Estranged [Completed]

Trouble

Kalei saw the captain the moment she stepped out of the elevator. He was sitting behind the desk in his glass-walled office. He spotted her as she approached, setting down a stack of papers and standing up to lean against the front edge of his desk, crossing his arms in front of him. His hair was grey, buzzed short along the sides with an inch more allowed at the top. His large frame loomed over the desk even as he sat, his lean-muscled torso perfectly erect as Kalei walked in. He said, "Close the door behind you, Kalei."

She obliged, the door latching to the frame with a resounding click, feeding her anxiety.

The captain looked angry enough to blow, but his voice remained quiet and even. "This is the third time you have been reported for breaking protocol and entering an Estranged crime scene. The first time, you tried to apprehend the criminal yourself. The second time, you gave some excuse about the suspect trying to escape. Each time, Sergeant Barslow has come to your rescue. Each time, he convinced me that you would not do it again. And now, you have made a third breach. You've used up all your get-out-of-jail-free cards, Kalei. If I had my way, I would sack you right here on the spot. But this is beyond you and me now. The people won't appreciate punishing an officer for saving a life, but neither will they appreciate rewarding an officer for consistently breaking the rules. This is an impossible situation you've put me in." He pushed off his desk and stood up, a full foot and a half taller than she was. Kalei felt her heart race frantically in her chest. She clenched her jaw tightly. "So, until I find a solution to this mess, you are suspended indefinitely. Hand me your badge and your gun."

The shock unlocked her jaw. "Indefinitely, sir?" She pulled her gun out of her belt and handed it to him. "As in, forever?"

The captain barked, "No, not forever, Kalei. As in, 'not defined.' As in, 'I have no fucking clue, so give me your badge until I make up my mind one way or another.'" Kalei obliged, and as he took the item, he said, "Now get out of my office. I expect you to fill out a report and have it on my desk before you leave."

Kalei stood there, stunned, her thoughts tangled in a dizzying whirlwind of emotions. She heard herself ask, "So, I'm not fired?" She slammed her mouth shut, silently reprimanding her mouth for asking such a stupid question.

The captain was already behind his chair, dropping her gun on the wooden surface of his desk, gesturing toward the door with his free hand. "Will you just get out of here?"

She jumped and hurried to escape, shutting the door carefully behind her.

Talwart stood just outside, hands in his pockets. He was a skinny man with a narrow face and fully dressed in his police uniform, although he usually never left the station. He typically spent his days managing paperwork and collecting gossip. He casually asked, "So, how did it go?"

Kalei thought about it for a moment, trying to make sense of what had just transpired. She gave up with a shrug. "I have no idea."