K-9 Unit

P4: The Ceremony

When Hayden got home he was angry no wait that was an understatement he has pissed. How could they not tell him that they were training Toothless with another person but not only that but to ship him back off into deployment in Iraq again. And all he could do was pretty much sit and wait and hope Gary's plan works out. No he could not just sit and wait around while his best friend was getting ready to leave the US again but without him this time.

So he entered the house and headed right up to his room. Once there he quickly changed out of his Army Service Uniform and back to another pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. Then he grabbed his old laptop he used back in high school and sat on his bed.

He was going to try and find a way to get his partner home. Surely other canine handler had to have the same problems right?

So far everything he saw that may be promising would end up taking to long and Toothless would probably be in Iraq by then. He must have stare at the computer for hours because he was frustrated to say the least. The only thing to draw his attention away from the computer and his work at hand was the knock at the door to his room and his mother voice.

"Hayden?"

Hayden sighed before looking up to answer "Yes?"

His mother then opened his door fully to walk in. She had a glass of water in one hand and a plate of sandwiches in the other.

"You have been up here all day it is almost 3 and you have not eaten anything." She said

"Ya well I am kind of busy"

"Did the meeting not go well?" She asked

"You could say that." Hayden took the glass of water out of his mother hand that she held out

"Do you want to tell me about it. Maybe I can help you."

"Unless you can cancel some order a higher up officer gave that is making my partner get shipped back out to Iraq without me then no you can not help." He said

"Oh honey I am so sorry. How could they do something like that. Don't you have some kind of say over what happens to him you are his owner and handler right?"

"Nope I have no say in this because I had no say in anything that happens to him since the day I got blown up by that IED and discharged me from the military." Hayden said then laughed lightly "It funny we spend so much time in the military protecting and serving the people that we love and care for but then the military does not give a shit about us. Like I fucken saved so many lives out there with Toothless. And then me and him became something other handler wanted to work up to be. Then once I lost my leg they did not even think to tell me that they were going to ship him out again. What just because he was the best dog they had out there? But they did not even have a second thought about said dog's feelings or needs because they knew he does not do well with other people working him but they are forcing that on him like he is some sort of machine." Hayden ranted on

Val pulled her son into a hug. She knew what it is like to have someone close to you go away and not know what was going on. Because just a couple years ago that was her son. He had just left right after graduating high school. And then only now did she know what had happen to him in them years. He had joined the military were he could have died and then she did not even having contact with him and if he would have died she would have known to late.

"Oh honey we will figure something out that will work. We will we have to."

"Thanks. Hey I am sorry mom for not telling you what I chose to do after high school. I know how you feel now to not know what was going on in someone's life while they were away."