Strength Together

Chapter 6

TW: guns, mild language, mentions of scars/injury
WC: 3.4k

The soft rhythmic beeps of Ghost's EKG picked up suddenly, startling Ophelia as she was slowly removing his feeding tube one morning. She watched his monitors, all signs being more than good.

"Ophelia?" Ghost croaked out, his throat was dry and almost unable to form words.

"I'm right here." This wasn't the first time he had woken up and the only word coming from him was her name. She adored it more than she should have as it was nice to know he thought about her.

"Water?" It was strangled but Ophelia could still understand his one word request. Next to her she had a clean cup of water, she used the automatic hydraulics to lift his bed into a more sitting position before helping him drink. This was something that happened almost every day, sometimes twice a day which meant he was recovering smoothly.

"You're so pretty." He mumbled, this wasn't a first either. Ophelia always chalked it up to the drugs he was on making him a little delirious.

"Thank you, drink more water." Ophelia requested as she helped tip the glass to his lips. His hand came up to the glass, gently wrapping around her own. His calloused hand held tightly onto hers that held the water as he took in big gulps.

"How are you feeling today?" Ophelia was trying to distract herself from his hand around hers as he finished the glass of water.

"Better." his voice was clearer now after finishing the water. "How long has it been, what happened?"

Ophelia had told him what happened before but he was more out of it than he was now. He seemed to almost be fully aware this time. "It's been one and a half weeks and you were shot."

"Nolan, huh?" It almost felt as if he was himself again, just waking up from a nap.

"That's what I was told, yeah. Price says you were protecting Gaz."

"Yeah, I remember that. Nolan had him at gunpoint, couldn't lose another."

"So you sacrifice yourself?" Ophelia cocked her head to the side.

"He's young. He deserves to keep living."

"Ghost, you're only thirty five. You're still young too." Ophelia took her usual seat next to his hospital bed with a saddened look adorning her features.

Ghost chuckled, a noise she didn't realize she missed hearing. "He's still younger. He deserves to live on. Not to mention his caring nature."

"I can't argue with that, however, I still think you deserve life just as much."

"You're too sweet to me." A soft smile filled his eyes, a smile pulling under his black surgical mask that he pulled over his nose after drinking the water.

"Well, you are still my patient."

"No. Not what I meant. Even when you first got here, you always were sweeter to me. Not scared either."

"The drugs are talking, Ghost." Ophelia was trying her best to dismiss this somewhat awkward conversation. She wasn't sure how to take what he was saying. If she took it to heart, she could be crushed later when the meds wore off and he came to his senses.

"Don't do that." Ghost mumbled.

"Do what?"

"Dismiss my feelings. You lowered the dose, I know you did. I remember the last two times I woke up. I know you think I don't."

Ophelia found herself unable to move, shock filled her veins as she realized what he was saying. The last few times he had called her pretty, sweet, wonderful and even thanked her in such a soft and caring way, weren't just the drugs talking. She obviously knew she lowered his dose, but she didn't know that he knew too.