Each step brought a shock wave of pain rippling up my spine. Price and Ghost helped me walk back on the trails. And a question passed my mind, "What happened to that Jessica bitch?"
"Dead," Gonzalo uttered. "I shot her in the legs, but she must've thrown herself off the side of the cliff."
"Well Price?" I gave him a stern look, as I waited for his apology.
He sighed longly. "You were right, I'm sorry I didn't believe you."
I grinned bleakly in victory. My mind still spinning and vision which dared to fade to black. I kept moving.
"Soap. are you sure you're okay?" Price asked me.
I wasn't so sure myself. Blood dripped in my eyes, which is never very great. I shook my head, "I don't know."
"Just hang in there, we'll be back at the base soon," Ghost assured.
The problem was, I didn't know if I could. Still lightheaded, and the agony of broken ribs never helps. I could barely breath because every time I tried, the rippling pain of broken ribs would end it quick.
Heatstrke looked back at me, "Damn it, you're pale as all hell."
I glared at her, "Really? I wonder why..." But my sentece loaded with sarcasim was ended in a huge coughing fit. Ghost and Price tried to keep me level, which made it harder for me to stiffle to couchs with my hands. When it came to an end, I saw my hands coated red in blood which wasn't there before.
"Jesus Christ!" Ghost exclaimed. "He's hacking up blood!"
"Soap! Stay with us alright?" Price somewhat pleeded. But it was too late, my small breaths proved to get me nowhere and the lightheaded feeling soon drowned me in a fuzzy black until I was out.
(Gonzalo)
Soap went limp against Ghost and Price's grip. Ghost used a hand to keep the Captain from face planting into the dirt. "We've better hurry." Price proclaimed.
It was hard to pick up the pace, we still needed to wait for Ghost and Price. I was sure it'd take forever until we got back.
Soon it was to our relief, we had made it back. Irina was waiting, but her face filled with horror when she saw MacTavish. "What happened? What's wrong with John?"
As the others passed, I kneeled down in front of her, "He'll be fine. I promise."
I could see tears in her eyes, and it struck me, she must have come to like Soap. A pang of pity brewed in the pit of my stomach before she asked, "You promise?"
"I promise." I repeated.
The young child rung he arms around my neck, silencing her sobs in my football (Again, to your Americans it's soccor) jersey. I didn't hesitate to return the hug, she would need to the comfort.
"It's okay to cry," I told her softly, I knew she was holding back. "No matter what, you don't have to hold back your feelings, it's only human."
She looked up at me with her pure green eyes, now misty with tears. "Thanks. How do you know he'll be okay?"
I smiled in reassurance. I could put it simple. "He's got a guardian angel on his side. We all do."
"Who's his angel?" She asked.
"I wouldn't know," I lied with a grin. I wiped some tears from her cheeks. Then it dawned on me that she didn't have her crutches. "Why don't you have your crutches?"
"Doc said I didn't need them anymore, my ankle isn't as bad. But still needs a splint." She answered.
I stood up and started towards the imfermry. Irina right at my side. I was beinging to wonder how she thought of me. Inside, most of the base was there, with the exception of the newer recruits who didn't know Soap well enough to care. A few medics were busy at work, one patching the gash on his forehead, another getting a red package out. I knew it was probably a blood tansfusion or something, he'd need it.
(Soap)
I was back at the feild. Not a scratch on me. And Scarab was there, a breeze whipping around stray hair and her brown-green eyes looked up at me. "She was only one of them. But she's dead. It means one less thret."
A question struck my mind, "Why don't you show yourself to the others?" She remained silent. I got the point loud and clear. "They can't see you like I and Gonzalo can, can they?"
"No. The only people who can are those who I reserrected."
"Then why can Gonzalo see you?"
"When he almost drowned from the Russians. He was drowned. He was dead. I brought him back, like I did you. I can't let you duys die. The only reason god lets me, is because I have a reason to do so."
"I still have two questions, one then how can I see you. Two, what reason?"
She kissed me on the lips. "Seem familiar?" I knew she was getting at the very last kiss we had before she died, before the very life fell from her eyes. I nodded slowly. "You've been blessed somehow, I don't enitrely understand myself. But somehow you didn't need to be reserrected to see me. I'm watching over you guys because you're life my family, but even I have my limits to how much I can help."
I lowered an eyebrow as I stared at her, "Would you mind giving me a few examples?"
