CHAPTER 22

Hutch

Another hospital and another waiting room. How many more would I have to wait in, how many more times would my partner cause me anxious moments? Was it any easier to have a partner you didn't care so much about? I pulled myself up at that treacherous thought. The point was that it didn't matter. I'd give my life to keep him safe and I wouldn't swap him for anything. Even his most annoying habits weren't so bad. I just had to make him realize how important he was to me and that he couldn't just quit on us. I wondered how we'd become so lost, had I really missed the signs of how much he was hurting? Had it been because of Louise? Because I'd become involved with her to the extent that I had ignored my best friend? I didn't think so, but I knew we had some serious issues to talk about.

I looked up at the sound of Vicki and Huggy approaching.

"Any news?" there was deep concern in Vicki's voice.

"Not yet. The doctor's in there now. Starsky came around briefly, but not for long. They're checking him out now."

"I'll grab us some coffee. blondie, you look like you could do with some." Huggy left us alone, probably realizing we had to talk.

I touched Vicki's bruised face gently. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I wasn't knocked out, just stunned. I guess David must've hit his head pretty hard."

"Fortunately, he's got a hard head." I tried to make a joke of it and sat back in the chair, trying to relax. We looked up as the doctor came out of the room and I was marginally relieved to see him smiling.

"Your friend is starting to come around. He was lucky he didn't fracture his skull, but he did sustain a nasty concussion and that's why he's been confused, and I believe has been combative. He's asking for someone, someone named Hutch."

I breathed in deeply with relief. He was okay, and he was asking for me. Surely this was a sign that things would be okay.

"I'm Hutch, can I see him?"

"Yes. I understand you helped calm him before, and he'll need to keep calm. We're going to keep him for observation for a few days, but with concussion, it's just a question of waiting for it to pass. I want him monitored in case of any complications, but I don't expect any. We'll have to do the standard waking him up every couple of hours, taking his vital signs, and I want him to rest, but I think your presence will help. He's going to have a tremendous headache for a while, and I expect he'll be sick to his stomach from the concussion."

I walked in, with Vicki and Huggy close behind, but all I could see was the pale dark-haired figure on the bed. All I could focus on was the slowly rousing figure of my best friend, and I took his hand and started talking to him, asking him to come back to me.

Starsky

My head was aching and I was confused. I felt sick and dazed and my memories were a blur. I seemed to be lying in a bed, a hospital bed, but I wasn't sure how I'd ended up here. I could hear a voice talking to me and asking me to wake up, but I knew I must have been dreaming it. Hutch wasn't there, but I really needed him. Why did I keep thinking he was there? It was a cruel mind trick and it only hurt me more when I realized he wasn't. But the familiar voice continued. I groaned, but realized I had to open my eyes. Ouch, the light hurt, everything hurt.

As I opened my eyes and tried to focus, my heart leapt when I thought I could see a blond head, but when I focused, all I could see was Vicki's worried face. At least she was safe. Hutch. I'd really felt like Hutch was there, and I closed my eyes in despair. This is what it was going to be like from now on if I was sick or hurt. No Hutch, but before the tears could form or I could speak to Vicki, I felt a familiar touch on my forehead and my hand being gripped. A firm, strong grip. A grip that I remembered only too well.

"Starsk? You okay, Starsk?" I could barely bring myself to open my eyes to face the disappointment of reality, but the voice and the grip were persistent. Hutch, he was really with me.

"Hutch, oh, Hutch…" I found the tears threatening again, but this time of joy and relief. Vicki leaned down and kissed me on the forehead.

"I'll be outside, David, you've got your partner here now. I'd better let the doctor know you're awake." I looked at her in gratitude. My head was still aching and things were blurry, but I could feel the strength and comfort of Hutch's presence. That's all I needed at that point.

"You okay, Vick?" My voice wasn't much more than a whisper, my memories that had brought me here, vague. The last clear memory I had was of eating dinner with Vicki. I gripped Hutch's hand tightly, scared he'd go, but he just returned the grip, making no attempt to leave.

"I'll be fine, and so will you. I'll talk to you later, honey." She left, and I was vaguely aware that Huggy was there, saying he'll see me later, but I was focusing on the familiar face looking at me so anxiously. I studied him carefully, noting the tired lines and paleness that indicated his worry and fatigue and I was sorry, sure that I'd been responsible for this.

"You okay, Hutch?"

"I'll be fine now, Starsk." He didn't seem to know what to say and I placed my other hand over his hand holding mine. I was so tired, but I knew then that I didn't want him to go and I didn't want to walk out on him again, even if I felt strong enough.

