An officer's duty is to serve and protect. That is what Faith Yokas and Maurice Boscorelli do on a daily basis. They protect those who can't protect themselves. Like any job, theirs has its dangers. Sometimes officers get hurt. That is what happens when Faith Yokas gets injured one Friday. One thing she can count on is that cops take care of their own.
Friday, 11:56 a.m.
What a beautiful day it is outside. It hasn't been this nice in who knows how long. She couldn't believe it's March and 60 degrees already. It's shaping up to be a beautiful day. She wished she didn't have to work. It's days like this that she missed spending time with her kids. They're at school all day, and she's usually gone by the time they get home. Feeling unhappy, she thinks about what to do to get out of her blue funk. Maybe she'll do some laundry, keep herself occupied so she doesn't think about the crap that can get her down on such a nice day. She grabs the basket and makes her way down the stairs to the laundry room. She can't help but thinking what a great day it will be once she got outside and out of her bad mood. Nowhere to go but up, right?
Friday, 12:15 p.m.
She couldn't believe she was so stupid. How did she ever make it through the Academy with her clumsiness? It's scary to think that a cop can't even walk down the stairs without falling. She didn't mean to, really. Well, no one means to slip on the stairs. She should have known better. She knew the one board in the middle is always loose, and kept thinkin' someone would fix it. She shoulda done it herself. Now, here she was at the bottom of the stairs. She didn't remember how she got there or how long she'd been down there. She just know all of her clothes were all over the stairs and the floor. She started to scoop them up the best she could, while looking for the basket. It must have bounced off the cement wall and landed all the way over by the washer. She should be more concerned about her safety, but she lived in a city plagued by crime and violence. A flight of stairs was the least of her worries. Nothing felt broken. She surveyed the damage, and only came up with some red marks that will most likely be some dark bruises. Other than that, everything felt okay. Pretty lucky, she thought. Clothes in hand, she stood up on shaky feet. It must have scared her more than she thought. She wondered why the stairs were spinning. Was she shaking that much? She noticed a woman at the top of the stairs staring at her, looking concerned. She touched her face and clothes to see if she might not be as okay as she thought she was. No, nothing there. The lady stopped staring and came down the stairs, as the room kept spinning. She suddenly started to realize that she must have hit her head on something, and the reason she's coming down is to see if she's okay.
"Oh my word, are you okay? I heard this loud boom and I came right away. Did you fall? I've been telling them over and over to fix that board and that someone is going to get hurt! But do they listen? No..." She reaches down to pick up one of Charlie's socks on the ground. She realized that she hadn't answered her. "Yeah, I'm okay, thanks. I just slipped, that's all. They should fix that board. I hate to think what would happen if one of my kids had fallen." She doesn't think she's convinced that she's alright, because she's looking her over closely. "Are you sure? When I came down here you looked like you were about to fall over. Did you hit your head? I'm going to call for help, you wait right there. By all means, please sit down before you fall again!" She debated whether she should say anything. She knew she meant well, but she felt fine and just wanted to do her laundry and leave. This was so embarrassing. She figured she should stop her and save her from wasting her time. She felt fine. "Oh, please don't. I'm fine, really. I'm just a little dazed and quite frankly, a little embarrassed. I just wasn't paying attention. I should have remembered that board was loose. Thank you for your concern." The lady looked her over again, skeptically, as if debating what should be done. She comes back down the stairs, handing over Charlie's sock. She could tell the lady didn't believe her, and for a minute she thought she'd call in the calvary. Without saying a word, she just shook her head and walked back up the stairs. What a relief. She took the clothes over to the basket and started her load of laundry, something that should have been halfway done by now.
Friday, 3:24 p.m.
"Are you kidding me? Piazza is the best thing that happened to the Mets. Without Piazza, there would be no Mets. It'd be a bunch of little league kids tryin' not to wet their pants." Why was she even arguing with him? It's a moot point, but she hated it when he did this. He acts all macho, like he's been studying his box of baseball cards or something. She figured it was a guy thing to argue about sports, or anything for that matter. Either that or it's a Bosco thing. She wasn't sure. She just knew she had a headache the size of Manhattan, and Bosco's antics weren't helping. She should have called in, but it wasn't hurting that bad earlier. "Faith, you act like you know so much. I was goin' to Mets games when you were playin' with your Barbie dolls. Don't give me that crap about how you know so much about the team. You only like Piazza cause he's cute. Like you know any of his stats or anything" Honestly, if she had to hear any more of this, she was going to put in for a transfer to a city that doesn't have a professional team. Maybe somewhere in Kansas or somethin'. Right about now she could be standin' next to a cow and a barn in the middle of nowhere and it'd be better than listenin' to Bosco's crap. Oh, who was she kidding? She needed the city just as much as the next person. She'd just have to invest in earplugs. She heard they work wonders for annoying partners, although she didn't think Lieu would be too happy about her missin' calls and all. Oh well. She let out the millionth sigh of the day. This was going to be a long shift. Maybe she should take something for her headache now, in case she didn't get a chance later. "Bos, pull over will ya'. Right here on the right. On the corner. I gotta' get somethin'." She'd never seen him look that way before. She thought he was seriously irritated that she wasn't listening to his case about what makes baseball so great. Right now, she'd love for Piazza to come knock her out of the park. She needed the good stuff, and now. "Hey, you don't look so good. I mean...you're eyes are all red and bloodshot. You cryin' over your Mikey boy? Afraid you two won't end up together like you thought?" This is really getting old. Suddenly, Kansas doesn't sound so bad. Just as she was about to speak some crazy Wizard of Oz mantra and click her shoes together, Bosco pulls over.
Thank gosh they were stopped. Her head was pounding even harder than before, and she was actually starting to feel nauseous. This was weird. She'd never had a headache this bad before. Oh well. It'll go away. "I'll be right back. Stay here in case we get any calls and have to rush." He's still muttering about who will make the playoffs. She wondered if she should tell him the season hasn't even started yet. She stepped out of the car, looking around at the trees and the grass that's staring to green up again. It's bright outside, though, and only contributing to making her head pound harder. She started walking toward the drug store, noticing her nausea coming back. Oh yeah, this was going to be great if this mother of a headache didn't go away. She didn't want to be dealing with Bosco and this at the same time. The door to the store was open to let the fresh air inside. She stepped in and made her way to the back. She'd been in this store a lot, due to the multiple times they'd stopped in and got a quick snack between calls. The owners are a really nice couple. She works on the books and stocks the shelves while he orders supplies and makes deliveries. The TV is usually blaring with some old western movie on to entertain them as they work. Today it's unusually quiet, and she realized something was wrong. She looked around to see if she could pinpoint anything out of the ordinary. That's when she noticed two eyes staring at her from behind the magazine rack. It's the owner. His wife is nowhere to be found.
