Ty Solomon (shadowbadge) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2018-02-07 14:59:00 |
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Entry tags: | #october 2017, grady, grady x ty, ty |
Who: Grady and Ty
When: Morning, Monday, October 2nd
Where: The station
Warnings: a couple of slurs
Status: Complete
It had been a hell of a week, but then, when wasn’t it hell in Point Pleasant? Grady realized that was probably a morbid, cynical way of thinking, given his job, but at the moment, it seemed to be the absolute truth. Things had been somewhat quiet since the shit storm that had taken over the town last Tuesday, at least for everyone but the police department. They were short handed - as usual - and had been dealing with police reports and complaints for the past five days. Grady felt terrible. He hadn’t seen his kids much beyond saying good morning before they headed out to school. A part of him felt like he needed to send them back to Portland where they would be safe, but logically, he knew they would fight him… and were they any safer with their mother than here? He wasn’t sure anymore.
This morning he had asked Ty to meet him in his office before he headed out for his patrol. Grady sat at his desk, a mug of lukewarm coffee at his elbow and a stack of reports from the past week in front of him. Most were pretty tame and would be dealt with and filed quickly. Others… they would take longer to work through. When he heard Ty’s voice out in the station, Grady glanced up and sat back in his chair, well aware that this conversation wouldn’t be a pleasant one.
There was still so much to deal with, but Ty and Jared had had some respite the day before, just being the police presence for most of Oysterfest’s final day. It had been kind of nice, munching on food and watching over everyone. People were understandably skittish, but there was something indomitable about how they still turned up for beers and music and hobnobbing with their neighbors. That was the positive spin Ty tried to put on it in his mind, anyway. Along with the optimism that there had only been one day of chaos to clean up. He had no idea what he would’ve done if that would have continued, or he’d woken up murderous the next morning, and he didn’t want to think about it either.
He’d gotten a bit of a bad feeling in his stomach when Grady asked to talk to him privately. Ty didn’t get called into the principal’s office very often, so to speak, but he’d been aware that this might happen. He’d been trying not to think about it -- a habit that was almost a survival tactic now -- but he knew that a complaint against him was possible. He’d been honest in his own report, but so many things about that evil fucking day were words against words, and as a police officer, he knew they were held to a higher standard than most.
So after a quick cup of coffee for himself and several deep breaths he tapped on Grady’s door before he stepped inside. Ty shut it behind him and moved to sit down. His nose was healing, and his complexion hid quite a bit of the bruising, but the swelling and the split were still hanging around. Everybody who’d looked at him in the past five days knew he hadn’t come away from that day unscathed himself. “Hey boss,” he said quietly.
"Hey," Grady said, his expression neutral and professional, as it had to be in these kind of situations. He was well aware of what had happened in the fog. Grady hadn't been immune to it either, and he couldn't bring himself to believe any of that 'chemical pollution' garbage the EPA fed him. But he was a very small fish in a very big, bureaucratic pond, and his concerns had been more or less dismissed by the Mayor. Still, it had been on his shoulders to ease everyone's concerns, and take the blame for not 'doing more'. Such was life, and such was this job.
Grady took a breath and set his coffee out of the way as not to knock it over. He pulled Ty's file from the pile on his desk and flipped it open. "Gary Johnson filed a formal complaint this morning," Grady explained, pulling the form out from beneath Grady's page of notes to set it on top where he could read it better. "He claims you assaulted him and used unnecessary force in his arrest."
As Grady started to talk, Ty’s lips twisted to one side and he let a long slow breath out through his nose. It whistled a little, which was annoying, and he sniffed. It was fucking stupid that a man who had been right there with them, feeling the same kind of insane rage, would complain that Ty hadn’t been immune to it, but the world was full of stupid people, and he honestly wasn’t too surprised. He had hurt Gary Johnson, and he would’ve hurt him even more if Jared hadn’t been a goddamn hero and pulled him off. “I can’t deny that happened, sir,” he said, his tone still quiet and even. He was determined to stay professional himself. “It was in my report.”
"I know it was," Grady said, as he had Ty's report with him as well. It was one he had already read over twice, and it wasn't as if this report was the only one from that Tuesday. They all had similar reports, and Grady knew full well what they had all dealt with. But he had to get through this, just to cover his bases before it spiraled out of control. "Mr. Johnson claims he was the victim of a car accident, and had been responding obediently to your orders when you attacked him, which contradicts your report." Grady knew that was a lie, because he had no reason to believe anyone had been immune to whatever had been in that fog. All he could guess was Gary Johnson's ego was bruised and he was ready to do whatever it took to soothe it.
That made Ty’s jaw clench. He was pretty sure that he wasn’t about to get fired or anything, and he knew Grady knew what had really happened, because it had happened all over the fucking town. People had died and this asshole wanted to bitch about getting roughed up a little? He took another slow breath and tried to push down the flash of outrage. “That’s inaccurate. Mr. Johnson and the others were all under the influence of the uh ... poison, I guess. They were verbally and physically combative with each other, and then with us. It started as Officer Gaines and myself breaking up the fight, until we were influenced too.” And then everything had gone off the rails and into a haze of red, but Ty remembered enough to know that Johnson had not been compliant.
