Interlude 2

"How are you today?"

Rachael shrugged tiredly in response to the kind woman's question. Over the past few days, Leon and Manuela had been helping her catch up with everything that had happened since her "disappearance," along with outlining the plans for both reintegrating her with society and working towards a point where she could help others.

The room itself was one that had been set aside for her housing and already there were a few touches provided to make it more comfortable. The first things added had been the furniture; chairs didn't agree with her, and anything hard tended to catch her bony protrusions and cause her discomfort. As such, all of the furniture was softer, with more give. Even so, they were all covered with fairly resilient materials, so that she didn't accidentally rip them up with one of her sharper edges.

Right now, she was curled up on the couch. After days of trying to get comfortable, she found that she was most comfortable when she curled tightly, almost forming a bony ball. All of her plates fit together better when she did, allowing her to lay down without having to be half raised off the couch or bed. Manuela had come in only a few minutes prior, bringing along a lunch for Rachael, apologizing for Leon's absence. He was apparently needed for the discussion with the BSAA, seeing as he had personal contacts in their ranks.

"I brought you something to eat," Manuela offered as she sat down at the table, picking her own foods off the tray. Rachael watched curiously as she ate. It seemed that her diet consisted mainly of fruits and vegetables, whereas the meals that kept Rachael sated tended to include rarer meat or vegetables that gave a lot of protein. She could barely taste anything she ate without difficulty, seeing as her body had rearranged her organs so that the only passage sufficient for actually eating was her proboscis. Her mouth still allowed her to breath and speak, but her tongue was useless beyond that. Still, she thought, it was better than being unable to communicate.

Unfolding herself, Rachael focused on getting up from the couch. Despite having her body for a while, she had only really just begun inhabiting it. Splaying her long toes, she carefully applied pressure onto the strange appendage, feeling her weight disperse across it. She did the same with the other foot, pushing to a stand. It took her a moment to balance herself, leaning slightly to the left to counterbalance the growths on her right leg, as well as her large right arm. She walked with a slight stutter step over to the table, opposite of Manuela. The smile she was given was one of gentle encouragement as she managed the overly large beanbag in order to situate herself at the table.

"I asked the cooks to try and include a little more punch to the food today," Manuela explained, pushing the tray towards Rachael. Rachael muttered a thanks before bringing the food close. The first time she had to eat, she had asked everyone to leave so they wouldn't see how she ate. Leon had confided to her shortly afterwards that everything was recorded, but he hadn't watched out of respect. Something about his honesty with her had earned her respect. It was a simple gesture, but it was enough. After that, she let Manuela and him stay in while she ate, but it had taken a few more days to break her out of the habit of apologizing beforehand, and even then, she quite often still did so.

Rachael tried to open her maw quietly, as the sound of her head splitting open was quite unpleasant as she lowered her proboscis towards the plate. Carefully, she smelled the plate, trying to figure out what has different. Immediately, she was hit with a wave of spice that almost made her recoil. Even so, the idea of something strong enough that she could actually smell it rather than the blood beneath did push her forward. Taking a bite, she found that she could feel the effects of the spice, even if they were muted compared to normal. Just being able to feel something while eating her food made Rachael perk up a little, and she began greedily devouring what was on the plate. As soon as the last of the meat had been consumed, Rachael sighed contentedly, finding a strange satisfaction in the slight burning in her head. Manuela chuckled slightly. "Did you like it?"

Rachael nodded and Manuela continued eating, allowing a peaceful silence to fall over the table. Idly, Rachael allowed one of her claws to trace the edge of the metal table. Most of the furniture that wasn't for comfort was made of metal, owing to her strength and ability to rip other materials apart with her claws. She allowed herself to numb her mind, focusing simply on the moment. Around her, she could feel the room, outlined in her senses. More presently, she could feel the hum of Manuela's body, mimicking her own.

Shortly after she had arrived at the base, she had become alarmed at the fact that she could "hear" other people's presence, even if they made no noise. It had taken a while for them to figure out what was going, but eventually they narrowed it down to a potential mutation related to the abyssal fish that the virus originated from. She had ignored the long digression afterwards, but what she had generally gathered was that she could sense people's electric fields. For most people, it was a slight hum that she could sense and generally tell where they were, but with Manuela, it was a pronounced sound and feeling that told her exactly where the other woman was.

"What are you thinking of doing today?" Manuela's question cut into Rachael's thoughts, and she "stared" blankly for a moment. "You don't have to stay in your room. The whole base is available to you."

Rachael nodded. She'd visited some of the other areas, but nothing really stuck out to her. So she had ended up passing most of her time in her room. "Come on, let's go somewhere."

