Chapter 3

'He can't be. It's not him. I know it isn't him. Starsk… Oh my God Starsky.' Captain Dobey stood quietly by the open door of his car as Hutch sat with his head in his hands, moaning softly and seemingly unaware of what was going on around him. The big Captain had almost carried his officer to his car, Hutch's legs seeming to have turned to rubber as he looked at the devastation that had been his partner's house. The final blow came as two of the fire fighters walked past, carrying a black plastic zippered body bag and Hutch had groaned and fallen to his knees.

Dobey looked around, wondering what he should do next. This was the sort of thing he'd never planned for. It was the sort of thing he hoped he'd never have to deal with. Men shot down in the line of work. That was what Police Captains had to deal with and the black man had had more than his fair share of sitting in a living room, hands in his lap as a wife, or mother, or sister broke down and cried at the bad news. That was how cops were meant to die – gunned down in the line of duty, or living to a ripe old age and moving to Miami to hit the happy cop retirement grounds. They were not supposed to die in a fire, in their beds. Especially not cops as full of life as David Starsky had been. For a moment, the vision of the tall, lithe figure, the head of riotous chocolate curls and the piercing indigo blue eyes floated into Dobey's head and he swallowed hard.

OK Harold. Get with the plan. Deal with the living coz there aint anythin' ya can do for the dead right now.

The scene around Ridgeway was still organised chaos with fire fighters, hoses, tenders and emergency vehicles still milling around. There were also two black and whites on the scene and the four officers were still standing looking at the soot-blackened wreck in shock. Starsky was such a popular officer that the loss would be felt right around the metro.

Dobey bent down until he could take Hutch's hands gently away from his face.

'How're ya doin' he asked

Slowly Hutch looked up, his eyes unfocused and far away. 'I can't believe it' he whispered. 'I was only talkin' to him a few hours ago. He said he'd see me in the mornin'. He was fine.'

'No-one could have foreseen his' Dobey said gently. 'It was just a cruel twist of fate. I need to get you home son.'

'Home? Um…. No, I wanna stay here. Maybe there was a mistake. Maybe there's…' the flaxen haired cop's voice faltered. 'I don't want to leave.'

'There's nothing you can do son. You need to go home and get some rest. It's been a huge shock. Just let's get you home huh?' Dobey gently grabbed Hutch's legs and swung them round into the car, closing the door and walking around to the driver's side. 'I'll get one of the uniforms to bring your car back, you're in no fit state to drive.' The Captain turned on the engine and turned his car in the direction of Venice Place.

Hutch sat back, his head resting on the headrest and his eyes closed, unable and unwilling to take in what had happened. It was unthinkable. Life without Starsky at his side. It sounded too sappy when he said it like that, but the thought of not having the curly haired brunet at his side, telling crazy jokes, smiling his goofy smile and talking a mile a minute about the most random subjects was too raw for him to contemplate. Starsky was the night to Hutch's day; the Spring to the blond's Fall and the yin to the blond cop's yang. Without Starsky in his life Hutch felt he'd have no reason to continue and the thought of cruising the streets with some other partner left him cold and vaguely nauseous.

The two men drove in silence. Dobey didn't have the words to express his sorrow and anything he did think off sounded too hollow and crass to say out loud. What could he say? What solace could he give to the hurting blond? What could he do to ease Hutch's suffering when such a vital part of his life had suddenly and needlessly been snuffed out? The streets swept by, the early morning sun rising up over the horizon as eager joggers and the like started to pound the streets. Ordinary people doing ordinary things and oblivious of how much the two men were hurting, oblivious that a young and vital life had been snuffed out.

Eventually, they drew up outside Venice Place, although Hutch didn't seem to notice even that the car had stopped. Dobey switched off the engine and sat for a moment, looking at the broken blond. Hutch's eyes were still closed and small tremors ran through his body.

'Is there anyone home to stay with ya? he asked.

Hutch seemed to jerk back to reality and he grunted. 'Huh?'

'At home? Is Sue at home? I don't want you to be on your own' Dobey pressed.

'Oh…um. No, she we…she went down to the shelters.'

'OK. C'mon. Let's get ya inside and I'll wait with you till she gets back.'

The blond turned. 'S'ok. You don't have to. I'm fine.'

Dobey snorted. 'Uh huh? You're in shock son, and who wouldn't be? You need someone to stay with you, even if it's only to make you drinks and provide an ear if ya want to talk.'

'I can make a drink an' I don't wanna talk.'

'Well, I'm coming up anyway' the Captain said, getting out of the car. Secretly, he wanted to stay just in case the blond cop was to do anything crazy. There had been such a connection between Hutch and his brunet partner that he'd always thought that if something happened to one of them, the other would go into a decline and he didn't want to put the theory to the test. He waited for Hutch to open the door and when the big blond made no move, Dobey sighed and opened the passenger door. 'Hutch, c'mon son.'

Stiffly, Hutch got out, following meekly as Dobey led the way up the stairs and reached for the key above the lintel. They walked into the apartment and as Dobey went into the kitchen, Hutch sagged down onto the sofa, his world a grim black and white parody now that his partner had gone.

'Tea or coffee?' Dobey asked from the kitchen.

'Nothin'.

'You need something. Tea or coffee?'

