Chapter 14

Starsky sat in the car looking out through the windscreen with eyes that saw nothing of the passing scenery.

Once Gail had been taken away, Hutch had managed to pull his partner to his feet, clutching at the smaller man as Starsky groaned and bent double, more pains lancing through his stomach. He staggered to the side of the aviary and was quietly sick in the undergrowth, his stomach feeling raw and sore. He saw blood, but decided not to mention that just yet and made his wavering way back to the waiting blond.

Starsk, are you ok? C'mon lets get ya down to the hospital huh?' Hutch said, taking hold of the brunet's shoulder and holding him steady.

'Don't wanna go t'the hospital' the brunet said petulantly. 'They stick me with needles at the hospital an' it hurts'.

'You sound like a spoiled kid Starsk. You need to get checked out. Just look at yourself'.

'I'd rather not'.

'I bet. C'mon, just get in the car' Hutch helped him down the rocky slope and it was a measure of just how much Starsky was hurting that he didn't immediately go around to the driver's side of the Torino. He leaned heavily against the side of his baby as Hutch opened the door and then groaned as he bent his body to get into the passenger side seat. As he held onto the door frame, the gown fell back from his arms, and Hutch saw the bruises extending upwards into the folds of the material. He bit back the curses, knowing his partner was in no fit state to hear him ranting at the world and instead, got himself into the car and concentrated on driving.

Starsky sat quietly, his mind a pleasant void as they drove. All strength had departed and now he slumped, head hanging and chin resting on his chest. The inside of his car wrapped him in a cocoon of safety and for a few precious moments he enjoyed being safe, back in the company of his partner and in his own car. Hutch hated his partner being so quiet. A quiet Starsky was never a good sign and he reached out a hand to rest on the brunet's knee. Starsky jumped at the contact, a small grunt escaping him and he took a deep breath.

'You ok Gordo. You wanna talk about it?'

'It wouldn't be my first choice, no'.

'OK well let me make it simpler for you. You're gonna have to give your statement to someone, so why not practice on me?'

'Coz ya can't write 'n' drive?'

'Clever….cute. C'mon Starsk. I need to know. What happened?'

'Just the usual'.

'What's that s'posed to mean?'

'I got kidnapped an' beaten up. Just the usual'.

'Why do I get the feeling that you're not telling me everything?'

'Coz ya know me so well. Just leave it Blintz'.

'Oh wait. This is the part I like best. This is where you tell me you're fine and I say "Oh ok" and sit back to watch you shudder your way through the next set of pains. C'mon Starsky, throw me a line here'.

'Yeah, ok I hurt!' Starsky said loudly, it seeming like a shout in the confines of the car. 'I was stupid, I got sloppy and they took me. And after that they had some fun and they were gonna kill me. The blond cavalry came over the hill, and now my too loud partner is forcing me to go to the hospital'. He panted and another pain coiled around his guts and bent him over as he clutched at his belly. Hutch used his free hand to rub at his partner's back, accelerating to get to the hospital all the quicker as he heard the pained breaths at his side. Finally Starsky sat straighter.

'M'sorry Hutch. It hurts 'n' I'm scared'.

'Hey, its over now buddy. What's to be scared of? You'll be fine now. I gotcha'. Hutch smiled reassuringly.

But Starsky wouldn't be placated. 'You didn't see 'em Hutch. He has such a hold over 'em and Gail said he had a hold on me too. I can feel it Blondie. I can feel it like he's watchin' me, and I know ya think that sounds wacky. Maybe I am losing it, but this ain't over yet'.

'Aww, buddy. How can he do anything? His group members are all going to jail an' he's there already. Should'a been sentenced by now. You're just spooked, an' I would be too. Lets get ya cleaned up and a good nights sleep an' you'll feel better huh?'

They pulled up outside the hospital and Hutch helped Starsky out of the car. His body was beginning to stiffen up and it took him a while to walk into the ER, conscious that people around him were staring at the black robe. He hated it, but he was naked underneath and he preferred the robe to going without.