Grady nodded. Everything Ty had said was already written in his report and he hoped Ty knew that Grady believed his version of events. Even without fucked up fog, Gary Johnson could be a pain in the ass around this town. "Well, we've got the EPA report and others as witnesses, including Officer Gaines, to backup your report, should it come to that. But per our policy, there will be an investigation into the incident and disciplinary action if the complaint is substantiated."
He paused and ran a hand through his hair before dropping it back to his desk with a sigh.
"You know nothing's going to come of this, Ty. But I've got to do it to make this go away before Johnson decides to press charges." It wasn't something he should have been admitting to out loud, but he wanted Ty to know Grady had his back. Yes, they had witnesses, but Grady also knew the fog had been bad enough that any investigator could claim they couldn't see adequately and maybe Ty was using unnecessary force on purpose. How would they know if their sight was compromised? "Regardless of the outcome, the complaint's going to be on your permanent record."
Ty understood the bureaucracy, even if it was frustrating. That all just came with the territory. He didn’t blame Grady for having to do his sometimes shitty job. Oftentimes shitty. The between-the-lines reassurance was still nice to hear. One of Ty’s legs had started bouncing as he nodded along to Grady’s words. It bothered the perfectionist in him that there would be a mark against his record. Especially that kind of mark. Especially in the political climate of the past few years ... he wasn’t one of those cops, and he’d never struck a civilian before, and he hated that some motherfucking weird fog or chemical or whatever had made him do that.
“Did he put in there that he called me a nigger?” he asked before he could stop himself, his tone snappish. Not at Grady, but just the situation. “Pretty sure a faggot, too, it was hard to hear anything. Nobody was in control of themselves. Jared broke my fucking nose and held a gun on me, and you know that’s crazy. We were all crazy.” Ty let out a heavy sigh and rubbed a hand over his face. “Sorry boss,” he muttered. “It’s just this whole week ...”
To his credit, Grady didn't wince or grimace at Ty's response, but watched the other man with careful composure. He knew Ty was frustrated, as he had every right to be. No one had filed a complaint against Jared, or Grady or Madison and it was completely unfair for Ty's otherwise pristine record to have a blemish on it because of something that was quite obviously out of his control. But shit was what it was and there was nothing Grady could do about it. Honestly, he should have suspended Jared for hitting Ty and pulling a gun on the other man, but Grady was well aware neither of his officers were in their right minds. And they needed all hands on deck lately.
"Your apology isn't necessary," Grady said. "I know how difficult the last week has been. Hell, the last month. I'm not thrilled with any of this, but my hands are tied right now. All I can tell you is that I'll take care of it before Johnson can push it any further. If you need some time off to regroup, just tell me and I'll call in one of the reserves." He doubted Ty would want time off, but Grady felt it necessary to offer, given the state of things.
Ty was already shaking his head and waving off the idea of time off. He knew he would just sit at home and stew and worry about Jared. Which was ridiculous, he was a grown man and a more than capable officer, but that was just how love went. Before, Ty might have taken it so he could drive south and fuck some frustration away, but things had changed. No, Ty needed to stay busy, and he knew how bad the department was hurting for deputies. “Thank you, but no,” he said, his tone back under control. “I know you gotta do what you gotta do. Words aren’t an excuse for hands-on, and he’s not completely wrong, so ... any help you can give is appreciated, of course. I’ll do whatever you need me to do, a formal apology, whatever.”
Grady didn't feel like it was necessary to have Ty apologize to Johnson. Something told Grady that Johnson would be rather fucking smug about it, and frankly, Grady didn't think Johnson deserved an apology from Ty. No, if anyone had to apologize to the guy, it would be Grady doing it on behalf of the PPPD. Instead, Grady cocked a brow and settled back against his chair. "He's not wrong about what?" he asked. Words weren't an excuse for an officer to put his hands on another person, but as far as he knew, it had been the fog prompting Ty to react, not what Johnson had said, although Grady was sure being called some offensive slurs probably triggered the anger. He was more curious as to what Ty meant by 'he's not completely wrong', especially in conjunction to what Johnson had supposedly said - and not included in his complaint, of course.
“That I hit him,” Ty said. He had the bruised knuckles to prove it too. At least two good strikes to the back of the head, and it would’ve been worse if Jared hadn’t stepped in. Ty thought he might owe that man his career now too. “When he was cuffed and already on the ground. It was unnecessary force, he’s just totally leaving out the why of it all, that we were all out of our minds, him included. I could’ve killed him, Jared could’ve killed me ... it could’ve been a bloodbath, boss. He’s lucky he got away with just some bruises, and that’s the God’s honest truth. And Jared kept the calmest, he got everybody into vehicles and separated. He deserves a damn medal if you ask me.” Not that anybody had, and Ty realized he really ought to keep his mouth shut about Jared. Grady already knew all of this, they’d written it all down and gone over it a few times now, he didn’t need to give something away with his tone and not calling Jared ‘Gaines’ or something. Grady was far from stupid or blind. “Anyway,” he said in more of a mutter. “Like I said, anything you need me to do to help smooth it over, I’ll do it.”
