"You better call the police, call the coroner, call up your priest have them warn ya. Won't be no peace, when I find that fool. You better call the doctor, call the lawyer. I'll chase him all the way to California. Get my best, tryin' find that fool. Who did that to you?" 'Who Did That to You', John Legend
Running into the hospital, full speed, Brenda realized that perhaps parking her car in a reserved space wasn't the best decision. There was a good chance she would get towed. Hopefully her badge was also helpful in getting the Crown Vic out of an impound lot. But in all honesty, paying $300 was worth seeing Sharon a few minutes sooner, although she hoped it didn't actually come to that.
The blonde assumed Sergeant Elliot had exaggerated a bit when he said the Captain was 'pretty banged up.' How much damage could one angry officer possibly do in a short period?
"Ma'am, I'm lookin' for a Sharon Raydor. Where would I find her room?" Brenda was laying on the southern charm pretty thick to the desk attendant in front of her. The young nurse looked up from one of the triage computers, shooting the Chief a polite smile.
"Are you family?" inquired the nurse, typing Sharon's name into the computer.
"Well…not exactly…actually I'm…" the blonde was searching for the right words until the other woman cut in.
"Unfortunately, Captain Raydor is not allowed visitors due to security concerns. But if you want to just leave your name and contact information, I'll make sure to pass it on…"
"Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, LAPD. I need to see her, I'm sure you understand I'm not a threat…"
"No, ma'am, I can't let you in until security clears you. Let me just call up to their office…this will only take a few minutes." The nurse grabbed for the phone, dialing security's extension
The blonde let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed at her temple. She heard the nurse whispering on the phone, inquiring exactly what information was needed to grant the Chief clearance into the room.
"Ma'am, if you could just take a seat…" The attendant motioned to the waiting area across the room.
Brenda shook her head and reluctantly took a seat, hoping this process wouldn't take long. Scanning the table in front of her for a magazine, she heard her phone dinging. She located the object in the bottom of her oversized and overstuffed bag and furrowed her brow at the name that popped across the screen. Why was Detective Gabriel calling?
"Chief Johnson," muttered the blonde. Hopefully their current investigation hadn't gotten too out of hand in her absence.
"Chief, where are you? Pope's looking everywhere for you…we've, uh, we've got a case"
"I realize that, Detective, and I'll make sure to get right back to our investigation just as soon as I can…" It wasn't like they had any real leads, surely it could wait a few more hours.
"No Chief, we have a new case. Officer Jenkins is missing and Chief Pope wants us to…"
"What?! Jenkins is gone? He was cuffed when I left!" Brenda was nearly shrieking, which was gaining her some annoyed glares from others sitting in the waiting room.
"Unfortunately, another officer from his division was ordered to go with him to holding. Jenkins was able to convince him that he wasn't going to run, and cuffs were no longer necessary and…" David rolled his eyes, sometimes cops could be just plain stupid. Their blind loyalty bordered on ignorance most of the time.
"And lemmie guess…as soon as the cuffs were off, he was runnin' for the hills." Brenda was going to kill this officer if she ever got her hands on him. Not to mention, she hoped whoever was idiotic enough to uncuff him never crossed her path.
"Provenza located his car in the main lot, so he's set out on foot. We've set up a grid search, but some officers are being less than helpful."
"Well, you tell'em I want full cooperation and if not, they'll be sent home, unpaid, for the next month. I'm just gonna get Cap'n Raydor's statement and I'll be back downtown…"
"You're already at the hospital?" Something was off, the detective though. What was with this sudden interest in the Captain's well being?
"Yes, detective. I wanted to make sure Cap'n Raydor was alright, considerin' Chief Pope wasn't allowin' anyone in FID to leave the scene. I figured she might wanna see one familiar face after all that happened."
"Uhhh, okay Chief."
"Thanks, Detective. Goodbye now."
