Bittersweet Symphony
I am Color blind
Coffee Black and Egg White
Pull me Out from Inside
I am Ready
I am Ready
I am Ready
I am….Fine….
'Color Blind' by Counting Crows.
Rebecca yawned and stretched, as she lethargically lay across a bench in the sauna room.
She added another drop to the tank, and relaxed as the moist air soothed her tired body.
Bliss.
As her eyes were just closing she had had a rude awakening, from the clanging bell which signalled lunchtime. Sighing and trying to shut her eyes again and drift off, the clanging bell relentlessly clanged on.
Realising she'd have to leave for lunch sooner or later, she made a remote effort and shifted herself up into sitting position, and stumbled her way to the doorway, two hours of sauna room climate showing.
Wrapping her towel more securely around her (the towel with the health spa's emblem on), she daintily stepped into the changing room, walking on her heels to preserve her pedicure. The room was virtually empty, so she quickly claimed a cubicle and settled down to get changed.
A thin smile crawled up her lips as she surveyed her brown legs and immaculate toes. This would be the perfect touch to her dance outfit, a simply dressed girl with glowing, healthy skin and a sweet smile.
She pulled on her underwear, fumbling as her hands were still damp from the sauna room, and pulled her t-shirt over her head.
The t-shirt was different from her others, being brightly coloured and having tiny capped sleeves that showed off the tops of her arms.
The small, brightly coloured piece of fabric was different to her usual plain creations, it was a hope that on her twentieth birthday, the real Becca would come out and stun the world.
Still, one could hope.
She quickly zipped up her plain combats and quickly gave herself a look over in the mirror before she left.
She registered a 19 year old girl, dressed in a tight top and worn combats. Other than a truly noticeable tan and slim waist, she looked as plain as a rag doll.
Becca groaned slightly as she ran her hands over her shoulder length red hair, the blonde highlights showing through slightly.
She poked her tongue out as she ran her hands through her hair to try stimulate some kind of volume, but hair remained as slack as dead fish.
Picking her bag up and walking out of the room, she followed the signs that would lead her to the Health Spa Café.
As she tramped through endless silver hallways, only stopping to pause and look at the strange pictures that adorned the walls, a slight smirk appeared on her face.
A picture of a dark man, his body set in a vivid sunset and his eyes glowing darkly.
The eyes reminded her of Carlos, whose very name made her colour up.
She wondered why a guy like Carlos should be so dedicated to a girl like her.
There were several women in the RPD who a certain flame for the Amigo, but Carlos chose her, plain old Bec, Baby of the Team.
She entered the cafeteria and ordered her food while still dreamily thinking of those dark eyes.
Carrying her tray and humming softly, she caught sight of Claire and hurried over to her.
Claire was intermittently reading a magazine and chowing down on her yoghurt and only briefly looked up.
She tore her eyes away from her beloved Biker Magazine and looked up at Bec.
'So's what ya been up to then?' she asked dropping down to her college drawl. She absently flicked away a stray lock of hair, which had recently been cut.
'Nothin' jes hanging out in the sauna room. Any longer in that heat chamber and I woulda been a dead ringer for a prune' replied Bec, digging into her sandwich with relish.
Claire pursed up her lips.
'You had a better time than me. I was lying face first on that table, which could have easily doubled up as operating table, with some guy pounding my ass, thinking it would feel good' she said, groaning as her back felt as though someone had hammered it out of place.
For a moment they ate quietly, only interrupted by Claire rifling through her biker magazine.
Bec glanced at her watch and it suddenly dawned on her that Jill was running late.
Very late.
Jill Valentine, organiser of the team running late? Only this would happen if….
'OH MY GOD! I left Jill in the sun bed!!!!' shrieked Bec, standing up quickly and clattering her chair.
Claire looked up from her magazine and sighed.
'Bec, Jill wouldn't be that stupid. She's probably just stuck in the massage parlour with Rick' she said, unusually mellow.
Bec clenched her fists until her knuckles showed white.
'Claire, I LOCKED her in the sun bed. She's been in there for over TWO HOURS!' she screamed, shaking Claire who suddenly rose at realising at what had happened.
'MY GOD!!! FUCK FUCK FUCK !!! she's gonna kick our asses!!! Quick, we'd better get her outta there!!' yelled Claire, as they both departed from the canteen, leaving their table topsy turvy to the amusement of the other dining people.
