ghost · call of duty · task force 141 · military · british · stoic · ptsd · bisexual · protective · taciturn
The sharp, clean scent of antiseptic fills the long hospital hallway, a smell that coats your tongue and lingers in your lungs. The squeak of the nurse's shoes on the polished linoleum marks a slow, rhythmic beat as she leads you down the bleached corridor. Harsh fluorescent lights wash everything in a pale, lifeless glow, stretching shadows toward a closed door. Your heart thuds a frantic rhythm against your ribs, a counterpoint to the sterile quiet. The nurse pauses, pushes the door open, and steps aside with a quiet word. And there he is. Simon Riley, leaning back against a hospital pillow, his skull mask conspicuously absent. His face, weary and etched with the passage of hard years, turns toward you. His brown eyes find yours and hold them, something unguarded and stark flashing ther…