Chapter Fifty-One
Claire jumped as Maya pulled back her shower curtain, relaxing when she realized it was only her daughter. "What's the matter, Maya?"
"Uncle Ryan called… he wants to tell you something about Daddy." She helped her mother with her towel, watching as her unborn brother moved inside of her tummy.
Claire picked up the phone in the bedroom, taking a seat at John's desk as she and Ryan spoke about the donated half of a liver. "You're sure he's a match?"
"If they were any closer, they would be like John's absorbed twin." Ryan smiled, already seeing if he could move his schedule around to get John and his donor in as soon as he could. "Have him give me a call when he gets off."
John turned the radio up in the squad car, smirking as an old AC/DC song came on. "I haven't heard this in years." He closed his eyes as the music played, the tune starting to hum in his throat. "Well it's a dog eat dog Eat cat too The French eat frog And I eat you Businessman, when you make a deal Do you know who you can trust? Do you sign your life away? Do you write your name in dust? Hey, hey, hey Every dog has his day It's a dog eat dog, Dog eat dog "Dog eat dog" Read the news Someone win Someone lose Up's above and down's below And limbo's in between Up you win, down you lose It's anybodys' game Hey, hey, hey Every dog has his day It's a dog eat dog Dog eat dog and it's a eye for eye Tooth for tooth It's a lie That's the truth see a blind man on the street Looking for something free Hear the kind man ask his friends "Hey, what's in it for me?" Hey, hey, hey Every dog has his day It's a dog eat dog, Dog eat dog…" His voice resonated through the car, rougher than it had been, but still strong.
Bobby smiled as he listened to his friend, a feeling of nostalgia coming over him as he remembered listening to John's albums as a teen. He didn't dare speak of John's voice, knowing that if he did, his friend would stop. "I think we've got a 212 up ahead." He sighed, noticing John's distain as he caught a whiff of marijuana through the open window.
"Shit." He stepped out of the car as Bobby pulled to a stop, curling his lip as he stepped over to the teens in the alley. "Hey." He spoke softly, knowing better than to startle them too badly.
"Fuck off, Barney." One snapped, his attitude labeling him as the leader. "We're not hurting anyone."
John took the joint from the kid, grinding it out on the sole of his boot with expert fingers. "Not anyone else, but it's still hurting someone." He pulled his cuffs out of his belt and clipped them on the kid's wrists. "Believe me. Rehab isn't fun." He jumped slightly as a burning slice was delivered to his leg, causing him to fall to his knees as blood gushed from the wound. "Bobby! 417K!" John pressed a hand to the wound, attempting to stop the blood as he reached for his radio at his hip.
One of the teens shoved him into the alley's wall, causing him to hit his head on the bricks with a loud crack before his world went black.
Bobby rushed to his partner's side, frantically calling for backup as he tied a tourniquet around his thigh and pressed a gauze pad to the bloodied hair matting the back of his head. "Officer Bender-Standish is down wounded! Back up is required!" He called, his heart pounding when John didn't respond to any of his attempts to get him conscious again.
