Next stop the VA

We returned after the rest in the woods and I walked to the VA looking for new friends. I sat in the background and listened to their pain. Weird, my sister and her husband sat not far from me and watched as I listened intently to every word and body language of the attendees. This was a window to another world of people crying out in pain and I wanted to discern so I could be more helpful. The speaker of the gathering saw me and asked me to join them. I waved my hand respectfully but she insisted. She introduced me, "Ladies and gentlemen, meet a woman who has helped our brothers and sisters for the past fourteen years, Dr. Sabrina Whitmore. Please give her a round of applause." They clapped as I walked to sit with them. She approached me, "Thank you for helping me stop veteran suicide. Also helping to get jobs for us when we couldn't find any." I smiled, "That's how my father raised me. He believed these were gallant men and women who did their best to make the world a better place. In that regard they deserve respect. Speaking of which, anyone asked for a silver star? I will be meeting the president and he promised a few to the people I recommended." This earned a whistle from the crowd. I explained, "My daughter Diana was missing during a snowstorm and she was found next to a dead homeless man. I had him examined because he looked familiar. His fingerprint was checked with all known databases and I realized that this is one who used to stand outside asking for his friends to get the silver star for their valor but was ignored. Those days I had little sway but I managed to convince the previous POTUS to award his friends and him the silver star. He did perish in injuries that saved the president's life. So after that, every POTUS makes it clear that if there is someone who is deserving, I should let him know. They will go to the front of the line." This earned a standing ovation.

I turned to see the trio was shocked. I shrugged, "This was my brother's dying wish. I am just an executor." Sis gave a weird look that says that was not the man she remembered but she said nothing. One of the veterans asked, "Why do you come to these things? You are starting a new charity again?" I shook my head, "I spend most of my days talking to fake people. I feel like this is only real conversation I hear all week. There are no lies, no hidden promises. Just good people pooling together to simply be heard and understood. This is me reliving a moment with my big brother before he died of cancer. He used to bring me here since I was five years old. I would sit on his shoulder as we walked through those doors. He used to listen to their stories and explained to me that his pain felt like nothing compared to the pain these guys go through so helping them give him peace. He taught me to be compassionate." This earned a round of applause and words of prayer from the attendees. Weird smiled as he stood in the far back in pretend invisibility. I called him out and practically everyone jumped to salute him. I laughed teasingly as he was the center of awkwardness. He gave me an annoyed look and sat with a young man who looked up to him like Weird was his dad. They wanted to know what was funny and he mumbled, "It's classified" which made me snicker even more. He gave me a 'give it a rest' look. I composed myself and asked Vivienne if she has heard from Andy lately. She pointed towards the end of the hall. I walked in to see Andy and his therapist Sally chatting about his new exercise regimen. He was now confined to a wheelchair and he was brave enough to help people regardless. I came to give him the good news. I found his girlfriend Ayo. She is waiting for him in the car. It was a tearful reunion but it was romantic never the less. I walked back to the car and sis stopped me. "Xavier had cancer? Why didn't anyone tell me?" I gave her an annoying look, "Because you were too busy addicted to oxycodone to care about it." She blushed red, "I am ten years sober. I got a job at the FBI." I gave her a dirty look and she stepped aside. She was the reason we suffered so much even after she was emancipated from our family.