"It hurts but I'm walking"

"Can I ask you a favor? Can you pour a little of that in here to make it look right? If you know what I mean."
I smiled.
I knew what he meant.
He was pointing at my diet coke which was by my side, sitting on the same granite stairs as I.
His container's label indicated that it was a 12 oz. Pepsi but the clear liquid inside indicated something else.
He was about five foot seven, light brown hair, 150 pounds, steel blue eyes and a lived in look.
I started pouring and said "Say when"
I poured some more and he said "That should do it"
The finished product looked more like ice tea than cola.
He told me he did two tours in Vietnam.
He told me he has been shot all over his body.
He told me the doctors said he would never walk again.
He said "It hurts but I'm walking"
He told me last night he punched a cop.
He told me it was either be punched or do the punching so he punched.
He told me vodka sometimes gives you the hiccups.
He was hiccupping.
He told me he committed 157 armed robberies, the first time the law caught up with him was seven years ago.
I wasn't certain if he was telling me I was going to be the 158th.
It’s the guys that aren't that big that give you the most trouble.
They seem to have a need to prove something.
I wasn’t worried but I took a quick inventory of my carried possessions:
digital camera
about $48
cell phone
credit cards
keys
pocket knife
pen
I would give him the money if he asked nicely or if we were to come to blows.
Forty eight bucks is not worth an ass kicking to me, either his ass or mine.
The other items, save the pen and the knife, weren’t leaving their assigned pockets while I was conscience.
I was calculating damage to him and to me if I had to defend myself when he continued with the informational session.
He told me he could cure his hiccups.
He pardoned himself as he tried the cure.
He was quiet for a while as he held his breath.
I could see him still hiccupping.
Five times he hiccupped while holding his breath.
He told me sometimes that they don't go away.
He pardoned himself as he went to try a different remedy.

Good luck.