Chris Redfield clambered over more debris in the narrow hall, the sound of his own blood hitting the cold cement under him was unnerving and to someone else the whole predicament in which he found himself at the moment would be enough to induce insanity. But this was Chris Redfield and he'd been, incredulously enough, trained for this. He could almost laugh at the thought were he in a different state or a different time but now he found it difficult to think or bemuse or even breathe without the intensity of the situation bearing down on him, crushing him.

Right now he needed to find his partner as soon as he could, so he limped along and the whole building shook with yet another countless explosion and he stumbled, the blood pouring out of his body at a rate which made his eyes flutter and his fingers and toes go numb but he couldn't pay attention to that now, his partner was counting on him.

The explosion shook loose more debris which he again had to clamber over which he did slowly and doing his best to disregard the mind-numbing throes which pervaded his entire body. The rock, concrete and pipes were jagged and he did his best to get over them but found his strength leaving his body and fell over the obstacle coughing and doing his best not to go down directly on his head. He tried to get to his feet immediately, pushing his body to its limits. Once he struggled to his feet, feeling as though he were almost standing underwater as everything seemed so far away and muffled, he swayed, took a step and another then found he could no longer stand or walk. He collapsed to his knees he then quickly held out his hands in front of him to break his fall to his stomach, he cried out in pain his hands impacted hard on the stone beneath him, he was almost positive one of his wrists were broken while saving his partner from more falling rubble.

Chris fought to see through blood dripping into his left eye from a head injury he'd received from a BOW, he wiped his head and struggled to take breaths through lungs that felt as if they were filled with jagged shards of dirty glass. His head spun as he fumbled for his handgun out of instinct. He tried to look out in front of him as well as around him but he lay on the concrete floor on his stomach and it was difficult to observe his surroundings even from an upright position in the dimly lit corridor. He knew there was something embedded in the pervading darkness and he raised his gun with arms that shook and felt numb. Chris kept his trained eyes directed in front of him and tried to keep his ragged breathing as quiet as he could but to little avail. He tried to aim but into sheer blackness, fired a shot into the dark and felt it land in flesh; he heard a claw click on concrete and could almost congratulate himself on his marksmanship, almost. He struggled to listen over his rasping, harsh breath for any other sounds indicating what or where the creature would be but heard no other clues. Seconds stretched on and it was only unchanging silent darkness that he could see in front of him. When he finally detected movement above him it was all but too late, he barely had time to roll before a thrashing licker landed right where he was not one second ago, he fired again missed struggled to coordinate his aim with his damaged body, fired again as the crimson creature lunged at him and struck it directly in its glistening head. This deterred it minimally but where its massive claws would've struck his face they gouged his arm, he grimaced in pain and quickly fired again as the creature was dazed, he tried to fire again but no bullet left the gun, terror coiled around his heart and throat as he tried to reload as fast as he could but the licker knocked the gun out of his hand with its massive tongue, and reared up to lunge at him. Chris snarled and grasped his combat knife as the creature landed on top of him, with one hand he held it back and with the other he fumbled to free his knife. He yelled out as the creature's claws dug into his chest, even through his vest, and he shoved the knife into its abdominal, twisting it further and pulling it out again and again. The licker was dying on top of him as he repeatedly thrust the knife, twisted it and pulled it out over and over. He gasped in pain as he pulled the dead creature's claws out of his chest and off of his bloodied body.

Chris was lying on his back now and gasping for air; he spluttered and coughed through his own blood and fear. He flipped over on his stomach and tried to prop himself on his elbows so he could get to his knees but his injuries were severely limiting him. He looked around him and couldn't find any strength left to move his aching body. He flopped back down on his stomach against his own will. His vision was getting darker and his breathing was getting even more ragged, he cried out in pain. He knew he would black out soon, maybe even for the final time but he struggled against his own weary fatigue and pain accomplishing little as every move he made seemed to cause him unrelenting pain.

"Chris get up!" An all too familiar feminine voice called he snapped his head up to see the source.

"Jill?" He muttered before he coughed up more blood. How could she possibly be here, she was supposed to be hundreds of miles away on a different continent. Her blue lithe figure shimmered in front of him nevertheless, piercing eyes staring directly at him on one knee with that look on her face which was total uncompromising. She closed her mouth and didn't look away from him.

"C'mon Chris, your partner needs you. Now get up." She told him. He reached out a battered arm towards her which she did no more than regard; she shifted and looked at him still as he felt as if he were fading into unconsciousness or death.

