I Want to Hold Your Hand

"Stay down!" Dave commanded as he carefully peered around the freezer. To his relief, Kate was standing with her gun drawn and pointed in the direction where the two men had been standing. He pulled his phone and dialed 911 as he stood and quickly hurried to Kate's side. As he reached her, he saw the two men lying on the floor with two handguns lying next to them. By this time a dispatcher had answered his call, so he quickly reported the situation, asking for police and ambulance crews.

Kate was grim, but steady as she kept her gun trained on the two men. Dave could easily determine both men were alive by their cries and groans. He stepped over and carefully kicked their guns away from them. The he saw flashing lights in the parking lot. Numerous police officers poured through the door with their guns out.

"Kate? What happened? Is everything under control? Are you okay?" an older officer demanded as he quickly surveyed the scene. His attention quickly turned to the woman with the toddler. She carefully regained her feet as her baby's cries increased in volume.

"Ma'am, are you or your baby hurt?" the officer asked with surprising gentleness.

Gesturing toward Dave, the woman said, "No, this man pushed us down and stayed between us and the men who were shooting. We're pretty shaken up, but otherwise we're okay."

Dave had to remain at the scene for another two hours as he gave the same statement several times. Ambulances carried out the two men Kate had shot as well as the clerk who was found badly wounded behind the counter.

Kate was subdued but professional as she gave her account of the shooting. She made sure to emphasize how Dave had hurried to move the mother and toddler to safety as she pulled her gun to confront the gunmen. Dave had surprised them with his quick movements, so both men had turned in his direction and fired shots his way. That gave Kate the time needed to carefully place her shots in the right shoulder of each gunman. The impact of her bullets had caused the men to drop their guns as they fell to the floor in pain.

After treating and transporting the gunmen and the wounded clerk, paramedics asked Dave and the lady with the baby if they could examine them for injuries. The woman and her baby were completely unharmed while Dave had several shards of glass in the back of his neck and tux jacket. They quickly treated the slight bleeding and applied bandages.

It was while Dave was being treated that Jim and Rita arrived on the scene. They were allowed in to check on Kate's wellbeing.

"Dave, were you shot? I see the paramedics are bandaging you. Were you hurt?" Rita asked as she wiped a stray tear from her eye.

"I'm fine, Rita. You should be very proud of Kate. She performed the way a law enforcement professional is expected and trained to do in a difficult situation. It was impressive as hell."

"Kate, Honey, why were you even here?" Rita asked her daughter.

"We were looking for a few items in case I decided to spend the night with Dave," Kate answered frankly.

Rita surprised her husband and several officers who had been close enough to hear Kate's response to her mother's question. Rita glanced at Dave, then nodded and said, "Next time take an overnight case with you when you leave the house. It's safer."

The same reporter who had interviewed Kate and Dave earlier in the evening pulled into the crowded parking lot. She was met by Chief Mason who gave her a brief rundown of events. He refused to allow her entry to the crime scene and stated that Kate would not be giving any interviews until due process had been completed.

Kate was finally told that she could leave. Rita watched as her daughter went off to speak to Dave privately. She saw him nod his head in understanding as Kate explained something to him. Kate placed a gentle kiss on Dave's lips and returned to her parents.

"Let's go home," she suggested. "It's been a long day and a difficult one. Dave agreed that our romantic date pretty much ended when we stepped into the middle of an armed robbery. I'm going to sleep until noon."

Dave spoke briefly to Kate on her cell on Sunday, but didn't see her. He knew she was dealing with the aftereffects of the shooting and her role in it. He decided to give her a few days before he went to see her.

Monday morning, Dave awoke with a nagging burning sensation in the middle of his back. It was exactly where he could not reach it. He had noticed a small hole and some blood on the dress shirt he had worn at the C of C Ball. He surmised that a small piece of the shattered glass must have penetrated his tux and imbedded into his back.

The kids in his first class wanted to spend the entire period discussing the attempted robbery and subsequent shooting. Dave quickly put that idea to rest as he explained that he was paid to follow the syllabus, not discuss the gruesome details of a crime. He did agree to share his experience with the students in their free time, outside of school.

