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Captain ignored him. He ignored everyone.

“I said I don’t want a drink right now.”

“Okay.” Rory swallowed his unease. “I’m sorry.”

Captain mopped his brow with his T-shirt. “I’ve been in the gym lifting weights.”

“I gathered. Did—did you make an appointment with the—”

“Yeah, hence the exhausting workout.”

“Why are you punishing yourself?”

Captain closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I’ve got to prove I’m not weak.”

“Asking for help isn’t weak.”

“I didn’t ask for help. I asked for an appointment with a shrink, that’s all, one appointment, to prove it won’t help.”

Sebastian cleared his throat, and they both looked up at him. A man stood beside him with the same haunted look Captain had. His head was shaved, and on one of his overworked biceps, he had a tattoo of a lion sitting on a crown.

Sebastian introduced him. “This is Sergeant Zeke Chambers. He served two years in Afghanistan. Lost his leg to a bomb blast.”

Zeke grinned, then patted the knee of his jeans. Rory assumed the one he touched was his injured leg, and Zeke confirmed so when he said, “I’ve nailed down a natural stride though, best prosthetic money can buy.”

Zeke stepped forward and held out his hand. Captain shook it and got to his feet.

“How long are you in here for?” Captain asked.

For the first time since knowing him, Rory heard excitement in Captain’s voice. He even smiled, a proper smile that lifted his dull eyes.

“I’ve got eighteen months left,” Zeke said. “Want to get some water?”

Captain nodded. “Sure.”

Rory smiled at Sebastian. “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

He sat down in the seat Captain had been in, then grimaced and shifted to the one beside it. “Sweaty. How are you today?”

Rory raised his shoulders. “Other than being bored.”

“Bored?” Sebastian eyed the book. “How can you be bored? It’s a great book, they all are.”

“Finally,” Rory exhaled. “Something we agree on. It is great, but I’ve read it before… I’ve read itseveraltimes before.”

Sebastian snorted. “I can help you with the boredom if you’d like.”

“I’m not playing cards with you again.”

Sebastian snorted. “Fine. How about chess?”

“Chess?”

“That’s what I said. You any good at chess?”

Rory shook his head. “No.”

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