29. Claire

The room had fallen deadly silent the minute the words had left Claire's lips. It was an expected reaction; Claire already had an idea of how Chris would react, but surprisingly, Chris's reaction was less explosive than she'd anticipated. His look was bitter, and she could notice his knuckles growing white. She took a quick look at the rest of the present. Jill and Barry were exchanging silent worry looks. Rebecca was biting her lip, completely clueless of what she should say or ask; Adams and Hopkins were looking concerned, and Helena was looking at Leon, who was frowning with an expression that Claire couldn't interpret.

"Claire, are you positive about this?" Adams asked, breaking the silence.

"I am…" Claire nodded, "I ran some tests to confirm it. The DNA print of the sample pairs with mine. The virus is related. Like I said before, the mechanism needs to get studied, but I am sure that the infection occurs in two stages, at least."

"Do we have any symptoms?" Rebecca asked.

"Only the ones we see in vitro…" Claire replied. She clicked her pointer, and the pictures of the different cell tests they'd done the past days appeared on camera, "I infected the cells in different combinations to see what happened…"

"Combinations?" Rebecca asked.

"Since the ɑ-V1 virus pretty much works as a template for recombination that eventually leads to the ɑ-V2 infection. I tried to find a pattern in its genetic code. The ɑ-V1 insert specific sequences depending on certain stimuli that I still need to figure out. Depending on the fragment, the symptoms of ɑ-V2 vary. Now, since those sequences were fragments of other viruses we have encountered, I tested the ɑ-V2 with cells infected by those viruses."

"You did what?" Chris snapped.

"It was a safe procedure. No zombies involved, "Claire said, pulling up her hands defensively, "The point is, if we hadn't done that, we wouldn't have discovered that the ɑ-V2 is an extremely hostile and competitive virus. In the presence of another infection -excepting ɑ-V1 - the virion destroys any cell that is carrying an infection. Just look at these results. The upper five pictures correspond to cell lines infected with C-virus, T- virus, A-virus, and G-virus. All the cells died in less than 24 hours. It's the same effect that affects normal cells, but if the cells are infected, the process seems to speed up. Now, if we infect the cells with ɑ-V1, then infect them with a second virus, for example, the C-virus in here, and then by the ɑ-V2. The ɑ-V2 would kill cells selectively first before releasing its virulence. The process is fascinating and complex, to be honest..."

"Let me see if I understood all the talk you just threw at us…" Barry said, "The virus kills, not only human cells but other viruses as well?"

"Yeah, basically, Barry." Claire shrugged "survival of the strongest; unfortunately...there's a lot that needs to get explained, but I am afraid...this is all I know for now...sorry..."

"No...this is a lot, Claire…" Rebecca quickly said, "But...if you're infected. What about you?"

"...I…."

"I think I am the one who should be answering that since Claire is obviously going to filter the information…" Saya quickly replied.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Claire replied, rolling her eyes.

"That you are going to skip over some of the things just to spare your friends and family…" Saya answered, "They need to know…"

Claire hated the fact that she knew Saya was right. Her family needed to know for their sake, but knowing was going to hurt; especially Chris and Claire didn't want it to be that way.

"Know what…?" Chris demanded.

"Oh, I hate your "I'm a doctor" reasoning, Saya…" Claire sighed, "Fine...I'll shut up…"

Claire dropped herself unceremoniously into her chair and crossed her arms while Saya picked up the conversation.

"Claire seems to be an exception in the virus's usual virulence mechanism. As Claire just mentioned, we ran some tests using cells infected with various samples. In cases in which we skipped the first infection by α-V1, the mortality in cells was 100% in healthy cells and an average of 98% in cells infected with other viral agents. Cells with a previous infection with α-V1 infected with a secondary virus and then with α-V2 showed variable mortality. We believe it was due to selective inhibition since, in all cases, the surviving cells were carriers of the mutation introduced by the α-V1." Saya explained cooly, " Cells with only the α-V1 infection with a consequent addition of α-V2 showed mutations that included metabolic changes, growth rate acceleration, and membrane composition. It's hard to tell what changes it may provoke on a whole tissue, but in epithelial cells, there was an increased reduction of melanin production..."

