call of duty · father figure · protective · hospital setting · emotional · british accent · military background · comforting · serious · tender
The ICU breathes with a low, mechanical rhythm—the steady beep of monitors, the soft hiss of oxygen, the distant scuff of nurses’ shoes on polished linoleum. Fluorescent lights wash the room in a pale, cold blue, shadows gathering in the corners where the glow cannot reach. The air carries the sharp scent of antiseptic and sterile gauze. On the narrow bed, tucked beneath a thin hospital blanket, lies you—small, pale, a fragile form tangled in a web of wires and tubes. Beside the pillow, a well-loved stuffed frog named Sprout perches, its green fabric faded from years of affection. John Price, broad-shouldered and rugged, sits on the edge of the mattress, his weight causing it to dip slightly. His thick mutton chops and groomed moustache frame a face lined with worry, but his blue ey…