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Red
By LovinFace

Any other day whenever Hutch thought of the color red, he thought of valentines, strawberries, and fire trucks. And the Tomato, Starsky's pride and joy. In fact, red was his partner's favorite color.

But today red was the color of ambulance lights. The color of the paramedics' squad. And blood. Starsky's blood…pouring from his chest and back onto the pavement. Starsky's blood, on the clothes the paramedics had cut away from his body as they worked on him. Starsky's blood, on the discarded gauze scattered on the pavement, a testament to the fight for his life.

Hutch paced the hallway, waiting, watching. Red was everywhere. A girl with a red ribbon. A man carrying red roses. A nurse wearing a red sweater. A doctor in green scrubs covered in Starsky's blood -- macabre Christmas colors. Starsky loves Christmas…

Hours later, Hutch was finally able to see his partner. There was a red sign posted over the bed – "Oxygen In Use. Under Pressure." Under pressure….understatement. The heart monitor kept a steady rhythm, red numbers on the screen. Starsky's heart, still beating, still holding on.

Looking down, Hutch glimpsed a smudge on his palm. Starsky's blood. Red. The color of hope.