ething you want?” I ask them.
April nods. Ben looks down, his shoulders co m pressing under the weight of this new task I’ve given him.
I go to m y f i le and get my handout on active listening skills. “I want you to learn something we call active listening. It’s a si m ple way to i m prove your com m unication. All it takes is learning to restate what your partner says and re f lect b ack their e m otions. Take these, too.”
I give them my handout on problem sol v ing. I feel like a grade school teacher distributing ho m e work sheets, only without the purple ink and the s m ell of the m i m eograph m achine. I doubt that Ben or A p ril ever heard of a m i m eogr a ph m achine.
“You need to fix the proble m , not the bla m e. Problem solving is easy when you know how. Look at these together when you get the chance.”
A l m ost two hours have passed. I’m tired a nd I have to pee.
“I’ve given you a lot of things to think about and an unusual ho m e w o r k assign m ent – get out of town and have so m e fun.” I’m the only one s m iling. “Feel free to call m e from wherever you are, if you want to. Definitely call m e when you get back. We’ll m ake another appoint m ent before you start with your new FTO.”
They stand. Ben reaches to s h ake m y hand. “Thanks, Doc. I appreciate everything you ’ ve done. It’s going to be okay. I’m going to be okay.”
April walks out of m y office without a word.
Chapter Seven
There’s an FTO m eeting this m orning. Sgt. Lyndley begins with two announce m ents. Nu m ber one – Ben has called in sick after h i s week off. This is not good. Rookies would co m e to wo r k with two broken legs just to prove how tough and dedicated they are. Especially B en.
Nu m ber two is a m emo from the chief. Per our conversation nearly three weeks ago, Baxter is finally getting around to officially authorizing m e to m eet weekly with all re cr uits.
“Any questions?” Lyndley asks.
Eddie stands and turns away from the tab l e. “Yeah. Is there a target on my back ? ”
“I’m assessing recr u its, Eddie, not F TOs,” I say.
“So that’s why I have a new recruit and Go m ez, who should be back at S afeway polishing apples as soon as he gets over the s n iffles, has been assigned to so m eone else ? ” He walks toward m e. “So you won’t be running to Lyndley or the chief every ti m e my new rookie whines to you that I’m abus i ng him and that’s why he’s fucking up ? ”
“No I won’t. W hat I m i ght have are so m e suggestions to m ake about m odifying your training technique to m at c h the recruit’s learning style.”
“Modify m y training technique? Is that all?” He clutc h es his hands to his chest. “Be still m y heart . ”
“Enough, Eddie,” Lyndley says. “If that’s w h at the chief wants, that’s the way it is. End of discussion. We got a lot of recr u its to review. Let ’ s start with your new guy, Manny Ochoa.”
Eddie sits down, pulls a pair of rea d ing glasses from his pocket and puts them on. The tiny glasses look co m i cal perched on the e n d of his large, knobby nose. He opens a folder and glances at the top p a ge. “It’s early days, but act ua lly, t h e little beaner’s doing pretty good. Excuse m e. I m ean the little bi - lingual Hispanic Lat i no beaner. He doesn’t say m uch, but I think he’s got good instincts a nd a taste for the job. W e set up in front of a Mexican bar.” He turns toward m e . “FYI, illegals don’t use banks. They keep all their cash with them so they can drink it up and send what’s left back to Mexico. All the crooks have to do is wait outs i de the bar until they see one of these rubes weaving ho m e on a bicycle and they jump h i m . It’s like shooting fish in a barrel. W e made three 211 arrests and threw a few of the beaners in t h e drunk tank. All in all, it was a productive evening.”
H e takes off his glasses. “You see, Doc? I don’t eat
April nods. Ben looks down, his shoulders co m pressing under the weight of this new task I’ve given him.
I go to m y f i le and get my handout on active listening skills. “I want you to learn something we call active listening. It’s a si m ple way to i m prove your com m unication. All it takes is learning to restate what your partner says and re f lect b ack their e m otions. Take these, too.”
I give them my handout on problem sol v ing. I feel like a grade school teacher distributing ho m e work sheets, only without the purple ink and the s m ell of the m i m eograph m achine. I doubt that Ben or A p ril ever heard of a m i m eogr a ph m achine.
“You need to fix the proble m , not the bla m e. Problem solving is easy when you know how. Look at these together when you get the chance.”
A l m ost two hours have passed. I’m tired a nd I have to pee.
“I’ve given you a lot of things to think about and an unusual ho m e w o r k assign m ent – get out of town and have so m e fun.” I’m the only one s m iling. “Feel free to call m e from wherever you are, if you want to. Definitely call m e when you get back. We’ll m ake another appoint m ent before you start with your new FTO.”
They stand. Ben reaches to s h ake m y hand. “Thanks, Doc. I appreciate everything you ’ ve done. It’s going to be okay. I’m going to be okay.”
April walks out of m y office without a word.
Chapter Seven
There’s an FTO m eeting this m orning. Sgt. Lyndley begins with two announce m ents. Nu m ber one – Ben has called in sick after h i s week off. This is not good. Rookies would co m e to wo r k with two broken legs just to prove how tough and dedicated they are. Especially B en.
Nu m ber two is a m emo from the chief. Per our conversation nearly three weeks ago, Baxter is finally getting around to officially authorizing m e to m eet weekly with all re cr uits.
“Any questions?” Lyndley asks.
Eddie stands and turns away from the tab l e. “Yeah. Is there a target on my back ? ”
“I’m assessing recr u its, Eddie, not F TOs,” I say.
“So that’s why I have a new recruit and Go m ez, who should be back at S afeway polishing apples as soon as he gets over the s n iffles, has been assigned to so m eone else ? ” He walks toward m e. “So you won’t be running to Lyndley or the chief every ti m e my new rookie whines to you that I’m abus i ng him and that’s why he’s fucking up ? ”
“No I won’t. W hat I m i ght have are so m e suggestions to m ake about m odifying your training technique to m at c h the recruit’s learning style.”
“Modify m y training technique? Is that all?” He clutc h es his hands to his chest. “Be still m y heart . ”
“Enough, Eddie,” Lyndley says. “If that’s w h at the chief wants, that’s the way it is. End of discussion. We got a lot of recr u its to review. Let ’ s start with your new guy, Manny Ochoa.”
Eddie sits down, pulls a pair of rea d ing glasses from his pocket and puts them on. The tiny glasses look co m i cal perched on the e n d of his large, knobby nose. He opens a folder and glances at the top p a ge. “It’s early days, but act ua lly, t h e little beaner’s doing pretty good. Excuse m e. I m ean the little bi - lingual Hispanic Lat i no beaner. He doesn’t say m uch, but I think he’s got good instincts a nd a taste for the job. W e set up in front of a Mexican bar.” He turns toward m e . “FYI, illegals don’t use banks. They keep all their cash with them so they can drink it up and send what’s left back to Mexico. All the crooks have to do is wait outs i de the bar until they see one of these rubes weaving ho m e on a bicycle and they jump h i m . It’s like shooting fish in a barrel. W e made three 211 arrests and threw a few of the beaners in t h e drunk tank. All in all, it was a productive evening.”
H e takes off his glasses. “You see, Doc? I don’t eat
Similar Books
