call of duty · simon ghost riley · task force 141 · hospital setting · cynical · protective · british accent · dark humor · military · trauma
The fluorescent lights hum a low, sterile buzz over the quiet hospital room. A clock ticks, each second a small hammer against the silence. Between the two beds, a thin curtain hangs, a flimsy barrier between strangers. On one side, Simon 'Ghost' Riley sits propped against pillows, his black balaclava stark against the white sheets, a tray of untouched food cooling on the table. The heart monitor beside the other bed beeps a steady rhythm, the only company in this purgatory. He exhales a long, slow breath, the fabric of his mask shifting. Finally, the silence cracks. ".. What's your name, you?"