Warning: very mild slash (and possibly some spelling errors)

A Brush With Death

"RPG!"

The world erupted in a blinding, white flash. The ground disappeared from under his feet as his whole body was consumed by the light. His ears filled with an intense ringing sound that seamed vibrated through his entire skull.

"Ghost! Shit, Roach, return fire. Zach, get over here and do something!"

Hearing his name, Ghost stirred. Pain flared through his body, its source coming from his chest and right shoulder, throbbing in perfect sync with the ringing his ears— ugh, that damned ringing was maddening. Something small and warm touched his neck, it felt like a pair of fingers.

"Got a pulse— he's still alive!"

Hands grasped at his arms and chest and the world seemed to shift under him once more. Fingers tore open his balaclava and frantically probed at his face, trying to open his eyes and mouth. He tried to raise a hand to swat them away but his arms wouldn't move.

"We're losing him—"

"Dammit where the hell is our evac?"

"They're on the way sir. ETA two minutes—"

"He doesn't have two minutes—"

"Ghost!" A deep, Scottish brogue pierced through the heavy ringing and reached his ears. "Hang in there mate. If you can hear me, hang in there!"

That voice… he'd know it anywhere, it had been a constant force in his life for many years; Soap.

"ETA ninety seconds."

"Zach, can't you do anything?"

"I can't keep him stable for much longer; he's losing too much blood."

The ringing in his ears started to fade as his body grew cold. Shadows circled around him, attempting to lure him into their peaceful, dark depths. He felt himself slowly sinking towards them.

"Fuck, he's stopped breathing—"

"ETA sixty seconds Captain—"

Something hit his chest and pushed down hard several times. Air was suddenly whooshed through his dry throat and rigid lungs as the pounding on his chest continued.

"Start breathing, start breathing you skull faced bastard," Soap panted softly somewhere outside of the darkness. "Don't give up on me Riley."

Riley? He couldn't honestly remember the last time Soap had called him by his last name, or hell, even his first, it had been so long.

The hands on his chest keep pushing up and down, increasing their tempo as they worked to revive him. Ghost coughed when air finally returned to his lungs. Blood welled up inside his throat as he heaved, its coppery flavor heavy on his tongue.

"He's breathing, he's breathing!"

"Atta boy Riley, just keep breathing."

Ghost felt his eyes roll under his lids as he struggled to open them. At first all he could see were several shadows looming over him, one on each side of his chest while a third stood several feet away, moving its arms radically as if trying to signal something.

"Ghost?"

The figure on his left was the first to speak, the deep Scottish rumble instantly clamed Ghost's nerves. His eyes soon focused MacTavish's face, noticing the sweat on the man's brow and the raw fear in his eyes. A shiver rolled through his entire body; if Soap looked that terrified then some serious shit must've happened.

He tried to sit up but a sharp pain in his chest and side prevented him from doing so. A hand was placed on his chest before he could attempt a second try.

"Ghost, don't try to move. That's an order."

Ghost rolled his eyes but never the less remained still, relying on his peripheral vision to search his surroundings. The front of his jacket was ripped open and several spots on the torn fabric were covered with dark red stains. A set of fingers touched the side of his neck once more, feeling his pulse. Zach was kneeling near his left shoulder, eyeing the watch on the back of his hand and lips silently counting numbers.

A helicopter flew overhead; his eyes only managing to glimpse the rudder as it landed near their position. Soap leaned over him, shielding his open wounds from the blowing dust and dead grass flakes with his bulk. His body was warm, the heat from his hands and chest seamed to drift into Ghost's frigid limbs and awaken a few nerves in his fingers. Too soon the warmth was gone as Soap moved away.

"Captain MacTavish?" Two soldiers moved into Ghost's line of sight, carrying a long, metal stretcher. "We need to move him, sir."

Soap nodded and scooted out of the way of the medics. For some reason, Ghost felt a tight feeling inside of his chest when the Scott disappeared from his vision.

"Lieutenant, can you hear me?" One of the medics leaned over Ghost's face, waving a hand. "Blink twice if you can hear me."

Ghost obeyed, slowly blinking his eyes twice.

"We're gonna load you on the chopper sir, and then take you to medical, ok?"

Ghost blinked once more, signaling yes.

Several pairs of hands lifted his body onto the stretcher. As it was being lifted off the ground, a hand was gently placed on his shoulder. Ghost turned his head, ignoring the growing stiffness in his neck. Soap was walking along the stretcher with Zach a step behind.

The medics carefully loaded him into the chopper, their faces hovering in and out of his vision as they checked his pulse and injected several needles into his arm. The pain dulled from his body within seconds, replacing it with a warm, numbing sensation. Ghost felt his eyes grow heavy and gave up the fight to keep them open. His ears were still alert however. He could hear the medics shuffling around him, murmuring between themselves about the level of his injuries.

His ears pick up Soap's voice several feet away. "How long until we land?"

"Five minutes sir."

Soap muttered a thanks and Ghost listened to his footsteps as they came near. They stopped near his head and he felt Soap's hand touch his shoulder once more.

"Is he stable?"

"Yes." One of the medics replied. "He's one tough bastard though, it's gonna take an hour to pull all of the shrapnel out of his chest."

"That's Ghost." Zach laughed several feet away. "During the Breaker mission the bloke jumped out of the chopper head first before we had his line secured. He's bloody fearless."

"Aye, that he is." Soap sighed, giving Ghost's shoulder a gentle pat before removing his hand and walking away.

"Though I gotta say, this has to be the first time I've ever seen the man's face. I was half convinced that mask was glued on."

Soap chuckled lightly. "Tell me about it, I keep forgetting he's blonde."

Both S.A.S. men laughed at that and the sound was the last thing Ghost heard before the shadows fully pulled him under, allowing him to finally rest without worry. He was safe, his team was safe and Soap was with him. He couldn't ask for more.