1979
Sky blue eyes locked with those cobalt blues.
Unspoken words only they could understand.
He bent down to whisper,
to the man he called brother.
I'm here Starsk.
I'm here...
X. Xxx
The tall blond paced the floor his hand on his forehead. Hutch waited for information on the man they apprehend. Starsky sat in a chair with his eyes closed. Hutch stopped, and stared intense at his partner.
Starsky's eyes opened. "I saw him."
Hutch stopped. "Who, Starsk." His brunet counterpart had glazed over, dull gray blue eyes.
"The killer." Hutch bent down, eye to eye contact. "Where Starsk?"
Starsky sounded distraught. "Just now, I saw him walk away with a limp, and blood dripped from his hand."
Hutch became concerned. "Its been a long day Starsk. We both need sleep."
Starsky continued. "A black cape, like in the old days. A hat of some sort."
Starsky stared at his blond partner, his voice trembling. "He's here in Bay City."
Minnie walked in. "An APB, on a man with a dark cape, and he wore a hat. Maybe like the old top hats. He walked with a limp, he was seen leaving the scene of a murder."
She handed them each a sheet and walked out.
Hutch's eyes were wide like blue hurricanes spinning out of control. She handed him not one, but twos sheets. One was the sketch Minnie had done from Bitsy's description. The other was a sketch from a description a witness had provided of the killer that had fled the murder scene. Hutch held them side by side, they were identical. Hutch muttered. "Henry Strong."
The door opened, and in walked their Captain. His face appeared tense as he eyed his two detectives and scratched his head.
He sat down at his desk. "The man you brought in is the son of Police Chief Adam's." The blond and brunet detectives glanced at each other, then back at their Captain.
Captain Dobey tossed the report on his desk. "I've known the Police Chief a long time. That man has been decorated for apprehending mob leader Joe Cordell. Not to mention he was here when you two were decorated, Sergeant First Class."
The blond whistled, and eyed Starsky. His eyes had a, oh shit look about them.
Hutch ask his Captain. "Well, do you want me to talk to him?"
The Captain tossed his pencil on his desk. "We're both going to talk him, his flight lands here tomorrow, 9:00 am" The Captain hesitated. "He's meeting us here 10:00 am sharp."
Hutch put his hand on his Captain's shoulder. "I'm sorry Captain."
Dobey scratched his head. "Go on get out of here, Starsky you get some sleep tonight." He paused. "Hutch 10:00 am sharp."
The blond detective put his hand to his forehead as if he saluted and closed the door.
Captain Dobey walked over to the water cooler, and poured himself a cup of water. The Captain sat his desk, and thought. How do I tell a Chef of Police, best friend, and colleague, not to mention the God father to my children. How do you say your son is a two bit hood?
X. Xxx
Hutch parked his car at Venice Place, and read the APB sheet. "That's crazy a black cape, and top hat, these crazy people."
Starsky became disgruntled with disbelief. "You think I'm nuts." He slammed the car door.
Hutch put his hand to his head, the detective did not believe what had came out of his own mouth.
Hutch walked inside to find his partner had laid down with his eyes closed.
Hutch bent down. "I'm sorry Buddy, I just didn't think."
Starsky kept his eyes closed. "That's ok partner, if I was on the other end. I would think you were nuts."
Hutch grabbed his partners hand. "Maybe Dr. Wong will, have a solution for the visions."
Starsky grabbed Hutch's hand. "It's not your fault partner." Starsky sounded tired. "I'm gonna to rest for a minute."
Hutch stepped out and left the door cracked.
Hutch lay down on the couch and thought, Starsky had seen exactly what the APB had described, before they had even seen the sheet. How is that possible?"
Hutch's eyes got heavy, it was not long before he to was sound asleep.
The hours passed in the night. Far away screams could be heard, in the darkest part of hell. Crimson washed on the walls of an unknown place, and a woman with a British accent begged for her life. The darkness swallowed her to a place where the sun never shined.
