Chapter 37

Anything, Anytime, Anywhere

. . .

The sound of the ambulance sirens had been numb to him for a while when Charlie first agreed to be approached by anyone. Even though he hadn't made a sound since the medics took charge over the chaotic regime, his throat was still sore from yelling so much earlier. But now, he was completely silent.

In fact, everything around him seemed so oddly distant, as if he found himself in a fuzzy nightmare that wouldn't seem to end. The howling and blinking sirens, the nights icing winds – even the people appeared to him as absent silhouettes not worthy of his further attention. The doctors had referred to Charlie's mental absence as a follower of the massive shock he had experienced just before. A natural reaction.

Charlie had huffed to himself in disagreement at that statement. How could anyone possible react natural to something so unnatural and unrealistic as the brutal murder of one's own father? There was no such thing as a natural reaction.

As he sat there beside the ambulance bed with his father's lifeless body carefully covered in a nice, white sheet, he dogged his fingernails deeply into his own upper arm in order to at least feel himself. Despite the pain that still pulsated through his bad leg, he kept restlessly moving it while tapping his metallic fingers on his knee, in a pointless try on keeping himself distracted from his gloomy thoughts. It didn't work that well.

"Excuse me. S-Sir?"

Charlie flinched as he felt his heart skip a beat when an uncertain voice suddenly forced him to focus on his disordered surroundings. Pausing his restless leg, the tumultuous Officer directed his gaze towards the voice, only to have his red-eyed gaze meet with the insecure one of Officer Rusell.

"Oh. Officer Rusell. Sorry I didn't see you there," Charlie said with as controlled a voice he could manage, immediately wiping his stinging eyes to act as collected as he could.

Officer Rusell, however, didn't seem less concerned by that action. In fact, he seemed directly pitiful. "Sir. With all respect. You just lost your father. Nobody will think less of you for grieving," he said with a depressed and compassionated expression, sounding so mature and succinct all of a sudden.

Staring back at the Officer in somewhat disbelief, Charlie didn't know how to respond to his statement. Of course he knew nobody would think less of him at this moment of distress, yet it was as if something in him didn't allow himself to truly grief just yet. Everything had happened so fast. Maybe his subconscious mind hadn't even realized what was actually going on. Either that, or he had run out of tears.

Feeling the restlessness creep up on him once again, Charlie turned his head away, locking his gaze on his hands while he rubbed the one of flesh with his metallic one. "I know… I just don't understand it," he said lowly, hating himself for sounding so fragile as he did.

Taking place on the bench, beside him, Officer Rusell took a deep breath while he took in the sight of the Commissioner's corpse before them. If he hadn't already known, nothing gave away that the person beneath the sheet was the respected and steadfast Bill Clarkson. But he knew. Everyone who had witnessed the night's terror knew and his loss already brought discomfort and tension to spread through the group, the ignorance or maybe even knowledge of what would happen next, coursing people to worry beyond the necessarily.

Although the loss of Commissioner Clarkson meant a colossal loss of a great and valued friend and partner, it also meant a direct loss of a Commissioner – a leader and a supporter of the entire police force, not only on Montressor, but throughout the entire Cooperating Galactic Empire. And as if that wasn't enough he was born to be a boss – born to direct and lead others even under pressure.

Charlie was not that kind of person, but it was that kind of person people now expected him to be. It was a huge pair of shoes to fill and from the view of where he was now, it seemed almost impossible. How should a half man – half a body and half a soul – fill out the task of a whole man?

"I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to know him properly. I had the impression he was a great Officer," Officer Rusell broke the silence with a soft voice, sitting with his hands folded in his lap while watching the medics walk back and forth between the injured Officers, slowly gaining more control of the situation.

Charlie couldn't help but smile a little, feeling the tears scratch in his sore throat. "Oh he was so much more than that Officer Rusell~," he said softly, the smile staying on his face as he thought about the man he admired the most. "He was one of those people you won't find anywhere else in the galaxy. He was succinct. Loyal. Brave. And above all, he knew how to stay calm even through the darkest times," he said while he continuously let his thump rub across the palm of his metallic hand. "He was one of the kind, Officer, that's for sure. These words are nowhere near sufficient to describe his greatness," he continued, the smile slowly fading as the tears bottled up in his eyes.

"You should have seen him out there tonight, doubtlessly giving his life for me without hesitating a second," Charlie said and strongly closed his hand over the metallic one, clenching it till he felt the acid in his arm. Although it was a frantic try on keeping himself at ease, he couldn't provide the tears from falling down his cheeks any longer. Once again he felt the warmth in his eyes and the gradually familiar touch of prickling tears trailing alongside his chin. "And I didn't even thank him," he managed to get out in self-contempt and regret before he shut his eyes and clenched his teeth, hating himself for breaking down all over again.

