Chapter Ten

Starsky

I felt some of my terrors being soothed as I was held by my partner. I hated the fact I was in tears but I couldn't seem to control them. The tension and terror of the ordeal had caught up with me now that I was safe. With a great deal of difficulty, I pulled myself together knowing we couldn't stay there all night. I didn't want to lose the comfort of my partner but we needed to get away from this hellhole.

"Sorry, blintz, didn't mean to go all wet on ya." I managed a self-conscious grin.

"It's okay, babe, it'll be okay, but we've got to get you to a doctor." I could hear the concern from Hutch in his voice.

"Nah, I'll be fine, I just wanna go home."

"It's non negotiable, Starsky." I hadn't heard Dobey approach but he made no comment about me being in my partner's arms, or the fact my face was still wet.

"Hutchinson, you take care of your partner and get him to the hospital. Let me know how he is. Starsky, you take care." A fatherly pat on my shoulder as he turned to attend to the arrest of the freaks. At some point Gail had moved from my lap but I'd been beyond noticing when.

I sighed, I could tell by Hutch's face that I wasn't going to be able to avoid a hospital visit so I decided to save my strength arguing. I'd need the strength if they wanted to keep me in over night, for there was no way in the world that I intended to spend the night anywhere but in my own bed. I was so sore and tired it was impossible for me to know whether I had serious injuries or not but what I longed for most was the safety and security of my own home and to know Hutch was close by.

Hutch helped me stand up, holding me as I wobbled. His silence worried me a little but I was too tired to get into a heavy discussion. As I lay back in the Torino and closed my eyes, I was just grateful for his presence. I couldn't begin to come to terms with what would have happened without him.

The doctor did want to keep me in but somehow I managed to persuade him I'd be better off home. The details were blurry and I remember shouting, and I also remember Hutch by my side. I guess he must have seen my stubbornness

for he made no attempt to dissuade me. A few quiet words to the doctor and we were out of there. I'd been patched up pretty good and given pain killers. All I wanted was a soft bed, my bed.

Hutch still hadn't said a great deal and his continuing silence was a little worrying. I cast a quick glance at him as he drove, noting the tired lines and signs of tension. Every now and again his jaw would clench and I could see he was barely holding it together. I looked at my chaffed and raw wrists and knew the rest of me wasn't much better. I didn't know what to say, how to start dealing with this. I had no doubt he'd suffered, not the physical torment I had, but the worry and grief. I'd been on that side of the fence too and it wasn't any easier.

We finally made it to my place and he helped me out of the car. Normally I would have made it under my own steam but it didn't seem such a bad thing, leaning on my partner. We walked into my living room and I made my way to the sofa, groaning as I allowed my body to sink into the softness.

"Hey, Starsk, do you think you ought to lie down for a bit?" I could feel his concerned glance. I could also see he wanted to talk and there was the small matter of the statement I needed to give. Dobey had been surprisingly understanding and told me I could fill in the details tomorrow. The freaks had been rounded up and arrested. The drugs in their possession, the eye-witness accounts of me hanging by my wrists had been enough to hold them.

I found myself stiffening but even before the panic could begin, I felt Hutch's hand on my shoulder and I turned to him again. We'd always provided each other with comfort when needed but I'd never needed his presence as badly as I did then. I trembled again but he just held me close.

"It'll be okay, Starsk, I promise."

I pulled away slightly so I could look into his face.

"Can ya stay with me? I'm so tired, Hutch, but I wanna talk to ya." I knew we needed to talk so we could begin to heal. I didn't want to be on my own but equally, I didn't want Hutch to be on his own.

"Yeah, Starsk, I'm not planning on going anywhere." The soothing rubbing on my back was already working its magic and I found myself starting to relax, almost despite myself. We'd be okay, I'd be okay, as long as Hutch was around. He made no attempt to move, and I allowed myself to completely relax and start to drift off.

