CHAPTER EIGHTY-NINE - A Real Bond

When we left our heroes, Mike was roped and hung and beaten to a pulp, Eddie was overcome by poisonous fire ants and a local cop who decided to join in on their investigation, Billy Gervis, was stabbed in the arm while struggling with their nemesis, Herman, who runs a cannibalistic bed-n-breakfast with his mother. The two were apprehended, Mike and Billy will soon be treated for their wounds and be back on their feet in no time, but Eddie's life is still in grave danger.

MIKE - I got the crap beaten outta me and was treated for bruises, and Boy-Cop Billy was treated for that slash on his arm. I knew we'd both be okay - I'd been through worse and Billy was shot on duty - the day he lost his partner. But what about Eddie? He fell unconscious back at that dump after being wasted by those god-damned ants. Both of those boys suffered horrible torture - Billy had to watch video of his partner dying, and Eddie was eaten alive. At this point, I was mad enough to breathe fire - I wanted blood for what those animals did to them - two sweet boys who never did a thing to anyone. This was beyond your usual cops-n-robbers stuff.

"Detective?"

"Wha- oh, hey, there."

It was one of the doctors working on Eddie.

"How's he gonna be? Is he gonna be okay?"

"That's exactly what we're working on now. Your friend was bleeding internally after all those bites, so we're stitching all that up. We did stabilize his vital signs so far, so there's no real reason for concern. You got him here in good time and all there's left to do is wait."

"Thank you"

Wait - oh, is that all? God these places make me nuts.

In another room, Billy's arm was getting stitched up and a bandage was placed on the wound. He was advised to take it easy and come back in about a week to check the wound to see if it was healing. With his good arm, he shook the doctor's hand and was checking out. While there, he asked an attending nurse how Mike and Eddie were doing. Although they all came in at the same time, from the same scene of the crime, the by-the-book Ratched refused to disclose any information as Billy was neither significant other nor family.

"I'm a police officer and I was working this investigation with the other two gentlemen, and..."

"I understand, but this is hospital policy. If there's any problem, you can take it up with my superiors."

He sneered slightly and growled, "I'm gonna take up a lot more than that." He walked away frustrated, but just as he turned his head, he caught a glimpse of Mike down the hall, in the waiting area. He turned back to the very uncooperative desk nurse and sneered, "the heck with you - I'll ask him myself."

At this point, Mike walked over to a window, folded his arms and just stared straight out - anything to ease his mind, but it wasn't working very well. Billy approached him from behind, calling out to him. No response. Mike had been so distracted by his own anguish over Eddie he saw and heard nothing, but he felt a hand on his shoulder. His first reaction was to jump and get into a defensive stance, but then he realized it was Billy, and there was nothing to defend himself against here.

"Oh, sorry, kid, I guess it's just a reflex."

Billy smiled and said, "nah, don't worry about it".

"They took care of you back there?"

"Yeah, sure did - I gotta come back in a week to look at the stitches - all 78 of them."

"Holy crap - that's a pretty deep cut."

"Yeah, nearly severed a nerve, but they caught it - it should be all right..." Then he feels a sharp stinging sensation and holds his arm, grimacing -

"...but how're you holding up?"

MIKE - I always play the tough guy - comes with the territory - never let 'em see ya sweat. Villains - citizens - they can't see ya weak. Only Eddie knows my pain, my struggles, my weaknesses - it's nothing for this kid to find out. So I thought. I was ready to put on the old hard-nosed bit, but the sight of this baby-blue-eyed angel got to me. This wasn't just any average-Joe on the street - this boy saved our lives - we might've gotten out of our traps, maybe we wouldn't - who knows - but this kid deserves the truth - my eyes darted back and forth on his.

"I'm not. Those ants almost ate him alive. This is the worst thing he's ever been through. Billy, I don't wanna lose him."

Billy smiled and said, "That's not gonna happen. The docs are doing everything they can. I think you can use some company."

"Truth is - yeah, I'd really like that."

Mike and Billy sit on the waiting room bench, Billy still clutching his arm wound. Mike chuckles to himself.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, this whole thing - it all started with a guy whose wife thought he took a powder on her. We usually get him with some other dame and have to hear about how she's gonna take the poor bastard to the cleaners while we're waiting on our cash. But this - I never thought it could turn into this."

Mike's soft chuckle then turned into a moan as he put his head in his hands again, "oh, God"

Billy reached over with his good arm and put his hand on Mike's shoulder. Mike continued to lament, "why couldn't I get to Eddie sooner?"

"Please don't say that. It's nobody's fault, except for the bad guys. You were tied up and almost beaten unconscious. That psycho was about to grind you up - we found Eddie alive - we got him here in time."

"You certainly did"

Mike and Billy look up and see one of the surgeons working on Eddie.

"Is he...?"

The surgeon nodded and smiled, "his vitals are stabilized, he's becoming stronger, more coherent, we moved him out of ICU and into a regular room. We'll need to keep him here for a couple of days for observation, but he's going to be good as new."

Mike and Billy shake hands with the surgeon and thank him. "Can we see him?"

"Shortly - he's being transferred right now."

The surgeon walks away and Mike says, "boy, he's not gonna like this too much - he hates hospitals."

"Don't we all."

The two look at each other and chuckle, then Mike's demeanor grew serious. "Billy, I gotta talk to ya. Something you said earlier really cut me to the quick."

The boy-cop was shocked. His eyes opened wide. "I said something to offend you?"

"Yeah - ya did - bad cop - when me-n-Eddie got over here to check out this missing guy, you were talkin' about your partner - you call yourself a bad cop just 'cuz you survived a shoot-out. You pulverized that punk that popped your partner - then today, when you were off the clock, you risked your life checkin' out the goings-on at that inn. You were shot, stabbed, tortured, you rescued me, you helped take down that cannibal ring, you helped me get to Eddie, and now he's gonna be okay - you sat with me here. Now if that makes you a bad cop, I'd sure as hell would love to see a good one...and I do, right in front of me. With all you did today, I know this town's gonna be as safe as a baby in his mother's arms with you around. Never call yourself bad again."

Billy's face fell as he thought of his partner, Herbie, and he resumed holding his wounded arm. "I just miss him. All throughout this, it felt like I was partnered up again. I loved being at your side - it was enough just to meet you guys, but then, when I actually fought crime with you....you of all people - you have no idea what an honor it was. I'd go through it all over again in a minute for you."

"And you were a good guy to have my back, too, and I'd scoop ya up like that if I didn't have Eddie - and I know there's a cop out there who doesn't have what I got - he hasn't found you yet. This is the best kinda life for a boy to live, but it's nothin' without someone at your side, sharin' the sufferin' as well as the success. Partner up again, kid. There's a real bond there - a real bond."

MIKE - Billy was sad that he'd have to give me back to Eddie, but that only made room for someone else to come along - and he did. I stayed in town while Eddie recuperated and we came back a few weeks later to see Billy receive a commendation from his department on the help he gave us at the bed-n-breakfast. Another officer recently transferred over from another town. His partner had just quit the force. Wouldn't ya know it - the guy's name was Mike, too. Now they ride together - in and out of the sunset. Just like me-n-Eddie.