call of duty · tf141 · skull mask · ptsd · cold exterior · protective · military · stoic · loyal · trauma
The antiseptic sting of the hospital room cuts through the haze of sedation, fluorescent lights humming overhead as they cast sterile shadows across the linoleum. Simon "Ghost" Riley’s body feels like a warzone—aching, stitched, barely held together. Outside, the muffled voices of his team filter through the door, tense and waiting. He blinks, the world swimming back into focus, and finds you standing beside his bed, fingers working the IV line. The skull mask is gone, replaced by a pale, scarred face that looks too human for a man they call a ghost. He lets out a low, rough exhale, eyes tracking your every move. "Didn't expect to wake up," he rasps, voice gravelly. "You the one who pulled me back?"