Euphoric Sentimentalism
Starsky was humming to himself while he waited for Hutch to pick him up. This was his favorite time of year. Not so much his partner. Christmas was only a few days away, and Hutch was being a grump. He could not understand what his partner had against the Christmas season. He went through this every year. Hutch harrumphed through it like it was the worst thing ever. He loved everything about it. He heard his partner's car pull up so went outside to meet him. He got into the car still humming "We Wish You A Merry Christmas".
Hutch eyed his partner as he got in. "Must you?"
Starsky grinned, "Yes I must! It is Christmas time. You need to get into the spirit of the holiday Blintz. This grumpy act is for the birds."
Hutch was exasperated, "C'mon Starsky. I am not grumpy. I just don't want to get caught up in the phony wave of euphoric sentimentalism that always shows up during this season."
Starsky looked out the window, "You know what you are, you're jaded. You're a jaded, grumpy, cynic. I am not gonna let you make me a grump!"
Much to his partner's chagrin, Starsky started singing the song, quietly at first, then at the top of his voice. Hutch gripped the wheel tighter and just drove. It was going to be a long day.
They had just driven past what seemed like their hundredth Santa ringing a bell, when a young teen ran out of a shop and bowled said Santa over. Hutch slowed the car, watching the direction the teen was headed in. He had just about stopped when things changed. A patron exiting the shop next door stopped the boy. The owner of the shop the boy ran from came out and helped Santa to his feet.
Hutch started to get out, but Starsky stopped him.
"Give it a minute Hutch. I don't think we are going to be needed."
Hutch gave Starsky an incredulous look, but stayed put.
The boy had attempted to steal from the shop. It appeared he tried to take a small sandwich. The three men involved seemed to have come to an agreement. They all went into the shop, the boy came out with a bag, the three men came out looking very satisfied. Starsky could not contain his curiosity. He got out and walked over to the men with Hutch right behind him.
Starsky flipped open his badge. "What just happened here fellas?"
The men saw his badge and got a little nervous.
The shopkeeper spoke up. "Nothing to bother you with officer."
Starsky shook his head while Hutch just stood behind him with his arms crossed.
"I am not looking to arrest anyone, I am just curious as to what happened here."
The three men exchanged looks and the shopkeeper spoke again.
"That young man and his mother are regular customers. His father died a few years back and she does the best she can. He came in today because he didn't know what else to do. His Mom has been sick and not able to work. They were hungry. He just took a sandwich he planned to split with her. Once we," he indicated the other two men, "realized what the situation was, we decided to help. That young man now knows to come to one of us if he needs help. Isn't that better than arresting him?"
Starsky glanced over his shoulder to see what effect that question had on his partner. Not seeing what he hoped to, he reached in his pocket and dropped a dollar in the bell ringer's pail.
"Thank you gentlemen. I am sure they will appreciate you in their corner. Merry Christmas."
The partners returned the car. After they got in, Hutch just sat there a minute.
Starsky couldn't resist. "What's wrong. Not enough euphoric sentimentalism for you?"
Hutch just shook his head, "Any other time we would have been arresting that kid."
Starsky sighed, "I don't think so. He said they were regular customers. I think they still would have helped them."
Hutch just started driving again. Starsky, unfortunately for his partner, started singing again. This time Jingle Bells. Hutch just knew it was going to be a long day.
Starsky abruptly stopped singing, "Hey Hutch, how about we stop for some coffee and maybe a donut?"
Hutch looked at him, "Didn't you eat breakfast today?"
Starsky nodded, "But that was a couple hours ago. There is a little deli just down the street."
They got to the deli and went in. It was not very busy, which surprised them. While they were waiting for the waitress to bring their coffee, and Starsky's donuts, Starsky noticed a bulletin board. He got up to look closer.
"Hey Hutch, look at this."
Hutch joined his partner. "What is that?"
Starsky grinned, "You can pay for a meal and put the receipt here. Then, someone who is hungry, but has no money, can come get something to eat."
