brunette—stood guard near the doorway.
“ Good evening, Officers,” Rich said with enthusiasm. “I’m Rich Fordham, and this is my cameraman, Gabe Amiri. We’ve come from WSNO News to talk with Dan Monroe,” he said loud enough so anyone inside the room could hear. “How is the boy doing?”
“ I can’t answer that,” the brunette replied and placed her hands on her hips in an effort to intimidate him. “You’ll have to wait down in the—”
“ Let them in,” the masculine voice from inside the room said. “It’s okay, Officers.”
The door itself remained open, and Rich peered in to see who let them in. On the far side of the room, a teenager wearing a sling watched television on the opposite wall. He knocked and entered. “Hey, you must be Dan Monroe,” he inquired with his trademark smile.
“ That I am. You’re obviously the reporter that keeps showing up over and over again on the news,” Dan said in an irritated tone.
“ I’m Rich Fordham from WSNO News, and this is my best friend and colleague, Gabriel Amiri.” They each made the uncomfortable shake with Monroe’s left hand. Rich looked him over and figured he must be on the football team due to his massive size. “You’re a big guy. What sport do you play?” he asked in an effort to gain Dan’s comfort and trust. People, especially teenagers, were anxious to reveal their life story. Dan was no different, but there was something different about him.
“ Tight end, although I might try being a kicker after this,” he said as he held up his right arm.
“ I was a receiver back then,” Gabe added, “but I sucked, so I spent more time on the bench.”
Rich felt they had the rapport necessary to switch gears, and he put on his journalist hat. “If you don’t mind me asking, have the cops gotten a statement from you yet?”
Dan nodded. “They were in and out in an hour. I claimed self-defense. They asked a few questions and left.”
“ Really?” asked Rich. “Rumor has it that this is also race—”
A soft knock on the door interrupted Rich’s line of questions. “Knock, knock,” the teen said as he moseyed on in. He looked at the present company and stopped. “Whoa, bad time?”
Rich swiveled to his right and gestured for him to join them.
“ You’re reporter Rich Fordham. I’ve seen you before on TV,” the boy admitted enthusiastically and shook Rich’s and Gabe’s hand. “I’m Tyler.” He wore hospital scrubs two sizes too large.
“ Tyler, what brings you up here?” Dan asked with a hint of anger.
“ To apologize for getting you into this. I never meant for this to happen,” Tyler said sympathetically.
“ Man, I’m out for the rest of the season.” Dan’s eyes drilled into Tyler. “And hell, you… I could have been killed, damn it.”
Rich and Gabe stood by and listened to them argue.
“ Look, I’m sorry, what else do you want me to say?”
“ Nothing, man, not a fucking thing,” Dan said with so much energy he kicked the food tray, sending orange juice and food scraps everywhere. Rich and Gabe were nearest and jumped in time to avoid being hit. Dan looked away and refused to make eye contact. A moment passed where no one said a thing. “I can’t believe I got shot. Never in my life did I think by helping someone I’d end up with a piece of lead in me. I be a nice guy and defend you against the bullies, and look at what happens,” he said as his eyes burned through Tyler’s.
Tyler merely turned his gaze to the floor. “But you’re a hero, man. If it weren’t for you, I could have been killed by those guys,” he said in an effort to ease the tension.
“ Those guys are dead. At least two are, the other two are in the intensive care unit,” Rich said as he gauged their reaction. “I can’t imagine how awful you feel.”
“ I don’t know what to feel. A gun was pointed at me and I…” Tyler’s voice trailed off.
Rich asked, “How do you two feel about being front and
“ Good evening, Officers,” Rich said with enthusiasm. “I’m Rich Fordham, and this is my cameraman, Gabe Amiri. We’ve come from WSNO News to talk with Dan Monroe,” he said loud enough so anyone inside the room could hear. “How is the boy doing?”
“ I can’t answer that,” the brunette replied and placed her hands on her hips in an effort to intimidate him. “You’ll have to wait down in the—”
“ Let them in,” the masculine voice from inside the room said. “It’s okay, Officers.”
The door itself remained open, and Rich peered in to see who let them in. On the far side of the room, a teenager wearing a sling watched television on the opposite wall. He knocked and entered. “Hey, you must be Dan Monroe,” he inquired with his trademark smile.
“ That I am. You’re obviously the reporter that keeps showing up over and over again on the news,” Dan said in an irritated tone.
“ I’m Rich Fordham from WSNO News, and this is my best friend and colleague, Gabriel Amiri.” They each made the uncomfortable shake with Monroe’s left hand. Rich looked him over and figured he must be on the football team due to his massive size. “You’re a big guy. What sport do you play?” he asked in an effort to gain Dan’s comfort and trust. People, especially teenagers, were anxious to reveal their life story. Dan was no different, but there was something different about him.
“ Tight end, although I might try being a kicker after this,” he said as he held up his right arm.
“ I was a receiver back then,” Gabe added, “but I sucked, so I spent more time on the bench.”
Rich felt they had the rapport necessary to switch gears, and he put on his journalist hat. “If you don’t mind me asking, have the cops gotten a statement from you yet?”
Dan nodded. “They were in and out in an hour. I claimed self-defense. They asked a few questions and left.”
“ Really?” asked Rich. “Rumor has it that this is also race—”
A soft knock on the door interrupted Rich’s line of questions. “Knock, knock,” the teen said as he moseyed on in. He looked at the present company and stopped. “Whoa, bad time?”
Rich swiveled to his right and gestured for him to join them.
“ You’re reporter Rich Fordham. I’ve seen you before on TV,” the boy admitted enthusiastically and shook Rich’s and Gabe’s hand. “I’m Tyler.” He wore hospital scrubs two sizes too large.
“ Tyler, what brings you up here?” Dan asked with a hint of anger.
“ To apologize for getting you into this. I never meant for this to happen,” Tyler said sympathetically.
“ Man, I’m out for the rest of the season.” Dan’s eyes drilled into Tyler. “And hell, you… I could have been killed, damn it.”
Rich and Gabe stood by and listened to them argue.
“ Look, I’m sorry, what else do you want me to say?”
“ Nothing, man, not a fucking thing,” Dan said with so much energy he kicked the food tray, sending orange juice and food scraps everywhere. Rich and Gabe were nearest and jumped in time to avoid being hit. Dan looked away and refused to make eye contact. A moment passed where no one said a thing. “I can’t believe I got shot. Never in my life did I think by helping someone I’d end up with a piece of lead in me. I be a nice guy and defend you against the bullies, and look at what happens,” he said as his eyes burned through Tyler’s.
Tyler merely turned his gaze to the floor. “But you’re a hero, man. If it weren’t for you, I could have been killed by those guys,” he said in an effort to ease the tension.
“ Those guys are dead. At least two are, the other two are in the intensive care unit,” Rich said as he gauged their reaction. “I can’t imagine how awful you feel.”
“ I don’t know what to feel. A gun was pointed at me and I…” Tyler’s voice trailed off.
Rich asked, “How do you two feel about being front and
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