Disclaimer: I still don't own Third Watch or any of the characters from the show.
Author's note: I'm really glad that you are all enjoying this story. Thanks for the reviews. Please keep them coming, I really love hearing your thoughts on it.
"Understanding Steven"
~Chapter Eleven~
The next day Faith stops to visit Bosco before she goes in to work. He is sleeping when she walks in, so she just sits in the chair next to his bed. The left side of his forehead is swollen and purple, and in the middle is a big gash as though the swelling caused the flesh to burst. His eye is swollen closed and there is also large welt on his left cheek.
His shoulder is bandaged, pinning his arm to his chest, and the bandage wraps around his body, disappearing under the blankets. His leg is in a cast and it is propped up on a bunch of pillows on top of the blanket. He looks pretty banged up and she is amazed that he even survived, laying in that building for two days in this condition.
Nurse Proctor walks in and says hi to Faith.
"Hey." She sits up in the chair. "He was sleeping...I didn't want to wake him."
"It's time for his meds...and actually...he was so ornery last night that I don't feel the least bit guilty." She leans in close and calls to him. "Bosco...up and at 'em sunshine."
Bosco opens his one good eye and growls at her. "Not you again. You're a pain in the ass, ya know that? Go away." He closes his eye, then quickly opens it again. "Wait...you got pain killers?"
"Uh hunh. Along with your antibiotic."
"I changed my mind...I love you."
"Faith...you're a witness that he said that." Proctor says with a mischievous grin.
He looks over and only half of his face smiles when he sees Faith. Even his smile looks painful. "Hey...I didn't hear you come in."
"Well...you were sleepen. How ya feeling today?"
"Like shit...shit that's been stuck to the bottom of someone's shoe. There's a lot to be said for comas." His voice is soft and forced.
"You're a lot more alert than you were last night. Do you remember I was here?"
"I think so...when ma left, right?"
"Yah. I can't stay long...I gotta get to work. I just wanted to see if you needed anything."
"Pain killers...I have a different view of drug addicts now. How is work?"
"Same as usual...a mix of morons, jag-offs, and idiots, with a sprinkle of normalcy here and there."
"Who they got ya riden with?"
"Gusler." she says dryly.
"You must miss me terribly." He says with a painful grin.
"Ya know what...actually...Gusler has been acting a lot like you lately."
"Gusler? You mean because I was in a coma, right?"
"No...I'm serious. He's been really...I don't know...different. Confident...pushy...he's scaren me. Did you know he's real good with a night stick?"
"Gusler? No way."
He took on this huge knife-wielding biker, and made him apologize for insulting me. He put him in the hospital. It was really..."
"Flattering?" he suggests.
"I was gonna say frightening. It's like I didn't know who he was. He became someone else. He is nothen like the Gusler I worked with before."
"Well...maybe our little boy is growing up." She smiles at is comment, but he also detects a little worry.
Just then, an orderly walks in. "Maurice Boscorelli? I'm Jim. I'm here to wheel you down to x-ray."
Faith stands up. "I gotta get to work. I'll stop up if we have to bring any one here tonight."
***
[The precinct]
The officers are walking out of roll call. Gusler calls out to Faith for her to get the radios and he'll meet her at the RMP. She shoots Gusler a glare, but then continues her conversation with Sully. The two of them are talking about someone they used to know. Ty gets into the conversation, and it carries on as they walk out to their RMPs.
As Faith turns towards the drivers side of the cruiser, Gusler hurries up behind her, and puts his hand on her shoulder, halting her.
"Whoa...I'm driven today. I've been doing all the paperwork, and frankly...it sucks." Then he briskly climbs in the drivers seat.
Sully raises his eyebrows at her. "What is this...Bosco the sequel?"
"Yah...and if he don't stop bossen me around, he's gonna end up like Bosco the original...in the hospital."
Sully laughs and shakes his head. "Kids, huh? Somehow you bring out the child in people, Faith...must be the mom in you."
Gusler drives them out of the lot and Faith calls them in as 10-98. She looks at him and gathers her thoughts. "Steve...I want to talk to you about what happened yesterday."
He glances over and says, "Why...what happened yesterday?"
"The call we took...the disturbance at the bar...the guy with the knife?"
