4. March

March 2nd, 1998

One of the strangest –and perhaps one of the most disturbing- things occurred today. Oddly enough, it had absolutely nothing to do with my research, but with my fellow scientists.
I had just woken up when I stumbled out of my room, dressed but half-awake, all the way to what I thought was the door of the lounge. It was odd because I heard voices on the other side of the door, so naturally, I opened it.
It took me several seconds to realize that my good friend Michael appeared to be –pardon my choice of words- sucking Mary's face off.
He suddenly stopped and looked at me like a deer in the headlights, his eyes seeming to become as large as dinner plates. Poor Mary, she was mortified.
"Hey…Jon!" Michael said in a friendly tone, which I knew would soon turn into some sentence involving "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." He walked out of what I then realized was one of the lab's many maintenance closets, and put his arm around my shoulders, leading me away from Mary, who soon darted away from us. "You don't have to mention this to Morioka, you know?"
"Why would I? Your dirty secret is safe with me, Mike." I replied.
"Don't say it like that!"
"But it's the truth." I said, obviously jesting.
He took his arm away from me and looked me straight in the eye.
"Please…" He said very seriously. "Don't mention this to anyone?"
I nodded, understanding.

"No way! Mike was making out with Mary!?" Phil exclaimed loudly with a mouth full of oatmeal at breakfast. He then stared at me for a brief moment. "Man, you suck at keeping secrets, Jon."
I sighed. "It just came out…"
"Don't worry" Phil added. "I won't tell anyone else."

Later that day, whilst I was walking back to my room, I found myself and Jason were traveling in the same direction.
"So" Jason began. "I heard about the lovebirds in the maintenance closet this morning."
"Oh, yeah" I said. "Wait…who told you about that?"
"Phil. Who else?"
I stopped, dumbfounded, in the middle of the hallway. But Jason, not seeming to care, continued walking onward.
Damnit, Phil…
It was that day I had learned that Phil was notorious for his troublemaking and surreptitious ways (Even if he didn't steal…) Despite this, he acted like an innocent child. What strange behavior for a scientist.

March 4th, 1998

I've experienced the same dreams again and again for days now. And I am quite sure I have never seen the woman that seems to be at the center of them all.
I've grown tired of this redundant schedule that I must live by every single day…and I long to be in contact with my family. Though I am not married, and I have no children, my parents and sisters are still very important to me. I cannot believe that the higher-ups will not even allow us Researchers to call our loved ones once in a while, to let them know that we are alright.
While speaking about the matter with Phil, he enlightened me on the lives of my fellow Scientists.
"Well, I'm not married, either. But there is a pretty girl that I would like to ask out some time." He continued. "Mary and Michael are both single, obviously…" chuckling, he went on. "Jason is in that awkward state of being divorced with two kids. From what I've heard, though, the Mrs. was a hellcat. Good kids, though…"
"What about Morioka?" I asked, curious.
"You know, I'm not really sure. He doesn't talk much. Not to us, not to anyone."
"That's strange."

March 8th, 1998

"Jon, follow me." Phil whispered, suddenly beginning to pull me along. I wasn't sure what time of day it was anymore. I had lost track hours ago.
"What is it?" I asked.
"My research, you fool! What else?"
"Of course, I apologize."
Phil and I had become very good friends lately, and quite honestly, I was very interested in his research. Yet his eagerness was rather unsettling.

When we arrived at his work area, I immediately looked over at the large cylinder that was filled to the brim with the T-virus. What was once a single cell that had been unseen was now the size of my fist.
"I hope you're careful in here." I began. "That large an amount of the T-virus is deadly."
"I know. You don't have to worry about me, I know what I'm doing" He said, walking over to a desk in the far corner of the room and then returning with a notepad and pen.
I remember that it was eerily quiet in that room. Only the soft sound of the bubbling tank before me reached my ears when no words were being spoken.
"You haven't told me what you're trying to do." I stated plainly, growing slightly suspicious.
"Yes I have." He replied.
That was right. …Even creating life…
"What sort of life?" I asked.
"Human life."

March 11th, 1998

I remember that afternoon clearly. The hands on the clock had moved so slowly… and now, Phil was only minutes away from dying.

