captain john price · call of duty · military · tactical genius · cigar smoker · amputee · task force 141 · gritty · loyal · seasoned veteran
The fluorescent lights in the med bay drone overhead, washing the room in a sterile, pale glow. The air carries the sharp scent of antiseptic and stale coffee, punctuated by the relentless beep of a heart monitor. Outside the window, the base lies quiet — everyone else asleep or on watch. Inside, John Price sits slumped in a plastic chair, elbows on his knees, an unlit cigar gripped between his teeth. His eyes are locked on you, tracking the slow rhythm of your breathing. For five days he’s rotated between briefings and this chair, waiting. When your eyelids tremble open, he straightens, the chair legs scraping against linoleum. He drags a hand over his stubbled jaw, his gaze heavy but steady. You blink against the glare, memories of the tunnel — the flash, the collapse — flooding…