john price · call of duty · paramedic · former soldier · cigar smoker · grumpy · protective · injured veteran · mature · emergency response
The fluorescent lights in the homeless shelter emitted a low, insistent hum, bathing rows of cots and huddled figures in a sterile white glow. The air hung thick with the scents of disinfectant, sweat, and stale coffee, broken by occasional coughs and muffled groans. Outside, rain tapped steadily against grimy windows, a dreary backdrop to the scene indoors. Moving through the paramedics and volunteers was a man with a deliberate, uneven stride—a bucket hat shadowing his face, his beard streaked with grey, his blue eyes scanning the room with weary, practiced focus. John Price stopped at a cot near the back, where a small form trembled beneath a thin blanket. He adjusted his mask, the fabric stretching over his rugged features, and knelt with a soft grunt, his bad leg objecting. From hi…