Testing Faith
By CeraMac24
CHAPTER THREE
OCTOBER 29TH, 2002
When you watch an officer go down, the very first thing you think is 'Thank God it wasn't me'. Milliseconds later, that feeling is replaced by one of guilt for even thinking about yourself when one of your own is lying on the street in a pool of his own blood. What makes it even worse is when you know that the bullet the officer took could have been meant for you.
Officer Tim Morris of 55-Steven died protecting me. I'll explain.
************************************************************
Mitchell and I had been partners for a little over a month and we were really starting to fall into sync with one another. Don't get me wrong, he was no Boscorelli, but it was pretty damn close.
Anyways, it was just another Tuesday when it happened.
Two guys had taken a convenience store owner and all the customers inside hostage. All they wanted was a little money, but the robbery went wrong and all too quickly things turned into a hostage situation.
Mitchell and I in 55-David were the first on the scene, followed by Sully and Davis in 55-Charlie and Morris and Lund in 55-Steven. One of the perps escaped through the back door and was now roaming the streets of the city. While the hostage unit dealt with what was going on inside the store, it was our job to find this jag-off that got away. We tracked him for blocks, zig-zagging through people's yards and up and over fences, until the six of us had him pretty well cornered.
He had jumped the boarded fence of a residential home and was now trapped in the backyard. There were two ways out. One was to go back the way he came, over the fence, but Sully and Davis guarded that. Lund and I had the other exit, a gate that, when opened, lead into the neighbor's yard. Mitchell and Morris had entered the house and were at the back door when it happened.
I entered first through the gate, gun drawn, looking for any sign of him. Morris and Mitchell had opened the screen door and stood on the stairs that led to the ground below. It was then that the perp appeared as if out of nowhere, his gun drawn, and aimed directly at me.
"Yokas!" Morris yelled, the second he saw the gun aimed at me.
The perp turned and fired four shots. Two landed without causing harm, but the other two hit Morris in a place that his vest did not protect him from. More shots were fired, and the next thing I knew, Lund had the perp in cuffs and I was standing over Morris' body watching Mitchell try to keep him alert until a bus arrived on the scene.
Sully and Davis had come through the gate that Lund and I had been guarding. I didn't even notice them standing there until I felt Sully's hand on my shoulder.
"What happened?"
I was speechless. I just kept staring at Morris. He was trying to fight it. I actually watched death creep up on him, slowly taking him away. It was the most horrible thing that I have ever witnessed.
He was dead before Doc and Carlos arrived on the scene.
I had never felt so sick to my stomach before. I ran out of the yard, around the gate, released all of the sickness, anger, sadness, and fear that I had in me. But, I didn't cry. Somehow, I couldn't bring myself to cry. I had stopped crying years ago, over guns shoved in my face. It was so common an occurrence it didn't even phase me anymore. But, it was not common to watch someone you've known for years die after, quite possibly, taking a bullet meant for you.
We arrived back at the precinct about an hour later. We had meetings with the detectives and Lieu to shed light on what happened. I'm afraid I wasn't much help. Everything was such a blur, even now I can't believe how fast it happened. I was just happy when the shift was finally over with. The only thing I needed right then and there was to hold my kids and tell them I love them.
I went into the locker room to grab my things. Opening the locker door, I noticed my locket that Fred had given me. I picked it up and opened it. Staring back at me were my perfect children. Suddenly I felt tears starting to rise. I quickly snapped the locket and threw it back into my locker. Slamming the door, I sat on the bench and put my head in my hands. I was so lost in my emotions that I didn't even hear Mitchell open the door and quietly let himself inside.
"Hey. You okay?" he asked.
I looked up. He had squatted down so that we were at eye-level. Our eyes met for a brief second before I looked away. "I thought so." I said.
He placed a hand on my upper arm. "Look, Faith, these things happen. He was doing his job. He knew the risks. Morris was a great cop."
I continued to avoid eye contact. I didn't want him to see how shaken up I was. I was the senior officer between Mitchell and I. I wasn't supposed to be vulnerable and show my weaknesses. On the street, the second you let yourself be vulnerable, you lose. You lose big. Look at what happened to Morris.
