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[ Claire is sitting at her desk in the clinic and clears her throat as the video comes up. ]

Good afternoon. I realize there have been quite a few concerns regarding the announcement of war, but unless I've simply missed it, I haven't seen anything specifically regarding triage. We don't know what sort of battle this may be, and perhaps it won't be needed. That's just it though, we don't know, and personally, I would rather be prepared.

As for my credentials, I've been a war medic. I've seen my share of fighting, and I have a medical degree, I'm a surgeon. What I would like is for those who can heal to be people I can count on. Since the last time I've requested this, individuals have come and gone, I'd like to be sure of our assets if you're willing. If not, there's no reason to feel you must.

I can train those of you who might like to learn basic first aid, I'll be in the clinic, and I'll be available here as well if you'd like to have a conversation via the device. Thank you for your time.

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[ Taking a sip of the tea, she's so grateful for its warmth, and she takes a deep breath afterward, letting it out slowly. ]

Sleep is...happening. At times. At others, I'm afraid I have a hard time 'turning it off' as it were. All of this war preparation has made me think about past experiences.

[ No one's asked her about that, not that many know. ]

It's a sort of helpless feeling, to know I can only do so much in my capacity.

[ Kurt doesn't know the full extent of what she went through, of course, but by her mentioning it, he feels like he has the opportunity to ask, to explore further. ]

I worry about you, you know. Seems like you push yourself sometimes, especially lately.

I know it's probably not something you want to talk about - what you went through in battle - but it might help. And I'm here to listen.

[ Claire shifts in her seat and lets out a breath. ]

It's the intensity of it, you know? Right there, surrounded by gunfire, cutting off a young man's arm or leg with a saw.

[ It's gruesome work, being a combat medic. ]

But it's loud noises that cause flashbacks, mostly. I was riding in a convoy when we were attacked. I was blown to the ground and I laid there for hours, I think, until union soldiers found me. So, all this talk of war and battles, if I keep working on something then I don't have to focus on the memories it's brought up.

[ He'd be surprised if she weren't suffering a bit from PTSD. Maybe she's aware, maybe she isn't. But he reaches out, resting a hand on her wrist. ]

Brings back bad memories. Did you ever get a chance to talk to anyone about it?

[ Probably not, in between all the time traveling and raising a family. ]

My husband. Jamie.

[ She only clarifies because, well. Kurt knows by now. ]

You have to understand, things are quite different in the 50s and 60s. A woman's mental health isn't perceived as anything that could ever be distressed. Cleaning, cooking, minding the children and never having to 'work' should be ideal and if not, it's a very quick trip to an in-patient facility for electroshock therapy.

[ It was barbaric, but it happened. ]

Jamie does understand, I think, he's seen his fair share of battles. But it's difficult, trying to comfort your wife when she's lying on the ground because the cannon fire sent her into a state.

[ It's hard for her to comfort Jamie when he has nightmares, so she understands, the way a heart breaks when the person you love is in pain and all you can do feels like so little. ]

I'd guess in his time period, people just didn't carry things around like that. Or it didn't manifest the same way. Hard to know sometimes how to comfort someone when you don't always understand what they're even going through.

[ She's such a unique woman, ahead of her time no matter what time period she's in. ]

If there are things you ever wanted to talk about but just couldn't say to Jamie, I'm here. Or we can just drink tea and talk about something else.

[ Claire hesitates at his offer, not because she isn’t sure about speaking with him, but because other than Joe, she never really had a confidant. And she, of course, couldn’t tell Joe everything. ]

It’s been a while since I’ve had a friend like this. [ She admits it freely, smiling softly. ]

I won’t hesitate to call on you if I need you, I promise.

[ Truthfully, Kurt's never had a friend like this. It's a nice feeling, one he's definitely gotten used to here. ]

Call me up anytime, Claire. I mean it.

And at some point - not necessarily today - I wanna learn some more basic first aid. I've got the fighting part down pretty good, not the wound care part.

Certainly, I'm happy to help. Let me know what the FBI has already given you basic knowledge of and I'll fill in the gaps for you.

[ She smiles and rubs a hand over her face. ]

Honestly, I'd hoped more people would stop by here for exactly that, but that seems to be a pipe dream.

Some people are too distracted, or they don't care. I'd like to think it's more the former.

And I know just basic survival skills. I know a few ways to stop blood loss, but not everything. I don't know how to set a broken bones, fix a dislocation, anything like that.

[ He may be overthinking, but they have no idea how bad this war could get. ]

Well, we'll see what I can do to help with that.

[ She smiles warmly at him. ]

Thank you, Kurt, truly, for coming to check up on me.

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