Two Paths that should Never cross

Two paths that should never cross

- Shoots and ladders (2)

Rebecca jumped when what seemed like hours later, Heather returned. Harry’s wounds, if she hadn’t been there would have been life threatening. Now the man was lying on the floor as she kept checking on him. Whatever Heather had gone to do, had taken only ten minutes. Douglas had helped her move him to the floor so she could work on him, and had taken over on the phone. The man was pacing the room, making her a little nervous, but at least he was staying out of the way.

“He’s still breathing. No she hasn’t given him anything. Look the kid said it was safe to move him and we moved him so she could apply better pressure, she’s doing the best she can to keep him alive if you guys don’t get here soon…”

Rebecca shook her head realizing she had spaced out. Glancing down at Harry she watched his chest rise and fall with each of his shallow breaths. She was still applying pressure to the wound at least. Her hands were red. Harry hang in there… If we could have moved you to his car we would have. She thought stiffening slightly when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Glancing up Heather was moving to her side. She eased up giving Heather a grim smile, afraid to move.

"How's Dad?" Heather knelt next to her reaching out to touch her father’s shoulder. She watched as Becky blew the hair from her face and reached over tucking the hair from her face. “Better?”

Rebecca nodded to her, "He's alive. I think I stopped most of the bleeding, but we're still waiting for the paramedics." She chewed her lip a moment. "He'll be fine Heather." The ex-S.T.A.R.S. watched as Douglas moved to let the paramedics in. When they saw she had been working on him the head paramedic launched into asking her a million questions. Rebecca answered, as she was relieved by a paramedic.

She glanced at Heather and nodded to her. "Heather, go change your shirt. When they're ready, you go with them. Douglas, think you could take me to the hospital?" She caught Heather’s hand squeezing it slightly. “He’ll be okay Heather. Alright?” She smiled.

Heather nodded to her before heading into her room quickly. There were times when Rebecca acted so much older than they both were.

"Yeah, no problem." He watched the two teens move and held out a hand to help Rebecca up. Standing she frowned hearing Harry moan in pain as he was lifted to a backboard.

"Looks like you may have saved him, we won't know for sure until we get him to the hospital." The medic was checking Harry’s vitals. Rebecca scrambled back from them, the smell of rotting flesh filling her nose.

No, he’s okay… He’s not dead… I didn’t fail him and Heather… She thought as her back hit the wall. Her hands had left bloody handprints, but she didn’t care. "Please make sure he lives." She bit her lip. Her mind tried to remember what it was that she had seen attack him. What she had seen didn't make sense. Then again, neither did some of the creatures that had been at the mall. “He should only need stitches. I was careful when I checked his wounds. Nothing inside was nicked. There was just a lot of blood.” She looked at the blood still on her hands. “Give him antibiotics too. Just in case…”

"Miss?" The detective that was there was looking directly at her. He was in plain clothes, jeans and a baggy shirt with a leather jacket.

The man had dark hair, and eyes, but a thin build, reminding her a little of another cop she knew of. Leon… he reminds me of Leon… She glanced up realizing now that they had been talking to her. "Sorry… I didn't get the question." She looked up a little. It’s the hair. He has Leon’s haircut. She fought the urge to brush the hair from her face again.

"Asked if you knew what had attacked him?" The man had a worried look on his face, she had seen it a few times before, geared at her from some of the Raccoon city cops, before Barry and the others had decided it was best to keep her out of sight until they could get her out of town.

Rebecca shook her head. "No, it ran off as soon as I entered the apartment. I... I don't think I gave it time to finish what it wanted to do." She backed up. "I'm not in shock, just… little tired. Take care of him okay." She slipped out to the fire escape leaning against the rail a moment to clear her head.

What was that thing… Why'd it attack Harry? She shook her head a moment and glanced up seeing something move in the alley. Tensing ever so slightly she wondered if it was something else coming to attack Harry. She knew if she made motion to it the cops would move, but part of her wondered if it was the girl that only she seemed to be seeing.

She looks so lost… He watched as his Becky came out to the fire escape. Noting her tensing he stepped into sight, letting her know he was there. It seemed to calm her some. Poor thing, trouble always seems to find her. I can see why Trent wanted me to come for her. He thought as he watched her.

She gave a small wave of her hand, hoping he'd get the point to hide again. She didn't need the cops thinking that he had attacked Harry. They'd kill him on sight.