Grady watched Ty speak, studying the other man's face with mild curiosity. They had discussed all of this already, but it seemed to take on a different connotation somehow. Maybe it was Ty's tone, he didn't really know. He knew Jared had taken care of everything, though he had also broken Ty's nose and pulled a gun on his partner. Jared hadn't been immune to any of this. But, he had been the most level headed... at least long enough to get people separated before things turned deadly. After a moment of silence, Grady finally nodded. "I understand. Look, I don't need you to do anything right now. Let me handle it, and if I need something more from you, I'll let you know." He shut Ty's file and tapped his knuckle on it for a moment. "How are you feeling? Since the fog. Any residual effects? Headaches, fatigue? Anything like that?"
Ty felt a tiny bit squirmy inside under that steady gaze. There was a reason Grady Barrett was their chief, and a damn good one at that. Everything between Ty and Jared suddenly felt blatantly obvious and like it was written all over his forehead, but Ty tried to suppress that feeling. Being paranoid about it would only make him act more suspicious. He focused on the question instead, shaking his head a bit. “Not that I’ve noticed,” Ty said. “But, you know. Broken nose, nonstop work, who can tell? Headaches and fatigue kinda come with the territory.” He paused, realized that was probably unhelpful, then added, “Nothing seems out of the ordinary, though.”
It was difficult, lately, for Grady to hone in on what was normal and what was unusual. There was something a bit off about Ty, but again, they had just dealt with some pretty stressful situations, and like Ty said, broken nose and nonstop work... Grady could understand that it could affect everyone differently, himself included. But if Ty felt like nothing was out of the ordinary, Grady wouldn't worry about it. "All right," he said with a soft exhale. "If they're claiming this fog triggered some kind of chemical reaction, I just want to make sure it doesn't have any long term effects on people. They've assured us that it won't, but..." How much he actually believed that report, Grady wasn't sure. "Just let me know if you or Gaines start to feel anything out of the ordinary, okay?"
Ty nodded his understanding -- he had the same hopes, that whatever it was wouldn’t leave lingering illness. He wasn’t sure how much he trusted the EPA report either, but that was all they had to work with. It made his brain hurt to try and figure it all out. That didn’t stop that particular struggle, of course, but Ty could at least try to set it aside and just do his job for a while. He needed mental rest. Especially since the words ‘you and Gaines’ made his paranoia twitch again. That was stupid, they were often partners, but the feeling was there anyway. “I will, boss,” he promised, moving to stand up since it seemed like this talk was winding down. “Anything else?”
Grady shook his head and stood with Ty. "Not at the moment. We'll get together later this week, Thursday maybe, and figure out a vacation schedule so everyone gets a day or two to themselves. I know how difficult the past couple weeks have been." The fog, people going missing, or just leaving town, fucking deaths... Grady ran a hand through his hair. He still hadn't had the chance to drive to Portland to follow up with the Rogans. It was like this town took hold and refused to let go, even for a moment. "Thanks for being understanding about this." It was clear that Ty didn't agree with Johnson's complaint. Neither did Grady. But he had to do things by the book... at least to an extent. He still had to talk to Gary Johnson face to face, but Grady wasn't dreading that. He would make sure this whole thing disappeared without any further incident.
Ty knew that they were all overwhelmed, so he couldn’t really bitch about it. They were all in the same boat, and there was even more pressure put on Grady’s shoulders than the rest of them. The last thing he wanted to do was make the man’s job harder. “No problem, boss,” he said amiably. “Just comes with the territory sometimes. A few days off would be great though.” Ty chuckled faintly, moving around the chair to head for the door again. He looked back to point at Grady and arch an eyebrow. “For you too, though. You need a break, man. Especially with winter coming, you know how this town gets when the snow flies.” Worse. All of the normal shit tended to get worse, anyway. It wasn’t a season Ty was looking forward to.
Grady absolutely knew what it was like when winter kicked in. Everything got colder and the bad shit seemed to intensify. Ideally they would get the money to hire one or two more deputies, and while Grady was working on it, nothing was guaranteed. He looked at Ty and nodded, well aware of how desperately he could use a day just to sleep. Maybe eventually he'd get one. "We'll work it out," Grady said. His deputies needed physical and mental rest, and their health came first. With any luck they could schedule some time off and enjoy it before the shit hit the fan again, as it always seemed to do. Until then, they just had to deal with things as they happened and hope they made it through unscathed. It was all anyone in this town could hope for.