ch 9 Like a Lion
Milt stood watching the ambulance pull away, shaken by the experience.
"Here," Sandy said as he pushed a towel into his hand. "Wipe off your pants. I'll take you home so you can change."
Hardcastle just stared at him, it figured that Sandy would be here, once this was billed as a hostage situation. It also figured that Sandy would be most concerned with him getting cleaned up.
"I'm not going home, I'm going to the hospital," he said as he wiped of his pants.
"Milt, he threw up on your pants!" Sandy hissed.
"It's hardly anything!" Hardcastle answered angrily. He glanced around and walked over to the hose on the floor and used it to rinse off his clothes. An image of the water torturing his friend made him feel sick.
"Milt, you need clean clothes," Sandy lectured sternly.
Hardcastle ignored him and continued to rinse off his pants the best he could. When he finished, he searched the area, then headed over to Frank Harper.
"I need a ride to the hospital," he said as he approached.
"I'll take you," Frank answered immediately, and soon they were in a police cruiser, heading to St Mary's Emergency Room.
ooOoo
"I don't care what your business is, you aren't going in," Milt said for what felt like the hundredth time as he stood outside the door, a self appointed guard.
Inside the treatment room, McCormick was being examined, and nothing would get in the way of the doctors doing their work. Milt knew that placing a chest tube would help McCormick breathe easier, and that would be a top priority, but he had a feeling that his friend's injuries were more extensive than he knew.
Frank and Mike were there too, and were helping the hospital security guards herd the milling crowd of reporters, police officers, ambulance chasers and miscellaneous bystanders in front of Room #3 back to the waiting area.
Snippets of conversation reached Frank's ears as he moved the mass of people.
"He's like a lion guarding his cub, who would believe it?" one officer's voice asked in wonderment.
"Not me," Frank whispered to himself.
"Not you what?" Mike Delaney asked, coming up behind his long time friend.
Frank rubbed a hand across his mouth, "the way Milt is guarding this guy…. and he never gave him up Mike… they tortured him for God sakes."
"Yeah," Mike replied quietly, "I know."
"I think there's more to this kid than we ever thought," Frank continued.
"Yeah buddy, I know," Mike said quietly.