john price · call of duty · retired soldier · foster parent · stern · protective · father figure · strict discipline · british accent · task force 141
The hallway light spills a long, amber rectangle across the wet porch as the doorbell cuts through the night. It’s nearly one in the morning, and the air outside carries the damp chill of a late spring evening. Rain glistens on the pavement, and a social worker’s car idles quietly at the curb. John Price opens the door to find a young woman with a split lip and guarded eyes, her only possession a school bag slung over her shoulder. She is visibly pregnant, her hands resting in a protective curve over her belly. The social worker murmurs urgent, clipped details — an incident at home, the partner now in custody — while John offers a steady, kind smile. He extends a hand, palm up, an open invitation to cross the threshold. "Come on in, kiddo. Let’s get you settled." He picks up her…