Chapter 14: Bloodied Hands & Broken Assurance

After several moments of sobbing against Albert Wesker's padded chest, Claire felt his two strong hands on her waist, they slowly glided her body backwards, away from him. She reluctantly allowed herself to be pulled away from the feeling of protection for she knew she had to turn around and face her problems. Last Claire heard, Angela's baby was poking out. Though she'd rather stay right in this very moment all night, feeling warm and secure, she knew she had to go back to the barn; to the misery that lay just behind her.

"Calm down, stop crying. Everything will be okay." Wesker's dark voice rained over her like hail, sending chills up and down her arms. True that he had comforted her momentarily, but old memories and the slight return of his dominating demeanor were bringing up familiar feelings toward the man, feelings that caused a raging stir in Claire's heart.

As his fingers were swiping gently more tears from her face, Claire yanked herself away from his hold and grabbed his hand.

"We haven't got time to stand around, hurry!"

She attempted to run with Wesker's hand firmly in hers but he refused, he walked calmly as if everything was okay and it infuriated Claire. He didn't even bother to ask what was going on.

"Come on!" she snapped. When he still refused to change his pace, she grunted angrily and jerked her hand away from his.

She was back in the barn in less than ten seconds only to find a bloody head and chest poking out from Angela. Tara was screaming and sobbing and probably just making everything worse. Angela's face held pain and torment and she was howling agonizingly along with Tara.

Claire's head spun immediately around. She was going to call out to Wesker to hurry the hell up once again but she stopped and gasped when he was right behind her. Either he walked faster than she had originally thought, or he had started sprinting when he realized that this was no joke. He said nothing only proceeded toward Angela's shaking and shrieking form. He saw everything and yet his face never wavered. He only wore the slightly creased forehead he always did in any situation. Claire hated that because she could never tell what he was feeling. It was a combined expression of either anger, confusion or pain. But you'd never know because you couldn't see his damn eyes and he never changed his expression. She wanted to slap the shades right off his concrete face. Before she could utter a single word of explanation to him, he spoke, curtly and sternly.

"Take her to my car." he commanded, nodding his head in Tara's direction.

"Wh-who is this?" Tara asked.

"Do as I say...now Claire." he spoke so firmly that it almost scared her. But she nodded, grabbed Tara by the hand, swung her backpack upon her back, and began towing the snobby girl toward the road.

"What about Angela?" Tara cried but Claire knew that Wesker would deal with it one way or another and everything was okay for right now. Just why she suddenly trusted him, she didn't know. Maybe it was his comforting embrace earlier on or his strict tone of voice that had frightened her into trusting him. Regardless of the reason, she felt slight assurance. She also felt that maybe fear and exhaustion had forced her to allow Angela to be in the care of Albert Wesker. Why right now, she'd trust the devil himself to aid her. She just couldn't endure it any longer but she felt that Wesker could. He was the STARS captain after all.

"STOP IT!" Claire shouted at the top of her lungs. She just couldn't handle Tara's whiny crying and screaming any longer. "She's going to be okay! I know that man in there and he's going to take us to the hospital. Just get in the car!"

For the first time, Tara obeyed without a sour glance or smart-mouthed remark. She slipped inside the backseat of the shiny, black sportscar without another sound muttered. Claire sighed and glanced back toward the barn wondering with immense curiosity if Wesker was going to deliver the baby himself or just get them all to the hospital. She just wanted go, to be out of this horrid place. To rid the images of this haunting barn that she was force to use as her home for the past few days. She longed to go back to Raccoon City and she would tonight. Wesker was heading in that direction anyway. As soon as they dropped Angela off at the hospital, she'd request to go along with Wesker, and if he denied her, she'd dig around in her bag for enough cash for a taxi and if that failed her, she'd walk. She didn't care how far the walk was, she'd do it. She had to be with Chris, Jill and Leon. The only ones she cared for, the only ones she had.

The minutes felt like they were growing longer and Claire was becoming impatient and nervous. What the hell was he doing in there? A terrorizing scream was let out from the barn and it caused Claire's heart to leap up into her throat.

"Stay here." Claire muttered to Tara as she slammed the car door shut. She bolted to the barn and when she got there she found Albert Wesker leaning down between Angela's legs, looking as tough he were attempting to bring the baby himself.

