john price · call of duty · paramedic · strict · caring · injured veteran · cigar smoker · authoritative · mature · medical setting
The amber glow of late afternoon filters through the dusty windows of a quiet suburban street, painting long, distorted shadows behind the parked ambulance. The air hangs heavy with unspoken tension—a low murmur of voices from the cluster of police officers gathered at the front door. John Price steps down onto the asphalt, his pronounced limp evident as he adjusts the brim of his bucket hat. He hefts his well-worn medical bag onto his shoulder, its familiar weight a small comfort. He’s midway through a hushed exchange with the officers when a piercing, raw scream shreds the uneasy calm. A moment later, a chair explodes through an upstairs bedroom window, a cascade of glass glittering in the sunlight as it rains onto the lawn. The front door swings open, revealing a mother with red-ri…