Captain's Prerogative – Part II By Kaye
"This is weird." Starsky handed Hutch a cup of coffee.
They were in the surgery waiting room. Edith Dobey sat on the couch opposite them, cradling a sleeping Rosie, while Cal stretched out his long legs on the floor beside them. The rest of the chairs were filled with cops. Cops lined the hallway all the way down to admitting. Cops waited in line in the cafeteria, buying up every donut and sweet roll in the place. Outside, at least six cops huddled around a trash can, smoking. Waiting. Hoping. Praying.
"What's weird?" Hutch took the coffee and scooted over so Starsky could share part of his chair.
"I never sat in a waiting room with you. Always for you. Feels weird."
"Yeah. . ." Hutch was not about to follow Starsky down that particular road. He had spent the good part of a month in this hospital – his back was well acquainted with many of these chairs. Plus, maudlin was an emotion he didn't need to add to his growing list. He was having a hard enough time appearing brave for Edith. He knew it was going to be close, if they had gotten Cap here in time. But there had been so much blood. He was getting so tired of mopping up other people's blood. He was getting so tired of waiting in waiting rooms. He rubbed a hand over his face, leaned over and placed a hand on Edith's shoulder.
"How are you doing?" he asked.
Although they had promised their captain they wouldn't tell Edith, Starsky had immediately driven over and picked her and kids up on the way to the hospital. Dobey would just have to deal with it. He knew that the wrath of Captain Dobey paled in comparison to the wrath of a cop's wife kept in the dark about her husband's shooting.
"How long, Ken?"
Hutch looked at his watch. "Six hours. Doctor said it might take a while."
Detective Manny Campos came around the corner. "Can I see you guys?"
Starsky and Hutch followed him around the corner. Conversation stopped, and a sizable crowd gathered around the three detectives. Campos opened his mouth to complain, but Starsky laid a hand on his arm.
"We all wanna know, Campos. Let it be."
Campos took a breath and then started talking in low tones. "Looks like you guys got Tiny McGraw and Lester Collins. No sign of Jimmy Shoes, Wally Stover, or anybody else. You were set up from the word go."
"Fucking Shoes," muttered Starsky, "what do we gotta do to get a break with that guy?"
The doctor walked down the hall toward Edith Dobey. The officers moved as a unit as they followed the doctor, surrounding the family and Hutch, who took Rosie in his arms as Edith stood and faced the doctor. And the news.
"He's out of surgery. We got all the fragments. Took the appendix. He lost a lot of blood, but I think if we can keep the infections down, he should be okay."
Edith sagged into Starsky's arms. Starsky gently led her into a chair.
Cal stood, next to his mother and took her hand. "It's okay, Mom – I told you he's gonna be okay. Dad's tough."
Starsky patted Cal on the back. "You got that right, Cal – probably be back chewing my tail in no time."
As the news traveled down the halls, through the cafeteria and outside, the hospital emptied – officers headed back to the job, back to their lives, and back out on the streets. Until the next time. For these officers, there would always be a next time. A cop gets used to hospitals.
"When can I see him?" Edith asked the doctor.
"Come with me, Mrs. Dobey – he's in recovery, but you can wait and go with him when they transfer him to ICU."
"Cal, watch your sister," Edith called back as she followed the doctor down the hall.
Starsky walked into the squad room the next morning with a wicked headache, drums banging in both ears, and his sunglasses pulled down over bloodshot eyes. He and Hutch had celebrated the captain's close call at Huggy's until very late – until Huggy had called a cab for them both, walking them out and shoving them into it, ignoring the protests of the cabbie and the loud singing of one very hammered Hutch.
Starsky had flashed his badge at the poor man, and then immediately dropped it into the gutter, and Huggy had to slip the cabbie an extra twenty before he would pull away from the curb. The last glimpse Huggy caught of his sauced friends was Starsky's white ass, hanging out the window, mooning him a goodbye.
"Why I put up with those two. . ." Huggy had muttered as he walked back into The Pits. Of course he knew why he put up with them. He loved them. And he knew them well enough to know that the events of the day had shaken them – more than they would ever admit. From what Huggy had gathered, in between the macho retelling and then the drunken, more emotional retelling, was that if it hadn't been for Dobey, the gathering this night would have been a wake – for Starsky. Too soon after the last disaster for any of them to handle sober.
So Starsky was not in the best of shape this morning. But he was no worse than Hutch, who followed Starsky through the door, a weary frown, bloodshot eyes, matching sunglasses. Hutch walked over, poured himself a cup of coffee, and sank into his chair. Starsky straddled his own chair and laid his head on the desk.
