Santa Barbara 1976
"Officer Spencer, come in officer Spencer" the police radio crackeld. The young blond police officer picked up the radio and spoke in a low voice, "Spencer here" The police dispatcher answered "Your wife just called the station. She"s in labor and in route to the hospital. We can relieve you if you want".Henry Spencer replied back. "Negetive, This is my stakeout, I'll see it through". He hung up the radio and turned to his partner in the partially hidden police cruiser. "Duty comes before anything, even family, you know that.". He thought his wife would just have to understand.
After three more hours of sitting and watching in near silence, the two men spotted their suspect. A young man who could have passed for any college student stood on the corner and was aproached by a kid who could'nt have been over fourteen. As soon as the money and the package changed hands the two cops were on them, arresting them both. As soon as they were in cuffs in the back of the car, Henry told his partner."Give me one minute". He took just a few minutes to duck into a nearby drug store and buy a box of cigars to pass out out a the station.
Later Henry walked into the hospital room and smiled at his wife holding their son. She glanced at him with a hurt look in her eyes." I needed you here, You missed it. You missed your child being born. Why?" Henry replied " You know you married a cop. I thought it was important to make sure our boy has a safe community to grow up in. Everything here seems to have gone fine without me." He looked at the tiny baby she was holding. "If it's okay with you I want to name him Shawn, after the first Spencer to come to this country and become a cop. He took the infant in his arm,held him awkardly at arms length and looked at him. "I"m going to spend all the time I can with you. I"m going to teach you everthing I know about being a cop so that you can take your place on the force when you grow up." His newborn son let out a loud wail that could heard all the way down the hall.