Author's Note: I want to thank lbm1141 and Faith in Faith for your reviews. And Thirdwatchfanatic...if you're still out there...the angst, drama and suspense is coming, maybe not in that order.
"Understanding Steven"
~Chapter Four~
The next day Faith arrives early and goes into the locker room to change. She finds Steve putting on his uniform, and when he sees her, he looks away nervously. She walks over towards him.
At first he considered telling her about what had happened with Martin, but he was too ashamed. He thought about just telling her that Martin was drinking on the job, but that would only bring him trouble. He decided to say nothing. He will just try to get through the week, by not talking to or annoying Martin, then after the week is up he will request to go back to desk duty and making sketches.
She leans against the locker next to his and says, "Hi Steve. How's it goen?"
Without looking at her he says, "Oh...good I guess."
"Are you glad to be back on patrol?"
"Yah...sure." He continues staring at his locker.
"Is everything ok? You seem distracted."
"Yah. I'm ok." He is dying to open up to her but he knows it is best to say nothing. "I guess I'm just a little tired today."
"How do you like working with Martin?" She moves a little closer so she can see his reaction.
"Oh...he's ok. I don't really know him that well yet." He turns his eyes down to the floor.
"Well, I'm sure he's a good guy. It may take him a while to get used to the idea of having a new partner. Ya know?" She stares intently at him.
He can feel her stare. She knows that something is wrong...her instincts are good. He knows he has to give her something or she will keep pressing him. "I know. He's a little distant. I'm just giving him some room."
"Yah, that's good." She watches him for a minute longer, then says, "Well...you be careful out there Steve. And if you have any trouble...you just call for backup. We're all just a call away."
Just then Martin walks in, and when he notices the two of them talking, he glares at them and walks over. "What's going on?" He asks as he leans in close to Gusler.
"I was just asken Steve how he likes being back on patrol." Faith offers.
He doesn't look at her at all. Staring at Gusler, he slaps him on the back. "He likes it just fine...Don't ya Stevie?"
Steve looks up at Martin and says, "Yah...just fine." Then he looks at Faith and says, "I gotta hit the men's room before I get dressed...excuse me." and he walks away from them.
She says to Martin, "So how are you doing? Getting back in the swing of things?"
Sarcastically he answers, "Not hardly. Didn't you notice? I'm babysitting and directing traffic. Apparently the Lieutenant thinks I'm not ready for real police work. How about you...looks like you got over your near death experience."
"Yah...for the most part. I still have nightmares sometimes." She looks down at the floor and says, "Look...I ah...I never got to say...you know...how bad I felt about what happened to Maria."
"I know...you didn't go to any of the funerals." Then he turns and walks away from her.
The statement stung like a slap in the face. It never dawned on her that she didn't go to the funerals. She was in the hospital when all of the funerals took place, and it's not like she was able to go to any of them, but she suddenly feels heavy with guilt. And she wonders if the other officers resent her the way Martin does.
Boscorelli hurries into the locker room, and when he notices her standing there, he starts bitching to her about the drivers in New York. "They're all morons. The only thing worse than their driving, is their ability to speak English. I swear, they should have a fast lane, a slow lane and the moron lane. If they..." Then he realizes that she looks upset. "What's wrong?"
She looks over at him and blinks like she didn't even notice he had walked in. "What?"
"I said what's wrong?"
She shakes her head, "Nothing."
"You look upset. What were you doing?"
"Nothing." Her look changes from upset to annoyed. She walks over to her locker and as she passes Bosco, he grabs her arm and stops her. "What's going on...who were you talking to?"
"No one." She pushes by him and starts changing. "Forget it."
He takes a peek around the lockers but sees no one there so he shrugs it off.
*****
Martin and Gusler are in their RMP heading over to the park. Martin breaks the tense silence with, "What were you talking to Yokas about?"
"Nothing." Steve says quietly.
"Tell me what the hell you said to her!" He orders.
"She asked how I liked being back on patrol...that's all."
"And what did you tell her?"
"I said I like it just fine...then you walked up."
"You had better keep your mouth shut. Do you hear me? I don't want Yokas sniffing around in my business." Steve says nothing, just keeps staring down at the floor. "If she starts asking questions about me, I'll know you said something to her.
