#26: When The Tables Turn

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Thursday, August 16, 2018
2:45 am | Pinecrest Apartments
Homicide Detective Turner's POV

Mary J. Blige's "Be Happy" blasted through my iHome speaker.

How can I... love somebody else?

If I can't love myself enough to know...

In the dark, I sat and drank from my third glass of Chardonnay. Through the music, Kareem's words continued to repeat in my head. After Samson and I left the hospital, we returned to the station to inform our Captain about Zeus Mendez. The Captain didn't care to hear about it, he was still pissed about it earlier that day so, he suspended me until further notice. I was ordered to turn in my badge and service weapon right there on the spot. Before I walked out the door, I told him that he was making the biggest mistake of his career. In return, he gave me a big fuck you by handing Samson control of our cases. He also informed me that if I took my happy ass down to the hospital I was going to be fired. I glanced over at the digital clock on my hallway table. It was almost three in the morning. Checking my cellphone, I had four missed calls and two texts from Samson.

The first text read:

Samson: Aye, I'm sorry about how all this went down. Just know I had no intention for all of this to go down. Call me back when you get this.

The second text read:

Samson: Please don't do anything crazy, Turner. Let this shit ride out. Let me talk to Cap!

            "Fuck this!" I tossed my phone on the couch beside me. I stood up from the couch and stumbled a little bit, it's been awhile since I killed a whole bottle to myself. A loud, unattractive belch escaped from my mouth as I staggered towards my bedroom. Binx was laid across the bed, purring. She lifted her head up as I made my way towards my closet to gather the proper attire for my visit. There was no time for a shower, I stripped off my pantsuit and switched to blue, nurses scrubs.

            I arrived at the hospital twenty minutes later, the parking lot was half full when I arrived. I found a spot near an emergency exit that I knew would lead me to Kareem's hospital room. Going through the front entrance was too risky. I sat patiently in one of my personal undercover cars that I used for stings, a dark-colored, 2010 Chevy Impala.

            "You sure you ready to do this?" I ask myself through the rearview mirror.

There would be no turning back once I entered that room.

            Two, night shift nurses stepped out of the emergency exit door for a quick smoke break. They propped the door open using a small box. I gather a crossbody bag, empty coffee mug and checked myself over one more time before stepping out of the car.

            You got this, just act like you are one of them.

            The two female nurses laughed and smoked on their cigarettes as I walked past them.

            "Hey." One of them says to me.

            I stop and respond hesitantly, "Hey."

            The short, dark-skinned nurse with braids asks, "Aye, you new here?"

            "Something like that," I answered.

            She peeks at my fake nurse's badge. "Make sure you leave the door prop. It would be a long walk back to my station." She jokes.

            I smile, "No, problem."

            I step inside the building and let out a deep sigh of relief. Kareem's room was on the twelfth floor. I had a choice, take the elevator or the stairs.

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