"How about the Chamber of Commerce Ball?" Terence asked. "We saw you and Miss Kate on TV. She looked beautiful. My parents couldn't believe you're my teacher and Kate is a police officer. They thought you looked like a Hollywood couple."

"That's very flattering," Dave conceded. "However, it's class time and we need to stick to today's lesson plan."

Dave had a second period study hall so he asked a teacher's aide to handle it while he visited the school nurse. When he got to her office he explained that he thought a piece of glass was imbedded in his back and asked her to remove it.

The nurse, Mrs. Baxter, like everyone else in Evanston, had heard about Dave's involvement in the attempted robbery and was happy to help him. She had him remove his shirt while she gathered forceps and antiseptic cream. Dave stood still as Mrs. Baxter moved behind him to extract the glass.

She was silent for a full minute, causing Dave to wonder if she was still behind him. Then he heard her speak. He was taken by surprise because she wasn't talking to him.

"This is Delores Baxter, the school nurse at Evanston High. I have a man in my office with a bullet lodged in his back. He's mobile and alert, but the location of the bullet is of concern. He was involved in the fracas at the convenience store and apparently was shot. Please dispatch an ambulance immediately."

Dave had turned as the nurse spoke on the phone. As soon as she ended the call, he demanded to know why she called for an ambulance.

"There's a bullet which appears to be lodged against your spine. It may be nothing, but it could be a serious health issue for you. You require a doctor and a well equipped hospital. I'm sure you'll be x-rayed before any decision is reached regarding the bullet. Please sit down and wait quietly."

Somehow the report of a man with a bullet in his back at the local high school became a possible shooter in the school. In less than a minute police cars began pulling into the school parking lot. Then an alarm sounded and the ensuing announcement stated the school was in lock down.

Dave was agitated and annoyed that the nurse had called for an ambulance. He could have easily driven the few miles to the local hospital. He had no doubt that the item in his back was not life threatening. The phone rang and Nurse Baxter quickly answered it.

"There is no danger that I'm aware of to anyone in the school. As I told the dispatcher, one of the people present at the shootings Saturday night appears to be carrying a bullet from that event."

Several police officers accompanied paramedics into the nurse's office at the school. Dave recognized one of them from the scene of the robbery attempt.

"This is way overblown," Dave asserted. "My back was itching a little so I asked the nurse to remove what I thought was a piece of glass in my back. I feel fine. I can drive to the hospital."

"Mr. Lassiter, you will not be driving anywhere until you are checked at the hospital. Nurse Baxter made the right call," the paramedic declared as he closely checked Dave's back. "We need to transport you immediately."

As Dave was placed on a gurney, an announcement was made that the lockdown had been lifted and there was no emergency in the school. As Dave was wheeled down the hallway, word quickly spread around the school that he had been shot Saturday night during the robbery attempt.

Kids flocked to the windows to watch one of their favorite teachers loaded into a waiting ambulance.

Kate had been given a week off with pay and would then be doing desk work until she was cleared in the shooting of the two criminals. With nothing else to do, she and her mother decided to go shopping at a mall an hour east of their home.

Kate was looking at shoes when her mother's phone rang. She recognized the ringtone as her Aunt Gloria's. She wasn't paying much attention to the conversation until she heard her mother mention Dave's name.

"He has a bullet in his back?" Rita repeated in disbelief. "How? When? From the robbery attempt? How serious is it?"

Kate quickly moved close to her mother and began asking questions. Rita ended the call and tried to answer her daughter's questions.

"Dave asked the school nurse to look at his back this morning. She found a bullet lodged in his back and possibly in his spine. She called the ambulance and all hell broke out when it was reported a man with a bullet in his back was at the high school. It went into lockdown before they sorted it all out. Paramedics took Dave to the hospital."

"He said he was fine!" Kate stated with obvious concern. "We have to get to the hospital. What if he's paralyzed or something!"

Dave had been admitted quickly and as expected, the doctors ordered an x-ray before touching the bullet in his back. He had to wait in the emergency room for the doctor to study the results.

"Good news!" were the first words from the doctor when he returned to David's cubicle. It's a small caliber bullet, probably from the .22 the police confiscated at the scene. It isn't in contact with your spine, although it is becoming infected. I can just remove it and start you on some antibiotics. I can see why you thought it was just a piece of glass.

