Summary: My take on why Bosco and Sully don't get along. Takes place shortly after Bosco graduates from the Police Academy
Disclaimer: I don't own Third Watch or any of its characters.
A/N: This story was previously posted on another Third Watch site but no longer available there. I was encouraged to post it here by Joey and Orison.
Thanks for your wonderful reviews.
The doctor finally leaves after checking me out again for the 20th time. I don't know what he's looking for since he has all the test results he's ever gonna need to figure this whole thing out.
Sully is waiting outside for God knows what because I'm not supposed to be going anywhere soon. And Ma, well Ma is totally pissed off at me.
I know I lied to Ma so I wouldn't have to go home with her. There, I'm a goddamn awful son for lying to my Ma. But sometimes, I need more space than she can give me. She's been smothering me ever since.... I turn my head slowly and stare at the old man lying in the other bed. He finally stops coughing his lungs out and everything in them. Great, just great, I get peace and quiet now that I can't sleep. I try to turn to get comfortable but everything hurts and I flip onto my back again.
The nurse gave me one of those gowns to wear since they cut up my shirt and undershirt. The gown lies on the bed in a heap because there's no way I'm wearing it. I'm still wearing my pants and I'm trying to pull up any bit of the sheet sticking out from under me to cover myself. Damn it's cold. I feel a tremor running through me. Don't they have any blankets in this place?
I look down at the gown. Okay, I'll bite. I grab it and use it as a blanket. Geez, our tax dollars at work. No wonder more people die in hospitals than anywhere else.
I close my eyes. I can feel the fatigue in my brain. My eyes burn from lack of sleep and I can't seem to get my thoughts straightened out. Images jumble through my brain replaying recent events. I just let my brain run through them for what seems like hours until...until I'm walking down the staircase, yeah, the sleep staircase. I'm making my way down and I smile when I see the bottom. But then – BAM - I miss a step and I feel myself falling. I grab on to the side of the bed as I jerk awake.
Shit. That hurt.
My chin feels wet so I reach up and touch the side of my mouth. Geez, now I know I'm really tired 'cause I'm drooling too. Can this day get any worse? I wipe my chin and pull the gown up over my head and watch it as it flutters down gently on top of me. I want to forget about this place and this day and this...
There, that's better. I start to feel like I'm in my own little world. The glare from the overhead light is muted by the fabric over my head. I stare up at the gown from underneath and watch as the patterns start to swim in every direction. The effect is hypnotizing and I feel my eyes drooping shut. I feel warm and cozy and content as I let myself drift...
"Officer Boscorelli."
...until I fall from the top of the stairs.
"Officer Boscorelli, are you okay?"
Holy crap, she just about killed me with the shriek. I clutch the side of the bed as my buffer from the cold, cruel world is yanked off my head. I feel my heart racing and I try to swallow the lump in my throat as I stare up at her.
My fear gets the better of me, and I hear myself gasp as her eyes spit daggers at me. I see Sully, his hand on the door, halfway into the room with his mouth hanging open as if to say, 'Sorry, I tried but she was just too fast for me.'
I look back up at her, and I try to speak but the words get caught in my throat.
"Are you okay?" She lowers her face to stare at me even more intently.
My head bobs up and down like those toy dogs in back window of a car. I'm hoping the quicker she gets it, the faster she'll leave me alone.
"You had me worried there for a sec." She backs off slowly. Her eyes still looking for any sign of a problem.
"Sorry..." I whisper finding my voice again.
"We don't have any rooms open, so you'll be staying here with me tonight." She smiles down at me and I swear her eyes turn a bright red. She is my own personal boogieman.
"Bosco?" Sully moves right by the bed.
I feel a wave of relief and stutter, "d-don't leave me... uhh...don't leave yet...I-I gotta ask you something." I'm hoping Sully gets my plea for help.
Sully nods sympathetically. "Can you excuse us?" he asks the nurse.
"Oh, yeah, sure," she mumbles as she turns to leave.
I clutch at my chest and breathe deeply. Sully just stands there and shakes his head slowly as if surveying the scene of a senseless accident.