"Chris! Get up, Chris!" She barked at him. Chris moved his aching and battered body, lifting it with arms that felt numb and heavy, he scrambled to get his feet underneath him and stumbled to move forward, failing once but moving along still.

"There you go, that's right Chris!" cried Jill almost gleefully. "You can do it, get to your partner, go." She stood and watched his progress with a half smirk. Chris didn't know how he was on his feet, he was pushing his body to its limits, but he decided to focus on freeing his partner, he knew that they were sealed in a room somewhere directly ahead of him and to the left. He was close fortunately, and he leaned against the wall with every step leaving a mess of bloody smears along the already eerie dark cracked walls.

He limped through the door immediately ahead of him and took a left where he knew his partner was locked in a room to which he had acquired the security key after much peril. Eventually he entered the room adjoining the one in which his partner paced, back to him, in frustration, he could see through a large green glass window and Chris could see the iron bars that had come down over the windows and other side of the door when his partner tripped the security by hacking into the database, the entire reason why they were here in the first place. Chris leaned heavily against the wall and fought to breathe deep, spluttering through blood and his partner turned immediately, rifle raised, upon noticing the commotion.

"Captain!" A smile broke out across his face as Piers shouted and pressed his hands against the glass. "I'm sure glad to see you." He laughed. Chris smiled then groaned in pain as he made his way over to the key reader, stumbling heavily. Piers soon looked intensely worried,

"Captain! Are you ok?" He yelled anxiously, Chris glanced at him grimly and inserted the keycard dreading the next step, he had to crank a wheel in order to release the iron security bars that had come down over the doors and windows, Chris didn't know if he had the strength left to turn the faded red steel wheel but he gripped it anyways. He panted and tried to turn it firmly but it didn't budge, Piers watched his progress with extreme concern.

"Captain…" He said, but Chris paid him no attention and tried to turn the wheel with arms that felt like noodles. He could practically hear Jill or the apparition of Jill or whatever it was encouraging him on and he tried to think of both his past and present partner counting on him as he turned the wheel as hard as he could in his present condition. It was enough to get the wheel moving at last he let out a sharp painful gasp. Piers pounded a fist against the glass,

"Behind you Captain!" He barked and Chris turned around almost falling to the ground. It was only a standard infected corpse which hobbled towards him a little too quickly for comfort, Chris raised his firearm and fired hitting the zombie directly in the head and when it didn't stop it immediately he fired again but found himself slipping to the floor and missed. Chris sat and shot again hitting the zombie in the torso and again in the head which put it down just as its reach was almost touching him. He breathed and cried out in agonizing pain as he wiped blood from his eyes, temporarily in a haze.

"Captain! Are you ok, Chris?!" Piers yelled and pounded on the glass furiously which shook Chris out of his momentary stupor. He clambered sloppily to his feet and began the work of turning the crank again knowing that where there was one infected zombie more would surely follow.

It took ages until the red caged light finally turned green and the bars were back in their original safe positions. Piers practically busted down the door once they were gone and rushed to his captain's side.

"Fuck, Captain…" Piers mumbled examining Chris' injuries and supporting him. "Here it isn't much but it'll hopefully make you feel better." He used what little was left of a green herb mixture to heal Chris, it wasn't even half of an herb left and it didn't do much for his pain but it made moving and standing much easier. Chris coughed and spluttered more blood, "We need to get out of here right now before the place is hit with more BOWs. We need to get you out of here." He said shuffling to support Chris so that they could walk, Chris stumbled and shook his head.

"Thanks Piers…" He said as they crouched down, "But I…" Piers' attention snapped to him. "I'm not… I can't… I think I'm done. You'd better go without me." He rasped finding it hard to meet his young partner's gaze. Piers shook his head fervently.

"No way Captain, there's no way I'm leaving you to die here. Especially not after you just saved my ass in the condition you're in. Now come on, we need to get the hell out of here now." He stood and forced Chris to stand with him. Chris yelled out in pain and frustration.

"Damnit Piers listen you can't carry me out of here just go. I'm as good as dead Piers just go please… I…" He coughed more and Piers began to walk with him out the way they came in, it was a long way to go and a hard way ahead. Piers leaned him up against a wall while he opened the next door and made sure all was clear. After he dispatched any remaining creatures he came back and tried to lift Chris again.

