Jill Valentine is not the type of person to feel defeated, yet that is the only word she knows of to describe her state the following morning. She feels very much at a loss, as if all she has done has been for naught.
Part of her thinks that what she should be feeling is nervousness, perhaps even excitement. But she sees storm clouds forming over London, as if there's a dread unfathomable just beyond the horizon. The city too bears the weight of an impossible trial as it stands upon the precipice of terrible change. Try as she might to shake away these feelings, the hopelessness remains.
Mia notices how withdrawn she seems, and, with a hand on each of Jill's shoulders, she instills a few words of wisdom.
"Have courage, we know not what God has intended for this day. It could very well be ours." She says, though her eyes show her own reservations.
"And if it is not?" Jill asks softly.
"Then we will endure, as we always have." Mia's voice wavers in confidence before she gestures to the door.
"Will we?"
"We must, it is not as though we have much in the way of choice."
Jill retains a feeling of dread deep inside of her, as they depart. She wonders where and how they could progress from this point. If this vaccine does not work, what is left? Jill cannot remain in the city without her employment and Lord knows word travels in a place like this. How long until Ethan, or worse yet, her father catch wind of the situation?
Looking at the city now, even in her dejected trance, she manages to process just how unrecognizable it is from her first impressions. The once proud beacon of civilization has crumbled to the will of desperation, now it is reminiscent of the front lines. Half abandoned half anxious, soot stained buildings add weight to the already downtrodden town.
Even calling London a town feels wrong, yet it holds the population of one.
Jill wears two swords on her back at all times and has been since the attack. In addition to the swords, she has a knife concealed beneath her skirts at each thigh, one behind her left shoulder blade, a pistol on her hip, and the vial of poison gifted to her by Mr. Redfield around her neck. She carries more bullets than she does pounds, and by God, she must look like a walking armory.
But she is not alone in the weaponized fashion trends, instead of parasols women carry muskets, and they've traded their purses for maces. The precarious nature of it all seems to have consumed the city, and Jill has no choice but to take notice of the fleeting life from the city.
Gone are the days of music and merriment for entertainments sake, now there is only brutality. It is a world of fantasy and devastation, the city is in a state of mourning; even if Jill's deepest fears tell her the fate of London has not yet begun.
The Birkin home feels eerie when Jill and Mia enter, the usual stiff air remains but the balance has shifted from confident calculation to uncertainty. Zoe's movements are stiff as she performs her duties in the front hall. Mia mutters something to her and the two embrace for a moment. Jill turns her head, as if to avoid her intrusive presence during such intimacy.
"Well? Come in. Or do you intend to idle around as if the world is already saved?" Annette taps her foot furiously by the kitchen door.
"My apologies." Jill joins the scientist at the door.
"I heard you were dismissed yesterday."
"Indeed, I was."
"Took them long enough." Mrs. Birkin says, "They've been waiting to do so for months."
"As you say."
Jill speaks no more as she blazes forward into the laboratory, her heart sinking with each step she takes. Once she settles herself in front of a spread of injections, lined up neatly and properly labeled, her throat tightens.
"I cannot believe we made it this far." Mia says softly, tucking away some stray notes into a nearby drawer.
Jill nods mutely, her fingers beginning to dance nervously on the counter-top.
"Are you alright?" Mia asks calmly.
"I think I shouldn't be." Jill admits.
"Don't be afraid, god knows we've much worse things to fear."
"We're running out of time, Mia. How much longer do I have until my father recalls me home? Or until He makes a reappearance."
"This will work, I promise you."
"You cannot promise such a thing."
"I have to, if it is not guaranteed success… I too fear the consequences of failure. So we shall have none." Mia wraps her arms loosely around Jill's shoulders. "We will endure as ever before."
"Until a storm wipes us all away." Jill thinks ruefully.
"Tell me, what is it that truly troubles you so, Miss Valentine? I daresay I've never seen you so low before."
"Hopelessness catches up with us all, I'm afraid."
In the space of silence between them, Jill finds a sense of comfort, a reverie away from all the strife she has endured thus far. There's something soothing about Mia's presence and touch, so much so Jill finds herself calming just the slightest bit.
Zoe and Annette finally join them in the lab before Jill can break their silence. Annette as stoic as ever while Mia takes Zoe's face in her hands and two share a few words. Jill tries to ignore them, once again noting the gentleness and affection the two share.
Annette notices how shriveled Jill has become and speaks. "Our developments are so promising we've entered the testing phase. Why do you look so sullen?"
Jill sighs, "We've come so far… what if it's all for naught?"
"It isn't." Annette shakes her head, "Failure isn't an option."
"God is the only one who can decide that, and he is quite cruel to have put his children through this in the first place."
"We are men, god's favorite children, while he always punishes us it is never for long." Annette promises, desperation thick in her tone. "He always gives us salvation, messiahs, hope… he will provide, as ever before."
"You are certain?"
"More than certain, I have it on good authority, and research mind you, that this vaccine works." Annette begins rattling off test results. How each of her tests that receive a preliminary vaccine which then become infected are cleared of the T-virus in a little under six hours. In the middle of this barrage of information, Jill notices Mia shackling Zoe to a nearby chair. At first, she believes this is a trick of her mind, but is undeniable after a brisk shake of her head.
"What are you doing!?" Jill demands.
"It's for our safety and hers." Mia responds, tears in her eyes.
"What do you mean?" Jill looks between the faces of these women she has come to trust. Even in the pale candlelight of the basement, she can see their own worries plain as day.