The two girls ran quickly down the elegant hallways, horrible pictures going through their minds at the consequences that would happen when they freed Jill from the sun bed.
It didn't look pretty.
Simple minded Bec was thinking of how Jill was going to pound her and how Jill's perfect complexion would be ruined, and it would be all Bec's fault.
Rambuctious Claire was afraid of her brother's wrath when presenting a lobster to him instead of his cherished girlfriend. Either, way it didn't look good.
They finally reached the sun bed chamber, after which seemed an age, to find it deserted.
All the customers had headed off to the canteen.
Save one bed.
Bec and Claire gaped liked fish and stood as still as rocks. Finally Bec broke the silence.
'Seeing as it was me who left her there, I think it's my job to get her out' she said quietly, her hands shaking. Claire gave her a shove in the direction of the sun bed and turned her back. She didn't want to see the creation that would emerge from the sun bed. No Way.
Rebecca shuffled over to the sun bed and drew back to bolts. She lifted the cover off and briefly shielded her eyes as she switched off the rays.
Claire stumbled up expecting the worst.
A low breathy groan was heard from the bed, very much like a zombie.
Claire covered her eyes.
Jill's body was an angry, itching red. Blisters bubbled up and her skin looked raw.
Jill, feeling the unbearable heat had gone sat up and mumbled something incoherent, and then started gasping and choking, her arms flailing.
Claire was suddenly jerked into realisation and shook Bec who was standing stock still.
'Bec get help!!!' she shrieked and shook the bewildered girl's shoulders. Bec was paralysed at the sight of Jill, and needed to be shook hard to be brought back to reality.
'Better get help, need ambulance' she choked out and spun around, running to find help.
Claire grasped one of Jill's burned hands, and waited for help to come.
Chris glanced in his mirror to see the moody pair of eyes looking at him. They caught his gaze and stared back at him angrily, until Chris was forced to blink and turn away with an angry huff.
Leon sat in the front seat, his fingers absently examining the stitching on Monty while his mind thought of something else.
Chris had told him that he should ignore Carlos at all costs. The guy was acting like a bottom feeding, scum sucking pile of puke. Leon knew that Chris was extremely angry with Carlos, and that he felt he should protect Becca. Leon was pretty angry with him too. Becca was a sweet, vulnerable girl and would give him the loyalty and love that a tart could never offer.
Leon was musing over this when the sound of 'Mission Impossible 2' ring tone came blaring out, interrupting his thoughts.
Chris grunted and reached for his cell phone, which was tucked in his jeans pocket and flipped the cover off.
'Hello?' he said into the receiver.
'Chris come here quickly!!!!!' yelped the person at the other end.
'Who is this?' asked Chris, using his left hand to steer the car.
'It's Claire, just get to Robertsville General Hospital quickly!!!' she yelled.
'Why, what happened? 'asked Chris quickly, alert from the unusual tone of Claire's voice. But Claire had already rung off.
Chris pocketed his phone and did a swift u-turn.
'Wooow!' yelled Leon and Carlos as they were jerked out of their seats as Chris quickly executed a u-turn.
'What was that for?' asked Carlos angrily, as he rubbed the place on his head, which he had bumped. Chris scowled at him.
'I just got a frantic call from Claire for us to get to the hospital quickly' he explained, gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles showed white.
'Hope everything's okay' said Leon, as horrible visions floated through his head at the speed of light.
Carlos was silenced and sat back in his seat, dismally thinking what could have happened.
'Hold on Tight' commanded Chris, as his revved up the engine and sped down the highway at 70mph.
Both men strapped their belts in and held on tightly to the hand rests as Chris drove like a rally driver, expertly turning swiftly and overtaking cars.
They careered into the driveway of the hospital and parked directly in front of it.
The three men leapt out of the car and hurried to the emergency department, ignoring the nurses calls of telling them to stop running.
They charged up to the front desk and find Bec and Claire waiting for them, both looking nervous and on the edge.
Leon felt relieve wash over him and hugged Claire tightly, and held her hand.
'The doctors are with her now' said Bec quietly, pointing to a curtained cubicle where Chris could clearly see the movement of bustling doctors and nurses from behind the ghostly white curtains.
'What actually happened?' asked Carlos, trying not to look at Bec's tanned waist too closely. He kept his eyes on his feet instead.
'I locked Jill in one of the sun beds' stuttered Bec feebly, shuffling her feet, not daring to look up.
'And?' asked Chris, his eyes glued on the cubicle, fists clenched.
