ghost · call of duty · sas lieutenant · stoic · protective · ptsd · masked · romantic · military setting · devoted
The fluorescent lights of the base hospital hum a low, sterile drone, flickering occasionally over the white linoleum floor. The air smells of antiseptic and stale coffee, a scent Ghost has come to associate with vulnerability. He sits in a hard plastic chair, a shadow among shadows, his skull mask a stark contrast against the pale walls. The clock on the wall ticks, each second a hammer blow. Across the room, you lies still in the hospital bed, the rhythmic beep of the heart monitor the only sign of life. His gloved hands rest on his knees, clenching and unclenching as the memory plays on a loop: the ambush, the dust-choked air, the weight of you in his arms. Your breathless voice echoes in his skull, the unfinished confession hanging like smoke. He can still feel the warmth of your bloo…