Walking up to the shack Terrance noticed the gate was closed as it should be and that the man inside did in fact see him coming, stood up, pulled his ear buds out of his ears and hurriedly put them in his front pocket.
The man in the shack stepped out as Terrance approached. “Can I help you sir” he asked. “Not exactly” Terrance replied as he walked by the rather stout built young man and into the shack. Carl was slightly panicked, he had only met Terrance twice, once when he hired in, as with all new permanent employees. Terrance takes them to lunch and personally hands them their first paycheck. And then last year at the company xmas party when one of the engineers had a little too much egg nog and Terrance asked Carl to help him get a cab home.
“What seems to be the problem Mr. Johns.” Carl asked. Terrance leaned against the counter and motioned for Carl to have a seat. “Relax Carl” Terrance blurted out, not realizing he had been scaring the hell out of the kid. After all it’s not every day the president and owner of the company visits a security guard in the back gate guard shack.
Carl was wide eyed and sitting at attention, his back not touching the back part of the chair. “Relax son, there is nothing wrong. You are not in trouble.” Terrance tried to reassure him. “OK sir, just kind of caught me off guard, you coming out here. I always thought is I was in trouble it would be Mr. Lawels who would pop in on me or someone from HR with another guard.” Carl replied.
“No, no, no Carl” Terrance spoke softly, “I apologize for surprising you. I was meeting with Mr. Lawels and the representatives from OpOne, I happen to know their Field Commander Mr. Marrow.” “Oh, ok, I am still confused sir.” Carl semi relaxed as Terrance went on to tell him how he knew both Mr. Lawels and Mr. Marrow and filled him in on a little bit of their service background. Carl loosened up and they began to swap short stories. Terrance looked at his watch, as with many situations you get vets to flapping their gums and they lose track of time. It was now 2:45 and Terrance decided it was time to be blunt.
Terrance asked, “Carl Mr. Lawels brought it to my attention that you wanted to work the weekend.” “Yes sir, I volunteered.” Carl answered. Terrance continued, “if you don’t mind me asking, is there a reason you don’t want to spend the long weekend with your family?”
Carl looked down at the floor and then up at Terrance, eye to eye and then said, “no sir, I love my family, with all my being, but lately I have been having night terrors and sleep walking, one night last week my wife found me standing in the front lawn with a rifle like I was on sentry duty. I don’t want anything to happen to them sir.”
Terrance leaned forward, put his hand on Carl’s shoulder and then asked how he could help. Carl looked up at him and with glassy eyes said he did not know. Terrance asked when things changed. Carl explained that his squad mate from boot who he served with for 4 years, through 2 deployments in the sand box, had taken his life on his birthday back in August and that going to his funeral stirred up all the old demons.
Terrance asked Carl if he had talked to anyone, Carl laughed, “Yeah, the idiots at the VA, they wanted me to take more meds, like I need to walk around in a haze. Honestly sir, nothing else is affected, just having night terrors or sleep walking with a loaded rifle.”
Terrance offered to secure the man’s weapons for a short time. And to make a call to get him someone to talk to. Carl said he thought about having his wife change the combination to the safe but the rifle he was in the yard with isn’t one that stays locked up. “I don’t live in the best part of town sir. I don’t want to not be able to defend my wife or kids.” Was a valid reply.
Terrance thought about it for a second stroking his beard. Then he stated, “How about we figure this out tomorrow? Carl replied “Ok but what about tonight? Terrance was at a loss. Then it donned on him. “How about I put you and your family up at the big hotel up north that has the indoor water park in it. You and your wife and kids can stay there tonight, hell all weekend if you want and you and I will get together tomorrow for brunch and figure this out.”
Carl stood up, objected and said “oh no sir, I couldn’t accept that. I can’t afford it and there is no sense you picking up the tab.” Terrance once again put his hand on the young man’s shoulder. “Son” he said, “Are we not family? Are we not brothers? The brotherhood of service and sting of combat crossed all lines between branches.” ”Yes sir” Carl answered. “OK then” Terrance stated.
