Where Two Stand
Chapter 7
In the Waiting….
15 min…..
When Hutch was 15 minutes late I was annoyed. Today was a big day and I didn't want to miss any of it because Blondie was late. I thought of all the things I was going to tell him when he finally showed up. Then it hit me Hutch being late was like calling his car a thing of beauty. It just didn't happen well not too often anyway, especially if it was a court date or visiting hours not that Hutch ever paid attention to those set of rules.
Hutch was pretty good at his word, if he said he was going to be at a certain spot at such and such time then he was. That's just how it is, unless something kept him from getting to said appointment.
So where are you pal, hope you just over slept or something, cause I really don't want to think the alternative
30 min….
When he was 30 minutes late I was annoyed and starting to worry. All these scenarios of why he was late kept creeping into my head. I tried to think of the positive ones more than the negative ones. Like maybe the trashcan on wheels broke down, He over slept or he was already here just stopped to speak with my doctor about details of going on this little field trip.
A call to my Doctor revealed no Hutch. I called his house but the voice told me the line was down. There was no answer on his radio. Next I called Huggy but the employee, who answered the phone and I didn't know well, hadn't seen him since last night when huggy left The Pits like a bat out of hell.
The negative was starting to outweigh the positive. The top of the negative list was that Gunther somehow got to my partner. Hutch was one of the key witnesses in the trial so it was plausible. As time went on and there still was no Hutch the top negative was becoming my biggest fear.
I tried not to think about it. Tried not to think about why Huggy would leave in the middle of heavy trade. Why Hutch was late and hadn't called. In fact why hadn't anybody called me? But maybe that was a good sign. They would have come to the hospital or at least called if something happened. Right? No news was good news at least that is what I hope.
35 min….
My nurse must see the tension and anxiety I feel because she threatened to give me a shot if I didn't relax. I told her in not so nice and pleasant words what to do with that shot and get the hell out of my room.
45 min….
When Hutch was 45 minutes late I was no longer annoyed. Even Panicked wasn't correct and didn't fit the apprehension and fear slowly gripping my heart. I had long forgotten the positive reasons for Hutch being late and dwelled only on the negatives.
Images of Hutch gunned down in front of his place. The scene of a supposed accidental overdose by a closet Junkie Cop played over in my head melding with the ones of Hutch's body washed up on shore his face gone in what was to look like a suicide "the distraught friend unable to cope with his friend being gunned down."
I couldn't take it anymore and I finally tried to call Dobey, but when I was told Dobey was on his way to the hospital, my whole world started to crumble. All the images became real to me meaning one thing Gunther had gotten to Hutch and Hutch was dead.
55 min…
When Hutch was 55 minutes late I was standing beside my bed ready to search for Hutch my self. When Dobey walked in 10 minutes later, followed closely by Huggy the last bits of my world shattered and the bottom fell out.
"Dave" That was Dobey he never says my first name unless… unless… OH God Hutch!!
"Catch Him"
"Get some help in here"
"Where is that Doctor"
As everything faded to black I felt my self go from Dobey's arms to anothers. I would reconize them anywere. In the past they were protection when I was scared, comfort when I was hurt. But that couldn't be right, it couldn't be HUtch holding me, Gunther got to Hutch, Hutch was dead. Wasn't he? Oh please don't let these arms holding me be my imagination. And if it just a dream then let me stay because I can't face a reality without my friend.
