Chapter 4

Dobey's face was like thunder, dark and scowling and his voice matched the face. Harold Dobey was pissed with a capital P and he really didn't know who to project his anger at first.

Once again, there were three other men in his office. It was 6.30 that same evening and a quarter of an hour ago Golec had strutted up the hallway to the squad room followed by a limping, pale Starsky. At the door the brunet had paused, composed himself and walked into the room, heading straight for the coffee percolator in the corner. Hutch had watched, had seen the blood seeping through the material of Starsky's jeans and had seen the cut on his partner's head. He'd started to round on Golec when Dobey had come to the door of his office and had yelled for Golec and Starsky to get in there. Hutch had followed.

'So, you wanna tell me what exactly happened? Five months. Five months it took to set his up and five minutes to blow it clear out of the water' Dobey snarled.

Starsky stood with his back to the wall, propping himself up on his one good leg. The other, injured limb burned fiercely and bleed freely but the brunet could bear weight on it and could move it, albeit painfully, so he knew nothing was broken. Only his pride was truly broken. The brunet shrugged his shoulders but Golec spoke first.

'If that dickhead hadn't gone in with all guns blazing...'

'Hey, who're ya callin' dickhead?' Starsky muttered.

'There's only one dickhead in this room an' I'm lookin' at him. The dickhead that didn't follow orders and nearly got himself a date with St Peter at the pearly gates.'

'You mean you didn't back him up' Hutch snapped.

'Back him up? I was the one who stopped Sanna's men from blowing him away!' Golec put up an award winning show of hurt but it was wasted on Dobey.

'You went in as a team. I want the story from the both of ya.'

'It'd better be me coz Poodle features spent most of the time with his nose in the dirt' Golec smirked.

'I was...'Starsky tried to interject but Golec shouted over him.

'He blew his draw. He wasn't fast enough and they had him in their sites.'

'Starsk doesn't fluff his draw. He's the best marksman in the Metro' Hutch blustered.

'Well there's a first time for everythin' an' tonight was it' Golec snapped back

Hutch stood up and took a step towards Golec who took a step backwards.

'Sit down Hutchinson. And you, Golec, cool it huh? This aint gettin' us anywhere' Dobey grunted.

Hutch turned to the chair. 'Just tell 'em Starsk. Starsk, for God's sake... Starsk? Starsky!' Hutch had turned just in time to see the brunet lean forward, rub his hand over his eyes and slide down the wall to end in a heap on the floor.

Whilst the argument had been raging Starsky felt like he was watching it from a distance. It wasn't as though the wounds on his head and leg were the worst he'd ever had – far from it. But the fall had knocked him out cold for a minute or so and when he came around he felt sick to his stomach. Golec hadn't asked if he needed the hospital and Starsky hadn't pushed the point. He hated the places with their antiseptic smells and air of despondency. All Starsky wanted to do was get home, have a bottle of ice cold beer and stay clear of Steve Golec for the rest of his life. As the argument went on, however, Starsky started to feel sicker and his vision started to narrow so that he seemed to be looking down a tube at Hutch. He recognised the signs and knew that if he didn't sit down quick, he would surely fall down. Giving up the fight, Starsky slid inelegantly down the wall and sat with his legs outstretched his chin on his chest.

Hutch crouched by his side a second later. 'Hey buddy, take some deep breaths huh?' The blond handed Starsky a paper cup of water and he sipped at it slowly.

'We need to get you to the hospital.'

Starsky looked up. 'Uh uh. No hospital. It's just a scratch, I'll be fine.'

Dobey came around from the back of his desk and looked down at the brunet. 'Hospital. You're as white as a sheet and you're bleedin' all over my floor.'

Starsky took a deep breath. 'I said I wasn't goin' to the hospital. I'm good. Hutch can practice his first aid on me when we get home.'

Hutch shook his head. 'Needs more'n a Bandaid partner. You need a doctor. At least get yourself checked out.'

'But I hate hospitals. They stick you with needles an' do awful stuff' Starsky whined.

'Fine, no hospital' Dobey capitulated. 'You can go down to sick bay then. Get yourself checked out and stay at home for a couple of days. I'm takin' you off the roster.

