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Roach, being one of the youngest members of the task force, had much more energy and enthusiasm than a lot of the others. Sometimes it made them laugh. Roach liked that. Roach liked making people laugh. But most of the time, however, it got the team really pissed off.
Like today. It was April Fool’s Day, and Roach was the (unofficial) prank master. Fake bugs in the refrigerator, whoopee cushions, even dyeing and cutting the other’s hair in their sleep. Roach did everything he could think of on April Fool’s.
Roach had the best plan for today. He was gonna scare the shit out of Ghost. Ghost had claimed to be “un-scareable”, but Roach was determined to end that today.
He clambered up to the top of the fridge where there were old boxes of food and utensils that he could hide behind. He praised himself quietly for his athleticism and being able to fit in such a small space. Now, all he had to do was wait…
Slow, dragging footsteps shuffled down the hallway and Roach’s heart leapt into his throat. He’d know those footsteps anywhere. Not that he’d memorized the sound and intensity of the footsteps of everyone in the base. Of course not!
Roach knew Ghost’s morning routine like the back of his hand. He woke up, took a shower, brushed his teeth, then clambered down at around 6 in the morning to the kitchen for his morning tea. Roach was often known for staying up late or just not sleeping at all, so basically Roach knew everyone’s morning schedule.
Ghost groggily rubbed his eyes as he walked into the kitchen. He lazily grabbed his favorite mug and a tea bag, then grabbed the kettle and went over to the fridge to fill it with tap water.
For some strange reason that has never been explained by Ghost, he always used the fridge tap instead of the sink. Roach just assumed he liked the fridge water better, or some other shit like that.
As the water slowly began to fill the kettle, Roach knew it was time to make his move. He noiselessly pushed aside the boxes in front of him, and slowly… slowly, inched forwards…
In one fell swoop, Roach reached down and grabbed Ghost’s wrist, and let out a yell to scare him. Ghost instinctively dropped the kettle to the ground, thankfully not breaking it, then grabbed Roach’s arm and flung him to the ground.
The impact of Roach’s back hitting the ground left him groaning and writhing in pain. Ghost picked up the kettle, examined it for any cracks, then went back to filling it with water.
“For fuck’s sake, Sanderson!” Ghost spat at him. “You almost made me ruin my fucking tea. Go ruin someone else’s day, you lousy fucking teenager.”
Roach groaned in pain as he stumbled to his feet. Another set of footsteps was rapidly approaching, but Roach’s head was spinning too much to figure out who it was.
Price rushed into the kitchen, looking frantic. “I heard a loud thud over here. What the hell happened?!”
Ghost shot a piercing glare at Roach before responding. “Fucking Sanderson was trying to scare me and I nearly broke his fucking back.”
Roach groaned again, sitting in the nearest chair he could find. “I think it might actually be broken…”
Price went over to Roach and sat down beside him. “Take your shirt off. I’ll examine you for any breaks.”
Roach nodded slowly and, with a little struggle, whipped his shirt over his head.
Price’s strong, calloused hands ran all across his back, examining every small bone and muscles for any possible injury. Near the bottom of his back, Price pushed down on a certain area that made Roach cry out in pain.
Price paused for a moment, then gently ran his hand along the area. “I don’t feel any breaks, but this might be an injury to the muscle.”
Ghost, who was silently watching them the whole time, finally spoke as he placed the kettle on the stove. “He fucking deserved it. Instinct kicked in and I slammed ‘im to the ground. Kid needs to learn not to fuck with me.”
Price huffed. “I understand that your natural instinct was to do that, but we’re a team, Simon.”
Ghost only groaned. “That’s what you always say.”
“Because it’s true.” Price shot back, rising from his chair.
There was a small silence before Price spoke again, turning back to Roach. “Gary. I understand you have a lot of energy and pranks, but… keep your childish attitude to yourself. We don’t appreciate your childish behavior when we want to focus on our work.”
Roach nodded slowly. He knew this was coming, but somehow, it stung more than normal.
“From now on, no more pranks. I don’t need you getting hurt on me again. Do you understand?” Price crossed his arms, and glared down at the boy.
