DADDY HUTCH
Hutch experiences first hand the trials of fatherhood, just not quite the way he hadexpected to.
A/N: After the dark themes of some of my more recent stories, I thought you might enjoy something a bit lighter.
Beta read by Megan
CHAPTER ONE
Detective Kenneth Hutchinson climbed out of the shower and grabbed a towel to dry off. His usual morning run had taken longer then usual and he was running late. It was his partner's turn to drive, so he wasn't overly concerned about his own tardiness. Starsky was usually late himself. Wrapping the towel snuggly around his waist, Hutch finished his morning routine and then went into his bedroom to dress. Opening his closet, he pulled out a pair of sharply creased tan slacks and a button down cream colored shirt. The partners were scheduled to testify in court later that morning so he took more care than usual in choosing his attire for the day.
Once he had finished dressing he slipped on his shoulder harness with his gun nestled snugly in the holster. Adjusting the holster so that the gun rested comfortably under his left arm, he slipped on a tan leather jacket to conceal the weapon. Pulling his pocket watch out of his pocket, he checked the time. Starsky was due any minute.
The ringing of the telephone shattered the early morning silence. Grabbing up the receiver, Hutch warned, "This better not be you, Gordo."
Instead of his partner's familiar voice telling him that he was running late, the deep gruff voice of his commanding officer, Captain Harold Dobey, growled in his ear,
"Hutch, it's Dobey. Starsky's been in an accident and is being taken to West Side Memorial. ETA is ten minutes."
"I'm on my way." Hutch said, hanging up the phone without bothering to say goodbye. He dug his car keys out of his pocket as he rushed out the door. Climbing into his battered and dented LTD, he jammed the key into the ignition. He cursed under his breath when the engine sputtered and backfired before finally starting. After a quick glance in his rear view mirror, he pulled out into the early morning flow of traffic. Reaching down with one hand, while steering the car with the other, he grabbed the red bubble light and slapped it on top of the roof, then turned on the siren to help clear the way.
Fifteen minutes later, he pulled into the emergency entrance to the hospital and slammed the car into gear as he parked at the curb. Jumping out of his car, he pushed his way through the front doors, his eyes automatically scanning the crowded waiting room until he spotted the heavyset black man sitting in one of the hard plastic chairs.
"How he is? Is he okay? What happened?" Hutch demanded without pausing for a breath as he approached his Captain.
Dobey held up one pudgy hand to halt Hutch's onslaught of questions and said,
"The doctors are with him now. He was on Lincoln Avenue and Marshall when some drunk ran a red light and broadsided him. The paramedics said that it looks like he was thrown forward by the impact and his head hit the windshield. He was unconscious at the scene."
"But, he's going to be okay. Right?" Hutch repeated anxiously. The two men weren't just partners on the police force, they were also best friends. The unique bond that they shared was well known among their colleagues. They weren't just the best team of detectives on the force, they operated as a single unit, almost as if they were two halves of the same whole, sharing two separate bodies and personalities.
"Just calm down and have a seat." Dobey ordered the worried blond. "I'm sure the doctors will tell us as soon as they have any news." He knew from past experience that Hutch was too upset to heed his suggestion and would soon be pacing the floor as he waited for news about Starsky.
"I've warned him before about the way he drives." Hutch mumbled as he sank into the chair beside Dobey, taking a deep breath to try and calm his racing heart.
"It wasn't his fault. He had the right of way." Dobey said, "The other driver was so drunk that he didn't even know that he'd hit somebody."
The two men settled in for a long wait. They were both painfully familiar with hospital procedures. With a possible head injury, Starsky would receive a series of X-rays and be examined closely for any other injuries from the accident. Starsky and Hutch had spent more then their fair share of time in hospital emergency rooms over the years due to job related injuries. But, the waiting was never easy for the uninjured partner as he waited for news on his friend's condition.
Unable to sit still, it wasn't long before Hutch stood up and started pacing the floor. Every time a doctor stepped into the room, he stopped and looked at them anxiously, resuming his restless pacing when they called someone else's name besides the one that he wanted to hear. A hapless nurse looked startled when he cornered her at the desk and growled,
"Can you tell me what's going on with David Starsky? He was in a car accident and nobody's told us anything."
"I'm sorry, sir. I'm sure that someone will be out and tell you something soon." She said, speaking calmly to try and pacify the obviously distraught blond. She slipped away to tend to her other duties, leaving Hutch no choice but to continue his pacing.
Finally, after almost four hours of waiting, a doctor stepped into the waiting room and said, "Family for David Starsky?"
Hutch immediately advanced on the doctor, followed closely by Captain Dobey.
"How is he? Is he okay?" Hutch demanded before the doctor had a chance to speak.
