I had two complete days with nothing to do but my usual routine. Walk around 8AM, and then run errands on the way home. Once home I fixed myself a breakfast of either cereal and dried fruit, which I sweetened it with sugar free maple syrup, or I micro waved an egg for an egg sandwich on a hamburger bun. I love to add lettuce and tomato, if I had any. I usually did, since I salads with my one large meal at night were an almost every night thing.

After lunch I might take a nap before I began to banged around on the Internet, or watching news shows on TV till bedtime. It was a truly boring routine, but I had gotten used to it. I was ready for more, but I could manage to amuse myself, if push came to shove.

It only lasted two days in the new place, then I went to the Doctor for my 6 week checkup. They counted from the day of the heart attack not my release from the hospital. I had accomplished a huge number of things in five weeks. Especially since I managed to walk and nap everyday as well.

"So Detective Abba, how you doing?" The doctor saw me after an assistant had poked and prodded me. The assistant had also run a cardiogram and drawn blood to send to an outside lab. I wouldn't have known that, had he not explained why I couldn't get the results for a few days. I just nodded, since I hadn't ask about the results. I just didn't care.

"I'm doing just fine how are you doing?"

"I'm good but mine wasn't just idle conversation. I really do want to know how you are doing."

"I have been walking two miles a day, I have been dieting, and I have been napping just like the doctor at the hospital told me to do."

"Good, have you given any more thought to the bypass?'

"Yes, and I have still decided against it."

"Well, it is your decision, but it is the wrong one."

"I know, but it's the way I want to check out of this world."

"Well that's up to you I suppose. Are you taking your med's?"

"I keep the one for pain handy, but the others seem to make me tired, I'm giving some thought to discontinuing them."

"You need those," the doctor explained. "Take them for at least six months, then we will see."

"I'll think about it." It was likely that as long as the cop insurance was in force, and it would be as long as I worked for them, I would continue.

"So do you have any questions?"

"You know I do, when can I go back to work?"

"I'm going to clear you for limited duty whenever you feel up to it."

"How about full duty?"

"John, to be honest I don't see that in the cards at all."

"Well I suppose you are going to write that in the evaluation for the job?"

"Actually they have already asked for my records, and we supplied them on day one. There own doctors will make that determination."

"Yeah, I have heard that. How long have they been doing that?"

"A couple of years, the world of medicine is becoming more and more specialized."

"I noticed, well thanks for nothing."

"John, not many people like this kind of news at first but people adapt."

"Right," I stood to leave.

"Stop at the desk to pick up your scripts," he suggested.

"And to pay the co-pay," I added.

"That to" he mumbled.

I was tempted to stop for lunch, but I had already eaten my breakfast. I had also squeezed in my walk. I actually looked forward to the walk each day. For weeks I had been making my daily plan on that walk.

Instead of lunch I called the police station on my cell phone from the parking lot. I went over my supervisor's head. I asked for the division commander directly.

"Cap, it's Abba," I said when he picked up the phone. "I just got cleared to return to work. When do you want me to start?" It was my plan to bluff it out.

"John, they told me to have you report to personnel when you came back. I have already filled your slot."

Well that was one question answered. "Well this day is gone, and he didn't put a date on this clearance, so I guess I'll just wait till Monday for the bad news."

"I'm sorry John, if it were up to me I would put you right back on the street. There is not a man here who wouldn't carry your share of the heavy lifting for a while."

"Thanks Cap, but if it came to that I should be on a desk, I suppose."

I almost had tears in my eye when I pressed the end button. I just did not want to leave the line. I didn't think that I was going to be suited for a desk.

My plan at that moment, and probably had been all along, was to take the next day off. Since the next day was Friday, I had three days before I got the really bad news. I was positive Wilson have found me a real shit job.

Since my film scanner had arrived the day before, I began scanning old negatives to keep my mind off the endless shitty possibilities. The scanning had a lot of corrections to be made by hand, but I was in no hurry, so it was just fine with me. I could see that it would not catch on with new photographers. Hell, digital was so much easier and the results were better. if you liked hard plastic images. Most people didn't know any better.

When I answered the phone I heard, "Abba, it's me Harvey. Do you have the duplex ready to rent?"

"More or less I guess, but I haven't decided for sure to rent it yet."

"There is a rookie firefighter who is going to start training next week. I promised to ask you about the duplex."

"Harvey, I don't know about a kid like that."

"Oh this one is no kid. This rookie was with a volunteer fire department for a few years. Just got tired of doing it for free, kind of like your ex. This one just decided to go pro."

"Harvey, I joke about Maggie, but no one else does. That was your one comment before I climb up inside your ass."

"Sorry John, I just heard you do it and thought it was okay."

"Well it isn't. Tell you what, I'm going to be around from now till Monday. Have him come around and talk."

"John it ain't a him. It's a thirty year old country girl."

"Then I really ain't interested. This is going to be strictly business. I don't want some whiny bitch next door."

"Come on John, it's just for three months. Not having a lease will allow you to charge a little more. She is looking for a small place till she finishes rookie school."

"Alright but it's just till she is out of rookie school." I didn't need the income as long as I was on the job, but having the place rented would give me a lot of freedom.