Though he’s either already dead, if people believe the fake report I filed before they kicked me out.. Or he’s still missing. Might take them a few hours to figure out who he is… She thought closing her eyes a moment. Him being here would blow my cover… If I haven’t blown it already by saving Mr. Mason.

"Something the matter?" It was the cop that had been questioning her inside. Rebecca shook her head turning to look at the detective. It was the same man who had reminded her of home.

"No sir." She didn't dare look to where Billy was hiding; after all she had let him leave in Raccoon because she hadn't believed that he was a killer.

He had several opportunities to kill her in the testing facility but hadn't. "Just… Worried about him. My uncle and cousin are the last family I have left." She said managing to lie about her relationship to them. “And, the smell was getting to me.” She rubbed her hands on her jeans, not worried about staining them. After all, wasn’t like they weren’t already.

"Are you a resident here?" The detective had a notebook out.

"No. They're fixing my apartment across town. Uncle Harry didn't want me to rent a hotel for the few weeks it would take. I just moved to town too.” She didn’t look up, afraid that her eyes would say more than that.

The detective nodded, though it was clear he wasn't buying the story. He didn’t press the issue, it was clear the kid had been through a lot lately, he’d get the real relationship between her and the father and daughter soon enough.

I don’t trust him. The voice said softly. Rebecca kept her head down, closing her eyes tightly. She hoped it would shut up; she didn’t need him to really start grilling her. Rebecca Chambers was a bad liar, and didn’t want to have to make up any to explain why she was there.

"Detective why don't you allow me to take my client to go check on her uncle. I promise, we'll go straight to the hospital." Douglas smiled.

Who does he think he is? Touching MY girl like that. Coen thought as he saw Douglas wrap an arm around her. She leaned against him a moment and nodded to something he whispered to her.

The detective studied the two a moment then nodded. “Call us if you lose her. I want to ask her a few questions still.”

“I’m not going to run off.” She shook her head walking into the apartment again. “I’m as worried about him as Heather is.” She looked at the chair and passed it going into the bathroom trying to scrub the blood from her hands.

***

Billy had been too late. Though part of it wasn’t his fault. He had spent most of the afternoon trying to locate Becky after she had vanished on him at the mall. While there he had run into a strange boy, about nine or ten, that had seemed to know him. Seemed whenever he had thought he had ditched the kid the kid showed up again.

The kid said they’d fuck up, but he was going to fix it. What the hell was he talking about… He leaned against the wall of the parking garage waiting for Douglas to come out of the apartment with Rebecca. His hand went to the package in his pocket. It had been a bitch to get to, but he had managed to find it hidden in a trunk in a third floor room in the office building. He also had to have a little chat with Douglas about how he touched his girl.

He had glanced at the folder, and hadn’t been able to figure out any of what it was about. Other than Trent had a feeling that one of Umbrella’s scientists was hiding in a ghost town, and had sent out word that he wanted help, specifically from the rogue S.T.A.R.S. medic. There had been pictures included shots of Becky as a kid playing with a puppy, and another, with her a little older eating lunch at a cafeteria.

Whoever’s been watching her’s been doing it a while. He thought remembering seeing the tear stained face as she was huddled on the deck of a boat with an older man. The man’s arm was around her shoulders, as if to calm her. He had figured it was David, since he knew it wasn’t Chris Redfield.

His thoughts didn’t wonder much further as Rebecca stepped out of the building with the detective, her hands stuffed into the pockets of soft violet colored pea coat. Her tired looking face made him frown slightly as he slipped through the shadows to the parked car. He wouldn’t worry her about Trent’s present just yet.

***

Rebecca stopped in the room she was sharing with Heather long enough to grab a jacket. She noticed the book on Heather's bed and snatched it up, seeing the writing on it was Harry's. She tucked it into her jacket pocket. The brief glance told her it was for Heather. She’d hand it to her later.

"Ready?" Douglas’s voice startled her a moment but she relaxed slightly.

She nodded knowing that Heather had gone with Harry. She followed him out to the car and climbed into the passenger seat.

Billy slipped in behind her as Douglas walked around the car.

"Don't turn okay. I'm sorry I was too late." He whispered. “I don’t want you to alert the cops I’m here.” He added. She nodded glancing back to see he was on the floorboards.

"You get the package?" Douglas asked, having had seen Billy’s bike nearby.

Billy nodded. "I got it. Becky, you weren't hurt were you?" He reached over taking her hand. When she squeezed it back he wanted to pull her close, but didn’t. The tears in her eyes made him want to take her away from everything to make her smile again. I can get her out of the country. Trent said he’d get us where ever we needed to go. I could hide her from all this…

"The blood's not mine. It's Harry's." She leaned back in the seat. "What package?"

