A Light That Never Goes Out (Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader)

Recovery

Darkness, that's all that filled my eyes, my mind and my very being.  How had I gotten here? Was I dead? How am I conscious but yet I can't feel my physical body or presence.  Where was the white light at the end of the tunnel? Was this it? Darkness and thoughts, no memories... how did it end up like this?

-

My eyes adjusted to the new found light being absorbed by my pupils.  Ones the scattered blobs and blurs fixed together into one singular image.   I was in a room.  The familiar room of a hospital.  A breeze drifted in causing the white curtains to dance.  There was an IV hooked up to my arm and water was being fed through it and into my veins.  I looked earlier but not dawn maybe 11 or 10.  Bracing myself I lifted my body and winced as a sharp soar pain shot through my legs.  Right, I had been shot.  I didn't remember being brought here, or going home... I could only remember fragments of what happened but nothing fully. 

The door opened and my head cocked to see an older women wearing navy blue scrubs.  "Oh good your awake" She said then sat a tray of hospital food on my lap.  "...what happened?" My head was spinning and throbbing on my shoulders.  "You got shot, lost a fatal amount of blood and you also had a small concussion" She explained and I sighed.  "How long have I been asleep?" I looked down at the food.  "I think around four days" I looked back at her surprised.  "Four days?" I sighed.  I was extremely hungry.  The food was bland, flavorless and a the bread was a little burnt.  "When can I leave?" My voice a bit muffled from the dry piece of bread.  "Two days at the earliest" she said and I nodded a bit disappointed.  There was a knock on the door and the nurse got up then walked out. 

After a few moments she came back in.  "You have a visitor" she step aside and Price walked him.  "How you holding up kid?" He asked sitting down on the edge of the hospital bed.  "Can't move, my head is pounding and the food is shitty, so not that great" I answered and he let out a chuckle.  "...I got a question for ya' kid" part of me knew what he was gonna asked but I ignored it.  "Mhm?" I hummed and looked at him.  "Do you wanna be a permanent member of task force 141?" He shifted in his seat.... I was wrong.  I fucked that mission up, I got shot and I almost got Ghost killed because I was weak enough to hesitate.  "...are you- are you sure?" I raised a brow and he laughed.  "Fuckin' hell kid you should be honored" he said and I sighed.  "I- I am it's just- I didn't do very well" He shook his head as I spoke.  "Didn't do very well? Kid you were giving your orders, you didn't miss one target or shot.  You're no normal soldier, any other private would've pissed themselves and you weren't even scared kid... now I don't like repeatin' myself." I didn't understand.  Not at all.  I hesitated, Ghost could've gotten killed.  I almost got killed.  "Price...I- I don't know if I'm good enough for all that" I tried to reason with him but Price was a man who knew what he wanted and wouldn't hesitate to prove a point.  "I'm tellin' you, you are... Soap and Gaz said that same...Ghost had different opinions but you'll earn your place in it all...you can do this kid" He placed a firm hand on my shoulder.  "Okay... Ill do it"

The fuck had I gotten myself into.

"Good, I'll tell Shepherd" he spoke evenly... "when are you outa here? Soap says that he wants to go out for drinks when your up and movin'" he said and I chuckled a bit. "Two days hopefully, mind doing me a solid though?"

-

I threw the cheep paper that had been wrapped around the burger I just ate. I needed that my god. Now what do I do? Just sit here with my thoughts? I looked around then at a piece of paper and a pen... it had been years since I've drawn anything. I've been to busy to. Bracing myself I sifted and the bare skin of my feet made contact with the cold tiled floor. The feeling sent shivers down my body. Why were hospitals so cold? I was nervous as I slowly got up on my foot making sure most of my weight going to my left leg, the one that's hadn't been shot. It hurt like hell, but it was tolerable. I picked up the pen and paper before pathetically lipping back to the hospital bed.

What would I draw?

I started with something simple. A flower, forget me not's. Growing up in an estate full of rare bright flowers in the garden I used to sneak back into the surrounding wood and look for these little blue flowers. I'd pick then and bring them home to make flower crowns and draw them... over and over again.  My mom would get mad at me for ruining my dress with dirt and grass stains after my small trips...

The paper quickly filled with flowers, people smiling, cats and other things I enjoyed. 

-

Those two days past slowly and painfully boring.  Two nurses walked into my room with a change of unfamiliar clothes, a dark blue hoodie and grey sweat pants.  The IV was taken out of my arm and the bandage around my calf was switch... the wound was ugly.  I looked down at my hand and almost completely forgot about the now healed blisters.  I was given pills, paper work and some antibiotics as well as bandages then sent on my way... by that I mean they called Price to come pick me up.

"How ya feelin'" he said as we drove through the rainy London streets.  "At least I can decently walk now" I shrugged and he chuckled.  "You know it was sunny before your ass came walkin' out Y/n" he looked at me though the corner of his eyes then look back at the road. "I actually like the rain" I said looking out the window. "Your weird" his bluntness made me laugh. "Oh fuck off," I let out a soft chuckle. "You want one?" He took out a cigarette. "You have no idea" I took it then a lighter and lit it. The smoke fill my throat and lungs.

I wouldn't call myself a smoker but sometimes the buzz of a cigarette left nice.  Especially when you had been shot a few days prior.