Connor sounded relieved when he answered.

"Jesus, Mike, thought we lost you."

"Yeah, I did too," I coughed and spit blood on the floor, "SITREP?"

"We're cut off from the hospital, got bogged down again, there's just too many of them Actual, recommend we exfil and re-insert. Chambers! On your left!"

"Copy Two, fall back, get to a secure location, update me on your grid, and we'll consolidate."

"Working on it, Actual will advise, out."

I stood, my bones aching from the post adrenaline rush fatigue, my leg felt like it was on fire, but I moved, pushing back to the street. Night had fallen proper, and the fires burning turned the street orange, adding a sense of horrific ambiance that I really didn't fucking need right now. I limped down Houston, keeping an eye on the fire still burning on Rocker, daring that fucking thing to rise from the dead for round two.

Silence and the crackling of the fires greeted me.

Yeah, that's right bitch.

I turned back, dragging my bad leg as I walked; I had ten blocks to go and, however, many zombies plus whatever else Umbrella had added to the mix. My vision tilted a little as I stepped over the body of an old man, his face torn away and a healthy part of his brain exposed, I blinked a few times to clear the blur, and my heart froze in my chest when I finally gathered my marbles.

Jill leaned against the light pole at the end of the block, filing her nails, dressed in her RPD blues, one leg propped against the metal.

I rubbed my eyes, but when I opened them, she was still there, filing and shining her nails on her vest. Her head turned as I approached, a smile spreading across her face, "Hey babe."

I opened my mouth to say something, nothing came out.

Jill giggled, "You keep your mouth open like that, Kelly, and someone's gonna stick a dick in it."

"You're not real…" It was all I had; I pushed through the pain and walked past her, only to find her sitting atop an overturned car around the next corner, swinging her feet back and forth as she took a drag off a cigarette; I could smell the smoke.

She shook her head, "Not at all, a complete and utter figment of your imagination, one too many knocks to the head Mike, a little too much bloodshed, your mind is starting unravel a bit."

"Jill, you're dead, leave me alone." I kept moving; I had to get to the hospital.

She pouted, "And here I thought you'd be happy to see me."

"Not like this. Please leave me alone." Tears started now, blurring my vision even more.

She tsk'd, "Would that I could Mike, but you created me, all that pain, rage, sadness, self-hatred at not being there when I needed you. You let me die, Mike. Hell, not just me, if you'd been faster, better, maybe Forrest and Joe would still be alive."

"Shut up." I growled anger flashed through me despite the tears running down my face, "I did everything I could."

She cocked her head, shimmering around her edges, "But did you, though? You should have told the team the second Rebecca popped the cork on Umbrella's involvement, you gave Wesker the chance to do what he did, plant that seed of doubt. You were afraid, that fear left me alone, drove Chris half crazy, almost saw Barry murdered in his own house, Rebecca was happy to see you because she's a kid who needs something good to cling to, but your fear ruined her too. You could have saved us if you weren't such a fucking coward." She ended on a snarl, face twisting viciously.

"SHUT UP!" I screamed, sinking to my knees

She appeared in front of me, so close I could reach out and touch her, dressed in that same blue tank top and jeans from our last night at Jay's, stained with blood now, chunks of flesh missing from her arms, half her face was gone, one blue eye blazed at me.

I smelled death as she got right in my face and roared in a voice that was more of an unholy screech, reverberating in my head. "YOU'LL NEVER BE RID OF ME."

I closed my eyes against the onslaught. When I opened them, the street was empty, quiet.

Jill was gone.

Somehow I knew she'd be back.

I picked myself up off the ground, shaking violently, using every bit of strength I had left to push forward towards the hospital.

Jill made another appearance a few blocks later, clapping softly, just as I finished taking down a cluster of zombies.

"Nice job, babe. But then again, that's what you've always been good at, isn't it? Taking lives?"

I tried to ignore her, but everywhere I looked there she was, whole again, but still the last thing I wanted to see.

"You spent so much time killing people…You liked it, didn't you? The thrill when the light went out in someone's eyes, watching their soul slip away. You never added anything to this world, only took. And you think you're some kind of hero," She scoffed, "When I was alive, I was afraid of you, it's why I kept you close, I figured when you finally went nuts, maybe you'd kill me last." Her voice twisted into a caricature of pity before she shimmered into nothing.

