"Three, Four, Two, One!" Megan yelled out.
As soon as she finished yelling it out, the Team Four member beside her on the firing line, shot at the respective plates, in the respective order.
"One, Four, Three, Two!"
Again, four more shots.
After performing the test several times, and logging down the information, Megan calculated the score of the member to be at 95%.
After shaking his hand, and leaving the firing line, Ed came up beside her.
"And?" he asked, "How'd they do?"
"Good."
"Good?" Ed asked, "Good enough to best us in the CQB Tower?"
"Not that good Ed."
"Alright, here's what I'm thinking." Ed said, as he directed the team to their positions in the CQB Tower, "They'll either enter off of front or rear, so let's keep everybody off of the first floor. Spike and Megan will lay fire on a diagonal, forcing them to hug the walls. As they enter, lay strobes on either side of the open center. Me and the boss will be dynamic among floors 3 to 5. Got it?"
"Got it."
Team four entered off of the rear exit. Immediately, both Spike and Megan launched a strobe on either side of the center piece and started shooting on a diagonal, as instructed by Ed.
Megan was trying to make her shots count, only shooting when she thought she had an ample chance to lay a hit on someone, whereas, when we looked across the balcony, Spike had his finger pressed up tight on the paintball gun, firing over ten rounds a second.
He loves that paintball gun, doesn't he?
After the CQB testing, both teams one and four retired back to the main building.
"We had you pinned there for a second, Donna." Ed said.
"No you didn't," Donna replied, "You just distracted us with the strobes and Spike's maniacal shooting style. I hope you don't waste that many rounds in the field Spike."
"He doesn't have enough chance," Megan joked, "He spends too much time in the truck."
Ed, Megan, Greg and all of Team Four laughed.
"Hey, at least I can crack a firewall in less than a minute." Spike said, "We'll see if your guys are up to snuff after lunch." Spike replied.
"Bring it on," Donna laughed back at him, "But don't think I haven't tested them in Effective Computing."
Team One let Team Four use the debriefing room for their lunch.
"This is kinda fun." Megan said, "Running another team through re-qualifications, and not being on the call list. We should do this more often."
"Perrasmith," Ed said, as he stood in front of her in line at the cafeteria, "You read my mind, don't you?"
"So why don't we do it more often then?"
"Because," Greg said, as he sat beside Ed and across from Megan with his brown bag lunch, "As much fun as it is, it's a pain in the…"
"Boss-" Spike said, as he sat down beside Megan, "How can you eat outside food in the cafeteria- blasphemy!"
"Unlike the members of my team who are eating a hamburger, what appears to be half a pizza and a salad- by the way, good choice Megan- I'm choosing to not die with a high cholesterol rating."
"Whatever floats your boat boss." Came a voice from behind Greg.
The entire team looked up, to see Jules as she sat down beside Greg.
"What are you doing up mom? You're supposed to be resting." Megan stated.
"I can't rest with my friends?" Jules said, "You guys look good. And that pizza looks like heaven, Spike."
"You want a piece?" Spike offered.
"No, the last time I had pizza I had heartburn all night."
"Your loss, my gain." Spike said, as he started eating his pizza.
Ed reached over and grabbed a piece of Spike's pizza and put it on a napkin and handed it over to Jules.
"Why would you deny a pregnant woman food Spike?" Ed asked, "Plus, I don't want you bogged down for the rest of the day."
"Relax Ed," Spike replied, "With my work ethic-"
"Which is to sit in front of a computer and unlock doors remotely." Megan joked,
"-with my work ethic, I'll burn it off." Spike replied, "What's next on the list?"
Megan pulled out her PDA and answered, "Hand to hand and general CQB up next, followed by computing and bomb identification. And throughout that, the commander is going to be pulling each member aside for pysch evaluations with Toft."
"Seriously?" Ed said, dropping his burger, "I have to be in the same building with that guy?"
"Yes." Dr. Toft said, as he came by the table that Team One was sitting at.
Both Megan and Jules ignored the apple that he had in one hand, but instead were drawn to the purple files in his other hand, which they recognized as being the color for therapy notes and records.
Toft saw Megan and Jules staring at the files, "Good reading material." He commented, before he left.
"I hate Larry Toft." Ed said.
For the rest of the day, all Megan could think about was Dr. Toft reading the therapy notes that Dr. Green was making on her therapy sessions and whether or not Dr. Toft would see reasons to have her dismissed from the team.
He can't do that, can he?
"Megan!"
She spun around to see Greg.
"What?"
"Why don't we go to my office?"
Megan followed Greg to his office and she sat down across from him.
"You're distracted." Greg said.
"I'm tired." Megan lied, "I haven't been sleeping lately."
"You been taking the sleeping pills that Laura prescribed?"
"Yeah, but they're not helping. I think I might need something stronger."
