21 Jump Street (Tom Hanson)

Work Trip

May 1990

This morning I woke up in bed, when I knew I fell asleep on the couch the night before. I always tell Tom that he doesn't need to carry me to bed when I fall asleep during our movie nights, but he does it anyway. Tom told me last night that Fuller wanted him to come to work early, so he let me sleep in. He was long gone before I woke up.

I received a call while I was still in bed so I quickly got up and headed to the phone with Swayze right on my heels. I gently pat his fluffy head when I answered, "Michelle Gregg."

"Good morning, Gregg, it's Fuller. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing well, how are you?" I asked. I quickly glanced at my watch to make sure I didn't accidentally sleep in too late and Fuller was calling me because I wasn't at work.

"I figured I'd give you a ring now so you could run to your case, because it's not in Metropolis."

"Oh? Where is it?" I asked. My heart stopped thumping out of my chest at the thought of accidentally sleeping in.

"It's in Greenville. I'm sorry to be sending you, but they asked for you specifically. You'll be going to Cedar Ridge Ranch, going in undercover as a patient."

"What's the Cedar Ridge Ranch?" I asked. I twisted the curly phone cord around my finger and sneered at my chipping nail polish.

"It is a place where troubled teens are sent to in order to correct their behavior. Kids have been coming forward recently about abuse that they suffer there, so we need you to figure out what is going on."

"I'm guessing that this is an overnight case?" I said. I began to imagine everything that I had in my go-bag, and if I needed to pack more things. I usually have enough stuff to last me for an entire week ready to go. Swayze started pushing his nose into my knee, so I leaned down to scratch his back.

"Yeah. You will be living at the Cedar Ridge Ranch for the duration of the assignment, so you'll be searched when you first arrive. According to the file, you'll have a roommate named Rebecca Winters. Looks like she has a history of fighting at school and shoplifting. I can't imagine that it would take more than a week to gather information if the program needs to be shut down."

"All right. Is Tom there?" I asked.

"No, he should be back soon though. He is just finishing up his case. By the way, they'll be expecting you to check-in by noon."

I checked my watch again and saw that it was almost eight o'clock, and it takes a few hours to drive down there. My eyes widened at the small amount of time I had, and I straightened up. I would have began running around, but the phone was connected to a cord that kept me in place.

"I'll be there," I promised.

"Great, thanks. Talk later."

"Bye," I said and hung up. I gave Swayze one last pet before I ran around the apartment, getting myself ready for the next week. A week is a long time for a travel-case, they're usually not that long.

I spent the entire drive over to Greenville by listening to the radio and going over my game plan for the week. I knew I had to tell Tom that I wouldn't be coming home for a week, so I stopped for an early lunch when I realized that I had a little extra time.

I found a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant in town, just a few minutes from Cedar Ridge Ranch. I ordered a soda and a burger and asked the waitress if I could borrow their phone. She told me it was in the back, so I grabbed some change and headed over there.

I assumed that Tom would be at the chapel by now so I called them. It was too early to call home, he wouldn't be there yet.

"Fuller," Fuller answered.