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before—and we need to make sure that we’re dealing with that stress in a healthy way. To make sure we do, we’re fortunate to have here with us Dr. Elizabeth Woodbridge.”
    â€œI knew it,” Jerry said.
    Nick let out a groan.
    â€œDr. Woodbridge is a distinguished psychiatrist in private practice in the San Francisco area. She is a longtime member of DMORT Region IX, and she’s been with us on several prior DMORT deployments. Since Dr. Woodbridge will be serving such an important role here in St. Gabriel, I’ve asked her if she would close our briefing with a few introductory comments. Dr. Woodbridge?”
    The woman who stood up looked strangely out of place. She was unusually pretty—not that the other women present weren’t attractive, but the physical demands of DMORT required a what-you-see-is-what-you-get approach: Pull your hair back in a ponytail, scrub your face, and forget the makeup. But this woman looked as if she had just stepped out of a corporate office—which she probably had, just a few hours ago on the West Coast. Her hair was blonde and shoulder-length, cut in a trendy style, with a long straight wisp that crossed her forehead from left to right, causing her to forever brush it back. Her skin was fair and smooth and her eyes were unexpectedly dark and almond-shaped. Her face was beautiful but her eyes were piercing, like thorns on the stem of a rose. It was a quality that Nick found especially annoying—among others.
    â€œI still say she’s the hottest babe in DMORT,” Jerry said.
    â€œGood evening and welcome,” Dr. Woodbridge began. “Or should I say, ‘Welcome back.’ I see a lot of familiar faces out there.” As she said this, her eyes scanned the audience; when she came to Nick, she hesitated for a split second.
    Jerry leaned over to Nick. “I saw that.”
    â€œShut up,” Nick said.
    â€œAs Denny told you, this deployment could pose unique challenges for all of us—including challenges of a psychological nature. Traumatic stress, sleep deprivation, insomnia, nightmares—these are things we’re all susceptible to. My job, to put it simply, is to help you avoid these things—or to help you through them if necessary. If you’ll allow me to be a bit pedantic for a moment, I’d like to read to you from the DMORT Field Operations Guide.”
    Jerry leaned in again. “What does ‘pedantic’ mean?”
    â€œIt means you went to a community college. Shut up.”
    â€œâ€˜Description of Duties of the DMORT Mental Health Officer,’” she read. “‘(1) Monitors incident stress levels of all personnel and implements stress reduction measures as necessary. (2) Identifies appropriate assessments, interventions, prevention techniques, and counseling for early identification of personnel at risk of mental health and related problems.’ That pretty much says it all: My job is to help each of you assess your individual stress level and keep it at a manageable level.”
    â€œI came here for the stress,” Nick said. “Why can’t she mind her own business?”
    â€œNow, how will this happen? First of all, there are things you can do to help. I’m reading again from the Field Operations Guide: ‘Be responsible for your well-being and keep in touch with your family. It is important that you monitor and maintain yourself in areas such as: stress levels, medical fitness, physical fitness, proper hydration, proper foods, and regular bowel movements.’”
    â€œFreudians,” Nick said. “She’s been here for five minutes, and she’s already talking about bowel movements.”
    â€œThose are things that you can do,” she said. “What I can do is listen. As in all past DMORT deployments, each team member will be required to undergo an exit interview when his or her rotation is completed. But here in St.