Chapter Six:
Casey thought back to the conversations he’d had lately with Phoebe. He had a strong feeling that the paper wasn’t doing well, financially. He’d actually wondered about that before; the price of doing business kept going up, but Theo kept the subscription prices low. He’d raised the ad prices, since businesses could use a portion of their advertising budget as a business write off on their taxes, but the subscription price had stayed the same for years.
He’d also suggested that they start an e-paper, but Theo had shot it down saying he wasn’t ready to move in that direction. But maybe his granddaughter was ready. Especially if he could come up with a plan to make it more of a fund raiser. He’d sure love to see her smile more often. And to take some of the weight off of her shoulders.
“Hey, Case. Where did you go? I’m ready to go, but you seem to be somewhere else.”
“I’m sorry, Josiah. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.” He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. He looked up and met his friend’s eyes, noticing for the first time that while he’d been daydreaming his co-worker had packed up his note pads, pens, and laptop and was ready to leave the office.
“I can see that. But I need your help today so if you’re not able to focus, maybe I’ll just leave you here at the office. Or, um . . .” His face grew red and Casey’s eyes narrowed as he wondered what Josiah was hiding from him.
“Or, um, what?” he asked.
“Nothing. Nothing at all.” Josiah cleared his throat and shook his head. “Anyway, as I was saying, I need your help.”
“We’re friends, Josiah, and I’ve already agreed to help. But you still haven’t told me what we’re doing.”
Josiah’s face lit up. “It’s actually a special project for the paper.”
“I gathered that much. What’s the deal?” Casey tried to tamp down the jealousy he was feeling, but he couldn’t seem to let go of the knot in his stomach.
“My grandfather has his Honor Flight coming up and I’m going to write a story about the experience.”
“I’ve heard you mention the Honor Flight, but I’m not clear on what that means.”
“Oh yeah, it’s a way to honor veterans who served in a branch of the U.S. military during WWII, the Korean War or Vietnam, or any veteran who’s terminally ill. Non-profit groups arrange for them to visit Washington DC and visit the memorials. They also get to meet other veterans and current service members. It’s a way to show them how much they’re appreciated.”
“That sounds pretty cool,” Casey mused. “But isn’t your grandfather in his 90’s? Is he up for a trip like that?”
Josiah’s grin widened. “Well, I’ll be going with him, as his guardian.”
“His guardian?”
“Yeah. I’ll take care of him on the trip and make sure that things go smoothly. If he’s not feeling well or gets too tired, I can take him back to the hotel. Each veteran has a guardian with them on the Honor Flights.”
“Wow, I didn’t know about that. I’m glad you get to have that experience with him. You’ll make some really special memories.”
“I agree. I was afraid Phoebe would say I couldn’t go, but I pitched it as an opportunity to write a feel-good piece for the paper and she jumped at it. In fact,” he said, proudly, “My article is going to be the centerpiece for a special Memorial Day Edition that features veterans. And that’s why you’re coming with. I need help interviewing people for a then-and-now story. I dug up some old stories from the archives and I’m going to do follow up interviews with all of the people. I want to compare where they were and what they were doing back then with where they are and what they’re doing now. And since I have 20 people lined up, I was hoping you’d be willing to help interview them.”
“That sounds like quite a project, I’d be happy to help. And it fits with what Phoebe asked me to do. I’m supposed to find out about the roles that animals have played in the military. While I’m interviewing vets for your stories, I can also ask about mine.” He grinned up at Josiah. “Now that I know what we’re doing, I’ll gather some supplies and be ready to go in a few moments.”
“Cool, Case. I’ll meet you out at my car.”
As Josiah bustled out of the office, Casey packed up his own pens, pencils and notebooks. He slid his laptop into his bag and swung it over his shoulder. The front door opened just as he reached it.
“Hey Seth, how are you doing?” he asked. Seth was Tammie’s son and was well known around the office.
The young man smiled and held the door for him. “I’m good. Just here to help Phoebe with a secret project. Um, okay, bye.” His face bright red, he practically ran away, into the office.