Friday, 3:59 p.m.
"Sir, is everything okay? Why are you standing behind the rack?" She knew it was a silly question. People don't normally hide behind magazine racks, but I don't know what else to do. She had to find out all the information that she could in order to help.
"No, you've got to help me. My store is being robbed. I ran back here as fast as I could. I don't think they know I'm here. If they find out, they'll kill her." Now she realized she needed to act quickly. Who knows how many others are still in the store. "Sir, you have to remain calm. I"ll help you and your wife. Just stay calm and tell me how many people you saw." She sees him going over it in his mind, recalling the perp. "Two, I think. It happened so fast, I don't remember exactly. I didn't even see what they were wearing, I just ran back here. I was so afraid they'd kill her." His voice is raising in his panic, and she feared the robbers would know they were back there. She didn't know how they didn't' see her come in or how she didn't see them, but thanked heaven for small favors. "Okay, here's what we'll do. You stay here behind the rack like you were. Stay out of sight and keep quiet. I'll call for backup. My partner's right outside and we'll help you get out of this, okay?" He nods and follows her directions.
"55-David-Central. I've got a robbery in progress at 31st & state. I need all available units here now." She hoped she didn't say that too loud. Keeping calm, she glanced out the window toward the front door. She couldn't see if Bosco was coming yet. She knew he'd be careful, but still worried this could end badly. She knew she wouldn't be able to hear help coming. Cops aren't supposed to go hot to robberies. Without lights and sirens, she'd just have to patiently wait for a sign that backup has arrived.
Friday, 4:13 p.m.
"What the...oh man! 55-David-Central. My partner is in the building of the robbery. I repeat, my partner is in the building at 31st and state. I need all available unites asap!" A few minutes later, backup arrives. The first to arrive is Sully and Davis. "Did I hear Yokas is in there? What happened?!" Sully is as confused as Davis is, who is standing there unsure of what to do. "Yeah, she had to stop in and get somethin'. I didn't know anything was wrong. I mean, I know it was takin' a while, but...how could I be so stupid?! What do we do now?" Sully, seeing his friend in need, comes up with a plan. "Alright, Bosco, we have to treat this like the robbers are armed. No one knows if they know we're here or if they know Yokas is inside. If they find out, it could turn sour and fast. Stay calm, Bosco. Be ready in case anything develops or happens." Nodding, Bosco kneels down behind the squad. The only good thing going though his mind is that this time of day the street is too crowded to get a good parking spot, and they had to park away from the store. If the robbers had seen the car out front, who knows what would have happened. He hated to think what Faith was going through. He had to stay calm, though. Now was not the time to get caught up in worry. He had a job to do.
Friday, 4:17 p.m.
By now, backup should be here. When an officer is in distress, everyone tends to do things a little bit quicker. Not to say they wouldn't for any robbery, but this was one of their own, and one of their own was in distress. Through the pounding in her head, she heard voices now. Two male voices and a female voice. She couldn't tell what they were saying, but the male voices sounded angry. She prayed they didn't know the squads were there. She didn't want them being tipped off. Just in case, she turned down her radio so it was barely audible only to her, she hoped. "55-David-Central, I'm inside the robbery on 31st & State. I've got two possible male robbers. I'm in here with two victims. I don't know if there's anyone else in here. Be advised there could be more. I'm in the back with one male who appears to be okay. The robbers are somewhere in the front of the store with one female victim. I'm unaware what her condition is, but she appears to be alive. I'd appreciate some help in here guys." She looked around, searching for a way to keep covered. The shelves were high enough to cover her if she walked around, so she didn't worry they would see her. She peered down of the main aisles and look out the window. Luckily, backup had stayed away from the building so the robbers wouldn't get spooked and decide to start shooting up the place. She ducked back behind an aisle of excedrine migraine. In all this commotion, it is a mirage to her. She wanted so badly to rip open the box and down a handful of drugs. Now was not the time, though. When it's all over, she will. She just hoped it'd be soon. Her stomach was doing a flip flop, and she was getting dizzy. She didn't know if was because she was anxious, or what. She just wished it'd would go away. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to do her job if this kept up.
Friday, 4:19 p.m.
"Okay, what do we have?" The Lieutenant has arrived to survey the situation. With one of his own inside an armed robbery, he usually comes to lend a hand and maintain control of the situation. "Hey Lieu. Here's what we know...we got Yokas inside with two store owners. One male and one female. We also got possibly two suspects inside. Yokas is in the back with the guy. His wife, I think it is, is in the front with the robbers. That's all I know, sir." Lieu looks around at all of his officers, hoping for the best. Damnit, this shouldn't be happening to one of his own. This shouldn't happen to anybody. Seeing Boscorelli shaken, he comes over to lend a supportive hand. Placing a palm on the younger man's shoulders, he speaks reassuringly. "Boscorelli, how you holdin up?" Seeing no response, he continues. "Hey, you know Yokas is smart. She's levelheaded, calm, cool, you know it'll be okay. She'll do her best to keep those storeowners and anyone else who might be in there safe." Bosco sighed and shook his head. He wished he were in there instead of his partner. If he had only gone in, instead of staying with the squad. He suddenly remembered something from earlier. Something wasn't right about his partner. She didn't seem to be her usual self. Sure, she was givin' him shit about his opinions about the Mets and all but she didn't seem with it. Something in her eyes. Hopefully she would make it out okay to ask her what's up. For now, he just had to hang around and wait, hoping she'd make it out okay.
