Cage Washington

Disclaimer: While place descriptions and news events may coincide with the real world, all characters and the plot are fictional.
== Biography ==
=== Family History ===
'Cage' is a family name, and the story of it by Rev Washington's father (also named Cage) is:Cage's family have been in the USA since the early 1800s, and in every generation of the Washington family, there's someone named 'Cage'. 
His great-great-great-great-grandfather was a slave, who repeatedly escaped. Each time he was captured. they would bring him back in a cage. He kept returning to rescue others, no matter how many lashes, no matter how many cages. The last time he returned, he had located his wife and youngest child. While they were escaping, they were trapped by bounty hunters, and he surrendered to give his wife and child time to escape. He said that he wasn't destined to die in a cage, he would die free - free in his heart, if not in his body. He was lynched that night, saying he was incorrigible, and couldn't be rehabilitated. 
His wife found she was pregnant, and she named their son Cage, and said remember. Remember that they weren't meant to live in cages. She could have named him Freedom, and said remember that's what we want. But she was made of stern stuff, and she knew what they needed to remember was the horror they were fighting, not the dreams they had. 
Her son fought in the Civil War, another Cage Washington died fighting in WWII, an uncle is a cop in Dallas.
=== Early Life ===
Cage J. Washington is the easy-going middle son of Rev. Clyde and Martha Washington. He has two brothers: Gregory and Corey.
He has had a video-camera since his 13th birthday.
In Cage's rebellious early teens, his father had been persuaded to let him start training in mixed martial arts (MMA) as an anger management technique. This was probably around the same time (aged 13-14) as his mother first takes Cage to see Dr Erica Clarke. He fought with his father over Christian issues throughout his teens.
At age 16, Cage's parents allow him to use mass transit to go from Portsmouth to and from downtown Portland. As a safety precaution, he had to be home by dark. By the time he moves to the PSU campus for his freshman year, he already knows the city. By 2020, he's been around downtown Portland so long that he has become part of the neighborhoods. He is on nodding terms with store owners, residents, and the homeless. Running the 5-mile perimeter of the city is Cage's way of 'staking his claim'.
His father has talked to Cage and his brothers about how to behave if they are pulled over by police. What to say. What to do. How not to be another Driving While Black statistic.
Cage became interested in politics at the age of 18. He was fascinated by the role of the journalists and videographers who covered the protests in Ferguson MO following the police shooting of Michael Brown, and this was the impetus to his career as a news videographer. 
=== Education ===
Cage started his freshman year at Portland State University in Fall Term 2015, and joined the News 101 class at Eyewitness News in Spring 2017.
He is in the film program majoring in Media Studies. His classes have included: Introduction to Black History (2015), and communication. He has had a couple of classes from Michelle Stewart.
In Fall 2020, he has a class at 2pm on Wednesdays.
=== Eyewitness News ===
At the start of Fall 2018, Cage became Chief Videographer for Eyewitness News.
Cage is gifted storyteller with a video-camera, and roams the city to see for himself what is going on. He calls it 'going walkabout'. His first story as a videographer was on a professor studying the role of play in ground squirrel society.
==== Book 1: Stories We Tell ====
On Friday May 22, 2020, Cage interviews the organizer of the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington Park. Later, he and Ryan pick up drinks and snacks for a popup party in the Crow's Nest.
The following Tuesday, May 26, 2020, Cage sees the news from Minneapolis MN of the death of George Floyd while in police custody, and is reminded of the 2014 riots in Ferguson MO after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown there. He expects Black Lives Matter protests to be held in Portland again, and wonders if EWN should cover them.
Cage calls his father on Wednesday, and is reluctantly given some names to contact about protests expected in Portland the following day. On Thursday afternoon, Cage films 100 people demonstrating in peaceful solidarity at the Multnomah County Justice Center.
Cage attends the PSU Cabinet meeting in the President's conference room at 8am on Friday morning. In the afternoon, he covers the gathering at Peninsular Park in North Portland of hundreds of people outraged at George Floyd's death. The crowd chants 'I can't breathe' for eight minutes, and they march from there to the Justice Center. Cage introduces himself to the Witch, who then introduces him to other independent journalists. Cage and Turk are picked up by Ryan at Lan Su Chinese Garden, Turk is dropped at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, and Cage and Ryan return to EWN so Cage can upload his files and write a lead-in paragraph for the anchor.
Later that night, Cage returns to the protest downtown that evening to continue reporting and sends Miguel back to EWN to edit video. When the police declare a riot, and start using tear gas, Turk and the Witch encourage Cage to leave. Turk and Cage evade police and hide in Keller Fountain Park under the waterfall. Turk tells Cage of their previous arrest at an ICE protest, and explains about the use of gender-neutral pronouns. When they are try to reach their cars, Turk is splattered by police tear gas. Cage cleans Turk's eyes with water. and they both head to EWN arriving in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Ryan helps find clean clothes and towels for Cage and Turk while they shower off the tear gas. Cage asks Ryan for permission for Turk to stay 'upstairs' til morning, as public transport is shut down. Ryan agrees and Cage shows Turk up to the Crow's Nest to get some sleep.
Ryan, Ben Waters, Miguel Garcia, Corey, and Cage talk about what will happen if the BLM protests continue beyond the end of the Spring term. Ryan feels that stopping coverage would harm their credibility as an objective source of news. However, if they decide to continue, it's a commitment to continue forever. Cage walks home afterwards.
Cage and Corey return to EWN in the afternoon. Cage has already been downtown and has footage of some of the groups who helped with cleanup and vandalism. Emily asks Cage to write 'rules for reporters going to the protests'.
Later, after the editors' meeting, Cage edits video for a 2-hour broadcast to follow the evening news until Jason, Karin, and Miguel return from covering the downtown protest. Cage is concerned about Emily's safety while alone in the newsroom, and asks Ryan if a gate can be installed at the counter. Ryan shows Cage a locker filled with clean towels and sweats obtained from Kevin Tighe, and says that EWN will give sanctuary to the independent reporters covering the Black Lives Matter protests downtown on the following conditions: 
# they must be escorted into EWN by Cage or Turk, or be buzzed in them; and 
# they have to be gone by 9am when the ad office opens, or wait until 2pm when Emily arrives.
The BLM protests downtown are relatively quiet that evening. The Witchtells Cage of a large protest at Laurelhurst planned for the following night.
On Sunday May 31, Corey drops Cage at Laurelhurst Park on their way back from Sunday dinner at the Portsmouth parsonage. Cage calls Emily and asks that the other EWN videographers pick up the march at Morrison Bridge. Cage records the speeches in the park, and follows the march to the courthouse before returning to EWN to download files. He edits until midnight.
Monday morning, Cage interviews Dr Erica Clarke from OHSU about mental health issues related to COVID precautions. In the afternoon, Ryan and Cage argue about how to cover the protests that night. Ryan is worried about Cage's safety, and wants him back by 9pm, but Cage insists that he will go back downtown once the film is ready for the 10pm broadcast. Emily asks: "Are we journalists, or aren't we?"
Cage edits the video the team brings back for the 9pm broadcast, then heads downtown himself. Turk tells Cage he shouldn't be down there without protective gear: gas mask, stab vest, cap, and gloves. They shows Cage the safety bag they carries and says that anyone coming from EWN to the protests should carry similar equipment, and know how to use it. Cage reminds Turk of the offer of sanctuary for independent journalists and returns to EWN to edit. He shares Turk's concern with Ryan, who tells him to order safety equipment from Amazon through the Foundation account. As they leave for the night, Cage asks Ryan if they can really extend to a 365-day coverage; Ryan replies he has no doubt they can, only if they should. Will they have the income for it? He asks if it's what Cage wants to do; Cage replies that it's what they must do.