"Don't know what's in it, but Trent called me after you called. Said you might need me to get it for you. Though I'm still trying to figure out how he does that?" Billy shook his head. “We’ll go talk to him first. Seems you’ve been having fun playing along with the cover story.”

"This is the first time he's really contacted me. Last time he helped it was through Jill, and I only saw her once we were trying to escape the estate." The teen shook her head. She didn't want to remember the labs, or the infected that had been milling around the house. Hearing the last bit she smiled a little. “It was fun. He wasn’t treating me like I was a little sister. Heather and I liked the thought of playing siblings. Even if I had to act a little more naïve in classes…” She heard him move as Douglas got away from the apartment building. Turning to look at him she saw a worried look on his face. “Billy?”

“Becky, it’s okay, I just, I’m worried about you now.” His hand reached up gently touching her face. She rested her hand on his.

She quirked her head slightly, “Why? Billy what’s going on?” The worry was still on his face so she knew that it wasn’t good. “Tell me what’s going on, don’t treat me like a kid, you know I’m not one.”

He handed her the book that had been in the package. I don’t know where that town is, but I don’t like the idea of you going there. I mean whoever is there isn’t worth it…”

She skimmed the pictures, her fingers trembling after a moment. He saw she was looking at the one of her eating. She paled a little.

“Becky?” She had stopped at a picture of herself as a child, dressed in pigtails and a tee sporting some cartoon character. In her arms was a stuffed bunny.

“This isn’t like how Trent helped us before. He gave us clues as to what was happening. There’s no clues… Just. I don’t remember this being taken, though I’m smiling at the camera. I knew the person was there to take the picture.” She flipped through most of them stopping at the last one.

“No one had a camera on the boat. I, This was when we got out of the labs at Caliban Cove. David, John and I… We were fished out of the water. Only people out on the water were S.T.A.R.S.” She bit her lip remembering the two that had been lost. “I, we couldn’t get to the labs in time to save Steve and Karen…”

Billy leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her. She touched his arms, closing her eyes. “Looks like I’ll have to read the book to find out what’s going on.”

“Then I’ll go with you. I’m not letting you out of my sight.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders the best he could. She turned in the seat returning the hug.

She nodded slightly. “Thank you.” She looked up, her eyes still sad. “Looks like the others are right, I’m always going to need a keeper.”

You did fine when you were a kid without anyone. You found me. The voice was soft this time, a gentle reminder that she wasn’t alone. Rebecca also felt something else from the presence, sadness, she couldn’t explain why though.

***

Harry was in recovery when they arrived. Heather's head was on the bed next to him, Rebecca smiled at the sight of the half sleeping teen. The other teen tensed slightly when she heard the footsteps.

"It's me." Heather nodded. Rebecca walked up to the bed smiling slightly when Harry's eyes opened. Rebecca touched Heather’s shoulder lightly.

"Where…" Harry’s voice was scratchy. Rebecca touched his arm lightly the smile on her face. He tried to sit up and she shook her head.

"Don’t get up; you’re in the hospital. I think I distracted whatever attacked you. I didn’t get a good look at it. Heather went after it when I tried to save your life." She glanced at the monitor seeing that all was normal. "How you feeling?"

"Like I was taken apart and pieced back together." He saw the stains on her hands. “You saved my life?” She nodded and he smiled at her a little. “Thank you.”

“I couldn’t let you die now could I?” She gave him a small smile. “You’ve been acting as family for me since I got here…” She brushed the hair from his face. Before taking a seat. “Besides, David would be upset. I’d rather not have him pissed at me.”

This brought a weak chuckle from the man. “He wouldn’t hurt you.”

“I know, but got you to smile.” She grinned.

Remembering the book she had picked up and pulled it out of her pocket, leaving the one that Billy had given her tucked away.

"Figured you wouldn't want the police to see this. Makes me kind of glad that the only gun in the house is mine. Because I wouldn't want to have to explain that to the cops." And, I was smart enough to keep the ammo in the storage space, not in the apartment. They’ll have no reason to check there.

"They still pouring over the apartment?" He asked seeing something was troubling her, but was unable to tell what it was. Something else must have happened. And of course Becky’s not going to tell me anything. He reached up catching her hand. “And I’ll be fine, the doctor said I would be able to leave in a few days. Paramedics said if you hadn’t been there I probably would have died before they could have gotten there.”