"Oh...you don't have to thank me." He grins shyly. "They got to learn...they can't talk to a police officer like that. Especially not..."
She cuts him off. "No that's..." She glances down and exhales in frustration. "That's not what I wanted to talk about."
He looks at her confused. "Well what then?"
"It's the way you went storming into that situation. It was dangerous."
"I had it all under control." He says nonchalantly.
"No...ya didn't. You didn't wait for me. You didn't wait for backup..."
He snickers like she said something silly. "I didn't need backup."
"Yah ya did." She retorts, raising her voice. "We were out numbered, and at least two of them had weapons that we could see." She takes a breath and brings her voice to a calmer level and continues. "Look...you can't just go blowing into a situation like that. I need you to slow down and think. Assess the situation."
"I did. I looked in the window before..."
"I want you to assess it with 'me'." She says emphasizing the last word. "I'm your partner. I'm senior officer. We walk in together...or we don't walk in at all. I...will decide how we handle a situation...is that clear?"
"Yes ma'am." he says quietly.
The conversation is cut short by the radio sounding off. '55-David...we have a three car collision at 103 and Arthur.'
Faith grabs the radio. "55-David...103 and Arthur." She hits the lights and siren, and they speed towards the accident.
*******
Sully and Davis are called to respond to a burglary in progress. They arrive at an apartment building, and on the sidewalk, a crowd has gathered, staring up and pointing at a guy that is sprawled out on the fire escape. He is laying on the steps about halfway down, covering his head and yelling for help as an old lady swats his head with a broom.
"What the hell..." Sully says sourly.
"This is gonna be interesting." Davis says sporting a grin. "Ok...step back everyone." he says, ushering the onlookers back by waving his hands.
"Lady...stop that!" Sully yells up to them.
The woman looks to be about seventy years old, with her white hair tied in a bun and wrapped with a hair net. She is wearing a flowered print house dress, and a bath robe over it, with an apron over the top of that. She has stockings on under white ankle socks with slippers on her feet.
"This som-a-na-bitch...he robba me. I'm a gonna break his head." She continues whacking him on the head with the broom. "My Angelo...God resta his soul...he would akill you."
A young man approaches the officers and explains the situation. "I'm the one who called. I live next door to Mrs. Cappillino. I heard all this commotion, and I ran over to her apartment to see if she was ok. She had gone down to the laundry room, and when she returned, this guy was in her apartment."
"Do you know him?" Sully asks, as Ty pulls down the ladder to the fire escape and begins to climb up.
"No. I've never seen him. He just broke in. She caught him inside and started screaming. When I heard that, I ran over and found her door was open. She was throwing things at him and he was running around the apartment, covering his head and looken for a way out...yelling that she was crazy, and hollering for her to stop. He was bleeding. When I stopped her from throwing things at him, he ran to the window and tried to climb down the fire escape. She grabbed her broom and went out after him. She hit him, and he went tumbling down...and she kept right after him. I was worried for her so I called you."
"You were worried for her?" Sully says in mock surprise.
Davis climbs up and starts wrestling the broom away from her. "Alright...that's enough ma'am. Let the police take care of it."
"Get this crazy old lady off me. She's trying to kill me." He cries. "She hit me with the statue of a saint. I'm bleeden for Christ's sake. She tried to push me off the fire escape. I think my leg is broke."
Davis can't help but smile. The man is in his late twenties, wearing a bandanna on his head, and a jean jacket over a Harley Davidson tee-shirt and torn jeans. He has tattoos on his knuckles that Davis can't identify, because of the blood running off his hand. His leg is caught in the rail of the fire escape, and his shin is swollen tight in his boot.
"Sully...call for a bus. C'mon ma'am...go back inside. We'll take it from here."
"He try to rob a helpless old awoman. He messa with the wrong lady." She bites down on the knuckle of her index finger and snarls at him.
"I can see that. I'm sure he's sorry now." Davis says with a grin, as he guides her back up the fire escape. She turns to the guy one more time and spits at him.
Inside, the place looks ransacked, with an over turned clothes basket, and laundry strewn all around. There are pieces of broken pottery and glass everywhere. It looks as though she threw everything she owned at him.
Davis takes a report from her, with the help of her neighbor that called them, while Sully watches the paramedics administer first aid to the guy and carry him down to the ambulance.
