Flew Too Close To The Sun

Chapter Three

Words: 1172

 Icarus opened his eyes to find himself staring at the plain white ceiling he had grown to know as the base's hospital. He let out a loud groan, annoyed at how many times he had woken up to this ceiling. Three. It was just three. But he still hated it. So bland, so plain. Why couldn't it be painted like some sort of 60's hippie album cover?

His groan earlier was met with a look from Price, who stood at the end of the bed with crossed arms. Icarus only raised a brow, reaching his hand down to help sit himself up. When he had done so, Price started to speak, "You told them nothing, correct?"

Icarus groaned again, putting a hand to his bandaged head, "Jesus, what is this? No, I'm not that dumb." Price narrowed his eyes as Icarus tried to lighten the mood, "Relax, alright? He doesn't even know that we know he's alive. I think." Icarus added sheepishly.

Captain Price went around the bed, pulling a chair up next to it and sitting down in it, "What do you mean 'you think?'" The captain stared coldly at Icarus, though his eyes did have a hint of concern.

"Um, well," Icarus rubbed his head subconsciously, "I can't remember a lot." He said quietly, moving his hair from his face. He thought as hard as he could, but a few days were just missing from his mind, he remembered being caught and being rescued but not anything else, "I don't believe I would have told them anything, but," He looked at the captain with dark eyes, "We need to be careful."

Price nodded once, "Understood. If you remember anything, you come straight to me. Do you copy?"

"Copy."

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Icarus swung his legs over the bed, grunting as he did. All of his wounds were healed, minus the knife and the gunshot. But the doctors told him he could go back to light duty.

He had already changed into his pants and was just now taking off his shirt. Before he put his new one on, Icarus stared down at his knife wound. The stitches stood out against his lighter toned skin and the wound was very visibly irritated. He reached his hand down and ran a finger over the stitches, ever so slightly tugging on them. It felt wrong to have something so foreign in his body.

Icarus began to go over what he remembered. Getting caught, falling from the tree. Being electrocuted. Being asked what the 141 knows about Graves and the Shadows, refusing to answer and being meant with a gun to the thigh. Graves gave him another chance to answer but he didn't. He doesn't remember getting shot, just the sound. But that was all.

"I wouldn't do that." Icarus looked up to see Ghost leaning in the doorway of the hospital room, "You could reopen your wounds." He motioned with his head downwards, and Icarus looked down to find that he had been picking at the stitches. Luckily, the only damage he had done was to tear one at the very end and cause a little bit of bleeding. It's not like it would kill him.

Icarus leaned over and reached for a tissue to clean up the blood, wincing and pulling back as he stretched his wound. "Bloody hell." Ghost grumbled, making his way from the doorway and grabbing the tissue for Icarus. He handed it to the other, standing with crossed arms. As Icarus wiped up the blood with immense focus, Ghost stared at it, "I would have pulled it out." Icarus gave a confused glance, finally pulling his new shirt over his head, "The knife."

"Oh." An amused smile formed on Icarus' face, shifting the scars along with it, "Then you would have died." Ghost stared at Icarus, "The knife blocked the blood from pouring out, preventing me from bleeding out."

"I know that." Ghost retorted, "I would have killed Graves with it if it were the last thing I would have done."

"Yea," Icarus looked away, "My bad." After a moment of silence, he turned back to Ghost, "Give me a hand?" Ghost stared for a brief second before extending a hand, helping Icarus to his feet.

Icarus wobbled for a bit, wincing as he put pressure on his wounded leg, "Geez, I wish bullet wounds healed faster." Ghost didn't say anything, only steadying the other man with his arm. Icarus looked up to stare at the taller man, his dark eyes peering into Ghost's, "Kinda sucks y'all have seen my face now....." He reach his hand up to the bottom of Ghost's balaclava and slipped his finger beneath it, "It'd only be fair, right?"

Ghost stepped away from Icarus and turned his back, "Life isn't fair" He then added, "Price wants a word with us all." He lifted a hand for Icarus to follow, the other doing so slowly as each step threatened him to fall over.

Icarus struggled to keep up with Ghost, who grew farther and farther away each second. Eventually he had to stop, leaning up against the wall as he watched Ghost disappear through a doorway. He chuckled lightly and shook his head, "Of course. Don't expect sympathy from the ghost."

"Yea." Icarus turned to see Soap approaching, "He was so mean when I was stranded in Las Almas." The mohawked man grinned and lightly punched Icarus in his shoulder, "But he likes me now. Just give it time, Icarus."

"Mmm, yea." Icarus cackled, "Keep being hopeful. You gonna help me out or what?" He watched as Soap stared at his face, the Scotsman eyes widening slightly before he shook his head slightly as if to focus himself.

"Yea, I can do that. Here, give me your arm," Soap threw Icarus' arm around his shoulder, then slipped his other arm to his side, supporting the other man as he walked, "So what's the story for never showing your face?"

Icarus looked up at the taller man, who looked down at him with blue eyes, "I'm fucking ugly." He cackled out, causing Soap to give his own chuckle.

"I wouldn't say that. Ladies find scars hot."

"Who said I care what the ladies think?"

Soap looked back down to Icarus, his eyes scrunched up with his grin, "Men think so too, if that's yer cup of tea."

Icarus laughed, looking ahead. The two approached the doorway, Soap letting go of the other per his request. Soap entered the door first, Icarus following after him. In the room, Captain Price stood with his arms crossed. A small dip of his head greeted the two as they entered, "Let's get started."

Icarus looked around, seeing Gaz in the room, ready to hear what the captain said. He looked some more and finally saw Ghost leaning against the wall, staring at Icarus with blank eyes. He stared back with a small smirk.

Price began to explain the next mission, Icarus sitting down on the floor against the wall.