Love Hurts

Two

      If you missed the video in the first chapter here's your chance to watch it again.

  
          Hoss,

         My alarm went off around 4:30 this morning. I was in the middle of a dream about a beautiful woman showering me with kisses. It was quite a pleasant dream until I realized it was actually my dog, Mr. Spaghetti, licking my face. I scolded him for being on the bed when he knows he's not supposed to be.
      After getting out of the shower, I asked Mr. Spaghetti if he was ready for our training session. He was always excited for training days and would jump up and bark in response. I playfully swatted him down and reminded him to behave during the training.
     Before we left, I fed Mr. Spaghetti. While he enjoyed training days, I, as a cop, dreaded them. Wearing a heavy suit in 85-degree weather felt like being in over 100-degree heat.
      I patted Mr. Spaghetti on the head and asked if he was ready to go. He barked in response and ran to the door, waiting for me to join him. Once I opened the door, he hopped into the car, but I scolded him for getting into the front seat instead of the designated spot. I jokingly suggested that maybe he should be the trainee instead of the trainer, which made him bark in amusement. He's always been a goofy partner, but I appreciate his loyalty. He's been by my side for five years, longer than any human partner I had as a street cop.
     As we were about to leave, my phone buzzed. It was my brother Brian, asking if I wanted to meet him at the bar later for a beer. I couldn't help but tease him for calling about beers at five in the morning. We made plans to meet at the bar around 7:30 in the evening.
     Mr. Spaghetti and I arrived at the training field, where there were already 10 men and 10 women with their dogs. I commented to my friend Berry that it was going to be a long day. We decided to split the group, with me taking 10 and Berry taking the other 10.
     Before we went our separate ways, I asked Berry if he wanted to join me at the bar later. He mentioned that he would have to check with his wife, Olivia, first. I jokingly called married men "pussies," but Berry defended himself, saying they just respected their women. He teased me back, saying that one day a woman would break through my walls and grab my attention long enough for me to settle down. I shrugged it off, saying we'll see.
      "Alright, let's begin the training session. Before you start talking about how children are wonderful." I tease Berry. "Let's focus on the task at hand." Berry grumbles.
       "Hello ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce my partners, Mr. Spaghetti and Officer Berry with his partner Blitz." I point to Berry's dog.
      I noticed some people laughing, so I want to emphasize that the name of your partner doesn't matter. What's important is that they have your back and know their commands. They are good cops regardless of their names.
    "Voran," I command. Mr. Spaghetti immediately goes into the crowd and finds his favorite toy, which I had planted in the bleachers yesterday. He brings it back to me and stands in front of me.
     "Aus., Setzen." Mr. Spaghetti drops the toy and sits in front of it like a well-trained dog.
    "Nimm, Lass es, Braver Hund, Achtung." I continue giving commands left and right. "Now that you've seen a glimpse of what Mr. Spaghetti can do, we will split into two groups of ten. One group will join me and Mr. Spaghetti, while the other group will go with Berry and Blitz. My group and I will go to the middle of the field, while Berry and his group go to the back."
     "Alright, who wants to go first?" I ask the group. A young woman, around 25 years old, raises her hand.
    'Here we go.' I rub my hands together. 'This is going to be easy.' I think to myself and call the young lady up to the front with her dog.
    "Okay, ma'am, step on down. What are yours and your dog's name?"
     "My name is Mary, and this is Hix."
     "Alright, Mary, I'm going to ask you about some commands. The more you get right, the more you will work on with Hix. If you get any wrong, you'll have to study your book and come back to the back of the line."
     "Yes, sir." She says then her and her dog stands to attention.
     "Great. So, I showed you a few commands earlier. Now, I'm going to give you five more different commands, and you'll have to tell me their English names."
     "Yes, sir." She says with a head nod.
     "Platz."
     "Down."
     "Warten?"
     "Wait."
     "Brummen."
     "Growl."
     "Beruhren."
     "Touch."
     "Geh ins bett."
     "Go to bed."
     "Good job, Mary!" I praised as she flawlessly executed the commands. Now it was time for Ben and Razor to take their turn. "Alright, Ben and Razor, it's your turn now," I announced. "I will give you five commands, and you both have to answer them correctly. If you get them right, you can move on and give the commands to your partner. But if either of you gets any of them wrong, you'll have to study and practice before trying again."
   "Yes, sir, understood," Ben replied confidently.
   I proceeded to give them the commands one by one:
   "Pfui."
   "Stop that."
   "Fass."
   "Attack."
    "Umdrehen."
    "Turn around"
   Ben and  Razor, to my delight, got all the commands right. The class continued for two hours, and most of the participants performed well. However, there were a few officers who surprisingly struggled, despite having been on the force for three years or longer.
