"You ready," Faith said to Angela as the two of them stood outside of
the hospital room that the nurse had led them to. She knew that seeing her
son in this condition was not going to be easy on Bosco's mother. Faith
wasn't sure how she was going to react to seeing Bosco but she was
determined to be strong.
"I think so," Angela said.
Together the two of them entered the room. When she saw Bosco Faith had to bite her bottom lip to keep from crying. He was laying in the bed with the only movement being the slight rise and fall of his chest. The left side of his face was badly bruised and swollen. She saw several bruises on his neck and arms. Both wrists were bruised. There were several machines, monitoring his condition along with the oxygen mask and I.V. The thing that scared her the most though was the silence except for the soft hum of the machines. Bosco was never quiet even when he would be better off keeping quiet.
As they approached the one side of the bed Angela Boscorelli started crying. Faith put an arm around her shoulders as they stood there and let her cry. She didn't know what to say. She saw a chair nearby and pulled it over to the bed side for Angela to set on.
She stood silently by the bed for awhile. Angela finally stopped crying but still sat silently in the chair staring into space. Faith finally reached out and gently took one of Bosco's hands in hers.
"Hang on Bos," she said quietly. "I need you."
Faith stayed in the room for another half hour. By that time she was so tired and she knew Fred was still out in the waiting room waiting for her.
"I'm going to go," she told Angela softly. "If you need anything let me know."
"I will," Angela said. "Thank-you for being here," she told Faith as she gave Faith another hug.
Faith walked toward the door to the room and before walking out into the hallway she glanced once more back at her partner. His mother was now holding his hand talking softly to him. She felt tears in her eyes once more and quickly turned away and left the room.
As she thought Fred was still waiting in the waiting room for her. Of the group that had been here when Faith went in to see Bosco, he was the only one left. He quickly stood up when he saw her coming.
"How is he," Fred asked her softly?
"He looks bad Fred," Faith told him. "Whoever did it really beat him up."
"What are we going to tell the kids," Fred asked her?
"I don't know," Faith said. She couldn't get the image of Bosco in the hospital bed out of her minds. Part of her didn't think her partner was going to make it. Again the tears started falling.
Fred quickly stepped closer to his wife and pulled her close. "It's going to be okay," he whispered to her.
"You didn't see him Fred," she said through her tears. "I don't know how I can go on without him."
"Shhh. Don't think like that. Give him time and Bosco is going to be back out on the streets with you and he's going to go back to pissing me off," Fred told her. The last part of that comment got a short laugh out of her which is what he was hoping for.
When Faith had about cried herself out, Fred started leading her out of the hospital and out to the car parked outside.
"Okay, well keep me informed on his condition," the Captain said into the phone as he heard a knock on his office door. "Good-bye." He hung up the phone and called out come in to the person knocking on his door.
The door opened and Sgt. Jason Christopher stepped into his boss's office. "You said you wanted to see me sir," Christopher said tentatively.
"Yes, have a seat," he told him gesturing to the seat in front of him.
Christopher walked over to the desk and took the chair the Captain had gestured to. It was the same one Sully had been sitting in the night before.
"I'm very concerned about what happened yesterday," the Captain began. "Not only did one of our officers get hurt, no matter what kind of policies and procedures we have and how closely they are followed, its going to happen. This is a dangerous job. What concerns me is the fact that there was no radio communication from that officer for three hours and his supervisor did not check up on him."
"I'm sorry sir. I didn't realize that officer Boscorelli had been out of touch for that long," Christopher said.
"You didn't realize it," the anger in his voice not being lost on Christopher. "And I suppose that if Sullivan and Davis hadn't realized it, the call would have come in from the fire department that they pulled one of our officers from a burning building. You are the field sergeant for the third watch, Christopher. Every officer out their, whether you like him or not, is your responsibility."
"I know sir."
"And do you know how to do your job."
"Yes sir."
"Okay, then answer this question for me. An officer is called to check out an unknown situation by himself. The officer responds to the call but then reports nothing about arriving on scene or what he finds when he arrived on scene. What should the supervisor do?"
"Call for the officer to check in. If the officer does not check in the supervisor should send another unit to the site or go himself."
"And why wasn't this done yesterday."
