Guard Duty

The speed in which everything occurred caught Fern unaware. The faces of death on the young officer and that bad man transfixed her gaze. Slacked jawed and wide-eyed, her mind refused to reconcile the images. Finally, her eyes met Jamie’s, bringing her thoughts in focus.

The seasoned corporal recognized her expression. He took her by the shoulders, then waited. As her pupils pinged with awareness, his calm words restored her focus, “take my mother upstairs, and wait for us to finish up down here. My Dad or I will let the two of you know what’s going on,” his gaze didn’t break away from hers until she nodded. His hand trailed down to her own, and with a reassuring squeeze of the hand, they traded smiles. Then took to motion. 

 As Officer Eric Durbin arrived, he skidded his squad car to a stop blocking the corner intersection from any future curious onlookers, then he ran to the corporal. The train of emergency personal followed in kind. Internal affairs became the sprinkles on this double-layered cluster. 

 Jamie yelled across the walkway, pointing at the prisoner, “Eric, pick a partner, and follow the meat-wagon. Don’t let ‘Matthews’ out of your sight. You, my friend, just volunteered to babysit.” 

“Roberts,” Eric said, “you’re with me,” the two of them grumbled together following the gurney, at this point the tag-team split up. Jason Roberts, a much younger and leaner man, hopped in the ambulance, while Eric Durbin, an old hand with lots of experience and girth to match, followed.

The crisp grey suit of I.A. officer Ted Shears approached Marion and Jamie. Ted’s grey flat-top looked perfectly angled, the old jarhead stood a lean and fit 5’11. A true professional polished off with a blue Windsor Knot, and a chiseled chin. However, hazel eyes swam in a red glassy sea. “Can’t you ever call me after my morning coffee?”

“There’s no fun it that,” Jamie said.

“I never did like you,” Spears said, “and I’m telling my wife to stop making me drag you home to dinner, as the woman tries to play cupid.”

A boyish smile filled his face, “now that you can do.” Jamie said. Spears cocked an eyebrow, as did Marion, but those questions would have to wait.

 Spears turned to face Marion, “Mr. O’Keeffe,” Caption Shears said with a nod, “I might as well start with you. What can you tell me about Pete Matthews?”

“Who?” Jamie blurted out.

“Yeah, that’s Nick’s boy. I.A. had his jacket flagged from day one. He attended boarding school and the Academy under his mother’s maiden name.” 

It was Jamie’s turn to raise an eyebrow. While Ted continued speaking, “Oh yeah, it was all legal, and everything, but that fact didn’t escape our background check. We feared the shitstorm it might create, but his appointment wasn’t our call, so here we are, and I got my own personal, ‘I told you so,’ in my back pocket. I hate when my suspicions are right.”

“That’s not saying much you’d suspect your own mother,” jabbed Jamie.

“Oh, I flagged her file years ago.” All three smirked, then, the Caption and Marion moved in unison toward his cruiser for the facts to be set down, compared, and scrutinized.

Darkness still clung to the city streets, as the early echo of day commenced. Milkmen, and paperboys, made the first tracks in the newly fallen snow. While longshoremen abandoned their personal vehicles to take their positions and make ready the days’ inbound bounty, and of course, the ambulance carrying Ed Matthews had come to a full stop at the emergency room entrance. His eleven-minute e.t.a. placed him in the east hallway headed for x-rays. Once the damage had been assessed, they moved him to surgery. 

Placid eyes measured Ed’s expression, as the young woman took his pulse, then asked him to count backwards, starting at 100.

"100, 99, 98, 97, 90-90-6, 97---"

The doctor used his hip to push open the swinging door that leads to his patient. He lifted open each eye, checked the clock. He then stated the time for the recorder and began. 

On the other side of the surgical room stood his two sentinels. They stoically waited for the procedure to be concluded and inevitability for the next two volunteers to be snared. Time stalled in O.R., room 2. The men grew restless, hungry, and bored. So, the officers took turns roaming the hallway.

As Durbin passed the nurses station, he wondered where the woman had gone, not that he really cared, it just felt eerie the slight echo of his footsteps backdropped by the ticking of the mounted clock over her empty desk. 

He continued following the painted arrows that lead to the breakroom. As he entered the brightly lite room, he spied the head nurse on the phone. She sounded more like a greasy-spoon waitress named Flow, than an ‘angel of mercy.’

