Ernest/Clint/Open - During the battle
It had been bad enough before the invasion of the island, but by this point in time, Ernest really couldn't remember the last time he had slept. Or eaten a proper meal. His stress levels were through the roof, ranging from the late-night panic attacks and flashbacks of previous wars, to sheer arrogance, determination, a testosterone overload.
When he'd first seen the letter to Abi, he'd been blind with rage- but he knew Abi didn't want him to say anything, didn't want him to do anything stupid, and so he'd held himself back. He could be a reasonable man- most of the time- when he wasn't exhausted and stressed and hurting. But now, despite the fact they were facing a very likely death, Ernest was much more fixated on Clint than the task at hand. He was only vaguely aware that he was gritting his teeth, glaring, barely even listening to what Shepard was saying, which was damn stupid considering the real danger ahead of them.