My daughter -The Rookie

2- The news

It was the last hour of my shift when I looked at my phone again. I looked at the text I had sent just after lunch. She still hasn't replied and that made me sigh. 'You good?' Tim asked. I looked up at him. He didn't look up from the road but I could see a hint of worry on his face through the darkness. 'Yea, fine.' I lied, annoyed, just to get him off my back. I knew he didn't believe me, but luckily he stopped asking. There was a very long pause until I heard John on the radio. The sound made by the radio was a little hard to understand, but even through the radio I could hear some pain in his voice. 'Dispatch, this is officer Nolan. I need an ambulance to my location, 1936 Kristol Lane. Suspect has a GSW to the chest, one officer down, deceased.' I heard John's over the radio. He sounded sad, probably in tears. I felt tears well up in my own eyes but I fought to keep them in as I got out of my seat. I sat up a little straighter when I fumbled my phone out of my pocket, panicked by the sudden news. I had no idea what I needed to do. I had lost all control over my body. I needed to know if my mom, my savior, my hero was okay.

I called her. 'Come on, pick up. Pick up, I need you.' my voice just above a whisper. I felt Tim's gaze burning on the side of my head, but I didn't care if I was allowed to make a phone call right now. I needed to know if my suspicions were correct, I hoped they weren't. The phone went over and over, but nobody picked up. I felt something stream down my face. It was warm and liquid, a tear. It rolled down my cheek to the corner of my mouth, where I could taste its salty taste of it. I quickly whipped it away before Tim could see it. 'You're trying to reach Zoe Andersen, but I'm currently not available. Try calling again later or speak in a voicemail after the beep.' A happy sounding woman said. I felt devastated when I dialed John. The phone went over two times before he answered.

'I'm so sorry, this is not the right time. I will call you back when I ca...' John started but I cut him off. 'John, is it true, please tell me it isn't true.' I said in a panic. I felt how the car stopped on the side of the road, but I was too distracted to look up at Tim and say something. 'Lucy, I...' John started again. I could hear the pain in his voice and that was my real answer, but I wouldn't believe it, I couldn't. 'No, It's not true. It can't.' I said, my voice trembling. 'I'm so sorry Lucy.' John said. His words hit me like a gunshot. Without saying anything else, I hung up the phone and stared out in front of me, numb by the reality. It was silent for a moment until I snapped back. I rested my head against the glass window of my door. 'Boot?' He asked, staring at me. I avoided his look by looking out the window in front of me. 'Can we please just go?' My voice falling apart mid sentence, betraying all the grief and pain I felt. Tim probably heard it too, because he let it slide.