Brenda was cleared by hospital security soon after she hung up and the nurse led her down a maze of halls before stopping outside a door, flashing her hospital badge to the guard standing watch outside. Taking a deep breath before entering behind the nurse, the blonde prepared herself. Not only was she here as a concerned girlfriend, but now the investigating officer. And it wouldn't help anyone if she was an emotional mess, especially Sharon. Rounding the curtains that had been pulled almost closed, the brunette looked up, attempting a smile at her girlfriend.
"Hey, I didn't expect you to come – "
"Of course I'd come, Shar," uttered the younger woman, hiding the sadness in her voice. She walked over to the bed, lacing the Captain's hand in her own and leaning down to plant a light kiss on her lips.
The brunette looked so small in the oversized hospital bed. While Brenda had prepared herself for the possibility that Sharon would look bad, she hadn't expected the older woman's face to be so severely black and blue. The Captain's forehead was sporting a rather long gash that must have been recently stitched up. Her left eye was swollen shut and had turned dark purple. Her nose and cheek were sporting similar colored bruises and her lip had cracked at some point. While she wasn't unrecognizable, Jenkins had obviously gotten a few solid hits in before they were broken up. Brenda had to fight the urge to climb into the hospital bed, she desperately just wanted to comfort the frail woman in front of her. Unfortunately, she had an investigation to solve before there was any time for cuddling. And suddenly, she couldn't speak. She didn't want to be the one to tell Sharon that this Officer Jenkins had run, that officers had allowed him out of their site. And she certainly didn't have a desire to question her, especially in her current state.
"Shar, I dunno how to tell you this, but, uh, well after you were taken to…"
"Brenda Leigh, just spit it out. It's okay, whatever it is. Today couldn't get much worse," muttered the brunette, squeezing the younger woman's hand.
"Officer Jenkins ran. He was able to get one of his division members to take of his handcuffs and now he's out somewhere,"
The brunette hummed in response and took a deep breath, willing herself not to get worked up. Of course Jenkins' division member would respect his friend more than the Bitch of FID. Some days her job just sucked. She could handle the outward hostility at her presence on most days, the gossiping behind her back was no big deal. But the total lack of respect for her as a person and an officer, well that always hurt, no matter how many years she'd spent in FID. Sharon could feel the tears pricking at the sides of her eyes and she swallowed back a sob.
"Hey, baby, it's okay. We're gonna catch him, don't worry." The blonde leaned in, attempting to comfort Sharon, whispering reassuring words.
For the first time since this shit storm began, Sharon felt a bit of relief. It was nice to know that maybe someone, besides the officers in FID, had her back. And if Brenda had anything to say about it, Major Crimes would not be going home until Jenkins was found.
"I know you probably don't wanna talk about it, but I was wonderin' if you could just tell me what happened…maybe it could help us in findin' him before he goes and does anything else." Brenda took the opportunity to brush their lips together for another quick kiss.
Sharon closed her eyes, willing herself back to the scene that had taken place.
"I was sitting at my desk, finishing up my report on a couple of robbery officers when Jenkins burst in." The Captain let out a deep breath, than continued.
"I didn't get up, I wasn't sure exactly what he wanted. He started yelling about his investigation, how I wasn't being fair by not allowing him to go back to active duty. I invited him to sit down, hoping it would calm him down…"
"And?"
"And, well, he didn't sit. He lunged and grabbed my hair, smashed my face against the desk. That's the last thing I remember clearly, although I'm pretty sure he pulled me up and hit me in the face a few times. Oh God, how bad is my face?"
"It's not great, but you're still beautiful, Cap'n Raydor, even when you're all banged up...So what happened next?" Brenda smiled at the brunette. She really was gorgeous, even in her current state. Her strength throughout this ordeal was incredible and the blonde hoped that she could one day exhibit even half of that bravery when something so horrible happened.
"I heard Sergeant Elliot and Rays screaming, they must have pulled Jenkins off. By that time backup came and someone took me out the emergency exit, down to the ambulance bay."
"Any idea what provoked Jenkins?" Brenda made a mental note to not allow herself to be left alone with this man. She was one hundred percent going to kill him if she got the chance. Well, maybe not kill, but definitely hurt. Perhaps she could explain a shot to the kneecap? The good old 'I was protecting my girlfriend from this asshole' excuse could work, couldn't it?
