FATAL VISION

CHAPTER SEVEN

Another nurse brought a medicine cup with a pill for Starsky a short time later. She set it on his bed side table but turned toward Hutch as she stifled a laugh.

"I guess he doesn't need that pain pill after all." She glanced again at her patient, tempted to wake him up so he could take the ordered dose. Common sense rather than duty won out.

"He can sleep most anywhere, anytime. You're smart not to wake him up; he'd be pretty grumpy if you did." Hutch handed Cindy his now sloshy ice bag.

"Since I'm here, I better put those drops in your eyes." She poked around the drawer of the bedside table where Hutch's medical supplies were kept. In the mean time, the patient grimaced at the thought of the irritating medication.

Cindy noticed the frown as she pulled out a tissue and unscrewed the cap from the vial of drops.

"I sure wish I didn't need those. They make my eyes worse, if that's possible" Regardless of his complaints, he rested his head back against the pillow and waited for the burning to begin.

"I know they're uncomfortable, but the first one is another antibiotic to replace the I.V. drip that was taken away. That's one good thing. Then this next one,.." She interrupted herself as she reached for the second bottle. "This one helps cut down on the dryness." Squirting the second medication in his eyes, she held his one eye open to complete the delivery of the thick substance.

"I know all that but that second one makes my eyes more blurry to the point that I can't see at all for a few minutes." He squinted and made a frustrated noise as the stinging and blurriness increased. He reached for his sunglasses but tried to be polite as Cindy left, despite his sour mood.

Half an hour later, Starsky snored lightly and Hutch remained thoughtful.

He wanted to talk to Captain Dobey. He still needed to give his statement to his superior regarding the attack. Slightly surprised that more than twenty four hours had gone by without being questioned, Hutch decided it was time to give his account of the events as he remembered them.

Reaching for the phone and dialing proved to be quite a challenge. Of course he knew the police station phone number by heart, but it was different dialing without seeing the numbers clearly. After two attempts, he decided he needed help.

"Starsky, hey sleepyhead!" The dark-haired man groaned in his sleep but didn't respond otherwise.

"Some help you are," Hutch grumbled. He reached for the call button but hesitated. He didn't want Susan to answer his summons. Maybe she'd be gone by now. Well, he had no choice. He figured if she came in, he would just forget about calling until she left for the day.

He pushed the button and without realizing it, held his breath until Allison walked into the room.

"Are you okay?" Allison glanced at David who was sleeping soundly. Then she moved closer to Hutch to check on him. His face was still very swollen. "Looks like you need more ice. Is there anything else I can get you?"

Hutch pushed the sun glasses up higher on his nose. Behind them, he squinted and blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision but without any success.

"Just wish I could see. This is damn frustrating. It's like I'm under water, trying to see with my eyes open. Everything is wavy and distorted."

Allison moved closer, smiling at the feminine glasses that Hutch still wore. He didn't seem to mind. She figured as uncomfortable as he was, he would gladly wear them in order to alleviate some of the more irksome side effects of the surgery.

"Close your eyes and take the glasses off. Let me inspect your incisions to make sure everything is healing as it should." Gently, she touched the swelling and bruising, confirming that all was well. Then she moved to the other side of the bed to examine his arm. The wound there was also healing well. No signs of infection or problems.

"Everything is fine. You just need to be a patient patient!"

Hutch shrugged his shoulders and gave her a weak smile. "I'm not very good at resting or giving myself time to relax I guess. I just want it all to go away."

Allison patted his head, moving some of the longer blond hair off of his brow.

"But there is something you could do. I'm afraid again my frustration got the best of me, so could you dial the phone? I need to get in touch with my captain."

Hutch relayed the phone number and as she dialed, he gathered his thoughts in order to show that he was in control, even if he didn't feel that way. Allison waited until Hutch started speaking and then crossed over to her other patient to check on his condition. He was obviously comfortable enough to sleep and she found nothing out of the ordinary. His blood pressure was good as were his respirations so she left the room, content that these two men were safe until the next round of checks were necessary. She did remind herself to gather more ice for Hutch but first she needed to look in on the man across the hall.

As Allison left, Hutch continued his conversation with Captain Dobey.

"Cap, there's something else I wanted to talk to you about." He listened a moment while Captain Dobey asked him a question.

"Who? You mean David Starsky, ace detective? Hah, he's sound asleep and has been no help. Yeah, yeah, he's fine but there's something… damn, I just can't put my finger on it." Hutch glanced over at his friend and frowned. That man really could sleep through anything.

Unfortunately, a series of problems would prevent the Captain from coming to the hospital until the following day. However, he would send Sean Brooks, the sketch artist. Sean would help Hutch recall the details of the woman and put those memories into a drawing. Running out of things to say, Dobey covered his concern with grumbling under his breath and complaining that the two detectives were needed back at the precinct as soon as possible.

Hutch held the phone away from his ear as his superior's words grew louder before he clicked off the line.

He struggled to get the receiver back on the cradle. He held it in his hand, not sure which of the three phones was the real one. All three floated in and out of his sight, so from behind his sun glasses, he blinked rapidly and squinted until finally there were only two in front of him. He aimed in the general direction but totally missed his target. The pitcher of water went flying, soaking the box of tissues and sending the vase of flowers crashing to the floor.

The unexpected noise interrupted Starsky's deep sleep enough that by the time Hutch was done swearing, his friend was sitting up in bed, wide awake, ready to save his partner from certain danger.

"What the hell? You okay buddy?" Starsky rubbed his eyes as he looked around, automatically reaching for his imaginary gun. Hutch snickered but secretly, he felt safer having his partner awake and alert while his sight was compromised.

"Have a good nap?" Hutch asked in a sarcastic tone.

"How the hell can I sleep with all this racket going on?" Starsky sat up further in bed and stretched his arms over his head.

Hutch sighed heavily and ran his hand through his hair. He loved his partner but sometimes the man was a very frustrating experience.

He related the details of the conversation, explaining Dobey's problems at home and at the office, keeping him away until the next day.

"Are the kids okay?" Starsky leaned forward; concerned that one of his Captain's children might be sick. He had a special place in his heart for Rosie, his little left handed friend.

"They're fine, but plumbing problems at home and a new case at the precinct has him pulling his hair out. At least this time, we aren't responsible." The men shared a laugh and continued the light hearted conversation until a volunteer brought them their dinner.

Meatloaf covered in a gelatinous substance that was supposed to be gravy got the guys talking about pizza cravings, health shakes and a general desire just to go home.