Disclaimer: I don't own them, I just play with them then put them back They're owned by Warner Brothers and were created by John Wells and Ed Bernero.
Liz Magnuson is an original character created by the author and cannot be used without permission.
One of Those Days
by Elsandra 2004
"Owens."
"Here."
"Powers."
"Yo!"
Lt. Swersky looked up at the officer who'd responded, his eye brow lifting. The officer squirmed appropriately under Swersky's steady look before the lieutenant continued, "Five-five Boy, 5548, meal 1900.
"Sullivan."
"Here."
"Magnuson."
"Present."
Again Swersky looked up, this time
smiling. "Five-five Charlie, 5550, meal 1800.
Welcome back to the street,
Magnuson."
"Thank you, sir."
"Monroe."
"Here."
"Boscorelli."
"Yep."
"Five-five David, 5564, meal 1900."
"Powell."
"Here."
"Simmons."
"Here."
"Five-five Edward, 5549, meal
1800." Lt. Swersky looked back at the
young officer who'd drawn his attention moments before while speaking to the
man's partner, "Owens, I don't want to hear that Boy is in Charlie's area all
night. Got it?"
Owens grinned as his partner turned red. "I'll do my best sir!"
Lt Swersky looked back to see Liz Magnuson was also blushing. "Okay, people, that's it. We've got a back log so don't dawdle."
The officers shuffled out, some hooting and calling out barbs to Powers and Magnuson as they went. Sully found himself smiling at his partner's complexion, he hadn't seen her that red in a long time. He patted her on the shoulder as they headed to the equipment room. "You knew some of this was coming."
"The old "if they didn't tease me I wouldn't think they loved me anymore" bit?"
"You got it."
Liz's response was just a roll of her eyes which caused Sully to laugh. They signed out radios and were heading towards the door as Sully keyed his mike, "Five-five Charlie to Central, 10-98."
*10-4, Five Five Charlie. See the manager at 426 W. 142nd Street regarding a suspicious odor*
Sully scowled while Liz stated laughing at his expression. "10-4, Central. 426 W. 142nd Street."
"Let the fun begin!" Liz quipped as she tossed the car keys to Sully, which he adeptly caught.
"Yeah, fun," he grumbled as he followed her out the door.
Eyeing the apartment building their call was at, Sully followed his partner to the front door as she radioed them in, "Five five Charlie is 10-84, Central."
*10-4 Charlie*
"I hate these kind of calls," Sully complained.
"They're not my favorite either."
They stopped to find out which apartment the manager lived in before trying the door. It opened, the lock obviously broken. "Hope they're not paying for a secure building," Sully stated as they went in.
The door to the manager's apartment opened almost before Sully knocked on it. "Bout time you people got here," the manager groused as he walked out.
"You caught us at shift change, sir. We got here as fast as we could," Liz stated, trying to soothe both the manager and her partner before Sully got too grumpy.
"Yeah, whatever. Come on, it's 2B."
"Who lives in that apartment?" Sully asked as they started up the stairs.
"Jacob Conners."
"When did you first notice an odor coming from his apartment?" Liz queried.
"A couple of days ago."
"Have you seen Mr. Conners recently?"
"Not in over a week, his mail's been piling up in his mailbox. Mail man brought me the overflow today." The manager pulled open the door to the second floor.
As they stepped into the hall, Sully and Liz exchanged looks at the odor which hung in the air. As they neared the apartment door the sickly sweet odor got stronger. "Mr. Conners live alone?" Sully asked as the manager unlocked the door.
"Yeah, he was a bit of a loner." The manager pushed the door open then stepped back. "Jesus, you think that's rotten garbage?"
"Unfortunately,
no," Sully replied. "Why don't you go
down to the lobby and escort the others up when they get here."
"The others?"
"The coroner," Liz stated as she pulled a small tub of mentholatum rub out of her pocket. The manager frowned but headed down the hall without another word. Liz gave the tub to Sully as she put the rub in her nose, barely poking her head inside the door. When Sully handed the tub back she asked, "Ready to go in?"
"He's not getting any fresher."
They headed in, breathing through their mouths. Liz headed to her right into the living room while Sully went down the hall a little ways then turned to his left. He found himself in the kitchen with the renter of the apartment staring back at him through decomposing eyes while seated at the kitchen table. There was a twelve gauge shot gun leaning against the body and blood spattered all over the wall behind the body. "Liz, in here!" Sully called.