The doctor looked at the burly black man and the tall blond with a frown. Neither one of them bore any resemblance to his patient. "Are you here for Mr. Starsky?" He asked cautiously.
"Detective Starsky." Hutch immediately clarified. "I'm his partner and this is our Captain. Is he okay? Can I see him?"
"I'm not authorized to discuss the patient's condition with anyone but his immediate family without his consent." The doctor said calmly.
"I have his signed medical power of attorney." Hutch countered in a tone that warned the doctor not to push it too far. "So you'd better tell me something before I go back there and find out for myself!"
One look at the determined look on Hutch's face was enough to convince the doctor the wisdom of doing what he said. "Very well. But, I want a copy of that consent put in his file." He looked from one grim face to the other and then continued, "Detective Starsky suffered a significant head injury in the accident from blunt force trauma to the skull. There's no skull fracture, but he did suffered some minor bleeding and swelling of the brain. He's still unconscious and until he wakes up, we won't be able to fully determine his mental status, although his vital signs and reflexes all appear to be normal."
"Were there any other injuries?" Captain Dobey asked.
"Just a few minor cuts and bruises. He was a very lucky man. It could have been a lot worse." The doctor informed him somberly.
"Can I see him? Where is he?" Hutch asked anxiously.
"I told you that he is still unconscious and probably will be for several hours yet. I'd suggest that you come back this evening."
"I want to see him now!" Hutch said, raising his voice slightly and taking a step closer to the doctor, intruding on his personal space.
"Doctor," Dobey said, gently resting a hand on Hutch's shoulder to keep him from doing the doctor bodily harm. "I would strongly suggest that you allow Detective Hutchinson to see his partner. I guarantee you that Detective Starsky will regain consciousness much quicker if Hutch is with him."
"It's highly unusual…" The doctor said cautiously, eyeing the big blond nervously. He appeared to be dangerously close to the edge and the doctor wisely chose not to take any unnecessary chances. "But, I'll allow it. They should be taking your friend up to his room shortly. He'll be in room 616."
That was all Hutch needed to know. He turned on his heel and strode towards the elevator with long, determined steps. The doctor looked at Captain Dobey and said dryly, "Is he always this intense?"
"Only when it comes to his partner." Dobey replied with a thin smile. The doctor grunted and turned to return to his duties in the emergency room.
Hutch took the elevator to the sixth floor and walked down the hall until he found room 616. The bed was still empty, so Hutch settled down in the chair sitting beside it to wait. Ten minutes later, two attendants entered the room, pushing a gurney with an unconscious Starsky lying on it. Hutch watched as the two men carefully lifted Starsky onto the bed, adjusting the pillow beneath his head, then covering his legs and lower body with the sheet.
As soon as the attendants left the room, leaving the two friends alone, Hutch examined Starsky closely, making his own assessment of the brunet's injuries. There was a bruise on his left cheekbone and that eye was black and blue. There were several scrapes and cuts on both arms and on his hands, probably from broken glass. A thick white bandage covered the dark curls on the right side of his head, apparently the point of impact with the windshield. He appeared to be breathing normally, his chest falling and rising slowly in a comforting rhythm.
Satisfied that Starsky appeared not to be more seriously injured than the doctor had implied, Hutch reached out and covered the brunet's left hand with his own larger one. "Hey, buddy…" he said in that soft, velvety voice that he reserved solely for Starsky whenever he was hurt or sick. "What are you trying to do, huh? Make me lose my hair faster than I already am?" He smiled fondly at the unconscious man on the bed. Starsky constantly teased Hutch about his baby fine blond hair which was already starting to get thin on top. Starsky would probably still have all of his thick dark curls even when he was eighty years old. "You gonna open your eyes for me? Let me see those baby blues?"
Starsky didn't respond but Hutch wasn't concerned, not yet. Both men had suffered serious head injuries in the past and Hutch knew it could take a while for Starsky to wake up just like the doctor had said. He continued to talk to him in soft, soothing tones, trying to coax him up out of the darkness.
It was early evening before Hutch noticed the slight twitching of Starsky's cheek and the lazy movement of his eyes beneath his closed lids. "Come on, buddy…" Hutch coaxed him gently, "Open your eyes for me." As if he was programmed to respond to Hutch's request, Starsky opened his eyes just far enough for Hutch to see a sliver of sapphire blue. "Come on, Starsky…it's time to wake up now."
Responding solely to the sound of his partner's voice, Starsky struggled to open his eyes the rest of the way. He looked around the room, his eyes confused and frightened, apparently still disoriented. Finally, his gaze focused on Hutch's face. In a shy, scared voice, he whimpered,
"Who are you? Where's my Pop?" Tears welled up in his eyes. "I want my mommy and daddy…"