“Yes sir…” Roach muttered.
“Now, to the infirmary with you.” Price held out a hand to Roach to help him up.
There was an uncomfortable silence between them as Price walked Roach to the infirmary. Roach wanted to cry, but he couldn’t. Not in front of Price. Not in front of anyone. He stared down at his feet the whole way, refusing to even acknowledge his captain.
Once they arrived, Price ushered Roach in and helped him lay down on one of the medical beds. One of the nurses approached them and asked what was wrong, but Roach wasn’t listening. He wanted to be somewhere else, where he could just… be. Be himself. Sure, sometimes he could get a laugh or two from his pranks, but… was Price right? All of his pranks were harmless: a little scare, moving things around… but did they all really not care?
“Gary.” Roach looked back up to his captain and the nurse. “They need to see your back.”
“O-Oh, r-right. Sorry, sir.” Roach stuttered out, before painfully rolling onto his front.
The nurse’s hands ran along his back, just like Price’s did, this time much more delicate and gentle. Price pointed out the spot that hurt before and the nurse pressed down on it, again making Roach cry out.
“Yeah, that definitely feels like an injured muscle.” The nurse said, taking her hands away from Roach’s back. “Here’s what we can do…”
The words trailed off. Roach just wanted to be alone. The lights were too bright, even on his stomach; the infirmary was too cold; it felt like there were eyes on him from every direction… Roach felt like he was going insane. Everything felt so fuzzy and wrong.
Too much… too much… too… big…
The hands were running along his back again, this time pressing down hard on the sore spot. He yelped in pain and buried his head into the pillow to keep from crying.
“Don’t worry, I know it hurts, but deep massaging will help the muscles heal.” The nurse’s voice flooded into his ears.
He couldn’t do it. There was too much going on… He needed to leave. Now.
In a desperate attempt to escape, Roach shoved the hands off of his back and shot up off of the bed.
“Sanderson!” Price yelled at him. Gary didn’t care. He ran. He ran until he almost collapsed at his room’s door.
He threw open his door, rushed in his room, shut and locked the door, then crumpled into a heap on the floor.
There was too much pain… too much noise… too much anger… too much everything… As Gary laid there on the floor, he felt the strange fuzzy feeling return, this time much stronger than before. He didn’t know how to feel. He had never felt like this before. What was happening to him?
“Sanderson!” Three loud knocks shook his door. “What the hell happened back there?! Open this door!”
Price’s angered voice made this fuzzy feeling surround his entire body. He tried to push it away, but it consumed him. He broke out into hysteric sobs, covering his ears with his hands. “No no no no! Go away! I d’wanna! It too much!”
A deathly silence came from the other side of the door. The only sound was Gary’s hysterical hiccups as he cried into his legs.
"Gary?" Price's voice came again, this time softer and more soothing. "Are you okay?"
"Go away! I'dwanna!" Roach yelled again, hiccupping between his sentences.
"Please, I just need to know if you're okay-"
"No! Go AWAY!" Roach screamed at the top of his lungs.
There was another silent moment before footsteps started moving away from his door. Gary continued to cry and cry until he just couldn't force any more tears out. He just wanted to disappear. Ghost hated him. Price thought he was a blubbering baby. How could things get any worse?
Roach's question was answered when a small click came from his door. It was slowly pushed open by none other than Soap MacTavish. Of fucking course. Price had sent Soap to pick the lock on his door. Wonderful.
Roach tried to crawl away from Soap, as more tears started to form in his eyes. He crawled as far as he could towards the wall before collapsing from the pain. His back felt like it was being stabbed. He laid his face on the concrete floor and continued to sob.
"Sanderson?" Soap called his name, but Roach ignored him. He didn't want to deal with anyone else right now. However, Soap moved closer and looked over at Roach with a pained expression. "Sanderson, please. Let us help ye-"
Soap put a soft hand on Gary's shoulder, but Gary just slapped it away. "No! No touch!" His head was so fuzzy he could barely form words.
