05 | ❝ BRIGADE ON THE TRAIL ❞

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CHAPTER FIVE

❝ BRIGADE ON THE TRAIL ❞

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[ season 2, episode 5 ]

LISSIE POV

LISSIE'S FIRST DAYS IN LOS ANGELES WERE VERY PRODUCTIVE. Not only was she trying to get to know the area, but she had already been through several shifts in the dispatch office. Despite this, she was most pleased that she had managed to get to dinner, where she could get to know her father's girlfriend better. The evening at Athena's was one of the most enjoyable things that had happened to Melissa recently - when she had met the woman in the police car, she had definitely liked her, but at that moment, when she had to deal with her off duty, that feeling only intensified. It turned out that they had a lot to talk about and quickly established an exceptionally good rapport, which surprised Lissie herself, considering the age difference between them. Melissa was curious about her work as a policewoman, and Athena, although she knew exactly what it was like to work in the dispatch office, did not hesitate to ask what it was like from a girl's perspective.

At dinner, she also had the opportunity to meet Michael, Athena's ex-husband, as well as their two children, May and Harry. Here, she was pleasantly surprised, because she started talking quickly to both of them, especially May, and she felt as if she was dealing with younger siblings. For a brief moment, she felt a kind of nostalgia, because she remembered spending time with young Bobby and Brooke. No one could replace them and she knew that no one probably wanted to, and yet she felt a close bond with May and Harry from the very first moment. As if from that moment on she would actually take care of them, as befits an older sister.

Another time, Rosie invited her siblings to her apartment. The evening with the Buckleys was also spent in a pleasant atmosphere, because it allowed her to completely relax and maybe even forget about how demanding their work was. Maddie even mentioned that she was in the final stages of signing a lease for the apartment and everyone agreed to help her move. Marrie clearly told her aunt that she would help her choose decorations for the rooms, to which she agreed without hesitation - she didn't have the heart to refuse her, which Lissie herself understood perfectly well from her own experience. It was simply something downright impossible. Buck, on the other hand, told them about his girlfriend, whose name was Abby. From what she understood, the situation of these two was more complicated. Although young Nash asked herself one fundamental question - weren't all long-distance relationships like that? That's why she wasn't a particular fan of them, but what did she know about that? Every relationship was different.

The truth was that she was slowly settling into this city, which made her happy but also a little scared, especially with how easily she was doing it. As if Chicago had never been a part of her life and she hadn't spent the last few years there.

Lissie fixed her hair once again until she finally decided that it wouldn't be any better and left the bathroom. Maddie was waiting for her in the hallway right by the front door, with whom she had agreed that they would get to work together. Rosie had left early in the morning, and Marrie was already sitting at school, probably nervous about whether she would do well on today's math test, which Lissie had helped her prepare for.

"I hope I didn't scare you?" Maddie asked. "Rosie told me where she kept the spare key. I guess you didn't hear me knock, so I came in."

"Sure, nothing's wrong," Lissie smiled, reaching for her backpack. "I had to think of something. But I'm ready now. And I made us lunch. I know you go to the food truck every day, but there's nothing like homemade food. And muffins."

The fact was that when she was alone in her apartment, she got a little lost in her thoughts. She often did that, thinking back to what had happened in Chicago before she decided to come to LA. She even considered that maybe she should go back to therapy, but she wasn't ready to go through all that with a new therapist yet. Maddie smiled at her with gratitude in her eyes and tilted her head to the side, something she did quite often when showing affection for someone.

"Are you an angel? I don't know how you have time to cook when I can barely stand at the stove while the tea is brewing because I'm so tired."

"You know I ask myself that question sometimes? Although the cupcakes are Marrie's fault, because she loves them so much I have to bake them practically every other day, which Rosie keeps getting mad about."