Her voice was suddenly right in my ear, whispering, "Did you really think anyone could love such a broken-down thing?"

I rounded on her, but she'd vanished again.

I shuddered, painfully aware that I was losing it, and it scared me in a way nothing ever had before. But I kept moving.

Three blocks from Connor and Rebecca's last known, I fired up my radio, "Actual to Oxide Two, I'm a couple of blocks from you, what's your location?"

A moment later, Connor answered, Jill was doing cartwheels in the street now, "Good to hear your voice. Actual, main force of infected has passed our position, we're holed up in an apartment building on the north side of the street, number three two five, keep coming and we'll guide you in."

"Actual copies all, moving."

I tried to jog it, but the pain from my leg was radiating into my hip now, strange unless I broke a bone, I put it out of my mind, limping for all I was worth.

"Actual, we see you, third building on your right."

I cleared the building's lobby, checking every corner despite the pain that was making it hard to think now; climbing the stairs proved difficult when Jill was on every landing in various degrees of decomposition.

I finally crossed the threshold into Connor and Rebecca's hide, the latter giving me a broken look that swiftly turned into concern as Connor helped me to a chair, my leg almost collapsing as I tried to sit, she rushed over, kneeling next to me and pulling the makeshift bandage off.

"What happened?"

Jill's corpse made faces at me over Becca's shoulder, "I was attacked by that BOW they warned us about, had to call down a drone strike, fucker just wouldn't die, I think I caught some shrapnel."

Rebecca shook her head, "This doesn't look like shrapnel Mike, it looks infected. Did it touch you, the BOW?"

"No, I kept it at a distance."

Her face turned grave, "How far were you from it when the strike hit?"

The chills shot through me again.

"About a hundred yards or so-wait, what are you getting at Becca?"

"I'm not sure, I have to get in there and take a look, Connor can you grab my aid bag?"

Con' nodded, concern written all over his face as he handed her the supplies.

"I've gotta numb you out; otherwise, this is really gonna hurt Mike," She rattled a few pills out of a nondescript bottle into my blood slicked hand. I swallowed them with some water from my Camelbak.

She nodded, "Okay, should take a few minutes, then I can get a look." She smiled at me, but it didn't reach her eyes as she regained her feet, grabbing Connor and walking him to a corner, talking to him in hushed tones that I couldn't make out. I did see Connor's face go pale as the pills began to kick in, the world turning hazy, I let the exhaustion take me.

I woke up soaked in sweat; Rebecca stared down at me, her expression a little broken around the edges, Con' was off to side covering the street, but he looked…troubled, to say the least.

"Becca, what's going on?" I managed to get it out as another wave of nausea and heat swept through me.

Her expression went sideways, tears filling up her pretty green eyes, "I pulled something out of you, a bone fragment, I think it was from the BOW. I-I think you're infected, Mike."

Oh, Jesus…

"Are you sure?"

She looked like she wanted to lie, closing her eyes tightly, tears dripping onto the carpeted floor, "Yes."

"So that's it, huh?" The impassive tone of my voice surprised me, "We don't know if Bard's vaccine will work, or even if it's here, I probably only have a few hours left if that. Time to give me a piece and take a walk, you two."

I was surprised at how much I was looking forward to it.

Connor looked over at me, on the verge of tears, only the second time I'd ever seen him cry.

My boy, the big softie.

Our radios flared to life at once, "Dagger to Oxide Actual, come in Actual."

I reached up with a shaking, sweat-slicked hand and keyed my mic, "Go for Actual."

"Actual, Dagger has contact with Doctor Bard, current location is the top floor of Raccoon General, requesting extraction immediately, the situation has become dynamic."

Connor came over the freq, "Dagger, Oxide Two, Actual is critically injured, believed to be infected, did the PC say anything about a vaccine on-site?"

"…Affirmative, Two, PC has the vaccine in his possession."

Connor didn't even hesitate, "Oxide Two is requesting permission to secure PC and vaccine immediately, how copy?"

"Dagger copies all, wait one."

