The Ghost and the Shadow

Chapter 31 - Astray

I jolt awake and the searing pain from my injury's instantly hit me. I instinctively squeal in agony, before remembering where I am and clamp down on my forearm to muffle the sound.

Every inch of my body throbs in pain and I try to sit as still as possible to not make it worse.

I must have passed out from the pain last night.

The sun is already up and burning down on the rocks. It feels like I'm being baked down here.

I examine the gunshot wounds on my leg and shoulder. The tourniquets have stopped most of the bleeding, but the soil under me is red and damp from all the blood. I pick some of it up, crushing it between my fingers and notice how badly my hands were cut from climbing the rocks.

I slowly and carefully pull my pant leg up to expose a deep gash on my calf. I have no idea how I got it.

The side of my face also hurts, probably because I fell on it. I feel over it, applying faint pressure. It'll bruise badly.

I'm still struggling to breathe. I suspect I might have a fractured rib or two. I want to take the chest plate off as the heat is unbearable but know that it's not a good idea. It's applying pressure to my chest and probably holding everything in place.

I click my radio again, in the hopes that it might have miraculously decided to work since last night, but it's still dead. Must have broken during the fall.

I look around at my surroundings, I'll need to get out of here myself.

I try to move my body, but the slightest movement alleviates the pain. I was planning on saving the morphine, but the pain is unbearable, I just need it to stop for a bit, so that I can think clearly. I take a syringe out, jabbing myself in the leg and rest my head against the rock, waiting for the pain to numb.

I check my watch, 12 pm. Damn, I was out for hours.

I wonder if they're looking for me, or do they think I'm dead? If they think I'm dead, I'm screwed.

I bring up all their faces in my head and think back to my last moment with each of them.

Pixie, I gave her a quick hug before dashing to Alejandro's office for the mission, we didn't even have a proper goodbye. Soap was with her, I wonder why, did they make peace? I ignored him and pretended like he wasn't even there. I'm not really mad at him and regret it; I could have at least smiled at him or something.

Alejandro and Rudy, the last time I saw them was when they were shooting down the hall downstairs. I hope they're okay, if things happened differently, I would've looked for them amongst the rubble.

Gaz and König, I saw off before they left for Spain, it was a brief goodbye though and there's so much more I still wanted to share with them. Price... I was cold and rude to him before he left, I would hate for that to be the last thing he remembers about me.

Ghost...the last time I saw him was in the office, maybe I should have listened to him and not gone on this mission. I wish things ended differently. I still feel bad.

And then there's my brother...what will become of him?

I shake my head, no, I can't die like this, I have to make it back.

Once the morphine starts kicking in, I bite down on my arm in preparation, before I push myself away from the rock.

I'm still in pain, but it's faint.

I'm not brave enough to try to stand up yet and scoot through the sand, closer to the opening of the little rock cave. I take care to not get too close as I might be spotted. I doubt they'll still be looking for me, but you never know.