The Commander's Legacy - MxM

Chapter 8 - Viper

---External POV---

The room was eerily quiet, safe for the constant beeping of the heart-monitor and the soft huffs of the man's breathing before he shifted slightly in the bed, pulling his eyes away from the curtains that kept daylight out of the room.

Pain was evident on the man's face, though you couldn't detect if it was physical or emotional pain. Perhaps it was the combination of both, judging by the way he grunted when he moved his arm in the wrong way and the redness of his eyes.

A soft knock resounded through the room before the red-haired nurse gingerly peeked inside. "Good day sir, did you nee- Oh my goodness, you can't get up till the doctor says so!" the nurse exclaimed, rushing inside in an attempt to stop him from standing up.

He swayed slightly in his sitting position, perspiration glistening on his forehead as he clenched his jaws tightly while the nurse fussed over him. "Ma'am, please don't." He stated shortly, trying his best to stay polite and keep his manners in check. The southern drawl in his voice was thick and prominent, pushed to the forefront by the pain coursing through his body.

The nurse wordlessly stepped aside, silently stepping back till she was by the door so she could press on the bell near it. Seconds later, the doctor just stepped in to witness the first steps of the barely healed soldier before he cursed under his breath and rushed forwards.

"Mister Ellis, sit your ass down on that bed this instance before I call nurses in here and sedate you!" He snapped tiredly, knowing that the incredibly fit and build man wasn't going to listen one bit. In fact, he was going to do the opposite.

And indeed, his Texan patient shuffled closer to the edge of the bed and slowly rested his weight on the tips of his toes, taking deep and calculated breaths. If it wasn't for the clicking of a pair of boots and the stern, "Ellis!" that was barked out, the doctor knew that stubborn man would've been dressed and out the door before he could stop him.

"Stand down son. You need to heal before you'll be debriefed and sent back. That's an order, Viper." The sergeant barked with a dangerous glint in his eyes when Viper's head spun around, mouth opened to reply.

---Viper's POV---

I swallowed and shut my mouth at the stern look the sergeant gave me and shuffled backwards on the bed. He didn't tell me to lay back down, so I stayed upright, though with a bit of strain on my shoulder and back.

The pulsing pain in my shoulder distracted me for a moment, remembering me of the second a white-hot bulled had sped through my body, entering through my shoulder and exiting halfway out of my back. According to the doctors, I had been very lucky indeed, since the bullet had only pierced muscles but still it managed to hurt like a bitch.

It broke several bones on its way out though, disabling my shooting arm before I was shot several times again. By the time they had managed to round us up, half of my team was already dead.

I can still remember that look on Foxtail's face, as he was rushing towards me before he managed to get a hold of me and dragged me out of the ambush, dodging bullets as he went. My vision had constantly blurred in and out of focus but I'll never forget that horrible moment, where one of our ambushers had aimed his gun on me and smirked, before pulling the trigger.

It was pure sacrifice what Foxtail did, but he always thought of others first before himself; he had seen the man from his peripheral vision and had twisted us around, taking the bullet that would've been imbedded in my forehead, and instead died instantaneously as it pierced his own skull.

A shiver coursed over my body and I gasped, focusing back on the present as the sergeant sighed softly, removing his hand from my shoulder. My fingers itched to rub over my face, but I knew it was only the memory of Foxtail's blood that made my skin burn.