𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭'𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞

No Hard Feelings?

**Katrina's POV**

Immediately after we returned to base, Merrick made me go to the medical wing to get checked out even though I insisted I was doing okay. Tear gas sucks but it usually doesn't cause too much harm depending on the type of gas used, it just hurts like hell. I had asthma when I was in my teens but I thought it had gone away after a while since I had no symptoms of it after high school, guess I was wrong cause it acted up on me after I inhaled the gas, probably explains why I was wheezing and couldn't breath.

"Alright. You're all good, I would get out of that dress as soon as possible and take a hot shower to ensure you get all of the gas residue off." The doc told me as I sat on a table as he stood in-front of me with a clipboard.

"Once you take your dress off put it in this to decrease risk of exposure." He explained as he handed me a red bio-hazard bag.

"Okay. Thanks doc!" I smiled as I got off the table and headed out of the room back towards our barracks.

As I left the room I noticed Merrick waiting for me on the other side of the door. "Hey, kid...everything good?." He said with a smile but he looked concerned.

"Hey...yes. He said everything's fine, I just need to get out of these clothes and take a shower to get the residue off..." I explained as we started to walk down the hallway towards the barracks.

"That's good. How about your asthma?"

"He said there's no cause for concern....exposure to the gas just made it relapse."

"That's good." He said as we continued walking.

"Where's the boys?" I asked.

"They are in the rec room, they need to blow off some steam...those boys get on my nerves sometimes but even they need some down time." He grinned as he shook his head.

"..And you?" I asked.

"Well, I wanted to check in on you but I have to get to a meeting...Laswell wants our overwatch reports from tonight, even though there wasn't really much to report on except....your little incident....." He explained as we stopped for a moment in the hallway and faced each other as he crossed his arms over his chest. "....Who was that in the courtyard, Katrina?" He said as his voice was serious but he wasn't being adamant about his question.

Shit. I can't tell him...if I do it's gonna be this whole ordeal and I'd rather not deal with that right now...

"They killed that woman in the ballroom...the one who Ghost and I were supposed get intel out of, I almost had what I need from her but then...she was killed before I got the chance. I looked over and I saw this person running out of the back so I chased them...that's all." I explained purposefully not using "she" or "her" and leaving their identity unknown.

Merrick looked at me for a few seconds, trying to see if I was lying. And he's really good at telling if someone is giving him the slip...

"If something is going on you need to tell me." He said more sternly.

"I know sir, I swear I didn't get a good look at them...once I caught up they threw the gas bomb and disappeared..." I reasoned, of course it was slightly a lie. I know exactly who I saw.

"I'll take your word for it this time..." He said giving me a pat on the shoulder, I could see it in his face that he knew I wasn't telling him everything but he didn't press me any further. "Go get cleaned up and relax for bit, we've got more to do tomorrow." He said with a reassuring expression.

"Yes sir." I said with a passing smile as I started to walk off down the other hallway towards our room as Merrick headed for the meeting.

"Hey, kid!" I heard him behind me, still standing in the same spot as he looked at me as I turned back around.