no!
Luke grabbed his briefcase and ran from his office. He called Reagan in the elevator and for the entire twenty-minute drive to his house he kept the radio off and prayed. Please, Lord, let him live. This one has to pull through. Please, Father. His heart pounded. He drove as fast as he could without breaking the law.
Reagan was waiting. Her face was pale, but she wasn’t crying and the whole ride to Northside High she said just five words. “Thank you. For calling me.”
This was why she didn’t want Tommy to be a police officer, of course. It was just after three o’clock, which meant Tommy would be in the gym practicing with his team.
Luke had no idea how his son would take the news.
He and Reagan held hands as they walked to the gym. Reagan stayed outside. “I can’t.” She looked at Luke. “I can’t do it.”
How could he blame her? Given the situation, he had no idea how he was going to tell Tommy the news. But he had no choice. Luke entered through the gym’s side door and walked right up to the coach. “I need to talk to Tommy.” He explained the situation and the coach blew the whistle.
Tommy dropped the ball midcourt and jogged over. “Dad?”
“Come outside, Son. We need to talk.” He led Tommy outside, twenty yards from where Reagan sat on a short brick wall.
Tommy seemed to notice her. He looked from Reagan back to Luke. “Dad… talk to me.”
“Son… there’s been a shooting. A police officer.”
The news hit Tommy like a punch to the gut. He was still sweating from practice, and now he leaned over his knees. “No.” His eyes never left Luke’s. “Is he… is he okay?”
Luke put his hands on his son’s shoulders. “He’s… in critical.”
Suddenly the question seemed to come over Tommy, the way Luke knew it would. Even before he could tell him the rest of the news. Tommy straightened and shot a desperate look at Luke. “Who… who was it?”
This was the hardest part, the reason Luke had to get Reagan and come here in person. The name of the officer. And now he held Tommy’s shoulders as he told him the terrible news.
“It was your friend, Tommy.” He pulled his son close. “Raul Garcia.”
* * *
TOMMY COULDN’T GET to the hospital fast enough.
Coach let him leave practice, and his dad went with him in his car. Before they left, Tommy met his mom near his parents’ car and hugged her tight. “Pray. Please, Mom.”
“I am.” She released him. “Go, Tommy. You need to be there.”
Now Tommy and his dad hurried through the emergency room doors of Indiana University Health Medical Center in Indianapolis and checked in at the front desk. They were told to wait in a nearby room.
Five minutes later, a woman with wide eyes and a tearstained face came up to him. “You’re Tommy Baxter.” She held out both hands. “I’m Raul’s mother. Elena.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He took her hands and stood. “And this is my dad, Luke Baxter.”
The woman hugged Tommy. “He loves his Saturdays… with you, Tommy.”
No words could possibly express what Tommy was feeling. He put his head on the woman’s shoulder as he held her. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Garcia. So sorry.”
“He’s going to make it.” She stepped back and wiped her eyes. “We have to believe he’ll make it.”
Then Raul’s mother brought them to another waiting room, where three other officers and family members waited for word. Tommy sat next to his dad and leaned over his knees. Then he shaded his face with his hand.
God, it doesn’t seem like it lately… but I know You can hear me. Help Raul. He can’t die. Please.
How could this happen? Five days ago they’d been in Raul’s patrol car talking about family. Just five days ago. Tommy had just watched Raul chase down an armed teenager and talk him into getting help for his drug addiction. So why? What had happened?
He could hear Raul’s words like he was sitting next to him again. If we can get Wallace clean, get him into a community service program… someday he might be one of us.
One of us.
And Tommy thought about something else Raul had told him. How they were dealing with one of the toughest gangs the city had seen and how they needed more officers. More men and women committed to doing what was right. Removing crime from the streets so citizens could live in safety.
A certainty grew from his heart