Soon they are at the hospital with the burglar, and while they wait for him to be treated, they decide to go up and visit Bosco.
*****
"Hey guys...thanks for stoppen up." Bosco says, his voice soft and sleepy.
"No problem. We have some time to kill. How ya feelen?" Davis asks.
"I'm pretty sore...but I'll live."
"That was a close call. You must have someone watchen over you dude. Do you remember who did this to you?"
"No. Nothen. Has there been any other car-jackings?"
"None that I've heard of...but the detectives are looking into it." Davis says.
"So how long are you gonna be laid up?" Sully asks him.
"They said I could probably go home tomorrow. I don't know how long I'll be out of work."
"Faith misses you...Gusler is driving her nuts with his new personality." Davis informs him.
"Stan?"
"No...Steve Gusler." Sully corrects him.
"Oh yah...right...Steve." Bosco looks puzzled. "I swear I thought he...never mind."
"You should see the change in that guy. Remember how timid he used to be? Well, he's not any more. He's even ordering Faith around." Davis says with a smile. "She's always given him that look...ya know...the one she always gives you."
"Yah...it's like he became you in your place." Sully adds dryly.
"Yah...Faith said the same thing this morning. I find that hard to believe. Must be that worken with Martin did him some good. He must have taught Stan a thing or two."
"You mean Steve...his name is Steve, right?" Davis asks.
"Yah...I don't know...I seem to remember him telling me his name is Stan now."
"Was it recently?" Davis asks grinning. "Coz...maybe he's going to one of those self-improvement classes and he changed his name with his personality." he says jokingly. "When did he tell you that?"
Bosco shakes his head. "Damned if I can remember. It had to be recently...I never talk to the kid except for all the crap that just happened."
"So you're having some memory loss, huh. Ya gotta keep an eye on those head injuries. They can be pretty serious." Sully warns him.
"I didn't think I had long term memory loss...just those few days."
"Well...we better get back...check on our perp. You get well." Davis says tapping Bosco's good shoulder lightly with his fist.
*****
[55-David is at the scene of the accident]
Gusler pulls up, and Faith looks the scene over, calling for a bus. There are two vehicles...a mini van facing south, and a Chevy embedded into it's side facing north, in the middle of the intersection. The driver of the mini van is still inside, slumped forward and draped over her seatbelt, apparently unconscious. There appears to be children inside as well. The door to the Chevy is open and a man that appears to be the driver is standing next to it, with one hand on the hood to steady himself, and holding his head with the other.
The third vehicle involved is a pickup truck, in front of the other two vehicles and resting against a light pole, facing east. The passenger's side of the truck is pushed in, and there are two people standing in front of the driver's open door, helping the driver. Faith notices right away that there are beer cans on the ground under the truck.
Faith heads over to the van, and yells for Gusler to check on the truck driver. She calls over her radio for a bus to come to this location.
As Gusler nears the truck, he hears the people arguing with the driver to stay in his seat. When they see him approaching they step aside, and a young girl offers him some information about the accident.
"Thank God you're here. This guy is trying to leave." From inside the truck, Gusler hears the man yelling obscenities in a slur, as the girl continues. "He drove right through a red light and that van hit him. As the van spun, that car slammed into it."
Stan ducks down and leans into the car. "Sir are you ok?" He notices a large goose egg on the man's head, and his windshield has crystallized around a point of impact directly over the steering wheel. "Were you wearing your seatbelt sir?"
"I don't need any help, God damn it. Lemmy outta here." he growls as he tries to climb out of the truck.
Gusler puts his hand against the man's shoulder to keep him in the truck and asks, "Have you been drinking?" The question is unnecessary, because he can smell beer on the man's breath.
The young woman offers more information. "When I opened his door to see if he was ok...all these cans fell out."
The man realizes he's now talking to a police officer and his tone changes. "I hit my head...I think I need a doctor. I feel a little dizzy."
"Ok...sit tight sir, the paramedics are on their way."
Faith hurries towards the van. On her way she stops to check on the driver of the Chevy.
"Sir are you alright?"
"Yah...I'm a little shook up, is all."
"Was there anyone else in the car with you?"
"No. I was alone. I...I couldn't stop...it happened so fast...right in front of me. There was nothing I could do."
