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Chapter 12: Casey
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Finding Casey Chapter 13: Max
The first photo in the album is of everyone. Sophie, who was only a little girl, stood in front of Casey and Oliver with big smiles on their faces. Their grandparents and aunts, uncles, and their mom and dad were standing behind them with proud expressions on their faces.You can see the tears in their mother's eyes, but it's a proud moment for her.They both looked so young. So happy and carefree. If only they knew what would happen if they had left before their last tour. Would they be doing something big? Travelling, office work, and training other people. All thoughts no one would ever know because they went to Africa as their last deployment."You looked so carefree there," I say as I point to her face in the first photo. She runs her fingers over her mom's and dad's faces before flipping to the next one. A photo of her and her brother looking at each other. I remember that being Joanna's profile picture on Facebook years ago. She has always been a proud mother. And their fathe
Finding Casey Chapter 1: Casey
Casey: 10 years ago"Mom, can you stop stressing""No. I won't stop stressing. You have just turned 18 and are planning to go into the military. It's every mother's worst nightmare, Casey, My oldest babies are leaving tonight and I don't know how to feel about this""So is it a bad time to let you know that Oliver is leaving too, cause I don't want you to chew my ear off alone?""Oh, goodness me. I always knew you two would do everything together. Thick and Thieves" My mom sighs as she calls for our dad to come down the stairs. He already knew that we were doing this, and when we filled out all the paperwork, our medical history, and everything else that was needed on the list, our dad was right there explaining it all to us and guiding us. So I bet my mom is going to give him hell for it."He's thick, if you must know." I can't help but joke. It's my coping mechanism when I'm nervous.We didn't exactly tell our mom that we was joining because we knew she would tell us she didn't want
Finding Casey Chapter 2: Casey
Day 3 of Training campWe had to write letters from beyond the grave. Letters for our families as a way to say goodbye. They won't get mailed out unless you pass. It was an 'If you got this letter, this means I won't be coming home' type of thing. I tried not to think about the ways I could tear my family apart-ways that I knew would happen if they ever received a letter from me or my brother.I wrote my letter to Mom and Dad and one to Oliver, but then I also wrote my own letter to mail to them for tomorrow's deliveries.Dear Mom and Dad:Bootcamp's going great. Early morning starts, and there are a few drills that we didn't expect to be doing right away, but I met a friend here. Jackie, her name is, and she's good. Oliver and I haven't been roomed together as expected. Still, I am honestly enjoying our time here, and before you know it, we will be back home and driving you all mad as usual. I hope you are all doing okay, and Sophia is keeping you on your toes. I will transfer some m
Finding Casey Chapter 3: Casey
We have come quite far in the short time we have been here, and I have learned a fair amount from the people we are grouped with. This is week 10 now. As I said, we learn a lot at boot camp. Just last week, we based our skills on teamwork and positivity.We had a few shows on how to handle an injured soldier in combat and what to expect. We travelled and used our skills on each other, performing medical examinations and building our strength.We have learned what our weaknesses are and have been tasked with overcoming the fears of those weaknesses. My weakness was a fear of falling from a great height, so our captain had me climb each rope to the top and slide back down again. Then I climbed boulders, and before I knew it, I was doing it without sweating or shaking like a leaf. Okay, it took about 4 weeks to accomplish that, but it was useful.Many of the people here were afraid of something so I was glad I wasn't alone.Over the last few weeks, I received another letter from Mom and
Finding Casey Chapter 4: Casey
4 years ago:It's been a long journey over the last 7 years. Me and Oliver spent our 21st birthday at home on leave. We got back a few days before our birthday, and we spent most of the time slumming it at home.Only to be re-deployed 2 months later to Japan on a mission that took 9 months, but when we got home, we were reassigned to the same mission because the problem caused more problems and it wasn't done. It took another few months in the hot weather, but we managed to get ourselves to safety. We turned 24 last month and had just come back from base after our birthday for a few weeks before we were sent back to San Diego.You never know when you're about to leave so they always prefer you to be back on base so you can leave the moment your captain tells you too.Our younger sister, Sophia, has turned into such a sassy, clever young lady and has surprised everyone when she has a school project that asked her to write about the people who inspired her most.She wrote about me and O
Finding Casey Chapter 5: Casey
6 months ago:Time lost me.Torture became a new thing. No food became normal. Minimal water was a thing, apparently.No one tells me what day it is; some days they leave me for what feels like days. The only light I ever get is a small, shitty lightbulb above my head. One mishap with that, and this place will probably go up in flames.Just what I need right now.I wonder if Oliver would have retired and become the father he always dreamed he would be. Living his life. I would prefer to just end this now. My mind is never going to get out of itself now, but whenever they come in, my screams are more grunts. They don't even give a shit anymore; they keep asking for information, but by now I can even remember if my left hand is still attached to my body or if my arse is still even working. I stink. I keep telling myself to grab a shower and then laughing inside my head at the thought of not being able to move. Some days they let me go, but as soon as the cuffs are off my hands and feet,
Finding Casey Chapter 6: Max
Weeks turned into months, and months turned into a year, which led to two years. Each passing day that they didn't find Casey was another day that life became harder for her family.Her mom fell ill with depression after they found out Oliver had died, and they went to identify the body. They then had a funeral at Arlington Cemetery, where they did the 21-Gun-Salute. An extremely hard day is made even worse when we don't know where Casey is. She never would have missed her brother's funeral. The captain of their team had been wheeled here and spoke about Oliver, his time in the military, and then Casey, how she saved not only her brother but four more of their people. A few of their friends who had joined with them came and paid respects.Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton didn't leave the grave until the next day. Sophia came home with their grandparents, and since then, it hasn't been the same. Everything they do, they do it with sadness in their bodies now.The once-happy family, who enjoyed B
Finding Casey Chapter 7: Casey
It was a real shock to my system to see Max Kendal here. I didn't recognise his scent when he walked in, but then his voice was the one I recognised. His dog tried to locate where I was, but I couldn't remove my hands from my ears. My whole body hurts physically and mentally. It's my first night here, and it's also the first night off the drugs I've been on for years.They want to wean me off them, so I thought, Why not go cold turkey? Get it over with.When he left, I felt relieved. It's hard enough living with what the doctor said was survivors guilt, but I wish I wouldn't be here. I'd be more at peace if they had just killed me over there, but then my mom and dad. Do they blame me? That's one reason why I couldn't accept the doctors to call.What if they blamed me?What if they disowned me?What if... what if... what if...Everything leads back to what if this or what if that. There's no way I'll be able to go back, and I don't honestly think I want to anyway.I'm pulled away from
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