It seemed Manuela wasn't having any of that. Though Rachael wouldn't have guessed it, Manuela was actually quite determined when she wanted to be. She knew that if it was ever too much though, that Manuela would let her go back and relax. Patiently, she waited by the door, while Rachael stood up and caught up with her. Manuela held the door before waving for her to follow.

Together the two walked through the base, passing various facilities. Rachael hadn't explored the place in its entirety, but plans went through, she'd likely be transferred over to the BSAA HQ after she had some time to stabilize. Still, as they walked, she was able to narrow down the list of possible locations that they could be visiting. Until there was only one: "The Garden."

The building itself was less of a garden, and more of a greenhouse situated in the large courtyard. It had been installed on a request from Manuela some time prior, since it was the closest thing to a home for her aside from some occasional visits to Leon's home. Rachael had never actually visited it, but she knew of its existence. As they approached, she could feel the slight pulse of the plants within, surprisingly strong. Rachael glanced at Manuela curiously, but she didn't respond as she lead the way.

Even with her thickened skin, Rachael could feel the heavy air rush to greet her, laden with moisture. Manuela hurried her inside, closing the door back up. For some inexplicable reason, Rachael felt as though the foliage around her was almost menacing in its presence.

"You can relax," Manuela assured, sensing her unease. Gently, she reached her hand up towards a bloom, stroking the petals gently. Rachael hissed as she felt the plant move in response, twisting its vines in response. The bloom itself opened wider, , revealing the sharper thorns hidden inside the petals.

"The Veronica virus borrowed heavily from a virus found in ants. Infected creatures form complex networks with other infected individuals," Manuela explained softly, passing her hand along the plants, which all moved to meet her touch. "It varies with each person, but the virus naturally wants to expand its grasp over things. In the case of Alexia, it infected insects, but my strain bonds more closely with plants. Don't worry, they won't hurt you. I have full control over them."

Manuela demonstrated by slowly raising her hand, the nearby plants mimicking the motion. Twisting her hand, the vines meshed together, forming a facsimile of her limb. She formed her hand into a fist, and the vines tightened, audibly crushing together. Manuela let her hand go slack, reaching to the plants, as if reassuring them before relinquishing her control. Rachael realized she hadn't taken a breath since Manuela's explanation. Manuela turned to her gently, smiling. Her whole energy seemed to have changed, a slightly melancholic vibe to it.

"After Leon brought me back to the states, life got better. I gained a lot of confidence and freedom. I got the chance to help others, including the man who saved me. Everything was going great." Manuela's smiled turned downwards. "The first time I came to the greenhouse, I couldn't help but feel...sad. When my father was facing the end, he fused with a massive flower from our greenhouse. The act caused him great pain and turned him into a monster. For a long time, I couldn't bear to be around the plants like I used to. When I was being kept by my father, the garden used to be my escape. I always felt stronger whenever I was around plants. Back then, I blamed it on being in a better mood, but I guess it was the virus drawing strength from the plants. It was terrible."

Manuela laughed mirthlessly. "Leon helped me again. At first, he didn't tell me, but he kept tending the greenhouse. He didn't want the plants to die off before I got a chance to enjoy them. After a while, he invited me to come help him, and though it took a while, we were able to work through the sadness I felt. Now, I come here whenever I want to remember the good in my father. The father who tried to save his wife and daughter, not the one who did the horrible things he did."

"Sorry, guess I kind of rambled there," Manuela apologized, snapping her head up with an apologetic shrug.

"It's alright. I didn't know about your father. I'm sorry to hear about it."

"He found peace in the end. I must admit, I had an ulterior motive asking you here. I wanted to ask about the other day, at the pool."

Rachael tensed visibly. It had been an honest mistake. During her tour of the base, she had been brought through the pool area. Her aquatic adaptations weren't unnoticed, so the staff had thought she might have liked to know. When she entered though, she felt a sudden sense of dread as she could practically feel the dense liquid, suddenly remembering the crushing pressure of the ocean depths. The sudden onslaught of memories had caused her to leave the room in a hurry, ripping a door from its hinges and nearly causing a base shut down in the process. Manuela noticed her tension immediately.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," she added quickly. Rachael sighed, her impressive form slouching. For all her stubbornness, Manuela was quick to yield if it meant hurting someone without good reason.

"It's okay...the water just has an effect on me. Normally, I can't remember much from after I was infected and before I woke up in that shack in Serbia. But when I went into that room, I guess it must have been familiar, since a few memories came back to me."

