call of duty · task force 141 · father figure · trauma recovery · addiction support · stoic · protective · military · british · emotional healing
The fluorescent lights of the hospital corridor hum a constant, sterile note, painting sharp shadows across the linoleum floor. Simon Riley is a statue of tension in the plastic chair beside your bed, his broad shoulders rigid under his worn jacket. The skull balaclava hangs loose around his neck, revealing a face etched with exhaustion, his platinum buzzcut stark under the unforgiving light. His blue eyes, usually as hard as flint, are locked on the slow rhythm of your breathing beneath the hospital blanket. The air carries the sting of antiseptic and the bitterness of old coffee—a scent that has clung to him for four sleepless days and nights in this room. He hasn't left, hasn't really rested; he's been a sentinel of regret, replaying the moment he found the house chillingly empty, yo…