“Seems like there are a lot of secrets going around, here,” Casey muttered. He shook his head as he walked towards his friend’s car. What was Phoebe up to now?
It had been a long day, but Casey had really enjoyed interviewing the veterans. He’d met some really amazing people and heard stories of heroism, heartbreak and redemption. Instead of going back to the office, Josiah had invited him to his apartment for dinner. The table was scattered with notes, soda cans, and half-eaten slices of pizza.
“This is going to be a really special Memorial Day edition,” Casey said.
“Yeah, I agree. Everyone we met today was so interesting. I’m proud and honored to be able to tell their stories,” Josiah responded.
Casey had separated his notes into two piles: one for the story he was writing for Phoebe and one for the stories for Josiah. He pulled a pile of notes closer to him. “So, how are we doing this? Would you like me to email you my notes on the veterans’ stories? I have most of my notes on my laptop, but I also have notes I jotted down on the go and I don’t think you’ll be able to read my chicken scratch,” he laughed.
“Well, I was thinking about that. I think you should write up the stories for the people you interviewed. I’d be happy to share a byline with you.”
“Do you mean it?” Casey asked. “This is your idea, so it should be your name under the headlines.”
“We did it together, Case. I pitched one story. My grandfather’s Honor Flight. Then it got turned into something bigger. I still thought I could do it, but after today I realize I can’t possibly do this all myself. So please, do me a favor, and write the stories.”
“Okay, on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“You clear it with Phoebe first.”
Josiah cleared his throat and took a bite of pizza. “I kind of feel like we should just do this. You know, the old ask for forgiveness instead of permission thing.”
Casey sighed and nodded. “I know, but I feel like I’m on thin ice with her right now and I don’t want to risk getting her upset with me.” He ran his hand through his hair and shrugged. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll write up the stories and you can add your own touches to them, so she doesn’t realize who wrote them. These stories are too important and should be told. The byline really doesn’t matter to me.”
Josiah looked surprised. “That’s not something I ever thought I’d hear you say. Are you feeling okay?”
Casey felt his face get hot and he ducked his head. “I’m growing up, I guess. Meeting these people today and seeing what they gave up just to keep the rest us safe made me realize that getting a byline isn’t the most important thing in the world.”
Josiah considered his words for a minute, then nodded his head. “Go ahead and write them. We’ll deal with bylines and editors later. Let’s just see what we’ve got.”
“Deal,” he replied. “By the way, did you see that gorgeous German Shepherd? Tom adopted him from the shelter. He’s one of the dogs I sat with and worked hard to socialize so he didn’t have to be put to sleep. And now, he’s the man’s best friend.” He laughed when he realized what he’d just said. “Literally.”
“Oh yeah, I meant to tell you. Two of the people I interviewed mentioned the shelter as well. They told me that Sarah brings several pets to the neighborhood park every other Sunday. She lets the veterans and their families spend time with them. They look forward to her visits and they both ended up adopting pets they’d met there.”
“Wow. I didn’t know she did that. That’s really cool.”
As he ate the last of his pizza, an idea was forming in his mind. “Hey Josiah. You said you just pitched your Honor Flight idea to Phoebe, right?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Well, I have an idea for a spin off of this idea. I need to think some more and do some research, but can I run it past you when I’m ready? Just to see if you think she’d go for it?”
“Of course. I’d be happy to hear it.” He shifted in his chair and frowned.
“What? What’s bothering you?”
“It’s something Phoebe said when we were discussing the story. She mentioned that the paper’s struggling right now. She’s looking for a way to boost revenue while honoring her grandfather’s legacy.”
“I knew it!” Casey pumped his fist in the air.
“I really don’t think that’s something to celebrate,” Josiah laughed. “We could lose our jobs, you know.”
“I’m not celebrating that, you goof. I just had a feeling about the paper’s finances and I’m glad to know I haven’t lost my investigative edge.” He rubbed his hands together. “And actually, that information might just help sell my idea.”
