Saving Lucy

False Alarm

It's Monday after shift today I get to go get Lila. Tim's friend called and let him know that Emmett did answer the door and that Lila appeared to be okay though he didn't let him get close. But to know he didn't flee with her was good.
I got in the shop and Tim passed me a book. "If I have to suffer, so do you. So, you're gonna read this out loud to me between calls. Only way I'm gonna get it memorized in time." Tim has been working on becoming a Sargent and they added 2 more books to the list.
"It I could drive and you could read it to yourself." I told him.
"Nice try. Start reading Luce."
"Okay. "Chapter One. True leadership generates respect, not fear. It elevates people, rather than diminishing them." I like this book."
"You would. Keep reading." He told me.
""The number-one mistake new leaders make is to think themselves suddenly infallible. The best leaders understand that even the lowliest patrol officer has something valuable to teach them." Repeat that last part back to me. Memorizing is all about repetition. Trust me. I'm a psych major. I know this stuff."  He repeated it back just fine.
"Again." Then we were dispatched to a family disturbance on Evergreen. Tim was definitely delighted.
"7-Adam-19, copy. En route. Okay, ETA three minutes. Time to read some more. "An open mind and an open door."
When we arrive on scene we are met with 2 Morons who are trying out military vests. Once they shook it appeared they were both okay but we were wrong and 1 of them was hurt. So we had to call an ambulance.

Once back in the shop and on patrol Tim has me read to him again.
A little ways in I tell Tim he's just gonna have to re read it to really memorize it.
"No. I memorize best when I hear it."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Huh." This sounds like a learning difference I learned about in psych school.
"Why?"
"Nothing."
"Boot."
"You might have a learning difference." I don't like the word disability for this type of learning difference.
"A what?" He asks me. I look at his face and he looks confused, that's a look I've never seen on Tim Bradford before.
"Technically, it's classified as a disability, but it really just means that you're wired to process information differently. In your case, through through hearing rather than reading." I explained it to him.
"I don't have a learning disability." He defended himself.
"A lot of people have them. I bet Isabel helped you in the Academy, read through the materials with you and stuff." I tried to make him feel better.
"We're not talking about this." We were then dispatched to a call. I had thought to record his books for him.
When we get to the call Tim seems to know the guy, Rex, he's a bonds man out to get a dangerous man.
"You know as Tim, I like seeing you get brave like that... take charge."
"Oh really?" I ask raising an eyebrow.
"Yes really..."

Later that night...
I went to Emmett's to get Lila.
I knocked on the door.
"What. Here to see if I'm being a dad okay?"
"Well you weren't answering and I was scared for our daughter. Where is she?" I looked around him and didn't see her.
"LILA!" He yelled a little harsher than I liked. Soon I heard her foot steps.
"Mommy!" She jumped in my arms. "We go home?"
"Yes baby." I turned to Emmett and asked for her  stuff.
"Here's your shit by the way." He threw a whole box open in the yard and slammed the door.
I say Lila down and worked on picking it all up. I heard the door open again and he came back out.
"By the way bitch, I don't have to answer your calls. Send the police here again for no reason and you'll regret it. Do you hear me?"
"You know what Emmett. I'm sick of you treating me this way... like I'm nothing. I am something, I am the mother of that beautiful little girl. All I wanted was to talk to her."
"Well guess what when she's with me, she's not your fucking problem." He got close to me.
"Yes she is. She's always my PRIORITY." I emphasized that word because my Lila is the farthest thing from a problem.
"Oh really? Then why are you a cop Lucy? All you have to do is stop being a cop and you can come home. I'll stop being this asshole you've made me become." He had me backed into the house. He wrapped his arm around me and grabbed my butt way too hard. It hurt.
"That hurts stop."
"No, I miss this ass. Maybe I'll get a taste." He bent down and kissed my neck.
"Mommy!" Emmetts head snapped up and he turned around I took that moment to duck away from him. Leaving the clothes on the ground I grabbed the box and Lila and ran for my car.
I put Lila in her seat and kissed her forehead and hauled ass home.
"Hey baby. Are you okay?" I ask hugging her tightly.
"Yes mommy." I look at her arms and her legs. And she looks okay.
"Did you eat?"
"Yes mama." She said. "Movie?"
"Sure. Baby, want some popcorn?" She nodded. So I grabbed some popcorn and put it in the microwave. I put in Harry Potter. Jackson came in and was stoked to watch Harry Potter with us. We settled in on the couch. I grabbed Tim's book and moved to the arm chair once Lila fell asleep and started recording it.