Angela's screaming head shifted and her big blue eyes caught Claire's.

"Oh Claire please! I-I need you to...Ahhh!"

"Just calm down Mrs. Kennedy, I told you just to focus on your breathing and push. Claire, where have you been?" he asked relentlessly as if he had expected her back. Had he? Was she just suppose to take Tara out to the car and return? She thought she could rely on him to carry the load. Why was he throwing it back on her?

"I...I want ClAAAAIRE!" she roared in pain. Her breathing was frantic and Claire didn't know what to do.

"Claire, come here." demanded Wesker and Claire was so stunned at what she was seeing that she obeyed.

"Claire, I need your assistance. Can you do this? Can you really truthfully do this? This is no time for cowering and crying, that's why I made you get rid of that other girl. Can you do this?"

Can you do this...can you do this, these worse echoed in her racing mind. Could she do it? Could she help bring a child into this world? She looked down at Angela's grimacing face and thought of Leon. She nodded before she could even think to protest. She would do it...and she did.

When they arrived at Hardvardville Hospital, Angela's baby boy was not breathing. He was purple-colored and stained with blood and body fluids. Luckily, this hospital had not suffered the same fate as Raccoon's. There seemed to be no zombies which was a huge relief to Claire. They rushed Angela, who had fainted sometime during the drive, off to emergency and made Tara, Wesker and Claire all wait in the lobby.

Claire sat with trembling bloodied hands. She knew she was traumatized for the rest of her life about having children. She never wanted them. She always dreamed of being married and having children some day but now, she officially declared that she'd never ever ever get pregnant. She was honestly debating on asking to get her tubes tide right then and there. Angela's gasping breaths and painful wails haunted Claire's mind like a screaming banshee.

Claire lowered her head and rocked back and fourth, attempting to calm her nerves. Why had she done such a thing? She should have ran back to the car with Tara and let Wesker handle it. He seemed to know what he was doing. Why had he made her do it? Why had Angela wanted her to do it? Why in the hell did she agree to do it?

She thought that maybe she'd just be Angela's support and squeeze her hand when the pain was unbearable but she had actually witnessed and helped Angela's baby pop out of her vagina. She had to use Wesker's pocket knife to cut the imbecilic cord with trembling hands, it was a good thing Wesker had instructed where to cut. Just how he knew where, she didn't know. She had to smack the baby's bottom to force him to spit out the fluids in his mouth. Then she had to wrap the screaming bloody boy in Wesker's shirt that he had slipped out of for the baby. Who knew he could be so human?

She had done everything and nearly vomited several times while doing so. But she did do it. Part of her wanted to feel proud for doing such an unholy, vile, nasty thing, for sticking it out and actually doing it without vomiting. But the other part of her, the more dominating half regretted the decision she had made. She should have just let Wesker do it despite what Angela wanted. Could he have done it? He seemed like he could when she first walked in the barn but now thinking deeply about it, did he know what he was doing? He knew where to cut the cord, but it was also an obvious spot. Did he honestly know something about childbirth? Was he married? Had he any children of his own? No, that's impossible. He was an alien, a demon, a devil with no human qualities whatsoever. He was odd and mysterious and Claire always thought of him as someone who didn't quite fit in to this world. He was like a magical creature from another world; another planet; another realm. It all sounded so enchanting when she thought of it that way. But Albert Wesker was not enchanting. He was strange, daunting and scary. He was like the evil villain in a majestic world. Someone dark, evil and dangerous.

And yet, there was something alluring and enchanting about him. Claire hated to admit it but there was something fascinating about him. Maybe it was the fact that he wasn't quite human to her.

Tonight Claire didn't know what to think of him. Was he still the bizarre and intimidating man she had once thought he was?

He did save your ass. She thought. He could have just left you out there to die but no, he helped you. Not to mention soothed you and comforted you earlier on.

Claire's head rose and she bit her bottom lip. She wanted to forget about her little "sobbing episode" with Albert Wesker that took place earlier on. She was ashamed at appearing so weak in front of him and she didn't want to remember seeking comfort in his arms. He was vile, devious and unusual. She didn't want to admit that his strong and tender embrace had indeed soothed her, though she couldn't deny that it had. But she blamed it on being so overwhelmingly upset and that's why she collapsed into his firm grasp. It had nothing to do with the man himself. She would have done it with even a stranger!

