Chapter Text
As promised, Ghost woke Soap up the moment it hit 8am, at best Soap had only gotten a couple hours of sleep, spending most of his time trying to find a position that was comfortable for his leg.
“Ye better have a damn good reason for waking me up Lt.” Soap’s accent is thicker than usual due to being woken up. Ghost was already dressed in his usual gear but still only wearing his balaclava, his skull plate nowhere in sight.
“Told you mate, the moment it hit 8am I was going to drag you to Price’s office. I’m being nice to you right now, actually waking you up and giving you a chance to get changed.”
Under his breath Soap muttered.
“Ya dobber.”
“Sorry what was that Sargeant?” Stupid fucking Manc with his stupid super sonic hearing, trying to dig himself out the hole he was slowly digging himself into Soap replied.
“Oh nothing, just saying what a lovely day it is.” Soap felt Ghost glare at him as he tried and failed to get himself out of bed.
“Stop standing around like a numpty and help me get oot this bed.” And Ghost did, he helped Soap stand up.
“Speak English Soap, getting a little too Scottish.” Soap rolled his eyes.
“Get tae fuck”
“Come again?” Ghost asked, to which Soap replied.
“Fuck off.”
“See you can speak English” Soap punched Ghost in the chest.
“Ye can let go of me now, ah need a pish.” Soap hated to admit that he missed Ghost’s arms around his hip the moment he let go. Soap had hoped that the taller man would leave the room, but luck was not on Soap’s side more as Ghost made himself comfortable on the office chair in Soap’s room, Soap grabbed some fresh clothes and thought ‘he’s such a prick.’ As he made his way into the bathroom.
Getting out of his clothes and into the shower, tested all of Soap's patience and coordination as he nearly found himself flat on his arse the moment he tried to get his joggers off, but thankfully he was able to get into the shower without knocking himself unconscious, he had removed the bandage from around his thigh to give it chance to breathe and also to give him the opportunity to look at the wound. It was still red and swollen and would leave a gnarly scar, it has been stitched correctly now but the area around it was still covered in blood and was red, he’d have to keep his eye out to make sure it didn’t get infected. Soap spent most of his time in the shower gently cleaning around the wound and making sure all the blood was gone, but cleaning it had also agitated the wound, reminding Soap to take the painkillers he had been given.
A knock at the door nearly had Soap on his arse again as the noise made him jump.
“Are you alive in there?” A deep voice came through the door, fucking Ghost checking up on him.
“Aye Lt, be out in just a moment. Could do me a favour though, grab me two painkillers. Forgot how much being shot fucking hurt.” All Soap got back was a grunt but he liked to think by now that he could tell you what each one of Ghost’s grunts meant and that one sounded like a ‘consider it done.”
After the knock, Soap spent a couple more minutes in the shower, washing out the conditioner he had left in his hair as he looked and prodded at his wound. He decided to not put his joggers on, as he was going to have to wrap the injury up again, so, when he left the shower all he had on was a comfortable cotton shirt which used to be black but was now an ugly colour of grey due to how long he had it and a pair of black Calvin Klein boxer briefs.
Ghost was still sitting on the office chair when Soap limped back into the bedroom, two pills laid on the table next to Ghost’s arm. As Soap limped over Ghost just looked at him, Soap assumed that he was looking at the wound on his thigh which still had not been wrapped back up.
Grabbing the pills, Soap took them dry.
“You know the box said to take them with food and water?” Soap shrugged.
“Eh, I’ll eat later.” Soap was then going to limp over to the bandages which the doctor had given him last night but Ghost stopped that.
“Sit down, tell me what you need.” Soap did what he was told, feeling fatigued.
“Just need the antibiotic cream and bandages, need to wrap this bastard backup and was told to use the cream.” Ghost nodded and got what Soap asked him for, he was expecting Ghost to pass him the items and fuck off into a corner like the creeper he was. Instead, Ghost set the items and the floor and crouched down so he was at eye level with Soap’s thigh.
All Soap could think ‘Don’t think of Ghost eye level with your dick, don’t think of Ghost eye level with your dick.’ but Soap had nothing to worry about because the moment Ghost started poking at his wound stopped any arousal he could have had, it still hurt like a bitch which is what he told Ghost.
“It still hurts, you know? Stop poking at it.” Though that didn’t seem to stop Ghost poking and prodding at it.
“The medic stitched you up good, should even heal with a straight scar.” Soap chuckled.
“Good to hear Dr. Ghost, now fucking put the cream on and bandage it back up before I do it myself.”
Ghost did as he would told after that, putting the cream on his leg and wrapping the bandage tightly around Soap’s leg.
“Get your pants on, you’ve already made us an hour late.” Soap sighed, guess he wasn’t getting out of seeing Price. Getting his pants on didn’t take long but having to ask Ghost to help him put his socks and shoes on was another level of embarrassment for Soap, he hated having to rely on someone else for their help, but it was Ghost, he knew that he wouldn’t embarrass Soap for not being able to do this easy task. He also helped Soap up from where he was sitting.
