With a sigh, Reggie turned towards the water heater just in time to hear the “bing.” He jumped in shock, a gut reflex momentarily deceiving him into thinking it was an explosive, but afterwards, he convinced himself that it had not happened and walked over to the device with his ramen in hand. The medic effortlessly peeled half of the lid off of the ramen container, slid the heated pot of water out of the water heater, and poured the liquid into the container. He had done it hundreds of times throughout college and ex-millitary life, so the reflex was set. Nonetheless, something about his situation made him feel that concentration was necessary to succeed at the task.

Upon mixing all the ingredients into his cup of ramen, Reggie carried the container over to the coffee table in the living room and took a seat on the couch. He placed his trusty plastic chopsticks on the lid of the container to keep the steam in as the noodles soaked, then leaned back, closing his eyes to think.

For the past few days, the two roommates had done upkeep work and training, to make sure their skills were sharp, however they did not have a single job or request. It was almost as if they owned a restaurant with no customers. Reggie was used to using stress-reducing and calming techniques so as to work effectively while under fire, but it was impossible to reproduce any remotely similar stimuli without actual combat. Sparring with Matt, breach-and-clear simulations at the firing range, even horror movies couldn’t make him flinch. Of course, the more pressing issue was that his equipment was going to expire if he did not get to use it by a certain date, which would waste a great amount of money.

By the time his brief meditation met a satisfactory conclusion, Reggie heard a loud “smack” followed by a tremor. Without a thought, the soldier shot to his feet, darted around the corner and threw Matt’s door open to see him wielding a giant metal rod, facing the door. Reggie stared at Matt grimly and asked, “what exactly made you think that this was a good idea?” as he gestured to Matt’s weapon. “The gym is much sturdier than our apartment,” he spat out, “plus, the tenants below us threatened to have us kicked out if we kept up the loud noises.”

Reggie didn’t doubt Matt’s intelligence, nor his planning, but he knew full well that his team-mate could not care less about the people living around them. This was more of an ongoing character issue he had while off-duty. They both had their flaws, but Reggie seemed to point Matt’s out more often. He was more interested in money and in efficiency than in personal comfort, a trait that made him horrible at extended care. Clearly, this was noticeable in how he treated Matt on a regular basis. Nonetheless, his intentions were honest and well-intended.