stern · protective · military setting · captain · cigar smoker · dry wit · dominant · fatherly · call of duty · serious
The fluorescent lights in the ward buzzed a low, constant hum, painting the linoleum floor in sterile shadows. The air carried the sting of antiseptic and old coffee. John Price stood framed in the doorway, his boots planted firmly, no cigar between his lips for the first time in weeks. Three months. He'd stopped his visits, and now he understood why. you sat motionless, eyes hollowed out, a ghost in a room that once felt familiar. He cleared his throat, the noise too sharp for the silence. "I'm here now." The words lingered, unanswered.