Thanks for the reviews ladies - it always helps! Love ya

Chapter 7

'Tastes like cardboard'.

Starsky grinned. 'What does? The toast or the oatmeal?'

'Both' the blond grumbled. 'I've spent over a week now without food an' when the prison wardens say I can eat again they take all the taste out of the food first'.

'Try the jell-o. It's red, - strawberry's your favourite'.

'Starsk, it's full of E colours and if it actually saw a strawberry it'd probably curl up and die!' Why can't I have proper food? I'll never build up my strength with this…..this travesty'.

'So you want proper food? Like a beef burrito with extra onions? Now ya know how I feel when the tables are turned and you're stuffing tapioca down my throat'.

It had been two days since the kidney infection had shown itself and after the first day, Hutch had turned a corner and was finally feeling more like himself. Or to be more accurate he was feeling itchy and testy and for two pins he'd have ripped his partner's head off. Fortunately, Starsky had been there himself and had recognised the symptoms; the short temper; the inability to converse with anything other than monosyllables. He understood, but it was still a trying time for all concerned.

Hutch pushed the tray away petulantly and snuggled back against the pillow, sighing heavily.

'When's Judith coming by?' he asked.

'She's gone back to her hotel for some rest. She shouldn't really be here now that the epidemic is over. Doc. Meredith has already gone back to Alabama. But it seems she has some leave due to her and she's decided to stay a few more days'.

Hutch smiled 'Yeah?'

'Can't imagine what's keeping her here' Starsky said with mock seriousness. The night before Starsky had come back into the room from the showers to see the good doctor leaning over the bed giving her patient a little non prescription attention. 'Did ya have something wrong with your tonsils?'

The blond picked up a piece of toast and threw it at his partner. 'She's just concerned' he grinned. 'Can't help having a way with women'.

'Specially when you threw up over her shoes a few days ago. That's gonna really turn her on. So, are ya ready for your big day?'

That morning one of the other doctors had been in and examined Hutch thoroughly. Although he still had periods where his temperature was raised, the pains in his back and sides had abated and his urine output was almost back to normal. The doctor had said that later in the morning the catheter would be removed and if he felt up to it, he could sit out of bed for a while. As the two men continued their welcome banter Judith and a nurse came into the room.

'Are you ready for this Hutch?' the doctor asked.

'Am I ever Doc' he grinned and looked around the shoulder of the woman at his partner. 'A little privacy here please' a grin on his face. Starsky crossed his eyes at him and stalked stiffly out of the room. As he got to the door he heard Judith tell the nurse she could take this on her own, and Starsky's face cracked into a smile.

With the brunette and the nurse now out of the room, the doctor pulled the privacy curtain across the side of the bed as Hutch wriggled down the mattress. As she pulled the single sheet back and untied the drawstring of his pyjamas he looked up at her with trusting eyes.

'Be gentle with me' he said huskily as he felt her hands on the centre of his body. She smiled.

'Not the sexiest thing in the world to do to a man, but afterwards, I'll…erm…rub it better?'

She pushed the needle of the syringe into the small port on the side of the Foleys catheter and withdrew the sterile water from the tiny bladder holding the tube in place. She put the syringe down and took hold of the rubber tube, pulling gently.

Hutch gritted his teeth. It wasn't exactly painful, but it wasn't the most comfortable experience either and half way through the procedure he groaned and closed his eyes. The tension stopped.

'Do you want a break?' Judith asked softly.

The blond opened his eyes and focussed on her. 'S'ok. Just get the damned thing out of me huh?'

Quickly the woman pulled the tube out in one motion as Hutch gripped the sides of the bed in his hands. As the end of the tube cleared his body he let out the breath he'd been holding and relaxed.

'Thank God that's over' he mumbled and then groaned afresh.

Judith's hand was moving in a different manner now, wrapped around his rapidly hardening member as her thumb gently flicked over the top, drawing lazy circles with her nail. After the pain of the extraction, the pleasure sent shudders up his spine and Hutch threw back his head against the pillow as he moaned again. Her hand picked up momentum.

'Is this included in Blue Cross?' he asked dreamily.

'Do you have full cover?' Judith asked, redoubling her efforts.

Hutch looked down his body, seeing her hands still firmly gripping him, the head peeping out of her grip.

'Not quite' he groaned as the sensations built in him. He lay back on the pillows enjoying the feel of her hand on his intimate parts. After all the pain and fevers he'd suffered over the past days, his resistance was low and all too soon he felt the centre of his body tighten as he reached his climax and shuddered against the bed, his back arching as he thrust upwards once. He sagged back against the pillow spent and panting.

'God that was wonderful. Ya got magic hands'.

'I do like to provide a full service' Judith grinned as she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. 'Now, would you like a little rest before you try getting out of bed?'

The flaxen haired cop caught her up in his arms, careful not to get the woman tangled in the drip lines still feeding into his hands and kissed her back. I think I'll just lie here with a gorgeous brunette doctor for a while' he said tiredly. He felt heavy and sleepy and his body still hummed with the reverberations of the climax he'd experienced, but he knew his partner would be waiting for him. Reluctantly he let the doctor up from his embrace and looked into her eyes.

