Sunday Reveries - Pained
"This is something we all take for granted, but no matter how bad things get, the moment you are denied air you fight for it."
-Lloyd Jones
They were all laughing at Bobby who was telling another story about Juarez’s first week in uniform. Since they were now all past being rookies, it was easier for them to laugh about those first few difficult weeks on the streets.
“And the old woman just starts swinging her cane!” Bobby slapped the table with an open palm, “Juarez is doing his best to dodge it but that lady had one hell of a swing. He had bruises for weeks, weeks I’m telling you. Kinda reminds me of that codger who threw shoes at people, you remember that guy Charlie?”
Charlie nodded and then rubbed the back of his head. “He had a very good arm.”
“So, come on, Crews, let’s hear it,” Tidwell said, spinning his third beer between his fingers.
“About the old man with the shoes?” Charlie asked, deliberately avoiding what Tidwell was really asking. He was going to hurt his Captain and hurting anyone was not something Charlie enjoyed even if he did it almost every day when he had to tell someone a loved one was dead.
“You know what I’m talking about. You don’t invite the guys out for drinks.” Tidwell leaned back in his seat, “So, what’s the deal?”
Everyone at the table now looked at him, Tidwell assessing, Bobby expectant, Bodner curious. Charlie took a deep breath and held up his hand. The ring Reese had given him was on his thumb, where he’d worn it since coming back from Nepal. He took it off and slid it onto the correct finger, where it belonged. He’d had to get it resized again but right now that wasn’t the point.
Bodner was the first to get it, “You work fast Crews. Congratulations.”
“Thank you, Agent Bodner.” Charlie folded his hands on the table and waited for the others to get it. He could see Tidwell was slowly figuring it out but Bobby still looked confused.
“It’s just a ring, what’s the big deal?” Bobby asked, looking between him and Bodner. “Is this some sort of Zen thing?”
“He got married, officer,” Tidwell said. “Did you get your ex back?”
Charlie shook his head. Now was the moment of truth. It was still a little nerve racking, admitting this to even the few people he called friends but their careers were no longer at risk, he could do this.
“No. Reese and I…”
He didn’t get to finish the sentence. Tidwell lunged across the table and slugged him, hard. His chair tipped backwards and down he went. He had known this was coming. Tidwell loved Reese too and his Captain hadn’t taken losing her very well. Losing her to him, he expected a lot of fury and received it in two hard punches before Bobby and Bodner yanked Tidwell back.
Charlie got up and looked at the crowd that was watching what had almost become a fight. He wasn’t going to hit back, he wasn’t going to fight. He had done enough to hurt Tidwell. He smiled sadly, though it pulled at his split lip.
“We’re going to have a small ceremony. You’re all invited but you don’t have to come. Whatever you’re comfortable with. We don’t have any expectations, we’d just like friends there.”
He turned to the bartender, “Everything on my tab.”
Then he walked out of the bar. While Bodner and Bobby might want to celebrate, he knew Tidwell wouldn’t want to see him until tomorrow at the office. He had just crushed every last hope is Captain had of getting Reese back. He’d do home, get some ice for his lip and eye which was also aching but now he had pain to share with Tidwell and that seemed very fair to him.
-Lloyd Jones
They were all laughing at Bobby who was telling another story about Juarez’s first week in uniform. Since they were now all past being rookies, it was easier for them to laugh about those first few difficult weeks on the streets.
“And the old woman just starts swinging her cane!” Bobby slapped the table with an open palm, “Juarez is doing his best to dodge it but that lady had one hell of a swing. He had bruises for weeks, weeks I’m telling you. Kinda reminds me of that codger who threw shoes at people, you remember that guy Charlie?”
Charlie nodded and then rubbed the back of his head. “He had a very good arm.”
“So, come on, Crews, let’s hear it,” Tidwell said, spinning his third beer between his fingers.
“About the old man with the shoes?” Charlie asked, deliberately avoiding what Tidwell was really asking. He was going to hurt his Captain and hurting anyone was not something Charlie enjoyed even if he did it almost every day when he had to tell someone a loved one was dead.
“You know what I’m talking about. You don’t invite the guys out for drinks.” Tidwell leaned back in his seat, “So, what’s the deal?”
Everyone at the table now looked at him, Tidwell assessing, Bobby expectant, Bodner curious. Charlie took a deep breath and held up his hand. The ring Reese had given him was on his thumb, where he’d worn it since coming back from Nepal. He took it off and slid it onto the correct finger, where it belonged. He’d had to get it resized again but right now that wasn’t the point.
Bodner was the first to get it, “You work fast Crews. Congratulations.”
“Thank you, Agent Bodner.” Charlie folded his hands on the table and waited for the others to get it. He could see Tidwell was slowly figuring it out but Bobby still looked confused.
“It’s just a ring, what’s the big deal?” Bobby asked, looking between him and Bodner. “Is this some sort of Zen thing?”
“He got married, officer,” Tidwell said. “Did you get your ex back?”
Charlie shook his head. Now was the moment of truth. It was still a little nerve racking, admitting this to even the few people he called friends but their careers were no longer at risk, he could do this.
“No. Reese and I…”
He didn’t get to finish the sentence. Tidwell lunged across the table and slugged him, hard. His chair tipped backwards and down he went. He had known this was coming. Tidwell loved Reese too and his Captain hadn’t taken losing her very well. Losing her to him, he expected a lot of fury and received it in two hard punches before Bobby and Bodner yanked Tidwell back.
Charlie got up and looked at the crowd that was watching what had almost become a fight. He wasn’t going to hit back, he wasn’t going to fight. He had done enough to hurt Tidwell. He smiled sadly, though it pulled at his split lip.
“We’re going to have a small ceremony. You’re all invited but you don’t have to come. Whatever you’re comfortable with. We don’t have any expectations, we’d just like friends there.”
He turned to the bartender, “Everything on my tab.”
Then he walked out of the bar. While Bodner and Bobby might want to celebrate, he knew Tidwell wouldn’t want to see him until tomorrow at the office. He had just crushed every last hope is Captain had of getting Reese back. He’d do home, get some ice for his lip and eye which was also aching but now he had pain to share with Tidwell and that seemed very fair to him.