Song of the Red-Legged Birds: Chapter 21: Well okay then
He thought he drank alone
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Last week, in chapter 20, Arthur and Christo discussed next steps
Chapter 21: Well okay then
They used to call it a bender, and he still did. He was grateful that bars didn’t close anymore. It was as if the government threw up its hands and decided it was better to keep people’s senses dulled than worry about safety or the social implications. In truth, it was partly that and something much darker. As the world’s natural resources were stretched further, anything to thin the herd was seen as a good thing. This was never publicly stated, no more than anyone said you can breathe air. And so, he drank.
He drank while the college kids were loud and trying to get laid.
He drank while people danced and laughed, and women took off their shoes.
He drank while much of the crowd drifted to the doors waiting for Flyers.
He drank while hearing individual goodbyes and promises to meet again.
He drank while whispered words between soon-to-be lovers barely touched his ear.
And now he drank alone while a few like him snored with heads down on the wet bar.
He looked up, wondering how long he’d been staring at his drink, and caught his reflection in the streaked glass behind the bar. He looked for as long as he could, daring to take in what he saw, a fucking mess. For a moment, Seamus thought he saw the reflection of someone outside standing very still, looking back at him. He turned to the bartender, made eye contact, and tapped his glass for a refill. When he looked back, the person was gone.
He glanced at his watch, 3:40 am. He noticed several missed calls and texts and dismissed them with a swipe. This time of the night, or morning, is usually when his senses were razor-sharp. This is when ambushes happen. The enemy counts on your human frailty, your need for rest. So he trained for mental toughness, surviving on minimal sleep. He could come fully conscious in a moment if crickets stopped chirping or if the wind changed direction. But the threats were over now. Most of his best friends were dead and buried. He was left with memories and PTSD. Both he tried to drink away when they came calling.
He had to tonight. He’d seen, or thought he saw, something impossible today. A living tree, one that just appeared, was that it? Whenever he thought of it, his mind overlaid the war on top. Soldiers creeping through the woods silently to kill him. They became part of the forest, stopping so long he was sure they were trees or foliage. Living shadows that moved while you blinked, closer, ever closer until hitting a trip flare. Unholy chaos. Tracers. Screams. The stink of blood and shit. Running. Falling. Punched by an invisible fist. Ringing. The night sky. Waves.
Oliver walked in and saw him at the bar. Head slumped forward, sweating, mumbling, hand gripping a glass destined to break. He took a seat nearby. The scrape of the stool roused Seamus out of his fugue and into reality.
“Buy you a round, friend?”
Seamus didn't remember hitting the water. Was this the Charles? He thought his SEAL training must have kicked in because he wasn't panicking as he sank, but he couldn't move his limbs for some reason, which was distressing. As the distance increased, he saw the outline of a man, backlit by the moon, looking down at him from the bridge. The man faded from vision; darkness pulled him in, and water seeped in too. His consciousness swam, and his battle-hardened buddies appeared. They watched him, smiled, and welcomed him to sit. One handed him a beer, and he thought, well, okay then.
Oliver stayed for a bit watching the water. He dumped the remaining contents from a vial into the murky depths, then threw in the vial like an afterthought. Sunrise began to illuminate the Charles River. It held a simple beauty that he couldn't help but enjoy. He wondered if the Red Sox were playing today, and it occurred to him that he had batted five hundred in the last twenty-four hours. Not so bad, he thought with a chuckle and continued on his way.
Next week in Chapter 22, “This is our fight,” Holly and Takeda take to the dark web and road trip back to The Center