Part 37

"You've been very lucky Detective." Doctor Maybrouk explained, stepping back and looking down at Hutch, who lay upon the couch before him, his shirt partially open and his pale chest exposed. He removed the ear buds of the stethoscope from his ears and looked down at his patient gravely. Starsky sat in a chair in a corner of the room near the doctor's desk, looking anxiously over at his partner. "I had a patient cancel on me this morning, which was why I was able to squeeze you in at such short notice," He smiled, "and it's a good job too, by the sound of your chest you have the beginnings of another chest infection."

There was an audible sigh from Starsky in the far corner of the room, and Hutch looked over at his friend – the doctor following the blonde's gaze, and observing their exchange of uneasy glances.

"Have you been taking your medication?" He looked at Hutch and frowned.

"He's been away." Starsky explained, and the doctor immediately turned to Hutch.

"Detective?" He asked. There was something in Starsky's tone which immediately concerned him, an edge which suggested that by 'being away' he didn't mean that Detective Hutchinson had been on a world cruise or participating in anything which could be described as even vaguely restful and relaxing. The Detective looked, if at all possible, worse than the last time he'd seen him. He hadn't lost anymore weight, which was of course a positive sign, but he still looked tired and washed out, and with his blonde hair the doctor considered that if he was any paler it could be easy to compare his complexion to that of a sketch done by an artist who'd drawn the outline of the Detective's face but forgotten to colour him in. To compound his concern the man's left lung had already been moderately compromised by the infection causing a severe wheeze upon exhalation, and the congestion was already beginning to spread to the right.

Hutch sighed. "I needed some time to reflect." He explained. "Starsky's much stronger now, and I thought that if I could just get away for a while, leave Bay City behind, get away from this place and the constant reminder of what happened then perhaps, maybe, I could forget…" He faltered, his voice slowly ebbing as he looked at his partner's and the doctor's eyes upon him, and he shook his head, "but I couldn't… it didn't help… in fact if anything it only made things worse."

"Running away very rarely does Detective." The doctor explained seriously. "Most of the time we just end up taking our problems with us, and find ourselves in a strange town surrounded by strange people, longing for the familiarity of family and friends and the comforts of home. To my knowledge there is only one thing that really helps, and that is talking about it…"

Hutch nodded, before directing his gaze pathetically towards the floor.

"You haven't been taking care of yourself!" The older man concluded, scrutinizing Hutch's medical records carefully as he weighed up the options now open to them. The infection on the detective's lungs was bad, but not particularly serious – he could send him home with a course of strong anti-biotics and instruction to rest, and he'd probably get better on his own within a couple of weeks. However he'd already shown that he couldn't necessarily be trusted to act upon medical advice. There was the Detective's history of plague to take into consideration – although his medical records clearly stated that he'd made a full and complete recovery from his run in with the highly contagious bacterial infection a couple of years ago they could not entirely rule out the possibility that this had endemically weakened his lungs, a weakness which had perhaps gone undetected at the time, but which could be made worse now by the presence of infection. There was also the fact that this wasn't the first lung infection he'd suffered from in the past few months. On the other hand he could admit him, but he did not particularly want to have to do this unless he had no other choice. Hutch appeared more relaxed around Starsky, the presence of one seemed to comfort and reassure the other, and he suspected that it would probably cause both men a great deal of stress and anxiety to find themselves separated at a time when they both appeared so absorbed by the worry they felt for each other. Finally however he ultimately had to come to a difficult decision.

"I want to admit you." He declared, looking straight at Hutch as he said this and preparing himself for the resistance he expected to receive. He got a good look of the top of the Detective's blonde head, who was absorbed in putting his shirt back on, doing everything he could to avoid meeting the doctor's eye. "You need IV fluids and anti-biotics." He explained. "And we need to get to the bottom of what's really going on here. I'm concerned that we might be missing something. We can't make the mistake of thinking that everything is down to the PTSD, and this is now your third significant infection in as many months. I'd like to run some more tests."