'I think I'm falling in love' he said.

She chuckled. 'I bet you say that to all your doctors'.

'Nah. The guy with the beard and the glasses is so not my type' Hutch mumbled as his eyes started to close.

As Judith drew the curtains back, Starsky walked back into the room.

'Is he ok?' he asked looking at the slight patina of sweat on the blonde's brow. 'He's not sick again is he?'

Judith grinned. 'Oh no. he's fine. He needed firm treatment and I just had to take him in hand' she said straight faced as the brunette cop heard a snort from the bed.

'Am I disturbing you two?'

'No, just improving patient doctor relationships' Hutch said lazily from the bed. 'All set up now for my next big adventure.

'Yeah? You look just about all in. D'ya want a rest first?'

Hutch pulled himself into more of an upright position and gazed around the room. 'No, I think I can handle it' he said as he rapidly tied the cord of his pants back up.

'Well, soon as you're up they're gonna move ya out of this goldfish bowl' Starsky informed him. 'Don't need isolation any more now'.

He watched with a smile as Judith solicitously took hold of the blond arm and supported Hutch as he swung his legs out of the side of the bed. Slowly the flaxen haired cop shuffled to the edge of the bed, suddenly looking pale.

'Just take it slowly Blintz' Starsky said as he took the other arm and felt a shake in it. 'It's been a while an' you need to take it easy'.

Hutch sat on the side of the bed looking at the chair by the window. This morning it had seemed inviting and a path back into the real world, but now, as he battled the dizziness and weakness, it seemed a million miles away. Sitting up pulled at the small drain wound on his back and he was more aware of the tube of the central line as it flapped against his chest. The sensations came thick and fast; too fast and he fought back the nausea that threatened to overwhelm him..

Very slowly he put his bare feet on the cool tile floor and with support from his doctor and his partner he stood shakily. As he pulled himself up to his full height, the room took a dip to the left. He saw dark grey shadows at the edge of his vision and without warning, the toast, oatmeal and jell-o put in a surprise reappearance. Starsky skipped backwards out of the way, but still held onto his friend's arm and quickly, Judith and he pushed Hutch back onto the bed as he panted and gasped.

'Shit……sorry Gordo' he put a shaking hand up to his face and wiped at the trickle of sweat that threatened to drip into his eye.

Judith wiped his forehead with a cloth. 'Do you always take things at full speed?' she asked, amused.

'Apart from when he's driving, yes' the brunette grinned as he took a paper towel and wiped bits of breakfast off his Adidas.

Hutch lay panting against the pillow, his eyes closed as he tried to stop the world from spinning out of control. 'Jeez! I only wanted to stand up! This sucks' he said, angry at himself for being so weak.

'It's the sudden change in blood pressure. It makes you dizzy and sick' Judith said. 'In a moment we can try again, if you want?'

The blond pushed himself up, a look of determination in his blue eyes. 'Gonna do it on my own' he grunted as he sat at the edge of the bed again. Slowly he stood, taking time this time to straighten up and then took four wobbling steps to the chair. Reaching for the chair arms, he lowered himself gently into the chair as Starsky wheeled the two drip stands over to join him.

As he got himself comfortable, he looked at the two other people, a look of achievement on his face. 'Today the chair, tomorrow the world!' he panted. 'Now can I have some proper food huh?'

'Yes, you can have fish for lunch'.

'Oh joy!. Meat is murder but fish is justifiable homicide huh?' But Hutch grinned all the same.

As Judith sat by his side, Starsky finished cleaning his Adidas.

'Blintz, I gotta go. There's an errand I have to make' he looked up apologetically.

'Yeah, where?'

Starsky leaned against the bed. 'Calendar. He's getting out of the hospital today. I gotta take him to the airport'. He caught the quizzical look in his partner's eyes.

'We cut him a deal. He turned himself in and we gave him immunity and a ticket outa the country'.

Hutch's eyes turned stormy. 'You did what? Starsk he's one of the biggest hit men we've dealt with. He's international. Ya could have scored big time'.

Starsky rolled his eyes. 'Yeah. Strike one for the curly guy, but he ain't got no partner. Is that it? You needed the serum and Calendar had the means of delivering it. End of conversation. Now, are ya gonna waste all your energy being mad at me? I did what I had to do and now I'm gonna go and put him on a plane to Bogota'.

Hutch threw his hands up in defeat.

'I'm not mad at ya buddy. I just wish there could've been another way. Just go and deliver the turkey and then come back huh? and watch your back. Is Roper still out there?'

'He's dead. We got word the day after Calendar gave himself up. Roper's goons shot Calendar here at the hospital, but he got Roper and I got one of his flakes. Roper's gone and his empire is currently up for grabs. Word on the street is it's going to the highest bidder and Roper's henchmen are currently out of a job'.

Hutch's forehead wrinkled in concentration. 'Let me get this straight. Calendar's been shot but he's ok. Roper's dead and his empire is belly up and you're off to LAX. When were ya gonne tell me all this buddy?'

Starsky grinned as he walked to the door. 'That's what ya get for missing meetings' he threw over his shoulder as he left.