He started looking around for a suicide note as Liz entered the room. She stopped, putting her hands on her hips as she looked the body over. "Nice," was all she said as she moved closer, being careful not to step in the blood on the floor.
There was a piece of paper on the counter which Sully picked up. In scrawling handwriting was written: Sorry about the mess. Sully grunted at the sentiment.
"Oh, wonderful."
"What?" Sully turned to look at his partner.
She pointed at the stove which was behind the victim. "Guess I'm not having scrambled eggs for dinner."
Sully walked over to see what Liz had found then wished he hadn't when he saw what she'd pointed at. Sitting in a frying pan on the stove was the victim's brain, surprisingly in one piece, pieces of skull littering the stove and the wall behind it. "Crap," Sully uttered. He looked at it again. "Reminds me of those brains on drugs commercials."
"Five five Charlie to Central," Liz spoke into her mic as she rolled her eyes at his comment.
*Go ahead Charlie*
"Central, we need an ME and a supervisor at this location for a possible suicide."
*10-4, Charlie*
Sully sighed. "It's gonna be one of those days."
An hour later they cleared from the scene, grateful to be back out in the fresh air.
"I hate dead bodies this time of year," Sully stated, filling his lungs.
"I hate dead bodies period." Liz pulled some tissues out of her squad bag in the trunk, handing a couple to Sully. They both blew their noses to clear out the mentholatum rub and the smell of dead body. Liz sniffed at her uniform. "Uggh, I've got to get out of this shirt."
Sully smelled his own shirt. "Nothing like "Eau de dead guy"."
Liz smiled as she climbed into the RMP. "You sure now how to show a girl a good time," she chided as he got in the driver's seat.
"You should see me when I really get going." He headed back to the house so they could change.
They had just gotten back on the street when their radio squawked. *Five five Charlie*
"Charlie," answered Sully.
*Respond to a 10-50 at Romano's Liquor Store, 123rd and Lenox*
"10-4, 123rd and Lenox." Sully pulled the squad out of its parking stall, easing into traffic when he could. "I bet Davis is having a much better time than we are."
Liz chuckled. "I hope so, he is at a wedding after all."
"You sure aren't getting to ease back into things, are you?"
"Nature of the job, my friend."
"Tell me about it."
Ten minutes later they pulled in front of the liquor store. A one armed male stood outside, yelling at another male. "Give you one guess on who's the problem," Liz stated as they climbed out of the car.
The male was screaming obscenities at the crowd that had gathered. "Come on, you son-of-a-bitch, I only want to buy a forty! Let me in, you mother fucker!"
"Hey, now, what kind of language is that to use in public," Sully replied, moving up on one side of the male. Liz approached him from the other side.
"The bastard kicked me out! I only wanted to buy a forty!" the male yelled, swaying on his feet.
Liz waved a
hand in front of her face. "Smells like you've already had plenty."
"Fuck you, bitch!"
"That's no way to talk to a lady." Sully grabbed the male's one whole arm, getting him into an escort hold. The male tried to get his arm out of Sully's grip but the officer just pushed on the guy's elbow to roll it forward, making the male bend forward.
On the male's other side Liz was having a problem. She grabbed the male's stump but couldn't hold on when he started to really struggle with them, cussing them out. "John, I've got nothing to grab on to over here!"
"He got on anything we can handcuff him to?"
Liz looked the male over. He was wearing a pair of elastic waist warm up pants, a tank top, and flip flop sandals. She shook her head as she tried to grab his stump again. "Nothing."
"Great." Sully pushed down harder on the male's arm to get him to move over to their RMP. "At least with no pockets he can't have any weapons."
"Let me go, you fuckers!" the male hollered.
"Shut up!" Liz barked, opening the door.
"You're under arrest for disorderly conduct," Sully stated, trying to push the guy into the back seat.
"I'll show you disorderly!" the male yelled. He tried to jerk his arm out of Sully's grip while waving his stump in Liz's face. Sully wrapped an arm around the male's chest, trying to lift the guy into the car. The male planted his feet against the seat, pushing against it.