"That's ok...why don't you sit down right here. Help is on the way."
She runs over and looks into the van. There are two children in the back. One is a baby in a car seat, crying loudly, and the other is a little boy about six years old, wearing a seat belt. He is unconscious, and the side of the van has caved in against him. In the front seat, the woman that was driving is unconscious. Her nose is bleeding, but the air bag had deployed, and Faith assumes that the bag is what caused her injuries. Next to her is another child, around eight years old, also wearing a seat belt, and she also appears to be pinned by the collapsed side of the van.
Faith opens the back door and yells in, asking if everyone is ok. She gets no reply. She checks the baby in the car seat and she appears to be ok. Leaning over the baby, she takes the wrist of the little boy and feels for a pulse. She's relieved when she finds one.
"Ma'am...are you ok? Can you hear me?" She calls to the woman as she unwraps the seatbelt from the car seat. She talks soothingly to the baby and tries to get her to stop crying, as she removes her from the car.
The paramedics have arrived. "What do ya got Faith?" Kim calls as she hurries over.
"I got the baby out. I think she's ok. The mom is unconscious and so are the other two kids. I think the kids are pinned inside." She hands the baby off to Kim. "I left her in the car seat...in case she was injured."
"Smart thinken...that's better than a back board." Kim says.
Doc is now leaning into the van. "Faith...call for another bus. We're gonna need help transporting. And light a fire under Doherty's ass...we're gonna need the jaws to get these kids out. What do ya got over there?" He nods his head towards the other vehicles.
"I got the driver of that car sitting down. He seems to be ok. He was alone. Gusler is checking out the truck driver. I'll go see how he's doen."
She makes the calls on her radio as she hurries over to see Gusler.
"Let me see your license and registration while we're waiting." Stan tells the guy as he looks around the inside of the vehicle. "Did you drink all this beer today?"
"Uh...no...they're not mine." He says handing his license over.
"Even the ones inside on the floor?" he asks accusingly.
The guy looks down and sees all the empty cans littering the floor of his truck. "Oh...that...that was...uh...I was returning my empties."
"And where are you coming from, sir?"
"What? I'm on my way home." The guy says, avoiding the question. "My registration is in my glove box." He leans over to the passenger's side.
Faith walks up. "How is he?"
Stan turns his back to the truck so the guy can't hear the conversation. "He's plowed."
"Is he hurt?"
"Are they ever? Witnesses say he ran the light and caused all this."
"Ok...we'll have the paramedics look him over then we'll take him in." Suddenly there is the sound of twisting metal. Faith looks beyond Gusler and sees the guy opening the passenger door and climbing out of the other side of the truck. "Hey...stop!"
The guy takes off running and they both take off after him. Gusler takes the lead as Faith calls in to central. "55-David in foot pursuit...east on Arthur. Requesting backup."
The guy runs through a crowd standing around a street vender's hot dog stand. He pushes people aside, knocking down an old man with a walker. Gusler continues on, while Faith stops to see if the old man is ok. His head is bleeding from hitting the sidewalk.
She kneels next to him, as she calls over her radio, "I need a bus two blocks east on Arthur."
Another unit pulls up next to her as back up and the officers hurry over. "My partner's on foot pursuit." she tells them. "Stay with this man until help comes. I'm going after my partner." She cues her radio. "Gusler...where are you?"
"We turned north down an alley. I got him...he's trapped." is the reply.
When Faith catches up to Gusler, he has pulled the man off the fence he tried to climb over, and is beating him mercilessly. "Steve...stop. Steve! That's enough." She pulls him away, and he lunges back at the man again. "Steve...stop it. What's wrong with you. Stop!"
She gets him away again, and jacks him up against the wall. "What the hell are you doing?"
"That guy tried to run. He made me look stupid."
She looks at him with a mix of shock and anger. Then the radio crackles to life. "55-David...we have a private message."
She glares at Gusler, as she answers the call. "55-David...go ahead."
"This message is a 10-3 for officer Yokas."
"10-4 message received." She answers.
"What's that all about? What's a 10-3?" Gusler asks.
"I have to call in by phone."
"Why?"
"Because it's private...to me. I'll call as soon as we take care of this guy."
Gusler gets a bad feeling. He wonders what they have to tell her that he can't hear...or rather...what they may have found out.
