"Yours included," Mary interrupted with a slight smile.
"You won't watch the news but bury your nose into half a dozen newspapers every day," he shook his head in wonder before continuing. "Being that I know you read them cover to cover do you remember the incident out in California a while back? It's still under investigation as to the cause which is interesting all on its own but there was a huge number of injuries, several deaths but not nearly the number they initially expected."
"I remember." Mary sat forward, thinking back to what she'd read at the time. "The lower than expected death toll was only because people nearby that weren’t hurt by the initial blast jumped in to help." She took a sip of her coffee as she ran the story back through her mind wondering what this had to do with her cousin's friend.
"Exactly." Jake settled back in his chair. "Tom was one of those. He was nearby working on another story, finishing up an investigative piece." He paused to think about exactly what it was that Tom had been working on. He knew it had been the result of months of investigation and the end result had been a story few would forget any time soon. One that exposed corruption in that city's purchasing department that would continue to resonate for a long time to come. Setting that aside he continued to explain what he knew about the situation that led to his friend’s arrival in their small town. "Anyway, he and his crew rushed to the site and off course they were told to cover what they could. From what I know other than the little Tom told me when he popped into my office earlier, he heard cries for help coming from a nearby pile of rubble, tossed the mic to his on site producer and dove in to help."
"I remember." Mary tapped idly on the table top as she thought back to what she'd read specifically about what Jake was telling her. It had been splayed throughout the newspapers and not just in the news sections. It had gotten plenty of space in the opinion pages as well. "Weren't there some words between him and his producer?"
"I'm sure there were," Jake said with a small smile creeping onto his face. "But in all fairness the on-site producer was probably being raked over the coals by the station at the time. There they were, not just the first on the scene at that point but the only ones on the scene of a major disaster and their prize-winning stand-up reporter is digging in the dirt. That isn't what reporters are supposed to do."
"Maybe not," Mary agreed slowly, remembering clearly now what much of the story had been. "But it is what we as a civilized people do. Help others. Maybe your friend found that who he was in this instance weighed heavier than what he did."
"Yeah. But you’re basing that on all the stories you read. What you didn't see were all the images plastered all over the internet of Tom throwing his mic at his producer. Neither had smiles on their faces. There might not have been any other teams at the sight reporting but there were plenty of folks with cameras in their nifty little phones. I’m telling you, that image made the internet from every angle you can imagine. And Tom came out on top every time. The station will be a long time living that down. Not just that moment but their response to it later."
"I remember." And she did. Her outrage to their initial statement still reverberated through her every time she thought of it. "They went on about the role of the media as being one of independent and unbiased observer and only that. That if they were to interject themselves into every story the story would never be accurately told." She sighed and struggled to tamp down the anger at their impervious attitude even now months later. "I remember thinking the woman who was giving the statement was unbelievable callous and needed a dose of humanity."
"We can be maneuvered…conditioned into doing what is expected of us even though it might go against the very grain of who we are….like robots," Jake agreed slowly, thinking to himself that at times it had been the only way to survive. "But that by the book statement cost them mightily." He leaned back in the chair with the hot mug clasped between his hands. "Not twenty-four hours later one of the many survivors that Tom pulled from that rubble after digging through to her with his bare hands and nothing else came forward and gave another local network an exclusive interview. Never said a word about Tom’s network directly but personally thanked Tom for being biased and humane."
"Biased, self-directed, and humane." Mary corrected.
"Yeah. Basically she thanked him for being everything we're supposed to be when tragedy strikes." He thought about his own conflicts that he’d dealt with in all the stories he'd covered over the years. Many in war zones where no one won. Not really. "Someone has to report the story, Mary. But in the end we're human and each person has to make that choice of what is more important…at that moment in time."
"I would think the choice is easy. Life trumps photo images every time." She looked at him pointedly, understanding the struggle that would be playing out in his mind even now. "At least it should."
"How about I bring Tom over later tonight?"
"Coward."
"I'm just ceding the debate early to save us time. Besides you're right so why not."
Mary laughed. An easy sound that filled the room and eased out the gloom of the topic of their conversation. "Bring him for dinner. We'll eat then take him over to the house."
"Sounds good. Thanks Mary." Jake gave her a little salute as he strode toward the front door to let himself out.
∞∞∞
Mary glanced out her peep hole in the front door out of habit more than anything. It wasn’t late at night or the earliest morning hours when it seemed people habitually came banging on her door as was the case that moment. What she saw almost stopped her in her tracks. Almost. Instead she grappled uncharacteristically with her front door knob finally getting it turned and opened to face the woman standing patiently on her doorstep.
See other books by the author below.
Other books available by the author.
The Last Christmas Ornament
Cost of Redemption
Her Letter
When Words Matter
The Hope of Hyde Hills
When We Trust
How We Love
Where We Turn…coming soon
The Andersen Saga
Betrayal
Resolute
Broken
Found
Choices
Regrets
Remember
Forgiven
Always
Expectations
Decisions
Disillusioned
Believe
Hills of Burlington
Return to Cedar Hill
Retreat to Woodhaven
Summer Street Secrets
Refuge on Leebrick
A Christmas Dinner on Marshall Street
Return to Summit Falls
Going Home
Home Again
Coming Home
Finding Home
Sharing Home
Home to Stay
Home Again for Christmas
Family
Family Unbroken
Family Shadows
Family Always
Family Trust
Family Promise
Home In Madeira Springs
The Typewriter Playoffs
They Will Know You
The Civil War Connection
The Seneca Falls Connection
The French Revolution Connection
The Wilberforce Connection
Worlds They Left Behind
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