Backup
by Belladonna
When I first was assigned to him, well I admit, I did have some mixed feelings
about that. And when we've then met in person I really didn't know what to think
of him.
David Starsky wasn't what I'd expected, not at all.
Well, to be honest, I wasn't quite sure what I had expected in the first place, but this surely wasn't. David is the complete opposite of everything I'd imagined him to be, he's hot-headed, has a certain street-smartness to him, can be pretty reckless at times (well, okay, at all times) and most definitely he gets a lot of times into hairy situations that I then have to get him out of. And those situations have a way too high appearance rate for my taste. Don't get me wrong, I really like the guy...now, but at first he knew how to keep me on my toes, still does to be honest and I'm not quite sure he didn't do some of the stuff on purpose.
Oh, here I am bitching to you and I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Ken and I have been his partner ever since he's gotten enrolled at the academy to become a police officer. Just like his father had been, just with the important difference that he has me for his partner. And I most definitely wanted to make that difference work in his favor.
Let's forget about the fact that I didn't even know why exactly I'd been assigned
him as his partner. I've taken that particular challenge, risen to it and upon
closer looks I've discovered that beyond all his ruffy demeanor he did have
a good heart. You just had to put some work into getting to know him better
and you'll get the first prize.
A lot of people were quickly discouraged by his attitude, it sure doesn't make
it easier for people to actually get closer to him and they let themselves be
driven away. He didn't make it easy for me either, still I didn't want to give
up that easily. I never had and I damn well wasn't going to start now.
During our training it wasn't easy for me to have his back. Every time he's
gotten himself into trouble was mostly because of his attitude . No, easy it
truly wasn't.
But contrary to the others I knew why he's reacted that way, why he had to adopt
this persona he's shown everyone on the outside.
He's never had it easy in his life, he's seen too many bad things that taught
him not to show any weakness, not to become vulnerable or that weakness will
be exploited. I think both his time on the streets of New York shortly after
his father’s death and maybe even his short stint with the army in the
jungle have made him this tough and angry. His mother did the right thing by
sending him here before he got into any real trouble back then and he knows
that. Deep down in his heart he knew that she had sent him away because she
had been afraid for him and had loved him so much to do this for him. No matter
how hard it had been for herself. And he has accepted it for a long time now.
Still, old habits die hard I guess.
But now he has friends that stand by his side to keep him out of the worst
troubles.
Yes, despite everything and all efforts he'd put into being this rough guy,
he's gotten himself some real friends, other people besides me who have weathered
his angry attitude and dared to explore the man behind all that.
Come to think about it, all of this has mellowed him out a bit. Or at least
I've come to think so. Anyways, his friends are there to bail him out
of all the stuff he gets into, me included and it's been a great relief for
me. It made my job so much easier.
Because I really had my work cut out for me already and I knew right then that
I would be getting a lot of work in the years to come. It's really not easy
to back him up, to protect him and some days I wonder if my assignment hadn't
been a blessing for him but instead punishment for me.
But I'm probably getting ahead of myself.
Let's take this week for example. For now David's doing his time as a patrol
officer in a black and white with his partner. And one should think that with
a seasoned officer there to teach him, show him the ropes so to speak, he should
be learning to keep his head low and not get into any unnecessary troubles.
Usually that system works pretty well for everybody, no wait... make that everybody
else.
I really could've needed that little break. Let somebody else have his back
for a while. But unfortunately it just wasn't meant for me to be this lucky.
With him, I should have known better.
So far I've had to step in more times than I can count on the fingers of my
hands and the week is still running.
Take Monday, when he thought it a good idea to taunt a guy twice his size and bizeps. Granted, that jerk had been a pimp who'd roughed up some of his girls but did Starsky really have to make that jab about his girlfriend Dolly and her shiny new wool coat? I had been so dumbfounded I barely managed to deflect the knife that guy suddenly pulled out and attacked David with in time.
So yesterday, he had to put himself between an armed robber and a store clerk. David was trying to talk the man into surrendering the gun but apparently the bad guy disagreed with that. In fact he disagreed that strongly with Starsky that he started shooting inside the small store. Luckily nobody got hurt except for some poor canned soups. That sure could've gotten bad for him, but I think his damn stubbornness struck again. Maybe he thinks he's invincible or something.
Or maybe I'm doing my job a bit too good.
Then we've had today. With him being the rookie cop, he had been chosen to
chase some small time drug dealer by foot while his partner drove the car. And
of course, with Starsky's luck – or mine, I'm not so sure – he had
to chase him not over one but two streets during the early morning rush hour.
That was after he had already given the perp a pretty good chase over three
blocks and some back alleys. He could've gotten run over at least four times,
the last time he managed to roll over the hood of the car that I had gotten
to slow down just in the nick of time.
I still think it was one of the most idiotic things he'd done so far and that
tells you something. How the other guy he'd been chasing managed to not get
killed by all the cars just beats me.
I've had all my hands full to keep him alive today. But thanks to yours truly
he only has gotten himself some bruises and should be pretty sore tonight from
his gymnastics of not hitting all of the cars earlier. And I think
he deserves that.
Maybe it'll be some form of learning experience for him so he'll be more careful
in the future. But who am I kidding. I've known him from the Academy and since
then he hasn't changed much on that account.
And strangely enough, I don't want him to.
Still, sometimes I have the strong suspicion that he makes my life so hard on purpose as his backup.
Who I am you might ask? Like I said, I'm Ken. I'm his partner.
His guardian angel.