Helping Hand
Chapter 13
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"Where to, Boss?" Bosco asked as the Lieutenant climbed into the passenger seat of 55-David.
"One P-P," Lieutenant Swersky replied in a heavy sigh, referring to the address known and feared by many officers. It was One Police Plaza - the home of the Commissioner of Police - a place where many officers have gone to be reprimanded, suspended and terminated from the NYPD.
"I don't have to go in with you do I, Sir?" Bosco asked nervously. He hated going to One P-P. The last time he'd been there it had been to relay the facts of what happened the night Faith and Cruz were shot and Aaron Noble was killed by his gun. He'd been extremely lucky - luckier than he thought he should have been. He still had his job which he thought was gone for sure. That was one thing that Cruz had done right - covered him under the FBI umbrella. He'd just wished she would've done the same for Faith. But, that had worked out better than he thought it would too - Cruz had fallen for his bluff about having everything documented by Faith. "Thank God," he thought to himself.
"Did you hear me, Boscorelli?" Lieutenant Swersky asked Bosco, bringing him from his thoughts.
"Sorry, Sir. What'd you say?" he quickly replied.
"I said, 'No, you can drop me off for my meeting and I'll get hold of you on the radio when I'm ready to be picked up,'" Swersky repeated.
"Oh. Great. No problem," Bosco said, obviously relieved.
They traveled to the next intersection where they caught another red light. Lieutenant Swersky stole a quick glance at Bosco as the car came to a stop at the light. "I thought we'd have a chance to talk during the trip downtown," the Lieutenant said non-chalantly.
"Talk, Sir?" Bosco questioned, trying to think back to what he may have done wrong. He couldn't think of anything and looked over to his boss.
"Yeah. How have things been going with you since this whole Aaron Noble ordeal? Any lingering problems?" the Lieutenant asked as they both noticed the light change to green.
After a brief delay, Bosco accelerated through the intersection and caught up with the flow of the afternoon traffic. "No, Sir. Things are getting back to normal, I guess," he replied.
"You heard that Faith Yokas was coming back to work, right?" Swersky asked, looking over to see Bosco's reaction. He noticed the slight tightening of Bosco's grip on the steering wheel.
"I ran into her in the locker room this afternoon. I was surprised. I didn't know she was coming back this soon," he replied, inwardly griping about catching the next red light. He didn't like the conversation - wanted to get the Lieutenant to his meeting and then take off, away from this conversation.
"Well, she's back on desk duty. Her doctors say she's cleared for regular duty, but she wanted to ease back into it. I can't blame her, but she's worried that she's not mentally ready for the job so she doesn't want to put anyone into danger until she's sure," the Lieutenant explained.
Bosco nodded, but said nothing as the light changed and he accelerated again. After a moment, Bosco voiced his question. "So, do you think she'll be taking a partner again when she goes back on the street, Sir?"
"Why? Are you looking for a partner? I thought you'd gotten used to riding alone," Swersky said.
"No. I mean, yeah," Bosco stammered. "I mean, I just don't think she'd want to partner up with me, Sir. Not that I blame her. I messed up bad - I think we all know that. I was just wondering if she was thinking about getting a new partner and who it might be," he tried to explain.
"Well, she hasn't really discussed any of that with me yet. I think she just wants to see how she does getting back into the routine. And to see if she can cut it out on the streets again," the Lieutenat said as Bosco pulled up in front of Police Headquarters.
"She can cut it. I have no doubt," Bosco simply said.
"I think so too," Swersky replied, pulling the door handle and opening the door. "I'll give you a call when I'm ready to be picked up."
"Yes, Sir," Bosco replied, watching the man walk into the building. He sat in the car staring off at nothing for a few minutes until the dispatcher came on to ask if he was available for a call yet.
"Affirmative, Central. 55-David is 10-98," he replied. He listened as the dispatcher gave out the address to him and two other units. He looked back toward the building one more time and, flipping on the emergency lights and siren, he pulled from the curb to respond to large fight that had begun back near the Precinct.
