For three and a half months Stew and Sherry were an item. They'd managed a date here and there and were really hitting it off. The 'occasional' rendezvous at work was happening as well but whereas the first couple of times no one had cared, first several times actually. As long as Stew answered his calls and didn't sneak off TOO often, everyone was cool with it. One night however he and Jim were sitting, side by side when Jim started talking about Sherry.
"You two getting pretty serious, huh?" he began.
"I think so. She's great and seems to like me well enough."
"Stew, I have to be honest, you have to tone it down at work. I know it's easier for you guys, what with the conflicting schedules, but, even the sarge is starting to notice. He's a terrific guy with a 'fight the power' attitude and even he's had a bit of fun on shift. Hell, me, too, but with me it was my wife who wanted to fulfill a fantasy, but that's neither here nor there."
"Are you saying we should quit screwing around?"
Jim hesitated. "No, not entirely, though it wouldn't be a bad idea, but I mean, it seems like you guys are parked somewhere, out of your cruisers for an hour or so almost twice a week. Other people DO notice things and we can't keep covering for you."
Stew sat listening intently. His mind began to search for any and all times they bumped into someone whether it was going into, coming out of or once, just as they were starting to make out inside a building. Some fast talking got them around that one. Inside, he was almost in a panic, but Jim, seeing his face beginning to blanch tried to reassure him, while still issuing a warning. "Stew, you've covered yourself pretty well so far, so has Sherry. You've picked decent nights, well not EVERY night..."
Stew knew exactly what he was talking about. One night he and Sherry were in the Fine Arts building when a student was robbed on the other side of campus. He and Sherry were just stripping down in the 4th floor student lounge when Jim called off he saw the suspect hiding in some bushes. Stew had already starting re-dressing, but now had to rush to get dressed which also entailed putting on his duty belt which in itself could be a chore. Sherry, knowing that the city cops might be called if this guy ran, threw on her clothes just as quickly.
Suddenly Jim hollered into the radio that he was in a foot chase. Stew began to panic as he fumbled with his keepers to hold the belt on and slipping into his shoes as he ran, headed out the door. Sherry, not wanting to be caught in building without someone from the college, finished buttoning her shirt and ran after him, making sure the door shut tight behind them.
Luckily Stew had dressed in record time and made it over to where Jim had last seen the suspect. They did a quick search and found the guy hiding under a car. Jim hadn't been too happy that night and had to cover for Stew who managed to make it to the call AFTER Sergeant Jack O'Meara who was coming from the station and had been caught in mid-defecation. Jim was not pleased with Stew that night. But since it all worked out alright in the end, Jim got over it, but NEVER forgot it.
"All I'm saying is, why not cut way back on doing it at work, or maybe cut it out all together for a while, finished Jim. "Lecture over. You've been here a long time now, you know the score and I have faith you'll do the right thing."
Jim drove off after asking Stew if he wanted a coffee. Stew politely declined and just sat for a few minutes, embarrassed at having been spoken to and about HAVING to be spoken to. He just sat for a bit still thinking before cruising around a bit on his side of the campus.
His cell phone rang so he pulled over and answered. Of course it was Sherry. "Hello sexpot. You up for a romp tonight?"
"Sherry, let's talk. Can I meet you, OFF campus somewhere?" asked Stew.
"Is...is something wrong, Stew?" she asked, a bit of concern was evident in her voice. When anyone ever said, 'can we talk' or things to that effect, it often wasn't good. "Yeah, you know the market on State Street, Johnson's Meat?" She chuckled. Every time she said that store name, she chuckled. Stew said he did and off he went to meet her. It was only about a quarter mile off campus so he could get back quick if he had to.
They parked alongside each other in the usual manner and Stew said, "Sherry, we can't do this anymore."
Sherry was taken aback. "You're breaking UP WITH ME? WHY? WHAT'S GOING ON?"
"NO, HOLY SHIT, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!" Stew realized exactly what he had just said and tried to catch Sherry before...too late. She was in tirade mode and it was all he could to calm her.
"WHAT THE HELL DID I DO TO YOU? YOU MESSING WITH MY FEELINGS? WHAT KIND OF AN ASSHOLE ARE YOU?"
"Sherry, Sherry, listen, LISTEN, to me. I'm NOT saying anything like breaking up or splitting up or even taking a break from each other, holy shit, please, just calm down and actually listen to every word. I mean, I may say something STUPID again, so please, take the totality of what I say into account, not just random stupidities."
