Well, the day was finally here. I was going home from the hospital where I had been for the last two months.
I was waiting for Hutch to pick me up. He was so excited about taking me home.
At least now he would be sleeping in his own bed instead of in a chair beside my hospital bed.
Just last night we made the rounds...........him pushing me in a wheelchair saying my thanks and goodbyes to all the folks involved with my recovery.
"Hey, Hutch, I said to him". "Let's find Dr. Kellerman".
This man had literally saved my life.
He had been in the Trauma Center when the paramedics had brought me in that day and he had supervised my care every step of the way.
If he hadn't cared enough to try to hit me with those paddles that one last time, I would never have come out of my cardiac arrest.
Whew, that still sends chills up and down me when I hear someone speak of that.
Hutch still has a problem talking about it, it scared the hell out of him............still does.........even to talk about it.
Blondie and I will have to work that one out together later.
At least now there is going to be a "later".
"Ok, Starsk, let's see if the nurses know where he is".
He wheeled me over to the Nurse's Station and asked.
He turned back to me and said.
"Looks like we're in luck, he's in his office.
I made Hutch stop outside of the Doctor's office.
I didn't know what I wanted to say to this man who had held my life in his hands and had literally given my life back to me, but I had to try.
I looked up at Hutch, "No, I said, Please just help me out of this chair.......
"I want to "walk" into his office and tell him".
I don't know why this was so important to me but it was.
My partner just looked down at me and softly said. "Aww, Babe, I wish you wouldn't, but OK".
"Just let me do most of the work."
I had too, my legs were like rubber and any movement that I made still sent spasms of pain up and down my stomach, back and chest.
He practically lifted me out of the wheelchair, I had zero energy of my own and I hurt all over.
I closed my eyes and waited for the spasms to pass.
"Starsk, Are you allright?"
"Are you sure you want to do this?'
I answered him the only way I could,with a nod of my head. He held on to me to be sure my legs would hold me up.
"I'm ok, but please don't let go of me", I said to him.
"I don't intend to partner, not now, not ever."
He knocked on the door and at the same time opened it as I heard my Doctor's voice say, "Come on in".
We walked into the Doctor's office and he got up from behind his desk
and walked over to us.
With Hutch still holding on to me all he had to do was point to the
couch in the corner of the room.
(Man, this walking thing isn't all it's cracked up to be.)
I was sweating from the exertion.
Hutch eased me down unto the cushions of the couch and sat down beside me, one arm still around my shoulder.
I was grateful to be off my feet..........just those few precious steps and I thought I'd run a marathon.
I really must have been sweating from the effort it took to walk because Hutch reached over and pushed a stray curl away from my face.
Concern etched in his eyes.
He was still so frightened for me, and I sure wasn't easing his mind much but I was trying.
"I'm Ok, I'm just winded a little".
He looked at me and tenderly said, "I know Buddy, I know".
There was so much love in just those few words said to me.
"So you're leaving us tomorrow, David", my Doctor said.
"Yea, is all I said.'" All the things I had planned to say to this man and I couldn't find the words to say them.
I looked over at Hutch for help.
My partner said it for me.
"Dr, Kellerman, Jim..........I.........We, how do we say, "Thank you" for what you did for us?"
"You gave my partner's life back to him and you gave me back my partner and I'll thank you forever for that."
"You're both welcome". "You know, it's not often that I get to save "two" lives.......and that's what I feel has happened here."
And he looked at me, "David, I know you are going to have a long hard and painful road ahead of you for quite sometime, but I know that you will make it just fine."
"And you let your partner take care of you......you need that, and he needs that."
He went on to say that he had seen too many of his patients leave the hospital not knowing what was going to happen to them or who would care for them when they went home.
"And I'm still only a phone call away for any questions or problems, you remember that".
"You don't have to wait for a scheduled visit".
"Ok, David?"
"Yes", I said. So far I seemed to have a vocabulary of "one".
I heard myself thank the Doctor for everything.......for my life, I didn't know what else to say, that really summed it all up.
"You're welcome, David, most welcome".
Then he got really serious and said. "And, Please, the "both" of you, not just you David, think about what we talked about a few days ago".
"Please promise me that much".
I saw Hutch look over at me and then back to the Doctor.
"We will, Dr. Kellerman, I promise."
He really wanted Hutch and I off the streets.
The Doctor shook my hand and then Hutch's.
Hutch helped me up from the couch and back into the wheelchair, easing me into it as gently as he could.
Everytime I winced, everytime I cried out or moaned from the pain I could see a little bit of Hutch's heart break.........I saw it in those incredibly blue eyes of his.
It tore him up to see me this way and it tore me up to see him this way.
We went back to my room and he settled me down in my bed for the last time.
"See you in the morning, Gordo".
And as an afterthought he bent down and kissed me on the forehead.
I think it embarrased him some........it made me feel loved........and I fell asleep almost instantly.
All my things were packed up, my nurse Maryanne had done it for me.
I was waiting for Hutch.
Then I looked up to see my partner standing in the doorway of my room, his hands on the wheelchair in front of him. He pushed it over to the chair I was sitting in.
"Hey , Buddy, You ready to blow this place?"
When I didn't answer him right off he kneeled down in front of me and placed both his hands over mine.
"Hey, you ok Starsk?"
There was a wealth of love and concern in those eyes and in his voice.
He was so tender with me.........but he could be so deadly out there on the streets...but this is the Hutch that belongs only to me.
This is the Hutch that will get me through whatever the future has in store for me.
"Yup, I said, let's blow this place, partner."
I looked out of the passenger's side view mirror of the car and watched as the hospital faded into the distance.
Hutch pulled the car up to the front of the house and turned off the engine but made no move to get out of the car.
Slowly he turned and looked over at me and there were tears in his eyes.
Tears of happiness, tears of relief, tears for our past, our present, and our future.
Tears for "Me and Thee."
............................For today begins the 1st day of the rest
of our
lives.............