Carlos, walking in behind them and seeing the warm atmosphere, couldn't help but crack a joke. "Glad you're okay, Jill. You have no idea—after you passed out, Lear was like a wounded beast. He ground that monster into a meat paste; it's still smeared all over the subway walls."
Hearing Carlos's joke, Jill arched an eyebrow and gave Lear a playful look.
"My, my... I didn't realize Officer Lear cared about me that much!"
Based on Jill's experience with Lear, she expected the young man to be embarrassed right about now, and she had already prepared a few comforting words for him.
To her surprise, Lear simply smiled at her and said, "Who wouldn't care about a beauty like you? Besides..."
Lear looked Jill straight in the eyes, his tone solemn. "You were injured trying to save me. I would never let anything happen to you!"
Jill stared at the serious man in front of her, momentarily stunned. Then, she gently patted the back of Lear's hand, her eyes crinkling as she gave a soft, graceful smile. "Why so serious? I know you wouldn't let anything happen to me. I trust you—I always have."
Looking at Jill's tender expression, Lear felt a surge of warmth in his chest. Without a second thought, he pulled Jill into a hug. Jill didn't struggle; instead, she leaned submissively against his chest.
The interaction between the two made everyone around them feel like third wheels. Only little Sherry, hiding beside Brad, covered her mouth tightly with her small hands, her lively eyes curving into crescents as she flashed a sly, adorable grin.
Murphy and Carlos exchanged a look and sighed in unison.
"Murphy, why don't you go interrupt them? I really don't want to watch this anymore, and besides, we need to hurry up and fall back," Carlos muttered under his breath, nudging Murphy with his shoulder.
Murphy's eyes widened at Carlos's suggestion, and he shook his head vigorously. "No way. Look at them. I'm not going over there to be a mood-killer. You do it."
Carlos's eyes darted around as an idea formed. He leaned in and whispered a few words into Murphy's ear.
Murphy caught on instantly. The two turned to look at Tyrell, who was standing at the front of the group, and a mischievous smirk crept onto both their faces. Before Tyrell could react, the two of them shoved him hard, sending him stumbling through the doorway.
Tyrell, who had been minding his own business tinkering with a computer by the door, was caught completely off guard. He stumbled forward, right into the personal space of the embracing Lear and Jill.
Seeing his grinning teammates behind him, Tyrell helplessly pushed up his glasses and braced himself. "Uh... look, I know you two are... well, what's that Eastern saying? Oh, like dry wood and a blazing fire."
"It's called being 'mutually devoted,' dammit!" Lear was nearly knocked off balance by the sheer awkwardness of the "dry wood" comment.
"Right, right, mutually devoted!" Tyrell nodded quickly in agreement, clearing his throat before continuing. "I know you're in the middle of a moment, but shouldn't we focus on how we're going to get out of here first? Once we're safe, you can hug all day for all I care—no one will bother you."
Jill felt a bit embarrassed by Tyrell's teasing and gently pushed Lear, stepping back from his embrace. Lear shot Tyrell an exasperated look, his mind full of silent complaints.
Is the evacuation really lacking these two or three minutes? You're all just jealous, Lear grumbled to himself.
After the banter, Lear helped Jill lean back against the headboard and pulled out the satellite phone.
"Jill, do you know how to use this thing?"
Jill took the phone and, seeing the hopeful look in Lear's eyes, nodded with a smile. "Of course. I've used one before. When I was traveling in the mountains and couldn't get a signal, a satellite phone was the only way to reach the outside world."
Hearing that Jill knew how to operate it, Lear's eyes lit up. "Great. Can you call Raymond? We're leaving by air now, and we need him to contact the military so we don't get shot down."
Jill nodded. "I can try. Raymond doesn't have a satellite phone, but the Police Station does. When Marvin and the others were retreating, I saw him carrying it."
Jill thought for a moment before dialing a few numbers. The drone of a dialing tone soon followed.
A full half-minute passed. Just as Lear was getting restless and about to hang up, the call connected.
A commanding male voice came through the line.
"Who is this?"
"This is Officer Lear from Raccoon City. To whom am I speaking?" Lear asked, leaning in close as soon as the call went through.
Upon hearing Lear's name, the voice on the other end softened slightly. "This is Brigadier General Walker of the National Guard. Officer Lear, I've heard of you. Raymond mentioned you to me."
"Hello, General. May I ask why you have this satellite phone?"
A brief burst of static and background noise crackled through the phone before General Walker continued. "Officer Marvin Branagh is currently in quarantine. If you are on your way out, tell me your route, and I will arrange your extraction."
Realizing the situation, Lear replied immediately, "General, we are about to take off from Raccoon City Hospital via helicopter. Please tell your men not to fire on our bird."
"Understood. Evacuate via the bridge. I'll handle the rest," came the curt reply before the line went dead.
Lear waved the phone toward Carlos and the others. "We're clear to go. For some reason, that General was surprisingly easy to talk to."
"That might be the best news I've heard all night," Bard said, sinking into a chair with a weary smile.
Lear nodded and then took command. "Carlos, you and Brad come with me. We'll clear the path first and get the helicopter ready for takeoff. Murphy, Tyrell, you two take Sherry and Jill and follow behind. We move in ten minutes. Gear up."
As the group began checking their equipment, Lear returned to Jill's side.
"Jill, you'll follow behind us with Murphy's group. Watch out—there's a strange B.O.W. up there. It seems to have human intelligence, and its strength and speed are far beyond others of its kind. Be careful."
Jill nodded. "You stay safe, too."
Lear squeezed Jill's hand before turning to leave the treatment room. Outside, Carlos and Brad were already fully equipped. Once Lear joined them, the three headed back into the depths of the hospital. Strangely enough, perhaps because they had cleared the area once before, they didn't encounter a single zombie—let alone a Hunter—along the way.
The three soon reached the rooftop. While Brad went to inspect the helicopter, Carlos kept watch nearby. Not long after, Jill and the rest arrived at the rooftop as well.
Though Jill had only just recovered from the effects of the T-Virus, she looked remarkably well; aside from being a bit pale, there was no sign she had ever been injured.
After finishing his inspection, Brad found the equipment in excellent condition and shouted happily, "OK! The bird's good to go! Looks like they just refueled it and didn't get a chance to use it. Our lucky day!"
It was a standard medical rescue helicopter. Including the two pilots, it could seat six people; with Lear and the others squeezing in, they could just barely fit.
Seeing the hope of escape right in front of them, no one hesitated. They quickly boarded the aircraft.
"Hold on tight, here we go!"
At Brad's word, the rotors began to spin, and the helicopter soon lifted off from the rooftop of Raccoon City Hospital.
(Translated by yourtl.app)