'I for, for..' stuttered Bec , tongue tied.
'Are you gonna get this sentence out?' asked Leon gently, but firmly.
'I forgot about her' finished Bec, near tears.
Several doctors emerged from curtained cubicle carrying various medical tools, and a couple of nurses bustling about.
'You free to go see her now' they told Claire.
'Will she have to stay here long?' asked Bec, a quiver in her voice.
'No she can leave in an hour's time, she will have to apply this lotion everyday for the next month and see her doctor every week to get checked. She'll be fine' said the doctor kindly, noticing how pale Becca was.
'Thank You, Doctor' added Chris quietly.
Once the doctor had left, they went into to see Jill.
Jill's body was covered in bandages and dressings, and being used to this procedure the gang wasn't too fazed.
'Hey Guys' croaked Jill, 'Come to see the newest addition to the aquarium?'.
Leon bounced on the bed, but slid off as he saw Jill wince.
'Well, I don't usually pay attention to fish, but your one helluva a nice one and I couldn't resist' he drawled, receiving a glare from both Redfields.
Claire frowned at Leon and jabbed him in the ribs.
'So when are you gonna look like normal again?' ventured Carlos.
'About a month's time, and the dance is next week….'groaned Jill, shifting slightly from under the weight of dressings layered on her body.
Bec opened her mouth to say something, but shut it again quickly. Her eyes directed at the floor. Chris felt a rush of sympathy for her, and patted her shoulder.
'Hey guys, Jill needs rest, we'll hang here for an hour' said Chris briskly, bustling Leon, Claire and Carlos out before they could say a word. Once the door was shut, Leon turned to Claire and dragged her off to the coffee machine, leaving Chris and Carlos in the waiting area.
Carlos's face was still in it's sulky pout, which Chris had noticed had become even glummer since seeing Bec. Chris decided to be the first one to break the uncomfortable silence.
'I hope Jill won't be too hard on Bec' said Chris, glancing at the cubicle.
'Jill isn't like that. She knows Bec's sorry 'replied Carlos curtly, studying his fingers.
Chris knew that Carlos would never confront the issue unless he was made to. Chris didn't want to avoid the issue anymore.
'Carlos, I hope you tell Becca soon' he finally said, standing up and regarding Carlos.
'About what?' drawled Carlos, pretending to be bored, but Chris noted the way his knuckles were clenched tightly.
'Stop avoiding the goddamn issue! Tell her about Phoenix, tell her before the dance so she'll have time to get over it!' said Chris fiercely, pushing at Carlos roughly. Chris felt anger rise up in him at the thought of Sweet Becca being hurt, Bec who never did anything wrong.
'I will, man! You guys seem to think of me as some low-down, messed up love rat that takes pleasure in hurting girls! That's not me! I'm Carlos Oliveira, THE Ladies' Man, I don't hang around for long, it's my trademark' growled Carlos, standing up to face Chris, at a loss because Chris towered over him massively.
This was more than Chris could take. He breathed in deeply, trying to conquer the anger that burned inside, and restraining himself from beating the crap outta The Spanish Amigo.
'You Goddamn Fool! Anyone could see you were happy wit Becca, if you don't tell her soon about Phoenix, I will beat the shit outta you, because Bec don't deserve to be hurt' shouted Chris, feeling his fingers grip the fabric of Carlos's shirt, and the eyes' of the passers-by on them. Chris let go of Carlos, and ran a hand through his hair. With a final glare at the glowering Spanish Amigo, he stalked off to find Claire and Leon.
Meanwhile Leon had broken the news of Carlos's new date and received the appropriate response from Claire.
As soon as he had told her, Claire had screamed and thrown her coffee at Leon. Through the haze of steam and the scalding hot coffee that was running down his neck, he managed to get the rest of the story through.
'Chris and I woulda stopped him if we'd been there, and by the time we'd arrived it was already too late.' Explained Leon, reaching out to hold Claire's hand.
Claire sighed and rested her head against coffee machine trying to make sense of Carlos's actions. Carlos had met another girl at the park, and was obviously hoping to take her to the dance instead of Becca. She tapped the toe of her boot against the vinyl floor, and wondered why everything the gang did together ended up being warped and messed up. Nothing would ever run to plan.
'Poor Becca. She's so excited about this dance as well, now she has no date, why did this have to happen to her' said Claire unhappily, not wanting to picture Bec's face when she was told about Carlos's new Ladee.
