Hutch had been peacefully slumbering after Starsky and Joshua had left. He had wanted to ask Big Ben more questions but was still recovering from being hit by the car and left in the snow for several minutes.

Big Ben was in pain, restless, and troubled by the situation with Mickey and the others.

A nurse came in with a tray. "Mr. Carter, it's time for your pain medicine and sedative."

"I don't think I've seen you before." Big Ben eyed her shrewdly.

"I am fairly new, and I have been working in the third floor of the hospital. I'm Cindy Rose." The nurse looked over at Ken. "I understand this handsome young man is Joshua's brother, Ken. Joshua asked me to give him a pain pill as well."

Big Ben took the medicine she gave him and reached for the water taking several large gulps. "I didn't think Ken was complaining of pain," he demurred.

"You usually stiffen up the next day after an accident. Joshua wouldn't order it if he didn't need it." Nurse Cindy smiled indulgently.

"Why don't you let him sleep and I'll give it to him when he wakes up?"

Nurse Cindy hesitated. "All right. I'll just leave it beside you. Get some rest."

Big Ben's eyes narrowed as she left. He called the front desk and asked to speak to Nurse Cindy Rose.

"There is no one here by that name," the lady at the front desk answered.

Ben then rang for a nurse. To his relief, Nurse Robertson, who had been taking care of him, answered the call. When he questioned her, she also had not heard of a Cindy Rose.

Big Ben wasted no time in calling the police, giving them a description of the fake nurse. He called Starsky as well.

"Ken! Ken, wake up!" Big Ben called urgently. "We have to get out of here, fast!" He groaned as he stood up and shook the unresponsive blond. "Ken, wake up!"

Ken groaned but opened his eyes and stared around. "Ben, what is it?"

"Trust me, you need to get out of here. A phony nurse came by. She gave me pills for sedation and wanted to give you one. She said it was from Joshua. Ken, come on, we need to leave now!" A healthy Ben would have picked up the younger man and hauled him out.

Ken was becoming alert, but just then a fire alarm rang out and there were sounds of a man yelling and throwing items around.

"What is going on?" Ken asked, putting his shoes on as Big Ben dressed. He peeked out the door.

A nurse rushing by, told him, "Stay in your room! If we need to, we'll come evacuate you!"

"Diversion. We're not waiting," Big Ben replied. "You have your gun?"

"Yes." Hutch went to get it from the closet where Starsky had put it while Hutch was resting.

"You won't need that, gentlemen."

Two orderlies dressed in scrubs and masks entered the room. "We're moving you."

"I'm not a patient; I don't need to be moved." Ken's hand hovered by his gun.

"I'm afraid we have to insist, Detective Hutchinson."

Big Ben cursed as he sat up in his bed.

"What do you want?" Hutch snapped.

"You. Yell and we'll shoot your friend over there."

Hutch glanced at Big Ben, seeing the fury in his eyes.

While one man kept his gun on Big Ben, the other moved near Hutch, turning Hutch around and grabbing him around his waist.

The other went to Big Ben's side.

"Now!"

Hutch raised up his feet and all 160 pounds of him hanging from the goon flipped the man over his back and the goon slammed to the floor. Hutch followed up with trying to pin the man, who fought back, hitting Hutch in the stomach and throwing a punch to his face. He gripped the goon's wrist until the gun was torn from his grip and slid under Big Ben's bed.

Big Ben was fighting also, but he had been weakened by lung cancer and the man fighting him gained control, picking up his gun and hitting Ben over the head. Gasping, he helped his partner pin a weakened Hutch and he jabbed a syringe into his arm.

"Bud, grab him; we have to get him out of here before the cops get here."

"Put him on the cot, pull the blanket over him; if anyone stops us, we'll say we're helping in the evacuation." Both lifted Hutch onto the cot and covered him with the blanket, leaving just his face out.

"Remember, she wants him alive."

"Aww, he ain't hurt much."

The two pushed the cot out of the room and hit the elevator button. They went down to the first floor without incident. As they went out the front door, a car came screeching to a halt and a man jumped out.

"Starsky!" Bud cursed.

Starsky rushed towards them and Bud called out, "Hey, buddy, there's a fire; you can't go in!"

"Watch me!" Starsky snapped. He ran through the doors and up the stairs to find Hutch gone and Big Ben rubbing his head.

"Ben?"

"They have Ken. Two phony interns." Big Ben tried to sit up and moaned as he rubbed the back of his head.

Starsky ran down the stairs and burst outside in time to see the two men loading Hutch into their car.

Bud was having trouble getting the van started and Starsky ran to the front of the car, yelling, "Stop! Police!"

Bud gunned the car and drove straight at Starsky, grazing him and causing Starsky to tumble to the ground. The van pealed out of the parking lot as Starsky tried to get the license plate. He then ran to his car, planning to give chase until he saw his front tires were slashed. In despair, he kicked them.

"HUUUTTTCCCHHH!" He screamed as the van faded from sight.

TBC