**********
Author's note: I'm really glad that you are all enjoying this story. Thanks for the reviews. Please keep them coming, I really love hearing your thoughts on it.
"Understanding Steven"
~Chapter Eleven~
The next day Faith stops to visit Bosco before she goes in to work. He is sleeping when she walks in, so she just sits in the chair next to his bed. The left side of his forehead is swollen and purple, and in the middle is a big gash as though the swelling caused the flesh to burst. His eye is swollen closed and there is also large welt on his left cheek.
His shoulder is bandaged, pinning his arm to his chest, and the bandage wraps around his body, disappearing under the blankets. His leg is in a cast and it is propped up on a bunch of pillows on top of the blanket. He looks pretty banged up and she is amazed that he even survived, laying in that building for two days in this condition.
Nurse Proctor walks in and says hi to Faith.
"Hey." She sits up in the chair. "He was sleeping...I didn't want to wake him."
"It's time for his meds...and actually...he was so ornery last night that I don't feel the least bit guilty." She leans in close and calls to him. "Bosco...up and at 'em sunshine."
Bosco opens his one good eye and growls at her. "Not you again. You're a pain in the ass, ya know that? Go away." He closes his eye, then quickly opens it again. "Wait...you got pain killers?"
"Uh hunh. Along with your antibiotic."
"I changed my mind...I love you."
"Faith...you're a witness that he said that." Proctor says with a mischievous grin.
He looks over and only half of his face smiles when he sees Faith. Even his smile looks painful. "Hey...I didn't hear you come in."
"Well...you were sleepen. How ya feeling today?"
"Like shit...shit that's been stuck to the bottom of someone's shoe. There's a lot to be said for comas." His voice is soft and forced.
"You're a lot more alert than you were last night. Do you remember I was here?"
"I think so...when ma left, right?"
"Yah. I can't stay long...I gotta get to work. I just wanted to see if you needed anything."
"Pain killers...I have a different view of drug addicts now. How is work?"
"Same as usual...a mix of morons, jag-offs, and idiots, with a sprinkle of normalcy here and there."
"Who they got ya riden with?"
"Gusler." she says dryly.
"You must miss me terribly." He says with a painful grin.
"Ya know what...actually...Gusler has been acting a lot like you lately."
"Gusler? You mean because I was in a coma, right?"
"No...I'm serious. He's been really...I don't know...different. Confident...pushy...he's scaren me. Did you know he's real good with a night stick?"
"Gusler? No way."
He took on this huge knife-wielding biker, and made him apologize for insulting me. He put him in the hospital. It was really..."
"Flattering?" he suggests.
"I was gonna say frightening. It's like I didn't know who he was. He became someone else. He is nothen like the Gusler I worked with before."
"Well...maybe our little boy is growing up." She smiles at is comment, but he also detects a little worry.
Just then, an orderly walks in. "Maurice Boscorelli? I'm Jim. I'm here to wheel you down to x-ray."
Faith stands up. "I gotta get to work. I'll stop up if we have to bring any one here tonight."
***
[The precinct]
The officers are walking out of roll call. Gusler calls out to Faith for her to get the radios and he'll meet her at the RMP. She shoots Gusler a glare, but then continues her conversation with Sully. The two of them are talking about someone they used to know. Ty gets into the conversation, and it carries on as they walk out to their RMPs.
As Faith turns towards the drivers side of the cruiser, Gusler hurries up behind her, and puts his hand on her shoulder, halting her.
"Whoa...I'm driven today. I've been doing all the paperwork, and frankly...it sucks." Then he briskly climbs in the drivers seat.
Sully raises his eyebrows at her. "What is this...Bosco the sequel?"
"Yah...and if he don't stop bossen me around, he's gonna end up like Bosco the original...in the hospital."
Sully laughs and shakes his head. "Kids, huh? Somehow you bring out the child in people, Faith...must be the mom in you."
Gusler drives them out of the lot and Faith calls them in as 10-98. She looks at him and gathers her thoughts. "Steve...I want to talk to you about what happened yesterday."
He glances over and says, "Why...what happened yesterday?"
"The call we took...the disturbance at the bar...the guy with the knife?"
"Oh...you don't have to thank me." He grins shyly. "They got to learn...they can't talk to a police officer like that. Especially not..."
