A/N: A huge Thanks to Shirahane Aikawa for reviewing and the readers for taking out time to read.

Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil or any of its characters. They all belong to Capcom.

Chapter 13

"I think I told you guys to get out and the nearby buildings evacuated", Kathleen said without looking at Leon and concentrating on the bomb and he was surprised that she sensed his presence from this far.
"David and others are more than enough to get the place evacuated ", he said slowly making his way towards her, "And besides I didn't want you to die here alone."
"Yeah you're right", she said feeling him close behind her.
"What; that you don't want to die alone", he said crouching behind her so that he could have look at the bomb over her shoulder.
"No, that I am gonna die alright", she tried to joke.

"So what do we know?", he whispered in her ear leaning closer inhaling her perfume which urged him to move even more closer so that her back was against his chest.
"That, this bomb cannot be diffused. This bomb is programmed to go off when the timer stops, so even if I this wire connected to the timer it would take it as if it had stopped and go off, there's no stopping it unless I re-programme it and there's not enough time or even means to do that now", she told him not more than in a whisper.
"So let's get out of the range shall we?", he suggested.
"No, I have to minimize its impact", she said shaking her head in negative.
"How?", Leon asked a little louder than before.

"Look here what do you see?", Kathleen pointed at a specific part of the bomb and he noticed that she had managed to open up a chamber in the bomb, inside which there was couple of vials attached to the bomb's mechanism. As he wondered what the contents of the vials were, she continued, "I know this bomb alone have the range of not more than 100m but you see the contents in these vials makes its effects more deadly. When the bomb goes off it will cause a chain reaction leading to the reaction of contents in these vials which in turn will form vapor that can travel up to a distance of half a mile or maybe more and can be in air for a little over than 1 hour I guess. And believe me the vapor will turn the entire area in which it's spread into mini-Raccoon city."

"I believe you", Leon told her still sitting behind her and saw her struggling to get the vials out.
After a couple of minutes since he had sat behind her she said, "I think that should do it", Kathleen spoke releasing a mechanism.

And Leon noticed the timer showed a little more than four minutes. She reached for the vials with shaky hands and then Leon grabbed her hand and she looked at him their faces separated by mere inches, "Let's do it together shall we?", he more of a stated than asked. She nodded at him and they both reached for the vials Leon closed his eyes and had a feeling that she did too because this was the decider moment if they get to live or die in bomb explosion and form another Raccoon City. They heard soft clunk of the glass against glass and opened their eyes to see that there were two vials in Kathleen's hand.

Leon sighed out of relief and saw her do the same and she hurriedly pulled out 4 more vials, "C'mon now we have to run its only 3 minutes remaining and can you keep these safe", she told him handing the vials to him as they got up and ran towards the elevator. It took them approximately 1 minute or a little more to get to the ground floor. As soon as the elevator door opened they ran as fast as they could, as the clock was still ticking. Even in her heels she made the run look easy and ran as fast as Leon was running. "It's time", she said running and Leon could not help but lift her up by her waist before jumping to get desperately as far as possible.

They landed hard on ground and heard the bomb go off and building coming down with it. Leon took time to get in the surroundings he opened his eyes just to find himself on top of Kathleen, who also had opened her eyes. For the first time in his life he noticed her eyes which were so beautiful. All these time he had taken it to be black but now due to the proximity he could see that her eyes were blue not like his but a deeper shade of blue. If his eyes resembled sky then her eyes resembled the oceans, in which found himself drowning.

"Will you get off me now? It kinda makes hard for me to breathe with you on top", Kathleen said a little annoyed.
"Yeah I… I am sorry", Leon apologized snapping out of the trance and getting off her.
"Check the vials if they are safe or not", she asked getting up.
"Yeah, looks okay to me", he told her getting vials from his back pocket and holding them up to her.
"Hey what are you guys doing there?", somebody yelled which Leon took as John and turned around to see he and rest of the gang making their way to them.
"Nothing just enjoying the fireworks, I guess", Kathleen told him.
"Leon she's so gonna beat you from becoming my heir", John told him smiling from ear to ear.