      After the class ended and everyone left, I decided to play tug of war with my dog, Mr. Spaghetti. Usually, I would wear my gear for such activities, but today I thought it would be fine without it.
     As I was playing with Mr. Spaghetti, Berry approached and asked about how my training session went. In the midst of our conversation, I turned away from Mr. Spaghetti, not realizing that he was still trying to grab the toy. He accidentally grabbed my arm instead, causing me to shout, "Shit! Fuss! Fuss!" My partner immediately released my arm and obediently returned to my side.
     Berry expressed concern and asked if I was alright. I admitted that it was my fault for turning away while playing tug of war. Mr. Spaghetti came and laid at my feet, showing his remorse. Berry examined my arm and suggested that I might need stitches, offering to take me to the hospital.
     "Here, Mr. Spaghetti!" I called, and he hopped into the back of the truck. I got into the passenger seat, and Berry drove us to the hospital.
    "I can't believe I'm the one going to the hospital," I muttered. "This kind of thing usually happens to you."
    Berry chuckled and replied, "Well, that was just one time when we were rookies."
     Curious about Berry's training session, I asked him how it went. He reported that most of his participants did well, except for two who struggled with the commands. However, my training session had three officers who performed poorly and would need to attend another class.
    "That's quite baffling," Berry commented. "I think it's because they haven't had to use the commands since they joined the force. Times have definitely changed since we were rookies."
       Upon arriving at the hospital, Berry dropped me off at the Emergency entrance. Mr. Spaghetti, as always, jumped out and insisted on accompanying me. He loved seeing the nurses, especially my Aunt Dorothy, who used to be the head nurse. However, Aunt Dorothy had retired three months ago, and there was a new head nurse who might not allow Mr. Spaghetti to roam freely anymore.
      Mr. Spaghetti tilted his head to the side, exuding his charming aura. I couldn't help but be impressed. "Okay sparky, let's see you work your magic," I said to him. We walked towards the nurse's desk, with me leading the way.
      "Hello, Mrs. Tammy, how are you doing today?" I greeted the older nurse at the front desk. She had reached an age where being on the floor was a bit too much, but retirement wasn't on her agenda just yet, so they assigned her to the desk. Tammy didn't even bother to look up. She was used to seeing Mr. Spaghetti and me. "Hello Hoss, what do we owe the pleasure of this visit today? I haven't seen you much since your aunt retired," she said without lifting her gaze.
     "Well, Ms. Tammy, I actually need to see a doctor myself today," I replied. Tammy's head shot up in response to my words. "What happened to you, boy? Did you get shot, stabbed, beat up?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.
     I couldn't help but smile at her reaction. "No, ma'am, my partner bit me on the arm during training today," I explained. Ms. Tammy's raised eyebrows made me chuckle. Mr. Spaghetti, feeling the shame, covered his eyes with a paw.
    "You mean the dog, right?" she clarified, a hint of amusement in her voice.
     I chuckled again. "Yes, ma'am, the dog. Well, you never know about younger people these days," she replied.
     I laughed "No, ma'am, I guess you can't," I agreed. Sensing the need to change the subject, I asked, "So, what do you think about the new head nurse? Is she as good as Aunt Dorothy, and do you think she will give me any trouble about Mr. Spaghetti? He's my partner, and he's just here to make sure I'm okay."
    "Well, nobody can replace your aunt," Ms. Tammy said, a touch of nostalgia in her voice. "But the new nurse is good, and I don't think she'll have anything negative to say about Mr. Spaghetti. In fact, I think you and Mr. Spaghetti might even like our new head nurse."
    "I'm not really into older ladies, except for you, of course. You're the only one who has my heart right now, Ms. Tammy," I flirted playfully.
     Ms. Tammy blushed, clearly charmed by my words. "You sure know how to charm an old lady," she said.
     Being a cop has its privileges, I didn't have to wait in the waiting room. The nurse took me to the back right away.
     Jasmine, the nurse assigned to me, asked, "So, what happened this time, Hoss?"
      "I got into a fight with a dog and the dog won." Jasmine giggled at that. She mentioned that the new Head lady, Camilla, wouldn't like Mr. Spaghetti being here. I told her that she would have to get used to it because he is my partner, just like a human partner. I also mentioned that Aunt Dorothy allowed him to come in all the time. I wondered if Aunt Dorothy had informed the new lady about the rules. I should be on the list of the "does" instead of the "don'ts". Jasmine mentioned that the new lady is tough and all business in the hospital. I said that I would charm her and make her forget about the dog. I asked Jasmine who the new nurse was as a young nurse I've never seen before walks out of a room with one of the doctors. "Hello my name is Hoss and who might you be? I thought I knew all the nurses around here?" I greet the nurse. and she looks at me with these eyes that says who the fuck do you think you are. "My name is Camilla and I'm the new head nurse." She responds in a cold voice. I was surprised and held my hand out to her when she approached us. Camilla informed me that there is a no pet policy in the hospital. I explained that he is