She cuts him off. "No that's..." She glances down and exhales in frustration. "That's not what I wanted to talk about."
He looks at her confused. "Well what then?"
"It's the way you went storming into that situation. It was dangerous."
"I had it all under control." He says nonchalantly.
"No...ya didn't. You didn't wait for me. You didn't wait for backup..."
He snickers like she said something silly. "I didn't need backup."
"Yah ya did." She retorts, raising her voice. "We were out numbered, and at least two of them had weapons that we could see." She takes a breath and brings her voice to a calmer level and continues. "Look...you can't just go blowing into a situation like that. I need you to slow down and think. Assess the situation."
"I did. I looked in the window before..."
"I want you to assess it with 'me'." She says emphasizing the last word. "I'm your partner. I'm senior officer. We walk in together...or we don't walk in at all. I...will decide how we handle a situation...is that clear?"
"Yes ma'am." he says quietly.
The conversation is cut short by the radio sounding off. '55-David...we have a three car collision at 103 and Arthur.'
Faith grabs the radio. "55-David...103 and Arthur." She hits the lights and siren, and they speed towards the accident.
*******
Sully and Davis are called to respond to a burglary in progress. They arrive at an apartment building, and on the sidewalk, a crowd has gathered, staring up and pointing at a guy that is sprawled out on the fire escape. He is laying on the steps about halfway down, covering his head and yelling for help as an old lady swats his head with a broom.
"What the hell..." Sully says sourly.
"This is gonna be interesting." Davis says sporting a grin. "Ok...step back everyone." he says, ushering the onlookers back by waving his hands.
"Lady...stop that!" Sully yells up to them.
The woman looks to be about seventy years old, with her white hair tied in a bun and wrapped with a hair net. She is wearing a flowered print house dress, and a bath robe over it, with an apron over the top of that. She has stockings on under white ankle socks with slippers on her feet.
"This som-a-na-bitch...he robba me. I'm a gonna break his head." She continues whacking him on the head with the broom. "My Angelo...God resta his soul...he would akill you."
A young man approaches the officers and explains the situation. "I'm the one who called. I live next door to Mrs. Cappillino. I heard all this commotion, and I ran over to her apartment to see if she was ok. She had gone down to the laundry room, and when she returned, this guy was in her apartment."
"Do you know him?" Sully asks, as Ty pulls down the ladder to the fire escape and begins to climb up.
"No. I've never seen him. He just broke in. She caught him inside and started screaming. When I heard that, I ran over and found her door was open. She was throwing things at him and he was running around the apartment, covering his head and looken for a way out...yelling that she was crazy, and hollering for her to stop. He was bleeding. When I stopped her from throwing things at him, he ran to the window and tried to climb down the fire escape. She grabbed her broom and went out after him. She hit him, and he went tumbling down...and she kept right after him. I was worried for her so I called you."
"You were worried for her?" Sully says in mock surprise.
Davis climbs up and starts wrestling the broom away from her. "Alright...that's enough ma'am. Let the police take care of it."
"Get this crazy old lady off me. She's trying to kill me." He cries. "She hit me with the statue of a saint. I'm bleeden for Christ's sake. She tried to push me off the fire escape. I think my leg is broke."
Davis can't help but smile. The man is in his late twenties, wearing a bandanna on his head, and a jean jacket over a Harley Davidson tee-shirt and torn jeans. He has tattoos on his knuckles that Davis can't identify, because of the blood running off his hand. His leg is caught in the rail of the fire escape, and his shin is swollen tight in his boot.
"Sully...call for a bus. C'mon ma'am...go back inside. We'll take it from here."
"He try to rob a helpless old awoman. He messa with the wrong lady." She bites down on the knuckle of her index finger and snarls at him.
"I can see that. I'm sure he's sorry now." Davis says with a grin, as he guides her back up the fire escape. She turns to the guy one more time and spits at him.
Inside, the place looks ransacked, with an over turned clothes basket, and laundry strewn all around. There are pieces of broken pottery and glass everywhere. It looks as though she threw everything she owned at him.
Davis takes a report from her, with the help of her neighbor that called them, while Sully watches the paramedics administer first aid to the guy and carry him down to the ambulance.
