There you go! I didn't keep you guys hanging long! Enjoy!

Thanks to Diane for getting the chapter back to me so fast and for her comments!

Also, thanks to my loyal reviewers Sandra and Kathi. Enjoy this update guys!

Chapter 7 / ?

Hutch just stood staring at his fallen partner for a moment. He shook himself and snapped out of it.

"Starsky?" He shouted again, running to his partner's side. He dived down beside Starsky and felt for a pulse. He found one and gathered Starsky into his arms gently. He quickly saw that Starsky had a nasty gun shot wound to his side. He was relieved to note that the bullet had passed through.

"Starsk? Can you hear me?" He hissed. Starsky stirred and moaned in pain. Hutch let out a sigh of relief. He gazed around the area but there was no sign of anyone looking remotely suspicious. He put his arm around Starsky, comforting him.

"You alright buddy?" He asked. Starsky hissed in pain again and slowly sat up, clutching his side. He looked up into Hutch's scared face and gave him a painful smile.

"Just great blintz. I guess I'm getting used to being shot by now. Give me a hand up."

"Easy buddy," Hutch said and pulled Starsky gently to his feet. He let out a small laugh. "God, when I saw you lying there."

Starsky interrupted, "Yeah well, I'm ok buddy. We're lucky our freak is such a crummy shot." Starsky let out another gasp of pain and Hutch held him tighter in concern.

"Better get you to a hospital Starsk," Hutch told him. Starsky nodded.

"Any sign of my would be executioner?" Starsky asked, quickly scanning the car park.

Hutch didn't appreciate this remark but he let it go. "Nothing. I think he might have been up there, on the rooftop, using a rifle." He jerked his head upwards.

Starsky grimaced in pain again and leant on Hutch for support. Now that the delight in finding that Starsky was ok had passed, guilt had begun to spread over Hutch. Starsky could have been killed and he had just been waiting for it to happen. Hutch swallowed the lump in his throat. He had been a fool. How could he think that by not telling Starsky he was a target was protecting him? That wasn't how they worked. Hutch gripped his partner more tightly, holding him closer. He didn't want to let him go. He began to guide Starsky over to the Torino.

They both looked up as they heard Jenny shouting their names. She rushed forward and gave Starsky a hug, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Watch it!" Hutch snapped a bit too harshly and Jenny recoiled in shock. Starsky gave Hutch a frown and tried to smile through the pain at Jenny.

Jenny gave Hutch a long look and then turned back to Starsky. "Are you ok Dave, I'm sorry if I just hurt you.."

Starsky gave her a grin and said, "Don't worry Jenny, I'm fine. Just a scratch, it'll heal." She smiled and then nodded.

"Oh, that's ok then! I called an ambulance. Didn't know what else to do." She glanced at Hutch.

Hutch cursed himself for snapping at the girl. "Jenny, you did the right thing, I'm sorry I shouted at you." She shrugged and winked at him. Starsky was frowning. He knew he didn't need an ambulance. Hutch could drive him to the hospital.

Jenny then glanced at her watch. "Damn, I have to go to, erm, work. I'll catch up with you two later. It's been one of my more exciting lunches!" She turned to Dave. "I'm glad you're alright." He grinned at her.

Jenny touched Hutch's hand as she walked past him and gave him a reassuring smile. He nodded to her and then she was gone.

"She's a sweet kid," Starsky noted. Hutch was watching Jenny hurry away.

"Yeah, she is," he replied. If only they could get her away from her 'work' but Hutch needed to sort out Starsky first.

"I don't need an ambulance Hutch, you can drive me," Starsky told his partner, hope in his eyes.

Hutch frowned at his partner. "Maybe so Starsk but since Jenny called you one, we may as well use it. Anyway, it'll get you to the hospital quicker. I want that side of yours seen too. There is quite a lot of blood you know."

Starsky gave him a funny look. "I'm aware of that thanks Blondie." He gazed longingly at his car. "You know I don't like leaving her."

