Despite herself, despite the overwhelming sorrow, the mental image draws a startled laugh that blubbers beneath the wet emotion that keeps its stranglehold on her. "O-Oh, god, please, I am n-never setting foot in a therapist's— anything. I-I don't even let Neil therapise me, and he's— he's the first therapist that doesn't m-make me feel like I'm losing m-my mind just being in the same— same room as him."

The Counselor has done immeasurable damage to her perception of that particular profession, though the other military psychologists before him did little better.

She breathes in, out, shakes her head at the mental image of the town gathered around in a circle telling stories of their struggles like that'd help.

"God. Fuck." She drags her hands over her face. "This is so— fucking stupid."