One in the Same

Ch. 19: Sylvia

The red and blue lights flashing all together made it seem like I was looking at a sea of purple. Bodies and officers were walking around assisting others. SWAT members gathering with one another, and headed off. Everything over the past few moths -- more like almost fourteen years -- came and went through my mind. I didn't eleven know how the fuck we got here.

All I knew was that I was starting fresh somewhere with my best friend. A new. A brand new beginning. Pushing through a job I was offered from Jake after I was out of prison; as part of my parole, it was required I worked for the force. Evidently, I actually ended up liking it here. Everyone wasn't too bad, some of which had attitudes. However, it was expected. You work with cops, you get dirty with pigs -- or so they say. It was as simple as that.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the ER to be checked out, Syl? She beat the fuck outta your head." Charlie, an EMT asked me. Dabbling up the dried blood on my temple, I winced. Her lips thinned then, "You really should go."

"Nothing, a couple of Advil, and a day off tomorrow won't fix. I will be fine, Charlie. Thanks." I replied. Rolling my eyes when he narrowed at me. "I know you're the grandma of everyone, but trust me I'm fine. I swear."

"Fine. I'll send your rape kit off to the lab when i get back to the office. Follow up with your doctor as soon as you can."

I gave Charlie the salute.

"How are you so causal about this." Charlie confessed. "uou nearly lost your life tonight. How are you not..." she licked her lips, "How are you not crying?"

I pondered her question before I answered. "When you have seen the things I have, or been to prison for the smallest mistake, you see and experience a lot. So this.." Shrugging, I finished, "Its not something I haven't handled before."

Huffing out another sign, Chuck tucked his belongings back into her EMT bag, tossing it into the truck. Taking off his glove, he then whacked me in the face with one of them, before hopping inside with a snicker.

"Grump." I murmured. Wrapping the blanket around my shoulders, another figure stepped before me. Sgt. Collins.

"I hope that comment wasn't for me." Collins teased, placing his hands behind his back. "Ho are you doing, Moone?"

Licking my lips I overlooked the seas of officers and lights. A tear threatned to break through, yet it was shoved back down, "Im as good asI can be."

Collins tilted his head slightly, "I know relieving some of your troubled past was hard, today. However, I dont see any of these other pansies maing it through something like this without crying for their mother." He dipped his chin, "You are a brave and rare being, Sylvia Moone."

The ball in my throat grew three times the size it already was. Collins knew what my home life was like before all of this. He was the one that Jake contacted in order to get me where I am today. One phone call. That was all it took to change everything for me.

"Thank you, sir." I chirped, blinking away the emotions threatening to fall. "I appreciate everything you've done for me.. For the past decade and a half, almost."

Nodding, Collins patted my shoulder, and made his rounds with the others. Heaving a sigh, the bitterness in the cold air was coming through, and I wrapped my blanket tighter. Scamming the sea of people, I witnessed Anna being pulled away in a cop cruiser, and a handsome looking man with an evil look in his eye.

The tears thatI had swallowed down were threatening to come back. I haven't seen Arkyn in roughly fifteen hours, and those two days felt like it was a lifetime. Biting my lip, I sat there watching him, as the lights slowly disappeared within the night.