Chapter 4: Shootout
Rampart General Hospital was moderately slow which did not help Dixie. She could not sit still and had to go over the nurse's schedule seven times.
Johnny and Roy exited one of the treatment rooms after bringing in a child who had choked on a nickel. The child was now stable and breathing on his own.
"Hiya, Dix," Johnny smiled as Roy grabbed their needed supplies.
"Hmm? Oh, hi. Grab what you need," she waved them off and went back to blindly staring at the schedule.
Johnny frowned and watched as she huffed and punched the paper in front of her. She then looked down the hall then back to the paper. Johnny motioned to Roy that something was wrong.
"Dix? You okay?" Roy asked in his soothing voice.
Dixie sighed and closed her eyes, trying to rein in her emotions. "I'm fine."
They noticed she was trembling and Johnny helped her catch the pencils that she knocked over.
"I give up," she huffed.
"Want to grab some coffee?" Roy gently encouraged.
She nodded and they went together to the break room. Once inside, Dixie melted at the table. She told them the trouble that the good doctor was in and that she was so nervous she couldn't stand it.
They could not believe what they had just heard. "You haven't heard anything?"
"No. It's been two days since the detectives were here. I'm a woman and I'm thinking the worst. I keep expecting to see Kel walk down the hall to the Base Station and when he isn't there, I am reminded of where he could be and what the outcome might be."
"I'm sure the detectives know what they are doing. I'm sure Brackett is in good hands," Roy reassured.
"It's just a long time to hold your breath," she sighed.
Suddenly, the handie-talkie beeped: Squad 51, what is your status?
Johnny replied: "Squad 51, available."
Stand by, Squad 51.
Johnny and Roy stood. "Keep us posted, Dix."
"I'm sure he is all right."
"Dad. Dad, listen to me. I need you to calm down. You're going to hyperventilate yourself. Slow deep breaths."
"I'm-I'm scar-scared," his voice was only a whisper.
"I know you are and that is why your body is reacting this way and why you cannot catch your breath," Kelly led his father through some deep breaths.
"It hurts," James replied.
Kelly took his father's respiration and pulse again. He turned to Hutch and Starsky, "Is there a drug store around here?"
"Yah, two blocks away," Hutch stated.
Starsky pulled onto the road, "On our way."
Kelly took off his coat and put it underneath his father, "Just stay seated upright," Kelly continued to instruct his father as they neared the drug store. Kelly then retrieved handkerchiefs from the two detectives and tied them around his father's limbs. It was all he could do under the circumstances.
Starsky pulled into the parking lot and into a spot. Hutch and Brackett got out and went inside. Hutch followed the doctor to the medicine section and watched the doctor grab some rudimental drugs.
"Is he going to be okay?" Hutch asked.
"His pulse is irregular and his breathing shallow. I couldn't give you a positive answer until I get him to a hospital," Kelly was in doctor mode and was very stern.
"I'm sorry. We'll get him to a hospital as soon as we can."
Brackett nodded then grabbed two bottles of water. They paid and got back in the car. Brackett opened a paper bag and instructed his father to breathe into it to recycle his air. He then took two of the medicines and broke them in half and had his father take the half doses. After a couple of minutes James' respiration was stabilizing but the pulse was still irregular. "Keep breathing into the bag."
Suddenly, Kelly jumped when a bullet broke through the glass and whizzed by his ear. He ducked and was thrown off balance as Starsky swerved the car to miss the other bullets.
"We've been spotted! Go, go, go!" Hutch barked.
"Wait, turn here! Right here!" Kelly instructed and Starsky followed. "This is a short cut. Shaves off at least 45 minutes."
"Fine by me," Starsky stepped on the gas.
The next fifteen to twenty minutes were hit and miss. They would give their opponents the slip then they would be spotted. Kelly looked at his watch and estimated that they would actually arrive later that evening. If only they could make it. His father was becoming drowsy and his body was relaxing, which was exactly what Kelly wanted. He didn't want his father to put stress on his heart.
"You know, I hate to put a damper on our already bad news—"
"What?" Hutch asked.
"If we don't find a gas station soon, those goons are going to catch up to us real fast."
Kelly got angry, "You could have filled up at the drug store! What do we do if we run out?"
"We'll cross that –" they ducked as another bullet fired.
"Any more short cuts, Doc?"
"Take a right at Seneca."
"I know where we are at." Hutch realized, "Hey, there's a pay phone coming up here. If we can get to it, I can call in some black and whites."
"They could find us, Hutch." Starsky weighed the option.
"We're running out of options."
Starsky nodded and followed Hutch's directions and they rolled up close to the pay phone. Everyone waited with baited breath as Hutch got out and started dialing.
Kelly was constantly scanning for Funicelli's henchmen. "See anything?"
Starsky nodded, "Nope. We're almost at the home stretch. How's your Pop?"
"He'll make it if I get him to a hospital."
A bullet tore through the back window and Kelly ducked. "Hutch!" Starsky started shooting at the approaching car. Hutch ducked.
Kelly leaned out, quickly grabbed Hutch's gun, turned around and covered Hutch. He expertly hit one of the gunmen in the shoulder.
Hutch hung up the phone. "Where did you learn how to shoot like that?"
"I use to go to the shooting range when I was younger. Midterms. Great stress reliever."
Hutch took over and called to his partner, "They're on their way. An ambulance is coming too."
"How long?" Starsky slowed his shooting down.
"Ten minutes."
"I don't know if we can hold them that long."
Suddenly, Kelly was thrown to the ground with such force. He grunted in tremendous pain. Hutch ducked down and saw blood seeping through the doctor's shirt.
"Doc?! Dr. Brackett?!"