Maddie laughed happily and continued their cheerful conversation as they left the apartment. Lissie made sure to lock the door behind her and then went down to the parking lot where the older Buckley had left her car. Lissie was starting to wonder if she shouldn't get her own car so she wouldn't be dependent on someone all the time and decided that since she was going to be in Los Angeles for a while anyway, she had to think about it seriously. She made a mental note to ask her father for help, because he was the only man she knew who could help her with this and she knew he wouldn't take it as an imposition. Especially since he himself tried to use every moment to spend time with her and surprisingly, it didn't bother her.

She quickly forgot about it as she and Maddie sat down at their stations at headquarters. Helping others was something Lissie had discovered she loved doing only after some time. She had even had a degree in marketing, but the fire in Minnesota and the fact that she had lost half her family had changed her perspective on the world. She wanted to help, and although in Chicago she had done it immediately, on the scene of the incidents she had been sent to with the unit, this was exactly what she had missed in her job at headquarters. The direct contact, where she had done everything she could to keep the injured alive on the way to the hospital. Maybe she should listen to Suzanna and start thinking about going back, but she felt that the trauma was still too strong in her.

She answered a new call.

"9-1-1, how can I help?"

"Help?" A clearly nervous, but also drunk male voice answered on the other end. Lissie took a deep breath. She could tell this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation. "Why ask stupid questions if you're not going to do it anyway?"

"Sir, is something bothering you?"

"That's why I'm calling, right?"

Lissie began tapping away at her computer, trying to locate the address from which the call had been made and also to see what units were in the immediate area.

"Sir, I need to know if you're hurt? I want to help you, but without information about what's going on, I can't send the proper emergency services."

"I don't give a damn! You're not going to send anyone anyway. If I was someone important, you'd have flown in by helicopter right away."

"Sir, we take all calls seriously. Are you hurt?"

"No worse than that son of a bitch. But I could use a fucking doctor. Isn't that the least you can do, you little shit?"

The girl clenched her teeth tightly, then muted the caller and passed on all the information to the nearest police and fire department so that they could treat the injured man and his attacker.

"Emergency services are on their way. Please..."

The man hung up immediately, though, and Lissie almost threw her head back in shock. This was probably one of the most difficult conversations she'd ever had in the dispatch center. She needed a moment's pause to calm down and not lash out at someone without a basis.

She found Maddie already in the kitchen, pouring coffee she had prepared earlier into her mug.

"Are you having a weird day too?" the eldest Buckley asked, sipping her black drink.

"Stick weird," Lissie mumbled, putting on some water for tea. "I just got yelled at by some guy who attacked another guy... Sometimes people can be awful."

"This is probably the first time I've heard you say someone can be awful."

"It happens to the best of us," Nash chuckled quietly.

"You'll feel better after this," a third voice said. They both turned to see an older woman with blond hair standing on the other side of the counter. She had glasses on, a blue shirt, and an ID badge pinned to her side, like all the dispatchers. In her hands she held a plate of muffins that Lissie had brought to work that day. "Delicious and homemade."

Lissie raised an eyebrow. Was this woman actually trying to take credit for her work?

"We know," she said before Maddie reached for a cupcake. "I baked them myself. That's how I know they're delicious."

"Oh, you're Melissa?" the older woman asked, then introduced herself as Gloria. "Sue told them all about you. You moved from Chicago, right?"

"Yeah... Not long ago, although I'm starting to wonder if that was such a good idea."

"A difficult call?"

"More of a difficult day," Maddie said after her. "The whole city seems to be in a bad mood today."

"It's like that every day. There are 200 languages ​​spoken in L.A., and I've been cursed at every one of them."

"It's not about people yelling at me," Maddie said, and Lissie let her vent. She didn't think this was anything new for her personally. She'd had bad days, whether it was when she was an EMT or later in dispatch. And it wasn't the city. Chicago wasn't any different from L.A. in that regard.

"I worked in the ER, but this is different. Maybe it's because I've seen them there and I could understand why they could be so—"

"Terrible?"

