The Rookie (F/F & M/F) - Epilogue (Mar. 2, 2023) [Story Finished]
My congratulations [mention]AlexUSA3[/mention] ! This final chapter was truly breathtaking. You captured the atmosphere so well. Courtney´s desperate and determined fight for her freedom and her life! The dialogues between the two sisters were fantastic.
[mention]frankie[/mention] [mention]Mineira1986[/mention] [mention]GermanTUGFriend[/mention] [mention]Caesar73[/mention] [mention]Shotrow[/mention] [mention]GreyLord[/mention]
I want to thank everyone who has read this thriller. I know it was a very different tale with the slow build-up to a psychologically stressful climax and escape. This is the first story I have every written where I was sweating during the creation process and proof-reading. I had originally written a much more terrifying battle between Courtney and Jordana, but Mineira wisely suggested I tone it down because it would too difficult for most people to read. As she said, she had to take breaks while proof-reading it.
I know Mineira is proud of the final product (she understates how helpful she was), and I'm as glad as she is to see that people followed this tale through to the end.
Epilogue
I have never seen so many notifications on one phone before. There is such an incredible outpouring of support from people I've known from high school to college to the police station even to people I don't know. Hundreds of messages and voicemails of support flood my phone, but they paled in comparison to the support from Mom and Dad.
Yes, I was disappointed but not surprised that no such support came from my biological mother, but that only bothered me temporarily. She voluntarily cut herself off from me years ago, and now I cut her off by getting my number changed so that we can't reach each other even if we wanted to.
Fresh start.
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It's 3 days before I am discharged from the hospital because of the combination of circumstances and a desire to make sure I'm mentally fit. To the surprise of all the doctors and psychiatrists, I'm no longer so easily triggered by things although nightmares are an issue.
The hardest part is going through all the work to get my driver's license and and other such cards back. I'm technically on union mandated leave: this time, I get no choice about getting professional help in dealing with my past. But, the past is done for me, and frankly the doctor I see gets frustrated by the required timelines by a variety of codes. Truth be told he was genuinely helpful, and I express genuine sorrow to Dad that I didn't listen sooner.
During the first month of recovery, I make a step that shows significant changes in my life: after several requests and at the encouragement of my psychiatrist, I temporarily move into Mom and Dad's house just for 3 weeks so that I have their constant love and support.
It's not a lie to say they spoiled me, and maybe I had some moments where I squished myself tightly against Dad or Mom while sitting with them on the sofa. I'd seen and heard of so many others getting to do this, but I wanted to experience it for myself.
When people ask me about family, I say that my biological family died and that Dave and Michelle adopted me. It's true; it just wasn't a legal adoption.
It's all about starting over fresh.
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Two months to the day from my escapade, I surprise Dad by visiting him at work. It's the first time I am in the station since my "paid medical leave" began, and it's the first time I get to have one of our father-daughter chats since before it all happened.
It was painful and even difficult to have to spend months as well in and out of the courthouse. This time, I was testifying as both a victim and an officer in Jordana's trial that inevitably sentenced her to life without parole. What made it hard was just having to state what had happened and then reiterate details I'd rather forget under cross-examination. Can't say I was hurt by any of the results except the sadness I feel at any other sentencing.
Once the trial was done, I had another task to do, and I wanted Dad's help with it even though I didn't need him to do it. Dad held the camera when, at the landfill, the old cage was put to finally rest at the landfill's crusher. I personally did it, and when word got around I had done so it naturally made a newspaper and local social media blurb.
Another step in the new and, in Dad's opinion, better me completing pushing the old me out.
=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=
Six months later, I had my clearance and returned to work. I started with mostly doing office and traffic detail work, but patrolling slowly returned to the routine. Finally, I make a request that Dad grants without hesitation.
The 5th Precinct only has 11 cars but, car #9 is renumbered to #25 because I was 25 years old when my new life began. I don't like that number 9 so much anymore.
The one year anniversary of my rebirth is met with an unexpected surprise: the station put together a banquet for me. Never have I been so humbled by anything, and this left me almost literally speechless. I suppose not every officer narrowly escapes death or such trauma, but I sure didn't think I deserved any attention for it.