"Starsky, don't you see? This is just their way of making more money. Their own symphony, orchestrated by the clanging of cash registers. They get to appear philanthropic, but it doesn't cost them anything."
Starsky's jaw dropped, "Philanthropic? You really are cynical. I didn't finish reading it. Every meal that is donated, is matched. So, if I pay for a cheeseburger meal, and put the receipt here, they put a copy so there are actually two meals. I would say philanthropic is a good word."
Hutch took a closer look. He had to admit, Starsky was right. They really were helping. After they finished the coffee, they both paid for a meal to be put on the board.
They spent the next couple of hours riding around their beat. It was surprisingly quiet. Except for everyone who passed the car wishing them a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays.
"Starsky, doesn't it bother you at all?"
A startled Starsky looked up, "Doesn't what bother me?"
"These people. All these people. I get so sick and tired of people I don't even know walking up to me and wishing me a Merry Christmas. They don't mean it."
Starsky looked at his partner sadly. "Why do you hate Christmas so much? I don't remember you being this way a few years ago. What happened?"
"What do you mean what happened? You work the same streets I do. I don't hate Christmas, just what it has become. Fifty one weeks out of the year they would rather take your head off or run you down with their cars.
As if on queue, a car turned the corner ahead of them nearly taking out a teenaged girl crossing the street. They didn't usually do traffic stops, but they were right on top of this one. Starsky popped the light on the hood while Hutch hit the siren. In the time it took them to do this, the car in question had pulled over. The driver, a middle aged man, ran back to the teen. By the time the partners arrived, he was apologizing to the girl and asking her if she was okay.
He walked over to Hutch as he got out of the car. "Officer, I am so sorry. I got distracted and was not paying proper attention. I nearly hit this poor child. I understand if you need to give me a ticket."
Starsky was desperately trying to hide his chuckle. He was only partially successful. The driver did not appear to notice, but Hutch did. He glared back at him, then turned to the man in front of him.
"We won't give you a ticket this time, but you need to promise you won't let yourself get distracted while you are driving."
The man reached out to shake Hutch's hand. "Thank you officer, I will definitely be much more careful. I could not imagine if I had hurt this poor child."
Starsky had checked on the girl. They both got a chuckle out of it. The girl was not hurt, or even scared. Just amused.
The detectives returned to the car. Once again Hutch sat for a few minutes. This time Starsky quietly let him stew. He really thought the day was beginning to wear on Hutch's determination to not be affected by Christmas and euphoric sentimentalism.
Hutch suddenly turned to Starsky. "Don't you think I am going to change my mind. I still think it is just people letting the season get to them. All year, one way, then suddenly, a week before Christmas, every one gets caught up in the euphoric sentimentalism. I'm not gonna be a pin up boy for the Better Business Bureau."
Starsky shook his head, "Hutch, that is just sad. There are a lot of good people out here. Just cause we see everyone at their worst doesn't mean they have no best."
They quietly rode around their beat. Starsky wasn't sure if the lack of action was helping or hurting his cause with Hutch. He knew he did not like the quiet in the car. They could very easily ride around for hours without conversation. It was always a contented kind of quiet. Nothing said because nothing needed saying. This was different. He didn't like this tension at all.
Starsky was just about to jump out of his skin. Then he noticed a building they were passing was on fire.
"Hey Hutch!"
Hutch was already stopping, "I see it."
Starsky called it in to get the fire department rolling. They both jumped out of the car and ran towards the house. Just as they got there, a man came stumbling out with two little ones in his arms and a small child holding on to one of the little one's foot. He saw Starsky and Hutch and headed towards them, practically shoving the kids at them.
"Take care of my kids, my daughter is still inside."
With that he turned back towards the house. Starsky had the kids, so Hutch grabbed the man.
"You can't go in there. The fire department is on the way."
The man tried to get free, "She is in the back room. I could not get to her from the front. I had to get the other kids out so I could go around back and get to her. Let me go!"