"If I may give you some advice," Gloria said, taking a bottle of water and the three of them sitting at a round table. "My Stan used to say, 'Gloria, don't bring your work home with you, it'll kill you.' It wasn't until after he died that I realized he was right."

For a moment, Lissa felt bad that she had had her doubts about the older woman. She might not have liked her at first glance, but there was still some truth to what she had said.

"You can't control someone's behavior," she added. "But you can control how you react to it."

"Sometimes it's hard not to take it personally."

"True, but maybe what you need is a ride in a police car. I think that should be mandatory training." Gloria checked her watch and got up from the table, taking another muffin with her. "Oh, time to save the world. Melissa, you really are talented. Good luck!"

The woman left, passing Josh in the aisle.

"I see you've already met our local Celine Dion," he said over his cup of coffee.

"She's really figured it out."

It was obvious that Maddie was delighted to meet a new woman. Lissie didn't quite share her enthusiasm.

"She was definitely right about going out into the field," Nash leaned her elbows on the table and leaned toward her friend. "And there's a certain someone who could help us with that."

"Us?"

"Oh, I won't leave you alone. Besides, I'll gladly come back... I'll see what it's like."

Lissie quickly regained her composure, but she wasn't sure if Maddie and Josh hadn't picked up on that. If they had, they hadn't brought it up, and she wasn't about to explain to them that she knew perfectly well what the field operations looked like, having taken part in them herself not so long ago.

"So who were you thinking about?" Maddie asked, looking at her with obvious curiosity. "I think the same police officers as you." Lissie just winked at her with a smile.

AFTER THEIR SHIFTS, SHE DID NOT HAVE MUCH TIME TO TALK TO ROSIE. Her friend was exhausted from her entire shift, and she still wanted to spend some time with her own daughter, so Lissie did what she was always good at – she baked. At least that way she could repay Rosie for not minding her extended presence. In her free time, she arranged with Athena for her, Maddie, and Seth to join her on a patrol of the streets of Los Angeles. Sergeant Grant was quite enthusiastic about the idea and invited them to her next shift.

And so, a day later, she found herself at the police station. Maddie was already waiting for her inside, talking to Seth, so not wanting to disturb them, she went over to Athena, who was filling out some paperwork at her desk.

"Dispatcher Lissie Nash is reporting for her day with Sergeant Grant," she said in greeting, and Athena smiled at her.

"Punctual, as always. How are you feeling about your day together?"

"It would be inappropriate to say I'm excited." She tucked her fingers under the straps of her backpack and followed Athena down the hall. "I think a change of perspective would do me good. Although I do have a certain perspective on this. After all, I've been around firefighters and rescuers my whole life."

"I'd love to hear your perspective from when you were a kid someday."

"As long as we keep this between us."

"I can definitely promise you that," Grant assured her, and they laughed together.

They made their way through part of the police station, finally reaching Seth and Maddie. Lissie knew Seth only from stories and photos. She knew that he had helped Rosie escape from her family home, and that he and Maddie had been friends before. Nash herself thought there was more to it, but she noticed that her coworker wasn't very forthcoming on the subject.

"You're Maddie Kendall, aren't you?" Athena greeted. "The older sister of our Buckley duo. A nurse from Philadelphia, right?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Bobby," she began, then smiled at Lissie.

"My father. And Athena's boyfriend."

"Captain Nash mentioned you. So did Rosie and Seth himself," she pointed to the officer in a traditional uniform with a name tag on his chest who was with them. Lissie looked at him for a moment and noticed certain features that could indicate he was handsome. He had some Latin roots in him and a twinkle in his eye that made Maddie have to look away from him, although Nash could see a slight blush on her face.

"I hope you didn't hear anything bad?"

"Nothing that would catch my attention," she said seriously, and Buckley turned serious for a moment.

"Athena, you and your jokes," Seth laughed shortly and looked at his old friend. "Don't worry, Maddie. Sergeant Grant has that way of working."

"You seem to know each other quite well," Lissie noted. "Have you worked together for a long time? I thought you were more of a lone wolf."

