Silence in the Storm

Cortisol.

I wasn't expecting him at all.
Of all the 141 operatives, Ghost was the most unlikely to care that much about me... Besides, he was married; his wife was even an operative on the Team!
Where was Johnny...?
Ghost was really a surprising man, to say the least.
Whatever his motives were to be coming to visit me alone, I was honestly unaware of it, and I didn't know if I really wanted to know. But it was sweet of him to burden himself with me.
On a curious mixture of bashful and empathetic tone in his voice, he begun to talk.

"Hey Medi... I mean, Angie. You look pretty fucked up. I'm really sorry about that. We tried to come to your rescue as fast as we could, but surely it wasn't enough... Those bloody bastards didn't spare you at all, and that got on my bloody nerves. We killed them all. Johnny got new scars to his collection, but nothing serious. We made it out alive.
You don't deserve being so damaged like you are now. You have been nothing but a nice gal to all of us; even to me, heh... A bloody bastard who is undead, serving the worldwide military.
And I'm not gonna mince words; I fancy you... But I would be a bastard to Johnny and Elise if I tried my chances with you. He likes you more than he likes Elise... And that alone says a lot."

I wanted to move. I wanted to talk to him, to ask about Johnny. I was getting desperate, frustrated with my own body betraying me at that very moment. I tried to make my limbs move; any limb would be suffice... Come on, move... At least a finger...! I tried to concentrate, but I felt like I was fluctuating on a heavy void... It was confusing, but I wouldn't give up. Okay, again. Move... Nothing. Maláka! Please, move... Move!!!
Yes! I managed to get a nervous response from my index finger! Success! Suddenly I heard Ghost get up from the armchair, and I heard a door opening. Ghost was shouting at the distance. A commotion was happening around me.

"...Moved, but it was subtle."
"...Milligrams, let's test if she responds!"
"...Aye, LT... Is Angie awake?"

Among the overwhelming cacophony surrounding my listless body, I heard his voice. His hoarse tone, with that thick scottish accent...

Johnny was here, he finally came to see me... My Johnny. Agapité mou Johnny.

- ...Johnny...

My eyes were unused for far too long; my sight was bluish with splotches of grey. The nerves of my eyeballs were hurting from the sudden strain, cracking on my head a nauseating headache. I exhaled deeply, trying to hold off whatever was creeping up my esophagus. My body crashed into an overwhelming wave of soreness.

- Aye, Angie...! - He held my hand. - Thank God you're alive! And back with me... I mean, back with us...!

- How long... Was I out...?

- Long enough to makes us think you were gone, Medi. - Ghost was harsh, but I sensed his relief.

- I am... Greek. Hades... Didn't claim me... Yet. -I chuckled, but that brought pain to my guts.

- Alright, time for everyone to leave the room for today. - The doctor was shooing the boys out. - She needs rest, liquids and more rest. You can all come back tomorrow for a few minutes.

Suddenly the whole hubbub has shifted into a sterile silence, only with the sound of the monitoring machines filling the void. I was exhausted, my eyelids deliberately shut down on their own.
I was glad to be alive.

***************************

A Week Later; Task Force 141 Hospital, time_unknown.

I was trying my best to recover as fast as possible. I grew tired of my hospitalization; such irony if taking into consideration my profession as a doctor. But now I understand my patients better after all this ordeal.
I was craving some Spanakopita Frittata and I wanted to move around on my own. As the fellow doctor came into my room, I was trying to braid my hair so I could feel more presentable, but my arms weren't cooperating, my muscles getting easily tired and sore. Frustration was an understatement at the moment.