Hutch walked along the corridor carefully concealing a champagne bottle and two glasses under the jacket he had folded over his arms. It was eight months and Starsky was still in the hospital; he had made a lot of progress but his condition still gave Hutch, his friends and his doctors plenty to worry about.
Hutch glanced at the Nurses' station; Jessie was on duty and he smiled to her. She grinned back. Ever since the day Hutch had waltzed her round Starsky's room in the ICU. Hutch opened Starsky's door and stopped in his tracks. Starsky wasn't anywhere to be seen. He turned back to Jessie. "Have they taken Starsky for tests or something?"
Jessie shook her head and smiled. "No. go on in he'll be back in a minute."
Hutch shrugged and walked into the room. He closed the door and settled himself in the chair by the bed. He placed the bottle and glasses on the bed-tray and waited.
And waited.
The bathroom door opened and Hutch stood up instinctively, ready to help Starsky out of the wheelchair and back into bed.
Starsky was standing….standing, oh god he's standing…in the doorway. He was leaning on a walking frame; but he was standing on his own.
"Happy New Year!" Starsky said, his lopsided grin lighting up his still gaunt face.
"Happy New year, Starsk."
"Yeah, and Happy New Me!"