"Bosco, you don't have to stay here if you don't want to." He looks down at me pitifully.
"I'm not going to my Ma's," I say firmly and I mean it.
"Nah, I was thinking, you can stay with me," he says softly as he jams his fists in his coat pocket. "If you want to get out of here," he adds.
Hell, of course I want out of here. But, it's not that simple. I know Sully's trying to be a good guy but I can't...I can't take that chance...'cause the nightmares might come back...and then he'll see.
"I'll be okay, Sul. Don't worry." I say casually
His eyebrows furrow and he purses his lips. Now, he's definitely suspicious. I try to recover before he speaks. "I'm too tired to move, Sul. Really, I'll be fine. She'll forget all about me in a couple of hours...I'll be fine."
"Sure?" He's still eyeing me suspiciously.
"Yeah," I say and then throw in a big yawn. I can't hold his gaze and so I start to adjust the IV. I feel myself swallow hard 'cause I'm lying to everyone tonight.
Sully peers at his watch and grabs my gun belt hanging off his shoulder. "I still have a couple hours in the shift," he says almost to himself. I can actually see his mind working out a plan. "I'll go back to the house and drop off your stuff, finish the reports for the night and then I'll come back and check on you." I can tell he's satisfied with himself by the smile on his face.
"Sounds good, Sul." I pull the gown up to my chin.
"Okay, I'll be back soon." He backs up a couple of feet before turning and leaving the room.
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Faith walks into the ER followed by her partner, Billy Washington. They're bringing in a kid who sustained minor injuries during a scuffle.
Faith makes her way to the desk and reaches back to pull the kid along with her. "I got one that needs to be checked out," she tells the nurse. His hands are cuffed behind his back and she gives him the eye as if to say, 'don't try anything buddy.'
"Just take a seat, we'll take a look at him as soon as we have someone available."
"Thanks." Faith glares at the kid and points at the plastic chairs to her right. He automatically moves to one and sits quietly. Washington follows him and cuffs him to the metal bar beneath the chair.
He turns back towards the nurses' station and chuckles lightly. "I'd hate to be one of your kids, Faith. Just that look had this guy shaking in his pants." He leans his elbows on the counter and drops his head before he is overtaken by another giggle. "I think we need more mothers on the force."
Faith smiles back at him. "Yeah, we should have a force made up of mothers and grandmothers. I can picture it now...everyone will be shamed into being good."
"Hey Washington. Good to see you, man." A male orderly slaps him on the back and feigns a few boxing moves before turning his attention towards Faith. "And who is the fine female specimen with you?" He ogles Faith and extends his hand towards her.
"She ain't no fine specimen," Washington snorts but is stopped by a quick jab to the shoulder from Faith.
"Are you saying I ain't fine?" Faith puts on a look of insult and reaches out her hand towards the orderly. "Faith Yokas."
He gently takes her hand and turns it over and lightly kisses it. "Pleasure to meet you Faith. They call me Lucky, and you can say that I am tonight."
Washington rolls his eyes and sighs. "Lucky, are you ever gonna get lucky with those lame lines you use on the ladies?"
"One of these day, one of these days," he muses philosophically.
They all laugh lightly at the playful banter.
"Hey, are you here to check up on the officer that was brought in earlier."
Faith and Washington look at each other quizzically.
"We didn't hear about it, musta been on a call. Anything serious?" Washington asks.
"I don't think so but he's still here." The orderly moves behind the desk and flips through some charts. "Here it is, Officer Bosc –Boscor-"
"Boscorelli," Faith exclaims worriedly.
"Yeah, that's it." The orderly looks up at Faith. "You guys know him?"
Faith nods her head and looks back at Washington. He straightens up and looks around the ER for Sully.
"Where is he?" Faith crosses her arms in front of her and bites her lower lip.
"He's in the exam room over there." The orderly points at the room at the end of the corridor.
"Billy, can you watch him?" Faith motions toward the kid handcuffed to the chair. "I wanna check on Bosco." She starts to walk away without waiting for an answer.
"Yeah," he drawls out slowly. He watches her as she picks up her pace towards the room.
