Dinner

"Morning." Punk arrived at work the next day, walking into the hospital ward as he greeted Lily at the nurses station.

"Morning." Lily smiled, "Beautiful day outside." She noted as Punk nodded.

"It is. Blue skies." Punk nodded, "Are the girls outside?" He asked her as Lily nodded.

"Yeah. All of them." Lily nodded, "The nurses are with them but you're free to go outside. I just need to pop this through to Mister Lynch." She said.

"Wait, Lily." Punk said as she turned around, "Look, I don't wanna stir things up in here or… get you into trouble but… I don't think Mister Lynch is medicating the girls with the right stuff. And I… I don't think he's given them the proper treatment and attention that they need." He said. He had to tell at least one member of staff how he felt, and he trusted Lily very much.

"Oh, that's… that's not my place." Lily said nervously.

"I know it isn't and I'm sorry for bringing it up. I know it puts you in a difficult position but… April seems to think she's on the wrong medication. Apparently he's did it before. And he asks her the same things at every appointment." Punk said, "I mean that's cause for concern, right?"

"I… I don't know what Mister Lynch says to them and I'm… I'm not in a position to question him." Lily made clear, "I just focus on my work." She nodded.

"Yeah and I don't think he does. I don't think he focuses on his." Punk said.

"He's worked here for many, many years." Lily said, "I can assure you that he's focused." Lily said.

"So focused that he's released girls who have later committed suicide outside this place?" He asked, "And I did some research last night. There's been a ton of suicides in his place. Way more than any other mental hospital in the state." Punk said as Lily looked down, "And he has patients in here who have been here for years and years. That's not right." He shook his head.

"I don't know what you want me to say?" Lily looked up at him, "Believe me, Mister Brooks, I know about the girls we've lost in this ward. I've found them myself." She reminded him as Punk looked across at her, "Now it is my job to look after them. I'll focus on that." She said, walking away from him as Punk sighed to himself.

He understood it was a strange position to be put in. It wasn't like they could really do anything. He just wanted to get it off his chest with another staff member, to see if they agreed. Clearly Lily did, but she was just too afraid to talk about it, and he understood that.

Punk looked up and down the ward, realising it was empty, looking over to the bedroom door which he knew was AJ's. He didn't want to go looking in her room. It was completely disrespectful and an invasion of privacy on every level but whilst the ward was empty, he couldn't miss his opportunity.

He walked over, opening the bedroom door and walking in. The rooms were all the same. Simple single bed, closet space, a little bedside cabinet and wireless night light beside.

He closed the door over behind him, looking at the room from afar and realising she really didn't have much things. She had a few sweatshirts hanging up. Some books sitting on her bedside table. There wasn't much else. He realised he probably had to dig a little deeper, and he really didn't want to do that.

He walked over to the bedside table, opening up the top drawer and looking around in it, going down on his knees and looking under the bed. He then checked under her pillows and her mattress. Nothing.

"You looking for my panties?" AJ leaned against the door ledge with her arms folded, watching him creeping around her room with a smile on her face.

Punk jumped immediately, turning around with guilt as he looked at her smiling.

"Uh… no, no I was doing a room check." Punk shook his head as AJ smiled.

"Room checks are on Tuesdays and Fridays." AJ shook her head with confusion.

"Lily asked me to do a quick one whilst you guys were outside." Punk nodded, "A random one." He said as AJ nodded slowly.

"Right." AJ said suspiciously, "Well… no razors or ropes in here, buddy. You're all good." AJ nodded, patting him on the shoulder as she walked past him to collect one of her books.

"You don't have much stuff." Punk said as AJ turned to him, "A lot of the girls have pictures and posters hanging up." He said as AJ shrugged.

"I don't need that stuff." AJ said simply, "Were you hoping to find something in particular?" She asked curiously.

"No… no, just making sure everything is safe." He nodded with a small smile.

"Well are you done?" She asked him.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm done." He nodded, walking out of the room as she followed, shutting the door behind her.

"You wanted to see me?" Punk shook his head, walking into Clark's office later that night after getting a phone call from him to come to the station to see him.

"Yeah. Yeah, sit down." Clark nodded as Punk sat down on the chair in front of the desk, "So… you've lasted a whole month." He said as Punk nodded.

"Mhm." Punk said, "Would you believe me if I said it's not as bad as I thought it would be?" Punk admitted.

"Yeah, I would. I knew this would be good for you. You don't trust me enough." Clark nodded, "This isn't why I wanted to see you, though."

"Why did you want to see me?" Punk asked.

"Well the mayor is having a dinner party at his house tomorrow night. I was supposed to be going with my wife but she's… she's very under the weather right now." Clark said, "And Mayor Swinson took a good liking to you." He said.

"Please don't invite me." Punk mumbled.

"I'm inviting you. To be my date." Clark nodded as Punk looked across at him.

"There's no one else you'd rather take?" Punk asked.

"Well he's very proud of the Hennig case we put to bed, and he has massive respect for you. I think he'd be pleased to see you there." Clark said.

