Soft Sounds and Hard Impacts
I'm feeling down about this love
Who are you to make me feel so good?
Who are we to tell ourselves that we're misunderstood?
-This Love (Will Be Your Downfall), Ellie Goulding
When Betty burst into Jill's bedroom, the injured brunette couldn't tell if it was early morning or late at night. "Jill Valentine!" Betty spoke. "You weren't supposed to leave the hospital!"
Jill looked up at her before simply shoving her face back into the pillow. "Go away..."
Betty frowned. "No. Not until you sit up and swallow this pill." She held up a large oval shaped pill between two fingers.
"I don't want medicine." Jill's voice was muffled by the pillow.
"Too bad. If you want to stay home, you need pain medicine. And to come in every other day for a checkup. Starting tomorrow."
Jill sighed, rolling over and causing herself some pain. The bed beside her was empty, Chris gone. She ignored it. "Fine. Leave the medicine here. I'll go in tomorrow. Can I sleep now?"
"You have to take this now," Betty ordered. "I'm not leaving, or letting you sleep until you do."
Jill sighed and pushed herself up, grunting a bit from the pain. She snatched the pill from the blond and downed it without water. She shuddered a bit from the taste, but relaxed enough to collapse back on the bed. "Goodbye. I'll see you tomorrow."
"You'd better show up." Jill made an annoyed noise and Betty sighed. "Goodbye, Jill."
Jill huffed, and closed her eyes. Pain still pulsed through her shoulder, so as soon she heard the front door close, she got up and moved to the kitchen for an ice pack. Her eyes were barely open, only just enough to see where she was going. She pulled a break-to-activate one from the lower cupboard next to the fridge and snapped the small object inside, instant cold coming to creation under her fingers. She held it against her shoulder and wandered to the couch and collapsed there, pulling the blanket off the back and covering herself with it. She slipped back into sleep within minutes.
Chris stepped out of the bathroom, freshly showered. He had heard Betty's entrance and exit. He was a bit disappointed that he had to go to work and leave Jill home alone. But work was work and someone needed to do it. He didn't want to think of how he was moving out in only a couple days. Then she'd be alone for longer periods of time. After finding her by the window that night he had been scared. He treated her the same though, not wanting to make her feel poorly about herself; she was who she was and the problems she faced only contributed to that. He loved her though and refused to stop. He felt guilty for her depression. If he had been awake for her during the past two years, he could've prevented it in a lot of different ways. At least, in his mind he could have. He knew he had no control of the fact he had fallen into a coma, but he still felt guilt.
He got dressed in his work clothes and stepped down the hallway, ready to leave. He noticed her on the couch and smiled. She was adorable. She was curled up in a blanket, an expression of sleep on her face. He leaned over her and kissed her cheek. "I'm heading to work, Jill," he whispered.
"Have fun," she murmured in reply.
He smiled and brushed her hair back out of her face. "I will. See you when I get back." He stood back up and went over to the door. "I love you, Jill."
It was only after he had left, the door clicking closed, did she whisper in a sad voice, "I love you too."
Jill woke hours later. She sat up and slipped her feet over the edge of the couch. Her shoulder seemed almost numb from the painkiller she had gotten earlier that morning, something she was thankful for. She tottered on unbalanced legs to the kitchen, tossing her warm ice pack on the freezer before grabbing the bread from the cupboard. She stuck two slices in the toaster and pulled out the peanut butter. She placed her hands on the counter, holding herself up as she waited for the bread to finish toasting. The world swam in front of her eyes. Obviously, the one pill had been too much for her. She decided that next time she took it, if she took it at all, she'd only have half of one.
The phone started ringing from its place on the coffee table. She stumbled back to it and picked up without checking the caller ID. "Hello?" she mumbled, sitting down on the edge of the couch.
"Hey, Jill. It's Payton. You didn't answer your cellphone."
"Oh, yeah," she mumbled. "I don't know where it is. Sorry."
"Oh, that's fine. What's up with you?"
Her hand strayed to her shoulder. "Nothing. I just woke up." If he knew she was shot, he might return early. If he saw how Chris had been staying in the apartment with her, she knew he would flip shit. She understood that though.
She talked with Payton for no more than ten minutes. When she hung up, she held her face in her hands. She felt like a complete bitch. Payton was a pretty nice guy and she was just using him so she didn't have to face her feelings for Chris. She sighed. It was better if she just broke up with him. She could break up with him without telling Chris. That was possible, wasn't it? Chris wouldn't ask her out and she could be alone, not like how she wanted, but how she deserved. Chris would be safe from her and so would everyone else.