The man in the shack stepped out as Terrance approached. “Can I help you sir” he asked. “Not exactly” Terrance replied as he walked by the rather stout built young man and into the shack. Carl was slightly panicked, he had only met Terrance twice, once when he hired in, as with all new permanent employees. Terrance takes them to lunch and personally hands them their first paycheck. And then last year at the company xmas party when one of the engineers had a little too much egg nog and Terrance asked Carl to help him get a cab home.
“What seems to be the problem Mr. Johns.” Carl asked. Terrance leaned against the counter and motioned for Carl to have a seat. “Relax Carl” Terrance blurted out, not realizing he had been scaring the hell out of the kid. After all it’s not every day the president and owner of the company visits a security guard in the back gate guard shack.
Carl was wide eyed and sitting at attention, his back not touching the back part of the chair. “Relax son, there is nothing wrong. You are not in trouble.” Terrance tried to reassure him. “OK sir, just kind of caught me off guard, you coming out here. I always thought is I was in trouble it would be Mr. Lawels who would pop in on me or someone from HR with another guard.” Carl replied.
“No, no, no Carl” Terrance spoke softly, “I apologize for surprising you. I was meeting with Mr. Lawels and the representatives from OpOne, I happen to know their Field Commander Mr. Marrow.” “Oh, ok, I am still confused sir.” Carl semi relaxed as Terrance went on to tell him how he knew both Mr. Lawels and Mr. Marrow and filled him in on a little bit of their service background. Carl loosened up and they began to swap short stories. Terrance looked at his watch, as with many situations you get vets to flapping their gums and they lose track of time. It was now 2:45 and Terrance decided it was time to be blunt.
Terrance asked, “Carl Mr. Lawels brought it to my attention that you wanted to work the weekend.” “Yes sir, I volunteered.” Carl answered. Terrance continued, “if you don’t mind me asking, is there a reason you don’t want to spend the long weekend with your family?”
Carl looked down at the floor and then up at Terrance, eye to eye and then said, “no sir, I love my family, with all my being, but lately I have been having night terrors and sleep walking, one night last week my wife found me standing in the front lawn with a rifle like I was on sentry duty. I don’t want anything to happen to them sir.”
Terrance leaned forward, put his hand on Carl’s shoulder and then asked how he could help. Carl looked up at him and with glassy eyes said he did not know. Terrance asked when things changed. Carl explained that his squad mate from boot who he served with for 4 years, through 2 deployments in the sand box, had taken his life on his birthday back in August and that going to his funeral stirred up all the old demons.
Terrance asked Carl if he had talked to anyone, Carl laughed, “Yeah, the idiots at the VA, they wanted me to take more meds, like I need to walk around in a haze. Honestly sir, nothing else is affected, just having night terrors or sleep walking with a loaded rifle.”
Terrance offered to secure the man’s weapons for a short time. And to make a call to get him someone to talk to. Carl said he thought about having his wife change the combination to the safe but the rifle he was in the yard with isn’t one that stays locked up. “I don’t live in the best part of town sir. I don’t want to not be able to defend my wife or kids.” Was a valid reply.
Terrance thought about it for a second stroking his beard. Then he stated, “How about we figure this out tomorrow? Carl replied “Ok but what about tonight? Terrance was at a loss. Then it donned on him. “How about I put you and your family up at the big hotel up north that has the indoor water park in it. You and your wife and kids can stay there tonight, hell all weekend if you want and you and I will get together tomorrow for brunch and figure this out.”
Carl stood up, objected and said “oh no sir, I couldn’t accept that. I can’t afford it and there is no sense you picking up the tab.” Terrance once again put his hand on the young man’s shoulder. “Son” he said, “Are we not family? Are we not brothers? The brotherhood of service and sting of combat crossed all lines between branches.” ”Yes sir” Carl answered. “OK then” Terrance stated.