War Dog

Chapter 53

The first thing I noticed upon waking was a hand softly caressing through my hair. I could feel my head resting on something hard but warm and surprisingly comfortable. I groan, trying to shift only to find my hands once again chained down. "Hush, it's ok, you're OK." Ghosts soothing voice broke through the foggy cloud in my head. I open my eyes to find Ghosts familiar skull mask staring back down at me. 

"Ghost?" My voice trembles, surprisingly weak. 

"Hey Wolf," he murmurs and I can smell relief flooding through him. "You scared me pup."

"M'sorry," I mumble.

"It's ok. How are you feeling?"

"Sore."

"That's to be expected. How are you feeling mentally?" 

"Hmph," I respond, getting annoyed with his questioning.

"Wolf, this is important. Do you feel yourself going feral?"

"Feral? No... I haven't been anywhere close to feral since that first week of our-"

"Alright," Ghost cuts me off quickly, but not unkindly. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Uhmm..." I strain to think back through the events. "I remember... getting shot. I felt woozy and I think I must have fallen unconscious. And then..." I pause, struggling to remember. Gareth's leering grin and grating voice makes its presence known in my memories. "I was tied up, and Gareth was there threatening me. I remember he sliced my sternum, and then all I remember is pain. Did I pass out again?" I ask concerned.

"You don't remember anything else?"

I hesitate for a moment thinking back through everything and I shake my head. "No, just the pain. Did Gareth poison me with something?"

"No, pup. We don't think so, but we're not entirely sure what happened either." He reached across with a key he'd pulled out of his pocket and undid the manacles around my wrists. 

"Ghost?" I ask hesitantly rubbing my wrists. "Why am I chained up?" I sit up and take a good long look at Ghost, my body still feeling achy and sore. He looked haggard and he was sitting up straighter than normal, as if trying not to move too much. "What... what happened?"

"Pup, I wish we knew. No one can explain it. I think it's better if you see it."

Ghost reached into a pocket and pulled out his phone. He had a clip up and ready to go. He pressed play. Mounting horror played through me as I watched what was happening on the screen, and I felt myself going green with nausea,

"What the fuck is this Ghost? Tell me this is a sick joke..."

"Wolf," He said gently trying to placate me.

"No, Ghost. This is not what I signed up for!" Panic began tearing through me and I stood up to pace only to find myself collapsing to the ground, my legs not responding. With a grunt, Ghost leans forward to catch me, his pained groan catching my attention. He settles back with me next to him on the bed. "Ghost, what happened? Are you injured? Fuck. I broke something didn't I?" I make the leap in thought as I remember vaguely watching... that thing slam Ghost up into the wall. "Fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck. How many ribs did I break Ghost?"

"Damnit pup. You are too damn detail focused." He grunted out, hand wrapped around his ribs to support them after leaning forwards and catching me. "Three ribs."

"And?"

"And what?"

"I can smell the blood, Ghost. How many stitches, and more importantly how many did you just rip open?"