STRIS Bits

Going out...in

Friday night. HQ was running low on personnel, as the day crew was leaving in a hurry. The night was gloomy and still damp from all the rain during the day. Dark, chilly and isolated were just some of the ways to describe the environment in the government building.

The only ones left still packing up were 20 squad and a small group of officers out front. The night shift was starting in less than an hour, which meant the guys were eager to head out!

Hondo moved gently, as his injured shoulder still barked terribly with every step. He shouldn't have faced the two burglars on his own, but... then again, Luca and Street were dealing with the hostages and Tan and Deacon were still apprehending the perps in the command center of the building complex. Cabrera and Powell were hit and Steven's squad was assisting in the rescue of the victims still trapped under the rubble, caused by the explosion. It was a scene to forget!

Meanwhile, Deacon couldn't wait to get home and soak his left ankle on salty warm water. He had taken a big hit when the piece of ceiling fell off and he made a move towards the wall to avoid it. His ankle gave in, twisting at an awkward angle. Thankfully the X-Rays came back negative for fracture or torn ligament. Tan also avoided the hospital after being struck in the face and in the arm by the perps. Luca and Street were fortunate to be the only ones with the less amount of bruises and hits. However, both seemed extremely exhausted, as they were the last ones to finish shift, after dealing with two victims in stressful situations.

"Night, guys!" said a tired Luca, dragging his feet. He followed Deacon out of the room as both men limped out.

"Night, man" Hondo responded slowly. He had been trying to put on a shirt since he left the shower, a 5 minute struggle, but he just kept groaning softly. He was so frustrated, he lifted his uninjured shoulder up angrily. "Ah!" his lips read. He held it in as much as he could, but truth was he was grimacing in pain.

"Let me help you" Street said rushing over. He too had bumps and bruises, but after noticing Hondo's struggles, he couldn't just stand there and do nothing.

"Damn!" Hondo complained, as Street gently grabbed the back of his arm and pulled over the sleeve. "Thanks Street" he said, still grimacing.

"Yeah, no problem, boss." Street said, taking a step back, he knew how proud his leader was. He had to careful: too much could be perceived negatively.

"See you tomorrow" Hondo said nodding, turning to the exit. He slammed the locker door shut and moved gingerly.

"Take it easy, Hondo!" Street said, returning to his locker to put on his jacket and get his keys.

"Will do!" Hondo said, as he closed the door behind him.

It wasn't a good sight watching all of his teammates leave work hurt and groaning, yet Street couldn't help but to feel somewhat excited. It was Friday and he had a date. He was supposed to take Chris to that new restaurant downtown. Deep down though, he wished she was opened to crashing at his place and just hang out. He wasn't in the mood to go out, since he was still hurt and exhausted, but...

"Hey!" she greeted, closing the door behind her.

Street came out of his room, after changing into more comfortable clothes, consisting of a lose black t shirt and some shorts, no shoes. He was still taking deep breaths. She, however, looked splendid, sporting a Lakers shirt, pair of Capri jeans and comfy sandals. He was so relieved when he caught the smell of Chinese food coming from the two bags in her hand. She gently placed a hand on his cheek, as he smiled shyly and leaned forward. They shared a quick kiss, both closing their eyes.