Chapter Text
Broken lights swung above them, a faint glow emitting as they flickered every now and then. The floorboards beneath their feet creaked with every subtle step as if they could give way at any moment.
Chris and Jill cautiously tiptoed their way through the halls of the abandoned factory. They had gotten reports of suspicious activity in the area. Witnesses had reported seeing weird, dog-like creatures going in and out of the factory that sat forgotten in the northwest side of Raccoon City. Chief Irons demanded that Captain Wesker send Alpha Team to investigate.
Everyone was split into pairs. Jill and Chris were to search the third floor, Brad and Joseph the second floor, then Wesker and Barry on the first floor. Occasionally, Brad would joke around on the walkie to keep himself together. Chris would also join in, much to Wesker’s dismay.
There were many doors, most leading to offices that looked frozen to time, old files and computers left to decay. Chris would sometimes stop to look over the rotted paperworks scattered about out of boredom. Jill would remind him now and then to keep going.
As they traversed the halls, slight rustling could be heard coming from the set of double doors at the end of the hall. Jill turned her gaze to Chris, who gave her a simple nod. They reached the door, Jill giving Chris the okay to move forward.
Chris gently pushed the door open, holding his pistol steady as he crept inside, Jill following close behind. The room was massive, full of heavy machinery and walkways that hung from the ceiling. They both held their guns in front of them as they continued walking, giving quick glances around themselves as they stayed on high alert.
As she was scanning around herself, Jill noticed something on the floor by a row of large wooden crates. She slowly walked over, her blood going cold as realization set in.
It was an arm.
“Chris..” She softly called out. “Over here.”
Chris made his way over to her. “What is it, Jill?” He turned his head to where she was pointing, a sigh escaping his lips. “Fuck..”
He bent over to examine the arm closer. It was partially eaten, fragments of bone and tendon laying around it. The skin was also pale with a slight purple tint.
“Looks like it's been here for a while… Hold on.” Chris said as he grabbed ahold of his walkie, turning it on. “Captain? You there?”
“I’m here, Christopher. Is everything okay?” Wesker said.
“Jill and I found something in one of the old production rooms.” He looked back at the arm, describing exactly what it looked like to Wesker. “So far it's only the arm. Haven’t found anything else yet.”
“Alright. Barry and I will meet up with you both once we’re done with our investigation of the first floor. For now, just keep moving.”
“You got it, Captain.” Chris said as he put his walkie back in its holster.
A loud crash echoed through the building, causing both Jill and Chris to jump.
“What was that?” Jill whispered, hair standing on the back of her neck.
“I.. I don’t know..” Chris replied, trepidation in his tone.
As Chris took another step, another loud crash echoed off the walls. He stared straight ahead, his eyes going wide as he caught a glimpse of what was causing all the noise.
“JILL! RUN!” Chris yelled as he pushed her out of the way as a dark form came jumping at them.
Jill stumbled back, catching her footing as she ran. She ducked behind a large crate, sitting for a moment to catch her breath. But then she realized.. Chris wasn’t with her. She quickly looked over from behind the crate.
Chris gasped for air as he was knocked to the ground, his gun sliding off into the darkness. He flipped himself over onto his back, and that’s when he finally got a good glimpse of the figure.
It was dog-like, just as the eyewitnesses had said. However, it had no fur. Rotted skin covered the being, big chunks hanging off it in various areas. It had large, razor sharp teeth and one eye hanging out of the socket. It was also very large, almost as large as a bear.
He tried to push himself to his feet, but his attacker was much too quick for him. He felt a sharp, searing pain in his right arm, a hot stream of blood pouring out as it bit into his flesh. He kicked his legs, trying to knee it off of him, but his attempts were futile. It scratched at his chest with its claws, tearing a huge rip in his vest and undershirt. Large lacerations were drawn across his chest.
“CHRIS!” Jill screamed out as she sprang out from behind the crate, firing her pistol rapidly at the creature.
“G-Get out…! Just… Just go, d-damn it!” Chris cried out as his flesh was torn into once again. Bullet after bullet pierced its sides, but it didn’t let up on its assault. Chris punched at its maw, his attempts to get it to stop proving to be for nothing as it continued to rip away at his arm and shoulder without a flinch.
Jill ignored his pleas. She grabbed a large, broken pipe that laid on the floor nearby, lunging at the creature. With the sharp, broken side of the pipe, she impaled the creature in the back. It stopped its relentless attack on Chris, letting out a guttural, otherworldly cry as the pipe dug deep into it.