"I see you haven't diffused the bomb", said Percy snobbishly.
"And I see you couldn't diffuse it either after having at least fifteen minutes, geek", Kathleen shot back at him.
"Relax Percy that bomb cannot be diffused you know that", Leon tried to calm down Percy.
"And oh I also didn't know that half a mile is such small distance", Percy said trying to get attention and prove his point.
"Percy, we do know that no bomb have a range of half until it's a nuclear one right? So just give the lady some credit for minimizing the effect of the bomb", Leon said now trying to persuade Percy to get off Kathleen's back.
"What do you mean?", David asked.
"Yeah if that was minimizing the effect then tell what would have happened if you guys didn't minimize it", Jill asked worriedly.

"Give it a rest will you? I'll explain everything to you later, seeing that how incapable you are to get to the point. I guess I'll have to tell you, but not right now. I think I need some treatment I hurt my leg very bad", Kathleen said and everybody looked at her they saw she was slightly limping.
"Are you ok? Becky, check her", Leon called as he moved to give support to Kathleen. John did the same too.
"Hey where's Becky?", Leon asked noticing that Rebecca was not there.
"She's gone to community hospital. You know our guys are also hurt bad by those bastards", John told him barely keeping his anger down.
"So let's go there what are we waiting for", Leon said starting to move.
"Yeah let's move Claire, Sherry and girls are already there", David told them as they made their way to their vehicle.

"You know kid, she is tough but not heavy you know", John said to Leon, giving him a smug smile.
"What do you mean?", Leon asked playing dumb he knew what he meant.
"I mean that I am enough to support her you know. So stop stressing yourself and step aside I can handle it", John said with mischievous tone.
"You know I don't need support. So why don't you two just buzz off. I know it hurts a lot and the pain is killing me but I'd rather walk on my own than listen to you two", Kathleen said releasing herself from their grasps.
"Aww… Leon look what have you done now we both don't get the girl", John said in fake anger.

"I didn't know you were hitting on her", Leon calmly stated.
"But I know you were", John said grinning.
"What!? No", Leon said in surprise.
"You know I saw you running back to her the time we were running outside. And being in front of the group and little far, as we searched for you guys after blast also saw you on top of her", John said snickering at him.

"Look it was an accident that I was on top her it was no romantic moment. We just… just jumped away to get as far as possible and coincidently I was on top of her", Leon tried to explain.
"I don't think you running back to her was a coincident, was it?", John asked more rather stated with that he left Leon alone in dark wondering what he had said and joined everybody else in the van.

After too much protest Kathleen agreed to be helped by Jill. They all made their way to where Rebecca told she would be with other patients. When she saw Kathleen hurt she examined her leg first. It was a little sprain in her ankle and not much so she tied a scrap bandage. Then they all sat in waiting room as they didn't have any other place to go.

"So who all have been injured?", Leon asked concerned.
"A couple of police men and SWAT agents but they are not critical. Those who were critical were stable now. But…", David told him but stopped in the middle and didn't wanted to continue.
"But what?", John said asking him to continue.
"All of our other agents except Redfields, all those who were underground and you guys; are injured badly. Some have nasty wounds, other have fractures and god know what. But Bruce and Billy are critical and yet not been stabilized", David said.
"What happen to them", Leon asked.
"They both got shot and have lost too much blood and to top it off have rare blood types, we have removed the bullet of course but there's a 50-50 chance because they have lost too much blood", David told them.
"So couldn't we get their blood types from blood banks, can't we?", Leon asked.
"That's not enough. We have been giving them blood but their wound doesn't seem to clot you see", Rebecca, who had just entered the room, answered him.

"May be I can help", Kathleen said. Everybody looked at her and gave her the look are-you-out-of-your-mind.
"And how would you do that?", Rebecca asked her curiously, breaking the silence.
"If I tell you where would be the suspense", she said giving her obvious look and then adding, "just take me to them."
"Very well this way", Rebecca led her way and everybody hurried after her.

Everyone wanted to see what other tricks she had in her bag. Since the time they met her, she didn't really cease to amaze them. Currently, Rebecca was kind of most excited of them all but she kept her excitement minimum. They all made their way into the room where both Bruce and Billy were kept.

"How much time it has been since they were shot?", Kathleen asked Rebecca.
"Two to three hours I suppose", Rebecca replied her.
"That much… the blood must have started clotting by now", Kathleen mumbled which was quite audible.
"Yes, but its taking at a slow rate. If you are getting what I am saying", Rebecca told her with uncertainty in her voice. Kathleen just then ripped opened their bandage, "What are you…", Rebecca tried to yell.
"I can't help them with these bandages in the way", Kathleen said cutting her in between, "You can do them afterwards I am done with them. Now don't disturb me now, it would take some concentration."

