The veteran suddenly seemed to stiffen by her side, looking away briefly, and blinking as though steadying himself. Elise stared at him for a moment, unsettled but unsure why. She felt worried that he was having some sort of PTSD episode. It wouldn’t be uncommon in veterans, especially with the plane’s closed, cold, and noisy environment.
He sat up suddenly and seemed to gasp a bit for air. Elise quickly rang for an airhostess who appeared immediately. “Please get him a bit of water,” Elise said authoritatively. The hostess wasted no time in doing as she was told.