Ben Chartier. One of station 19's best. Most would say in their squad, Nick knew him the most. Considering the guy barely talked about himself, what he was thinking or how he felt- Nick became quite the master at reading his partner.
You spend enough time in a patrol car with someone, you pick up on things. Like how Ben would rub his eyes when he didn't get enough sleep, massage his temples when he was pissed, or even just a blank stare out the window when he was deep in thought.
At Marie's, the cop bar, Nick would also pick up on a few things. Having grown up in the dirty parts of Castro Towers, and becoming a cop, Nick was great at reading people's mannerisms. Even the country boys.
Ben would leave when people got too drunk in his ear. He'd get snappy quick with domestic calls, not afraid to get right in someone's face. Even some of the other members of 19 had witnessed him handling drunk officers on the job, it wasn't pretty.
Needless to say he wasn't a big fan of drunks. Which is exactly why Nick Barron was keeping a hawkeye on his partner when they got their third domestic violence call of the day.
The gentle voice of dispatch came through the radio. "We have a domestic call at 237 Ruther road. Screaming match between mother and father. Need someone."
Nick's eyes were ahead, hands on the steering wheel. He could hear the thick sigh of his partners. Ben fought with the greater good and picked up the radio.
'19-2, we'll take it." He set it down, followed by a copy.
Upon arriving on the scene, glass was heard smashing. The hysteric screams of a woman and a man, and the wails of a child- Ben was in there immediately. The door was kicked down after not being heard.
Nick stormed through the hallway. "Police! That's enough!" He shouted, getting to the main room. There was a wife, a bottle on the table, and an angry father smashing family photos. Nick was fast to tell them both to calm down.
Ben had wandered off towards the cries, finding a young boy holding his little sister. The boy had a cut on his cheek, presumably from glass. Had a bleeding nose too.
Ben crouched down and sighed, feeling that heat rise in his body. "Hey.. I'm Ben. We're going to get you out of here, yeah? Come on with me, it'll be okay."
His voice was gentle, despite the broiling anger.
The kids were put outside, backup arriving just in time to watch them. Audrey and Bear stepped out, checking on the kids. Ambu pulled up too.
Ben was inside with Nick, separating the two fighting. Ben noticed the bloody knuckles of the father, and that was his final straw.
He stormed right up, the wife still crying and shouting as Nick tried his best. Ben grabbed the man by his shoulders, slamming him into the wall.
"You think it's okay to hit kids?! What the fucks the matter with you? Youre a fucking COWARD! You know that? A fucking coward!"
The words spewing from his mouth weren't in control anymore. It was all over when the drunk guy took a swing at Ben, knocking him right in the jaw.
Nick could hear the wife's angry shout turn into screams of terror. She watched as her husband was shoved to the ground, having his face pummeled in over and over. Ben had completely lost it on the guy, not caring about the stinging pain in his knuckles. The guy's jaw was realigned, teeth were spat out. His nose was practically flattened.
Nick had never seen anyone lose it like this before, especially not Ben. It took him and Bear to pull him off the already unconscious man. All the while Ben just kept screaming at the guy about what a piece of shit he was,and how he should be dead. To say it was intense was an understatement.
The man was taken off to the hospital, along with the kids and wife. Ben refused to go along-despite his index finger being bent the wrong way, and blood dribbling from each knuckle. He sat on the concrete steps and reset his finger, still breathing heavily and shaking from the adrenaline.
Nick came and sat next to him, staring off ahead.
"What the fuck was that Bambi? You nearly fucking killed him. Abuser or not- you still don't do that on the job man."
Ben said nothing, only getting up and getting into the car. Nick soon joined him and saw his hand.
"Fuck sakes Chartier! Your hand- hold on. "
He left the car and grabbed a medical kit from the trunk, kept on them during emergencies. He grabbed gauze and returned, gesturing for Ben to give his hand.
Ben was out of it. He slowly gave Nick his hand, and he started wrapping it. Spots of blood soon arrived on it, but over time it went away.
After ten minutes they finally drove off to the hospital to make the arrest. Nick sighed as they pulled up to the ED entrance.
"I'll deal with the husband. You just take the statements, alright?" They both left the car.
After booking and their shift ended, the squad went to Marie's. Ben barely touched his drink, and didn't really talk. For the first time in a while, he went out for a smoke. Nick noticed and followed, standing next to him.
''Hey man. Don't worry about today, alright? These things… they happen sometimes. Should take a day or two off."
Ben shook his head and rubbed his eyes. Tired.
"No- no I'm fine. I'm fine. It was just a slip up." Nick sighed and patted his back.
After a few seconds of silence, Ben broke it. His voice was deep, a confessing one. Whatever he was about to say, he meant it.
"I used to hide. Like… the kids were doin. I prayed that I'd be able to fight back someday. Just didn't think today would be that day. And with… a whole different guy."
He chuckled a bit at the end, flexing his still wrapped hand. Nick smirked a bit and his hand fell back to his side.
"Not like he didn't deserve it anyway. Come on, let's go." They both stood up and went back in, rejoining the conversation. Everything seemed better.