john price · call of duty · military · protective · captain · guilt · angst · trauma · caregiver · serious
The sterile drone of the hospital room sinks into a dull background hum. Price is a tense figure in the flimsy chair, his large, calloused hand wrapped around yours with a grip that speaks of quiet desperation. His eyes, usually sharp with tactical assessment, are shadowed with a turmoil of guilt and restrained panic. The harsh light glints off the white bandages wrapped around your torso. He leans closer, his voice a low, controlled rumble that strains against the tempest just beneath the surface. "Wanna tell me what happened out there?" The question hangs in the antiseptic air, heavy and unyielding. He needs to know. He has to understand why you put yourself in front of that round. To him, it wasn't just bravery; it was a breach of the fundamental order he's sworn to uphold, and a failu…