As the creature wailed in pain, Jill helped Chris to his feet, slinging his uninjured arm around her shoulders to keep him upright. They ran away from the creature as fast as they possibly could at that moment. They came up on a small flight of stairs that led to the walkways that hung above, Jill supporting Chris’s weight as she helped him climb the stairs. Once they were up on the walkway and far enough from the stairs, Jill bent down so Chris could sit and rest for a moment as she called for Wesker.
She grabbed ahold of Chris’s walkie from the holster attached to his belt, her hands shaking as she went to flip it on. “Captain Wesker..! Captain Wesker, please respond, please!” She begged, a lump in her throat as she looked down beneath the walkway to keep tabs on the creature.
“Jill? What’s wrong? Where is Chris?” Wesker asked, his voice slightly distorted by static.
“Please, Captain, we need backup!”
“What happened, Jill? We’re on our way right now.”
Jill bent down to Chris. His face was pale as he tried to stay conscious. “We were attacked by one of those creatures! It tried to maul Chris.. Please, just get here…”
Jill quickly grabbed ahold of Chris’s S.T.A.R.S. vest, ripping it off his body in a swift motion. She applied it to his wounded arm to act as a tourniquet.
“How is his condition, Jill?” Wesker chimed back in over the walkie, his voice, while professional and collected, showed signs of genuine concern.
She studied Chris. His uniform was torn and soaked with blood. She could see the lacerations on his chest behind the rips in his uniform, the skin around it a deep purplish red. His right arm had multiple lacerations all the way up to his shoulder, some showing white tissue.
“Not good, Captain.. He’s hurt really bad..”
“I’m coming as fast as I can.” He said.
Jill looked back to Chris. It was rare to see him beat up and weak, but whenever she did see him this way, it always broke her heart. She couldn’t help but feel guilt. If she were just stronger… Maybe she could’ve prevented him from getting mauled. But, she could only wish.
Suddenly, she heard scuffles coming up the stairs.
She looked ahead, hoping it was Wesker and Barry. However, that was not the case. She froze as the creature from before stared into her eyes with bloodlust from a distance. The pipe was still lodged into its back, dried blood smeared all over its back. It slowly inched closer to them, arching its back as if prepared to pounce at any moment.
“Chris, don’t move..” She whispered, slowly moving her hands off him for a moment, reaching for her gun once again.
“...Jill…” Chris groaned weakly, his voice hoarse. “...Go..” He gave her a pitiful look, not wanting her to get hurt because of him.
The creature crept closer to them, showing its gnarled, blood covered teeth. Foam dripped from its maw.
Jill clenched her jaw, raising her gun. “I’m not leaving you and that’s final.” She said firmly before firing off her gun, peppering the creature with bullets. It screeched out as dark, almost black, blood spewed from its wounds.
In a swift motion, the creature lunged at Jill, knocking her to the floor as she barely had time to react. It snapped its jaw at her as she tried to fight it off, screaming as it began to swipe at her with its claws. Its face pushed closer and closer to hers as she couldn’t hold it off much longer. She closed her eyes as its hot, rancid breath blew against her face, saliva dripping onto her forehead as it prepared to feast on her face.
“I told you to GO!” Chris’s voice boomed suddenly, the sound of labored footsteps echoing as he charged at the creature with the last bit of energy he had.
Jill’s eyes shot open as the weight of the creature was suddenly off her. She watched in horror as Chris tackled the creature, sending himself off the walkway along with it.
“CHRIS, NO!” She cried out as she leaned over the railing.
Chris groaned out in pain. As he tried to move, a searing pain pulsated from his abdomen. He tried to move his legs, but found that he couldn’t. He looked to his side. The creature laid not far next to him, the pipe that was lodged into its back now poking out of its stomach, its innards slightly exposed.
He could hear Jill, and eventually both Wesker and Barry, running up to him. His vision was blurred and doubled as the three tried to get his attention. He tried to respond, but all that came out was gibberish.
Their voices rang in his ear, growing quieter and quieter as the world finally went black.
—---------------------
“Hey, wait. He’s finally waking up!” A voice said, slightly muffled.
“Good. That is good. He had me worried.” Another chimed in.
Chris slowly opened his eyes, everything around him hazy as his eyes adjusted. He noticed that he was no longer in the abandoned factory. Everything was a bright, sterile white. Monitors beeped next to him, and he also noticed the IV tube in his left arm. His legs were both covered with casts, along with his right arm. He tilted his head to the right, groaning as his neck was sore with slight movement. Wesker and Jill sat in the chairs beside him.
“Ugh.. Why am I here…?” Chris murmured.
“Chris,” Jill said with a look of relief, “thank god you’re awake! How do you feel?”
Chris groaned. “Like shit. How did I end up here?”
