Do your job and I'll do mine

She drove down the oak lined highway as the sun set just in the distance. This was the beginning of her day. Her patrol car was fresh from the shop and she was dying to try out the new engine. Granted, she was in line for the next new car, but she had become attached to her beloved “Sue”. The Crown Victoria she had driven for the past two years had been molded into the vehicle that all her fellow officers wanted. That was the perk of being able to do your own work on your patrol car.

She pulled into the local pizzeria to meet her partners for supper and to discuss what they would try to get done that night. It was a Sunday night and for the most part, they planned for it to be smooth sailing. It had been a long three day shift and she was more than ready for her two regularly scheduled off period. Joel and Sam were already waiting at their normal booth when she greeted the cashier at the door. Her food was already waiting for her. Little Italy was the choice hangout for the local law enforcement. The food was good and the loyalty was better. They knew your order better than you did. Just so long as you called in, the meal would be ready and waiting.

Halfway into her delicious supper, her radio crackled to life. She started to sigh but stopped herself. This was the first call of the night. No need to get bent out of shape. It was a distressed motorist out on Highway 74 at Five Mile Bridge. The guys started to get up but she waved them off. “I got this one boys. The next one is on yall.” She snickered. She walked out of the door and got into her car headed to the call. She let dispatch know she was en route and asked for more details. “Driver is unfamiliar with the area. No family or friends to call for help. Just wants to get moving again so he can continue his travels. Claims smoke just started pouring from underneath the hood. Figured you were best for this call 16.”
She smiled. Her dispatchers knew this wouldn’t be a problem. “Central, let the driver know I’ll be there in about 7-8 minutes and to sit tight. Just in case, get Bolin’s on standby. I’m not always a miracle worker.” Dispatch acknowledged and she could hear the grin from the voice. “16, be advised, caller is requesting you to pick up the pace. Claims he is uncomfortable. Two men have walked past him twice in the past ten minutes.” She sped up. That stretch of highway was rather deserted and walkers were not normal.

Day light was almost gone when she pulled up to her caller. It was a black BMW sedan, rather new with a California plate. He was a long way from home. She wondered why in the hell he was in this part of Alabama. She pulled up beside him and angled her car so she could shine her spotlight at the hood. He was standing on the opposite side of the car and it looked like he was attempting to have a conversation on a cell phone. He huffed and threw his phone. “Sir?” she called to him. He sighed and put his hands up to his face. “Yes officer, hi. My car is brand new and I take good care of my cars. This is a shock for me and I can’t figure it out. I have no service and really need to be on my way. Can you help me man?”
He was searching for his phone while talking. She leaned against her hood with her arms crossed over her chest, smirking slightly. She could hear him mumbling. A moment later he came back around the car and stopped in his tracks. “You’re a woman.” She nodded knowingly.

She checked the stranger out from head to toe. He was short for a male but built rather well. He had tattoos on his arms, neck, hands, fingers and probably everywhere else that was covered up. He had a thick scruff covering half of his face, brown eyes, and close cropped hair that was covered by a new looking ball cap that hadn’t been broken in yet. His jeans were dark washed and he was wearing a faded Metallica concert shirt. He looked familiar but she couldn’t place him.

“Um, I’m Johnny. You wanna take a look?” I nodded. “I’m Avery. I don’t think you’ll believe me, but I’m very good with cars.” He tried not to let the feigned shock on his face show. She smirked in his direction. From her trunk, she pulled her mechanic gloves, her head lamp, and a small tool box that was rather worn. She placed herself under the hood and busied herself to identify the problem. She knew where the smoke was coming from but she also knew the only reason it could be coming from there. She patted her forehead with the back of her hand to take care of the irritating itch as she looked to him.

“This is gonna sound weird but stay with me on this. What do you remember hearing before you saw the smoke come from your hood?” He shrugged his shoulders. “You need to see this. Don’t get upset, I’ve got someone who can help you out rather quickly if you’ll let me.” He leaned in and cursed under his breath. Quickly he turned away and stomped off to calm down. There was a bullet hole in his radiator. He pulled out his cell phone, desperate to get any type of service. She was on her radio, letting dispatch know to get the wrecker enroute. If it was Glen, Avery could tell him to take it to her house where it would get the TLC it deserved.
She heard a loud hiss and then a bang as the tree next to the broken car took what looked to be a rifle bullet. She un-holstered her weapon and quietly said, “Johnny, you need to get in my car right now. We will come back for your car later.” He stood there with big eyes. He darted to the patrol car and knocked the stuff from the passenger seat to the floor board. He jumped in and ducked his head, waiting patiently for her to get in and get them out of there. He heard a pained grunt.