'You and me both. Chris was furious with Carlos for doing this to her, and I bet he's giving him a piece of his mind right now,' said Leon, giving Claire's hand a gentle squeeze.
Both looked up when they heard the clatter of hiking boots on the vinyl floor, and Chris rounded the corner, his brow furrowed and his jaw set at an angle.
'Ya give him a piece of Redfield Anger?' asked Leon, taking in Chris's angry disposition.
'Sure did, but I doubt it did an ounce of good. Carlos just better tell Bec, or I'll pound him to a pulp' said Chris in resigned tones.
'Better go back, or Jill will think the coffee machine ate us' said Claire. The two guys nodded and began to walk back to the wards.
Jill groaned as she regarded herself in the bathroom mirror. Her skin was just one big angry red rash. Jill silently vowed not to ever set foot in a sunbed ever again.
'Wild horses wouldn't drag me back to that health spa' murmured Jill, as she smoothed down her shirt. She could vaguely remember how the warmth on her body had turned into raging, unrelenting heat. The sweat pouring down her body, and the way her fingers madly clawed around for the deflector button, and how she hadn't been able to find it. The intense heat had lulled her into submission, the endless light blinding her and she had slipped into a semi-conscious state, mumbling incoherently, and the parched feeling of her mouth.
Jill cursed her luck at having this happen a week before the dance. Whatever the gang tried to do, always ended up with something warped and strange happening, and this had confirmed her theory. She wondered what the guys had gotten up to, while the girls had indulged in beautifying themselves. She still hadn't figured out what their motives were yet. Jill figured that they were up to something, and weren't telling them as it was going to be an exciting surprise or something, which they would say no to immediately. Her mind was leaning towards the latter.
However, Jill had more important things on her mind. Namely, what the hell was she going to do for dance? Her skin would never be back to normal in time, perhaps never. She couldn't just not go, as Chris had also been looking forward to it as well.
Decisions. Chris was a higher up at the Robertsville PD, so she would probably not be laughed at. And she was, second in command to him. Jill decided she wasn't going to let her skin get in the way of having a good time, so pushing away all further doubts, she braced herself and left the bathroom.
Carlos was mulling over what Chris had said to him, when he felt someone touch him on the shoulder. Not wanting to see who it was, he looked up slowly. To his surprise, it was Phoenix.
'Carlos, what are you doing here?' she asked gently, noticing his downcast face. 'Is someone sick?'.
'Yeah a friend of mine was rushed here, they're gonna be fine though' said Carlos, brightening up. Phoenix was in a nurse's uniform, and was carrying a clipboard. Her dark red hair was tied back in a loose plait, and her dark brown eyes looked into his softly. Carlos felt his heart flip. Hello Nurse….
'So Phoenix Gully is a nurse?' he asked playfully tweaking one of her curls.
'Indeed. I'm on a night shift tonight' she said, batting her eyelashes sweetly at Carlos.
'Playing it coy. She wants it…come one Nurse' thought Carlos.
'I've been thinking a lot about you. Do you want to come out sometime? There's a dance at the RPD next weekend?' said Carlos smoothly, catching hold of one her hands and squeezing it, maintaining eye contact with those dark brown eyes. He had played his trump card, and it looked successful.
'That would be great' she said coyly, treating him to a smile and displaying straight, white teeth. 'Pick me up around seven?'.
'Yeah. Phoenix, you really have made me happy' he said softly, pulling her closer so he could stare even more deeply into those eyes. She dropped her hands so they rested around his waist, and she tilted her head. Carlos leaned in for the kiss, when he heard a strangled squeak from behind him.
Turning around, he saw Bec's dismayed face and Jill's bewildered one. Bec's expression was that of complete shock and he saw the colour drain from her cheeks and her grey eyes fill.
'Becca, wait!' he yelled, moving away from Phoenix and trying to catch hold of Bec. She walked quickly past him, her lips set and her head held high, she dodged out of the door and started to run, until Carlos could only pick out the flame red hair from a distance.
Chicky Sez: BUM BUM BUMMMMM!!!! The long awaited chapter has arrived! Sorry it took so long for this chapter to be put up, but I lost my author's account in summer and only just got it back this week. I've been away in Italy and India the whole of summer and was in Belgium of most of Christmas, so know I'll get back to the drawing board.
Wonder what'll happen next? The trials of life and love will be continued in the next chapter of Come Dance With Me….stay tuned!