Hutch, his hands poised upon the top button of his shirt, stiffened as he heard this. He looked up slowly, an expression of deep distress upon his pale face and shook his head.

"Please… is that really necessary?" He asked.

Starsky was by his partner's side in an instant. He himself may still have been recovering from the massive gunshot wounds which had nearly killed him, and his movements were still very stiff and calculated, but he could certainly move quick enough when he perceived his best friend's distress the doctor observed.

"There's no need for that doctor." He insisted, resting a reassuring hand against Hutch's elbow to both silence and comfort him as he sub-consciously put himself between the doctor and his best friend. Doctor Maybrouk suspected that he probably wasn't even aware of his actions – but the gesture was the same as that of a mother who'd put herself between her babies and a perceived danger without a moment's thought, only reaffirming in his mind just how close the bond between the two detectives really was. "I can take care of him. Just tell me what I have to do!" He said.

"Detective Starsky you're still recuperating yourself." The doctor frowned. "I must stress how inadvisable that would be at this stage in your recovery. You've only recently been taken off medication."

"Doc I can do this!" The curly haired detective implored him. "The only reason Hutch is in the position he's now in is because of me…"

"Starsky, that's not true…" Hutch cut in, but Starsky put a hand up to silence his friend as he sensed that the blonde was about to interrupt.

"Just let me finish…" He turned to him and smiled a small but still deeply sad smile, holding his partner's watery gaze, and in that brief moment their hearts also made contact. They both felt it, the faint flutter of profound but instantly familiar understanding between the two of them the instant their eyes met. It was comforting – reassuring to still feel the deep spiritual bond they both shared, the bond which had been the foundation on which their 'me and thee' philosophy bad been born. To each it was a symbol of survival, a sign that they were both still alive.

Hutch simply looked at his partner, and nodded, before withdrawing to the chair beside the doctor's desk in the corner of the room, whilst Starsky turned back to face Doctor Maybrouk.

"Hutch has put everything he's got into helping me get better." He explained. "The past few months have been hell for him, but nobody even noticed because they were all too busy worrying about me to even consider how the shooting must have been affecting him, and for the first couple of weeks even I was too self-absorbed and full of self-pity to even care. I doubt if he had have tried to open up to me throughout this time, and told me how he was really feeling, I would have even listened anyway. I was angry, angry for myself, for what Gunther had tried to take away from me. I was resentful of the pain I was in, and afraid for my own future… well that just wasn't good enough, I can see that now, it was unacceptable, it wasn't fair, and it isn't the way we work! Hutch never complained once though, never once walked away despite all the times I told him to! He went without sleep, without food, and he never did try to raise the subject with me of the profound effect the shooting had had on him. I owe him, but more than that I want to help him, I want to be there for him now as he was there for me!"

"Starsk, you don't owe me anything…"

The doctor looked at the man standing before him, a man who was only still standing here today by nothing short of a miracle. His body was still weak – although he continued to grow in strength every day – but his mind was as sharp as it had ever been, and his intentions were clear.

"Well I can't stop you." He sighed. "I certainly can't make Detective Hutchinson stay here against his will. His life is currently in no immediate danger from the infection, and if you are determined to take care of him at home then I certainly won't stand in your way, but if you're going to do this I need you to be completely aware of what you're letting yourself in for."

"I already know exactly what I'm letting myself in for doc!" Starsky exclaimed. "You may think you know how me and Hutch roll by now, he's my best friend… but me and Hutch are closer than brothers. I'm grateful to you all doctor, I really am, the care I have received over the past few months has been second to none, I can't fault it in the slightest, but the point I am trying to make is that all your efforts would have all been in vein if it hadn't been for Hutch. You seem to think that my recovery is some sort of a miracle, but I'm telling you now that miracles don't exist, and I also know that I am the only chance Hutch has of getting better right now, as not too long ago he was mine! You see, that's the way we roll!"