It should have only taken the two a couple of minutes to get to Price's office but with every step Soap took, he felt the stitches being pulled which left him feeling sick and feeling more pain than he should have been; maybe he should have said yes to the crutches. The two-minute walk ended up taking exactly 7 minutes.
Once they were outside the Captain's office, Soap looked around the corridor to see if there was any way he could escape, there was a window which he could throw himself out of, or maybe he could just mash his head against the wall until it knocked him out, running away could be an option but Ghost could catch up with him even on his best days and he would likely rip out his stitches.
“Aw fuck this, let's get it over with.” Soap said and he banged on the Captain’s door.
“Enter!” Soap had been hoping the old bastard he keeled over and died but no luck. Ghost opened the door and laid his hand on Soap’s lower back; pushing him into the room.
Price sat behind his oak desk, a cigar in between his fingers and a look on his face which told Soap if he even tried to take the piss he would be dead. Ghost pushed Soap down into one of the chairs and he took the other one.
“Do you know why I called you here Soap?” Soap rolled his eyes and replied
“Aw dinnae take the pish Captain, just grill me already.” Soap heard Ghost sigh next to him and the glare that Price gave him would have made anyone with any sort of survival instinct shut the fuck up, Soap unfortunately did not have the instinct when he wasn’t on a mission.
“You gotta admit it was kinda funny.”
“Sargeant MacTavish, do you know many rules you broke yesterday?” Soap shrugged, sure having his civilian phone on him was against the rule but every bastard carried their phone on them whether they wanted to admit it or not.
“Aw dinnae act like everyone doesn’t break that rule on them. I mean Gaz answered the ext straight away, clearly that’s against the rules.” He felt Ghost shift and when he looked to his side he saw Ghost pinching the bridge of his nose through his balaclava.
“Shut the fuck up Johnny, you are only making things worse for yourself.” Soap shrugged, he’d always been a bastard when it came to being disciplined when it came to fight or flight Soap would always fight and that didn’t matter if it was his dad or the Captain sitting in front of him.
“I could have you kicked off the team right here and now Soap.” The thought of being kicked off the team made his stomach drop, that is the last thing he would ever want, this team was his family, and his whole being was this team.
Both must have seen that distressed him as Price added.
“I’m not going to kick you off the team, I just need you to know what you did was fucked Soap. There I was enjoying a cigar when Gaz nearly kicked down my door to tell me to look at the group chat and that you had been injured on your mission.” Soap was still going to break Gaz’s nose for doing that.
“What were you thinking son? Do you know how close I was to forming a team to get you?” Soap shrugged.
“Are you just going to ask me the same questions Ghost asked me last night? Cause if you are you could of left me to sleep and just talked to Ghost.” Both Price and Ghost said to Soap.
“Shut the fuck up.” from Price and Ghost saying.
“Stay quiet Soap, you are so close to tastin’ the table in front of you.”
Soap folded his arms and slouched in his chair, he knew he was acting like a child but he really did just want to go back to sleep.
“Answer the question John.” Price said with authority twinging his tone. Soap knew he had really pissed off the man in front of him, no one used his first name unless it was his ma’ or Price when he was well and truly pissed with Soap.
“I wasn’t thinking sir, I was in pain and had been dragged into a corner. Ah was alone and just needed the comfort I guess.”
“You’re an idiot for texting the chat Soap, I should take your civilian phone off you like a child.” Soap was going to protest when there was another knock at the door. Price said enter and the door opened to show Gaz.
“Hey everyone, thought I’d come and watch Soap get ripped apart.” Soap stuck his middle singer up at him.
“Fuck off Gaz.” Gaz laughed but ignored Soap. He walked into the office and closed the door. He walked over to Soap and slapped his shoulder.
“Good to see you back, mostly in one piece bro.” Soap nodded.
“Back at ya, Gaz.” Maybe he wouldn’t get a new arsehole ripped by another member of the team but that thought was knocked out his head when Gaz punched Soap on the arm.
“Hey watch it! I’m injured!” Gaz ignored him once again and punched him in the arm, giving Soap a dead arm.
“You scared us you daft cunt. Nothing like opening the group chat to be welcomed with a photo of your bloody thigh, thought you’d sent another shit cat meme.” Soap rubbed his arm.
“Yeah, yeah had the same talk by all of you now and Gaz if you punch me again I will break your jaw.”
“I would like to see you chase after me with your fucked leg.” Soap rolled his eyes.
“So now everyone is here to see me get torn a new one can we just get to my punishment.”
“Before I do that son, I want to know what happened.” Price said, Soap felt like a broken record once again having to explain what had happened on the mission.
“Was with another two men from the unit, went to a locked door. I wanted to use a breach to blow the door down but the eejit decided that would take too long and tried to kick down the door, which just left him with a bullet to the stomach, was able to kill the enemy who took him down just didn’t expect there to be another enemy in the room who got me in the thigh as I tried to get the guy who down out the way.” Soap heard both Ghost and Gaz mutter something which sounded like fucking idiots.
