I had to get down to Eddie's Pawn Shop and I had to do it without Hutch.
That was going to be the roughest part. I wasn't supposed to drive yet, not that I felt well enough to anyway.
It was still an effort to try to dress myself each morning.
Hell, the first few weeks home from the hospital, Hutch had to help me on with my underwear. If it had been anyone else doing these intimate things for me I'd have gone crazy, but with "Blondie" we kidded around about it.
I told him one morning when he helped me on with my briefs that if this was to become a habit, that I wanted a definite "committment" from him.
He about died from laughter.
He said, I'd have to promise to shave my legs though.
He said, "You know, Starsk, you are demented." "You do know that?"
Yup, I said, from spending all these years with you.
Kidding around like this was one of the ways we handled this mess that
Gunther had left us with. And that mess was me.
I knew I really should get someone to go with me...Hey, maybe Huggy, I know he'd help but then I remembered that he was going to be out of town for a few days and I couldn't afford to wait that long.
I decided to call myself a taxi.
I paid the taxi driver and made my way inside to "Eddie's"
He was behind the cash register counting his receipts of the day.
"Hi, Eddie, I said.
"Well, well, Detective Starsky, he was looking around for Hutch because he said.
"Where's your other half?"
"Oh, he's at the precinct.
Look, Eddie, I found this pawn slip on the bathroom floor this morning after Hutch left for work.
I want to buy this back.
Hutch had pawned one of the two things that had meant something to him...his grandfather's pocket watch.
Hutch isn't close to his family...they don't approve of their college graduate son's choice of careers, but he really loved his grandfather.
>From what Hutch has told me his grandfather was the most important person in his life while he was growing up.
And now his only link to him since he had died was that pocket watch which he treasured.
And , Oh, God, the reason it is here in a pawn shop in the first place is because of me, all because of me.
Eddie really was a good sort and a good snitch at times. I believe he was glad that I'd come for the watch. He liked Hutch and me.
He reached under the counter and handed the watch to me and I paid him.
My wallet had $18.00 left in it and I had just received my disability check for this month a few days ago.
The whole damn check wouldn't cover all my bills, right now I didn't care, I would worry about the bills later. Hutch was gonna get that watch back no matter what.
Hell, I'd let Eddie hold the title to the torino if I had too.
Hutch had dug into his own savings more times than I care to think about but when I tried to protest my partner declared. "Starsky, this is not up for discussion."
I want to do this for you and thats that. So, shut up....and then he said very softly.
"I love you and I want to help you".
And I let him because nothing would have stopped me from helping him if our situations were reversed.
He loves me that much and I love him that much.
I dropped the watch in my jacket pocket and turned to use the payphone on the wall to call for a taxi to take me back home when all of a sudden I felt a stabbing pain grab at my chest and move down to my stomach.
The pain was coming on me like a freight train and I was feeling very sick to my stomach and awfully lightheaded.
Eddie came around the counter to me. "Starsky, are you ok?"
"Man, you look like you're gonna pass out."
I tried to will myself to be OK but if Eddie hadn't pulled up a chair for me to sit down in I'd have landed in a heap on the floor.
Even sitting down the pain shot through my chest and stomach and I thought for sure I was going to be sick.
I really was a mess.
I closed my eyes and heard a phone being dialed. I heard Eddie's voice say:
I need to talk to Sargeant Hutchinson and no, it can't wait, I need to talk to him now!"
"Aw Hutch, this is Eddie, Pawn Shop Eddie..........Hutch must have thought that Eddie had information for him because I heard Eddie say, no nothing yet.
"But, aw, your partner is here and I heard an excited and worried Hutch yell from the other end of the phone line............."What did you say?" He's where?"
"Calm down, Hutch, he's safe, just think he overdid it some........look I'll stay with him until you get here.
He hung the phone up and walked back over to me. "Your partner is on his way".
By this time the pain in my chest and stomach was considerable and all I wanted was one of those "magic" pills of mine and for Hutch to come and get me and take me home.
I was glad when I was Hutch running through the entrance of the pawn shop.
He skidded to a halt in front of me and knelt down in front of me.
He had a terrified look on his face and he was visibly trembling.
One hand went to feel my forehead and the other gently placed on my chest.
My White Knight was here.
His voice was shaky.
"Starsky, Are you ok?".
"God, you scared the hell out of me, Buddy, what are you doing here?"
"You're not strong enough or well enough to be out like this".
He ran his hand through my hair and the other one alongside my cheek.
"Now, tell me, What was so important that you couldn't wait for me to take you?"
"Hutch, I said, I wanted to get your grandfather's watch back for you..........I found the pawn slip on the bathroom floor this morning after you went to work.
I know how much that watch means to you and if it weren't for me, me being like this you wouldn't had had to pawn it in the first place.
I can't seem to do anything right anymore.
"Oh, partner," Hutch looked away from me and when he turned back around to face me his eyes were filling up with tears.
"Buddy, listen...........yes that watch means a lot to me, but...it's just a watch....
Nothing and no one means more to me than you do.
"You are all the good that has happened in my life".
He helped me to the car, one arm gently around my waist, the other under my elbow.
He started the car. Put one arm on the steering wheel and the other lightly rubbed my shoulder.
I reached into my jacket pocket and gave him the watch.
He pulled the car over to the curb and shut the engine off and moved across the seat closer to me and he reached over to hold me.
My best friend held me tenderly to him all the time rubbing my back and I leaned into the comfort of that familiar embrace...........a place where my body would be able to rest from the pain.
I closed my eyes and knew that I was loved.