"Honestly, no. His investigation is pretty standard, nothing too out of the ordinary. In fact, I'm not the one that is holding him up, he would have been cleared for active duty once Behavioral Science felt he was more emotionally stable. Apparently, they felt he was still on edge after the shooting…maybe they had a point."
The answer hit Brenda like a ton of bricks, which was pretty much the standard in her profession. She would love to attribute her skill as a closer to her incredible intelligence or keen investigatory abilities, but most of the time it was just pure, dumb luck. A gut instinct, brought on usually by something seemingly insignificant. Contrary to her initial hunch, this wasn't retribution for some vendetta Officer Jenkins had toward Sharon, he was just trying to get rid of anything standing in his way of being cleared. And now, if she were a betting woman, she would double down that he was headed for Behavioral Science's offices.
"Shar, I think I know where were he might be headin' so I've gotta go. I'll be back as soon as I can, promise."
"Go catch the bad guys, Brenda Leigh. I'm sure I'll be here for awhile."
Clipping out of Sharon's room, she flipped open her phone and pressed '5". Speed dial could be one of the most intelligent inventions ever.
"This is Gabriel"
"Detective, Jenkins' headed for Behavioral Sciences, I'm sure of it. You and Sánchez head over, make sure not to use your lights. We don't wanna draw too much attention. Call me if you can't find him, but I'm pretty certain he's headin' there. I'll meet you downtown."
10 minutes from headquarters, Brenda got a call from Julio that they'd found Officer Jenkins lurking in the waiting room, looking for an opportunity to strike when there weren't any witnesses. The Chief had about 15 minutes to prepare and she was going to need every moment.
Sánchez practically had to drag Jenkins into the interview room, depositing him on the seat across from the blonde. She'd made it downtown first and had enough time to put together a small file of FID's statements and reports regarding both his IOS and recent attack on Sharon.
"Hello, Officer Jenkins. I'm Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh John – "
"I know who you are," deadpanned the older man.
"Alright, then I guess you already know that you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used…"
"I already told him in the hall, I waive my rights. I got nothing to hide." Brenda rolled her eyes, Officer Jenkins was positively charming.
"Well if you got nothin' to hide, would you mind tellin' me exactly why you came up to FID around, 11am, and decided to attack Cap'n Raydor?" She looked directly at him, a challenge in her stare.
"She's a fucking bitch, she deserves everything she had coming and more." He met her eyes, daring her to stay something to contrary. Jenkins knew the history between those two women, their fights were gossiped about throughout the LAPD. There was no way the Chief would stick up for the Wicked Witch, especially after that transparency audit he'd heard about last year.
"She's an officer, just like you. And all she's tryin' to do is her job. It says here in FID's report that you took a questionable shot at a suspect and…"
"You're questioning my job, ma'am?! Shouldn't you be questioning her? That cunt is the reason good officers are taken off the streets. She doesn't work for us, she works against us. And I'd do it all over again, if I could. Except this time, I'd finish the job for my fellow officers. I would think you, of all people, would want the bitch of FID gone…"
Brenda saw red and before she knew it, she'd grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him up. Face inches from his, she willed herself not to attack.
"Don't you ever call yourself an officer again, you don't deserve the badge. How dare you hurt that woman, say those terrible things. You are the most disgustin' excuse for a human being I've seen in quite some time and I hope, once Cap'n Raydor is better, her investigation puts you away for life," hissed the blonde. She'd pinned him against the wall, anger bubbling over. Never mind Sharon being her girlfriend, she was an officer and deserved better. Contrary to popular belief, FID did their damndest to clear any officer they could of wrongdoing. Sharon had gone to hell and back for the Chief during the Goldman suit. And Brenda was tired of all the nonsense, the disrespect, and the petty bullshit that these men and women heaped onto Internal Affairs. It wasn't until she heard Sánchez speaking that she came to, grounding herself back to the current situation. She still had Jenkins against the wall, but now she was shaking, tears pricking at her eyes.
