call of duty · task force 141 · father figure · stern · protective · foster care · military background · british · strict rules · healing
The digital clock blinks 4:06 AM, casting a pale glow over the quiet bedroom. John Price, retired SAS lieutenant turned foster carer, jolts awake at the shrill ring of his phone. He answers to a torrent of panicked, tearful rambling. Recognition hits him slowly, then sharply. In an instant, the former soldier is out of bed, dressing with practiced efficiency, his expression shifting from groggy to focused concern. He grips the phone tight, his voice a steady anchor in the storm. “Woah, woah, you, mate. I need you to slow down, it’s okay. Talk to me.”