Starsky grinned. 'Thanks Cap'n.' He held a hand out to Hutch who pulled Starsky to his feet and held on whilst he brunet swayed.

'Is that it?' Golec asked incredulously. 'Five months work down the pan and...'

Dobey fixed the older cop with an iron stare. 'Golec shudup. We'll deal with this later. In the meantime, I want your report on my desk in an hour. Starsky, quit bleedin' on my floor and get to sick bay. NOW.'

Starsky flipped a cheeky salute Dobey's way and limped unsteadily out of the room. Hutch followed but not before glaring at Golec and wagging a finger his way.

'Just so as you know, we aren't finished with this topic' the blond muttered. Hutch closed the door and followed Starsky down the hallway.

Sick bay was in the basement of the large Metro building. It took up half the basement, the other half being made up of the firing range. Starsky for once took the elevator in deference to his bullet wound and as the elevator car ground to a halt he turned left and took the long cream painted corridor down to the well equipped sick bay.

'So what really happened?' Hutch asked.

'I have no idea. One minute I was walking towards Sanna's goons whilst Golec drove round to cut off their retreat and the next minute I was takin' a nap on the sidewalk with Steve's ugly face starin' down and yellin' at me.'

'Don't you remember Golec backin' you up?' Hutch pushed, certain that the older cop would have left the rough stuff to Starsky.

'I remember him gettin' all hot under the collar coz we weren't followin' orders to the letter.'

'And then he left you to it?'

Starsky put his hand on the door handle of the main doctor's office. 'Like I say...I have no clue. By the way, who's on duty today?'

Hutch cast a look at the name plate on the door and was about to pull Starsky back. 'Starsk, you maybe want to reconsider the hospital option.'

The brunet, however, was already walking into the office and Hutch was just in time to see his partner's shoulders hunch in surprise as he encountered the police surgeon coming out of an inner examination room.

Tania paused and looked from one cop to the other before giving a quiet snort. 'Well if it isn't Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee. Like I said before, you two are just joined at the hip, aren't you?'

Starsky took one look at his former girlfriend and turned so suddenly that he bumped into Hutch who had stopped behind him.

'I'm not stayin'. Goin' home. I have a Bandaid' he muttered darkly.

Hutch inhaled and let his breath out slowly. 'You need a doctor. It's either here or Memorial. You pick.'

'But it's her' Starsky hissed.

'So nice of you to recognise me' Tania snapped. 'Now is there something I can do for you, or do you intend to stand there making my office look untidy?'

'He's hurt' Hutch pointed at Starsky's bleeding leg unnecessarily.

'Oh my God! You should be a detective!'

'I mean he was shot.'

Tania scowled. 'He does have a voice you know. Or have you two taken your relationship a step further and communicate by way of telepathy now? I wouldn't put it past you. You do everything else together.'

'Tania don't do this. Not now' Starsky mumbled.

'Not now? Then when? When do we ever have a moment to ourselves. Jesus Dave, he was even in our bed with us.'

Hutch opened his mouth to make some clever reply just as Starsky passed a hand over his eyes and leaned heavily against the table.

'You need a doctor' Tania immediately took the brunet's arm and guided him into her consulting room.

'Thats what I was tellin' ya' Hutch snapped,

'Alone' Tania snarled closing the door firmly in Hutch's face. The flaxen haired cop debated whether to walk in or not. He had never really had an issue with the woman up until the day that she and Starsky had had the argument, but anyone who made his partner so miserable was anathema in Hutch's eyes. The blond put his hand on the door handle but then decided that the atmosphere was tense enough without him adding to the situation. Sitting down on the hard plastic chair in the waiting area, Hutch picked up a back copy of "Police News" and started to read.

Inside the consultation room Starsky stood warily by the side of the examination table as Tania slipped on a pair of rubber gloves and got a metal tray from the cupboard. She added needle, suture thread, a hypodermic needle and a small vial of some clear, colourless liquid.

'Take your jeans off' she threw over her shoulder.

