Coop's mother Laura washed the plate so hard she almost broke it. She stood over the sink rolling her eyes, glad that her husband couldn't see her frustration. "Honey, Coop's getting better by the second" She told her husband who was stabbing his fork into a slice of cucumber. "We can't put him under lock and key" "The hell we can't" Brogan said. He'd do whatever it took, for his son's sake. His son wasn't going to be a laughing stock for anyone. "So Jimmy, gave him back his crutch, what else did you want him to do?" Laura asked taking the dishcloth off the rack to dry her hands. "Nothing...Just stay away" Brogan told his wife with a look that told her to be quiet. He noticed her leaning over the sink, he tugged her arm and noticed that she looked pale. "You taken the pills?" He asked. "No, I will though" She said as he left and got them, putting them near the salt and pepper.
Coop's work date was getting closer. Brogan didn't even have to wash his son both to their relief, and Coop was wiping his entrance wounds without any hassle. It was time to chuck Jimmy out like a stray cat at a roasted lunch. Brogan gave Mcree strict orders that if Jimmy was even thinking about putting up a fight, everyone would know his dirty little secret. Mcree called Jimmy in a little disgusted, a little nervous. If Jimmy was one of these perverts, he could try it on with anyone. He calmed himself down as Jimmy knocked on the door. "Come in" "Sir, you asked for me?" Jimmy asked, shutting the door and waiting before he was told to sit down. Mcree shuffled a few papers to make it look like he was busy. "Bruno, take a seat" Mcree looked at the young man and wondered if the gossips got it wrong. Coop he could believe, but Jimmy? As much as Brogan was gonna fight his son's corner Mcree could see Coop forcing Bruno to do all sorts of stuff. He wondered how much Bruno could be pushed, how much crap could he take?
"Bruno, I'm not gonna beat around the bush. The Sarge wants you gone. I'm surprised you haven't left anyway, but in this precinct, this is your formal resignation. You can post us your I.D and security pass" Bruno knew it was coming but with Coop out of the picture, he didn't know when. He could handle the comments the jokes and the sniggers behind his back because the job gave him the paycheck he needed to provide for his beautiful wife and the kids that wanted everything without paying for it. Now the job, the money the pension was going to be taken out from under him he didn't know what he was gonna tell wife when he got back. Mcree saw the anxious look in Bruno's eyes and figured this could be used to his advantage if Bruno was so desperate to keep money coming in, Mcree figured he'd do anything. "Bruno, If you want, I could pass your name onto another precinct, one that doesn't know, that's if you're OK with..." "Yes, I mean yes Sir, thank you" Bruno said as Mcree caught a glimpse of the relief in his eyes. "Bruno, before I do that though you gotta do me a favour back" Mrcee asked looking at his desk. "Sure Sir..." Bruno's voice tralied off as Mrcee opened the drawer on his side of the desk and took out a list of his favourite usual suspects. "These are our "brought men" Mrcee said in a matter-of fact tone. "They give us tip offs, we give them what they want, well you do now"
"Excuse me?" Bruno asked in disbelief.
"Bruno look outside my office, you think that any of those men respect you out there?"
"This isn't about anyone's respect Sir" Bruno answered. "This is about setting an example, it's about being able to go to bed at night with a clear conscience"
"Going to bed with who huh? Your wife... or Coop?" Bruno sat back on his chair and turned away. No matter how moral he was Mcree was always going to throw this back in his face. His colleagues never spoke about him, The Sarge had chased him away when he got Coop's crutch. Maybe it was best he did move on. Everyone around him had. "Here's my card if you change your mind" Mrcee said as he passed him a small square piece of paper with a number on it. Bruno left knowing that he had a week to decide what to do before he became an officially broke homeless family man.
Coop finally had enough energy to clean his room, his pop had been complaining about it for ages and around six pm that evening, he knew the real reason. Jenny Pop's special little secretary was coming over to see him especially and Coop knew that whining and complaining wasn't going to stop it, so he just went along with it. He was on the landing ready to go down the stairs when he heard his parents talking in the living room. "Got rid, Brogan he's not a piece of trash, Jimmy's got three children" Laura said. Coop leaned against the wall, knowing it was gonna be more difficult to see him. "Coop's our child, in case you've forgotten we have to check up on him if I find out..." Coop went back upstairs waiting for his father to calm down. Brogan could see his wife getting more stressed but for Coop's sake decided to push her.
"You know Laura if I didn't know you any better, I'd think that you were supporting this. Is this what you want your son to be? A filthy bastard that parents shield their children from?
"No..." Laura began but paused to cough.
"Cause they're gonna blame you too, not just me. People are gonna wonder if you taught him this, people are gonna look at you and wonder what you did to him to make him like this!" Laura sat down on the sofa her heart pounding against her ribs, the blood rushing to her face. "Sweetie, can you get my pills, they're in..." Laura closed her eyes for a while to gather her thoughts, her head was spinning. Brogan looked in the bedroom found them in the drawer and waited for one minute exactly. He came out to the lounge to see Laura weezing softly. "Laura?" He asked. His wife looked up at him and attempted to stand up to get the pills but as Brogan thought, she was too exhausted. "Tell me I'm doing the right thing" Brogan asked stepping back and holding the bottle of pills infront of his nose and shaking them. Laura sat there in worried horrifed silence as her husband walked out of the room and put the pills back in her drawer. The panic was flooding her system. She defied him, now her body, her mind and her spirit was paying the price. By the time Brogan had come back the second time, her eyes rolled into the back of her head. He called the ambulance.
Jenny arrived as Coop and Brogan were watching their partner, their mother being hoisted on a stretcher. Brogan played the confused devoted husband so well his son had no idea. "Pop, did she stress herself out again?" He asked his father, as he Brogan and Jenny watched Laura breathing through an oxygen mask on the other side of the wall. "We were arguing again, over you son" Brogan said, wiping the sweat off his forehead with a tremor. "She was shaking, upset... I got her pills but by the time I came back..." He wondered off down the corridor and Coop followed him. "I thought she kept her pills close? He asked. "She did, but after all she's gone thorugh lately, she was puzzled" Coop placed his palm on his Pop's shoulder, but Brogan shook him off. "You want your mother to get better? You want her to stop feeling so down you've gotta buck your ideas up son" Brogan warned. He turned looking at Jenny who was pretending to mind her own business by talking to a nurse.
"Look at her" Brogan added. "She's picture perfect. Your mother would love to wake up to you two being friends... go on son" Coop looked back at his mother. It looked like she was sleeping, she looked so peaceful, so anger and worry free. Talking to her wouldn't hurt. Prodded by Brogan he made his way over to Jenny and the nurse trying not to let his shoes squeak on the polished floor. As the nurse excused herself, Jenny gave him a warm smile and touched his shoulder, he smiled back admiring how pretty she was.
A beautiful stranger. It was about time he got to know Jenny.