Soap paused, then gently sat down on Gary's bed. "Okay. No touchin'." Soap bit his lip, trying to think of the right thing to say. "Can ya tell me how yer feelin'?"
Gary's sobs diminished into small sniffles as he laid there on the floor, face buried into the concrete floor. "Too big..."
"What's too big, laddie?" Soap asked, monitoring Roach's reactions as he spoke.
Gary lifted his face from the floor and shoved his thumb into his mouth. "Evwrything..."
"Everythin's too big, eh? So... ya just... wanna be small?" Soap narrowed his eyes, trying to comprehend everything Roach was saying.
Roach just nodded slowly as he suckled on his thumb like a toddler.
Soap slowly got up from the bed, then moved to sit in front of Roach. "Ey laddie. Ye can be small. We jus' wanna help ya."
Gary slowly looked up to Soap and the two locked eyes. Soap could tell that this wasn't the playful, trickster Gary Sanderson that he knew. There was a childish gleam in his eyes, but it was... more innocent than mischievous.
"Do ya wan' me ta get ya anythin'? Ya wanna go do somethin'...?" Soap just wanted anything, any type of reply that would get Gary up and moving again.
"Baff." Gary mumbled around his thumb.
Soap blinked slowly, making sure he heard right. "Ya... wanna go take a bath?"
Roach nodded, sniffling softly.
"Alright. We'll go take a bath." Soap stood up to go, hoping Roach would follow, but Roach just stayed on the floor. "Ey laddie, ya comin'?"
Roach turned to Soap, and reached his arms out to him. "Up."
Soap opened his mouth to speak, but at first, no sound came out. He took a moment to compose himself then looked down at Roach. "Ya want me ta carry you?"
Roach nodded again, still reaching out to Soap. Soap sighed but moved closer to Roach. "Are ye sure? Ya didn't want me ta touch ya before."
Roach stopped to think for a moment, but then nodded.
"Alright. Up we go!" Soap gently lifted up Roach into his arms, being weary of the sore spot on his back that Price had told him about. Roach grumbled a little from the pain, but rested his head on Soap's shoulder.
Soap walked out of Roach's room where the rest of the 141 had gathered. Price stepped forward first, shifting on his feet uncomfortably. "How's he doin'?"
"Better. He wants me ta bathe 'im though." Soap replied, as he instinctively rocked Roach in his arms.
"What wrong with him?" Nikolai spoke, with his Russian accent making his words choppy.
Soap just shook his head. "Couldn't tell ye. He's actin' like a wee lad."
"Age regression." Gaz's voice cut through the other's. "It can be a stress response to regress into the headspace of a small child. I had a friend who did something similar. He says that anyone who age regresses should have some sort of caretaker, just so that they don't hurt themselves."
Price nodded. "I see. It must've been the combined stress of Ghost yelling at him and being in the infirmary that set him off."
Ghost, who had stayed silent this whole time, took one look at Roach's red, puffy eyes, and had to force himself to look away.
"Well, I'll take care o' him for right now, but I'm not stayin' his caretaker forever." Soap said, as he absentmindedly rubbed circles on Roach's back.
Roach wasn't paying attention to any of the conversation. It was too complicated and they used too many big boy words. Plus, the soothing feeling of being held and rocked by Soap was starting to make him feel sleepy. But he wanted his bath first. All that crying made him feel icky.
Roach sleepily pulled at Soap's collar, and waited until Soap looked down at him to speak. "Wan' baff."
"I know, I know. Let's get goin', laddie." Soap soothed, ruffling Roach's hair. This made Roach let out a small giggle and lean more into Soap's touch.
Price looked away from Roach and Soap, feeling a pang of guilt grow in his stomach. He was the one who made Roach start crying. He felt like a terrible captain. "Well... we'll let you two go. Take good care of him now, alright MacTavish?"
"Yes, sir." Soap replied, before heading down towards the washroom with Roach.
Roach had put his thumb back into his mouth and was sucking on it as they walked into the washroom. Soap gently moved Roach's hand away from his mouth, chuckling to himself. "Don't put yer hands in yer mouth, laddie. It's icky."
