The Major Redemption
Chapter 13
In sick bay, Doctor Jackson was busy checking his patient's vitals and recording them on the chart he hung at the bottom of the bed. Since his friend had left, Mr Hutchinson (did his friend call him Hutch?) had not rested easily. The doctor was amazed that, having endured so much, the blond detective was not completely knocked out by the anaesthetic and pain killers he had been given. He was even more amazed when the blonde's eyes opened a crack.
He seemed to be searching for someone, or something, his hand twitching against the sheets and the fingers making grasping motions, as if looking for a hand to hold. He bent forward over the detective.
'Ken, are you alright? Do you have pain? I'm Dr Jackson, and you're in the sick bay of the ship. Do you remember?'
The eyes opened a fraction more and Hutch's lips worked at making a word. 'Starsk? Where's m my partner?'
'He's gone to look for the Cabin Steward, Ivan. The man you told him did this to you. He's with the Bosun, Ltnt Moore. Just try to rest. Hutch, is it? Can I call you Hutch?'
The blond nodded, his eyes closed. 'F find him. Something's wrong. Find Starsk' he was becoming more agitated, his head rolling against the pillow'.
'Everything is OK Hutch, just try to rest. Everything will be fine' the doctor persisted, but Hutch wasn't having any of that. He tried to raise himself up, picking at the tape holding the venflon in place at his left wrist. The doctor gently pulled his hand away, but Hutch persisted making weak efforts to rise.
'G got to get to S Starsk……..trouble………needs h help'.
The doctor took hold of Hutch's right hand. 'I'll get someone to go and look for your friend, but you must rest. And you can't pull the cannula out. It's over an inch into your vein. Its not like television, Hutch, you can't just rip it out and wander off. Just wait, and I'll let Alex know you need them to search, OK?'
Hutch nodded slightly, resting his head back on the pillow as the doctor made over to the telephone. He listened as the physician explained to the Bosun what had happened. 'I don't know Alex, but he's convinced, and I know he won't rest 'till someone finds Mr Starsky'.
He put the receiver down and walked over to the bed bound detective. 'Hutch, Alex will search. He'll find Mr Starsky and send him to you. But you have to rest now, OK. Just rest' and he put is hand on Hutch's forehead and felt the blond relax back onto the pillow.
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Seven storeys down, Starsky's body hit the surface of the sea at over 60 miles per hour. He had tried to bring his arms up into some semblance of a dive, and had managed to get his left arm to cleave a hole in the water for his head and body to fall through, although the right arm had stubbornly refused to move. And so the impact of the long dive was lessened a little from a bone crushing crash to a collision that merely knocked the brunette unconscious.
His body continued to gently fall through the water until his lungs started to protest the lack of oxygen and instinct took over. His legs and arm jerked convulsively to try to bring the body back to the surface and slowly he started to rise up.
As Starsky's head broke the surface, he was once more conscious and opened his mouth to take in a desperate lungful of air. Floating between the waves, the brunette gasped, the salt water stinging the gunshot wound on his shoulder and the wrist and hand wounds diabolically as he tried to remember what had just happened. What ya jump off the ship for, idiot? OK Concentrate. Oh yeah, Ivan. God where's Ivan?.
As clarity returned, Starsky thrashed about scanning the horizon between the waves, trying to find the little Russian. His view was obstructed by the waves which had, from the ship, seemed small and insignificant. Shows what you know Davey boy. Try as he might, he couldn't see anyone, and in desperation, he dived beneath the surface again, but still nothing.
Finally he broke the surface, his heart heavy at not having been able to save the little man who had suffered so much during his life. Starsky looked back towards the ship, but was brought up short. The ship was still steaming along at 18 knots and was now disappearing into the distance, and he knew that no amount of swimming would be enough to make him catch it, even if both arms had been working. And then there were the sharks!
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Alex Moore recalled his men from the search for Ivan. Assembling them in the same bar area they had departed a while ago.