"Chief, chief, you need to let him go – "
Brenda released her grip and backed away, letting Sánchez roughly handcuff him. It was good to know that she wasn't alone, obviously Julio wasn't too amused by the fallen officer or his repulsive antics. Pulling herself together, she glanced back at the despicable man in front of her.
"Oh, just one more thing mister Jenkins. Captain Raydor had planned to clear you, it said so in your IOS file. So I hope this was all worth it," snarled the Chief. With that, she grabbed her purse and headed out of the interview and out of the building.
Brenda allowed herself to sob for the duration of her drive back to the hospital. Better she get it out now, in the comfort of her own car, then in front of Sharon. The last few hours had been a nightmare, they'd brought up a whole host of feelings the blonde couldn't accurately identify. She was more than a little freaked out about her girlfriend getting beaten to a pulp, bright and early Monday morning. If this was a 'pretty standard IOS' according the Captain, Brenda could only imagine what a messy one would be like. Taking the oath to protect and serve made any officer vulnerable to attack, but it seemed there was a rather specific, serious undercurrent of hatred surrounding those who worked in IA. While the younger woman had dealt with the worry of a significant other being in hostile situations (Fritz was in the FBI, although he was in hostage negotiations than the LAPD liaison...nothing too scary), she was unsure if she would be able to handle this near constant concern that had settled in her mind soon after the attack. She'd never felt so much, so quickly, for another person. And the thought of losing Sharon after they'd only just begun was incredibly frightening. It seemed with her position, these situations could be a normal occurence. Compounded on that fear was the fear of this relationship in general. She'd never felt so overwhelmed by her desire to care for another and by a woman, no less. It was obvious that Sharon felt something as well, but there was still so much she didn't know. And sometimes, over the past week, she would notice the brunette staring off, deep in thought. She'd stopped herself from asking about it, although if Sharon's face was any indication, it wasn't good. It made the blonde a little nervous, there was obviously much more to her girlfriend then what she talked about. In those moments, however fleeting they were, Brenda felt she was losing the Captain all over again. Losing her to a past, to whatever it was she didn't want to say. As much as the blonde had already invested in this new relationship, it was hard to feel like she wouldn't always be on the losing end of some battle she didn't understand. She'd ask, eventually, but for now she'd enjoy this infatuation before things got too heavy.
Brenda tiptoed into the room, hoping not to disturb the older woman if she was resting. Since Jenkins arrest, there was no longer a security guard posted outside and it had been much easier to visit. Although, she'd stopped a couple of times for directions, hospital halls always looked the same. Setting her bag on the ground, she laid down on the bed and curled her body around the Captain. Sharon looked so peaceful when she was asleep.
"Hey, Shar," murmured the younger woman as she lightly kissed the brunette's shoulder.
"When did you get here," Sharon drowsily responded. While the hospital was a less than ideal place to wake up, at least she had Brenda curled around her.
"Just now. You can keep restin', I just wanted you to know I was here."
"Did you close your case?" inquired the older woman.
"Why yes, baby, we did. Jenkins will no longer be botherin' you, or anyone else for that matter. Well maybe he cellmates, but I guess that's their penance." Brenda snuggled into soft brown hair, pulling the Captain a little closer.
"Thank you, Brenda Leigh," Sharon husked. She would properly express her gratitude once she was out of the hospital and off these drugs. But for now, a thank you would suffice.
"For what? I was just doin' my job."
"I know…but it's nice to feel like someone has my back besides FID. Sometimes it's hard at work, it always feels like the deck is stacked against me." The older woman yawned, exhausted by the incredibly long day.
"Don't you worry, Shar. I'll always have your back. Go back to sleep, I'll be here when you wake up," whispered the blonde.
A/N: Final chapter before a little birthday hiatus to Boston for a week (don't expect anything until next Wednesday at the earliest), hope you guys enjoy! Seriously amazing song, basically wrote this section for me. And my first foray into the crime aspect of their lives, although it was pretty basic. Thanks for all the love so far…any comments, thoughts, suggestions are always welcome. xoxo