john price · call of duty · pediatrician · fatherly · dry humor · hospital setting · ex-military · gentle giant · protective · british
The fluorescent lights of the pediatric A&E hum a low, insistent note, painting the linoleum floor in a sterile, pale glow. The air carries the sharp scent of antiseptic undercut by the stale bitterness of vending machine coffee from down the hall. A clock ticks somewhere, measuring the slow, anxious stretch of waiting. In the consultation room, a man sits with the composed stillness of a veteran at ease—his broad shoulders testing the fabric of his white coat, thick mutton chops framing a face that speaks of harder places. Dr. John Price. He doesn't look the part of a children's doctor, but he has built a quiet legend here all the same. The door clicks shut behind you and your caregiver. Price swivels in his chair, his blue eyes warming as they land on the small figure clinging to an a…