Valia
11-17-2015, 05:37 PM
The First Patrol
Ernie was so excited he was bouncing on his toes. His first real job! First day as a police officer. First patrol. He breathed deeply. He’s known all his life that this is exactly what he wanted to do – serve and protect. He touched his badge reverently, then his service gun. He was prepared. A not so gentle punch to his right shoulder brought him back from his musings. He turned around and faced his first partner, officer Roy Jerkings. Said partner was scowling deeply.
“Move your butt, Ernest! We’ve not all day.”
“Yeah, right…I was just…”
“Masturbating to your pretty new badge and uniform, I’ve noticed.” Interrupted the older officer derisively. Then he brought his still scowling face so close to Ernie’s that the latter smelled stale beer and garlic from the other man’s breath. “I’ll say this only once and you better get it into your thick skull, your hear me?” He said, putting weight into each word.
Ernie, for the first time since he’s left the Academy, felt a bit out of his skin. He nodded quickly, prepared to hear and remember each and every word coming out of his older partner’s mouth.
“Great.” The older man stabbed a finger sharply into Ernie’s chest and brought his face even closer to Ernie’s. To passersby’s, it must’ve looked like one police officer was about to bite the nose off another. “So, rookie, you do what I say, without question. I say jump, you jump. I say go stay at the corner and you better be there when I return or I’ll kick your green butt so hard you’ll cry for mommy, got it in one?”
“I’ve got it, Roy.” Whispered Ernie, scared out of his wits but proud his voice hasn’t betrayed him.
“And,” continued the older officer, smiling a toothy smile, “most importantly, you don’t do anything except for what I tell you. No bright ideas of your own, got it?”
Ernie, whom that smile scared more than anything else, nodded frantically once, twice, thrice before he managed to stop himself.
“Great.” Roy said calmly, walking towards their car. “You coming or what?”
Ernie hurried forward so fast he almost tripped. Roy laughed.
They drew silently. Roy was chewing on his gum and watching the streets they were passing. Not looking at his partner, he started speaking.
“You’ve come real smart out of that Academy of yours, right?”
Not knowing what was the right thing to say, Ernie started carefully:
“I must serve and protect…”
Ernie was so excited he was bouncing on his toes. His first real job! First day as a police officer. First patrol. He breathed deeply. He’s known all his life that this is exactly what he wanted to do – serve and protect. He touched his badge reverently, then his service gun. He was prepared. A not so gentle punch to his right shoulder brought him back from his musings. He turned around and faced his first partner, officer Roy Jerkings. Said partner was scowling deeply.
“Move your butt, Ernest! We’ve not all day.”
“Yeah, right…I was just…”
“Masturbating to your pretty new badge and uniform, I’ve noticed.” Interrupted the older officer derisively. Then he brought his still scowling face so close to Ernie’s that the latter smelled stale beer and garlic from the other man’s breath. “I’ll say this only once and you better get it into your thick skull, your hear me?” He said, putting weight into each word.
Ernie, for the first time since he’s left the Academy, felt a bit out of his skin. He nodded quickly, prepared to hear and remember each and every word coming out of his older partner’s mouth.
“Great.” The older man stabbed a finger sharply into Ernie’s chest and brought his face even closer to Ernie’s. To passersby’s, it must’ve looked like one police officer was about to bite the nose off another. “So, rookie, you do what I say, without question. I say jump, you jump. I say go stay at the corner and you better be there when I return or I’ll kick your green butt so hard you’ll cry for mommy, got it in one?”
“I’ve got it, Roy.” Whispered Ernie, scared out of his wits but proud his voice hasn’t betrayed him.
“And,” continued the older officer, smiling a toothy smile, “most importantly, you don’t do anything except for what I tell you. No bright ideas of your own, got it?”
Ernie, whom that smile scared more than anything else, nodded frantically once, twice, thrice before he managed to stop himself.
“Great.” Roy said calmly, walking towards their car. “You coming or what?”
Ernie hurried forward so fast he almost tripped. Roy laughed.
They drew silently. Roy was chewing on his gum and watching the streets they were passing. Not looking at his partner, he started speaking.
“You’ve come real smart out of that Academy of yours, right?”
Not knowing what was the right thing to say, Ernie started carefully:
“I must serve and protect…”