CHAPTER TEN

"Hey, come on, bro…" Nicky said with slight smile "Ease up a little. Jessie wanted to do a little shopping. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is we can't afford any more of her little shopping sprees!" Starsky snapped, losing patience with both of them. It had been a long day and coming home to find out that Jessica had opened a new charge account at one of the most expensive stories in Bay City had just added fuel to an already smoldering flame.

"You're no fun at all anymore," Jessica said with a snort. "Your own brother treats me better than you do!" Her eyes flashed with anger as she glared at her husband. "He at least pays attention to me. More than I can say about you!"

Starsky's volatile temper flared. In his opinion, Nicky had been spending far too much time hanging around. "Fine! If Nicky's so great, then maybe you should be with him instead of me!"

"Maybe I should be!" Jessica shot back. "He's more of a man than you'll ever be!"

"Then you can both get the fuck out!" Starsky yelled, snapping as he finally reached his breaking point. "You deserve each other!" He stomped across the floor to the front door "I want you both gone when I get back!" With those parting words, he stormed out of the house and headed for the safe haven of Hutch's apartment.

When Starsky stormed into the big blond's apartment his face was still dark with rage, Hutch wisely decided to keep silent and walked into the kitchen. Grabbing a bottle of scotch out of the cabinet, he poured the angry man a healthy shot.

Starsky accepted the drink and swallowed it in one gulp. Handing the glass back to Hutch for a refill, he said, "I told them both to get out…that I wanted them gone when I got back."

Hutch arched one eyebrow at his friend and said, "Do you really think they're going to leave just like that?"

"I don't give a fuck anymore what they do," Starsky said in a defeated voice. "I can't do it any more, Hutch. I just want my life back."

"What about the baby?"

"I'll still fight Jessica for the right to see the baby," Starsky declared firmly. "I'm not going to just let her take off and never let me see my kid."

"I'm sorry, buddy. I know you gave it your best shot. You bent over backwards to make it work."

"God, Hutch…she said Nicky was a better man than me…that at least he paid attention to her." Starsky leaned his head back against the sofa and closed his eyes.

"You know that's not true," Hutch said, trying to sooth the brunet's wounded pride and self-esteem. "Nick probably just turned on the old Starsky charm. And Jessica fell for it. She just wanted to push your buttons as usual…they both did." Although Hutch felt empathy for his suffering friend, he was at a loss on how to make things better. He knew that the farce of the brunet's marriage to Jessica needed to end, but all he could do was be there to help Starsky pick up the pieces.

Starsky continued to drink throughout the evening, eventually switching from the hard liquor to beer. By midnight, he was passed out on the sofa, and Hutch gently covered him with a blanket before going to bed himself. Starsky was still sleeping soundly when Hutch arose early the next morning for his customary five mile jog. When he returned, he took a quick shower and started to make breakfast. The smell of bacon frying in the skillet soon aroused a groggy Starsky from his drunken slumber.

With a disgruntled grunt, Starsky stumbled into the bathroom and Hutch heard the sound of vomiting as Starsky emptied the meager contents of his stomach into the toilet bowl. Hutch immediately turned down the heat under the bacon and went into the bathroom to aid his hung-over friend.

A pitiful-looking Starsky was crouched in front of the stool, his head hanging down into the bowl as he heaved. Hutch grabbed a washcloth and wet it under the cold water, kneeling down beside his friend to gently wipe his brow.

Finally, Starsky stopped retching and leaned heavily against his friend, resting his head on a broad shoulder. Rubbing his back gently, Hutch said, "I'll call Dobey and tell him that we won't be in today."

"Thanks," Starsky mumbled, "I feel like shit."

"No offense," Hutch said with a chuckle. "But you don't look so hot either. I don't suppose you want anything to eat?"

Starsky's face blanched and he shook his head violently. The thought of food made him feel nauseated all over again. He lunged forward and began to heave again, even though there was nothing left in his stomach to bring up. Hutch wrapped his arms around his friend's shaking body and held on tightly until he was finished. Helping the trembling brunet to his feet, Hutch guided him into his bedroom and lowered him onto the bed.

"Go back to sleep," Hutch instructed him. "I'll make you some broth when you wake up."

Starsky's eyes drifted shut, already falling back to sleep.

Hutch walked back into the living room and picked up the phone. He stabbed out Starsky's phone number. When Jessica's sleepy voice answered, he said shortly, "Starsky is here with me and he's staying here until you and Nicky are gone."

"Why should we leave? This is my house to," Jessica said. "I have every right to tell Nick he can stay if I want to."

"That's Starsky's apartment. He never had you added to the lease," Hutch hissed. "He wants you both out, and I'd advise you to do what he wants."

"And if we don't?"

"Then I won't be responsible for what happens to either one of you." Hutch declared.

"Are you threatening me?" Jessica asked with a snort of laughter.

"I don't have to. I'm a cop, remember? I can get you both out of there, and you won't like the way I do it."

"Fuck you, Hutchinson!" Jessica's voice yelled in his ear. "I'm not scared of you!"

"You'd better be," Hutch warned her. "Because I'm not going to let you go on hurting Starsky like this. If you know what's good for you, you'll both be out of there by this evening."

Hutch hung up the phone before Jessica could come back with another sarcastic remark. He had the feeling that Jessica and Nick would do as he suggested. Neither one of them wanted to mess with the big blond when he went into full blown protective mode of his partner.

Starsky slept until early afternoon, finally stumbling out of bed and going into the bathroom for a long, hot shower. He rummaged though the dresser until he found the extra clothes he kept at Hutch's apartment for times like this. When he emerged from the bedroom dressed in clean clothes, he looked almost human again. For the first time in months, Hutch saw a hint of the old Starsky in his eyes.

"Want some broth and crackers?" Hutch asked.

Starsky shook his head, "No, but I could use a cup of coffee. Black." Starsky asking for his coffee black, instead of loaded down with cream and sugar the way he preferred, was a dead giveaway that Starsky was still suffering from the residual effects of his drinking binge.

"Still feeling pretty rough, huh?" Hutch asked as he poured the coffee.

"You have no idea," Starsky said, accepting the cup with a grateful smile. "It seemed like a good idea at the time, but don't let me do that again anytime soon."

"Hey, after everything you've been through in the past few months, you're entitled to get plastered now and then," Hutch teased the brunet fondly.

"I just hope Jessie and Nick are gone when I go home." Starsky said with a frown. "I really don't feel like dealing with either one of them today."

"Then why not stay here again tonight? Give them time to clear out." Hutch suggested. "Then we can swing by your place on the way to work in the morning to see if they're gone or not."

"Okay." Starsky didn't need much persuasion to agree to Hutch's plan. He needed some more time to recover from his bender, and this way, he could do that in peace without any further arguments with his brother and soon to be ex-wife.