The absolutely deafening sound is expected, it's the wafting heat and stench of a thousand burning corpses which catches her off guard. The pair of warriors ride closer to the soldiers' encampment, yet the heat remains an impossible weight on her back and makes the pain within her all the more prominent. Once they're close enough, a few soldiers come to collect the horse, Mr. Redfield slides off with ease and then he offers a hand to her.
She takes a good look at him in that moment; he's peppered with bruises especially along his neck, his hair is unkept, and his clothes are rumpled. Somehow, he looks well and she's so unbelievably grateful for such good fortune.
She stumbles off of the horse, gripping her middle as the pain washes over her once more.
"You're hurt." He says softly, the soldiers leaving swiftly with the horse.
"It's not so severe, I promise you." She meets his worried gaze with bated breath and an encouraging half smile.
He is not reassured, however, and shakes his head. "I'm not inclined to believe you, Miss. You jumped from a damned window, down four bloody stories and… What were you thinking?"
She pauses, trying to recall if she'd had any thoughts at all during the battle, especially a portion of it that seems so long ago. The feeling of desperation festers within her, the image of him being choked by that creature disgusts and angers her once more.
She finally answers, "I couldn't let you die."
He stalls in disbelief but before he can speak Colonel Burton approaches them.
"Are you both well?" He asks, breathless as he comes to a halt.
"Well as can be expected." Jill answers, "And you Colonel? I expect you are alright."
"I am, Miss, thank you."
"What of the remainder of the city?" Mr. Redfield asks as they begin to walk through the rudimentary post.
"The horde is in retreat, by the grace of God we've finally regained the upper hand." Colonel Burton starts to give status reports on different sectors of the city.
The sun has yet to peak over the horizon, but the sky pales with light and colors with a soft mix of pink and blue above them. For the first time in days, all is calm in London, or at the least, as calm as she is capable. As the flames of the burning palace lick the highest points of the sky, the horde retreats like an owl flees from the rising sun. Jill is caught between disbelief and awe at how simple things have become.
The Colonel brings them to a map of the city laid out on a crude table. "The bridge connecting the south side to the eastern part of the city is out, but all of the others remain intact."
Jill tries her best to listen to him, but she is distracted by all that goes on around them. From her vantage point she can see the soldiers of the king's army falling into their order and the last of the straggling undead are swiftly dealt with.
Jill holds herself tightly, breath nearly stinging with cold as it enters her lungs. There's no denying her exhaustion, the gentleness of the scene beckons her to sleep, yet she mustn't give into the temptation.
Turning back to the table she notices Mr. Redfield shrugging off his outer coat.
"What are you doing?" She asks.
"You're already injured, I won't have you catching a cold as well." He says, though her hands stop him from undressing further.
"You'll freeze without it." Jill argues attempting to pull the fabric back to his shoulder.
"And you're freezing now." Mr. Redfield argues back.
Hands place a thin wool blanket over her shoulders, Jill startles until she sees that it's only Richard with a calm smile.
"We've extras, Miss Valentine, don't worry." He assures her before giving the Colonel an update.
Jill pulls the fabric tighter around herself and does her best to ignore the looks of worry both Colonel Burton and Mr. Redfield give her. She attempts once more to pay attention to the discussion about the city, yet she feels the pull of pain telling her to lie down. In the midst of her inner turmoil she almost misses her host approaching the group.
"There you are!" Ethan shouts wildly. She feels embarrassment well up inside of her as she takes in his figure. He holds both a sword and a gun, with yet another gun strapped to his back, from his disheveled appearance Jill cannot deny his involvement in the battle.
"Mr. Winters." She cannot speak beyond that. So shocked is she that her host would not only fight but stands before her seething with rage, standing in idle awe all she can manage.
"Have you any idea how worried I was about you!? You and Mia both gone and a bleeding war starts outside!? What was I supposed to think!?"
"I'm sorry." She apologizes thinly as he continues to splutter furiously.
"You deliberately disobeyed me and gave not one care towards my state! I've been fighting through the horde for hours looking for you only to find that you are once again at the epicenter of it all! Miss Valentine, you have betrayed my trust once more and I hope you know your father will be hearing of this!"
