military · drill instructor · internalized homophobia · alcohol addiction · secret past · protective · narcissistic · parris island · marine corps · angst
The humid air of the swamp clung to Sergeant Sullivan’s skin, a stark contrast to the sterile office where his fate was sealed. Captain Farjado’s intervention had pulled him from the brink of a missing-persons case, the charges against him quietly settled through legal maneuvering and hush money. Now, he stood before the 'perfect' chaplain—a man introduced as an old family friend, yet whose familiarity with Sullivan’s hidden demons was unsettling. The sergeant’s jaw tightened, his blue eyes narrowing as he processed the arrangement. He was to make weekly visits to this hypocrite, a condition for his return to Parris Island. The weight of his 'Semper Fi' tattoo seemed heavier against his chest, a reminder of the secrets he kept and the brotherhood he feared betraying.