Chapter Four: Mad World

"Why is everyone giving me weird looks?" Sam attempts to make small talk with Oliver.

"Weird looks?" Oliver makes a face. "What?"

"Yeah," Sam answers. "Like the one you're giving me. The 'guilt' face."

"No guilt. Nothing. I swear."

"What are you babbling about?"

Oliver looks worried. "Don't be mad. Okay?"

"What am I going to be mad about?"

"Maybe...you know, I should be the one driving?"

Sam grips the wheel in frustration. "Just spit it out, okay? You're acting like a freakin' girl."

Oliver shuts his eyes, inhales and then exhales slowly. "Andy was raped."

"WHAT!" Sam shouts, angrily, pressing on the accelerator, the vehicle speeding from zero to one twenty in seconds. Oliver's head snaps forward and then back, forced by the speed of the vehicle.

"What the...? Sam! Slow down..."

"When?" Oliver notices that Sam is clenching the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles are turning white.

"When what?"

"When was she raped?"

"A couple days ago. You were in St. Catherine's visiting your sister. We didn't want to bother you." Oliver trails off as he notices the vehicle is quickly moving from one twenty mph to one thirty to one forty.

"You didn't want to bother me!" he asks incredulously, ready to explode with anger. "She's my fuckin' rookie! And nobody called to tell me!"

Sam, not really thinking clearly, turns on the siren and makes an illegal u-turn.

It's not really illegal if it's an emergency and we're cops, right? God, I know I haven't really prayed to you in a while, but don't blame Sam for this - he's just being very emotional right now - and please, if you're listening, don't let him kill us.

He heads in the direction of Andy's apartment. He starts to slow the vehicle, just a little bit, and Oliver lets out the breath he didn't realize he was holding in. Feeling the need to be protective of his friend, and yet, cautious at the same time, he reluctantly reminds Sam, "Andy moved in with Callaghan a couple days ago, remember?"

"Damn it!" Sam yells, hitting the steering wheel hard, making the horn honk.

"Sam," Oliver shouts over the noise. "I don't know what's going on with you and McNally, but you really need to let me drive."

333

"Andy," Luke shakes her awake from their bed. "It's been two days. You should get out of bed."

"Leave me alone," she groans, and lifts the covers over her head, wanting to shut out the daylight.

"At least...take a shower?" he suggests. "I have to get back to work, hun. I'll be back tonight to make you dinner."

He kisses the top of her forehead tenderly. On his way out he's almost run over my Sam and Oliver. Sam swings his door wide open, not bothering to close it, and closes in on Luke before he's able to reach his car. Shoving him a little, Sam shouts, "What's wrong with you?"

"What?"

"I said, what's wrong with you?"

"Are you drunk, Sammy?"

"Don't call me that! Why didn't you call me when Andy..." Sam's voice broke down a little in desperation and exhaustion.

"Why do you think?" Luke raises his voice, angrily. "Why would I? She's not your girlfriend," he rubs in.

"Can we see her, Luke?" Oliver cuts in.

Luke looks concerned. "She's kind of in a fragile state. She's not really accepting any visitors right now."

"I-DON'T-GIVE-A-SHIT," Sam spelled it out for him. "I want to see my rookie."

"She's not really your rookie anymore, now, is she? Remember? She was cut loose a couple days ago."

"What's your problem, Callaghan? I just want to see her."

Ignoring Sam's plea, Luke opens his car door. "I have to get back to work."

"Don't walk away from me," Sam threatens. He headlocks Luke in a seemingly unlikely 'Sammy' move.

What the fuck? Now, I have to break up a fight. I don't get paid enough for this.

"Enough!" shouts Oliver, as he tugs Sam off of Luke.

"Pathetic," Luke mutters as he climbs into his car. Sam's already pounding Andy's front door when Luke drives away.

"Sam," Oliver touches Sam's shoulder. "We should go."

"Not until I see McNally," Sam replies, determined, as he shakes him off.

"Andy, it's Sam," he shouts. "Andy, I'm not leaving until you open this door." He pounds on the front door some more.

The front room curtains flutter at the house next door before the door opens and an older lady pops her head out. "Officers? What's going on?" she asks, concerned. "Is everything alright?"

"No, ma'am. Do you have a spare key to this house?"

"Why do you ask?" she asks, suspiciously.

"We're just checking on Andy, ma'am."

"Well," she hesitates, "I guess that's okay."

333

Complete silence greeted Sam and Oliver as they enter the house. "Andy?"

333

Less than twenty minutes after Luke returns to the office, it's abuzz with rumours of how Sam harassed Luke outside of his home. As Gail walks by Sergeant Best's office, he gestures her to enter.

"When he gets back, tell Swarek I want to see him in my office."

"Yes, sir."