“After you passed out, Wesker and Barry called for paramedics. You were so out of it.” She said.
“I would have moved you myself, but it was too risky.” Wesker added.
“That dog… thing- what about that?” Chris asked.
“Dead. The carcass was taken for testing to see what it exactly was.” Wesker said.
Jill gave Chris a soft look, leaning forward in her chair to put a hand on his shoulder. “You had me so worried. I never want to see you like that again.”
Chris tried to sit up, gritting his teeth through the immense pain as he did so. However, Wesker quickly stood up from his chair, putting a gentle hand on Chris’s chest.
“Christopher, don’t move so much. You really did a number to yourself. You quite honestly had me worried as well.” Wesker said.
Chris sighed. “Oh, come on. It wasn’t that bad, was it? I don’t need to be treated like I’m delicate, you know.” His voice was still hoarse.
Jill exchanged a look with Wesker before turning back to Chris. “Chris… You literally fell, like, twenty feet when you tackled that thing! Not to mention it tried to make you its next meal.”
“Would’ve been a shitty meal, huh?” Chris chuckled. Jill simply rolled her eyes. “Besides, I’ll be fine. Give me a few days and I’ll be good as new.”
“I’m afraid not, Chris.” Wesker sighed.
Chris looked at him, cocking an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“This is not like the last time you got hurt.” Wesker walked up to the board hanging on the wall by the door, pulling off what seemed to be several pictures that looked like X-rays. “These here are X-rays the doctors took while you were comatose.”
Chris furrowed his brows as Wesker sat down next to him on his hospital bed, holding the X-rays in front of him.
“Your right arm had several stitches put in as you were unconscious. The lacerations you endured were very deep. When you fell, you also broke it.”
“Fuck…” Chris sighed.
“You also broke 3 of your ribs,” Wesker continued to list off his injuries, “both of your legs are broken. Tibia fractures in both.” Wesker paused, clearing his throat as he looked at Chris’s final injury, knowing the man was going to freak out with what he was about to tell him.
Chris picked up on Wesker’s change in demeanor. “What? What is it, Wesker?”
Wesker cleared his throat. “You also have a more significant injury than your legs. You have something called a Lisfranc fracture in your left foot.”
“Okay… And what does that mean for me, then?” Chris asked.
“In terms you would understand, it may be several months before you could walk again. You will need surgery in the coming weeks.”
Chris gave him a horrified look. “You’re fuckin’ joking, Wesker… C’mon, don’t joke like that.”
Wesker shook his head. “I’m sorry, Christopher, but I’m afraid I’m being very serious.”
“Months?! How the fuck am I going to work?”
“I will be placing you on medical leave until you can walk again. While I hate to do this, I feel it is necessary.” Wesker said, his tone much too calm and matter-of-fact.
Chris slumped back into the pillows, staring up at the ceiling as if he were contemplating his life. Months of no work… It was going to drive him absolutely insane. What would he even do? Being wheelchair bound for that long- it was almost a fate worse than death for him. He couldn’t stand the feeling of uselessness. When he was discharged from the Air Force, he wandered aimlessly until Barry got him into S.T.A.R.S. He remembered how worthless he felt, having to job hop to make by. He couldn’t go back to feeling like that.
“Please, Wesker- I can’t. Can’t you, like, give me at least something?” He pleaded.
“I’m sorry, Christopher, but I’m afraid that I don’t have much else to give you until you can walk again.” Wesker shook his head. He knew he would react this way. Chris hated sitting still. He hated not having freedom. He was messy when it came to work, sure. However, the man always found something for himself to do when bored.
“I-I fucking hate this.” Chris’s breath started to become slightly shaky. He balled his fists, fighting the urge to burst.
“It’s okay, Chris…” Jill reassured him in a gentle tone.
She looked him over, noticing his shift in behavior. She turned to Wesker, who simply nodded at her. They both knew what was coming, no matter how much Chris tried to suppress it. Just her, Chris’s sister Claire, and Wesker were the only ones that knew of Chris’s ‘unique’ coping mechanism. She had walked in on him a few months ago when she had stopped by his apartment to grab something she had left behind, not knocking as Chris always told her she didn’t need to. She saw him on his couch, wearing footie pajamas and snuggling into a blanket with a pacifier in his mouth. He was mortified and didn’t talk to her for a week afterwards, but then finally brought it in himself to explain himself.
He was an age regressor. While she didn’t understand at first, she did some research in her free time. She wanted to understand him as he was her best friend. He had explained it started in his early teen years as it was a way to comfort himself when his parents would fight. When his dad would come home on the weekends, he would heavily drink. Chris had implied his dad would get physically and emotionally abusive. He would regress when he got time alone, usually to nothing more than a baby or toddler, when he couldn’t hold himself together.