Hutch rolled his eyes. "I'm sure she'll forgive you Gordo."

They both looked up as they heard the sounds of sirens in the distance. They began to move their way slowly through the still watching crowd, Hutch still supporting Starsky. Starsky's wound was hurting him more than he would let on to Hutch and he knew he had lost quite a lot of blood.

As they watched the ambulance pull up, Starsky let out a loud sigh and observed, "I never did get my burger either did I?" Hutch gave Starsky an exasperated look and then, despite himself, he laughed and hugged his partner tightly.

~*~

Corley was furious. He'd had Starsky right in his sights but the pig had moved at the last moment. He watched Hutch helping the paramedics put Starsky in the ambulance. He would have to get in contact with his employers. This would change his plans. He'd have to make a move sooner then expected.

~*~

Hutch sat in the waiting room. Starsky had been taken away a while ago and since then, Hutch had gradually felt worse and worse. How could he have been so stupid? Why hadn't he told Starsky everything from the beginning? This could have been prevented. He had already prayed to whatever God was listening, thanking Him for giving Starsky another chance. This had certainly been a lesson Hutch had never thought he would need to learn. He would never keep secrets from Starsky again, even if he thought he was doing Starsky a favour.

At last, he saw Starsky's doctor approaching. Hutch jumped up and walked over to him.

"Hello doctor, how's my partner?" Hutch asked quickly.

"Detective Starsky is doing fine. We've seen to the wound and bandaged him up. Although he did lose quite a lot of blood, the bullet passed through without hitting any major arteries, he's a lucky man."

Hutch let out a sigh and then smiled at the Doctor. "That's great Doc. Can I see him?"

The doctor hesitated, knowing that his patient needed his sleep but he also saw the pleading in the Detectives eyes.

"OK Detective but only for a few minutes. He's very weak at the moment." Hutch nodded and then followed the Doctor to Starsky's room. He thanked the man and let himself in.

~*~

Starsky was lying in his bed, eyes closed. Hutch hesitated for a moment, not wanting to wake his partner up. He closed the door softly and then crept quietly to Starsky's bed and sat down beside him. He reached out and took his hand. He'd come close to losing him again. He wondered how much longer their luck would hold.

Starsky murmured and opened his eyes. He smiled up into Hutch's face.

"Hiya partner, how do I look," he asked him, with a small smile.

Hutch chuckled and squeezed his hand. "Just great buddy. How do you feel?"

Starsky moaned a little in pain. "Tired. The doc said I'll be all healed up in no time though so I won't be in here to long." His eyes stared into Hutch's. This was Starsky's way of telling his partner not to go out on the streets without him, not with this case. It was too dangerous. Hutch nodded, understanding Starsky's meaning. Starsky smiled, satisfied.

"Starsk, there is something I need to tell you." Hutch said, swallowing hard. Starsky looked up at him. Since he had been shot, he had been expecting this.

Hutch rubbed his hand through his hair. "You know I've been keeping something from you. I know that was wrong now and I should have told you from the beginning. If I had, I may have prevented this from happening."

Starsky watched his partner get more and more agitated and he gripped his hand more tightly. Hutch felt this and was comforted.

Hutch continued. "When this bastard called me the first time, I was furious and just told him where to go. He said I was being rude to him and he didn't like rudeness. I didn't take him very seriously."

Despite himself, Starsky smiled at this.

Hutch continued on. "The guy got more and more angry until he was raging at me. He called me a murderer and a hot shot. He told me unless I changed my attitude, he would kill 5 hookers and then, you as well partner unless he was treated with respect every time he called from then on."

Starsky sighed. Hutch had never been under so much pressure and so withdrawn. He had just been waiting for the madman to carry out his sick threat. Hutch had his head in his hands now.

"Then you shouted at him that time and Gina was killed. I knew what would happen next. I thought if I told you." Hutch's words trailed away.

