Starsky was beginning to doze off, although he was trying hard to stay awake. "Come on, Melissa; I wanna see you and Ashley."

Just then he heard the door creak, and he called, "Melissa, is that you?"

The brunette received no answer from his visitor, and when he looked in the direction of the door, he saw a face he didn't recognize.

"Hey buddy, who you looking for?" Starsky inquired.

The stranger, wearing the clothes of a janitor, smiled for a moment before replying. "Don't worry; I've found the person I need to see."

Starsky didn't understand. "What do you mean? I've never met you before."

"No," the man said, "but you have something of mine, and I want it back."

"Didn't you hear what I just said? How can I have something of yours if I don't even know who you are?"

Starsky hoped no one would walk in during this little showdown with...well, with whoever this man was. But he had just finished the thought when he saw the door opening behind the stranger, and he dreaded seeing Melissa or Ashley on the other side.

The face he saw and the voice he heard belonged to Ashley. "Hi Dave; I need to talk to you." The red-headed child stopped when she saw her father standing in the room. "Daddy," Ashley whispered in a trembling voice.

That was a revelation for Starsky. "'Daddy'? Ashley, this is your father?"

Ashley, having backed herself into a corner, only nodded, with tears streaming down her face. "Please don't let him hurt me."

Hearing her say that bothered Starsky. He needed to get her out of the room. "Ashley, I need you to listen to me. Go outside and tell your mom to call Hutch. If he isn't home yet, she needs to call the captain at my job. Do you understand? Get Hutch over here."

Shaking her head yes, Ashley moved in the direction of the door, but she stopped when she heard Stephen call her name. "Ashley, don't walk out that door without first coming to give your old man a hug."

The little girl looked to her mother's boyfriend for help. He motioned with his good arm to keep going. "Ashley, don't pay him any attention. He doesn't want to hug you; he only wants to hurt you again."

Starsky abruptly felt a hand slap his face. Stephen snarled at him, "Stay out of this! It's none of your concern!"

"None of my concern?! Then why the hell did you attack me? You brought me into this." Turning his attention back to the child, Starsky repeated, "Ashley, tell your mother to call Hutch. I need him. I need my best friend."

"Ashley, don't you dare walk out that door unless you want a whooping," Stephen threatened.

"Listen to me, Ashley. I won't let him hurt you. You know I've never had a reason to lie to you before, and I'm not going to lie to you now. He won't lay a hand on you, I promise. I promise."

Stephen slapped Starsky again, knocking the upper half of the brunette's body off the side of the bed. He then grabbed Starsky by the collar and lifted him several inches off of the mattress. With his free hand, Stephen reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun.

Starsky called, "Ashley, get out of here! He has a gun!"

"Drop the gun, Griffin, return the patient to his bed, and put your hands in the air where I can see 'em!"

Starsky breathed a sigh of relief to hear Hutch's voice. How his partner knew what was going on, the brunette had no idea, but he didn't care. Starsky only knew that he was safe once again.

The faux janitor did, in part, what he was told. He loosened his grip on his victim, but instead of dropping his weapon, he jammed the blunt part of the gun into Starsky's ribs, where he had been shot.

Starsky curled up in pain, letting out a yelp. Quickly aiming, Hutch fired his gun at Stephen, who fell immediately to the ground. Hutch fired once more to make sure the damage was done, then he hurried to his partner's side.

Tossing the pillow onto a bedside chair, Hutch sat down at the top of the bed and moved Starsky's head to his lap.

Hutch began giving out orders. "Get Dr. Madison in here, and move Griffin's body out. Ashley, how about sitting in the hall awhile with your mom, okay?"

"Is Dave going to be all right, Hutch?"

The cop looked into the teary, blue eyed face of a little girl who dearly loved his friend. "I'm sure he'll be just fine, Ashley, but he's in a lot of pain and needs his rest."

Ashley started to leave, but stopped to look at Hutch again. "Will my daddy be able to hurt Dave again?"

Hutch shook his head negatively. "No, Ashley, he won't. He won't be able to hurt anyone anymore."

"Good. I'm glad."

Hutch watched the child leave, then turned his attention to his partner. "Are you all right, buddy?"

"Hutch, don't leave me. Please don't go," Starsky said in a hushed, hurting voice. "Stay here, okay?"

"I promise, Starsk. I'll be right here when you wake up again."