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Price has been in a fair few rough situations from his years in the military. Every time, it feels like ‘this is it, this is what’s finally going to take Captain John Price down’. But then he gets out of it and it’s just another lesson learned and story to be told.
He’s just gotten out of one of these situations. He and Ghost have just escaped from an airstrike. Sadly, the way they’ve escaped has them in a basement with a whole building collapsed on top of them. Landing them both in yet another rough situation.
Price comes to, coughing hoarsely. He can’t see a thing. A noise to his side reminds him that Ghost is with him.
“You alright, son?” Price asks.
Silence.
“Simon?” Price’s voice raises as fear fills his stomach. A hit to the head or a fall to the ground could have Simon bleeding out where he can’t see him.
“Here, sir,” Simon’s voice comes from the darkness.
Price sighs with relief.
“Good on you, son.” Price feels around his gear. “You got a flare to use?”
Price hears rustling.
“None, sir.”
“Bollocks.” Price slaps at his radio. “This is bravo six in the blind, does anyone copy?”
The radio is all static.
“We’re probably under a few metres of rubble, Captain,” Ghost mutters.
“Yeah,” Price mumbles, his brain working to find a solution.
A banging noise shocks him out of it.
“Simon?” Price asks, “what’s happening?”
“Getting out of here, Captain.”
“What?” Price pushes himself up and holds his hands warily towards the noise.
Something wacks into his hand.
“Fucking hell,” Price swears, “what are you doing?”
“We need to break the rubble apart and dig up, we’ll run out of oxygen if we don’t. I’m using the end of my gun.”
Price gets a sudden recollection of Ghost’s past. Maybe it’s the distant certainty in Ghost’s voice that brings it on.
If Simon’s got through being buried alive once, he can do it again.
“Good thinking, son,” Price mutters, picking up his own gun to do the same.
Fear encroaches further with each minute that passes. It seems like an eternity before Price gets a glimpse of the outside.
“Oi, Ghost, we gotta move over, there’s a bloody metal rod in the way.” Price eyes the solid barrier splitting the hole they’ve made.
Ghost doesn’t seem to have heard him, continuing banging away at the same spot.
“Simon?” Price asks, laying a tentative hand on his shoulder.
Simon jerks his arm away, a low light is coming through the hold they’ve made and Price can see Simon’s cold eyes boring into him.
“Let’s knock out that piece, eh?” Price says slowly, pointing to a new split piece of concrete over Ghost’s head.
“Sir,” Ghost says, redirecting his blows.
Price’s arms are screaming at him by the time they pull themselves out.
“This is bravo six in the blind, does anyone hear me? Over.” Price huffs, leaning against a piece of cracked wall.
There’s a few seconds before Kate’s voice crackles through the air.
“Loud and clear, Bravo six, this is Watcher. I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear your voice. Over.”
“Same here, we’re on top of the rubble, how’s exfil looking? Over.”
“Not good, get yourself somewhere safe and comfortable and report back. Might be a day or so before we can reach you. Over.”
“Understood, standby for our location. Out.”
Price huffs, thinking back to when he first surveyed the area which seems like decades ago after being trapped underground.
“Ghost, c’mon, on me. We’re gonna get to Building A, make sure it’s still empty, and hole up in there.”
“Yes, sir,” Ghost speaks.
Simon sounds a bit more distant than usual.
Price feels worry furl in his gut and he nudges Ghost’s shoulder gently.
“We got out, son, let’s get clear.”
The building is empty, and Price sets them up in a room with multiple exits and good line of sight. He relays their position to Kate then sits himself down.
“I’ll take first watch, you get yourself some rest, we’re not getting out of here for a bit.”
Ghost hums but his eyes don’t close.
He stares at the ground for hours.
Price doesn’t expect him to stay awake the whole time, so he doesn’t want to offer him a watch unless he gets some shut eye.
But Ghost just doesn’t fall asleep.
“You should rest Simon,” Price mutters.
Ghost shrugs. “You should too, sir.”
“Well, you should rest first so I can put you on watch later.”
“With respect, sir, just put me on watch now. I’m not gonna be sleeping here.”
Price watches Ghost carefully. He’s tense, that much is clear.
Price felt the very same about an hour ago, but now it seems the enemy has long considered them dead and aren’t coming back. Price can feel his eyes aching, begging him to shut them.
I’m in no state to take watch, Price admits.
“Alright, you watch,” Price concedes. “But the second you need to sleep, you wake me, alright?”
“Yes, sir,” Ghost says, moving to Price’s spot quickly to get the better vantage point.
“Exfil is still a little while away, make sure I’m up when we get contact.”
“Yes, sir,” Ghost repeats, his eyes trained outside the building already.
Price scoffs, letting his head tip back against the wall and his eyes shut. He’s out before he knows it.
-
“Watcher to Bravo six, do you copy?” The radio crackle jumps Price out of his slumber. He sees Ghost look at his radio as he reaches to answer.
“Copy, Watcher, send traffic.”
“Bravo six, we have a chopper 2 hours away. The pilot will be in contact soon. Over.”
Kate’s news has Price smiling tiredly.
“Copy, Watcher, 2 hours. Out.” Price turns to Ghost. “You want to get some rest, son?”
Ghost shakes his head. “Can’t, sir.”
Price nods understandingly. He’s never been buried alive before, but he can safely say he wouldn’t have handled it as well if Simon hadn’t been there.
Simon had to go through all that by himself, Price read the report.
He wishes he could say something to help but the last time Price tried to talk feelings while Ghost was wound up, Ghost left the room.
“Bravo six, do you copy?” An unknown voice comes through.
“Copy, send traffic,” Price grunts.
“We are prepped for descent in 5 minutes, over.” The pilot says.
“Chin up, lads, we’re coming in.” A more familiar Scottish accent fills the room.
Price notices Simon’s shoulders relaxing.
“Good to hear you, Soap,” Price says sincerely.
“And amazing to hear you, as well, sir.”
The chopper lands on the nearest bit of flat land. Price and Ghost let Soap watch their six as they rush into the helicopter.
“Thought we lost you two for a second there,” Soap says, chuckling but there’s a desperation in his gaze, especially when he looks at Simon.
“Was definitely a close one,” is all Price says. Leaning back in his seat.
Simon takes the seat beside Soap, Price tries not to draw any attention to the way Simon’s knee moves to press against Soap’s.
As the chopper picks up, Soap’s head drops minutely closer to Simon’s shoulder. Just enough so that Simon can tilt his own head down to meet it.
Finally, Simon Riley’s eyes shut. He lets out a barely noticeable sigh and he is off to the land of dreams.
Price could say so many things. Like how he knows the thing the two of them have going on is unspoken and he can tell they’re trying not to make it obvious but how he’s so glad that they have each other and how proud he is of them.
But he doesn’t say anything. He gives Soap a tired smile.
Soap smiles back like he knows exactly what he’s thinking.
Price watches the world go by as they’re taken back to safety.