One of the nurses approached the two men and after a whispered conversation, she showed them into a curtained cubicle, handing Starsky a pair of dark blue scrubs. 'You'll be more comfortable in those' she said. 'Just get undressed, but on the pants and the doctor will be with you in a moment. Do you want your friend to stay?'

Starsky nodded, too tired to reply properly and as the young nurse swished her way through the curtain, he started to try to take off the robe. But his hands were still purple and swollen from the ropes that had suspended him from the aviary and his arms were shaking so much from pain and fatigue that he couldn't untie the rope around his waist.

'Here, let me' Hutch said, reaching for the dirty rope.

Starsky tried to bat his hand away. 'No, don't….I….'

But he was too late and as Hutch started to try to open the course, heavy material, the brunet hissed. It was welded to his chest by the blood from the wounds Brad had inflicted earlier. Hutch stopped as Starsky grasped his wrist.

'What the hell did they do t'ya buddy' he whispered.

'Don't. Just….don't wanna talk about it. Just lemme get cleaned up an' outa here'.

Hutch put his hand gently under Starsky's chin and pulled his face up until he could see the pain filled indigo eyes. 'Tell me buddy. Now?'

'They hurt me Hutch. They burned me and they beat me, an' I think they poisoned me. There was something in the water. And there was one whole chunk of the night where I lost it. No idea what happened. They freaked me out an' I just wanna forget'.

'D'ya want me to stay?'

'Oh God yeah. Don't leave. M'ok Just need some time huh?' he managed a weak chuckle. 'Did I tell ya about the bear?'

'What?'

'Uh huh. A real life kosher bear. It was….' He didn't finish as the nurse returned with a rather earnest looking young doctor who held his hand out.

'I'm Doctor Milne. And you are?'

'Starsky. Dave, Starsky' at that moment another coil of pain hit him and he staggered backwards, leaning heavily against Hutch and the gurney in the small cubicle. The spasm lasted longer than the others and the brunet cried out at the severity of it, clawing at his guts as his knees gave out and he sank to the floor. He gasped one last time and passed out, collapsing into a heap against Hutch's legs as the blond reached down for him a look of horror and question on his face.

oOo

In a different part of Bay City, a man with long dark hair, a beard and beady black eyes sat cross legged on the floor of his cell. In one hand he held the small doll with the chocolate coloured curls. With the other hand he pushed his index finger deep into the dolls abdomen, grinding it around with evident satisfaction on his face.

oOo

Starsky awoke a little while later to the feel of water on his chest. As he opened his eyes a crack, he realised that the pretty nurse had a wet sponge and was soaking the front of the dirty robe. She looked up at his face and smiled.

'Welcome back' she said, as Hutch's face also hove into view.

'Didn't know I'd gone anywhere' Starsky said thickly.

'Well ya weren't examining my shoes' Hutch grinned.

'No. What's with the bath?' the brunet asked.

'Just helping to ease this off of you' she smiled.

The nurse put down the sponge and started to peel away the wet material from the front of his body. Starsky hissed softly and closed his eyes. He hadn't seen what they'd done to him, he'd been tied and the robe had covered him completely, obscuring his view. He just knew his chest and stomach hurt and that they'd bled. Now, as the blood caked material was eased away he heard his partner curse.

'Shit Starsk. What the hell did they do to ya buddy?'

He looked down the line of his body and saw the blood welling afresh from the incisions down his belly in the shape of an inverted cross. Seeing it brought even more pain now that the cold air and the water had got to his wounds and he let his head fall back against the pillow.

'The bastards' he growled through clenched teeth as he rode the crests of pain. 'Dunno when they did that. Maybe when I lost it, when I couldn't remember what had happened. Shit that hurts' he said as the nurse swabbed away the oozing blood with a white gauze pad.

'I'm sorry, I know' she said soothingly. It going to need stitching in places where its deeper. Dr Milne will be back in a moment. He'll let you know what he's going to do'. She stepped outside for fresh supplies and left the two men alone.

'I'm gonna nail that sucker!' Hutch ground out. 'I'm gonna make sure he never sees the light of day again. Him an' his other flakes. Jeez, look at ya'.