"I think I get it. I admit, my situation wasn't anywhere near as bad as yours has been. The viruses...our viruses...have done terrible things. Unlike you, I was awake for the whole process. The worst I dealt with was some pain, but I dealt with it in my own ways. 'This pain' I thought 'tells me I'm still human. If I couldn't feel pain, I wouldn't be human anymore.' At the time, I thought my life was coming to an end. One moment, I'd be running with Leon and…" Manuela paused, her voice trailing off as she remembered the man she had barely known, but regretted having to kill. "And the next I'd no longer be me. Just another infected corpse with a bullet to the head. I wouldn't even be able to fault Leon if he had shot me, after fighting so long to keep me alive."

"It was when I was fighting my father that I first accessed my power. I defended Leon using my blood. It hurt, badly, but I was able to ignore it because I was fighting for my friends. In that moment, I was truly human. I fought with everything I had, even if it meant giving up my life, because then at least I'd die as a human."

"But not every fight is one that can be head on. When Leon was infected with the Plaga, I nearly gave up. The idea that I'd have to potentially put him down was almost too much. He never gave up hope that he could get it out of him, which was about the only thing keeping me sane. Still, I fought with everything I had in order to try and reach that goal, even though I couldn't do anything directly to help him. Even if you can't go into a fight guns blazing, you have to give it all you got, right?"

Rachael nodded, fully agreeing with the surprisingly wise words. Absently, she laid her hand on one of the planter tables, only to have one of the plants gently "pat" her hand. Jumping in surprise, she looked over at Manuela, who just chuckled. Rachael smiled, even as the muscles in her face protested the motion. "Yeah...I get what you're saying…"

"How about we go down by the river? It's just outside the gym. It's a nice place," Manuela offered. Rachael felt a little nervous about going near the water, but decided to accept anyway. If it was too much, they could always head back. Manuela gently touched her plants again, as if telling them to behave, before following Rachael out of the greenhouse, sealing the door behind them. Manuela took the lead again as the headed back into the building, working their way through the halls towards their destination.

Finally, they entered back into the open air, passing through the dark glass doors attaching the gym to the the courtyard space that fit between the curve of the river and the building itself. Both sides were lined with fence and Rachael noticed several cameras watching carefully. None of it seemed to bother Manuela as she headed down towards the river, humming to herself.

As they approached, Rachael could hear the calm sound of the river making its way as it always had. Despite her anxiety, the white noise calmed her and helped take the edge off as they drew nearer. Beneath her feet, Rachael could feel the damp grass, much cooler than the courtyard grass. The smell of the river reached her nose and she breathed deep, taking in the fresh air. The smell of the fresh water was so different from the ocean, or the controlled chlorine of the pool. It was pure and clean.

Soon, they reached the edge of the river, and Manuela sat down gently beside it, slipping her shoes off to dip them in the water. Rachael wasn't so quick and instead sat a small distance away, just enjoying what she could of the experience. "Where did you live growing up?"

Rachael was caught off guard by the question, and had to think for a moment before answering. "My family's lived on the East Coast for a long time. We lived further inland though, so I didn't deal with water all that often. Still, when the opportunity to learn how to scuba came up, I was really excited. Guess that's what got me here. I was one of the few qualified to deal with a water mission, despite my amateurity, so I got sent on that damn mission."

Realizing she had gotten off track, she refocused. "I had a sister growing up, and we were really close. She was the one who got me into the job. She was working with TerraSave last time I checked."

"Have you tried talking to her?" Manuela asked politely. Rachael shook her head.

"I don't want her to see me like this."

"She wouldn't have to see you. Just hear your voice, maybe talk a bit. You'd be surprised how easy it is to talk to someone once you get started."

Rachael nodded in thought. The idea was tempting, and she was sure that Manuela knew what she was talking about, but the idea that she might have to explain to her sister what had happened to her was still terrifying. Briefly, she thought of her parents, wondering how'd they'd take it. She doubted she'd ever be able to face them, even if she used her affliction for good. It would just be too much for them.

At the same time, Rachael realized, they would continue not knowing that their daughter was still alive. Some day, her missions would be publicized as Manuela's had, and they would find out then. Some day she would have to face them. It would be better to do so on her terms. And starting with her sister was as good a place as any.

"Alright..." she agreed quietly. Manuela didn't say anything, simply sitting patiently. Gently, she patted the ground next to her. Rachael obliged, sitting beside her. Cautiously, she put her feet in the water. She knew that the water might have felt cold to other people, but to her it was warm. Cautiously, she flexed her toes, feeling the long, muscular digits push through the water like a knife. All awkwardness in their design was gone once she was in her element. Taking a deep breath, she felt her tension dissipate, almost painfully. She realized the toll the stress and fear had taken on her body. She could feel almost every wound she had sustained, even though the actual flesh itself was healed.

But the pain meant she was still human. If she didn't feel it, she would have been no better than those monsters that had chased her and, ultimately, killed her. She could live on, and learn to deal with the pain. It would hurt, but she could do it.