Page 51 of Caleb's Cause
“She is. I knew it before I even started kindergarten. Thankfully, I was friends with all the kids in the neighborhood, and when I needed to escape her tirades I could run to one of their houses. One of the things I did when I was older wasn’t necessary, but Dad told me to do it. He worked overtime for years in order for that to happen.”
“What’s that?”
“The college I went to was a little over thirty minutes away. I could have commuted and saved money. Dad told me no, he said he loved me and wanted me away from my mother and her toxicity. That overtime he worked went toward the pay for the dorm, and extra spending money. Mom never realized he’d worked overtime. Anyway, between the time we were notified that Ryan had been considered MIA, to the time he arrived on our doorstep, it was over a year. The military never told us he’d been rescued and was recovering in a hospital.”
“Do they have to?” At his frown, she continued, “Notify you?”
“Oh, I don’t know, I do know that Uncle Ry was pissed when he learned we weren’t told. Anyway, I was already going to school for double majors. I wanted to be a physical therapist, with strong emphasis on sports medicine, but I also wanted to be a chiropractor. I am both.”
“Wow, does that mean that you’re Dr. Caleb Lassiter?”
“Yes, but I don’t really use the title, at least not yet. I’m saving it for when my practice opens.”
“That’s the building over that way?” She pointed to where his office would be.
“Yes. Okay, now onto what I did in my spare time,” he laughed when she laughed at his pun. “Yeah, I had no spare time with the double majors, anyway, I met a group of people that I befriended, and I learned as much as I could, and became successful. At least I hope I did.”
“What did you learn?”
“How to make prosthetics.”
“Like fake legs and arms?”
“Yes, when I saw Uncle Ry had a missing eye, I thought that I could do something to help him. I don’t know if he would be open to getting a new eye, because he might not be able to see out of it, I’d have to have my friends to get in there and look at the damage. According to him, and I’m quoting here, but according to Uncle Ry, the fuckers gouged his eye out. I don’t know if they used their fingers, or a tool, or what.”
“Okay, but what does all this have to do with my work with Naomi?”
“I was wondering if you would like to help me? You could still work for Erin and Naomi, but I’m going to need someone in my office when I open, and,” he said with a sigh as he pushed several papers toward her.
“What’s this?”
“Information to get a new eye for Uncle Ryan, a new hand for Erin, an arm for Opal, and a leg/foot for Adele.”
Katherine looked at him in shock, then quickly started going through the papers. As she read, he got up, cleaned up the kitchen, and got something started in the crockpot for supper. It was almost two hours, which he was going out of his skin, before she looked up. The entire time, he’d kept her supplied in coffee.
“Holy shit,” Katherine said in shock as she settled back in her chair and looked at him with wide eyes. “You can do this?”
“I can, I’ve been on the phone with Staci, she’s my friend from that group I told you about, and she’s looking to break off from them and start out on her own. I told her that she could come here, just give me a few days to discuss everything with my boss, then maybe we can do this.”
“First, why is she breaking off with that group? I’m asking because I’m nosy, and because Erin will be asking the same question.”
“I understand, but she’s breaking off because she’s the only female in the group of six, and they are starting to say that women don’t belong in the field that they are in. They are being arrogant pricks about it.” He looked at her with a grin.
“What?”
“She had been secretly filling out grant applications, and when she started to say she would work with former military personnel, the grant people started listening to her. As of three weeks back, from this past Wednesday, she cut all ties with her former group and is now officially on her own.”
“Does she have it in writing?”
“Why would she need that?”
“What if she gets a grant, I’m just throwing numbers out because I have no clue, but what if she gets a grant for say, five hundred thousand, they get wind of it, and come after her saying that they deserve the money because she was with them when she filled out the grants.” She saw his concern and held up her hand with a shake of her head. “Another devil’s advocate moment here, Erin’s not former military, can she still try to help her if her grant is only for military people?”
“What else?” Caleb asked as he grabbed a pad of paper and started taking notes. He looked up at her with raised brows.
“This statement or question isn’t me being mean, it’s me being practical.”
“Okay, what is it?”
