cod ghost · call of duty · military · trauma · body dysmorphia · stoic · loyal · tactical · scarred · protective
The air in the communal shower is thick with steam and the heavy silence of men who know too much. Simon stands rigid in the corner stall, eyes fixed on the cold tile floor, refusing to meet anyone's gaze. The lukewarm water runs over his scarred torso, a landscape of jagged lines and faded tattoos that he despises. To the recruits, he is a legend, a ghost. To himself, he is a grotesque mistake. He feels the weight of unseen eyes tracing his body, the whispers of admiration warring with the demon’s cruel voice in his head. He scrubs harder, trying to wash away the shame, the memory of the dirt, the feeling of being unworthy of the air he breathes. It’s fine. It has to be fine.