"Piers just leave, it's an order." Chris resisted, "I'm only going to get you killed too." He said breathing heavy. Piers looked at him angrily,

"Well, sir…All due respect but you might as well forget it because that's an order I'm not going to follow. You can either cooperate and help me get us the rest of the way out of here or you can be stubborn and really get us both killed but I'm not leaving your ass behind no matter how I have to get you out." He snapped tensely. "I'll drag you out if I have to…" Piers added as he reloaded. "If we can get to the heliport Leon is gonna rendezvous with us and we can get you help. Now are you with me, Captain?" He held out his arm to him and Chris couldn't help but feel sentimental for his partner. Piers wouldn't abandon him down here; Chris almost could have smiled through the immense pain he felt bearing down on him. He looked up at him and had to wipe more blood out of his face. He winced as he reached up to grab Piers' arm and Piers pulled him up.

Piers tried to begin walking but Chris broke away to try to walk on his own against the wall, Piers just rolled his eyes and jogged on,

"I'm gonna go see what's up ahead and try to make it easier for us to both get out of here unharmed, you follow and it'd be a lot easier if you'd let me help you so we can get out fast." He said. He gave Chris one last look before he ran out of sight.

"I'll be right up ahead, don't worry." He said once he turned a corner and Chris was leaning against a wall on his own.

Chris hated every minute of this, he knew it hadn't felt right and now he was dealing with the aftermath of a trap. He couldn't believe he'd allowed himself to be set up so easily but at least Piers had hopefully gathered some valuable intel from the security terminals, he wanted to scream and hit something for walking so blindly into an ambush like this one. He stumbled along the wall, trying not to let dizzying unconsciousness overpower him, at least he could move much easier now. He was following Piers' path when he heard gunshots, he knew the sound of Piers' rifle and it sounded rapid and close, it was followed by clashing and banging. Chris picked up his pace and tried to get to Piers as fast as he could making sure he was fully loaded along the way.

The next poorly lit room he went into he saw busted pipes jutting out from a wall and around them Piers was on his back holding back a licker with only his arms, Chris lined up a shot and fired hitting it squarely in the face, it fell off Piers with a thump and he grunted.

Two lickers remained alive and angry, one on the ceiling and one on the floor, both turning their attention to Chris who was leaning against the doorway and still trailing blood, he shot at the one on the ceiling while they reared up and lashed out their tongues menacingly, it took the hit in the back and seemed to just brush it off while the one on the floor leaped at him claws first, he dodged its attack and fired again at the one on the ceiling as he moved out of the way of another attack, it fell to the floor and joined its comrade as they hissed, bloodied saliva dripping between swords of teeth with pink flesh in between them. He landed two shots in one of their heads and fired at the other one and hit its torso, then as one fell back almost defeated the other whipped its tongue and sent Chris' handgun through the air, clattering against the grey concrete wall.

He immediately pulled out his knife, grabbed its tongue while it was in the air to strike him and cleaved its tongue in half. It let out a sharp loud screech and lunged at him, knocking him down to the ground sending an unbearable jolt of incredible pain through his entire body through his back and chest to his legs and arms. He landed on his bruised back and hit his head on the pavement and rapidly felt as though all awareness was leaving him as though through a drain, he fought to keep the monster from ripping his throat out. Piers fired into the monster with his assault rifle after he took care of the not completely dead other. The licker on top of Chris ceased its efforts only after its slow death. A ton of bright ruby blood had spilled from its severed tongue and Chris felt like puking from the foul smell. Chris moaned dully in pain, unable to see or think straight as his vision swam and faded amidst darkness. But Piers was crouching down next to him,

"Chris get up please! Don't black out on me Chris we need to leave, we can make it!" He pleaded desperately trying to get Chris back to full consciousness. He groaned in pain and confusion,

"J-Jill…?" He grunted. He vaguely saw her wavy blue figure standing over him.

"Chris get up, you have to fight." She seemed to say though only Piers was beside him. He found himself fighting to return to the present.

"Captain!" smiled Piers as he saw his partner struggle to sit up, Piers helped him. "Thanks for saving my ass again, let's keep going, I don't want you to die on me down here." Piers stood and put Chris' arm over his shoulder. Chris yelled out in pain, almost bringing hot tears to his eyes. Piers stomach tightened and his forehead wrinkled and furrowed even more with fear for his partner, he knew Chris needed to get to medical attention and fast but he didn't want to cause any more pain or damage. He just hoped that Chris would make it out alive and wouldn't die of blood loss.

