Drunken Brawl

It was a Friday in the middle December and an early blizzard was forecasted.  I was at work, it was my first job after graduating from school. We got a call from the company's headquarters at 3:30 to close the office down early and send everybody home because of the storm.  One of my co-workers, Mike and I had our pay checks cashed and found our first bar before 4:00.  I was also able to secure a hotel room for the night about a mile and half away that my father managed.  

Eleven hours and a few bars later Mike and I were both very drunk. I don't know how much we had.  A lot of it is a blur.  We left the bar and walk out into the aftermath of the blizzard.  The city was the quietest I had ever seen it.  We saw only a few people and no cars which was unusual even at this late hour.  We started out on foot towards the hotel.  While we are walking a taxi cab came down the street towards us.  We wave him down and he stopped in the middle of the street.  As I jumped in the back of the taxi the door on the other side opens and some guy jumps in too.  Mike and I were in the back seat with this guy and he had a friend standing outside the taxi yelling that this is their taxi and we need to get out.  I tried being diplomatic and suggested we share the ride but they were headed in the other direction.  As the debate went on about whose taxi it was the guy outside got more and more belligerent.  My diplomacy wasn't working and Mike made some wise ass remark that set them off.  The guy outside the taxi came around opened the door and punched Mike in the face.  

The four of us end up in a brawl in the middle of the snow covered street.  I won't give you a detailed blow by blow of the fight.  I don't want to bore you and the truth is I blacked out and can't remember a lot of it.  I recall Mike started out fighting like a madman.  The punch in the eye enraged him but it didn't last long.  The adrenaline wore off and booze kicked back in and Mike ended up sitting in the street watching me fight both of them. Lucky for me neither one of them could fight their way out of a wet paper bag.  I have a vague memory of boxing the loud mouth guy and the next thing I remember I was sitting on top of his chest throwing punches at his face.  It was like watching a movie scene through the eyes of an actor.  I heard myself yelling at him.  "I wasn't looking for a fight. You started this! Is this what you want?" The question was follow buy a punch to his face. I continued asking him the same thing followed by punches.  It was very surreal.   

I don't remember getting up and walking away.  I do remember walking towards Mike who finally made it back to his feet.  At some point I don't know when the taxi cab drove off.  Mike and I started walking away.  We kept looking back as we walked.  The guy that was in the cab with us went to the ground early during the fight.  He stayed down until we were a safe distance away. The guy I was punching was still laying on the ground and he wasn't moving.  His buddy tried shaking him and slapping him in the face but he just laid there.  A car drove by and he frantically tried to wave them down for help but they didn't stop.  I was getting nervous.  I thought I might have killed him.  He finally started to move and slowly made it to his feet.  I was relieved. 

The next day Mike wasn't much help at filling in the gaps of what I couldn't remember.  He was drunker than I was.  I don't know when that guy was knocked unconscious.  It may have been my last punch but I doubt it. How many punches did I throw at an unconscious person?  I'll never know. It still find it disturbing when I think about it.  

  

The next morning I woke up to a swollen hand and Mike had just a black eye. I could move my figured but it was very sore.  When Monday morning came around and the swelling still hadn't gone down I became concerned.  I was lucky to be able to get a an appointment with an orthopedic doctor that morning.   The doctor told me nothing was broken but that I had massive tissue damage.  He prescribed some anti inflammatory medication and told me my hand would  be alright.  Then added with a smirk but only if I kept my hands out people's faces. He was being flippant but it was very good advice that I have followed. 

I have discomfort in that hand more days than not.  It's worse when it rains. I sometimes wonder about the guy I knocked out.  How badly did I hurt him?. Does he feel aches and pains most days from our fight?  I'll never know the answer.