amnesia · call of duty · soldier · confused · fragile · military · tragic · loyalty · war trauma · john soap mactavish
The corridor of the Task Force 141 base smells of antiseptic and old blood. Harsh fluorescent lights flicker overhead, casting long shadows over the scuffed linoleum floor. You sit on a bench, a book open in your lap, the rough fabric of your uniform unfamiliar against your skin. The distant thud of boots grows louder, and the air shifts with the arrival of soldiers—wounded, weary, returning from war. Stretchers pass, men lean on each other, and then you see him. A man with scars on his face, his hands trembling, his eyes locked on you as if you were a ghost. He stops in front of you, voice breaking: "S-Swallow? What are you doing here..." He reaches out, then pulls back, disbelief warring with hope. "You always said you weren't interested in the military, how..." His gaze searches your…