"She is," Seth answered for her, grinning broadly. "I've just made her life miserable with my presence for a good few years now."

Lissie frowned.

"I'm a detective," Navarro explained. "And that's largely thanks to Sergeant Grant. She was the one who pushed me to take the exam."

"Seth, I like you, but you talk an awful lot," she interrupted sternly, but there was a proud smile on her face. Lissie and Maddie laughed briefly, and young Nash decided they couldn't have picked a better team that day. "If you still want to come with us, you better get going. And remember, I'm driving."

A few minutes later, the four of them were in the police car. Sergeant Grant, as she had promised, got behind the wheel. Seth sat next to her, and the girls settled into the back seats. The day seemed peaceful, but this was Los Angeles. It was hard to say that this city was ever peaceful.

"I didn't get along with your brother at first," Athena began, glancing into the mirror so that her gaze met Maddie's. "But we're getting along now. I definitely got along with your sister more quickly."

"I guess Buck always puts himself in danger in stupid ways?"

"Something like that."

"That's Buck," Seth laughed.

"From what Rosie told me," Lissie interrupted, "and from what I know, he does it because he wants to save others. He's a firefighter, and you know, he should look out for his own safety first, but it's not always that simple. I think he's got a good heart, that's why he acts like that."

"The kid's got a heart of gold, that's for sure," Athena agreed. "What brings you to L.A., Maddie? I know the reason, Lissie..."

"Only because you dragged him out of me," she snorted, though she had to push aside the thought that almost everything she'd said at dinner at her house had been a lie. "The aftermath of trying to befriend your man's daughter, I guess."

"I hear your father's a great captain of the 118th," Seth looked across the chair at her. "Although I didn't expect him to have a daughter."

Lissie and Ian knew Seth mostly from Rosie's stories — though that hadn't stopped Nash's friend from getting his contact details from a mutual friend. They got along great.

"Here I am." She threw her hands up. "But I believe that wasn't me that was the question."

"Oh, yes," Maddie blushed slightly. "My reason for moving... I wanted to start over, away from my husband. Leaving was hard, and our relationship was awful. I'm not ashamed to talk about it, even though it was different before. Now I see how strong I was to run away."

Lissie tensed at Maddie's story. She could only imagine what Buckley had to go through with her husband, but considering how much she had heard - and seen with her own eyes - she could imagine a lot. That was why it was one of the reasons she didn't allow herself to fall in love and kept all men at a distance. She knew that not everyone was the same, but recently her level of trust in others, especially strangers, had definitely dropped.

"The day every woman understands her strength is the day peace will reign on Earth."

Athena's words hit her particularly hard.

Lissie knew – that despite what she had been through, which she had not even confided in Rosie – that she was strong. Otherwise, she would have given up long ago.

THE FIRST CALL OF THAT DAY LED THEM TO THE CEMETERY AND A DISTURBANCE DURING A MILITARY FUNERAL. Maddie was just as outraged by this as Lissie. However, they both agreed to wait politely in the police car until Seth and Athena had resolved the issue. What she noticed as soon as they left was that the eldest Buckley couldn't take her eyes off her old friend.

"You're staring," Lissie muttered amusedly.

"What? No... I'm just watching them carry out the intervention.

Maddie's cheeks were bright red, although she tried to hide it under her hair.

"Only guilty ones make excuses," she nudged her shoulder. "Seriously, what's going on between you two? I know you've known each other since childhood because Rosie told me, and you mentioned it too. But I have a feeling there's more to it than that. Of course, I'm not pushing..."

"Seth and I were friends," she confessed honestly, looking out the window where they could watch what was happening at the cemetery. The situation there was slowly escalating, but as promised, they stayed in the car. "Later, I met Doug, my husband, and we had an argument. Now I know that Seth was right when he said that Doug wasn't right for me... Anyway, I didn't listen to him then. I was young and blindly in love. I didn't understand that what I needed most was right there within my reach until I lost it."