"…I don't think I can…" His deep voice was cut off as he struggled to stay on his feet and groaned. "…walk." Piers was beyond worried,

"Shush, just save your strength ok? You're going to need it if we want to make it out of here. You can walk, you can do it come on Chris… please." Piers sounded desperate and the lickers had clawed him as well, he felt his side burn where the long scratches began to ooze blood, he was just thankful Chris was there to make sure they didn't do worse. They'd been battling BOWs almost since they walked into this deathtrap of a place, Piers knew they had been set up and he just hoped the data he had gotten was worth at least some of this mess.

Eventually the two were stumbling along almost out of the research facility which had felt more like an abattoir in hell. Piers grunted and wiped sweat from his brow.

"You ok?" Chris asked through gritted teeth, using his hand against the wall to support him while Piers helped on the other side; Piers grinned widely and let out a sharp breath, his handsome young face looked harsh in the dim fluorescence.

"I'm fine Captain, let's just focus on getting you out of here… we could both use the medical attention." He chuckled lightly as they staggered through the long dark hall, blood spilling from them both slowly. "You on the brink of death… and you still ask me if I'm alright." He gasped. Chris looked down, the seriousness of his own situation suddenly settling in his heart like a ton of bricks. Piers noticed this.

"I didn't mean it that way I just meant… Not that you're near death you know just… It's a-" Chris cut him off, getting agitated and uncomfortable with the way Piers was talking. "It's fine Piers." He said rather suddenly, it startled Piers. "Let's just keep moving." Chris said as a sharp pain made him gasp.

"Right…" he mumbled, trying to pick up the pace. He knew there was a helicopter waiting to pick them up if only they could get there in one piece and quickly.

The facility was hidden in what was made to look like an abandoned warehouse where researchers working with criminals could stockpile inactive BOWs as well as devices, information and other materials involved in the sale of BOWs on the black market. They had finally reached the open warehouse exterior which was barely still standing. Ice cold winter whipped them bitterly and Piers could just make out the area where the helicopter would land once the signal had been fired. Piers laughed though it brought him dull pain.

"We're almost out of here Captain!" He laughed jubilantly. Chris wasn't as interested; he couldn't help falling to his knees. Piers groaned, "Agh, alright you stay here" he said as he dragged Chris to sit up against the cold back wall of the warehouse next to the door they had just emerged from. "Meanwhile I'm sending up the signal flare, just watch our backs, we're not out of the woods yet." He said wishing to himself that their communications equipment hadn't been so damaged by the security inside which released a sort of electromagnetic pulse when he first tripped the security, rendering most of their technology useless. Piers hoped and suspected that the rest of his team was aware of this and were still ready to pick them up. He left the rickety interior of the warehouse through the wide barn-like doors instantly being covered with the cold snowy wind. He winced and doubled over as the cold stabbed the scratch wounds on his side. He snapped himself out of it quickly and he moved forward a good deal into the white nothingness, boots sinking in a foot of soft, cold snow. He used the flare gun and the grey sky was parted briefly by a line of brilliant bright red light and smoke, he watched the flare ascend and with it their salvation.

Piers decided to wait back inside with what little shelter the desolate warehouse had to offer. He looked for his captain, still slumped against the far wall; Piers felt a different iciness start to spread through him as he saw his partner's motionless figure, he sprinted to him.

"Chris!" He barked, feeling a rock hard lump develop in his dry throat. He screamed his name again his voice breaking as he neared Chris' body. He shook him violently and Chris shrieked loudly in pain and confusion. Piers felt half relieved, half guilty at seeing his partner alive but in agony. Chris cursed aggressively looking at Piers and breathing irregularly.

"It's ok Chris, I sent up the signal so we should be getting rescued any minute, just hold on ok!" He said shakily.

"Behind you." Chris choked through his own blood. Piers whirled and saw a pack of grey wolves appear from behind some splintered and smashed crates, their growling dripping maws gleamed and snarled as they came close to the pair. Piers aimed his rifle but he knew he wouldn't have nearly enough ammo to take out all of the wolves or even a quarter of them.

"Fuck." He muttered. Chris fired a shot from behind Piers then another and another, two of the bullets knocking down a wolf at least temporarily, Piers began firing sparingly at the largest of them, switching to any of the sprinting wolves that lunged or got too close but was knocked down as two leaped at him simultaneously. The mutated wolves ripped at his arms and stomach with their huge daggers for teeth that would shred through his body armor and layers in a matter of seconds, he kicked and thrashed like hell and tried to get to his feet but the dogs were immense and heavy.

