A couple of hours later, Jr. woke up, wondering what the heck happened and
why he was in the hospital. Could it be that he's been in here for a while?
Could it be that what happened with his father was a dream? But how did he
get in the hospital? He didn't remember any shootings or car accidents or
anything that could have put him in there. He didn't ache anywhere, except
for a slight headache. And it was getting worse as he tried to figure out
the answers he didn't have.
"Finally, I'd thought you'd never wake up," Andy said, walking into his room.
Jr. looked dazed for a moment, as well as confused. "What happened?"
"Well, I'm not sure exactly. We were at a crime scene, and you went over to check out the DOA, but suddenly passed out. I'm guessing it had something to do with your dad."
Jr. stayed silent for a moment. "So what happened with my dad wasn't a dream?"
Andy shook his head slightly. "No. I'm sorry, John."
Jr. sat there silently looking far off into space, wishing more than anything that Andy was lying, but he knew his partner and knew that he would never do that to him. "Oh. Yeah, well, I guess I should have realized.."
"John, look, I found a therapist here that's really good at consoling patients who have lost loved ones. I think maybe you should talk to her."
Jr. still stared straight ahead and shook his head. "No. I don't need a shrink."
"John-"
"Andy, I DON'T need a shrink. And I won't talk to one, allright?"
Andy nodded. "Allright, I understand. Whenever I lost someone, I didn't really feel like talking to a shrink either. But then it tore me up inside and I ended up not being the person I wanted to be. And I don't want that happening to you. What I'm trying to say is, if you don't want to talk to a shrink, then at least talk to someone you trust. Don't hold your feelings in. It'll eat you up inside. And that's not healthy for anyone."
"You've been talking to Rita I see," he replied, looking down at his hands.
"No, actually I haven't. Why?"
"She basically said the same thing. But she also said she didn't want to be with a fake me. That she wanted to be with the real me. The question is, I'm not sure I even know who that is anymore."
"Fine, I'll tell you. You are John Clark Jr. A great friend, a great son-"
"You mean, former son?"
"No, I mean you're a great son. Just because both of your parents are gone doesn't mean that you're still not a son."
"Yeah, sure."
Andy sighed. "Look, why don't I come back later? You look like you could use some rest."
"Yeah."
Andy sighed, and padded him on the arm. "I'm here for you if you need me. I don't care what time or what day it is, got it?"
Jr. silently nodded, and Andy walked away and watched as his lost partner and friend went to sleep. **
A few weeks later, John was working at his desk, getting a headache from all the paperwork. He had been scheduled to remain in the precinct for little while until they thought he would be okay enough to go out on a case.
"Anything's better than this," he said to himself.
"I don't blame you," Baldwin replied. "Paperwork isn't the best."
"Yeah, you don't have to tell me twice."
"Hey, how about a little break? We can go get some lunch."
Jr. sighed. "Yeah, sure. Lead the way." **
They then made their way to a little deli on 1st avenue and sat down. Jr. stared at the menu, not really hungry, while Baldwin made up his mind right away. The waitress took their order, and they sat there patiently, neither one of them not sure what to say to the other.
"So, uh, how've you been?" Baldwin asked, breaking the silence.
"Uh, okay. Not great but-"
"Shut up and give me your money, lady!!"
Baldwin and Jr. looked over at the cash register and saw a man in a ski mask with a gun, waving it around in front of the woman, along with another guy, telling everyone else to get down. Baldwin and Jr. both crouched down behind their chairs, guns in place ready for anything that might happen.
"Fifteenth squad to central k," Jr. whispered.
"Go head fifteenth squad."
"We have two armed intruders in the 1st avenue deli. We're requesting backup and a bus."
"Ten four. Backup and bus on the way."
"Come on lady, hurry up!!" the guy yelled, as he waved his gun around.
"Allright, allright!" the woman screamed, barely able to focus on what she was doing.
"Hey, sit down!! Everybody down!!" the other guy yelled.