"I don't talk to Yokas." Steve looks at him worried. "I didn't say anything. I wouldn't."
"Just keep it that way. Coz if she doesn't mind her own business, she will regret living through that ordeal. Do you understand me? If you don't want anything to happen to your girlfriend, you'll keep your mouth shut."
*****
Bosco is driving and talking to Faith. "I was at my mom's bar last night. She said Mikey is getting out of rehab at the end of the week. He's moving in with her." He looks over at Faith. "He better not give her any trouble. I don't want to have to kick his ass."
"Yah." She says, staring out the window.
"I tried to tell her not to take him in...but you know how ma is where Mikey is concerned."
"Right." She says blankly.
He can tell she isn't listening to him, so he adds, "Then he is going to start at Harvard."
"Uh huh."
"But first he is going to have that sex change."
"Right."
"You're not listening to a thing I'm sayen." He says annoyed. "What the hell is buggen you today?"
She looks over at him and says, "Bos...have you heard anything about Pete Conti and Tommy Collins? Are they back to work?"
She is talking about two officers from the 63rd, who's partners were also killed by the lunatic that killed Martin's partner, and almost killed Faith.
"I don't know...I think so. Martin is back...they probably are. Why are you thinken about them?"
I don't know. I was just wondering if they've gotten over it."
"They lost their partners...that's too bad...but you're the one that went through hell...and you got over it. They certainly should have. What is this all about? Did you say somethen to Martin? I told you to mind your own business."
She looks over at him annoyed. "Something's wrong there. I can tell. I don't think Martin was ready to come back to work."
"Why...did Gusler say something to you?"
"No."
"Then stay out of it Faith. Don't look for trouble."
*****
Martin and Gusler arrive at the park barricade. They stand guard at the park entrance for four hours with out one spoken word between them. When it comes time for dinner break, Martin tells Steve to go somewhere and eat. "We'll meet back here in an hour." Martin calls in that they are out of service, then Steve walks into the park and Martin walks down to Al's Bar and Grill.
Steve wanders through the park and stops at a burger stand for his dinner. He takes a seat nearby and watches all the people coming and going. He sees several pairs of officers walking around, and talking together. Why can't he do the same? Why does Martin hate him so much? There is something wrong with Martin. He is so angry, and not just when he drinks. Steve is afraid of him, and really worried that he threatened Faith.
He contemplates walking off into the park, and not returning to his post...ever. His mom was right...she always was...he is not suited to be a cop. People walk all over him, including his partner.
But Steve feels a sense of responsibility. He needs to return to his post, even if Martin doesn't...especially if Martin doesn't. He obviously hasn't gotten over the loss of his partner. It really is Steve's responsibility to report it...before something happens because of it. Although, when Martin finds out he reported him, he will kill Steve. No...he is too afraid to take an action like that. He will just ride it out like he always does.
An hour is almost up, and Steve heads back to the park entrance and calls himself back in to service.
[About an hour later]
Sully and Davis get a report of a hit and run driver in a 1990, white, Chevy S-10 truck. They spot the vehicle and give pursuit. They are heading towards the park and they call their location and heading, in to central. Central reports over the radio to 55-Edward that the suspects are heading towards them. Gusler runs to the RMP. His plan is to block the road when they drive up, but they arrive quicker than he expected. As he starts to open the door, he sees the truck barreling down at him.
Faith and Bosco have called themselves out of service for dinner, when they hear the call. Faith says, "We should get over there."
"We're on dinner break. We just ordered our food. We aren't goen anywhere."
"Bosco...they may need..."
"Relax mom...Sully and Davis are handling it." Reluctantly she leans on the counter, listening closely to the police communications on the radio.
********
The driver is planning to cut through the park and try to loose the officers by hiding there. He didn't plan on the barricade. He slams on the brakes, throwing the truck into a sideways skid, crashing into the saw horses and cones. They explode, sending wood splinters flying. People are running and screaming in every direction. A young man, walking with his girlfriend, are in his path. They have no time to escape the path of the truck that is bearing down on them.