Hutch

I could feel some of Starsky's shaking ease as I held him close. I hated what had been done to him and I was appalled by his cut and bruised body. Although I'd known all along he wouldn't have come through unscathed, it was another matter actually seeing the evidence. The cuts, bruises, swollen lips, and I hadn't even had the chance to look at him properly. I felt the anger rising by every second. I released him as I felt him pull away slightly.

"Sorry, blintz, didn't mean to go all wet on ya." That's my partner for you, apologizing for reacting to something out of his control.

"It's okay, babe, it'll be okay, but we've got to get you to a doctor." I could barely keep the panic out of my voice as I saw the evidence of his injuries.

"Nah, I'll be fine, I just wanna go home." Starsky would be stubborn to the end, but I wouldn't have him any other way.

"It's non negotiable, Starsky." Neither of us had heard Dobey approach but he made no comment on the sight of his detectives holding each other for dear life.

"Hutchinson, you take care of your partner and get him to the hospital. Let me know how he is. Starsky, you take care." A fatherly pat on Starsky's shoulder as he turned to attend to the arrest of the freaks. I doubt Starsky had noticed the expression on our Captain's face, but I had. Not for the first time, I was truly grateful for the man, for his strength and for his friendship.

I helped my fragile partner stand up, prepared to catch him if he fell. He was wobbly but managed to keep his balance. I could feel the rage building in me as I witnessed his condition. I had to clench my jaw to prevent myself screaming abuse at Marcus and the freaks, as if it would help. Even when Starsky had been shot in the Italian restaurant, he hadn't been like this. He'd been badly injured on that occasion but somehow this was different. I watched him lean back in the Torino and trying to relax. I figured all I could do was to be there for him, and with him.

The doctor wanted to keep him in for overnight observation but Starsky reacted violently. In fact I hadn't seen him lose it so completely with someone who was in effect an innocent bystander. But I heard the panic behind the words and I decided that if his injuries weren't life threatening then we'd both be better off at home. His home, my home, didn't matter, just home. I'd be with him to make sure he was okay.

Apart from agreeing to take him home, I still had little to say. I was processing the thoughts that were going through my mind and trying to control my rage. Don't get me wrong, I was more than relieved to have him home again and safe, but my rage was fast becoming overwhelming. I would never understand the brutality behind Marcus and his followers and I was seeing first-hand the damage they could cause. I felt like I was going to explode. I wanted to help my poor battered partner but wasn't sure how. Raving against the madman wouldn't help.

We finally made it to his place and I helped him out of the car. I was aware of the fact he wouldn't normally lean on me, or allow me to help him so much, but I didn't question it. I was just too pleased to help and to know he was back home. I watched him sink into the sofa.

"Hey, Starsk, do you think you ought to lie down for a bit?" He looked ready to drop.

Dobey had been surprisingly understanding and told him he could fill in the details tomorrow. The freaks had been rounded up and arrested. The drugs in their possession, the eye witness

acounts of him hanging by the wrists had been enough. God, would I ever be able to lose that image? The image of the freaks surrounding him with large knives. I shuddered, determined not to lose control now. I saw the sudden stiffening in Starsky's shoulders and sat next to him, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. God, he looked a mess, the burn next to his eye was fortunately not too serious but it did look sore, as did the other bruises and cuts. I was surprised when he turned to me but I just held him close. Whatever he needed.

"It'll be okay, Starsk, I promise."

He pulled away slightly so he could look at me.

"Can ya stay with me? I'm so tired, Hutch, but I wanna talk to ya." As if I'd leave him on his own. We needed to deal with this and we would, but not on our own. We needed the other to come to terms with this. I'd never had any intention of leaving him on his own.

"Yeah, Starsk, I'm not planning on going anywhere." I rubbed his back gently, pleased as I felt his weight increasing on me as the relaxing began. Neither of us were in the most comfortable of positions but it didn't matter. Starsky getting rest was the most important thing and as long as we were together, we'd heal.