I started to shake in my chair, thankful that Jill seemed to have vanished for a moment, the chills hitting me full force even as my body overheated. Rebecca grabbed my hand, her cool skin a balm against the rushing heat that threatened to overwhelm me.

"I'm gonna fix this, Mike, I promise, I'm not gonna let you die. You all took care of me in the mansion; it's time I returned the favor.' She squeezed my hand tightly and keyed up her radio, "Dagger, Oxide Three, The vaccine will retain it's efficacy if only traces are collected, Eight-hundred microliters are sufficient for reproduction. But we have to move now if we hope to save Actual."

….

"Dagger copies all, Three, permission granted, you are a go."

Connor crossed the room in a flash, waiting for Rebecca by the door.

Becca squeezed my hand, "I'll be right back, promise."

I nodded as best I could, feeling a pistol being pressed into my palm, loaded magazines laid in my lap, "Hey Bec's?"

She stopped halfway to the door," Yes, Mike?"

"Can you dig my smokes out of my vest?"

She smiled despite everything, taking a knee next to me and rifling through my plate carrier, pulling out a smoke and screwing it into my lips, a flash of light, and the end glowed.

"Thanks, kid."

She squeezed my shoulder, wordlessly rallying on Connor and slipping out the door.

I choked a little on the smoke, spitting blood from my abused vocal cords on the floor, at least that's what I hoped was causing it. The cloud of smoke swirled around the room; I followed it with my eyes, too bone-tired to do anything else, it settled in the corner, the silhouette of a woman catching my gaze.

"Hi, Jill,"

She turned, and I could see the smile even in the dim light, "Hey Cowboy, in a tight spot, huh?"

I nodded; why had I been upset before? I was just so happy to see her.

"Big-time darlin', I missed you so much." Talking was getting to be a chore; why was Jill all the way over there?

"Sit with me?"

She smiled again, too beautiful for her own good, and crossed the room, sliding into my lap, the feel of her was too good. Why hadn't we done this in so long? It should be a crime. Her lips ghosted over my forehead, "You're dying, babe, you know that, right?"

Why would she say something so odd? I felt fine.

"I- I don't, I feel fine?"

She leaned down, her breath cool on my face as her chestnut hair curtained around us, "That's the virus talking, Cowboy. Your temperature has to be one oh three by now and climbing, you're burning from the inside out."

I was suddenly afraid, sensing the truth in her words, "Help me. Jill, I'm so scared."

She gently kissed the tip of my nose, "I can't, there's nothing to be done now but wait. I can stay with you though, I can do that." She finished by wrapping her arms around me tightly.

I buried my face in her chest and cried. She held me and stroked my hair, just like she'd always done, chasing away the monsters and nightmares, making me whole again with a simple touch. Her grip tightened, almost painfully.

"Mike!"

She was calling me.

Why couldn't I answer

"Mike! Wake up, please!"

I tried to answer her, but my voice wouldn't work.

Jill pulled back, bracing her hands on the side of my face.

"C'mon brother, time to wake up, okay?"

Then she pulled back and slapped me…hard.

"WAKE UP KELLY!"

I snapped up with a gasp, halfway to my feet, Connor's weight keeping me from getting all the way there. His cheeks were streaked with tears, Rebecca didn't seem to be in much better shape, "Fuck! There he is! Welcome back, you fucking asshole, scared the shit out of me, FUCK!"

Connor leaped off me, walking around the room, trying to get his breathing under control. Rebecca just slipped her hand into mine, smiling, "It looks like it worked, we were worried."

I rolled my neck, trying to work out the kinks, "You guys got the vaccine?"

She nodded, "Two full doses," her face lost a little bit of the relief, "Dr. Bard was killed, right before we got there, it's amazing that whoever killed him didn't take it."

'Otherwise, I'd be fucked." I realized my head was clear; I couldn't feel Jill lingering around the edges; I wasn't sure how I felt about that. I realized the locale had changed; I was in a hospital bed.

"We still in Raccoon?"

Becca nodded, "Yes, triage area, we thought it would be best to get you somewhere secure, well secure-ish."

"Good job Becca, and thank you, kid, as soon as you turn twenty-one, drinks are on me."

She smiled, "I'll hold you to that, Kelly."