"I told you sir, I didn't realize that Boscorelli had been out of communication for that along."
"You didn't realize or did you just assume that Boscorelli was staying off the radio and trying to hide again."
The Captain watched as Christopher ducked his head. The Captain knew he had hit the truth.
"You know even I know that Boscorelli has the tendency not to pull his weight at times and tries not to take certain calls but I also know that he isn't one not to check in when he is actually checking out a possible dangerous situation. I talked to the Lieutenant over at the 55 fire station. I didn't think much of the lack of concern you showed over the situation and for the safety of one of your officers. Do you have anything to say for yourself."
"No, sir," Christopher said knowing that anything he did say would just get him into more trouble at this point.
"I'm placing another failure to supervise in your record and suspending you for three days."
"A three day suspension," Christopher said. He expected the failure to supervise but not a suspension. "Don't you think that is a little drastic."
"No I don't. I have an officer in the hospital that they still can't give me an answer to when he'll be back on duty or even if he'll be back. Boscorelli could have been lying in that building injured for almost three hours because you didn't check up on him because according to you 'Boscorelli is a goof off anyway. It's not unusual to not hear from him most of the shift'. Do those words sound familiar to you Sgt. You're lucky its only a three day suspension. I probably should call a formal investigation into this situation but that could very well put an end to your career. I'm not ready to do that." the Captain said.
"Look Jason, you were a good officer. I think you could be just as good as a sergeant but you've got to learn to put personal feelings aside. There is no room for them because they lead to mistakes and mistakes cost lives. You also need to learn to take advantage of the resources around you. You have officers serving under you who have been police officers since you were born. Use their experience. Don't just brush them off because they chose not to become a Sergeant. If there is ever another situation like this there will be an investigation and you will be facing a review board. Do you understand me."
"Yes sir," Christopher said.
"I want you think about what happened yesterday while your off. You made a mistake. Learn from it. Figure out how to keep it from happening again."
"Yes sir."
"That's all," the captain said.
Sgt. Christopher stood up and silently left the Captain's office. He left the 55th station house that day without saying anything to anybody. The more he thought about the more he realized the Captain was right. He probably should be going up before a review board for what happened yesterday. Instead, he had three days to think about what had happened and what he should have done that he didn't.
"I think so," Angela said.
Together the two of them entered the room. When she saw Bosco Faith had to bite her bottom lip to keep from crying. He was laying in the bed with the only movement being the slight rise and fall of his chest. The left side of his face was badly bruised and swollen. She saw several bruises on his neck and arms. Both wrists were bruised. There were several machines, monitoring his condition along with the oxygen mask and I.V. The thing that scared her the most though was the silence except for the soft hum of the machines. Bosco was never quiet even when he would be better off keeping quiet.
As they approached the one side of the bed Angela Boscorelli started crying. Faith put an arm around her shoulders as they stood there and let her cry. She didn't know what to say. She saw a chair nearby and pulled it over to the bed side for Angela to set on.
She stood silently by the bed for awhile. Angela finally stopped crying but still sat silently in the chair staring into space. Faith finally reached out and gently took one of Bosco's hands in hers.
"Hang on Bos," she said quietly. "I need you."
Faith stayed in the room for another half hour. By that time she was so tired and she knew Fred was still out in the waiting room waiting for her.
"I'm going to go," she told Angela softly. "If you need anything let me know."
"I will," Angela said. "Thank-you for being here," she told Faith as she gave Faith another hug.
Faith walked toward the door to the room and before walking out into the hallway she glanced once more back at her partner. His mother was now holding his hand talking softly to him. She felt tears in her eyes once more and quickly turned away and left the room.
As she thought Fred was still waiting in the waiting room for her. Of the group that had been here when Faith went in to see Bosco, he was the only one left. He quickly stood up when he saw her coming.
"How is he," Fred asked her softly?
"He looks bad Fred," Faith told him. "Whoever did it really beat him up."
"What are we going to tell the kids," Fred asked her?
"I don't know," Faith said. She couldn't get the image of Bosco in the hospital bed out of her minds. Part of her didn't think her partner was going to make it. Again the tears started falling.
Fred quickly stepped closer to his wife and pulled her close. "It's going to be okay," he whispered to her.
