A New Place Ch. 02

"Mr. Hammond. Do you know why we are here?" asked the male officer. His name tag was Williams.

"Yes sir I suppose that I have my suspicions." I answered. Of course I knew why they were here. I was a prime person to investigate right from the start. The female officer looked at my hands. I looked down at my hands and back up at her. Her name tag read Smith. Smith's facial expression told the entire story. I was guilty as sin.

"Fuck this. Book him we have all we need. Stand up and put your hands behind your back." she ordered. I stood up and placed both hands behind my back. The people who were in the lobby stood up and started clapping. Shit, in my line of work if I was in their position I would think the same thing. If I said anything now I would just make it harder on myself. My Miranda rights were just seconds away from being given so the hell with it. "You have the right to remain silent, anything that you say..." and here it was. Without a hitch I was taking the short term fall for this. Just my luck. I didn't have to work this weekend anyway but I didn't want to go to jail either.

Finally they marched me out the emergency room lobby and out to the car. Officer Williams stood with me while Officer Smith went to gather the car. I breathed in the early morning air and looked up at the clouds. Looked as if rain was coming. She pulled up with the car and Williams walked me to the rear passenger side. Smith opened the door and they guided me into the backseat. This was the first time I would be on this side of the bars in this kind of capacity. Any other time I had been in the backseat of a police vehicle was to clean it out or joking around.

Officer Smith took the wheel and Williams rode Shotgun and off to jail we went. I remained silent for the ride over. They rolled up the window in the divider and discussed quietly amongst themselves. Other than the police chatter on the radio, it was a silent peaceful ride.

We arrived at the jail about the time the sun was coming up. Everyone else would soon be getting up too. They pulled up into the sally port and a gate was closed behind us, so I couldn't escape. Sure was different on this end of the situation. I walked into the building still in cuffs into a room. The room was big and full of different sized lockers. To my right was holding cells, where I would be going. To the left was the intake officers vestibule. Officer Williams and Smith went over there to speak with the officer on the other side of the glass. I stood in place silent and still. Another officer came to take over.

"He has given no resistance what so ever. Never said more 5 or 6 words tops. We have to go back over to the Hospital, as they have a guy in there who says he was assaulted while at his dates house. Turns out it's the same address as this piece of shit." Officer Smith obviously liked me very much.

"Why would he assault the two of them and then take woman to the Hospital? Something doesn't add up Smith." Officer Williams was smarter than he first looked.

"Because that kind of vermin does sick shit like that. Probably tried to throw us off his trail. We got the fucker though." she snarled. She was vicious. If I had to guess Domestic Violence had hit close to home with her before. I had to tell myself patience Rick, you will have your opportunity to speak, just not now.

They escorted me to the holding cell. Once inside I turned around and they shut the door. A slot opened and I was instructed to place my hands through it. Once done they took my handcuffs off and I had a seat. I laid back and decided to get some sleep as I would be here for a while.

A couple hours later I heard the familiar sound of the airlock open up and I watched Officer Williams and Smith escort Trent into the intake room. He was in a wheel chair with his leg stretched out and propped up. Heavily braced. Maybe I didn't break it too bad. Otherwise he would have had surgery. They processed and booked him just as they had done to me. Officer Williams rolled him into another holding cell with a team of officers where they could safely take his restraints off. One by one they walked out of the cell, Williams being the last. He closed the door and the officer behind the vestibule air locked the door. Williams looked over his shoulder at me and held up his hand to say just a moment.

I stood up and walked to the back of the cell. He came and stood in front of my door and it opened. "You are free to go Hammond." Williams said very plain and professional. I wondered where Officer Smith was, a part of me wanted to tell her where she could go but it wouldn't have done any good. Having never been fully processed my arrest wouldn't even be in the system. I could still enjoy my Saturday.

I took a cab back over to the Hospital to get my truck. I went into the emergency room lobby again. An entirely new group of people had entered the building by now. Another shift had taken over. I approached the desk to inquire about Ashley. She had been moved to another room to be admitted for a couple days. Not surprising, she would get good care that way. She was in room 396. I decided to go pay her a visit and see how she was doing.

I rode the elevator up to the 3rd floor, rounded the corner and walked to the end of the building. Finally I reached the 8th hallway where her room was. I knocked on the door and heard her voice say "come in."

