Harvey's Christmas Wish
Chapter 6 Murdock's Request
"Negatory, buddy. It can't be a commercial chopper. It's gotta be a stunt birdie." Murdock shook his head and glanced at Face. "After all, you don't want me to crash it, do ya?"
"I don't know if I can scam something like that. And this close to Christmas, it may be difficult." The conman hoped his friend would opt for something less.
Like maybe a drive in a stretch limo or a flight in a rental crop duster. He had his doubts about why Murdock even needed an hour or two with such an aircraft.
Unless . . .
"Uh, Murdock, this wouldn't have anything to do with Harvey, would it?" Face ran his hand along his chin, gauging his friend's reaction.
A guilty but mischievous smirk confirmed Face's suspicion. "You won't tell him, will you? It's his Christmas gift." The pilot's tone was gleeful.
Well . . . If Murdock wants to put on a little air show type demonstration for the kid . . . maybe it'll be alright. He knows how to handle helicopters as well as I know how to handle women. Or a scam.
Murdock was staring at him, fidgeting, waiting for a promise to secrecy.
"Yeah, okay. I won't tell." The Lieutenant gave in.
"You can't tell Donna, Hannibal, B. A. and 'specially not Harvey. Raise your right hand and swear to it." Murdock raised his hand and glared at Face until he complied. "Say it."
"I swear I will not tell anybody else that I'm scamming a stunt helicopter for you." Face sighed deeply and lowered his hand.
Murdock grinned and slapped Face on the shoulder. "There, now that wasn't too hard, was it?"
The Lieutenant wondered if now was the best time to tell the pilot the truth about his young friend. His reverie was broken by Murdock's impatience.
"We gotta get over to the youth center now. Harvey and me, we're gonna read my Blackhawks comic books. He's never heard of the Blackhawks. Can you believe that?" The pilot shook his head in disbelief. He gripped a brown paper bag of nine vintage 60s comics. "He'll love these."
As soon as they came in the door, Face saw the kid was not looking better. If nothing else, the circles under his eyes had darkened and he had grown perceptibly thinner. The kid sported a patchy buzz haircut, probably to offset the hair loss that came with chemo. The flash of a smile he gave Murdock as he approached seemed too large for his face.
The Lieutenant knew his friend was not blind to the change.
The pilot tossed the paper bag with his vintage comics on the table and sat, his body and face turned toward the kid. Face saw Murdock touch the kid's balding head and ask Harvey something.
Then his friend enveloped Harvey in a tight embrace. Burying his face in the pilot's shoulder, the kid wrapped his skinny arms around his neck and sobbed. It was then Face knew he would not have to tell Murdock anything.
The kid knows. And now Murdock does, too.
The pilot drew back, a glassy look to his eyes, and scanned the room for B. A. Face chided himself for his lies and procrastination.
Friends don't keep secrets, especially ones which hurt even worse when finally revealed.
He wondered if Murdock would ever fully forgive him. Would he be able to forgive himself?
AN: The Blackhawks were a fictional World War II squadron of pilots which appeared in their own comic book series from 1941 to 1984.