The sound of the woman's scream, is barely audible over the screaming tires, and is then cut short by the bone shattering sound of them tumbling over the hood and then onto the pavement. The truck finally comes to an abrupt stop as it meets the RMP, wrapping around it like a giant metal glove.
Gusler barely had enough time to climb out of the car and clear the path of destruction, being chewed open by the speeding truck. He covers his face from the flying debris. When looks back at the truck, spewing steam from it's crumpled hood he sees the driver hop out and start running into the park and down the footpath. Steve takes off after him.
About fifty yards in, the suspect turns left and hops over the hedgerow, then continues running down the grassy hill towards the water. Gusler follows.
Martin is still sitting in the bar, with no intention of going back to work any time soon. While he was on his dinner break, he turned off his radio, and never thought to turn it back on. He has no idea what's happening.
55-Charlie has pulled up to the entrance. Sully runs over to help an injured bystander, and calls for a bus. Davis runs into the park, in the direction that everyone told him the suspect headed. About a hundred yards in, he stops, having no visual on the guy. He radios back to Sully, that he lost him.
"55-Edward in pursuit. I'm heading east towards the boat dock." Gusler reports over the radio.
Davis turns left and continues towards the dock.
The suspect runs into a giant garage used for storing the boats and canoes. Gusler reaches the garage, radios in to Davis where he is, then draws his weapon and enters the garage. It is dark inside. There are stalls all down one side and shelves down the other filled with life jackets, paddles and other boating equipment. The center has a row of racks with brackets sticking out, to hang canoes on.
Steve slowly works his way in, peeking around into each stall. He is terrified. He ran in without thinking, and now he is aware of the fact that he should have waited for Davis to catch up before he went in. But now he is halfway through, and it is too late to turn back, so he slowly edges forward.
He is about to peek into another stall, when Davis calls him on the radio.
"Gusler...where are you?"
Steve stops and grabs the radio. "I'm inside...fourth stall in..." As he looks back to count the stalls behind him, the suspect stands up from inside the next stall and hits Steve in the back with an oar. Steve falls to the ground. The suspect runs to the end of the garage and escapes through a side door.
Davis enters the garage and finds Steve on the ground. He calls in that there's an officer down, and he needs a bus in a rush.
Faith and Bosco look at each other. Bosco grabs the burgers from the girl at the counter, and they run out of the diner. As they rush to the location, they hear Davis calling Martin over the radio. He is not responding. When they arrive at the park, they see Sully talking to the EMTs as they work on a civilian near the entrance. A second bus has pulled up and Sully runs over to them, pointing into the park.
"Sully where's Gusler?" Faith yells.
"Gusler is the cop that's down. Davis is with him...over by the boat dock."
They follow the bus through the park, and Faith is relieved to find Gusler is sitting up talking to Davis. He doesn't look seriously hurt.
As the paramedics check him out, Faith starts asking questions. "Where's Martin?"
Gusler doesn't answer. She looks at Davis. He raises his eyebrows and shakes his head. "Don't know. He isn't responding on the radio."
She asks Gusler again. Quietly he answers, "He went out on dinner break."
"So why aren't you with him?"
"He had something to do I guess. He said to go eat and he'd meet me back here in an hour."
"Well how long ago was that? It's almost ten o'clock now." They can tell by her voice that she is getting angry.
"I don't know...I guess...maybe I came back early." Gusler is trying to avoid any problems and is hoping that Faith will just drop it. Of course she doesn't.
"So he went on break...without you...and never came back. Is that what happened? Because it's pretty late to be out on dinner break still. Does he do this every night? How many times has he disappeared Steve? Coz I'm letting the Lieutenant know about this."
Gusler doesn't answer. He looks nervously at Bosco, then turns his attention to the paramedics, and tries to convince them that he is ok and doesn't need to go to the hospital.
Bosco grabs her by the arm. "Come here. Lets talk." he says, pulling her aside. Davis joins them. "Faith, we were just at dinner. And how many times have you left to go see Em at school or something?"
"What's your point?"
"Cut the guy a break. Gusler isn't pissed about it...why should you be?"
She answers back sharply, "Martin's his partner. He's suppose to watch his back, and instead he left him alone. Steve almost..."
