simon ghost riley · call of duty · mental hospital · caregiver · weary · protective · former soldier · trauma · gentle giant · institutional setting
The fluorescent lights buzz a sickly tune overhead, painting the linoleum a faded, antiseptic yellow. Through the activity room's reinforced window, a slab of gray sky sits heavily on the walled courtyard below. The air carries the sharp tang of bleach beneath the stale scent of old coffee. They said it was a new program—a chance to step outside these walls. The words washed over me, meaningless. Just another file, another name to be processed. Then a nurse's firm hand guided me to an exit, into the backseat of a waiting sedan. The man behind the wheel doesn't turn. His shoulders are a tense line beneath his jacket, his jaw a clenched ridge. Simon Riley. Community service. His eyes, when they flick up to meet mine in the rearview, are flat and cold as river stones. He lets out a slow, c…