Starsky woke up suddenly, as had become a habit while on this mountain.

There was no peaceful transition periods, the time where everything was still warm and fuzzy and dark- no, one minute he was asleep and the next - Bam. Awake.

Twigs were poking him in the ass and he was numb from having been under Hutch's weight for so long. The ground was getting cold now, and realizing it made Starsky shiver. In contrast, Hutch's dead weight against his chest was keeping him warm, and Starsky was a little reluctant to get up.

At last, after being unsuccessful in finding a comfortable position, Starsky eased himself out from underneath his sleeping partner. He lay Hutch back against the tree trunk, cupping his head to keep it from banging against the bark, then patted his shoulder softly before straightening. It was clear that Hutch wouldn't be going anywhere.

Now, he had work to do.

Starsky limped awkwardly down the hill towards the Torino. The sun was beginning to set, and more than once Starsky tripped over hidden branches. By the time he reached the car, his knee was throbbing unbearably and it wouldn't hold any weight. Starsky used the hood of the car for balance as he hobbled backwards, pulling open the door. The hinges groaned and Starsky winced. Now the Torino was in no better shape than Hutch's battered LTD. It was a good thing Hutch was unconscious, or Starsky would never live this down.

As much as he wanted to collapse upon the familiar black leather seat, his fear of sliding down the mountainside to his death was stronger. Slowly, painfully, Starsky eased himself down and panted through the waves of pain that radiated from his knee. When his mind was clear again, he reached for the CB radio. The faceplate was cracked and dirty and some wires were exposed, but there was always a chance…

"Attention all units, this is Zebra Three, do you copy?"

Starsky depressed the button and static filled the air.

He tried again. "This is Zebra Three, I have an emergency, does anybody copy?"

The static was ominous and deafening.

Frustrated and scared, Starsky ripped the hand piece from the unit and threw it as hard as he could. He watched it bounce down the mountainside, scattering the leaves every time it impacted with the ground, and grimaced at the pain lancing through his knee. Of course the CB wouldn't work. Had he really expected it to, knowing their kind of luck?

"Am I next?"

Starsky jumped, getting to his feet as he focused on his partner's voice. "What?"

Hutch was still using the tree for support, leaning against it like he was molded to it. He gave a half-smile and said, "When you realize that I'm useless too, you gonna toss me down the mountain?"

The car door fell shut behind Starsky as he climbed his way back up to Hutch. "Who says you're useless, huh?"

Hutch smiled wider then he swallowed, planted his hands in the dirt on either side of him. "I have to piss."

Starsky moved faster, ignoring his knee as he went to Hutch's side. "Don't even try to get up by yourself," he snapped, reaching down to grab Hutch's arm. "Lemme help you."

Hutch didn't reply - at least not with words. He grunted as Starsky hauled him to his feet, and Starsky moved under Hutch's shoulder to catch his weight. "Sorry," he mumbled, even though Starsky bet that whichever way he tried to help, it would cause Hutch pain.

"S'okay," Hutch panted, putting more and more weight on Starsky's bad knee as they moved.

It was a burden Starsky would never trade.

When they had moved a fair distance away, Starsky parked Hutch against a tree and hovered while Hutch relieved himself. When the sound of urine splashing over dead leaves finally ceased, Starsky moved forward to collect Hutch once more.

The fact that Hutch didn't resist made Starsky worry even more.

Hutch's strength was obviously fading. His feet barely lifted from the ground - instead , shuffling through the leaves and stumbling on the bountiful rocks and twigs that lay camouflaged. Hutch had broken a sweat by the time they returned to 'camp', and his chin was almost resting on his chest.

"How ya feelin'?" Starsky asked, desperate to keep Hutch awake and his own mind off his throbbing knee.

Hutch lifted his head and blinked as if clearing his vision. "Like I've been run over by a truck," he replied flatly.

Starsky lowered him to the ground. "That's about how you look, too," he commented with a grin as Hutch settled himself against the tree. He grabbed the water bottle and Tylenol. "Here. Take some more."

As expected, Hutch shook his head slowly and made no effort to take the items. Starsky rolled his eyes, inwardly cursing stubborn blond detectives, and thrust the bottles closer. "Hutch, take them. Here, I'll even get some out for you." He tossed the water bottle in Hutch's lap and shook out three pills, then extended his hand once more. "Take it."

"Starsk, I-"

"Don't make me shove these down your throat like a dog. Just take the damn pills."