Soon they are at the hospital with the burglar, and while they wait for him to be treated, they decide to go up and visit Bosco.
*****
"Hey guys...thanks for stoppen up." Bosco says, his voice soft and sleepy.
"No problem. We have some time to kill. How ya feelen?" Davis asks.
"I'm pretty sore...but I'll live."
"That was a close call. You must have someone watchen over you dude. Do you remember who did this to you?"
"No. Nothen. Has there been any other car-jackings?"
"None that I've heard of...but the detectives are looking into it." Davis says.
"So how long are you gonna be laid up?" Sully asks him.
"They said I could probably go home tomorrow. I don't know how long I'll be out of work."
"Faith misses you...Gusler is driving her nuts with his new personality." Davis informs him.
"Stan?"
"No...Steve Gusler." Sully corrects him.
"Oh yah...right...Steve." Bosco looks puzzled. "I swear I thought he...never mind."
"You should see the change in that guy. Remember how timid he used to be? Well, he's not any more. He's even ordering Faith around." Davis says with a smile. "She's always given him that look...ya know...the one she always gives you."
"Yah...it's like he became you in your place." Sully adds dryly.
"Yah...Faith said the same thing this morning. I find that hard to believe. Must be that worken with Martin did him some good. He must have taught Stan a thing or two."
"You mean Steve...his name is Steve, right?" Davis asks.
"Yah...I don't know...I seem to remember him telling me his name is Stan now."
"Was it recently?" Davis asks grinning. "Coz...maybe he's going to one of those self-improvement classes and he changed his name with his personality." he says jokingly. "When did he tell you that?"
Bosco shakes his head. "Damned if I can remember. It had to be recently...I never talk to the kid except for all the crap that just happened."
"So you're having some memory loss, huh. Ya gotta keep an eye on those head injuries. They can be pretty serious." Sully warns him.
"I didn't think I had long term memory loss...just those few days."
"Well...we better get back...check on our perp. You get well." Davis says tapping Bosco's good shoulder lightly with his fist.
*****
[55-David is at the scene of the accident]
Gusler pulls up, and Faith looks the scene over, calling for a bus. There are two vehicles...a mini van facing south, and a Chevy embedded into it's side facing north, in the middle of the intersection. The driver of the mini van is still inside, slumped forward and draped over her seatbelt, apparently unconscious. There appears to be children inside as well. The door to the Chevy is open and a man that appears to be the driver is standing next to it, with one hand on the hood to steady himself, and holding his head with the other.
The third vehicle involved is a pickup truck, in front of the other two vehicles and resting against a light pole, facing east. The passenger's side of the truck is pushed in, and there are two people standing in front of the driver's open door, helping the driver. Faith notices right away that there are beer cans on the ground under the truck.
Faith heads over to the van, and yells for Gusler to check on the truck driver. She calls over her radio for a bus to come to this location.
As Gusler nears the truck, he hears the people arguing with the driver to stay in his seat. When they see him approaching they step aside, and a young girl offers him some information about the accident.
"Thank God you're here. This guy is trying to leave." From inside the truck, Gusler hears the man yelling obscenities in a slur, as the girl continues. "He drove right through a red light and that van hit him. As the van spun, that car slammed into it."
Stan ducks down and leans into the car. "Sir are you ok?" He notices a large goose egg on the man's head, and his windshield has crystallized around a point of impact directly over the steering wheel. "Were you wearing your seatbelt sir?"
"I don't need any help, God damn it. Lemmy outta here." he growls as he tries to climb out of the truck.
Gusler puts his hand against the man's shoulder to keep him in the truck and asks, "Have you been drinking?" The question is unnecessary, because he can smell beer on the man's breath.
The young woman offers more information. "When I opened his door to see if he was ok...all these cans fell out."
The man realizes he's now talking to a police officer and his tone changes. "I hit my head...I think I need a doctor. I feel a little dizzy."
"Ok...sit tight sir, the paramedics are on their way."
Faith hurries towards the van. On her way she stops to check on the driver of the Chevy.
"Sir are you alright?"
"Yah...I'm a little shook up, is all."
"Was there anyone else in the car with you?"
"No. I was alone. I...I couldn't stop...it happened so fast...right in front of me. There was nothing I could do."
"That's ok...why don't you sit down right here. Help is on the way."
