Chapter 35: Crossing Paths

Early morning, July 24, 1998. The Arklay Spencer Mansion remained enveloped in endless darkness and torrential rain. A cold wind whistled through the broken window frames, making a sobbing sound in the corridor, mixing with the distant low growls of zombies to create a hair-raising background noise.

Chris had been exploring the Spencer Mansion alone for a long time. From the main hall to the side rooms, from the courtyard to the second-floor gallery, he gradually mapped out the building's layout. He had dealt with several wandering zombies along the way, consuming most of his supplies, yet he hadn't encountered a single teammate. The entire Spencer Mansion seemed to have only one living soul left: him.

He was currently walking through the east corridor on the second floor. The bloodstains here were denser than in other areas; the walls were peeling, and shattered laboratory glassware was scattered across the floor. In addition to the stench of decay, there was a faint scent of fresh blood in the air, suggesting someone had been injured here recently.

Chris gripped his Assault rifle tightly, his footsteps extremely light. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, alertly scanning every corner, not daring to be the least bit careless.

While exploring alone earlier, he had found spare handgun ammunition and half a bottle of First Aid Spray in a storage room, barely replenishing his supplies. He had also discovered fragmented notes left by researchers in an office. The scattered words pointed toward the Umbrella Corporation's secret experiments, but he still couldn't piece together the full truth.

He followed the traces deeper, wanting only to find Jill, Barry, or Wesker as soon as possible, to uncover the source of this disaster and find a way out of this death trap.

Just as he pushed open the door to an empty bedroom to search for hidden clues, a series of light and hurried footsteps came from the other end of the corridor, accompanied by a young woman's suppressed panting.

Chris tensed instantly and quickly ducked behind the door, aiming his gun toward the corridor. His finger was pressed firmly against the trigger, ready for combat.

A moment later, a slender figure came stumbling down the corridor. She wore the Bravo Team medic uniform, covered in dust and stains. Her pant legs were torn in several places, and her hair clung messily to her cheeks. Her expression was full of exhaustion and lingering fear, yet she still forced herself to remain alert.

It was Rebecca Chambers.

Chris recognized the young medic trainee. His heart eased slightly as he slowly lowered his weapon and stepped out from behind the door, whispering, "Rebecca Chambers."

The sudden voice made Rebecca Chambers freeze instantly. She spun around and raised her handgun, but upon seeing it was Chris, her tense body immediately relaxed. A flash of relief at having survived the ordeal crossed her eyes, and her voice was unmistakably hoarse: "Senior Chris! You're here too!"

After the terrifying night on the Ecliptic Express and at the Training Facility, Rebecca Chambers had narrowly escaped the pursuit of Leech monsters. She had made her way along the mountain paths and eventually followed the tracks of the S.T.A.R.S. team into this grim Spencer Mansion.

Days of fleeing had left her exhausted, and the fear of being alone had almost crushed her. Meeting Chris, a fellow S.T.A.R.S. member, finally gave her someone to rely on. (I don't know why the end of Resident Evil 0 is at dawn, but it's still night when Rebecca Chambers reaches the Spencer Mansion; Capcom is quite prone to retconning... they even retcon between 0 and 1.)

"How did you end up here? Where are the others from Bravo Team?" Chris walked quickly to Rebecca Chambers's side, looking her up and down. After confirming she had no obvious external injuries, he asked in a deep voice, already bracing for the worst.

"I got separated from the team a long time ago. I escaped from the Ecliptic Express all the way to the nearby Training Facility. I finally managed to get away from those Leech monsters and followed the clues here."

Rebecca Chambers lowered her eyes, her voice trembling slightly. "I only met Captain Enrico. As for the others... I haven't been able to find them. They've probably all been killed."

Chris was silent for a moment, then patted her shoulder, his tone firm: "Don't lose heart. Since we've met, let's move together. It's safer than being alone. We'll search together, find our other teammates, and then find a way out."

Rebecca Chambers nodded vigorously. Although she was young and lacked combat experience, she possessed great mental fortitude. She quickly regained her composure and stayed by Chris's side, ready to use her medical expertise at any moment.

The two moved forward together, with Chris leading the way and Rebecca Chambers keeping an eye on the rear. They worked together with great rapport.

Before they had gone far, they passed a lounge at a corner. As they approached the door, they heard faint, weak breathing coming from inside—feeble, yet clearly audible.

Chris immediately signaled Rebecca Chambers to be quiet. He slowly pushed open the ajar door and stepped cautiously into the room.