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TBC...
Chapter 13
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Where to, Boss?" Bosco asked as the Lieutenant climbed into the passenger seat of 55-David.
"One P-P," Lieutenant Swersky replied in a heavy sigh, referring to the address known and feared by many officers. It was One Police Plaza - the home of the Commissioner of Police - a place where many officers have gone to be reprimanded, suspended and terminated from the NYPD.
"I don't have to go in with you do I, Sir?" Bosco asked nervously. He hated going to One P-P. The last time he'd been there it had been to relay the facts of what happened the night Faith and Cruz were shot and Aaron Noble was killed by his gun. He'd been extremely lucky - luckier than he thought he should have been. He still had his job which he thought was gone for sure. That was one thing that Cruz had done right - covered him under the FBI umbrella. He'd just wished she would've done the same for Faith. But, that had worked out better than he thought it would too - Cruz had fallen for his bluff about having everything documented by Faith. "Thank God," he thought to himself.
"Did you hear me, Boscorelli?" Lieutenant Swersky asked Bosco, bringing him from his thoughts.
"Sorry, Sir. What'd you say?" he quickly replied.
"I said, 'No, you can drop me off for my meeting and I'll get hold of you on the radio when I'm ready to be picked up,'" Swersky repeated.
"Oh. Great. No problem," Bosco said, obviously relieved.
They traveled to the next intersection where they caught another red light. Lieutenant Swersky stole a quick glance at Bosco as the car came to a stop at the light. "I thought we'd have a chance to talk during the trip downtown," the Lieutenant said non-chalantly.
"Talk, Sir?" Bosco questioned, trying to think back to what he may have done wrong. He couldn't think of anything and looked over to his boss.
"Yeah. How have things been going with you since this whole Aaron Noble ordeal? Any lingering problems?" the Lieutenant asked as they both noticed the light change to green.
After a brief delay, Bosco accelerated through the intersection and caught up with the flow of the afternoon traffic. "No, Sir. Things are getting back to normal, I guess," he replied.
"You heard that Faith Yokas was coming back to work, right?" Swersky asked, looking over to see Bosco's reaction. He noticed the slight tightening of Bosco's grip on the steering wheel.
"I ran into her in the locker room this afternoon. I was surprised. I didn't know she was coming back this soon," he replied, inwardly griping about catching the next red light. He didn't like the conversation - wanted to get the Lieutenant to his meeting and then take off, away from this conversation.
"Well, she's back on desk duty. Her doctors say she's cleared for regular duty, but she wanted to ease back into it. I can't blame her, but she's worried that she's not mentally ready for the job so she doesn't want to put anyone into danger until she's sure," the Lieutenant explained.
Bosco nodded, but said nothing as the light changed and he accelerated again. After a moment, Bosco voiced his question. "So, do you think she'll be taking a partner again when she goes back on the street, Sir?"
"Why? Are you looking for a partner? I thought you'd gotten used to riding alone," Swersky said.
"No. I mean, yeah," Bosco stammered. "I mean, I just don't think she'd want to partner up with me, Sir. Not that I blame her. I messed up bad - I think we all know that. I was just wondering if she was thinking about getting a new partner and who it might be," he tried to explain.
"Well, she hasn't really discussed any of that with me yet. I think she just wants to see how she does getting back into the routine. And to see if she can cut it out on the streets again," the Lieutenat said as Bosco pulled up in front of Police Headquarters.
"She can cut it. I have no doubt," Bosco simply said.
"I think so too," Swersky replied, pulling the door handle and opening the door. "I'll give you a call when I'm ready to be picked up."
"Yes, Sir," Bosco replied, watching the man walk into the building. He sat in the car staring off at nothing for a few minutes until the dispatcher came on to ask if he was available for a call yet.
"Affirmative, Central. 55-David is 10-98," he replied. He listened as the dispatcher gave out the address to him and two other units. He looked back toward the building one more time and, flipping on the emergency lights and siren, he pulled from the curb to respond to large fight that had begun back near the Precinct.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC...