Daniel was almost his polar opposite, the other side of the same coin. He was constantly late, didn't take his job seriously, and was very lazy. He constantly made "stupid, unfunny" jokes. He took nothing seriously except his wife and kid. Nothing else mattered, not even his life. He was forgetful. At one point, he forgot his gun. They were called to quench a robbery that had escalated. Daniel was still a junior police officer despite helping to catch many criminals.
"DAMIAN, I heard about yesterday. What happened to you?" Daniel asked.
"Long story, man. I just... don't know what happened... it just happened," Damian answered.
"Well, the past is the past. We work towards the future... Speaking of which, the present is your meeting with the commish," Daniel said, feeling poetic, and tapping his shoulder as he stood up.
"Don't worry about me, boy," Damian said in a mocking voice.
"I'm a man's man," Daniel replied.
"Well, men have mustaches... all I see on your face is acne," Damian said, smirking as he stood up to meet the commissioner.
Damian's home. "The meeting with the commissioner ended with my suspension. I have been relieved from duty for the next month. I told the commissioner I don't regret my decision. I don't regret it. I don't put value in the lives of criminals who threaten the life of honest working people. They have no value. Anyone who doesn't value human life above anything doesn't deserve life. I finally have a break from my job. I might go for therapy. But I will certainly sleep in today."
"Honey, you're home," Damian's wife, Linda, screamed with joy, running to hug him.
"Yes, apparently so," Damian replied, barely able to look up to her eyes. He was so tired. She hugged him lightly, and he smiled a little and went to his room and immediately sank into his bed and slept. He didn't wake up until evening the next day.
"Dad, let's play ball," his 8-year-old son, David, said, pulling him outside.
"OK, kiddo," Damian replied, going outside with him. Linda was busy preparing dinner. She looked outside and saw them playing, smiling in her heart.
Later that night, after dinner, she asked him about the meeting with the commissioner. "It is what it is. I have been suspended for a month, without pay, obviously. No matter, at least it gives me time to rest and be with my family," he said, wrapping his arms around her.
They went to the beach that weekend. The following Monday, Damian took his son to school. He completely put aside everything related to work. His eye bags started disappearing, and he was happy. He was regaining his mental health. Slowly but steadily.
Justin and Daniel often visited him, and they talked for a while. Soon enough, his suspension was over, and he returned to work. His overachieving personality took over. His family became secondary. His passion for work and hatred for crime was greater than his love for his family and concern for his health. His eyebags returned, and his mental health deteriorated. He stayed awake hours into the night, studying police files, trying to solve mysteries.
He went back to the case of that certain murder. He was again addicted to coffee. "Damian," shouted Daniel, running towards him. "Late... as always. Why don't you take your job seriously, huh?" Damian asked. "Why do you take it so seriously?" Daniel replied.
Damian began to speak, "Because people's lives depend on it..." "Uhp, uhp, uhp, heard enough of that," Daniel interrupted, posing like a superhero. "I care about people's lives too, just not office work. Seriously, you have to take care of yourself, man."