Early Tuesday afternoon, Pete Madison gives Cage his own personal gas mask, black cap, balaclava, gloves and a black vest. Cage asks Pete to show him how to wear them. That evening, Cage goes to the protests after the news broadcast, live-streaming back for publication on the website.
On Wednesday June 3, Cage leaves for the protests as the news broadcast starts. The reporters have been collecting stories from individual protesters. As Cage goes to look at the white ribbons tied to the fencing, he hears Turk call him. He turns, sees a cop raising a weapon, and when turns back to protect his camera and pull on his gas mask, is shot with a non-lethal bullet between the shoulder blades. Turk helps him up, and Cage asks them to call Ryan or EWN will panic. Turk helps Cage walk slowly back to the EWN building. Ryan asks if Cage needs a doctor, but he says he was just winded. Turk goes home and Ryan helps Cage upstairs and to undress for a hot shower. Afterwards, Ryan checks Cage's back and is relieved that the skin is unbroken, and there are no broken bones. Ryan panics that Cage could have died, which would be too high a price, and he feels incapable of being the strong person needed to lead EWN to the next level. Cage is confident that Ryan can, but only Ryan can decide if he wants to. But Cage would be going down to report on the protests anyway, even if it means freelancing or going independent. This is his story, and he can't let it go, and Ryan accepts that. Corey arrives to pick up Cage, and Ryan helps him dress. They agree to meet at 10am the next day.
When Cage arrives at EWN on Thursday morning, Ryan is looking through Cage's video feed from the previous night, trying to find "the first stone" for the police to declare a riot. Cage finds that idea interesting, and agrees to help. Dr Stewart calls to discuss the broadcast expansion, and Cage acknowledges that the timing is in part due to the current protests, but the decision should have happened earlier. At the end of the call, she congratulates the videographers, particularly Cage, on their excellent work.
Later that afternoon Cage and Emily follow Ryan when he is summoned to the Provost's office, but don't arrive in time to join the meeting. Instead, they eavesdrop through the intercom on the secretary's desk. When the meeting ends, Emily quickly shuts off the intercom and joins Cage in the center of the outer office before Provost McShane and Ryan open the door. Ryan is aware they have listening in, and they leave together, racing each other back to EWN.
==== Book 2: Choose ====
Late on Monday afternoon, October 12, 2020 Cage is with Turk and a handful of other independent journalists in Chapman Square as protesters gather outside the Multnomah County Justice Center. Turk points out J.J. as a newbie holding an EWN camera kit nearby. Cage stalks towards him and demands to know his name and what he's doing downtown with EWN equipment. J.J. assures him he checked out the camera properly, but Cage notices he doesn't have a safety bag with personal protective equipment. Cage tells J.J. to interview people for one hour, using only a notebook and pen, get stories, then return to the newsroom to write them up. He says that if he sees J.J. after 9pm, J.J will be banned from EWN for life. Cage returns to the independent journalist group, which now includes Carroll. Cage hasn't seen them for a while and asks if they are doing OK, and reminds them of the Crow's Nest sanctuary.
Just before the end of the news broadcast that evening, Cage returns to EWN. He joins Emily and introduces himself to Sarah King. He makes Ryan walk Sarah and Emily to the TriMet station when they leave. 
Turk buzzes the front door at EWN at midnight, with Jake and The Witch carrying Carroll. Cage lets them all in and takes them up in the elevator to the Crow's Nest. Cage and Turk help Carroll back down to shower on the 2nd floor. When they reach the bathroom door, Carroll fights away from Cage, and only lets Turk help them into the shower. Cage later realizes Carroll was having a flashback.
Early Tuesday morning, Cage collects supplies to clean up the pepper spray. Corey comes out of the Geek Cave and takes them from him, saying he'll do that while Cage takes care of the people - Gregory had complained the last time that the janitorial staff weren't doing their job. Turk calls, and Cage helps support Carroll as they go up in the elevator. He reminds the independent journalists of the 'rules', and tells Carroll to stay until Cage comes for them later that day.
When Cage arrives at EWN that afternoon, he gives J.J. a story assignment for the evening. Sarah asks. Cage tells Sarah and Emily what he knows about Carroll's experience the previous summer - that Carroll had been one of the people grabbed by mysterious federal agents and taken to an undisclosed location, questioned, and then released the next day, with no charges pressed. Sarah tell Cage and Emily that during Carroll's 'missing' 24hrs, they were tortured. Sarah tells them about her own experience with PTSD, and warns them she may have panic attacks herself. 
Later that evening, J.J. approaches Cage while he is talking to Carroll and Turk at the BLM protests downtown.
The next day, Cage is near the equipment closet, checking out cameras and safety kits to the videographers when Emily comes to talk to him. She asks if anything happened to J.J. the previous night at the protest, that J.J. seemed upset, and asked if EWN had ever written about what the police think. Cage said he has asked police for interviews, but as none will answer there's been no story. Emily tells Cage that J.J. seemed almost relived to work on a timeline article, and Cage is surprised - J.J. has been pretty enthusiastic. Emily asks about Carroll, and Cage shares his worries. Emily is concerned about all the independents, and about Cage too. He teases her he'll always be back with the story at 11pm. Emily returns to her desk as Ryan arrives. Ryan teases Cage about his crush on Emily, then invites him into the EIC office to discuss what happened with the Crow's Nest.
At the 8pm editors' meeting on Thursday evening in Ryan's office, Sarah shares with Ryan, Cage, Emily, Lam, Joe, and Sam that J.J.'s dad is a Portland police officer. No one has concerns other than for J.J.'s mental health. Ryan points out that Cage, as a big Black man with a video camera and press pass, is exposed by his work covering the protests. Cage says that's what it means to be a Black man. If things go bad, the police shoot the nearest Black man - that's why there is a Black Lives Matter movement. Sarah asks if any of them know any basic self-defense tactics. Cage asks if she can teach the reporters covering the protests. She agrees that she can do a workshop on situational awareness etc in the Crow's Nest. She asks after Carroll, saying she wants to talk to them, and find out why that van targeted them. Cage says he will look for them that night. Miguel calls Cage, asking him to come down to the protests - a caravan of trucks with Trump stickers and Confederate flags is cruising 3rd Ave and targeting protesters, and the police are doing nothing. As Cage heads out, he tells Miguel to stay safe, not engage, just observe and report. Miguel calls out as Cage passes Keller Fountain park to let him know the rest of the EWN team are safely headed back. He has Turk and Carroll hidden near the fountain, and Carroll is hysterical, screaming 'won't talk' - Turk can't calm them. Turk sees Cage approach, and tells Carroll that Cage has come to take care of them. Cage helps Turk get Carroll up, and asks Turk if they can walk to EWN. Turk says he's injured and will be slow, but tells them to go ahead of him. Cage tells Miguel to call Ryan, and ask him to bring his car. Ryan arrives about 30min later in his Prius. There's not enough room for them all, so Miguel tells them he'll walk back to EWN. Cage puts Turk and Carroll in the back seat, then sits in front. Ryan says some roads are blocked, so they have to go the long way around. He asks Turk and Carroll how they are. Carroll tells Cage they saw the van again, it had the same plates. When they get to EWN, Cage gets everyone in the elevator while Ryan parks. Miguel and Sarah are already in the Crow's Nest waiting for them. Sarah takes over helping Carroll with Turk's help. Cage asks about the plate number on the van that's stalking them, so he can find out who it is. Carroll tells it to Cage and he memorizes it. Cage and Miguel return to the newsroom, so he can get the videographers' footage from the previous day. He asks Miguel to write a script for the anchors, and one of the team will need to do a voiceover. Cage needs a short clip for the news broadcast and then they can run tape all night. Turk goes down to the newsroom and offers their camera's footage as well, as they haven't been able to stream live. Cage asks Miguel to get a voiceover from Turk as well.
