CHAPTER FIFTY SIX - Make It All Good

MIKE - The minutes seemed like hours. After Sam was wheeled in we kept waitin' for him to be wheeled right back out. I mean, how long's it take to pop out a slug, anyway? I kept starin' off at that doorway Sam was wheeled in through, never took my eyes off it. Eddie put his hand on my shoulder and said,

"these things take time, but we got him here okay. They're in there workin' on him."

I turn to him and say, "It's this life, boy, I tell ya, it can really mess some kids up. Ya know, I feel it for all of 'em. I'm thinkin' about Bobby now, how he woulda been alive right now if it hadn't been for me. Ya know I can make some really bad stuff happen. Just hurts, is all."

"Hey, now don't ya go sayin' stuff like that, it's not true. It does some really good things for guys. Bobby - if he lived, he woulda been really somethin'. What he did for us that time took real courage and dedication to the life. Nothin' you could ever do ended Bobby's life, he died at the hands of machine-gun-totin' maniacs. If it wasn't for you, Skip woulda been crushed to death, no one would've ever known. He never woulda remembered what happened to his kid brother. If it wasn't for you, all of that what went down in Miami Beach woulda been a lot worse, those bellboys woulda died for sure, so would Oscar and Joey. You don't make bad stuff happen, you make it all good."

"My God, Eddie, if anything happens to that kid...."

"Wait, we don't know that it's gonna. It's his first time, yeah, but think about it. It happened to him while he was doin' somethin' he wanted to. God's gonna be with him and pull him through it, 'cuz He's got a good kid, He needs him down here. Sam's only just beginnin', Mike. He's gonna grow up and be a great crimefighter, you just wait."

MIKE - Eddie was right. A couple of hours later, we get the heads-up Sam came outta surgery and asked for us. He was still kinda comin' outta the anesthesia, smiled and nodded to us when we walked in.

"Hey, guys, I'm really glad you're here."

Eddie smiles and pats him on the shoulder, "hey, Sam, ain't you a sight for sore eyes!"

"I just thank God you were there when it happened. I mighta been dead if it weren't for you."

"Any nerve damage, or broken bones or anything?"

"It did get kinda complicated. There was a piece of shrapnel lyin' right next to a nerve. They got most of it out, but there's this little piece there they had to keep in, or else it woulda done me more harm than good to pluck it out. So, it's in there for keeps".

"Gosh, ya gotta walk around with a slug for the rest of your life?"

"I gotta do some physical therapy, ya know, to get used to it, I guess, but..."

EDDIE - The smile disappeared from his face, now he was lookin' pretty sad.

"But? Sam? What is it?"

"Guess I can't be a cop now, can I?"

"What're ya talkin' about?"

"Hey, I'm damaged goods. Ya can't hop a beat, ya gotta walk it, and, ya know, I'm a snitch and ev'rything."

MIKE - This was breakin' me up too bad, "No, no, wait a second, kid, ya got it all wrong. What ya did today took guts, integrity, a real love of the Job, ya did this to clean up somethin' dirty. Ya gotta get outta that station for one thing. Once these guys are put away, and they will be, for life, probably, ya should be all set."

Eddie pipes in, "Ya helped us in our investigation. Ya risked your life for the Job, ya got hurt for the Job. The Job's gonna be with ya on this one, ya get me?"

Sam was rocked by all this, but all he could think of to say was, "so, what now?"

"Well, right now, you just gotta get well. Eddie knew these guys at the academy, he did the same thing you did, dropped a dime when he spotted some bad behavior on their part. They beat the hell outta him and planted drugs in his system and had him thrown out. We're gonna get 'em for that. That there's a personal vendetta we got goin'. Then, we're gonna take all the rest of this stuff you gave us, turn that over to the authorities. [pauses] I just had a thought. Now we got one of 'em for attempted murder, if we could just find out who, then nail that bastard. You saw him face to face."

"Well, not really. He had a ski mask on."

"Was there anything familiar about him, though, like his build, the sound of his voice, anything?"

Sam had to think. He went over it in his head, tryin' to make sense of this whole thing. "Gosh, guys, I really don't know. He was pretty heavily disguised. I'm sorry - the whole thing happened so darned fast...."

"Yeah, I getcha. Look, kid, just take it easy, get yer leg back in shape. Leave the rest of this to us. Eddie, back to the house."

Sam piped up, "uh, Detective, could I borrow Eddie for a second?"

Eddie looked at me and nodded. I said, "uh, sure, sure. Hey, kiddo, I'll meet ya out at the car."

EDDIE - I sat on the end of the hospital bed, Sam just wanted to chat for a minute, boy to boy. I says to him, "been some day for ya, hasn't it?"

"Sure has. Gosh, Eddie, I'm awful sorry I couldn't ID the shooter."

"Not to worry, me-n-Mike always get our man."

"Wish I had a guy like that for a partner. You're really lucky he's got your back."

I think about it and grin, "yeah, yeah, he's really somethin'."

"Then it's true, then?"

I continued grinnin' and looked at Sam, "what's true, pal?"

"You and Detective Batz. You guys do more than solve mysteries together?"

I chuckled and shook my head. Not to deny, not like I was uptight or anything, 'cuz I wasn't, but I was amazed this kid was askin' about our love life. But I had to come right out with it, "yeah, Sam, it's true. Me-n-Mike love each other. Why'd ya ask?"

"Cuz you guys are like Batman and Robin. Cuz I seen your pictures in the paper and sometimes I whack off to youse."

