Okay... maybe spill just a little.

“Um, I see your predicament, sir,” I said after a moment. “I’ll… tell you who it was, if you think it’s best. But if you don’t mind, I’d still rather not talk to IG? I’m a bit worried if I do, nothing will come of it and then he’ll know I told and he’ll still be around, only more pissed? He’s, um. Pretty mean?” I shut up at that, since I couldn’t seem to stop turning perfectly good sentences into questions, and probably wasn’t supposed to say words like pissed to our commanding officer. I felt my lip quivering treacherously and bit down hard on the inside of my cheek to avoid bursting into tears like a dumb baby.

Blankenship frowned, a look more perplexed than it was disapproving.

Curry caught my eye, his expression questioning. I nodded, since I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to say it without crying. He must have anticipated this earlier, because while he hadn’t framed it quite like if you’re too upset to say the scary bully’s name aloud, he had told me to let him know if I wanted him to do any of the actual telling if it came to this part. “It was Markus Lydell, sir,” he said. "He's—"

Curry left off mid-sentence as we both watched the lieutenant’s posture and face shift instantly to resigned displeasure. “Ah. Well. Fuck.” Blankenship said, with an expression of such unbridled distaste it surprised me.

Everyone knew Blanks was fussy and proper and tidy and professional and everyone liked Blanks because he wasn't shitty or annoying about any of those things.

“The man’s a disgrace to the service,” he added finally, in a sneering sort of tone. “You’re correct that for some disgusting political reason beyond my grasp, we appear to be stuck with him. I don’t know who Veatch pissed off to deserve that, but I wouldn’t wish the man on an enemy.” He sighed and seemed to turn back to his normal self. “I’m sorry, Bersk," Blankenship said, looking like he really meant it. "I should have credited your reasoning better and put it together from the start why you didn’t want to tell me.”

Curry and I traded another questioning look. From his expression, he also hadn’t expected Blankenship, who projected at all times pristine and total propriety, to speak so frankly to a couple of constables in their first year assigned to his ward. We both looked uncertainly at our lieutenant.

“This is what I’m going to do, for a start,” Blankenship said, looking at me. “Because I suspect your well-being would benefit from knowing it's available, I am adding twenty days paid discretionary sick leave to your bank. This may be used as you see fit. I recommend you do use it, and I also recommend you take the next week to let yourself heal up a bit. I saw how stiff you were when you sat down, and people will talk if they see you walking around like that.” I opened my mouth to say that people would also talk if a new officer was out for so long at once, but the lieutenant said, “Nobody will think anything about the fact that you were out with that fever that’s been going around, other than appreciating you not coming here and spreading it on to them.”

“Yes sir,” I said, then shut up.

Blankenship looked at Curry. “I am adding seven additional days to your bank, to allow for some occasions when Bersk might benefit from having her partner around for moral support. I suggest you take at least one, preferably two, over the next week. No one will look askance at you taking a little time away to look after your sick partner.” He turned over the IG form to the blank side and made a note there.

“Next. I am adding you both to the essential staff list for the Fourth Ward effective today,” he continued, “which will disqualify you from loan to the other wards on the basis that Captain Hui and I wish to have you available for special assignment at short notice as needed. I will find one of those countless special training or staff investment programs the city council love to promote, to account for why this is necessary.” He made another note.

“The gossip mill is just as active at the ranking officer level as it is at yours,” he said. “Everyone has heard plenty about the man. So I say with high confidence that no commanding officer here or at any of the other wards will voluntarily accept Lydell as a transfer or pick him as a loaner. All the same, if something happens to prove me wrong and he is loaned here, I will personally see to it that you do not have to see or speak to him. In the meantime, I will discreetly put it about that our officers should be wary of him if they happen to cross his path. The man has been in trouble enough that nobody will attach specific significance to that warning.”

I couldn’t help dragging in a little sobbing breath of relief at that. “Thanks. Lieutenant,” I said weakly. “Thank you so truly.” I swiped at the corner of my eye to catch a tear that thankfully hadn’t yet fallen.

“Don’t thank me yet. Next come the unfortunate caveats to all this.” From the corner of my eye I saw Curry’s head turn to check my reaction, but I kept myself fixed on the lieutenant because I wasn’t sure if looking at Curry right now would actually make me start to cry, or whether something else Blankenship went on to say might do that.

“You can count on my discretion,” Blankenship said. “But first catch—for administrative reasons I will need to tell the Captain at least enough of this story so she doesn’t think I’ve lost my goddamned mind handing out a year’s worth of sick days and other privileges. But it will go no further than us two.”

I nodded.

“Second catch,” the lieutenant said. “One disadvantage to being removed from the loaner list, and to not entering the float pool later, is that for most officers floating is their best opportunity to add some breadth to their watch guard experience, as well as to make valuable connections and have their performance visible to more of the commanding officers across the city.” He paused to let that sink in with us both.

In other words, I thought guiltily, spending our careers hiding out from ever seeing Lydell again would mean we could look forward to exactly fuckall for advancement. Now I did sort of want to cry, thinking of how Curry had doctored his careers form to be closer to mine, so he’d have the best chance to get ahead in the watch, only now I was as good as a boat anchor for him. I **** myself to stay expressionless and listen to the rest of what Blankenship had to say.

“Third catch,” Blankenship said. “I can only personally assure all of this so long as you are at the Fourth and under Captain Hui’s and my oversight. That means that if you have future ambitions to advance to a department headquartered at one of the other wards, I can’t guarantee you anything there. I wish it were different and I could promise you won’t ever have to choose between career advancement and Bersk’s reasonable desire not to see her attacker—but if you choose to remain here it will somewhat limit your advancement options to either administration or the investigative divisions housed here.”

Curry sat up a bit straighter. “Sir, Bersk and I both requested the Fourth because we hoped we might qualify to complete our pre-detective training with SCD, and increase our chances to stand out as good candidates for Serious Crimes specifically. So… we’re not eager to leave the Fourth. Unless you think we won’t be good candidates without the loaner and float experience,” he added, his tone growing doubtful at the end.

Lieutenant Blankenship smiled for the first time since this long conversation had started. “I was hoping your first two seasons on duty hadn’t shifted your ambitions from the careers forms you completed at the academy. On paper at least, you both struck us here as a good fit for the Fourth, and nothing in the interim has disabused us of that.” He reached over to the bookcase next to his desk, then pulled out a ledger book and opened it up, flicking quickly through the pages. “Serious crimes typically maintains six to eight detectives at a time—there are exceptions but usually that consists of about half ranked Inspector and the remainder ranked Sergeant. We selected you two out of your graduating class for your high academic marks at the academy, favorable character recommendations from your instructors there, and for the fact that both of you expressed the specific desire to work with the Serious Crimes Division.”

We glanced at each other, then back at him. It felt like he was explaining something important, but I wasn’t sure yet what. SCD was one of the most prized assignments, so it wasn’t as if anyone could just promise us that we’d get a spot on that squad when there must be two hundred other officers across the city who wanted the same job just as badly.