Your head felt so light.

It was almost as if you weren't quite there.

Your body was numb.

The sky blurred above you. It was almost as if the world was turning to water.

A dark spot appeared.

Someone was calling for you, but it was hard to hear.

Your breathing was shallow.

And yet adrenaline coursed through your veins. It kept you sane, your mind in the moment.

"G-Gaz?", you frowned and put two fingers to your ear.

Blood. Thick, red, sticky blood.

A worried face appeared before your eyes.

Hands rested on your shoulders to give them gentle squeezed.

But the shock was still in your body.

Lips moved. But they barely formed a word, only muffled sounds and hisses.

Frowning in confusion, you managed to sit up straight.

Gaz tried to snap his fingers before your eyes to get your attention.

But you looked past him.

Why was everything so silent all of a sudden?

The night had been calm, but it wasn't the same.

No crickets chirped, you couldn't hear the wind. Only feel it.

For a brief moment panic displayed on your face.

But a breath later somebody hit you in the face, hand flat.

"What the fuck?!", your head snapped around to meet Gaz's eyes with anger.

Your voice had returned.

Relief appeared on his face.

"Thank fuck, I thought we lost you.", his voice was weirdly silent and a little off.

As if he was talking under water.

You could tell what words he said. But it took you a good guess to make sense out of it.

"Steamin' bloody fuck.", you gasped as realisation hit and your chest pulled together.

Gaz looked at you.

"That doesn't look good, 100.", he checked your ear in the most careful manner possible. "We should get you to safety."

His hand pulled you back to your feet.

Your legs were wobbly. For a second it took you quite some effort to not loose balance.

"We pull through.", you bared your teeth as a sharp pain stabbed into the bleeding ear and up your temple.

It felt like your brain was on fire.

"I don't think that's a good idea.", he mumbled, eyebrows knitted together in concern.

"Good or not, we got to move.", you pushed past him, blood running down your neck and a ringing sound torturing your ears. "Captain, I got hit. Minor injury, I'm fine. We're on the move."

With a sigh, Gaz rolled his eyes but moved to follow you. After all, he couldn't drag you back to where you didn't want to go.

He knew as well as anybody that a MacTavish had their own stubborn minds and nothing could have made them pull in their tails.

Muffled noises pressed against your pulsating eardrum.
It hurt.

Gaz patted your shoulder.

Struck by surprise, your head snapped to the side.

He walked left to you, right where your injured ear was.

His lips moved but no clear word could be heard from him.

Confused, you frowned and shook your head.

"Speak up, sergeant!", you demanded.

He moved his mouth again.

No sound.

Shrugging it off, you kept on moving.

With a leap, you jumped over a wall and dropped flat to the ground to slide down a slope.

Dust obscured your vision.

It was only then that you remembered you were still wearing a gas mask. Bloody, red spots adorned your field of vision.

Gasping, you came to a halt and tore the mask from your head.

Warm, dusty air filled your lungs.

Wind stroked through your (H/C) hair and made strands dance before your vision. Some of them stuck to your forehead, mixed and sticky with both your own blood and somebody else's.

A movement appeared in the corner of your eyes.

Alarmed, you raised your gun and pointed towards it.

Surprised by the moment, Gaz came to a stand.

For a moment he looked like he was about to get mad at you for pointing your gun at him.

He frowned, deep winkles appeared on his forehead. It was hard to tell if he was concerned or felt attacked.

Either way, he didn't waste any time and did a gesture to keep you two moving.

In the distance you were already able to see a cloud of dust and some shadows.

"100 to Bravo, we've got eyes on someone movement.", you yelled over the coms. "We're about to close in."

No one answered.

Cautious, you hid behind a larger stone and pulled out some binoculars to take a look at what was going on.

Gaz took position next to you.

You could feel how his eyes lingered on your face.

"Get ready, Gaz, I got eyes on a vehicle.", you said and leaned forward to move on. "No sight of supportive units. Bravo, we're moving up."

Gaz didn't follow.

You stopped.

"Captain?", you asked.

Gaz's eyes moved to your chest.

Confused, you frowned and pulled a face.

His lips pressed into a thin line. Then he grabbed the communicator that was tied to your left side of the vest and reached all the way around you to the right.

Words filled your head.

"Keep your head up, 100.", Price replied. "Retreat if necessary."

Baffled, you stopped and grabbed the radio to answer.

"Negative, captain.", you said back. "We're on the move. Cars are about two clicks out."

"Roger that, we're on it as well. Bravo out."

As soon as he was gone you wanted to get moving again.

But Gaz pushed himself in front of you to make you stay.

"100.", he said, a serious look in his eyes.

With one eyebrow raised, you tilted your head in a silent question.

He leaned to your left.

His lips moved.

You could feel how his breath stroked your sticky cheek.

Then he returned to face you.

"We shouldn't go on.", you managed to hear from him in a muffled voice.

Annoyed, you frowned.

"Speak up.", you demanded, eyebrows knitted together.

His lips curled.

He leaned to your right.

"Lieutenant.", his voice was as clear as dawn all of a sudden. "You're half deaf."