Fly on the Wall.
I wish I were a fly on the wall, or so that's what everyone thinks, but there's no room for flies on these walls! I shouldn't really be here either, but I stay well hidden by day, and at night I become the hunter in the shadows. My friend got it wrong a while back so now I'm here on my own and I pass the time by watching…and listening!
I've seen these two before, lots of times and, as today, it's usually one in trouble and the other comforting, supporting…and fighting for the other. This time it's the turn of the curly haired one, except this time there's no blood, no bruises, nothing outwardly obvious. The demeanour of all the Doctors and nurses tells a different story though….this time its bad…VERY bad! There are nurses collecting blood and rushing them out through the door to the labs with instructions to 'put a rush on this one' the results are needed as a matter of priority. From my corner I look down on the curly haired one lying on the bed, and for a brief second I think he sees me too so I duck back into the shadows.
There's a thin line of sweat on his forehead and a 'look' that seems far away from here in his eyes. He is afraid! They flicker and I can tell that his mind is working overtime, almost as though he were trying to reach out to something he can't quite reach. Then the door opens and his face changes, fear is hidden away as he turns and nods a welcome to his visitor. It's the other one, the one with the blond hair and the steely look that he uses to great effect. This time though it's missing, a lost, disbelieving look has replaced it and he crosses to the bed to stand with his partner, a united front against any and all who wish them harm. I see the silent conversation passing between them and I recognise the identical fear in both.
I watch as the curly haired one rises, his partner hovering as though waiting for him to fall. There are words spoken softly as h all three look at the clock. I hear the curly haired one promise the Doc he will return to 'give him another go' but it is plain to see that he has no intention of doing so. The only person he will trust stands by his side as they walk out of the room together. From the corridor I can hear his deep, smooth voice shouting…"Where's my pants?" The rest is lost as the door closes but I turn and look at the Doctor and Nurse below me and now I understand the fear in the eyes of the two I have come to know well over the months I have been here. The nurse is speaking and it sends a chill to my heart…"I'll chase the lab Doctor but unless we know exactly what was in that syringe what are the chances?" The reply, when it came, was short and spoken with a heavy heart. "Little to none!"
Like I said, I knew the two would not return willingly and it was nearly twenty four hours later when the doors flew open and the trolley was rushed in. This time the curly haired one was virtually unconscious, his breathing so shallow it was almost nothing, and the blond gripped his hand so hard his knuckles were white. If death could be defied just by sheer willpower alone then it was being played out here below me. The porters made to move the bed away to Intensive Care but somehow the curly haired one found the strength to move. In an instant his friend was close, his head bent over so that he could look straight into the eyes of his partner, No words were spoken and yet so much was said in the look that passed between them. A small, almost non- existent, smile and a slight nod from the curly haired one and the trolley was whisked away, the blond left standing, alone and dejected.
This time I wasn't going to sit and wait, I needed to know the outcome! Over the months I had seen these two I had begun to think of them as friends, certainly a one sided friendship I know, but friends all the same…I cared! Besides the bond between these two was uncommon, not to mention very, very strong, and I had seen the power of the bond work in their favour so often I couldn't believe that this time it would fail. Scurrying from my hiding place I kept to the shadows, racing for the doors before they closed. In the corridor the blond one was pacing back and forth, his mind racing, He was 'sounding off' at the stocky man waiting for him, rage, fear and anger were flowing and with them ideas were beginning to form…I could almost see the lights go on in the blonds eyes. "Bellamy didn't have the brains for this Cap, someone else set this up and I'm going to find out who!" A quick glance at the clock and he was gone, running for the exit, with wings on his feet.
I scurried out along the hospital corridors, following the route of my curly haired friend, finally finding him in a quiet corner, curtains closed around his bed. I found myself a hiding place in a dark corner and looked down on him. His breathing was laboured and the oxygen mask was an uncomfortable necessity. His eyes were closed, his whole body trembling and his face was drenched with sweat. He was still fighting but his strength was almost gone. The lights surrounding him were low, machinery humming and bleeping were the only other sounds around and I took my chance. Slowly and cautiously I left my hiding place and made my way to the bed, crawling up it until I sat close to his ear. Would he understand me? I had no idea but I was going to try! Someone needed to let him know his friend was still in the game, hadn't given up and that he needed to hang on, to fight as hard as he could. For thirty long minutes I whispered comforting words and encouragement into his ears, praying he could hear me. Suddenly the doors crashed open and the curtains pushed aside. I just had time to jump out of sight before he was whisked away. Then I saw the most welcome sight ever…the blond was back … and he was smiling, a sad, relieved smile. His face showed total exhaustion and he fell into a chair, dropping his head into his hands and sobbed. His Captain was by his side, holding his tight and shielding him from prying eyes. "Let it out Hutch, let it out." Hutch…so that was his name. I made my way back to my corner and closed my eyes to wait.
It was a few hours later, as the sun began to rise, that I heard Hutch speaking softly and I opened my eyes. There below me my curly haired friend was stirring and the blond was by his side as usual. I strained my ears to listen.
"Hey Starsky, we made it buddy! Open those eyes for me and look at a brand new day." The dark eyes slowly fluttered open, and a small smile passed across the exhausted features of the man on the bed. Starsky… I made a mental note, Starsky and Hutch…hmm, it fitted…like bread and butter, strawberries and cream, spider and fly… I smiled a small smile to myself. Looking down I suddenly realised that Starsky had seen me again and I scuttled back into the darkness of the shadows.
Two days later I watched as Starsky prepared to take his leave from the hospital. He had already said his goodbyes to the Doctor and Nurses who had saved his life and now he was waiting for his friend to come and pick him up. I watched as he looked around the room his eyes searching for something. Then I realised he had stopped looking and was staring straight at me, a slight quizzical look on his face. I stared back hardly daring to breathe, wondering how long it would be before my life was ended. The door opened and Starsky turned to face his friend. Picking up his bag he turned for one last look and I swear he winked at me! "Bye my little buddy, your secret is safe with me"… and he was gone.
As the door closed I knew that I would see them both again, but hopefully not too soon. Creeping back in to the darkness I settled down into the corner to wait for night so that I could once again hunt for food…flies weren't in abundance in a hospital and this spider was hungry!