Gibbs: It's not easy walking away from your unit, is it Sergeant?
--
Gibbs remembered when he walked away like it was yesterday. The deep loss he felt when he woke up from the coma wasn't just for his family, but also for his men. The men who looked up to him, respected him and honored him. Some of his unit and CO's were able to attend the funeral and if Gibbs had been able to express any type of emotion he would have expressed his gratitude. But all he could muster was a quiet nod to all the I'm sorry's he was berated with.
"I'm sorry Gunny."
"Sorry sir."
"My sympathies sir"
"Semper Fi Gunny."
But none of them made walking away any easier. He somehow knew that he'd not only lost one family but two. And even as he pulled that trigger on that hillside he was reminded once again of how hard it would be to let go. As he screamed out in anger towards the sky his heart fully broke in two. And he was convinced that nothing and no one would ever make it whole again.
His men were transferred and sent back to active duty and before he knew it the flowers stopped. The phone calls stopped. The visits stopped. He knew his position was waiting to be filled but something told him it was time to start over. The marines had taught him how to be a man; how to stand for things like duty, honor and The Flag. And he would never forget those things. They were ingrained into the very fiber of who he was. Broken or whole.
And one man offered him a new start. NCIS became his passion and slowly but surely he started to live again. He may have walked away from his men; but knew each of them had understood. Because once a marine, always a marine.
Semper Fi