"Hiya, Bones. Are you feeling better today? No more coughing, right?" Booth walked into the kitchen as he came home from work and gave her a kiss as she sat at the counter sipping her tea.
"Oh, hello, Booth. Yes, I'm feeling much better and my coughing has almost completely stopped. I think the anise tea has helped me recover rapidly from my illness." Brennan glanced at the kitchen clock. "You're later than what I expected you to be this evening. Is everything alright?"
"Fine. Things are fine." Booth wrinkled his nose at Brennan's tea cup, hoping to change the subject. "I still think that stuff smells nasty. Are you sure it wasn't Angela's healer that made you feel better? He's not a bad looking guy…and he seemed really interesting...and the massage he gave you looked relaxing..." Booth grinned as he gently teased his wife.
"Of course it wasn't the healer. That's simply ridiculous!" Brennan grimaced indignantly as she took another sip of her tea. "Aren't you going to tell me why you're late this evening? Did you have to go to more hearings on Walker's death?"
"Nah...I'm not sure what spin they're gonna put on that whole deal, but I think they're gonna try to keep me and Aubrey out of it. I'd hate to sort out that mess. I mean, Walker was a hero for saving the President's life, but he also killed another member of the Secret Service because the guy knew he was having health issues and wanted to take him off the team. In his own mind, Walker was the only man who could do the job right, and he was too dedicated to that job to risk giving it to anyone else." Booth walked over to the refrigerator and got a beer. Opening it, he took a sip as he decided what else to tell his very inquisitive wife. I'll never have a moment's peace...might as well tell her…"I was late because I went to see Travis Bozwell this afternoon."
"You mean Travis from the gun club? The man who was shooting the leaves off the trees? Whatever for?" Brennan's brows knit as she tried to understand why Booth had made the long trip out to the Cavenaugh Gun Club.
Booth shrugged as he took another sip of his beer. "I'm kinda worried about him, because I kinda think maybe he has PTSD. When we questioned him, it seemed to me that he was really down on himself, you know? He seemed hopeless, like maybe he felt like he didn't have anything to live for, so I went to see how he was doing."
"I see." Brennan smiled to herself. Just like Booth, isn't it? Always taking care of someone..."So how is he doing? He seems to have exceptional hand/eye coordination, and he's an excellent shot. He must have done well as a soldier."
"I found out that he'd won a sharpshooter's medal while he was in the Army. He actually did pretty well for a while when he was serving in Afghanistan, but a couple of his buddies…" Booth sighed as he took another sip of beer. "He said they were driving down the street in this dusty little town, minding their own business while they were on patrol, when they ran over an IED. Travis got thrown clear somehow, but the other two guys with him were killed. One of them had been married for just a few months, and the other one had three little kids. So now he's got survivor's' guilt to deal with, and I guess the blast messed up his hearing, too. He said he's constantly got headaches and ringing in his ears…"
"Booth, that's so sad...poor Travis." Brennan shook her head as she thought about the situation. "I wonder if he's told anyone at the VA about the ringing in his ears. It could be that he suffered a serious concussion from the explosion and he could still be experiencing health issues because of it."
"Well, part of the problem is that he looks fine, like he's completely healthy. You can't look at him and tell that there's anything wrong with him. I mean, you've got guys at Walter Reed that are missing limbs, or who were blinded, so it makes Travis feel like his problem is really minor compared to what everyone else is dealing with. He's trying to suck it up…"
"But he's entitled to veterans' benefits, Booth...he should be evaluated by a neurosurgeon…"
"You're right, Bones, but for some guys, when they go to the VA it reminds them of being deployed all over again. Travis doesn't feel very comfortable there, so I told him about some other places he could go to get help...where he can get a check up and maybe talk to someone about what he's still carrying around emotionally…" Booth rinsed out his beer bottle and put it in the recycling. "Things are really rough for him now. He doesn't have any family left, and his girlfriend left him because she thought he's been acting weird, I guess. He's a licensed electrician, but he's having a hard time keeping a job...he gets nervous or irritable easily and he has a hard time focusing on what he's supposed to be working on. I just hope he doesn't fall through the cracks of the system. I don't want him to become another vet who commits suicide because they can't adapt to being home after their deployment."
Brennan rose from her barstool and embraced her husband. "You're such a good man, Booth. Travis is lucky to have someone like you to take an interest in him. I hope he listens to your advice."
"We're gonna keep in touch. I gave him my card in case he wants to talk things over, and I'm gonna check up on him from time to time to make sure he stays of trouble, but when you get right down to it, he's going to have to take the steps to get the help he needs. I'm just trying to encourage him." Smiling, Booth gave Brennan another kiss. "Okay, time for laughter therapy to help you get over your crud. Did you decide what movie you want to watch? The Stooges, right?"
"Actually, Booth…" Brennan smiled slyly. "I'd rather see your impression of the Stooges. I find that to be much more entertaining than the movies. What other impressions do you do? Can you do Chris Hemsworth as well? I think that would improve my health tremendously."
Laughing, Booth pulled his wife close. "Whatever I do, you can bet it'll make a lasting impression on you…"
Brennan purred as she caressed her husband's cheek. "That was exactly what I wanted to hear. I'm beginning to feel better already..."