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Freedom isn't Free

A story from the POV of a service dog and his charge

By Katherine NesbittPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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Flash POV

My name is Flash. I was born by c-section 2 years ago on Christmas Eve in a litter of five pups where only 4 of us survived. The vet called us mutts and I can see why; because we all look so different. Out of all of us, I was the only one that looked like a Husky; with gray and white fur. My sister Daisy was the only one who got the Husky blue eyes.

I was born knowing I was special. My mother was a stray who fled an abusive home where she was bullied, underfed, and bred on purpose (or so they said). My mom met Rich when he was out walking his dog, a purebred yorkie. Mom followed them home and Rich’s wife fell in love with her at first sight. Rich is a retired US Army soldier who works with The Wounded Warrior Project. Out of all four of us, he picked me to go to work with him at his job with the soldiers.

Rich’s two daughters adopted my two sisters. My brother Zusus tried the program, and Rich still lets him come to work, but he hasn’t gotten matched yet. Rich’s boss was so impressed by me that I got to start training before I was even a year old!

I met my charge today. His name is Ace. He served in Afghanistan and was blinded by an IED. He was the only one to survive in his convoy. Not only is he dealing with partial blindness but also PTSD and Survivor's Guilt. On our outing today, we took the bus downtown to the park and stopped at a grocery store. Ace has to complete 100 hours with me before he can take me home. I really like him and I think I can help him regain some of the luster his disability has taken from him. I know he’s depressed and anxious and has lots of invisible scars no one else sees. I see them though.

Ace POV

I’m 22 years old. I should be in the prime of my life, not receiving services from Wounded Warriors.

I was on the last plane out of Afghanistan after my convoy went down from an IED. I was the only survivor and that fact alone still haunts my dreams at night. I can still hear my guys screaming exactly three seconds before my brain registered we’d been hit.

I had it all before this. I signed up for the military the summer before senior year to pay for college. I was going to be a PE teacher and football coach at the high school I graduated from. When that bomb went off, I saw all the posibilities of what my life could be slip away from me.

I’d been in love with Emma for as long as I could remember. I almost kissed her at homecoming junior year but chickened out. I never told her how I felt and now she’s married with a kid on the way.

I was at the lowest point in my life when I met Flash. The depression, anxiety and PTSD were strangling the life out of me. Flash was beautiful and looked like my dog Zeek I had growing up. It was nice to have another being around to rely on, and to know beyond a doubt that this dog has my six, just like my boys did.

Flash has given me so much independence. When you tell people you’re legally blind, they assume you live in a world of darkness. It’s not like that. I can see, just not clearly to safely go anywhere by myself. Ironically, I’m still really good at photography (at least that’s what people tell me). I have to clock 100 hours with Flash before I get to take him home and I’m counting down the days. When I sign that paperwork and adopt him I’m going to buy him a puppuccino at my favorite cafe, then we’re going to play frisbee in the park and take lots of pictures.

fact or fiction
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About the Creator

Katherine Nesbitt

I write social commentary in the forms of novels, poetry, short stories, satire, speeches, and will be releasing a poetry audiobook.

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