Ed Carter sat behind his desk. His face was blank. The light brown skin was a bit ashy and he had dark circles under his eyes. Those eyes drifted down to his closed laptop. A long list of things to do ran through his mind. He thought of the emails that were stacking up in his inbox, teachers he needed to observe, and of the hallways that were about to be filled with students. Students that were his responsibility. He had to keep them safe.

His stomach was also uneasy. That and the dull ache in his head lurking behind his eyes were last night's scotches reminding him he overdid it. He had woken up in his recliner with the empty glass in his hand. The sun was just coming up. It was all he could do to put on clean clothes. At least he hoped they were clean. They had smelled ok.

A fresh stubble was on his cheeks and chin. He rubbed his eyes and his chin for a few seconds, then refocused on who was talking to him. His small office was down a cramped hallway in the school's main front office. It was already full with a desk, two chairs, and a small table by the window. Stuffing four grown adults in there meant it was packed. The fact that three of them two of them were wearing police uniforms added a level of stress. The detective had on the standard suit and tie.

Ed faced them and it seemed like they were all talking at once. He blinked his eyes and tried to clear his head of the hungover fog. He needed a bottle of water. Or better yet, another coffee. Yes, that would do. A mug of strong black coffee to get his body and mind working. He eyed the doorway. The detective was standing in it, blocking Ed's escape route.

"So what do you think of that, Ed?" An officer's voice broke through his haze. He had to refocus on the discussion. He wasn't sure which one had said it. He focused on Tania McCoy, the officer he knew, hoping it had been her.

"You'll have to explain it again," He said, trying to cover the fact that he had missed the last minute or so.

"Did you sleep last night Ed?" Tania said. She leaned forward and put her hand on his messy desk. He looked down at it. She has nice fingernails, he thought. How would you keep them so nice with the job she has? Must have to fire a gun, tackle people, that kind of stuff. Shows she cares.

"Ed? Listen, I know this is tough to think about, but I think an increased police presence here is what we need. This is the fourth time we've been called out here this month. The second time for a firearm. I mean, something needs to change." Tania had an apologetic tone to her voice.

Ed exhaled loudly with a sigh. He put his hands up in a gesture of defeat. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't want you here. It intimidates the kids and my teachers. It makes everybody uncomfortable and sets them on edge. We have trouble enough keeping people's opinion of the cops somewhere above "kill them all". You patrolling around my hallways isn't going to help."

The belts and radios of the officers creaked as they moved in their chairs and looked at each other. They didn't want to be in the meeting as much as Ed. A silence hung in the air as both sides sat on either side of the argument. The detective finally broke the silence.

"Ah, hey I know I'm new to this. And thank you for having me out to your school, really a great place." Ed rolled his eyes over toward him. The detective coughed and cleared his throat, knowing he was caught in a little lie. Everyone knew the school's reputation.

"Ah, yeah, so like I was saying, it's my first time up here.I gotta say I think some presence is needed. Beyond the detectors and security at the front door. I mean, that .45 got past them somehow, right? Someone is bringing firearms into this school. We have a serious thing going on here. Ed you want to be on the right side of this mess if it all goes south. You'll want to say you did what you could to prevent it. I know it's difficult to hear, but I think it's necessary."

Ed sighed again. "I know. I just think it makes everybody tenser than they already are. My staff is stressed to the limit and come to work in fear as it is. Somehow they all know about the gun in the locker already. I have no idea how. That's how this place is." Ed pushed back from his desk and his chair squeaked with some strain.

"And look, either way, I can't say yes or no to this without the superintendent's approval. You know how it is. Everybody's got a boss. I all rolls downhill. I'm supposed to have a call with him today at 3. I can let you know what's up after that. My guess is you'll be back tomorrow. I don't think he trusts me to handle this." Ed looked down at his desk. He rubbed his already tired eyes with his hands.

The officers stood. The detective took another sip of his coffee. Ed stood up to show them out of the office. "We'll just take one quick loop around the school if you don't mind?" The detective asked. Ed dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

As the other officer and detective walked away, Tania stayed back and stopped Ed at the door of his office. She looked at him deeply in his eyes.