Wesker found out a few weeks after Jill, during the mission where Chris had gotten injured last time. They were on a late night mission to investigate suspects that were potentially involved with a robbery at a bank in downtown Raccoon City. The perpetrators, rumored to be part of a gang, used homemade pipe bombs in their heist. He and Chris were partnered up in the stake out, watching for any activity. The gang members had caught them watching, which resulted in a shootout. One of them had snuck up on Chris in the turmoil and relentlessly beat him and held him at gunpoint until the rest of S.T.A.R.S. came to the rescue. When Wesker had helped Chris back to his patrol car, the younger man completely broke down. Wesker had noticed Chris acting childlike, and that’s where his secret had unintentionally come out.
Wesker was Chris’s caregiver when he was regressed as Chris trusted him the most. Jill would sometimes take care of him if Wesker wasn’t available. Claire had also taken care of Chris when he was regressed before she left for college.
Chris shook his head, gritting his teeth. “I-I can’t just do nothing for months…! I just- I just fucking can’t!”
“Christopher-” Wesker began, but was cut off by Chris.
“No! No, I fucking refuse to be useless again!”
“Whoa, Chris, hey,” Jill said, “it’s okay, really.”
“Don’t tell me it’s fucking okay! Don’t!” Chris snapped. He attempted to get out of the hospital bed, but was met with a sharp pain in his ribs. He gasped, choking on his own breath as he slumped back down.
“Christopher my darling boy, calm down.” Wesker said as he put a gentle hand on Chris’s shoulder.
Chris looked at him dead in the eyes, bottom lip trembling. There it was, the nickname that was always his biggest weakness when he was teetering between headspaces. Chris looked down, taking a shaky breath.
“...P-Papa..” Chris whispered, his voice frail and small.
“There’s my darling boy.” Wesker gave a half smile, ruffling his hair.
“It’s okay, sweetie. We both knew this was coming.” Jill smiled.
Chris glanced over to her shyly. “...Jilly…”
“That’s right, buddy.” She chuckled.
“Bad boy.” Chris sniffled, giving Wesker a pitiful look.
“It’s okay, Christopher. You are not bad, far from it. You saved Aunt Jill. Don’t you think that’s something only good boys would do, Jill?” Wesker turned to Jill.
“Yes, only good boys like Chris do that.” She said, softly rubbing Chris’s cheek. “Aunt Jill needs to go home, now, though. I’ll be back tomorrow, okay, buddy?”
“O-Okay…” Chris said quietly as Jill gave him a small, gentle hug before leaving the room.
After Jill left, Chris’s bottom lip trembled as a single tear rolled down his face. “H-home…” He whined softly, gripping tightly onto Wesker’s arm with his free hand. “P-Papa… Home.”
“Papa will take you home in two days. The doctors need to make sure my precious boy is okay before I take him back home.” Wesker said as he moved closer to Chris so that he could rest his head on his shoulder.
Chris began to cry. He had always hated hospitals, and that didn’t change when he was regressed.
Wesker shushed him, kissing his forehead. “It’s quite alright, Christopher. Papa needs you to be a brave boy until we can leave. Could you do that for papa, Christopher?”
Chris nodded and hiccupped. When he was regressed, he always wanted to be good for Wesker. “B-brave…” He leaned more into Wesker, whimpering as small bouts of pain went through his body.
Wesker noticed Chris rubbing one of his eyes. He looked at the time, noticing it was rather late in the night. “I think someone needs to go night night. Would you like to rest with Papa? Perhaps I could tell you a story as well. I know you love stories.”
Chris hummed, putting his thumb into his mouth. As much as Wesker disapproved of Chris putting his fingers in his mouth, he would allow it just this once until he could get Chris his pacifier.
“Alright, how about I tell you a story about a prince who had to save his princess?” Wesker asked, pulling the blanket up to Chris’s shoulders.
Chris nodded as Wesker ran fingers through his hair.
Wesker gave a small smile as he began his story. “Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess…”
As Wesker told the story, Chris slowly closed his eyes, the mixture of Wesker’s soothing voice, the warm blanket, and Wesker’s heartbeat making him feel drowsy very quickly. The words of the story slowly became nothing more than gibberish as he fell asleep, feeling safe in his Papa’s arms.
Wesker noticed that Chris’s breathing became steady. He tilted his head, noticing that he had fallen asleep. Wesker sat there for a while, listening to his soft snores and the occasional murmur. He looked so peaceful.
“I love you, my darling boy.”