Late that night, Will, Cage, Emily and Ryan meet in the EIC's office. Will listens to Cage's story about Carroll, and asks how sure he is of the facts. The original story was that it was feds with rented minivans snatching people, but if Carroll's still seeing the same van, it can't be a rental. Cage says he knows that Carroll was picked up, and returned with bruises, concussion, and panic attacks. In the previous few days, there have been several attacks. But Turk is a solid observer, and Jake and the Witch agreed that the men in the van specifically wanted Carroll. Cage has no evidence that they are the same men from June, but Carroll says they've seen the same plate three times, and Cage wants to know who it belongs to. Will says the number plate is public information, and he knows a student at Campus Security who will check it for EWN. He asks to speak to Turk and Carroll, and Emily agrees Will can be trusted with the new use for the Crow's Nest. Cage offers to take Will up, so he can check on Carroll. Will asks Carroll about what happened that night. Both Turk and Carroll remember more details as Will gently prods them with questions. Cage and Sarah are both impressed with Will's interview skills. Will then asks Carroll about what happened in June.
Around midnight, when a group of men claiming to be police arrive wanting to search the building, Ryan sends Miguel upstairs to get Cage and Will. Cage asks Corey to tape the exchange, and Corey says he's been recording sound and video since the intercom button was pressed. Cage tells Miguel to take all the video from the night up to the Crow's Nest, and tells Emily to start backups. The recording is on their server and on the cameras, but where else can they store it? Cage says they need to police-proof the newsroom, removing anything that could get anyone busted, including cleaning out Joe's locker of any marijuana. Once the men at the door leave, Cage goes back up to the Crow's Nest to give the all clear. Sarah shows him Twitter, and Turk says there's been more 'white militia' push-back on Facebook. Cage says EWN has put itself in squarely in the bullseye, and he hopes PSU is prepared for it. While Cooper had 3 missed calls from the Provost, he didn't seem too concerned about it - no one in PSU admin wants Cooper's job. Sarah says she needs to go home, to sleep and take medication. Cage says Ryan will give her a ride to her residential hall door. Carroll says they sent a picture of the man - the man who held them, who beat them, said he needed to do a full body search, stripped them while they were held, put his fingers inside them and felt their breasts - to their mother. He told Carroll they weren't real, no one would ever want them, and he could do anything he wanted to them. Cage assures Carroll that they are real, and have many people who care about what happens to them, what they think, and what they feel. They're brilliant and creative, and a kind person who has many many friends. The man will be found, and brought to justice. Carroll says they can think they can sleep without nightmares. Turk tells Cage to go home, but Cage says he'll stay downstairs monitoring the feed. Ryan doesn't want the newsroom vacant until things are resolved. Ryan is hosting a party that night, so goes to get some sleep. Emily goes too, as she'll be at the newsroom during the party. Cage will stay at EWN until the advertising staff arrive in the morning, and he can brief Gregory. Sarah goes down in the elevator with him, and tells him he did the right thing, it was exactly what Carroll needed to hear. Cage says that at first the gender-neutral independent journalists gave him the creeps, they seem narcissistic and pretentious. But as he got to know them, he found Turk to be smart, funny, and very observant, and Carroll's video is amazing, especially when edited into creative pieces that make the viewers feel part of the story. Cage hates what's happened to Carroll, and feels guilty about his first impression. Sarah tentatively rubs his shoulder, and says Carroll doesn't see Cage that way. Carroll sees him as a friend, someone they trust enough to tell their story to, someone they can believe in. Sarah thinks he's an amazing man. Ryan meets them at the elevator door, Cage exits and Ryan takes Sarah home.
At the start of the Saturday afternoon editors' meeting, Ryan runs through minor agenda items smoothly, then introduces discussion on the protests, the attempted raid, and what happens next. Cage updates everyone. Ryan then introduces the issue of the blackmail photos sent to Carroll. Corey shows each of the photos, each worse than the last. Ryan asks for opinions - do they run them as a story, and how. Cage is angry, and asks Carroll if they really want to go ahead. The decision to publish is unanimous.
That evening, Cage is at the downtown BLM protest, but roaming separately to Turk, Carroll and J.J. As it gets close to 10pm, police try to disperse the crowd. laughing while using pepper spray and paint balls on the protesters, and it becomes chaotic. Cage finds the others, and grabs Carroll, telling J.J. to run to the corner. As they walk back to EWN together, J.J. is in shock, repeating 'He shot me' several times. Cage suspects there's something more but is focused on getting them safely to EWN.
When they arrive, Cage gets them all in the elevator, stopping it at the second floor and telling J.J. to get cleaned up while he gets Carroll to a place upstairs where they can rest. Cage takes Carroll up to the Crow's Nest, finding them aspirin and water. He examines Carroll's knee, which is swollen and scraped but doesn't find any serious injury. He stays in the Crow's News to upload and edit his server, and to monitor Carroll's pain levels. When Cage returns to the newsroom, he hears Sarah call out and finds her holding up J.J. in the men's room. He goes to take J.J.'s weight but Sarah tells him to stop - she can't climb up to release the straps around J.J.'s neck. Cage helps turn Sarah so she can lean against the counter while continuing to hold J.J. up, and picks up her crutches so they are within her reach. Then he climbs on the counter and positions J.J.'s legs around her neck. Sarah tells him what J.J. said about his father, and Cage said they were firing non-lethal bullets, and he had thought Carroll's injury was the more immediate crisis. Cage lifts J.J. with one hand, and unfastens the strap clips with the other, warning Sarah to brace herself for J.J.'s weight. Cage supports J.J. while Sarah slowly slides down to a sitting position. She braces herself on the floor with one hand and braces J.J. with the other so Cage can slide off the counter. He then lifts J.J. and lowers him to the ground. As ambulances are likely to be all tied up downtown, Cage says he'll call Corey to bring his car, so they can take J.J. to OHSU. Cage helps Sarah stand, then picks up J.J. and they carry him out and down in the elevator. Corey pulls up at the door in Cage's car. Cage puts J.J. on the back seat, then opens the front passenger door for Sarah. As Cage starts the car, J.J. rouses. Sarah tells J.J. they're taking him to a doctor. They assure J.J. they won't take him home, and head up to OHSU. Cage is relieved to see Dr Clarke on duty.
In the early hours of Sunday October 18, Sarah comes out to the nurses station where Cage is pacing. His father is sitting waiting there also. She tells Cage that J.J. has no permanent physical injuries, although he's still psychologically at risk. Cage introduces his father to Sarah, and tells her that his Dad has volunteered to take in J.J. when he is released from hospital. Rev Washington asks why J.J. felt he needed to take his own life. Sarah explains about J.J.'s father intentionally shooting him with non-lethal ammo. Rev Washington leaves his contact info with the front desk and leaves. Cage sees Sarah is in pain, and asks the nurse to check her. Sarah can no longer walk, so they get her into a wheelchair and put her into the bed next to J.J. Sarah asks for muscle relaxants and strong pain meds. Cage continues to pace the waiting room. He texts Ryan asking him to check on Carroll.
At 7am, Cage is still in the OHSU waiting room, sleeping in a chair. He wakes as Dr Clarke is telling Ryan that Sarah mostly just needs rest, and will need to use a chair for a week or so until she can see her own doctor, and says he'll see to Sarah. Dr Clarke says J.J. is more difficult, he's on a 72hour psych hold and is still not really coherent. Sarah seems able to deal with him better than Dr Clarke can. Cage says his father has offered to let J.J. live there, and Dr Clarke is happy to release J.J. to Rev Washington at the end of the psych hold. Dr Clarke had to inform J.J.'s parents he was at OHSU, as he's still on their insurance. She talked to his mother, who was hysterical with relief, as he hadn't been home since Friday afternoon. As J.J. refuses to talk to them, or about them, Dr Clarke knows very little about what's happened. J.J.'s parents are expected to arrive at 9am. Cage tells Ryan that J.J's dad won't have arrived home from work yet, so J.J's mom won't know what he did. He tells Dr Clarke she may need to watch EWN's live feed from the previous night - the cop who shot J.J. was his own father. He tells Dr Clarke he will leave and return at 2pm for Sarah, and will take her home then if she's ready for release.
