The New Deputy
Chapter 26-Firework
Immediately we scrambled. Creed and Jones' horse bolted in the direction of Gulliver street. Creed's hooves clopped on the asphalt as he galloped around the corner. Jones was right behind me. Garcia was in his car, with the siren wailing and the dome lights going. I rose up out of my seat a bit, standing up in my stirrups. I gripped some of Creed's mane for extra grip. Just then a car turned into our path. I heard Jones curse and cry out, but to my surprise, Creed launched himself toward the front of the car and with his hind legs pushed off, tucking his front legs against his body, sailing cleanly over the hood of the car.
Once on the other side, he lowered his front legs down and tucked his back ones. He lowered those and we continued to gallop. Jones skirted around the car, Garcia screeched around it in his patrol car. I heard Garcia over my radio.
"Holy shit that horse jumped over the front of that car!"
We made another left and eventually arrived on Gulliver street. There were cars arranged in a cul-de-sac in front of a store. A man in a wife beater white undershirt and dirty sweat pants had his arm under Travis' throat. There was a gun aimed at his head. The man was shouting. Dangle, Declan, Rizzo, Weigel, Williams were stationed behind their car doors with the guns aimed at the man over the top of them.
"Sir! What are your demands?" Dangle called to him.
"Fuck you, you elf! Go back to Santa and ask for a different job! You're too gay to work on the force!" the man shouted at Dangle angrily.
My eyes were narrowed into slits as Creed barreled straight for the man holding Junior hostage. I heard Jones shout behind me. The man whirled around and saw me coming. He moved the gun off Junior and aimed it directly at me. Creed slid to a stop in front of him and reared up, his front hooves slashing at the air. One of his hooves clipped the guys arm, knocking the gun from his hand. He shoved Travis to the ground. Junior hit his head on the ground and didn't move. Creed dropped his hooves to the ground again, careful not to step or go near Junior. Dangle and Jones lunged for the man and managed to subdue him in handcuffs in the back of Dangle's car. I dismounted Creed and rushed to Junior. I crouched down beside him. There was a small amount of blood on the ground.
"Oh God," I breathed frantically. "Travis? Do you hear me?"
Creed sauntered over and gently lipped at Junior's uniform shirt, giving it gentle tugs. Williams came over and held Creed's reins, gently patting him. I undid my helmet and flipped my hair to free it.
"Junior please answer me!" I pleaded. Garcia and everyone else came hurrying over. Eventually, Junior moved.
"Junior?" Dangle said anxiously.
"Ow. My head feels like someone just hit me with a fucking Mack truck," he moaned sitting up carefully.
"Are you ok?" Weigel asked him.
"I think so," He asked and then looked at us in confusion. "Who are you guys?"
I sat back on my heels. Creed gently nudged me on the shoulder and let out a soft whicker.
We all stared at Junior in case he was joking.
"Seriously I don't know you guys," Junior went on still looking confused.
"Shit," Dangle muttered.
We returned the horses to the barn and took care of them before heading to the hospital with the rest of the gang to check on Junior.
The doctor said that the knock to the head wasn't serious and that his memory loss was only temporary, but in the meantime, we needed to make sure we surround him with familiar things, which meant once again, Jones and I would have to put the mounted unit on hold, and that meant spending time away from Creed, which they told me I'm welcome to come and visit him anytime I wanted.
I sat in the briefing room, toying with my pencil. Dangle was standing in front of the podium giving a briefing about the morning's case. Junior was standing behind us, sipping coffee.
It was hard because we had to introduce ourselves to Junior once and a while.
"Emma, you'll be paired with me today. Junior, you and Garcia are paired. Weigel and Williams…Jones and Declan. Rizzo you're doing traffic," Dangle said. Junior looked around the room, as though searching for Garcia, who slowly raised a hand in the air.
"I'm Garcia," he said slowly. Junior nodded.
I was sitting in the car with Dangle. We stopped for a red light.
"You know, this might actually be a good thing for Junior," Dangle mused.
"How so? How could not remembering your friends be a good thing?" I asked sounding shocked and incredulous.
"Because he won't remember what a bunch of dicks we are, excluding you of course," Dangle said as the light turned green.
"Still. We're his friends, regardless," I said firmly.