The bullet was removed and a small bandage placed over the small incision in a matter of minutes. Dave stood and looked around for his shirt. As he reached for it, the curtain used in all ERs to give patients privacy was suddenly ripped aside. Dave was surprised to see an obviously emotional Kate staring at him. Rita stood behind her while half dozen nurses and other personnel looked on.

"You told me you were fine!" Kate fumed as she stepped closer. "You were shot and never thought to tell me? That was a damn lousy thing to do!"

As she spoke, Kate swung at Dave. He easily caught what he thought was a weak effort for a slap. He smiled to himself as he caught her other hand just as easily. He slowly pulled Kate's hands down and behind her back. He then pulled Kate tightly to his chest and sought out her lips. Kate willingly met him half way. The two of them stood locked in a passionate kiss for what Rita thought was an unusually long time.

Noticing so many people had watched the scene unfold, Rita felt compelled say, "It's okay. It's just something they do. She didn't really want to hit him. She isn't even angry."

"You don't have to be a doctor to see that," quipped one of the nurses as Kate finally leaned back and Dave released her hands.

Kate turned her attention to Dave's sculpted upper body. She tenderly ran finger over an angry looking scar running diagonally across Dave's chest to his abdomen.

"Is that from Afghanistan?"

Dave simply nodded. Once again he found Kate in his arms, sobbing this time.

"Please be more careful. I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you. Promise me you'll live a long life. I think I've fallen in love with you."

Rita gave a slight gasp at Kate's words. She then nodded her head in the knowing way mother's have. Dave hugged Kate tighter as he whispered in her ear.

"I fell in love with you the first time I saw you, Kate."

"Love is a wonderful thing, but this is an emergency room," interrupted an older nurse. "We need to prepare for the next patient, so would you please take your slaphappy lady to the lobby?"

The next Friday evening, Dave arrived at the Daniels's home to pick up Kate. She made certain that Rita saw the overnight case she carried as she left with Dave. She didn't want her mother calling her cell, or worse yet, reporting her missing.

Kate persuaded Dave to take her shopping at the local mall the next day so she could pick up a few things for his sparsely furnished apartment. They had made love several times the previous night and it had been everything Kate had hoped it would be, but he really needed better linens and towels, among other items.

It wasn't a surprise when they ran into a few of Dave's students. One of the girls, Amber, was obviously eager to speak to Kate.

"You played volleyball when you went to Evanston High. I saw your name on the plague the year we won the state title. I heard you were one of the best players on the team," Amber praised.

"Yeah, it was the same year Justin Bascom led the baseball team to the state title," Melody Johnson added.

"Justin Bascom went to school here? He won rookie of the year last year and led the league in doubles this year," Dave stated. "He does insurance commercials and has all sorts of endorsements."

"He was the most popular guy in our class," Kate volunteered. "He never gave me the time of day. When I asked him to sign my yearbook, he didn't know my name."

"Getting back on topic," Amber insisted. "Miss Oliver coached our volleyball team last year, but she moved to Texas this summer. The school hasn't found a replacement for her yet. Would you like to be our coach?"

"I don't think the school allows non faculty members to be head coaches," Kate replied thoughtfully. "It would be fun, but you need to find a teacher, or possibly an administrator. I'm not sure if administrators qualify."

"You're right about that. The thing is, the head coach can have an assistant with no connection to the school as long as they pass the background check," Amber pointed out. "Mr. Lassiter could be our head coach and you could be his assistant."

"Just a minute," Dave protested. "I don't know anything about volleyball. I'm not sure Principal Benson would allow a man to coach a girl's team. That may be against school policy."

"You'd better tell Mr. Hanson. He coaches girls' softball. Mr. Edwards coaches girls' field hockey," Amber replied quickly.

"Mr. Lassiter, don't you want to see us girls play volleyball in our tight shorts," Melody teased.

"That's probably the biggest reason I shouldn't do it," Dave responded. "Kate might get upset with me being around so many attractive young women in those 'tight shorts'. I don't want to embarrass you girls, Kate or myself."

