Our Mother the Mountain

44. The Garage

Some memories were sharp, like edges of splintered glass, but other memories were faded and smooth like river rocks. Ethan would remember the memories following leaving Karl there as the latter-round, slippery, almost as if they were glimpses of someone else's mind. It took not only Eva, but also Donna, Moreau, and Redfield to eventually pry him away from Karl.

Donna's reaction was the only one he remembered; she looked simultaneously horrified and exhausted, as though her worst nightmares had again come true. She and Moreau stayed behind with their sibling. Ethan looked back just once, just to verify that Karl was really gone-his body lay where Donna and Moreau both knelt, and behind them all stood a ghostly pale Lady Dimitrescu. None of the former lords asked, nor dared, to look at the very humanlike corpse of Miranda. The image of them all there, together, was one of the few things that would stay in Ethan's mind afterward.

Chris's team showed up to stand watch over Miranda's corpse, looking more pensive than cold, despite the billowing sheets of snow. Instead of waiting for more backup they decided to move her at once, utilizing some of the construction team. Emil spoke with the Captain, and Ethan only half-listened to his words.

The events of the night had stirred up more than molded-lycans. There were signs of intrusion into the area-his men had captured someone who moved onto the property during the fray. Even this revelation didn't cause a response in Ethan, but Chris was furious. He cursed for a while before ordering half his team to respond to the intruder. Had Ethan been in a talking mood, he would have suggested they kill the person and throw their body in the lake, like the last one–but he said nothing instead.

Chris drove the by-now numb Ethan back to the hillside, where the manor sat in darkness. It too looked exhausted, wilted in a way.

Who would turn the power on?

The engine of the snowmobile was a dull roar, as was the beating sound of helicopter propellers. Ethan's only sharply-tuned emotion was disgust when he saw the BSAA insignia on the lowering helicopter. It wasn't a state government or even a private hospital. Redfield must have guessed about the origin of Ethan's revulsion, and he sighed. "I'll go with her. Don't worry."

There was more said, but he didn't remember it. Slippery, smooth, river rocks. The paramedics left the parked helicopter and entered the mansion while Ethan glared from far away, in the yard. Eva was soon there, talking to him in a soothing voice, and soon the stretcher came out, his mother in tow, with Joe Baker angrily telling the medics what to do and how to do it. Chris appeared, a hulking shadow of black against all of the white snow, and his breath exhaled in a fog.

"Ethan, I'm going to go with them, but I'll be back soon, I promise. And so will your mom. Seems like Joe is gonna give her the best care-" From the helicopter, louder than the propellers which still cut into the air, came the war veteran's shouting, and Dorothy's tired, meek, but still awake, laugh. "I think it's best if you stay-you and Zoe, and I hate to say it but-"

"We're their prize specimens, we can't be seen. Already got company sneaking around in the forest." He said it with a sneer, in a low tone, and Redfield blinked before looking away. He glanced at Eva, who looked torn. It was her he spoke to next. "I'm sorry."

The apology carried a note of futility with it. I'm sorry you'll never be normal. I'm sorry you can't go to anti-bioweapon organization hospitals. I'm sorry you're prizes to be collected for a lot of people. I'm sorry this is the best help I can muster for now.

She shrugged, a meek grin her own sarcastic reply.

"I'll keep you both updated about Dorothy, and about..." Chris's crystal-like eyes drifted across the valley, where a separate team prepared to evacuate with Miranda's corpse. "About...her."