Goodbye, My Friend
Eric Delko had volunteered to pack up his best friend's apartment. He had been so busy that he hadn't had a chance. Until now.
Delko was packing the living room. He thought he would start there as it would probably be the hardest room to do. And he was right.
The first thing he had come across was a photo album, something he never even knew Speed had had. He opened the cover and the memories flooded him.
"What I want to know is how did this rat get from your apartment to this boat?" Delko joked.
"You're really funny." Speed replied.
Eric had just smiled. He loved that guy. There was so much they had been through together. And so much more he wanted to share with Speed.
"Ever date a stripper?" Speed had asked once.
"I wouldn't call it dating" Delko had replied.
There was a lot of times they had fun at the expense of each other's love lives, or lack of them.
"I had my cell phone on vibrate. I was busy-didn't wanna get disturbed." Delko explained.
"Busy with the left hand?" Speed quipped.
"Yeah…funny…"
All the times they ribbed each other, Delko knew that Speed was his best friend. And he was Speed's. It was just the way it was.
"What have you got?" Speed asked.
"A car explosion. Burned victim. Checking for cognac used as an accelerant. Can you beat that?" Delko replied.
"Yeah. I got a priest shot with a rifle dead in a church."
"That's not bad."
"Not bad?"
"It's not bad."
"It's at least a draw. You're not going to beat me with a burned out car."
"Oh, boys and their measuring sticks. You guys crack me up." Calleigh had interjected.
Speed had cracked him up too. Delko missed laughing with him. And at times, at him.
"That's a good time to look for the un-obvious." Delko said.
"I'm aware of that. H says that to me all the time." Speed responded.
"You know, it's great minds…"
"You're unbelievable."
"I am," Delko added cheerfully.
As he flipped through the photo album, tears welled in his eyes. He missed Speed. He had been quiet when it happened. Didn't share much.
"I've got an officer down!"
When he heard Horatio's voice, he knew it had to be bad. He just didn't know how bad.
He died inside when he found Speedle. He couldn't show emotion. He didn't know if he even could.
At the funeral, he was Calleigh's support. And Horatio's and Alexx's rock. He felt he had to be. For their sakes.
He went home that night and vowed to make Speed proud of him. No matter what.
Eric closed the photo album and put it in the box. He got up of the couch and went to the window. It was sun set, Speed's favorite time of day. Delko looked out the window and watched the horizon. And for the first time since Speed's death, he wept.
"Goodbye, my old friend."