"What's it even for?" Punk questioned.

"To outline a six month briefing on funding for the police, the fire department, the council, housing and so on." Clark waved his hand.

"Sounds really boring." Punk nodded.

"Look, we're fortunate here. We're getting a lot of money put into this place to expand on it. That means cases are finished quicker which means we can solve more as a whole. More cops on the force too means less pressure." Clark said.

"You know where the funding should go? Mental hospitals." Punk nodded to him, "We're fine here. We manage." He said, "Those hospitals are falling apart."

"Well, unfortunately that's neither mine or yours' problem." Clark said as Punk looked across at him unhappily.

"Yeah, it's nobody's problem, right?" Punk said angrily.

"I'd appreciate it if you came." Clark nodded, "You're a town hero, remember-"

"Please, don't say that." Punk closed his eyes and groaned as Clark chuckled, knowing he hated it.

"Just get a nice suit and I'll pick you up at 7pm tomorrow night. Don't stand me up." Clark warned.

"You owe me huge." Punk made clear as Clark chuckled.

"Alright get out of my office." Clark said as Punk stood up and left the office.

The next day, Punk spent his day trying to find a suit to wear in town. He didn't own a decent one and figured he had to look his best in front of important people of the city. Dean cracked on with the case, planning to visit the pizza place and kindergarten where Teresa worked previously, whilst Punk unfortunately had to sit through the pain of a dinner party with extremely boring people drinking wine whilst using six different sets of cutlery, which was just plain ridiculous to him. But he persevered the best he could, listening to the mind numbing dribble coming from everyone.

"Phil, what's your opinion on the new housing scheme I'm proposing?" Billy asked, sat at the top of the table as Punk looked up.

"Uh… yeah, I think it's… it's great." Punk nodded, "If it gets more people off the street I'm all ears." He said.

"Amen." Billy nodded, "And what would you do with the funding for the precinct? I know me and my good friend Clark have agreed on where the money will go to but… let's play pretend for a second." He smiled as Punk looked over.

"Honestly, sir, I really don't think the precinct needs a whole lot of money." Punk said as Clark turned to Punk, kicking his foot under the table as Punk kicked him back aggressively.

"Oh, really?" The mayor raised his eyebrows, sitting back a little, "Why's that?"

"Well I think there's other sectors in the city that need it more. The hospitals. The mental hospitals. Rehabilitation schemes. And don't get me started on the pension." Punk said as Clark groaned to himself.

"I'm gonna kill you." Clark mumbled to Punk.

"Mhm." Billy nodded slowly, "Well we are… doing our best of course." He said as members of the council nodded in agreement.

"And I appreciate that." Punk assured politely, "I don't think there will ever be a perfect Chicago." He nodded, "But… we can always try." He said.

"We can." Billy nodded, looking over at Punk closely for almost a little too long.

"Excuse me, where is the bathroom?" Punk stood up from the table.

"Kasandra will show you in the entrance hall." Billy said as Punk nodded, leaving the table in the large dining hall, walking out into the large entrance room where a butler or servant was standing.

"I'm looking for the bathroom." Punk nodded to her.

"Up these stairs and on your left." Kasandra said as Punk nodded.

"Thank you." He smiled, heading up the stairs, pulling his tie out from his neck a little so he could get some air. This wasn't his scene at all. He was a cop for the punches in the face and the dangerous situations. Not the praise and fancy dinner parties.

He walked up the very long staircase, finally reaching the top and heading into the bathroom.

He took a leak, washed his hands and stood for a few minutes to waste some time that he didn't want to spend down at the dinner table.

He did a few laps up and down of the bathroom before walking back out, heading down the stairs as he began looking at the different pictures plastered along the staircase wall. Most were of the mayor and his wife. His children. His colleagues and workmates. He looked at them all closely until one made him stop in his tracks.

He looked closely and shook his head with confusion. There was no way.

"Oh my God." Punk shook his head frantically, feeling his pockets for his phone as he took it out and called Dean right away.

"Dean." Punk said immediately once Dean answered, "Dean, you'll never believe what I just found. Ok, I'm walking downstairs after taking a leak in the Mayor's house and I see a picture on the wall. There's tons but I see this one and… it's like a picture of him, his family and all the house workers, yeah? Guess who is in it?" Punk said, looking closely.

"Who?" Dean asked impatiently.

"Teresa." Punk said.

"What?!" Dean exclaimed down the phone.

"Dude, she's in like a… a maid's uniform, I think. Or maybe it's just a dress." He looked close, "I don't know, but it's her. She was working here?"

"Does the picture have a date on it? Check." Dean said eagerly.

"No… no, but his kids are in the picture and they're young in it. His kids are old now so it's gotta be from years ago." Punk nodded.

"Take a picture of it and come to my place tonight when you get back." Dean said.

"Ok. Ok. I will." Punk nodded, hanging up on the call, taking a picture of the photograph before putting his phone back in his pocket and walking down the rest of the stairs.