Sayonara
xXx Chicky Tifa xXx
I am Color blind
Coffee Black and Egg White
Pull me Out from Inside
I am Ready
I am Ready
I am Ready
I am….Fine….
'Color Blind' by Counting Crows.
Rebecca yawned and stretched, as she lethargically lay across a bench in the sauna room.
She added another drop to the tank, and relaxed as the moist air soothed her tired body.
Bliss.
As her eyes were just closing she had had a rude awakening, from the clanging bell which signalled lunchtime. Sighing and trying to shut her eyes again and drift off, the clanging bell relentlessly clanged on.
Realising she'd have to leave for lunch sooner or later, she made a remote effort and shifted herself up into sitting position, and stumbled her way to the doorway, two hours of sauna room climate showing.
Wrapping her towel more securely around her (the towel with the health spa's emblem on), she daintily stepped into the changing room, walking on her heels to preserve her pedicure. The room was virtually empty, so she quickly claimed a cubicle and settled down to get changed.
A thin smile crawled up her lips as she surveyed her brown legs and immaculate toes. This would be the perfect touch to her dance outfit, a simply dressed girl with glowing, healthy skin and a sweet smile.
She pulled on her underwear, fumbling as her hands were still damp from the sauna room, and pulled her t-shirt over her head.
The t-shirt was different from her others, being brightly coloured and having tiny capped sleeves that showed off the tops of her arms.
The small, brightly coloured piece of fabric was different to her usual plain creations, it was a hope that on her twentieth birthday, the real Becca would come out and stun the world.
Still, one could hope.
She quickly zipped up her plain combats and quickly gave herself a look over in the mirror before she left.
She registered a 19 year old girl, dressed in a tight top and worn combats. Other than a truly noticeable tan and slim waist, she looked as plain as a rag doll.
Becca groaned slightly as she ran her hands over her shoulder length red hair, the blonde highlights showing through slightly.
She poked her tongue out as she ran her hands through her hair to try stimulate some kind of volume, but hair remained as slack as dead fish.
Picking her bag up and walking out of the room, she followed the signs that would lead her to the Health Spa Café.
As she tramped through endless silver hallways, only stopping to pause and look at the strange pictures that adorned the walls, a slight smirk appeared on her face.
A picture of a dark man, his body set in a vivid sunset and his eyes glowing darkly.
The eyes reminded her of Carlos, whose very name made her colour up.
She wondered why a guy like Carlos should be so dedicated to a girl like her.
There were several women in the RPD who a certain flame for the Amigo, but Carlos chose her, plain old Bec, Baby of the Team.
She entered the cafeteria and ordered her food while still dreamily thinking of those dark eyes.
Carrying her tray and humming softly, she caught sight of Claire and hurried over to her.
Claire was intermittently reading a magazine and chowing down on her yoghurt and only briefly looked up.
She tore her eyes away from her beloved Biker Magazine and looked up at Bec.
'So's what ya been up to then?' she asked dropping down to her college drawl. She absently flicked away a stray lock of hair, which had recently been cut.
'Nothin' jes hanging out in the sauna room. Any longer in that heat chamber and I woulda been a dead ringer for a prune' replied Bec, digging into her sandwich with relish.
Claire pursed up her lips.
'You had a better time than me. I was lying face first on that table, which could have easily doubled up as operating table, with some guy pounding my ass, thinking it would feel good' she said, groaning as her back felt as though someone had hammered it out of place.
For a moment they ate quietly, only interrupted by Claire rifling through her biker magazine.
Bec glanced at her watch and it suddenly dawned on her that Jill was running late.
Very late.
Jill Valentine, organiser of the team running late? Only this would happen if….
'OH MY GOD! I left Jill in the sun bed!!!!' shrieked Bec, standing up quickly and clattering her chair.
Claire looked up from her magazine and sighed.
'Bec, Jill wouldn't be that stupid. She's probably just stuck in the massage parlour with Rick' she said, unusually mellow.
Bec clenched her fists until her knuckles showed white.
'Claire, I LOCKED her in the sun bed. She's been in there for over TWO HOURS!' she screamed, shaking Claire who suddenly rose at realising at what had happened.
'MY GOD!!! FUCK FUCK FUCK !!! she's gonna kick our asses!!! Quick, we'd better get her outta there!!' yelled Claire, as they both departed from the canteen, leaving their table topsy turvy to the amusement of the other dining people.
The two girls ran quickly down the elegant hallways, horrible pictures going through their minds at the consequences that would happen when they freed Jill from the sun bed.