Soap gently placed Roach on top of the toilet seat, then went to turn on the bath water. Roach watched as the water filled up the bath and slid off the toilet seat to try and get in. Soap lifted up Roach by his armpits and placed him back on the toilet seat. "Slow down there, laddie! Ya can't bathe with yer clothes on, silly!"
Roach giggled, and went to take off his jeans. Roach fumbled with the button again and again, before Soap went over to help him. "Here. Lemme do it for ye."
Soap helped Roach slide off his pants and boxers, then gently placed him in the bath. Roach practically melted into the warm water, with the pain in his back dulling to a small pinch. Soap smiled seeing Roach happy, and went to give him some privacy, but Roach whined in disappointment. "No! Soap stay!"
Soap went back over to the bathtub and sat on the edge. "Ya really want me ta stay with ya?"
Roach nodded and Soap laughed to himself. "Alright, alright, I'll stay with ye."
Soap watched for a while as Roach splashed happily in the water, even mischievously splashing him a couple times. Soap would always jokingly splash him back which made Roach giggle even more.
As the bath started to loose its warmth, Roach started to get sleepy. Roach yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Sweepy..."
"Gettin' tired, laddie?" Soap smiled down at Roach before standing up. "Alright. I'll go get ye some pajamas."
Roach whined as Soap headed towards the door. "I know, I know. But, I'll be right back, okay?"
Hesitantly, Roach nodded, and Soap left the washroom to go and find so pajamas for Roach. He went back into Roach's room and scavenged his dresser and closet until he found a old dinosaur onesie tucked behind some other clothes. Soap chuckled to himself. Probably would've worn the same thing when I was a lad. Soap also made sure to grab an extra pair of boxers before he left the room.
Soap went back into the washroom where Roach had rested his head on the edge of the tub, and was starting to fall asleep. Soap knelt in front of him and gently caressed Roach's shoulder. "Wake up now, sleepyhead! Look what I found!"
Soap held up the dino onesie for Roach and Roach's eyes grew wide. "Dino!"
Roach reached out for the dino onesie, but Soap put it aside. "Gotta get ya all dry first, laddie!"
Soap lifted Roach out of the bath and let it drain as he starting drying off Roach with a towel. Roach was fairly compliant with being dried, but when Soap had to dry Roach's lower back, Roach started to get a little fussy. Soap eventually gave up on trying to dry him there and just finished the rest of his body. Finally, Soap help Roach put on his new boxer and the dino onesie.
"Ya comfy, laddie?" Soap asked once he had finished zipping up the onesie. Roach nodded in excitement, but was interrupted by a long yawn.
"Looks like yer gettin' too comfy. Let's get ya ta bed." Soap lifted Roach into his arms again, rocking him just like he did before.
"Soap? I sleep with you?" Roach asked, looking up at Soap sleepily.
Soap laughed, rubbing the top of Roach's head softly. "Sure, ya can stay with me tonight."
Before they even made it halfway to Soap's room, Roach was already fast asleep in Soap's arms. Soap continued to rub in soft circles on Roach's back as they approached his room's door. As Soap shifted Roach to one side so he could open his door, he saw Price approaching him from his office.
Price stopped for a moment to take in the sight of Roach in his dino onesie, then smiled. "Glad to see he's doing better." Price swallowed hard, before handing Soap something. "It's heating pad. Medics say it should help with his back."
Soap nodded in understanding and Price quickly turned on his heel and left. Soap unlocked his door and let himself into his room. First, he put Roach down on the bed, laid the heating pad on his lower back, then tucked him in. "G'night laddie."
Soap then went to put on some pajamas for himself, just opting for a t-shirt and shorts. He climbed into bed besides Roach and wrapped a protective arm around him. Today had been... interesting to say the least, but Soap truly enjoyed his time with Roach. He spent so much time focusing on Roach, that he didn't even realize how tired he was. Soap took one last look at the sleeping boy, then closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
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The next morning, Roach woke up extremely exhausted. Last night had been a blur of tears and yelling, and he had already blocked most of it out of his mind. He glanced around the room, before pausing. This isn't my room... He panicked for a moment, but then remembered a glimpse of the night before. He had fallen asleep in Soap's room... for some reason.