Friday, 4:24
It was almost an hour after she got them into this mess. She had only stopped for something for her headache. She hated to think what would have happened if she hadn't come in time. Would the store owners have been killed? Would another innocent bystander? After making her way around each aisle, she found there was no one else in the store but the robbers, herself, and the store owners. She remained calm and made her way toward the front, knowing help was waiting outside. She whispered into her radio, alerting the officers outside what she was doing. "55-David-Central. I'm moving into position to see what's going on in front of the store. I don't see any other civilians. Looks like it's just us in here. I'm going to see if I can come up with a way to get them to leave the woman alone." She tried to think of a way out, meanwhile hoping Bosco and the others outside would have a plan of their own.
Friday, 4:36 p.m.
She'd been in there too long. She shouldn't have been in there at all, but it was just their luck to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Who knows what would have happened. They might have been called there anyway if someone caught onto the robbery. By now, the squads were lining up outside, waiting for the right time. Lieu would be there directing everyone where they should be. She wished they would hurry up already. She moved closer to the front to get a peek at the robbers. As she got closer, she heard their words. One of them was arguing about what they should do, and the other was interrupting, saying how stupid they were to have gotten into the mess they were in. " I can't believe I listened to you. When you wanted to pull over, I knew why and I pulled over. I can't believe this! We're in big trouble man! Look at all those cops down the street! What are we gonna do now?!" The companion, bigger than the other guy, started in. "Shut up will ya? I wasn't holdin a gun to your head. You could have ran out like you always do? But no, you stayed to show how much of a man you are. Well, what a big guy you are to be standin' here with half of NYPD out there waitin to blow our heads off! I'll tell you what we do, we walk out there with her and let them use her as target practice. I ain't goin' to jail, man!" She knew the argument was going to lead to something deadly, if she didn't do anything. She was too close to talk into her radio. They would hear that she was there and it would turn into a shootout. She'd rather not have that happen without backup. She didn't want to risk getting killed, or getting the owners killed. She realized she'd have to come up with a plan, and soon.
Friday, 4:42 p.m.
"Okay, here's what we'll do people. We got Sullivan and Davis ready to move in should we need to rescue the hostages. Yokas informed us that there were no other hostages aside from the store owners. We got SWAT movin in' to get a good shot in case one of the robbers gets near the front where they can get off a good shot. We don't want to go in firing, because we don't know what we're dealing with yet. We got EMS on standby, God forbid anything should happen." Just then the SWAT team gathered around the building, ready to go in. "Okay, now we're not going to be able to do anything until SWAT does their thing. They're gonna' go on the roof and drop in some tear gas. Then, they'll go in and take out the hostage. Be ready for whatever may happen." Sullivan and Davis moved into position, ready to escort the hostages out. They had worried expressions on their faces, unsure of what would happen to those inside. Bosco, feeling left out, walked up to the Lieutenant. "Lieu, I can't just stand here and not do anything. I want in. Whatever it is, I want in." Seeing his officer was not backing down, Lieutenant thought it over, thinking of a plan. "Boscorelli, grab a SWAT suit and go around the back. The store owner is back there and that's another escape route for the robbers. When things go down, you go in and retrieve the owner and possibly Yokas." Bosco nodded, feeling relieved to take part in the task at hand.
Friday, 4:59 p.m.
She was tired of waiting around. She knew SWAT was gettin into position at the moment and would be busting in soon. She wanted to stay safe and wanted to keep the owners safe. It was her job to keep the guy safe. It was SWAT's to keep the lady safe. So, she went to the back, knowing the guys outside were looking out for their interests. She met up with the hostage's husband. Still very shaken, he kept behind the stand of magazines. "What's happening? Why aren't you doing anything?" She knew he was concerned and wanted it to end quickly. "Sir, we can't act hastily. SWAT is outside and they deal with this and train for this all the time. They're gonna drop some tear gas in and try to divert the robbers' attention. Then, they'll send some officers to retrieve your wife and catch the suspects. We need to stay back here in case they come back here. I need you to stay where you are until I give you further instructions. Okay?" The owner nodded, knowing she knew what was best. She only wished she had as much faith as he did.
Friday, 5:03 p.m.
The SWAT team was moving in and it was going to take place. Bosco was in position, as well as Davis and Sullivan. Everyone watched, as tear gas was flung down the air vent, into the store. They saw a lady come flying out of the store, and Sullivan and Davis ran to get her so she wouldn't be harmed. The front of the store had been opened. The robbers hadn't bothered to shut the door and call attention to themselves or be a target for the snipers they knew to be outside. SWAT rushed into the store and shots were fired. In the back of the store, another firestorm was taking place.
Friday, 5:03 p.m.
She saw the tear gas come down from the ceiling and land onto the floor. She knew the SWAT team would be busting in soon, so she grabbed the owner and moved him further to the back of the store. She heard from the front the lady scream and the robbers yelling at her. She couldn't hear all of their words, but recognized them to be yelling at her to come back. She must have run outside when the tear gas came down. The robbers, having been distracted, weren't watching where she was and let her get away. She knew without any hostages, they would be even more dangerous and might not give up. Just then, she heard footsteps and saw one of the robbers go past her. She heard shots coming from he front. The other must have stayed up at the front and was in a shootout with the police. The other robber, having seen her in the corner, wore a shocked expression on his face. He didn't know she was there, and was debating what to do. She had pulled out her weapon when the tear gas came in, and had it ready. "Police, freeze! Put your weapon down or I will shoot!" The robber made no effort to put the gun down. Instead, he ran into the back room and out the rear exit of the building. Now she was alone with the store owner. The robbery was over, but she had no idea what would happen next.
Friday, 5:07 p.m.
It all happened so fast. Before their eyes, the officers saw Sullivan and Davis rescue the woman from the line of far. As SWAT moved in, a firestorm broke out and one of the suspects was dragged out of the building. He was dead. Not seeing the other one, everyone wondered what happened. In the back of the building, Boscorelli and officers of the SWAT team waited for their turn to take action.
Friday, 5:08 p.m.
Hearing shots being fired in the front of the building, Bosco was alerted that someone might come out the back. He hoped he had enough time to think first and shoot later. He didn't want to risk hurting innocent people. More importantly to him, he didn't want to shoot his own partner. Midthought, the door suddenly burst open and one of the robbers came flying out. He saw the police and immediately put down his weapon. Officers stormed in on him and subdued him without any problems. Bosco and other SWAT members rushed in, unsure of what they would find inside.
Friday, 5:10 p.m.
