"Shit."

Starsky rocked back on his heel, catching himself as he lost balance and landed on his ass. His injured leg was splayed out to the side, the heel of his sneaker digging into the soft dirt.

He felt helpless, alone, scared and confused all at the same time and the emotional overload was draining him. Hutch had fallen limp against the tree, but at least some of the lines of pain had faded from his pale face. He had to get Hutch to a hospital. The knot on his head was swollen to the size of an egg and it was oozing orange-tinted serum. Starsky could only be grateful that the bleeding had stopped. Hutch's ribs had to be painful, especially now that a cough had settled in his lungs. Starsky could wrap ribs with the best of them, but he could do nothing for the sickness that had taken hold.

And the whole talking-to-himself thing had Starsky really scared. Hutch was a pretty down to earth guy - Starsky had never heard Hutch talking to himself, short of being in a state of delirium. The really scary part was that Hutch seemed to be looking at something in particular when he was doing it. Was he seeing things? Imaginary friends? Ghosts?

And the mention of Terry - what if Hutch had been seeing her? Starsky shivered at the thought, and he tried to push that image away. Losing her had been painful - it still was - and he really didn't think he could bring himself to humor Hutch.

Starsky maneuvered himself, dragging his leg through the leaves as he settled himself next to Hutch. One thing was for sure - he would not lose Hutch without a fight. Maybe he should try to get them up the mountain and onto the road. At least then they would have a chance.

Yeah right, if they didn't get hit by a car first.

Starsky sighed and pressed himself against his sleeping friend. They were royally screwed this time.

He looked around the woods, inwardly cursing their fate. A gentle breeze blew over him and the leaves rustled, surrounding him in whispers of sound. The Torino stared up at him from its resting place further down the mountain. If they ever did get out of this, it would cost a big chunk of change to get her repaired. Why did he even bother? Why not just get a new car? Maybe something not as flashy, maybe something more… normal.

A soft noise from his partner answered for him. Starsky was not the kind of person to replace what he loved, no matter how much damage they suffered. He couldn't replace the Torino any more than he could replace Hutch. It just wasn't in him.

"Don't worry," Starsky mumbled, wrapping an arm around Hutch's shoulders. "We'll get out of this, I swear it."

With a deep sigh, Starsky closed his own eyes and let himself drift off.

o0O0o

"Come on Hutch, wake up!"

The voice grew louder as something tapped his cheek relentlessly. Hutch turned away from the sensations. "Go away, Sonny."

"Who's Sonny? Hutch, come on, get up!"

Hutch furrowed his brow in thought. It was a woman's voice calling to him, not the Colonel's. Had someone sane finally found him? Was he finally going to be rescued, finally get out from underneath his car?

"Hutch I'm serious. Open your eyes right now."

Shocked by the authoritative order, Hutch obeyed.

His dark and calm world was promptly destroyed as pain lanced through his head and chest. The nauseous feeling was back now, and Hutch struggled to settle his stomach as the world spun around him. He wasn't under his car, it wasn't sunny and hot, and it wasn't a crazy old man standing before him.

"Come on, I know it's hard and you're hurt, but you have to focus."

"Easy for you to say," Hutch retorted, pressing a palm to his face to keep his head from rolling off.

"Hutch? What's wrong?"

Beside him, Starsky shifted and squinted through the darkness. Hutch looked back to Terry. "Nothing. Right?"

"You have to get him to turn on the headlights," Terry said urgently. Her eyes were wide and nervous energy made her fidget where she stood.

Hutch shivered, powerless to stop it. "Don't you think he would have tried that?"

"Hutch?" Starsky said cautiously. "Who're you talkin' to?"

"You have to trust me," Terry insisted, stepping closer to Hutch. "Please, I'm trying to save you."

"Hutch?"

Hutch's head was spinning. He could barely keep the voices straight - it took all he had just to stay awake. "Starsky?"

"Who you talking to?" Starsky was looking very serious - almost sad - as the pale moonlight dusted their bodies.

"You have to turn on the headlights," Hutch replied, dodging the question. He swallowed thickly, his tongue seeming to have swollen inside his mouth. "You gotta trust me."

"I already tried that, remember? Almost killed myself doing it."

"He has to," Terry urged. "It will work this time."

Hutch coughed, pulling away from the tree so as not to jar his ribs. "You gotta try again. It'll work."

"No it won't," Starsky said as he eased Hutch back against the tree. "The battery is dead as a doornail. The car could slide down the mountain. Then where would you be, huh? Plus, the headlights wouldn't even reach the road!"

Hutch looked to Terry for help. "He's not going to do it."

"Then you both will die."

Hutch gulped and tried to keep his vision in focus.

"Hutch, snap out of it. You know I like to give you shit about talking to your plants, but this is ridiculous."

"Starsky, I'm dying."

Starsky looked as if he'd been hit. "Shut up. You're not going to die."

"You have to turn on the lights."

"Hutch-"

"I'm talking to Terry," he interrupted, smiling a little as he looked at her.

Instantly, Starsky's face hardened. He leaned back. "You're talking to Terry?"

