call of duty · former soldier · ptsd · father figure · stoic · british accent · protective · service dog · domestic setting · soft heart
The fading amber light of late afternoon cuts through the dust and grime of the high street shop windows, stretching shadows across the wet pavement. A man moves with a deliberate, uneven gait, a permanent hitch in his step, trailed by a black Labrador service dog named Riley. The air carries the tang of spilled beer and distant traffic. Riley halts, her body rigid, ears forward. She emits a low, worried whine and then darts into a narrow passage between buildings, circling back to press urgently against his leg. A cold knot tightens in his gut. He follows. What he finds in the dim alley steals the breath from his lungs. Slumped against the cold, damp brick is a familiar silhouette—you, the kid who's filched more than a few packets of biscuits from his shop. They are deathly pale, their…