He stood up and cleared his dinner mess from the table. As he packed up his laptop and notes, he grinned at his friend. “Thanks for a great day and for dinner, man. I gotta go do some more research.”
Josiah grinned. “No problem, Case. Just don’t forget to write up the stories and email them to me. I want to have everything submitted before we leave for DC.”
Casey saluted him and laughed as he exited the apartment. It was a short walk to his place and he practically bounced down the street. Things were about to come full circle.
Casey walked into the shelter the following morning. “Hey Sarah, how’s it going?”
“Hi Casey. Good as always. What are you up to today?”
“Well, actually, if you have a few minutes I’d like to run something past you.”
Sarah place her hands on her hips and looked at him, held tilted sideways. “You have a very mischievous look in your eyes, Casey. Should I be scared?”
He laughed and nodded at her. “Probably. But seriously, I have a proposal for you that would help both the shelter and the newspaper.”
“Okay, I have a few minutes to spare. Is it okay if we take Georgia for a walk while we chat?”
“I don’t think I’ve met Georgia. Is she new?”
As they walked back to the dog kennels, Sarah explained. “Georgia’s new to us, but not new to the system. We’re the fourth shelter to house her in the past year. She’s an older girl and she has some health issues. Her human passed away and his family doesn’t have the resources or desire to care for her.” She stopped in front of a cage with a lovely Golden Retriever.
Casey gritted his teeth, trying not to say anything rude. He knew he was being judgmental. He didn’t know anything about the family or their situation, but he couldn’t imagine turning his back on any animal in need.
Sarah clipped a leash onto Georgia’s collar and as they moved past him towards the exit, he noticed Georgia limping. She also had scars all over her left side. He wondered what her story was.
As they walked, Sarah filled him in. Georgia had been an emotional support animal for a veteran who had PTSD. She’d been trained to recognize the symptoms and provide comfort and protection when he’d experienced flashbacks.
“How did she get the limp and scars?” he asked.
She sighed. “That’s the truly sad part. There was a fire and it set off his PTSD. He panicked and hid in a closet. She broke the door down and tried to get him out of the house, but he fought her. He broke her hind leg, but she kept going. She was able to drag him out of the house before the fire set off an explosion. She laid on top of him to protect him, but she was injured by the burning debris. She saved his life. Afterwards, when he realized he’d injured her, it broke something inside of him. He became catatonic and had to be placed in a special home. They allowed Georgia to stay with him until he passed, but he never mentally recovered.”
Casey knelt down next to Georgia. “You’re a real hero, aren’t you, girl?” He laughed as she licked his face. “You deserve better than this and I’m going to make sure you get a good home for the rest of your life.”
Sarah snorted. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Casey. You can’t have pets where you live, and you can’t guarantee anyone’s going to want to take her.”
“Well, we’ll see about that,” he said, rising to his feet. “Which brings me to why I asked to speak with you.”
“Yeah. You said something about benefiting the paper and the shelter?”
“I did. I heard that you spend every other weekend at the park, bringing cats and dogs for veterans to hang out with.”
“Um, yeah, I do that,” she mumbled.
“I didn’t know anything about it, so I was surprised to hear it.”
“Yeah, it’s something I started doing on my own. My grandpa was a veteran and I know how much his cats helped him in his final years, so I wanted to bring peace and comfort to other vets and their families. People don’t realize it’s not just the vets who suffer and struggle.” She shrugged. “Why are asking about this?”
“Well, it got me thinking. Do you remember when I organized the fundraiser for the shelter?”
“Of course I do. It made a huge difference for all of the animals. We were struggling to make ends meet and between the story in the paper and your help, we were able to get back on our feet.”
“Well, what if we do something like that again? Only this time, we’ll raise money for the shelter and the paper, we’ll bring attention to the veterans who are struggling, and we’ll find homes for some of our more difficult to place animals.”
“Wow! That’s a lot, Casey. I don’t know how you could do all of that, but I’m in. How are you planning to make that happen?”
“Well, here’s what I’m thinking . . .”