"Exactly! He's his partner. And Steve is trying to cover for his partner. They're bonding. And you're trying to come between them."
She looks up at Davis, who nods in agreement, and then she concedes and says, "Alright...I won't push it...but I'm going with him to the hospital. We'll stay with him until Martin shows up...and if he doesn't by the end of the shift, I'm reporting it to Lieu."
She climbs in back of the ambulance with Steve, and Bosco follows them to the park entrance, where he stops to drop Davis off with Sully. He exits the park, and when he stops at the first light, he glances over and spots Martin walking out of the bar.
*********
Martin walks back to the park and when he notices his RMP all smashed up and hanging on the back of a tow truck, he runs up to Sully and Davis.
"What the hell is going on? What the fuck did that idiot do now?" He barks.
"Martin...where have you been man? We've been trying to reach you on the radio." Davis says.
"None of your business where I've been. Where the hell is Gusler? I'll fucken kill him. We'll be here all night doing paper work."
"Your partner is on his way to the hospital." Davis informs him.
"Son-of-a-bitch! Now I'm gonna be in emergency all night. What the hell did he do? Why can't he do anything right?"
"Your concern is real touching." Davis says as he reaches over and flips Martin's radio on. "If you had this on...like you're suppose to...you'd know what the hell is going on."
"Listen smart ass...I'm not in the mood to listen to your shit."
"No. Your in a party mood...I can smell it on your breath." Davis says making circles with his finger around his mouth.
Martin takes a step towards Davis. "You wanna go at it big mouth? C'mon...let's go!"
Sully steps between them and puts his hand on Martin's chest. "Knock it off. You're in enough trouble. Let's you and me go get some coffee and I'll explain what happened." With that said, Sully steers him towards a hot dog stand. Davis raises his hands and shakes his head in disgust, and walks back over to his car.
Sully radios in to 55-David that Martin has returned from dinner and that Sully and Davis have to drive him back to the house so he can get another RMP if he is going to pick up Gusler at the hospital. He reminds them that it is almost eleven o'clock, the end of the shift. He suggests that, as long as they are already there, they bring Gusler back with them.
Bosco agrees, mostly because he doesn't want Faith to have a confrontation with Martin until she cools off.
********
"Understanding Steven"
~Chapter Four~
The next day Faith arrives early and goes into the locker room to change. She finds Steve putting on his uniform, and when he sees her, he looks away nervously. She walks over towards him.
At first he considered telling her about what had happened with Martin, but he was too ashamed. He thought about just telling her that Martin was drinking on the job, but that would only bring him trouble. He decided to say nothing. He will just try to get through the week, by not talking to or annoying Martin, then after the week is up he will request to go back to desk duty and making sketches.
She leans against the locker next to his and says, "Hi Steve. How's it goen?"
Without looking at her he says, "Oh...good I guess."
"Are you glad to be back on patrol?"
"Yah...sure." He continues staring at his locker.
"Is everything ok? You seem distracted."
"Yah. I'm ok." He is dying to open up to her but he knows it is best to say nothing. "I guess I'm just a little tired today."
"How do you like working with Martin?" She moves a little closer so she can see his reaction.
"Oh...he's ok. I don't really know him that well yet." He turns his eyes down to the floor.
"Well, I'm sure he's a good guy. It may take him a while to get used to the idea of having a new partner. Ya know?" She stares intently at him.
He can feel her stare. She knows that something is wrong...her instincts are good. He knows he has to give her something or she will keep pressing him. "I know. He's a little distant. I'm just giving him some room."
"Yah, that's good." She watches him for a minute longer, then says, "Well...you be careful out there Steve. And if you have any trouble...you just call for backup. We're all just a call away."
Just then Martin walks in, and when he notices the two of them talking, he glares at them and walks over. "What's going on?" He asks as he leans in close to Gusler.
"I was just asken Steve how he likes being back on patrol." Faith offers.
He doesn't look at her at all. Staring at Gusler, he slaps him on the back. "He likes it just fine...Don't ya Stevie?"
Steve looks up at Martin and says, "Yah...just fine." Then he looks at Faith and says, "I gotta hit the men's room before I get dressed...excuse me." and he walks away from them.
