Home of the Brave (4.14)
(After Monk's "disastrous" presentation before Julie's class)
Monk stood crouched in the hallway as he gasped for relief. Those kids in the class were merciless: they shot the laser beams from every direction, nonstop. The beams came at him quicker than fireflies in the night, but with greater devastating effect. Monk could not stand them any longer, lest he scarred his eyes for life, and panicked out of the classroom. He bothered not to listen to Natalie calling his name, or worse, the kids laughing in his wake.
Monk now treated Steve Wagner with a hint of annoyance. He reasoned: who would bring such damaging laser toys to a classroom? School was a place of learning, and following rules – that's very important – not playing around with silly toys. Fortunately, Julie did not share her classmates' enthusiasm. Nonetheless, Monk was unhappy with Steve Wagner and found another reason to get him behind bars.
Natalie came walking out with a cup of orange juice. She was happy that Monk was still there and hadn't run all the way to Dr. Kroger's office. She felt sorry for her boss and all he had suffered through, but did not assign any blame to Steve Wagner. It was just a well-intentioned gimmick gone wrong.
"Natalie, let's just go. I need to get out of here. Those kids, they are merciless," Monk agonized.
"Mr. Monk, first of all, you did great. I'm not just saying that because I want to make you feel better. It was a good presentation and I'm proud of you. As for Steve Wagner, don't think about him and the lasers so much," Natalie consoled him.
"But, didn't you look at them? They could have killed someone."
"I know. It's ok, Mr. Monk. Just calm down and relax. Remember, you might not have done well with those kids, but you are still brilliant."
Monk looked at Natalie. Her words reminded him of Sharona, who used to cheer him up and encourage him to forget about his fears. Like Sharona's, Natalie's words had a similar effect, if so even quicker. Monk gave Natalie a small, quick smile and drank the orange juice. Even though he had acted as a freak in the classroom, Monk was able to withstand the humiliation and not get into much of a panic, something uneasy for him still. Natalie was proud of him, and that was all that mattered. No Steve Wagner or laser beams could come between them.
(Back in the Teegers' home, when Julie was presenting Monk the badge of courage)
Monk was back at Natalie's for a quiet evening with her and Julie. He reminisced about the day at the air base, and how his story made headlines for his bravery. Bravery, he opined, was something so uncharacteristic of him. Yet, somehow, he found that hidden strength and faced Steve Wagner and all that he brought forth. Perhaps it was his conviction that Steve Wagner was guilty and too pompous for his own good that motivated Adrian Monk to act as he did. Or, perhaps he just needed to pursue this case, like all other cases including Trudy's, to completion. Maybe it was some self-conscious shame of his many phobias, and that act was his token of rebellion against being labeled a "muss".
Monk was distracted by Natalie and Julie who bound downstairs with a furtive glance. As the smart detective, Monk noticed it and looked inquisitively at the Teegers. They did not give anything away and just asked Monk to close his eyes for a surprise.
"Why?" Monk asked.
"It's a surprise. It's a gift. Close your eyes, please," Julie entreated.
Monk reluctantly tried to shut his eyes. He feared the worst, such as Julie giving him a kiss on the cheek – which he avowed would happen someday. He never knew that Julie would present him a hand-made badge of courage, and spoke those kind words that compared him to Mitch. Monk looked at Natalie who smiled back with love and happiness. He gave her a silent thank you and complimented her for Julie's choice. Even the subsequent flash photo – and that bit of retina scarring which he'd be thinking about for the rest of the week – could not take away from that moment.
"Natalie, Julie, I want to thank you for this gift. I know it's your hard work, and I'll appreciate it," Monk said sincerely.
"You're welcome, Mr. Monk. You deserve it, and all I said was true," Julie replied.
"Honey, that's so sweet of you. And thank you, Adrian, for accepting our gift," Natalie added.
Julie excused herself as she needed to answer a friend's phone call. Natalie and Monk sat on the couch in the living room and enjoyed the cocoa that Natalie prepared moments earlier. A comfortable silence set in as they took sips – for Monk, once every ten seconds – and soothed their minds and bodies after the long day. Each of them glanced at the other when they suspected the other wasn't looking, but both hid their smiles behind the cups of cocoa.
Natalie broke the silence by stating, "You know, Julie wasn't kidding when she said you are the bravest man next to her dad."
Monk nodded in consent. He didn't know Mitch Teeger well enough to compare, although his mind was working on trying to piece together some clues about Mitch.
Natalie continued, "I remembered this one time, when Mitch just married me. His commanding officer ordered him to fly sorties to the desert for no reason. Mitch found out that the officer was hiding some military secrets from the crew and air command. Mitch confronted the officer, who lashed out at Mitch in front of his comrades and demanded that he step down. Mitch refused and talked back to his commander's face. Eventually, the matter reached Washington and the Chief of Staff found out about the officer. Mitch was a hero, just like you are today."
"I'm glad you found him. He sounds like a great man. I'm sorry about what happened to him."
Natalie looked on wistfully. "Thanks for your thoughts, Adrian. You were the brave one. I totally was taken by Steve Wagner's fame and didn't see who he really was."
"Natalie, don't depreciate yourself like that. You are brave too: when you fought for me at the bar, when you stood up to your mother at the wedding, and when you went to the lawyer's house to retrieve evidence. See, you are the bravest woman I know."
"Well, then you don't know many women," Natalie joked.
Monk laughed alongside her. He added, "With you and Mitch, this house is 'home of the brave'. Julie should be very proud."
Natalie thought for a moment about what Monk just said. She never knew he could say such wonderful things. This new Adrian Monk was insightful and thoughtful; nobody could have guessed he was a man full of phobias ranging from the most common to most odd. And today, he showed his brave side, which increased her regard for the man and his character. 'Home of the brave', Natalie thought; she liked that.
"This is your home too, Adrian. You, too, are the brave."