We got a call about a domestic disturbance. It was Ti Ti as usual. Ti Ti was screaming about her baby's daddy beating her up. I stayed with her to calm her down. Dangle dragged the guy off the porch of their trailer by his ear and threw him to the ground. He began kicking him in the ribs.
"Like how that feels?" Dangle said angrily now taking out his slim jim and bring it down on the guys side. After a few moments, the guy stopped moving. Dangle leaned down to check the guy's pulse. Dangle looked up at me.
"Oh shit," He said. Ti Ti stood there stunned. We turned and fled the scene and climbed back in our car, peeling away.
"Jim what the hell did you do?" I asked shocked.
"Might've gotten a little carried away there," He said slowly.
"Ya think?" I asked raising an eyebrow.
"Bastard deserved it though," Jim grumbled. "We got calls about him before."
We headed onto our next call.
We arrived at the sheriff's department later that evening to find Junior standing naked in the hallway with his belt around his waist for his gun. Jones, Weigel, Declan, Rizzo, Williams and Garcia were standing around him.
"Um, can I ask what's going on here?" Dangle asked raising an eyebrow.
"Um, we sort of told Junior here that no uniforms were mandatory," Garcia said with a deadpan expression.
"They told me they would take off theirs," Junior said. The only thing he had on was the belt and his dark sunglasses.
Williams and Weigel were trying hard not to chuckle but it was a losing battle.
Declan and Rizzo kept their face turned away, but I knew they were laughing too.
"Guys, that's cruel," Dangle said with a straight face but then he chuckled himself. I put my hands on my hips.
"Guys," I said in a scolding voice. "Don't take advantage of Junior ok? That's just mean."
"We were just teasing him, Emma," Garcia said, studying me closely.
"Still ok? He doesn't know who any of you are and you go and do this!" I cried throwing my hands up. I gently grabbed Junior's arm and began leading him to the lockers. I heard Williams giggle and whisper to Weigel.
"A little lower and you could've led him around just fine,"
Everyone snickered and chuckled. I threw her a glare over my shoulder. Once inside the men's locker, I grabbed Junior's uniform and handed it to him.
"Here put it on," I said and turned my back so he would have some privacy. I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around. Junior was dressed once again with his blue Kevlar vest over his uniform.
"What's your name again?" he asked confused.
"Emma," I said offering him a watery smile.
"Nice name. Are we friends too? Or more? Cause honestly I wouldn't mind one bit," he said. I smiled again, feeling a bit of tears forming in my eyes.
"We're good friends. From now on, don't believe anything they tell you. Come to me first," I said turning my eyes away.
"Will do. Are you ok? You look like upset or something?" Junior asked.
I finally raised my eyes to his. "I'm fine. Rather I'll be fine. Come on let's go,"
I led him out of the locker room.
Everyone had entered the briefing room. I gently ushered Junior in. Garcia had remained behind. He saw me approaching and gently put a hand on my shoulder as I passed him.
"Emma, what was that about?" he asked me quietly, keeping his hazel eyes on mine.
I slowly raised my eyes to his. I was a bit affronted with him.
"Junior was the only one I let near me when you were shot in the chest or have you forgotten? Oh yeah, and when you died, he was the only comfort I had. I just didn't appreciate you taking advantage of him like that even if it was a joke," I said coldly.
Realization dawned on Garcia's face. "Oh I'm sorry Ems. I would've told them to stop had I known,"
I just shrugged the shoulder that his hand was resting on and slipped into the briefing room.
"Ok. Tonight's assignments," Dangle said looking up as I entered the room. Everyone quieted down and cleared their throats. I took my spot, standing beside Junior in front of the mail slots. I folded my arms over my chest lightly and waited for Dangle to continue. Garcia took his usual seat.
"Junior, you're being paired with Emma," Dangle said.
I tuned out after that. I watched Junior. What if his memory never comes back? I wondered biting my bottom lip. Junior was special to me. We had a connection like no one else. Besides Garcia that is.
Dangle dismissed everyone. Junior and I headed out to the patrol car. I slipped into the driver's seat with Junior next to me. We had gotten a call about a bad burning building. We arrived and watched the flames shooting from each window. It was even running the roof.
"What's the situation?" I asked the fire chief.