Starsky sighed. His parting from the woman was still raw. They hadn't spoken since she'd thrown her shoes at him and he'd walked out of his apartment. Starsky had wanted to speak to Tania. He hated leaving the relationship on such a sour note, and yet when he'd tried to phone she'd been unavailable or had put the phone down on him. At no time had Tania tried to contact Starsky. Now, being in the same room as his ex with his pants round his ankles and a bullet graze so close to the family jewels didn't seem the right way to kiss and make up, but the brunet was feeling sick, dizzy and more than a little sore.

As he pulled the stiff denim material away from the wound, allowing the air to get to it, he felt the first real sting of pain. Until then, it had really been a burning sensation and a dull ache. Don't let anyone ever tell you that a bullet feels like you've been shot. It doesn't. Starsky knew from bitter experience that being shot felt like someone had punched him. Now, however, the burning sting told him he'd need more than a Bandaid and he eyed Tania's tray with resignation.

'Lie down and hold still' the doctor said. She was using what she thought of as her "professional" voice without a hint of warmth or feeling in it. Today. Tania was the Icemaiden.

Starsky did as he was told. He lay back on the examination table and stared at the ceiling. It was uncomfortable enough to have been shot where he'd been shot, but to have his ex with her hands a whisker away from Little Davey was as about embarrassing as it got. Starsky concentrated on the centre of his body.

Don't you dare rise to the occasion ya little worm. Don't show her how happy you are to see her and...oh dear lord, she touched it! Ok, ok it was just an accident. She's concentratin' on her work and she's just cleanin' the wound with...Christ...feels like sulphuric acid! Stay quiet. Don't say nuthin. We can both get through this with some dignity and...damn, she's gone for the needle. Hate needles. Can't stand the fuckin' things and...Jesus, that hurt!

Starsky continued to stare at the ceiling whilst Tania cleaned the bullet graze on his leg and added three sutures to close the wound. She admitted to herself that he'd been lucky. Another inch north and he'd have been singing falsetto, another half an inch to the west and the bullet would have hit the femoral artery. Then no amount of tourniquets or bandages would have saved the brunet from bleeding to death. As it was, Starsky had been incredibly lucky... and Tania had had the pain of having to put him back together.

'You're done down there' the woman said, starting to clear her things away.

'Starsky sat up and checked out the bright white dressing on his leg. It was neat, and now that he'd been sewn back together, it didn't even hurt too much. Only his head ached viciously and made him sick and dizzy.

'Great. I'll get outa your hair.'

Tania snorted. 'Not so fast. Let me check that cut on your head.'

'It's nuthin' Starsky lied, backing up slightly.

'Who's the doctor here? Let me take a look.' Tania pushed Starsky back down onto the table and from her top pocket she took a small penlight and shone it into Starsky's eyes one at a time. She was close...very close, their lips mere inches away from each other and this time, Little Davey showed just how happy he was to see the woman again.

Tania examined the wound on the side of Starsky's temple. It was crusted with blood and a deep blue bruise had formed beneath the cut. Taking some gauze, she cleaned the wound thoroughly and added another dressing, taping it down securely. Only then did she look her patient in the eye.

Those indigo pools invited her in, so that she wanted to plunge into their depths and drown in the man one more time. Starsky looked up at her and reached his hands to encircle her neck bringing her down, down until their lips were almost touching.

'I missed you' Starsky whispered.

Tania stiffened. 'Not enough to leave Hutch behind.'

The brunet sighed. 'Don't lets go there again huh? He's my partner. I thought you of all people would understand that.'

A look Starsky couldn't read flit across Tania's face. 'If you weren't so damned important to each other...'

'I won't do this again. I can't' Starsky muttered. He slid off the table and hitched up his pants almost angrily. Despite his dizziness he stood gazing at the woman.

'What would it take to give it one more go?'

Tania turned away. 'It's too late for that Dave. Much too late. It'd be so much easier if I could truly hate you. Get out. Get out now, ok? Right now.' The woman's voice was brittle, thin and for a moment Starsky wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and kiss it all better. Instead, he sighed and limped towards the door, the pains in his leg and head somehow all the keener.

'Ok. I'm goin'. See? I'm gone.'

Tania waited until the door closed. She clung onto the side of the table, shaking for a few moments and then grabbed the phone from the wall and punched in some numbers. The phone connected.

'Have you met yet? No? Well pray he says yes, coz I don't know if I can do this.'