Chris fired five more rounds both at the beasts that were chewing at his partner and the three encroaching on him. The bullets loosened their grip enough to where Piers could slide out from under them and find his knife though he doubted it would do much damage, he slashed the BOW that was gnawing to get to his stomach and the other tried to knock him down again but he set his knife between him and the wolf and its own momentum was enough to drive the knife deep into its stomach. He rolled away and back onto his feet, satisfied that the two would be out of order for some time and snapped his attention to his immobile partner. Half a dozen wolves were crowded around snarling and barking in a half circle around Chris and he couldn't do much, Piers picked up his rifle and sprayed them all careful of his partner and his ammunition but it was depleted by the time he got the wolves off of him.

"Here!" Chris yelled as he threw Piers his shotgun, allowing him to finish off a considerable number of wolves that had turned on him. Two leaped at him again but he sidestepped their attacks and began to fire again when he heard Chris' agonizing yell. He turned, determined to help his screaming partner but one of the wolves jumped on top of him knocking him down and pinning him to the ground on his stomach. He tried to aim and fire nonetheless at the two wolves attacking Chris and managed to kill one but ran out of ammunition before he could finish the other, Chris writhed and fought the wolf and finally broke its neck. Meanwhile the wolf on top of Piers was making short order of his body armor with its teeth and claws and suddenly he felt multiple searing, electrifying lines of pain as the wolf scratched the side of his back he yelped in eye watering pain as Chris' combat knife soared over his head at high velocity and landed embedded directly in the wolf's forehead, splitting it in a disgusting gore. Piers panted heavily, there were still a few wolves circling the two of them.

"…Piers…" Chris gasped breathlessly. It was enough to stir him enough to lift his head off the ground and stagger to his knees. He stumbled to Chris and tried to lift him by the arm but it felt as though his back was struck with lightning and he couldn't help but fall.

"My back…" He cried panting, "My back…" Chris shuffled to him,

"Come on…Piers." He said. "Just get out… of here…" He coughed. The grim, dark red blood looked stark against the thin white layer of snow underneath them. Piers knew he needed to fight to get through this agony like his partner had been doing since before he freed Piers from that room. He swallowed and clambered to his feet as quickly as he could; it wasn't so bad until he tried to lift Chris. He winced as another jolt of pain went through him but he staved it off as they stood and eyed the remaining creatures. Chris mumbled about leaving without him and began to seriously worry Piers due to his increasing heaviness and decreasing movement. Piers had reloaded the shotgun and now he was ready, he shot two of the wolves as he moved outside of the warehouse. He tried to increase their speed as he shuffled through the snow, the last of the creatures at their backs. He could hear the helicopter and it brought him a vast amount of joy, he couldn't help but smile as he spotted the helicopter set down forty feet away.

"Look Chris!" He yelled, "We're saved! Look!" He encouraged but Chris was bleeding and almost completely unconscious. Piers decided he would be exuberant for the both of them as he tried to go faster towards the destination.

He got nearly halfway there when Chris' strength failed him completely, he sunk down and collapsed on the ground. "No, Chris, no! Fuck! Just look at how close we are! Come on, get the fuck up Chris!" He shouted as he tried to hoist him again. His voice broke and tears threatened his eyes as he got no response, not even a 'leave me and save yourself'.

"Wake up Chris!" He yelled, "I'll drag you if I have to! Wake up!" He said through tears. Taking a hold of his arm and pulling. Piers couldn't move much through the snow and biting wind as he dragging Chris' body. Piers tripped and fell flat, not knowing whether or not he would be able to make it to the helicopter, he looked back at Chris' behind him and hoped to god he was breathing and still alive but somehow doubting it. His silent tears froze on his face and he didn't know where to turn next all he knew was that he was not giving up on Chris, not today, not ever.

Piers jumped, startled at the figure that towered over him, he lashed out at its legs at struck a blow.

"Ow geez! What the hell!" He heard the figure over him curse, he strained to see anything in the maelstrom of white and ice.

"This is the thanks I get for trying to rescue you two huh?" He said as he crouched down and Piers suddenly felt small in the strong hands of a robust Leon Scott Kennedy. "Wow you look like you took a beating, kid." He said as he tucked away his rifle and pulled Piers to his feet and pulled down a scarf from away from his mouth, "I almost didn't even spot you there, we've been searching for you two for some time you know, now let's go. Can you walk?" He asked, as he crouched down to Chris.