"Come on," Mitchell said. "Get your coat." He got off his knees and went over to his locker. Grabbing his coat, he turned around to see that I hadn't moved.
"Faith, please."
"Why?" I asked.
"I'm not going to let you mope around all night feeling sorry for yourself," he said, slipping into his coat.
"No, I don't think--"
"Faith, I'm just looking out for you. I don't think that you should be alone right now."
"Fred." I said. "I have Fred."
He seemed undeterred by this. "Yeah, well, Fred wasn't out there today was he? He doesn't know how you feel right now. But, I do. So, one drink, please. That's all I'm asking."
I argued with myself in my head. Part of me knew that I should go home to Fred, Emily, and Charlie. I should have listened to that voice better. "Why do you want me to go?" I found myself asking him.
"Maybe I don't want to be alone right now. You know, you're not the only one who is upset by what happened tonight. A great officer died in my arms tonight and, to top it off, I almost lost my partner! You don't think that bothers me?" he said, his voice rising.
I had no idea that he even gave the fact that it could have been me out there a second thought. He turned and slammed his locker shut. I jumped.
He kept his back to me and sighed. He bent his head, as if looking at his feet. "I would really appreciate your company for one drink. You don't even have to pretend to have a good time either."
I couldn't believe it, but I actually smiled.
************************************************************
I expected that once we got to the bar we would go through the usual "pity" steps. He'd say that it should have been him who took the bullet for me, since we were partners and everything. I would answer back that he was stupid for thinking such a thing. He'd come back with the fact that we're partners and partners are supposed to have each others back's, and then I would ask him what good he would be to me dead. He'd sort of smile a lazy half-grin, followed by a long silence as he contemplated this. Then, I would drain what was left of my beer, say goodnight, and drive home. Partners all over the world go through this together. It's probably happening at this moment, right now. Bosco and I had gone through it a few times. It's what I expected would happen.
What I did not expect was that, 30 minutes after we left the precinct, I would be ordering a second drink.
By CeraMac24
CHAPTER THREE
OCTOBER 29TH, 2002
When you watch an officer go down, the very first thing you think is 'Thank God it wasn't me'. Milliseconds later, that feeling is replaced by one of guilt for even thinking about yourself when one of your own is lying on the street in a pool of his own blood. What makes it even worse is when you know that the bullet the officer took could have been meant for you.
Officer Tim Morris of 55-Steven died protecting me. I'll explain.
************************************************************
Mitchell and I had been partners for a little over a month and we were really starting to fall into sync with one another. Don't get me wrong, he was no Boscorelli, but it was pretty damn close.
Anyways, it was just another Tuesday when it happened.
Two guys had taken a convenience store owner and all the customers inside hostage. All they wanted was a little money, but the robbery went wrong and all too quickly things turned into a hostage situation.
Mitchell and I in 55-David were the first on the scene, followed by Sully and Davis in 55-Charlie and Morris and Lund in 55-Steven. One of the perps escaped through the back door and was now roaming the streets of the city. While the hostage unit dealt with what was going on inside the store, it was our job to find this jag-off that got away. We tracked him for blocks, zig-zagging through people's yards and up and over fences, until the six of us had him pretty well cornered.
He had jumped the boarded fence of a residential home and was now trapped in the backyard. There were two ways out. One was to go back the way he came, over the fence, but Sully and Davis guarded that. Lund and I had the other exit, a gate that, when opened, lead into the neighbor's yard. Mitchell and Morris had entered the house and were at the back door when it happened.
I entered first through the gate, gun drawn, looking for any sign of him. Morris and Mitchell had opened the screen door and stood on the stairs that led to the ground below. It was then that the perp appeared as if out of nowhere, his gun drawn, and aimed directly at me.
"Yokas!" Morris yelled, the second he saw the gun aimed at me.
The perp turned and fired four shots. Two landed without causing harm, but the other two hit Morris in a place that his vest did not protect him from. More shots were fired, and the next thing I knew, Lund had the perp in cuffs and I was standing over Morris' body watching Mitchell try to keep him alert until a bus arrived on the scene.