'Hutch, don't go doin' anything stupid huh? He's dangerous and he's….ungh…..'Starsky's words were cut off as another spasm of pain wound around his intestines. This time, he couldn't hold back the cry of pain and sweat beaded on his brow as he panted through the red crest, riding the wave down towards comfort. But just as he started to recover from that, another bolt took him and shook him so that he doubled over on the gurney, the incisions on his chest gaping and beginning to bleed afresh. He let out one final gasp, grasping Hutch's hand in his and squeezing until his knuckles stood out white, and then, with a final groan, he collapsed back against the pillow, limp and unconscious.

The doctor returned immediately and started to check over the boneless form. In a way it was easier for the brunet now that he was unconscious. The doctor probed and pulled at the cuts on his chest, and as the robe was stripped from him, Hutch gasped at the myriad of cuts and bruises covering his partner's body, arms and legs. As the doctor got to work, stitching and cleaning, he stood back, fuming and watched.

Two hours later, Starsky had been moved up to a small side room. His chest and abdomen had been stitched and now fresh white dressings were taped in place along their length. Another white dressing was taped to the right side of his face from hairline to below his right eye, protecting the burn there and various other deeper cuts across his body had been dressed in similar fashion. Xrays revealed a cracked rib and that too was bound.

He had his stomach pumped, although fortunately he remained unconscious throughout that horrible procedure and blood samples had been taken. The results said that Starsky had ingested some kind of narcotic mixed with cocaine, and also an irritant, dilute enough not to cause permanent damage, but still enough to have caused some damage to the lining of his stomach.

Now he lay quietly in the bed, a naso-gastric tube taped to his left cheek and drips feeding much needed liquid into the back of each hand.

The room was dim, the blinds having been drawn and Hutch sat quietly by the side of the bed waiting for his friend to come around. In is mind, the blond ran scenarios where he could get retribution against the cult leader, each scene more lurid and violent than the last.

Eventually, Starsky started to stir, his hands moving feebly against the sheet as his eyes cracked open a little. He looked around, confused and tried to swallow past the tube in his throat. Hutch stood and bent over the bed.

'Hi buddy. How're ya feelin'?'

'Lo….t'riffic'.

'I bet. Can I get you anything?'

'Drink'.

'Uh huh. doc says nothing till they can find out what other poisons they gave ya'.

'K…..Hutch?'

'Yeah buddy'.

'It hur….' Again the cop doubled over in the bed, a blood curdling cry wrenched from his lips as the pains redoubled their efforts to rip his guts in two.

Hutch pressed the nurse call button immediately and within moments nurses and the doctor swarmed into the room. Taking one look at his patient, Milne's forehead creased. He inserted a needle into the port of the drip and depressed the plunger as the brunet's body continued to buck on the bed, trying to rid himself of the terrible fire in his belly.

'Hold him, he's going to tear the stitches….hold him' Milne directed the orderlies, but Hutch pushed passed them. Taking hold of Starsky's shoulders he pushed his partner back down onto the bed.

'Easy buddy, easy. Hang on there. I'm here, easy….try 'n' relax' he crooned.

'Oh Utch…..hurts…..like last time…..worse….oh shit' Starsky groaned as another pain coiled around him. He grasped Hutch's arm and held on as the blond continued to hold him and rub his shoulders trying to take the pain himself and save the brunet from more agony. Within minutes the powerful sedative was beginning to take effect and the brunet relaxed back onto the bed, his eyes closed. He managed a weak smile as his eyelids started to dip.

'M'ok now' he whispered.

But even in sleep he couldn't rest and the pains haunted his dreams.

Hutch looked away from the sight of his partner whimpering in his sleep, his head rolling from side to side on the pillow.

'I don't understand it' Milne was muttering. 'We pumped his stomach and he's had pain killers that'd knock a rhino out. He shouldn't feel any pain at all'.

'I think I understand it Doc. I think I understand it all now. How long will he be out?'

Milne blew out his lips. 'At least six hours. He's had the maximum dose of almost everything we've got. And yet he's still behaving as though he's in agony'.

Hutch looked at his sweating partner. 'If he wakes up, tell him I've gone hunting'.

'What're you going to do?' Milne asked.

'Gonna put an end to this once and for all'.