When Cage arrives at OHSU at 2pm, Sarah is dressed and seated in a wheelchair. He takes her out to his car, and tells her that he wants her to stay with him and Corey at Goose Hollow. She can use his room, and he'll sleep on the daybed in the 'computer room'. Sarah says she can stay in her usual room in the residence hall, but Cage says if J.J. had died, it would have destroyed EWN as a 'safe place' for everyone, so they want to provide her with a place to recover. They go to her residence hall, Cage brings down her wheelchair from her room, and then takes her back up to pack. Despite being exhausted, Sarah insists they go into EWN together to put together Carroll's story.
When the broadcast starts at 10pm, Cage says the EWN team is on their way back from the protests that night. Ryan tells Cage to take Sarah home, saying he might drop in to see J.J. for a bit when he leaves. As Cage wheels her out, Emily thanks Sarah for saving J.J.'s life.
==== Book 3: Don't Go ====
On Tuesday, October 20, 2020 Cage brings Sarah into the newsroom at 4pm, sits at his workstation and calls up a queue of video to edit. As it's Tuesday, they have to wait for Lam to arrive before they start the editors' meeting.
An hour later, Cage says he and Sarah are going to dinner with his parents to talk about J.J., who is due to be released the following day. He suggests Emily, Ryan and Rafael join them. His parents will have useful ideas, and may be willing to take Rafael in if Ryan wanted. Emily asks how J.J. and Sarah are doing. Cage says Sarah's doctor has her on some strong medications that apparently have some weird side effects, so she can't live by herself for a while. She can't use her crutches until the muscle spasms in her back and shoulders stop. Although Sarah's in serious pain. she's determined to keep working. Cage says his mom is putting food on the table at 6pm, Emily demurs but Ryan says he needs her there - Miguel and Will can run the newsroom for the evening. Cage calls Will, Miguel and Ben into Ryan's office, then steps out to call his mother. After Lam Deng arrives, he tells them they have to go, his mother will not be fine if they're late.
At 6pm Cage, Sarah, Emily, Ryan and Rafael join Clyde and Martha Washington for dinner at the Portsmouth parsonage. Cage tells his father that J.J. is listless, not bouncing back, and may still be at risk of trying again. Rev Washington says they can keep a discreet suicide watch. He asks about J.J.'s PSU classes, and EWN participation. Ryan says he's fine with J.J. returning to EWN, as long as Cage is. Cage says J.J. wants to be a videographer more than anything, he's never seen someone so keen for it, but he doesn't think they can have J.J. doing stories on the protests. There is too great a risk that J.J would confront his father, or that his father would react badly to him. As dinner ends, Cage notices Sarah is starting to flag. She says she is due for her meds, so Cage takes her home saying he'll return to EWN afterwards.
At 11am the next morning, J.J., Cage and Sarah are seated in the waiting room laughing, when Rev Washington arrives at OHSU. Cage has been telling J.J. about Ryan and Rafael. Cage, Sarah, Rev Washington and J.J. go outside together, and Carroll is waiting outside. Cage introduces Carroll to Rev Washington. Carroll asks J.J. if he will be back covering the protests, and J.J. says he's not sure that EWN will allow him back. Cage tells him that Emily has him on the schedule to work the following afternoon doing on-campus news. J.J. says he can go to EWN after his history class the following morning. Cage says he'll tell Emily to expect J.J. then, he and Sarah need to get to class. He hugs J.J. and his dad, and tells them he'll be coming out for supper that night.
When Cage and Sarah arrive at EWN at 1pm, Lam is laying out Folio on the big editing computer at the editors pod. As Cage gathers up his video equipment and safety bag, Sarah asks if he has talked to his father about all the people who are descending on him. Cage says his father knows Ryan was a womanizer, with a history of drugs and alcohol, and he knows about J.J. Sarah says Rev Washington thinks Cage and Sarah might be a couple, and might be deeply puzzled about Carroll. Cage says he's not going to try to explain any of that to his dad, he doesn't know what his father would say about Sarah being gay, or Carroll's androgyny. Emily tells Cage and Sarah she's worried about J.J. and Carroll, but Cage says it's their business. As he's about to leave, Ryan arrives and says he needs to meet with Cage and Emily. He asks Sarah and Lam to hold down the fort, and to send in Will when he arrives. He tells Cage and Emily about the car he saw the previous night, and that he's concerned it's ICE. Will arrives and Ryan asks if Miguel gave him the photo of the vehicle plates from the previous night. Will says the number on the plate was clear, but the report came back as blocked. Will thinks it's the feds, as his friend who works for Campus Security is spooked. His gut feeling is that it's ICE. Cage says that he'll leave the downtown protests to Miguel and the team that night, and talk to activists and protesters at the ICE facility instead. Cage tells Ryan to go through everything Teresa gave him, they need a string to pull if they're going to find her and bring her home.
Cage returns to EWN from the ICE protest around 11pm, saying that protest is equally as important to cover as the BLM one. He said that in 2018 they had just learned about kids being held in cages. Protesters had managed to chase out the agents at the ICE facility and occupy it, shutting it down. It began the Occupy ICE movement all over the USA. There is still a core group that shows up there to protest two years later, because there are still kids held in cages. Cage says students of Cottonwood school, adjacent to the ICE facility, have been making posters and putting them on the school fence. That day, agents came out and tore them down. Cage interviewed some of the protesters who plan to meet on Saturday to make new posters for the school fence. Before Cage records them doing that, EWN needs to decide if they will cover that protest. Lam asks why wouldn't they, when they've been covering the BLM protests downtown? Emily replies that Ryan had made the argument to PSU administration that downtown was 'in their neighborhood', but the ICE facility is further out. Joanna Montgomery says ICE is closer to PSU than the Moda Center sports arena on the other side of the river, and they cover all PSU sports played there. Lam comments that EWN prides itself on its diversity, but they are much more diverse than Portland is. Cage agrees Portland is very white, and Oregon is very, very white, and has a racist history. Lam says before EWN takes on ICE, they need to make sure their own staff is protected from push-back.
When Ryan doesn't return as expected the following afternoon, Emily asks Cage to go up to OHSU to check on him and give him a ride home. Cage finds Ryan and drives him to the Portsmouth parsonage, telling him about the ICE protest and talking about Sarah as a roommate. Ryan tells him Emily has Teresa's journal to read, and he would like Cage to read it too. When they reach the house in Portsmouth, two white men in suits approach them in the street, asking for the whereabouts of Teresa Valdez or Rafael Valdez. Cage opens the front door for Ryan, then shuts and locks it behind him. After dinner, Cage clears the table and loads the dishwasher, then moves Ryan's car to the back of the house before catching the bus back into Portland.
Cage arrives at EWN on Friday around noon to find Ryan already there, and that Ian Black has just left. Cage suggests installing a door at the bottom of the stairs to prevent visitors entering the newsroom level unless staff are present. Ryan plays Cage the conversation with Black that he recorded, and asks him to make it into an .mp3 file. Cage goes up to the Crow's Nest shortly before McShane arrives to give Ryan and McShane privacy, but listens to their conversation through the computer in Ryan's office.
