| As Nikie stands in front of her mirror, her fingers automatically putting her long black hair into a tight bun. She remembers her first night of dispatching. IT was a quiet night, so far. Just a few minor calls. Easily checked out by the officers in that area. The ambulance crew had sat in her office for a while, joking with each other and talking to her, the new girl. She found it easy to get around their prying questions. She answered each one with a question. So they knew as little about her when they went to bed, as they did when she walked in. One of the police cars called her on the radio, gave their location, and said, "found a car on fire, someone in it. Need ambulance and fire trucks." Nikie pushed the fire alarm button to alert the firemen they were needed. She also woke the ambulance crew. She gave the driver a paper with all information on it. The fire chief was also given this information. Radio traffic and phone calls kept her real busy for the next hour. Then it started to quiet down. When the ambulance crew came back, they told her all about the teenagers burns. It was bad. They wondered if he would make it. They gave her their written ambulance report. She quickly looked it over, then filed it in the correct folder. The ambulance crew went back to their quarters, and the fire chief called to say they were also back at their base. The streets seemed quiet once more. One of the young officers came in to use one of her phones. She tried not to listen. Hard to do, when they are sitting right next to you. He was talking to a girl named Sandy. He started graphically recalling their sex filled night, leaving nothing to the imagination. Nikie turned toward a shelf of reference books next to her. This put her back to the officer, giving him some sort of privacy. It also hid from him her red face. She chose a book and opened it as if she was looking up some information. Nikie had read his name tag when he came into her office. She remembered reading about all the officers when she was in training. She remembered his name, and she remembered his wife's name. It was not Sandy. The other phone rang and she answered it at once. It was an elderly lady home alone. She was sure someone was trying to get into her house, but was to afraid to go downstairs and look. As Nikie talked to the lady, calming her, she put a piece of paper in front of the young officer. On the paper Nikie had written the ladys address, B&E in progress, woman home alone. The officer said into his phone, "have a call, got to go." He hung up his phone, grabbed the paper, and was out the door. Nikie kept the woman on the phone and as calm as possible. At the same time she communicated on the radio with two police cars that were going on this call. The officers apprehended a man just as he went through a window. Then they went through the house to make sure no one else was there. When they were talking to the lady, Nikie told her she could hang up the phone. When the officers came in to fill out their report, they said she did a good job for a new girl. Nikie said nothing, just gave them a nod. But inside she smiled. Yes it had been an interesting first night. When she had walked in on that first night shift, she had wondered if she could do this job. When she walked out after that first night shift, she wondered how long they would let her do this job. That was many years ago. Now, with her hair in a tight bun, she smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She turned and headed for the door. It was almost time for her night shift. |
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| music: Bad Boys |
