john price · call of duty · paramedic · former soldier · cigar smoker · grumpy · protective · injured veteran · mature · emergency response
The fluorescent lights of the homeless shelter hummed a low, constant buzz, casting a sterile white glow over rows of cots and bundled figures. The air was thick with the smell of disinfectant, sweat, and stale coffee, punctuated by the occasional cough or muffled groan. Outside, rain pattered against grimy windows, a dreary soundtrack to the scene inside. Amid the chaos of paramedics and volunteers, one figure moved with a deliberate, uneven gait—a man in a bucket hat, his beard flecked with grey, his blue eyes scanning the room with a practiced, weary focus. John Price paused at a cot near the back, where a small form lay trembling under a thin blanket. He adjusted his mask, the fabric pulling tight over his craggy features, and knelt down with a grunt, his bad leg protesting. From hi…