Safe House
Chapter 15
Five days later, Starsky had had the operation to reduce and immobilise his fractured wrist and was sporting a white cast. His back was beginning to itch terribly and the gun shot wound on his leg was healing nicely. The blisters on his chest and legs had deflated and the scalds were now a deep raw red, but still healing well.
Sitting up in bed, he was getting homesick and even the pretty nurses were no substitute for being home again. He looked at his watch – good, visiting time!
Five minutes later, the big blond appeared at the door, smiling,
'Hey Gordo' he said. 'I got some visitors for ya, if you're up to it'.
The brunette nodded and Huggy walked into the room, closely followed by Bernie and their friend Eddie. As Bernie ran over to the man in the bed and gave him an enormous hug, Eddie stood at the foot of the bed.
'Hey Hup' he waved. 'Starchy brought us to see ya'.
Bernie gave him a stern look. 'This is Starsky. He's my friend. That's Hup over there', he pointed to the blond.
'Well, hey both of ya' Starsky greeted them, disentangling himself from Bernie's long arms and wincing as the stitches in his back pulled.
Huggy greeted the bed bound detective. 'Bernie wanted to come to see you, my man. I've managed to get him a place at the mission, with Eddie. He's got a bed and food and he's even got a janitor's job. Oh, and, man does he play a mean game of chequers' he added.
Starsky smiled, glad the man who had kept him company through those long dark hours at Dennis' house was now safe and settled. Dobey had already told him that no charges would be brought against the tall man. He was there at the 'safe house' and almost as much of a prisoner as Starsky had been.
The three men, Eddie, Bernie and Huggy stayed another little while then said their goodbyes and left the two detectives alone in the brunette's room.
'So, ya ready to get out of here tomorrow?' asked the blond.
'Am I ever' his partner said, his voice still raspy and sore although the tracheotomy wound was now uncovered and closing well.
Hutch became serious. 'Barrera had his first hearing today. He's been charged with all the drugs offences plus murder one. He's never gonna walk free again. At least some good came of all this'.
Starsky nodded. 'What about Ramsey?'
The blond smiled. 'Finally got rid of him to the Narc. boys. They thought he was going to be of no use to the DEA once Ramirez took the plunge, but turns out he has the low down on Barerra as well. He's been promised immunity and free passage to whichever country will accept him, once the evidence is done. Can't help feeling sorry for whichever place he ends up though, coz I really don't think the guy will ever give up the drugs scene. He's too heavily into it'.
Starsky was staring at his cast on his left hand, not really listening to the blond, in a world of his own. The big blond looked over at him, before blowing at him and whispering 'Earth to Starsky, come in Starsk'.
He jumped a little and smiled shyly. 'Sorry Blintz. I was just thinking. I don't know how long I can go on doin' this. It hurt so much, Hutch. Towards the end, I was really ready to tell 'em anything they wanted to hear. And when that big guy brought out the kettle, I lost it completely. Just how many times should I expect my body to recover? I've had more injuries in the past seven years than most men have in a lifetime. You too, come to that. You said at the beginning of this that I asked too much of you sometimes. Well now I'm beginning to think I'm asking too much of myself too. I'd never admit it to anyone else, but I was so fucking scared there Blondie'.
Hutch put a hand on his partner's arm. 'Anyone would have been scared going through what they put you through. Shit Starsk, how many other men get beaten black and blue with a chain, then a cane, not to mention all the other crap they did to you. We're not paid enough to be heroes, but you act like one. Anyone would be scared facing that'.
The brunettes' face was thoughtful. 'No, it wasn't the beating I was scared of, or even the burns, really. Oh, course, they hurt like nothing I'd felt before. But it was more than that'. He paused, trying to find the right words.
'Suddenly I thought, Gods, I'm only 34. I could get married. I could have lots of little Davies runnin' around. But if I died then, I'd never know what that was like. But even more than that. If I'd died then, I'd never have had the chance to say goodbye to you, knowing that you'd have to carry on without me………..an' that's more than I could bear'. His voice broke and he looked in mute appeal at his partner.
Hutch felt an enormous lump in his throat. He swallowed it down and heaved a big sigh. 'So, what ya wanna do Partner. I'm not carrying on policing without you. Where do we go from here?'
Starsky shrugged his shoulders, then hissed in pain as his back protested the movement. 'Dunno. You could sing?'
The blond laughed. 'Yeah, an' you could become a watch salesman! You're just feelin' down from being cooped up in here. Just wait till ya get home, you'll feel better, I know you will'.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Hutch had gone home that night and worried about his friend's mental state. He'd never heard Starsky talk like that before and only hoped that it was just as a result of the terrible experience he had had at Dennis' hands. His sleep that night, however, was not peaceful.
Early next morning he gathered Starsky's clothes from his apartment, choosing carefully. He sought out the softest jeans, which just happened to be the loosest fitting ones, and a baby soft red tee shirt – the one with the little white rectangle on the front. Along with his partner's ubiquitous blue Adidas, the ensemble was complete.
He made his way back to Memorial, unsure what reception he would have. Pausing at the brunette's door, he took a calming breath, then fixed a smile on his face. 'Hey Starsk. ya ready to roll?' he asked
'Oh sure. I'm terrific' the smaller man replied morosely. 'Just get me outa here, OK?'
He dressed as quickly as he could, trying hard not to gasp as the soft material of his clothes rasped against his healing injuries. Finally though, he had to accept defeat and ask Hutch to lace up his shoes. The skin on his back was just too tight and sore to allow that range of movement just yet
Saying goodbye to the staff and armed with his antibiotics and pain meds, both men escaped the clutches of the hospital and made their way to the car.
Starsky smiled as he caught sight of his big red baby and walked over, caressing the bodywork with his right hand. He turned to the blond. 'Give me the keys?'
'Ya can't drive. It'll hurt too much' Hutch spluttered.
'It'll hurt even more seeing you drive it Blintz' he responded.
Hutch shrugged and tossed the keys over and, amazing himself, Starsky caught them right handed. He eased himself into the drivers seat and sat a moment, enjoying the feeling of being back behind the wheel. Luckily the controls were all to his right hand side, and so he turned on the ignition, flicked the gear lever into drive and set off.
His mood lifted a little as he drove, back with the blond at his side, although he still had certain dark thoughts about packing the whole thing in. They drove a way in silence, both brooding on what a future without BCPD might hold.
Starsky broke the silence. 'Ya give any thought to what we were talking about last night?' he asked.
'Haven't thought about anything else. I reckon you'll feel better when ya get home. It was just the hospital getting ya down, Gordo, honest'.
Starsky shook his head .'Nah. I mean it Hutch, police works all washed up for……………….hey, did ya see that? That guy just ran outa that store with a big bag full of stuff, an' look the shopkeepers there. Hey, get the mars………..what? what ya laughing at?' he asked, a hurt look on his face.
Hutch was laughing out loud now. 'Just listen to yourself. One minute you're taking about packing it all in, ya get sprung from hospital, and within 2 minutes, you're out to catch thieves and villains all over again. Will ya make your mind up?'
His face cracked into a smile. 'OK, OK, ya got me. Just shut up an get your wallet out. It's your turn for burritos. I've been on hospital food for days' as he pulled over to a diner.
And without any other comment, the blond got out to place the order, thankful that things were back to normal. A hungry Starsk was a normal Starsk!