She heard the back door being opened and a scuffle, as officers yelled at the robber to get down on the ground. Finally, it was resolved. She let out a long sigh, a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Relief set in and she was able to contemplate everything that went on. She was alive, and so were the hostages. Somebody was watching over them that that day. As the officers made their way throughout the store, they surveyed the scene around them. No one had gotten hurt except one robber. It was another happy ending. The owners would soon be reunited and they would all have a ton of paperwork to deal with when they got back to the station. It didn't matter, though. No innocent lives were lost.
Friday, 5:11 p.m.
Bosco walked in, afraid of what he would find inside. As he looked around, he noticed what must have been the store owner, being taken to the front of the store to meet up with his wife. After some searching, he saw what he wanted to see. His partner was okay. She looked shaken, but physically okay. He walked up to her quickly. "Hey, how you doin'? You okay?" Her face was red and her eyes were watery from the tear gas. "Hey Bos, thanks for crashin' the party. How about you come a little sooner next time?" Amidst all the commotion, she realized her headache was still there, and the chaos only made it worse. She didn't know it was possible for it to be any worse. Feeling dizzy yet again, she swayed on her feet. Seeing this, Bosco put his hand out to steady her. "Whoa, you okay? I thought you said you were okay. Shit, should I get EMS?" Seeing he was afraid for her, she shook her head. "No, Bos. I'm okay. Just a little shaken. All that happenin', ya know? I didn't know how it was gonna' end. Thank God no one got hurt." He nodded, still unsure that his partner was really okay. They walked out the back of the store, ready for her to give a report to the police. As they walked out, she saw the robber from before being led away in handcuffs. Something didn't seem right, though. He was snickering. As he was walking away with a uniformed officer, he spun around, hands free. He must have gotten out of the handcuffs somehow. He grabbed a police officer's handgun and ran for it down an alley. Seeing this, Bosco and Faith ran after him in pursuit. "Let's go! We'll run after him. Someone try to cut him off in the front!" Seeing what happened, officers from all around started chasing after the suspect. Some ran after the two officers to assist, and some went to do as they told and cut him off.
Friday, 5:14 p.m.
She was running as fast as she could. Her head was pounding and she was still dizzy. She should have told someone sooner, but she wasn't thinking about it. Now it was too late. She just hoped it didn't affect her catching this guy. She sprinted down the alley with her partner, knowing he'd be there to back her up in whatever happened. The alley was coming to an end where a fence came into view. There was no way out for this guy and they all know it. On the other side of the fence, she could see officers lining up for their shot at the guy in case they jumped over. Either way, he was caught. Seeing this, the robber spun around and shot twice. Once at Yokas and the other at Boscorelli. Seeing this, Faith ducked, telling Bosco to do the same. They came close to getting hit but didn't. The robber continued running toward the fence, unsure of what else to do. He fired over his shoulder, hoping to hit one or both of the cops behind him. He knew there was no way out. He didn't hear anyone yell, so he knew both of the cops were still behind him. No one had been hit. He turned around once again and fired off two more rounds, the same as before. Bosco ducked, and fired three rounds into the robber's chest. The robber fell down. He, like his companion, was dead. Faith, upon seeing the robber fall, stopped in her tracks. She knew it was over. Relief washed over her, but something else did too. She felt nauseous and dizzy once more. Her head was pounding and she started to feel light headed. She was about to say something to Bosco, who didn't realize anything was wrong, when her legs grew weak. She fell forward, collapsing onto her knees.
Friday, 5:25 p.m.
After shooting the suspect, Bosco made sure the guy was dead and yelled for the officers on the other side of the fence, and the ones now behind him that it was over. The suspect was dead. As he looked around, he noticed Yokas was kneeling on the ground. Figuring she had ducked like he had when the robber had fired at them, he was relieved she wasn't hit. Or was she? She didn't look right to him. She should have been getting up, but she wasn't. He knew something was wrong. He rushed over to her side, unsure of what to do. "Faith...you okay?" He didn't like the response, or the lack of one. He put a hand on her shoulder and saw her look up. That's when he realized something was terribly wrong. Her eyes were unfocused and she was pale. He moved his hand to her face. She was clammy. He didn't like this at all. "Oh, man! 55-David-Central I need a bus on a rush now! I have an officer in need of medical attention! Guys come over here. I need your help!" He hoped the officers would hurry up. "Faith, talk to me please. What's wrong? Are you hit?" He then saw her eyes roll back in her head and she pitched forward. Unable to catch her in time, he heard her head hit the pavement with a resounding thud. She was out cold.
Friday, 5:27 p.m.
Hearing the call for medics, Sully, Davis, and the rest of the officers worried for their fellow officers. Had the robber shot one of them? What had happened? They quickly met up with EMS. Thank God they were standing by. Carlos and Doc, as well as Kim and Alex jumped in their buses and rushed over, following Sully and Davis over to the alley. What they saw made them gasp. Lying on the ground was an officer surrounded by other officers. Most of them were standing around. In the center was Bosco, kneeling next to what they saw was Yokas. Yokas was the downed officer. "Oh God. It's Yokas. Doc, it's Yokas." The two men rushed over along with Alex and Kim to see what was wrong. "Where'd she get hit Bosco?" "She didn't. I don't know what happened. One minute I'm ducking at the guy's bullets, the next I'm looking over at Faith. She was on her knees and I thought she was gonna get up but she didn't. She just got this weird look and collapsed. Then you showed up. Help her guys, please!" Seeing her friend needed help also, Kim placed her hand on Bosco's shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll help her. We're the best of the best, you know that. Hop in the back and you can ride along with her when they get her loaded up." Bosco simply nodded and stepped into the bus, waiting for his partner's lifeless body to come in. Sully and Davis stood watching the events unfold in front of their eyes. One of their own was down. A good cop, a good mom, a wife, a good person. What luck. They prayed everything would be okay.
Friday, 5:33 p.m.
Alex, Doc, and Carlos kneeled next to Yokas. "Faith. Faith, it's Doc. Can you hear me?" Receiving no response, they started to work on their friend. "Oh, Doc. She's got a head injury. Look at her pupils. We gotta get her to the hospital fast. Start an IV. Kim, Carlos, load her on the gurney. I'll start her on oxygen." They worked on their friend, getting her onto a backboard and then a stretcher. Wheeling the gurney over to the bus, the teams parted ways. "We'll see you at the hospital, guys. Take good care of her." Seeing there was nothing more to do, Davis and Sully hopped in their squad and went ahead with lights and sirens. They would make sure they got her there as quick as possible.
