The Threat Of Fear

chapter 14

        "This is detective Linos Marino." Sargent Leon explained. "He will be your new partner and will be the one to show you the ropes of working here."

"Hi," I breathed out. "I'm Dr. Rachel Cookie."

He's wearing a ring on his left ring finger. I wonder how they handle being married to a cop, I've read that cops have some of the highest divorce ratings.

"Nice to meet you, Dr. Cookie." the man in front of me, my new partner, smiled while shaking my hand. "I'd tell my name, but the sarge. already told you."

"Yeah," I laughed softly.

"You ready to go out in the field now?" detective Marino asked. "I just got a call."

"Yeah." I nodded. "I'm ready.

        "Alright." I hummed, walking up to Marino. "I'm here."

He's talking with another officer.

"Hey," he nodded.

"Hey..." I repeated, trailing off. "What, what's up? What happened? Where's the-"

"Follow me, please," the officer that Marino was talking to said, cutting me off. "Before you ask any more questions."

He started to walk towards the house, motioning for me to follow him. I listened and started to follow him.

"I don't think you're going to be able to talk to the victim, Cookie." Marino murmured, walking with us as well. "No matter how hard you try."

The officer lifted the tape for us to walk under it.

"Why is that?" I wondered, nodding at the officer in thanks as I leaned under the police tape.

"Well," he breathed out.

We walked into the house and followed him into a bedroom.

"Oh," I uttered, my eyes going wide. "He, uh, he seems to be devolving. This is the first murder that we know of."

I don't feel very well. I feel nauseous like I'm about to throw up.

Hopefully, I can keep it down until we get back to the station.

        "You doing okay in there Rach?" Marino asked, knocking on the door.

"Yeah," I breathed out before flushing the toilet.

I rinsed my mouth out with the water of the faucet before wiping my mouth with a paper towel.

"I'm alright." I sighed, opening the door.

We stopped at a gas station.

"You sure?" he wondered, not believing me. "You've been acting, I don't know, a bit off lately."

"Have I?" I yawned. "I guess I have been acting a bit differently."

"Yeah, you have." Marino nodded. "What's up? You can talk to me. I'm your partner, after all, you can trust me."

"I don't know," I mumbled.

"Please don't get mad at this," he sighed. "But I may have bought something for you,"

I hummed in question and he sighed again.

"I bought you a pregnancy test." Marino deadpanned. "You're doing similar things that my wife did all three times that she was pregnant."

"O-oh," I uttered.

What if I am pregnant? What do I do then?

"You don't have to take it if you don't want to," he said. "I just wanted to give you the option, since you probably wouldn't even think of it as an option."

"Umm, thanks," I murmured. "Can we, uh, can you help me when we get to the station?"

"Of course," Maino responded. "What are partners for?"

       "I'm scared," I whispered, looking at my partner.

I have the test in my hands, but I'm unable to look at the results.

"What do you mean?" he wondered, sitting down next to me. "You run into burning buildings without a thought, how does this scare you?"

"What if I am pregnant?" I asked. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Whatever you want to do," Marino responded.

"Am I even fit to be a mother?" I breathed out.

"You are more than fit." he murmured. "Do you know who the father is if you are pregnant?"

"Yes," I whispered. "How am I even supposed to tell him if I am?"

"I don't know how to answer that question," Marino hummed. "I'm sorry."

A shaky sigh passed my lips as I finally looked at the test.

Oh, shit.