Oh man what a day. The last couple of months, while I was at the academy, I saw Jim go nuts after any scuff, bruise, or mark on me that he thought was uncalled for he saw, when we finally got together on the weekends. Was it his ranger training or just that little, literally, got past him? I don't know but, surely these things happen.
Like take for instance during our Friday weapons training, how was I supposed to know that Jim isn't the only one that drops his gun. Peters was a couple of alleys down practicing… all of a sudden I hear LOOK OUT and his gun clocks me in the back of the head. Dang that hurt. Peters was of course apologetic and quickly came to make sure I was alright. But, you should have seen Jim when I saw him later that night.
It was poker night, of course, and I had stated that I would bring my ostrich chili and dip. I had called and asked Jim if it was alright to invite one of my fellow academy inma… I mean classmates.
You might think that most of my classmates would have something against this former long haired neo hippie now admitted fraud. I guess Jim's reputation preceeds him, and most of the diehard soon-to-be cops came from families that knew that Jim wouldn't take a fraud as a partner… let alone demand one. I mean come on Major Crimes isn't like vice or narcs… THOSE departments don't care about reputations… in fact the worse the reputation the better it works for stings and undercover. The rest either 1) saw the reactions, 2) willing to see how/what I did, or 3) didn't last long in the academy anyway, I mean come on… if someone couldn't deal with someone like me, how could the police force expect them to treat others?
But I digress. Peters and I show up for the poker night, and forgetting my sentinel, the worst kept secret in CPD, was upstairs listening, we were laughing about the incident.
He opens the door, before we knocked… shocking Peters, and I can see his jaw clenching. As I put the pot down and Peters puts the dip down, Jim is practically fawning over me, making sure I'm ok. All is well, relatively, til Peters lets slip that he is the cause of the injury.
Jim turns apoplectic. From across the room I can see his teeth grinding, and being the master of being able to do 2 things at once GROWLING at Peters.
Peters, one of those diehard comes from a family of cops classmates I mentioned earlier, has this deer in the headlights look about him.
I scramble to reassure my sentinel that no harm was intentionally done. Thank goodness his anger slowly evaporates, and he turns his attention back to me.
When the rest of the MC crew show up, the story is rehashed, and I think Jim is ok again with this til H jokingly tells me that I should be used to dropped guns by now.
Silence befalls the room, before everyone BUT Jim and Peters start laughing.
Everyone has their own "Jim drops the gun" story… and in some cases MORE than one. So when they start retelling them, Jim goes from grinding/growling to laughing/retelling some of his own stories from the rangers.
But that was last week. This week and for the next 3 months I am stuck in patrol.
Due to Jim's influence, I got partnered with Jim's old partner. Peters and I still see each other at roll call, and even work the same beat.
Today, our 2 patrol cars, the four of us, respond to shots fired.
One of the perp's gun is thrown at me, and I get hit by the gun. After we arrest and handcuff the perps we take them downtown. I am dreading my arrival, cause Jim will be there… despite the fact that we aren't partners yet in MC he still is there for me, when I am done for my shift.
By the time we process the bad guys, our CO sends us home, but not before I get, good naturely, teased.
I invite the other 3 to the loft for beer and chitchat. I should have known Jim would find out about my first on the job injury, because not 10 min after we arrived the front door is kicked in and all I hear is:
SANDBURG!