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Josie and her adopted daughter, Rain, were eating breakfast.

"Mom, when's Daddy coming home?" Rain asked. She took a forkful of scrambled eggs.

"As soon as he wraps up the case he's working on," Josie answered, biting into a piece of toast.
"I miss him," Rain said.

"I know. I do, too."

"But I like having a daddy I can miss," Rain said thoughtfully. "I never missed Popper when he was away. I hoped he'd never come back."

Josie was on her way to the 2-3 when she realized that she didn't have her gun. She had just taken the weapon from her locked drawer when the doorbell rang. Without thinking, Josie had left the gun on her dresser.

"I'd better go back and get it," Josie thought. "I hate to think what Joe would say if I showed up without my gun."

Later, Josie would cringe when she remembered that that had been her first thought, her first concern.

But when Josie got home, the gun wasn't there.

The telephone rang.

"No. Please, no," Josie thought.

Joe came out of his office at the 2-3. He looked grim.

"Joe, what is it?" Toni asked.

"There's been a shooting at Bay City Elementary School. I don't have all the details, but Rain Sinclair was involved."

"Oh, my God!" Toni gasped.

"Whatever has happened," Joe said, "Josie is going to need us."

Josie reached the school at the same time as Joe and Toni.

"Josie," Joe said, "whatever is going on, we're here for you."

"Count on us," Toni said.

"Thanks, guys. I really appreciate that."

"Can you tell us anything?" Joe asked gently.

"I have to go to the office and get Rain. She's been suspended. Oh, Joe... I... I left my gun on my dresser and she took it to school!"

"Josie," Joe began, "you know better" He stopped. He would have to discipline her, but this was not the time for a lecture.

"Please, Joe, no lecture. I couldn't take it right now."

"Okay, Josie. No lecture. But during the time that Rain is suspended from school, you are suspended from the force. It's for your own good."

Josie handed her shield to Joe without a word.

"There'll be plenty of time for you to be a cop, Josie," Joe said. "Right now, your most important job is being a mom."

"We'll go to the office with you," Toni said.

"Thank you."

They reached the principal's office. Rain was sitting on a chair, trembling.

"What happened?" Josie asked.

"Rain brought a gun to school," Principal Mabel Jordan said, "and little Ashley Novack was shot."

"Rain Sinclair," Josie began, "your Daddy and I have told you" She stopped. She would have to punish Rain somehow, but this was not the time to scold her.

Rain looked at Joe and Toni. "Are you going to arrest me? I deserve to be arrested...I"

"Nobody is going to arrest you," Joe said.

"That's right," said Toni. "Any punishment you get will be up to the school, and your mom."

"Mrs. Jordan, I'll need a full report of... of the incident," Joe said.

"I'll have someone bring it over later," Mrs. Jordan promised.

"Where's Ashley? I have to see her," Rain said. "I have to..."

"She's been taken to the hospital," Ms. Jordan answered. "Rain, do you understand what a serious thing this is, your bringing a gun to school?"

Rain nodded. "I know."

"She knows," Josie said. "You can see how sorry she is, can't you?"

"Yes, and we've never had a problem with Rain before. That's why I've decided to suspend her for only two weeks. You may take her home now."

"I appreciate your leniency," Josie said.

"Mom," Rain said as they walked out of the office, "please take me to the hospital. I have to ..."

"Sunshine, it won't do any good for you to sit in the hospital waiting room," Josie said.

"Please," Rain pleaded. "I have to be there! I have to!"

"All right," Josie said, "but if I think it's too much for you, I'm taking you home."

"I'll go with you," Joe said. "Toni, I want you to head back to the 2-3 now."

"Yes, sir," Toni said.

"And I'm counting on you not to say anything about this," Joe added.

"I won't," Toni promised. She squeezed Josie's hand. "Hang in there."

Ashley's mother sat waiting for news of her daughter's condition. She had sent the child to school as usual; she had expected her to come home as usual. But now...

Joe, Josie, and Rain walked into the room. Rain went right up to Ashley's mother.

"Mrs. Novack," Rain said, 'I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I"

Mrs. Novack stood up.

"You're sorry? My little girl is here because of you and all you can say is you're sorry? Well," she hissed, "at the very least you should be spanked within an inch of your life, you little..."

Josie placed herself between them.

"Now, hold on a minute! Let's get something straight here. You have every reason to be upset, but," she said, "you do not talk to my daughter that way."

"But, Mom," Rain said, "she's right. You should spank me! You should spank me real hard!"

Josie and Gary had never spanked Rain; had never even thought of spanking her.

Doctor Evelyn Falcone came into the room.

"Mrs. Novack," she said, "Ashley is going to be just fine."

Joe looked up and mouthed the words "Thank You."

Josie and Rain were home again. They sat on the sofa in the living room.

"Listen, Rain," Josie said, "I want you to study every day while you're not in school." She didn't want to use the word "suspended"; she didn't want the child to dwell on what had happened.

"I will," Rain said, "but, Mom..."

"What is it, Sunshine?"

"Aren't you going to punish me? Aren't you going to spank me?"

Not "Are you going to spank me?" but "aren't you going to spank me?" Rain looked at Josie. "Please, Mom?"

Josie felt ashamed, terribly ashamed. She hadn't wanted to face even a lecture, and here was this child, this little girl who had been abused before she came into Josie and Gary's lives, asking to be spanked.

"Sunshine, listen to me," Josie said. "If this is because of Ashley, she's going to be fine, remember?"

"But what if she wasn't? It would be all my fault I took the gun to school!"

"Rain, honey, if anything really bad had happened to Ashley, spanking you wouldn't change it," Josie said.

"I know," Rain said, "but maybe it... maybe it..."

"Maybe it would make you feel better about yourself?" Josie asked gently.

Rain nodded.

"Well, Rain, if I spank you, it won't be because Ashley was shot, and it won't be because of what Ashley's mother said. It will only be because you took the gun. Understand?"

"Mom," Rain answered, "I knew" She couldn't go on.

"That you must never touch a gun," Josie finished for her.

"Mom, are you going to spank me?"

"Well, Rain," Josie said, "if I do, it won't be just a few little taps. It will really hurt."

"I know," Rain said. "It should really hurt!"

Josie looked at Rain thoughtfully for a minute. "All right," she said, "I'll do it. Now, let's get it over with."

Very gently, Josie drew the child over her lap and wrapped her left arm around her.

"Mom," Rain said, "I'm kind of scared."

"Well, Sunshine, we don't have to go through with it," Josie said.

"Yes, Mom, we do."

And then Josie understood the burden of guilt Rain was carrying, understood how much she needed this spanking.

"Mom, I'm ready," Rain said. Her voice trembled just a little.

"I'm not," Josie thought.

Rain waited.

"I hope I'm doing the right thing," Josie thought. She raised her hand and said, "Rain Sinclair, you are never to touch a gun again!"

Rain yelped and squealed. It was all Josie could do not to cry, but if this spanking was to assuage Rain's guilt, Josie must not cry.

When it was over, Josie took Rain in her arms.

"Mom," Rain sniffled, "I... I...I feel a lot better inside now."

Maybe Rain felt better, but Josie didn't. She couldn't help feeling that the wrong person had been spanked.