Chapter Text
[REDACTED]:We have the authority to do as we please with you. You and that girl.
L. KENNEDY: Just leave her out of this, she’s and innocent.
[REDACTED]: An innocent who carries the G antibody. Don’t worry we’re taking very good care of her.
Bottom line is…you have the experience we’re looking for, so if you want this to end peacefully you really have only one choice.
Work For us.
~
Jackie sat in a small empty exam room, her face buried her hands trembling, breathing.
It had only been a week since STRATCOM picked her up, and Jackie could only guess what the government agency wanted with her.
They were interested in her affiliations with Umbrella.
Her head snapped up, hearing the door slide open, quickly trying to compose herself. A man stood there…no an agent the same on that picked her up. She squinted trying to remember his name.
“Hi sorry,” He leaned against the door frame seeming a bit out of breath,” I know we just met, Mike by the way, but I have a tiny favor to ask of you.”
Jackie rubbed her face swallowing hard, sighing, “Depends on the favor.”
“Okay,” Mike started, carding his fingers through his curly hair, “one of the other agents just brought this…kid in, a survivor of Raccoon…I need you to be the one to check him out.”
“I…don’t…,”Jackie started her throat feeling tight, “I’m not really a doctor, just a microbiologist.”
“Please,” Mike breathed out exhausted, “he’s not…not good and you might be one of the only people here that actually understands what he’s been through.”
Jackie sighed, smoothing her hand over her hair. “I can maybe do a basic exam,” She told him, “nothing more, I’m not a doctor…where is he?”
“Down that hall, last door on the left,” Mike directed her, “his names Leon, he’s pretty shaken up so be careful, I’ve gotta go hunt down some pants.”
“Pants.” Jackie mouthed, but before she could ask Mike had already disappeared, leaving her standing alone in the hallway.
“What’d you get yourself into this time Jackie,” She huffed, making her way down the hallway until she was standing in front of the door to the exam room.”
Inhaling through her nose until her lungs were full, she slowly let the air out of her mouth, “Let’s do this.” She whispered to herself.
Sliding the card she was given through the reader the door slid open and she was met with…an empty room.
“Leon?” Jackie called out stepping into the room. She turned only to be met with an attack from behind as a man lunged at her with a scalpel clutched in hand.
Her reflexed were quick as sh barely managed to block him before he mad contact the scalpel skittering a few feet away. The man stumbled backwards loosing his balance.
He fell backwards on his bottom, backing away from her until his back was pressed against a wall.
Sharp blue eyes stared back her wide with fear scanning the room, searching for an escape.
Jackie crouched down, not daring to move any closer as she let her eyes trail over his body, making a mental notes.
There was a fresh bruise forming on his cheek, curling around his eye socket. Trailing her eyes down his face, his lip was split the cut still wet just barely crusting over with blood.
His breathing was shallow and staggered like breathing any deeper was painful, a loose t-shirt hanging off his frame. One arm hung loose in its socket.
Rough shape was an understatement, this man looked like he’d just been in a bar fight and lost.
Jackie didn’t know who to blame yet but when she found out there would be hell to pay.
“Not the time…”Jackie mumbled to herself, swallowing down the hot sticky lump in her throat. “I take it your Leon.” She said, moving a bit closer, and Leon pressed his back into the wall.
“I’m here to help,” Jackie said, putting her hands up to show she was unarmed, “I just…really need to take a look at that shoulder…”
“Where’s Sherry?” Leon snarled voice low, his jaw held tight.
“Who?” Jackie asked, her eyes darting to the sharp metal object laying between them.
“Sherry,” He shouted, making her flinch, “the little girl I came here with, where is she!?”
“I don’t know about any little girl.” Jackie said, reaching towards the scalpel, keeping her eyes trained on Leon.
“I’m just going to…”She hesitated, before gingerly plucking the scalpel off the ground, tossing it into a nearby drawer. Leon’s shoulder sagged slightly, but he didn’t move.
They sat in silence for a moment, until the door slid open, and Mike walked in.
“I managed to find a pair of sweats,” Mike said handing them over to Jackie, briefly glancing at Leon, “might be a bit big on him but they’ll do.” Jackie nodded sliding them over to Leon, but he didn’t move to take them.
She glanced at Mike, exchanging a look with him but neither said anything.
“I’ll be right outside.”Mike told them, mouthing a you got this to Jackie as she stared him down exiting the room.
Jackie sighed, bringing her attention back to Leon, at a complete loss on how to go about the situation. This man didn’t trust her and honestly after whatever hell he’d just been through she didn’t blame him.
She shifted sitting crisscross on the ground across from him. “What’s it going to take for you to trust me?” Jackie asked, breaking the silence between them.
“Why should I?” Leon answered, straining his voice bruised finger prints on his throat peaking up through the collar of his shirt.
“Honestly,” Jackie started, “you don’t have a reason to, something tells me nobody here has given you a reason to trust anyone.”
Leon stared at her long and hard. “They said you a medical researcher,” Leon said, “a survivor of Raccoon.”
“I am.”She answered, knowing where he was going with this line of logic. There was only one place he could go.
“Did you work for Umbrella?” Leon asked. It was in that question Jackie saw her opening.
“I’ll make a deal with you,” Jackie told him, “you let me check out some of those injuries an I will answer any question you have as honestly as I can.”
This peaked Leon’s interest, a look of hesitation crossing his face. “How can I be sure you’re not lying?” He asked.
Jackie slipped her lanyard off of her neck the key card dangling from it, sliding it over to Leon. “That key card,” She nodded towards it,” is the only way out of this room, if you don’t like my answer you can just walk out of here.
Leon stared at her, so she continued. “I can’t promise that you’ll get far with those injuries, “She negotiated with him, “so it might be smart to let me take a look at those injuries first.”
He took the key card looking it over before looking back at her. “Deal.” Leon answered.