Don't Call Me

Missing Scene to Ironside, S5/ep3 "The Gambling Game"

Around 47 minutes into the episode, I never understood why Ed should offer Fran his shoulder after they got off on the wrong foot with each other. How could he think that she would want to see him of all people?

"Sealgirl" wrote a wonderful "missing scene" about this problem ("A Shoulder to Cry On"). Here is a slightly different approach.

"Lady, if you're ever in trouble – don't call me."

At that Ed turned around and walked out.

As long as Ironside was around he had managed to seem more or less cool and nonchalant, but under the calm surface he was seething. Although it was late he could not drive home and sleep right now. He needed some fresh air.

Fran Belding, the saucy little miss! She had maligned him, had implied that he was afraid of taking on that beefcake earlier this evening.
Yes, the man had been superior to him physically, but if it had been of the slightest utility he would have attacked a heavier and stronger adversary any time, even at the risk of getting bashed.
But they had only been there to observe. Fran had almost blown their cover. And then she had put it as if he had courted her. It really, really ticked him off!

He didn't care about Mark having a laugh at his expense.
But what did Ironside think?

He cared a great deal about what the Chief thought about him. After all these years Ironside was still his shining example. His hero. His father-figure.
Since the first day he knew him he had tried to meet his standards, well aware that it was next to impossible, and that Ironside would not tell him that he was satisfied, not even on the rare occasions when he was. After years of working with him he was used to that.
He was used to standing alone. He was used to having to be strong and independent. He was used to being the one responsible, the one to protect others, to encourage others, to give others a pat on the back.

Nobody ever did it to him - well, hardly ever: not physically, he was just too tall for that, but not in the figurative sense either. Ironside hardly ever commended him, and others didn't do it at all. He was the Chief's man. Nobody felt confident enough - or nobody dared - to judge his actions anymore. Consequently nobody commended or encouraged him, and of course nobody came up with the idea of having to protect him.

Instead people listened to him, no matter what rank, up to the Commissioner, because he was the Chief's man.
Eve Whitfield had once said that they also listened to him because he was the Chief's man – meaningthe one the Chief had chosen to be his assistant, meaning that he was worthy of it. He didn't dare to believe that.

Anyway. Sometimes he wished he had the right to show a weakness, or his exhaustion, or his sorrow.
He wished once in a while somebody would protect or pat him…

Well, it was not meant to be. The only encouragement he knew was the feeling that he had done all right in the Chief's eyes. But tonight he had no idea what Ironside thought of him.

And yes, with Eve it had been different. He missed her terribly. Sometimes she had been arrogant, but she had been a real partner, and she had genuinely cared; she had brought some warmth into Ironside's office.

Now the office had become cold. He didn't have a partner anymore. Instead he had to work with this impossible girl who had made him appear as a dumbass, and, what was worse, who prevented the Chief from going to the hospital. That's what he could not forgive her. Should something happen to the Chief, should he get worse…

It hit him like a blow to his stomach. How could he waste a single thought on his busted ego when Ironside was so bad – in so much pain, and in danger of losing even more of his mobility? Ed felt deeply ashamed of himself.

The Chief had trusted him, had trusted that he would do his job, and Ed had failed him when he had needed him so badly.

The entire evening had been a waste of time, and time was something the Chief did not have; the evening was a complete failure.

Ok, maybe not a complete failure since he had got the information they needed.

But yes, it was a failure after all. He should have taken care of the girl. The Chief had trusted him with her, and he had let him down.

Brown could have slapped himself, but that would not have helped.

What could he do now to limit the damage? What did the Chief need?

He needed a bed in the hospital.

That was impossible to get for him. Ironside would not leave before the case was closed, especially not now that he felt that he could not trust his right-hand man to handle the situation, including the girl, or so Ed thought.

The feeling of guilt overwhelmed him. It was his fault that the Chief didn't quit, his fault alone if something happened to Ironside now because he would not go to the hospital!

Ed urged himself to calm down. He would not help Ironside at all if he panicked. Back to square one: What did the Chief need?

The next best thing was a bed in the hospital as soon as possible.

What could Ed do to ensure that he got that?
Not much actually, but at any rate Ironside would need his Sergeant at his best, at his very best. Ed would do everything in his power to solve the case as soon as possible. He would not rest until the job was done. He would even accept the fact that he had to work with Fran Belding.

The girl was half of the problem anyway. The Chief wanted him to take care of her. She needed him and he had failed her as well. She had lost her father and his memory was being smeared.

Ed had lost his father too, but he had some wonderful memories of him. Nobody could take them away – and nobody had ever tried to.

But instead of being empathetic and caring he had rejected her.

His face turned red and hot when he thought of what he had said: "If you're ever in trouble – don't call me."
It was the worst, the most hostile thing he had ever said to a living soul. Of course he would help everybody who was in trouble, woman or man or child, even a crook… not because it was his job but just because it had to be done.

The poor girl. She would not want his help now, never ever.
There was not much he could do about this either.

For several minutes he walked on, trying to find a solution.

There was none. He was ready to take the responsibility the way he usually did, yet he could not do anything but give his best.

If she would give him the slightest chance he would do the first step towards her.
If not, he would just have to accept it and hope that she would manage on her own.

Meanwhile he would just be there and do his job to the best of his knowledge and belief.

If only Fran Belding would recover from what she had to go through. And if only the Chief would not have to suffer anymore…