Chapter 10

About a week later, the doctor came into John's hospital room and checked the chart at the foot of the bed. As he looked up, a smile came on his face.

"Officer Nolan," he said. "I think it's time for you to start some rehab on that shoulder and arm. We want you to be able to do everything you could before. So I'll tell you what, let's get you ready to go and you'll start some PT at a rehab facility near your house."

John smiled and nodded.

"Whatever you think is best, doctor. I just want to get back to the way I used to be."

"And that's what we want, too. And if you keep up the attitude you've had this last week, I have no doubt that you'll be back to 100% in no time. I'm just going to fill out the discharge paperwork and then I'll be back." the doctor replied, turning to the door and leaving.

While he waited, John texted his friends and fellow officers with his good hand to let them know that he was going to be discharged. Within minutes, his phone was alive with replies of congratulations and promises to have his back while he was in rehab. Jackson said he was on his way to pick him up. Just as the doctor and nurse came in, he pressed send on a message to Henry, who was waiting at John's house. The nurse set the wheelchair up by the bed and helped John into it, careful to avoid the arm that was in a sling. They went over the discharge paperwork with him and he promised them that he would go to his physical therapy sessions regularly. When that was done, the nurse wheeled him to an elevator and downstairs where Jackson was waiting with the car.

"Hey, John! Let's get you home, huh?" he said, walking up next to the wheelchair.

As John pushed himself up out of the wheelchair with one hand, Jackson reached underneath John's arm to support him, but John waved him away.

"I got it. Thanks, Jackson."

With his good hand, John opened the passenger side door and got in while Jackson returned the wheelchair. By the time he got back, John was buckled in and ready to go. Jackson climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine. Within a few minutes they were at John's house where Henry waited for them in the driveway. Henry helped John get out of the car and thanked Jackson. Father and son waved as Jackson drove away before going into the house and getting John settled in.

"Abigail and I have made it our mission to make sure you take it easy these next few days. Nothing but TV, food, and magazines for you."

"Yes, sir!" John replied, jokingly saluting his son.

Henry chuckled and walked into the kitchen to make some lunch. A few minutes later, seated at the dining room table, John was greeted by a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and some fruit. With a thanks in Henry's direction, he wolfed down the sandwich and moved on to the fruit.

"Whoa, dad! Slow down! There's no rush." Henry said with a chuckle.

"Can I help it if this is the best PB&J ever?" John replied as his phone began to ring.

He looked at his phone and saw Sergeant Grey's name on the caller ID.

"Yes, sir?" he asked.

"How's recovery going?"

"Going well, sir. Henry and Abigail have made it their personal mission to make sure I take it easy today."

A chuckle sounded through the phone line before Grey's voice was heard again.

"Are you feeling up to talking to IA and the county attorney today?"

John had been expecting this because, as with any officer involved shooting, Internal Affairs was investigating what had happened to make sure they were doing things by the book. He'd heard through the grapevine that they had found Sam and his soon-to-be-ex-wife and Sam was now behind bars.

"Whatever you need me to do, sir. When should I be there?"

"They set it up for 1500. Can you make it here by then?"

"I'll have Henry drive me. See you at 1500."

"See you then."

John hung up the phone and looked up at Henry, who already had a concerned look on his face.

"Everything's fine. They just need me to talk to IA about what happened last week. They were waiting for me to recover, but they like these things to be done soon after the incident so the involved parties don't forget details."

Henry sighed before allowing an ever so slight smile to briefly cross his face only to be replaced by a tad more serious look.

"What time do we need to leave to get you there by 3?"

John and Henry pulled into the parking lot of Mid-Wilshire station at 2:50pm. They got checked in at the front desk and made their way up to the interview room where Sergeant Grey, Commander West, and Wesley were waiting. Commander West gestured for John to take a seat. Taking the seat next to Sergeant Grey, he took a deep breath and brought his chair in closer to the table. A black recorder sat on the middle of the table, the microphone facing John. "Are you ready, Officer Nolan?" Commander West asked.

John nodded and Commander West pressed the record button on the recording device and sat straight-backed in the chair, arms resting on the table in front of him.