Liz hurried around the squad, opening the other back door and crawling inside. She grabbed the male's feet and pulled, helping Sully slide the guy inside. Sully managed to slam the door shut on his side but the male tried to come all the way across the seat and out Liz's side. Liz pushed him back. "Get in the car."
"Fuck you,
bitch! Let me out!"
"Stop resisting!" Liz yelled,
still pushing his legs. She finally
managed to get him in as Sully came up beside her. Together they pushed the door shut while the male continued to
scream inside. "I take it back."
Sully looked puzzled. "Take what back?"
"You are not showing me a good time."
Sully snorted as they got into the car.
The male was still yelling as Sully drove them back to the house. Liz rolled down her window. "Man, smells like he drank a whole brewery tonight."
"Bet he's a .30."
"I won't take that bet." The male suddenly became quiet and Liz looked back to see what was going on. "Oh, great."
"What?"
"Mr. Soused has decided to become Mr. Naked."
"You're kidding!" Sully glanced in the rear view mirror to see the male had removed his shirt. He looked at Liz. "He got anything on?"
"Thankfully
he's still got his underwear on." The
male started sobbing, his drunken state causing a mood swing. "I think I liked the yelling better," Liz
stated.
Sully didn't comment, pulling
up to the station and parking the squad.
He glanced in the back then moved to Liz's side of the car since the
drunk's head was pointed that way.
"Ready to do this?"
"Might as well get it over with." She grabbed the door handle, taking a deep breath before opening it. The drunk was lying on his side, bawling. Sully managed to roll him onto his back so he could grab the guy's whole arm then slipped his hand in the arm pit on his disabled side. Liz chuckled at the grimace on Sully's face at having to pull on the guy's sweaty pit which drew a glare from her partner. She grabbed the guy's stump to help steady him once Sully got him on his feet.
They walked him inside, still blubbering. The desk sergeant gave them a bemused look. "Who's the beauty?"
"Don't know, no ID on him," stated Sully.
"Not much else on him either," quipped Lt. Swersky as he walked up.
Sully and Liz both gave him withering looks which caused the lieutenant to smile before walking away. They walked the still sobbing man back to the holding tank.
Over an hour later they headed back to their squad. "Wanna try to get something to eat?" Sully asked as they climbed in.
"Sounds good to me."
*Five five Charlie*
"Damn!" Sully keyed his mike. "Five five Charlie."
*Respond to a 10-53, car versus motorcycle with injuries at the intersection of 118th Street and Park Avenue. Ambulance enroute*
"10-4, 118th and Park." As Liz hit the lights and siren he grumbled, "This is turning into the day from hell."
"Not quite, we haven't seen the flames yet."
Sully just shook his head as he scanned the intersections for vehicles. Liz kept calling out if they were clear, bracing herself against the roof when he turned corners. Sully gave her points for not complaining like Davis did when they ran code three. Soon they arrived at the call.
A male lay
writhing on the ground, next to a motorcycle on its side. Liz rushed to his side, asking questions
about his injuries as she pulled on her gloves. Sully walked over to a woman
crying on the sidewalk. "You the driver
of the car?" he asked her gently. She
nodded, unable to speak. "Can you tell
me what happened?"
The woman drew in a shuddering
breath but continued to sob. "I..I…
di..i..i..dn't s..s…see him
c…c…c…coming!"
"Do you have your license and registration?"
The woman nodded, leading Sully over to her car as the ambulance pulled up. Kim and Carlos spilled out of it once it stopped, opening doors to grab their equipment. Kim rushed over to Sully as Carlos headed towards Liz. "Whadda ya got, Sully?"
Sully pointed at the woman next to him. "She was driving the car. She doesn't appear to be hurt but we just got here so I haven't been able to ask her much."
Kim took the woman's arm and steered her back to her car, sitting her down in the front seat to ask her questions while Sully listened. Meanwhile, Carlos had started assessing his patient while Liz waited to assist. "Sir, where do you hurt?"
"My leg! I think it's broken!" the man hissed as he clutched at his right leg. Liz helped support the man from behind as Carlos took a quick look.
"Did you hit your head?"
"No, I don't think so."
Carlos felt the man's unhelmeted head but didn't feel any contusions. He grabbed a c-collar, fastening it on before helping the man to lie back. "Can you go get me a backboard?" he asked Liz.
