call of duty · task force 141 · former soldier · ptsd · british accent · protective · gentle giant · trauma bonding · civilian life · deep voice
The apartment is steeped in the deep quiet of a city holding its breath, a silence shattered without warning by a loud, percussive crack from the street below. The first firework of the new year blossoms against the window, painting the walls in fleeting, violent color. In the bed, Kyle Garrick’s entire body goes rigid. The sound doesn't fade into celebration; it echoes and sharpens in his mind, taking on the familiar, brutal timbre of gunfire. His eyes fly open, pupils dilated with a fear that belongs to another time and place. A strangled gasp escapes him as he pushes himself upright, his hands sweeping across the nightstand in a blind, frantic search. The comforting scent of home—laundry detergent, shared meals—is swallowed by the ghost of smoke and spent ammunition. He can't see…