"Look, if you need anything, you let me know."- Tim.
—
If you need me, I'll come through
I would never run away
If you ever get lost, lost
I'll be there
—
Lucy Chen's life changed when she was kidnapped, tattooed by a sadist, and buried alive. All she wanted was everything to go back to normal.
—
It started with changing training officers. She didn't mind Nyla Harper; she knew she played a role in saving her. Harper told her the change came because she felt she'd be better equipped to help Lucy through her trauma. Despite her new caution around men, Lucy felt safe with him. She was told he felt guilty for his "role" in the kidnapping. He did everything he could to save her. In the end, he was the one who performed CPR on her and held her when she came to. Although he dismissed her when she asked, she knows he stayed by her side in the hospital until she woke up. Although he denies it, Lucy knows that he doesn't think of her as another annoying rookie; Tim Bradford thinks of her as a friend.
After Tim's pep talk in the gym after shift, Lucy knew she was going to keep the tattoo. Like Tim said, it wasn't her Day of Death, it was the first day of the rest of her life. Lucy soon realized the tattoo was able to ground her when she became triggered. She would rub the area and take a breath to remind herself that she was a survivor. She never told him she kept it; they weren't there in their friendship yet. His voice echoed in her head, "Look, if you need anything, you let me know." Lucy hadn't taken Tim up on his offer outside of work until now.
—
It was a Saturday night. Lucy had gotten home from her shift a few hours ago. She was fortunate to have Sunday off. Jackson had invited her to go out with him and Sterling, but Lucy had been third wheeling them a lot lately, so she declined. She was capable of being alone, she had assured Jackson. Her plan was to finish cleaning her room then curl up on the couch. Lucy did exactly that. She finished folding and putting away her laundry before settling on the couch to watch some TV. Midway through an episode of a cooking show, a craving hit Lucy. Something she hadn't wanted since that night. Lucy wanted a drink.
Since Caleb, Lucy has been able to reclaim many things. She rode in an elevator without thinking she was back in the barrel. She went speed dating with Angela and Nyla, and despite the minor freak out, she surprisingly enjoyed her time. One thing she wasn't able to do was drink. Since Caleb had roofied her, she was terrified to drink even the smallest amount of alcohol. Sure, she took a swig from Angela's flask, but she felt as though that contributed to her freak out since she wasn't in the safely of her home. Lucy thought back to what Tim said to her. He did say anything. Ignoring the voice in her head telling her not to, Lucy pulled out her phone and called Tim. He answers on the second ring.
"Lucy? Is everything okay? Where are you?" Tim immediately asks, concerned.
"Hi Tim. I'm okay, I'm at my apartment. I'm sorry to call and bother you this late, but you did say anything, and this is something and it's stupid and…" Lucy rambles.
"Chen take a breath. Slow down and start from the beginning," Tim replies.
"I want to have a drink, but I can't. I haven't been able to since Caleb. I was wondering if…" Lucy trails off.
He didn't need her to finish. "I'll be there in 15," Tim says.
Sure enough, 15 minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Lucy gets up and opens the door. There was Tim, holding a bottle of tequila. She invites him inside.
"I remembered you like tequila, so I brought one for us. We don't need to drink it now if you're not ready for hard liquor," Tim says as they walk over to her couch.
He notices two bottles of beer on the coffee table, so he sets the tequila down next to them. They sit on the couch slightly tilted so they can face each other. They sit in silence for a moment, as Lucy gathers herself and her thoughts and Tim waits until she's ready.
"I loved drinking a beer while watching trashy TV after a long day. I loved going out with friends and doing tequila shots with karaoke," Lucy pauses. Tim smiles sadly at her and nods his head, encouraging her to continue.
"I have reclaimed so much since that night, but I just cannot do this. I freaked out after taking a small sip from Angela's flask. I just want my life back to normal," Lucy sighs, tears forming in her eyes.
"You are a survivor, Lucy. You experienced something so traumatic, yet here you are. You have done so much to help yourself, everyone at the station admires you. You weren't ready to drink a few nights ago? So what! You have reclaimed so much in a short amount of time, it's okay if you weren't ready. Healing takes time and you, Lucy, are taking huge strides towards healing," Tim says.
During Tim's speech, tears began to roll down Lucy's cheeks. She quickly wipes away and takes a deep breath before responding to Tim. "Thank you. I needed to hear that. I think I'm ready to drink some beer. Maybe we can save the tequila for next week?"
At Tim's nod, Lucy grabs the two beer bottles and hands one to Tim. She opens her bottle and tosses the cap on the coffee table. She looks down at the bottle, before meeting Tim's eyes. She nods and he gives her a soft smile. They raise their bottles and bring them together with a soft clink. Tim watches as Lucy hesitantly brings the bottle to her lips before taking a small sip. He does the same. He looks at her and smiles. She returns the smile.
"I did it!" Lucy whispers, "I reclaimed another thing."
Tim smiles at Lucy, before taking another sip from his bottle. They sit in a comfortable silence as they finish their drinks. Once Tim was done with his drink, he sets the bottle on the table and stands up. Lucy does the same.
"You did it! Just like I knew you can," Tim says to Lucy as they walk to the front door.
Lucy looks at Tim and hesitates for a second before saying, "Thank you for coming over. I appreciate all your encouragement and support since that night. I know this probably isn't what you expected when you said anything, but I really do appreciate it."
"Tim Bradford is a man of his words. When I said anything, I meant it. If you need me, I'll come through. Even though you're still my boot, I do consider you a friend," Tim says.
"Can I get that in writing please?" Lucy says smirking.
"Don't push it," Tim replies.
"Thank you again for everything," Lucy says sincerely. "Enjoy your day off and I'll see you Monday. Good night!
"Be early. War bags need restocking," Tim says. At Lucy's glare, Tim laughs and says, "Kidding! Have a good night and I'll see you then. Call if you need anything."
With that, Tim walks out of Lucy's apartment. Lucy closes the door and sighs in relief. It felt good reclaiming another thing, scary, but good. She walks back to the living room and sits on the couch. She grabs her bottle and finishes it, while thinking. Healing is a journey, and she has made great progress. She thinks about how lucky she is to have such a strong support system. She knows that one day, if she were to get lost in her healing journey, everyone what Mid-Wilshire will be there for her. Especially Tim.