“Oh, yeah, shocked doesn’t begin to describe how I felt. I couldn’t believe my eyes… Well, do me a favor and pass the word…” Her spine stiffened. She grunted, annoyed. She huffed out a cloud of smoke as she noticed the man in uniform, “look, I got to get back to the desk,” she said, snuffing out her cigarette. “I’ll call you later, don’t forget what I said.”

Officer Durbin smiled, “sorry, just looking for the coffee machine,” but the nurse did not smile back. She clanged the receiver down, then exited the room without looking his way or speaking.

The words, “battle-ax,” wisped off his lips as he collected two hot coffee’s black. He then retraced his steps back to his post.

__________Jamie and Fern __________________

Jamie watched Captain Spears exit the apartment and head to his car. He knew the man’s next stop would be coffee black.

Marion walked up to his son Jamie, “Can you get someone to drive us home your mother is beat.”

“Sure thing, Dad, I’ll ask Ted,” Jamie yelled at his friend. Then pointed at his parents. The Captain motioned for them to come, and just like that, it was settled. Jamie headed up the stairs to check in with Fern before he headed to the office to type up his report. 

The door was slightly jarred, so he walked on in. The charm of her paintings greeted him just like before. However, this time he noticed a warm and friendly canvas of a hay meadow. In the middle of the field, she painted a man working on a tractor, with a small girl handing him a clamp. The details were plain enough to see, and the warmth of emotion spoke of a tender memory. 

Yes, Jamie was sure this late Summer depiction belonged to her childhood. It was then he noticed two bare feet on the backside of the room divider. The lavender modesty blind stood adorned in a creamy linen perched next to the closet door. Her bare feet danced and shimmied around. Soon the sound of a zipper zipping in place followed. Her soiled dress draped over the top edge of the divider, and a pale green sweater slowly inched over. 

The whole ordeal had a piquant effect on him, and she blushed as she rounded the corner to see him standing there. “I, um, wanted to let you know I’ve got to go. Are you okay here by yourself?”

“I think so, anyway I got to call my boss. Captain Spears wanted me to stop by the office later this morning, He thought he’d have more questions once he read over everyone’s statements.”

“Well, alright then, I have one last stop to make. It might take me a little while, but once I’m done, you can find me in the office. I’m sure I’ll be there till noon. I want to call you later tonight before my shift begins if that’s alright?” 

Fern nodded and wondered if he was as nervous as she felt. He turned to leave, then looked back at her, “I’m so glad you are okay.”

“Yes, I have your parents and you to thank for that.”

“Yes, you were lucky finding the house like you did,  but I think Pete may have played a part in it too," He opened his mouth to say more, but instead, he pulled her door closed and left.

Author's Note

still working on the sound of his chapter

Reviews

[barleygirl]

As always, your writing is flawless, dynamic, well-organized, & great dialogue. I am not a fan of the scurrying fast-paced police-oriented scenes, as much as I am a huge fan of the spots where you slow down a little & meander in a more fluid, poetic, image-filled voice -- this is how the last 1/3 of this chapter feels to me, which is why I like it best. (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Einstein Noodle]

I think this is a very strong chapter .. wouldn't change a thing .. i am engaged now emotionally for Fern .. I am worried about her being left alone .. even if it is day time .. she's like my daughter or something ;) the contrast between scenes works and I like the added drama with Nurse Diesel :)))))))))))))))))) I would say sinister .. onward says i! I would buy this book Cherrie ..
E.

[Cherrie Palmer]

I'm with you I like the cranky nurse. :)

[Einstein Noodle]

:)..........................

[Shep]

Lve the pace of the story as it gives us a nice rhythmic breather after the last one. love the details and the character interchange. not a lot I can say other then I loved and looking forward to more. moving on to the next chapter. Please be kind and return the love.

[Cherrie Palmer]

Yes, I tried to slow this chapter down, I'm glad you though it worked

[CLR9]

the dialogue is marvelous. Plot and character are among the ranks of the best. Very good work here. I cant wait to read more.

[Cherrie Palmer]

Thank you CL,
I need to work on this chapter, but I'll probably wait until I finish this next one .
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed this one, I don't really like a block building scene ao I was glad to hear it wasnt dull.