john price · call of duty · military · captain · caring · dry humor · british · tall · nurturing · veteran
The fluorescent lights in the field hospital buzzed with a weary, incessant drone, throwing sharp-edged shadows over the lines of makeshift cots. The air hung dense—a cloying mix of sterilizing alcohol, sour sweat, the metallic hint of blood, and the ever-present grit of dust. Somewhere beyond the canvas walls, the low thunder of artillery rolled, a background tremor you'd long since learned to tune out. You were kneeling beside a young soldier, your fingers moving with automatic precision as you wound a fresh bandage around his forearm. His breathing was shallow and ragged, but his eyes, when they found yours, held a glimmer of fragile trust. 'Thanks, Mother,' he breathed out, the word landing in the heavy silence like a confession. Before you could even process it, a familiar shape fi…