War of Hearts

Chapter Twenty - Fractured

The team took a quick plane ride, courtesy of Alejandro's pilot, to the coast before transferring to a familiar helicopter. Nikolai popped out of the door with a grin. "Well, you all look like shit. Where to?"

"Good to see you too, Nik," shouted Price. Smiles and friendly greetings erupted throughout the team, and he gave Hex a gentle peck on the cheek and pat on the back as he helped her load in. "We're heading to Urzikstan to secure a hostage. I'm contacting an old friend to get us some backup when we touch down."

"Understood." Nikolai started to power up the helo, and Price addressed his team. "Right, it's going to be a long ride. Rest up when you can, once we land there won't be much time before we roll out to get Laswell."

Everyone nodded in agreement and settled in. Ghost helped Hex onto a bench and grabbed the first aid kit. She was covered in small burns and cuts from the crash, but most of them were superficial. He grumbled and got to work on the more serious head wound, shoving down his guilt so he could be there for her now. He could be angry later.

The moment was tender. As they took off and departed, he began to carefully clean the gash and wrapped a bandage over her head. To her surprise, he was far better at patching her up than Gaz and Soap were, and she couldn't help but smile at him while he worked. He was doing everything he could not to look at her. "You're staring. It's distracting."

She turned bright red and snapped her gaze away, opting to instead close her eyes entirely as he worked, and sighing softly as his delicate touch grazed over her injuries. "There. That'll have to do for now." He was having trouble keeping his heart rate steady beside her, so when he finished, his hand lingered only for a moment before he moved across from her to sit next to Soap.

Price came and sat beside her in his place. "How ya doin', dear?"

She smiled, "I'm doing just fine, Captain. For what it's worth, I'm still glad I was there."

Price smiled back. "Well, from what I hear, we've needed all the help you've given. I'm sorry about how messy things got, but that was some bloody good work out there, soldier."

"Thank you, sir."

She smiled, but Ghost could see that it didn't reach her eyes.

Soap chimed in from across their seats, shaking his head in disbelief as he finally had a moment of quiet to process all she had just survived. "You are fucking invincible, Hex. Steamin' Jesus."

Price rolled his eyes and scowled. "She most certainly is not. I'm glad you were there today, too, but when we touch down you are tagging out of this fight. I am not letting you anywhere near the X in your state."

She would not push her luck with Price. Her head was clouded from the crash and her body was aching from her injuries, but she still wanted to find some way to be of assistance. "What else can I do to help?"

Soap shook his head, and Gaz piped up quietly, "you've done enough, Hex."

Ghost cringed as he remembered Hex's words, 'it'll never be enough.' She had nearly lost her life mere moments ago, but here she was, insisting on lending her aid however she could. He was both astonished and enraged by her stubborn will.

Price saw her pleading eyes. He knew there was no way he could truly keep her from the fight, not anymore. "We'll need eyes in the skies again. Stick with Nik, you and Gaz will provide overwatch." He trusted them all to look out for each other. Gaz gave her and Price a reassuring nod from where he sat near the front of the aircraft.