Chapter Text
Leon hadn't been feeling great for days at this point. It had started as a cough and a slight fever and it was getting worse. His energy was waning but he thought it was just from long hours at the DSO.
You always told him he worked too much. Maybe he had been. Maybe he would actually get to finish a vacation if he put in for some time off this time. He could take you and your daughter out somewhere nice, maybe somewhere sunny like a secluded beach in a small town. That'd be nice.
Leon came home from the office, shoulders sagging and footfalls heavy as he wandered into the house. You were in the kitchen cleaning up dinner. When you heard him enter you uncovered the plate you made up for him and popped it in the microwave.
"Hey honey, you didn't text to say you were gonna be late. Something come up at work?"
"Maybe. Some weird death, probably just rot but you can never be too careful in this business I guess." Leon hung up his coat and kicked off his boots. "Sorry for not texting, my mind's been fried the last couple of days."
"Because you work too damn hard." You took the reheated food out of the microwave and set it on the table. Leon sank down into a chair and pulled the plate closer. You got up behind him, nimble hands kneading at his shoulders and neck. "Seriously, you've been sick all week and it's only getting worse. Please promise you'll stay home tomorrow. For my peace of mind."
Leon sighed, reaching for one of your hands and pulling it around to place a kiss on your wedding ring. "Okay. I'll stay home. Promise."
"Thank you." You gave his scruffy cheek a kiss. "Enjoy your dinner, I'm gonna go check on Hope."
"What's wrong with Hope?" Leon asked.
"I think she caught whatever you have, she hasn't been feeling well. I had to pick her up early from school and she's been rotting in her bedroom ever since." You wandered down the hall towards your daughter's room.
After dinner was eaten Leon hopped in the shower, hoping the heat could shock some health back into him. He heard the bathroom door open and you came in, barely glancing his way as you picked up your toothbrush. "Need any help with that?" he asked, wiping the steam from the glass door to get a clearer look at you.
"Brushing my teeth? No, I'm good." You rolled your eyes. "And you can stay over there, mister. I don't want to catch sick too and then all three of us are useless for the rest of the week."
Leon turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, towel wrapped around his hips. "Actually, I think I'm on the mend. So we can--"
You jabbed an elbow back at him. "Don't even think about it."
"One kiss."
"Leon," you laughed as he wrapped his wet arms around you. "Let go! You're soaking my clothes!"
"Gimme a kiss then."
"You are so needy..." your laugh died in your throat as you caught sight of something on his arm. "You get ink on you at work or something?"
"Hm?" Leon looked at where you were staring and saw a black splotch on his skin. "That wasn't there this morning."
He tried wiping it off but it didn't so much as smudge. It was then he realized it wasn't something on his skin, it looked like it was in it. A small pure black bruise no bigger than a quarter on his upper arm. His stomach sank into his feet.
That was the same kind of bruise that was found on the dead body they reported on at work.
"Leon?" You pressed a hand to his face. "You've gone pale. Are you alright?"
Without a word he rushed out of the bathroom, tugging on a pair of pants and grabbing his phone. After a few rings the other line picked up. "Hey Leon, what's up?" Sherry's voice came through the phone.
"Sorry to bring you work after hours but I need to know something about that body we found. Did we get any other information on him?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, Hank Ramirez, pronounced dead at Stoneville Hospital. Let me see." There was a pause as she looked up something on her computer. "There was something major we flagged, apparently he was a survivor of Raccoon City. Why did you need to know? Did you have some revelation?"
"Something like that." Leon's breathing turned ragged. "Keep me updated. I have to go."
It felt like his heart was hammering in his ears and it was difficult to catch his breath. A Raccoon City survivor, same black bruising, something wasn't right here.
"Leon?" You laid a hand on his arm. "What is it?"
"Let me see you." he started to tug at your shirt.
"Leon, I just said--"
"Not that. Please, just let me check." His voice snapped. You went still and let him lift your clothes, inspecting your body for any black spots and breathing out in relief when he didn't find any.
"What's going on?" you asked again. "You're scaring me."
"I...I don't know," Leon stammered. His mind snapped quickly. Hope. "Shit."
He ran down the hall to Hope's room and pushed open the door. She was sitting in bed, book in her hands. "Dad, you're supposed to knock--"
"Hope, kiddo, listen to me very carefully," Leon pulled her off the bed. "I need you to check to make sure you don't have any kind of black bruise on you."
"What?"
"Just do it. This is important."
Hope must have seen the fear in her dad's eyes which was something she had not witnessed from him in her fifteen years of life. Leon waited outside while she checked and practically slammed back into the room when she said he could enter. "Anything?"
"I mean, I think I have a small bruise on my hip." She lifted the edge of her t-shirt to reveal a small inky black bruise. "Is this what you mean?"
No. No. No. No. No! No! No! No! No! No! No!
The world tilted and Leon had to catch himself on the doorjamb to keep from falling over. He couldn't breathe. His lungs refused to suck in air. He closed his eyes, willing the dizziness to stop and saw only blood. Blood and black ichor from rotted jerking bodies with lifeless eyes. The smell of putrid meat and bile choking the life out of him as bodies--as people turned into infected bloodthirsty abominations around him.
This wasn't happening. It was over. It was thirty years ago, it couldn't be here now. It wasn't supposed to be in his home!
"Leon," your voice cut through the screams and gurgling sounds of death in his ears, "It's September 15th, 2026. You're in your home in Ferndale. I'm your wife, this is your daughter. You are safe."
He took in a deep breath, his muscles relaxing. "That's it. Deep breath in, hold, deep breath out. You are home and you are safe. You are with family and you are safe."
He opened his eyes to find you hovering close, waiting to see if it was okay to touch him. He gave a small nod and you enveloped him in your arms. Hope grabbed one of his arms and wrapped it around her so she could be in the hug too. "Dad? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. Sorry to worry you, sweet pea." He pressed a kiss to her head. "Get back in bed, relax. I uh...I need to talk to your mother."
Hope gave you both strange looks but crawled back into bed. Leon closed the door behind him and trudged back to your bedroom, his knees giving out as he sat on the bed.
"Leon, what the hell--" you started and stopped when Leon looked up at you, the glaze of tears in his eyes. "Leon?"
"I don't think this is just a cold. I think something very very bad is happening and whatever it is, I gave it to Hope." Leon leaned on you as the worst case scenarios started playing in his head. He needed to figure this out and fast.