Chapter 5
Author's notes: Learned the 10 codes from a retired NY police officer, as in retired 15 years ago. I don't know if they are still current codes, or if they have been changed. Apologies to NYPD if they have been. Also, thanks to LadyoftheBlade for giving me the wife's name. I was really bugging on that.
Lunch passed with only minimal grumbling from Danny about the garlic count in his bloodstream, and they headed downstairs to Sarah's bike. Danny's apartment was only a fifteen minute ride by bike, and he spent the whole time brooding behind his faceplate. By the time they had stashed the helmets and buckled themselves into the car, his mood was as black as his bruises.
It was not a comfortable silence. Sarah was not sure if she should let him continue to stress all the way over to his ex's apartment. Danny was going into a potentially explosive situation, and in his current mindset would only make things worse than they already were. She let the quiet fill the vehicle, uncertain how to proceed. Should she press him for his thoughts? Maybe it would be better to distract him from them? Well, they had said they were going to work on the 10 codes on the drive over, that would be neutral territory. Sarah rubbed her forehead, now she was starting to stress, dammnit. Better to plunge into the fray, she thought and said, "Danny, are you 10-8 yet?"
Danny turned his head to glare at her, irregardless of the fact that he was driving, and his eyes were filled with a smoldering anger.
Sarah knew Danny never pressed her when she gave him looks like that, but she was not as tolerant as he was. "Ok, still 10-7. Please advise dispatch when you intend to return to service, or you will be 10-81."
"Boy Lincoln Ocean William Mary Edward." Danny replied. "I am not out of service, and you certainly can't put me in the hospital, we're not on your bike."
"I most certainly do not need a motorcycle to lay you up in intensive care, and I will not blow you! Boy India Theodore Edward Mary Edward." Sarah replied; glad to see he was willing to be pulled out of his mood.
"Somehow I don't think we are going to miss anything on the alphabet part of the test." Danny grinned.
"Nope, not with it's varied uses. We'll probably abuse it to death before we even graduate." Sarah agreed.
"I guess we should focus on the 10 codes, however much more fun the alphabet may be. What is a 10-90?" Danny asked, his grin graduating to a smile.
"Oh, ha ha, patient not found. How about 10-83?" Sarah shot back.
"I am sensing a theme here, dead on arrival, body not removed." Danny replied. "Well, I can go with it, 10-13."
"Officer's life being threatened," Sarah narrowed her eyes at him and added, "10-85."
"Officer needs assistance; surely you aren't implying that I need assistance. You are the one in trouble, 10-40." Danny's voice was smug.
"Uhm, aircraft crash. Almost got me that time, 10-49." Sarah was pleased she had remembered that one.
"That would be an earthquake or a hurricane. Why doesn't that one have two separate codes? They are very different catastrophes, ah the vagaries of the rulebook. How about a 10-47."
"10-47?" Sarah was drawing a complete blank. She couldn't even begin to think what that was. "I yield, what is a 10-47?"
"Why Pez, I am surprised at you. That one should be easy. How could you forget the code for a nuclear substance spill?" Danny was gloating over his victory.
"Nobody likes a sore winner Danny. Speaking of nuclear meltdowns, how do you want to handle things when we get to her apartment?" Sarah felt that Danny had lightened up enough to broach the subject without biting her head off.
"I don't know." Danny sighed. "I didn't even want us to break up. She's been a wonderful girlfriend until lately. I don't know what's gotten into her. She never used to be moody. Now it seems like I am always saying the wrong thing to Jenny, and there is no reasoning with her. We used to have fun, even if it was just hanging out at the bar. You know, the kind of person who is a friend as well as a lover. I don't understand, what changed everything? She won't talk to me, just tells me I should know what the problem is, and if I don't, she isn't going to tell me! Why do women do that? If I don't know what I've done to upset you, I am probably going to do it again. She's making me crazy!" Danny exploded, pounding his palm on the steering wheel for emphasis.
"Don't look at me, I always tell people when they are on my nerves." Sarah held her hands out in a warding gesture.
"Yes, but you're still female. Surely you have some insight into her behavior." Danny was not about to let her off the hook.
"Not really, but let's take it from the beginning. When did she first begin exhibiting signs of the odd behavior?" Sarah asked.
"About a month ago," Danny said.
"What was the first incidence of the behavior?" Sarah looked at him closely.
His brow was furrowed in thought. "Jenny told me she didn't want to go to the bar, but she went anyway. She was quiet the whole time. It was right around that time of the month, and I figured she just didn't feel good. That was the last time we went out. Every time I bring up an evening of dinner and dancing in the Village, she 'doesn't feel like it'. Now she's on some weird health kick. The medicine cabinet is so full of vitamin supplements I can't even get my toothbrush out without dumping at least three bottles into the sink. I was beginning to wonder if it was because the academy was taking up such a large portion of my life. I just couldn't spend the same amount of time with Jenny that I used to, and I know I talked about what I was learning most of the time..."
"You think it was a plea for attention?" Sarah asked when he drifted off.
"Well, I did think that, but it has only gotten worse. Even with me devoting all non school time to her and trying to talk about other things, Jenny is still shutting me out. I had hoped that when I took her to the class picnic that she would open up. I had this secret wish that the two of you would hit it off and become good friends. That way we could all hang out together and she wouldn't feel so intimidated by what I was doing with my life. That little pipe dream lasted about five minutes." Danny made a negating gesture with his hand.
"Yeah, she hated me on sight." Sarah grimaced.
"Jenny didn't hate you, Sarah. She was jealous and, I think, afraid of you. The whole car ride home she grilled me about you and our relationship. Why hadn't I told her that Pez was a beautiful woman? Were we having sex? I told her that we weren't, and I was really hurt that she could think that I would do such a thing. After dating me for a year, you'd think Jenny would know me better." Danny growled, anger coloring his voice.
"People are not very trusting Danny, and everybody lies about something. I know you would never lie about this, but something has caused her to believe that you are. Or be afraid that you are. People will believe anything if they want it to be true, or if they are afraid that it is." Sarah gave him her version of the 'Danny Inscrutable Look No. 4'
Danny could see her out of his peripheral vision, and was not going to give Sarah the satisfaction of acknowledging her impersonation, even if the advice had actually felt like it had some truth in it. Then she stuck her tongue out and crossed her eyes. There was no way he was going to let that slide. "I saw that. Not very dignified, oh inscrutable one."
"Sorry. Giving obscure and useless advice is really your forte. Well, you and the Microsoft support hotline." Sarah chuckled.
"Thanks a lot. Now save the smart remarks until the car ride back to my place. We are about five minutes away from ground zero. I am going to try to be calm and rational. I can't go in there laughing or she really will try to kill me, so stop trying to lighten my mood." Danny allowed himself one last smile. He had a feeling that it was going to be the last one he would have for the day. He said a silent prayer of gratitude for the unflagging support of the woman sitting next to him. Then, after a moment's consideration, he added another prayer, 'please don't let Sarah kill Jenny' It would have taken a very discerning ear to tell which plea had been more fervent.
Author's notes: Ok guys, reviews please. Make me feel like someone is reading this! I really do like to hear from you, honest. It makes my day. Special thanks to Halftime1030, Divamercury, and rougegal, who always take the time to let me know what they think.