Life is back to as normal as it will ever be. PTSD is real, and it's mark is painful in the form of continuing nightmares. But I've grown to not let it define me and to not affect my judgment. I can function as effectively as any other officer on the squad, and we all have our own unique experiences that help us to contribute something special to the community.
Mom still trains the young officers... Well, actually, I do most of it now, and I even get asked to do it with other precincts and the sheriff's office sometimes. Even some more experienced officers give it a go. To encourage people, Mom and I created a karate belt type system depending on how quickly they escape and how difficult of a confinement they escape, and they get a pin to reflect it. It adds a little friendly competition to everything.
Here I am... Just 14 months later. Officer Courtchelle Janeira is back on the beat.
=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=
I'm Courtney Ferreira. This is my story of hope. Of letting go of the past. Of not letting other's actions define myself. Of finding out that family is so very much more than what a birth certificate says. May my story inspire you as well.
I want to thank everyone who has read this thriller. I know it was a very different tale with the slow build-up to a psychologically stressful climax and escape. This is the first story I have every written where I was sweating during the creation process and proof-reading. I had originally written a much more terrifying battle between Courtney and Jordana, but Mineira wisely suggested I tone it down because it would too difficult for most people to read. As she said, she had to take breaks while proof-reading it.
I know Mineira is proud of the final product (she understates how helpful she was), and I'm as glad as she is to see that people followed this tale through to the end.
Epilogue
I have never seen so many notifications on one phone before. There is such an incredible outpouring of support from people I've known from high school to college to the police station even to people I don't know. Hundreds of messages and voicemails of support flood my phone, but they paled in comparison to the support from Mom and Dad.
Yes, I was disappointed but not surprised that no such support came from my biological mother, but that only bothered me temporarily. She voluntarily cut herself off from me years ago, and now I cut her off by getting my number changed so that we can't reach each other even if we wanted to.
Fresh start.
=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=
It's 3 days before I am discharged from the hospital because of the combination of circumstances and a desire to make sure I'm mentally fit. To the surprise of all the doctors and psychiatrists, I'm no longer so easily triggered by things although nightmares are an issue.
The hardest part is going through all the work to get my driver's license and and other such cards back. I'm technically on union mandated leave: this time, I get no choice about getting professional help in dealing with my past. But, the past is done for me, and frankly the doctor I see gets frustrated by the required timelines by a variety of codes. Truth be told he was genuinely helpful, and I express genuine sorrow to Dad that I didn't listen sooner.
During the first month of recovery, I make a step that shows significant changes in my life: after several requests and at the encouragement of my psychiatrist, I temporarily move into Mom and Dad's house just for 3 weeks so that I have their constant love and support.
It's not a lie to say they spoiled me, and maybe I had some moments where I squished myself tightly against Dad or Mom while sitting with them on the sofa. I'd seen and heard of so many others getting to do this, but I wanted to experience it for myself.
When people ask me about family, I say that my biological family died and that Dave and Michelle adopted me. It's true; it just wasn't a legal adoption.
It's all about starting over fresh.
=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=
Two months to the day from my escapade, I surprise Dad by visiting him at work. It's the first time I am in the station since my "paid medical leave" began, and it's the first time I get to have one of our father-daughter chats since before it all happened.
It was painful and even difficult to have to spend months as well in and out of the courthouse. This time, I was testifying as both a victim and an officer in Jordana's trial that inevitably sentenced her to life without parole. What made it hard was just having to state what had happened and then reiterate details I'd rather forget under cross-examination. Can't say I was hurt by any of the results except the sadness I feel at any other sentencing.
Once the trial was done, I had another task to do, and I wanted Dad's help with it even though I didn't need him to do it. Dad held the camera when, at the landfill, the old cage was put to finally rest at the landfill's crusher. I personally did it, and when word got around I had done so it naturally made a newspaper and local social media blurb.
Another step in the new and, in Dad's opinion, better me completing pushing the old me out.
=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=
Six months later, I had my clearance and returned to work. I started with mostly doing office and traffic detail work, but patrolling slowly returned to the routine. Finally, I make a request that Dad grants without hesitation.
