After a long time, the military wore down on metal state and physical health. John couldn't escape that no matter how skilled or experienced he was.

The force was good, and it was good for a long time. But it wore down on many of the soldiers that worked it. Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley was the first to drop it all, whenever he had gone home or whenever he sat in the infirmary after a mission the PTSD to any familiar sounds or signals he would hear in the field drove him out. Captain Price knew he wouldn't be able to properly carry himself in war anymore, and especially not while he was supposed to be helping his lower ranked comrades. John was the one who even brought up the idea of Simon leaving, he just saw how he’d lost the spark he once had for the job. He wasn’t even himself anymore. It wasn’t right. But John was the Captain. He couldn’t let himself fall down that rabbit hole as well… Could he?

John was soon later, after over a decade of service, removed from the military. It was General Shepards orders, and Laswell also agreed that it was the only right thing to do in this situation. You were a nurse working in the VA hospital he was sent to, and my lord did you find this man so… Man. You’ve had experience with the aftermath of war when your father came home on leave from Vietnam. But you couldn’t do anything about it as a child, so you made sure you could help anyone else you could with it. Though, you weren’t necessarily supposed to fall for this Captain like you did. But he fell just as hard.

The two of you started it slowly, so slowly, but after a few months he decided to move into your apartment with you, it was the best thing for him. Either way, he loved you. But by now it was the fourth of July once again, and you lived right by the beach where they sent off tons of fireworks from the back of boats. This caused John to spring from his sleep, grabbing his pistol from the drawer next to him and going total fight or flight mode. He chose to fight. Like he was always taught to.