“See this is why I don’t like to loan you guys out, always end up with some idiot who doesn’t know how to do their job.” Soap nodded, he hated having to be away from his team, there was a comfort in being in the same team as the four in the room, they all knew each other and how they worked and they were able to work around that, Soap always knew if he was with the 141 that his six was covered.
“So, Soap what did the doctors say when you go back, we were all forbidden from coming to see you.”
Soap couldn’t really remember what he was told.
“Think they said the bullet missed any vital veins and that it was a clean entry and exit wound, the medic I was with in the heli was able to get the bullet out and stop the bleeding, the doctors just checked the wound and gave me some better stitches. Gave me some painkillers and antibiotic cream and let me go on my way.” Soap “forgot” to say that they had told him that he needed to be out of action for at least the new two months as the injury healed.
“So you didn’t refuse crutches, did you?” Nosy bastard of course Price would have checked with the doctors about his condition.
“I can walk fine, don’t need no crutches.” Soap heard a huff come from Ghost and he looked into the unimpressed eyes of the man.
“So I didn’t have to help you walk to the office then?” Glaring at Ghost, Soap replied.
“Get it right up ye.”
“English MacTavish.”
“Fuck off.” Ghost nodded.
“I dinnae need any crutches Cap, I’ll be fine without them. Just takes me a little longer to get around.”
“This isn’t a yes or no situation Soap, you are going to use the crutches otherwise I’ll break your leg so you have to use them.” Soap groaned.
“Fine whatever.” Soap at this point has lost his fight, he was tired and the painkillers he took were starting to make him feel sick, all he wanted to do was go back to bed.
“How long did they say you needed to be on leave?”
‘You are a right bastard Price.” Soap thought.
“They said about two months.” Gaz was the first one to speak after Soap said that.
“Damn, that’s fucked man. What are you going to do for the next two months?” Really Soap had planned to stay at the base, sleep a lot, and exercise when his leg would allow him, clearly, Price had another idea.
“Soap will be going on medical leave, give him time to rest at home.”
“Will I fuck be doing that.” Soap said
“You can’t argue your way out of this one, you will be going in leave, you time off to relax. You can’t do that whilst at the base Soap.” Soap hated going home, it's not like he had anything to go home for, just an empty and cold house.
“I can relax fine on base Captain, I dinnae need to go home to do that.”
“Again this isn’t a matter you can argue, you’re going on leave. Take it as a holiday.”
“You sure this isn’t my punishment?”
“Don’t be stupid Soap, you aren’t a child my punishment is this conversation and when you get back onto the base, you will be cleaning the toilets for at least the next six months.”
‘Brilliant, just what I wanted.’
“Guess I’m not getting out of this, guess I’ll go and get packed.” Using the table in front of him Soap used it to get himself on his feet and to make sure he didn’t fall over cause if that happened he’d never hear the end of it from Gaz.
“Before you all leave, Ghost will be watching over you whilst on leave. I don’t trust you not to pull your stitches out.” Soap didn’t know what to say but he knew his mouth was open in shock.
“Did you know about this Lt?” The taller man had stood up to follow Soap out of the room and he looked just as shocked as Soap did.
“From the look on your face, I’ll take that as a no. What did you do to deserve this, piss in his cereal?”
“Fucked if I know what I did, be good to have some time away I guess.”
“You’re such a traitor, you know.” To his left, he could hear Gaz laughing.
“You know what Gaz you little shit, the moment my leg is better I’m kicking your arse.” This only made Gaz laugh harder.
“Sure, whatever. We all know that I could beat you.” Actually, Ghost and Price knew that Soap would kick the shit out of Gaz but they didn’t say anything.
“You wait you cocky twat, first thing I’m doing when I get back is looking for you.”
“You two stop arguing, Gaz you have newbies to be training, and Soap you need to get back to your room, you look like death. Make sure he gets to his room Lieutenant and then go to the medbay and get him a pair of crutches. You’re all dismissed.”
Soap refused to let Ghost help him on his way back even with every step making a shot of pain go through his thigh, he didn’t know why he was pissed at Ghost. It wasn’t his fault but he was the closest to Soap at the moment.
Once they got to Soap’s room, Soap sat himself down on his bed, grunting in pain and rubbing at his bandaging, Ghost closed the door behind him and grab another couple of painkillers for Soap to take. Once again Soap took them dry and said a thank you to Ghost, sure he was pissed but he could realise that Ghost was going out of his way to help Soap and he wasn’t about to be a piss baby just because he was upset, Ghost looked just as annoyed at the thought of being away from the base and not being able to go on missions for the next two months.
“Sorry I dragged you into this Lt, it really wasn’t part of my plan. Kinda assumed I would just spend all my medical hidden in this room.”
“Johnny I said it would be nice to have some time away from the base, don’t say sorry. Get yourself comfortable, I’ll grab your crutches and some food.”
Ghost then turned around but stopped when Soap said.
“Thanks, Si, I haven’t said that enough to you.”
“Just get some sleep Johnny, I’ll be back soon enough.”