She felt the pain before she heard it. Her radio mike was swollen beyond recognition and her left shoulder throbbed in immense pain. She threw the radio down, rotated her shoulder and lifter her weapon as she quickly walked to the patrol car. She slammed the door shut, threw the gear into drive and sped away from the chaotic scene. He sat in the seat next to her in a stupor. She stopped just a mile down the road and checked his face and hands; making sure he wasn’t injured.

She snapped her fingers. “Johnny, earth to Johnny! Are you ok? Talk to me guy.” He blinked and glanced at her. “What the hell happened?” She shook her head, “I have no idea but I will get to the bottom of it. Let me get you somewhere safe and I can go from there. I think you are coming to my house for now.” He nodded in a shocked agreement and said nothing. She whipped out her cell phone and tried to call her partner Sam. Her phone wasn’t working properly. Something was up. She attempted to shrug her shoulders but her range of motion was limited. She groaned.

“Whoa, are you alright? Wait, where is your radio?” She remained calm, “It’s broken. We’re fine. Don’t worry. Just sit tight.” Ten minutes later they were pulling down her mile long driveway. “Just over look the mess. Make yourself at home. I’ve got to make a few calls, then I’ve got to head back out and find out what is going on.” He simply nodded for lack of something better to say. She unlocked the door and flipped on the light switch. Johnny was shocked at what he saw.

The open floor plan was inviting. The rich warm colors of the paint and the deep walnut wooden floor were just what he had envisioned her place looking like. She had large floor to ceiling windows with a thin, black gauzy material covering them. The kitchen was huge with stainless steel appliances and beautiful granite countertops. She began to walk to her bedroom, shrugging off her shirt in the process. Tossing it on the couch, she awkwardly attempted to pull off her vest. He stepped forward to help when she grunted and stopped in her tracks.

She turned around and said, “It looks worse than it is.” He laughed condescendingly, “It looks pretty bad then. Let me help you.” Rather than suffering in pride, she allowed the stranger to assist her. The bruise was rapidly forming on her tender, tanned shoulder. It was the size of a softball and getting larger by the second. She hissed through clinched lips. “I know what I need to do, thanks Johnny.” Her tank could not hide the ugly red and yellow mark. He followed her into the master on suite.

She pulled out a bottle with a green liquid inside. “What is that?” She replied, “Green alcohol. It has menthalatum in it and is good for the muscles. Here take this and put it in the microwave for about fifteen seconds and then bring it back.” He took the damp towel from her shaking hands and left promptly. She sat on the side of the Jacuzzi tub and rested her head in her other hand and left the other hand close to her chest. Her medic training was proving itself to be useful once again.

He came back in and watched as she removed her tank. She looked in his eyes, hinting for him to avert his gaze. He blushed and quickly spun on his heel. He heard liquid being poured in the sink and then heard her take in a sharp breath. “You know, I’m not going to look. I just want to help you. It’s the least I could do since you saved me back there.” She sighed in realization that he was right. “Ok. I’d appreciate the assistance.” He turned around to see the now green tinted towel balled up in her right hand. She had a roll of gauze in the other hand. She instructed him on how to properly wrap her shoulder.

His fingers lightly grazed her injured skin out of fear of injuring her worse. In his mind, he couldn’t believe she was taking this as well as she was. Most women he knew would be crying and screaming or on their way to the hospital. She had a fire in her eyes. That was something he hadn’t seen in quite some time. For a moment, he was glad he was taking the long way home. He finished up and looked to her eyes. “Thank you”, she said gently. He just nodded and left the room. She stood there in disbelief. She had just left a perfect stranger see her almost half naked and wrap her injury. She decided she needed to find out who this person was and why he looked like he was a long way from home.

Notes

This is a first for me on this site. I've posted a few pieces on fanfiction. I'm actively working with a novel that is just about ready to be submitted to agents. This is just a little something that I had to get out of my head so I could continue working on the novel.