"So you and Seth... Was there something more between you?"

"Not exactly... Seth wanted to, but I turned him down because I didn't want to complicate things with Doug even more. I still don't know how I deserved to have him in my life, because later, at my request, he helped Rosie move out of Pennsylvania."

"We can do a lot for the people we care about, even if they hurt us."

She didn't think she could quote the words she heard from Marcy as a teenager in this situation. She remembered the conversation in which she asked her stepmother why she always made sure her father didn't freeze or choke after he passed out from drinking too much or getting high. At the time, she was usually angry with him, and with Marcy too, because she couldn't understand why she didn't just take little Bobby and Brooke away and spare them the sight. Later, however, she understood that Marcy loved her father, she loved her too, and she loved the family they had created, and she couldn't just give it up.

"You talk as if you know something about it yourself," Maddie looked at her. "Traumatic experiences?"

"Something like that," Lissie replied, a little panicked. "A few years ago, I lost half of my family in a fire. And those words...? I heard them from my mum one day. It just brought back memories."

"I'm sorry to hear that. If you ever want to talk about it more, with someone who doesn't know you as well as Rosie does, I'll listen."

Lissie smiled. Maddie and Rosie were extremely similar, and only a fool would say they weren't sisters if they got to know them better. She accepted this with some relief, because she didn't want to talk about this loss at that moment – if ever. The fire in Minnesota, and what happened in the weeks after it, was still a very difficult subject for her, and she was still grieving the loss of her family. She could learn to live without them, but she could never accept it.

The sound of sirens and the arrival of unit 118 brought their attention back to what was happening at the cemetery. At the gate, a group of onlookers stood around a man who had previously been sitting in his wheelchair arguing with Athena and Seth. Lissie could no longer sit locked in the car, and she and Maddie went outside to get a better look at the action. Her old spirit, the one that had first flown to Chicago to save people – because that was her job – began to speak up. She felt that familiar heartbeat, and all the possible ways to save the patient immediately began to run through her head. There were moments when she missed her job as a paramedic, but then she remembered how it had ended for her. And all that remained was the fear that history might repeat itself.

The ambulance with Chim, Hen and Eddie drove off with the patient, sirens blaring, while Bobby, Buck and Rosie, accompanied by two police officers, approached the waiting girls.

"Well, it's the day you're driving," Buck greeted them, putting his arm around his sister. "Hey, Captain, this is Maddie. Our older sister."

"Nice to meet you," Bobby smiled at the woman and then kissed his daughter on the cheek. "Hard day?"

"It's just begun. I'll tell you about it tonight, and I'd love to hear about your shift in return."

"Only fate will decide that," Rosie joked. "How do you like working on the streets of Los Angeles?"

"Seeing it from this side is definitely educational," Maddie replied. "I admire you for dealing with this every day. It's definitely different from working in a dispatch centre or an ER. I've heard a lot of good things about your team, and now I've seen it with my own eyes."

"Don't believe everything Buck says."

"Not from him, I heard it from her," she nodded towards Athena.

"Don't believe her either," said the captain with amusement.

Lissie laughed, hitting her father on the shoulder.

"Now you're just being modest. A great team is largely the result of having the right captain and well-chosen people. You've always been great at that."

"You can believe her," Bobby pointed to his daughter, and the rest laughed happily.

The whole group chatted for a while longer until Athena announced that it was time for lunch. Maddie was surprised, to say the least, that after all that had happened, the sergeant was able to eat anything as if nothing had happened. Lissie said goodbye to her father and Rosie, then headed for the car, where the rest of the group was already waiting for her.

"Hi, Lissie," Buck said unexpectedly as she walked past him. When she looked up, she saw his eyes sparkling in such a charming way, as if he had heard that Christmas was coming early this year.

"Hi, Buck," she replied with a smile and passed him, not wanting to keep them waiting any longer. She opened the car door and was about to get in when Buck stopped her again.