"Ed I know you. You need to rest. You need to let go of some of this and let us get involved." She moved her hand toward him but stopped. She put it back on her belt.

"I appreciate it Tania. I really do." Ed managed a smile. "I have been here too long to let this stuff start to get to me. For now, all I can think about is what's happening out in my hallways and classrooms while I'm sitting in here talking to you all. My school needs me."

She nodded and stepped out of his office. Ed watched her walk away, thankful for the kind words. I do need to rest, and my head is killing me. He poured himself another coffee instead.

The hallways were rowdy and loud, as usual. The four minutes the students had between classes was an unmanageable cacophony of noise. The circus swirled around him and he barely kept his coffee in his cup as he was jostled on both sides. Yells and taunts rose and flew down the hallways, and teachers were nowhere to be seen. He had asked them to come out of their rooms between periods to add some order to the passing time, but from what he saw now they were hiding at their desks.

Two students were exchanging some heated words by the lockers. He edged his way over through the river of students in the small hallway. He stepped in-between them and told them to go to class.

"Ok ok Henry and Alvin, no more. Let's cut it out, gentlemen. Go on to class, go on." He shooed them off in different directions. That one isn't over, he thought.

The hallways finally cleared as the bell rang. He was walking past the front doors of the school when he saw a kid on the sidewalk across the street from the school. He walked to the front door and peered out through the window. The police cars were still parked out front. Between them, he could see just to the sidewalk across the street.

He squinted. His eyes were not what they used to be. He couldn't be sure, but the kid looked like Carson to him. Tall for his age and kind of all awkward. He was looking at the front doors of the school and the cop cars. He had been walking one direction and as Ed watched through the windows he turned and paced back the way he came. His eyes were on the cars the whole time.

Ed pushed open the doors and walked out. He realized he was still carrying his coffee mug. As he was setting it down, Carson met his eyes. Ed stood up slowly and put his hand up. He walked toward Carson and came to the sidewalk. "Carson! Hey I need to talk to you. You're not in trouble, son. I just want to talk." Ed tried to not sound urgent or angry, hoping to not scare the kid away.

Carson turned away from Ed. He acted like he didn't hear him. He picked up his pace and walked down a side street away from the school.

Ed stepped out into the street and a car horn blast made him jump back to the curb. A car revved the engine and sped past. Ed checked the traffic this time and edged his way carefully out into the street. He jogged across the street holding his hands up to try to stop oncoming traffic.

"Carson!" he yelled above the noise. He picked up his pace and started jogging, gaining ground on the boy. "I just want to talk. I just want to make sure you're ok!" He was starting to get winded now. He shouts came out panicky.

Carson turned his head as he walked and saw Ed gaining on him. He started to run. There was no way he was talking to him. He did as Carlos said: If there wre cops, get out of there. He snuck another look back over his shoulder. Principal Carter was big but he was moving fast. Carson sprinted faster down the street.

"Please son, I saw the shirt and the gun. I just want to talk, just to make sure you're ok. Please just..slow..down.!" Ed was pumping his arms now. He tried to match the sprint of a fourteen year old. He couldn't keep it up much longer.

Neither of them saw the Dodge pick-up truck come around the corner, headed straight for Carson.

It hit the boy with a glancing blow, right off the right headlight. It kept driving without losing speed as if the driver didn't notice they hit something. What seemed like minutes later, but was only seconds, the truck's brakes screeched. The driver, an older man in a flannel and jeans, stepped out with his hands over his mouth.

Ed almost fell over. He stumbled over himelsef and yelled out, "No! No! Carson! please..no."

Traffic stopped all around and people began to gather around the body of the boy in the street. He wasn't moving and his leg looked shattered at the hip. Blood was begginning to gather near his head. As Ed approached he could hear Carson's quick raspy breathing.

"We got you son. You're gonna be ok. Please be ok..we got you now." He knelt on the street next to him. He turned to a woman that was standing nearby and yelled in a panic. "Call 911! Now!"

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