Wasted Time
Prologue
Huggy surveyed the hallway of the crumbling tenement, correction he surveyed what he could see of it in the dingy light. The smell however had assaulted his nostrils before he had even opened the door to the dilapidated lobby. It had seen better days and a number of working ladies seemed to be hanging around the pay phone on the far wall. He squinted at the crumpled piece of paper he had retrieved from his pocket and preceded towards the stairwell with a small ache beginning to form in his heart.
As he entered the third floor landing, he could hear a baby crying in the distance. The jumbled sound of TV's and stereos also permeated his ears. This was no way for any sane human being to live, and he wondered how many dead bodies were scrapped up from here on a monthly basis. A door creaked behind him, unnerving him a little, but his quest was far too important to give up on now. Taking a deep breath to calm himself a little, he also managed to quell the uneasiness at the pit of his stomach. It was not that he wasn't used to places like this, hell his formative years had been spent like this, it was just that now he had moved on, he had made the best of what God had given him and he would rather not be remind of how easy it would be to find himself back here.
He reached the door to apartment 316 and took another breath, what was the worst he could find? He asked himself. What ever it was he could deal with it, he kind of knew what to expect anyway. You didn't end up in a place like this, if everything in your world was hunky dory! It was the degree of the problem that had him wondering. Oh heck, no time like the present he thought to himself and gently tapped on the door. When no response was evident, he tapped the door a little more loudly and reached for the door handle. To his surprise the door opened with a small click and he slipped silently into the apartment.
If the corridor had assaulted his senses then it was turn of his gag reflex to spring into action. The stench was like nothing he had come across before. This was a little scary considering some of the places he had found himself in his life. He headed straight for the window pushing it up and inhaled some semi stagnant air from the alleyway below. As daylight filtered into the apartment, Huggy shook his head astounded at the squalor. The place probably hadn't been painted since the fifties, no make that forties he thought to himself. Paint and wall paper were peeling, and greenish damp patches invaded from the outside walls. The kitchenette stood in disarray, all the surfaces strewn with half empty take out boxes, the kitchen bin was overflowing with liquor bottles. Huggy let out a heavy sigh, and then his eyes focused on the adjoining room and the person sprawled face down on the bed.
He approached carefully, although he seriously doubted that his old friend was in any condition to pull a weapon on him, Then again he didn't relish the idea of being proved wrong on that point either. The bed clothes were torn and stained and a half empty bottle of bourbon stood on the bedside table. Last nights supper no doubt? Gently kicking more trash carefully out of the way, he continued to search the room looking for evidence that his friend had been using. He was happy that so far he had found none. Drying him out would be far preferable than going cold turkey, not that either was an easy option. Finally when he was happy that he had all the information he needed, he let his eyes drift to the figure on the bed.
Huddled in the foetal position wearing off white boxers and a grimy t shirt, his friend lay in an alcohol induced slumber. He looked and smelt like he hadn't seen a bathroom in days, no make that weeks Huggy thought as he stepped closer. His friend had added a tatty matted beard to that preposterous moustache, both were now speckled with grey. His familiar light blonde hair, now hung long and greasy interspersed with silver tendrils; tell tale signs of his recent lifestyle choices Huggy supposed. Fine wrinkles now disguised the boyish good looks, and his skin was sallow and damp looking. Large bluish indentations sat under his eyes, his cheek bones protruding indicating significant weight loss despite an obvious diet of junk food. Huggy could hear a definite wheeze as he expelled the fetid air.
"Aw Hutch" He stated solemnly "What the hell have you done to yourself?"
Huggy had no doubt in his mind that Hutch was not going to be best pleased to see him and as his question had not been dignified by any sort of response in his mind there was only one way to go. He walked back to the kitchenette and grabbed a semi clean pan and filled it will ice cold water "Kill or cure my man kill or cure!"