Morgan could feel the bile rising in her throat. Heart beating fast, she could hear it past the sound of rain falling around her. Thin fingers gripped the railing as she leaned further over the edge. The pain was to much. The fighting wasn't worth it anymore. She was no one. And no one would care if it all ended. The whole world didn't matter at that moment. Abusive dad at home and nothing but drugs and alcohol to numb the pain. This last beating had been rough, sporting a nice split lip and a well formed bruise under her eye, it wouldn't matter though. When daddy dearest is loaded with money and a prominent figure in the community, these little issues get swept under the rug.
Morgan had done everything right by society standards. She managed to graduate high school and survive, although barely, college. She had just turned twenty three and it seemed that there was nothing left for her. No guy to speak of, sure she had friends, but they were the typical upper east side friends, those who just came to drink your booze and do your drugs while enjoying all that money could buy.
There was truly nothing here for her, no reason to stay. The sounds of the sirens broke Morgan out of her daze. Throwing her head forward and staring at the cold river below her. She was ready. She needed to do this. This was her decision.
Jamie and Eddie were drinking coffee in the squad car when the call came in. A jumper. No one likes to be in that situation. When it is literally your words have the power to change the outcome. It didn't take long for them to arrive on scene. The cold rain had done a good job of keeping people off the roads in a rather uncharacteristic fashion. January was proving to be a brutal month so far.
Getting out of the car Jamie quickly assessed the situation. He stared ahead as he locked onto the figure standing with their back to him and his partner. As they walked forward they kept their hands outward as a sign of surrender.
"You don't want to do that." Jamie called out calmly, hoping whoever it was standing on the other side of the railing didn't freak and jump right there. The small figure turned their head slightly he could see the faint line of blood coming from their lip. The contrast of the blood against the pale skin was obvious. Thin fingers gripped the rail tighter. Shoulders heaving as sobs left their body.
"Please talk to us." Eddie spoke up, taking another step forward.
"Don't come closer!" That was it. Morgan turned to face the officers. Tears rolling down her face. Jamie and Eddie could see what they were dealing with fully. Before them stood what appeared to be a young female. "Don't!"
"I don't know what happened, but you don't want to do this, alright? No matter how hard it seems right now, this isn't the best way to go." Eddie tried to calm the girl down.
"You don't understand! No one understands!" Morgan looked forward again, taking a deep breath.
"Then tell us what is going on, make us understand." Jamie stood now next to the girl, just out of arms reach. It appeared as if the tears stopped and now he could see her better. There was indeed a cut on her lip, and a bruise forming under her eye. Long brown hair messy under the hood of the jacket. Jamie didn't move, he didn't say anything else. He wanted it to be on her terms. He motioned Eddie to take a step back, earning a confused look from his partner.
Slowly, after a few tense minutes, brown eyes turned to look at him.
"You're just saying that to get me to talk." It didn't come out rude, it was a simple statement. Jamie shrugged his shoulders.
"Maybe I am trying to get you to talk, and thats because talking through this is the better choice. Whatever you are going through, I want to help you through."
Morgan searched the officers eyes, looking for any sense of lies.
"You can't help me, no one can." Tears began to fall again. Shuffling of weight and Morgan was ready to let go.
"You can trust me, I know that doesn't hold much weight right now, but listen to me. You are not to far gone, you can get help, we can see to it that whoever roughed you up gets what's due to them, yeah? I don't want to see you make a decision here that you will regret once you let go."
Soft brown eyes turned into a glare. Morgan whipped her head towards the officer. "Who is going to protect me from him? No one will touch him because he has to much pull around here!" Pausing to take a breath, "With all due respect officer, I have tried to get help, all I am left with is solitary in a random treatment place because I am the trouble kid who likes to get into trouble."
"You clearly don't know the weight and pull I have around here, its a shame I have to meet you under these circumstances, but I promise you, no one will hurt you again."
Jamie threw out a lifeline, hoping the young girl will grab onto it. "You are young, you can come back from this."