"Very well." The doctor conceded finally, seeing that the detective before him had made his mind up on the subject and there was no way he was going to be able to convince him otherwise nor bring him around to a different point of view. "But these tests are important." He was quick to emphasise the seriousness of the situation to the two men. "I won't admit you." He promised, turning to look at Hutch. "Not unless it is absolutely necessary, but we need to draw some blood and I'd also like to do an ultrasound of your abdomen whilst you're here," He said, "as it doesn't appear that we have ever ordered one before. A chest x-ray will also help us to determine how badly affected your lungs are by the infection."

Hutch looked nervously at Starsky and then back at the doctor – unsure at first as to what to say. Should he consent to the tests? He wondered. What he really wanted now was just to go home with Starsky.

"I can see that you're worried Detective." Doctor Maybrouk smiled at him reassuringly. "But if you're in agreement I can admit you now as a day case. That way we can get you started on some IV fluids and strong anti-biotics this morning, run all the tests that we need to and you'll be able to go home later on today. How does that sound?" He asked him.

Hutch looked unsure, and for a moment the doctor was worried that he might have been about to reject this suggestion too. Starsky however could see the uncertainty in his best friend's eyes and stiffly began to make his way over to where Hutch now sat in the chair beside the doctor's desk.

"Come on Hutch." He implored him gently. "Let the doctors run their tests if it'll help them find out what's wrong with you. Think what you'd say if the tables were turned and this was me instead. Besides," He added with a slightly lopsided smile, "what's not to love about getting to spend a day here with all those pretty young nurses making a fuss of you… and then, if you play your cards right, you'll still get to come home with me tonight."

He wiggled his eyebrows up and down playfully, and this provoked a subtle smile from Hutch, which in turn turned into a slight chuckle.

"Very well Starsk." He nodded. "I'll let them do their tests."

Starsky gave his partner's elbow a gentle squeeze. "That's it Blintz." He nodded. "You know it's the right thing to do."

He then turned to Doctor Maybrouk with a smile, who responded to the gesture with a grateful nod. He really had never seen a bond like theirs before.

"Will I be able to stay with him?" Starsky asked.

"Of course." The doctor agreed – he knew that it would be futile to argue. "I'll make sure the nurses know. The only place you won't be able to go with him will be x-ray, but that shouldn't take too long." He explained.

Starsky nodded.

"In that case I'll get one of our receptionists to sort the paper work out, and allocate you a room for the day." He said, looking at Hutch. "One of the nurses will be along once you're settled to get an IV going."

Hutch bobbed his head weakly in agreement. He looked exhausted, and despite Starsky's throwaway comment about pretty young nurses – intended to make Hutch smile and lighten the mood somewhat – Doctor Maybrouk suspected that he would probably sleep for most of the day, and that that was probably not such a bad thing.

"And when you get home I am recommending complete bed rest for at least the next two days, and then you are not to do anything even remotely strenuous for at least another couple of weeks." He added. "I'll prescribe some oral anti-biotics for you to take home with you tonight and if the pain gets too bad you can take the painkillers I prescribed you at your last appointment. I'll prescribe you something a little stronger to take for the next few days though, just make sure you don't mix them."

He then turned to leave, but as he did so Starsky reached out a hand and gently took him by the sleeve of his white coat to stop him. Doctor Maybrouk turned to look at the curly haired brunette, surprised.

"Thanks Doc." He said.

"For what?" Doctor Maybrouk asked him with a confused frown. "You don't have to thank me Detective Starsky. I'm just doing my job."

"Well," Starsky shrugged matter of factly, "I don't think I ever thanked you for saving my life for a start." He said. "And if being a doctor is anything like being a cop you hardly ever get thanked for catching the bad guy… if you know what I mean." He added. "But I know if Hutch wasn't feeling quite so lousy at the moment he'd want to say thank you to you too. You see, you've probably noticed by now, that me and Hutch are nothing without each other. We come as a package, 'me and thee' – you save one of us, you save us both. I happen to think that's something worth saying thanks for." He smiled.

