By Marilyn, Marie & Bridgid

Bud almost cracked his knuckles in anticipation of this call. Some shitbird, seemingly drunk, had damaged the Braddock’s property on a delivery. He and Siobhan were responding to a call from Ivy Braddock. This guy could sweat out the alcohol in a cell for the night.

"What the hell?" Bud glanced over at Siobhan as they drove up on the scene.

Jim Braddock was standing over a motionless body with his arm around a seemingly upset Ivy Braddock. Bud was immediately wary. Had the suspect hurt Mrs. Braddock? His blood started on a slow boil.

Bud rolled the cruiser up near the scene and shut off the siren and lights. He and Siobhan walked up to the Braddock’s. Bud shoved the body none to lightly with his foot to ascertain he was alive. He was rewarded with a small grunt after his foot connected. The guy was definitely out, but he was breathing.

Bud nodded a greeting to the Braddock’s.

"Tell us what happened?"

"When we got here the damage was already done and the driver (Jim pointed to the guy on the floor) and Ian were having a shouting match. Ian showed Ivy the damage and mentioned maybe she should call you guys because he suspected the guy was drunk. The guy flipped out. Ivy called you guys. So then the guy tries to make a run for it and knocked Ivy down. I went after him, knocked him out. "

Ivy sighed. It sounded almost as bad hearing it recounted as it was to see it happen. She had never seen Jim react that way before, she knew he had done it to protect her but now was it going to cause problems with the police? She tightened her arm around his waist, feeling as if she would never stop shaking. Jim hugged her to him. "No more taking deliveries on your own. We were lucky Ian was here this time."

Siobhan retrieved her bracelets from her belt. She handcuffed the unconscious perp with his arms behind his back.

"We’ll need to take this guy for a BAC. Ivy, are you hurt? Maybe we should have the medics check you out, just to be on the safe side."

It wasn’t like she couldn’t smell the booze on the guy but they had to follow the letter of the law. They had to also offer medical help to the perp as well.

"I’m sore from where I hit the pallets when I fell and my wrist is sore," Ivy absentmindedly rubbed her wrist. The longer she stood there the more her hip was hurting her. "You should get looked at Ivy." The sound of Ian’s voice startled her. Ivy was staring at the driver. "Is he going to be alright? Don’t they usually wake up by now? At least they do in the movies."

"I agree. You need to go and be seen by a doctor, Mrs. Braddock." Bud maintained his professionalism even though he wouldn’t mind plugging the bastard with a left or right himself for knocking Ivy down.

"It sounds like self defense to me." Bud knew that was pushing the definition a bit and there was the sticky problem that Jim Braddock could be considered having used lethal force because of being a fighter by profession. The man simply was protecting his wife and his property as the perp tried to flee the crime scene.

"Let’s get this guy seen by the medics. He seems to be breathing fine. You may just have given him an early nap time to sleep it off." Bud was about to ask Siobhan to call the medics since she had the phone, but she was already dialing to call it in. He smiled. She was thorough and smart.

Bud looked at Ivy Braddock. She was so shaky she looked like she’d fall down if a breeze was too strong and her husband didn’t have a firm hold on her.

"Ma’am, why don’t you sit down until the medics get here?" He fumbled in his coat pocket to retrieve the unopened bottle of water he’d put there. Bud popped the lid and held it out to her.

Ian brought Ivy a chair. "Ivy things will work out, Ok? Just sit down before you fall down." Ivy sat down never taking her eyes from the driver. She had a sinking feeling about the whole thing was this guy going to press charges against Jim?

Jim walked over to Bud outside of Ivy's earshot. "I know this could be a problem. If this guy presses charges. What do you suggest? Do I need to call a lawyer?"

"He may try, Jim." Bud wanted to be completely truthful with him. He came from a state where people would sue over a fucking hang nail. He’d heard things were different in Australia.

"Do you know, Richie Roberts? It wouldn’t hurt to have a talk with him. We’ll try and keep this guy’s focus where it belongs once he wakes up. The responsibility falls to him." Would this drunk be accountable or shirk his responsibility and push it toward Jim Braddock? If the bastard remembered any of it at all.

The sound of sirens was heard in the distance. The perp groaned and moved slightly on the ground. He seemed to be coming around some.

"He’d be a fool to press any charges." Siobhan added "The only reason you’d need to contact Richie would be to sue this guy or the company he works for, for damages and distress. Richie will tell you that its best to hold on filing civil charges until after his criminal case." she nodded to Jim. "We’re not supposed to give legal advice Mister Braddock. It could be a conflict of interest since we will be the ones filing the criminal charges. He’ll be charged with public drunkenness, assault, DWI involving an accident, and anything else we can throw at him. Bud and I will get the book out. I promise you that."

"Not everyone follows sports maybe nothing will come of it. If you need more information about what happened before we got here talk to Ian, Ivy’s uncle. He is staying at the house with us."

Jim looked towards where Ivy was being attended by the medics. Ian was frowning and shaking his head. When he saw Jim was looking his way he walked over. "James her hip is bruised and her wrist is sprained from the looks of it. When they are done with her maybe you should take her home, let her rest. I can take care of boarding up the store and anything else here."

Bud and Siobhan finished questioning the witnesses. The medics were checking out the perp and were about to load him into the wagon. They thought the guy was going to be okay. Bud wouldn’t have minded if the guy had a busted rib. It was best for Braddock if he wasn’t hurt.

He walked over to talk to Braddock. "Listen, Jim. Don’t worry about none of this. Siobhan and I will take care of him." He nodded in the perp’s direction. "Go home and take care of your wife. She needs you now." Bud smiled. "You probably need to be with her too." Bud thought of all the times Marie comforted him. More than he’d ever done for her.

If someone had knocked Marie over like that shitbird had done to Ivy Braddock… Jim had shown restraint. Bud might have killed him.