Kate simply stared at Dave until he began to fidget. "Okay, if Kate wants to coach and Mrs. Benson agrees to it, we'll coach the girls' volleyball team. I just hope I don't regret it."

Volleyball practice began after the Christmas break, but tryouts were held in mid December. Dave began to think he had made a mistake in agreeing to be the head coach. When the girls began coming out of the locker room, he couldn't help but do a double take. Almost without exception, they all looked athletic and as Melody had mentioned, wore tight shorts that greatly flattered their athletic figures.

He didn't realize he was staring until Amber spoke. She was just to his right. "If you think we look good, wait until you see your girlfriend in her uniform. You won't be able to take your eyes off her."

That was the moment Kate stepped onto the court and Dave realized Amber was right. The girls looked athletic, but Kate looked like a Goddess. She saw Dave standing by Amber and trotted over to speak to him.

"You probably should close your mouth and stop drooling," Kate whispered loud enough for the girls to hear. Dave felt his face flush as gales of laughter echoed across the gymnasium.

Dave wisely let Kate handle nearly all of the coaching chores. He helped with the equipment and paperwork. Since thirteen girls tried out for the team, Kate decided to keep them all on the roster. The tryouts were held on three afternoons and Kate used them more as instructional periods since none of the girls would be cut from the team. Everyone was excited and eager to have the season begin after the first of the year.

Christmas break was anything but a joyous relaxed holiday. It began a few days before Christmas when Kate begged off on a dinner date with Dave. She told him she had some friends coming back to the area for the holidays. They had cajoled Kate into spending time with them. Dave told her he understood and to enjoy herself.

Dave had a civics class project he and his students were working on. It involved the older cemeteries in the area. Many of them were in a state of disrepair and neglect. The students were making a video of their findings. It was scheduled to be presented at the City Council meeting to be held on December 28th.

One of Dave's students was told by an older relative that a retired teacher from Evanston had spent a great deal of time and effort gathering information on local cemeteries back in the late seventies. Since Kate had canceled their date, Dave picked up Terence and Tim to make the hour drive. They had an appointment to speak with the retired teacher. The kids wanted to present a well documented, meaningful video to the City Council.

The meeting went well. The kids were given some new information regarding several of the older cemeteries in the Evanston area. Before returning Evanston, Dave took the boys to a local steak house.

As they were waiting to be seated, Terence pointed at a booth in the back. "Look! It's Justin Bascom! I wonder if I could get his autograph?"

Tim suddenly acted nervous. "Let's go someplace else, or skip dinner. I need to do some homework tonight."

"We don't even have school for a week! Why would you do homework... oh, shit!" muttered Terence.

Like Dave, the boys had seen Kate walk out of the ladies room and take a seat next to Justin Bascom. She was dressed in a pretty dress that revealed more than a little cleavage. She directed her radiant smile at Bascom. As she sat down, she kissed him on the cheek. Not bad for a man who didn't know her name. Dave felt his heart break.

"You guys are right. We don't have time for dinner. Let's head home," Dave said in a low voice.

The ride home was quiet. Dave tried to not let the boys know how badly he was hurt, but he knew he was doing a poor job of it. For their part, the kids tried to get Dave's mind off his problems with Kate.

"Let's get some more pictures and videos of the old Sherman cemetery tomorrow," Terence suggested. "I'll bring our video camera and Tim will have his phone. Now that we know some of the people buried there were Civil War veterans, we should get their names and some history on them."

Dave was on the verge of declining, but realized he would just look even more pathetic by doing so. The three agreed to meet at the old cemetery at ten AM the next day, which was the day before Christmas Eve.

The small parking lot was shaded by brush and trees with just a narrow path leading to the cemetery a hundred yards up an incline. As Dave pulled in, he didn't see Tim or Terence. He realized he was a few minutes early, so he decided to wait in his truck for them. He had managed little sleep the night before. He couldn't get Kate being with Justin Bascom out of his mind. 'Meeting some friends' was what she had told him. Kate had lied to him.

Dave was surprised to see a police car pull into the lot. He wasn't nearly as surprised when he saw Ken Holden step out of the cruiser. Dave climbed out of his truck as Holden approached the back of his truck and smashed a tail light with his baton!