She glanced sideways at Wesker. Her eyes immediately rolled all over his bare chest. She hadn't taken notice to it earlier because of how frantic her situation was. But staring at it now she felt a tingly sensation form in her stomach and lower area that she really wished would go away. His chest was pale like his face and also looked like it was made of porcelain or concrete. It didn't look like flesh but rather a hard and shiny surface. He was very well-toned and fit. Claire was a little surprised to see the outline of a six pack present. Though Wesker surely wasn't a weak and scrawny man, she never thought of him the "six pack" type. It didn't stick out roughly the way Chris's did, but it was there. His arms had a fair and even amount of muscle to them as well. Claire unwillingly remembered being held within those arms. Those arms – those toned, well-defined, strongly-structured arms had held her. The tingly feeling intensified and Claire blushed and looked away. She only hoped Wesker hadn't notice her checking him out, he always seemed to catch her and it embarrassed her to no end. She chanced a glance at his face and he was looking in her direction.

"What?" she asked moodily. He said nothing and she suddenly felt stupid for saying anything. He was probably looking at something else.

Hours flew by and Claire found herself dozing off to sleep every now and again but she refused to allow herself to fully enter the dream world. She didn't want Wesker leaving without her. He didn't seem like he was going anywhere though.

He had announced that he'd be right back and seemed a little suspicious when Claire abruptly jumped up and asked where he was going. He and replied that was going to get a spare shirt from the car so wandering eyes could rest peacefully. She just knew the statement was directed toward her and her stomach turned over coldly in shame. She immediately sat back down and said nothing.

At first Claire was worried and thought that maybe he wouldn't come back. Why had he even stayed this long to begin with? Surely he didn't care what happened to Angela or the baby, did he? Did he have a heart? Was he a human being after all? He really stunned Claire by returning moments later. He was wearing a tight black t-shirt. It fit the curves of his muscled body perfectly and Claire almost scolded herself aloud for letting her eyes roam again.

Knock it off Claire! You hate him. She screamed within her head. But there's no crime in just looking, is there? It's not like I'm sticking my tongue down the guys throat or ripping his clothes off or...or..

She put her head down again in shame. She could feel his unseen eyes on her. She always felt that he could seriously read her mind for he always knew exactly what she was thinking. This time, she felt it'd be no different. He probably heard her every thought as if she shouted them right out to him.

Get him out of your damn mind Claire! There's more vital things to worry about right now! Like Angela. And Leon, Chris and Jill! Raccoon City! All of that should be on your mind! Not your brother's weird-o captain. So he saved you, big deal. He's a cop. He saves lives all the time. It means nothing!

And with that lecture she raised her head and refused to look at Wesker any longer.

Finally, when it felt like she'd be there all damn night, a nurse appeared and gave good news. Angela and the baby were both fine. They were in intensive care. Angela was allowed two visitors.

"I'll be leaving now. My assistance is required urgently elsewhere. Goodnight ladies and please give my best regards to Mrs. Kennedy." Wesker said smoothly with a slight bow of his head. Boy was he old-fashioned, Claire thought suddenly.

Tara said nothing but began to follow the nurse toward Angela's room. Claire looked up at them as they walked down the long hall but didn't follow. She turned toward Wesker and her heart jumped at seeing him still there. She had expected him to be turned around and walking in the other direction by now. But he was just glaring at her as always. She stared at her own face in the reflection of his dark shades.

"Are you not going to visit Mrs. Kennedy dearheart? I know you're not too fond of her but I was at least thinking you'd have enough class and courtesy to go see her now. I mean after all, she did almost die tonight." he stated mockingly.

Claire squinted her eyes. Words were hot on her tongue but she knew if she spat them out at him and attempted to burn him like he just did her, she wouldn't be getting a ride from him tonight. However she had to say something.

"If it wasn't for me, she would have died tonight." she barked.

"Correction: You mean, if it wasn't for me." he replied tonelessly.

"I do plan on going to see her I just want to...well I want to talk to you first, that's all."

"My dear Claire Redfield, are you actually going to thank me? That's not like you at all. I must admit I am proud of you."

She was shaking with irritation but she bit back harsh words and continued.

