The radio screamed, and my eyes widened with terror. An officer's voice screeched urgently over the radio, calling for assistance.

"BREAK, BREAK, BREAK!" he screamed, his voice shaky. "Shots fired! Shots fired! Officer down! Send units—" 

The officer's voice fell silent.

"Holy shit," I muttered under my breath, but my field training officer didn't bat an eye. He yelled at me to turn on the lights and take over radio calls while he drove.

My mind went blank as I reached for the radio, the words stuck in my throat. With a stutter, I managed to say, "10-4, unit 240 en route." Nothing prepared me for this, especially on my first shift.

As we sped through the streets of Brisbane, rain pouring down, the radio screamed with updates on the unfolding situation. "Multiple shooters, and we have an officer down!" Each update made the situation more dire.

My FTO (field training officer) and I were still ten minutes away when we heard over the radio that the suspects were fleeing and another officer was down. I couldn't help but wonder, "How does this even happen?" In a place like Brisbane, Australia, shootings rarely happen, especially officer-involved shootings.

As we made our way closer to the scene, my fellow officers were the only ones left standing.

"please help me!" Officer Malcom screamed out to me, Officer Malcom's voice trembled with terror. "There were too many of them," he cried out, desperation in his tone.

My FTO yelled at both me and Officer Malcom to load the downed police officers into the back of our patrol vehicle. 

Malcom seemed dazed and shocked, unable to move. My FTO swiftly took over, lifting the other downed officer.

I lifted Officer Jenkins into my arms.

"Hang in there, Jenkins," I cried out, desperation creeping into my voice.

As we sped back into the CBD of Brisbane, heading to the nearest hospital, tears welled up in my eyes. It was my first shift, and there, in front of me, lay the first friend I ever made in the academy, bloody and injured. With trembling hands, I did my best to administer first aid, praying desperately for her survival.

"How did this happen? Why did this happen? Why were you shot at?" I said out loud, the chaos of the situation swirling around me.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

"I don't know," Malcom responded quietly, his voice barely audible over the sounds of the rain and the blaring sirens.

"How did this happen?" I screamed at him. "Who did this?"

Malcom remained silent.

My FTO's voice came over the radio, breaking through the chaos. "This is unit 240, currently en route to St. Peter's Hospital. Two injured officers on board with gunshot wounds. Dispatch, alert the hospital, and have them prepare for emergency surgery."

As we drove, only about five minutes away from the hospital, chaos still filled the air. Both downed officers were bleeding heavily, their blood staining my police uniform a dark, ominous red.

Finally, we arrived at the hospital. Myself, my FTO, and Malcom hurriedly handed over our downed officers to the waiting doctors. It seemed that the doctors were our last hope of saving our fellow police officers. 

For a moment, amidst the ongoing chaos, I stood outside the sliding doors, bloodied and shaken. The doctors rushed inside, carrying our downed officers with urgency.

I stood there, my ears ringing. In the midst of this chaos, I found myself overcome by an eerie stillness.

It seemed for a moment like my life had paused, while everyone else's continued. I watched as people rushed in and out of the hospital, their movements a blur against the backdrop of the hospital entrance.

Until, suddenly, I found myself standing outside alone, the only sound I was able to hear being the rain.

I stood there, dazed, until my FTO came back out of the hospital, rushing towards me. "Hey, kid, you alright?"

I struggled to find my voice as I responded, still in shock. "Yeah," I managed to say, my voice barely a whisper.

My FTO then said, "Let me show you to the bathroom so you can get cleaned up."

As I opened the door to the bathroom, I found myself in front of the sink's mirror, blood covering my lower neck, torso, legs, and hands. This wasn't my blood. Tears welled up in my eyes as I stared at the reflection of the aftermath of the night's events. The emotional weight of the situation hit me like a truck, and I wept as I cleaned myself, each drop of water an attempt to wash away the guilt and sorrow that clung to me.

"If only we were closer," I said to myself, my voice barely a whisper. "Maybe we could've helped. Maybe we could've prevented an officer from going down."

I clung onto the sink with both my hands as I continued to cry, each tear falling into the sink, separating the blood-filled water from my own tears.

My FTO then knocks on the door, speaking from the other side. "I was able to get you a spare change of clothes. Take your time in there, alright, kid? Both officers are still in surgery."

Changing into the spare police uniform my FTO was able to get me, I couldn't help but feel like I was shedding more than just blood-soaked clothes. With each piece of equipment I removed, it felt as though I was stripping away layers of myself I didn't even know existed, leaving behind a version of myself forever changed by the events of a single shift. 

I left the bathroom with my eyes red from tears, the weight of the night's events heavy on my shoulders. The hospital seemed unusually quiet, adding to the solemn atmosphere that surrounded me. As I made my way to the waiting room, accompanied by my FTO, I found myself with a new understanding of the job.

The city was filled with dark monsters. A cancer that chewed away at the innocence of its people, leaving nothing but pain and despair in its path. I sat down on a chair in the waiting room, staring off into nothingness, lost in my thoughts.

In that moment, a resolve hardened within me. I was determined to bring light to the dark and evil shadows that lurked in the corners of this city. While I knew I couldn't change the world, I was certain that I could make a world of difference to someone. And as long as I wore this uniform, I would never stop fighting for what was right.