Disclaimer: I do not own the guys; I just tend to play with them a bit…

Dedication: To many of my friend's that inspire and sometimes push me to write…THANK YOU ALL!

Warnings: This one may be a bit dark at times and some scenes of torture lie ahead…The views of this story are in no way reflected by the author!

A/N: This one is drawing to a close, just a few more chapters, I want to thank ALL of you that have been reading and reviewing through out. Feedback is important to a writer. Special thanks go out to my partner in writing, Brook, with out her, I may not even be writing right now, so thank you!

No Turning Back

Chapter Twenty-One

Dobey alerted the hospital staff about the missing boy; soon he had several employees searching the storage closets, elevators, even the morgue for the missing teen. He also let security know about Andrews, making sure that they kept a special eye out for him. Once he had done everything in his immediate power to locate both missing persons, he resolved himself to heading towards recovery to see his injured detectives. He felt the slight flit of butterflies that fluttered through his stomach in anticipation. Nerves as to what kind of condition he would find them in, the doctor had given him his report, but one never knew what to expect.

He walked into the room, a young nurse leading they way. It was a long rectangle room that housed several curtained cubby holes housing stretchers and patients that just come out of surgery. They were, for the most part, unconscious and hooked up to machines, the incessant beeping of the heart monitors resonating in the large black man's ears. The traveled to the far end of the room, the last cubby on the right hand side, the petite nurse reaching up and pulling back the tan curtain as if opening a door for the rotund man.

A smile washed across his face as he saw that the hospital had put both of the detectives, in the same space, the same small area, side by side. He was pretty sure that one of them must have come around enough to either request this, or became obnoxious enough for the staff to do anything to shut them up. Either scenario worked for him, as long as they were together, that was all that mattered.

Sitting in the middle, right between both detectives on a yellow vinyl chair was Billy, watching over both men. He turned abruptly when the curtain was pulled back, his eyes wide with fear until he laid eyes on Dobey. His posture relaxing slightly, he turned back around, focusing his attention on both officers as he spoke.

"Sorry Sir, I couldn't wait to see them, they needed me here, I keep an eye out for them, they needed me." Billy stated, his voice monotone as he watched the sleeping men breathe.

"Its okay son," Dobey spoke as he moved closer, placing his large, pudgy hand on the boys shoulder and squeezing gently, "I'm sure they wouldn't want it any other way."

Hutch's pale skin and blond hair looked ever fairer against the white sheets, the covers pulled up to mid chest. An IV was hooked up to his right arm while nasal tubes provided the much needed oxygen to the patient. His upper torso was bare, save for the bandage that covered the majority of his chest where the bullet had been lodged and then removed.

Dobey looked over at the brunet, the light bedding exaggerating his darker features as he methodically inhaled and exhaled, his chest rising and falling in a calm relaxing succession. He had no nasal tubing's, but the IV in the crook of his right arm was the same as his partners. Starsky's face was bruised, his eye swollen terribly along with his lower lip. His leg stuck out from the bottom of the bed, propped up on a couple of pillows, the ankle splinted and wrapped tightly. Dobey couldn't recall ever seeing Starsky so battered and beaten as he was witnessing now.

Billy's gaze shifted from one man to the other, his concern evident on his face, suddenly looking way older then his age. Dobey stood back and watched the scene unfolding before his eyes, and couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the trio during their captivity.

Starsky's head lobbed from side to side, mumbling something at first that was incomprehensible.

"H…no…noo…Sir…" he stammered, "H-h-hutsch…" his dark lashes fluttered against his pale skin. "H-h-h-hutch…n-n-nooo, please…" There was almost a panicking tone to his voice, his breathing increasing.

Dobey moved closer to his waking officer, his large hand covering Starsky's bruised one that lay across his lap.

"Dave, son, its okay, its me Dobey…come on son, wake up…" The Captain attempted to rouse him.

Starsky's eyes opened abruptly as his head jerked from side to side, seemingly unaware of his surroundings, and yet petrified by them at the same time. Billy stayed in his seat, perfectly calm, having an odd understanding at the man's erratic behavior.

"Starsky!" Dobey's voice bellowed authoritatively, trying to snap Starsky back to his reality. "It's me, Dobey, look at me!" He ordered as the brunet's head turned, his wild eyes locking with his Captain's.

Dobey turned his head, back towards the curtains that were now drawn back, "Nurse!" He called out, looking for some help.

Starsky's physical stiffness subsided as he seemed to relax back into his bed, his eyes drifting back to the front, looking up at ceiling, almost a blank look washing over his face.

"Starsky, can you hear me?" Dobey questioned him as the man seemed not to hear him. "Nurse!" Dobey shouted out again as the petite nurse that had led them to the recovery area reappeared.

"What is it?" She shouted as she rushed to Starsky's side, checking his monitors, noting the quick increase in his pulse rate as she reached out for his arm only to have him jerk it away.

"H-h-hutch, where's Hutch?" He stammered as he twisted and turned his arm to keep her from touching him.

"He's right here," Billy's calm voice came out of nowhere. "He's right next to you." Billy looked at the nurse, "If you wouldn't mind backing up so he can see his friend, I think it would help him." Billy's large brown eyes begged the small lady, who quickly obliged. "Look, he's right there, he's okay." Billy assured Starsky turned his head, looking at the sleeping blond in the bed next to him, calming down even further.

