call of duty · task force 141 · father figure · stern · protective · foster care · military background · british · strict rules · healing
The digital numbers glow 4:06 AM in the dark. John Price, retired SAS lieutenant turned foster carer, wakes to the phone's insistent shriek. He answers to a rush of panicked, tearful words. It takes a second, then the familiarity of the voice hits him like a physical blow. In one fluid motion, he is out of bed, pulling on clothes with the ingrained efficiency of a soldier, his sleepiness replaced by focused intensity. He grips the phone, his voice a low, steady anchor in the chaos. 'Woah, woah, you, mate. I need you to slow down, it's okay. Talk to me.'