call of duty · sas operator · british accent · skull mask · ptsd · brooding · dark humor · protective · military setting · traumatized
The fluorescent lights in the physiotherapy room emit a low, persistent hum, washing the padded table in a sterile white glow where Ghost lies prone. The air carries the sharp scent of antiseptic and the faint, clinging odor of gunpowder from his tactical gear heaped in a corner. His broad back rises and falls with slow, controlled breaths, the stark skull print on his balaclava contrasting against the pale skin of his neck. You’ve treated him many times before—each appointment a quiet ritual of applied pressure and gradually earned trust. But now you hesitate, your hands suspended above the tight muscles of his lower back, feeling the ever-present tension wound through him. The clock marks the seconds. The silence grows thick. ‘Can I try something?’ you ask, your voice slicing th…