His pulse and heart monitor started to slow as just this sight of his partner calmed him to some degree. The nurse tried to check the IV in his arm, only to have the brunet rip his arm away, out of her reach.

"Just don't touch him…you guys don't understand what happened to him in there…every time he was touched, he was hurt, just don't touch him, just let him be there, he'll be fine." Billy warned Dobey and the nurse. "You need to give him some time, he's been conditioned this way and it is going to take some time to fix him, but first of all, he's gonna have ta' wanna be fixed. You just need to let him be himself, a Jew. Once he comes to grips with that, then he won't be afraid of the others around him, he needs to gain everyone's trust right now, and right now, he don't trust nobody…'cept maybe his friend in the bed over there." Billy's words once again making him sound much older then he actually was.

Starsky's eyes returned forward, focused on the wall across the room, just looking over the top of Billy's head. Dobey looked around the room impatiently, he sighed heavily as he spoke to Billy, "I gotta go call into the station." Dobey looked at the young boy, "I want you to wait here, no running off, you got me?" Dobey commanded shaking his pudgy finger at the boy.

"Yes Sir, promise, I won't go nowhere." Billy responded as Dobey headed to the door and exited the room.

Billy sat there in the dimly lit room, his gaze changed from one detective to the other. Hutch was still sleeping; Starsky lay there patiently and quietly wrapped in his own thoughts and demons. Billy spoke softly, "You're gonna be okay, you know that don't you?" He reassured the brunet, but Starsky didn't even acknowledge his words.

A soft moan came from Hutch's direction as Billy's head snapped towards him. The boy stood and took two steps near the blonde's bed, saddling up to his side. His hand reached over the silver railing and lightly touched Hutch's arm, stroking it gently. The Nordic moaned again, his head lobbing slightly to the side as a groan escaped his lips.

"You waking up Mister?" Billy asked in a whisper.

Hutch's eyes opened and closed quickly, the lights of the room, and the movement of his head, causing his head to swim.

"S-starsk…" He gasped, his voice hoarse, his throat dry.

Billy looked over his shoulder at the brunet's bed and was pleasantly surprised to see the man looking back at them.

"See, I told you he'd wake up." Billy noted as he returned his attention to Hutch. "Hey mister, wake up, your friend needs you," he tried to coax the blond calmly.

"S-starsky…" Hutch whispered again.

"He's right here, he's waiting for you." Billy informed him.

Hutch's eyes slowly opened as he winced in pain, his head throbbing. His head turned, the right eye opening first, allowing him a few seconds to focus.

"That's right, your friend his here with you, we made sure they put him in here with you, so you guys would be together. Look for yourself." Billy encouraged as Hutch struggled to crank his head enough to make out the profile of his partner, his indigo eyes looking at Hutch's light blue orbs. There was something haunting in them that Hutch couldn't quite place, something missing, vacant.

He licked his dry lips, swallowing, trying to promote saliva to dampen his parched mouth. "Hey buddy, we made it." Hutch was shocked by his own raspy voice, harsh and rough.

Starsky blinked once and then returned his gaze back in front of him, blinking methodically as his own mind fought for control of his emotions. Hutch wanted so badly to get out of his bed and make his way to his partner's side, to comfort him, and help him, to give him some type of contact, anything he could do for him.

"Starsk…" Hutch tried to speak, but it was difficult for him. "Starsk…you with me buddy?"

Silence

"What'd they do to him Billy?" Hutch whispered.

"Question is, what didn't they do to him?" Billy answered matter of factly. "It's okay, he's strong, like my dad, he'll get over this."

It suddenly hit Hutch that they still had work to do, they promised the boy that they would find and reunite him with his father, he had to get Starsky back.

"Look Billy, I need you to go get the doctor…I need to talk to him." Hutch hissed in pain, "Can you do that for me?" He pled as Billy shook his head in confidence.

"But I promised your Captain that I would stay right here, I wouldn't go nowhere, he's gonna be real mad at me if I do." Billy's eyes were filled with excitement, and a slight hint of fear.

"Don't…don't worry about it Billy, Starsk and I rarely listen to him, he'll get over…now just go!" Hutch demanded as Billy turned on his heels and rushed out of the room.

As soon as they were alone, Hutch turned his head, struggling to move to his side, using the metal railing of the bed to help him move.

"Starsk, can you hear me?" Hutch winced, fighting through the pain as he moved ever so slightly. "Listen Buddy, I…" he inhaled sharply again, "I need you…I need your help…I can't do this by m'self…it's gonna take Me an' Thee buddy, you up to it?"

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room and for a brief moment, Hutch didn't think that he had gotten through to his partner. Then Starsky's head turned slightly, his vacant eyes lazily looking at Hutch, the life gone from them, the childlike enthusiasm that had always filled the man, appeared to missing.

"M' here Hutch…tell me what to do…" He whispered, his voice cracking in anguish as he struggled to speak with out breaking down, "I'll do whatever you say…" the brunet resolved as he turned his head back to the front, staring at the ceiling.

To Be Continued…