The Monarch [ Ghost ]

CHAPTER 5

"Just how deep do you believe? Will you bite the hand that feeds?"

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I'm thrown into consciousness as an explosion sounds and Rodolfo swerves sharply. Panic shoots through my body. "Cosa sta succedendo?" (What is going on?) I stammered to Greene.

"Hold the hell on," Greene commands instead of explaining the situation.

A primal fear seizes my focus as another vehicle slams into us. Pain rushes once more to my torso as the car rolls. I grab a knife from my holster and tear myself out of the seatbelt, my eyes wild with fear.

Alejandro has the same response as I do. "Bail out! Bail out!" he cries.

I pull myself out of the vehicle behind Ghost. Every breath hurts and the lack of air makes me dizzy. I unsuccessfully try to stand, resulting in my body crumbling to the ground. "Help," I croak out weakly.

Graves' voice crackles to life, "All stations, we're engaging danger close. Give me a sitrep when able." His voice was stressed, and rightfully so.

I wince as an arm wraps around my waist, latching firmly under my arms. The person pulls me up and allows me to lean on him for stability.

"I've got you." Tt was Ghost, and his tone was soothing. My body heats up, but I force my pride down and let him help me.

"Shadow-1, we're up! No casualties, but Monarch is hurt. Hassan is secure!" Ghost calls out.

I catch Greene's eyes and he raises his eyebrows at me. I shake my head at him. The lieutenant simply shrugs and looks away.

"0-7, copy that," Graves responds to Ghost, "Colonel Vargas, what's the word?"

Alejandro relays something to Graves, but I can't comprehend it. A dull buzzing feeling takes over my brain, and my vision becomes blurred. Panic overwhelms me, causing my legs to buckle. I can't understand anything happening around me, which worsens my fear. I feel ground beneath me after a moment. I'm laying down somewhere.

It felt like my nerves were on fire and the only way to put it out was to shake. I fight off the urge to shake and convulse and instead my body stiffens. I frantically hunt for a sense of clarity. My hearing clears just enough to hear a voice talking. I focus on the voice, using my energy to decipher what the man was saying.

"Monarch" is the first word I grasp. I sense urgency in the word. The voice keeps going.

"Breathe."

I perceive the word as a task. They're telling me to breathe. I listen, shifting my focus to slowing my erratic respirations.

"Breathe."

Soon, I regain control of my body. I tap my fingers gently to make sure they were still attached to my hand. They were. I slowly open my eyes, wincing when the sun stabs my retinas.

"Breathe."

I then focus on relaxing my muscles. My legs, my arms, my chest, my stomach, my shoulders. My senses sharpen as the tension leaves my body.

"Bre-"

A loud cry in Arabic cuts off the voice. A sporadic rhythm of footsteps closes in on me. A dull force throws itself at me. The force was a person.

I regain command of my vocal cords and yell out in fear.

The person restricting me let out what sounded like a scoff and his hands snake around my neck, obstructing my trachea. The only thing I could do to fight the assailant was to pound at his wrists with the heels of my hands. I was able to break his grip just enough to seize a gulp of air. My senses were nearly back to normal, except for the fact that my vision was ever so slightly clouded.

More shouts erupt from behind the attacker and I watch as several hands ensnare the aggressor's arms and shoulders. I drop my hands and let the others haul the foreign man off of me.

"Tu cagna!" (You bitch!) I spat at the man, who I could now register as Hassan Zyani.

Hassan started to retort, but Graves interjected. "Bravo 7-1, you are cleared hot to shut Hassan the hell up."

It was then that the weakness from the confusion spell kicked in. I sank backward and rested, squeezing my eyes shut.

"Monarch," a voice calls, "You alright?"

My eyes flutter back open. Ghost was crouched in front of me with Greene over his shoulder. "I'm fine," I state, "but i'm not sure how long I'll be able to hold out."

Ghost nods in understanding. "Exfil is one minute out."

A breath of pure relief escapes my lips. "Keep me away from that stronza." (that bitch.) My eyes flicker between ghost and greene.

Soon enough, the exfil helo arrived and we got the hell out of there.

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Upon landing back at base, I'm rushed into a medical room. I was by myself, as laswell wanted Greene wherever the rest of the team was going. This also meant I was benched. Indignation pricks at my fingertips, but I force it away.

My thoughts are interrupted by a rather blunt field nurse. "You had a seizure, Captain."

The words caught me off guard. I tilt my head.

"I'm as confused as you are," she says, "you show no signs of epilepsy, and the lieutenant said that you were involved in a vehicular wreck." The woman calmly points a small flashlight-looking thing into my eyes to check how quickly my pupils would contract. "It could very well have been the shock of the incident," she continues, "because you do not have any signs that could indicate another seizure."

"Am I going to be okay?"

"You should be." The nurse pauses momentarily to type something on a laptop and write something else down on a clipboard. "You have no symptoms of brain trauma or anything."

"So can I leave?"

The woman stops and looks up at me. Her eyes were a shade of brown that was somehow comforting. "Yes, you're clear," she begins, "but Laswell said that she needed to speak with you once you're out of here."

I nod, suffocating any questions my brain thought about asking.

The nurse turns away from me, but pauses as if she's about to speak. "By the way, my name is Zion Sterling." She walks away.

It was my turn to pause then. I listen as the light rhythm of her footsteps fade off down the hall. Then, after probably another ten minutes, I hop up from the cot I was on and found my way to the exit.

Now to contact Laswell.

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1104 words!

I kind of suck at writing any sort of medical condition, so if the seizure part was unrealistic, that's on me. I really enjoyed writing this chapter, I was literally writing it in class this morning. anywho--- I love you all!

(also if you know who Zion is ily)

-🦋