Kathleen just stared at their stitched wounds, through which the blood was leaking out in small amount but over time that must have been accounted for too much. She examined their body with a light touch and with tremendous speed poked them several times, which they almost missed, "There that should do the trick", she said satisfied with herself.

"She just poked them", Percy mumbled annoyed.
While others just gawked at her stupid poking and then Rebecca moved to both the patients and said, "You… you stopped the blood?!"
"What?! How? She just poked them", David blurted out.
"She poked their pressure points and constricted the blood vessels more stopping the flow of blood. I can't do that. Many top doctors can't do that. That's no ordinary feat. Where you learned that?", She asked surprised.
"Well I don't know about that but I can do it", Kathleen told her if what she did was piece of cake and with that she walked out of the room more of a limped out of the room.

Everybody except Rebecca walked out of the room following her, "Do you even have any idea how much of a great person you are?", Percy asked, now being a totally fan of her.
She eyed him in shock and then said, "Look who's talking."
"I know I said mean things to you because you were able to re-configure that bomb faster than me. I know I was being a little immature", at this she eyed him, "okay not a little but you know how it feels like when someone is more successful than you."
"Yeah I can understand", Kathleen told him.
"But seriously when you ripped their bandages I had a feeling that your gonna have them right there and then", John said doing an impression of her.
Leon looked at him thinking, 'how can he say and do that when he knows what she can do when she's angry?'

"Don't get too excited tiger 'cause I won't do that to you", she said taking his joke in the right manner but Leon could only gawk at her as he didn't expected her to say that.
"But you can do that to kid here", John said pointing at Leon and Leon just glared at him but Kate moved swiftly and poked his throat.
"That should keep you quiet for a while", she said as John tried to speak but nothing came out. It was like moving picture with no sound.
"How did you do that? Can you teach me?", Leon blurted out.
"And me too?", Percy said being even more impressed.
"I kinda poked his vocal chords a little gently though so he can't speak for a couple of hours", hearing this they saw John yelling 'yes' but again no sound came, "and no I can't teach it to any of you", she rejected their request plainly.
"But why you know I can use that sometimes when he's really annoying", Leon whined like a five year old.
"Yeah sometimes he's really annoying", Percy agreed.

"It requires concentration and practice. Practice you can do but concentration…" she looked more of a examined him from head to toe and said, "I don't think so. And besides you're too clumsy", and with that she moved away towards waiting room, "And you are not cut out for it geeky boy", she added ruffling his hair.
"What?!" Leon was surprised by her statement, 'How can she tell me that I lack concentration from just examining me from head to toe?', he thought annoyed as John walked to him and grinned and gave him an expression of victory.

"Shut up", Leon said to him and then ran to waiting room, with John behind him still grinning stupidly, to see Kathleen taking a seat on one of the sofa, "Can you do something to stop his expressions for a while especially that stupid grin of his?", he couldn't help but asked and John pouted at him, "and that too", Leon added taking a seat next to her.

"Can you please shut up or I'll poke your throat as well. Let me sleep for a moment while he is silent. Geez you really are his true heir", she said to him annoyed. He replied with a nod and soft okay not wanting to end up in the same situation as John. He busied himself by watching Percy being annoyed by John, "And can you get the lights, you see I am a light sleeper", she asked slowly sliding her sandals off, pulling her legs up on the sofa and resting her head on the top of sofa closing her eyes to get some sleep.

After seeing her effort at sleep everybody decided to get some rest and take nap since they were at it. John got the light and moved to a couch flopped and dozed on it immediately. Percy went to some friend to spend the night. Barry went back home and invited David for the night, while Rebecca decided to stress herself from going from one patient to another. Claire, Jill, Sherry and Chris ended up renting a room in the hotel for the time being. Of course Leon, John and Kathleen could also have bought themselves a room only if Kathleen and John had not slept in the waiting room. With that thought Leon felt something on his shoulder and turned his head to see that Kathleen was using him as pillow. Shifting a little as to not wake Kathleen and being a bit more comfortable, he had his arm around her but not touching her 'cause if she woke up, he wouldn't be able see tomorrow's light, he allowed the sleep to take over him.

Leon woke up when the sunlight escaping from the window hit his face. He stretched and yawned then turned to look at Kathleen. 'Kathleen… where's she?', he couldn't help but think. He waited till his eyes adjusted to light and scanned the room for her but she was not there. He walked over to John was still sleeping soundly and tried to wake him up.