"You didn't tell her?" Annette asks.
"I wasn't certain how she would react." Mia mutters as she finishes binding Zoe to the chair.
"You're going to test this vaccine on her?" Jill can barely contain her shock as she moves closer to the two women.
"It might as well be done on a willing participant." Zoe says, "We must know if this vaccine works on those already infected. And I have no fear, Miss, I assure you."
"Perhaps a healthy dose of such a thing would do you good, my friend." Mia steps back slowly.
"I'm ready, Annette. Get this done before He finds out." Zoe Baker shuts her eyes and leans her head back.
Annette ensures she has the proper syringe before approaching, Jill is frantic even as Mia takes her hands and tries to calm her.
"This was going to happen eventually." Mia assures her, "There's only one way to be certain."
Jill cannot tear her eyes away from Zoe, her breath tumbling out of her. "How can you do this? There has to be another way!"
Mia takes Jill closer, holding her firmly against her breast as the injection enters Zoe's bloodstream. Jill gasps, horrified that this is the result of their reality; is humanity really so desperate as to throw caution to the wind? How reckless can they be?
Jill receives her answer mere moments later, after the agonizing anticipation of several minutes, Zoe's skin starts to bloat. Her skin begins taking on a grey sort of scaling at the sight of the injection. The woman starts to cry then, she does not scream but tears flow down her cheeks. Jill know what she must be thinking, that a true cure was too much to hope for.
Despite all of their talk, these women around her did have at the very least an ounce of fear. It is grievously unfortunate that the universe should betray their good faith, leaving in its wake an insurmountable grief that nearly brings Jill to her knees.
Then a blackness oozes out of the injection site, pure and pungent, the thickened dead blood leaks down her neck staining her pristine uniform. That is when the begging starts.
First, it comes from Jill's lips. "Stop it, please, just let it end! It's over, it didn't work!"
Mia is the one to collapse into Jill's arms, as if this whole time Mia had been begging for support instead of giving it away. She holds her dear friend as she trembles with sobs, sputtering out frantic apologies to Zoe, Jill, and God himself for what she has done.
Jill's gaze flicks towards Mrs. Birkin, the woman treads with cumbersome steps towards a nearby table. Then she lifts a knife up and stares ruefully at it before forcing her eyes shut, despite the babbling from Mia Jill hears Annette's sharp intake of breath.
"Hurry." Zoe says, voice clear despite the horror her body has become. "He is coming."
With those final words, the maid is slain by the doctor's wife, Jill regains her bearings enough to provide some comfort to Mia. Mrs. Winters is nearly faint as her consoler leads her towards the nearest bench to sit upon.
Jill produces a handkerchief for her host before she can register what Annette is saying. Knife clanking wildly as it hits the floor, Mrs. Birkin begins to back away from the body which continues to melt into black sludge.
"No, it can't be… no but it… but it did fine…" Annette mutters.
"We should go." Jill decides for them, "Zoe said that someone is coming, we need to leave before-"
"We cannot." Annette shakes her head violently, "I should have never attempted… I should have tested more."
The laboratory begins to fill with the stench of rotted blood and flesh, it takes much of Jill's power to swallow the emotion and disgust.
Practically choking, Jill speaks once more, "There's no time for remorse, we have to go, the rest will follow suit."
She begins gathering Lucas Baker's notebook and shoving as many loose papers into it as possible. Mia's pale empty expression slowly begins to come to, mindlessly drying her eyes she spares a glance to the remains of Zoe Baker.
Jill watches Mia cautiously, the women's face morphs between disgust, rage, disbelief, and remorse.
"Can you stand?" Jill begs the question softly. Mia nods once as her face continues to sort through her amalgamated emotional distress.
"Annette, gather your tools, we have to move." Jill states more firmly towards the still inconsolable woman.
"You don't understand."
"I know this is upsetting, but if we've any hope of continuing-"
"I have condemned my daughter to death!" Annette snarls at the younger woman. The tears running down her cheeks leave Jill aghast, her mouth gaping at the sight of yet one more stoic figure reduced to emotional wreckage.
"What?" Jill asks the question as if it is merely a breath of disbelief.
"I… I thought… It worked so well in preventative tests… I shouldn't have…"
"You injected your daughter with that!?" Jill asks
"Annette, why?" Mia asks, her broken voice revealing her doubt that such a thing could come to pass.
"Sherrie is fine! It's been… days since." Annette holds onto her face stuttering a bit before Jill can intervene.
"What's done is done, we cannot change our actions now." Jill feels the pit in her stomach lurch as she approaches Annette.
Zoe's body is beyond recognition now, bloated, discolored, and truly horrific to gaze upon. Fragments of calcified bone break through the pale leathery skin, and muck that once made up her blood and insides continues to leak from several sources now.
"It works! The vaccine works! I did what had to be done…" Annette's eyes well up with tears now.
Mia is up from her seat, still distraught but determined. "Annette, we should leave, now. Get your daughter, we'll find somewhere… We'll do something…"
"My daughter is well, it's been days since the vaccine took, she's fine. I have made a cure!" Annette's voice is paradoxically booming and breathless.
"And an excellent job you did, indeed." The voice of a man interrupts their already overwhelmed conversation. "Too well of a job, I'm afraid."
Jill and the other three ladies stand in pure terror, blank faces passing glances between one another. An unspoken prayer between them all that perhaps one of them had spoken out of turn. However, the only other sound that infiltrates their shock is that of footsteps slowly descending into their chaos.
