Always Home for Sunday Dinner

D is for Damaged

Another day had come meaning another day spent riding the streets of New York behind the wheel of an RMP. Officer Jamie Reagan drove smoothly down the road with his partner Officer Eddie Janko sitting right next to him. The two spent their car ride talking about everything from family life to their weekend, and now the topic had fallen onto Eddie's love life.

"Everything was fine it was all going great," she explained, "and then he shoots me a text out of the blew and breaks up with me."

"So was it something you did?" Jaime asked straight out of the gate.

"Why do always think it's something I did?" Eddie asked defensively.

"No I don't," Jaime countered.

"Yes you do," she fought back, "Why can't it ever be the guy? Why does it always have to be me?"

"Alright," he tried again, "do you know what happened at all?"

"No he just said things weren't working out and never told me why," she said.

"Well..." he began but was interrupted by the crackle of their radio coming alive.

"Central to 12-David respond to a 10-30, robbery in progress at 138 Knoxberry Drive. Suspect seen fleeing the scene," the dispatcher said.

"Central 12-David show us responding," Jaime said into the radio on his shoulder, before turning on the lights and sirens and barreling down the road.

In minutes, they had arrived to the scene to see a man exit a convenience store with a stuffed bag and a gun in hand. When he turned his eyes landed on Jamie and Eddie just as they arrived on scene. With swift action, he fired two shots, one landing in the car's bumper, the other going through the windshield, zooming past both their heads as they ducked for safety. When they lifted their heads, the next sight in front of them was their wanted man getting into a car and speeding away.

"He's getting away!" Eddie shouted.

"Oh no he's not," Jamie said determined, as he put the car in drive, and slammed down on the gas. He drove as close as he could behind the robber with determination written all over his face. The two swerved past every car in their vicinity, with one trying to get away and the other trying to catch a criminal. Soon the road was clear and it was only the two of them barreling down the streets. Suddenly there was a sense that things were not going in their favour as Eddie began to feel a little uneasy with Jamie's driving. She drove fast sometimes, but when she saw the look in Jamie's eyes and felt the car drift with every turn, something in her told her this was not going to end well.

"Jamie," she said, holding back the tremors in her tone.

"Eddie I got this," he said confidently.

"Jamie maybe you should pull back a little," Eddie insisted.

"And let him get away?" Jamie disagreed.

"As much as I'd like a collar, I'd also like to live," she snapped as he continued to skid through the streets. He accelerated so close that the bumper of the squad car knocked right into back of the getaway car. But it wasn't enough to stop the man.

"We got him," Jamie said strongly, but his partner didn't feel the same way.

"Jamie!" Eddie yelled.

"I got it Eddie!" Jamie insisted as he slammed down on the accelerator. In the next minutes things changed and the tide had somewhat changed in their favour. In one swift move, Jamie rammed into the back corner of the car, sending it spinning out to the side and crashing into the nearest squad car trying to cut him off. But just when they thought they had won; Jamie slamming down on the breaks didn't help slow down the car. At least not fast enough. Jamie turned the wheel and tried to stop the car, only to have the side of the car skid into a pole. That was the only thing that stopped the moving vehicle. Jamie felt a searing pain in his back and side from the crash, and his mind immediately thought of two things; the robber and the well being of his partner. He turned to Eddie to see the window next to her slightly cracked with visible red spots on the glass.

"You okay?" she asked turning to him with blood streaming down the side of her face and the very sight made him freeze in place.

"Your head," he said concerned ignoring his own possible injuries.

"I'm fine Reagan," she protested, "Come on let's get this guy." She pushed the door open as much as she could and maneuvered her way out of the car to the best of her abilities as her partner did the same. The two ran back over to the initial crash site to find the robber still in his now smoking car. His hands were up in surrender, following the orders called out by the other officers holding their weapons in the man's direction. Jamie and Eddie moved in, weapons drawn and Jamie pulled open the car down pulling the runaway felon out of the driver's seat and onto the ground. He placed his gun back in his holster, and handcuffed the man lifting him to his feet.

"Take him out of here," Jamie sat handing him over to the fellow officers.

"Not gonna lie," Eddie admitted, "That was a good take down."

"Yeah now let's get your head looked at," Jamie said as she walked her over to their nearest ride.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day had arrived and all was better than the one before. They had another collar to their name, the injuries sustained from the crash were only minor cuts and bruises and Jamie was cleared to drive again. Walking through the 12th precinct for a new day, he met up with his partner once again. Before either could say a word other than hello, their boss, Sergeant Toni Renzulli walked right over to them.

"Hey Sarge," Eddie said greeting the older man.

"Hey. Here's the keys to your new ride," he said placing the keys in Jamie's hand, "Try not to do it in this time okay Casanova?"

"You got it Sarge," Jamie said with a slight laugh and their boss left the two of them alone.

"You ready to go?" Jamie turned to Eddie.

"Yeah but I'm driving this time," Eddie said grabbing the keys out of Jamie's hand before walking out the door. He rolled his eyes and let a smile grace his features as he followed his partner and friend out the door.