"Name?"

"Louis Provenza."

"Age?"

"Twenty-eight."

"Do you have your papers from the physical eval?"

"Yeah." Lou pulled the slightly crumpled two-page packet out of his back pocket. "Here."

The recruiting officer took them with a raised eyebrow and unfolded them, smoothing them as best he could. "Psych eval?"

"They wouldn't give 'em to me, kid. Think they were worried I'd screw with them."

The officer's face reddened, but he was clearly several years younger.

"Some respect, please."

Lou snorted. "Kid, this is respect. I can show you dis-"

"Why do you want to join the LAPD?" the boy interrupted.

"I tried the LAFD for a while, but I've decided I'm not to keen on fire." Once burned, twice cautious. 

"You have to expect to fire and be fired upon-"

"Not guns, kid. Flames." Lou sat up and leaned forward. "I'm not doing fire anymore."

"But why the LAPD?"

He sighed and was quiet for a rare moment. "I like the idea of bossing people around."

The kid frowned. "Look-"

"I'm assuming my rank with transfer from the LAFD?"

"Yeah, but-"

"No, kid, you look." Lou tapped the desk with one knuckle. "I've been on the streets longer than you. I've seen more than you, rescued people from burning-" his voice cracked and he stopped. "There's some kind of. . . I don't know. It's nice to save people, to know you're doing something good in a scummy world. I can't live without it."

"You're an adrenaline junkie," the kid stated flatly.

Lou snorted, leaning back. "And you're an idiot if that's what you're getting out of this discussion." He stood. "Thanks for your time, Officer. I've used enough of it, and you're clearly looking for someone else." He saluted sarcastically and left the office. Christ, Lou, you really blew it.

Russell Taylor set Louis Provenza's docket down on his desk. He felt like he shouldn't like the man, but something in the former firefighter seemed genuine, once one cut through the caustic exterior. Provenza had more experience than all the others who had walked through the door that day. He seemed quicker and more prepared. He'd passed the physical with flying colors, as well as the psych eval, though the latter suggested there was a possibility for trouble-making.

He'd take the risk. Taylor wrote up his recommendation in the appropriate space on the recruitment packet, signed the bottom with a flourish, and set it in his outbox. Provenza would be getting a call within the next few days, notice of a sign-on bonus and a new job as a Sergeant in Robbery-Homicide.