Chapter 3

After they finished the sandwiches, they were walking back into the living room when Hutch tripped over the box the bookshelf came in. He stumbled before falling on the floor. When he fell, he twisted his ankle. Starsky was at his partner's side on the floor instantly as Hutch grabbed his right leg just above his ankle and moaned from the pain. Starsky saw Hutch's right foot was twisted toward the inside. He grimaced and looked at Hutch who nodded. Starsky started untying Hutch's shoe being careful not to move his foot any more than absolutely necessary. When he had the lace undone, he gently grabbed hold of the heel of Hutch's shoe and removed it. Hutch let out a sigh of relief that it was over with. He grabbed his knee with both hands and hugged it. "This really hurts, Starsk. It's broken, I know it is."

"I think it is too. Hold on, Buddy." Hutch nodded as Starsky retrieved a small pillow off of the couch and used it support Hutch's ankle by letting the broken foot rest against it. "Is that better?"

Hutch nodded and closed his eyes briefly. "Thanks. It's better. How you gonna get me to the car?"

Starsky took Hutch's sock off and saw that his ankle was almost flopping and his whole foot was turning blue. He touched the bottom of Hutch's foot. "Hutch, can you feel this?"

"Feel what?"

"I guess that's a no. Look, Buddy, this is a bad break. There's no way I'm letting you hop and I can't carry you to the car so…"

"Not an ambulance, please, Starsk." He tried to move and yelled, "Shit!" He flopped onto his back. "I can't move, Starsk."

Starsky put a pillow under Hutch's head. "I'm sorry, Pal. I've got to call for an ambulance. If you move anymore it will just make it worse. Now just lay still." Starsky took his cell phone out of its case that was attached to the side of his jeans and called an ambulance.

When he hung up, he put the phone back and asked, "Hutch, do you want me to call Debbie and Davey?"

"I guess you'd better call Debbie. Wait until we get to the hospital to call Davey. I don't want to spoil Davey's ride-a-long." He winced again from the pain.

"Does it hurt much?"

"Well it doesn't feel too good. Whatdaya think? Does it hurt? Are you kidding me?"

"I'm sorry. I guess that was a dumb question." Starsky said. He sat on the floor next to Hutch with his legs crossed. He put his hand on Hutch's shoulder and patted it.

"I'm sorry, Starsk. I know you're just trying to help. Call Debbie will ya? An ice pack might help until the ambulance gets here."

Starsky got up and called Debbie as he was walking to the kitchen to make an ice pack. He told Debbie he would meet her at the hospital and they should be there in about twenty minutes. Starsky put the phone up to his ear and held it in place with his shoulder as he put some ice in a Zip-lock baggie. "Yeah, we should be there in about twenty minutes," Hutch heard Starsky say. "No, don't call Davey. Hutch doesn't want to spoil his ride-a-long. He said to wait until we get to the hospital. There's nothing he can do anyway."

Starsky wrapped the ice pack in a dish towel and went back to Hutch. He put the ice pack on the now very red, swollen ankle. "Take it off, take it off. It's making it worse."

Starsky quickly removed the ice pack. "Okay, okay. Is that better?" Hutch nodded. Hutch was in a lot of pain and moving back and forth. Starsky grabbed his shoulders and locked eyes with Hutch. "Hutch it's okay. You're gonna be fine. I know it hurts but you need to lie still." His voice was calm and soothing.

Hutch relaxed and took a deep breath and put his head on the pillow. He reached his hand up and Starsky grabbed it. Hutch squeezed it tight. The two partners sat on the floor, Starsky holding Hutch's hand and Hutch taking slow deep breaths until they heard the ambulance approaching. Starsky let go of Hutch's hand and stepped outside. When the ambulance came to a stop in front of the house, Starsky walked up to them and said, "It's my partner. He's inside on the floor. His right foot is turning blue and it's cold. I'm sorry I called you. I didn't think it was safe for me to get him in the car." He was talking in a fast voice he has when he gets excited or nervous.

While Starsky was talking the paramedics were pulling the stretcher out of the unit. The driver was about six foot tall and had short black hair and his partner was a little short with light brown hair. Both men were wearing black pants with white shirts. They had gold-colored badges over their left breast and a gold-colored name tag above their badges.

One of them also pulled out a black bag that contained a vacuum splint. "Don't worry about calling us. That's what we're here for." He said in a soothing voice. "My name is Dave Owens and my partner there," he pointed at the man who was driving, "is Josh Williams. I promise we'll take good care of your friend." You said his foot's turning blue?" He said in a soothing voice.

"Yes. I have it stabilized with a pillow but he can't feel a thing."

"You said he's your partner?" Josh asked.

