Training Day Part II
I got into the car, my hands still red with Dani's blood, my vision blurred with tears, my body numb, my head aching and visualizing her dying in my arms. I watched the ambulance scream off with lights and sirens.
I sat there a moment, took off my vest and tossed it on the passenger seat; her coffee cup was still in the cup holder. I started the car and began to head to the office to get my personal vehicle. My cell phone rang and I saw it was the Chief. I reluctantly answered.
"Yeah?" I answered.
My Chief excitedly said, "Tom, they got a pulse! They got a pulse!"
"Wait what?..Dani has a pulse?" I asked as my body went cold.
"Yes Tom, it's weak but the EMT told me as they were putting her in the rig, they're bringing her to Mercy Hospital!" he said.
With that, I hit my lights and sirens to head straight to the hospital. Not being very religious, I found myself pleading with God to spare Dani. My heart pounded as I wove in and out of traffic hoping and praying Dani would pull through this.
As I pulled up to the hospital I saw red, white and blue strobe lights of the ambulance and several Deputy Sheriff and Police vehicles at the entrance. My Chief, with eyes welled up, met me at the door and held out my shield and weapon.
"Tom, take these back," he said. Reluctantly I took them and put them back on my belt.
"Where is she?" I asked.
"They rushed her to surgery." He replied.
We both went inside. The waiting room was full of fellow Investigators, Deputy Sheriffs, local Cops and my Commissioner. My Commissioner was a tall black woman; she had a very pretty face with a beautiful smile and cheeks with tears running down them. She and I didn't always see eye to eye, as she was very Liberal whereas I'm very Conservative.
She walked over to me, hugged me and said, "It's all in God's hands now." She was sobbing.
"Yes it is," I replied.
I was greeted by most of my Brother and Sister LEOs (Law Enforcement Officers) with sorries, handshakes and shoulder slaps. Others sat and prayed to their Gods. A local Police Sergeant came in with a Box of Joe and two dozen doughnuts from Duncan Donuts.
I went to the men's room to wash Dani's blood off of my hands. I began to cry as I watched the bloody water go down the drain.
I went back into the waiting room, grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down. My body was still quivering in shock of what happened. My adrenaline was high but was starting to subside. My Chief came over to me with a woman and a man, who both looked about my age. The woman was attractive and I saw Dani's eyes and lips on her face. The man was a rugged looking kind of guy with a leathery face and full mustache. They both had tears in their eyes. My Chief told me that they were Dani's parents. I stood up and extended my hand. Her father took my hand in a tight grip.
I was searching for words but all I could say was, "I'm so sorry."
Her mother in a soft stammering voice said, "You have nothing to be sorry for Tom, she did what she thought was right. She always spoke very highly of you." I tried to hold back my tears but I couldn't, both of them hugged me as the three of us sobbed.
I heard the door open. I looked up and saw a blurred silhouette of a tall man in light green scrubs come through the door. The three of us wiped our tears. I could now see it was the doctor. His scrubs had blood on them and his brow was sweaty.
He said Dani was in critical condition and in a chemically induced coma. He explained that the bullet did penetrate but her vest slowed it down. He continued to say if it wasn't for the vest she would have been killed instantly. He said her heart was badly bruised and enlarged but the bullet did not penetrate the heart. Sighs and claps came from the crowd as they heard the news.
Her mother asked if they could see her. The doctor escorted them through the door.
My Chief came over to me. We talked about the good news. He told me to take as much time off as I needed. We sat down next to each other and he told me that Dani and I did a great job on the investigation. The incident should not not have any negative repercussions, however it would need to be investigated by I.A.D. (Internal Affairs Division).
Dani's father came through the door and he motioned to me to follow him. He brought me to Dani. She had an IV in her left arm, tubes in her mouth and nose, and one hooked up to a machine that went under the sheets, which presumed it was a drain in her chest. She had dark circles under her eyes but she was still beautiful. Her head and arms were the only part of her body that was exposed.
I slowly walked over to her and took her right hand in mine. My eyes welled up as I looked at her. I gently touched her left cheek; she was cool to the touch.
I softly said, "What ever happened to Academy 101 you dumb kid." I felt her hand twitch as I said it. I wondered if she was responding to my voice or was it just an involuntary spasm.
I bent down, kissed her gently on the forehead and whispered, "I love you Dani."
