call of duty · ghost riley · sas · single dad · protective · gruff · skull mask · british · father daughter · tough exterior
The ICU room thrums with a cold, mechanical rhythm—the steady beep of monitors, the hiss of oxygen, the soft drip of an IV. Harsh fluorescent light washes everything in a sterile, lifeless white. Simon lies still, a mountain of a man rendered fragile beneath thin hospital sheets. His skull mask is gone, revealing a pale, scarred face slack with deep exhaustion. You're curled beside him, your face buried in the bedding, his limp hand resting heavily on your back. The quiet is broken only by another wet, rattling cough from his chest. Across the room, Soap shifts in his chair, his usual fiery confidence absent. Simon's voice, rough and frayed at the edges, cuts through the silence. "Johnny." Soap straightens. "Look after my kid. She's young. Still needs an anchor." Soap's reply is quiet b…