They both smiled, although neither could see the other.
The conversation ended when the paramedic informed Walter that they were ready to leave.
He placed the phone in his pocket and allowed the medical staff to help him into the ambulance.
As the vehicle pulled away from the station, he looked through the rear window.
The sheriff's office grew smaller behind him.
He did not know what would happen next.
But for the first time that morning, he was no longer locked inside a building controlled by Vance Hollister.
And the truth was beginning to move beyond those walls.
At the hospital, Walter was taken into an examination room.
A doctor reviewed Angela's initial assessment and ordered further imaging to check the injury to his head and shoulder. His neck was examined carefully because of the pressure described during the incident.
The doctor explained that even if Walter felt better, symptoms could develop later.
Walter listened and followed the instructions.
He was not interested in making the situation more dramatic than it needed to be.
He simply wanted to recover.
After the examination, a nurse helped him change into a clean hospital shirt. His old jacket was placed in a property bag because it contained visible blood.
A few minutes later, Tessa arrived.
She was not wearing any ceremonial uniform or surrounded by a large group of officers. She had come through the hospital entrance quietly and asked the reception desk for her father.
When she entered the room, Walter looked up.
For a moment, she did not speak.
She walked directly to his bedside and examined his face.
TESSA: "Dad."
WALTER: "Hello, sweetheart."
She took his hand.
TESSA: "You should have called me sooner."
Walter gave a tired smile.
WALTER: "I was hoping to finish breakfast."
Tessa looked down.
Her eyes moved toward the medical bandage near his temple.
TESSA: "I wish I had been there."
WALTER: "You can't be everywhere."
TESSA: "I know."
She pulled a chair beside the bed and sat down.
TESSA: "The county has been notified. The oversight office is reviewing the incident. The diner footage may also be available."
Walter nodded.
WALTER: "Darcy saw what happened."
TESSA: "The waitress?"
WALTER: "Yes. She tried to help."
Tessa made a note.
TESSA: "Do you remember the names of anyone else who was there?"
Walter thought for a moment.
WALTER: "There was an older man by the window. A young mother with a boy. And a delivery driver."
Tessa wrote down the descriptions.
TESSA: "We'll make sure their statements are handled properly."
Walter looked at her.
WALTER: "Don't make people feel forced to speak."
Tessa paused.
TESSA: "I won't."
WALTER: "They have families. They have jobs. Some of them may be afraid of the sheriff."
TESSA: "I understand."
Walter squeezed her hand.
WALTER: "The truth matters. But people should be allowed to tell it without being threatened."
Tessa nodded.
She understood that her father was thinking beyond his own injuries.
He was worried about the witnesses.
He was worried about the people who lived in the county and depended on the sheriff's department.
That was one of the reasons she respected him.
He had never measured justice by how much punishment someone else deserved. He measured it by whether people could live without fear.
Tessa leaned back.
TESSA: "You haven't changed."
WALTER: "Neither have you."
They spent the next several minutes discussing his medical treatment and the events at the station.
Walter answered every question carefully.
He explained that the deputy had placed his hands around his throat after the sheriff entered the corridor. He described how Vance had grabbed his jacket, pulled him forward, and threatened to keep him in custody until he signed the statement.
Tessa listened without interrupting.
When he finished, she looked at him.
TESSA: "Did the sheriff say anything about my position?"
WALTER: "He asked who you were."
TESSA: "And what did you tell him?"
WALTER: "That you serve your country."
Tessa smiled faintly.
TESSA: "That sounds like you."
Walter looked toward the window.
WALTER: "I didn't want to use your name to frighten him."
TESSA: "You didn't."
WALTER: "I wanted him to understand that someone would ask questions."
Tessa nodded.
TESSA: "They will."
Back at the sheriff's station, the first official review had begun.
Two representatives from the county oversight office arrived with a written request for the relevant records. They were accompanied by a civilian legal adviser who would supervise the collection of evidence.
Vance greeted them in the lobby.
His smile looked practiced.
VANCE: "Gentlemen. I wasn't expecting you so soon."
INVESTIGATOR: "Sheriff Hollister, we appreciate your cooperation."
VANCE: "Of course. This is a straightforward matter."
INVESTIGATOR: "We'll determine that after reviewing the evidence."
Vance gestured toward the conference room.
The investigators placed their folders on the table.
They requested the incident report, the booking record, the medical assessment, the station camera footage, and the names of all personnel who had interacted with Walter.
Vance handed over the documents he had prepared.
The lead investigator read the first page.
INVESTIGATOR: "Your report states that Mr. Walter became physically aggressive before officers used force."