The other woman finished giving the money handing the bag to the woman, but didn't move. He smugly grinned, followed by a laugh, as he clicked the gun and pointed it at the woman. "Thanks, sweetie. I'll see you in hell."
The woman began crying hysterically. "NO!!"
Baldwin and Jr. suddenly got up, pointing their gun at them.
"Freeze, NYPD!!" Baldwin shouted.
"Drop your guns, NOW!!" Jr. screamed.
However both men didn't move, but instead stood there smugly. "Aw come on detectives," the man at the counter stated. "We can all be friendly here, can't we?"
"Yeah. If you drop the guns. Otherwise you're gonna get blown away," Jr. replied.
"Oh, I'm so scared. You're going to shoot me with your little pistols, while I have a bigger more powerful gun in my hand that can rip you guys to shreds with one shot? You guys are hilarious."
"I don't see anyone laughing here," Baldwin stated. "Just set the guns on the ground. If you do that now, maybe we can work out some kind of deal."
"A deal? Yeah, right. I've been in the system before. Your so called deals are crap!"
"Well, we're sorry to hear that. But why do something to jeopardize yourself when obviously you just got out?" Jr. asked.
"Because I needed the money. And an ex convict doesn't have a whole lot of luck finding a job. I have a family I need to provide for!"
"Okay, well would you want your family to know that this is how you got it?"
"Shut up! They're not gonna know!!"
"Look, why don't we-"
"Shut up!! Just shut up!!"
He then turned shot his gun, accidentally hitting his partner that was with him, sending him to the ground. He then turned and aimed it at Baldwin and shot it. Jr. immediately pushed him out of the way and both of them landed on the ground with a crash.
"You son of a bitch!!"
He then turned to shoot at Jr. but was suddenly stopped by Andy and Rodriguez running in.
"Drop it! NOW!!" Andy shouted.
The guy sighed, and reluctantly threw it on the ground, Rodriguez attacking him and cuffing him.
Andy ran over to Baldwin and Jr. concerned when he saw both of them lying on the ground.
"You guys okay?"
Baldwin sat up and nodded. "Yeah, I think so. But where's this blood com- oh my god. John?"
Andy and Baldwin then watched in horror as blood expanded out from am unconscious Jr.'s side.
TBC...
"Finally, I'd thought you'd never wake up," Andy said, walking into his room.
Jr. looked dazed for a moment, as well as confused. "What happened?"
"Well, I'm not sure exactly. We were at a crime scene, and you went over to check out the DOA, but suddenly passed out. I'm guessing it had something to do with your dad."
Jr. stayed silent for a moment. "So what happened with my dad wasn't a dream?"
Andy shook his head slightly. "No. I'm sorry, John."
Jr. sat there silently looking far off into space, wishing more than anything that Andy was lying, but he knew his partner and knew that he would never do that to him. "Oh. Yeah, well, I guess I should have realized.."
"John, look, I found a therapist here that's really good at consoling patients who have lost loved ones. I think maybe you should talk to her."
Jr. still stared straight ahead and shook his head. "No. I don't need a shrink."
"John-"
"Andy, I DON'T need a shrink. And I won't talk to one, allright?"
Andy nodded. "Allright, I understand. Whenever I lost someone, I didn't really feel like talking to a shrink either. But then it tore me up inside and I ended up not being the person I wanted to be. And I don't want that happening to you. What I'm trying to say is, if you don't want to talk to a shrink, then at least talk to someone you trust. Don't hold your feelings in. It'll eat you up inside. And that's not healthy for anyone."
"You've been talking to Rita I see," he replied, looking down at his hands.
"No, actually I haven't. Why?"
"She basically said the same thing. But she also said she didn't want to be with a fake me. That she wanted to be with the real me. The question is, I'm not sure I even know who that is anymore."
"Fine, I'll tell you. You are John Clark Jr. A great friend, a great son-"
"You mean, former son?"
"No, I mean you're a great son. Just because both of your parents are gone doesn't mean that you're still not a son."
"Yeah, sure."
Andy sighed. "Look, why don't I come back later? You look like you could use some rest."