"Can you just stop with the sarcasm, I want to ask you a favor." she claimed.

"Oh?" he asked blandly.

"I wanna know if you'll take me some place. If you could wait here for me after I visit with Ang. I wanna go with you to...to Raccoon City. I don't think it should be an inconvenience considering I noticed you driving that wa-"

"It is an extreme inconvenience because it has to do with you." Still not a shed of emotion was hinted in his tone. Claire frowned but stayed calm.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I wouldn't expect you to understand. Do make your visit quick please."

Claire's eyes widened in surprise.

"What? You're actually gonna take me with you?"

"Is there a reason I shouldn't?"

"I'm just surprised that's all."

"Well, I do wish to converse with you, and now you've given me an opportunity to do so. So we both win in a sense."

Claire's surprise faded and now only immense curiosity mixed with slight fear were present.

"About what?" she asked, raising an auburn brow.

"Go speak with Mrs. Kennedy...now."

Whenever he added a "now" it was always so sharp and fierce that it forced her to obey. Though he rarely changed his tone, you could always tell when he meant business.

Angela cried and spoke weakly to Claire, reminding her a thousand times about how good of a person she was and how she owed her the rest of her life. Then she told her the name she had picked out for her son. His name was Clark Leon Kennedy and Claire hated it. Why not just make him a junior? Leon Scott Kennedy Jr flowed so nicely together. Far better than Clark Leon! But Angela said Clark was her father's name and that's why she wanted it. Angela jabber on some more and Claire was barely listening to her anymore. She was growing more and more agitated with every moment. She scrubbed roughly at her bloody hands in the sink of the room, hoping to wash away the disgusting memories the crimson stains represented. Claire used to love children and babies but now the very thought of them nearly made her hurl. All the more reason to hate Angela, she forced Claire to never want children of her own. When she had finished and her hands were good and clean, she finally cut Angela off and told her she was going to Raccoon.

"Oh don't do that Claire. Please don't leave me here."

"You have Tara and I won't be gone long. I have to be with my brother Angela. Wouldn't you want to be with-" What was her brother's name again? - "Curtis if he were out there?"

"Well yes but how will you be getting there? Is Albert taking you?"

Claire almost caught herself asking who? It was still so odd to her to refer to Wesker as "Albert" He'd forever be Wesker to her.

"Yes."

"I know there was lots of judgment made about that man in the past, but I really like him. He's such a sweet man for what he did. Please send him my thanks Claire. I will admit he startled me when I first saw him. But he calmed me down immediately and asked if I remembered him and-"

"Sorry Ang but I really gotta go. I'll tell him you said thanks and also, he sends his regards. I'll be back in a couple hours."

Claire glance toward Tara who was already snoring open-mouthed in the chair next to the hospital bed.

"Get some sleep Ang. Night."

Claire pulled the door open and stepped out into the hall.

"Claire?" Angela called feebly. Claire almost ignore her and just closed the door, pretending she didn't hear. But after nearly dying, she couldn't be that mean to the woman.

"Yes Ang?" she asked impatiently.

"I love you."

Claire was tongue-tied and didn't know how to respond. She knew Angela loved her but hearing it plain as day when it expected a reply was so odd and almost made Claire feel somewhat guilty.

"Yeah.." she mumbled then closed the door and raced down the hall toward Wesker.

Pulling out of the hospital, neither Wesker nor Claire spoke. It was completely silent in the car and it was maddening to Claire. If there was one thing she hated, it was silence. Silence was filled with nothing but awkwardness and time for thinking. She didn't want to think right now. All that kept popping in her head was what had happened tonight and she never wanted to remember that again as long as she lived. She wanted to delete it from her memory for all eternity. She almost hoped Wesker would speak and if he didn't soon, she would.

"What is that you seek in Raccoon City? You do know what has happened there do you not?" he finally spoke, his voice smooth and plain as ever.

"Of course I know." Claire replied defensively. "What do you think I was in that barn for? Do you think I just like visiting random abandoned barns in the middle of the night with a pregnant woman and a prissy teenager?"

She glanced over at him and noticed a tiny smirk overtake his lips but only for a second than it vanished as if it had stayed longer, it would have pained him.

