CSI:NY part 21
Since Danny was graduating mid-year, he didn't have a graduation ceremony. He didn't even have more than three weeks between his graduation and entering the academy, as his last exam was on the 12th of December, and he started the Academy on the 3rd of January.
He and Don were going to spend more time at the Flack house this year, as they'd gotten along OK last year, when Don introduced him to the family.
Dec 17, 1994
Dear Mr. Messer,
We, the members of the committee, congratulate you on your completion of your Bachelor's degree.
We wish to remind you that you are starting the academy just after the first of the year, and upon successful completion of the academy, to fulfill the terms of your agreement, you must serve 12 months as a patrol officer before you enter the employment of the crime lab.
You will no longer hear from us as a group unless something untoward happens, or you break the contract.
Sincerely,
Chief Terrance Jenkins
Chairman, Alternative Parole Board
At roll-call the first day of the academy, the instructor called out, "Messer, Daniel. Ah, that's right, the special case. Donald came to talk to me about you..."
At lunch, he was bombarded with questions about what the instructor had said. Danny answered briefly that Chief Flack didn't like him due to his family background.
The first time he ran the obstacle course, his running times weren't the fastest, mostly due to his height, but he maneuvered through the tight spaces, leaving him with a good time. All that running away from Sonny back in the day really helped, it seemed. When it came time for the range, though, he flinched badly every single time anyone fired.
"Messer, shape up! Fix your stance. You're barely clipping the paper!"
At the end of the day, Don came by to take him to dinner. Seeing the look on Danny's face, he asked what was wrong.
"The gun range...the sounds, I flash back to Sonny and his BB gun, and Louie screaming at him to stop. That set of pockmarks on my ass? Sonny got me as I vaulted our back fence when I was 13. I used to have a visible furrow on the side of my neck."
Don took his elbow, leading him back into the range. The range-master was one of Derek's cousins, so he knew Don.
As he was handing over the weapons, he turned to Danny and said, "You were attacked with a firearm, weren't you?"
"BB gun at close range by one of my brother's friends, got the scars to prove it. Any way to get me not to flinch?"
After a minute's thought, he replied, "Stand in the stall next to Don, watch him shoot a magazine-load. Get used to the sound with it as protection, not offense toward you."
They repeated the cycle, with Don shooting a few rounds, then Danny trying, until he got a few 5-rings. As they left, Don and the range-master exchanged nods, the instructor was going to get an earful.
The next time Danny was on the range, he got 10 points above the benchmark to continue training. After that, the instructor left him alone. Jimmy Barrows was a scary one when he pointed out that Danny was technically a kid from the hood made good, so forgive a few adverse reactions to gunfire initially.
The day they received their badges, Danny was ranked third overall, as he was second in the courses, 4th in the classroom, and 5th on the range. Don, Ma, and Mama were there, clapping away, and Chief Jenkins nodded at him.