Author's note -- there are more flashbacks that deal with PTSD. In order to be respectful and maintain the realism, I consult with an expert on all of the scenes in question.
Chapter 3
Mike
Sliding from bed, he stepped quietly to the bathroom to relieve himself. Once done, he turned and looked at his image in the mirror.
"Handsome sumbitch,"
the voice said.
Mike smirked and kept looking at the reflection.
His skin was smooth and tanned. The lean muscles he'd had before he'd left for the Corps had been worked and trained until they were much more well-defined. His body was unblemished, as if he'd just been created in this current form. There were no scars. Not like his brothers.
Burnsey's screams of pain and cries for a Corpsman filled his head then, and he saw the normally jovial Marine laying sprawled out on the dusty ground. He was clutching desperately at the shattered remains of his legs, both unrecognizable now.
Mike closed his eyes and took a deep breath, gripping the cabinet to steady himself.
Wilkins' head snapped back, gore blowing from the back of his brother's skull.
Forcing his eyes back open, he reached down and turned on the water, then splashed some on his face and steadied himself.
"Get your shit together, Marine,"
the voice said.
Mike looked back up at his reflection and sighed as water droplets slid down his cheeks to drip from his jawline. "I'm trying."
Turning, he left the bathroom and paused at the side of the bed. His sisters were tangled up and still asleep, both looking gorgeous and delectable.
"So... get in there and... get in there..."
the voice suggested.
He briefly considered it, and the memory of how incredible both of their pussies felt when they were clutching and sucking at his plunging cock filled his senses. It would definitely be fun to forget his trauma for a while and feel that pleasure again.
He shook his head.
Turning, he grabbed some clothes and his shoes as quietly as he could, then went to get dressed in the living room. As he sat down, he expected to hear the voice berating him for not following through with the plan. That didn't happen, though.
"It's going to get better,"
the voice said, then fell silent.
Mike finished getting dressed and walked over to the door. He was slowly unlocking it when he heard movement behind him.
"Hey," Danni said, causing him to turn. She was nude, and he couldn't help but admire the impeccable body she had. Tiptoeing up to him, she fixed him with a concerned look. "You okay?"
He'd been about to tell her that he was fine but knew she would have seen right through the lie and closed his mouth again.
"Yes and no," he said after taking a few seconds to collect himself. "I just..."
She shook her head. "You don't have to explain," she said quietly. "Going for a run?" There was no judgment in her tone, just acceptance and love.
"Yeah," he said, momentarily lost in his affection for her.
"Okay," she said sweetly. "I'll be heading in to work in a bit, so I don't think I'll be here when you get back."
He pulled her into his arms then, her adorable and endearing sigh of contentment worming its way into his heart and making him want to squeeze her harder. Instead, he leaned down and kissed her soft lips, his thumb caressing the skin below her ear.
"I love you," she whispered.
"I love you too," he replied. "I'll see you when you get home."
She flashed him her pretty smile and turned without another word. He didn't mind the view of her adorable rump bouncing as she walked away, either.
"And you want to go run instead of get up in that delectable little peach,"
the voice said.
Mike sighed, an amused grin finding its way to his face as he turned and left the apartment.
From the moment his feet hit the bottom step he was running. Pounding down the sidewalk outside the apartment complex, he turned and headed down the street. Following the same route he had taken yesterday, he set off toward the nearby city limit and the highway leading away from it.
The flat pounding
smack
of his feet on the pavement reminded him of boot camp and all the running he'd done during it. The other guys had obviously not enjoyed it as much as he did, but it came naturally to him. He didn't think it was that big of a deal. That didn't mean he didn't sympathize with those that weren't as prepared as him or some of the others. Running had always come naturally to him.
Burnsey's screams echoed in his ears and an image of his shattered legs appeared in his head.
"Do you like Danni's titties or Emma's ass more,"
the voice asked, halting the train of thought in its tracks and conjuring images of both in his mind.
"What?" Mike asked.
"What was confusing about that question?"
the voice replied.
"Emma's ass is hella nice bro, am I right? But Danni's titties are fuckin' spectacular."
Danni's small, but extremely perky tits bounced in his head for a few seconds, followed by Emma's incredible ass, wiggling in front of him as she ran.
"What are you doing?" Mike asked, his confusion obvious.