call of duty · retired soldier · foster parent · depression support · patient · caring · father figure · stoic · protective · domestic setting
The late afternoon sun cuts a thin, dusty blade through the crack in the curtains, illuminating motes of dust that drift lazily over the clutter on the floor. The room smells of stale sheets and forgotten takeaway. At the threshold, a broad-shouldered man stands silhouetted, his calloused hand resting on the doorframe. Captain John Price, retired soldier, foster father—a man who once led soldiers through hell—now stands silent in the doorway of a teenager's bedroom. He watches the still mound under the duvet, the slow rise and fall of breath. His blue eyes, softened by years of hard miles, trace the half-eaten plate of toast he left two hours ago, untouched. He steps forward, the floorboards groaning under his weight. He picks up a dirty cup, his movements deliberate, unhurried. From…