"Which translates into photosensitivity…." Rebecca considered, " One of the main symptoms seen in the new strain of BOW's…"

"Yeah...so there's a very high chance that this virus is involved in the production of those BOW's…" Claire said, "That's, exactly, what I was going to say, thank you."

"You're welcome, honey. Now, as most of you should have noticed, Claire doesn't have photosensitivity. The good news is, Claire is safe from becoming one of those ugly things; at least, theoretically speaking…"

"What is the bad news?" Chris asked.

"The virus infected hematopoietic stem cells in Claire's bone marrow. The normal immunological functions fail. and there's inhibition the production of normal white and red blood cells and platelets."

"Oh, god...isn't it that just like…?" Rebecca began.

"Leukemia? Yes, the good news is it isn't. She may be more sensible infections and suffer fatigue, bleeding, bruising, anemia, and bone and joint pain, among other things, though, but her pathology is more related to autoimmune conditions caused by the infection."

"Can it be treated?"

"Treated...yes, healed...we don't know yet…" Saya replied, " the prognosis until now is…"

"I'll live with the chronic disease even if we eliminate the virus from my system…" Claire finished for her, "but I'll live…"

"Well, I didn't expect you to be so straightforward…."Saya sighed, "Where did the tact part go?"

Claire let out a sigh; she was conscient that Chris's face had paled and that the man looked like he was ready to punch and break something. She knew Chris, and that was exactly how he usually reacted.

"Before you explode, Chris…" Claire said, staring at her brother with a comforting look, "it's not that bad. Really…"

"How is that not bad, Claire?" Chris growled, "Tell me how the possibility of living with a disease like that for the rest of your life is not bad? What could be worse than that, for god's sake?"

"Chris, are you really asking that? I could be one of those monsters. and that's definitely worse." Claire sighed, "I'll rather live the rest of my life like this than turning into one of them...okay?"

"Claire is right, Chris. The important thing now is that Claire is with us. We will figure out a way to solve this somehow…" Jill tried to calm him.

"Yes, and I'll help." Rebecca said, " The information you have is really useful. I will start working on a prototype vaccine asap. Claire, I promise I will figure out a way to fix it."

"That's fine, Rebecca. I am a geneticist. I know mutations don't get fixed just like that." Claire replied, "It might not be curable, but treatment should suffix."

"It is saddening, Claire…" Hopkins said sadly.

"I am alive, aren't I? What's there to be sad about?" Claire said, shaking her head, "The important thing now is working on these new strains so that we can start working on a cure."

"You're a brave woman, Claire. You really are…"

Claire stared at the room. She could see the mixed feelings crossing among the faces in the room. Her team had already heard the news before, so there was no surprise on their faces. However, she could see the sadness spill out from their eyes. She hated to be the cause of everyone's painful look, but there was nothing she could do to prevent it.

I am sorry.

"So I am…" she replied to her inner voice "So I am…."

Claire sat in her empty office, staring at the white wall. The meeting had gone okay, and her friends and family had reacted relatively well to the news. She hadn't spoken to them yet, and she was afraid that a long lecture awaited her.

The auburn headed caught a slight movement with the corner of her eye, and she found her younger doppelgänger sitting on the edge of her desk. Her female version was staring at the whiteboard covered with notes.

"It'd been a while since I saw you. I was starting to think you were gone…" Claire sighed.

I'll never be gone since I am you, after all. The girl chuckled.

"I still don't know if that's good or bad…"

Her doppelgänger stood up and began pacing around her office. At that moment, Chris barged into her office, closing the door behind him. Claire had long been waiting for him; she knew Chris would come sooner or later, but she was surprised that the man had taken much more time than she'd anticipated. The man sat down in the chair in front of her with his hands locked on his lap.

He's upset because of us.

Claire ignored the pacing hallucination and took a deep breath.

