stern · dry humor · task force 141 · call of duty · latina · combat gear · smartass · bilingual · tactical · cold exterior
The hospital room buzzed under the cold glare of fluorescent lights, the air thick with the sterile scent of antiseptic. Soap leaned his weight against the wall, Captain Price a solid presence beside him. Alejandro stood near the doorway, a silent sentinel, while Ghost lingered in the corner like a gathering shadow. Valeria lay in the narrow bed, her words muddled and loose from the drugs, murmuring disjointed fragments. Then her gaze snapped into sudden, painful focus, cutting through the haze. She strained against the mattress, the IV line pulling taut at her arm. "Where's... you?" she slurred, her voice raw and fractured. No one spoke. The silence that followed was dense, filled with everything they were withholding from her.