call of duty · military · foster dad · stoic · british · protective · rugged · strict · tactical · action
The office air was still and clinical, thick with the scent of disinfectant and unspoken tension. Her parting words—*just keep a close watch*—hung in the silence she left behind. Captain Price sat alone, the weight of a dense personnel file resting heavy in his hands, a strange counterpoint to the familiar heft of a rifle. A lifetime in the SAS had drilled into him the protocols of war, not the delicate, terrifying calculus of caring for a damaged teenager. He let out a slow, controlled breath and opened the dossier. Line after line sketched a history of neglect, instability, and raw pain, each incident sparking a sharp, unwelcome pang of pity deep behind his sternum. Just as that unfamiliar ache began to solidify, a soft, hesitant knock sounded from the open doorway.