When I first published Eden on Amazon, a reader criticized me for Igwanda's large vocabulary and atypical attitude, saying he would have preferred a character who was "saltier"-which I took to mean more stereotypical of the military mindset. Perhaps Miller's presence in this story may make up for the lack. Having grown up in the military as a young boy, I've run into officers (and non-coms) all across the spectrum; there are those who match the stereotype, but many who don't. I based my writing, that is to say, on the reality of what I've seen and encountered, not on some preconceived notion of what "should" be.
Chapter 10 is kind of a throw-in for today, since it's very short and follows up on the points of the previous chapter. As a father, I'm here to tell you that this, too, is based on reality. My daughter, although older than Meier at the time, also had a problem with wetting her undies. Her mother had tried all the usual maternal remedies of remonstration, scolding, etc. I intervened, and simply sympathized with the little girl's plight, telling her I was sorry for the discomfort she must be experiencing. Within a week the problem was solved. Now she was controlling herself for her own sake, not because she'd been bidden to do it; it was, that is, now her idea. People always do better that way, as I also found during my days of being a business manager with subordinates to be motivated.