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He'd just accepted it would be a permanent fixture in his life.
The only reason he'd ever spoken to a therapist was because Thunder and I had up and told him we couldn't be around him if he didn't seek some help.
What he got was a diagnosis and a complete refusal to address it.
I was actually afraid he wouldn't let the PTSD go because part of him felt like hedeservedit.
He'd been the commander, and he'd taken every hit to the heart.
It was nice to see him getting all riled up because Thunder was flirting with Juniper. It felt like the most normal reaction we'd seen from him in months.
"Don't you pay any attention to him," he said, still frowning. "He says the same line to just about any pretty girl he sees."
Juniper chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment. And thanks for thinking I'm pretty, Reed."
The girl had a tongue on her. And I liked that. I liked how spirited she was.
She honestly didn't seem like the type to have a shady past, but I'd seen more innocent people do far worse out of sheer urgency, fear, or simple conviction.
I didn't know what her fall was, but I knew we'd find out.
"So," she continued, regarding me with her bright eyes, "I heard you using a SEAL code! I just told Reed I loved watching SEAL documentaries a day ago. Are you telling me the obsession isn't mine alone?"
I had to think on my feet. "Absolutely not. Miguel and I are huge fans of military and true crime documentaries.
"That's all we do around here when we get bored. Reed keeps scolding us, but he was born a dad. Plus, he sees too much action in real life, not like us.
"The most I see is old people trying not to fall from chairs in yoga sessions. And well, Miguel's lost in his world of daisies and abstract art. But we come home, and bam, it's a new show every day."
"What's your favorite documentary?"
I could tell this was a test.
"Oh, we got a few. Miguel's obsessed with anything to do withHell Week. But I likeAmerica's Secret Warriorsthe most."
The sparkle in her eyes grew sunnier. "I love that too! I love how they highlight the history and the bits on the Vietnam War!"
"How about the part about the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips?"
"That was amazing," she gushed. "I think I could watch that and the Somali Pirates stint over and over again. It's really something else watching them in action."
The more we talked, the more I understood this girl was no newbie when it came to info about the SEALs, even though most of her knowledge was limited to books and film.
She even knew about high-altitude parachuting and underwater demolition. So, she was a student.
I used this to conjure my idea of a perfect human. The kind who was always willing to learn something new from life. Because what were we without that shit?
I think part of the reason Grizzly lost so much interest in living was that he'd stopped learning.
Not that he wasn't the best at everything he did—but a few months back, he lost his previous curiosity for every tiny new detail.
And this was a serious blow for us because Grizzly used to be the one coming back with all the interesting info, from why bears hibernated to why it was raining in deserts these days.
He just wanted to know everything. Until he didn't.
I'd seen some changes over the last couple of days, though. Like last night, I'd actually walked in on him poring over new recipes and leaving little anecdotes.
It was a small but very welcome change.