At last, Hutch surrendered and plucked the pills from Starsky's hand. He tossed them in his mouth and took a small swallow of the water.

"Good boy." Starsky lowered himself to the ground next to Hutch, keeping his injured leg as straight as he could. Next to him, Hutch fought through his queasiness and managed to keep the Tylenol down. Maybe things were starting to look up.

Hutch shivered. "What about you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just wrecked my knee. I'll live." Starsky looked around them, eyeing the infinite number of trees as they reflected themselves for as far as the eye could see. He felt hopeless. They were so far lost it would be a nothing short of a miracle if they were found. Alive.

"I'm going to have to climb outta here," Starsky stated at last.

Hutch snorted, his eyes at half-mast and staring blankly out amongst the trees. "You do and we'll both die."

"But if I just sit here -"

"If you just sit here, we'll have a chance. If you try to climb up this mountain on that knee, you'll be lucky to even reach the road. And even if you do -" Hutch continued quickly when Starsky opened his mouth to interrupt, "It's still at least twenty miles back to the gas station. You could fall and break your neck, or get hit by a car."

Starsky realized the options were bleak. He could go, risking permanent damage to his leg while leaving Hutch unprotected from wild animals and sickness - or he could stay and they could fend for themselves for a few days, at least. Surely in that time they could come up with a plan, right?

He sighed. "Okay. I'll stay. But only because you wouldn't be here if it weren't for me."

"What?" Hutch blinked, furrowing his brows as he stared at Starsky. "What are you talking about? I was in the car too."

"I'm the one who told you to get in the back seat. It was stupid - I shouldn't care about that car more than you."

Hutch shook his head. "Starsky, you didn't know there would be a car full of kids ahead. You're being ridiculous."

A flame of anger danced within Starsky. "It's not ridiculous, Hutch. Look at me - all I got was a busted knee. You got one hell of a concussion and probably some broken ribs. I shouldn't have sent you over the seat."

Hutch rolled his eyes and Starsky recognized stubbornness when he saw it. "I'm not playing the blame game with you right now," Hutch grumbled. "Just drop it."

Starsky watched as Hutch swallowed and blinked, leaving his eyes shut a little longer than necessary. Lines of pain and exhaustion were etched around his eyes and mouth, and Starsky decided that just this once, he would drop it. The crickets were out now, and the birds seemed to be settling in for the night. The sun was a brilliant, Tang-orange as it dipped into the tree line. If not for the fact that they were stranded and injured, the scene might almost be enjoyable.

"Okay," Starsky said at last, picking up a small twig and breaking it in half. "You win. This time."

Hutch smiled as he leaned his head back against the tree. "Sweet taste of victory…"

Starsky threw the sticks into the leaves some distance away. "Yeah, well don't get used to it. I'm better looking, remember."

Hutch never replied, but when he fell asleep there was a smile on his face.

Starsky studied his partner once more, then settled himself in for the night watch.

o0O0o

This time when Hutch saw Terry, he was wide awake.

The sun was fighting a losing battle to stay above the horizon. Long, dark shadows were cast over the ground, elongating the trees and isolating Hutch and Starsky even more. The owls were calling softly to one another and their eyes flashed in the dim light. The forest seemed to have grown while Hutch had been asleep.

But the most unnerving feature of all was the life-sized, painfully life-like figure before him.

Hutch shivered dramatically, his elbow knocking against Starsky's ribs as goose bumps rose on his skin. The action awoke the pain in his chest and head, and Hutch groaned, feeling hot and miserable.

"Hey," Starsky murmured, tightening his arm around Hutch's shoulders. "You awake?"

God, he didn't want to be. "Yeah."

Starsky sighed, and Hutch felt each of his partner's muscles. "We're out of Tylenol. I'm sorry."

Hutch shrugged and let his eyes fall shut. It was getting harder to think as the day wore on.

"We're nearly out of food too. It's a good thing you packed that rabbit food in the first place."

There was an itch in his throat, and Hutch started coughing, finding that once started, it was hard to stop. The harsh movements wreaked havoc on his ribs, and he tried desperately to calm down as Starsky rubbed his back.

"You don't look good," Starsky said when Hutch had at last stopped coughing. "I'm going to look for wood to build a fire."

Hutch nodded, afraid to talk and wind up in another coughing fit. As soon as Starsky pulled away, Hutch was cold. He looked up, watching as Starsky limped away, and spotted Terry, closer than she was before.

