Falling For Lucy

Epi 4 - The Switch

"Okay, everyone have a seat," Grey said, getting roll call started for the morning. "Today is a special day for our rookies, cause today we switch things up. That's right, everybody gets a new training officer." He smiled deviously.

Everyone looked around at each other wondering who was going to get paired up with who. I wasn't worried. 

"Nolan, you will be riding with Lopez. West you'll be riding with Officer Bradford. And Chen you will be with Bishop." Grey informed them. 

"But learning how to navigate your new T.O. is not your only challenge," Grey continued. "By the end of the next shift, I expect every rookie to uncover something personal about their training officer that they don't want you to know. This will be a test of your investigative instincts and your fortitude," he explained. "The best insight will win a day off. Worst insight handles the Saturday night cavity searches."

The three rookies looked amongst themselves. 

"That's it, good luck." Grey dismissed us. 

We all filed out and stood back while the rookies went about getting the gear and shops set up. Lopez, Bishop, and I stood watching. 

"This kid really a rock star?" I asked Angela about West. I had tried to knock him off balance on day one and he didn't let me even budge him and I had heard nothing except good things about him. He was too perfect to be a rookie, he had to be hiding his weakness somehow.

"Jackson?" Angela asked. "Yeah, he's better prepared than any rookie I've ever had."

"Screw prep. How is he out on the street?"

"So far, so good." She answered. "What about Nolan?' She asked Bishop and I began to lose interest in the conversation. I wasn't worried about Chen. If she could handle me, then she could handle Bishop, no problem. 

As Angela said, so far, West had been a perfect rookie. I was still feeling suspicious. It was just too good to be true that this kid would be good at everything and it was always smooth sailing.

"This is gonna be a great day. I was glad when Sergeant Grey paired us up." I told him.

"You were?" He sounded surprised. 

"Yeah! Being a police officer is in your DNA. It's gonna be my privilege to-" I slammed on the breaks. "I've been shot! Where are you, boot? I'm bleeding to death and you have to call for help. Where are you?" I started yelling. 

He hesitated for a moment before answering clearly. "North Mansfield, cross street is Beverly Boulevard. There's a medical center on Third Street but I would see to it that you are taken to Cedars, a better trauma center." He took a breath, "And the best coffee in LA is 2 blocks down."

Now you are just showing off. So far, so good. 

"So, all that stuff about?" he asked as we started moving again.

"The only thing that is going to make me happy is breaking your spirit." I knew in my gut there was something wrong with this kid, I just needed to find the sore spot. Let's see what this kid has got.

___

We pulled up under the highway ramp to meet Detective Singh. 

"I had us attached to a raid. Figured you didn't get a round off the day I got shot that you'd be itching to throw some bullets around," I told West as we got out of the shop. 

"Detective Singh," I greeted with a smile as he approached us.

"Bradford!" He said, coming our way. "When you gonna make the jump out of patrol, huh?" he asked.