my partner and my aunt allowed me to bring him in on my lunch breaks to see the sick kids. I also mentioned that he is an eyewitness to what happened to my arm, so if I pass out, he can give a statement. Camilla didn't seem impressed and asked who my aunt was. I told her it was Nurse Dorothy. Camilla nodded and didn't say anything else to me. She turned to Jasmine and instructed her to put me in triage three. Jasmine led me to the room and commented on Camilla behavior. Informing me that Camilla doesn't act like that with anyone ever. I asked Jasmine about Camilla and she said she doesn't know much, except that she moved to Florida from South Carolina for a fresh start and applied for the head nurse position. Jasmine then asked me what happened to my arm. Just as I was about to answer, Berry and his wife Olivia walked into the room. Olivia is your all-American sweetheart with a stunning appearance. She greeted me with a kiss on the cheeks and petted Mr. Spaghetti, asking if he had been fed that morning.
   "Yes, I fed him, but my arm tasted much better," I said, looking at Mr. Spaghetti. Everyone laughed when he laid down and buried his head.
     "So, tell us what happened so we can get you all taken care of," Olivia said.
    I went through everything that happened today, then your husband over there," I said, pointing at Berry, "called my name and distracted me. When I turned my head, I must have turned my arm too, and that's when Sparky here took a chunk out of my arm."
    *Whimpering!*
     "Sounds like he is sorry," Jasmine said, bending to rub Mr. Spaghetti on the head. The girls walked out of the room, letting me know that the doctor will be in here soon.
     "Well, Officer Moore, you're incredibly lucky it didn't damage the humerus. He got about an inch from it. That must have been one hell of a toy he was going for," Dr. Phillips said.
     "You don't even know," I tell her.
    "Well, you're stitched up," Dr. Phillips said, smiling, "I'll have the nurse come in and bandage it for you, then you can be on your way."
    About five minutes later, there was a knock on the door. I was expecting Olivia or Jasmine to come in, instead, it was the ice queen. Once she's done gathering her stuff to bandage my arm, she turned and almost tripped over Mr. Spaghetti. "Don't see dogs in here much, huh?" I asked her.
    "No, you don't," Nurse Camilla said with an eye roll.
    "You have a problem with dogs?" I asked her, getting irritated, "or is it just my dog?"
     "Sir, I don't have any issue with dogs, but there's simply no space for them in the ER," she replied. I looked over at Berry and he winked. "I think Mr. Spaghetti and I will find my wife," Berry said.
    Camilla laughed. "I'm sorry, I don't think I have ever heard of a dog named Mr. Spaghetti. Especially not a dog that is supposed to be so masculine," Camilla said.
    Berry and my partner walked out of the room without another word, and Nurse Camilla was back to being cold.
    "So, Nurse Camilla, how long have you been in Florida?" I asked, trying to strike up a conversation. Maybe she will see I'm not such a bad guy and lay off my dog.
     "Not long," she responded, "and it's Nurse Rose."
     "Oh, sorry Nurse Rose, what brought you to Florida?" I asked again.
     "I don't see where that is any of your business," she responded coldly, turning around to get the gauze and tape.
     Forgive me if I'm asking too many personal questions. I just wanted to know a little more about you. I know just about everyone that works here.
     "Well, you don't know me, and I would like to keep it that way. Now, here are your discharge papers with your prescription. Make sure you don't get your arm wet for at least ten days."  Nurse Rose said as she wrapped my arm.
      She smells amazing, I think to myself, but she can be difficult. I couldn't resist provoking her.
      "Do you always treat your patients this way, or is it just me?"
     "Don't flatter yourself. I simply don't appreciate people who believe they are above the rules because of their status or connections. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important matters to attend to."
     And there I go again. I find pleasure in seeing her reaction. "Maybe you should get that stick out of your ass while your at it."
     Nurse Rose didn't say anything else; she simply walked out of the room.
     Well, that didn't go well at all.
     My friend and partner returned to the room.
     Mr. Spaghetti rested his head on my lap.
     "How's it going, sparky? Did you manage to get her number yet?" Berry teases me.
     "Fuck off!"
     Berry laughs as I express my desire to leave and grab something to eat and drink. He jokingly comments that my pride isn't wounded at all. I tell him he's not helping, to which he apologizes and continues laughing. I sarcastically call him a comedian, to which he responds with a "Wow!" I ask him what's wrong, and he starts to say something about how a woman has never affected me like this, but I cut him off and tell him not to finish that sentence. He agrees to drop the topic for now, and we decide to go eat.
    We arrive at my brother's bar and join some fellow officers. We chat with them for a while and order some beers. One of the officers, Jackson, asks about the girl who apparently shut me down. He expresses his curiosity and says he wants to meet her. I confidently state that I will have a date with her within a month. Jackson and the others laugh, and I join in. After about an hour, we leave the bar and head home.

      

@Crystal Steadman 2023