Starsky woke, sweat poured from his face, as he saw a black cape blowing in the wind. The shadows of death clung to the dark figure, as it disappeared in the night.
Hutch woke, but tried to go back to sleep, it was useless. He walked to his old room where he had insisted his partner would sleep.
Hutch saw perspiration on his Starsky's face, he shook him. "Starsky, it's ok I'm here Buddy."
Starsky woke to the sight of blond hair and blue eyes staring at him, in the blackness of the night.
Starsky scanned the room with frightened eyes, then back to Hutch.
The next morning
Hutch opened the front door to find Starsky up as he worked on the brain exercises the doctor had given him.
Hutch held a bag in his hands, he pulled out a cinnamon bear claw, and handed it to his partner.
Starsky smiled. "Thanks Hutch what did you get."
Hutch held his up proudly. This here Starsk is a kelp baguette.
They were silent while they ate. What happened in the night still gripped Starsky tight.
Hutch put his black jacket on. "Time to go Starsk."
Starsky shrugged his shoulders . "I'm not going anywhere."
Hutch knew he did not want Starsky alone, so he had a plan, "Oh I forgot to tell you, Huggy needs help at the bar this morning."
Starsky became grumpy now. "Gee, thanks for volunteering, me!
X. Xxx
Hutch dropped Starsky off at The Pitts. "I'll be back at 1:00 to take you to your doctor's appointment."
Starsky waved to him. "Go on get out a here."
Hutch drove away, he felt like he should not leave Starsky, but he had no choice in the matter.
Starsky limped the best he could, into The Pitts, and saw Bitsy, as she tried to lift a box to heavy for her small frame.
Starsky grabbed the box. "Here let me get that for you." Bitsy pointed toward the bar, as she walked over to where he had placed the large box.
The little blonde eyed the brunet. "You must be Starsky, your partner spoke highly of you." Starsky just smiled. Bitsy with her heavy southern accent continued. "My, my, Hutch didn't tell me how handsome you were, tall, dark, and stormy blue eyes."
A sudden rush of red filled his face, as his head glaced to the floor. A smile escaped his lips.
Huggy strolled in. "Glad you could join us today my friend. I have a load of big boxes in back of the store."
Starsky frowned. "Let me guess, you need my muscle to bring them in." Huggy smiled. "Well, thank you for offering my friend."
Bitsy started wiping down the bar. Starsky went toward the back and opened the door to the ally.
She watched Starsky strut away, partially limping. "Call if you need me sugar." He grinned, and turn toward the back.
Starsky turned to pick up a box, and eyed the long ally it was covered with a blackness. Even the morning sun could not reach it.
A chill ran down his spine, something evil had filled this place. Perhaps in another time. Starsky felt the dark ally, it called to him. He saw the dark figure, his black cape blowing with every curve as the wind touched it.
The brunet grabbed his head in pain, as the dark figure turned and fled into the darkness. Starsky's eyes faded, as he fell unconscious to the ground.
X. Xxx
Hutch sat by his unconscious friend his curls scattered on the white hospital pillow. Hutch had his hands on his face, as he rubbed them downward, and let them drop to his side. His eyes on Starsky, the detective did not understand what it all meant.
Dr. Yang came quietly in the room. "Detective Hutchinson." The blond looked up, and stood to greet the doctor.
She reached out "Please follow me, I have something to show you."
Hutch stared down at Starsky. Dr Yang in her gentle voice. "He will be fine he is sedated, a nurse is coming to take his vitals."
Hutch followed the doctor out of the room. They walked down the hall where Dr. Yang placed a brain scan for them to view.
Dr. Yang pointed to a area on Starsky's brain. She stayed in one area longer. Dr. Yang explained. Your friend is experiencing pain from a few small fragments of broken glass, lodged in his brain."
She continued. "The fragments of glass migrated deeper into your friends brain."
