Sam

All was well at the VA center, when Sam saw them again, slinking around the hallway where he was holding his counseling group. They had been there for the past few weeks, standing awkwardly in the hallway, never coming in, not talking to anyone, just listening. Sam, open to helping anyone at any time, had been debating inviting them in since he’d noticed them. The problem was, some Veterans only followed specific instructions, being invited in being one of them, others fled at any surprising interaction. Today, they had come in, sat on a chair next to the door, coiled tighter than a string with nerves, but Sam had counted that as a win. So after ending the session as usual, He inconspicuously wandered up to them, flashed his best calm but welcoming smile and started talking.