"Do not speak to her that way!" Mr. Redfield shouts over Mr. Winter's raving. Jill and the others are so taken aback by his actions they are all stunned into silence.
Mr. Winters shakes himself enough to speak, "Forgive me, sir, but this business is between Jill and I. She has disregarded my requests numerous times and I do not require your input on the matter."
Mr. Redfield pushes himself in front of Jill and speaks once more. "This woman has just saved our city and you will treat her respectfully, sir."
"How do you mean?" Colonel Burton asks.
"She's the reason the unmentionables are in retreat. Without her London would be lost." Mr. Redfield says.
"Miss Valentine, is this true?" Richard asks.
"General Wesker and Ada Wong were leading the undead army." Jill says as confidently as she's able. "I asked Mr. Redfield to help me in stopping them."
"Now they're both gone." Mr. Redfield concludes for her still narrowing his gaze at Ethan.
"The General is dead?" Colonel Burton asks.
"Well, yes, but he was evil." Jill justifies herself needlessly.
"No doubt, he willingly infected himself to gain more power." Mr. Redfield explains.
The men begin to talk about the implications of this, but Jill's mind flits back to Mia, Rebecca, and Claire. Her previously dissipated anxiety returns in full force. Had they survived the battle? Had the cure worked? Were they alright? Were they even alive? God has bestowed her much grace in allowing her escape from the palace, could he be gracious enough to give her a cure as well?
Suddenly her vision blurs and her hand lands heavily on the table before her, one arm holding her torso as if it is all that keeps her in one piece. She hisses through her teeth to keep her breath steady, nursing the wave of pain until she can return her focus once more.
Mr. Redfield has one hand firmly wrapped around her upper-arm, near panic in his gaze as he turns to Mr. Winters. "My estate is closer, send the doctor there."
"I am well."
"You most certainly are not."
"I'm well enough." She states harshly.
"I watched you throw yourself four stories down, and while I must admit I am impressed by your fortitude to even be standing, you are by no means well."
She looks at him intently, and in his eyes she can see the guilt she feels within herself. He's no reason to feel such a thing, but she cannot express that to him before her ears ring with yet another explosion. Mr. Redfield covers her with his body, but she still feels the waves of heat rolling over her skin.
"Come with me, Miss." Mr. Redfield tucks her body close to his, guiding her away from whatever chaos ensues behind them.
"I can go of my own accord, sir. If you are needed here, the journey is not far and I know the way." She weakly attempts to convince him to stay.
If she can persuade him to stay she can get herself to the Birkin Home and hopefully aid Claire. In truth, she also fears his reaction if they arrive at his estate only to find it without his sister.
"Somehow, I doubt very much you'd make it there alone. For one reason or another." He mutters the last bit as he helps her onto the horse he's procured.
Her dress is torn enough that she needn't sit sidesaddle, and despite the impropriety of it all she no longer possesses the energy to act the part of a lady. She slumps forward, her head resting on the mane of the horse as if compelled by god or a similar force.
In her momentary display of weakness she murmurs the name of his dear sister. Despite the distance in her eyes, she catches the blurry colors of flames of towards the river.
"You'll see her soon, I promise." Mr. Redfield mounts behind her, his arm wrapping around her tender middle and pulling her close to his chest.
She shakes nervously against him, her head tilting to rest against his jaw before the steed is spurred to a start. Crunching snow and frozen blood crack under the hooves of the animal, while the winter chill creeps up her spine in a most unpleasant manner. Part of her yearns to allow herself to be coddled by Mr. Redfield, to be taken home to a warm fire and ordered to bed.
The rest of her worries greatly at what he will be met with upon their arrival. Will his furry be containable? Will he lose his trust in her? Perhaps he should, but the thought of that leaves her forlorn.
His grip on her is tight and the jostling of the horse rattles her bones further. The pain is beyond aching and burns so much her blood feels impossibly hot.
She attempts to loosen his hold, weakly prying at his fingers, but he tightens his hand.
"Stop, please." She whimpers sheepishly, "It hurts."
"I'm sorry, but I don't want you to fall." He seems earnest in his apology, but his grip does not let up.