She says to Martin, "So how are you doing? Getting back in the swing of things?"
Sarcastically he answers, "Not hardly. Didn't you notice? I'm babysitting and directing traffic. Apparently the Lieutenant thinks I'm not ready for real police work. How about you...looks like you got over your near death experience."
"Yah...for the most part. I still have nightmares sometimes." She looks down at the floor and says, "Look...I ah...I never got to say...you know...how bad I felt about what happened to Maria."
"I know...you didn't go to any of the funerals." Then he turns and walks away from her.
The statement stung like a slap in the face. It never dawned on her that she didn't go to the funerals. She was in the hospital when all of the funerals took place, and it's not like she was able to go to any of them, but she suddenly feels heavy with guilt. And she wonders if the other officers resent her the way Martin does.
Boscorelli hurries into the locker room, and when he notices her standing there, he starts bitching to her about the drivers in New York. "They're all morons. The only thing worse than their driving, is their ability to speak English. I swear, they should have a fast lane, a slow lane and the moron lane. If they..." Then he realizes that she looks upset. "What's wrong?"
She looks over at him and blinks like she didn't even notice he had walked in. "What?"
"I said what's wrong?"
She shakes her head, "Nothing."
"You look upset. What were you doing?"
"Nothing." Her look changes from upset to annoyed. She walks over to her locker and as she passes Bosco, he grabs her arm and stops her. "What's going on...who were you talking to?"
"No one." She pushes by him and starts changing. "Forget it."
He takes a peek around the lockers but sees no one there so he shrugs it off.
*****
Martin and Gusler are in their RMP heading over to the park. Martin breaks the tense silence with, "What were you talking to Yokas about?"
"Nothing." Steve says quietly.
"Tell me what the hell you said to her!" He orders.
"She asked how I liked being back on patrol...that's all."
"And what did you tell her?"
"I said I like it just fine...then you walked up."
"You had better keep your mouth shut. Do you hear me? I don't want Yokas sniffing around in my business." Steve says nothing, just keeps staring down at the floor. "If she starts asking questions about me, I'll know you said something to her.
"I don't talk to Yokas." Steve looks at him worried. "I didn't say anything. I wouldn't."
"Just keep it that way. Coz if she doesn't mind her own business, she will regret living through that ordeal. Do you understand me? If you don't want anything to happen to your girlfriend, you'll keep your mouth shut."
*****
Bosco is driving and talking to Faith. "I was at my mom's bar last night. She said Mikey is getting out of rehab at the end of the week. He's moving in with her." He looks over at Faith. "He better not give her any trouble. I don't want to have to kick his ass."
"Yah." She says, staring out the window.
"I tried to tell her not to take him in...but you know how ma is where Mikey is concerned."
"Right." She says blankly.
He can tell she isn't listening to him, so he adds, "Then he is going to start at Harvard."
"Uh huh."
"But first he is going to have that sex change."
"Right."
"You're not listening to a thing I'm sayen." He says annoyed. "What the hell is buggen you today?"
She looks over at him and says, "Bos...have you heard anything about Pete Conti and Tommy Collins? Are they back to work?"
She is talking about two officers from the 63rd, who's partners were also killed by the lunatic that killed Martin's partner, and almost killed Faith.
"I don't know...I think so. Martin is back...they probably are. Why are you thinken about them?"
I don't know. I was just wondering if they've gotten over it."
"They lost their partners...that's too bad...but you're the one that went through hell...and you got over it. They certainly should have. What is this all about? Did you say somethen to Martin? I told you to mind your own business."
She looks over at him annoyed. "Something's wrong there. I can tell. I don't think Martin was ready to come back to work."
"Why...did Gusler say something to you?"
"No."
"Then stay out of it Faith. Don't look for trouble."
*****
Martin and Gusler arrive at the park barricade. They stand guard at the park entrance for four hours with out one spoken word between them. When it comes time for dinner break, Martin tells Steve to go somewhere and eat. "We'll meet back here in an hour." Martin calls in that they are out of service, then Steve walks into the park and Martin walks down to Al's Bar and Grill.
