"Exactly what you heard, Romeo. This is crazy. It's against my belief. I can't imagine myself being a partaker of something that's against my faith," Tony confirmed his decision to back out.
His lips weren't shaking either, and his legs were struggling to stand firm on the ground. He didn't stutter or mince words. It was as though he'd been waiting for this moment all his life to express his dissatisfaction.
"Your beliefs?" Romeo giggled. He paced around the office and returned a few seconds later.
"Please tell me this is a joke. It's too early to joke with a situation like this," Romeo doubted Tony.
Despite the seriousness on Tony's face, Romeo still didn't think he meant every damn word he said.
"I wouldn't utter a word to you anymore. I rather wait for the officer to show up. Perhaps, you are going to believe me when I say it to his face," Tony stated and stepped backwards. Those were the only words he uttered.
"he's serious about it,"
Romeo muttered in disbelief. Tony was the last person he thought would choose to rebel against Lucas. He had always perceived Tony to be a quiet type.
"What if Lucas decides to dismiss you for making such an outrageous decision?" Romeo asked for clarification. He believed that Tony wouldn't be stupid enough to sacrifice his job for some religious beliefs.
"Who cares about the damn Job? He can go to hell for all I care. The most important thing is maintaining my relationship with God. That's what matters to me right now. Every other earthly thing doesn't add up. In the end, I know heaven is the goal. I won't let anything ruin my chances of making heaven," Tony vowed.
Romeo was perplexed. He hasn't witnessed anyone so confident as Tony before. Now he understands why Tony is always calm and speechless.
Knowing it was a lost battle, Romeo stopped worrying about Tony. He knew that no amount of pressure would make Tony succumb.
"Who else among you want to back out like Tony? Don't be scared. Just admit it already and we are good to go. Trust me, I am not going to pick an offense," Romeo assured the others. He wants to be sure that Tony hasn't influenced others with his religious beliefs.
"Who else
No one?" Romeo asked again the moment no one answered. A thousand times, he asked until he got tired of asking and decided to stay calm and wait for Lucas to show up.
----
Meanwhile, Lucas was sweating over the phone with Nurse Elizabeth as they spent the last couple of minutes, arguing about Dexter's situation.
Unlike Lucas, Elizabeth doesn't want to press charges against Dexter. Seeing how wealthy Dexter's Father is, Nurse Elizabeth is scared that her life might be in danger if Dexter is prosecuted.
"You can't be serious, are you? Isn't that something you've always wanted from the onset? Why the sudden change of mind? Make it make sense to me right now," Lucas yelled at Nurse Elizabeth as the argument got even worse.
His voice was so loud that it echoed in his office.
"Did you guys hear that voice? It sounded like Officer Lucas. I think he's having a heated moment with Nurse Elizabeth," Romeo informed the others as the voice caught his attention, making it difficult for him to ignore.
"What should I do about that?" Tony snarled.
"It's not enough to make me change my mind and there's nothing you or anyone can do to change it," Tony angrily voiced out.
Tony's decision to bow out dealt a major blow to Romeo. In recent times, Tony has proved to be quite skilled and intelligent. It's safe to say that he's the smartest among the other cops.
Romeo is quite confident that Tony's departure will be felt, hence his struggle to get Tony back to the team.
Upon seeing that he had become the center of attraction, Officer Lucas stepped outside and went straight to where his car was parked. He would rather not let everyone find out about his evil plot against Dexter.
"Now see what you caused. Everyone thinks I'm going crazy," Lucas complained to Nurse Elizabeth and blamed her.
"That's on you,
I wasn't the one that asked you to go yelling over there. I just made a valid point. Too bad you are refusing to listen to me," Nurse Elizabeth smirked. She remained firm on her decision without being scared that her decision would get on Lucas's nerves.
"Would you rather I get arrested?
Is that what you wish for the one you love?" Elizabeth tossed the provocative question at Officer Lucas. The question put him in a difficult situation and seized his vocal cords. He suddenly forgot what he wanted to say.
"What do you mean by that?
Who's getting you arrested and for what reason?" Lucas stuttered. The utterances suddenly became too heavy to emanate from his lips. Nurse Elizabeth finally caught him off guard. It was something he had never seen.
"Dexter's Father is fucking wealthy.
It's only a matter of time before he finds out that I got his son arrested. I don't want to remind you what happens when he doesn't get to find his son," Nurse Elizabeth explained without actually hitting the nail on the head.
"Don't worry, no one is getting you arrested. Why don't you quit the job now before Dexter's Father finds out?" Officer Lucas suggested.
"Are you fucking stupid?
Did you just listen to yourself right now? I am carrying your baby. There's no way I'm risking my life just to satisfy your ego," Elizabeth sparked outrageously and ended the phone before Lucas got the chance to speak further. He kept staring at his phone like a lost soul. He tried calling her back to confirm what she said about the pregnancy. Unfortunately for Lucas, she wasn't taking the calls. Neither did she return the missed calls.
"Nurse Elizabeth is pregnant for me?'
Lucas muttered succinctly as his voice echoed back to him. Thousands of questions plagued his head with no one to respond to any of them.