'I need all of you to be on the lookout for….'
He was interrupted by one of the crew bursting into the room. 'I'm sorry, sir, but one of the passengers has just notified us. She thinks she saw two people fall overboard'.
At once, Alex was giving orders. He telephoned up to the bridge for all stop and to come about, informing the Captain of the passenger's fears.
And so, the ship's engines were put into full reverse, and the big ship started her lumbering turn. In the meantime, a lifeboat was lowered from its davit onto the surface of the water and with directions from the bridge, the three man crew started its search.
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Starsky was getting tired. His shoulder wasn't hurting any more, he was passing beyond pain. It took all his energy just to keep his head above the water. He had always been a good, strong swimmer, but had never had to content with six foot waves and a gunshot wound.
He turned onto his back and floated, preserving what energy he had left. He closed his eyes and thought about his partner. OK Hutch, maybe this is it. I know you'd have told me not to jump. That's why I always need ya, Blondie. You're always my voice of reason. Stop me doing stupid things like walking off a ship into the ocean in the middle of the night. God I'm sorry Blintz. Truly I am. Is hurts so much an' I;m so damn tired. I tried to stop Ivan. He needed help an' I know you would have helped him too, but I couldn't save him.
Slowly darkness was descending on the curly haired detective as the sea around him rocked his body, lulling it into a false sense of warmth and security. It took all Starsky's energy to keep from giving in and slipping under the surface one last time.
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On board ship, Hutch was restless. The doctor watched concerned as the blond tossed restlessly in the bed. His temperature was up and the fever showed itself in the flush on the handsome face and the sweat which the nurses constantly dabbed away with cool cloths. He muttered under his breath, the words mostly inaudible, but the one word which recurred time after time was that of his friend
'Starsk? Where are ya buddy. Starsk what have ya done. Need ya, Starsk?'
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The launch made its way back the way the large ship had just come. The three men on board constantly searching the surface of the water for the bodies of the two missing persons. Each had a pair of binoculars and each was quiet caught up in the frantic search, knowing that every minute counted. The small craft ploughed through the waves, which at times broke over its tiny deck, wetting the occupants to the skin.
Eventually they were back at what they thought was the correct position, Each man took a quadrant of the horizon and started the search proper. Suddenly one of the crewmen gave a shout of triumph. He had spotted a speck of red floating on the surface some 100 yards to their port side. Gunning the engine, Alex manoeuvred the boat to the position and they started a more in depth search.
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Starsky was past caring. His head hurt, his shoulder was past numb and was shouting pain throughout his body. He knew he'd lost a lot of blood and was feeling weak and sick. He was shivering uncontrollably, although the temperature of the sea was not so cold. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was going to die, that the ship had gone away and that no one would know where to look for him. His one overbearing regret was that he had not been able to say goodbye to Hutch.
As he floated, visions started progressing through his mind.
He was little again and running down the busy New York street to the Italian Restaurant his grandmother lived above.
He was at school being taunted by a group of boys because his Mother couldn't afford new sneekers for him.
He was at college, trying to come to terms with his fathers death.
He was at the police academy, watching a tall athletic blond competing n the track and field events.
He was in his beloved Torino, cruising the streets with that same blond at his side.
He was at the bedside of his girlfriend as Terri died in his arms, and Hutch was there to comfort him.
He was sick and dying as he was slowly poisoned, and Hutch was there to comfort him.
He was in a hospital bed, looking up at Doctor Jackson. No wait, that's not a memory. Is that you Blondie? Do you know what's happening to me? Can you hear me if I say Goodbye?
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The lifeboat got to the body just as it had begun to sink below the waves. Alex leaned over the side of the craft and hooked his arm under the body, bringing it back to the surface. He pulled and with the help of another crewman, brought Starsky's limp form aboard. It slithered lifelessly to the deck as the engine was pushed up to full throttle and headed back at full speed to the ship.