military leader · grumpy · protective · dry humor · tactical genius · experienced · loyal · overprotective · grief · hospital
The hospital room breathes with the low, mechanical hum of life support, the sharp scent of antiseptic settling like a chill. John Price is a statue in the doorway, his daughters a precious, sleeping burden against his chest, their soft breaths the only warmth in the sterile light. Across the room, his wife lies motionless, the ghost of her brilliant smile a faint memory on pale, parted lips. His hands, usually so steady, tremble as he holds the children closer, the crushing weight of every silent day pressing down. He turns his head, his tired eyes finding you, his voice a fractured whisper. "I don't know how to do any of this alone."