"You didn't see him Fred," she said through her tears. "I don't know how I can go on without him."
"Shhh. Don't think like that. Give him time and Bosco is going to be back out on the streets with you and he's going to go back to pissing me off," Fred told her. The last part of that comment got a short laugh out of her which is what he was hoping for.
When Faith had about cried herself out, Fred started leading her out of the hospital and out to the car parked outside.
"Okay, well keep me informed on his condition," the Captain said into the phone as he heard a knock on his office door. "Good-bye." He hung up the phone and called out come in to the person knocking on his door.
The door opened and Sgt. Jason Christopher stepped into his boss's office. "You said you wanted to see me sir," Christopher said tentatively.
"Yes, have a seat," he told him gesturing to the seat in front of him.
Christopher walked over to the desk and took the chair the Captain had gestured to. It was the same one Sully had been sitting in the night before.
"I'm very concerned about what happened yesterday," the Captain began. "Not only did one of our officers get hurt, no matter what kind of policies and procedures we have and how closely they are followed, its going to happen. This is a dangerous job. What concerns me is the fact that there was no radio communication from that officer for three hours and his supervisor did not check up on him."
"I'm sorry sir. I didn't realize that officer Boscorelli had been out of touch for that long," Christopher said.
"You didn't realize it," the anger in his voice not being lost on Christopher. "And I suppose that if Sullivan and Davis hadn't realized it, the call would have come in from the fire department that they pulled one of our officers from a burning building. You are the field sergeant for the third watch, Christopher. Every officer out their, whether you like him or not, is your responsibility."
"I know sir."
"And do you know how to do your job."
"Yes sir."
"Okay, then answer this question for me. An officer is called to check out an unknown situation by himself. The officer responds to the call but then reports nothing about arriving on scene or what he finds when he arrived on scene. What should the supervisor do?"
"Call for the officer to check in. If the officer does not check in the supervisor should send another unit to the site or go himself."
"And why wasn't this done yesterday."
"I told you sir, I didn't realize that Boscorelli had been out of communication for that along."
"You didn't realize or did you just assume that Boscorelli was staying off the radio and trying to hide again."
The Captain watched as Christopher ducked his head. The Captain knew he had hit the truth.
"You know even I know that Boscorelli has the tendency not to pull his weight at times and tries not to take certain calls but I also know that he isn't one not to check in when he is actually checking out a possible dangerous situation. I talked to the Lieutenant over at the 55 fire station. I didn't think much of the lack of concern you showed over the situation and for the safety of one of your officers. Do you have anything to say for yourself."
"No, sir," Christopher said knowing that anything he did say would just get him into more trouble at this point.
"I'm placing another failure to supervise in your record and suspending you for three days."
"A three day suspension," Christopher said. He expected the failure to supervise but not a suspension. "Don't you think that is a little drastic."
"No I don't. I have an officer in the hospital that they still can't give me an answer to when he'll be back on duty or even if he'll be back. Boscorelli could have been lying in that building injured for almost three hours because you didn't check up on him because according to you 'Boscorelli is a goof off anyway. It's not unusual to not hear from him most of the shift'. Do those words sound familiar to you Sgt. You're lucky its only a three day suspension. I probably should call a formal investigation into this situation but that could very well put an end to your career. I'm not ready to do that." the Captain said.
"Look Jason, you were a good officer. I think you could be just as good as a sergeant but you've got to learn to put personal feelings aside. There is no room for them because they lead to mistakes and mistakes cost lives. You also need to learn to take advantage of the resources around you. You have officers serving under you who have been police officers since you were born. Use their experience. Don't just brush them off because they chose not to become a Sergeant. If there is ever another situation like this there will be an investigation and you will be facing a review board. Do you understand me."
"Yes sir," Christopher said.
"I want you think about what happened yesterday while your off. You made a mistake. Learn from it. Figure out how to keep it from happening again."
"Yes sir."
"That's all," the captain said.
Sgt. Christopher stood up and silently left the Captain's office. He left the 55th station house that day without saying anything to anybody. The more he thought about the more he realized the Captain was right. He probably should be going up before a review board for what happened yesterday. Instead, he had three days to think about what had happened and what he should have done that he didn't.