The Transfer

Chapter 11: Surviving the Shadows

3rd person POV:

Lucy woke up to the blaring sound of her alarm but felt too sleepy to turn it off right away. She let it ring for a few more seconds, trying to gather the strength to get out of bed. However, the noise woke Caleb, who groaned and turned over, glaring at her with bloodshot eyes.

"Why the hell is that thing so loud?" He snapped, his voice rough from sleep and last night's alcohol.

"Sorry." Lucy mumbled, quickly shutting off the alarm. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"Next time, be more considerate," Caleb growled, turning his back to her and pulled the covers over his head.

Lucy moved as quietly as she could, getting ready for work. She chose clothes that would cover her bruises and carefully applied makeup to conceal the ones on her face. Her body ached from the previous night's assault, but she pushed through the pain, determined to maintain her routine.

At the station, the morning roll call went smoothly. Tim and Lucy were partnered for the day, and they set out on their patrol.

"Hey, I forgot something at my place," Tim said as they drove. "Do you mind if we swing by? It'll just take a few minutes."

"No problem." Lucy replied, grateful for the brief diversion.

They arrived at Tim's house, and Lucy followed him inside. She was immediately greeted by Tim's dog, wagging his tail and Lucy nudged her hands for pets.

"Hey there, buddy." Lucy said, scratching the dog's ears and feeling a small moment of joy amidst her pain.

Tim quickly found what he needed and they headed back to the car. The rest of the morning was uneventful , filled with routine calls and paperwork. However, in the car, Tim reached across to grab something from the glove compartment, and Lucy flinched instinctively.

Tim noticed and paused, his hand hovering in mid-air. "Lucy, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied quickly, trying to brush it off. "Just startled me, that's all."

Tim wasn't convinced. He glanced at her, concern etched on his face. "Lucy, I've known you long enough to know when something's wrong. You flinched like you were expecting to be hit."

She sighed, feeling the weight of his questions. "It's nothing, really. Just had a rough night."

Tim kept his eyes on the road but continued the conversation. "Look, if something's going on, if someone is hurting you. You can tell me, I'm here for you."

Lucy wanted to confide in him, to let out the truth about Caleb, but fear held her back. "Tim, no one is hurting me. I appreciate it, but I'm okay, really."

The day continued, and they responded to various calls without incident. However, in the afternoon, they received a call about a bar fight. When they arrived at the scene, chaos greeted them. Two men were brawling fiercely, and it took all of Tim and Lucy's combined efforts to separate them and calm the situation.

During the struggle, Tim grabbed Lucy's arm to help her up from the ground, and she winced in pain. His eyes narrowed, noting her reaction. After they managed to subdue the fighters and hand them over to backup units, Tim pulled Lucy aside.

"What's going on with you?" He asked, his voice low and serious.

"Nothing, I'm fine." She insisted, but her voice lacked conviction.

"Lucy, you're not fine." Tim said, frustration and concern mixing in his tone. "Let me see your arm."

Before she could protest, he gently but firmly rolled up her sleeve. What he saw made his heart drop. Her arm was covered in bruises and cuts, some fresh, others clearly older.