"Count on it, kid, how long was I out?"

"Almost eighteen hours, give or take a few."

My eyes widened, "Holy fuck. Wait if I was stable for eighteen hours, why the slapping?"

Rebecca looked a little sheepish, "The vaccine worked, but your blood pressure dropped, we had to get you awake quickly, and I couldn't find any epinephrine, so Connor slapped you…a bunch."

I glared over at him, he whistled and found an exciting ceiling tile.

"Fucker."

"Listen, Mike, I, um, I wanted to ask about the apartment."

I turned back to look Becca in the eye, "Trust me, hun, you really don't."

Her green eyes shimmered, "Was it really that bad?"

I felt my own tears start, I pushed them back down; there'd be plenty of time for that later, "Yeah, it really was. She's gone, Bec's, if I'd been faster, maybe…"

"At ease that shit Kelly," Connor's borderline shout shocked me, the guy rarely raised his voice, "There's nothing you could've done, this fucking place is a death factory, it's a miracle that we made it as far as we did. Now I didn't know Jill Valentine, but I know for damn sure that if she knew you like I do, that she wouldn't want you rolling in it."

I opened my mouth to argue, but Rebecca cut me off, "She still loved you, you know, even if she didn't understand or know what to believe, she never stopped loving you or wanting the best for you. Connor's right, she wouldn't have wanted you to destroy yourself over this."

She still loved me?

At that moment, the unanswered questions were answered. Knowing she loved me after everything, it soothed me in a way I'd thought nothing ever would again. Now I was free to mourn her without wondering if she'd hated me right up until the moment she died, and that gave me the strength I needed to end this.

I wiped my eyes, reaching for my radio, "Dagger, this is Oxide Actual, requesting-"

The triage door slammed open, all our guns coming up in a flash to cover the guy who clearly had a death wish.

"Hands! HANDS! Identify yourself!" I screamed, my reticle snapping to his chest, ready to put him down.

"Whoa! Blue! Blue!" He shouted, "I'm UBCS!" It took me a moment to notice he was carrying a woman slung over his shoulder, blood slowly dripping from wounds I couldn't see. But his other hand held an M4, and that had all my attention.

"Uh-huh. US Government, drop the weapon. Did you kill Bard?"

He looked almost panicked now, as he slowly set his rifle on the floor, kicking it towards me, "What? No! Please, she's hurt, infected, I have to get her the vaccine!"

"Con' grab his weapon, Rebecca, check the girl. What's your name? What was your mission here?"

"Carlos… Carlos Olivera, Delta Platoon, UBCS. My guys were tasked with evacuating civilians."

Rebecca sucked all the air out of the room, backing away from the UBCS dude, her hands covering her mouth, "Oh my god…Jill…"

I moved before I could stop myself, in a flash, I was next to Becca… and there she was, that same blue tank top I loved, her brown hair grimy, spots of dried blood flecked all over her beautiful face, teeth gritted in agony, veins on every inch of exposed skin pulsing a deep black as the virus ran wild through her system.

For a moment, I was sure I was dreaming, everything blurring but her face, before the new arrival carried her over to the same bed, I'd only just gotten out of, flanked by Rebecca and covered by Connor. She thrashed, writhing on the bed, Rebecca pulled the auto-injector out of her bag and shot the vaccine into Jill's neck without a moment's hesitation.

I couldn't move, my ears ringing so loud that it blocked out Rebecca shouting questions at the UBCS soldier, my heart pounding so hard I thought it was about to burst through my ribcage.

I started hyperventilating, my eyes seeing but my mind refusing to believe…

She's alive.

She's alive

She's ALIVE!

The lights came back on with an audible snap in my head, and I dropped my rifle, fuck the rules. I ran to her, sprinted across the small room so fast it was like I'd grown wings. Falling to my knees at her bedside, I grabbed her hand and laid my head on her chest, sobbing screams ripping their way out of me, and I couldn't control them, and I didn't care. All that pain, fear, anger, all of it melted away into the sweetest relief I'd ever felt in my life.

I felt Rebecca wrap her arms around me, crying into my shoulder softly.

Over my shoulder, I heard the UBCS guy chuckle dryly.

"I guess you guys know each other."