"Leon?" Piers said, his own tenebrous voice sounding distant to him. Leon was fixating on Chris.

"Geez he doesn't look good at all." He said lowly to himself, lifting Chris' arm over his shoulder after some time and effort. He grunted and glanced at Piers, "Are you just going to stand here all day with those wolves behind you? Or do you want to get the hell out of here." He looked towards the chopper. Piers snapped out of his daze and quickly rushed to help Leon support his incapacitated partner and they walked together towards the helicopter, Leon's fast pace causing Piers to stumble more than a few times. "No offense, but you may just be slowing me down, how about you hobble over to the chopper ok? You don't look so good yourself. I've got him." Leon said over the wind. Piers was reluctant to do so but had no other choice due to Leon's speed. He turned just to see that several wolves were no farther than ten feet away and closing in. He exclaimed in surprise and held up his shotgun, wobbling but ready, as they came closer he shot three direct hits. Piers felt better about buying Leon and Chris time to get to the helicopter.

Two more came bounding towards him and he took out one of them but the wind suddenly picked up and both he and the remaining wolf were forced to the ground, Piers was on his side and scrambled to get up but the wolf was quicker it snarled at him, standing practically on top of him. It growled and barked, unnaturally long jagged claws and teeth inching towards him, tentacles suddenly grabbed him and he yelped out, he tried to grab his knife but after slicing one tentacle off both his wrists were bound by two disgusting grey tentacles. He was so repulsed he might have puked, he never would've imagined he'd be facing off against a monster wolf with tentacles back when he was still training.

He kicked its face and the bruising grip of the tentacles loosened, he took advantage of this opportunity and tried to scramble backwards through the bleak wind and heavy snow, desperately clambering to his knees and reaching for his shotgun, he had just barely grasped it as he felt a thick mass close around his neck sending panic shooting through his head like adrenaline, it jerked his head back and his grip on the gun faltered but he didn't release it. The tentacle tightened around his neck and his oxygen was cut off, he eyes widened in alarm, he turned around to face the massive white wolf, it tightened its grip yet again and he choked receiving no air and feeling as though his whole body was useless and his throat thrummed a steady note of immediate and heart-stopping pain. He took aim as his vision started to grow dark, his eyes fluttered and he fired the shotgun. The buckshot only grazed the wolf, barely hitting but it was enough to tear the shredded tentacle at least off of his neck. The wolf howled in pain and its white fur was now mottled with dark red blood and half its face was only wet tissue and skull exposed. It split its head open to reveal more teeth and meat.

Piers gasped loudly and heavily for air, his throat burned and throbbed, his lungs stung with the large amount of freezing air. He crawled away from the creature as far as he could but it was getting ready to leap at him and do more than strangle him, It's one eyeball completely exposed and pulsating giving it a look of primal insanity. Just as he readied the gun it leap, if he hadn't fired into its gleaming dark vermillion maw when he did, it would have engulfed him in its many sharp teeth along its split head, but he blew it away and in a spray of blood and meat it flew back, dead.

He flopped down on his hands and knees, exhausted and disgusted. He wheezed and tried to breathe deeply, coughing and choking while he rubbed his tormented throat. He suddenly whirled to see four more wolves approaching fast; he was out of ammunition now. He braced himself but suddenly three exploded back in a hail of bullets. The third leapt but was also thrown back by automatic fire; Piers jerked his head up and behind him where Leon stood not far behind him holding his own assault rifle. He quickly rushed to Piers and yanked him up by his arm, Piers had some trouble standing. Leon looked grave,

"Let's get the fuck out of here." He said, Piers coughed nearly unable to speak.

"You came back for me." Piers choked out gratefully. "No need to thank me." He said with a light chuckle and hit Piers on the back amiably sending a rush of throbbing pain through his body and he doubled over. Leon winced as he examined and supported Piers, "I'm so sorry!" he said guiltily, his head snapped up as howling grew louder. "Come on buddy." He said as he started to run, dragging Piers along with him, stumbling and coughing nearly the whole way to the helicopter. Once he was inside he couldn't believe it, it felt like it had been ages since he was able to relax and feel any semblance of safety. He glanced over at Chris; a medic was tending to his various injuries including a nasty one on his head that was probably a concussion, as well as a pierced lung among others, he was still unconscious. The medic put an oxygen mask over his face.