Sherry did calm down. She hadn't begun to cry yet, that was a plus. Stew hadn't seen this side of Sherry and it really kind of scared the crap out of him. "Are you calm now?"
"Yes. Ok, what then? What do you want to say we have to stop?"
"Screwing around on shift. Jim and I had a little talk and he's right. It's a bit risky for us getting caught but more important, it's risky for the guys I work with. Do you recall the foot chase? Didn't I say that night we should knock this off after all was said and done?"
"Yeah, then we banged in four other buildings after that."
"Yeah, yeah, it's not a good idea. We really have to quit. I do NOT want to quit what we have overall though. To be honest Sherry," he hesitated, cleared his throat and...
"Car 231 come in please," chirped the dispatcher on Stew's radio.
"Hold on, Sherry." Then to the microphone, "Go ahead, 231 answering."
"Suspicious person outside Franklin Hall. Caller states that he's been out there for almost an hour just pacing and smoking. The caller is more concerned about the smoking, believe it or not?" replied the dispatcher. "Car 232 could you also head that way?"
Jim replied he would and Stew also acknowledged the call. "Gotta go. LOVE YOU!" and he drove off.
Sherry sat in stunned silence for a few minutes. "Did he just say, 'LOVE YOU'?" she wondered aloud to herself. "Is that what he was about to say. Do I love HIM? Gee, I just might. Hell, I'm sure I do. I'm going to go tell him right now."
Not knowing the campus all that well, it took her almost 15 minutes to find Franklin Hall which she found frustrating since, "It's obviously the one with two COP CARS parked out front," she muttered to herself."
As she approached, a cruiser came flying up, blue lights and siren going and passed her. She threw on the lights of her own car and followed. She had no idea what was happening. Though the college cops monitored and could jump onto the city radio frequency, but the chief of her department wouldn't authorize radios to monitor the college PD in town because as he put it, "We're too busy with our own stuff to bother listening to their bullshit." There was still a bit of the old archaic 'real cop' v. 'rent-a-cop' mentality in the city police even though the college had had its own POLICE for almost 50 years.
As she sped towards their final destination she saw that the three cops were struggling with a guy. He was not small guy, but not that big either. But her experience told her that, even a small, skinny guy can fight like a maniac if he or SHE doesn't want to be arrested. Way too many cops had been hurt by the smaller people because the cops didn't feel there would be much of a fight. It was a lesson she had learned early on.
She ran over and jumped in. It took all four of the cops to get this guy cuffed and under control. As he lay on his stomach, the suspect began to scream, "YOU BROKE MY ARMS! HEY, THEY BROKE MY ARMS. POLICE BRUTALITY!" Sgt. O'Meara said, "Get that asshole out of here, NOW!" and Sherry and Jim dragged the guy over to Jim's cruiser and put him in the back, the whole time he kept yelling, "BASTARDS! YOU TRIED TO KILL ME. GET ME TO A HOSPITAL, YOU BROKE MY FUCKING ARMS!"
Suddenly Sherry realized Stew was still on the ground and Sgt. O'Meara was kneeling over him. She looked at Jim who essentially just nodded for her to go over, which she did.
When she got there, Stew was just trying to get up but she could see he was in agony. "What happened? How bad is it?" She was beginning to stress out. Stew managed a small chuckle, though he winced through it, "I think that guy broke my ribs, maybe one, maybe I'm dying, I don't know."
The sergeant called for an ambulance even though Stew said, "I can drive myself there."
"Yeah, ok hero. You try and I'll have you suspended." Came the reply.
Sherry at this point realized she hadn't even called off. "Car 221, I'm off with the college guys at their Franklin Hall. I just assisted with an arrest, just FYI."
Her sergeant wanted a phone call, asked her the usual questions and told her to write a report. She wanted to go with Stew to the hospital, but everyone told her, "No, you'll just be a pain in the ass. Do what you gotta do at your own station. We'll let you know." Jim started to give Sherry a quick rundown on what had happened but O'Meara made it clear that the guy had to be put somewhere fast. He told Sherry that she would get a copy of Jim's report so she could put the pertinent information into hers. Then, once the ambulance had taken Stew off, Jim and O'Meara sped off with the suspect, who was still screaming in the back of the car.