"Yes." Starsky realized how that sounded and almost blushed. "Well, I don't mean it like that. We were detectives. We were partners for years before we retired. I'm Dave Starsky and he's Ken Hutchinson. You can call us Starsky and Hutch."

Dave nodded. "I see." The stretcher was rolled inside and the splint was put in place and pumped up.

"How's that feel, Hutch?" Josh asked.

"Better, thanks."

Starsky was standing a few feet away giving the paramedics space to work. He helped put Hutch on the stretcher and held his hand. "Hutch, I'll be right behind you. Debbie's going to meet us there."

"Starsk?"

"Yeah?"

"I'll be fine, relax will ya?"

Debbie saw Starsky sitting in a chair when she came through the double glass waiting room doors. He stood up and told her that Hutch had been taken down to x-ray. Debbie sat down and asked, "What happened?"

Starsky told her everything including how Hutch's didn't have any feeling in his foot and how twisted it was. The doctor came out and said that Hutch needed surgery and would have to stay the night but he should be fine.

Seth brought Davey and Kenny to the hospital. They were excited about their day but worried about Hutch too. Starsky told them to tell him all about their day. Davey went with Seth and Thompson and got to see Huggy who shed some light on the next shipment of drugs that was going arrive in the city. Austin and Martin followed the Rodriguez brothers to a warehouse that appeared to hold the stolen goods. Austin asked Chief Sterling to work on issuing a warrant and they were going to bust the operation in a couple of days. Until then, they were going to lay low and just keep an eye on them and gather more evidence against them.

Hutch was released the next day but was not allowed to put any weight on his foot at all. Starsky was with Debbie and pushed his wheelchair to the car. Hutch hopped in the passenger seat and Starsky folded the chair and put it in the back of his van. Starsky helped Hutch into the house and onto the couch. Starsky pulled the coffee table close enough to the couch that Hutch could use it to elevate his foot. He placed a small round brown pillow under his dad's broken foot. "How's that, Partner?"

"It's fine, Starsk. Thanks." Hutch looked at the pieces of the bookshelf lying on the floor.

"Don't worry about it, Buddy," Starsky said. "Davey and Kenny can help me finish it when they get home from school."

"Honey, didn't you have plans to go out with Jeanne and Sandy to get your hair done today?"

"Yes," she said returning from the kitchen with a cup of coffee. "But I can cancel it. It's not a big deal."

"Oh, there's no need for that. I'm a big boy I can take care of myself for a few hours." He picked up the cup and took a sip. "Besides, Starsky will be here."

"Yeah. I'm not going anywhere. I can babysit." He glanced at Hutch and chuckled. Hutch frowned.

Debbie sat on the couch next to Hutch and gave him a soft peck on the cheek. "Are you sure? I don't mind going another day."

"No. You go. I'm fine."

Debbie stood up and said, "If you're sure." Hutch nodded. "Okay. I'll be back by the time Davey gets home from school."

"He'll be late today. He's got karate practice."

"I forgot. I'll be home about three." She bent down and kissed Hutch goodbye. She gave Starsky a friendly kiss on his cheek.

"Don't worry, I've been taking care of him a long time now."

"I know he's in good hands."

"Aw, come you two. I'm not invalid. I can take care of myself."

Starsky turned and grinned at Hutch, "Sure you can. That's why your leg is in a cast."

"You're really enjoying this aren't you?"

Starsky pointed at himself. "Who me? I take no pleasure in your pain, Buddy."

Debbie laughed and pulled her keys out of her purse. "Don't be too hard on him, Starsky, or I'll never hear the end of it."

Starsky chuckled. "Okay."

After Debbie left, Starsky sat on the couch next to Hutch and picked up the remote to the TV. He pushed the on button. "So what do you want to watch?"

"I don't know, pick something good." Hutch wiggled as he sat back getting into a comfortable position. Starsky handed him another throw pillow. Hutch took it and said, "Thanks," as he put it behind his back.

He had a painful look on his face. His forehead had wrinkles in it and his eyes were barely opened. Starsky knew Hutch was in a lot of pain. "What can I do, Buddy?"

"I never got the prescription filled." He moved around again. He just couldn't get comfortable.

Starsky reached into Hutch's front pocket and took the prescription for pain out of his front pocket. He read the prescription and asked, "Will you be alright if I go to the store to get this filled?" Hutch didn't answer him. "Hutch, you know I don't mind going."

"I'll be fine. Thanks."

Starsky picked up Hutch's coffee cup and drank the last of it. He carried the empty cup into the kitchen and refilled it. Before he left he moved the wheelchair close to Hutch so he could use it if he had too. Hutch had crutches close by but they were hard on his wrists and hands.