Morgan stared at the young officer, all she had ever known in this life is hate and pain. She didn't know what to do. Could she trust this officer?
"What will happen if I climb over?" She leaned back away from the river below her. Hands relaxing a little on the railing.
Jamie couldn't hide the smile from his face. He took another small step towards her.
"Well, my partner and I will have to take you to the hospital to get you checked out. There are doctors there who will help you through whatever is going on, talk through things. My partner and I are going to ask you some questions to find who did this to you. You will be safe, and I will be with you every step of the way. You can trust me."
Seconds passed very slowly for Jamie. He watched the girl in front of him. He wondered what could have happened to her that would cause her to stand on the edge of the bridge, wishing to end it all. He wanted to find the bastard who caused her pain and suffering.
He saw her nod, it was little, he almost missed it. She let go of the railing and reached out for him. He took her hand and helped her over the railing. Once she was on the same side as him she wrapped her arms around him in a hug and started to cry. Eddie came up beside her and wrapped an arm around her and they both walked her to the patrol car.
"What is your name?" Jamie looked down at the young girl.
"My name is Morgan Faye Carlson" Jamie knew that name. Back when he was just starting out he responded with his old partner to a domestic. Father called police on daughter for being high on substance and she lashed out on him. She to had bruises on her face at the time, but the father said that was from when he was defending himself. She was put into a treatment quietly, father didn't want the press getting ahold of this. Putting the pieces together now, she was on something that night, but he didn't believe she started the fight.
"Morgan, it is nice to meet you. My name is Jamie Reagan and this is my partner Eddie Janko." She gave a small smile. Eddie opened the door to the back and Morgan climbed in.
The drive to the hospital was quiet. No one wanted to break the calm silence that had taken over the patrol car. Once at the hospital, Morgan was admitted to the psychiatric ward on a 72 hour hold. She had admitted to them that it was in fact her father that was abusing her, but it probably wouldn't hold up because of the drugs she was on and the fact that she was suicidal. It killed Jamie to see her give in so easily. He wasn't going to give up on her, he made a promise and he was going to keep it.
After getting all the information that they needed for both the report and to go see Danny, he said goodbye and promised that he would be back to visit and they walked out.
"Why do you always pick up strays?" Eddie asked once they got back out to the car.
"I don't always pick up strays!" He looked at his partner with a serious expression on his face.
"Come on Jamie, you just basically signed up to be that girls knight in shining armor." He scoffed at that pulling out of the drive.
"I didn't, look, I may have recognized her from a call from when I first started. I want to help Eddie. If her father is beating her, and is causing her to want to kill herself, then yes I want to help her out. I don't want to have to go through that agin and it not be a win."
"I understand wanting to help Jamie, but getting attached is a who different thing."
He didn't add anything to the conversation. He just kept driving. He wasn't going to get attached to some young girl. No matter what the situation.
—-
Meeting Danny was both frustrating and embarrassing. Having to explain why you want your brother to take a case for a young girl being abused is one thing, having him joke about how he was getting attached is another.
"Danny! Look, here is what I have on her father. He is well known to the locals. Owns a big white collar business, loaded with money. She is the only child, mother is not around. The bruising on her face is new, but she has healed fractures from years."
Danny looked over the file that Jamie set down in front of him. He was familiar with the family. Doug Carlson was well known and well liked among the community. He didn't paint himself as a family man but he was sure no one would bat an eye if they went and accused him of abuse.
"Jamie I understand, but this isn't enough to bring him in. You have the word of a girl who was ready to jump off a bridge, with a few bumps and bruises. She tested positive for cocaine. No judge will touch it, and I am not even a lawyer and I know that."
Jamie pinched the bridge of his nose. Danny was right, even if they had everything right, it was her word against his, and clearly one would stand higher than the other.
"I promised her Danny. I told her that she would be safe."
"And she is baby brother. In the hands of capable doctors to get her the help she needs. And when she gets out of there, she will have the resources to be able to hopefully start fresh."
Jamie sighed and looked at Danny. "Your right, and I understand completely."