The 5th Precinct only has 11 cars but, car #9 is renumbered to #25 because I was 25 years old when my new life began. I don't like that number 9 so much anymore.
The one year anniversary of my rebirth is met with an unexpected surprise: the station put together a banquet for me. Never have I been so humbled by anything, and this left me almost literally speechless. I suppose not every officer narrowly escapes death or such trauma, but I sure didn't think I deserved any attention for it.
Life is back to as normal as it will ever be. PTSD is real, and it's mark is painful in the form of continuing nightmares. But I've grown to not let it define me and to not affect my judgment. I can function as effectively as any other officer on the squad, and we all have our own unique experiences that help us to contribute something special to the community.
Mom still trains the young officers... Well, actually, I do most of it now, and I even get asked to do it with other precincts and the sheriff's office sometimes. Even some more experienced officers give it a go. To encourage people, Mom and I created a karate belt type system depending on how quickly they escape and how difficult of a confinement they escape, and they get a pin to reflect it. It adds a little friendly competition to everything.
Here I am... Just 14 months later. Officer Courtchelle Janeira is back on the beat.
=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=
I'm Courtney Ferreira. This is my story of hope. Of letting go of the past. Of not letting other's actions define myself. Of finding out that family is so very much more than what a birth certificate says. May my story inspire you as well.
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Excellent wrap up to a very interesting story.
A List of my stories:An Unlikely Savior Completed
Spy Task Force Completed
Tale of an Archer Completed
The Bandit Scout on Newhome updated 05/30/23
I agree totally. this 'Epilouge tells us in a very touching and credible way how Courtney dealt with the aftermath of her near brush with death. And it ends on a note of hope. Well done.
My goal was to end with Courtney gaining a "net positive" in spite of the overall experience. There was incredible person trapped inside there all those 25 years of psychological torment, and now the flower is blooming.
As this story shares a lot of parallels with my own life in a way (bad siblings, learning to move on from an ugly past, etc.), it was quite personal and led to some disagreements with Mineira in where things should go.
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In the end it comes down to this: It is your story and you tell it the way you want to tell it 
[mention]Mineira1986[/mention] has brilliant insights but I must agree with [mention]Caesar73[/mention]. It is your story and you are doing very well with it.
Last edited by GreyLord 1 year ago, edited 1 time in total.
A List of my stories:An Unlikely Savior Completed
Spy Task Force Completed
Tale of an Archer Completed
The Bandit Scout on Newhome updated 05/30/23
[mention]Caesar73[/mention] and [mention]GreyLord[/mention] , too clarify, Mineira censored nothing. She was the kind-hearted editor every step of the way, but sometimes I was a stubborn old mule and refused to budge in a few places where her suggestions would have made the story better for the readers. Yes, my pride got in the way and kept this story from reaching its full potential. 
CGC Short Stories (F+f+/F+f+): viewtopic.php?f=8&t=20527
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Hello Alex I didn´t mean that [mention]Mineira1986[/mention] did censor anything. I always find her insights really helpful and they made my stories better. What I meant was this: At times one must follow where the story leads us. Nothing more
I didn´t mean that [mention]Mineira1986[/mention] did censor anything. I always find her insights really helpful and they made my stories better. What I meant was this: At times one must follow where the story leads us. Nothing more 
Finally got caught up. Did not expect from the first two chapters that this story would go so hard and heavy, but you did it in a tasteful way. Details that I thought were just character-development turned out to be plot-relevant. I'm pretty impressed!
Thanks to Mineira1986 for the banner!
Check out my stories on deviantart: https://www.deviantart.com/shotrow
I'm curious which details surprised you in this manner?
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Find my other CGC Stories in the same link above!
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Well, I thought a lot of Courtney's backstory was just characterization for the sake of characterization, so it surprised me that it turned out to be plot-relevant. It also surprised me that the story dealt with themes of abuse and mental trauma, and managed to navigate the emotions so well.
Thanks to Mineira1986 for the banner!
Check out my stories on deviantart: https://www.deviantart.com/shotrow