Starsky looked up into the other pair of bright blue eyes and prodded gently, "You thought what blintz? Tell me."

Hutch brushed a tear from his eye and then looked back at Starsky. "I don't know what I was thinking. Hell, I wasn't thinking straight. All I knew was that I had to keep you safe and I thought if I kept this to myself and just watched your back, I'd keep you safe." Hutch scoffed. "Didn't work though did it?" He looked away from Starsky.

Starsky actually tried to sit up. He cursed as the pain hit him. "Hutch, I'm not gonna tell you that you didn't do this wrong as I reckon you know that you did already. I can understand you wanting to protect me though. If the roles were reversed, I'd probably do the same." Starsky saw that Hutch was still looking away from him so he gently urged, "Look at me babe."

Hutch wiped quickly at his wet eyes and then turned back to his partner. Starsky smiled at him.

"This is not how we work partner," Starsky continued firmly. "We tell each other everything. That's how it is. Promise me now that whatever happens, you talk to me. You share it with me. OK?"

Hutch smiled at his partner and nodded, silently. Starsky sighed and laid himself back down.

"I'd better leave you now Starsk. I've already called Dobey, he said he's be coming in. I'll be in the waiting room if you need me." Starsky smiled at this.

"OK partner." As Hutch leaned back and stretched, Starsky noticed how pale his partner was. "Hey, you look awful Hutch."

Hutch eyed him and frowned. "Thanks buddy."

Starsky grinned. "Why don't you go off and get some sleep? I'll be fine here. You don't have to wait for Dobey. I'll see you in the morning."

Hutch hated leaving his partner but he couldn't deny that he could hardly keep his eyes open. He made up his mind that Starsky was right and slowly got to his feet.

"OK Gordo, you win. If you need me though, you call me." Hutch said, launching in to his mother hen routine.

"Yeah, yeah. Go on, get out of here." Starsky teased, with a little shake of his head.

Hutch laughed. He moved to the door and reached for the handle.

"Hey Hutch," Starsky called Hutch turned back to his partner.

"Me and thee buddy." Starsky told him.

Hutch smiled. "Me and Thee," he replied, grinned at his partner and then walked through the door.

He stood outside Starsky's room for a moment, smiling to himself. Perhaps he was going to sleep better tonight.

~*~

Hutch had left the hospital with instructions to Starsky's nurse to call him if anything happened. He glanced at his watch. It was now late afternoon. They had been in that hospital for ages and the time had flown. Hutch knew that Dobey would be arriving soon. He also knew that Dobey would call him if there were any problems. This fact really made up his mind to go back to his apartment to get some much needed sleep.

He walked over to the taxi stand. He hoped he didn't have to wait long. He looked around; the sun was already starting to go down, being late in the day. He shut his eyes, once again thanking his lucky stars that Starsky was alive and well. It had been a mad day. He would be glad when it was over.

Hutch suddenly froze. He thought he had heard a noise, like someone chuckling. He stared around him, one hand on his magnum. There it was again! He began to walk slowly and quietly in the direction of the voice, his eyes squinting into the darkness.

A voice rang out. "Detective Hutchinson, how is your partner doing?" Hutch pulled out his gun and moved forward.

"Who's there?" He snapped. More chuckling.

He followed the sound of the laughter and caught a glimpse of a figure. It was short and dressed all in black presumably.

Hutch pointed his gun at the shadowy figure. "I'll ask you again, who are you?"

This time the laughter was loud and mocking. Hutch was so preoccupied with the stranger in front of him, he didn't notice someone else creeping up behind him.

Hutch stepped closer to the unmoving figure, gun still raised. He reached into his pocket to pull out some cuffs when he was suddenly grabbed from behind. He struggled as a dirty rag was held over his face but he couldn't pull free of his attacker's grip. The last thing he heard was the shadowy figure's mocking laughter as everything went black.

TBC