"Interview with Officer John Nolan, badge number 25253. Interview begins 1501." he said.

Two hours later, after going over the incident in extreme detail, John got up from his chair.

"Thank you, Officer Nolan. We will let you know when our investigation is complete and you are able to return to work." Commander West said.

"Thank you, sir." John replied.

He pushed his chair in and left the interview room, closing the door behind him. Henry was waiting for him in the lobby, so John wandered the hallway and out the door to the front lobby. With Henry following behind, they walked out into the parking lot and drove home.

"You doing ok, dad? You were kinda quiet on the way home."

"Yeah, I'm ok, Henry. Just glad it's all done for now. Now it's just a waiting game."

Henry wasn't fully convinced, but he knew better than to keep pressing John on it, so he decided to let it go. John opened the door and stepped into the main room. Taking a seat on the couch, he turned on the television. After a few minutes of flipping through channels, he, Henry, and Abigail decided to watch a movie instead. Henry popped some popcorn for them and brought back the bowl, placing it on the table in front of them. When the movie was over and the popcorn was eaten, Abigail took the dishes back and got started on dinner.

"What can I do to help?" John asked.

"Nothing," Abigail replied with a smile. "This is my famous chicken marsala. Henry loves it."

"Well I'm sure I will too. You sure you don't need help?"

"I'm fine. You and Henry just go get washed up. I'll have this ready soon."

John nodded and turned to go to the master bathroom and get washed up. Henry did the same in the guest bathroom. By the time they were done, the chicken marsala was ready. The trio sat down at the table, a piece of chicken covered in mushrooms and a mushroom sauce on each plate.

"So, um, dad, Abigail," Henry started a few minutes into the meal. "I got a call from work while you were in with IA today."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, um…apparently they…they want to promote me!"

Abigail and John gasped in unison, a wide, bright smile upon their faces. Instantly they got up and walked over to hug Henry.

"When do you start?" Abigail asked.

"That's the thing, they…uh…they want me to start immediately. They want me to fly back tonight so I can start training the day after tomorrow."

"And what did you tell them?"

"I said I thought you might need me here…"

"Oh, Henry, I'm ok. I'm recovering well, and I have Jackson and Lucy nearby. Don't pass up this opportunity on my account."

"But, dad,"

"I'm serious, son. Opportunities like this don't come all the time. I'll be ok. I promise."

"You'll call me if you need me?"

"Of course."

"Abigail, what do you think?"

"I think this is an amazing opportunity for you. And I think you should take it."

Henry chuckled and hugged his dad and wife.

"Where did I get so lucky as to have the two of you in my life? I'll give them a call right now."

Henry got up and took the phone out of his pocket. As he walked into the front room, he put the phone to his ear. Distant conversation is heard as Henry discusses details with his soon-to-be-new-boss. Five or ten minutes later, Henry comes back into the room, a smile on his face.

"I accepted. I guess Abigail and I better get packed up. Are you able to take us to the airport?"

"Of course." John replied.

Abigail and Henry went back to the guest room to pack up while John took care of the dishes. A swell of pride filled John's heart as he thought of this new opportunity for Henry. Who would've thought a year ago that letting his son chase his dreams like this would lead to so quickly climbing the ladder? Clearly the company thought highly of his son to give him this promotion. It excited him to think of what the future held for his not-so-little boy. A few minutes later, Henry and Abigail were packed up and bringing their things into the front room. John quickly finished the dishes and helped them load up their suitcases into the car. While Abigail had finished the last of the packing, Henry had purchased two last minute airline tickets. Now they drove through the last of the rush hour traffic towards the airport. John maneuvered the car towards the departures area and pulled aside at the American Airlines check in area. He helped them unload their things and they hugged good-bye for now. John waved as they picked up their things and walked into the terminal. Getting back into the car, John sighed a heavy sigh, one that showed just how much he'd miss his son and daughter-in-law. He drove back towards home, stopping to get some ice cream along the way. Once he got back home, he changed the bedding on the guest room bed and threw the old set into the washing machine. With all of the housekeeping up to date, he sat down on the couch, phone in his hand. Henry texted that they were at their gate, Jackson and Lucy invited him out to lunch the next day, and Angela asked how the IA questioning went. After replying to all of the text messages, he decided to scroll through social media. After an hour of that, including watching random YouTube videos, he was exhausted and made his way to bed for the night.