She remains quiet, they're nearing the Redfield Estate and she isn't certain she recalls how to breathe. Mr. Redfield has hurried the pace of the horse, amplifying the pain within her jostling body as he does so. Still, she bites down enough that such a feeling is not vocalized and their journey is uninterrupted.
When the estate comes into view, Jill narrows her eyes at the sight before them, it must be a trick of exhaustion playing with her mind. Four figures stand before the Redfield gates, there's a horse attached to a cart wherein the owners commiserate.
Yet Mr. Redfield speaks as if to confirm her suspicions, "What in the name of hell are they doing?"
Jill recognizes immediately that the figures are her friends, and in Mr. Redfield's distracted state, she jumps off the horse. Slipping a bit on the ice beneath her feet but maintaining her balance, Jill lifts her skirts to race towards them.
"Miss!" Mr. Redfield's voice is interrupted by a gunshot nearly piercing his head. The horse bucks and rears frantically, but Jill is unbothered as she hurries ahead.
"Rebecca!" Jill calls out once she is near enough to the cart.
"Jill?" It is Claire's voice which calls back, but Rebecca tumbles out of the cart and into Jill's arms.
"Oh dear god, are you alright?" Rebecca asks, her musket still smoking from the shot it fired.
"I am." Jill responds, looking over her friend. She seems to be well, her dress mostly dirty and her skin practically pristine aside from a smattering of small cuts.
She glances at the others, Claire looks well, as if battle hardly touched her at all, Jill imagines the splatter of dark blood on her cheek came from an unmentionable. Major Coen looks worse for wear, his eyes are dark with pain but he smiles just the same. Captain Kennedy has one shoulder bandaged and the arm hangs from a makeshift sling, still he seems to be helping as best he's able.
"I'm thrilled you're safe, I almost can't believe it." Jill tells Rebecca pulling her into another embrace.
"And we feel the same, Jill, we worried for you so." Claire takes her friend into her arms as soon as Rebecca releases her. Claire kisses Jill's cheek as they rock back and forth, even with all the pain inside of her body Jill revels in the feeling of her dear friend's arms.
The heavy beats of a horse come to a halt, and Jill assumes Mr. Redfield is what lands in the snow behind her.
"You nearly killed me." He says breathlessly to Rebecca.
"Well done." Jill chuckles into Claire's ear before they pull away.
"Indeed." Claire whispers her agreement.
"I'm so sorry, I had thought you were an unmentionable for a moment I was so frayed… Forgive me." Rebecca sighs nervously.
"What in the name of all that is good and holy are you lot doing?" Mr. Redfield gestures to the cart before them. Captain Kennedy has managed to pull a still sleeping Sherry Birkin into his good arm and Major Coen looks at him intently.
"Come help me, sir, Mrs. Winters needs help urgently and the cold can't possibly be doing her any good."
"Mrs. Winters?" Mr. Redfield rounds the cart to look at her.
"What happened? Did you find the cure?" Jill asks.
"That's what we were looking for!?" Captain Kennedy's voice could be defined as shrill before he recalls the child he carries.
"A cure? For…" Mr. Redfield looks utterly befuddled but cannot ask as he assists Major Coen in guiding Mia's wounded body out of the cart.
"I believe an explanation is in order." Captain Kennedy says rather snidely.
"Oh and it will come I'm certain." Rebecca swats at him carelessly but turns to Jill with a pointed gaze.
"Come now, we haven't got the time to bicker, and it's quite cold."
"I'll fetch the doctor." Jill tells Rebecca, mounting the unbound horse.
"Hurry." Rebecca agrees, "Mrs. Winters condition worsened on the journey."
Jill knows that doctors will be spread thin in the coming hours, her own pain is pushed further from her mind as she goes. There's not much to be said for the journey but she is swift in her return.
Upon entering the estate she has a serving girl escort the doctor to Mia.
"And Miss Valentine, Mr. Redfield and the officers are in the formal parlor." She says briefly, "I can have you-"
"I know my way, thank you." Jill assures the girl, staying to watch the doctor disappear up the stairs. For a moment she considers asking after her own injuries but deems that thought selfish and pushes it aside.