Faith pushes the door open and finds an old man, a groaner, and an empty bed. A nurse is administering medication to the older man.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for Officer Boscorelli." Faith interrupts.
"Yup, he couldn't sleep so he went up to the cafeteria to grab something to eat. He should be back soon," she says without shifting her gaze away from the task at hand.
"Thanks." Faith exits and walks towards the elevators. It can't be that bad if he's gone to the cafeteria, she thinks to herself. She impatiently pushes the up button several times but gives up on waiting when it's too slow for her liking. She takes the stairs two at a time until she makes it to the 4th floor.
She walks down the corridor and then enters the main cafeteria. It's pretty deserted at this time of the night and her eyes automatically find Bosco at a table by the window. Faith approaches him quietly.
She notes that he has a hospital gown on but he's wearing his pants too. His right arm is folded in front of him and the back of his hand is being used to cushion his head from the hard tabletop. A half eaten sandwich is cradled lightly in his half opened left hand. His IV bag lies limply on the table, the line snaking its way to tape at the top of his left hand.
Faith peers down at him to make sure he's okay. He seems to be asleep by the sound of his soft breaths. She pulls up a chair and sits next to him.
"Bos?" She waits patiently for any sign of wakefulness before trying again. "Bos." This time she sees him stirring. He moves his head slightly and then slowly lifts it up from its resting place.
"Umm." He looks around sleepily. Sleep lines from his hand leave their mark across his cheek and his eyes are glazed over. Once he recognizes Faith, he lets his head drop down again and allows his eyes to droop shut.
"Bos, are you okay?"
He nods his head slowly without opening his eyes. Faith gently removes the sandwich from his hand.
"Bosco, wouldn't you be more comfortable down in the ER, in a bed?"
Faith watches as he scrunches up his face and shakes his head no. A few seconds later, his breathing evens out and his face relaxes. He's definitely asleep again.
She grabs her radio and keys it. "Billy, I'm with Bosco in the cafeteria. Call me when we're ready to go."
"Looks like we might be here a while, Faith." Washington responds.
Faith peers down at Bosco, taking in his appearance, trying to figure out what happened to him. He still has the bruises around his eyes and she scans him for any other signs. Her eyes stop when they notice the faded bruises around his wrists.
Her thoughts are interrupted when she sees him shivering slightly. All he's wearing is that short-sleeved hospital gown which is open at the back, not providing much warmth. She stands and moves behind Bosco. She carefully does up the ties to hold the gown in place starting from the top. Halfway down, she stops when she sees the discoloured bruising barely covered by the gown. She hesitates before making another move. She wonders how he could have sustained this type of injury. I couldn't have been from the fall he took a couple of days ago.
She lets her curiosity get the better of her and slowly pulls the gown to the side. The bruising extends all the way around and then some. She finishes doing up the last tie before sitting back down next to him.
He really shouldn't be here. He should be back in the ER, in a bed, where he could sleep more comfortably. She hesitates before touching his arm gently.
"Bosco."
"Um," he murmurs without opening his eyes.
"Bosco, let's go back downstairs. You can sleep in a bed instead of on a table."
"Sleep?" Bosco sighs heavily.
"Yeah, Bos. How about sleeping in a nice comfy bed?" Faith eggs him on.
Bosco's eyebrows crease questioningly. "Won't let me sleep," He whispers as he shivers again.
Faith knows she won't get very far with him like this. She removes her jacket and drapes it over his shoulders.
"Bos, I'm gonna go down for a minute. I'll be right back."
The only response she gets is a slight nod of his head. With that she makes her way back towards the ER.
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Gunshots echo in the distance. Helicopters float in the deep blue sky.
I'm only capable of silent screams.
Soft chocolate eyes stare back at me from under the flowing water.
He did it himself because he loved him so much. How could a father love a son that much?
Mothers beat their breasts. Their cries are tearless.
Dusty fields. Nothing grows here except hate and death.
Heartbeat; racing with terror.
Small arms floating on the surface of the water.
Faces distorted, frozen by fear.
Oh God. The children...the children are all dead.