A couple weeks later, John got the call he'd been waiting for. He had been cleared of all wrongdoing and was clear to return to work starting his regular shift time tomorrow. Ecstatic to be able to do what he'd been called to do, he checked over his uniforms to make sure that they were up to expectations. After polishing the brass of his nameplate and dusting off the lint that had collected on it over the last month, he was ready for tomorrow. Within the hour it became clear that word had gotten around that he was cleared because everyone was texting him telling him they were glad he was coming back tomorrow. A few wondered how his recovery was going and if he would need more physical therapy. He assured them that he was ready and had been medically cleared as of yesterday. Were there some things he might need to talk out with someone? Maybe, and he knew he would talk those things out with a professional if needed. For now, he wanted things to get back to normal, and this was the first step in that. Once everyone was assured he was ready, he put the phone away and looked out the window to see rain pouring down outside.

Good thing I don't go back until tomorrow, he thought to himself with a chuckle.

He went through the day making sure that everything was in order for him to go back to work the next day. When everything was in order, he cooked dinner and looked through the news to see what cases they might put him on in the morning. After familiarizing himself with the latest updates on the happenings in LA, he did the dishes and went to bed. The next morning, he put on his uniform, meticulously making sure that everything was where it needed to be. Once he was satisfied, he grabbed a quick breakfast and headed out the door. When he got to the station, he made his way to the squad meeting room and was greeted by a standing ovation as he opened the door. Tim was at the front of the room, leading the applause. John walked to his seat at the front of the room next to James. With a slight wave of thanks, he took his seat and the applause died down.

"We're glad to be welcoming back Officer Nolan today," Tim said before going into the announcements of the day.

"All right, be safe out there." he said in conclusion.

John and his fellow officers all got up and walked to their shops. James and John double-checked everything in their shop and then started their patrol. While they patrolled, they chatted and caught up on the events of the last two weeks. James and his family had gone on a vacation and just gotten back a couple days ago. With how restful it was, James was definitely happier than normal. This vacation had taught him the value of taking time off and recharging and spending time with the family. He hoped it was the beginning of a new chapter for them.

"You know," he said. "There are some things that are just so eye-opening that I think 'how did i miss this for so long?' But I don't want my kids growing up with only memories of me heading out the door to work and then hanging out a little at night before bed."

"Totally understand," John replied. "You don't get these years back. It's so important to make those memories while you can."

"How's Henry doing?"

"He's loving his new job and so grateful for the promotion. Abigail's glad that he's getting paid what he's worth"

That made James smile.

"Have you and Henry always had this close a relationship?"

"It was something we had to work on. But it's worth it. To see the man he's become? I wouldn't trade that for anything."

James nodded and piloted the car up the road and down their beat. A blue and white pick up truck caught his attention.

"Hey, Nolan. Something seem off about that truck?"

"Yeah. Looks like it might be going a little fast."

"My thoughts exactly."

With a press of a button, James had the lights and sirens going off. The truck approached an intersection in front of them and made its way through the light. A right turn at the next intersection led to Nolan grabbing the car radio.

"7-Adam-15 in pursuit of a blue and white pick-up truck. Ford F-250. Charles-Sam-Edward-one-three-five." he said, followed by the street they were on.

The dispatcher turned on the radio silence tone and made sure Tim acknowledged he knew they were in pursuit.

"7-Adam-15, reason for stop?" Tim asked.

"Speeding."

"Traffic conditions?"

"Moderate, speeds 50 miles an hour."

"Terminate pursuit. Terminate pursuit."

"Terminating."

James turned off his lights and sirens and took the next turn available. The truck continued on its way in the opposite direction of John and James. Radio silence tones filled the air for a second and John got back on the radio.

"7-Adam-15, pursuit terminated, go ahead and clear the air."

"Frequency clear for normal traffic."