I entered the room and pushed the door to as I had found it. She was propped up in bed watching t.v. and eating breakfast. They had cleaned her up and she looked much better than when I had found her. I could tell she had swelling and some bruising. She sat up a little straighter. "Are you up for a little company?"

"Yes that would be nice. That female officer said they arrested you? I told them that it wasn't you who did this that you rescued me." She seemed concerned, most likely at my feelings about being arrested.

"Yea I was arrested for a couple hours." I said jokingly to make light of it. She seemed relieved at my light mood towards it. "I just took a nap and slept my time off. That female officer was going to bust someone though!"

"Yea she was very upset by it. They got a report from me and then questioned Trent when the got him set up. She said that he admitted to it and that you did a number on him as far as his leg is concerned."

"He was lucky." I stopped to keep myself out of trouble. Self defense couldn't really be claimed here because I grabbed him but at the same time I stopped him from hurting her. "Do you mind if I take a seat in the chair?"

"No not at all get comfy." She smiled and the better her mood seemed to be the better I felt about the whole night. It sucked getting arrested but in the end it all worked out. "You were so angry and lethal when you grabbed him. I mean you're a big guy but Trent wasn't a small guy. He never stood a chance. Where did you learn to do that?"

"I have always been able to. Just came natural to me. But lets not focus on that. I am not proud of that happening last night, I just want to make sure you are okay." I wanted to change the subject. Get on a brighter one at least.

"Yea okay. I am going to be okay. They are just keeping me here for observation. I will go home tomorrow probably." she took a sip of her orange juice.

"Well that is good then. Do you need me to do anything for you at your place before you get back?"

"No, it would be nice if you could give me a ride back home in the morning though?" she asked me. Since her car was at her house and as far as I knew she didn't have anyone near to call. "Yeah I can do that. I will definitely pick you up in the morning." I smiled at her to reassure her. I could tell that had been on her mind and now she didn't need to worry about that.

"You know Rick, I had a great time that night at the concert. But on the way home you said that you thought you had seen something. I think that we both know what that something was and I have felt very nervous about what you thought ever since. You have been a very kind neighbor though, keeping your music down and all." She was trying to lighten the burden of what she was trying to say. I listened quietly and waited for her to finish. "Then last night while I had been drinking I was able to not be so self conscious about myself and be completely fine around you. Do you know what I am talking about?" she seemed emotionally involved in that question. I had to be delicate but straightforward about this.

"Ashley if what you are talking about me seeing that night is a penis, then yes I saw it." I answered her very plainly which seemed to be received well by her.

"Do you think less of me for that? I haven't given you the chance but I am confident that you don't like "girls" like me."

"Ashley I grew up in a very small area. Very rural, and that never existed in my world until I was much older. I have never been gay and I don't think there ever will be a time that I will be. When I first met you I thought that you were the most attractive woman that I have ever seen. You are still very attractive. That being said I am just not comfortable..." she was getting upset.

"Stop! You don't need to say it." she was crying. I didn't want to upset her.

"Look, that doesn't mean I don't look at you as any less of a person. I have no problem with you, you are very nice so far. We had a great time at the concert that night. And right now, I want to be here for you. To do my best to get you back on your feet. How about you let me cook you some dinner tomorrow evening?"

"You want to cook me dinner?" her tears slowed down.

"Yea I am only the best cook around, and a hearty homemade meal will heal you right up." I joked but home cooked food is good for the soul. She smiled at that.

"Okay I will look forward to your cooking tomorrow evening then." she seemed much more relaxed again. I got up to start to leave.

"Well you take today to rest and relax. Find a couple good Saturday shows to watch. I will be here in the morning to pick you up." I wrote down my number on a card and handed it to her. "If you need anything, do not hesitate to call me." I reached down and took her hand. "Ashley I want to help you, we both don't really have anyone and we are out there in the woods by ourselves more or less you know? We have both just come out of really bad relationships, but we have both found this new place. It's a place where we can let old wounds heal and let the right things fall into place. I cant speak for you, but I am not going to complicate that with feelings right now." Ashley smiled at my words. I think I hit it right on the head.

"I like that. Yeah. A New Place. A fresh start."