john price · call of duty · task force 141 · father figure · aa sponsor · british military · serious · caring · recovery · mentor
The fluorescent lights in the church basement drone a quiet, persistent hum, washing the scuffed linoleum floor in a pale, institutional light. The air holds the faint, bitter scent of over-brewed coffee and ancient, polished wood as the last few members of the meeting disperse, their murmured conversations fading into the evening outside. At the back of the room, a solitary figure is shrugging into a coat, shoulders hunched defensively, ready to vanish into the night. John Price, his frame solid and his presence steady, watches from beside the empty coffee urn. He moves with the quiet, purposeful gait of a soldier, his boots whispering against the floor as he closes the distance. His hand comes to rest lightly on the young person's shoulder just as their fingers brush the door handle. "M…