Officer Rusell, however, didn't seem to mind. With a pity- and sorrowful look on his face, the chubby Officer laid a hand on his Sergeant's shoulder, giving it a compassionated squeeze. "Don't blame yourself for this Sir. There was nothing you could do to change what happened," he said sincerely, suddenly sounding so much more mature and sympathetic. It suited him well.

Taking in a deep breath, Charlie managed to collect himself again, though the frown on his face easily gave away the humongous pressure he felt laid upon him, from having to live up to his father's standards. "It's on my shoulders, Officer. Everything is on my shoulders," he muttered and wiped away the falling tears with the back of his hand.

"I know. It's a rough change for all of us," Officer Rusell said, trying to gain eye contact with his commanding Officer. "But know that your team will stand behind you, no matter what you decide to do," he assured with a small encouraging smile. "You've done everything you could Sir,"

"No," Charlie shook his head while resting his elbows on his knees. "Not everything…"

. . .

Charlie could only release a heavy breath of relief at the sight of his teammates, when he had finally gathered enough control of himself to approach them. With Officer Rusell by his side, the fife other members of his team had taken place nearby one of the ambulances as they had been told to. Luckily they weren't among the worst injured, but two of the guys were among the ones in the group of beaten officers, and had therefore been assigned to stay sitting on the edge of the open ambulance, with each their blanket, under temporary supervision.

The fife teammates were keeping each other company with each their own shocked and depressed expression, but when they realized their commanding Officer, they immediately lifted their heads and directed their gazes towards him in surprise.

"Sergeant?"

"Charlie!" Officer Bennett immediately exclaimed and came to embrace him, wrapping her arms around his neck to force him down to her level.

At first Charlie stiffened, but he quickly softened and hugged her back, feeling the tears poke in his eyes once again, although this time he held them back.

"I am so sorry about your father. He left us way too soon," Officer Bennett said compassionated and rubbed Charlie's back, managing to blink away the tears just like Charlie.

"Thank you Akira," Charlie said and gave her one last strong squeeze before he held her out in stretched arms, smiling grateful down at her. "You don't know how much I appreciate your care~," he said before lifting his gaze to take in the sight of all his team members giving their condolence. "…Nor how much I appreciate that everyone of you made it through tonight with such minimal injures," he said with a relieved smile, though the depression never left his voice entirely.

"We wish we could say the same about you, Sir. But I suppose your injures goes beyond the minimal," an Officer with the name Harrison engraved in his police batch said, pulling the blanket back over his shoulders when one of the medics walked by the ambulance.

Rubbing his neck, a little, Charlie could only sigh in exhaustion. "Unfortunately I believe you're right Harrison – I could feel a whole lot better than this," He agreed and took place on a large first aid box, stretching his injured leg with a troubled groan. Although his swollen leg were plagued by a pulsating pain, he found his mental state a whole lot worse than all his injures combined. And not even the strongest painkiller would be able to relieve the aching.

"The loss of Commissioner Clarkson has… Shaken all of us…" A broad-shouldered man named Jabaal said, his announcement followed by a hum of agreement from his teammates. "But you shall know that we support you through this Sergeant," he added and laid a strong hand on Charlie's shoulder as assurance.

"And if there is anything we can do for you, we will - no matter what it is," Akira promised, once again followed by agreement from the rest of the group.

Charlie could only smile thankfully back at them while he rubbed the palm of his metallic hand. "You guys are more than I deserve, you know that right?~," he said with a small chuckle, rubbing his soft smile off on the rest of the group.

"Nah, don't think about it~," a guy named Tariq shrugged, making the blanket fall down from his shoulders. "You're what keeps this team together anyways. We owe you this,"

"We all agreed upon it already – You can't refuse~," another guy named Gael agreed with an encouraging smirk.

"Consider it a favor from all of us," Jamaal added.

"Whatever you might need~," Akira said.

"Anything, anytime anywhere," Harrison assured.

"Sincerely," Officer Rusell said with a smile and laid his hand on Charlie's shoulder to assure him everything he heard was the poor truth.

Charlie was speechless as he took in the sight of all his teammates. Each and every one of them just as shocked, exhausted and scared as himself that uncertain night, and still – still they agreed upon – without a doubt – to stand up for their commanding officer with such although honest a promise. It made his heart skip a beat in joy.

"Are you kidding? You really mean it?" Charlie heard himself asked, although he didn't question their statement the slightest at this point.

"Clarkson~ Granted we are your partners in enforcement, but after everything this night has brought - would we trick you?~," Tariq questioned with a small smirk that wiped off in Charlie instantly.

The cyborg's metallic eye glowed bright yellow in the gloomy night as he gained eye contact with each and every member of his team. "Well I hope everyone is settled with that thought," he said before he stood up a little troubled, but with a straight back and his fists determinately resting on his hips. "For we're about to pay an old friend of mine a little 'visit'~…,"

. . .