"Well you are a funny one. How do I know what your hobbies consist of?" he questioned artlessly. He said it as if he really did know much more about her then she knew he knew. She knew that he knew she loved motorcycles considering he gave her a necklace with one on it. But she wasn't going to bring up the past right now and make things even more tense.

"You really get your kicks out of insulting me don't you?" she asked hotly. When he didn't reply, she explained her need to go back to Raccoon.

"I want to be with Chris, that's why I asked you for this favor. I know he's working and this is a crazy, reckless, stupid thing to do. But I want to be with him. I'm not spending the night in this town without him and that's final."

"It is a very idiotic and audacious thing to do." Was all he said. Claire didn't argue on any further. At least he wasn't denying her the right to do what she wanted. She hoped by audacious he meant brave and not stupid and reckless. Though he did put it along with idiotic so she pretty much figured he meant she was brain-dead for doing what she wanted but she didn't really care.

"So," Claire began the question she had been wanting to ask for awhile now nervously. "Umm.. what exactly did you want to talk to me about?"

"All in good time dearheart." he replied and it made Claire's patiences thinner.

"What do you mean?"

When he didn't answer her yet again she huffed in annoyance.

"You're impossible!" she jeered as she crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest and gazed out into the moving buildings and streets of Hardvardville.

"Am I now? Come on dear, you're a little wiser than that. Surely you know that nothing is impossible."

She tensed at him calling her these little pet names like dear and dearheart, they drove her blazing mad but she ignored him and continued to stare out into the unfamiliar city. Hardvardville was smaller than Raccoon but looked far more wild and dangerous. She had very little memory of the city but she didn't remember it being this unwelcoming. Some streets that they rode down were fine and pleasant, like the very one she lived on in Raccoon. But the majority of streets were dark and scary. People littered porches and street corners, they'd stare at you evilly as you rode by, like they wanted to hurt you or rob you. There was trash in gutters and all over sidewalks, it was appalling to Claire. She was used a city filled with welcoming faces and cleanliness and friends.

But then she remembered, Raccoon was far worse now. She wasn't driving to the placid and amiable town she once knew and loved. No, she was driving into a complete nightmare and she almost debated on telling Wesker she had changed her mind. No, you can do this. Be brave like Chris.

The yearn for Chris was powerful. She just wanted to be with him. He was her big brother, the person that was always there for her no matter what. And after what she had endured tonight, she needed him even more so now. She hoped he and the others were okay and she hoped Raccoon City would still be around by tomorrow morning.

"I wonder if anyone here knows about Raccoon. They all seem as if nothing at all his going on right in the next town." Claire spoke aloud suddenly without really meaning to.

"Give it a couple of hours and this whole town will be quarantined." his deep voice made her jump, she hadn't expected a reply.

"Quarantined? Are they going to assume a virus caused all this?"

"They don't have to assume." he answered simply.

Claire's eyes were now glued on Wesker.

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Look, we've arrived." he pointed out as he stopped the car slowly. Claire looked up and saw the words: Hardvardville Hotel glowing in bright red letters. The word Vacancy was glowing as well underneath. Her eyebrows lowered over her eyes and anger seeped deep within, accelerating through her veins like angry rushing waters.

"What the fuck is going on?" she sputtered loudly.

"After what happened to you tonight you're going to sleep in a bed. You're going to lay down peacefully and sleep like you deserve to. Now get out of the car."

His last statement was more of a demand and Claire began to feel slight fear creep into her. But as usual, her anger outweighed it and she defiantly crossed her arms over her chest again.

"No." she stated. She just couldn't believe he had lied to her. But she was more disappointed in herself. She should have expected this. He'd never be anything but a deceiving bastard. He'd always be the monster, the devil, the enemy. He'd always be against her and she couldn't believe that she had actually instilled trust in him.

Wesker turned the car off and got out, slamming his door behind him. Claire peered up from under her eyelids and saw him coming around to her side. Instinct told her to lock the door but it would do no good, he had the keys. The closer he got, the faster her heart pounded. Once he reached her side, he yanked her door open.

"I'm going to ask you once more to get out or else you force me to remove you myself."

That statement was so threatening that she almost obeyed but she was stubborn, hot-headed Claire Redfield and she was determined to not let him win. She was going to test him; challenge him. The only thing was, she knew deep down that she would surely lose...