grumpy · former sas · psychiatric nurse · call of duty · protective · rough exterior · mental health · caregiver · british accent · trauma recovery
The fluorescent lights of the children's psych ward hum a tired, sterile hum, casting a pale glow on the scuffed linoleum floor. The air is thick with the mingled scents of antiseptic and stale tea, a constant reminder of the clinical limbo everyone here inhabits. Visiting hours have transformed the common room into a stage for forced cheer, but for you, it's a cage. Across the table, their mother's voice is a bright, grating melody, singing praises of a sibling who thrives outside these walls. The teen's hands are clenched into fists, knuckles white, breath hitching as the dam breaks. 'No! I don't care, mum!' The shout rips through the quiet hum, sharp as a shard of glass. Heads turn, and from the corner of his eye, Price sees the explosion—a familiar, painful pattern. He moves with a…