Friday, 11:56 a.m.
What a beautiful day it is outside. It hasn't been this nice in who knows how long. She couldn't believe it's March and 60 degrees already. It's shaping up to be a beautiful day. She wished she didn't have to work. It's days like this that she missed spending time with her kids. They're at school all day, and she's usually gone by the time they get home. Feeling unhappy, she thinks about what to do to get out of her blue funk. Maybe she'll do some laundry, keep herself occupied so she doesn't think about the crap that can get her down on such a nice day. She grabs the basket and makes her way down the stairs to the laundry room. She can't help but thinking what a great day it will be once she got outside and out of her bad mood. Nowhere to go but up, right?
Friday, 12:15 p.m.
She couldn't believe she was so stupid. How did she ever make it through the Academy with her clumsiness? It's scary to think that a cop can't even walk down the stairs without falling. She didn't mean to, really. Well, no one means to slip on the stairs. She should have known better. She knew the one board in the middle is always loose, and kept thinkin' someone would fix it. She shoulda done it herself. Now, here she was at the bottom of the stairs. She didn't remember how she got there or how long she'd been down there. She just know all of her clothes were all over the stairs and the floor. She started to scoop them up the best she could, while looking for the basket. It must have bounced off the cement wall and landed all the way over by the washer. She should be more concerned about her safety, but she lived in a city plagued by crime and violence. A flight of stairs was the least of her worries. Nothing felt broken. She surveyed the damage, and only came up with some red marks that will most likely be some dark bruises. Other than that, everything felt okay. Pretty lucky, she thought. Clothes in hand, she stood up on shaky feet. It must have scared her more than she thought. She wondered why the stairs were spinning. Was she shaking that much? She noticed a woman at the top of the stairs staring at her, looking concerned. She touched her face and clothes to see if she might not be as okay as she thought she was. No, nothing there. The lady stopped staring and came down the stairs, as the room kept spinning. She suddenly started to realize that she must have hit her head on something, and the reason she's coming down is to see if she's okay.
"Oh my word, are you okay? I heard this loud boom and I came right away. Did you fall? I've been telling them over and over to fix that board and that someone is going to get hurt! But do they listen? No..." She reaches down to pick up one of Charlie's socks on the ground. She realized that she hadn't answered her. "Yeah, I'm okay, thanks. I just slipped, that's all. They should fix that board. I hate to think what would happen if one of my kids had fallen." She doesn't think she's convinced that she's alright, because she's looking her over closely. "Are you sure? When I came down here you looked like you were about to fall over. Did you hit your head? I'm going to call for help, you wait right there. By all means, please sit down before you fall again!" She debated whether she should say anything. She knew she meant well, but she felt fine and just wanted to do her laundry and leave. This was so embarrassing. She figured she should stop her and save her from wasting her time. She felt fine. "Oh, please don't. I'm fine, really. I'm just a little dazed and quite frankly, a little embarrassed. I just wasn't paying attention. I should have remembered that board was loose. Thank you for your concern." The lady looked her over again, skeptically, as if debating what should be done. She comes back down the stairs, handing over Charlie's sock. She could tell the lady didn't believe her, and for a minute she thought she'd call in the calvary. Without saying a word, she just shook her head and walked back up the stairs. What a relief. She took the clothes over to the basket and started her load of laundry, something that should have been halfway done by now.
Friday, 3:24 p.m.
"Are you kidding me? Piazza is the best thing that happened to the Mets. Without Piazza, there would be no Mets. It'd be a bunch of little league kids tryin' not to wet their pants." Why was she even arguing with him? It's a moot point, but she hated it when he did this. He acts all macho, like he's been studying his box of baseball cards or something. She figured it was a guy thing to argue about sports, or anything for that matter. Either that or it's a Bosco thing. She wasn't sure. She just knew she had a headache the size of Manhattan, and Bosco's antics weren't helping. She should have called in, but it wasn't hurting that bad earlier. "Faith, you act like you know so much. I was goin' to Mets games when you were playin' with your Barbie dolls. Don't give me that crap about how you know so much about the team. You only like Piazza cause he's cute. Like you know any of his stats or anything" Honestly, if she had to hear any more of this, she was going to put in for a transfer to a city that doesn't have a professional team. Maybe somewhere in Kansas or somethin'. Right about now she could be standin' next to a cow and a barn in the middle of nowhere and it'd be better than listenin' to Bosco's crap. Oh, who was she kidding? She needed the city just as much as the next person. She'd just have to invest in earplugs. She heard they work wonders for annoying partners, although she didn't think Lieu would be too happy about her missin' calls and all. Oh well. She let out the millionth sigh of the day. This was going to be a long shift. Maybe she should take something for her headache now, in case she didn't get a chance later. "Bos, pull over will ya'. Right here on the right. On the corner. I gotta' get somethin'." She'd never seen him look that way before. She thought he was seriously irritated that she wasn't listening to his case about what makes baseball so great. Right now, she'd love for Piazza to come knock her out of the park. She needed the good stuff, and now. "Hey, you don't look so good. I mean...you're eyes are all red and bloodshot. You cryin' over your Mikey boy? Afraid you two won't end up together like you thought?" This is really getting old. Suddenly, Kansas doesn't sound so bad. Just as she was about to speak some crazy Wizard of Oz mantra and click her shoes together, Bosco pulls over.
Thank gosh they were stopped. Her head was pounding even harder than before, and she was actually starting to feel nauseous. This was weird. She'd never had a headache this bad before. Oh well. It'll go away. "I'll be right back. Stay here in case we get any calls and have to rush." He's still muttering about who will make the playoffs. She wondered if she should tell him the season hasn't even started yet. She stepped out of the car, looking around at the trees and the grass that's staring to green up again. It's bright outside, though, and only contributing to making her head pound harder. She started walking toward the drug store, noticing her nausea coming back. Oh yeah, this was going to be great if this mother of a headache didn't go away. She didn't want to be dealing with Bosco and this at the same time. The door to the store was open to let the fresh air inside. She stepped in and made her way to the back. She'd been in this store a lot, due to the multiple times they'd stopped in and got a quick snack between calls. The owners are a really nice couple. She works on the books and stocks the shelves while he orders supplies and makes deliveries. The TV is usually blaring with some old western movie on to entertain them as they work. Today it's unusually quiet, and she realized something was wrong. She looked around to see if she could pinpoint anything out of the ordinary. That's when she noticed two eyes staring at her from behind the magazine rack. It's the owner. His wife is nowhere to be found.