At 9pm on Saturday, October 24, 2020 Cage phones Ryan asking him to come and bail him out from jail. He's not sure where he's being held, what he's been charged with, or how much bail has been set. Ryan tells him to pass the phone to someone else nearby, and gets the details. Ryan arrives at the Justice Center, and Cage is released and his camera collected. Cage has never previously been arrested and is overwhelmed. Ryan takes Cage to the Goose Hollow apartment to unwind and have a shower. Cage says they need to figure out training for reporters, and to make sure that the reporters' go-bags have quarters as Cage had to barter for change for the pay-phone. Ryan tells Cage to send a 5 minute video clip with a lead-in for Bianca, a longer neutral piece about the protest which Sarah can edit and send it over, and a first-person story on getting arrested. Cage showers off tear gas residue and sweat, and unwinds under the hot water. He edits and sends his 5 minute clip, then gives the camera to Corey to take to EWN to upload the rest for the live feed. He finishes the lead-in for Bianca and queues it for Sarah to edit, then makes sandwiches for himself and Sarah. For the longer piece, he types what he saw, leaving it to the editors to figure out bias, and sends that to Sarah as we;;. Finally he starts the 'What I did on my trip to jail' piece, and then makes Sarah some chamomile tea. He falls asleep on the couch, and Sarah spreads a blanket over him.
Ryan arrives at EWN at 4pm on Tuesday, October 27, 2020 after nearly being run off the road on the way down from OHSU. Will, Emily and Cage follow him into his office to ask what happened. Cage says Ryan is looking at this as though Black is a professor and Ryan is a student, but what if he looks at it like Black is a corrupt government official and Ryan is a reporter? Ryan smiles, and asks Will if he'd like to write a story about a professor plagiarizing a paper from his honors student to form the basis of his latest book. He catches them up on the more convoluted story, but says that this is the equivalent of Capone's sentence for tax evasion. Ryan gives Will a thumb-drive with a copy of the complaint he filed with the Provost that morning, and says that his resignation as EIC is also on the drive, together with a recommendation to the Media Board that Cage and Emily be appointed jointly to finish out Ryan's term of office. Their protests draw in Sarah, Ben and Lam. Ryan says he has to take Teresa to Mexico, and with luck will be back for graduation in Spring. Cage agrees he'll work with Emily, but only as interim EIC, then Emily can run for EIC on her own the following year.
The Media Board convenes a special session at 9pm that evening to approve Emily Andersen and Cage Washington as joint acting Editors-in-Chief. When Ian Black accosts Ryan as he leaves EWN, Ryan presses the shortcut on his phone for Cage, hoping that Cage will hear what is going on and get Campus Security to the scene. However Cage calls McShane, and then heads to the scene. When he arrives, Black is dead, and Cage says he'll take Ryan home. Ryan starts to walk away with Cage, but then suggests they take his Prius. Ryan tells Cage to call Will Bristol - lesson one in being an editor and keeping EWN happy is not to let his star reporter be scooped by the Oregonian on a story he's involved in. Cage calls the newsroom and gets Will moving, and tells him to have J.J. get video for the newscast as well.
When Ryan checks the EWN website at 6:30 the next morning, Cage hands him coffee and says that Emily has learned from watching Ryan over the years. The story doesn't mention ICE or Ryan, just a nutcase of a professor with a grudge against the Provost. Cage had stayed overnight to help Ryan on his way. Ryan assures him that he'll be back, but Cage says it won't be the same. Ryan says different isn't always bad, and asks if Cage is kicking Sarah out soon? Cage says he and Emily had a fight, the day before J.J.'s attempt. Ryan asks what it was about, as Emily doesn't seem angry. Cage says he kissed her - and so did Sarah. Ryan hugs Cage, thinking he could get good at doing that. Cage cooks breakfast as his parents come into the kitchen followed by J.J. and Rafael. J.J. whispers to Ryan he got the story from Carroll and Turk: Sarah kissed Emily; Cage saw and then kissed her too, and said to let him know when she decided which kind she liked better; and then it's Sarah who ends up living with him. Cage tells J.J. that if he's gossiping about him, J.J. will be doing stupid little features for Emily forever. Everyone pitches in to help Ryan and Rafael get on the road by 10am.
At 11pm on Thursday, November 5, 2020 Cage doesn't think he's ever been so tired. The election on November 3 had increased demands on news staff, and Cage wonders how Ryan stood the stress of being EIC. When no one heard from Ryan after he left, Cage called McShane who told him everyone was safe, but it might be a while before Ryan could bring Teresa and Rafael back to Portland. Cage had convinced Sarah to stay with him and Corey until things settled down at EWN. Emily had insisted on retaining her usual news editor desk, leaving Cage to take the EIC office. Emily calls him out of there, laughing and waving a postcard from Ryan and Teresa in Mexico to say they were married. Cage doesn't feel so tired, but does envy Ryan. Sarah asks when they're coming home, and Cage says Ryan had said it would be months, in time for graduation.
==== Book 4: Hold Me ====
* Tuesday December 1, 2020
** With Ryan gone, EWN needs to reshuffle management. Miguel needs to be promoted to the chief videographer position, but Cage is reluctant to give it up. He likes being on the streets filming, but concedes he can't do that as well as be joint EIC. It seems unfair as Emily is continuing to hold the news editor role, though Will Bristol is now assistant news editor. 
** 10:30am Sarah receives a call from Gregory Washington who tells her one of his ad reps tested positive. She knocks on Emily's bedroom door, apologizes for interrupting, tells them about the call and says they need to talk about quarantine. Emily asks who it is, and Sarah says his name in one she doesn't know - Brandon Childers. Gregory had told her that Brandon hadn't felt well the day before, so Gregory sent him to the Campus Health Service. He was kept overnight, and the test result given today. Cage realizes that if Gregory was exposed, so were his wife and son, and their parents. Cage says they need to contact Professor Cooper, and have Corey set up a Zoom meeting for all department heads and Cooper. They also need to notify Provost McShane, and the head of Campus Health Services if he's can join them. Sarah says she'll get Corey started, but Cage needs to call Gregory. Emily says she will head over to EWN to shut everything down, and send everything remote. She asks Sarah to tell Corey she needs him. Emily's first call is to Ben Waters, the station manager.
** 11am: Cage calls Gregory and asks if anyone besides Brandon has symptoms. Gregory says he's asked Campus Health Services to come and test everyone. He doesn't plan on going home until he knows he's clear, even if he has to camp out on the couches in the newsroom. Cage asks when they're going to test. Gregory says that apparently they're short on test kits, he thought Brandon might have picked it up from a client, but it's worse. Brandon's roommate is on the basketball team, and the team have had an outbreak, picked up at the tournament the previous weekend in Boise. Cage asks if Gregory has called Bianica or their parents yet? Gregory says he was waiting to know more, but now he doesn't know when that will be. Cage tells him Sarah is working with Corey to set up a Zoom meeting for all department heads, including Cooper and McShane. Getting tests for Gregory and the other advertising staff needs to be a priority. Gregory asks what to do about staff, and Cage tells him Emily is on her way over to send people home if they haven't been exposed, and move as much as possible to a virtual newsroom, with only essential staff in the office. Ben and Corey will be going there to help. Cage says he'll make a call, and get back to Gregory. 
** 11:15am? Cage gets out the business card for Provost McShane that Ryan gave him, that has all McShane's numbers on it. He channels Gregory and calls McShane, telling him that this is a heads-up that one of the EWN advertising reps tested positive for COVID that morning, and that they'll be inviting him to a formal Zoom meeting shortly to discuss what EWN needs to do moving forward. McShane tells him they can speak bluntly rather than formally. Cage says they have about 10 people who have been exposed, but Health Services says they don't have enough tests for them, so they're just anxiously waiting to see if they develop symptoms. It's not acceptable, and they also need to start contact tracing immediately. McShane agrees that they are short on test kits, and that he doesn't know what the Health Services director was thinking, they should have kits stockpiled. The only people getting tested are those with symptoms. Cage says but they know, or can guess, that those people are sick, wouldn't it be more useful to test those who were exposed but aren't yet symptomatic, so they can quarantine and stop the spread? McShane asks how many tests they need, and Cage asks for a dozen. McShane says he'll get someone over to test the advertising staff, hopefully with a lab result by the end of the day. He asks if they have anywhere for people who test positive to quarantine, and Cage thinks of the Crow's Nest and says they do. Cage tells McShane the tester should ask for Gregory Washington, the advertising manager.
