys," while the other had been assigned the role of the "bad guys." The exercise hadn't been done only for Chambers' benefit; she had known better than to flatter herself. Captain Marini had set it up to also serve the purpose of reinforcing counterattack techniques, and increasing both speed and stealth in the reconnaissance field.
Rebecca had done well on the rescuing part. Speed and agility were her allies. Unfortunately, rapidity, at times, turned on her. She had been flustered, knowing very well that after this task's completion, she had had to jump back into the fold, gun blazing, and assist the others. That, and the fact that this had been the first time for her in a fast-paced, action-filled environment, had made her get off-kilter. Of course, she had been informed of the procedure's elements beforehand, but hearing of them and actually experiencing them had been two completely different things. As a result, Chambers had fumbled in her pack for way too long to find the astringent needed for cleaning her "team member's" gunshot wound. Rebecca had been given a stopwatch to wear on her wrist with firm instructions to start it at the beginning of the drill, and stop it once the dummy had been "healed." Rebecca had resisted the urge to stop it before she had finished, but she had known that dishonest conduct would not have boded well for a member of STARS.
The astringent, as it had turned out, had been in the pack she had remembered originally placing it in. It had slipped into an inner pouch, and remained lodged there even when she had tried overturning the pack in desperation, and dumping it. The task had been completed, but that hadn't been enough to waive the fact that she had taken far too long. Captain Marini had sternly lectured her on how she could have cost a fellow officer's life, had it been the real thing. She had taken the vocal cuff around the ear with a grain of salt, and held her poise, promising to improve herself. Inside, however, she had felt much more willing to crawl under the nearest chair.
"Napping on the job?" Aiken's joke and the dropping of a rather thickly-bound leather volume on her desk brought Rebecca back to the present.
She studied the cover for a moment, and groaned. It was the STARS handbook. "That's not even funny, Richard."
He smiled. Leaning a little to the side, he held out his hand. "That's a little harsh, isn't it? You don't even know why I brought it here."
Her eyes widened, and she put a hand to her forehead, vigorously rubbing her temples. The arm that was connected to the hand landed on her desk. "Don't tell me I forgot about a certain protocol!"
"No, no, no! It's nothing like that!" Richard quickly reassured.
She lowered her hand to see him waving his own at her with an expression that begged her trust. He continually mouthed no, and shook his head. Clearly, Aiken had caused the opposite of what he had wanted to occur. Rebecca gave him a sheepish smile. "Sorry. What is it, then?"
He let out a breath, his features loosening to form a calm face with a genuine smile as he opened the book, and pointed into it. She leaned forward, and saw an index card wedged inside. Etched on it in red ink was one word: Relax. "Don't let what happened last week get to ya. You're doing a lot better, and you're learning quick," he reassured as she picked up the card, her smile widening into a grin.
"Thanks," Rebecca replied, her relief plain to hear. Aiken was a good friend to have on Bravo team. He was supportive, but at the same time, a little critical. He didn't take to slacking well, and if a team member needed help doing his or her part, he gave that person a constructive nudge in the right direction.
He shook his head with a small laugh. "Don't thank just me. The guys think that, too." She turned in the direction of the other desks, and gave a small cry to see that the group of officers who had once crowded the room had thinned out by a good amount. Forest Speyer gave a small wave. He was leaning against his own desk while looking over a few rather boring papers in his hands, given his expression. Edward Dewey smiled at Rebecca before taking a sip of his coffee. Brad Vickers' head was angled away from them as he threw a wad of a paper at the already overflowing waste basket. Dewey asked him why he didn't just empty it altogether.
The blinds to the windows were drawn. Rebecca remembered seeing rays of afternoon sunlight filtering through them the last time she looked. "I guess I kinda let time get away from me," she murmured, rising from her chair and placing the note card in her pocket for safe keeping.
Richard nodded in understanding as she tidied up her desk. "Went through the same thing when I was new. Don't worry, you'll get track of the time soon enough."
"I hope so," she replied as she turned off her desk lamp.
After grabbing their things, and wishing those remaining in the office good night, Chambers and Aiken departed from the station. A small breeze kicked up, causing Rebecca to shiver a little, hugging her shoulders. "So much for it being April."
Richard smirked. "I won't be expecting it to change until July."
"Oh, I hope not," she responded, "It's a bit of a way home for me."
"In that case…" Richard dug in his pocket, "You wanna grab something on the way with me? I'm starved." Rebecca turned toward him. It had been a while since she'd really had a chance to spend time with a friend. During her university years, she'd spent many nights poring over her textbooks, and very few attending festivities. It had been to her benefit, even though she had wished for more social time. She'd known the men of her team at face value, her relationships with them extending only as far as her working hours would allow. This was something different altogether, but she didn't mind. It would give her an opportunity to get to know him better. Aiken held up a wad of cash, grinning. "I'll buy if you'll cover for me next time."
"I think I'll take you up on that offer," Rebecca replied, returning the grin as the two exited the perimeter of the station.
XXXXXX
They took their meal in a standard sandwich shop he knew, not that Rebecca wished to complain. She was more concerned about obtaining sustenance, rather than the quality of the food. Besides, that would also mean less to pay back to Richard. It was nice to really get to talk with him. They had their conversations while on duty together, but they had been fleeting due to the fact that work had come first. While sitting at a worn booth, its plastic table covered in napkins, ketchup and mustard packets, cups, and discarded food packaging, the two discussed a variety of topics. Some were longer or shorter, depending on preference of either party. Rebecca only made little references to the advanced biochemistry she so excelled in, since it easily was going over Richard's head, while he took care to keep his voicing his interest in sports clipped because it bored her.
"Can I ask a question?" Rebecca prompted as she pushed the wad of paper that had once held her wrap aside.