Rebecca nodded blushing slightly. "Yeah, they‘re being through. A few of them were looking around on the roof; I think they saw blood spatter. I don't think they bought the whole story about me being your niece either." She frowned slightly. “When you get out of here… Maybe you and Heather should go on a vacation. Really, go to the beach maybe?”

"You're not that great at lying Becky." Billy smirked at her. She blushed brightly when he spoke, not having had heard him enter.

Harry looked at the muscled man. The way Rebecca was acting told him they had something of a past. When this was all over I’m going to have to ask her about it. I know she doesn’t like talking about the past, even when she wakes up from her nightmares. Wonder if this is the Steve or Billy that she keeps crying out for in her nightmares. He had acted like he hadn’t heard them, but they were getting more frequent. The teen acted like she was okay, but he wondered how she was really holding up. The kid had to have a breaking point. He knew he didn’t want her alone when it happened.

"Hey, I kept you hidden, or you want to be caught." She turned to look at him.

Billy chuckled a little. "You wouldn't. After all, if I was in jail and you got into trouble…”

Another blush hinted at her cheeks. She sighed turning back to Harry and Heather. "Meet Billy. He's part of the reason I'm the only survivor from Bravo." Looking at Billy she shook her head. “Harry and Heather Mason, guess you could say my adopted family.” She smiled a little.

"Then I owe you one. If she hadn't shown up." Harry groaned falling back to the bed after a failed attempt to get up. This caused Rebecca to turn to face him.

"Dad, please, you're hurt, don't make it worse." Heather and Rebecca both moved to ease him back down. Once he was eased down Rebecca raised the bed a little so he wasn’t lying down.

“That better Harry?” When he nodded she took a glance at his chart and back to the monitors. “Good, everything’s still reading right. Let me make sure you didn’t tear any of those stitches okay?”

"Heather, could I talk to you a moment?" Douglas asked motioning for the door.

Harry glanced at him a moment. He glanced back to Rebecca. “I’m fine, just hurt a little.” He had heard Douglas’s comment. "They want her don't they?"

"Who?" Rebecca looked at Harry. "If someone's after Heather, we'll deal with it. Both of you could stay here. It's safe…" Rebecca wondered if she should break hiding in order to bring more cops in to keep an eye on them.

Harry shook his head. "You should get out of here before you get dragged into this Rebecca. Call David, tell him I'm sorry."

"But…" She glanced at Heather then back to Harry. "Too late, I'm not running okay? So explain to me what's going on? Things have been nuts all day. Starting with the creepy monsters at the mall. And their screams… It was like being back in Raccoon. Only, the nightmare ended after a while." She reached in touching the book that had been left for her. She had glanced through some of it when she had been in the elevator heading up to the room. “Then the pictures and book…”

"What monsters?" Billy looked at the two teens and the detective as if they had grown second heads when they all looked at him dumb founded.

"You didn't see them? There were dogs there… that seriously made the ones in the testing facility look almost cute. If you could get past the part where they lacked skin and wanted to eat you." Rebecca started. “Though these ones, the skin, looked like they were burned.” Rebecca rubbed her arm a little as she spoke. “And there were... bugs, I saw them in one of the back rooms… They were the size of my hand and…”

She saw them… Why would Rebecca be seeing them? Has she gone there before? Harry thought managing to sit up a little more. “Becky?” He noticed she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts.

Looking up Rebecca moved to help get the bed so he wasn't straining himself to sit up.

You remember the one you brought to me… you were looking for a doctor.

"Now Harry, you're not going to heal if you keep moving. Don't make me call the nurse to get restraints okay?" That made him shudder slightly making her frown. "Okay no nurses. I promise." She watched as Heather and Douglas ducked out of the room. She ignored the voice for now. It wouldn’t do her any good.

"Rebecca, answer truthfully okay? I need to know if you were ever in Silent Hill." Harry’s eyes showed worry.

She looked at Harry a moment. The name didn't seem familiar to her. "I, I don't know. I mean my family moved around a lot when I was little." She sat up on the bed next to him. "Why do you ask?" Her hand went for the book in her pocket, almost pulling it out, but stopping herself.

He shook his head. "It's not a big deal." If she doesn't remember it, I'm not going to force her to. Heather doesn't know. She might be safe… He sighed slightly. "Hey, think I could get away with giving you a hug? Or you going to go all 'Doctor Chambers' on me again?"

Rebecca smiled slightly hugging him carefully. “You can get a hug, but don’t expect me to not be ‘Doctor Chambers’ okay?”