Blessing in Disguise - Simon "Ghost" Riley

Battered and Bruised

Ghost's POV:

My heart was pounding in my chest as I ran down the hallway towards her cell block. I noticed she wasn't following the group anymore, so we had gone back where we came from to find her. We heard distinct screaming from one of the cell blocks, I immediately knew it was her. We had to act fast in order to save her. 

Soap and Rodolfo stood cover as I went to her cell block. As I bursted into the cell block, there she was. She was laying on the ground, her body was battered and bruised. There was dried blood that oozed from different wounds on her body. A wave of emotions had taken over me. I had never felt this way before, I felt an urge to protect her, to keep her safe from harm for the rest of her life. 

Guilt was eating away at me, and I couldn't shake the feeling. I felt responsible for what they had done to her, like I should have been there to protect her, to prevent this. 

Why did I feel this why? I feel responsible for all of my comrades, but I had never felt this responsible for someone. 

I turned my comms on, "Price, this is Ghost, Zero is down and we request exfil. I repeat- Zero is down and we request exfil."

I quickly yanked my glove off and rushed to her side and checked for a pulse. She was still alive, barely, but alive. I felt her small and shallow breaths against my skin, time was of the essence. 

"Affirmative, exfil is one klick North of your location."

As I lifted her gently into my arms, I could feel her body shaking with pain. I could see the tears that had dried up on her face. Without hesitation, I carried her out of the cell block and outside with Soap and Rodolfo following behind me. Once I stepped a foot outside, I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as I ran, desperate to get her to safety.

We were finally at the exfil point, but she was now limp in my arms. I could see the panic in Soap's eyes as he called out for the medics.

The doctors arrived quickly, and I handed her over to them. My heart felt like it was in my throat as I watched them tend to her wounds. I had never felt this way before. The thought of losing her was too much to bear.

Rodolfo came up to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "She's going to be okay, Ghost," he said, his voice full of reassurance. I nodded, not trusting my own voice.

We arrived back at base, and the moment we stepped off the helicopter, I rushed her to the infirmary. The doctors had stabilized her, but she was still unconscious. 

I sat in a chair next to her bed, waiting for her to wake up. The room was quiet except for the beeping of the machines that were monitoring her vital signs. I couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt for not protecting her.

Hours passed, and I didn't leave her side. I couldn't bring myself to leave her alone, even for a minute. As I sat there, lost in my thoughts, I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Soap, and he looked at me with concern in his eyes.

"You need to get some rest, Ghost," he said softly. "Natalie's going to be okay, and you can't help her if you're exhausted."

"It's not like I get enough bloody sleep anyways." I snapped back as I shrugged his hand away. Part of me knew he was right, but I wasn't going to leave her. I wanted her to wake up, to tell her that everything was going to be alright.

As the night wore on, my eyes began to droop. I leaned my head back in the chair and closed my eyes for just a moment. The next thing I knew, I heard rustling next to me.

I opened my eyes to see her. She was looking at me with a small smile on her face as she sat up on the bed. "Hey," she said weakly. "What happened?"

"You were hurt," I said softly. "But you're going to be okay now. I'll let the others know you're awake." I said, and quickly walked out of the room, not allowing her time to respond. I rushed my way to the living area, my boots echoing through the hallway. The tension from earlier still lingers in the air, but there's a glimmer of hope now that she is awake.

As I approach the room, I hear the familiar chatter of my comrades. Soap and Gaz are playing cards while some of the others are watching a movie. They all turn to me as I enter the room, a mix of concern and relief etched on their faces.

I clear my throat, trying to steady my voice. "Just wanted to let you know that she's awake."

The room erupts in cheers and high-fives. Everyone is relieved to hear the good news, and I can see the weight lifted off their shoulders. I make my way to the couch where Soap and Rodolfo are sitting and take a seat next to them. They both turn to me, eager for any update I can give.

"Doctors say she's going to be alright." I say, trying to sound reassuring.

Soap lets out a sigh of relief and pats me on the back. "That's great news, Ghost. We were all really worried about the lass."

Alejandro nods in agreement, his face showing a mix of concern and relief. "Thanks for letting us know, hermano." 

Keegan said nothing, jumping up from the couch and raced to the infirmary, eager to see her. As Keegan burst into the infirmary, I followed closely behind, curious to see her reaction to his arrival. As he entered the room, I saw Keegan rush over to her bedside, a wide smile on his face.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Keegan asked, his tone a little too eager for my liking.

She smiled weakly at him, and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Keegan had a bit of a reputation, and I didn't want him getting too flirty with her. For her own sake, of course. I stood by her side, my presence a silent reminder that she had someone who cared for her deeply. As I was glaring at Keegan, he seemed to notice, and he quickly excused himself, giving me a small nod as he walked away. I breathed a small sigh of relief, glad to have her all to myself again. 

"I'm glad you're okay," I whispered, my eyes locked onto hers. "I was worried about you."

She smiled warmly at me, her eyes full of gratitude. "Thank you, Ghost."

I vowed to myself that I would do anything to keep her safe, no matter what it cost me. Tristan and Graves would pay, and I would make sure that she was safe from them.

Author's Note: 

heyyyyy!! I know this chapter is really short, I just didn't know how else to end Ghost's pov 

I'm prob gonna write the next chapter in a bit and upload it early tomorrow :))