A nurse came in and told us we had to leave the room. She was tall with brunet graying hair and a face that could stop a truck. The three of us walked out to the waiting room, and my Chief was the only one who remained. He spoke with Dani's parents as I went to get more coffee. I saw Dani's parents sit down as the Chief came over to me.
He put his hand on my shoulder and said, "She'll be fine Tom."
"I know, I can feel it." I replied. I told him to go home to his wife. He patted my arm, agreed and left the waiting room. I went and sat across from her parents.
Her father looked over at me and said, "It looks like you and my daughter may be more than just coworkers."
A chill ran through my body and I replied, "Sir, I have taken a great liking to Dani, she's a great person and an excellent investigator."
He looked into my eyes and said, "I heard what you said to her, Tom."
I was at a loss for words as her mother spoke up and said, "Tom, she's a big girl, a young woman who can make her own decisions." Her father stood up and put his hand out, I reciprocated.
While he gripped my hand tightly he said, "I don't know what your plans are with Dani, but she holds you high regard, and I won't stop her from following her own path in life, but if you hurt her, God help me I'll fucking kill you Tom." When I tried to talk he placed his finger over his lips telling me to hush. I said nothing.
He shook my hand and patted my shoulder as Dani's mom stood up, hugged me and whispered, "She's in good hands." They both stepped back, said good night and walked out the door.
I sat back down and saw it was 7:25pm; it was the longest day of my life. The nurse told me that Dani would be comatose for a few days, that there was nothing I could do for her at the time and urged me to go home and rest. I thanked her and departed.
The whole ride back to the office to get my car, I thought about the words of her parents. How could I fall for a young woman like that? What do I have left to offer her? I'll be 62 by the time she's 40, what am I doing? I'm sure she wants kids someday, while I'm done with that part of my life, making sure I couldn't have any more kids years ago.
I got to the office and switched cars. I thought about going to the bar, but I was still in tactical gear and had blood on my clothes, so I headed for home.
I walked in the house, got out of my bloody clothes and stepped into the shower. I visualized Dani in the shower with me. I vividly remember fucking her in the shower. She was such a wild card. Even though I could remember every curve, how she tasted, how she smelled, how good she felt and her sweet beautiful face, I didn't get a hard on.
After my shower, I put on my robe and headed to my bar. I poured myself a bourbon and thought about what we did on the bar. I looked at the pictures she sent me on my phone; so young, so beautiful, so sexy. I scrolled through our texts and I felt my cock begin to respond. Was this wrong? Dani was in the hospital clinging to life because of me and I was getting a hard on thinking about her.
I went back to her nude picture, the more I looked at it, the harder I got. I reminisced about all we had done. I began to rub my cock imagining it was Dani rubbing me. Imagining how great she made me feel. I leaned back on the bar stool and opened my robe. I imagined making sweet love to her. I imagined her lying on my bed and her spreading her legs for me and saying, "Make love to me Tom." I imagined sliding my cock into her as she looked up at me with those blue eyes and million dollar smile.
I stroked my cock, hoping to someday be with her again. I could hear her voice, her groans and coos of pleasure in my head and her saying my name. Then I heard her say, "I love you Tom." That was it; I came all over my robe and the floor.
I sucked down my drink, cleaned up and poured another. As I do often, again I looked at my father's shadow box. "Sorry Dad, you must be ashamed of me for failing her," I said aloud.
I finished my second drink and headed to bed. It was hard falling asleep; visions of me holding her as she was dying kept haunting me. I think I woke up every hour with those nightmares. Finally at 5:00am I said "Fuck it," and got up.
I puttered around the house until 8:30am and then headed towards the hospital. Along the way I stopped at a florist and picked up a dozen long stemmed roses.
When I got to Dani's room, I saw that the tubes were removed from her chest and mouth, she now only had the ones by her nose. There were flowers, cards and balloons all around her room. It was hard to find room for the flowers I brought. I took her hand in mine; it was much warmer than yesterday and she looked so peaceful.
As I held her hand, I gave her a gentle kiss on the lips and softly said, "Good morning Dani." I felt her hand twitch again. I thought this couldn't be coincidental. She was responding to my touch and voice.
I sat down in the chair next to her bed holding her hand. I clicked on the TV and the incident was on the news. The coverage was of course askew, blaming the Sheriff's office for the incident, not knowing what really happened. They flashed a picture of Dani in her Academy attire; she looked so cute. She had a serious straight look, no makeup and her hair up in a bun.
Just then her parents arrived and I rose up to greet them.