"Lissie?" He took one hand off his waist and raised it open in a slightly awkward gesture. "I... Have a nice day. I just wanted to wish you a nice day."

"And you take care of yourself."

Without waiting for his reaction, she finally decided to get into the car. She slammed the door behind her and just had to look at Maddie to see that she was smiling at her quite meaningfully.

ATHENA TOOK THEM TO ONE OF HER FAVOURITE ASIAN RESTAURANTS. The police car pulled into the car park just as the four of them were discussing the romantic conquests of the other Buckley siblings. Lissie knew that Buck had a girlfriend he was in love with, but Rosie, unlike Maddie, wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the relationship.

"So you know her? Abby?" Maddie asked, and Athena and Seth nodded. "And what do you think of her? Do you like her?"

"Sure," Athena replied. "She worked in dispatch, like you do now. You don't approve of the relationship? Is it because of the age difference? Chim is older than Rosie too, and they have a child together."

"And they're definitely still attracted to each other," Lissie interjected with a smile. She hadn't seen Rosie so relaxed and calm in a long time, and concluded that moving to LA had had a positive effect on her. And Marrie could grow up in a complete family, albeit a slightly twisted one.

When she remembered the evening when they managed to get her father's entire team to the bar, she was even more convinced of what she had said to the others just a second earlier – they were definitely too close for friends, let alone ex-partners.

"With Chim and Rosie, it's a little different. I like him and I see how he cares for my sister and Marrie. I know she couldn't have found anyone better."

"So it's about Buck, huh?"

Maddie looked at Lissie and nodded.

"More about the fact that for most of his relationship, he's been in it alone because his girlfriend is... Who knows where."

"Relationships can be complicated," Seth said, speaking for the first time in the discussion. "Maybe Buck is trying to deny that Abby never really took him seriously." Athena grunted warningly, and he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "What, am I not telling the truth? If she really cared as much as she said she did, at least she'd be in constant contact with him, and I don't think they even have that, right?"

The sergeant grunted in understanding, and when Maddie wanted to pull the handle to the restaurant, she quickly stopped her, because it turned out that there was a sign on the door saying that it was closed. Athena and Seth's expressions showed that this was not what they had expected. Once again that day, they were told to wait outside, and Lissie wondered what could have gone wrong this time. She also came to the conclusion that the work of a police officer was completely different from what she had imagined. As a paramedic, she had dealt with them, but from a completely different perspective. That's why she had to admit that this day didn't seem as wasted as she had previously thought. She had accompanied Maddie because Maddie had asked her to, but now she could see it all differently.

A few minutes passed, and Athena came back to them, saying something about a shot cook and that she needed Maddie's help because she used to be a nurse. When they reached the back of the kitchen, a bloodied, unconscious man was lying on the floor. Seth tried to stop the bleeding on his chest, but it didn't help much. However, Maddie immediately got to work, and Lissie had no intention of interfering. She also didn't want to reveal that she knew exactly what to do... Maybe it wasn't what she had learned in training, maybe it was the last thing she should have told herself, but the trauma was too strong, too fresh, and she was almost certain that halfway through the job, she would freeze, only putting the injured man in greater danger. However, she helped as much as she could — she handed Maddie some cling film so she could cover the bleeding wound, and then lifted his legs up while Buckley performed CPR.

Fortunately, the man gasped loudly and opened his eyes. The ambulance was about to arrive, which meant that everything was going to end well.

"How did you know?" asked the seriously injured man. "They hung up."

"Who?"

"911."

IT WAS GLORIA WHO HUNG UP. Lissie felt from the very beginning that there was something wrong with this woman. But whatever she expected, it certainly wasn't... this. Both she and Maddie were sure it wasn't a mistake, and although Josh didn't believe them at first, listening to the call from the number the injured man had called proved that Gloria had hung up on purpose. But why? Because she couldn't understand what the man was saying on the phone? Maybe he didn't speak English fluently, but what he said was enough to send the emergency services, if only to check the scene of the attack. Meanwhile, she could have caused an innocent man to die, and if it hadn't been for the fact that they happened to be in that place at that time... She didn't even want to think about the consequences of this event.