Steve wanders through the park and stops at a burger stand for his dinner. He takes a seat nearby and watches all the people coming and going. He sees several pairs of officers walking around, and talking together. Why can't he do the same? Why does Martin hate him so much? There is something wrong with Martin. He is so angry, and not just when he drinks. Steve is afraid of him, and really worried that he threatened Faith.
He contemplates walking off into the park, and not returning to his post...ever. His mom was right...she always was...he is not suited to be a cop. People walk all over him, including his partner.
But Steve feels a sense of responsibility. He needs to return to his post, even if Martin doesn't...especially if Martin doesn't. He obviously hasn't gotten over the loss of his partner. It really is Steve's responsibility to report it...before something happens because of it. Although, when Martin finds out he reported him, he will kill Steve. No...he is too afraid to take an action like that. He will just ride it out like he always does.
An hour is almost up, and Steve heads back to the park entrance and calls himself back in to service.
[About an hour later]
Sully and Davis get a report of a hit and run driver in a 1990, white, Chevy S-10 truck. They spot the vehicle and give pursuit. They are heading towards the park and they call their location and heading, in to central. Central reports over the radio to 55-Edward that the suspects are heading towards them. Gusler runs to the RMP. His plan is to block the road when they drive up, but they arrive quicker than he expected. As he starts to open the door, he sees the truck barreling down at him.
Faith and Bosco have called themselves out of service for dinner, when they hear the call. Faith says, "We should get over there."
"We're on dinner break. We just ordered our food. We aren't goen anywhere."
"Bosco...they may need..."
"Relax mom...Sully and Davis are handling it." Reluctantly she leans on the counter, listening closely to the police communications on the radio.
********
The driver is planning to cut through the park and try to loose the officers by hiding there. He didn't plan on the barricade. He slams on the brakes, throwing the truck into a sideways skid, crashing into the saw horses and cones. They explode, sending wood splinters flying. People are running and screaming in every direction. A young man, walking with his girlfriend, are in his path. They have no time to escape the path of the truck that is bearing down on them.
The sound of the woman's scream, is barely audible over the screaming tires, and is then cut short by the bone shattering sound of them tumbling over the hood and then onto the pavement. The truck finally comes to an abrupt stop as it meets the RMP, wrapping around it like a giant metal glove.
Gusler barely had enough time to climb out of the car and clear the path of destruction, being chewed open by the speeding truck. He covers his face from the flying debris. When looks back at the truck, spewing steam from it's crumpled hood he sees the driver hop out and start running into the park and down the footpath. Steve takes off after him.
About fifty yards in, the suspect turns left and hops over the hedgerow, then continues running down the grassy hill towards the water. Gusler follows.
Martin is still sitting in the bar, with no intention of going back to work any time soon. While he was on his dinner break, he turned off his radio, and never thought to turn it back on. He has no idea what's happening.
55-Charlie has pulled up to the entrance. Sully runs over to help an injured bystander, and calls for a bus. Davis runs into the park, in the direction that everyone told him the suspect headed. About a hundred yards in, he stops, having no visual on the guy. He radios back to Sully, that he lost him.
"55-Edward in pursuit. I'm heading east towards the boat dock." Gusler reports over the radio.
Davis turns left and continues towards the dock.
The suspect runs into a giant garage used for storing the boats and canoes. Gusler reaches the garage, radios in to Davis where he is, then draws his weapon and enters the garage. It is dark inside. There are stalls all down one side and shelves down the other filled with life jackets, paddles and other boating equipment. The center has a row of racks with brackets sticking out, to hang canoes on.
Steve slowly works his way in, peeking around into each stall. He is terrified. He ran in without thinking, and now he is aware of the fact that he should have waited for Davis to catch up before he went in. But now he is halfway through, and it is too late to turn back, so he slowly edges forward.
He is about to peek into another stall, when Davis calls him on the radio.
"Gusler...where are you?"
Steve stops and grabs the radio. "I'm inside...fourth stall in..." As he looks back to count the stalls behind him, the suspect stands up from inside the next stall and hits Steve in the back with an oar. Steve falls to the ground. The suspect runs to the end of the garage and escapes through a side door.
Davis enters the garage and finds Steve on the ground. He calls in that there's an officer down, and he needs a bus in a rush.
