That damn BOW never seemed to die. Piers reached the limit of his power and his mutation still kept going on. Nevertheless he gave his best to protect his Captain and therefore he threw thunderbolts at the enemy.
Chris bit his lower lip and attacked the monster. Seeing Piers like that hurt.
But he was convinced that both Piers and he would manage to escape from here.
"Now!“ Piers shouted weakly, but appointedly, as he realized that the BOW was lying on the floor for the third time. Chris was running very fast to the monster while he pulled out his knife and targeted the glowing red heart. He attacked.
"I did it,“ he snorted, while the monster was coiling up and slowly started to perish.
Then he walked over to Piers. “Let’s go.“
The two of them walked to the door. Chris opened it and tried to leave the room fast, because the prison was about to cave in. As fast as they could, they ran across a large bridge until they reached a room with big capsules. Then, Piers sank down the wall. He was breathing hard. “Captain…”, he whispered. “Go …” - “No, Piers”, the Captain responded. “Both of us will be able to leave. Understood?”
Chris was looking for a contactor to activate one of the capsules. The moment he found one, a porthole to one of the capsules beside him opened. Offering his help, he held his hand to his companion. “Come on, Piers”, he said.
At first, the other one hesitated, but then he decided to grab the hand of his Captain, which helped him to get up again.
But, as the two of them intended to enter the capsule, Piers moved back and hustled Chris into the capsule. But Piers hesitated – and because of that, Chris sensed what Piers would do and held the wall, while he grasped Piers’ sleeve and pulled him into the capsule. The sniper looked at him shocked. Then Chris activated the contactor and closed the door. Then it shot up.
"Chris. No!“ Piers shouted – but it was too late. The capsule was sent above.
"Argh...“ Piers sank to the ground again and held his mutating arm, which hurt him horribly. "Captain… why…“, he stuttered, exhausted. Chris rushed to him and set down in front of him. He put his hand at Pier’s back of the head and looked at him honestly and sympathetically. “I told you, I would bring the both of us out of here. Hang in there, Piers. Understood?!“ He said it like it was a command, but it wasn’t. It sounded like he was supplicating. And he was.
Piers looked at him, holding back his tears and biting his lower lip.
"Captain...“ Pain stopped him from talking any further words. He sank down, curling, and could hardly suppressed the urge to scream.
"Piers!“
Chris looked out of the front window of the capsule and realized that they were about to reach the water surface. “It’s over soon, Piers. Hang in there!”
He ran to the controlling console and tried to make them arrive at the surface gently. Then he took out his mobile phone. “We need help! A soldier is heavily hurt. We need Jake Muller“, he told quickly. “Jake Muller”, he repeated loudly and with an aggressive sound. “Contact Sherry Birkin immediately!” He hung up with the knowledge that they would tell her the coordinates. Then he looked over to Piers. “The BSAA is on their way here. They will retrieve us, Piers!” He ran over to the sniper next to him, and set down beside him.
Piers’ hand kept mutating while his other hand cramped, scratching above the ground of the capsule. His face was full of pain and he bit his lip so hard that it started bleeding. “It… it’s too late… Captain…” He managed to stutter these words. He didn’t see clearly anymore. He hardly managed to see Chris clearly. Chris took his hand and Piers clenched it with his own hand. “No, you can do it, Piers. I promise!”
With his healthy, half opened eye he looked at Chris, who realized how hopeless Piers was. Carefully, but forcefully, he pulled Piers to him. Piers’ back could now lean against Chris’ chest. Again he took his hand. Piers squeezed it hard – because of the pain and to make sure that his Captain hasn’t left him yet. To make sure that he stayed by his side.
Inside of Piers everything was in pain – he felt like his organs were about to tear apart.
“You’re strong, Piers. You’ll survive.“ Chris kept talking to him. He tried to encourage him, but Piers wasn’t able to understand him properly. His surroundings started to blur. But after a short time, everything was swallowed by darkness and he wasn’t able to see anything anymore.
Only Chris‘ voice reached his consciousness. “Stay awake, Piers. Don’t leave me!“ But then even his voice was gone.
He couldn’t say what happened next. He only felt pain. Unbearable pain. It felt like it was about to tear him apart. He knew that he was screaming, but couldn’t hear one sound. He knew that he had opened his eyes, but he couldn’t see anything expect of the darkness. But suddenly, red weals crossed the darkness. After a few seconds they got bigger. He felt inconvenient and heard his own heartbeat. At first it was beating weakly and gently. But it was getting louder and seemed to be droning in his ears. The red was getting more intensive and the moment everything around him was surrounded by the color, he opened his eyes, breathing hard.
