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"Morning, Officers," Grey strode through the room, and up to the podium, staring at the officers amassed, the empty chair of Officer Chen who was still out, recuperating from her shooting.
"Alright, everyone settle down. Three, Five, and Twenty-One. Officer Nolan, do you care to guess what these three numbers represent?"
"Combination to your heart, Sir?"
"Three is the number of opportunities you had to disable Runaway Bride's car yesterday. Five vehicles were damaged because you failed to do so. And the last number. Officer Bishop, would you like to tell your rookie?"
"Gladly - $21,000 in property damage the city has to pay."
"Correct. All in all, Officer Nolan's first pursuit reveals room for improvement," Grey announced, looking at Bishop.
"Yes, Sir."
"Onward. Everyone, stay safe out there. Oh, Lopez and West, Captain wants to see you."
"Yes sir."
Everyone began to file out, Lopez and West heading straight to the Cap's office when Nolan's phone buzzed.
"Sir, um," Nolan began his plea to Grey, "any chance I can dash out during shift - Lucy's being discharged today, she's going to need someone to get her home."
"Officer Nolan-" Grey began, but Officer Bradford intervened - "I can go."
"Bradford?"
"Officer Chen's my rookie; if she's not here, I'm not exactly training anyone, so me taking off won't be detrimental, unlike for some," Bradford said, targeting the last comment at Bishop's boot.
Hell, he definitely needed every minute on the street if he sought to become a P2.
"Alright, then. Bradford, you're free to take a personal. You two," Grey directed at Bishop and Nolan, "please try and not destroy any more city property today."
"Of course, Sir. And thank you, Sir." Nolan responded to Grey and thanked Bradford, following Bishop as she beckoned for him.
*
Bradford knocked on the door, looking into an empty room.
"Just one second Nolan," he heard her respond before a clatter and a strong fuck emanated from the en-suite. He walked in, Officer Chen half sitting on the floor, palm squarely on her head, a sweater half on.
"Boot, are you supposed to be out of bed?" Bradford asked, leaning against the door, arms folded.
"Officer Bradford?" she got out, trying to push herself up, but put her weight on her hand at the wrong angle, and felt herself lose what little balance she had, the only thing stopping her from falling entirely was the two sturdy hands she now felt, gently helping her to her feet and back to the hospital bed that she couldn't wait to leave.
She'd been out for way too long - she was not going to fall behind, no.
She was not going to prove her parents right, no, never.
"Ms Chen..." a nurse popped in, wheeling a chair, but quickly stopped when she noticed that she was not alone.
"I'll take that, thank you," Bradford waved the nurse out, pushing the chair into a corner, turning his attention to his boot once again, who was trying to wrestle with her jumper, unsuccessfully.
He sighed, stepping back beside her, giving her a questioning look, her nod and subsequent pause letting him help her wrestle into the sleeve, a wince escaping her as she smoothed it out.
"You know, I asked Officer Nolan to come over."
"Rookies don't get time off. Besides, he should be glad Grey hasn't forced him into OT after the runaway bride..."
"Runaway bride?"
"Long story. I'm sure he'll tell you all about it when you're back. Now, you ready to leave?"
"Did you... did you volunteer to do this? Or were you forced?"
"Nobody forces me to do anything, boot, unless it's a direct order. And no, Grey didn't order me to do anything, neither did the Captain, before you ask. I volunteered."
"Why?"
"Because you're my rookie, Officer Chen. And I'm responsible for you."
"When I'm on the clock, sure, Sir. But..."
"On the clock, off the clock, you're an officer of law, Chen. When you go home, you don't stop being a cop. As soon as you took the oath, you became a cop. Always. And until you reach P2, I'm your training officer. I am responsible for you."
"So, um, you help all your rookies with their pitiful attempts of getting changed?"
"Nope, but then, none of the rookies have ever been shot."
"Hmm, so a first?" Chen tried a smile as she pushed herself off her bed and settled into the chair, clinging onto the bag that Bradford put in her lap.
"Yes. I'd appreciate it if you try not to get shot any further," he said, before mumbling under his breath, "turns out I got the most bearable of the three."
"What was that?" Chen asked as he pushed her down the hall.
"Nothing important, boot. Nothing important."