Sully and Davis had come through the gate that Lund and I had been guarding. I didn't even notice them standing there until I felt Sully's hand on my shoulder.
"What happened?"
I was speechless. I just kept staring at Morris. He was trying to fight it. I actually watched death creep up on him, slowly taking him away. It was the most horrible thing that I have ever witnessed.
He was dead before Doc and Carlos arrived on the scene.
I had never felt so sick to my stomach before. I ran out of the yard, around the gate, released all of the sickness, anger, sadness, and fear that I had in me. But, I didn't cry. Somehow, I couldn't bring myself to cry. I had stopped crying years ago, over guns shoved in my face. It was so common an occurrence it didn't even phase me anymore. But, it was not common to watch someone you've known for years die after, quite possibly, taking a bullet meant for you.
We arrived back at the precinct about an hour later. We had meetings with the detectives and Lieu to shed light on what happened. I'm afraid I wasn't much help. Everything was such a blur, even now I can't believe how fast it happened. I was just happy when the shift was finally over with. The only thing I needed right then and there was to hold my kids and tell them I love them.
I went into the locker room to grab my things. Opening the locker door, I noticed my locket that Fred had given me. I picked it up and opened it. Staring back at me were my perfect children. Suddenly I felt tears starting to rise. I quickly snapped the locket and threw it back into my locker. Slamming the door, I sat on the bench and put my head in my hands. I was so lost in my emotions that I didn't even hear Mitchell open the door and quietly let himself inside.
"Hey. You okay?" he asked.
I looked up. He had squatted down so that we were at eye-level. Our eyes met for a brief second before I looked away. "I thought so." I said.
He placed a hand on my upper arm. "Look, Faith, these things happen. He was doing his job. He knew the risks. Morris was a great cop."
I continued to avoid eye contact. I didn't want him to see how shaken up I was. I was the senior officer between Mitchell and I. I wasn't supposed to be vulnerable and show my weaknesses. On the street, the second you let yourself be vulnerable, you lose. You lose big. Look at what happened to Morris.
"Come on," Mitchell said. "Get your coat." He got off his knees and went over to his locker. Grabbing his coat, he turned around to see that I hadn't moved.
"Faith, please."
"Why?" I asked.
"I'm not going to let you mope around all night feeling sorry for yourself," he said, slipping into his coat.
"No, I don't think--"
"Faith, I'm just looking out for you. I don't think that you should be alone right now."
"Fred." I said. "I have Fred."
He seemed undeterred by this. "Yeah, well, Fred wasn't out there today was he? He doesn't know how you feel right now. But, I do. So, one drink, please. That's all I'm asking."
I argued with myself in my head. Part of me knew that I should go home to Fred, Emily, and Charlie. I should have listened to that voice better. "Why do you want me to go?" I found myself asking him.
"Maybe I don't want to be alone right now. You know, you're not the only one who is upset by what happened tonight. A great officer died in my arms tonight and, to top it off, I almost lost my partner! You don't think that bothers me?" he said, his voice rising.
I had no idea that he even gave the fact that it could have been me out there a second thought. He turned and slammed his locker shut. I jumped.
He kept his back to me and sighed. He bent his head, as if looking at his feet. "I would really appreciate your company for one drink. You don't even have to pretend to have a good time either."
I couldn't believe it, but I actually smiled.
************************************************************
I expected that once we got to the bar we would go through the usual "pity" steps. He'd say that it should have been him who took the bullet for me, since we were partners and everything. I would answer back that he was stupid for thinking such a thing. He'd come back with the fact that we're partners and partners are supposed to have each others back's, and then I would ask him what good he would be to me dead. He'd sort of smile a lazy half-grin, followed by a long silence as he contemplated this. Then, I would drain what was left of my beer, say goodnight, and drive home. Partners all over the world go through this together. It's probably happening at this moment, right now. Bosco and I had gone through it a few times. It's what I expected would happen.
What I did not expect was that, 30 minutes after we left the precinct, I would be ordering a second drink.