Everyday on this job is pretty tough, and that's to be expected. But when you're trapped tens of feet under water with your oxygen supply cut off, lungs burning, it gets a little tougher.
Keegan could see that I was still a little shaken up, so he offered to fix me up rather than leave me with one of the nurses.
I sit on the examination table and let out a shaky sigh. Keegan eyes me. "You okay, kid?" He asks with a hint of worry in his voice.
I straighten up, realizing I'm being pathetic. "Yeah, I'm fine. A little tired, I guess." He chuckles a little at my response which makes me smile.
I've always liked Keegan, a little more than I'm willing to admit out loud. He's one of the more quiet of the Ghosts, and so am I. We don't say much to each other, but I feel we connect, without saying much. When I was assigned for this mission, I was glad to see Keegan walk into the command room shortly after I did to receive the same orders.
I have a few cuts and bruises here and there, but the main concern are the gashes on my arm and across my forehead. Keegan tends to the one in my arm first. I guess it was worse than it looked. He had to individually pull out multiple pieces of wood out of my arm that had lodged in there when our vantage point collapsed. The bruises starting to form didn't help, either.
We talked a bit while he tended to my wounds and I tried sitting still, but it was really difficult; squirming as I tried to keep quiet the curses I was mumbling. Keegan tries to be gentle with it, but I'm not making it easy for him.
"Jesus, Logan, can you sit still for two more seconds? I'm almost done here," he said, plucking another splinter out.
"Ow-fuck me!" I exclaimed, feeling my face flush as I realize what I just said.
Keegan looks at me, his face a little flushed as well from my sudden outburst, but raises an eyebrow. "Is that so?" His voice goes deeper, a little raspy in the best of ways.
I start to panic, but a bit of me is liking this. I could feel myself tensing everywhere. Yeah, I eventually wanted to let him know I like him, but with him yanking wood chips out of my arm isn't the ideal setting.
Breath, Logan, play it off. Change the subject. Don't let him see you panic. I could only try as much. Keegan had the eyes of a hawk and could sense any discrepancy in the room.
"I uh. . .sorry, it really hurt.." I manage to stutter out, sheepishly rubbing the back of my neck with my free hand. I can feel my face heating up.
Shit, Logan, that's the best you got?
I see Keegan smirk a little, trying to hide it before he replies, "My bad, must have been in there deeper than I thought." His voice going back to normal, dabbing my arm with a wet cloth. I already miss that tone he used.
He knows. He fucking knows. Keegan's good at playing stuff off, acting all oblivious. That's how he can get away with everything, what makes him good at his job. I know him too well though. Not like Merrick, but pretty well, and I can tell he picked up on that.
Keegan finishes up my arm and leaves me to wrap it up after cleans up my head. I'm glad my outburst was when he was cleaning my arm. That way I didn't have to be looking straight at him the whole time after.
Everything's calmed down but there's still a bit of tension in the air. Not much, but it's still noticeable. Neither one of us say anything; I just calmly sit there while Keegan cleans my head up. This time it doesn't hurt.
My lungs still hurt as I take a deep breath but I ignore it since my mind starts reeling. If I said anything like that to anyone else, they'd just think of as another curse. Why didn't Keegan? No. It couldn't mean much, could it? I feel giddy but I keep my face expressionless since Keegan is still staring down at me, patching my forehead up. Don't get your hopes up, Logan. I scold myself. He's more reserved than the others. Just because he took it a different way doesn't mean anything. Prepare for the worst but hope for the best, my dad would always say. Right now is a time in which that can be applied perfectly.
It seems like an eternity until he's done. "Alright, you're all set," Keegan says, patting my knee as I sit up again.
"Thanks, Keegan, I really appreciate it. Today was a little crazy," I reply, talking not about just the mission. He gives me a small smile before getting up to leave.
He turns around at the doorway and pauses. "Can't do it now, but maybe once this mess is all over I'll take you up on your offer, Logan," Keegan says, winking at me before he walks out.