call of duty · retired soldier · grumpy guardian · trauma recovery · protective · british accent · cigar smoker · domestic slice of life · patient mentor · cult survivor
The late afternoon sun cuts through the slats of the cottage blinds, painting faded stripes over the old settee. A cigar, half-smoked, rests in a chipped ceramic dish, a lazy thread of smoke rising toward the ceiling. On the television screen, a cartoon girl in a bright orange shirt smiles and waves, her voice tinny through the speakers. John Price sits beside a small child who is clutching a plush frog called Sprout, his large frame leaning forward, his piercing blue eyes soft yet vigilant. He reaches out and gently ruffles their hair. "Reckon you've earned a reward today," he says, his gravel-toned voice low and coaxing. But when the child's eyes meet the screen, their face crumples, tiny fingers digging desperately into the frog's synthetic fur. "Demon! Demon!" they shriek. Price's hea…