"Did you ask her about it?" Greg asked.
"I'm not scheduled to see her until Friday."
"She's free the last time I saw her, why don't you drop by now?"
"Ed?" Megan asked.
"Is busy helping Spike run Team Four through the computer and bomb drills."
Megan immediately got up and went down the hallway. She reached a secured door, but she swiped her access card, which opened the door for her. Once on the other side, Dr. Green's office was the first one.
"I told you Dr. Green, I need to be updated on the status of all the officers in question." A male's voice came from her office.
Megan approached the open door, to find Dr. Toft standing in front of Dr. Laura Green, who remained seated at her desk, like usual.
"Dr. Toft." Megan said, "How are you?"
"I could be doing better, Perrasmith, because I know that you and your mother are being treated by Dr. Green, but she is refusing to let me see the files because 'I don't have authorization'. We'll see about that, shall we?" Dr. Toft threatened, as he left.
"Megan- how can I help you?" Laura asked, who seemed unfazed by Dr. Toft's outburst.
"Why don't you seem concerned?" Megan asked, as she sat down, "You don't think he's going to get authorization, do you?"
"The only way he's going to get authorization is if he gets cleared to do an evaluation. He won't be able to do that, because your last evaluation was done less than 5 months ago, so it's still valid. How can I help you?"
"I need something stronger."
"How do you mean?"
"The sleeping pills- I haven't been able to sleep."
"Ok Megan," she said, as she took out her pad, "I'm not going to change the drug, I'm just going to change the dose, ok?"
"If you think it'll work, then fine."
Megan felt relieved that Toft didn't have any reason to be poking around in her therapy file, so she kept her new prescription on her.
She entered the gym to see the commander, Ed, Greg, and Dr. Toft standing together having a heated conversation. Instead of approaching them, she approached the dispatcher's desk, where Spike was having a spirited conversation with Kiera.
As Megan approached the desk, she noticed that yet again Kiera quickly checked her out.
This is starting to get creepy.
"Textbook!" Spike said, "The girl with knowledge!"
"What are they talking about?" Megan asked, as she pointed over to the conversation in the gym.
"Toft wants to do a paired psychological evaluation."
"What's that?"
"It's where he evaluates two people at the same time, and judges their reactions to each other's answers."
"Seems a bit cruel." Megan commented, "Why is the boss and Eddie there- isn't Toft here to evaluate Team Four?"
"Megan-" Spike said, "He wants to do a paired evaluation with you and Ed."
As soon as Megan registered the words Spike said, she started walking over to the conversation, but Spike was trying to stop her, "Megan, you don't want to.."
"Don't tell me what I want to do, Spike!" she yelled at him, as she pushed Spike off of her, as she approached Toft, "Do you have a problem with me?"
"Calm down." Dr. Toft said calmly.
"I asked if you have a problem with me!?" Megan yelled at Toft.
"Megan Perrasmith- stand down." Ed ordered.
Megan tried to control herself, but found that it just caused her to breathe hard.
"As Megan just pointed out, she does need to be evaluated, Commander." Toft pointed out, "And since she's an officer in training, it just makes sense to do a paired evaluation with her superior- Ed Lane."
The commander thought about it. "Alright. Greg- you'll do Team Four's evaluations in conference room four, and Toft will use the debriefing room."
"Why don't you and Ed go make yourselves comfortable?" Toft invited them to the debriefing room, looking very happy, "I have a few files to pick up."
After Toft got back, he hooked Megan and Ed up to the polygraph machines.
"Ed-" Toft started, "Please empty your pockets."
"I'm sorry, what?" Ed asked.
"Empty your pockets."
"This about the last time Larry?" Ed spoke to him, "Because the last time, I wanted to get out of here so I could see my baby girl be born- that so hard to understand?"
"Ed, you left a loaded firearm on the table, pointed in my direction- what do you think?"
Ed got up and emptied his pockets.
"Wallet, gum, some spare change, and a coupon for a free coffee." Ed said as he sat back down, "That so interesting?"
"Why don't you tell me two truths and a lie, in that order." Toft asked.
"I don't want to be doing this right now, I love my wife, and I love Larry Toft."
"Excellent. Thank you Eddie, now you Megan."
Megan started to get up to empty her pockets.
"No- just two truths and a lie- in that order." Toft explained.
"I'm renovating my house, love the color black, and I think bunnies are cute."
"Word association, Megan- do you know what that is?"
"Reactions."
"Well actually…"
"Lying."
"You started without me?"
"Of course."
"Ok- apple."
"Food."
"Fire."
"Arm."
"Love."
"My job."
"Kristopher Perrasmith."
Megan hesitated.
"Megan? Did you hear the last one?" Toft asked in a condescending tone, "Kristopher Perrasmith."
"Father."
