This is a short chapter. I'm a little unclear about what's going to happen next so I thought I would post this. :-) This story is in great need of a new title. I started this thinking it would only be a couple of chapters but it's taken on a life of its own and moved way beyond what I would call filler scenes. I have no idea what the ramifications are of changing a title though. By the way, I went back and made minor typo corrections in the old chapters. I still probably missed some. My apologies.
I love reviews! :-)
Chapter 7
Fuller was already waiting for them when Tom and Doug arrived at the conference room. He was standing near a window looking out and turned around when they walked in the room. He looked worn down and worried.
"Hanson, how are you feeling?"
Tom gave his tried and true automatic response, "pretty good."
Fuller took a second to look him over. He looked worlds better than he had a few days ago but still not like the Hanson he knew. He motioned across the room, "You remember Police Chief Sanders?" They both looked over to where Fuller was pointing. Tom looked down turning a bit whiter and Doug stood dumbfounded.
Sanders moved forward to shake hands, "Officer Penhall." Then, turning to Tom, "Tommy." Doug's head shot in Tom's direction. Tommy? "I asked Captain Fuller to bring you in a little early so we could talk. Captain Fuller, Officer Penhall, will you please step out for a few minutes? I would like to speak with Tommy alone."
Doug moved to make an argument to stay in the room but Fuller pursed his lips and shook his head at him and motioned for him to leave. Fuller then followed him out the door closing the door quietly behind them.
Sanders motioned to a chair, "Sit down." Tom sat down while Sanders took a seat across from him. Tom folded his hands in front of him and sat quietly ready to listen.
"How's your mom?" Sanders inquired.
"Pretty good."
Sanders leaned back in his chair to survey Tom. He then sat forward and folded his hands on the table, "Tommy, you've got us in quite a situation here. I have my chief of staff pushing me to give a reprimand or worse to you for insubordination and I have the district attorney breathing down my neck to do a full investigation of the entire juvenile detention system. So, what do I do? Do I trust the recommendation of my advisor and take what you said in your deposition as simply a threat from an upset individual who may not have been thinking clearly? Or, do I follow the district attorney's recommendation and open up an entire branch of the justice system to investigation based on what you said?"
Tom didn't know what to say so he just looked Sanders in the eye and waited for him to continue.
"Tommy, I've known you for longer than you can remember. You're a smart kid but sometimes your heart gets way ahead of your head. Is this one of those times?"
Tom started to get angry. Sanders was treating him like a child. "No, sir. I'm standing by what I said. What was going on in there is wrong."
"You'll stand by your statements even if that means losing your job? If I agree to open an investigation and no wrongdoing on the part of the operation of the center is found, you will lose your badge and be charged with making false accusations. Both your career and your reputation will be ruined. How far are you willing to take this?"
"Sir, I'm not wrong. I'm not going to just stand by when I know what's happening to the kids who are in our care. And, I won't support anything that tries to pin everything on them," Tom was pissed. He breathed in deeply to try to control his anger and then spat, "If you want my badge, why don't you just take it?"
"Tommy, don't ever offer up your badge. Someone might just take it," Sanders shook his head and sighed as he leaned back in his chair again, "You know, your dad would have just followed the chief of staff's orders."
Tom felt his face burn and his chest constrict. Sanders may have known his family since he was a baby but how dare he judge his dad like that. He glared at him, "How would you know?"
"I worked with him for 15 years. Tell me, how would YOU know?"
Tom blinked. He was completely taken aback by the question.
"Look, Tommy, your dad had a healthy interest in self-preservation that you sometimes lack. It was something that worried your dad. You can get so focused on something that you lose sight of the big picture and the possible consequences of your decisions. I don't want to spend potentially hundreds of thousands of taxpayers' money and ruin careers, including yours, if this is a mistake. In other words, this is your chance to pull out. You were suffering from a concussion and a stressful situation. I can retract your deposition based on that. I've already spoken with Captain Fuller about this. He will fully support you if you decide to amend your statement," Tom moved to speak but was stopped; "or if you decide to decide to stand by it. Tommy, don't respond right away. I want you to think about what I said for a couple of minutes. I'd like to give you more time but I can't." Sanders looked at him for a moment then got up from his chair and walked to the window to give Tom some time and space.
Tom's mind was reeling with what Sanders just revealed to him. He remembered his dad sometimes good-naturedly saying to him, "Hey, hold your horses there, sport!" if Tom was barreling down one direction but he never would have thought that it was something that worried his dad so much that he shared those thoughts with others. He felt a little betrayed but what blew him away was Sanders' belief that his dad wouldn't have taken a stand against something that he knew was wrong. He thought back to when he was a kid. His dad had always talked about the police force in a positive light. There was the occasional annoyance but as far as Tom knew, right and wrong were always clear and what was right prevailed most of the time. What Tom had witnessed in the past couple of weeks was so contrary to that that doubts started to creep up on him again and he felt his world crumble a little bit more.
Tom shook his head to try to clear it. He squeezed his eyes shut and lowered his head into his hands. He told himself that this was not about his dad and tried to focus on the question at hand. Was he wrong? Did what he witness merely reflect the way things were supposed to operate to try to scare the kids to get them back on track and he was just blowing it way out of proportion? He and Doug had gone through so many scenarios the night before but he was not prepared to have his flaws so clearly laid out before him and they troubled him. Did the people he grew up with not trust his judgement? Did Fuller and Penhall? Should they? But then his thoughts turned back to the terror, anger and hopelessness that he saw in each of the kids' eyes in the lockup. To the drugs that were so readily available to them that would end up destroying them completely. To the lack of protection and compassion from the adults who were supposed to be helping them. Tom looked up at Sanders, "I realize what you're trying to do for me right now but I'm not backing away. I'm standing by my statement and will do whatever I can to make sure that the kids don't get railroaded more than they already have been. What has been happening in there can't continue."
Sanders looked at him and saw the resolution on his face, "Okay. Stay here while I get the others." Sanders walked to the door, squeezing Tom's shoulder as he passed and leaving him alone with all of his thoughts swirling through his head.
End of Chapter 7