'Tea' the tall man said with a sigh. One decision down, lots still to go. He stared at the coffee table and at the photography magazine Starsky had left a week ago. He picked it up and without thinking, buried his face in the sleek, glossy pages. There was the merest whiff of Sandalwood soap and the Pierre Cardin aftershave that Starsky habitually wore and suddenly the damn of Hutch's emotions broke and the tears started to flow. He sobbed as though the world were ending, which for Hutch it was. A life with Starsky; a world without the brunet; a lifetime of hurting and missing his best friend.

Harold Dobey heard the strangled sob and looked up from his mindless domesticity. Hutch had crumpled on the sofa, seeming to have shrunk to half his height by the weight of his sorrow. Tears flowed freely and the blond's shoulder shook as each wracking sob took a hold of his body. The black man rushed to Hutch's side, sitting down on the sofa beside him and hesitantly he put his arm around the tall man's shoulders feeling the heat radiate from the blond and the shudders flow through his body.

'Aww c'mon Hutch, let it out son….just let it out huh? Dobey said softly as he held onto Hutch's shoulders. The big blond leaned against him, his hands up to his face, shutting out the misery of the world and cried out his heart. The sorrow was deep and it was minutes before finally he pushed himself away from the comforting bulk and sighed deeply, angrily wiping away the tears with the back of his hands.

'I'm sorry….. I just….I can't believe it' he whispered.

'You an' me alike. Can I call anyone for ya? Can I get anyone?'

'Starsky…… I want Starsk' Hutch said in a voice so raw that Dobey had to swallow hard to keep down the lump in his own throat.

'I know son. I know you do. Is there anyone else?'

'No.'

'Do you know the shelter's telephone number? Can I ring Sue?'

'No, I just wanna be alone. I feel so…..empty.'

Dobey stood and reached for the telephone as Hutch looked up. 'What're ya doin'?' the blond asked. 'I said I didn't need no-one.'

'I'm ringing the doctor. You're in shock. You're as white as a sheet an' ya haven't stopped trembling since ya came home.'

'I don't need a doctor. What's he gonna do?'

Dobey snorted. 'If I knew that, I wouldn't need to call a doctor, would I? I dunno, it's what they always do on TV, an' I feel like we need help.'

Hutch watched as the black man dialled a number, gave instructions to the police surgeon and put down the phone. 'He'll be here in 15 minutes' he said.

'Who? Who'll be here in 15 minutes?' Sue asked as she pushed the door open. 'What's the matter? Ken? Are you ok? Oh my God, what's happened?' she asked as she crossed to the sofa and enveloped Hutch in a tight embrace. She kissed his matted hair and drew away from him. 'Ken, tell me? Has something happened? Are you hurt? Is it…?'

'Starsk. It's Starsky' Hutch croaked, his voice dry and raw.

'Starsky? What's happened? Is he ok? Is he hurt?' she asked, stumbling over her words. Sue looked into her man's pain filled eyes and immediately knew the terrible answer.

'He's dead' Hutch whispered and the words somehow made it suddenly real. The words hit him like a blunt trauma and the enormity of the situation finally hit him so that he grabbed for Sue's arm as the room dipped drunkenly to the side.

'Ken? Hutch?' Oh my God! Captain help me' Sue yelped as Hutch's unconscious body toppled forward so that it was half resting on her knees.

Dobey rushed across the room, and between them they managed to get the blond to his bedroom and onto the bed. Sue looked up, tears swimming in her eyes. 'Is it true? Is he really….'

'Dead, yeah. The fire at his place was so intense, the fire fighters said he would have died of the smoke before the flames ever actually got to him. They found his body on the bed.'

The woman's face crumpled. 'Oh poor Ken….poor Davey, this is terrible. What can I do?'

Dobey shrugged his shoulders. 'Dunno. I sent for the Doc. He's on his way.'

Sue bent over the blond's body, gently brushing away a bang of flaxen hair from his forehead. She leaned in and dotted a kiss on his eyelids, smelling the acrid blast of smoke fumes still clinging to the blond's body. 'My poor man. I'm so sorry' she whispered and sat down, taking a hold of Hutch's hand as she waited.

Minutes later, the doctor arrived at the door and pushed his way into the bedroom. Sue listened as Dobey gave the medic a brief outline of what had happened and how Hutch had reacted to the devastating news about his partner and then the doctor set about examining his patient. Half way through, Hutch's eyes fluttered open and before he was fully awake, he licked his dry lips and moaned 'Starsk?'

Sue shushed him gently. 'Starsky isn't here' she said softly. 'The doctor's here. He's gonna give you something to make you rest.'

The medic reached into his bag and withdrew the pad he used for prescriptions. He scribbled words onto it and tore the sheet off, handing it to Sue. 'Make sure he takes two a day. I've given him enough to keep him going' he said as she escorted him to the door.

Sue took the script. 'What is it?'

'Valium. It'll help keep him calm and make sure he gets some rest.'

'Oh, I'll make sure he gets his medication' the woman said with a smile. 'Thank you doctor.'

Dobey followed the doctor out and Sue kissed the black man on his cheek. 'Look after him. You know where I am if you need me' the Captain said.

'Of course I will, and we'll be fine. Just go ok?'

Dobey smiled. 'You're a good woman Sue. He's lucky to have you. Especially right now.'

Sue closed the door behind them and walked thoughtfully back into the bedroom, looking at the prescription. 10 Valium tablets. Taking a pen from the bundle by the telephone, she quickly marked the script and then went back to sit by Hutch, soothing his forehead as he continued to toss on the pillow and moan from his dead partner.