She curled back up on the couch, forgetting about her food, and slept again.
The next morning, Chris went to work at the same time (but not before making her breakfast as a way to thank her for letting him live with her), and got to work in time to hear news: the verdict on the trial. He immediately took out his cellphone, but decided against it. Jill had lain back down after breakfast, icepack on her shoulder. He'd call later, once he was sure she was awake.
It was his last day in her apartment, unfortunately. He'd miss being able to see her quite as often. But there was always work and the movie nights that had been previously promised. He could live with that.
Work was slow and incredibly boring without her occupying her desk. She had always livened up the work place, at least, he remembered her doing so. He often mixed up what had happened in the Dream and what had happened in real life. But that was more with what had happened in 1998, and much less with the more recent events or the ones that technically happened in the future.
All in all, Chris was pretty relieved. The real life happenings were largely better than the Dream.
Of course, he still had the whole issues of loving Jill and her being with someone else and that entire deal. But he could get past that. Eventually. At the very most, he'd always be there for her.
He finally called her when the time was closer to one. She answered in a lazy voice. "Hello?"
"Hey, Jill," he replied, smiling.
He heard her yawn. "What's up?" He then heard her make a small noise that could only mean she had moved in some way to pull on her wound and hurt herself.
"Did you take your pain pills?" he asked. "You know Betty told you to take those and get lots of rest."
She huffed. "I'm getting plenty of rest. And the pills make everything go wibbly-wobbly."
He chuckled. "That's how you know they're working."
"I'm going stir crazy, Bear," she answered. "I'm really bored. And I've watched just about everything on Netflix; except a few different movies, but only because I'm saving a couple for our movie nights."
"I hope they're good movies."
"One about some detectives, another with Terrance Zdunich, and we can always re-watch some Disney ones," she replied.
He nodded, though she couldn't see it. "Sounds great. But, that's not why I called. I wanted to tell you the results of the trial."
Her breath hitched audibly. "What are they? How long is Cuilter in jail? That bastard deserves life!"
Chris smiled. "I'm glad you think that. He'll be in jail for twenty five to life, no parole. Not even good behavior will get him out of this. I bet you five minutes before he's someone's bitch in prison."
She snorted. "Please. More like two." Something else grabbed her mind. "Wait, what about Hannah? She just needs some help…"
His face fell some. "Well…" He sighed. "She'll be spending three years in a women's correctional facility. After that, a year in rehab."
Jill let out a breath she had been holding. "Oh. Well, that's better than I thought it'd be. And she'll get the help she needs."
"Jill, you want me to pick up food on the way home? It's my last night living at your place," he pointed out, wishing it wasn't true.
"No, it's fine. I wanna make dinner for you tonight."
"Don't hurt yourself."
"Redfield, I can make a simple meal without hurting myself. I've made it this far, haven't I?"
He laughed. "Yeah, yeah." He paused. "I'll come get you at three to bring you to the hospital, okay?"
She sighed. "Yes…"
"Take your medicine."
"Maybe."
"Jill, you need to—"
"Goodbye, Chris!"
It was his turn to sigh. "Goodbye, Jill. I love you."
The line went dead.
Chris set the phone down, only to realize Rebecca was standing by his desk. He looked over at her. "What's up with you two?" she asked.
He shrugged. "What?"
"You and Jill…" Rebecca trailed off. "What's going on?"
He looked down at his desk, picking at the edge of a piece of paper. "She and I are partners…" he mumbled. "And until tomorrow, roommates; I just rented out an apartment."
Rebecca bit her lip and gave Chris a look of what seemed to be a little disappointment. "Oh. Well, with how you talk to her… I was hoping she had dumped what's-his-face. And with you talking to her like that, you know, telling her you love her… Not to mention I heard you when you were trying to stop the bleeding when she was shot." She shrugged. "You make her happier. A blind dog could see that. But I guess that doesn't mean you have to be dating."
Chris dragged a hand over his face. "It's not that I don't wanna date her, Becca. It's that she's with someone else and even if she wasn't, I'm not sure if she'd want me."
Rebecca smiled and shrugged. "Well, she was always at the hospital waiting for you to wake up. I'd say she'd want you. And look on the bright side! Maybe her boyfriend will get hit by a bus. Then you can comfort her!" she joked.
Chris couldn't help but laugh, but tried to muffle it. "Rebecca, that's bad; you shouldn't say it," he chuckled.
She shrugged, smirking. "Just trying to cheer you up. And be nosy, but that's normal for me."
Chris rolled his eyes, still smiling a bit as his friend walked away.