His breath kept being erratic while he tried to find out where he was. But he couldn’t figure it out. His heart was beating fast against his chest. It hurt, and felt like it was about to break out. But after a while, he was able to hear voices. He started to see things clearer. He saw man-shaped shadows which were buzzing around. But he didn’t understand everything they were saying. “Too much…” “…can’t do it…” “…instable body…”
Then he felt a soft but stabbing pain, moments before he lost his consciousness once more. This time he didn’t feel anything. He didn’t see the darkness. He was just unconscious.
The next time he was able to open his eyes much more easily than before. He looked around and noticed that his sight was limited. He tried to move his right arm, but he didn’t feel anything. Panic grew inside of him and he looked to his right side. Then he saw why. They had amputated his arm. He swallowed hard and touched his shoulder with his left hand. Exactly on the place his arm should have been. His heart was racing. He should have been relieved that he had only lost his arm, but …
He touched his right eye and noticed a binding. Did he also lose his eyesight on that side?
Slowly he laid down and sank into his pillow. Then he stared at the ceiling just before he took a look through the room as he noticed that somebody was opening the door.
He heard a familiar voice. “Yes, I’ll come then. Of course.“
Then the door was fully opened and Chris entered the room. As he saw that Piers was looking over to him, relief was shown in Chris’ face. He closed the door quietly.
“Piers… you’re awake…” – “Captain…” He became aware of how hard it was for him to talk right now. Chris rushed over to him and set down on the chair next to Piers’ bed. He smiled softly and glanced at his protégé. “I told you, you would make it.”
Piers tried hard to hold back the rising tears. In fact, he didn’t really believe that he would make it… that he would see Chris again.
"Captain, I…“ His voice sounded pretty fragile and he had to concentrate a lot to speak properly.
Chris lifted his hand and stroke the hair of the younger one. “It’s okay, Piers. You don’t have to say anything, just take a rest.”
Piers heart was racing. He wanted to say something, but as Chris stood up, he caught a frightened view. Did he really intend to leave already?
“I’m glad my best man and hero of the BSAA is still alive. I didn’t expect anything else!” Slowly he pulled back his hand and glanced at Piers.
“Where…” Actually Piers intended to ask the question, but his voice broke down and he wasn’t able to finish what he had started.
But Chris seemed to know what he was trying to say. “It’s not over yet, Piers. The next mission awaits us…” Chris said these words serious and with a strong look. Piers sat up fast – too fast. He felt dizzy for a little while and therefore he held his head – but then the dizziness was gone.
“Piers, what…“ Chris began to say, but after he saw Piers’ look he stopped talking. “Captain, I… please wait until I’m fit again!”
The adrenalin rush seemed to allow him to talk more easily. But Chris’ responded with a serious tone: “No, Piers. Apart from the fact that it would take way too long…” He glanced at Piers’ right shoulder. “I can fight with only one arm!” Piers’ voice was clear and hard and even a little bit begging.
"That’s insane! You did enough, Piers. You nearly sacrificed yourself for the BSAA…” Piers wanted to interrupt him, but Chris didn’t give him the chance to do it. He continued talking. “You had the virus inside of you! I would never… never ever forgive you if I would lose you…” His voice was serious and appropriate, but the nearer he got to the end of his sentence, the quieter it sounded. Piers glanced at him desperately. “What should I say now? Do you really think I would feel one bit better if something happened to you? If you go now, I wouldn’t even have the chance to help you!”
Chris was touched by these words. But he couldn’t agree with his words. “Don’t be a fool. I’m not going to be alone on the battle field and …” – “You don’t understand!”, Piers interrupted him and wanted to keep speaking, but then the Captain chimed in and said: “No, YOU don’t understand! There is no reason for …”
"That’s enough." Piers grasped Chris‘ collar and pulled him down to him. But before Chris was able to do anything, he felt Piers’ lips on his. His eyes widened surprised and shocked, while Piers closed his eyes hard which led to a fairly desperate plait between his eyebrows.
Although he eased the grasp around Chris‘ collar, he didn’t let him completely go. He opened his eyes slowly and noticed sadly how surprised the Captain looked at him.
Now his heart was beating even faster than before and he couldn’t think of what he thought the moment he kissed him. He only knew that he did it because of legitimate reasons – and to finally make him shut up.
