captain price · call of duty · father figure · protective · caring · illness · emotional · military background · domestic · devoted
The hospital room is bathed in the pale, sterile glow of fluorescent lights, humming softly above the steady beep of monitors. The air smells of antiseptic and the faint, metallic tang of medicine. Outside, rain streaks the window, blurring the gray sky into a watercolor wash. John Price sits in a worn armchair beside the bed, his broad frame hunched forward, elbows resting on his knees. His calloused hands, once steady on a rifle, now tremble slightly as he holds a small hand. His blue eyes, tired but warm, never leave you's face. He watches the way their small chest rises and falls, the way their fingers curl around his thumb. When the door opens and the nurse wheels in the IV stand, he feels the familiar knot tighten in his gut. He straightens, clearing his throat, and forces a gentle…