When it's Not Right

Chapter 4

"Hey, John."

        Cory looked up from the floor tile he'd been staring at for the past twenty minutes far enough to see the trooper's uniform shoes and pant legs. The voice was safely familiar.

        "How about we sit in your jeep while I interview you?"

        Cory led the way outside, breathing a sigh of relief once he was back in the parking lot. He'd done enough research on the hospital to be able to go inside if he was hurt bad enough to have to go, and to get to and from his psych appointments, but the constant flow of people in and out of the emergency area always put him on edge. He climbed into the jeep behind the wheel and unlocked the doors for the trooper to get in on the passenger side.

        "Okay, so I have one story that you jumped all five guys with a baseball bat," Richard Olsen started, opening his tablet case and bringing up the voice recording app. "The other story is that you went all kung-fu movie without provocation. None of the five can remember that there was a woman there. And I have a bank machine six feet from where the altercation happened that I'm requesting the camera footage from when the branch opens tomorrow morning. The woman you brought in woke up a couple minutes after you dropped her off. She doesn't remember anything past having a yelling fight with her ex-husband," Rick looked sideways at Cory. "He's the one with the broken elbow and flattened nose," he said, and then pressed the 'record' button. "Tell me what happened, right from the beginning."

        Cory recited through the whole story, starting when he paid Louise for his food and ending when Rick walked up to him in the emergency waiting room. He included his brother-in-law's name and contact info for the report, so that they had something official to match to for the calls Austin had made. Rick asked a couple more questions, confirming details, and then shut off the record app and closed his tablet case.

        "Are you just going to head straight home?" Rick asked. "Or did you need to talk to Doctor Vern before I let you go?" Cory thought about it long enough that Rick sighed. "I'm just asking because your terminology gets really military in the middle of your story, Cory. Are you wigging out? Did you get triggered on anything that happened?"

        "I think I'm actually okay," Cory answered. "I triggered a bit in the fighting, but Austin was on the phone so I wasn't alone. I didn't fully wig out at all. I left the dogs inside, though, so I do need to go straight home."

        "If you're sure," Rick looked doubtful. "I'm still going to call Doctor Vern to let him know that you were involved tonight and ask him to call you tomorrow. I'll come out myself tomorrow afternoon if I see anything from the bank machine that looks other than self-defense. Did you call Austin back yet?"

        "No. I was going to when we were done."

        "Okay," Rick agreed, his hand moving to sit on the door handle. "Just so you know, Jayler's fine. She's got a mild concussion, but the bruising was all surface and the bleeding was a ruptured ear drum. She's got tubes in both ears, though, so likely that wouldn't have happened if she didn't already have swimmer's ear. I'll make sure she gets home safe tonight."

        "If that was the ex she'd said was in prison, then –"

        "Make sure to check the apartment," Rick interrupted with a grin, finishing the sentence. "Way ahead of you for once, Reaper."

        "Don't get used to it," Cory chuckled, relieved.

        "Please," Rick rolled his eyes. "If your recovery takes much longer, my dust will settle before you even show up," he opened the passenger door. "Go straight home after you call Austin. Leave your phone on in case I have to call you."