He didn’t really dare let him go, but then he looked away and separated his lips from Chris’. He didn’t dare glance at the Captain, and finally loosed the grasp around his collar. His head sank downwards. The fact that Chris didn’t say a word made him feel even more nervous. He still wasn’t able to look at him. But then, after a few moments, he felt Chris’ hands in his hair. He laid his thumb in front of Piers‘ ears and stroked through his hair with his fingers. Then he lifted Piers’ head gently. Piers still tried to avoid looking at Chris’ eyes, but as he noticed that Chris came closer, Piers looked at him slowly. The moment he finally looked at Chris, who now was directly in front of him, their lips touched again. But this time it was Piers who looked shocked at Chris, who had already closed his eyes. But he didn’t look desperate or cramped. No, his face had shown the softest contours. It made Piers try to hold back his tears again.
He hesitated, but then he put his hand on Chris‘ neck and rejoined the kiss.
He was afraid. Afraid of the fact that his Captain would go. Back to the war, where Piers wouldn’t be able to follow him. To the war, where he wouldn’t be able to save him. He didn’t want him to go. Not without him. Only thinking of that let him cramp and the grasp around Chris‘ neck got tighter. Chris noticed that. Then he leaned back again without taking his hands off Piers. He still stroke through Piers hair and remained in front of his face. Piers could feel that he wouldn’t be able to hold back his tears any longer. He felt his eyes getting wet. He didn’t want Chris to see him like that and tried to turn away his head – but the Captain forestalled it. Gently, but appropriate, he held Piers’ head in a way he couldn’t avoid Chris’ gaze. The sniper didn’t know in which direction he should look and tried to escape Chris’ gaze quickly.
“I understand you, Piers”, Chris said softly. Piers looked at him. “Captain…”, he whispered nervously and anxiously. Chris smiled at him and pulled the chair closer, so he could sit on it again. Piers still had his hand in Chris’ neck and didn’t think of letting him go. But Chris took his hand and gently pulled it away from him – but then Piers saw his serious face. Chris’ left hand still was around Piers’ Neck and his thumb stroke his bandage.
“I know you’d like to hear something else, but… I’ll go.”
Chris noticed that Piers tried to respond desperately, but he interrupted him. “Listen to me, Piers!” Piers became silent.
"I know that you’re afraid. And I know that you’d love to join me … that you’d love helping us. But it’s not possible. Don’t forget how long I am with be BSAA now and why I’m the Captain. Sure, you’re my best man… but there are other excellent soldiers in the BSAA and we all boost our back. Not everything is a burden on your shoulders, Piers. You did enough for the BSAA, the future… and me. Now you should use the time to recover.”
Piers didn’t know what he should answer. He still didn’t want him to go. He still wanted to fight beside his Captain. But he also knew that Chris was right. He was not ‘somebody’ – he was no amateur. He was Chris Redfield – the best Captain of the BSAA and he had survived countless missions. And, actually, in his current condition he would be more a balk than help. He understood that. But still he didn’t want him to go. But he knew that he didn’t have any choice. He nodded, bit his lower lip and dropped his head. Chris let go of his hand, put it under Piers’ chin and gently lifted his head again. Piers looked at Chris with sad and wet eyes. Nobody could notice it, but it hurt Chris to see his protégé like that. He leaned in towards him, took away his hand from his chin and put it on Piers back, to pull him into a soft embrace.
Automatically Piers nuzzled his face to Chris’ shoulder. Due to the fact nobody could see his face, his tears started to drop out of his eyes. It was too much for him. To think that he could be dead by now. But especially that Chris would go and could probably die.
He got along with fighting the most dangerous BOW’s. It was okay for him to jump over the profoundest abyss. But he didn’t get along with losing his Captain.
Although Piers didn’t make any noise, Chris knew that he was crying. Therefor he kept him as long as necessary embraced. The moment he felt that his sniper had calmed a bit, Chris unhanded him and leaned back again. Piers didn’t lift his head and Chris caressed his cheek softly. “I’ll come back. I promise.” He leaned to Piers and kissed his forehead. "And you know that I keep to my promises.“
He took away his hand from Piers‘ neck and stroke his cheek. Then he stood up. Piers lifted his head and the two of them looked at each other for further moments. Then Chris nodded and went to the door.
“Chris!” Piers said. Chris turned around. „Thank you…“, he whispered.
"Why would you thank me?“, Chris asked astonished.
"For … saving me“, he answered.
Chris smiled. "Of course! No one gets left behind – especially not my best man.“
Now even Piers smiled.
"See you later, Piers. I’ll be back soon!“ After he said that, Chris opened the door and vanished. As the door was closed again, Piers fell back into his pillow. He gazed at the ceiling. He was still anxious – but he knew that he had to trust his Captain. He knew that he had to believe in him to come back soon. And he did.
