As Grim as the Reaper | PREQUEL Simon 'GHOST' Riley

NINE

Waking up, the smell of antiseptic stung your nose, the bright lights making you squint even though your eyes were closed.

There was a slight ringing in your ears, a heaviness in your chest, your head pounding as you tried to push past the overwhelming dizziness to pry open your eyes.

The lights were indeed blinding, but your body burned in pain; the kind of pain you'd not felt for a good few years. But you fought through, your eyelids fluttering open, sending sharp aches through your forehead.

You groaned, raising a hand to rub your eyes as you tried to sit up.

"Easy now, princess. Don't push too hard."

You'd recognise that southern twang anywhere.

You were back home, back on US soil, safe from the atrocities happening in Urzikstan. You were safe, and you were alive.

"Graves?" You squeezed out, voice dry and raspy; wretchedly so.

It made you cough, and you gripped the sheets in pain as you tried to hold back the gags threatening to come up. Graves lurched forward, a soft hand on your back to help you upright, while the other brought a cup to your lips.

"Hey, hey, s'alright. Here." He whispered, fingers resting under your chin to help you take in the refreshing liquid.

You gulped it down quickly, taking a relieved breath once you lent back down, head being enveloped by the softness of the pillow beneath you. As you looked around, you noticed you were alone on the wing.

"Thank you." You whispered, and he smiled softly at you as he set the cup down, leaning back in the chair that had been placed close to your bed. "What happened?"

"You got shot, princess. One through your old scar, the other grazed your shoulder. Caused some serious damage but nothin' the medics couldn't fix. You're gonna be alright."

"Always am." You spoke, and he laughed a little.

"Worried us, y'know."

"Oh? You were worried about little ol' me, Commander?"

He shook his head, red tinting his cheeks, "How couldn't I be? Y'were damn near unconscious when we got there."

You almost missed it, but even through the haze of the pain and sheer amount of drugs you were on, you caught it.

"Wait- huh? You were there?"

Graves sat up, leaning forward to place his hand tentatively on your leg, "Well, yeah. My Shadows got the fastest aircrafts this side of the pacific, ain't no way I was lettin' anyone else come get'cha."

"Well, thank you, Phillip. Guess I owe you one."

"-Think you owe him more than that, hun."

The voice came from behind the curtain on your left, that was yanked out of the way to reveal a nurse. Light blue scrubs fit her modestly, and she had long blonde hair, curled to frame her face.

She was pretty.

Really pretty.

She threw a dazzling smile to Graves, who just nodded, his eyes barely leaving you to acknowledge her.

The girl frowned, stuttering in her steps as she approached your bed, lifting your wrist.

"So, you're finally awake! How are y'all doin'?"

Her accent was strong, way stronger than Graves' was. As was her perfume, and the way it moved through the air and circled your nostrils made your nose tickle.