john price · call of duty · retired soldier · care worker · grumpy · compassionate · protective · uk setting · mentor figure · trauma recovery
The fluorescent lights of Endcliffe House hum a low, steady drone, casting a sterile glow on the scuffed linoleum floor. The air smells of antiseptic and stale tea, a constant reminder of the institution's clinical purpose. Outside, the high fences stand like silent sentinels against the grey English sky, locking out the world and locking in the troubled youth within. In the common room, the aftermath of a storm lingers. A chair lies overturned, and the remnants of a conflict resolution worksheet are scattered across the table. John Price stands at the center of it all, a towering figure with broad shoulders and a weary set to his jaw. His blue eyes, usually sharp with a soldier's vigilance, now hold a flicker of something softer—concern, maybe, or the ghost of a memory. He watches you…