It had all started out normally enough. Another day in the lab, that was all. Then, after about a half hour spent in the lounge, Mary strolled in, informing Phil and I that we were needed in the lab. Naturally, we went.

We arrived several minutes later in the large white room where another strange creature was being kept. It was resting several meters behind the thick glass observation window, its eyes still open and gleaming like pieces of coal. It resembled a toad with mutated human legs, but after what I had already seen in this facility, I was no longer surprised.
Morioka and another man whom I did not recognize were standing in the corner when they noticed our arrival.
"Oh, good, you're here." Morioka said plainly. "This thing has been causing us some worry."
The stranger spoke next. "It hasn't been eating anything. We believe it to be dead."
"What would you have us do?" I asked.
I would have never guessed that Phil would be within the reach of death in the next five minutes. I had known it would be extremely risky, yet I played along anyway…
"We need someone to retrieve a blood sample. But the Keepers aren't trained well enough to take care of this sort of thing" the stranger replied.
"Are you kidding me?" Phil suddenly cut in. "That's practically suicide! What if that thing isn't dead?"
Morioka stared him down for a moment before replying. "Then Umbrella would only lose a single worthless Researcher, Mr. Osipher. This is part of your job, and if you refuse to do your job, then I will have no choice but to report you to the higher-ups."
Silence ensued before Phil and I reluctantly agreed.
"Why do you need a blood sample, anyway?" I inquired.
"So that we will be able to discover what went wrong."

With gun in hand, Phil and I made our way toward the back door of the creature's enclosure. Slowly, I opened the door, and Phil walked in ahead of me. We could see Morioka and the stranger staring at us from behind the glass. What cowards…
"Ready?" I asked Phil, who seemed eager to get it over with.
He nodded, hesitantly. I did not blame him; I was frightened beyond imagination as well.
Phil made his way across the room very slowly, never taking his eyes off of the toad like creature. He dared not look back.
My fingers danced over the trigger what seemed to be a thousand times, my gaze never leaving Phil's back.
Phil was now approaching the motionless creature. His hands beginning to shake, clutching a single syringe.
And then the creature's coal-like eyes widened, revealing its true state.
I had no time to warn my best friend before death lunged at him, grasping his shoulders like prey with its massive claws.
My memory grows clouded here. For I only recall pulling the trigger once. However, two bullets were fired.
The first struck the coal-eyed creature directly in between the eyes.
It fell to the ground, writhing and screeching like a fallen demon. It did not rise, and soon fell into a cold silence.
The location of the second was revealed to me when Phil turned to look at me, and then collapsed to the ground. Blood began to pool around his chest almost instantly.

In less than two minutes, Phil was lying on a stretcher, quickly being rolled through the halls of the Arklay laboratory. My hands were covered in sweat, nothing but guilt filling my mind. His blue eyes were still half-open. They seemed to recall a tragic memory or a faded sky on a winter day. Would I be the one to end the light in those eyes?
Before I even realized it, Mary stopped me in my tracks.
"Wait here, Jon." Mary commanded, blocking my path.
I pointed after Phil weakly. "But…I…"
"Just wait here!"
I did so, no longer possessing the will to move my own two feet.
I watched in disbelief as Phil was hurried to the helicopter pad, wondering if I had just murdered my closest friend.

March 17th, 1998

For days I had wallowed in my own guilt, anxiously awaiting news of Phil's condition. Mary was the one to finally ease my worry the slightest degree.
Phil was alive; in serious condition, but alive. He was in a hospital over in Raccoon City.
Michael soon came to see me about what had happened.
"Morioka told me that it was only an accident." Michael began. "That is what happened, right?"
I nodded. It was the truth.

March 23rd, 1998

Today, after a long day of work, I stopped by Phil's quiet section of the laboratory. The cell had grown even larger, now about the size of a watermelon.
I walked over to his desk in the corner, where I had seen him pick up a notepad before. I stared at the notes, fascinated with every detail.
Soon enough, I had found that I'd picked up the entire notebook, and walked out, my mind heavy with wonder.

Whether you live or die, Philip…your work will never be forgotten. I promise you this much.