Faith and Bosco look at each other. Bosco grabs the burgers from the girl at the counter, and they run out of the diner. As they rush to the location, they hear Davis calling Martin over the radio. He is not responding. When they arrive at the park, they see Sully talking to the EMTs as they work on a civilian near the entrance. A second bus has pulled up and Sully runs over to them, pointing into the park.
"Sully where's Gusler?" Faith yells.
"Gusler is the cop that's down. Davis is with him...over by the boat dock."
They follow the bus through the park, and Faith is relieved to find Gusler is sitting up talking to Davis. He doesn't look seriously hurt.
As the paramedics check him out, Faith starts asking questions. "Where's Martin?"
Gusler doesn't answer. She looks at Davis. He raises his eyebrows and shakes his head. "Don't know. He isn't responding on the radio."
She asks Gusler again. Quietly he answers, "He went out on dinner break."
"So why aren't you with him?"
"He had something to do I guess. He said to go eat and he'd meet me back here in an hour."
"Well how long ago was that? It's almost ten o'clock now." They can tell by her voice that she is getting angry.
"I don't know...I guess...maybe I came back early." Gusler is trying to avoid any problems and is hoping that Faith will just drop it. Of course she doesn't.
"So he went on break...without you...and never came back. Is that what happened? Because it's pretty late to be out on dinner break still. Does he do this every night? How many times has he disappeared Steve? Coz I'm letting the Lieutenant know about this."
Gusler doesn't answer. He looks nervously at Bosco, then turns his attention to the paramedics, and tries to convince them that he is ok and doesn't need to go to the hospital.
Bosco grabs her by the arm. "Come here. Lets talk." he says, pulling her aside. Davis joins them. "Faith, we were just at dinner. And how many times have you left to go see Em at school or something?"
"What's your point?"
"Cut the guy a break. Gusler isn't pissed about it...why should you be?"
She answers back sharply, "Martin's his partner. He's suppose to watch his back, and instead he left him alone. Steve almost..."
"Exactly! He's his partner. And Steve is trying to cover for his partner. They're bonding. And you're trying to come between them."
She looks up at Davis, who nods in agreement, and then she concedes and says, "Alright...I won't push it...but I'm going with him to the hospital. We'll stay with him until Martin shows up...and if he doesn't by the end of the shift, I'm reporting it to Lieu."
She climbs in back of the ambulance with Steve, and Bosco follows them to the park entrance, where he stops to drop Davis off with Sully. He exits the park, and when he stops at the first light, he glances over and spots Martin walking out of the bar.
*********
Martin walks back to the park and when he notices his RMP all smashed up and hanging on the back of a tow truck, he runs up to Sully and Davis.
"What the hell is going on? What the fuck did that idiot do now?" He barks.
"Martin...where have you been man? We've been trying to reach you on the radio." Davis says.
"None of your business where I've been. Where the hell is Gusler? I'll fucken kill him. We'll be here all night doing paper work."
"Your partner is on his way to the hospital." Davis informs him.
"Son-of-a-bitch! Now I'm gonna be in emergency all night. What the hell did he do? Why can't he do anything right?"
"Your concern is real touching." Davis says as he reaches over and flips Martin's radio on. "If you had this on...like you're suppose to...you'd know what the hell is going on."
"Listen smart ass...I'm not in the mood to listen to your shit."
"No. Your in a party mood...I can smell it on your breath." Davis says making circles with his finger around his mouth.
Martin takes a step towards Davis. "You wanna go at it big mouth? C'mon...let's go!"
Sully steps between them and puts his hand on Martin's chest. "Knock it off. You're in enough trouble. Let's you and me go get some coffee and I'll explain what happened." With that said, Sully steers him towards a hot dog stand. Davis raises his hands and shakes his head in disgust, and walks back over to his car.
Sully radios in to 55-David that Martin has returned from dinner and that Sully and Davis have to drive him back to the house so he can get another RMP if he is going to pick up Gusler at the hospital. He reminds them that it is almost eleven o'clock, the end of the shift. He suggests that, as long as they are already there, they bring Gusler back with them.
Bosco agrees, mostly because he doesn't want Faith to have a confrontation with Martin until she cools off.
********