WOW! I was pretty taken aback by that. "Oh, uh...thanks...I guess."

"I've always had this kinda cop fantasy goin'. Always liked them a little...okay...a lot"

[we both laugh at this]

"and when I first got wind of you two, saw your pictures, and ev'rything..I mean, I didn't even know for sure, but...DAMN, you guys are hot! I just always wondered, ya know."

"What, uh, what does it for ya?"

"huh?"

"What is it about us?"

"Your body, for one thing. I'm a little outta shape right now, but one day I'd like to be built like you. Ya sure got some powerful arms and legs. I'm only 18 now, but I figure I got about 5 years to turn into somethin' like you, then I can be somethin' like Detective Batz when I get to be about his age. Ya know how old he is?"

"Yeah, he's 50."

"50? Sure doesn't seem like it"

"Yeah, he keeps us both young, I guess. But lemme tell ya a couple of things. First, I've never met a man like him in all my life. Sure, I dated around a bit, but no one could ever top Mike Batz. Ya know all about how he saved me as a kid, and ev'rything?"

"Yeah."

"Well I spent a lotta time lookin' for someone like him, 'cuz I didn't see him for a long time, then I decided I was gonna go after the genuine article. I'm just glad God saw fit that we get together. The two of us are one man."

"I know what you mean. I want a guy like that for myself, too. But I ain't too good lookin' so I need a lotta work."

"That's the second thing I wanna tell ya. See, us good lookin' young guys, us boy wonders, we come in all diff'rent types. I like mine and you gotta get to like yours. You teddy bear types are a real cute bunch. I thought ya looked real smokin' in that uniform, ya have a good walk to ya, too. You got real nice lookin' hair, too, perfectly parted, shiny, silky, deep shade of brown, framin' that cute boyish face of yours...and those eyes, eyes of determination, eyes of fierce loyalty to the Job, wide eyes of hero worship. Ya know, all of us who like heroes really wanna be heroes ourselves. We start off as sidekicks, then your life really begins. I think if you were workin' somewhere else, some other district, one with integrity and fairness and really keen on justice, I think you'd find someone who's gonna take ya under their wing and really have your back. Just wish me-n-Mike could set ya up with someone, but I guess ya just gotta leave it to fate, like I did. If it's for ya to fight crime alongside a real superhero like my Mike, you'll get it."

"That's another thing. When you're standin' right next to him, always at his right side, does his coat touch your skin? Do you look at him and just wanna kiss his neck? Does his face just make ya wanna melt?"

"All the above - all the time."


MIKE - Geez, I wonder what the two of them are yakkin' about. Hope it don't take too long, cuz we got some bad guys to bust, and right now. Still, though, I guess ev'rybody needs a break from the beat ev'ry once in a while. I do ask a lot of Eddie, but he's always ready to give. Fumblin' through my pack of Luckies, I was lookin' for the roach of one I stubbed out, but it's gotta couple-a good drags left on it. Can't find it, maybe I tossed it after all. Then somebody calls out to me.

"Hey, Batz, still doin' that film noir thing, huh?"

I look up and it's an old pal of mine, "well, if it ain't Jimmy Mullen! How the heck are ya?"

"Doin' good, can't complain."

"Still catchin' them cheatin' hearts?"

"Yeah, not a bad business. You'd be surprised how many guys are out there buyin' the milk when there's a good cow at home."

"Good cow, maybe that's why."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Marilyn Monroe they ain't but they do keep a roof over my head and a steak in my gut. I admit I wouldn't mind a bit of real action like you two guys got goin'. How's that kid of yours, anyway?"

"Aw, Eddie? Good as ever. Keeps me young, that kinda thing."

"Well, somethin' should - you sure could use some!"

"Some? I got it all, partner, with him, I got it all."

"Yeah, I think I could use some of that, myself. Good kid like him. Sure would make things...int'resting."

"Ah, int'resting. Yeah."

Then it dawns on the two of us we came outta the hospital. Jimmy asked me who I was seein' here. I told him all about Sam, lyin' upstairs, shot pretty bad but comin' out of it.

"He works for the cops, kinda like a secretary, ya know. He gave us some stuff that's gonna put away a couple of crooked cops. Man! Can't wait to nail 'em."

"Ya think he might want a bit of action?"

"Aw, hell, yeah, I can see it in his eyes, sure got a kick outta helpin' us, though. I think he even kinda liked it when he took one for the team - right in the leg."

"Oooh, ouch. Boy I remember gettin' popped there. Not productive. Can't get any gum on your shoe when ya can't put your foot on the ground 'cuz it's got a slug in it."

"True. True. But it might be a while for him, he's gotta do therapy and all that. Hope the Job's givin' him disability, anyway. Who knows how long he's gonna be outta commission."

"What's the kid's name?"

"Sam Levy - up on the fourth floor."

"He okay for visitors?"

"Yeah, but make like ya gotta ask 'im some questions, make like it's a cop matter."

"Gotcha. Oh, uh, what's he look like?"

"Oh, kinda chubby, dark brown hair, cute boyish face. Hell, the kid's only 18."

"Hey, as long as he's legal, man, as long as he's legal."


Well, anyway, that's the long and the short of it for now. Just gotta wait til Eddie finally gets down here so we can get on with the matters at hand. Gonna be quite a haul, ya know, bustin' blue-boys. They shouldn't be blue boys, but they are, just the same. But they will be black-n-blue boys when we get through with 'em. Ya don't dance with the Dashin' Duo and don't get decked.

Talk on ya later, folks, this Lucky's got a couple more good drags to it.