Marian Josten

Bionic Butter Marian Josten

"A new dog? You want a new dog? "Brown's face crumples like he stepped on a nail. He stinks of guilt so badly it chokes me."Butter, I'm a just dog handler in the army. They need me back in Kandahar to keep our soldiers safe. I need to go back to work.""Sure. Me too. We'll go back as soon as we get the prosthesis.""There is no prosthesis, Butter.""Not yet. But it's coming soon. As soon as it arrives, we go back.""Butter, the army can't wait. The soldiers are in danger now."I sigh. I guess I won't get to be Bionic Butter after all."Oh well. I hoped I'd show off to Guinness and Viper, but what can you do? I know they love me just the way I am, three-pawed and all. Let's go then.""Butter, you can barely walk. You can't work as an explosive detecting K-9 on three paws.""I'll train, and I'll get better. And when the prosthesis arrives, maybe they'll send it over.""Oh, Butter, how I wish that was possible. But it's not.""What do you mean?""You'll stay here and get better. I'll speak to Diane about how to get some money. We'll get you that prosthesis as soon as we can.""Then we go back to our war?"Brown shakes his head. "No, Butter, I don't think you'll ever go back to war. But I have to.""But Brown, you know you can't sniff bombs! You can't even find your stinky socks, even though I showed you a thousand times!""Butter, I'll have to... I'll have to get another dog."The enormity of it crushes me. Brown wants another dog? I've been with him my whole life. And now, just because I lost a paw, he'll abandon me and get another dog? I don't get it. If Brown lost a leg, would I go get another human? Not in forever and a day. How can he?