Winters did not take the initiative to ask either.
In Winters' view, Colonel Bod must have been struggling with confusion:
Having lost his left arm and returned to his homeland with a disabled body, he found his homeland dead; it was still disputed which of the two new republics could truly represent Parlatu; Winters Montagne was undoubtedly rebelling, yet it was because of this rebellious former subordinate that he had miraculously survived the wastelands.
All feelings and grudges were entangled, impossible to separate or make sense of.
Winters had no ability to offer solace to the colonel and could only leave him to resolve it on his own.
Winters asked the colonel to attend the meeting, and the colonel did not object. Thus, a silent one-armed middle-aged man joined the corner of the conference room.