"Sure," he replied, taking a generous sip of his drink.
"Why'd you want to become a member of the STARS?" She hoped the question didn't sound too personal, but she supposed it was appropriate, considering the fact that he mentioned being a rookie to her.
Aiken put down the cup with a sigh, and looked out past the tables that housed a few patrons toward the window. Cars passed at intervals, their headlights casting eerie flashes. Pedestrians walked tiredly beside the road. She considered retracting her question until she saw a faraway look forming on his face. "This might sound a little corny, but it was because I didn't like bullies when I was younger," turning back to her, he added, "For a long time, I used to be the little guy. I got picked on because of that," he shrugged, "It wasn't right, but that's what kids do." Rebecca nodded knowingly. She remembered being left out on more than one occasion in public school because of her intellect. It had felt as if she was being punished for being who she was.
He frowned. "You're gonna laugh at this, but I actually got intimidated when I was younger. I was afraid of going to school because I didn't want to get beat up."
She gave a sad smile, and extended her hand toward him across the table. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. I understand."
He acknowledged her gesture by taking it for a moment, his face softening, and then letting go. "Mom and Dad didn't want me to go without having friends, so they got me into baseball. I found out what it was like to be on a team. Yeah, there were times when we got so tired of each other, we were ready to throw in the towel, but at the end of the day, we were in it together. We had each other's backs. Suddenly, going to school and facing a few punks didn't seem so bad." The nostalgic light began to fade from Richard's eyes as he concluded, "That's why I'm a part of the STARS, Rebecca. I want to protect those who're treated badly for just being different." Chambers smiled. It wasn't corny at all. If anything, it made him seem more realistic to her. She only saw the end product of all of those years, the protective man he was. She never saw what he was before. It was so far from what he was now, but still, so close.
Richard changed the subject with a more upbeat voice. "My turn for a question."
Rebecca folded her arms comfortably. "Okay, go ahead." She was actually looking forward to giving parts of her inner self away. It helped to establish more of a connection with him.
"Why were you interested in biochemistry?"
She hugged herself a little more closely. "You know, you're not the first one to ask that, and you probably won't be the last. I guess the person who really got me into it was my grandmother. My mom and dad were usually pretty busy, so she took care of me while they were away. She used to be a nurse when she was younger, and I wanted to follow after her," Rebecca rubbed the back of her neck, "I've been pretty good with math and science for as long as I can remember, so I set off in that direction. I used to get asked why I wasn't into easier things, but it was my choice."
Richard raised an eyebrow. "That's crazy!"
She sighed. "Sometimes people just don't like it when you're better at some things than they are."
He shook his head. "Well, I like it." Rebecca beamed. He didn't know how much that meant to her. She patted the index card in her pocket. It had done her well to come with him. She could only hope that she could repay his kindness in full. Richard Aiken certainly was a wonderful man to know.
XXXXXX
Unfortunately, she never did get her chance to repay him. The following month, reports of bizarre, gruesome killings reached the station, and one thing led to another in a disturbing chain of events that culminated in one horrific July night at the abandoned Spencer Mansion. Rebecca cradled Richard's head in her arms, watching helplessly as he writhed in anguish from his wounds. The venom was painfully draining his system of strength, while much-needed blood oozed out of him. She had woken back up to a nightmare after collapsing on that bed in this menacing house. He had provided a sort of shelter from its resident monsters by simply being there for her.
Shelters break. The malicious serpent's fangs had destroyed Aiken's strong body in one stroke. It served as a cruel reminder that he was still only a man. Chambers couldn't allow herself to cry. He wouldn't want her to do that. She'd done everything in her power to try and save him. Captain Marini would be proud of her. It was in Chris Redfield's hands now.
Richard's hand clenched hers tightly. He wasn't ready to leave. She could see the life brimming in his eyes. He was shattered, but his spirit still reared its proud head. His lips curled up in a small smile. She smiled back in spite of it all. The shadows were encroaching on him, yet he clung to her, the very woman he had so selflessly shielded. Rebecca found that little boy in those eyes, the innocent who so fervently believed in the strength of the team. She wondered if he saw the little girl in hers, the bright-eyed youngster who wanted to do her family proud. Richard opened his mouth. She shook her head. "Don't talk."
A challenge shone out at her through his eyes. He mouthed a single word to her, a word that stood out as bright as the crimson blood that spilled from him. A strange, choked noise issued out from Rebecca. She couldn't bear to lose him, too. She turned her head toward the hall, which seemed to stretch out imposingly before them. "Chris…Please, hurry."
XXXXXXX
Rebecca closed the final drawer of her desk before pushing the chair in. She had just successfully cleaned it out, and removed the name plate. Turning, she took a final sweeping gaze of the room. She thought she would cry, overcome with memories, but she didn't. Instead, she felt hollow inside, numb from the knowledge of Captain Wesker's betrayal, and the fact that she was the only surviving member of the Bravo team. She had made new friends during the mansion incident, and grown as a person, but at a terrible cost. Nightmares still plagued her of Dewey, his mental facilities shot, attacking her as a zombie, and Richard slipping away as she held him.
Chambers closed her eyes against the memories. For a moment, she could almost feel the room exploding into activity again, the faces of the men long gone reappearing as if nothing had happened. When she opened them, she saw nothing had changed. That part of her life was over now. Fury raged inside of her as she wondered if Captain Wesker, no, just Wesker, had been proud of himself for having their blood soaking his hands.
Rebecca paused at one desk to stare down at the plate that remained, its owner unable to remove it himself. A bittersweet smile formed on her face as she thought of that windy night in April, when Richard Aiken had asked her to dinner with him. It was just one little night, but she cherished it as one of her best memories. She would move on, but she would bear the legacy of her comrades. Bravo team had once faced complete obliteration, but now the spirit of team would live on in her.