When he moved to get up, something slid off of his back and onto the bed. Roach picked up the thing and observed it. Oh. It's just a heating pad. Roach shrugged it off and slid out of bed. It seemed that Soap had already left for the day, considering that there were a t-shirt and shorts thrown lazily onto the floor.
Roach walked out of Soap's room yawning and rubbing his eyes. God, what had made him this tired?! He stumbles into the kitchen... then freezes. All of the members of the 141 were sitting silently at a table, and once Roach entered, all eyes were fixed on him. No one said anything for the longest time, but Roach eventually broke the silence with a weak, "Good morning, guys...."
"How're you feeling, kid?" Price said quietly, not taking his eyes off of Roach.
Roach shifted his weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably. Was this some sort of intervention? "I'm... good. Tired, but good."
Price nodded slowly and there was another long awkward silence.
"What you wearing?" Nikolai was the one to break the silence this time.
Roach looked at him in confusion. "What do you mea-" He looked down at his clothes and startled in shock. What?! How the hell?! Who found my old dino onesie?! I thought it was hidden!
Roach's face went bright red and he stuttered over himself. "I- um... I don't... It's not- It's not what you think! I- uh..."
Soap stood and held up a hand to cut him off. "Ye don't remember anythin' that happened last night, do ye?"
Roach shook his head slowly, waiting for them to just start laughing at him. Instead, Soap guided Roach over to the table with the others, and rubbed his back gently. "You were actin' like a wee child after you went sprintin' out o' the infirmary. I took care o' ya, bathed ya,-"
"BATHED me?!" Roach yelled out, with his face getting even more red. "You mean, you saw me naked?!"
"Roach, please." Price said calmly.
"S-Sorry..." Roach mumbled.
"Yes, I did bathe ye." Soap continued, chuckling softly. "But you were havin' lots o' fun splashin' around in the water."
Roach, morbidly embarrassed, covered his face with his hands in shame. "I'm so sorry! I won't do it again, I promise! You won't have to do that ever again!"
"Sometimes you can't control when it happens. If it ever does happen again, any of us would be happy to take care of you." Gaz spoke from the other end of the table.
"But it's embarrassing. For you guys and me." Roach said, uncovering his face to look at Gaz.
Price leaned forward, and laid his hand on top of Roach's. "Gary. I've said it once, and I'll say it again: we are a team, and if that's what we need to do to keep our team together, then that's what we'll do. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. None of us judge you. You were stressed and you needed some way to cope with it."
Roach began to tear up at his captain's words and smiled. "Thank you, sir."
"Of course, kid. You're one of us. We're not gonna let you fall."
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As time passed, the team helped Roach more and more in his regressed states, even buying him toys, pacifiers, bottles, and new onesies for him to wear. Roach was hesitant at first, but found he loved being the team's baby boy. It made him feel safe and loved.
When Price was working, he had a little blanket set up with a bunch of toys on it for Roach to play with. He could watch Roach as he played while he filled out his paperwork for the day.
Ghost, although hesitant at first, had small teething toys around his room for Roach to chew on while he worked. Roach loved to climb on Ghost, so eventually, the two would be found passed out with Roach dangling over Ghost's shoulder.
Gaz loved to make up stories with Roach while they play with action figures. Roach would make up a whole storyline for the characters and Gaz got to play along with it.
Although Price wouldn't let Nikolai take little Roach for trips in his helicopter, he still let Roach watch as he repaired it. Sometimes he would even play Airplane with Roach, lifting him into the air and running around with him.
And Soap... Soap was Roach's favorite. If Roach needed something, he always went to Soap. Hungry? Go talk to Soap? Sleepy? Ask Soap to take you to bed. Bored? Ask Soap to play a game with you. Soap did it all and he loved every minute of it. He began to even think of Roach as his own son, especially when Roach started to call him Papa.
Roach loved everything about being small, because he knew that there was always somewhere to go and someone who loved him. Always.