Doctor Maybrouk looked stunned for a moment – as though he'd never heard a speech quite like that in his life. In truth he realised that he hadn't known either Detective for very long, but Starsky's case had been so unique that it felt like a lifetime ago now since he'd first been admitted to the ICU, teetering on the very brink of death. He was a man in his late fifties now, and that meant that he'd been a doctor for over thirty years. He'd been told in medical school not to get too personally involved with his patients, and up until now he'd been doing a pretty good job of it. Of course there would always be those that he'd failed to save, victims of violent crime, young lives cut short so unnecessarily. It was the children who played on his mind the most – young kids mostly who'd got themselves mixed up in something they were too young to really understand the enormity of. He'd had good days and bad days when his heart had been laid down heavier by the sight of some atrocity he'd seen. The evil that some people were capable of never failed to astound him – but he'd always managed to reassure himself that he'd done the best job he could possibly do as a doctor, and move on to the next person who needed his help.

Captain Dobey had pulled him aside and told him of the nature of the two men's connection on the day of the shooting. Starsky had just come out of surgery at the time and Doctor Maybrouk hadn't paid a lot of attention to the blonde man who'd passed him in the corridor on the way into his partner's room.

"He's in a coma." He'd told Hutch in passing – not sure how much of the real gravity of the situation the man had already taken in, and how much he was still processing. This hadn't been his first experience of dealing with an injured officer, and he'd realised the profound impact something like this could have on those who worked closely with any victim – but things were always especially difficult on the man's partner.

"I'm very worried about one of my officers, Hutch." Captain Dobey had told him. "The blonde haired guy who just went in there." He'd pointed in the direction of Starsky's room, seeing the enquiring expression on the doctor's face – this had been the first time Doctor Maybrouk had heard Hutch's name. "He and Starsky have been partners for many years, and…"

"I see." He'd nodded in understanding, looking through the window of his patient's room. He'd seen Hutch draw up a chair as he'd sat down slowly at his partner's bedside. The Captain had then asked him about what Starsky's chances had really been, and when confronted by the cold hard truth – that Starsky probably wasn't going to make it – a look had passed across his face which went far beyond the raw, personal grief the doctor was used to seeing. Dobey's gaze had subconsciously drifted over his shoulder and had come to settle sadly on the two men who's lives had now been playing out behind the glass window.

"Listen, if something happens to Starsky, I don't know how that is going to effect Hutch." He'd explained as calmly as he'd been able to muster, given the difficult circumstances. "Even now I can't be sure of the true extent of what this may be doing to him. I know that he's broken, and that every second Starsky spends in that coma is tearing him apart. They're like two halves of the same whole those two." He'd sighed. "I've never seen a bond as strong as theirs before, and I've seen some pretty close partnerships in my time… can you do me a favour?" He'd asked him.

"I can't promise anything." Doctor Maybrouk had told him, immediately bringing the professional barriers up, but to his own surprise his tone had significantly suggested otherwise. Perhaps even back then he'd sensed that things were going to be very different this time.

"Keep an eye on Hutch too?" Captain Dobey had asked him – it was a promise he'd made in kindness and sympathy, but not one he'd expected to take quite so much to heart.

Since then he'd witnessed first hand the unique nature of the two men's connection, and he'd never seen anything quite like it before – he couldn't help but feel slightly moved to hear Starsky put it into his own words.

"Thank you Detective." He nodded. "That means a lot."

Starsky simply smiled sadly at him before turning back to look at Hutch – Doctor Maybrouk knew that he could sense the other man's pain. They needed to get to the bottom of what was going on with Hutch.

"I'll go get that room sorted." He told him with a smile, as he left the room.