Starsky heard enough. He grabbed a bystander to watch the kids and took off. Hutch yelled at him to stop, but could do nothing with his hands full of the desperate father. He looked around to see if he could see fire headed their way. He caught sight of them just turning the corner.
The firemen quickly got off the truck and started towards the house with hoses. Hutch motioned the Captain over and told him who he was.
"There is a little girl in there. My partner went around back to try to find her. I have had a time keeping Dad out here."
The Captain turned towards his men, "We have a child inside, around back, and a cop going in after her. Get a hose back there!"
Just as the firemen got to the back of the house, it collapsed. Hutch froze for just a second, and then started towards the house. He felt a heavy hand on his shoulder and turned to see Captain Dobey behind him.
"Captain, Starsky is in there!"
"I know son, I heard it. They will get him out. Let them do their job without getting in their way."
The three men stood and watched the firemen work. There was some activity at the back if the house and they could not see what was happening.
The firemen started dousing the fire with water and move debris out of the way so they could get to the people inside. It wasn't long before they found Starsky. He was close to getting out when it looked like the ceiling came down on him. When they got to him he was curled in to a tight ball. He was alive. They had a stretcher ready and just loaded him up like that to get him out. They still had a child to find.
One of the firemen carrying the stretcher gave a shout. He could hear a child softly crying, and it sounded like it was coming from the cop on the stretcher. They put him down and gently rolled him to his back. When they were able to get his arms out of the way, one unzipped his jacket. Nestled tightly against his chest, inside his jacket, was the little girl. She blinked up at the men around her and started to cry in earnest. They quickly got both of their patients to the front of the house. There was an ambulance waiting. There was also one more surprise. When they lifted the little girl off Starsky, she had her arms wrapped around a kitten.
Hutch, Dobey, and the father all rushed over. They allowed the dad to hold his little girl. She actually appeared to be uninjured. Starsky was still unconscious. Hutch was looking at him closely.
"Captain, I think he just got knocked out." He shook his partner's shoulder. "Starsky, c'mon. Wake up partner."
Starsky began to stir. He started to reach for his head, then suddenly wrapped his arms around his middle. He mumbled something. Hutch got closer.
"The girl, where's the baby?"
Hutch put his hand on his partner's shoulder again. "She is with her dad Buddy. Her and her kitten."
Starsky smiled, "Good. Can't have a family lose a child this close to Christmas. I'm tired and I have a headache."
With that he closed his eyes. Hutch looked anxiously at the ambulance attendant.
"We are going to take him in to get checked. He probably has a concussion. He may have been lucky and not inhaled much smoke. I don't here any labored breathing."
A few hours later Hutch and Dobey walked into a hospital room. Starsky was sitting up munching on some jello.
"Hey, c'mon in. Have you talked to Dr. Franklin?"
Hutch stepped up to his partner's bed. "Yes, he wants to keep you overnight because you took a pretty hard knock. How do you feel?"
Starsky grinned, "Aside from a wicked headache, I am fine. I don't think I need to hang around here, but I am not going to argue with the doc."
Dobey cleared his throat, "What were you thinking, running into a burning building?"
Starsky had the decency to look a little sheepish, "Well Cap'n. There were three other kids. I couldn't let the dad go back in there. His kids needed him. I couldn't do nothing. He said the back was clear, and the girl was in the back. So, I went to get her. Everything was fine until the house fell on me."
Hutch shook his head, "You could have waited for the fire department. You did not have to run in there."
Starsky looked intently at his partner, "Do you think they would have been able to get to her in time? I was almost out of the house when I went down. They would have had to dig all the way to that little room off to the side to get her. It was clear when I got there. Nope, not allowing a child to die this close to Christmas. Yes, that is euphoric sentimentalism. Sometimes it is a good thing."
Hutch grinned, "Okay partner. I concede. We have seen a lot of good today. Sometimes it is a good thing.