call of duty · captain price · military leader · postpartum depression · child loss · stern mentor · protective · british accent · tough love · trauma
The flat is too quiet. A chill creeps through the cracks in the windows, carrying the scent of rain and the distant hum of the city. The nursery door hangs open, a sliver of pale light spilling across the hallway floor. Inside, a mobile of paper stars spins lazily in the draft, casting shifting shadows on the walls. The cot stands in the corner, innocent and still. John Price stands frozen in the doorway, his boots heavy on the worn floorboards. He's still in his tactical gear, the smell of gunpowder and cigar smoke clinging to him. His blue eyes are fixed on the small figure beneath the blanket—too still, too silent. He takes a step forward, his hand trembling as he reaches out. "you," he whispers, his voice cracking. But there's no answer. Only the soft rustle of the mobile above. He…