A Mithzan/Max x Reader. Radiation.

Chapter 15- PTSD

((This chapter is in Max's POV, at least part of it is. Just so you're not confused. Thanks for reading and voting! Also once school starts I'll probably be uploading every Wednesday. Enjoy!))

"Barney, I'm really worried about her. She was so terrified, and once in a while she gets these nightmares. Any idea what it is?" I asked, tracing the bandaids on my hands from where she had scratched me yesterday.

"Dude, I can really only think of one thing it could be, and that's PTSD. She's seen and done a lot of shit, and been through more than any of us. Honestly I figured this would happen one day, I just wasn't sure when." He sighed. I stared for a second.

"So post traumatic stress disorder....what does it mean?" I wondered.

"Well, it means something happened that has mentally damaged her. She has extreme anxiety, sometimes flashbacks, and nightmares due to a particular event that happened. Once we figure out what is causing her PTSD, we can treat it." Barney explained. Man we're so lucky to have a guy like Barney here. He's so smart!

"Alright, how do we treat it?"

"By using Psychotherapy. More specifically, cognitive-behavioral therapy. Once we find out what event made this happen, we need to ease her back into those processes. We have to make her go through it again but in a controlled environment until she doesn't feel this anxiety anymore." He explained. He and I were sitting in the medical office, discussing my concern for my beautiful wife. She hasn't been herself lately and I want to help her.

"You're sure this will work?" I asked, running a hand through my hair.

"Of course it will work. However it might take a while. Like any injury, time is important. In the mean time, try to imagine what could have happened to give her this PTSD." Barney suggested. I thanked him and left the office. That sure was a lot of information to digest. She has PTSD? Maybe I could try to ask her about it. I walked up to the gun range and peeked in the window. She was helping the kids shoot their guns. I waited patiently until they put the guns down and she started talking to them about something. Then I knocked on the door.

((Your POV.))

You looked to the door and noticed Max was there. You smiled and held up a finger, meaning one minute. You told the kids to take a break and drink some water while you talked to Max. You opened the door and closed it again.

"Hey babe, what's up?" You asked him, greeting him with a kiss on the cheek.

"Not much. How's the shooting going?" He asked.

"Oh good! These two are fast learners, just like their parents." You smiled. He smiled back but it didn't look sincere.

"Can we go talk, in our room?" He asked seriously. Oh no, is it about last night?

"Yeah of course...umm" you looked around until you spotted Ross walking by. You caught his attention and called him over. "Ross, could you just watch the kids do some shooting practice and maybe give them some tips." He nodded. You thanked him and walked down to your shared room. Once you were both on the bed facing each other, he took a deep breath and began.

"Hunny, I know you may not want to talk about this, but it's important. So please be 100 percent honest with me." He started. You nodded seriously. "Okay, tell me what happened last night." He placed a comforting hand on yours.

You sighed but proceeded to tell him all the details related to what happened the previous night. He listened to every bit you spoke, and grasped your hands carefully. When you finished, you leaned forward for a hug. He reciprocated and held you for a moment.

"The reason I asked, is because I went to Barney this morning and asked him for his opinion. He thinks you have PTSD..."