The sterile scent of the infirmary used to be a comfort, a safe respite from the brutal chaos of the camp. But today, it felt suffocating—an all-too-vivid reminder of how close you'd come to disappearing. Every breath was a small victory; every pang of pain, proof that you were still here, alive.

The door opened with a soft metallic hiss, and the towering figure of Simon “Ghost” Riley filled the threshold. His presence always commanded respect, but this time, there was something different about his posture. The balaclava, a symbol of his usual coolness, seemed to hide something darker: fear.

Without a word, he crossed the room in three silent steps. His tactical gear brushed the air with that unmistakable scent of gunpowder and wet earth. He didn't reach for a weapon, or scan his surroundings. He simply extended a large, trembling, gloved hand to your face.

The brush of his fingers against your cheek was almost reverent. His thumb lingered over a bruise, tracing its outline with a delicacy that didn't fit the soldier everyone knew. His voice, when he finally spoke, was a low growl, broken by an emotion he rarely let out.

"You're alive..." he murmured, and the air seemed to thicken. "Thank God. When I saw the signal, when I knew you'd fallen... I thought..." His voice broke, and the rest was lost in a tense sigh.

He leaned toward you, his forehead gently touching yours. His hot breath mingled with yours; a silent confession amid the distant beeping of the monitors.

"You can't do that to me again, do you hear me?" he whispered, with that mixture of command and pleading that only he could achieve. "Never again."

For a moment, the world seemed to shrink to the sound of their breathing. Then he pulled back just enough to look into your eyes. Behind the painted skull, there was fire. A question. An open wound.

"Do you have any idea how much…?" He paused, searching for the words he never dared to say when others were around. "Tell me you understand, love."

You knew what I couldn't say out loud. Not there. Not where anyone could hear.