It didn't look pretty.
Simple minded Bec was thinking of how Jill was going to pound her and how Jill's perfect complexion would be ruined, and it would be all Bec's fault.
Rambuctious Claire was afraid of her brother's wrath when presenting a lobster to him instead of his cherished girlfriend. Either, way it didn't look good.
They finally reached the sun bed chamber, after which seemed an age, to find it deserted.
All the customers had headed off to the canteen.
Save one bed.
Bec and Claire gaped liked fish and stood as still as rocks. Finally Bec broke the silence.
'Seeing as it was me who left her there, I think it's my job to get her out' she said quietly, her hands shaking. Claire gave her a shove in the direction of the sun bed and turned her back. She didn't want to see the creation that would emerge from the sun bed. No Way.
Rebecca shuffled over to the sun bed and drew back to bolts. She lifted the cover off and briefly shielded her eyes as she switched off the rays.
Claire stumbled up expecting the worst.
A low breathy groan was heard from the bed, very much like a zombie.
Claire covered her eyes.
Jill's body was an angry, itching red. Blisters bubbled up and her skin looked raw.
Jill, feeling the unbearable heat had gone sat up and mumbled something incoherent, and then started gasping and choking, her arms flailing.
Claire was suddenly jerked into realisation and shook Bec who was standing stock still.
'Bec get help!!!' she shrieked and shook the bewildered girl's shoulders. Bec was paralysed at the sight of Jill, and needed to be shook hard to be brought back to reality.
'Better get help, need ambulance' she choked out and spun around, running to find help.
Claire grasped one of Jill's burned hands, and waited for help to come.
Chris glanced in his mirror to see the moody pair of eyes looking at him. They caught his gaze and stared back at him angrily, until Chris was forced to blink and turn away with an angry huff.
Leon sat in the front seat, his fingers absently examining the stitching on Monty while his mind thought of something else.
Chris had told him that he should ignore Carlos at all costs. The guy was acting like a bottom feeding, scum sucking pile of puke. Leon knew that Chris was extremely angry with Carlos, and that he felt he should protect Becca. Leon was pretty angry with him too. Becca was a sweet, vulnerable girl and would give him the loyalty and love that a tart could never offer.
Leon was musing over this when the sound of 'Mission Impossible 2' ring tone came blaring out, interrupting his thoughts.
Chris grunted and reached for his cell phone, which was tucked in his jeans pocket and flipped the cover off.
'Hello?' he said into the receiver.
'Chris come here quickly!!!!!' yelped the person at the other end.
'Who is this?' asked Chris, using his left hand to steer the car.
'It's Claire, just get to Robertsville General Hospital quickly!!!' she yelled.
'Why, what happened? 'asked Chris quickly, alert from the unusual tone of Claire's voice. But Claire had already rung off.
Chris pocketed his phone and did a swift u-turn.
'Wooow!' yelled Leon and Carlos as they were jerked out of their seats as Chris quickly executed a u-turn.
'What was that for?' asked Carlos angrily, as he rubbed the place on his head, which he had bumped. Chris scowled at him.
'I just got a frantic call from Claire for us to get to the hospital quickly' he explained, gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles showed white.
'Hope everything's okay' said Leon, as horrible visions floated through his head at the speed of light.
Carlos was silenced and sat back in his seat, dismally thinking what could have happened.
'Hold on Tight' commanded Chris, as his revved up the engine and sped down the highway at 70mph.
Both men strapped their belts in and held on tightly to the hand rests as Chris drove like a rally driver, expertly turning swiftly and overtaking cars.
They careered into the driveway of the hospital and parked directly in front of it.
The three men leapt out of the car and hurried to the emergency department, ignoring the nurses calls of telling them to stop running.
They charged up to the front desk and find Bec and Claire waiting for them, both looking nervous and on the edge.
Leon felt relieve wash over him and hugged Claire tightly, and held her hand.
'The doctors are with her now' said Bec quietly, pointing to a curtained cubicle where Chris could clearly see the movement of bustling doctors and nurses from behind the ghostly white curtains.
'What actually happened?' asked Carlos, trying not to look at Bec's tanned waist too closely. He kept his eyes on his feet instead.
'I locked Jill in one of the sun beds' stuttered Bec feebly, shuffling her feet, not daring to look up.
'And?' asked Chris, his eyes glued on the cubicle, fists clenched.
