Description

Only the sergeant was there. He was pacing the room again, but he stopped as Jett came in to greet him with a familiar look of pity.

Jett tossed his lunch onto the table, carefully casual. “Where’s Teddy?” he asked.

The sergeant sighed. “He didn’t show up for his shift yesterday, and nobody’s seen him today, either. I’ve made a decision, but I thought I should let you know before I speak with him.”

“You’re going to fire him,” Jett said, flatly.

“You know we’ve been lenient toward him since he’s your best friend and he’s important to you. You’re one of the best officers I’ve had in years, even fresh out of the Academy as you are, which is why I asked my own superiors to let me speak with you first.”

“Everybody already knows you’re firing him,” Jett said. “You’re not very secretive about how you feel about him. I know he isn’t perfect, and I know he’s not the son of your best friend like I am, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give him another chance.”

The sergeant sighed heavily. “It’s not about that, Jett,” he said. “I was thrilled when you two had the opportunity to work with us. I was thrilled for both of you. I knew Teddy was a little headstrong and accident-prone, and that didn’t bother me. But this, this does. Not showing up for work? Fighting civilians?”

“I told you, the fight was my fault.”

“I looked into it, Jett, and from the reports I’ve heard it sounds like Teddy was itching for a fight. The perp hit you; Teddy hit the perp, when there were far better ways of controlling the situation. And this isn’t an isolated incident. I hate to say this, Jett, but I think you’re blinding yourself to ways your friend is changing. You can pretend that everything is the same as it always was, but for the safety of this town, and this department, I can’t.”

Jett stiffened. “I know my friend.”

“Do you?” asked the sergeant. “Did you know that he screamed at his neighbor for trespassing, old Mrs. Hutchins, after she swept his patio for him? Did you know some of the boys think he’s been stealing equipment from the IT room? Did you know your mother called me, and told me she was worried about the changes she’s seen in him? And in you?”

“I… I didn’t know any of that,” Jett admitted.

“Teddy is picking up bad habits, and his moral compass is slipping. It feels like he’s hiding something,” the sergeant continued. “It’s right there, for anybody to see. Somehow you’ve missed it. But I do understand that things have been hard for you since Maddie died.”

“I don’t think that has affected my ability to work.”

“I’m not speaking of work,” the sergeant said gently. “I’m speaking of everything in the wide world besides work. I know you’re going through the motions. But when was the last time you really opened your eyes? How long has it been since you’ve seen the world in color, Jett?”