Hutch felt lost and did not say a word. He turned and walked silently back to Starsky's room.
Dr. Yang arrived at Starsky's room. Hutch stood by his brunet partner. Lost in deep thought, as if a movie reel had played in his head. Years of memories they had spent together, good times and bad.
The words left the blonds mouth bitterly. "What the hell! What's happening here."
The door opened, a women with brown hair, and glasses walked in. "Something not very good, I'm afraid."
She walked toward the blond. "I'm Dr. Rose, and you must be, Detective Hutchinson."
Anger rose in the Hutch's voice. "Why was this not removed the night I brought him to the emergency room."
She reached out to shake the blonds hand. "Detective I'm sorry, but when your partners wound was cleaned. Tiny fragments were unseen, even by our brain scan."
Hutch locked straight into Dr. Roses eyes. "You mean to tell me, those pieces of glass have been in Starsky's head." He eyed her in disbelief. "For the past year."
Hutch raised his head toward the ceiling, and closed his eyes. He went toward the sink, and put his hand in the water. He splashed it on his face.
Then Hutch walked toward the open window, and put his hand on the wall. Hutch appeared angry and sacred. "So life goes on."
Dr. Rose tried to ease his fear. "I will do the surgery to remove the fragments. Fortunately they are contained to a small area."
Dr. Yang grabbed Hutch's hand. "If they had not grouped together. The brain scan never would have detected them, this is a blessing."
The small Asian doctor ask Hutch to sit down. "Every minute we wait, the fragments keep moving. Does Mr. Starsky have a relative to sign the consent forms."
Hutch looked down and thought. A year ago Starsky's brother had been killed, at the hands of a couple of punks in a high profile syndicate. Starsky's brother had gotten involved with them. He always seemed on the wrong side of the law. Starsky's mother had to pay the price for her son's mistakes.
She was in the witness protection, as far as everyone knew she had been hit by a stray bullet. She died instantly. Only he and Starsky knew the truth, but they did not even know her whereabouts.
Hutch's blue eyes found Starsky, then Dr. Wrong. "I'm the only family he has."
Dr. Yang took Hutch's hand and put it into Doctor Roses hand. "Then you must make the decision."
Hutch sat down, so he could be eye level with the small Asian Doctor. "Let me get this straight. If we do not do the surgery he slowly loses function of his brain, and eventually dies. If we do the surgery he could still lose function of his brain and." Hutch stopped, as he put his hand on his head and closed his eyes.
Dr. Yang covered her hand over Hutch's. "Or he could live, with a brain that functions correctly."
Hutch ask. "Can I have a minute with him?"
Dr. Yang nodded. "We will be in the hall if you need us."
Dr Rose and Dr. Yang walked into the hall. Dr. Rose, eyed the small Asian doctor. "Can't we get a court order so we can do the surgery."
Dr. Yang meet her young eyes,. "Remember what I taught you, patience. Mr. Hutch must be alone with his friend to find the answer he seeks."
Hutch paced the floor. "What do I do partner?" He sat on Starsky's hospital bed. He laid his head on Starsky's chest and listened to his heart beat. A few minutes passed, Hutch opened his eyes. "There's only one way to go, Starsk and I'm taken it. I know you would want this chance."
Hutch came out, his steel blue eyes seemed tired, but confident. "There's only one way to get Starsky back. Dr. Rose will you do the surgery to save my partners life."
She took his hand in hers. "I will do everything I can." She quickly walked away.
Dr. Yang smiled at Hutch. "You made the only decision we had. Now I will show you where you can meditate. "She continued. "Come with me, I will show you where I go."
Hutch followed her down the hall, and out a door that lead to a garden.
Dr. Yang put her hand out. "You can sat here in silence with your thoughts."
Hutch gazed at the beautiful garden, flowers bloomed, moon flowers, a Ruby moon vine. Jasmine trailed the pathways with their beautiful scent.
He found a place by the flowers, and closed his crystal blue eyes...