Desk Job
By: Olivia
"Round here we always stand up straight/Round here something radiates."-Counting Crows-
"Round Here"
"I belong in the service of the Queen/I belong anywhere but in between/She's been crying..She's
been dying."-Counting Crows-"Rain King"
"Can I help you?"
Rey looked up from the box he was carrying and found himself looking into the grinning face of
of what Rey could only assume to be a fellow officer.
"I seem to be lost. First day." Rey was nervous. It was his first day of desk duty. The very
words tasted bitter to him. He wanted to be back at the 2-7, back with Lennie and L.T., back on
the streets solving homicide cases. But Deborah needed him. Her M.S. was getting progressivly
worse. He needed to be there for her and for their girls. Rey would make that sacrifice. And he
would make it willingly for her. She was worth it. She was the first and only woman he ever
loved. Sure, he had been attracted to other women and sure he had that one indiscretion, but
Deborah had all his love.
Rey realized the other officer was continuing to talk and he tried to give him his full attention
even though his mind, and spirit for that matter, were miles away.
"You must be Reynaldo Curtis. I was told that you were coming," said the still grinning man.
"Let me take that for you."
"It's just Rey. And thanks."
"Rey it is then."
The man took the box from Rey and led him to a nearby desk. "This is it," said the man setting
down the box unto Rey's new desk.. "Right across from my desk."
Rey thought about how strange it would be too look up from his desk and not see Lennie
anymore. Not see him sitting there, giving him that cocky grin, and making some wise crack.
"If you don't mind me asking," said the man, "you don't seem injured. I'm surprised you took
this desk job."
Rey started unpacking his belongins and getting his desk in order. "No, I wasn't injured in the
line of duty. My wife, she's got M.S. I need more time to be there for her and for our girls."
"I'm sorry to hear that," said the man sadly shaking his head.
"So were you injured?" Rey asked. If they were going to be sitting next to one another for some
indefinite period of time they might as well get to know one another.
"Yes. I was shot by a gun dealer."
Rey looked up suprised. "Now I'm the one that's sorry to hear that."
The man shrugged good humordly. "It was quite a shock, let me tell you. I never even got a
chance to pull my gun. I decided I needed a change after that. I was lucky. I recovered. Being
shot definitely changes a person's life. You realize you're mortal. I'm glad I'm here, but
somedays I miss being out there on the streets you know, tracking down criminals, building a
case, questioning perps. It was hard to leave my partner too. He didn't take the news very well.
He kept on expecting me to come back. Poor Mikey. I sort of felt like I abandoned him."
Rey nodded in undertanding. "Yeah, it was hard to leave my partner too. We're still going to
keep in touch and all, but it's just not the same. I feel like I abandoned him too. It was hard
leaving the 2-7."
The man's face lit up. "The 2-7, eh? That's where I transferred from. No one I served with is
still there, but the time I spent there, those were some good times. They've got good people."
Rey smiled at the coincidence. It was good that there was a little piece of home, a little piece of
the 2-7 already here, even if they had never met before nor had any mutual friends.
"Well I'll let you get setteled. Then I'll come back, give you the tour and we'll go from there."
The man turned to leave.
"Hey, I'm sorry, but I didn't get your name."
The man turned around and extended his hand. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's Phil. Phil Cerreta."
Rey shook the Phil's hand and watched him leave. Rey was still smiling. Things were looking
more promising. He was feeling better about his new assignment.
By: Olivia
"Round here we always stand up straight/Round here something radiates."-Counting Crows-
"Round Here"
"I belong in the service of the Queen/I belong anywhere but in between/She's been crying..She's
been dying."-Counting Crows-"Rain King"
"Can I help you?"
Rey looked up from the box he was carrying and found himself looking into the grinning face of
of what Rey could only assume to be a fellow officer.
"I seem to be lost. First day." Rey was nervous. It was his first day of desk duty. The very
words tasted bitter to him. He wanted to be back at the 2-7, back with Lennie and L.T., back on
the streets solving homicide cases. But Deborah needed him. Her M.S. was getting progressivly
worse. He needed to be there for her and for their girls. Rey would make that sacrifice. And he
would make it willingly for her. She was worth it. She was the first and only woman he ever
loved. Sure, he had been attracted to other women and sure he had that one indiscretion, but
Deborah had all his love.
Rey realized the other officer was continuing to talk and he tried to give him his full attention
even though his mind, and spirit for that matter, were miles away.
"You must be Reynaldo Curtis. I was told that you were coming," said the still grinning man.
"Let me take that for you."
"It's just Rey. And thanks."
"Rey it is then."
The man took the box from Rey and led him to a nearby desk. "This is it," said the man setting
down the box unto Rey's new desk.. "Right across from my desk."
Rey thought about how strange it would be too look up from his desk and not see Lennie
anymore. Not see him sitting there, giving him that cocky grin, and making some wise crack.
"If you don't mind me asking," said the man, "you don't seem injured. I'm surprised you took
this desk job."
Rey started unpacking his belongins and getting his desk in order. "No, I wasn't injured in the
line of duty. My wife, she's got M.S. I need more time to be there for her and for our girls."
"I'm sorry to hear that," said the man sadly shaking his head.
"So were you injured?" Rey asked. If they were going to be sitting next to one another for some
indefinite period of time they might as well get to know one another.
"Yes. I was shot by a gun dealer."
Rey looked up suprised. "Now I'm the one that's sorry to hear that."
The man shrugged good humordly. "It was quite a shock, let me tell you. I never even got a
chance to pull my gun. I decided I needed a change after that. I was lucky. I recovered. Being
shot definitely changes a person's life. You realize you're mortal. I'm glad I'm here, but
somedays I miss being out there on the streets you know, tracking down criminals, building a
case, questioning perps. It was hard to leave my partner too. He didn't take the news very well.
He kept on expecting me to come back. Poor Mikey. I sort of felt like I abandoned him."
Rey nodded in undertanding. "Yeah, it was hard to leave my partner too. We're still going to
keep in touch and all, but it's just not the same. I feel like I abandoned him too. It was hard
leaving the 2-7."
The man's face lit up. "The 2-7, eh? That's where I transferred from. No one I served with is
still there, but the time I spent there, those were some good times. They've got good people."
Rey smiled at the coincidence. It was good that there was a little piece of home, a little piece of
the 2-7 already here, even if they had never met before nor had any mutual friends.
"Well I'll let you get setteled. Then I'll come back, give you the tour and we'll go from there."
The man turned to leave.
"Hey, I'm sorry, but I didn't get your name."
The man turned around and extended his hand. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's Phil. Phil Cerreta."
Rey shook the Phil's hand and watched him leave. Rey was still smiling. Things were looking
more promising. He was feeling better about his new assignment.