A drabble and half for 3x17. I've had this idea ever since I first watched the ep.
Armor
He had to dig to find it, but that's how he wanted it. Every time he opened his closet, he didn't need to be reminded. His hand closed over the dark blue dust cover and he slowly pulled the wardrobe bag from his closet. He stared at it a minute, before slowly lowering the zipper.
More times than he cared to remember he'd worn his dress blues and fewer times than was fair it'd been happy. It was his armor; the shield that kept him stoic, even in the face of grieving spouses, heartbroken parents and his own unrelenting pain.
How many times had he worn it? As he pulled the dust cover off he swore he could still see the long dried tearstain on left shoulder, left by Holland's wife. Invisible, the shadow of tears still marred his memory.
Mitch, Dex, Holland... Soldiers, all of them…
Until today.