"Sorry…" both said at the same time, "No, I'm sorry...I shouldn't…"

Despite the gravity of the situation, Claire couldn't help but smile. Sometimes she was so much in sync with Chris that it amazed herself. It had come in handy when they were kids, and they had to cover for each other.

Like a brother, like a sister.

"Why are you sorry?" Chris said, shocked, but she saw the ghost of a smile on his lips. Her brother was surely thinking the same thing as her.

"For...making you worry," she replied. She knew the hardest part of telling them about the virus would be telling Chris about herself. She had spent the past two days preparing herself for it.

Chris stared at her incredulously before shaking his head, irritated, but it was clear that his anger wasn't for Claire.

"You shouldn't be apologizing, Claire. This mess wasn't your choice. I should be the one apologizing. You shouldn't be in this situation in the first place…"

"Don't be stupid…" Claire replied, "If I am or not in this situation isn't your fault, Chris. I am where I am because I chose to walk a path that I knew had risks. Isn't it the same for you?"

"For me? I am a soldier, Claire. Fighting is what I do…" he sighed.

"I know…" Claire said softly, "Really, Chris. It sounds worse than what it is…"

Liar…

Chris had only replied with a skeptical glare that could have frozen the bravest soldier, but to Claire, it just made her smile.

"Really, Chris...so far, I think my PMS is worse…" Claire chuckled, "I'll be okay. You focus on kicking terrorist asses, and I'll focus on helping Rebecca with the virus. You don't need to worry. I have two of the world's best doctors with me. The World can get hit by a pandemic, but I'll be the last man standing…"

Liar...Liar…

"It's for the best. We must look at the bigger picture…"

Even if it comes with a price?

Chris still seemed unconvinced, but Claire grabbed her brother's rough hand and caressed it reassuringly until the man let out a defeated sigh.

"You know I'll still worry."

"I know, just like I do about you. That's the family curse and someday we will add more numbers into the equation, and we will both be struggling in worries…" Claire laughed, "There's nothing we can do now, Chris. The virus did what it did, and worrying and sulking about it will take us nowhere. We do what we are meant to do and stop that thing from breaking free okay?"

"When did you become the wise one ?"

"I was always the wise one…" she replied, standing up to hug him. "But that's okay...I love you even if you're a goof, Chris…"

Chris pressed the woman's thin frame against himself in a protective hug, and Claire laughed, patting her brother's back.

"And you are a smartass baby sister…"

"I am a smartass..but you love me anyway…"

"Little rascal…" Chris chuckled, "But I guess you're right. We might figure out a way to cure you if we find Mobius, so that should be our focus for now."

"Yeah, sometimes you just need to listen to the younger sister…"

"Don't push it, Claire…" Chris added, ruffling her hair.

Claire laughed. At least she had managed to soften the situation with Chris. That was one thing less.

"Well...nice to know you can be reasonable after all…" Claire laughed, "You are softer than most people take you for, Chris...should I worry?"

"You're the exception to the rule…."

"Yeah, let's hope I stick with good luck because I still need to survive another lecture…"

"Another?" Chris asked with a frown.

"Yeah, one that signed Kennedy.." Claire sighed, sitting on her chair once more, "Leon is not going to be happy; but I guess he's easier to reason with, so maybe that won't go that bad…"

"He's been giving you hard times?"

"What? No, it's just that he's too much like you these days. All caring and overprotective about me. It's a little strange, I guess…"

"Caring? Like flirty-caring?"

"Ah, come on, Chris.." Claire laughed. "Leon would never flirt with me. No, he's honest. I know that. I know he cares. I mean, we are friends. Of course, he cares. It's just like how you care about Jill... "

Chris stared at her with a frown, and his face soon turned into an expression that Claire couldn't quite figure. He seemed to be thinking about something, but the younger Redfield couldn't think of what.

"Chris?"

"Ah? Sorry. I spaced out. I've got a lot of things in my head…"

"I get you. Since you're here, how about having a relaxing cup of tea with your favorite sister?"

"Yeah, sounds good...considering we still have some catch up to do left."