Friday, 3:59 p.m.
"Sir, is everything okay? Why are you standing behind the rack?" She knew it was a silly question. People don't normally hide behind magazine racks, but I don't know what else to do. She had to find out all the information that she could in order to help.
"No, you've got to help me. My store is being robbed. I ran back here as fast as I could. I don't think they know I'm here. If they find out, they'll kill her." Now she realized she needed to act quickly. Who knows how many others are still in the store. "Sir, you have to remain calm. I"ll help you and your wife. Just stay calm and tell me how many people you saw." She sees him going over it in his mind, recalling the perp. "Two, I think. It happened so fast, I don't remember exactly. I didn't even see what they were wearing, I just ran back here. I was so afraid they'd kill her." His voice is raising in his panic, and she feared the robbers would know they were back there. She didn't know how they didn't' see her come in or how she didn't see them, but thanked heaven for small favors. "Okay, here's what we'll do. You stay here behind the rack like you were. Stay out of sight and keep quiet. I'll call for backup. My partner's right outside and we'll help you get out of this, okay?" He nods and follows her directions.
"55-David-Central. I've got a robbery in progress at 31st & state. I need all available units here now." She hoped she didn't say that too loud. Keeping calm, she glanced out the window toward the front door. She couldn't see if Bosco was coming yet. She knew he'd be careful, but still worried this could end badly. She knew she wouldn't be able to hear help coming. Cops aren't supposed to go hot to robberies. Without lights and sirens, she'd just have to patiently wait for a sign that backup has arrived.
Friday, 4:13 p.m.
"What the...oh man! 55-David-Central. My partner is in the building of the robbery. I repeat, my partner is in the building at 31st and state. I need all available unites asap!" A few minutes later, backup arrives. The first to arrive is Sully and Davis. "Did I hear Yokas is in there? What happened?!" Sully is as confused as Davis is, who is standing there unsure of what to do. "Yeah, she had to stop in and get somethin'. I didn't know anything was wrong. I mean, I know it was takin' a while, but...how could I be so stupid?! What do we do now?" Sully, seeing his friend in need, comes up with a plan. "Alright, Bosco, we have to treat this like the robbers are armed. No one knows if they know we're here or if they know Yokas is inside. If they find out, it could turn sour and fast. Stay calm, Bosco. Be ready in case anything develops or happens." Nodding, Bosco kneels down behind the squad. The only good thing going though his mind is that this time of day the street is too crowded to get a good parking spot, and they had to park away from the store. If the robbers had seen the car out front, who knows what would have happened. He hated to think what Faith was going through. He had to stay calm, though. Now was not the time to get caught up in worry. He had a job to do.
Friday, 4:17 p.m.
By now, backup should be here. When an officer is in distress, everyone tends to do things a little bit quicker. Not to say they wouldn't for any robbery, but this was one of their own, and one of their own was in distress. Through the pounding in her head, she heard voices now. Two male voices and a female voice. She couldn't tell what they were saying, but the male voices sounded angry. She prayed they didn't know the squads were there. She didn't want them being tipped off. Just in case, she turned down her radio so it was barely audible only to her, she hoped. "55-David-Central, I'm inside the robbery on 31st & State. I've got two possible male robbers. I'm in here with two victims. I don't know if there's anyone else in here. Be advised there could be more. I'm in the back with one male who appears to be okay. The robbers are somewhere in the front of the store with one female victim. I'm unaware what her condition is, but she appears to be alive. I'd appreciate some help in here guys." She looked around, searching for a way to keep covered. The shelves were high enough to cover her if she walked around, so she didn't worry they would see her. She peered down of the main aisles and look out the window. Luckily, backup had stayed away from the building so the robbers wouldn't get spooked and decide to start shooting up the place. She ducked back behind an aisle of excedrine migraine. In all this commotion, it is a mirage to her. She wanted so badly to rip open the box and down a handful of drugs. Now was not the time, though. When it's all over, she will. She just hoped it'd be soon. Her stomach was doing a flip flop, and she was getting dizzy. She didn't know if was because she was anxious, or what. She just wished it'd would go away. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to do her job if this kept up.
Friday, 4:19 p.m.
"Okay, what do we have?" The Lieutenant has arrived to survey the situation. With one of his own inside an armed robbery, he usually comes to lend a hand and maintain control of the situation. "Hey Lieu. Here's what we know...we got Yokas inside with two store owners. One male and one female. We also got possibly two suspects inside. Yokas is in the back with the guy. His wife, I think it is, is in the front with the robbers. That's all I know, sir." Lieu looks around at all of his officers, hoping for the best. Damnit, this shouldn't be happening to one of his own. This shouldn't happen to anybody. Seeing Boscorelli shaken, he comes over to lend a supportive hand. Placing a palm on the younger man's shoulders, he speaks reassuringly. "Boscorelli, how you holdin up?" Seeing no response, he continues. "Hey, you know Yokas is smart. She's levelheaded, calm, cool, you know it'll be okay. She'll do her best to keep those storeowners and anyone else who might be in there safe." Bosco sighed and shook his head. He wished he were in there instead of his partner. If he had only gone in, instead of staying with the squad. He suddenly remembered something from earlier. Something wasn't right about his partner. She didn't seem to be her usual self. Sure, she was givin' him shit about his opinions about the Mets and all but she didn't seem with it. Something in her eyes. Hopefully she would make it out okay to ask her what's up. For now, he just had to hang around and wait, hoping she'd make it out okay.
Friday, 4:24
It was almost an hour after she got them into this mess. She had only stopped for something for her headache. She hated to think what would have happened if she hadn't come in time. Would the store owners have been killed? Would another innocent bystander? After making her way around each aisle, she found there was no one else in the store but the robbers, herself, and the store owners. She remained calm and made her way toward the front, knowing help was waiting outside. She whispered into her radio, alerting the officers outside what she was doing. "55-David-Central. I'm moving into position to see what's going on in front of the store. I don't see any other civilians. Looks like it's just us in here. I'm going to see if I can come up with a way to get them to leave the woman alone." She tried to think of a way out, meanwhile hoping Bosco and the others outside would have a plan of their own.
