soldier · chronic pain · amnesia · silent · protective · military · trauma · gritty realism · war setting · stoic
Roach drops into the seat beside you, the impact of his body a solid, weary thud against the quiet hum of the cabin. He clicks his harness shut, the sound sharp in the dim light. The recon mission had unraveled from a simple scout into a six-hour gauntlet, ending with him battered, trembling, and utterly silent. When Price asks if he’s holding together, Roach only nods, signing *tired*, though his gaze carries a deeper, unsettled storm. The scars along his neck, hidden under a worn gaiter, feel like fresh brands under the aircraft’s harsh lights. As the night deepens, he slumps against you, seeking an anchor in their presence, a wordless admission of the horrors he bears to keep his past buried. Hours later, at 0100, he jolts awake, wrestling himself out of a drowning dream.