"He cares about you, you know."

Hutch jumped. She was talking to him?

"I'm glad you two are there for each other. He was so heartbroken when I left."

Hutch glanced at Starsky, who was pecking around in the leaves, dutifully collecting branches.

Terry moved forward so that she was an arm's length from Hutch. "He can't see me."

She looked so… solid. Hutch reached out slowly, his trembling hand aiming for her shoulder, and watched in morbid fascination as his hand slid right through her. He pulled away, wrapping his arms around himself. He would have moved back, if he had the strength and a tree weren't blocking his path.

"Don't be afraid."

"I'm not," Hutch replied instantly. Then, "Should I be?"

Terry smiled. "No. I'm just here to help you."

Hutch relaxed a little. "So you're not here to, you know… take me away?"

Terry looked puzzled for a moment. "To heaven? Oh no sweetie, I'm not one of those. In fact, I'd really like it if you two stayed alive. Guess I'm more of a guardian angel."

"Oh. Good."

"Hutch?" Starsky called, standing about twenty feet away and with his arms full of branches. "You okay?"

Hutch tore his gaze away from Terry. "Uh, yeah. You don't… you don't see anyone else around, do you?"

Starsky raised an eyebrow. "Just you and me, babe."

Hutch sniffed and nodded quickly. "Yeah. I know."

Starsky stared at him a moment longer, looking like he was going to argue, but then continued gathering wood.

Terry was still beside him.

"Why can't he see you?" Hutch asked. He hadn't missed the longing in Terry's fair features as she watched Starsky.

"He doesn't want to," she replied softly. Her gaze dropped to the ground and Hutch watched the sun reflect in her dark hair. "Thinking of me hurts him too much."

Hutch blinked. That didn't seem right, did it? "But he loves you. Why doesn't he want to see you? Have you tried?"

"Yes," Terry replied. "But my death caused him a lot of suffering. It's probably better if he doesn't see me."

Hutch had to agree with her there. Starsky had been out of it for a long while after Terry died in the hospital.

"Then why did you come to me?" Hutch asked as he rubbed his forehead. The headache was gaining in intensity and it was getting hard to think clearly.

"Like I said, I'm here to save you." She cast Hutch a meaningful look. "But you're going to have to get him to do what you say. It wont be easy - he wont believe you."

"Believe me? He's my partner, he believes anything I-"

"Okay, you've really got me worried here, buddy." Starsky dropped the armload of branches between them. "Who're you talking to?"

Hutch looked up, letting his head fall back against the tree. "Uh…" he started, feeling like a kid caught with a hand in the cookie jar. "Nobody. Just myself. I've got it figured out."

"Yourself. Right." Starsky placed a hand on his forehead. "Shit, you're hot."

Terry was behind Starsky, watching him with tear-filled eyes that sparkled in the dying sunlight. Hutch felt a pang of sympathy for her, and for Starsky, because she was right - he had been heartbroken when she died. Hutch had been there to collect the pieces. How many more times could Starsky survive that kind of pain?

"So you figured it out, huh?"

His lucidity and strength were waning. "What?"

Starsky rolled his eyes. "You just said you figured it out."

"Figured what out?"

"We're going to need more firewood," Starsky grumbled. "You look like shit. I shouldn't have taken the last of the pills."

Hutch huffed. "You would have fallen down the mountain and broken your neck if you hadn't," he said. "And don't forget, I need you."

"You won't need me if you die of pneumonia."

"Starsky!" Terry scolded, and Hutch couldn't stop his smile.

"What, you think this is funny?" Starsky snapped, his hands on his hips.

Sleep was pulling at Hutch and his eyes were losing focus. "Of course not. You sound like your mother is all." He yawned, his body desperate for oxygen.

"Yeah? And how do you know what my mother sounds like?"

Hutch's eyes fell shut and he shook his head. He had met her, hadn't he? He'd certainly heard enough about her, he felt like he knew her. "She's a sweet lady. Terry too."

He felt Starsky's breath on his cheek. "What? What about Terry?"

The voice was inches from his ear, and Hutch turned away. His face pressed in to the bark and he welcomed the coolness.

"No, Hutch, come on - Damnit, stay awake! What about Terry?"

The pain faded away as he slipped deeper towards unconsciousness. It was like being caught in a vacuum - no matter how hard he fought, he couldn't escape the pull.

As Hutch dropped into the void, he heard two voices calling his name.