"No, no don't die on me damnit." He barked. Piers sat up in worry and tried to move closer but Leon took a hold of his shoulder.

"There isn't anything you can do to help, Piers, except give him space to work on Chris." He said sadly. "You should take a rest as well you know…"

"Is he going to be alright?" Piers asked, he asked the medic more than Leon but he was busy giving chest compressions. Leon looked taken aback by the question and glanced at Chris. "I dunno… why don't you get some rest?" he said pushing Piers to lie back, Piers fought him but to no avail, it only made Piers become extremely dizzy.

"Leon…" He mumbled. "Don't… let…" Leon looked confused but pushed him back encouraging him to rest. Within minutes Piers was asleep and dreaming of attending Chris' funeral.

A muffled beeping was the first thing he heard when he awoke, it inspired a great fear in him that there was a type of bomb planted somewhere nearby that he needed to disarm, some device set up by bio-terrorists that he needed to deactivate so that he could save innocent peoples' lives. He sat up suddenly but slowly feeling as though there were cement blocks on top of his chest. He coughed violently and gasped for air, something deep inside him protested sharply, he felt as though he couldn't get enough air he kept heaving and rasping. The beeping increased in frequency, only increasing his state of panic.

"Chris, it's alright. Calm down." He quieted his breathing a bit hearing the sweetness of that voice. He looked around frantically, swinging his legs over the edge of the hard bed; he was barely able to see it was so dark. He smelled something like ammonia and chlorine. He panicked. He panicked even more when he felt something soft settle on his arm, out of instinct he withdrew, standing up through what felt like ten times normal gravity, and backing away and reaching for his handgun, his combat knife, any kind of weapon he usually kept but found that nothing was there, fear rose up within him. Then he saw her face, Jill.

"Jill?" He rasped, his deep voice hoarse. She smirked at him and he was suddenly extremely self-aware, he felt his face flush and he realized that he did not have much strength, he swayed and stumbled and suddenly Jill was by his side, she helped him back over to the bed and he sat down.

"It's alright Chris, you're in a safe place so just relax. You're in the BSAA recovery ward…" She tried to keep the worry out of her voice but didn't succeed well but he barely noticed. His eyes scanned the room, stomach still seized by the hard grip of alarm. Jill put her hand on his face and he stopped and looked at her, feeling a tingling shock in his lower abdomen that had nothing to do with his injuries.

"Just breathe, that's it. Don't worry." She smiled softly. He swallowed nervously and began to feel a little bit more at ease, his eyes downcast. He winced as another sharp pain spiked through him and the heaviness on his chest grew, he doubled over in pain. Jill stood and helped him get lying down in bed, muscles still stone and tensed as ever.

"You need to calm down, take deep breaths. Your body took a beating… Just relax would you? Or does someone here need to drug you to make you relax, hmm?" She threatened. He was in too much pain to pay her much attention but he gripped her arm,

"No. Don't." He managed to say. She looked down at him, eyes shining. No, that couldn't be, not Jill. He touched her with both hands.

"Is that really you Jill?" He asked lowly, his throat was raw and his voice was like gravel. She sat on the bed and hugged him lightly, barely touching him for fear of hurting him even more. He felt her shudder and put his arms around her as well, pulling her closer to him even though it pained him enough to make his eyes sting.

"Uh-huh. It's me alright." She whispered evenly. It was night, he noticed the darkness of the tiny room illuminated by only the cool silver light of the moon outside the window. Besides his bed there was only medical equipment and a solitary square cushioned chair where it was obvious Jill had spent quite some time and had most likely been sleeping before he had awoken. She pulled away and wiped her face, he had never seen Jill this way before, she was as much of a warrior as he was and he only ever seen her as that, a strong warrior and he knew his view of her wouldn't change even if she cried a thousand tears.

He knew Jill had been recuperating from the events in Africa when Wesker had brainwashed her into a slave, she was still on leave while he had been on his mission in Europe. She sighed,

"I'm sorry…Your injuries were so bad. You know… you died Chris, almost twice." She explained. He blinked, not knowing what to make of it.

"Is Piers ok?" He asked anxiously. She nodded silently, which sent relief coursing through him. After a long pause he replied:

"Well… At least I'm not a zombie." He remarked with a slight smirk. At first Chris was more scared of Jill's reaction than he ever could've been about any flesh-eating creature but after a while she eventually smiled and looked down with a slight giggle.

