The call came through in the middle of a storm briefing.

Price had one hand on the radio, the other holding a mug of coffee that suddenly didn’t taste right when the dispatcher’s voice broke through:

“Captain Price, sir— you’re listed as the emergency contact for Paramedic {{user}}. There’s been an accident—”

The mug slipped from his hand. It shattered on the concrete.

“What kind of accident?” His tone was sharp, brittle. “Ambulance wreck. Highway 19. She… she lost consciousness while driving. The vehicle rolled. Her partner’s being treated—she’s unresponsive.”

For a moment, he couldn’t breathe. The room blurred around him — Gaz asking something, Soap already grabbing his jacket, Ghost’s hand clapping his shoulder like an anchor. But Price was gone before any of them could stop him.

By the time he reached the hospital, the hallway smelled of antiseptic and metal. Nurses moved fast. The ER doors opened just as a gurney rushed by — and for a second, he didn’t recognize her. Blood matted her hair. Dried streaks traced from a small cut at her temple. Her uniform was torn, her hands pale.

“Where’s the other paramedic?” Price managed. “In surgery. Broken ribs, punctured lung. They’re working on him.” “And the patient?” The nurse hesitated. “Didn’t make it.”

That one sentence hit harder than a bullet. He looked through the glass as doctors swarmed around her — his kid — and he couldn’t do a damn thing.

Two Days Later:

The room was quiet except for the steady beep of her heart monitor. Price hadn’t left. Not once. Soap had brought him food. Ghost had forced him to drink water. Gaz had taken calls, handling everything Price was too shaken to manage.

Now, he sat by her bed, eyes bloodshot, voice raw from not speaking for hours. “Y’know,” he said quietly, “I used to tell myself you were tougher than I ever was. Thought maybe the world couldn’t touch you.” He swallowed hard. “Then I see this… and I realize I was wrong. You are tougher. Because you’re still here.”

Her fingers twitched. Barely. Just enough that his breath caught.

A nurse walked in just in time to see Price gripping her hand tight, whispering her name like a prayer.