** 11:30am? Cage calls Gregory back and tells him the plan. Gregory says he'll call when they arrive. Cage asks when Gregory last saw their parents, and he says the previous night, then hangs up. Cage says a prayer for his father, and goes out to update Sarah, so they can worry about Emily together.
** 3:30pm: Cage logs into the the EWN Zoom meeting for all the department heads. Prof Cooper and Provost McShane. Emily and McShane discuss what is known of current numbers and the rate of transmission, as well as possible sources of the outbreak. Cage asks if there's anything else McShane can tell them, or that he'd like EWN to relay to viewers. McShane says: stay calm; stay home; call a health service if symptoms appear; quarantine in place until experiencing breathing distress. McShane says he has health professionals at OHSU who will work with them to get out solid information. Cage asks Cooper if he has anything to add, and he says they know where to find him for help, and he's not going anywhere. After McShane and Cooper log out, and Ben tells them Joanna Montgomery is in OHSU and all the sports staff are symptomatic, Corey shuts down the Zoom meeting to give everyone privacy to cry.
** 6pm: Cage arrives at EWN with food sent by Sarah. As he was arriving he saw Kevin Tighe with his pickup and thinks they need to leave the elevator unlocked for the duration. When Emily says they need thermometers, Cage checks online and says he'll order some but no one has expected delivery inside 2 weeks. Miguel suggests asking Health Services, but Cage has low expectations there. He says he'll go upstairs to talk to Kevin Tighe, and asks if Sam was in the Zoom meeting earlier. Corey says he was, as was Robert Smithson, but Robert is on deadline and hostile under stress. Cage goes up in the elevator and checks the radio station. Sam comes out of the studio and says they can run audio versions of Ben's hourly updates, and he'll try his hand at talk radio as well. Cage suggests running the updates at the bottom of the hour, as the broadcast ones will be at the top. Sam agrees and says he will be staying at the station so the radio doesn't go off the air - there's a couch in the radio office that he can sleep on. Cage checks on Robert Smithson and his assistant, Carol, saying that Sarah can proof pages for them if they make flats and sends them home with him. Robert is relieved, his eyes rimmed with fatigue and grief over Joanna. Cage tells them there is food downstairs from Sarah. Robert says he and Carol will be quarantining in place, until the Portland Review is done and gone to the printers. Cage heads to the elevator where Kevin and another loft-mate are moving a couch. Cage helps them get it out and asks if Kevin is raiding PSU's surplus lot. Kevin agrees, and says he also plundered a Goodwill drop-off bin for clothing. The Crow's Nest is being transformed: boxes are being used to build a screen around beds at one end, and the living room area at the other, with a kitchen/eating area in the middle. The kitchen consists of bar fridges, a couple of microwaves and a hotplate. Kevin says the Crow's Nest was well done, Gregory had told him they've been using it to give sanctuary to independent journalists. Kevin said he'd contacted other alumni, and there will be more arriving with donations of things like bottled water. He tells Cage to make a list of what they need, as his sources say the outbreak is going to get bad. Cage tells Kevin about the need for thermometers, and asks for one mattress to be dropped off in the Review office, and another couple for the newsroom for those who haven't been exposed. Kevin asks about the staff, and Cage tells him about Joanna and the sports journalists. Kevin says he can call former sports editors and see if anyone can pitch in. When Emily is ready to go, Cage is talking to Ben, and she tells him it's time to go home.
* Wednesday December 2, 2020
**7am: Sarah gets a message from Lam, and Emily suggests she FaceTime him back. Lam says that he's concerned that some stories for Folio have not been copy-edited yet. Sarah says a bigger problem is that his cover story is about the ten best movies to watch during a pandemic, and that there is no one on campus to pick up the paper. Emily recommends the cover story be changed to something like ten things to do to be safe in a pandemic, and move the movie recommendations inside. J.J. says Lam should get Will to write a piece about the Health Center problems and substitute that - perhaps they could pull stills from the video that Karin and Jason took. Cage adds he can cut the press run back by a third, and consider distributing more widely. Emily suggests grocery stores and pharmacies, Sarah suggests OHSU and other hospitals. Lam says he'll call the printers and talk to Will, and apologizes for calling so early. 
**8am?: Gregory calls Cage to say that his COVID test was positive - all the ad reps are, including the ones who stayed home the day before. The Health Center nurse suggested the Crow's Nest be arranged into separate wards for those exposed and those testing positive. Gregory offers to take charge for as long as he's able, as he's still asymptomatic and can be of use. Cage says he'd appreciate it, and tells Gregory to call Kevin Tighe and see what they can work out. 
**10am: Cage tells J.J. of Rev Washington's hospitalization, as they walk from the Goose Hollow apartment to EWN. J.J. decides to go for a walk rather than going in to the newsroom. Cage enters the foyer, making a note to check on the bookkeeper, and to find out about the payroll. He takes the elevator to the third floor, checking on the radio station and the Portland Review offices. The Crow's Nest has been transformed, with boxes used to create rooms with beds, and a hallway extending through to the far side of the building. Gregory, wearing a mask and gloves, comes closer to say that he has no symptoms. The change in the layout was the idea of the nurse, Kristy Gomez, so that people who had been exposed are separated from those with mild symptoms who just need a place to quarantine. She had been concerned that there was no second exit. Cage looks around, seeing alumni helping, and Gregory says they've been helpful without taking over. Cage asks about the bookkeeper and payroll, and Gregory adds it to his list. Gregory says he may re-open the ad office for telephone call sales, for the remaining two weeks before break, as all the ad staff are COVID-positive. Cage considers the similarities between the current COVID pandemic, and past epidemics such as AIDS and the 1918 flu, and makes a note to mention it to Emily as a story idea. When Cage asks if Gregory needs anything, he replies they need regular pizza deliveries - food was going to be a problem. Gregory shows him the thermometers supplied by Kevin Tighe, to be used once then sterilized. He adds that if the Health Center was smart, Kristy Gomez would be running things there. Cage returns to the newsroom, realizing that he hadn't seen some of the people present for years. A cluster of them are talking to Ben. Will is at his computer, typing. Corey has not yet arrived. Joe Castro is at the photo editing computer. Miguel opens the gate for Cage, saying they have more footage of the chaos at the Health Center. Joe has taken photos for Lam. Will says people will die because the Health Center director is so incompetent. He has had months to prepare and done nothing, and even replacing him won't help now. Cage tells him to bring it up at the 4pm Zoom meeting. Ben waves Cage over, and says the alumni have some ideas for extending coverage and on-air time. When alumni Doug Williams says Hewlett Packard directed him to come to find out what they need, to keep them on the air until the crisis has passed, Cage says they have 10 days until dorms at PSU, and across the state, close for the Christmas break. Cage suggests that Hewlett Packard contact Oregon State University (OSU) directly - they have a PBS station there. Cage can contact University of Oregon (UO), so they can link up and share content. Doug says HP is willing to fund EWN, and the others will need to coordinate with them to get a share of the funding. Cage says that Gregory can handle that, he's quarantined but asymptomatic and needs a project. Ben says they will need staff they don't have - student staff, or they'll lose the connection to their target market. Cage thinks of J.J. leaving with his camera, and of his own documentary-style live feed of the protests during the previous 6 months. He asks Miguel and Will to join them, and asks if they can send people out with a camera to do vlogs and/or voice-overs, about what they're seeing and feeling about what's happening. Miguel asks how much airtime he's considering, and Cage says 24/7, with some on repeat. Cage asks Doug why HP is doing this, and Doug says being a good corporate citizen matters. HP underwriting EWN will look good - COVID is a cause they can get behind, with no downside. Cage asks Will to put a call out to their reporters to see who can be involved. He asks Joe to contact Corey, and tell him he's needed ASAP, and Ange offers to help Corey. Cage tells Doug that food is their biggest obstacle, they need food delivered around 5pm daily for those working in the newsroom, and for those in the COVID ward above. Doug orders pizza delivery, and Cage takes the alumni up to talk to Gregory in the Crow's Nest, and asks them to be ready to present at the 4pm Zoom meeting.
