Shrink: A Short Story

by Eric Halpenny

Sweet and honorable is sleep for him who dies for his country. But what if he survives? A military psychologist evaluates a Vietnam war veteran in the short story Shrink. The veteran's fellow soldiers and friends must support him as the psychologist attempts to uncover the reasons behind his trauma.

20 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 25, 2018

About the author

Eric Halpenny is a seemingly normal engineer by day, but a fiction author by night. He hasn't quit his day job. He loves to write about interesting worlds and people that he creates. He started writing novels at the age of eight, but waited to publish until thirty-eight. He is often inspired in the middle of the night or while driving home from work.

He lives in Northern California with his wife and three children. He loves inspiring quotations, and one of his favorites is from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo: "To learn to read is to light a fire." He would love to know that his writing lit the fire of reading, introspection, and hope in others.

Reviews

[Joy Lo-Bamijoko · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ravages and trauma of war, especially on those at the forefront of it cannot be estimated. Billy Gibson ended his last mission in a completely zombie-like state. His job as one of the long-range recon patrol soldiers put him at the forefront of the war. And that was the most dangerous tasks on the war front.

Something terrible happened to Billy G during this last mission, the last because after the shock he suffered, there was no going back to the front for him. This shock traumatized him so much he could not speak or say what happened to him, but for his field commander who saw and knew what happened. In the war, all kinds of horror take place and some soldiers come home damaged. It is then the job of the Shrink, the ones called in to try and put the damaged souls together. And this is not an easy job. This is a cute little story.

[Fiza Pathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was attracted to this short story by it's enticing cover. I love reading stories about the Vietnam War, a war that has so many diverse viewpoints. Writer Eric Halpenny in this short story showcases his take on the Vietnam war which is a story about a soldier gone silent & how the truth of his silence is unearthed by a psychiatrist - the 'shrink'. The story is well written & well formatted. The writing is clear & precise without too many descriptions. It has a creepy undertone but once you get to know the truth, you just realize that war & the shocking scenes you see during war is sometimes scarier than a horror story. I have evaluated the book on the basis of plot, development & pacing. On that basis, 'Shrink' gets 5 stars from me.

[Karen Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written and thought provoking, "Shrink" successfully portrays the psychological trauma of a veteran who survived the terror of the Vietnam war. This story, though fictional, accurately depicts the horrors that some of our soldiers have been unable to forget and is a reminder that freedom is not free. Well done!

[John Podlaski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A returning LRRP unit returns from a mission on a Huey helicopter; onboard is a black body bag with the remains of a fellow team member, and a second member who sits nearby - he is in a comatose state and does not respond to requests. The team officer had requested that a military psychologist meet the bird when it lands. The Shrink will evaluate the soldier to find out what caused his trauma, and then, determine a plan of action to get him through it.

It's a short story which allows readers to follow the Shrink's train of thought in his attempts to find the root cause. I found myself second guessing a prognosis until ALL the facts were known. I would have liked the storyline to continue to see what the next step will be. PTSD is not a disease and affects people differently, the author promotes patience and understanding to help victims recover. I highly recommend this book!

[Karen Ingalls · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling short story about PTSD, which is a condition that few people understand. From a psychologist's point of view the reader can learn about the traumatic effects of PTSD as he counsels a Viet Nam veteran. Very well written.