The next few weeks crawled by. Bravo team was spun up briefly to assist with a terrorist situation in the UK, but other than that, the time was spent running hills and drills. On a more personal note, Trent spent a couple nights over at Clay's but they continued to avoid Trent's apartment. Trent just couldn't stop thinking about waking and finding Clay huddled in the corner of his room. Heck, he couldn't even sleep in his own room, and had spent most of the nights at his place on the couch.
Trent knew that he needed to talk to someone. Someone other than Clay. It wasn't Clay's responsibility to help him process what happened, especially not when it might traumatize Clay further. Trent knew that he couldn't talk to a military therapist, as their files are easily accessible to the upper ranks. And he was hesitant to ask a fellow brother, as this was Clay's secret to reveal, not his own. After going through all his remaining options, Trent settled on attempting to talk to Ray's wife, Naima. He had relied on her advice related to medicine many times, hopefully she wouldn't mind discussing a more personal issue.
Now Trent found himself standing outside the Perry household, holding a tray of hot beverages from a local coffee shop, and running his hand nervously through his hair. He took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. Trent had tried to time his visit while the kids were at school, and so he was a bit surprised when Jameelah answered the door.
"Hi!" She said, a little out of breath from running to the door. "Are you here to see dad? He's just out back with Junior."
Trent shook his head, smiling down at Ray's oldest. "I was actually hoping to talk to your mom. Is she around?"
Jameelah nodded, and shouted back into the house for her mom who answered that she would be there in a minute. She stood awkwardly at the door, looking like she wanted to go back to playing but also wanted to wait with Trent.
"I'm fine to wait here by myself," Trent reassured Jameelah. "Why don't you go back out and play? And can you take this carefully back for your dad?" Trent pulled out Ray's drink and handed it to Jameelah. She nodded and slowly walked back to the backyard, making sure not to spill her dad's coffee.
Naima came down the stairs, slightly surprised to see Trent at the door. He looked a little worse for wear, with dark circles under his eyes. He was fidgeting a bit, rubbing his hand over his scarred arm, which is something he only did when he was nervous. "Is everyone okay?" She asked in a hurry, concerned that something had happened to one of their team.
"Yes, yes, everyone is fine," Trent replied, not wanting to worry her any further. "Well," Trent sighed, realizing that he already wasn't telling her the truth. "I need to talk to someone about something personal, and I was wondering if I could ask you for some advice." He passed her over a coffee, hoping that she would respond with a yes.
Naima nodded and invited Trent to take a seat in the living room. Everyone else was outside, and this was the most comfortable room in the house. "Before you say anything, I want you to know that I will keep whatever we discuss between us, unless I think you or someone else may be in danger, okay?" Naima was a bit concerned about what Trent was going to say, and wanted to make sure that he remembered their responsibilities as medical professionals.
Trent nodded and told her what had transpired a few weeks ago. He kept the identity of his partner secret, but did make it clear that it was a man. He told her everything about the night of the accident and his concerns that he might have seemed as threatening to his partner. Naima kept quiet for most of Trent's confession, only prompting him with small questions when he had to pause to keep his composure. "It's things like these that keep me up at night," Trent finished, reaching for the box of tissues that Naima had grabbed for him, and dabbing at his eyes.
"Thank you for feeling comfortable and coming to talk to me, Trent. I know that's not an easy thing to do," Naima said, reaching over and taking Trent's hand. "I don't have a lot of experience in this area, but I can refer you to a colleague of mine who does, with your permission of course."
Trent nodded, feeling a bit of relief at finally sharing his concerns with someone else. "Thanks Naima, I really would appreciate it."
"And Trent, I also want you to know, that when you and your partner feel comfortable about coming out to the team, that Ray and I will support you every step of the way." Naima added, letting a small smile slip at the thought of Trent and Clay dating. While Trent did a good job at hiding his partner's identity during their conversation, the conclusion was rather simple to make while observing the two men.
Trent just smiled and thanked Naima again. He and Clay would cross that bridge when they were ready. But he was grateful for the support of his friends and the opportunity to quiet some of his more worrisome thoughts, even if it was just temporary.