"You're an ass Chris." she murmured and he felt his tense muscles loosen a bit though he couldn't seem to shake the feeling of alarm he felt when he woke up and despite his best efforts to hide it Jill still sensed it but then, Chris surmised, that's what happens when two people are partners over the course of so many years. He sat up again putting his feet off of the edge of the bed as if to get off but Jill stopped him, he slouched in defeat.

"What is it Chris? What's wrong? I told you this is a safe place." Jill said carefully. He shook his head and immediately regretted it as his head began to swim dizzyingly, his head pounded and he groaned. She put one arm around his back and grabbed his arm, minding his wrist. He put his head in his hands.

"You see…" She started to say demurely, "This is exactly why you need to rest and take it easy." Chris lifted his head to look at her and sat up.

"You want me to 'take it easy'? After all the shit we've both seen, can you really ever just take it easy?" He replied. "How am I supposed to take it easy, how do you take it easy? I'm not even sure what that means anymore after… everything." He said wistfully as if to no one in particular. She drew back, he hadn't meant to sound harsh but his head felt like it was being pounded on by a stone and he thought that she would understand after they had both been doing this for so long.

"Yeah, well… I know it isn't easy but you have to Chris. If you come out of a mission in the condition you were in, you can't expect to just get right back up again and expect your body to be totally fine without any downtime." She said bitterly.

"What are you mad at me for being injured?"

"Of course not, I-"

"I just thought you of all people would've understood why I can't just relax like everything is fine, after The Mansion, the Zenobia, and Kijuju-" He was interrupted by an extreme shortness of breath along with a coughing fit. Jill got up and started to gather her things and stood at the doorway then she turned to look back at him, he held out his hand, still coughing and wheezing for breath.

"See you, Chris…" She said reluctantly, anger fading into sympathy as she watched him struggle for breath and then try to stand.

"Wait…" He rasped, still trying to get up. "I'm s-" he was again interrupted by shortness of breath. His bandages were dripping blood. Jill threw her things down hurriedly.

"Will you just lay down now before you tear something or something." She said. "This is why I wanted you to try to take it easy. Or am I… Or are your partners and I the only ones who actually care about your health?" She stated aggressively gesturing at his bleeding wounds.

"…I'm sorry. I didn't mean… I know that you're right but…" He gasped. Her heart softened for him upon hearing his sincere tone.

"Ah, don't worry about it." She replied after a minute, she sat next to him, "You don't ever usually act like that. You're in a lot of pain I'm sure..." She looked at the blood dripping down his side and chest. She reached for some clean wipes and started to clean up the blood a little bit, seemingly transfixed by his musculature as his sculpted and scarred body moved with his erratic breathing. She shook her head and snapped out of it, avoiding his gaze and slightly embarrassed. He looked down at her, trying to hide a grin.

"Your hair is back to normal. It looks good this way." He remarked at the darker color, unknowing of what caused him to. She looked as if she didn't know what to make of that. He began to get worried he'd overstepped his bounds. "I mean… I'm sorry, I just… I didn't mean as in, just, ah…"

"Thanks, Chris." She replied with a small but subtly coquettish smile as he fumbled. He laughed awkwardly sending a sharp pain through his aching body. Jill looked at him with concern but he brushed it aside.

"I'm-I'm sorry." He croaked. She got up, to his dismay, and walked over towards her things. "It's alright." She said quietly, back to him she gathered up her belongings. She turned towards him in the doorway, demeanor classically serious Jill.

He tried to remove the look of worry and apprehension from his face and succeeded. He didn't want her to leave at all but the last thing he wanted was to keep her here because of him, foremost he didn't want her to worry about him. He laid back in the bed as an attempt to ease her worry, she recognized this with a grateful eye though he still leaned forward in her direction. She almost didn't recognize the battered and bruised man who had saved her life and whose life she herself had saved so many times sitting before her in a state so poor. Even through the bruises she could still glimpse the intense but puppy-dog like face of her old partner; she felt something stirring in her at the sight of him that made up her mind that it was time she went home. She smiled weakly at him,

"See you tomorrow. Try to get some sleep, you'll need it." She opened the door and walked partially out, risking one last glance behind her. "Take care of yourself." And with that she was gone.

At first Chris felt a minor wave of loneliness strike him. He sat up in bed but his chest and abdominal pain limited his movements. He sighed morosely to himself and yawned in the emptiness of the room and decided that it was best to do as Jill asked and get some sleep.