The light in the room was dim, and the furniture was simply arranged. By the sofa in the corner, a figure sat leaning weakly—it was the heavily injured Richard Aiken.

His face was still pale, and his breathing was somewhat rapid. His wounds had been given basic treatment, so he was no longer in immediate danger, but he was still weak and unable to move.

"Richard!" Chris stepped forward quickly. Seeing him covered in wounds, Chris's brow furrowed tightly. Rebecca Chambers followed immediately and knelt down, skillfully pulling back Richard's blood-stained clothing to carefully examine his injuries. Her professional movements displayed her medical expertise.

"It's a snake bite. There are traces of venom in the wound, but the toxicity has been suppressed. He must have been injected with a professional serum."

Rebecca Chambers finished her quick examination and looked up at Chris, speaking with certainty. She then looked at Richard and asked softly, "How do you feel? Is there anywhere that feels particularly uncomfortable?"

Richard slowly opened his eyes. After seeing Chris and Rebecca Chambers, his tense expression relaxed slightly. His voice was weak but clear: "Chris... Rebecca Chambers... Jill was here. She gave me the Snake venom serum and then went further into the Spencer Mansion to investigate..."

He only managed to say those few words before the days of pain and physical exhaustion suddenly overwhelmed him. His eyelids grew too heavy to keep open, his head slumped to the side, and he lost consciousness completely. Only his steady, weak breathing remained, indicating he had fallen into a deep sleep.

"He just fainted from exhaustion. There's no immediate danger to his life, but the snake venom hasn't been completely cleared. He needs to stay in a safe place to recover. I can look after him at any time," Rebecca Chambers said seriously, quickly tidying Richard's clothes.

Chris looked around. Although this lounge was secluded, it was located along a main corridor. Zombies and mutant creatures could wander in at any time; it was by no means a safe place.

He knelt down, gently checking Richard's pulse, and said in a deep voice, "It's too dangerous here. People pass by all the time, so he won't be able to rest peacefully. We must move him to a more secluded and safer room."

Rebecca Chambers immediately nodded in agreement. "I agree. There's a closed medical room not far ahead. I saw it when I passed by earlier. There were no monsters inside, and it has basic medical supplies. It's very suitable for settling Richard."

Having reached an agreement, Chris carefully hoisted Richard onto his back. Richard wasn't exactly light, yet Chris's pace remained steady. Rebecca Chambers led the way, constantly alert to their surroundings, watching for any sign of monsters.

Along the way, they happened upon a wandering zombie. Chris's eyes were sharp; he dodged the zombie's lunge and fired a precise shot into the zombie's head, neatly neutralizing the threat without causing Richard any jolts.

Guided by Rebecca Chambers, they soon reached the closed medical room. Inside was a clean hospital bed and a basic medical kit—it was indeed an excellent place for recovery.

Chris gently placed Richard on the bed. Rebecca Chambers immediately stepped forward to adjust his position, using some clean gauze she found to reinforce his bandages. She also gave him a little water, making full preparations for his care.

Watching Rebecca Chambers work methodically, Chris looked at her and spoke in a steady tone: "Richard can't be left alone right now. Someone has to stay here to watch him. You stay and take care of him until he's stable and conscious. I'll continue exploring the Spencer Mansion. On one hand, I'll look for Jill, Barry, and Wesker; on the other, I'll search for an exit and clues about this place."

He couldn't stay here forever. Danger was everywhere in the Spencer Mansion, and his teammates were missing. Someone had to take the initiative to figure out the situation.

Rebecca Chambers didn't object. She knew her expertise was in medicine, and staying here to care for Richard was the best choice, allowing Chris to proceed without worries.

She nodded and looked at Chris with a determined gaze, her voice full of concern: "Alright, I'll take care of Richard here. Be careful out there on your own. Don't try to force your way through if you encounter monsters; focus on conserving your strength and ammo."

"I will," Chris nodded. He took one last look at the sleeping Richard and cautioned again: "Lock the door. No matter what you hear, don't open it easily. Once I find clues or our teammates, I'll come back for you as soon as possible. When Richard gets better, we'll regroup and find a way out of here together."

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of him and protect myself," Rebecca Chambers said, nodding firmly as she picked up the medical tools and stood by the bed.

Chris said no more. He turned and walked out of the medical room, gently closing the door behind him. He gripped his weapon once more and stepped back into the deep darkness of the Spencer Mansion.

Inside the medical room, Rebecca Chambers stayed by Richard's bedside, constantly monitoring his vital signs, quietly waiting for him to improve and for Chris to return.