"Yeah."
Andy sighed, and padded him on the arm. "I'm here for you if you need me. I don't care what time or what day it is, got it?"
Jr. silently nodded, and Andy walked away and watched as his lost partner and friend went to sleep. **
A few weeks later, John was working at his desk, getting a headache from all the paperwork. He had been scheduled to remain in the precinct for little while until they thought he would be okay enough to go out on a case.
"Anything's better than this," he said to himself.
"I don't blame you," Baldwin replied. "Paperwork isn't the best."
"Yeah, you don't have to tell me twice."
"Hey, how about a little break? We can go get some lunch."
Jr. sighed. "Yeah, sure. Lead the way." **
They then made their way to a little deli on 1st avenue and sat down. Jr. stared at the menu, not really hungry, while Baldwin made up his mind right away. The waitress took their order, and they sat there patiently, neither one of them not sure what to say to the other.
"So, uh, how've you been?" Baldwin asked, breaking the silence.
"Uh, okay. Not great but-"
"Shut up and give me your money, lady!!"
Baldwin and Jr. looked over at the cash register and saw a man in a ski mask with a gun, waving it around in front of the woman, along with another guy, telling everyone else to get down. Baldwin and Jr. both crouched down behind their chairs, guns in place ready for anything that might happen.
"Fifteenth squad to central k," Jr. whispered.
"Go head fifteenth squad."
"We have two armed intruders in the 1st avenue deli. We're requesting backup and a bus."
"Ten four. Backup and bus on the way."
"Come on lady, hurry up!!" the guy yelled, as he waved his gun around.
"Allright, allright!" the woman screamed, barely able to focus on what she was doing.
"Hey, sit down!! Everybody down!!" the other guy yelled.
The other woman finished giving the money handing the bag to the woman, but didn't move. He smugly grinned, followed by a laugh, as he clicked the gun and pointed it at the woman. "Thanks, sweetie. I'll see you in hell."
The woman began crying hysterically. "NO!!"
Baldwin and Jr. suddenly got up, pointing their gun at them.
"Freeze, NYPD!!" Baldwin shouted.
"Drop your guns, NOW!!" Jr. screamed.
However both men didn't move, but instead stood there smugly. "Aw come on detectives," the man at the counter stated. "We can all be friendly here, can't we?"
"Yeah. If you drop the guns. Otherwise you're gonna get blown away," Jr. replied.
"Oh, I'm so scared. You're going to shoot me with your little pistols, while I have a bigger more powerful gun in my hand that can rip you guys to shreds with one shot? You guys are hilarious."
"I don't see anyone laughing here," Baldwin stated. "Just set the guns on the ground. If you do that now, maybe we can work out some kind of deal."
"A deal? Yeah, right. I've been in the system before. Your so called deals are crap!"
"Well, we're sorry to hear that. But why do something to jeopardize yourself when obviously you just got out?" Jr. asked.
"Because I needed the money. And an ex convict doesn't have a whole lot of luck finding a job. I have a family I need to provide for!"
"Okay, well would you want your family to know that this is how you got it?"
"Shut up! They're not gonna know!!"
"Look, why don't we-"
"Shut up!! Just shut up!!"
He then turned shot his gun, accidentally hitting his partner that was with him, sending him to the ground. He then turned and aimed it at Baldwin and shot it. Jr. immediately pushed him out of the way and both of them landed on the ground with a crash.
"You son of a bitch!!"
He then turned to shoot at Jr. but was suddenly stopped by Andy and Rodriguez running in.
"Drop it! NOW!!" Andy shouted.
The guy sighed, and reluctantly threw it on the ground, Rodriguez attacking him and cuffing him.
Andy ran over to Baldwin and Jr. concerned when he saw both of them lying on the ground.
"You guys okay?"
Baldwin sat up and nodded. "Yeah, I think so. But where's this blood com- oh my god. John?"
Andy and Baldwin then watched in horror as blood expanded out from am unconscious Jr.'s side.
TBC...