Hesitantly, Jill approaches the room, she isn't certain she has enough words within her vocabulary to explain and express all that has come to pass.
"I cannot believe you left this house to pursue something you had no knowledge of!" Mr. Redfield's voice is unrelenting in volume and anger.
"And you ran into the streets as well, brother! Don't think you did any less than I!" Claire fires back, just a viciously as the man before her.
"You not only put yourself in harms way but those whom you consider friends! It is my job-"
"It is your job to protect me and no more! What if you had died?!"
Jill takes the beat of silence to enter the room, all attention immediately falls to her and her knees practically give out. Colonel Burton has arrived along with Mr. Winters, and the soldiers speak in hushed tones despite the screaming of the Redfield siblings. Rebecca sits on the sofa reading through Lucas Baker's notebook all the while, hauntingly engrossed by the text.
"There you are." Mr. Winters approaches Jill in a hurry one hand on her arm and the other at her back. "Sit, I imagine the story you're about to tell us is unrelenting."
"I-"
"The doctor is here then, I take it?" Rebecca asks.
"Yes, he's upstairs." Jill nods.
"Good, good. Billy, you and Leon should be looked over as well." Rebecca moves to procure more space on the sofa for Jill.
"I agree, go on." The Colonel sends the two off on their way.
Jill feels much smaller than she thinks she should, yet the anger from Mr. Redfield and the paternal worry from Colonel Burton make her feel impossibly childish.
It's a tiresome tale to tell, but she does her best to explain without missing any details. Despite the muck of her mind she pushes through and lays bare her life until now.
Once she has told all that she knows, Claire and Rebecca begin to tell an awful tale, similar to her own. That they encountered Billy and Leon during their journey and convinced them to join their endeavor. Once they reached the Birkin home it was overrun with undead, they fought to reach Mia and Sherry only to find Dr. Birkin morphed into a monster.
No matter how many times they'd thought him dead, the doctor returned stronger than before. Eventually they had no choice but to burn the home to the ground. Rebecca reveals that she managed to recover only the notebook of Lucas Baker and some stray records that were easily available. Even knowing of their victory, Jill feels the weight of guilt fall upon her shoulders.
Her friends have been through such awful things all because they trusted her word. She can't bring herself to think of what could have happened were they any less prepared.
Mr. Winters leaves the very moment their story has concluded, hurrying to the side of his wife without delay. Jill remains in her seat, the throbbing pain in her body ebbs and flows with the weight of what has come to light. Mr. Redfield's anger has gone away, though he still looks on with a frustration in his gaze, he stays quiet.
Claire excuses herself to wash up, and almost as soon as she has left, Mr. Redfield follows after her. Jill is left with Rebecca and Colonel Burton both of whom are silent despite their expressions hinting that they are eager to ask questions.
"You are something else entirely Miss. Not woman nor man, but something else." Colonel Burton says, shaking his head with a somber smile.
"You think me inhuman then?" Jill asks softly.
Colonel Burton has no response, instead he chuckles covering his mouth with one hand.
The motion leaves Rebecca to fill in the silence, "I happen to believe that if there is a second coming, it must be within you. Afterall, you've learned to bring the dead back to us, or at the least, to halt the process."
"So it worked then? The cure is viable?" Jill nearly cannot handle the excitement of it all.
"Indeed, and the bite seems to be healing." Rebecca smiles at her. "We will need to continue observations for the next few days before anyone else receives the vaccine. Given that it will take some time to replicate what was created in that laboratory, I do not believe this is such a terrible thing. I daresay I'm hopeful at our chances."
"As am I." Jill feels her voice hitch in her throat.
"I'm afraid much of your work was unsalvageable and what is left is practically incoherent." Rebecca frustratedly gestures to the notes of Lucas Baker.
"I remember." Jill tells her, "I remember much less than Mia, of course, but I can help with the recipe."
"Please." Rebecca smiles.
"When you've finished, Miss Valentine, I'll need to speak with you privately." Colonel Burton bows to the women and takes his leave. He seems to have something on his mind but neither Jill nor Rebecca comment on it.
With that, the two ladies are left alone and the quite is positively stifling.