Chapter Nine
Sorry, I know some people hate me for making Sullivan the villain.
"I need to borrow Herrera," Robert told Maya.
"NO!" Andy shouted, not wanting to be alone in a room with Robert ever again.
"Are you disobeying a direct order from a superior officer right now, Herrera?" Sullivan asked, voice a growl, continuing to scare Andy.
Maya and Vic watched on, wondering what was going on when Andy shocked them.
"No. I'm disobeying an order from the man who raped me."
"What did you just say?" Sullivan asked, voice low.
"I think she just said that you raped her," Vic said, stepping next to her, wrapping an arm around Andy. She felt Andy flinch and then lean into her. "Is that why she left early on her last shift?" She looked from Robert to Maya and saw her nod. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Vic asked with a glare on her face, looking at Robert.
"I don't know what Herrera's talking about," Robert walked closer and Andy moved behind Vic. "You two get back to work while I have a chat with her."
"NO!" Vic shouted.
"There's no way in hell we're leaving her alone with you," Maya said, standing beside Vic, Andy still behind them, tears forming in her eyes.
"I'm your boss. I give you orders and you damn well follow them."
"Not anymore they don't." The office door was open and the four firefighters in the room looked to the door and saw a couple of police officers. "Chief Sullivan, we'll need you to come with us." An officer stepped forward and went to grab Sullivan's arm when he broke through the officer's grip and charged towards the three women and managed to separate Andy from Maya and Vic and slapped her across the face.
Andy fell from the force of the slap and then crawled towards a corner of the room. She held her face in her hand and had tears rolling down her cheeks with Maya next to her, trying to comfort her. Andy leaned onto her shoulder and sobbed, hating that this was happening to her on top of everything else.
Vic stood in front of the two women, blocking Sullivan from doing any more damage to Andy. She watched the cops grab Sullivan and pull him out of the office.
Once he was out of the room Vic closed the door, locked it, and then turned to look at Maya and Andy. Andy was still sobbing in Maya's arms, a red mark on her left cheek. Vic moved to sit beside them and wrapped an arm around Andy, wanting to support her as best she could. Maya looked at Vic and Vic nodded.
"Andy, what were you going to tell us earlier?" Vic asked her softly.
Andy looked down, tears still following. She sighed and looked up. Looking at Vic and then Maya.
"At the Highrise fire, I was already feeling down from losing my dad and Ryan. Being up on that roof, trying to talk that woman into coming down with Jack and I was just kind of triggering."
Vic and Maya look at each other with eyebrows furrowed.
"What are you talking about?" Vic asked, rubbing one of Andy's arms.
Andy looked down again. "Ever since Ryan died, I've been depressed. I was on that roof and I was already having bad thoughts." Andy sighed. "I've thought about... I..."
"Andy, please tell me you're not about to tell us what I think you are," Maya asked, tears in her eyes.
Andy just continued to look down and slowly nodded. "I just figured what the hell do I have to live for and for a moment I looked down but I just ended up sighing and coming down anyways," Andy said and Maya and Vic hugged Andy between them. Both of them were grateful that Andy was alive but upset that they hadn't realized she was struggling. "I'm sorry," Andy said, feeling like she was failing at being their friend and as a firefighter.
"No," Maya said firmly. "You do not need to apologize to us for feeling depressed. You're allowed to feel how you feel, okay? I'm just mad that I didn't realize sooner you were struggling. Losing your bars must have set this off even more, right?" Maya asked after a moment. She watched Andy nod. "I'm so sorry, Andy. I know you deserve better than that but Ripley didn't give me an option. I did fight for you." Maya told her and watched as Andy stood up, walking out of her and Vic's grip. "Andy?" Maya asked when Andy was standing by the door, looking ready to walk out.
"I can't be here anymore. Not right now at least." Andy told them, sighing, a couple of tears falling down her cheeks again. "Can I go home please?" Andy asked, looking at Maya, eyes shining and full of sadness.
Maya and Vic glanced at each other and stood up, leaving space between them and Andy, however, not wanting to spook her any more than she already was.
"I need to stay but I can only send you home if you have someone come and stay with you." Maya looked at Vic and Vic nodded. "Vic will go home with you, okay?" Andy nodded and Vic walked out of the room with her, stopping to turn around.
"Thank you, Maya. I'll update you on how we're doing in a few hours." Vic told her.
"I don't want to keep you so I'll text you later. Please be safe, Vic." Maya pleaded, not wanting anything else to happen to Andy.
"We will. I'll let you know when we get to her apartment." Maya nodded and Vic ran out of the office, hoping to catch up to Andy while Maya went over to her desk and lifted the phone, calling Chief Ripley.
"Captain Bishop, do you need something?" Maya almost rolled her eyes at how casual he sounded.
"I need to talk to you, now."