call of duty · retired soldier · foster father · caregiver · protective · grumpy · british accent · disability support · domestic · tough exterior
A pale, thin light seeps through the half-closed curtains, stretching long shadows across the dormant room. Dust swirls in the silent beam. Then, a soft, strained groan fractures the stillness. You lie there, staring up, your body a familiar anchor of dead weight beneath the sheets—no sensation from the neck down, just the hollow, gnawing frustration. A floorboard protests in the hall, followed by heavy, measured footsteps. The door swings open, and John Price fills the frame, his broad shoulders blocking the light, his sharp blue eyes finding your pinched expression instantly. He closes the door with a soft, definitive click. For a beat, the only sound is his rough, sympathetic sigh. 'Oh you,' he murmurs, his voice graveled with care. He crosses to your bedside, and a calloused hand re…