Friday, 4:36 p.m.
She'd been in there too long. She shouldn't have been in there at all, but it was just their luck to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Who knows what would have happened. They might have been called there anyway if someone caught onto the robbery. By now, the squads were lining up outside, waiting for the right time. Lieu would be there directing everyone where they should be. She wished they would hurry up already. She moved closer to the front to get a peek at the robbers. As she got closer, she heard their words. One of them was arguing about what they should do, and the other was interrupting, saying how stupid they were to have gotten into the mess they were in. " I can't believe I listened to you. When you wanted to pull over, I knew why and I pulled over. I can't believe this! We're in big trouble man! Look at all those cops down the street! What are we gonna do now?!" The companion, bigger than the other guy, started in. "Shut up will ya? I wasn't holdin a gun to your head. You could have ran out like you always do? But no, you stayed to show how much of a man you are. Well, what a big guy you are to be standin' here with half of NYPD out there waitin to blow our heads off! I'll tell you what we do, we walk out there with her and let them use her as target practice. I ain't goin' to jail, man!" She knew the argument was going to lead to something deadly, if she didn't do anything. She was too close to talk into her radio. They would hear that she was there and it would turn into a shootout. She'd rather not have that happen without backup. She didn't want to risk getting killed, or getting the owners killed. She realized she'd have to come up with a plan, and soon.
Friday, 4:42 p.m.
"Okay, here's what we'll do people. We got Sullivan and Davis ready to move in should we need to rescue the hostages. Yokas informed us that there were no other hostages aside from the store owners. We got SWAT movin in' to get a good shot in case one of the robbers gets near the front where they can get off a good shot. We don't want to go in firing, because we don't know what we're dealing with yet. We got EMS on standby, God forbid anything should happen." Just then the SWAT team gathered around the building, ready to go in. "Okay, now we're not going to be able to do anything until SWAT does their thing. They're gonna' go on the roof and drop in some tear gas. Then, they'll go in and take out the hostage. Be ready for whatever may happen." Sullivan and Davis moved into position, ready to escort the hostages out. They had worried expressions on their faces, unsure of what would happen to those inside. Bosco, feeling left out, walked up to the Lieutenant. "Lieu, I can't just stand here and not do anything. I want in. Whatever it is, I want in." Seeing his officer was not backing down, Lieutenant thought it over, thinking of a plan. "Boscorelli, grab a SWAT suit and go around the back. The store owner is back there and that's another escape route for the robbers. When things go down, you go in and retrieve the owner and possibly Yokas." Bosco nodded, feeling relieved to take part in the task at hand.
Friday, 4:59 p.m.
She was tired of waiting around. She knew SWAT was gettin into position at the moment and would be busting in soon. She wanted to stay safe and wanted to keep the owners safe. It was her job to keep the guy safe. It was SWAT's to keep the lady safe. So, she went to the back, knowing the guys outside were looking out for their interests. She met up with the hostage's husband. Still very shaken, he kept behind the stand of magazines. "What's happening? Why aren't you doing anything?" She knew he was concerned and wanted it to end quickly. "Sir, we can't act hastily. SWAT is outside and they deal with this and train for this all the time. They're gonna drop some tear gas in and try to divert the robbers' attention. Then, they'll send some officers to retrieve your wife and catch the suspects. We need to stay back here in case they come back here. I need you to stay where you are until I give you further instructions. Okay?" The owner nodded, knowing she knew what was best. She only wished she had as much faith as he did.
Friday, 5:03 p.m.
The SWAT team was moving in and it was going to take place. Bosco was in position, as well as Davis and Sullivan. Everyone watched, as tear gas was flung down the air vent, into the store. They saw a lady come flying out of the store, and Sullivan and Davis ran to get her so she wouldn't be harmed. The front of the store had been opened. The robbers hadn't bothered to shut the door and call attention to themselves or be a target for the snipers they knew to be outside. SWAT rushed into the store and shots were fired. In the back of the store, another firestorm was taking place.
Friday, 5:03 p.m.
She saw the tear gas come down from the ceiling and land onto the floor. She knew the SWAT team would be busting in soon, so she grabbed the owner and moved him further to the back of the store. She heard from the front the lady scream and the robbers yelling at her. She couldn't hear all of their words, but recognized them to be yelling at her to come back. She must have run outside when the tear gas came down. The robbers, having been distracted, weren't watching where she was and let her get away. She knew without any hostages, they would be even more dangerous and might not give up. Just then, she heard footsteps and saw one of the robbers go past her. She heard shots coming from he front. The other must have stayed up at the front and was in a shootout with the police. The other robber, having seen her in the corner, wore a shocked expression on his face. He didn't know she was there, and was debating what to do. She had pulled out her weapon when the tear gas came in, and had it ready. "Police, freeze! Put your weapon down or I will shoot!" The robber made no effort to put the gun down. Instead, he ran into the back room and out the rear exit of the building. Now she was alone with the store owner. The robbery was over, but she had no idea what would happen next.
Friday, 5:07 p.m.
It all happened so fast. Before their eyes, the officers saw Sullivan and Davis rescue the woman from the line of far. As SWAT moved in, a firestorm broke out and one of the suspects was dragged out of the building. He was dead. Not seeing the other one, everyone wondered what happened. In the back of the building, Boscorelli and officers of the SWAT team waited for their turn to take action.
Friday, 5:08 p.m.
Hearing shots being fired in the front of the building, Bosco was alerted that someone might come out the back. He hoped he had enough time to think first and shoot later. He didn't want to risk hurting innocent people. More importantly to him, he didn't want to shoot his own partner. Midthought, the door suddenly burst open and one of the robbers came flying out. He saw the police and immediately put down his weapon. Officers stormed in on him and subdued him without any problems. Bosco and other SWAT members rushed in, unsure of what they would find inside.
Friday, 5:10 p.m.
She heard the back door being opened and a scuffle, as officers yelled at the robber to get down on the ground. Finally, it was resolved. She let out a long sigh, a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Relief set in and she was able to contemplate everything that went on. She was alive, and so were the hostages. Somebody was watching over them that that day. As the officers made their way throughout the store, they surveyed the scene around them. No one had gotten hurt except one robber. It was another happy ending. The owners would soon be reunited and they would all have a ton of paperwork to deal with when they got back to the station. It didn't matter, though. No innocent lives were lost.
