Non-challenge fic: A Policeman's Tale Day 5
Title: A Policeman's Tale Day 5
Author: Ytak
Genre: General/Mystery
Word count: 1130
Rating: K (PG)
Comments: So much for posting on every weekday. I had to let this day sit a little.
Summary: 60 days in the personal and professional life of Detective Takagi.
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
Day 5
Takagi pulled his car into spot in front of the hospital reserved for police. Takagi and Tsutsumi both shivered as they stepped out of the car. The temperature had dropped even further over the last few days. A light rain the evening before now coated everything in a fine layer of ice. Driving conditions were hazardous and the two officers could tell that the hospital was seeing more than the usual amount of patients.
As they stood waiting for an ambulance to disgorge its patient, Takagi asked Tsutsumi, “Does Terada-san want us to meet him at the koban* later?”
Tsutsumi replied, “He wants us to call him first. Depending on what we learn, we may simply ask around the neighborhood again.” Tsutsumi sighed and shook his head. “I want to catch this person soon.” Tsutsumi was still of the opinion that the attacker might be a teenager or young man. He thought it would be sloppy work to rule it out until they heard from the daycare worker who was attacked.
The paramedics worked quickly to take the gurney from the ambulance. But as one of them pulled the gurney out, he slipped on a patch of ice and went down. The gurney did not unfold properly and the woman on it nearly fell off it. Takagi and Tsutsumi ran forward to help. The woman on the gurney seemed to be all right but the paramedic was on the ground. He appeared to be unconscious. One of the hospital personnel saw what happened and ran inside to get help.
Tsutsumi and the other paramedic checked on the fallen man while Takagi checked on the woman.
Takagi knelt next to the woman; her face was scrunched up in pain. “What's wrong, ma'am?” he asked, worried that the fall had hurt her.
She grunted, “...coming...” With those words, Takagi noticed her swollen abdomen. He waved at the other paramedic. The urgency of his wave got the unhurt paramedic over very quickly.
If asked what happened afterward, Takagi would only be able to say that he helped deliver a baby. He could not quite recall what he did, he just remembered following the paramedic's orders. Tsutsumi would add, after he stopped laughing, that Takagi was basically instructed to 'catch.'
It was no surprise, then, that they were a little late to interview the daycare worker. The nurse who was waiting to escort them was not even upset. Instead, she kept throwing Takagi amused looks, which would cause Tsutsumi to start chuckling all over again.
Takagi was very happy to arrive at the daycare worker's room, if only for the reprieve in the laughter that it would offer. When they entered the room, she gave them a weak smile. Her head was wrapped but, otherwise, she seemed fine. She slipped a bookmark into a book that was resting on her lap.
“I'm sorry to bother you, Misaki-san, but we need to ask you a few more questions,” Tsutsumi said, pulling his chair a little closer to the bed and pulling his police notebook out. Takagi stood behind him.
She gave him another weak smile. “I'm afraid I don't remember much. The doctors say that the bump on my head might have done it. I do remember running to protect the children. He went straight for them.”
“Is there anything about his appearance that sticks out?” Tsutsumi asked.
Misaki leaned back and closed her eyes. After few seconds she shook her head. “It is hard to tell under that shapeless jacket.”
She paused, “Wait, there is one thing. Hmmm. I don't think I've ever seen a guy wear shoes like he wore.” She frowned, “I've seen plenty of women wearing those shoes. I have a pair that look a lot like them.” She told them the style and the color she recalled them being.
On the way out of the hospital, Tsutsumi commented, “It isn't much but it looks like you might be right about the attacker being a woman.”
They climbed into the car and started back to the station. Tsutsumi called Terada to tell them what they learned and get an update from his end. They decided that they would would meet up with Terada at the koban after lunch to proceed with going through the local neighborhood surveys.
The duo dragged themselves to the break room and dug out their lunches.
Takagi was less than enthused at the store bought bento** but he had been in a rush and did not have time to make a lunch. Tsutsumi took his back to his desk. Takagi contemplated doing the same thing until he heard a familiar voice that made him perk up.
“I don't know what's up with them, Yumi. With the way they're acting, its like I've been gone two months instead of two weeks.”
He heard Yumi giggle, “Oh the difficulties of being popular! I know a great many people who would trade places with you.”
The two women walked into the break room, “I'm not that popular, Yumi.” Yumi just gave her a look which became impish when she saw Takagi out of the corner of her eye.
“I'll see you later, Miwako!” and nearly skipped out of the room.
“Gee, what's with her?” Sato said, before she looked around. “Ah, Takagi-kun! I didn't see you.”
He stood up automatically, “It's not a problem!” She waved at him to sit back down and got herself a cup of coffee.
“I'm just in for a half day. Tomorrow, its back to the grindstone. I hear you've been busy.”
He nodded, “An attack at a daycare. No real good leads.”
She shook her head, “That's a sick person to try to attack a bunch of children.” She pushed herself off of the counter she was perched on, “Well, if you need any help, ask!”
“I will!” he said quickly.
She looked at his meal and raised an eyebrow, “Don't you have anything better to eat than that.”
Takagi laughed nervously, “I was in a rush this morning.” And he added quietly, “And I didn't want any questions about how I got Hokkaido delicacies.”
A blush crept onto her face and it was her turn to laugh nervously. “Well, I had better get to work. See you later, Takagi-kun.”
Takagi watched her go with a smile on his face. Quickly, he finished off his meal and went back to his desk to work on some paperwork for the case until it was time to join up with Terada.
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* A police box. Surveys done twice yearly by the police stationed at them are stored there and are used to fill in background information when a crime occurs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_system_of_Japan#Police_Boxes
** Bento: a boxed lunch