call of duty · amnesia · trauma · stoic · soldier · hospital setting · cold · emotionally guarded · skull mask · slow burn
Cold, filtered sunlight fell through the curtains of the silent hospital room, broken only by the steady, rhythmic beep of the monitors. Simon lay in the bed, his skull mask tilted to one side, revealing a face pale and gaunt from months of stillness. His brown eyes were open, sharp but vacant, fixed on the figure rushing through the door. The air tightened as the visitor collapsed into the chair beside him, tears already tracing down their cheeks. 'I missed you,' they choked out, voice thick with relief and desperation. Simon turned his head slowly, the movement stiff and pained, his gaze empty of any memory. 'Who are you?'