"There's a little child trapped on the first floor," He relayed to me over the roar of the fire hoses and the noise from the fire. My heart squeezed painfully. Without thinking, I rushed into the burning building.
JUNIOR
I watched the pretty woman rush into the burning building. I heard shouts around me protesting. Suddenly, the world seemed to go silent. I couldn't hear anyone or anything. Then, all at once, the roar was almost deafening. Then, the sound returned to normal. I blinked a few times and realized Emma rushed into the building. She hadn't come out yet.
"Oh shit! EMMA!" I shouted.
Ignoring the fire chief, I too rushed into the burning building. The smoke was thick and the temperature was extremely hot. I began sweating profusely. I raised the top of my wrist to my nose and tried not to breathe in all the smoke. I heard a little girl crying in the corner. I carefully made my way over. It was the little girl. Emma's arms were around her protectively, but she was lying on her side, pinned by one of the beams, and was not moving. I scooped up the little girl whose hysterical sobbing turned to hiccups. I lifted the beam off Emma's side and lifted her limp body up onto its feet and scooped up the little girl in my other arm.
We trudged out of the building. I handed the little girl to the chief and laid Emma down on the grass. Her face was soot smudged. Her eyes were closed and she wasn't breathing. I hovered above her and began doing CPR and mouth to mouth. After a few moments, she coughed and opened her eyes. Relief spread through me. I gently remained hovering above her.
"You had me scared there, Emma," I said softly.
"Will you remember me?" she asked sounding funny.
"Of course," I said.
Emma smiled at me. She raised a hand to the side of my face. I covered her hand with my own. Her eyes began getting duller. Sheer panic spread through me.
"Emma? Emma?" I demanded anxiously. I looked her over. She had no external wounds, but then, there could be some internal damage…her baby…SHIT!
"Emma! Emma stay with me!" I shouted at her. Her hand fell away from my face and dropped to her side lifelessly. Her head lolled to the side. Her eyes remained open, staring blankly a head. The only thing that moved was her hair.
"EMMA!" I wailed as I burst into tears. I gently picked her up, cradling her against me. Her arms fell back lifelessly. Her hair hung down over my arm. I cradled her against my chest. I sobbed into her hair.
I immediately got on the radio and called for everyone. I wouldn't let her go.
GARCIA.
I heard Junior's frantic and desperate voice over the radio. Me and Weigel headed over to the scene. When we arrived, we saw Junior on the ground, cradling Emma against him. My heart went about 200 miles an hour in my chest. I didn't like the look of things. I shoved open my door and ran up to Junior.
"Junior what the hell happened?" I demanded anxiously, kneeling down beside him.
"Emma's dead," Junior sobbed. "She ran into the house cause there was a little girl trapped. She didn't come out so I ran in. She was pinned beneath a beam."
He clutched Emma tightly. What he was saying finally sank into my brain.
"Oh My God," I breathed feeling the tears forming rapidly. I began hyperventilating.
I burst into hysterical tears. Weigel was even sobbing as she remained standing. The rest of the gang showed up. Dangle, Jonesy, Declan, Rizzo, and Williams. They stood stunned. Weigel was still sobbing. Then the trickle of sobs came. After a moment, the hysterical realization filtered in.
Dangle came over and collapsed onto his knees beside Junior, sobbing. I reached for Emma, but he would not release her. Williams was being comforted by Jonesy. He had tears running down his cheeks also.
"Junior give Emma to Garcia," Dangle said in a cracked voice.
Junior refused. Dangle firmly pried Junior's arms off of Emma. I gently cuddled Emma against me. Junior thrashed violently and eventually got to his feet, and began pacing back and forth like a caged animal. I pressed my face into her chest and sobbed even harder. It felt as though my whole universe came crashing down.
Back at the sheriff's department, we all sat in the briefing room. It was silent. So silent you could hear a pin drop. Williams had her head buried in her arms. She was still sobbing. Weigel had her chin resting on top of her arms which were crossed on top of the table. Her eyes were red and blotchy. Dangle was leaning against the podium. His left cheek was pressing on his hand and he seemed to be toying with a pen. No one spoke.
It was Weigel who finally spoke after a deafening silence.
"Did Emma say anything before…?" her voice trailed off thickly.
It took several minutes before someone responded.