"Hu…" I was suddenly caught up in a yawn, needing to sleep again. Hutch leaned over and propped up my pillows.

"You just relax, buddy. We'll talk later." I was aware of more voices as the doctor entered my room.

"Glad to see you're back with us, Mr. Starsky. I just need to check some things out with you, perhaps your friend wouldn't mind waiting…"

"NO!" we spoke in unison, and even in my tiredness I managed to grin at my other half, and I gripped his hand.

"Easy, buddy, I'm not going anywhere." He gave a soft chuckle. "Nothing wrong with your grip, anyway. I'd like to stay if I can?"

The doctor obviously decided against arguing and proceeded to ask me the usual inane questions they asked when checking a concussion. I answered accurately, but was tiring rapidly.

"Okay, Mr. Starsky. That's fine for now and you can rest, but I'm sorry to say that we'll have to wake you up in a couple of hours for another check. You've sustained a nasty concussion and we can't take any chances." I turned to look at Hutch, fighting the sleepiness.

"You'll stay close?" I whispered to him.

"Yeah, buddy, I'm gonna stay. There's no way you're losing me that easily." I knew I had some explaining to do, but all I needed to know at that point was that he was with me still. I also needed to find out what had happened, but it didn't seem that important then. Despite my weakness and nausea, I felt at peace for the first time in days and I let myself slide into sleep.

Hutch

I watched my partner fall asleep. I'd tried to move my hand from his, but his grip was firm. That was okay by me, as I wanted to hold on, too. I was willing to suffer a bit of discomfort for the pure joy and relief I was feeling having him close again. Sure he was battered and in a hospital bed again, but he was here with me and I wasn't about to lose him again. I moved the chair closer to the bed so that I was more comfortable, and sat back to doze off. I knew Starsky would be very cranky at being woken up, but that was okay by me, too. As long as he was there, we could sort anything out.

A different doctor came by next time to wake us up. This one was very officious, and despite glares and determination, he insisted on examining Starsky alone. I could see that my attitude was causing Starsky some distress, so I decided to back down.

"It's okay, buddy, I'll be outside. You call me if you want me. I'd like to have a word with Vicki anyway."

"Yeah, Hutch. Make sure she's okay, please? I haven't…"

"Relax, she knows you care." With a final glare at the pompous doctor, I left, and sure enough, Vicki was sitting in the waiting room.

"What is it, how is he?"

"Okay, I think. They had to wake him up again, but he seems reasonably coherent. I'm just tired of seein' him hurt, you know?" I started pacing. I knew he'd be okay, but the last few days had taken their toll on me.

"Where's Huggy?" I asked.

"He's gone to find you a hotel room, since he figured you'll be here for awhile."

Vicki looked considerably better than she had before, but I knew we had to talk.

"David is strong, he'll be okay," she said.

"Yeah, he's strong, but you don't understand. He was shot…"

"I do understand, Ken, everything. We've had some long talks."

"Vicki, thanks for calling me." I was tired and worried, but I knew I owed her a great deal.

"I knew it was the right thing to do. He didn't know that I'd called you, but I figured that was best. He was so scared and mixed up, but he's a very special guy."

I smiled, "That he is. I don't understand any of this, Vicki, not really…"

"I'm not sure he does either. I do know he loves you, and he needs you as much as you need him. He just needs to find his feet again and his confidence."

I looked at her, having recognized a note in her voice. "You love him, too, don't you?"

She grimaced. "I love him like a friend, like you do. Why does that surprise you?" There was a note of defiance in her voice, but I decided not to push it. I didn't want to alienate the person who found Starsky for me, and if she didn't want to talk about it, then I'd accept it. I wondered if his feelings for her had changed at all. It was all such a mess.

She must have seen my confusion, for she touched my arm.

"David needs to find himself again, and to work out what he wants to do. He's so muddled at the moment and he needs your understanding and support. I know he'll get that from you. He and I, well, maybe it could have been something once, but our timing has always been out of sync. I'm sort of engaged to someone anyway, and I think now there is no reason for me not to marry him. I guess Lloyd will go to prison for what he did to us and maybe I'll see if Steve is willing to leave Las Vegas. It's going to be hard to start a new life with Lloyd hovering around. He's been a problem in the past, but has never pulled anything like this."

The doctor came out and we looked at him expectantly.

"Mr. Starsky is a lucky man, but he'll need plenty of rest. I'd like to keep him for another twenty-four hours, but then he can go home, provided he has someone to take care of him and prevent him from doing too much. Does he have someone who can look after him when we discharge him?" I looked at Vicki and grinned.

"Yes, Doc, he has people who care about him and who will make sure he takes it easy."