'I for, for..' stuttered Bec , tongue tied.
'Are you gonna get this sentence out?' asked Leon gently, but firmly.
'I forgot about her' finished Bec, near tears.
Several doctors emerged from curtained cubicle carrying various medical tools, and a couple of nurses bustling about.
'You free to go see her now' they told Claire.
'Will she have to stay here long?' asked Bec, a quiver in her voice.
'No she can leave in an hour's time, she will have to apply this lotion everyday for the next month and see her doctor every week to get checked. She'll be fine' said the doctor kindly, noticing how pale Becca was.
'Thank You, Doctor' added Chris quietly.
Once the doctor had left, they went into to see Jill.
Jill's body was covered in bandages and dressings, and being used to this procedure the gang wasn't too fazed.
'Hey Guys' croaked Jill, 'Come to see the newest addition to the aquarium?'.
Leon bounced on the bed, but slid off as he saw Jill wince.
'Well, I don't usually pay attention to fish, but your one helluva a nice one and I couldn't resist' he drawled, receiving a glare from both Redfields.
Claire frowned at Leon and jabbed him in the ribs.
'So when are you gonna look like normal again?' ventured Carlos.
'About a month's time, and the dance is next week….'groaned Jill, shifting slightly from under the weight of dressings layered on her body.
Bec opened her mouth to say something, but shut it again quickly. Her eyes directed at the floor. Chris felt a rush of sympathy for her, and patted her shoulder.
'Hey guys, Jill needs rest, we'll hang here for an hour' said Chris briskly, bustling Leon, Claire and Carlos out before they could say a word. Once the door was shut, Leon turned to Claire and dragged her off to the coffee machine, leaving Chris and Carlos in the waiting area.
Carlos's face was still in it's sulky pout, which Chris had noticed had become even glummer since seeing Bec. Chris decided to be the first one to break the uncomfortable silence.
'I hope Jill won't be too hard on Bec' said Chris, glancing at the cubicle.
'Jill isn't like that. She knows Bec's sorry 'replied Carlos curtly, studying his fingers.
Chris knew that Carlos would never confront the issue unless he was made to. Chris didn't want to avoid the issue anymore.
'Carlos, I hope you tell Becca soon' he finally said, standing up and regarding Carlos.
'About what?' drawled Carlos, pretending to be bored, but Chris noted the way his knuckles were clenched tightly.
'Stop avoiding the goddamn issue! Tell her about Phoenix, tell her before the dance so she'll have time to get over it!' said Chris fiercely, pushing at Carlos roughly. Chris felt anger rise up in him at the thought of Sweet Becca being hurt, Bec who never did anything wrong.
'I will, man! You guys seem to think of me as some low-down, messed up love rat that takes pleasure in hurting girls! That's not me! I'm Carlos Oliveira, THE Ladies' Man, I don't hang around for long, it's my trademark' growled Carlos, standing up to face Chris, at a loss because Chris towered over him massively.
This was more than Chris could take. He breathed in deeply, trying to conquer the anger that burned inside, and restraining himself from beating the crap outta The Spanish Amigo.
'You Goddamn Fool! Anyone could see you were happy wit Becca, if you don't tell her soon about Phoenix, I will beat the shit outta you, because Bec don't deserve to be hurt' shouted Chris, feeling his fingers grip the fabric of Carlos's shirt, and the eyes' of the passers-by on them. Chris let go of Carlos, and ran a hand through his hair. With a final glare at the glowering Spanish Amigo, he stalked off to find Claire and Leon.
Meanwhile Leon had broken the news of Carlos's new date and received the appropriate response from Claire.
As soon as he had told her, Claire had screamed and thrown her coffee at Leon. Through the haze of steam and the scalding hot coffee that was running down his neck, he managed to get the rest of the story through.
'Chris and I woulda stopped him if we'd been there, and by the time we'd arrived it was already too late.' Explained Leon, reaching out to hold Claire's hand.
Claire sighed and rested her head against coffee machine trying to make sense of Carlos's actions. Carlos had met another girl at the park, and was obviously hoping to take her to the dance instead of Becca. She tapped the toe of her boot against the vinyl floor, and wondered why everything the gang did together ended up being warped and messed up. Nothing would ever run to plan.
'Poor Becca. She's so excited about this dance as well, now she has no date, why did this have to happen to her' said Claire unhappily, not wanting to picture Bec's face when she was told about Carlos's new Ladee.