John set the radio down and focused on the road ahead, his eyes scanning for anything out of the ordinary. A few moments later, they heard a crash. Grabbing the radio, John alerted dispatch that they were responding to the assumed collision. At the next opportunity, James turned around and proceeded onto the last road they had seen the truck on. Traffic had slowed down, so James instantly slowed and put on his lights and siren. As they approached the next intersection, they saw the blue truck and a red passenger car had gotten into a collision. They pulled in behind the red passenger car and came to a stop. John got out of the car and called out to James.

"You navigate them around this and I'll check on the drivers."

James nodded and radioed in for backup with point control and to start ambulances. John walked over to the red passenger car and saw a woman in the driver's seat and a child about two years old in the back seat. He walked around to the front of the car and saw that the woman was unconscious. The two year old was crying, and John checked around the driver's door for the unlock switch. When he found it, he pressed it and tried the door closest to the child. It opened somewhat easily and John leaned in to make eye-contact with the child.

"Hi, kiddo. I'm John. What's your name?"

"M…Maggie."

"Hi, Maggie. Can you take a deep breath for me?"

Maggie nodded and took a small breath, which helped her calm down a bit.

"Maggie, do you have any owies?"

Maggie nodded and pointed to her tummy.

"Your tummy hurts?"

"Yeah."

"Was it hurting before right now? Or did it just start hurting?"

"Right now."

"Ok. Do you have any other owies?"

Maggie shook her head and gave a small grimace.

"Does your head hurt?"

Maggie nodded and John noticed tears pooling into her eyes.

"I'm gonna go check on your mommy real quick and make sure she's ok. I'll be right back."

As he made his way to the driver's window, he radioed in.

"7-Adam-15, step up that ambulance. Two year old female, possible stomach pain and head pain. Roughly 25-27 year old female unconscious in the driver's seat."

Dispatch acknowledged and John gently felt for a pulse from the woman's neck. A slight pulse greeted him and he sighed with relief. He looked over the woman and from what he could see, she must have had whiplash and a possible concussion. A small cut on her head told him she might have hit her head on the steering wheel during the accident. As he removed his hand, he saw her stir ever so slightly, releasing a breath. She turned towards him and his hands flew to her head to keep her facing forward.

"Ma'am, my name is John. I'm a police officer. An ambulance is on the way."

"Maggie?" she asked, clearly still groggy.

"Maggie's right behind you. She's ok. Help is coming for both of you, ok? But I need you to keep facing forward until paramedics can come check you out."

The woman swallowed and another officer came jogging up next to John. He filled the officer in on what had happened and quickly changed positions with him. Walking over to the blue and white truck, he heard some groans of pain. Approaching the driver's window, he saw a man in about his fifties reaching towards the door.

"Stay where you are. We don't know how injured you are." John called out.

The man saw John's uniform and sighed, clearly still in pain. Looking around him, John saw other officers arriving on scene. Some were taking witness statements and some were helping guide the approaching ambulances to where they needed to go. He turned to the man and looked him over. Other than a few cuts, he appeared ok from the outside, but that didn't rule out internal bleeding.

"What's your name?" John asked.

"Wayne. Wayne Gunther."

"Ok, Mr. Gunther. Can you tell me anything about what happened?"

"You idiots were behind me and then left me alone. Not too long after, I…I didn't see…she came so fast…I didn't know…"

"Didn't know what?"

"The light…it was…"

Wayne's eyes closed for a moment and he swallowed before releasing a breath and falling unconscious. John quickly turned to the ambulances.

"OVER HERE!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

Bailey and two other paramedics came running over.

"What happened?" Bailey asked.

"Possible internal bleeding. He was talking but gasping for air and then fell unconscious."

John stepped back as Bailey and her partners got to work on getting the man safely out of the truck and into an ambulance. When the ambulances had driven away, John and James met up to discuss their report. They called the dictation line and made their report with the transcription unit. Once that was done, they decided to grab a bite to eat and get back on patrol. Thankfully the rest of the shift wasn't as eventful and they drove the shop back to the station. After checking everything over, they got a few last minute things done before heading home for the night.

John drove home and made some food in his instant pot and called Henry to check in on how his day went before heading to bed for the night, ready for whatever the rest of the week would throw at him.