Blood Ties

Hutch receives unhappy news in the mail.

February, 2007. Response to “Hutch angsts over a papercut” challenge. With thanks to Rebelcat for allowing me to play in her sandbox as this story is written within her Postscript universe.

The simple white envelope seemed innocuous enough, shuffled in with the bills. Hutch would have mistaken it for junk mail had he not recognized the firm name on the return address. Henderson, Tate, Tate, and Conroy.

He dropped the rest of the mail back onto the table and stared at the address a while longer.

His father’s lawyers.

He walked to the window and held the envelope up to the afternoon sunlight, trying to decipher the text on the paper inside.

Black lines repeated on themselves, hiding their meaning within the fold.

He tapped the edge of the envelope against the window, watching as the corner bent and deformed.

He thought of Dawn, recalling that disastrous visit to his parents.

It’s just you and me.

In one ruthless move, he slid his finger into the flap and ripped it open, ripping deeply the thin flesh between his fingers as well.

“Dammit!” He dropped the letter and tried to press the V of his fingers into his mouth, sucking at the blood quickly welling there. He knelt to pick up the envelope again, pulling out two sheets of paper.

Behind him he heard the familiar rat-tat-tat of a cane on the door before it opened.

“Hey, Hutch? Wanna run to Huggy’s… hey, you okay?”

He rocked back on his heels and gazed up at his partner, fingers still in his mouth. He gave one last suck, pulled his feet out from under him and sat cross-legged, sighing.

“Probably not once I read this.”

“Bad news?”

Hutch lifted the envelope over his head and showed Starsky the return address. “My father.”

“Oh.” Starsky lowered himself clumsily to the floor, landing with a thud.

The blood continued to well and began a slow journey down Hutch’s finger as he quickly scanned the top sheet.

… the trust held for your benefit… trust be dissolved. Final distribution of assets…

Hutch’s hand shook as he carefully laid the letter on the floor, staring at the paper for a long moment before turning to the second sheet. He was aware of Starsky’s worried gaze and took a deep breath before reading the words out loud.

Kenneth,

As you are well aware, it was with great disappointment that we welcomed you and your girlfriend into our home. We thought we’d raised you to recognize quality people. It must be a result of your line of work – pity that you chose to work amid criminals and lowlifes.

Since you insist on pursuing this relationship with that woman, your mother and I feel we have no choice but to withdraw our financial support. You are welcome to visit us at anytime should you choose, but she is not.

Your father, Richard

He carefully placed his father’s letter perfectly atop the lawyer’s letter, and hovered his hand over it, watching the thin trickle of blood as it ran to the end of his finger.

Drip.

“Hutch?”

“I always thought blood was thicker than water. No matter what… family was still family.” His finger touched the paper and drew a bloody border around his father’s words.

“Hey… c’mon. Hey. Look at me.”

He closed his eyes first, felt his heart beating, felt the drops as they left his finger, the slight tug and release before the next one came to take its place. His eyes burned behind his lids as he held back the anger and the hurt that wanted to flow out as surely as blood.

When he did open his eyes again, it was to meet the sympathetic gaze of his partner.

“You got me. I may not be real family, but… hey, I know! I could cut my thumb and we could press our fingers together and be blood brothers, you know, like in the stories?”

Hutch surprised himself by laughing. “Ah, buddy. I love ya, but I think we’ve paid our dues to each other through blood enough times. We don’t have to do it on purpose.” He reached out for him and they leaned across the red-stained pages to embrace.

“And you are real family, Starsk. Always have been.”

“Good. ‘Cause I’m gonna need you to get me up off this floor.”

~end
February 20, 2007

Chapter End Notes:

Thanks to Rebelcat and Kimberlyfdr for beta.