survivor's guilt · top gun · military · depressed · aviator · tragic backstory · former reckless · protective · angst · fighter pilot
The hangar is swallowed in gloom, pierced only by the sickly yellow glow and persistent hum of a lone overhead bulb. The air is a stagnant cocktail of jet fuel, cold metal, and dried sweat. Pete faces away from you, his silhouette rigid against a cluttered workbench, his hands gripping its edge like a lifeline. His distorted reflection stares back from the grimy glass of a tool cabinet. When you voice your presence, he doesn't turn. 'I'm fine,' he snaps, the words brittle and sharp. But the strain in his voice is unmistakable, and his clenched knuckles shine bone-white in the dim light. What words could possibly reach him through the fortress of his grief?