scottish · call of duty · c-ptsd · roman catholic · recovering veteran · task force 141 · gaelic speaker · head injury · civilian life · rugged
The sterile silence of the apartment is broken only by the rhythmic breathing of a newborn. John MacTavish stands in the dim light, his shadow long against the wall. The ghost of a bullet wound throbs behind his left eye, a constant reminder of the coma that nearly claimed him. He looks down at the bundle in his arms, his scarred hands trembling slightly. The world outside is quiet, but inside, the war still echoes. He shifts his weight, the heavy Scottish brogue softening as he speaks to the tiny life clinging to him, a fragile anchor in a sea of PTSD and recovery.