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Look, he hadn’t meant to bring home a dog, okay? It just happened. He was out on one of his usual walks, picking up things that reminded him of his family. A little bow tie pin for Edwin, a poster of a show Niko had been into lately, a string of lights Crystal had been looking for, and a few other trinkets. He’d just been walking along, tucking his haul into his infinite backpack, when he heard the shuffling.
He peered into the alley, creeping in with his bat in hand as a precaution. Then, a black nose poked out from behind a dumpster, followed by the black, furry head it was attached to. Before he knew it, a large, black dog in a vest was bounding over, sniffing him curiously. Charles immediately put his bat away and fawned over the dog. He’d seen ghost dogs before, but only in glimpses before they moved on. It was strange to see one who hadn’t, and there was nothing signaling that the dog had died here recently. He found a pocket on the dog’s vest and pulled out the card inside.
Hi! My name is Jax! I am a labrador retriever! I’m also a certified therapy dog, and I’m trained to be a psychiatric service dog! Make sure not to touch me unless my handler, Jensen, gives you permission.
“Jax, huh?” The dog perked up at his name. “Wanna come home with me?” Jax cocked his head, tail wagging. “Alright, uh, what would it be? Heel?” The black, fluffy mass immediately stood at Charles’ side and matched his pace when he walked. “Brills. Come on, I’ll introduce you to the gang.”
He led the dog through the street, Jax never straying from his side. Just to test, Charles would pause randomly and even spin. Nothing fooled the dog, and the boy was happy to praise him. Still a ways from the office, the teen decided to see if the dog could mirror jump. Turns out, he could and wasn’t even phased by it. They popped into the office, immediately drawing Edwin’s attention.
“Charles. Why on Earth have you brought a dog home?”
“He’s a ghost dog, yeah? Hasn’t moved on, and he was just hanging out in an alley. I couldn’t leave him there.”
Edwin sighed. “Of course you couldn’t.” The teen dragged his hands down his face. “Why would you bring the dog here ?”
“Well besides the fact that I’m not a heartless bastard, I figured he could also be helpful around here,” he said, passing Jax’s card to his partner. “We got a lot of distraught clients in here, mate, and none of us are the picture of perfect mental health, either.” The teen crouched next to the dog, who had been obediently sitting next to the boy. “Look, he’s so well behaved.” Edwin just glared. “C’mon, please?” He pulled out his baby doll eyes (not that kind) that he knew his friend couldn’t refuse.
The Edwardian teen groaned. “ Fine . He can stay for a trial period.”
“Yes! Thanks, mate! C’mon Jax, I’ll show you around.”
The punk teen released the dog and showed him around the office. Edwin pretended to still be annoyed, but he wasn’t. His friend was excited and he’d made good points in favor of keeping Jax. When the girls walked in, they started fawning over the dog as well. The three of them tested what tasks their new detective knew, with the help of a few internet searches.
If Edwin hadn’t been on board with their newest addition before, the next day had him fairly convinced. A set of twins, no older than maybe eight, had come in asking for help finding their parents. They started crying as they told their story, a horrific car accident caused by a ran red light. Apparently, none of their deaths were fast either. The four teens fumbled when both twins started sobbing, but their new friend didn’t. Jax immediately went up to the kids and gently nudged them with his snout. It took mere seconds for the children’s attention to be redirected towards the dog, now laying his head across their laps. They managed to finish their story without further tears, both kids stroking the dog’s head.
Once the kids left, their case accepted, Charles and the girls all cooed over the dog, showering him with praise and pets. When the three had gone their separate ways, Edwin wearily approached the dog and pet Jax himself. He’d never been around dogs when he was alive, and certainly not in death, so it was a change. But, he decided that perhaps petting dogs wasn’t so bad.
That night, the girls and Charles decided to go out. They invited Edwin but he declined. It was unusual, since while the teen usually protested he’d still go out with them. He made the excuse of having to catch up on paperwork. His friends didn’t believe him, but didn’t push either.
Truthfully, something had been off with him since the early afternoon. He couldn’t pinpoint what tipped him off, but he noticed something humming under his skin. After the others had left, he found himself pacing and jumping at shadows. He saw doll faces in every place he looked, jumping every time. Jax entered the room, looked at the distressed boy and walked to him.
He sat next to the teen and gave him a gentle nudge. It startled Edwin, who practically jumped out of his phantom skin and landed on the couch before seeing Jax, instead of the doll spider his mind had created. He heaved out a massive breath, nearing tears. Jax jumped onto the couch and laid himself across his distressed friend’s lap, nudging the boy’s hand. Thankfully, the teen got the idea and buried his hand in the pitch black fur.
The weight combined with the soft fur beneath his fingers brought the boy back to reality. He brought his other hand to the dog and hugged him. Jax didn’t mind, leaning against the teen’s chest to keep up the pressure. Edwin eventually released him and got up. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to work, he headed towards his room, Jax hot on his heels. He grabbed one of his favorite books and pulled out the mattress hidden in his couch. Sprawling across the bed, he called Jax up, who settled beside him and placed his head on the boy’s knee.
Charles, Niko and Crystal returned home earlier than they’d planned. There hadn’t been much going on in the town, or that’s what they’d say if anyone asked. Truly, they were mainly worried about their friend. He hadn’t been himself when they left. They walked in, the main office area empty. It caused a bit of panic, since Edwin had said he was going to do casework and he never did casework anywhere but the office desk. They looked around, before Charles’ quiet, “In here!” drew their attention.
Their hearts melted at the sight before them. Edwin was laid out across his mattress, book resting on his chest and fast asleep. Jax was pressed tight against him, head still resting on the sleeping boy’s knee. All of them relished the sight, their friend rarely slept, always insisting that there were things to do. Really, they knew he often just couldn’t relax enough to drift off. Charles quietly snapped a few pictures with their camera and walked out, leaving the two to sleep.
The next day, Edwin spied a few new pictures on their bulletin board. He realized his family must have taken them after he’d fallen asleep with Jax. If they noticed that Edwin took Jax out and returned with a quality vest, guide handle and leash, they didn’t mention. And they certainly didn’t mention Edwin taking one of the pictures and setting it up in his own room.