Chapter 10

Smoked

New York Memorial Hospital, 2003

The last 5 years had been hard on Andrea. She was only 26 years old and she couldn't forget her past. She couldn't leave it behind her. After she had been shot, her life was hell. Andrea had lost something she never new she wanted. She was going to take it to the clinic, to fix the problem. She was only 22, she wasn't ready. For it, she tried to convince herself. She remembered the first night at the hospital. How the doctor had told her that it was gone. She had sacrificed her baby to save another's.

She used to sit at home and wonder what if she hadn't been there. It was a stupid question. She already knew the answer. Don Hanks, would be alive. The city of Elko, Nevada. Would have been wiped of the face of the world. Just as Raccoon City had. Sherry Birkin would be dead, but she'd be a mother. She'd still be married, she wouldn't have seen the sight of a mans head concave into itself. She'd be a normal person. Living without her guilt.

It hung over her head every single day. Even after therapy, even after the award. But, she had one person that she trusted and loved. And, that was Sherry. Sherry was smart and kind and innocent. That's what she liked about her the most. When she walked thought the FBC with Sherry. She was looked at weird. But, Sherry looked at her as a role model, someone who saved her. Not the murderer, she believed she was.

Andrea had a hard day, the looks she got bringing her down. At this point in her life she thought she had no other choice. It had been 5 years. So she took the pills for her depression. The whole bottle. And was left with her head spinning around her apartment. But, it hadn't worked because, the one person she loved, saved her.

She woke up the next day in a clean hospital room. Sherry was turning 17 this month but, Andrea still saw a innocent little girl when she looked at Sherry. Sherry's eyes widened as Andrea slowly pulled herself up to sit. She spoke softly to Andrea.

"Andrea, what were you doing?" She looked down at her lap then stared into Andrea's eyes. Andrea hated it, the look Sherry always gave her when she was disappointed.

"I..." She stuttered as she spoke. "I'm sorry." She said feeling pathetic in Sherry's eyes. Sherry stood a grabbed a clipboard off a tray next to my beside.

"You took the entire bottle of pills..." Sherry paused and turned to her tears growing in her giant blue eyes. "Why."

"I had a bad day at work and..." Her voice trailed off, their wasn't an accuse in this world to justify this to Sherry. Sherry, sat back down in the chair.

"This is the fifth time, Andrea. You need to get help." She said earning a sigh from Andrea.

"No, I can't go back there. My coworkers already think I'm crazy." She argued. A nod was given to her. Sherry pulled a small charm bracelet off her arm and passed it to Andrea.

"Andrea...This charm bracelet was given to me by my mother. She told me that it showed who wore it who they really are." Andrea looked down at the charm bracelet, there was three charms on it. Each with a medium sized moon rock. "If it glows blue it means you have this trait." Andrea glanced at each charm. There was a lion, a bird and heart. "The lion means courage, The bird means intelligence, The Heart means kindness, love, and everything good." Sherry smiled and looked at Andrea.

"You saved me because you had the courage to stand up for someone you didn't even know, You are the smartest person I know and your heart is true. And when you wear this I hope you see that in yourself. Not the murderer I know you believe you are. And until you think the exact same thing I do, you'll wear it." Sherry picked it up from Andrea's hand and gently wrapped the bracelet around her wrist.

"You're too good to me." Andrea smiled.

"Andrea, I'm just being what you've been to me for the last 5 years. To me your the last of my family and I'm not ready to let that go. You saved me, now let me save you."

A Special Exhibit

Sheva and Chris had stood in the room for a good few minutes, gawking at the tall wall of fuzzy monitors. Until they had spoken to Leon. Now they were carefully walking through the museum's halls, and approaching the room they had last seen Naomi, Gaston and Keran in. As they quietly stepped through the dark exhibit. The door was wide open. They entered the almost pitch black room they had seen in monitor.

Sheva's eyes examined the room quickly. It was a empty room. Most likely for a expensive object that had not been moved in yet. In the ceiling corner was the security camera. There wasn't anyone in room. Sheva turned to Chris. "Chris they isn't anyone here."

"Yeah, they seemed to just disappear." Chris said looking around the room. Sheva stepped around the room staring at her surroundings. She looked at her feet finding a small knife covered with blood. She held it in her palm and turned to her partner. He was focused on something but, she had no clue to what.

"Chris-" Sheva started as Chris interrupted her with a shush. "Chris, what-" He interrupted again. She kept quiet this time and tried to hear what he did. It was a ticking noise. One that got louder and louder. What was it? Sheva thought

"I think that we should get out of here." Sheva told Chris. And he nodded as they started to rush out of the room. But, was stopped by the door slamming shut in front of them. Sheva and Chris pushed against the door but something was holding it close. Something heavy.

"What the hell?" Chris said as the clicking sound grew louder. Till it was ringing in their ears. Then it stopped sharply. And a large shifting noise sounded as light slipped into the room though sliding holes at the edges of the ceiling. A thick smoke poured out of the holes and pooled down at the floor. It surrounded them quickly and as they stood in the middle of the room, back to back.

The smoke rose slower and as Sheva and Chris rushed around the room looking for something to shut of the vent. But, it flowed in and the smoke elevated above Sheva's head. Sheva collapsed into the dark smoke. Her lungs filled with the dark grey smoke. She coughed as she began to lose consciousness.

Then something picked her up. She lazily opened her eyes and saw Chris holding her tired body and bringing her head to where the clean air still resided. She gasped for air as he held her up.

"Thanks" She looked at him. Hi was struggling. "I'm sorry. You're injured this must hurt a lot."

"I could drop you if you want." Chris teased.

"Um...no thank you" Sheva said. "Chris, its still rising" she said as the smoke rose almost to Chris's jawline. Then it grew above his mouth and they tumbled down together. Both coughing loudly. The vents close leaving them alone in complete darkness slowly losing consciousness.

Then another light illuminated the room as a doorway shifted open on the opposite of the actual door. A blonde woman stepped into the room. She wore a white blouse under a dark brown blazer and a striped brown kneel length skirt. Her hair was light and flowed down to her shoulder blades. She stepped out of of the bright hallway that the doorway lead to the room.

She walked to Sheva holding a handgun and crouched down beside her as Sheva crumbled down from trying to breathe through the painful smoke. The blonde woman held her gun out and spoke cruelly.

"Scream" She demanded. Sheva looked up confused. "Scream, now." The woman said as she cocked the gun and pointed it in Sheva's face. "Last chance." She taunted. The woman mentally counted to three, then quickly stuck her gun against Sheva's head, effectively knocking Sheva out. Then she stood and looked down at Chris with a wicked grin. Then swiped down at his head with her gun.

"She didn't scream." The woman said pressing on her blue-tooth device that was hidden behind her hair.

"What?! We need that for the records!" A husky voice responded.

"I'm sorry, sir. But, we can get it later. And It won't be fake this time." She said.

"Fine, Carla. But, just make sure she doesn't die. If we kill her we have nothing against them."

"Don't worry about that, I know our goal." She responded.

* Okay, so I'm going on vacation in two days so I might have trouble getting the next chapter out so it might be belated next week. But, I'll try to get it out. So, I'm thanking all of you once again for any views, follows and favorites. Hope you liked this chapter. Bye!

-mrssherrymuller*