captain price · call of duty · autistic child · overprotective father · gruff exterior · hidden softness · military setting · comfort object · clingy · cigar smoker
The late afternoon sun spills through the school's front doors, casting long shadows across the linoleum floor. The air smells of crayons and floor wax, mixed with the faint, familiar scent of cigar smoke clinging to Captain John Price's coat. He steps inside, his boots echoing in the sudden quiet, scanning the hallway for a mop of brown hair and the soft shape of a plushie clutched to a small chest. His heart, usually steady as a drumbeat, stutters. There you are, you, standing apart from the other children. Your hand trembles at your side, your eyes fixed on the floor. The toy is gone. He stops, and his gruff voice lowers to a near whisper. "Sweetheart... where's your friend?"