For His Own Good
Starsky didn't know how it had all come to this. When Hutch had been kidnapped (or cop-napped) and injected with heroin, Starsky had been able to help him get through the addiction. He'd thought that was the roughest thing they'd ever have to face together. If they could overcome that, they could overcome anything the world threw at them. Me and thee - that was their mantra - the two of them together against the world.
But now? Now Starsky wasn't at all sure of that any more. He watched Hutch pacing back and forth like a caged animal. Which he was. Starsky had put his partner in the 'cage' himself - well, the room - and was now serving as his guard.
He ran his hand through his hair and glanced back at the door again. Where was Huggy? The man had contacts with all types. Surely one of them would be able to help. There wasn't much time. Hutch was getting desperate.
As if he had read the thought going through Starsky's mind, Hutch stopped pacing and gave his partner a pleading look. Starsky shuddered slightly at how pale the man had gotten, how red his eyes were.
"Starsk - please? Let me out. This is killing me."
The raw pain in his friend's voice tore at him, but Starsky just shook his head.
"I wish I could. I know you didn't ask for this. It's all the fault of that ring we broke up last month. If we'd known -"
"We would have taken them down any way, Starsk. They couldn't be allowed to keep going."
"And neither can you, Blondie. I wish there was another way."
The voice was Huggy's. Starsky had been so focused on his partner that he hadn't even heard the Bear come in. He swallowed hard when he saw what Huggy was carrying.
"No. There has to be another way."
"I wish there was, my man - but there isn't. Everyone I consulted agrees. Our boy here has passed the point of no return."
"No."
"It's for his own good, Starsk. If you can't bring yourself to do it, I'll do it. But it has to be done tonight."
The near whisper drew both of their attention. Hutch had his arms wrapped around himself, shivering.
"I don't want him to be right, but I think he is, Starsk. I'm losing it. There's no cure. I'm not going to get better. You have no idea how much this hurts."
"Worse than kicking heroin did?"
"Starsk - this craving is to heroin like heroin is to having a craving for a strawberry shake. No comparison. I can't kick this - don't you get it? I need it to live now."
Huggy laid a hand on Starsky's shoulder.
"You don't need to be here for this. Head on out. Come back in an hour. It'll all be over."
"Please - just go, Starsk. I'd really prefer what's about to happen not be your last memory of me."
Their eyes met and Starsky just nodded numbly, practically staggering outside into the night air. The full moon was high above. He stared at it for several minutes. Then he suddenly shook his head as it cleared. What the hell had just happened? He hadn't had any intention of leaving Huggy alone with -
The scream rang out. Blood-curdling as anything Starsky had ever heard from any late-night horror movie. Rushing back, he flung open the door and nearly threw up as he saw Hutch cradling Huggy.
Hutch lifted his face to look at his long-time partner and friend. His mouth and chin were covered with blood and the unsteadiness was gone. The voice was stronger. Even with all of the blood, the fangs now gleamed in Hutch's mouth.
"You were supposed to stay away longer, Starsk. I didn't want you to see this."
Starsky swallowed hard and picked up what Huggy had dropped. A hardwood stake. Hutch watched as he did it, but made no move to stop him. In his arms, Huggy groaned. That was the first indication Starsky had that the man was still alive.
"You couldn't do it, could you, Hutch? Even needing blood as bad as you do now, you couldn't kill Huggy."
"No. No, I couldn't."
"Then you can control it. We could control it."
Hutch's eyes went wide.
"No! What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking I don't want our partnership to end. I'm thinking of the only way I know to continue it. Think about it. We know that the things that go bump in the night are real now. We know now that they could control it if they wanted to. I'm sure a lot of them do, but who polices the ones that don't?"
"You - you're serious? You'd be willing to take that on with me? We aren't talking an over-night stake-out, pal. We're talking forever."
"I know. Me and thee. Now and always."
Laying Huggy down gently, Hutch got up and started toward Starsky.
"Still not too late for you to use that stake, you know."
The wood thunked against the floor as Starsky let it fall. He closed his eyes, but even though he was asking for it, he couldn't help but jump when he felt Hutch's hand grip his shoulder.
"Oh for pity's sake! Did you have to sling popcorn everywhere? Buttered popcorn at that. Geeze, Starsk - the grease stains are never going to come out of the fabric."
Blinking, Starsky saw his disgruntled partner picking popcorn off of his couch. Apparently Hutch didn't realize some was stuck in his hair as well and Starsky decided not to point it out. A glance to the television showed that the movie they'd been watching, Salem's Lot, was still on. The lead actor sort of reminded Starsky of his partner. Maybe that's what had triggered his dream?
Looking at the mess he'd made with the large bowl of popcorn, Starsky rather sheepishly began to help pick up the kernels that seemed to have gone everywhere.
"Sorry, Hutch. I must have dozed off for a minute. I had the strangest dream about you being a vampire."
"Didn't I warn you that eating a sausage, jalapeno and anchovy pizza would give you nightmares?"
"Yeah, you did. Hey - is there any left?"
"Of course there is. You don't think I was going to eat any of that, do you?"
"Great! Hand me a slice, would you, pal?"
Hutch just shook his head and passed the box over to his partner, followed by a bottle of beer.
"Happy Halloween, Starsk. Try not to get pizza on my ceiling if you get jumpy again."