Manny Campos watched the scene with interest. He knew something that neither one of them could even imagine. And he was more than happy to enlighten them.
"Hey, Starsk," he called out.
"Campos – Jesus, keep it down," Hutch grimaced over the edge of his cup.
"Manny," Starsky muttered, his head still down on his arms, "don't talk to me today."
"Just thought you guys would want to go meet the new Captain." Campos watched as both heads swung around to him. He was enjoying this. Usually it was Starsky and Hutch instigating the mayhem around the squad room. Now it was his turn.
"What new Captain?" Starsky shoved the sunglasses up on his head so he could get a better look at the smirk on Campos' face.
"Seeing that Dobey's gonna be laid up a while, they sent a replacement." Campos kept his voice even, his manner casual – this was going to be fun.
"Who?" Hutch asked.
Campos waited for a beat. He noticed the rest of the squad was listening, waiting for the reaction they all knew was coming. The room grew very still.
"Oh, well, I think you know her, Starsky." Campos baited the hook.
"Know who?" Starsky stood, took the bait.
"I think you worked for her once . . . didn't he, Campbell?"
Steve Campbell, who had been listening, frowned. "Hey, Manny – don't get me in the middle of this. I want no part of it."
Hutch had walked over till he was nose to nose with Campos. "Cut the shit, Manny – who is it?"
Campos ignored Hutch and turned back toward Starsky. "Well, Starsky, our new Captain is none other than . . ."
The opening of Dobey's door interrupted them. Everyone turned to see the object of the conversation glide through. Starsky turned last. The sunglasses fell down over his eyes as he whispered, "Kira."
Hutch just stood with his mouth open. He had heard through the grapevine that Kira had made Captain – he had used some choice words to express his ideas about the probable method she had used to climb so far so fast – but this had to be a mistake.
Kira, for her part, had the decency to look uncomfortable. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a bun; her slate-grey suit gave her a look of authority, even her shoes – one inch black pumps – screamed respectability. She looked from one man to the other, willing her hands to stop shaking. It was hard to enjoy the bitter irony of the situation when she stood so close. Her first command. What a joke. She figured she had about ten minutes before she got busted down to traffic.
"Sergeant Starsky – Sergeant Hutchinson." Kira smiled, trying to appear casual.
"No way," Starsky shook his head. "No fucking way."
Hutch rounded the desk and pulled Starsky toward the coffee pot. "Starsky – cool it . . ."
Starsky shrugged out of Hutch's grasp and shook his finger at Kira.
"No fucking way are you gonna be my Captain."
"Sergeant Starsky – if you would please come into my office. . ."
"Ain't your office," Starsky interrupted, "ain't never gonna be your office."
Campos had come around the other side of the desks and grabbed Starsky's left arm. Hutch had his right. They both felt the tension in Starsky's body as he glared at the woman he had, until this moment, only been able to call "fucking bitch."
"Come on, Starsky – not out here," Hutch whispered in his ear.
"Yeah, Starsk – not here." Manny felt just a little guilty. He knew that Starsky and this Captain had a history, but he never thought that Starsky would completely lose it the minute he saw her. He felt Hutch tug on Starsky and he did the same. They managed to get him through the door into Dobey's office. Kira followed and shut the door behind them.
The squad room erupted. Bets were laid, money changed hands. Odds were good the dynamic duo would not live to see the return of Dobey. A side bet had Starsky over Captain Gorgeous at two to one. Campbell, who had a bit more information than the rest since he had worked the case with them, bet a fifty dollar bill that one or both or all three would get suspended before the day was out.
"Ain't your office," Starsky interrupted, "ain't never gonna be your office."
Campos had come around the other side of the desks and grabbed Starsky's left arm. Hutch had his right. They both felt the tension in Starsky's body as he glared at the woman he had, until this moment, only been able to call "fucking bitch."
"Come on, Starsky – not out here," Hutch whispered in his ear.
"Yeah, Starsk – not here." Manny felt just a little guilty. He knew that Starsky and this Captain had a history, but he never thought that Starsky would completely lose it the minute he saw her. He felt Hutch tug on Starsky and he did the same. They managed to get him through the door into Dobey's office. Kira followed and shut the door behind them.
The squad room erupted. Bets were laid, money changed hands. Odds were good the dynamic duo would not live to see the return of Dobey. A side bet had Starsky over Captain Gorgeous at two to one. Campbell, who had a bit more information than the rest since he had worked the case with them, bet a fifty dollar bill that one or both or all three would get suspended before the day was out.