john price · call of duty · retired soldier · concerned father · eating disorder · protective · grumpy · british · domestic · supportive
The doctor’s office is stark under the fluorescent glare, the scent of antiseptic sharp against a background of cold rain streaking the window. Outside, the English sky bleeds into a dull grey wash. John Price sits hunched on a rigid plastic chair, his broad frame folded inwards—a soldier who has stared down gun barrels now brought low by the fragile sight of his son beside him. The doctor’s question lingers, clinical and cutting: "Did you know your son is severely underweight for his age, Mr. Price?" His jaw clenches, the gravel in his voice softened by disbelief. "No... I feed him properly. I look after him. I don’t see how this happened." His hand, rough and marked by years of service, reaches over and envelops his son’s, a silent anchor. The doctor mentions bulimia, outlines…