She runs over and looks into the van. There are two children in the back. One is a baby in a car seat, crying loudly, and the other is a little boy about six years old, wearing a seat belt. He is unconscious, and the side of the van has caved in against him. In the front seat, the woman that was driving is unconscious. Her nose is bleeding, but the air bag had deployed, and Faith assumes that the bag is what caused her injuries. Next to her is another child, around eight years old, also wearing a seat belt, and she also appears to be pinned by the collapsed side of the van.
Faith opens the back door and yells in, asking if everyone is ok. She gets no reply. She checks the baby in the car seat and she appears to be ok. Leaning over the baby, she takes the wrist of the little boy and feels for a pulse. She's relieved when she finds one.
"Ma'am...are you ok? Can you hear me?" She calls to the woman as she unwraps the seatbelt from the car seat. She talks soothingly to the baby and tries to get her to stop crying, as she removes her from the car.
The paramedics have arrived. "What do ya got Faith?" Kim calls as she hurries over.
"I got the baby out. I think she's ok. The mom is unconscious and so are the other two kids. I think the kids are pinned inside." She hands the baby off to Kim. "I left her in the car seat...in case she was injured."
"Smart thinken...that's better than a back board." Kim says.
Doc is now leaning into the van. "Faith...call for another bus. We're gonna need help transporting. And light a fire under Doherty's ass...we're gonna need the jaws to get these kids out. What do ya got over there?" He nods his head towards the other vehicles.
"I got the driver of that car sitting down. He seems to be ok. He was alone. Gusler is checking out the truck driver. I'll go see how he's doen."
She makes the calls on her radio as she hurries over to see Gusler.
"Let me see your license and registration while we're waiting." Stan tells the guy as he looks around the inside of the vehicle. "Did you drink all this beer today?"
"Uh...no...they're not mine." He says handing his license over.
"Even the ones inside on the floor?" he asks accusingly.
The guy looks down and sees all the empty cans littering the floor of his truck. "Oh...that...that was...uh...I was returning my empties."
"And where are you coming from, sir?"
"What? I'm on my way home." The guy says, avoiding the question. "My registration is in my glove box." He leans over to the passenger's side.
Faith walks up. "How is he?"
Stan turns his back to the truck so the guy can't hear the conversation. "He's plowed."
"Is he hurt?"
"Are they ever? Witnesses say he ran the light and caused all this."
"Ok...we'll have the paramedics look him over then we'll take him in." Suddenly there is the sound of twisting metal. Faith looks beyond Gusler and sees the guy opening the passenger door and climbing out of the other side of the truck. "Hey...stop!"
The guy takes off running and they both take off after him. Gusler takes the lead as Faith calls in to central. "55-David in foot pursuit...east on Arthur. Requesting backup."
The guy runs through a crowd standing around a street vender's hot dog stand. He pushes people aside, knocking down an old man with a walker. Gusler continues on, while Faith stops to see if the old man is ok. His head is bleeding from hitting the sidewalk.
She kneels next to him, as she calls over her radio, "I need a bus two blocks east on Arthur."
Another unit pulls up next to her as back up and the officers hurry over. "My partner's on foot pursuit." she tells them. "Stay with this man until help comes. I'm going after my partner." She cues her radio. "Gusler...where are you?"
"We turned north down an alley. I got him...he's trapped." is the reply.
When Faith catches up to Gusler, he has pulled the man off the fence he tried to climb over, and is beating him mercilessly. "Steve...stop. Steve! That's enough." She pulls him away, and he lunges back at the man again. "Steve...stop it. What's wrong with you. Stop!"
She gets him away again, and jacks him up against the wall. "What the hell are you doing?"
"That guy tried to run. He made me look stupid."
She looks at him with a mix of shock and anger. Then the radio crackles to life. "55-David...we have a private message."
She glares at Gusler, as she answers the call. "55-David...go ahead."
"This message is a 10-3 for officer Yokas."
"10-4 message received." She answers.
"What's that all about? What's a 10-3?" Gusler asks.
"I have to call in by phone."
"Why?"
"Because it's private...to me. I'll call as soon as we take care of this guy."
Gusler gets a bad feeling. He wonders what they have to tell her that he can't hear...or rather...what they may have found out.
**********