Friday, 5:11 p.m.
Bosco walked in, afraid of what he would find inside. As he looked around, he noticed what must have been the store owner, being taken to the front of the store to meet up with his wife. After some searching, he saw what he wanted to see. His partner was okay. She looked shaken, but physically okay. He walked up to her quickly. "Hey, how you doin'? You okay?" Her face was red and her eyes were watery from the tear gas. "Hey Bos, thanks for crashin' the party. How about you come a little sooner next time?" Amidst all the commotion, she realized her headache was still there, and the chaos only made it worse. She didn't know it was possible for it to be any worse. Feeling dizzy yet again, she swayed on her feet. Seeing this, Bosco put his hand out to steady her. "Whoa, you okay? I thought you said you were okay. Shit, should I get EMS?" Seeing he was afraid for her, she shook her head. "No, Bos. I'm okay. Just a little shaken. All that happenin', ya know? I didn't know how it was gonna' end. Thank God no one got hurt." He nodded, still unsure that his partner was really okay. They walked out the back of the store, ready for her to give a report to the police. As they walked out, she saw the robber from before being led away in handcuffs. Something didn't seem right, though. He was snickering. As he was walking away with a uniformed officer, he spun around, hands free. He must have gotten out of the handcuffs somehow. He grabbed a police officer's handgun and ran for it down an alley. Seeing this, Bosco and Faith ran after him in pursuit. "Let's go! We'll run after him. Someone try to cut him off in the front!" Seeing what happened, officers from all around started chasing after the suspect. Some ran after the two officers to assist, and some went to do as they told and cut him off.
Friday, 5:14 p.m.
She was running as fast as she could. Her head was pounding and she was still dizzy. She should have told someone sooner, but she wasn't thinking about it. Now it was too late. She just hoped it didn't affect her catching this guy. She sprinted down the alley with her partner, knowing he'd be there to back her up in whatever happened. The alley was coming to an end where a fence came into view. There was no way out for this guy and they all know it. On the other side of the fence, she could see officers lining up for their shot at the guy in case they jumped over. Either way, he was caught. Seeing this, the robber spun around and shot twice. Once at Yokas and the other at Boscorelli. Seeing this, Faith ducked, telling Bosco to do the same. They came close to getting hit but didn't. The robber continued running toward the fence, unsure of what else to do. He fired over his shoulder, hoping to hit one or both of the cops behind him. He knew there was no way out. He didn't hear anyone yell, so he knew both of the cops were still behind him. No one had been hit. He turned around once again and fired off two more rounds, the same as before. Bosco ducked, and fired three rounds into the robber's chest. The robber fell down. He, like his companion, was dead. Faith, upon seeing the robber fall, stopped in her tracks. She knew it was over. Relief washed over her, but something else did too. She felt nauseous and dizzy once more. Her head was pounding and she started to feel light headed. She was about to say something to Bosco, who didn't realize anything was wrong, when her legs grew weak. She fell forward, collapsing onto her knees.
Friday, 5:25 p.m.
After shooting the suspect, Bosco made sure the guy was dead and yelled for the officers on the other side of the fence, and the ones now behind him that it was over. The suspect was dead. As he looked around, he noticed Yokas was kneeling on the ground. Figuring she had ducked like he had when the robber had fired at them, he was relieved she wasn't hit. Or was she? She didn't look right to him. She should have been getting up, but she wasn't. He knew something was wrong. He rushed over to her side, unsure of what to do. "Faith...you okay?" He didn't like the response, or the lack of one. He put a hand on her shoulder and saw her look up. That's when he realized something was terribly wrong. Her eyes were unfocused and she was pale. He moved his hand to her face. She was clammy. He didn't like this at all. "Oh, man! 55-David-Central I need a bus on a rush now! I have an officer in need of medical attention! Guys come over here. I need your help!" He hoped the officers would hurry up. "Faith, talk to me please. What's wrong? Are you hit?" He then saw her eyes roll back in her head and she pitched forward. Unable to catch her in time, he heard her head hit the pavement with a resounding thud. She was out cold.
Friday, 5:27 p.m.
Hearing the call for medics, Sully, Davis, and the rest of the officers worried for their fellow officers. Had the robber shot one of them? What had happened? They quickly met up with EMS. Thank God they were standing by. Carlos and Doc, as well as Kim and Alex jumped in their buses and rushed over, following Sully and Davis over to the alley. What they saw made them gasp. Lying on the ground was an officer surrounded by other officers. Most of them were standing around. In the center was Bosco, kneeling next to what they saw was Yokas. Yokas was the downed officer. "Oh God. It's Yokas. Doc, it's Yokas." The two men rushed over along with Alex and Kim to see what was wrong. "Where'd she get hit Bosco?" "She didn't. I don't know what happened. One minute I'm ducking at the guy's bullets, the next I'm looking over at Faith. She was on her knees and I thought she was gonna get up but she didn't. She just got this weird look and collapsed. Then you showed up. Help her guys, please!" Seeing her friend needed help also, Kim placed her hand on Bosco's shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll help her. We're the best of the best, you know that. Hop in the back and you can ride along with her when they get her loaded up." Bosco simply nodded and stepped into the bus, waiting for his partner's lifeless body to come in. Sully and Davis stood watching the events unfold in front of their eyes. One of their own was down. A good cop, a good mom, a wife, a good person. What luck. They prayed everything would be okay.
Friday, 5:33 p.m.
Alex, Doc, and Carlos kneeled next to Yokas. "Faith. Faith, it's Doc. Can you hear me?" Receiving no response, they started to work on their friend. "Oh, Doc. She's got a head injury. Look at her pupils. We gotta get her to the hospital fast. Start an IV. Kim, Carlos, load her on the gurney. I'll start her on oxygen." They worked on their friend, getting her onto a backboard and then a stretcher. Wheeling the gurney over to the bus, the teams parted ways. "We'll see you at the hospital, guys. Take good care of her." Seeing there was nothing more to do, Davis and Sully hopped in their squad and went ahead with lights and sirens. They would make sure they got her there as quick as possible.