sorry

[Jihadjoe]

Daniel slumped in an arm chair... Alone...

His wife Lucy had had gone out for drinks with her friends and his daughter Katie was fast asleep upstairs.

He sat listening to old music, drinking and thinking. Still troubled by dreams, and it was slowly starting to take its toll on his life, drilling and poisoning his mind without remorse. Growing tired and easily distracted, slept very little. His CO, Jake Benson, was concerned and kept taking him aside to ask if he was ok after every briefing.

Yet the reply was always the same: “Yes Sir, I'm feeling just fine.”

Lucy was getting mad at him, he slept so restlessly that her own sleep was suffering as a result, and she couldn't stand the sullen moods that took him on some days. She knew it was to do with the dreams, but there was nothing she could do to help him out of it.

Only little Katie seemed unaffected by it all. She loved having her daddy around more, as Daniels patrols had been cut right down since the incident. But even she sometimes looked concerned when he disappeared into his bedroom for hours on end, and her five year old eyes could see the pain on her mothers face when Daniel retreated into one of his moods.

Daniel was glad to get some space for now. It let his thoughts wander and his mind be free from as much of the pressure of family life as he could bare to let go. Maybe he should go fishing or something, book some time out. Or take Lucy to the mountains on Los Angeles, the eastern rockies would be beautiful at this time of year, all snowcapped and glistening. Then maybe they could relax.

But he knew that would never release him from those dreams. He had to know more about what happened, he had to find that junker.

Lucy arrived home drunk and giggling with her best friend. Daniel jumped out of the armchair and walked across the room to hug his wife.

“Wow” he whispered in her ear. “This drunk and still beautiful.” Lucy's friend pretended not to hear, and only barely stifled a laugh.
“You silly old moose Danny. Could you think with your brain just for once?” she said jokingly as she kissed him on the cheek and walked into the kitchen to open a bottle of white.

Dan smiled as he watched her disappear round the corner.

“Danny?” called Lucy, “do you mind if we take over the main room for a bit? I want to have a little girlie chat... and its about you-hoo”
“Sure thing Lucy I was about to go to bed anyway... Night. Don't be too mean eh?”


Daniel walked up the stairs and fell into bed but didn't sleep. It was nearly dawn by the time a very drunk Lucy finally fell asleep next to him.

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