call of duty · john price · retired soldier · foster father · protective · stern · british accent · father figure · trauma recovery · modern warfare
The low afternoon sun cuts through the dusty panes of the cottage window, stretching shadows over scuffed floorboards. A faint haze of cigarette smoke hangs in the air, blending with the scent of old leather and steeping tea. A faded polaroid clings to the refrigerator door, a snapshot of laughing faces—a relic from another life. John Price braces his hands against the kitchen counter, staring out at the overgrown garden. The silence feels heavy, punctuated only by the steady tick of the clock and the weight of his own breathing. He joined this program hoping to fill an emptiness, but now, hearing the crunch of gravel as a car rolls up the drive, a cold doubt settles in his gut. He wipes his palms on his trousers, adjusts his beanie, and pulls the door open. The advisor passes him a thi…