"Go away, let me sleep", he murmured in his sleep.
"John, wake up. Where's Kathleen?", Leon asked shaking him a little harder than before.
John still slept and did not get up so Leon pulled him down from the couch so that he landed on hard floor, "Leon what is this?", he shouted at him.
"You won't wake up, so I had to do this", Leon told him.
"Okay so you could have waken me up a little more decently", he said rubbing his head.
"Well I tried but you just wouldn't budge so I implemented harsh methods", he said in a matter-of-fact of tone.
"I can talk YAY", John screamed happily, realizing that he was no more a moving picture without sound.
"Where's Kathleen?", Leon asked him again.
"How am I supposed to know, she slept with you on the couch and not me", he said shrugging, that too mischievously smiling as always.
"Shut up John", Leon almost shouted keeping a hand on John's mouth if at all Kathleen came to know what he said then both he and Leon would be dead.

"Stop yelling you two. This is a hospital for god sake", Kathleen snapped at them as she entered the room with Sherry and David behind her.
"We were quarrelling over you", John snapped not bothering to keep his voice down.
"Where the hell were you?", Leon asked her ignoring what John said.
"You idiots! Keep your voice down this not your home and I was just checking on the patients", Kathleen said in a hushed voice.
"And since when did you became a Medic", Leon asked in an mocking tone.
"Since the time I got my MD degree. I only never practiced my skills but Sherry asked me yesterday night so I was helping Rebecca", Kathleen said as if remembering her name.

"Yeah she's right guys, I asked her to help Rebecca. After Rebecca told me what she can do I asked her if she could help Becky because she was really stressing herself out", Sherry said conforming to Kathleen's explanation.
"But she did more than help", said Rebecca now entering the waiting room.

Kathleen rolled her eyes at this and mumbled, "There they go again", and flopped on the nearby couch cutting herself from the conversation. They talked and discussed stuff as Rebecca told them more about Kathleen's ability as a doctor. Kathleen was not used to be being with so many people around her and for her it seemed like eternity, which was actually just a few fifteen minutes.

"Leon you have to take Sherry with you, Claire will take care of her once she gets a place of her own. And Chris and Jill are going to BSAA HQ to give a report about this bomb", David asked her for confirmation
"Yep", she gave a short reply.
"Okay let's get going Sherry, but wait where are we supposed to go?", Leon couldn't seem to find a place for their stay and living in hotel would be too much expensive.
"We used to have apartments before we moved in HQ. Duh…", Rebecca reminded him.
"Oh yes lets go but I don't have the keys", Leon said checking his pockets.
"I have them. We stayed in same apartment remember", John reminded him.
"Oh yes I forgot", Leon said slapping his head that, he would have to share his space with John.

"Very well I should get going myself", Kathleen said getting up as well.
"Where are you gonna stay?", John asked curiously.
"Anywhere but not with you guys", she said pulling out the bandage from her leg.
"You do know you have some explaining to do", David reminded her.
"That's why I am here otherwise I'd be long gone", she replied telling him that she still remembers their deal.
"Okay you can give us your number and when everybody is fit enough to hear you out we'll call you", Rebecca said a little excited.
"There's no need. I'll find you guys when you are ready. Believe me, I won't leave until I tell you", Kathleen assured them.
"But still where are you gonna live?", it was Sherry who asked her really concerned.
"I have no place right now but I'll get one for myself so don't worry about me", she replied her.
"If you have no place you can stay with us right?", Sherry suggested looking at John and Leon.
"Of course it would be no problem", John said totally welcoming her.
"No offence but I don't like sticking around with you guys", she said as she was talking to a plank with no feelings, "Now if you'll excuse me", and with that she left the room.

"She's so cold sometimes", Rebecca commented as they all walked out of the room.
"She's a very nice person though", Sherry said with a smile.
"Yeah she doesn't wanna admit it though", John said agreeing with her.
"I wonder why she's like that", Leon couldn't help but say.

Leon wanted to know more about Kathleen as a person and how she got dragged into this mess. They all had their reasons to fight and even though Kathleen said she didn't care she did care, if she didn't then she wouldn't have risked her life diffusing that bomb. And the sides she showed when she was alone with him that time, made him wonder if she was struggling inside with too many conflicting feelings. And then there was this feeling he couldn't shake off that kept telling him that he was missing something, something very important.

A/N: Thanks for reading!