It made him sick. Being back home. Turning back the clock like nothing had changed. Walking back into his mother's arms on crutches, her smile plastic, the warmth of her hug was drained by the chill in her eyes. She'd never be the same again. "Coop sit down son, you've got ownership of the remote for now" Brogan said, gently digging his son in the back while he went in the kitchen with his wife to make tea. Coop flicked through channels but it didn't matter what was on the screen, explosions, women giving birth or a dog playing the piano, every time he blinked he saw Jimmy's smile, the way Jimmy walked, the panic in Jimmy's eyes everytime they stood next to each other. Jesus. He didn't want Jimmy in an early grave from being scared to death. Jim had three kids to look after, and right now Coop couldn't be the forth. Brogan peeped his head around the corner to see what his son was doing. Taking the tea in he noticed the awkward look in his son's eye and realised where he needed to go. "You need the bathroom son?" Brogan asked. Coop nodded, too embarrased to speak. His father took charge and hoisted him onto his crutches. Their bathroom was small, but Brogan waited until his son was in the right position before taking his crutches and holding them to his chest. Coop wondered why his father hadn't waited outside until he came back out and his father passed him the crutches with a smile. "Out with it pop" Coop said as he watched his hands. "Don't worry son, when you've got a good wife to take care of you she'll be doing this" "Great, something for her to look forward to" Coop joked.
By dinner, things seemed to be more relaxed. His sister dumped the kids on the babysitter to come over, no hug, a squeeze of the shoulder and repeatedly thanking god that he was OK. "Time to start afresh now" She told him with a patronizing grin. Coop wondered how many years it would take for his family to get over the disgust of what he'd done. His wounds were still painful but healing, his crutches were almost a want intead of a need. Laying in bed thinking about lying in his own bed in his own apartment, he was taken out of fantasy by the cling of glasses being put together. "Son?" Brogan asked. "Pop you ever heard of knocking?" Coop asked as his father made himself welcome and sat on his bed. In his hand were two crystal drinking glasses and he put them on the drawer. He searched in his pocket before taking out the scotch. "No wondered you waited till ma was asleep" Coop said with a grin, remembering the last time they had did this and woke up with hangovers. "What you celebrating Pop?" "We, son, we" Brogan said, taking the cap off the bottle and pouring the scotch out. "I've been talking son, to the guys at the precinct. They know that you were under a lot of stress at work, officers were giving you a tough time. Anyway, I had a talk with Mcree, let everyone know you're on the mend, and they all want you back on the force" "Yeah right" Coop said sarcastically remembering the fight he nearly got into on the fateful painfull day, not to mention the fact that Mcree was the most selfish dirtiest son of a bitch/ boss he'd ever have. "To formalise things, you'll just need to go in, just so you can say you're healthy" "Pop I've been shot" Coop said bluntly as his father passed him a glass of "forgetful juice" "Healthy ain't the best way to describe me" "Son, in a couple of months you'll be fine. If it was up to your mother, she'd keep you here forever, but you and I both know that's not what you want" Coop put his head against the headboard refusing to nod but knowing his father was right.
"You know what I want Pop?" He said to Brogan, who didn't feel like he could breathe. "Mcree in Poland, Jamaica, the arctic, anywhere away from me" Coop explained. His father let a quiet sigh out. "Son, when you're back at work, you'll have so much on, Mcree will be a memory. "God I hope so...Pop, I know you like him, but..." Coop began. "Look, why don't we go out tomorrow?" "I'm a little too tender to be doing bar backflips Pop" Coop said, but wondered what his father was thinking. "After I get back, we could go for a little stroll. Get a coffee, come on, you need the fresh air" Brogan said, taking the half empty glass away from his son. "I guess" Coop said. With a nod Brogan left, pleased he could put his plan into action.
Even though walking still hurt his lower back, as soon as he breathed in the air, felt his feet on his parents street, Coop was pleased that his dad had dragged him off his ass. They walked to a coffee place near a local park. Coop looked around at the customers, he saw no one he recognised. His father got the coffees and Coop was enjoying licking the froth from his lips when he realised his dad got three drinks. He was about to mention it when he saw a woman slowly walking over to his father. She tapped him on the back and he grinned. "Ahh Jenny" He said, looking at his son. "I've told you about my son, everyone calls him Coop" "Yes, Hi Coop" Jenny said, making it sound like she'd known Coop all his life. "Jenny's a secretary at Precinct twenty Five, she heard about how brave you were" His father said, pulling Jenny's chair out.
"How have you been?" Jenny asked, looking more concerned than she should have. "Great" Coop said, the need to reject people's pity taking over his common sense. "It must be so hard for you... maybe, you could tell me about it sometime" Jenny said, sipping her coffee delicately, while tapping her other hand on the table. "Coop's free Friday, aren't you son? Me and your mother will be seeing Reg and Sandra, so you kids can talk" Coop gritted his teeth and Jenny thanked them both before having to take a cab back to work. Less than a meter away from Jenny's cab a proud but distant father was walking with his wife. Coop's father was in the middle of ordering another coffee when Coop was already up on his crutches and people were parting like the tides so that they didn't bump into him. With a coffee to go his father charged after him. "Coop, be careful son you don't need another injury" Coop nodded. "But running round in circles with "Jenny" is fine" "What's that supposed to mean?" Brogan asked. "Pop I've got my head screwed on. I'll take my old job, my old life, but come on, blind dates?"
"Son, Jenny's a beautiful girl" Brogan said, wrapping his coat around his chest. "Pop, when I'm ready I'm ready" "Coop don't play that card with me" His father bellowed. "Why not Pop?" Coop asked taking his hand out of his crutch and letting it fall to the ground. "It's the only card I've got" "Coop I know your body's a little bruised right now, but get your head out of your ass" Brogan said as he saw someone walking towards them. "I'm not gonna let you ruin your life over..." Coop felt a shadow by feet. He thought it was a stray cat or something until the shadow stood up ran a hand through neatly brushed brown hair and picked up Coop's crutch and ran the metallic hoop through Coop's hand.
Coop's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. Brogan's teeth clashed so hard against his tongue he could feel the the blood ooze between his lips. Despite being outside on streets screaming with horns and covered in dog crap, Jimmy felt like he was home. He reached out and touched Coop's coat. Coop wanted the ground to open up but kept standing like he always did.
"Your crutch is a little shaky" Jimmy said staring down at the metal to distract himself from the beautiful portrait of Coop's face.
"It's OK Coop" Jimmy said feeling jealous of Jimmy's crutches. "I've got ya"