Hutch had gone next door to Kiko's house to help Kiko's mother move some furniture, I was on the couch watching 'more' TV. I couldn't do much of anything else anyway.
I had been out of the hospital for a couple of weeks and I still was as weak as a puppy, shaky as hell and so unsteady on my feet that Hutch would not let me even try to get up off the couch or out of the bed without him being there to steady me.
It made me mad at times to be so totally dependent on him but I still had so little strength. I really did need his help and I knew that he gave his help willingly.
When I did try to do a little bit of something by myself I usually got lightheaded and winded so fast that I would almost pass out.
Dr. Kellerman had told me that it would take quite a while for me to start to feel better and to regain my strength but I couldn't imagine it being this slow or taking this long. But at least I was alive.
Thank God for my partner. He was always there.
Hutch had phoned me from Kiko's house and asked if I minded some company; said that Kiko's mom was worried about the new friend of Kiko's that he was starting to spend a lot of time with.
For some reason Hutch wanted the kid to meet me.
I had no problem with that, but I didn't know what was so special about meeting me.
Hutch had hinted around that if this kid kept on the course he was taking he'd land in Juvenile Detention or worse, end up dead.
He had an attitude problem and for some reason Hutch must think that talking to me will help.
Don't see how but I was willing to give it a try.
I tried to sit up on the couch some but I couldn't get comfortable at all and I gave up. I laid back down.
...............
The front door opened and in came a boy of about fourteen, wearing a gang bandana and shirt.
The 'I'm bad attitude' written all over his face.
Kiko and Hutch followed him into the living room area and Hutch pointed Kiko in the direction of the kitchen.
Hutch and 'the bad attitude' came over to me on the couch.
"Starsk, this is Billy, Billy this is my partner Dave Starsky."
He gave Billy a push in my direction and motioned for Billy to sit down in the chair closest to the couch.
The kid greeted me with a reluctant, "Hello."
"You're a cop too, you're Hutch's partner, Kiko told me."
"Told me you got shot man."
"Said you almost died."
"That true?, you don't look so dead to me."
(Smart ass is what I wanted to say) but all I did was look up at Hutch, we were thinking the same thing.
This kid 'was' headed for 'juvie' if his attitude about life didn't change pretty damn quick.
"They used some kind of a machine gun on you."
"Wow."
"Far out."
Now I used to be the one picking up strays all the time. Hutch used to kid me about it.
"Yea Billy, I did get shot, doesn't really matter what kind of gun did it, bullets can kill and I almost did die."
I saw Hutch close his eyes and breathe in a deep breath at my last comment.
My shooting had taken a tremendous toll on my partner and he was far from over it.
"You run with the 'Red Scorpian's?" I asked him.
He was surprised that I recognized the bandana's colors and the lettering on his shirt that were trademarks of the gang.
"Thinkin about it........if they'll let me join them." "Yea."
(I knew this gang was hard core, into guns and knives)
(There were probably some unsolved assaults and maiming and maybe even a murder or two that they had been either directly or indirectly involved in, bad stuff)
"Billy, you ever see what a bullet does?"
"Whatcha mean man?"
"Sure, I seen plenty, I ain't no kid."
I pushed the afghan off of me and unto the floor.
I only had on a tee shirt and sweat pants under it.
"Let me show you something."
I pulled up my tee shirt as far as it would go and pushed down my sweat pants far enough that the bullet wounds and scars from the bullets were easily visible.
"My back looks worse where the bullets exited."
"I can show you that too."
They looked ugly, they were still red and in some places swollen and bruised, all black and blue.
The hundreds of stitches stood out against my skin screaming their message of destruction and near death.
The stitches on my stomach went clear down past where I had pulled my sweat pants. The area was bruised and still very painful.
My chest was just as bad, if not worse still black and blue with stitches everywhere.
There were indentations where the bullets had torn into my flesh.
More angry stitches, souvenirs of the surgeon's handiwork that had saved my life.
Scared me to look at them.
I saw the wide eyed look on Billy's eyes as he took in the sight of my body in front of him.
I took ahold of his hand and placed it on the worst of the scars and made him feel how the stiches and scars felt.
He tried to pull back but I held his hand for a minute or so.
I saw Hutch watching me from the corner of my eye, he had his arm around Kiko's shoulder.
"They hurt Billy, they hurt like hell.........not a pretty sight is it?"
"There's no blood now, but do you know that I lost most of my blood supply on the floor of the police garage?"
"If it hadn't been for the quick first aid that my partner gave me immediately after it happened, I'd have bled to death in less than five minutes."
"One of the bullets blasted my lung apart."
"I was drowning in my own blood, I could barely breathe."
I let go of Billy's hand, and it just dropped down by his side.
I hoped that I had scared the kid out of any thoughts of joining the 'Red Scorpians'.
Maybe if he saw firsthand what bullets can do in the wrong hands....
"I....I....gotta go........"
Billy was backing out of the door.
Hutch held his arm around Kiko's shoulder.
"Let him go Kiko, he has a lot to think about."
Hutch turned his attention to me.
He picked up the afghan and covered me back up with it after pulling down my tee shirt and pulling up my sweat pants.
"Starsk, you ok?"
"Partner, I can't believe you did that, I mean showed him the way you did............., that had to be awfully hard for you."
"Maybe it'll help some, make him think twice before he hooks up with any gang, I sure hope so." I said.
"Starsk, I saw the look on his face, I don't think he is going to go anywheres near any gang not after what he just saw."
"All I expected you to do was talk to him.......I never thought you would be able to show him like that............I am so proud of you, partner."
Kiko came over to me.
"Starsky, Hutch is right."
"I think that is just what Billy needed, an attitude adjustment like the one you just gave him."
"I hope so Billy, I hope so."
"Hey you think since I am the 'hero of the day' here that one of you could fix me a huge bowl of ice cream?"
"Which flavor do you want this time Starsk?"
...........rocky road, strawberry shortcake, rootbeer riot.............?
"How about all of umm?"
The End