The worst thing, however, was that this wasn't the only time. And that was why she was fired, although it was accompanied by a whole drama in which she yelled at Maddie, but above all at Lissie, that it was their fault. Gloria even started threatening her as the police led her away, but she didn't take it seriously. Until she started calling and writing to her, which definitely amounted to stalking.

"That woman is impossible," Lissie muttered, glancing at her phone screen again as she and Rosie prepared dinner. "She won't leave me alone."

"Maybe you should mention it to Athena? I'm sure something can be done about it."

"And make the situation worse?" Lissie shook her head. "I already feel stupidly guilty."

"You shouldn't," Buck interjected as he and Maddie appeared in the kitchen after setting the table in the living room. It was a small Buckley family dinner, which Chim was supposed to join after picking up Marrie from the Wilsons. "She's ignoring dozens of calls, and you did the right thing. If you hadn't been on patrol with Athena and Seth, that man could have died too.

"Sue had to fire her, and the police launched an investigation. Just because Gloria couldn't cope with her divorce. And she lied to us that he was dead. How could she do that?

Lissie growled loudly and tightened her grip on the knife she was using to chop tomatoes for the salad. Her phone started vibrating again, signalling a new call, and Gloria's name appeared on the screen once more.

"You must have really got under her skin, because she didn't take it out on me that much," Maddie said, which didn't help at all.

"And I don't understand that... We were there together, we told Josh together, and then Sue... And Gloria thinks that I'm the only one who violated the sacred code of conduct in the dispatch centre, that no one reports on each other, which of course," she pointed her knife at the rest of them, "is another lie. I haven't worked in the dispatch centre for a week. Whether it's LA or Chicago, there's no such thing as an unwritten dispatch centre code. We just do everything we can to help the rest, and if it gets difficult for us, we support each other.

"Okay, okay, we get it," Rosie reached out to her friend and took the knife from her. "Maybe I'll finish this, huh? I feel like you're about to hurt someone with it. Or worse, yourself."

"Oh, if it were Gloria, she'd be the only one hurt."

The rest laughed, thinking it was a pretty good joke, although Lissie remained completely serious.

"I've never seen you so serious," said Rosie, looking intently at her friend. "Are you sure you should just ignore it? Fighting with her will cost you more than if you report her to the police for harassment."

"Rosie's right," Buck agreed, leaning against the kitchen counter. He slipped his hands into his trouser pockets and gave her a shy smile. "What if, after threatening you on the phone, she decides to start harassing you at work or at home? If she doesn't leave you alone by tomorrow, I can talk to her."

"No, that won't be necessary, but thank you. It's just that... I don't know, on the one hand, I feel sorry for her. She must have had a hard time going through the breakup with her husband if she reacted that way. Which, of course, doesn't explain anything, because she shouldn't have hung up when someone needed her help. People call the emergency number when they need support because they don't know what to do... It takes a lot of empathy to survive any change. I think Gloria had it once, but somewhere along the way she forgot about it.

"That's Lissie for you," Rosie muttered cheerfully, and Lissie frowned, having no idea what her friend was talking about. "Only you can see even the slightest bit of goodness in the worst of people."

Lissie proved this on her next shift when she and Maddie received information from Athena that the attacker of the injured man had been caught. Later, when Gloria tried to harass her again, this time by calling the emergency number and deliberately connecting her to Gloria, it didn't end well because an accident occurred during the call. Although Lissie had many reasons to hang up, as Gloria did, she did not. She listened to every minute of what the older woman had to say about why she started hanging up in the first place. Nash knew that sooner or later everyone had their moment of crisis, where they doubted whether what they were doing made any sense at all, or couldn't separate what was happening at work from their private life. Some coped with it better, others worse.

However, Lissie always believed that there was a way out of every situation. The question was whether you wanted it.