'You and me both. Chris was furious with Carlos for doing this to her, and I bet he's giving him a piece of his mind right now,' said Leon, giving Claire's hand a gentle squeeze.
Both looked up when they heard the clatter of hiking boots on the vinyl floor, and Chris rounded the corner, his brow furrowed and his jaw set at an angle.
'Ya give him a piece of Redfield Anger?' asked Leon, taking in Chris's angry disposition.
'Sure did, but I doubt it did an ounce of good. Carlos just better tell Bec, or I'll pound him to a pulp' said Chris in resigned tones.
'Better go back, or Jill will think the coffee machine ate us' said Claire. The two guys nodded and began to walk back to the wards.
Jill groaned as she regarded herself in the bathroom mirror. Her skin was just one big angry red rash. Jill silently vowed not to ever set foot in a sunbed ever again.
'Wild horses wouldn't drag me back to that health spa' murmured Jill, as she smoothed down her shirt. She could vaguely remember how the warmth on her body had turned into raging, unrelenting heat. The sweat pouring down her body, and the way her fingers madly clawed around for the deflector button, and how she hadn't been able to find it. The intense heat had lulled her into submission, the endless light blinding her and she had slipped into a semi-conscious state, mumbling incoherently, and the parched feeling of her mouth.
Jill cursed her luck at having this happen a week before the dance. Whatever the gang tried to do, always ended up with something warped and strange happening, and this had confirmed her theory. She wondered what the guys had gotten up to, while the girls had indulged in beautifying themselves. She still hadn't figured out what their motives were yet. Jill figured that they were up to something, and weren't telling them as it was going to be an exciting surprise or something, which they would say no to immediately. Her mind was leaning towards the latter.
However, Jill had more important things on her mind. Namely, what the hell was she going to do for dance? Her skin would never be back to normal in time, perhaps never. She couldn't just not go, as Chris had also been looking forward to it as well.
Decisions. Chris was a higher up at the Robertsville PD, so she would probably not be laughed at. And she was, second in command to him. Jill decided she wasn't going to let her skin get in the way of having a good time, so pushing away all further doubts, she braced herself and left the bathroom.
Carlos was mulling over what Chris had said to him, when he felt someone touch him on the shoulder. Not wanting to see who it was, he looked up slowly. To his surprise, it was Phoenix.
'Carlos, what are you doing here?' she asked gently, noticing his downcast face. 'Is someone sick?'.
'Yeah a friend of mine was rushed here, they're gonna be fine though' said Carlos, brightening up. Phoenix was in a nurse's uniform, and was carrying a clipboard. Her dark red hair was tied back in a loose plait, and her dark brown eyes looked into his softly. Carlos felt his heart flip. Hello Nurse….
'So Phoenix Gully is a nurse?' he asked playfully tweaking one of her curls.
'Indeed. I'm on a night shift tonight' she said, batting her eyelashes sweetly at Carlos.
'Playing it coy. She wants it…come one Nurse' thought Carlos.
'I've been thinking a lot about you. Do you want to come out sometime? There's a dance at the RPD next weekend?' said Carlos smoothly, catching hold of one her hands and squeezing it, maintaining eye contact with those dark brown eyes. He had played his trump card, and it looked successful.
'That would be great' she said coyly, treating him to a smile and displaying straight, white teeth. 'Pick me up around seven?'.
'Yeah. Phoenix, you really have made me happy' he said softly, pulling her closer so he could stare even more deeply into those eyes. She dropped her hands so they rested around his waist, and she tilted her head. Carlos leaned in for the kiss, when he heard a strangled squeak from behind him.
Turning around, he saw Bec's dismayed face and Jill's bewildered one. Bec's expression was that of complete shock and he saw the colour drain from her cheeks and her grey eyes fill.
'Becca, wait!' he yelled, moving away from Phoenix and trying to catch hold of Bec. She walked quickly past him, her lips set and her head held high, she dodged out of the door and started to run, until Carlos could only pick out the flame red hair from a distance.
Chicky Sez: BUM BUM BUMMMMM!!!! The long awaited chapter has arrived! Sorry it took so long for this chapter to be put up, but I lost my author's account in summer and only just got it back this week. I've been away in Italy and India the whole of summer and was in Belgium of most of Christmas, so know I'll get back to the drawing board.
Wonder what'll happen next? The trials of life and love will be continued in the next chapter of Come Dance With Me….stay tuned!
Sayonara
xXx Chicky Tifa xXx