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John ended up passing out as the memories of seeing the abandoned infant ran through his mind. He could not consume enough alcohol to get that memory out of his head, but he was glad that she was at Children’s and in good care. John woke up earlier than usual, moved the bottles of beer out of his way, grabbed his keys to retrieve his car at Pop’s, and then planned to go to the hospital. Then his cell phone rang, and he saw it was the captain.
“John, this is Captain Stevenson. I need you to get to the station now,” the captain said. John could tell the captain was in no mood for an argument.
“Cap, I was just going to swing by Children’s to check on the infant that was found.” John said. John always followed up on his cases, which made him one of the best detectives in the field. He could not go down to the office until he knew the baby was in a good condition.
“The infant is fine and doing well because of you, kid. Get to the station now,” the captain said persistently.
John walked the couple of miles to Pop’s to grab his car. As he started his car, he lit a cigarette. The horror of last night was still in his mind. As John pulled into the station, he realized he forgot his stash of nips for the day. John always had some lying around, but with the incident from last night and the rush this morning, he had no time to stock up. John saw Betsy at the front desk and she gave a casual smile and notified him that the captain was waiting for him in his office.
John, still haunted by last night, came into the captain’s office and saw another figure in there with him. She looked to be in her mid-thirties, long blond hair, and slender built like a marathon runner. Her eyes looked determined and kind at the same time. John thought she was from Internal Affairs.
“John, this is Michelle Rodney from the Department of Children and Families. She wanted to get your report on the infant that was found last night. John, I need you to tell her everything you remember from last night. We also need your report on file as well,” the captain said while Michelle looked strangely at John. John always kept himself looking clean but after last night, John was more concerned about the welfare of the infant than his own upkeep. For some reason, that infant could not leave John’s mind.
John told Michelle the whole story except for his encounter at the bar that led to him being thrown out. John felt that was no business of theirs and told her that he went outside for a cigarette when he found the child.
“Tell me, John. Is it common for detectives to get drunk at the bar? It was reported that you attempted to follow the ambulance to the hospital in your condition,” Michelle said. John could tell that Michelle already had judgement in her eyes that made John uncomfortable and defensive.
“Michelle, I am a veteran officer and I have always followed through with my cases. I am always in a condition to do so and what I do in my personal time has nothing to do with the incident from last night. I would appreciate it if you stuck to the report that matters,” John said defensively.
“I am sorry to upset you. It must have been upsetting for you to see that,” Michelle said sympathetically.
“In my work, this was not the worst thing I have seen.” John lied. John had seen terrible things in his field, but anything involving children was always the worst.
“That is all, Ms. Rodney. If you excuse us, I need a word with my detective. We will send you the report once it is completed,” Captain Stevenson said.
“Thank you, Captain Stevenson, and Detective Remington. If you have any questions, please give my number a call,” Michelle said as she handed the captain and John her card. Once Michelle left the office, Captain Stevenson took out a folder and placed it on the desk.
“John, this report from yesterday is horse shit. I need you to fix this report and fill out the report from last night. Have it on my desk by noon,” the captain said unpleasantly. Captain Stevenson never accepted reports that he felt were not to his standards. As a captain of the homicide department for twenty years, he wanted his reports to include proper grammar as well as details. John knew this, but he did not take that into account yesterday.
As John was working on the reports, he could not escape from pictures of the infant in his mind. He thought of what would have happened if he did not get kicked out of Pop’s. He thought of what would have happened if another drunk found the infant. He thought of what would have happened if no one found the infant. She would have spent the first day and the last day of her life in a disgusting dumpster cold, wet, and alone. He then pictured what the infant would have looked like deceased.
“Maybe her life will get better,” John tried to convince himself. John was never a positive person since being in this field. The worst things that could happen to people was how John was paid and there was usually no room for positivity. Still, John had hope for her.
John finished his paperwork just in time as he got another call about a victim found a few blocks from the station. A young woman was found dead in a warehouse. John arrived on the scene after stopping to grab a few nips to calm his nerves. As John parked the car, he could feel the liquor taking its course. He stumbled out of the car and saw the victim’s lifeless body, a familiar sight for John. John talked to the witness who found the body and talked to the responding officer. The witness saw the body during her morning run and called the police. John approached the body and saw the victim lying there. She looked to be in her twenties with a needle hanging out of her arm. Her green eyes were opened and with a look of shock. John knew this was an overdose and the victim had a fresh scar from what looked like a recent cesarean section. John told the officer and the coroner to report to him the lab results. As John left, he looked at the victim again trying to remember where he has seen her from. John usually never forgot a face, but this one he could not remember and must have been a passerby from his drunken nights.
John got weary while walking to his car. Too many nips, he thought to himself and decided he should eat something. The sight of his car got dark, and he felt the familiar feeling of the ground punching him in the face.