Quiet Mornings And Loud Nights(Ghost Simon Riley)

21-Drained

Back to regular POV(if you prefer Simon's POV, there will be more soon. However, if you'd rather see the story completely from his POV feel free to comment and lmk <3 thanks for all the support recently!)

Simon regained consciousness after a few hours but the hours felt like eternity. Aspen waited beside the hospital bed, never letting his body rest. Soap and Price had come in to check on him every so often but they knew that Aspen would take care of Simon. They worked on finding out who was attacking Simon, but there were no strong leads. It wasn't a random attack, but no one had any idea who the man was. Except for Simon.

Aspen watched Simon open his eyes and rushed to his side. His face lit up and Aspen felt tears begin to fall. He was so lost without Simon and now he was hurt badly. The thought of losing eachother was overwhelming as Aspen cupped Simon's face in his hands. As he held Simon his hands began shaking uncontrollably, there was no way to control how bad he felt for the way things ended.

"Simon I'm so sorry. I can't apologize enough to prove it to you. You leaving tore me apart but I realized how much you truly mean to me. I could be so angry at you but at the core of my anger is an undying love. I know you are going through a lot, and I'll be here with you every step. I promise." Aspen said, tears trickling down his face as he spoke.

"Bloody hell Aspen, I'm not going anywhere, don't you worry your pretty little head about me." Simon replied, moving slightly to wipe Aspen's tears.

As Simon moved he gripped his side as immeasurable pain stemmed from his side. The bullet had lodged itself in his lower body, just above his hip. Simon certainly had his fair share of bullet wounds but this one hurt like a bitch.

"Did someone get it out?" Simon breathed heavily.

"The bullet? Yeah we had someone trained in medical aid help out." Aspen replied, his tears slowly subsiding.

"Good. I'm glad you're here Aspen, I can tell you about where I went." Simon began, shifting his back to sit up in the bed.

Aspen let Simon go and sat down again, sighing in relief. There was a lot going through his mind, but the important thing was Simon being alive. Now the question of who attacked him and where the hell he went arose.

"I went to a small town about 30 miles from here, maybe a bit further. When I started out at this base, we had a new recruit who lived there. He was an amazing pilot and a good friend. We called him Skyhawk. One day something went horribly wrong in an operation, and I- I couldn't save him." Simon began, his voice wavering.

"They buried him there and I hadn't visited him in a while. For some reason, the man working the motel I stopped at was oddly familiar. He clearly followed me to the cemetery, which is how I ended up getting shot." Simon huffed.

"Who was he?" Aspen asked, "There wasnt really an opportunity to ask him nicely."

Simon tried to laugh but his wound began to sting. He pressed his palm onto the bandages and gritted his teeth. The pain was not going away and Simon felt himself becoming increasingly lightheaded. Aspen was saying something but Simon's ears were ringing, something wasn't right. His eyelids grew heavy and he lost consciousness once again.

Aspen noticed something was off and stood up to be at Simon's side. He wasn't conscious and his palm was  pressed against his side. Knowing that Simon was alright, Aspen left the room quickly. He could use the new information Simon shared to try and identify the gunman. Soap and Price were both in the control center, working on something else.

"Where's the info we have on the scumbag that shot him?" Aspen asked, his voice low.

Price pointed to a table in the corner of the room with assorted papers on it. Aspen walked over and began to add what he knew, names, places, and pictures. The two closest towns within 50 miles were opposite of eachother. Judging by Simon returning from the South, Aspen narrowed it down, finding the town and as much as he could on its past.

Soap eventually joined in, helping match up the new information with clues. They were like detectives working a crime scene; trying their best with limited information. The hours flew by as Aspen worked tirelessly; he kept trying to find the truth. Ever step he took to get closer felt like four steps back. There was something about the case that was strange, like an entirely different plot in the story.

The clock above his head read midnight, but Aspen was so close. He had narrowed down the list to three people, but each one was off the grid. He would have to wait until Simon was awake to see if he knew who the men were. For the time being, Aspen wandered down the hallway hoping he could go to sleep quickly. His room was empty and cold, just like before.

Rex wasn't in his room, things had changed since Simon left. Price let Rex stay with the group but he would stay in a room nearby. It was more like a half room half enclosed field, but he was well taken care of. Now that Rex had his own place, Aspen was all alone.

The bedsheets were crumpled into a pile, and the bed wasn't made. Aspen hadn't done much to take care of himself or the room since Simon left. Pulling on some soft clothes and a blanket, Aspen curled into a fetal position. He was cold, tired, alone. The three things he hated most.

On the other side of the building, Simon was still asleep. His wound draining his energy and life leaving nothing for him. He couldn't wake up as his dreams held him captive. There was only pain, but he felt relieved of any sorrow. Maybe he would be forgiven after all.

Thanks for reading!
Shorter chapter today but I have lots planned!
See you soon🦦❤