The hospital room was  dimly lit by the fluorescent lights overhead. The smell of antiseptic filled the air. A soft hum of traffic floated through the window, creating a calming lullaby. Soap hadn't left the girl's bedside, even for food or drink. He was just sitting there, staring at her.
She was lying there, asleep, hooked up to a heart monitor, IVs running into her arm. He was scared. Terrified for her life. Not because of the injuries, because those weren't fatal.

The police had talked to him at the hospital. They grilled him about having a gun, but the minute they saw his military dog tags they backed off. He didn't want to leave the poor girl alone. He counted in his head; the robbery had been over eight hours ago. Where was her family? Wasn't anyone supposed to pick her up?

The girl's eyes flickered open, looking disoriented and confused. Soap immediately jumped up from the chair, grabbing her hand.
"Don't move." He said softly. She flinched.
"Who...who are you? Where am I?" She whispered hoarsely.
"Hey, hey. You're at the hospital. You were knocked out during the bank robbery. Don't worry, you're safe, I promise." Soap replied, his voice soothing.
The girl nodded. Soap moved to sit next to her.
"Do you remember anything at all? Do you know your name?" He asked calmly.

"My name's Kate." She replied weakly, trying to sit up straighter.
"Okay, Kate." He nodded. "What happened at the bank?"
"I just went in to deposit some cash I had saved...then the guys grabbed me...I was so scared..." Her voice trailed off.
"I'm glad you're alright." Soap smiled . 
"Are you with the police?" Kate asked, pulling herself into a sitting position.
"No, I stayed with you when you passed out. I didn't want you to be alone, so I lied and told the doctor I was your boyfriend. It's the only thing I can really come up with on such short notice."
Kate chuckled a bit. "Well, thank you. I'm sorry for causing any trouble."
"Please, don't apologize, love. It wasn't your fault." Soap moved his chair so he was closer to the bed. A a policeman came in shortly after.

"Ms. Jennings? We have something important to discuss. We noticed that your ID was missing; there is reason to suspect that the assailants might have taken it. We don't want you going back to your residence in case they know where you live. It's possible that this robbery is connect to organized crime. You are an important witness to the crime , Ms. Jennings."
"Okay..." Kate said quietly. "I'll pack up my stuff, call a cab and make my way back to my apartment." She began gathering things from the side table. Soap watched her carefully; he would rather have her staying with him.
"Detective, is it possible for her to stay with me?" Soap blurted out.
"I don't even know your name...." Kate began.
"Captain John MacTavish. SAS." Soap said, seeing Kate's eyes go to his dog tags. If anyone could protect her, it would be an elite military man.
"Well Captain, I appreciate the offer but—"
"It's not just an offer, ma'am. You will be safer with me than anywhere else. Let's get you out of here, alright?" Soap asked. The policeman looked between the two of them suspiciously.
"I guess she isn't the type to protest," He sighed before he stepped out of the room.

A doctor came in a few minutes later. He told her the risk of a concussion had gone down, but warned that she may have headaches and dizzy spells. Soap stood up and held out his hand for her to take. "Come on, sweetheart. I'll help you downstairs." Kate did as she was told. Soap let her lean against him, wrapping his arm around her waist.
"That's right, let's get a cab to my place. We don't want you fainting on me, do we?" Soap teased. He led her out to the lobby and flagged down the first cab he saw. He helped her inside, buckled her seat belt, and gave the driver directions.
"Is this going to be a problem?" Kate asked.
"Not a problem. You can rest when you get to my flat. " The taxi ride to Soap's apartment felt like ages. Once he was sure that she could stand without assistance, he helped her out and onto the elevator.
"Would you be okay with sleeping in my bed? I can use the couch."
"Sure," she answered, yawning.
Soap took his time unlocking the door to his flat. It was pretty much a bachelor pad; a place to crash when he was off duty.  He didn't have many personal possessions; it was mostly clothes, kitchen items, and books. The house was decorated very simply, with nothing too elaborate. He sat Kate on the couch and went to the bedroom. When was the last time he changed the sheets? He dug a fresh set out of his linen closet and remade the bed. He picked up a few random clothes that were scattered on the floor, tossing them in the hamper. There, that should be good enough for now.
"It's late; do you want anything to eat?" he asked, going back into the living room.
"I'm starving." Kate said, sitting up on the couch. Soap found himself digging through the fridge and found some , leftover pizza.

"Do you want it hot or cold?" He called from the kitchen.
"Hot please." She called back. He brought both plates into the living room, setting one down in front of her before taking a seat next to her. Kate wolfed it down.
"Sorry there isn't much; I'm not home a whole lot, so I don't do much cooking."
"It's fine. What kind of work do you do?" She questioned.
"It's pretty top secret, actually. Let's just say we're the ones knocking down the bad guys door."
"Sounds dangerous."
"No dangerous than any other military operation.  We're doing it for national security! then I'm happy."
"Yeah. That'd be nice. How long are you stationed here?"
"A while, I guess. I'm just killing time between assignments.  I've seen a lot of combat zones already," Soap said quietly.
"Well, you're home now." Kate said.
"Actually, I was born in Scotland." Soap clarified.
"I should have figured that with the accent and all!" Kate laughed. Soap joined in with the laughter, feeling more relaxed with every second.
"Thank you again, by the way," Kate started. "Thank you for saving my life. I thought it was over." She paused, thinking for a moment.  "And for not leaving me. Thank you. I don't know why you stick around."
"You look exhausted, Kate. It makes me feel better knowing you won't be alone." He replied.
She shook her head. "You don't need to take care of me, Captain MacTavish. I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself. But thank you. You have been very helpful since you found me unconscious." Kate finished.
"Call me John," he replied, smirking. "I'm off duty, you know." Kate rolled her eyes, but smiled slightly nonetheless.
"Okay... John."
"Alright, how about we get some sleep; it's been quite a day." He suggested. He showed Kate the bedroom and tossed her an old t-shirt to wear to bed. He made sure she was comfortable before he left her in the room. He checked that the door was locked before he crashed on the couch and fell asleep.