Ray sat down with Emily at her desk as they looked over the different documents about one of the future Warrant Officer missions he was to tend to.

"Did you tell him?" asked Ray, not removing his eyes from the file he was looking at.

"No."

"Why not?" he asked this time posing his eyes on her.

"How would you feel if Naima told you something of that importance, just before you got up and flew out?"

He tilted his head to the side. "Actually, I don't know. The occasion never arose."

"I'm sure it did, but your wife, just like me, prefers keeping this kind of news for when you're going to keep your feet on solid ground for at least a couple of days."

"I rest my case," said Ray.

Emily heard a noise and looked out in the corridor. She then looked at Ray puzzled. "I thought Lonergan was still in therapy?"

Ray leaned over and looked also outside of the room. He shrugged upon seeing Stuart.

"I guess he got cleared."

Emily's eyes narrowed. "It's only been two weeks. It's a bit quick don't you think?"

"I'm not a shrink, so what I think doesn't matter really."

"Good morning Bravo team, we hope you had a pleasant flight over" said Emily as she stood in the middle of TOC and saw all of them on the screen. "Our intel is still letting us know that Dr. Lee is still in the initial holding location. Your contact Abbud Hasnawi, will meet you tomorrow morning at the Bahrain Fish Market just off of 1405 Avenue. A picture of Hasnawi has just been sent over to you so that you can identify him. You'll need to be extremely careful and discreet. He'll provide you all or most of the information you'll need to infiltrate and recuperate Doctor Lee."

She let her eyes scan across the screen to the entire team then at Eric.

"Commander Blackburn and Ensign Davis will be in liaison with me and let me know how things progress. We'll let you settle in and I hope you have a pleasant evening and night. Good luck tomorrow."

After that Emily returned to her office and continued working on some of the files and training programs she was putting into place. She grabbed her stapler and cursed when she realized it was empty. She opened the desk drawer and fumbled around looking for staples, which were obviously absent.

She stood, grabbed her phone, and headed for the supply room. She opened the door and flipped the light switch on. She blinked and took a step back as the scene unfolded in front of her.

"Lonergan?"

There was no answer.

"Lonergan? Can you hear me?"

She walked slowly in his direction. He was standing his back to her and looking at the wall.

As she neared him, her phone rang. Upon hearing it ring, Lonergan turned around and looked at her with the darkest of eyes, even though they seemed to look through her at nothing, he pushed her to the side, against the wall, and rushed out the door.

Emily recovered and headed out the door. She looked up and down the corridor but couldn't see him.

"Hey Harold," said Emily as she knocked on the door, "you got a minute for me?"

"Sure, what can I help you with?"

"I wanted to talk about Petty Officer Third Class Stuart Lonergan."

"What about him?" asked Harold as he leaned back in his chair.

"I overheard that he was done with therapy."

"Yes, I cleared him beginning of this week. He should be able to resume training in a day or two."

"I think that's a mistake."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I ran into Lonergan yesterday. He was in the supply closet in the dark staring at the wall."

Harold grabbed his pen and took a patient file.

"I taught him some mediation techniques to help him relax and relieve the stress."

"It didn't look like mediation Harold. And why meditate in the supply closet?"

Harold looked up at her obviously not thrilled with her telling him how to do his job or doubt his experience.

"Lonergan is fine, Quinn. Let me be the one to make the psychological calls around here. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a patient."

Emily walked out unrattled at Harold's lack of worry in regard to Lonergan.

The following morning as she walked from the parking lot to the building, she noticed Lonergan sitting on a bench, that same dark look into the void, then in the supply room.

She walked over and sat next to him.

"Hey Lonergan. How's it going?"

Seeing he didn't respond, she gently put her hand on his shoulder. He jumped and looked at her rattled.

"It's OK, it's me. Emily."

His face changed slightly. "Hey."

"How are you?"

"I'm OK."

"Look, I know how hard it can be, if you want to talk, I'm a pretty good listener."

"I should have died with them," he simply threw at her without warning. "The Navy, the Army, they send us out there, while the big necks stay in their secured bases and we come back in wooden crates."

With that he stood, grabbed his backpack, and walked inside.

"You're dressed?"

She smiled at the screen. "Babe, it's the middle of the day of course I'm dressed."

"Damn," said Sonny jokingly, "and here I thought I'd get to see you in the bare minimum if not entirely naked."

"Well then you're watch is not on the right time zone, you should have called earlier."

"You look worried."

"Me? No, everything is fine. How are you?"

"I'm good, Eric and Lindell are working on the extraction as we speak, we should infiltrate later tonight."

"That's good. The sooner you get Dr. Lee the quicker you'll be home."

"Now, you want to tell me what's on your mind?"

She thought about telling him about Lonergan and what she was suspecting, but she figured there was no added value in telling him where he was.

"Just overly busy. I'm not only working on your mission but also helping Ray in Colombia. Luckily, he's already on his way back and should be here tomorrow morning."

"Don't over do it. There are times where I think Lindell forgets you're a civ."

"That's highly improbably, I'm currently one of the few people in TOC not in a uniform.. I stick out like a sore thumb."

"For some reason, I find that hard to believe. I miss you."

"I miss you too babe. Speaking of the devil, I need to go talk to Lindell. I'll catch up with you later."

"Love you."

"Forever and a day!"

She paced in front of Lindell's desk.

"Greyson, I think it's too soon."

"Harold cleared him."

"I know, Harold cleared him, but I think Harold is wrong."

Greyson raised an eyebrow and Emily looked at him. "If you're going to tell me, I'm not a psychologist, Harold already told me that."

"Well, if you've spoken to Harold then you know. And the point is moot."

"Greyson, with all due respect to Harold and to you, Lonergan is not stable. I think he's in a deep state of depression and is suffering from acute PTSD."

"I'm sure it was the case Harold would have seen it."

"He wishes he had died with Barker and Hall. He even blames chain of command."

Greyson stood and walked around his desk, sat on the edge of it and looked at Emily.

"Emily, we've all lost friends in combat. We've all wished we could take their places and have felt guilty about being alive. Out of anger we blame everyone. Look me in the eye and tell me it never happened to you?"

"It has, but I think we're wrong and making a big mistake."

"And I think Lonergan is OK."

Emily walked away and stopped at the door before turning back to look at Greyson. "Greyson, I hope you're right and I'm wrong."