"I could only bring you and Irina back because you were in one one piece. The wounds might of been fatal, but there were small areas where a person, I don't know how strong or how heavily armored, could survive it." She told me. "If either one of you were torn to pieces, for example, and it is just impossible to do anything, then I can't help you. That would be just the next to a zombie, and I don't wish that upon any of you."
I shuddered at the visal of an unreconizible walking carcsus, maybe this was a good thing she had limits.
"In battle, I may only help you if the wounds do not touch a vital. If you aren't shot in the heart or the head or neck, then I can help you. Remember that okay?"
I nodded, and she pulled me in a hug. A gentle one, just like when she was alive, the same way she'd move a hand throw my mohawk and nuzzle her head in my shoulder. Like the last dream, I could feel the warmth of her body. With the most ease, I held her a little tighter, how much I missed her was so unbarible. She looked up to me and pecked my lips. I moved closer barely angling my head.
(Gonzalo)
Every now and then, I could see Soap flinch. Like an active dream. What seemed odd was how he would. Sometimes it'd be his mouth barely open as if he were going to whisper something, or other times, his hand would barely ball into a fist then relax. I probably could ask what he was dreaming about, althought I bet he would forget. People normally do.
When the medics had finished up, a lot of us gathered around with chairs to wait, now and then having to move so they could check in on him. Hawk sat next to me, she just gazed down on the man. To me, he seemed broken. It was just scary.
Someone's stomach growled loudly, and our attention turned to the sorce, Fador gave a nervous grin and rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, I'm gonna go and get a bag of buggels. Anyone want anything?"
"Could you get me some sour cream and onion chips?" Heatstroke asked.
"Anything else?" Fador asked again.
"If you be so kind as to get me some tea, I'd appreciate it." Price put in.
"Same," Ghost agreed. I rolled my eyes at teh two, it wasn't surprising they would ask for tea.
"Alright, chips and tea. Anything else?" Fador asked one mroe time. With no answer he turned to the door, "No? I'll be back in a minute."
Ghost glanced at Heatstroke, "Sour cream and onion chips?"
"Yeah so?" She questioned with a curious look.
"Those are gross!" Ghost claimed.
"No they aren't," Heatstroke protested. Then added, "What you like salt and vinigar chips?"
"Yes I do!" Ghost agreed.
"Bleck!!!" She crinkled her nose and made a face of utter disgust. "Those are ransid!"
"Says you," Ghost chuckled.
When Fador returned, Price and Ghost went to sipping their tea, it felt weird seeing Ghsot bare faced. Heatstroke went through the snack bag of chips in a few minutes, which was kinda odd. Fador made record time in finishing a snack bag.
Later after everyone finished their snacks and cleaned up, we continued to wait for Soap to wake up. All was quiet then.
Soap barely turned his head one way then settled again, a faint whisper barely excaped his lips that I could almost not pick up, "Scarab......"
I couldn't help remembering what my dad, my real dad, would do when I was pretending to sleep and he tried to ease me. With much practiced care, I delicately swept a hand through his mohawk sighed. A few of my friends gave me a bunch of weird looks. But I ignored them. Hawk leaned against me, I could tell she was tired.
I checked my watch, it was almost midnight. "Irina, Fador. Why not you go to bed. It's pretty late."
Fador stood up, stretching his body so his stiff joints would crack loudly. "Fine by me. Tell him I said good morning." And he walked out.
"I'm staying," Irina disagreed.
"Sweetheart, maybe you should." Nikolai advised.
"No, I don't want to leave him." She protested calmly.
Nikolai took a breath, "Well if you really want to be tired during school tomorrow."
"Uh, Uncle Nik, it's Friday night." Irina pointed out.
Nikolai knitted his eyebrows as he glanced down at his niece. "It is?"
"Yeah, mate." Price yawned. "Look at a calender once in a while."
Nikolai gave Price no attention and pulled Irina on his lap, allowing Ghost to prop his feet up. I was glad the latter put his mask back on.
"Well since you're ging to be staying up with us," Heatstroke told Irina softly. "We could always tell some of our old war stories."
A few of us looked at her in sadness.
"What?" She didn't seem to understand teh depth of her words.
Ghost finally said, "Most of our stories have Scarab. And she could tell us the best of them."
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A/N Yup. Soap is uncountious. Which sucks.
Sorry that it's taking me longer to come up with the next chapters. I've been busy trying to enjoy my school break. But it's over now, and you might see me on more.
(Current Me Note: Some things may have happened. Part 5 is lost to time and space. I don't think I can find it for you. It was mysteriously deleted. So now we have this strange and awkward gap where a chapter should be. Whoops.)