"You bet." She hurried off, running into Kim and Sully at the ambulance.
"What's Carlos got?" Kim asked as she helped the woman climb in.
"Guy might have a broken leg, Carlos needs a backboard," Liz replied as she climbed in to grab the board.
"Sully, watch her," Kim stated as she rushed after Liz to help her own partner.
Fifteen minutes later both patients had been loaded into the ambulance and tow trucks had arrived to take the vehicles. Sully and Liz had managed to get all the information they needed for their report so they said their good byes to the paramedics as they closed the doors of the ambulance. Sully returned his notebook to his pocket as he asked, "Wanna try for dinner again?"
"I think try is going to be the key word."
As they headed to their squad their radios came to life again. *Five five Charlie*
Sully cussed under his breath as Liz answered, "Five five Charlie."
*Assist at an apartment fire, 129th Street and Lenox, fire responding*
"10-4, Central, 129th and Lenox."
"Is anyone else working today?" Sully groused.
They could see smoke coming out a window on the third floor when they pulled up in front of the apartment building but there didn't appear to be any flames. People had congregated outside the building on the sidewalk. "What happened? Is there anyone still inside?" Liz asked the crowd.
"Something caught on fire in Josie's oven, 3D," called an elderly female who was comforting a young woman who crying.
"Everyone's out," yelled another guy from the side.
"Come on, let's see how bad it is," Sully stated.
Heading inside, they could see the smoke wasn't as bad as they thought it would be. They hurried up the stairs, starting to cough from the bad air as they reached the third floor. Liz felt the door to 3D for heat before opening it. Thick smoke rolled out as the door opened but they still couldn't see any flames. They went in slowly, trying to find the kitchen in the murky light. Poking their heads in, they could see flames coming from the oven but they hadn't spread any farther. Liz hurried out to the hallway, coming back with a fire extinguisher.
"John, find a pot holder to open the oven door!" she yelled as they heard the sirens of the fire engine arriving.
Sully looked around the counters, finally locating a mitt near the sink. He slipped it on, moving closer to the stove. "Ready?"
"Yeah!"
Darting over to pull down the door, Sully recoiled from the heat but managed to get the oven open before hurrying away. Liz aimed the extinguisher and fired, sending the spray into the opening. She moved the nozzle back and forth until there was nothing left to come out, smothering the fire and putting it out. She and Sully waited to see if it was out before wandering back out in the hall.
As they were reaching for the handle of the stairwell door it flung open from the other side, revealing firefighters in turnouts. Sully smiled at them between coughs. "Welcome to the party, boys."
"What's going on, Sully?" Logan asked.
"Oven fire. We put it out but you better go check," answered Liz, coughing as well. Logan and Jericho pushed past the officers as Walsh and Ramsey reached out to grab Sully and Liz by the arm.
"Let's get you two checked out," Walsh stated, leading Liz down the stairs. Sully tried to pull free of Ramsey but the firefighter wouldn't let him. Sully gave in without much of a struggle and went down the stairs with him..
When they went outside they could see Doherty talking to the still sobbing girl while DK and Peters were grabbing equipment. Ramsey called out to Doherty, "Lieu, the fire's out!"
"How?"
"The cops put it out."
"Did they?"
Walsh nodded. "Logan and Jericho are checking to make sure it's completely out."
DK walked up, a concerned look on his face. "You two okay?"
Sully nodded. "Yeah."
Liz rolled her eyes. "These guys are just being overprotective."
"There's no such thing," stated Walsh as he steered her towards the ambulance which had just pulled up. DK trailed behind them with Ramsey and Sully bringing up the rear. Levine and Sanchez hurried over to meet them half way. The firefighters turned the cops over to them then hurried back the building to see if they were needed, Walsh giving Liz's arm a squeeze before walking away. DK paused, wanting to stay to make sure she was alright but knowing he had a job to do. Liz waved him off, taking away his decision. He hurried off, not looking happy.
Sully and Liz let the paramedics give them oxygen, coughing as they sucked it in. "Well, it's official," Liz's muffled voice said.
"What is?" Sully asked, taking off his mask. Levine started tut-tutting at him, making him put it back on.
"We've seen
the flames."
