Day 658: 5 Minute Freewrite: Friday - Prompt: coercion

Acting Commissioner Scott had scheduled all division heads to give account for their stewardship over their departments, and in the eighth week, the cold case division came up for review. Its commander: Captain Henry Fitzhugh Lee.

Ms. Maggie Thornton, secretary to six commissioners in two months, had been fasting and praying for two weeks before that day.

“Father in Heaven, please, please don't let Chief – I mean Acting Commissioner Scott – try coercion on Harry – I mean, Captain Lee. Please, please, please don't let Harry – I mean, Captain Lee – feel coerced. Please, please, please … we've already lost five commissioners doing what they had no business doing … please, please, please don't let Harry turn into the Angel of Death again … please, please, please let him just be a regular angel … please … ”

Ms. Thornton was a nervous wreck the morning the meeting was going to happen, working to make sure the commissioner's favorite espresso and the captain's favorite mint lemonade and plenty of donuts and mixed nuts were available. She served them when the captain arrived, and then went back to her desk, weeping for her emotions while continuing her work. She could hardly believe for joy as the two men came out together at lunch time.

“What a mess still has to be cleared out of this place – but the work you have done will really help me, Captain, and will be a lot of help in rebooting the department in term of good investigation. When are you starting a new case?”

“I anticipate closing the Crawford case on Thursday, the Wilkins case on Friday, and beginning the Layden and Ghent cases Monday.”

“Will your office hold one more observer?”

“Sir, I will make room for you.”

Mrs. Thornton tried to stifle a sob, and failed, which drew both men's attention.

“Oh, Ms. Thornton, you have had a terrible time – the captain and I aren't going to kill each other!” the commissioner said.

Both men embraced the secretary and held her between them as she wept.

“I think we owe the hardest-working woman in Big Loft a gorgeous lunch!” the commissioner said.

“A week of lunches – even a month,” Captain Lee said. “Without her work and prayers, where would we all be? In addition, sir, your entire staff, tried as they have been, deserves commendation.”

“All right, let's do it – gorgeous lunches for the whole staff for a month – but for today, Maggie Thornton, it's all about you!”

“Here, here,” Captain Lee said. “No one could have been more lovely through these hard times, and more deserving.”

Ms. Thornton would enjoy the month of lunches ... but there was nothing like the first one, for Captain Lee was present, and for her to see the man she was head over heels in love with finally, finally show his smile and his sense of humor was, by itself, a big answer to prayer. She was glad to see Acting Commissioner Scott was just alive -- that, too, was a big answer to prayer!