Dispatched || Maddie Buckley

Chapter Twenty- Back to Work

It had been three weeks since Mikey had gotten stabbed and Maddie was taken by Doug. Both were fine physically but mentally, the traumatic event had taken its toll. Even if neither of them wanted to admit to it, it was true. Mikey was going stir crazy pent up in the apartment having to deal with El making sure that every move he made wasn't going to kill him or burst open his stitches. Today, he had forced his captain to put him back on a shift. It would be a short one from what the Captain said but that was enough for him.

Mikey took a shower and got dressed in his uniform, making his way into the kitchen of his and El's place to greet her.

"Morning El." He said, leaning against the counter.

El looked at him and her expression instantly dropped, "Uh uh, no way.. Please tell me you're not going to work."

Mikey rolled his eyes, "Yeah, no.. I'm just wearing my uniform as a decoration." He chuckled, "Yes, I am going to work."

"We have gone over this-" El went to say however he cut her off.

Mikey sighed, "Listen, El, I love you and I am so happy that I have a friend that cares so much about my well being but I can't sit around here all day playing my video games and folding your underwear. It's getting old. Real fast."

"Oh jeez, it must be so hard to just sit and do nothing" She rolled her eyes, "there is clearly no stopping you so just do me a favour? Call me if you have any sort of issue, okay?"

-

While on shift, Mikey made his way over to the dispatch station to visit Maddie. Things had been good between them since the day they had their first kiss. Mikey was happy that it had happened but the fact that he nearly died at the hands of Maddie's deranged husband, it messed with his head. He often didn't sleep well but he had a sense of guilt for it. He still felt the guilt of leading Doug straight to Maddie and he felt guilty for feeling the trauma that came alongside getting stabbed by him. Was he not allowed to feel this way? To him, he wasn't. Maddie was the one that had gotten kidnapped and nearly killed. She was the one that had to take her husband's life. No matter how he treated her, taking a life takes a toll. He knew how that felt. He knew how it felt to watch life leave someone's eyes at the actions of one's own hands.

But, he wouldn't give up on Maddie. Not now. Not after finally realising they were feeling the same things for each other.

He made a quick stop at the local coffee shop and picked up Maddie's favourite, already knowing what she liked. It was only a short walking distance to the dispatch centre so Mikey decided on walking the rest of the way as what he likes to call, "Improvised Physical Therapy". It took about ten minutes for Mikey to fully reach his destination.

He took the elevator up to the second floor and saw Maddie in the resting area. He smiled and made his way over to her.

When Maddie noticed him walking over fully dressed in his uniform, she smiled wide and gained a few glances from her coworkers, "Hey, what are you doing here?"

He held out the cup of coffee he had gotten for her, "Wanted to stop by and bring you this."

She took her cup and shook her head, "You do know we have coffee here right?"

"Yes, I am aware but this is some of the best coffee in the city that you're drinking right now. El would disagree though. She thinks that the best coffee is her coffee."

Maddie chuckled, "She'll have to make me some then."

Mikey smiled at her, "Well you will have to come 'round to our place sometime."

"I'd love to.. Sometime." Her face blushed a bright colour of red, "Thank you for the coffee. I should probably get back to work though. First day back and all. Also, this." She wrapped her index finger around one of the loops of Mikey's police vest and smirked, "Looks so good on you."