"Yeah," Hutch said, "She's standing right there." He couldn't lift a hand to point, so he nodded in her direction.

"He can't see me," she said sadly, even as Starsky looked straight through her.

"Oh, well then," Starsky replied cheerily, "Tell her I said hello. Ask her how the weather is up there."

Hutch inhaled, ready to tell Starsky to stop treating him like a spoiled child, but a tickle lodged in his throat and by the time it was over, he was left in a coughing, sweating, trembling heap.

"Hutch," Starsky sighed, disappointment heavy in his voice even as he held his partner. "You're really sick. You've got a fever and a concussion-"

"No!" Hutch argued, surprising himself. "She's right there, Starsk. She is."

"Sure she is."

Of course it wouldn't have been easy. Who would want to believe that their dead loved one had returned to earth as a spirit visible to everyone but them? "I swear on my mother's life, Starsky."

"Hutch, stop it." Starsky's voice was icy. Hutch could see an impenetrable wall being erected within his partner.

"Hutch, it's okay. Don't try to make him-"

Hutch shook his head and when he stopped, the world still spun around him. "No, it's not okay. He's my partner, he's gotta trust me."

Starsky ducked his head, and Terry looked hurt.

"She's wearing that sweater with the gray kitten on it," Hutch pushed, ignoring the bead of sweat that rolled down his neck. "And the gold necklace that you made me help pick out. Remember it, Starsk? You were so excited to give it to her… you were in a good mood for the rest of the week." He smiled at the memory. Starsky had dragged him to every jewelry store in Bay City before finally deciding on the right necklace. He and Terry were going out for dinner that night, and Starsky wanted everything to be perfect. Hutch had been glad that his partner had seemingly found 'the one'.

Now Terry ducked her head. Starsky seemed frozen, his face expressionless as he stared at Hutch. His eyes, though… emotions swirled violently beneath the blue. Hurt, anger, longing…

"So if she's there, why can't I see her? How come you can?"

There was a bitterness to Starsky's voice that Hutch didn't like. He didn't want to hurt Starsky's feelings, so he tried to be placating. "She said it's because her memory still hurts you too much. You know… self-preservation." He watched as Starsky's anger seemed to melt away. Unsure of what would happen next, he added, "I'm sorry."

Starsky pushed to his feet with such surprising suddenness that Hutch had to catch himself before he landed face down in the dirt. Quickly for someone with only one good leg, Starsky limped off into the darkness without a backwards glance.

"I pissed him off," Hutch stated.

Terry gave him a small, sad smile. "He'll be back."

"You told me it'd be hard, didn't you?" Hutch let his head fall back against the tree.

Terry sat beside Hutch. "I did."

Hutch looked over at her. "How have you been?"

"I'm happy. You can tell Starsky that."

Hutch smiled and closed his eyes. "I will, when this is over."

Terry laid a hand on his knee. "You're a good friend to him, Hutch. Thank you."

The sudden sound of Starsky hobbling through the leaves made Hutch jump. He squinted through the darkness, watching through a slightly cross-eyed gaze as Starsky returned.

Wordlessly, Starsky returned to his position next to Hutch, bracing himself on the tree as he slid down to the ground, doing his best to keep his injured leg straight.

When he had settled down, Starsky took a deep breath. "Suppose I believe you."

"Okay."

"Where is she?"

Hutch blinked slowly. "Sitting on the other side of me."

Slowly, as if attempting to photograph a wild animal, Starsky leaned forward and peered around Hutch's limp form.

He sighed, and flopped back against the same tree Hutch was resting against. "Nothing's there."

Hutch didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything.

"Tell her I miss her, and that I still love her."

"She's sitting right here, she can hear you."

"Oh."

"Hutch? Tell him I still love him, too."

Hutch relaxed against Starsky, trying to ease the constant shivering. "Feeling's mutual, Starsk."

Starsky smiled and wrapped an arm around Hutch, sparing one more searching look over the blond head.

After a few seconds, Hutch spoke up. "No one's coming to save us," he said softly, looking down at the Torino. The car was dark save for the moonlight reflecting off the glass. "You have to turn on the lights." He didn't know how it would work, but he trusted Terry with their lives.

"Hutch…"

"Please. Terry says I'm dying." He felt Starsky tense beside him, but if guilt is what it took to get his partner moving, then so be it. "You would never make it up the mountain if you climbed. This is our only chance." A well-timed shiver added to his desperation.

There was a moment of charged silence and Hutch was worried that Starsky would still refuse. Terry was watching with interest, her eyes shining with moonlight and hope.

"Okay."

Hutch smiled even as his eyelids were too heavy to keep open. "Be careful."

Starsky got up slowly, catching Hutch as he slid against the bark. "Aren't I always?"

"I said careful, not careless."

Starsky snorted from somewhere above him. "Funny man."

Hutch listened as Starsky limped downwards, towards the Torino. Sleep was pulling at him once again, and he was eager to escape the pain. Barely aware of Terry still at his side, Hutch murmured, "Keep an eye on him. …Kinda like the guy."

He was asleep before she could reply.