**3:30pm: Emily joins the group of 4 alumni in discussion with Ben and Cage. Cage briefs her on their plans, and she repeats her discussion with Will. Corey arrives and Cage pulls him into the Geek Room to talk about their father's COVID infection. He asks Corey to link additional computers for the Zoom meeting for their alumni visitors.
**4pm: At the editors' Zoom meeting, Cage gives examples of possible formats that could be used if broadcasting is expanded to 24/7 coverage. As their target audience view polished news formats as untrustworthy, EWN could provide vlogs, talk radio formats, long Zoom interview, call-in shows, and explore a variety of other formats. When Corey initially looks doubtful about Ange's offer of IT backup, Cage assures him that Ange set up the Geek Room and runs his own software company.
*
== Physical Appearance ==
Cage is a 6-foot-2 tall, 23-year-old Black man with broad shoulders, well-developed pecs, six-pack abs. He has a beard trimmed close to the jawline. He and Ryan Matthews are about the same size, but Cage is probably a bit broader in the shoulders. He looks and moves like he could fight - and would. 
He generally wears a black t-shirt with black trousers. When reporting, he wears a jacket that says PRESS, and his camera bag is marked with the EWN logo. 
=== Book 1: Stories We Tell ===
Cage's favorite hat is the kind of black top hat that men might have worn with a tux in bygone days. He had found it in a thrift shop, and it made him laugh.
== Personality ==
thumb|Disturbed - The Sound of Silence COVID-19
=== Book 1: Stories We Tell ===
* Ryan is sure that Cage is 'as straight as they come, and a pass wouldn't be welcome'.
* Cage considers himself a moderate Democrat. Although he thinks Biden is too conservative, Cage will vote for him if he becomes the Democratic nominee.
* In walking through downtown Portland during COVID-19, Cage is reminded of the Youtube video to the song Sound of Silence - all black and white images of cities emptied by COVID. It inspired him to do similar things with his own videos, but also captured his feelings about the emptiness in his own city.
* Emily thinks Cage is easy-going, and apolitical, but recently he's showed fire, and she likes it.
* Cage considers he has a built-in desire to protect the weaker - and almost everyone is weaker.
=== Book 3: Don't Go ===
* Cage is a visual story teller. He can see the shots, the close-ups, the set scene, the pans, the-mid range, everything he needs to tell the story. But written stories are much more difficult, He can sweat for an hour to get five sentences together.
== Relationships ==
=== Family ===
Cage loves and respects his father, although they often disagree. His mother says they fight because they are too much alike. He knows his mother loves him, and suspects she agrees with him more often than she says. Cage regularly goes to the Portsmouth parsonage for dinner on Sunday afternoons.
Rev. Washington watches the EWN broadcasts, and thinks they're doing a good job of covering what the protest is about, not just the conflict. He warns Cage to be careful, reminded of the civil rights protests of the 1960s where people died. He has told Gregory that he sees Cage as a visionary leader that the community needs. 
==== Book 4: Hold Me ====
* Wednesday December 2, 2020
**8am?: When Gregory calls Cage to say that his COVID test was positive, he asks if Gregory has called Bianica, and tells him to do that first. Cage will call their parents shortly, but Bianica should hear from Gregory first. Gregory asks that if something should happen to him ... and Cage tells him that he will see to it that Bianica and John Lewis are cared for. When Cage doesn't open his door after 40 minutes, Sarah tells Emily to go and check on him, as she knows his parents best. Cage is sitting on his bed, and tells Emily that his mother took his father to the emergency room at 2am, and he's in ICU. Cage can't go and see either of them. Bianica and John Lewis are with his mother, and none have symptoms. 
=== Emily Andersen & Sarah King ===
==== Book 1: Stories We Tell ====
Cage has loved Emily since they met in Fall Term 2015. He thinks she's gorgeous. However he doesn't want to risk their friendship by asking her out, and Emily doesn't seem interested.
==== Book 2: Choose ====
On arriving for the editors meeting on Saturday October 16, Cage see Sarah kiss Emily in the newsroom and says that he'd wondered why Emily never noticed he was interested in her, and turns to go. Emily stops him, and said that he'd never said anything about being interested, never asked her out, how was she supposed to know? Cage says if Emily was gay, she could have told him, Sarah doesn't hide it. Emily denies she's gay, and says she's not anything other than herself. Cage says if Emily's not sure if she's straight or gay, she needs a comparison - and he gently kisses her, deepening it as she responds. He says for Emily to tell him what she decided, and goes out for a walk. When he returns, he's teased by Turk for having a crush for 4 years. Cage says that they're friends - sex is easy to find, but he didn't want to make things awkward with a friend who might not be interested. He asks Sarah if she thinks Emily is gay, and Sarah says she doesn't know - she's not sure Emily knows.
==== Book 3: Don't Go ====
Late Saturday evening, October 24, 2020, home from his arrest at the ICE protest, Cage leaves the shower with just a towel around his waist and comes face to face with Sarah in her wheelchair. He's surprised that he has a physical reaction, and turns away to hide it.
The next morning, Cage is surprised: that Corey is up at 11am on a Sunday; has made coffee; and the coffee is drinkable - but then, Sarah made it not Corey. Rev Washington has called to say that Corey, Cage and Sarah are expected for lunch at 1pm that day, after services. Sarah says she'd like to hear Rev Washington preach sometime. Cage hears Sarah behind him, turns and passes her his cup, pouring another for himself. She looks in the fridge to see what she can take for lunch, and says she can make a salad. Cage says his mom would probably appreciate that. Sarah says it might make his mom less skeptical of her; they have been inundated with new people who have undefined roles in their sons' lives. She is the first girl, other than Emily, that they've ever taken home and she's white and in a wheelchair - no wonder their mom is looking at her strangely. Sarah asks if their parents have met Carroll. Cage says his dad has and was cool, but asked if Cage had talked to J.J. about 'things'. Cage says he'll define Sarah's role as another stray from the newsroom. Sarah says his parents aren't that scary - although his mom was a bit. Cage pushes her wheelchair out to Corey's car, and they go to get Cage's car from near the ICE facility before going on to Portsmouth. Cage suggests Sarah have 'the talk' with J.J. but Sarah says she won't touch that. she's not going to be the one to introduce an innocent to multiple genders and the multiple ways people can be attracted to each other. She says J.J was probably taught to fall in love with a nice girl and get married, and both lose their virginity on their wedding night. After they arrive at the parsonage, Emily arrives with a dish - and Sarah looks at Cage with raised eyebrows. She watches Cage watch Emily, who is no longer oblivious.
At 2pm on Sunday, November 15, 2020 Cage wheels Sarah's chair into the EWN elevator. Sarah asks if he knows what Emily wants to talk about, but Cage shakes his head. Emily had asked them both to meet her at EWN but hadn't said why. Ryan's absence had increased the burden on them all, and they haven't had the time or energy to deal with personal things. Emily is waiting for them in the living area with a tray of sandwiches, napkins and bottled water. Sarah asks if this is the lunch they had talked about. Emily says that they asked her to let them know when she knew what she wanted. Cage has been attracted to Emily since they met in early 2017, and still is, and she's his best friend. How can he keep working with her if she doesn't choose him, but how could he leave? Sarah asks if Emily knows what she wants. Emily says to Sarah that she wants her. Cage gets up to leave, saying she's being cruel, but Emily says she's not finished, she wants him too. Cage is confused, and asks what that means, and Emily says she loves them both, and wants them both, and doesn't want to have to choose between them. She wants them to live together, sleep together, have sex together, and she thinks the two of them want that too. She's seen Cage care for Sarah, and thinks there's a reason Sarah doesn't want to move back to her room in the residence hall. Sarah asks Emily if she's sure, as people could get hurt otherwise. Cage looks at Sarah and wonders why Ryan is in Mexico when Cage needs him, and how will his family react? Cage suggests that he evict Corey, as the Loft is looking for a roommate. Rule One of their relationship will be no talking to others, as then his family will know and there goes Thanksgiving dinner. Emily says she likes Martha's turkey, and would miss dinner with them. Cage says then the story is that Corey is leaving, and Emily wants to be closer to the office. Sarah says that's her story and she's sticking to it. Cage kisses Emily, thoroughly, and then kisses Sarah thoroughly too. For a gay woman, Sarah seems to be just fine with that.
