James
"Why don't we talk till you feel sleepy enough? You don't mind my company, do you?" I asked her.
"Okay. Stay." She said slowly as if she was in some deep thought and I was disturbing her. The truth be told, my job never makes me leave people when they are worried. And to think of Mia, she looked like the burden of the whole world rested on her shoulders. She always seemed distant from the present. Like her mind was far away from the reality in front of her and in always drowned in her worries.
If I could I would remove all her worries in an instant. But only if she let me do it for her, with her.
I sat on the chair near her bed. "Mia, we need to talk about how you were about to kill that man."
"I don't wanna talk about it." She grumbled.
"Mia, it's not healthy to randomly pick fights, you can get hurt." My eyebrows furrowed.
"It's not my fault that those people are troubling others. I can't just stand there and wait for anything bad to happen. And if I get hurt, I get hurt. Why are you so worried about me?" She spoke the truth with her admirable firmness.
"Mia, you are my friend, of course, I am worried about your well-being. And you call the cops when you see something like that." I patted her arm in assurance.
She scoffed. "Like they'll help you."
"I don't understand, Mia. Aren't cops there to help people?" I leaned a little forward to hold her hand. But I backed away before I could hold it. Maintain respect to her space James come on man!
"I don't want to talk about it." She tried to turn away from me.
I sighed. This is not working. I need help. I'll talk to Ryan and Naomi about this. Maybe they can help. No, it is her personal problem. If she wants she will herself talk to us. I have no right to intervene or talk about her life to people even if they are my friends.
"Okay, we'll not talk about it. You never told me why you left?" I approached her again.
"I needed a run." Her replies were still short and to the point. She is not going to tell me anything any time soon.
"Just yesterday you were hurt and this morning you needed a run? It's not good for you." I just want her to be safe and away from any harm. I can absolutely not stand the sight of her being hurt and stopping herself from the tears of her mesmerizing eyes.
"Are you here only to tell me what's wrong and what's right dad?" She snapped right back. Yeah, that is what you get what troubling her even more you idiot! Who even made you a Sergeant? No hush! No negative talks, I want to help her and I will if time and Mia herself let me help her. Other than that I will try but will never force her to say anything she does not want to say.
And not to forget that my approach was too direct. This must have come to her as my interrogative tone which I use to get stuff out of criminals during interrogations. I need to be a well-wisher not a goddamn cop right now.
"Okay. We will not talk about that too. Naomi will come tomorrow when I have my shift. You will have some girl time."
"That's great. I like her company. She roasts you all so good. It is just like I am on a roast show and she is the world champion and you and Ryan are the rookies learning from her." She smirked.
"I agree she is definitely good at roasting us. But hey! Don't do us dirty, Ryan and I are still learning from her. It is not our fault that she has been doing this with her brother since she was a kid. Roasting runs in her entire family I swear." I shook my head in disappointment. Ryan and I are basically toddlers in front of Naomi when it comes to roasting.
"If you ever go to Naomi's parents' home, just remember that no one I repeat no one gets spared in that household. And if you think that what you witness on a daily basis is a roast show, just know that the real battle begins at Carter's villa. Personally, I would recommend going with a few original comebacks and never ever use the ones on the internet. They all know those and you will get even more roasted."
"I take that is coming from your personal experience?" She was smiling a little. I am so happy that I got her smile back!
"No! Not at all!" I cleared my throat, "I have seen things, things that no one should ever see. I have been through things, things that no one should have ever gone through. I carry the battle scars on my back wherever I go." I sighed defeatedly.
"Are you sure that you are talking about Naomi's parents' place and not some warzone?" She seemed like she was enjoying herself. Good.
"Excuse me miss, you can not insult a war veteran!"
"Oh, my bad mister ex-veteran. Thank you for your service!" She did a half salute.
"Although if it makes me look good in your eyes, Ryan goes through worst shit than me every time we go together to their place." I rubbed the back of my head.
"Yes, that certainly makes you spot a place in my heart soldier or should I say, Sargeant." She dramatically put her hands on her chest and sighed as the women did in period drama movies. Her sense of humor and energy kind of matches mine and I can not wait to spread chaotic time with her having fun and making cool memories.
She sighed and laid on her bed and tucked herself in.
"You are like a little burrito of anger and cuteness."
"I'm not little nor cute."
"So you agree that you an angry burrito?"
"I... I am not that too. How do you even imagine that?"
"I'm not imagining, just stating the obvious."
"Whatever pretty boy."
"I like the nickname, sugar. Call me pretty I don't mind at all."
My eyes went to the scar she had running on her hand. How come I never noticed it until this morning. When I lifted her hand in the ambulance I noticed the big scar running across her forearm to her wrist. It was not that old, maybe a year old or something. It was on her non-dominant hand, maybe that's why I didn't look.
"Can you tell me how did you get the scar on your hand?"
She retreated her hand back so fast that she hit her nose.
"Oww."
I leaned to look at her nose, it was slightly red. Why did she react that way?
"I got hurt while working, last year." She said hurriedly.
She was lying. She was looking down and not me in the eye like she always did. She was also clutching the bedsheets. Yup, definitely hiding something.
"That must have hurt badly."
"It did. It was hard to drive for days."
"Last year, you weren't here right?"
"Yes, I wasn't."
"You never told me where were you?"
"James, stop your interrogation. I'm not telling you anything. I got the scar while working last year that's all you need to know."
"Why can't I know? It's something bad? Did someone hurt you? Is he/her the reason why you were punishing yourself?"
"NO! YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW!" She screamed.
"But why, Mia? What are you hiding?"
"You need to leave."
"First you tell me, what's troubling you?"
"I can't."
"Why, Mia? You know that I'm your friend and I'll always be with you. So why hide your problems from me?"
"Just go." She whimpered.
"How can I just go when you are not okay?"
"I'll be okay. I will manage it. Leave me, I'm a failure. Always have, always will be. I'm just a disappointment."
"Why would you say that Mia? You are not a failure and neither are the things you believe that you are. You are a strong woman Mia. Never think less of yourself." I held her hands in a firm grip.
"How can you say that? You don't even know me."
"I know enough, sugar."
I saw her widen in disbelief. Why did she see herself as a failure?
"You are strong, Mia but you don't have to always fight it alone. It's okay to lean on."
I squeezed her hands.
I saw her eyes drooping, the pain meds. She needs rest.
"Go to sleep, Mia you need rest. We'll talk in the morning."
She hummed.
I got up and laid her back down and tucked her in.
"You should be proud of yourself Mia. I'm proud of you." I whispered.
I kissed her forehead and stroked her hair.
"You are brave, Mia."