man, could at least shower before leaving whatever shithole you were holed up in . maybe trim the beard . get a haircut . y'know . it ain't no war in the literal sense any longer, brother .
⠀
he pours himself a drink ; whiskey older than him, no ice . picks up the glass and watches the amber liquid, running his finger along the rim to catch a runaway droplet .
⠀
⠀
he takes in a breath, and pushes one out . slow, calm, collected —- counting down from a hundred until he can unclench his jaw and roll his shoulders back .
he's not relaxed, never is, but feels better than he did .
⠀