At first Sully didn't know
what she meant then he recalled their earlier conversation. His laughter started him coughing again
which Liz joined in, causing both paramedics to give them concerned looks. That
only made the officers laugh harder.
They were heading back into the station to do paperwork, having grabbed a quick hot dog at a deli when the radio came to life again. *Five five boy, Five five Charlie*
Owens' voice crackled through *Five five Boy*
"Five five Charlie," answered Liz.
*Boy and Charlie, respond to a man with a knife at 145th and St. Nichols*
*Boy, 10-4*
"Charlie, 10-4."
"The fun never ends," quipped Sully as he made a u-turn after Liz activated the light.
When they arrived on scene they found Owens and Power yelling commands at a male, their weapons drawn and trained on the subject. The male started charging towards Owens and Powers shot, hitting the male in the side. He went down, screaming.
"Shots fired, man down!" Sully yelled into his mic. "Sends us an ambulance and a supervisor forthwith."
Owens was still covering the guy as Powers lowered his own weapon, staring at the guy in shock. For the third time that day Liz pulled on latex gloves as she and Sully rushed over. Sully reached out to gently take Powers gun from the man's hand, talking soothingly to him. Liz stopped just out of reach of the suspect on the ground. "Owens, you've got him covered?"
"Yeah, can you search him?"
Liz nodded. "Sir, I'm going to help you," she called to the man on the ground. "Stay still or you will be shot again. Do you understand?"
The male didn't respond and Liz moved closer very cautiously. The man's knife lay a few inches from the man's outstretched hand and Liz kicked it away. She prodded the man with her foot and he didn't move. Liz crouched down, putting the man in handcuffs before searching him for more weapons. Owens crouched down beside her. "Is he dead?"
"No, just unconscious. Powers got him in the upper chest and the arm." The ambulance arrived just then. Kim and Carlos came rushing over. "We've gotta stop meeting like this, guys," Liz quipped to them.
"You just like our company," Carlos retorted as he knelt down to take over.
"You okay to help them so I can talk to Powers?" Liz asked Owens, who nodded. She peeled off her gloves, putting them in her cargo pocket, as she walked over to where Sully had Powers near their squad. "You okay, Tim?"
Powers looked at her, opening his mouth to speak but no words came out. Sully patted his shoulder. "It's okay, Tim, just take a deep breath."
Shuddering, Powers did as he was told. Liz wrapped her arm around his waist, Powers being too tall for her to put it around his shoulders. "You did good, Tim. It was a justified shoot."
"Really?" he managed to whisper.
"Yeah," added Sully. "If you hadn't shot, Owens might have been a goner."
Powers stared down at his hands, going silent again. He stayed that way until Lt. Swersky arrived on scene. "Who's the shooter?" he asked.
Sully handed him Power's gun, unloaded with the action open. "Powers is, sir."
Eyeing his man, Lt. Swersky continued, "You two see it?"
"Yes, sir."
"Absolutely, sir."
"Okay, IAB will want to talk to you two. I'll have Simmons and Powell go in with the suspect. Liz, you drive Powers in to the house in their squad. Sully, you bring in Owens."
"Yes, sir." Sully walked away to get Owens.
Lt. Swersky reached out to grasp Powers' arm. "It's gonna be okay, Tim."
"Yes, sir," Powers responded shakily.
"Liz, get him out of here."
"Yes, boss." Liz gently led Powers away, pulling on his arm to steer him towards his own squad.
Two hours after their shift was supposed to be over, Sully and Liz were in the locker room changing into their street clothes. Liz sat down beside Sully on the bench in front of his locker. "John, promise me something?"
"What's that?"
"That tomorrow will not be like today."
Sully smiled though there was no humor in it. "No can do."
"I tried!" Liz retorted, smiling in return. "Wanna go get some coffee?"
Laughing, Sully quipped, "At least this time we won't be interrupted."
Liz clapped a hand across his mouth, surprising him. "Shhh! You may have just jinxed us!"
Shaking off her hands, he replied, "No, the law of averages says it's our turn to have it quiet."
"Yeah, but will Murphy agree with that?"
"He'd better or I'll kick his ass."
Liz was still laughing as they walked out.
-fin-
Author's note:
All the situations in this story were based on real life
incidents except for the oven fire. Thankfully they did not all happen in one
day!