"Ok, let's stop that there. Incident Number 21843- A shooting at the Scarborough Town Center- do you remember this?"
"Yes." Megan replied, "I was negotiating with the subject-"
"If you were negotiating with the subject, then why did Ed intervene?"
"Ed knew of a different angle to come from, to talk the individual down." Megan said.
"According to your Sargent's notes, during the debriefing you yelled at Ed, and I quote your Sargent's notes, as he directly quoted- Ed said 'You lost control of the situation' and you responded, 'Just like when you lost control and my dad died'- correct?"
"Yes."
"Word association- no thinking."
"No problem."
"Kristopher Perrasmith."
"Father."
"Megan, do you blame Edward Lane for the death of your father?"
"No."
"Who do you blame?"
"I blame the guy who shot him."
"Then why-" Toft asked, as he pulled out some sheets, "Is your name on the evidence journal for the internal affairs case against Greg Parker and Edward Lane in the Wrongful Death of a Police Officer and Disregard for Officer Safety?"
"Because I lent my mom's lawyer my copy of the SRU Operations Manual." Megan answered, "Anything else?"
"Not for you. Ed- you were there when Kristopher Perrasmith died- what were his last words?"
"His last words were, 'take care of them'." Ed replied.
"In what context?"
"What do you mean?"
"Word association- Kristopher Perrasmith."
"Dead."
"Megan- case number A2453."
"That's not an SRU case." Ed interrupted.
"Am I talking to you, Officer Lane?" Toft said, "Case number A2453- the assault of Megan Perrasmith by Sam Braddock. You decided to lay charges, correct?"
"Yes."
"Were you emotionally traumatized by the event?"
"No."
"Then why did you mention it to your therapist that you started seeing a month after this incident?"
"Therapist?" Ed asked, "Megan…"
"Not now Ed." Toft informed, "If you weren't traumatized by the event, why did you mention it?"
"Because she wanted to get into my frame of mind." Megan said, as he eyes started to tear up.
"Why was a therapist trying to interpret your thoughts?"
"Because."
"That's an omission of an answer- let's try that again- why was a therapist trying to interpret your thoughts?"
"Because I'm in therapy you idiot!" Megan screamed, as she picked up her purple file and threw it in front of Toft- "Go ahead, read it!"
Megan started to cry harder.
"Megan- are you ok?" Ed asked, "Your dad?"
Megan nodded to Ed, who understood.
"You didn't know that one of your team members was undergoing therapy, Ed?" Toft questioned, "That just doesn't go along with your 'need to know' attitude, does it?"
"What do you want to know?"
"I want to know if you think Megan Perrasmith is emotionally unstable and should be removed from duty."
"No- she's the best Officer that I've ever trained." Ed replied, "And don't even try to spin the words, Larry."
"That's not what I'm trying to do." Larry admitted, "I'm just trying to get the facts."
"Then I'll give them to you," Ed responded, curtly, "Kristopher Perrasmith was a decorated police officer for nearly 10 years. Add on 10 months of excellent, above average SRU service. He served two years protecting the Halifax Shipping Yards, and another four years of protecting our nation's border with the Border Services. Father to two children- Megan and Matthew- Megan had to watch as her father was laid to rest, and Matthew will probably never remember his biological father. Loving husband to Julianna Perrasmith for two years, and he'll never see his baby daughter be born. Husband to Haley McLeod- high school sweethearts, got married after graduation. Spent over a decade of marriage to her, and she divorced him because she couldn't handle his job. Kristopher Perrasmith then had to shoot her as part of his job. So don't tell me he wasn't a great man. Don't tell me that Megan doesn't have the right to mourn the loss of her father, the man who has cared for her since birth for as long as she wants."
"I'm glad I had my voice recorder on." Toft replied to Ed's rant.
"We done here?" Ed asked.
"I suppose so."
Ed got up and removed the gizmos attached to him, and lifted Megan up, and removed hers, as they walked out of the room together, with Megan's head resting on Ed's arm, with tears still in her eyes.
After Ed and Megan left the room, the Commander summoned for Greg, who joined Dr. Toft in a closed door session.
Meanwhile, Ed was still trying to comfort Megan.
"It's ok, it's ok." Ed comforted, "Spike."
"I'm on it." Spike replied, as he ran to the fridge and got a bottle of water, which he then passed to Megan.
"Thanks." Came her weak reply, "Ed- I didn't mean to get mad at Toft."
"I know." Ed said with a smile, "He pisses me off too."
Suddenly the debriefing room door opened, and Toft came out first and approached Ed and Megan where they sat.
"Megan, you are cleared for duty." Toft explained, "I'm sorry for the loss of your father."
Once Toft left the room Megan spoke again.
"I hate Larry Toft."
A/N: Who doesn't hate Larry Toft- he breaks up teams! Like I said- keep those boots on A New Beginning fans.