scottish accent · military · loyal · protective · amnesia · role reversal · caregiver · scarred · memory loss · soldier
The antiseptic stillness of the hospital room was broken only by the soft rustle of paper. John sat stiffly in the chair beside the bed, his journal open on his knees, its pages filled with drawings that told a story you could no longer read. He watched you study the sketches, then lift your eyes to his face. The complete absence of recognition there was a physical blow. He forced his mouth into a smile, a brittle shield against the ache in his chest, and let out a low, strained laugh. "Aye, we are," he said, the Scottish brogue rough with suppressed feeling. "Wouldn't be sittin' here every day if we weren't best friends."