"Sir, Colonel Remsburg is currently unavailable, but Major Kota's available. He can meet you at the battalion headquarters."
"Thank you. Please tell them I'm coming," Brutus said.
The guard waved him through. Following the now familiar roads, he drove just a few blocks further, past the three company areas to the battalion headquarters, where he parked.
A lieutenant in uniform came out, checking him out. "Brutus Townsend."
"Jim Peters, Bravo Company," the lieutenant replied. "I'm the current duty officer today. I already called Major Kota, he'll be here in a few minutes."
"Thanks. Is there... Christ man, I don't know what to do." Brutus balled his fists, digging them into his temples in frustration. "Fucking therapist says just accept the emotions, but what the fuck do you do when the emotions are like this?"
Peters waved him over to a picnic table, sitting down on top of it. Brutus joined him, the two of them sitting side by side, their knees splayed, their elbows resting on their thighs.
"If it helps, my friend's the same way," Peters said, "and he's an officer too. It's gotten to the point that he tells me to not even tell him when I'm being sent on a mission, just send him a text when I get back and can count to twenty one on my digits. That's his words, not mine."
"He's not here at Fort Pickett?" Brutus asked.
Peters shook his head.
"Yeah, we're doing semi-long distance ourselves. He's at Fort Lee. It's not ideal, but we make it work, you know? I miss him like crazy when he's gone."
Brutus nodded, feeling a connection. Someone who understood the ache in his chest.
"Linda's only been gone a day and I'm already losing it."
"Here's Major Kota," Peters said, nodding toward the parking lot.
Brutus faintly remembered meeting Justin Kota before, when he'd been processing in and out of the 3/3 for his week of training with Charlie Company. Shorter than most officers, he had a compact body that Brutus suspected was quite strong for its size.
"Brutus, it's good to see you again," Kota greeted him, offering a hand.
He was dressed for the weekend, a gray polo shirt and khaki shorts that made him look like he was getting ready to spend the afternoon golfing rather than talking with Brutus.
"Sorry Colonel Remsburg's unavailable."
"Unavailable as in the man's got a cold, unavailable as in he doesn't want to talk to me, or unavailable as in he's nowhere near Fort Pickett?" Brutus asked. "It makes a difference."
"Certainly does," Kota replied, taking a deep breath but not answering. Another car pulled up, and a man got out. "Ah, here's the Padre."
"Padre?" Brutus asked worriedly as he saw the man put a necklace on, a crucifix. "Does that mean...”
"No, no." Kota waved Brutus down. "Chris Morgan's the battalion chaplain, but I asked him here because he's also sort of a counselor for us. And it'll be good to have another set of ears to make sure we're clear on what I say, you know?"
Brutus sighed in relief, and shook Morgan's hand when it was offered. "So you're the chaplain, huh?"
"First Lieutenant Chris Morgan," he replied with a nod and a chuckle. "Major Kirk and I have swapped a few stories about his struggles during his time as a captain. I can only imagine what a priest named Captain Morgan's going to have to deal with. So, when Major Kota called me, I can guess what you're asking about. Charlie Company."
"I'm a nervous wreck," Brutus admitted. "My therapist said I should at least come talk to you guys, see what you can tell me. Look, last time, I wasn't around. I was busy, and since it was just a small thing I was sort of able to handle it. But this... this is tearing me apart. I was about to tuck her into bed when the damn call came. No offense Father."
"Just Chris," Morgan said. "I'm not Catholic, and my seminary doesn't grant titles for a job like mine."
"So this is your second deployment," Kota said.
He indicated that Brutus should walk with him, and they did, leaving the picnic table behind to walk through the series of nearly interconnected parking lots towards Charlie Company's barracks and offices. They in all reality were connected, with smooth dirt gaps between each paved area to delineate what belonged to who.
"How'd you handle it the first time?"
"Team minicamp," Brutus said. "I got the notification by text message, so I was able to sort of put it out of my mind. It wasn't until she got back and I saw the bruises on her body that I... dammit. I keep getting her in trouble with you, don't I Padre?"
