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She laughed quietly. “I suppose you’re right.”

I looked around her office, ignoring her. I didn’t want to talk about my parents on top of the reason I was already here for. This session would be hard enough without admitting Hunter was the only family I had left. It was just the two of us, and that scared me.

What if I lost Hunter too one day?

Weak.

I had become so very weak.

My eyes landed across the room above her desk, to where numerous diplomas hung on display. How Dr. Mallory had managed to sit through all that schooling was beyond me; hands-on action had always been more my thing. I would never be the type of person to accomplish success like that in academia.

Dr. Mallory clapped her hands and grabbed a pile of papers off the table between us, quickly skimming the pages. “So, your sergeant required a few sessions with me before you can be cleared to go back to work. Does that sound correct?”

I sighed. “Sounds right.”

“Well, then, let’s get to it. I’m sure you’re itching to get back to work.”

True.

Sitting at home these past three weeks had started to take a toll on my mental health.

I might not be as emotionally sound as I once was, but I was ready to have my weapon back in my hands and get my feet moving.

Dr. Mallory set down her paperwork and placed her hands in her lap. “Feel free to lie back if you find that’s more comfortable for you.”

I did as she suggested, choosing to stare at the ceiling rather than face her.

Dr. Mallory started, “There was an incident at Fort Gray. Can you tell me what happened?”

Damn. We were jumping right in, then.

But I said nothing.

How could I explain something I didn’t even understand myself?

A few seconds ticked by before she tried again. “Can you at least tell me where you were when the incident occurred?”

I took a breath, exhaling through my rushed words. “I was in the training pool, going over some material for the incoming recruits.” I turned my head, looking at her, and she nodded, encouraging me to continue. “The recruits are scheduled to arrive on base today. I was assigned to make sure the water-survival curriculum was ready, so I got in the pool to test everything out firsthand. It was standard protocol.”

“Good,” she said. “And was there anyone else with you while you were going through the training?”

My immediate thought was to say no, but I was certain she had a copy of the incident report in her stack of papers. “Yes. My colleague, soldier Aaron Davis, was there at the end of the day. He stopped by to see how everything was going.”

Dr. Mallory nodded again. “Was Mr. Davis in the pool with you?”

I shook my head, unable to form the words to answer. I was five minutes into my session, and I was already falling apart. “Aaron. You can call him Aaron,” I whispered, as my throat began to close, tears welling up behind my eyes.

“Was Aaron checking in on you from outside the pool?”

I dipped my head, confirming her question.

“I know it can be difficult to share details after something traumatic has happened . . .” The doctor wrung her hands, searching for the right words. “But it’s important to talk about what happened, Bryn. Not only so the official case can be closed, but so you can try and move forward with your life.”

That was easy for her to say. She didn’t understand what it felt like to exist every day knowing what I know. Knowing what I’ll never be able to forget, as long as I live.

I swiped at my cheek as a tear slipped down my face. “I—I can’t.”

She leaned over, removing a tissue from a box sitting on the table.