Glenn took Joey's plate, setting it on the coffee table. “Come here.” When Joey did he put an arm around him, pulling him carefully against his chest. “It’s been a rough couple of days for you.”
“For both of us.”
“Yeah, but more for you. You’re not used to things like this as much as you think you are.”
“But I should be,” Joey protested. “I’m a cop, it… as they say it comes with the territory.”
“Not to deny what you said but you’ve only been a cop for a little under three years, in a small town where nothing really happens. That plus the fact you had to shoot someone, I think it’s catching up with you big time now that you’ve had a chance to think about it.”
Joey looked up at him. “Was it this bad the first time you killed someone?”
“Honest answer?” Joey nodded. “Not really, but then I was taking out one of the men who murdered my parents. All I could think of was getting my revenge.”
“Does it ever bother you? No, don’t answer that. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“Of course you should have, now that you’ve been through it.” Glenn gently stroked Joey’s hair. “Yes it’s bothered me but to be blunt, very rarely. I couldn’t have done what I did, been what I was, if I’d let it get to me. That sounds cold I know but it’s the way it was.”
“And now?”
“Now I’m doing it for the right reasons.” Glenn paused before saying. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not the kind of man who lives to kill. I’m just very good at what I do. It’s… a talent I suppose. I can’t say I regret what I did in the past, although I probably should. It was a job and I did it, and made out quite well in the process. Damn, I’m beginning to sound like… like some sort of feral animal that should have been put to sleep.”
“A bit, yes.” Joey pulled away to look at him. “Sorry if that hit a nerve.”
“It did, but it’s still the truth.”
“The thing is, it was just a part of you, not the whole you. If it had been, you wouldn’t have helped us when my father showed up.”
“A weak moment maybe?”
“Not even! You said, later, much later, you’d already cut your ties with the people who would send you jobs. That was before you helped us.”
“I was old and tired of living out of suitcases.”
“Will you quit!” Joey moved back to rest against his chest. “You’re never going to convince me you were someone evil. I know better. Misguided maybe…”
“Misguided?” Glenn laughed. “I sort of like that description.”
“You know what I meant.”
“Yeah, I do.” Glenn kissed his forehead. “At least I saw the error of my ways so to speak, thanks to you. Now I’m all for truth, justice and the…” He chuckled when Joey clapped his hand over his mouth, pulling it away. “Okay, maybe that was a bit extreme. And how the hell did we get on this anyway?”
“Because I asked. I guess I needed to know that what I did was something I could learn to live with.”
Glenn cupped his face in his hands. “What you did was necessary. You not only saved my life, you probably saved the lives of all the people he would have been hired to go after had he gotten away. Don’t ever doubt your decision. It was the right one no matter what you may be feeling at the moment.”
“I know,” Joey said so softly Glenn could barely hear him. “I really do.”
Glenn kissed him gently. “You’ll be fine, I promise. But now I think we should head to bed. We’re both tired and drained and need to get some sleep.”
“Yes we do, you especially.” Joey sat back and shuddered. “You’re still wearing that shirt. They should have given you a pair of scrubs or something.”
“They offered, but…” Glenn shrugged and stood, holding out his hand. “Come on. You can get me out of my bloody shirt and the rest of it.”
“And tuck you into bed because for damned sure that’s all I’ve got the energy for.”
“What, you’re not going to ravage the wounded hero?”
Joey snorted as they headed to the stairs. “I doubt either of us is in a ‘ravaging’ mood at the moment.”
“Around you, I always am, but I think we’ll put it off until we’re well rested.”
“That works for me.”
The End
No comments:
Post a Comment