==== Book 4: Hold Me ====
* Tuesday December 1, 2020
** 10am: On the first morning the three of them are in their apartment together, no one is speaking or making eye contact. Cage grins, saying he's living every man's fantasy, and all he's got out of it is a good cup of coffee. Sarah laughs, but Emily tears up and runs to her bedroom, slamming the door shut. Sarah quietly asks if he knows Emily's story, and he shakes his head. She tells him he broke it, so he has to fix it, and moves into the living room. Cage takes his coffee and taps on Emily's door, opening it before she can tell him to go away. She is face down on her perfectly-made bed, shaking. He puts his coffee on the night-stand and gently rubs her back, the way he might soothe a child. NO demands - just touch. Emily apologizes, but Cage says he obviously touched a nerve but doesn't know what it was he said. He says they've been friends for four years, and he knows nothing about her past, her family, about who she is outside the newsroom. He knows her humor, her giggle, loves that she asks questions all the time, her patience with newbies, her commitment to good journalism and EWN. He's watched her learn, grown and flourish, and loves all of it. Yet he doesn't feel he knows her at all. He suggests that every morning over coffee, she tells them one story about growing up, something she wants to do, something no one else knows about her. They have all the time in the world, and Sarah can tell a story too, and so will he.
** 8:30pm: Cage and Emily arrive home to find Sarah seated on the couch working on her laptop. Emily tells them that Ryan called. Sarah asks what he had to say, and Cage asks hopefully if he's coming back. Emily gives them Ryan's news, then tells them that she loves them both so much, but is terrified that she'll f*ck things up. Cage picks her up, and sits with her on the couch beside Sarah. Emily says that was part of Ryan's advice, then tells them the rest. She tells them why she no longer dances, and of her teenage diagnosis of activity-based anorexia. When Emily falls asleep, Cage carries her to bed and tells her the next story will be from him. She asks him to tell of his first time with a girl.
** 11pm: When Cage returns to the living room, Sarah says she feels like drinking - not that she will, other than Earl Grey tea. Cage makes it for her, and fetches himself a beer. Cage says he missed something, and Sarah says she wants to sue someone, Emily has essentially never gone through puberty. Emily's anorexia delayed onset of her periods to the point she rarely has them, and being on birth control further suppresses her hormones. Sarah says a lot of women in the Army take the pill to stop their periods - and Emily is still anorexic. Cage recalls that Emily didn't eat when she went out with Ryan and Cage, she'd drink water or a screwdriver [vodka and orange juice] but have no food. Sarah says Emily probably exercised for an extra hour the next day if she had a screwdriver. They hear J.J. arriving, so Cage carries Sarah to her bed before opening the door for J.J. J.J. asks if Cage watched the EWN broadcast, and Cage says they were talking and missed it. J.J. tells him the clinic is a mess. He had found Cage and Turk and updated them, but the BLM is restricting protests to 3 nights a week as they don't want to be a super-spreader event. Cage gets out bedding for J.J. then goes to bed himself.
* Wednesday December 2, 2020
**7am: When Cage arrives at the table, and Sarah can hear Emily in the shower and says she'll be there before they finish. After Emily sits down, Cage adds a spoonful of eggs and a piece of bacon to her plate, and then splits the rest with J.J. After eating, Cage gets up to make Earl Grey tea for Sarah, and coffee for himself and Emily. 
**8am?: After talking to Gregory, Cage goes to his room to call his parents. When Cage doesn't open his door after 40 minutes, Sarah tells Emily to go and check on him, as she knows his parents best. Cage is sitting on his bed, and tells her his father was taken to ICU at 2am. Cage and Emily sit holding hands for a while then Cage says he'll go into EWN, hoping work will keep him sane. He suggests Emily stays in the apartment til 3pm, then come to EWN for the 4pm Zoom meeting, and then Cage will return home. He tells her to get Sarah to talk about why she's still in a chair, it was only supposed to be a few days. Emily kisses Cage, and finally he says that he needs to tell J.J., who adores Cage's Dad.
--
On Monday January 11, 2021, Cage asks Emily to marry him.
=== Ryan Matthews ===
Cage and Ryan Matthews have been best friends since they both started in News 101 at Eyewitness News in 2015.
=== Independent Journalists ===
==== Book 1: Stories We Tell ====
* Cage encounters the independent journalists while covering the Black Lives Matter protests in downtown Portland and becomes friends with Turk and Carroll.
== Possessions ==
=== Residences ===
==== Goose Hollow apartment ====
===== Book 1: Stories We Tell =====
Cage shares an apartment with his brother Corey at Goose Hollow. Each have their own bedroom, with the third bedroom used as a computer room.
==== Book 2: Choose ====
In October 2020, Sarah King moves into the apartment, taking Cage's bedroom. Cage moves to the bed in the apartment's computer room.
===== Book 4: Hold Me =====
After Ryan left the Loft, one of his loft-mates had approached Cage about moving in, but he wasn't really interested. The Goose Hollow apartment is perfect for him: cheap due to traffic noise, and a great location only 5 minutes walk over the overpass to EWN.
* Tuesday December 1, 2020 - 10am: There are logistics issues with moving. First Corey has to be moved out to the Loft - which is not easy given his late night hours at EWN. Then Corey's room needs to be cleaned to Sarah's satisfaction. Corey wants to take all the computer equipment other than Cage's laptop, even though Cage had helped to buy both hardware and software. Corey argues that Cage can be at EWN in 5 minutes, but Corey will now have to drive - so Cage lost that battle. Sarah gave notice at the residence halls, and ended up paying full December rent there, as well as her share in the Goose Hollow apartment. Emily was able to give her 20-day notice and only pay rent on her studio apartment until December 5, but can't move in to Goose Hollow until Corey moves out and the room is cleaned. Cage borrowed a pickup from one of his father's parishioners for the Thanksgiving weekend [November 28-29], and with the help of a lot of the newsroom staff they got everyone shuffled around.
On the Thanksgiving weekend in late November 2020, Corey Washington moves to the Loft, and Emily Washington moves into Goose Hollow apartment. J.J. sleeps on the couch in the lounge room during the PSU COVID outbreak. Ryan moves into the apartment on his return from Mexico in mid-December 2020, and Teresa and Rafael join him there just before Christmas. 
=== Vehicles ===
Cage drives a silver Camry.
---
Cage is asked to speak at the downtown BLM protest held on December 23, 2020. Berenice King, daughter of Martin Luther King, has also been asked to speak. As Cage nears the end of his speech, he hears a truck coming down 3rd Avenue. He turns to see a big white Chevy, flying a Confederate flag off the cab. A man is standing in the back of the truck, bracing a rifle against the roof of the cab. Cage drops to a crouch, then realizes the target is not himself, but Berenice King. He dives at her, pulling her down to the stage, and is hit by a bullet. Berenice King is unharmed. Cage is taken by ambulance to OHSU. Cage was fortunate that the bullet had only gone through the muscle in his side, hitting no bone or organs. The shooter was Randy Daily.
Category:Character
Category:EWN
Category:Alumni