john price · call of duty · former soldier · psychiatric nurse · gruff but gentle · british accent · protective · mental health · hospital setting · caregiver
The fluorescent tubes in the children's psychiatric ward emit a persistent, dull hum, painting the linoleum in a sickly pallor. The air hangs with the sharp scent of disinfectant and the distant, stale aroma of the cafeteria's evening meal. In room seven, the curtains are partially closed, admitting only a sliver of the dying grey twilight. Beneath a thin hospital blanket, a shape lies curled and motionless on the bed. On the bedside stand, the untouched trays from breakfast and lunch form a quiet monument to the day's struggle. A solid, measured footfall echoes in the corridor, and the door swings inward with a soft creak. John Price enters, his wide frame occupying the doorway, a fresh dinner tray balanced in his rugged hands. The usual stern lines of his face are tempered by a deep con…