ROAD WORK AHEAD: EXPECT DELAYS
CHAPTER 6
Hutch realized he needed to hurry. He had no doubt that Billie would figure out pretty quick what had happened. She probably wouldn't guess that he was a cop, only that he was a nosey person whom she needed to get rid of before her side activities were exposed. Hutch was pretty sure about the drugs and wondered if this was what their snitch, Harry Hawkins, had originally intended to reveal to them.
He jogged ahead but quickened his pace once he saw a lone figure sprawled out on the ground. He no longer remembered exactly where the car had been but as he got closer, realized it was Starsky laying on the side of the road.
He skidded on the loose gravel as he came closer to his friend. His hands hovered over the man on the ground. Hutch was shocked at how beat up Starsky was and at first was afraid to touch him. He glanced down the road, wondering briefly why Starsky had walked away from the car, but he had no time to worry about that as Starsky began to wake up.
"C'mon buddy. Starsky? Easy now." Hutch offered encouragement as Starsky's body jerked with the effort to move past his grey surroundings.
Various groans preceded Starsky's full alert status. Hutch crouched beside him, watching for any signs of trouble. He was confused about the situation and had a million questions which would have to wait until his friend was fully conscious.
He shifted away from Hutch, still not realizing who it was but rather, his brain only registered his last conscious sensation of the senseless beating.
Starsky continued to fight against the hands that held him, not yet able to understand his surroundings.
"Starsk… it's me, it's Hutch. You're okay but you've got to wake up now and tell me what happened!" Hutch grew concerned the more he saw of the damage to Starsky's face and bloodied shirt.
"Hutch?" The relief that reached him suddenly relaxed his shaky body. The touch and the voice were familiar and welcome. Hutch held his friend as the man tried to respond to the light touches and soothing words. Slowly, Starsky's eyes opened as he attempted to focus on who the voice belonged to.
Starsky struggled to sit up, guided by Hutch's hand on his back. He winced at the change of position. Saliva built up in his mouth, the consistency making him gag. He turned to the side and spit out phlegm and blood.
Hutch tried to be patient but the longer they sat here, the greater the chance that Billie or her cronies, would find them and then they'd be in one hell of a mess. He helped Starsky sit up and watched as the dark haired man got used to the change of position. He saw him struggle with dizziness. His complexion went from pale to pink and his eyes began to focus.
"Sorry buddy, but you've got to get it together now. We've got to get back to the car." The urgency in Hutch's voice caught Starsky's attention and helped him shake off the rest of his confusion.
"Oh shit!" Starsky rubbed his head as he remembered: Beth and Jimmy took off in Hutch's car.
"Easy there. C'mon can you walk? Why'd you leave the car? I know your head must be spinning but we can't stay here. We gotta go—now!" He helped his friend stand and as Starsky gained his balance, Hutch searched in the distance, expecting unwelcome company any minute.
Starsky was dazed but he struggled to clear his head. His thoughts were still scattered and he couldn't put more than one word together at a time. He concentrated, but words were slow to make sense to him.
"Car." Starsky mumbled. He blinked a few times and held his stomach. His legs still felt weak and he was trying to remember what he needed to say.
Hutch grew more concerned. Starsky was bruised and battered and now he kept repeating about a car, he wondered if Starsky meant…
"You mean you got hit by a car? Is that what you mean?" Hutch held Starsky's face, their eyes level. He watched as the cobalt blue eyes in front of him narrowed as their owner wrestled with words.
"No… they--." Starsky swallowed but turned away from Hutch in order to clear his mouth again. His breath quickened as he recalled the problem.
He rested his hand on Hutch's chest, with the other hand he grabbed onto his friend's shoulder.
Suddenly, it all became clear. Starsky remembered what had started this and in typical fashion, thought of Hutch's discomfort rather than his own.
"Hey, you okay?", Starsky asked in a shaky voice. He searched the face in front of him as he tried to orient himself to time and conditions.
"I think you've got that backwards, buddy. You're the one that looks like he got hit by a car. You sure that's not what happened?" Hutch passed his hands over Starsky's face and head, looking for abrasions and cuts.
"It was more like I got hit by a sledgehammer." He groaned again but pulled away from Hutch's inspection.
Hutch continued to scan the horizon for any sign that Billie had discovered that the key to her cabinets was missing and that her new lover had made off with some of her drugs. He was concerned about Starsky but he was also responsible for the trouble that would surely follow his detour with the pretty lady.
The buzzing in Starsky's head began to fade and he was able to swallow down the queasy feeling in his stomach. He watched Hutch, confused as to why the blond looked so nervous.
"Ya don't need to feel so guilty Hutch. I didn't get hit by a car. When I tried to help a woman out of a jam, I got attacked by her jealous boyfriend." He shook his head, trying to get the courage to explain to Hutch how his car got stolen.
"It figures! You just can't keep your hands off the ladies can you? Even in an area surrounded by construction workers, you still find a woman to pass the time with." Hutch pushed his hands through his hair and took a few steps from his friend. His concern for his safety lessened while the guilt attached to his own trouble intensified.
"It was all a misunderstanding." Starsky was going to explain further but he suddenly got a good look at Hutch. He sensed there was a reason for the blonds' distracted mood.
"Wait a minute. I've seen that look before. You kinda… glow. Holy shit! No wonder you were gone so long! I'm not the only one guilty of a roving eye. I think more than your eyes wandered over some woman." Starsky's glanced roamed over Hutch, noticing for the first time several odd signs.
His blue eyes had a glassy look to them. Starsky had seen that before after Hutch had spent the night with Gillian. It's like there's a reflection of passion that still burned from the contact.
He inspected his friend closer. The red blotches from before had diminished in size and color. Hutch didn't seem to be bothered by them now. So he must've gotten something to put on them. His shirt… Oh my god, this was too good to keep to himself.
"Ummm-- Hutch? Why is your shirt on inside out?" Starsky peered closer and lifted the material away from Hutch's collar bone. "Now I ain't no doctor but even I know that what's on your neck has nothin' to do with an allergic reaction to an insect."
Starsky watched as the blush spread across Hutch's face.
Hutch slapped Starsky's hand away as he grabbed his own neck to hide the hickey that had obviously appeared.
The shy smile that came over Hutch told Starsky everything he needed to know. "You got lucky, I sure as hell wasn't." He rubbed his stomach and grunted in pain as his hand passed over a sensitive spot.
Hutch still wanted to know about his car. As he was about to question Starsky further, a machine came noisily down the road toward them. They watched as the piece of equipment chewed up the old concrete in order to prepare the surface for stone and fresh tar which helped seal the road.
'Starsky, just tell me where my car is so we can get out of here. I accidentally discovered an illegal side business that the lady medic is involved with. I don't know if any of the crew is involved but,--- " The last few words were drowned out as the machine came along side them. Before either was aware of it, stone, concrete and other debris pelted them, causing legs, chest and face to sting from the material. They both tried to skip out of the way but the larger pieces met their target. The driver of the equipment seemed unaware of anybody standing on the side of the road. The road had been closed again further down while the two detectives were preoccupied with their respective adventures.
They continued backing away from the flying fragments that ripped at their skin. The noise from the machine made it impossible to either shout at the driver or for them to hear each other. Hutch grabbed Starsky to try to get his attention as they continued stepping backwards and the blond realized that his friend was in pain and ready to fall. As Hutch continued to pull Starsky toward him, the ground beneath them gave way. The guard rail had been removed some time ago and the signs along the road had pointed out that there were none in that area.
Starsky had been hit by a large piece of rock from the road. His earlier injuries were made worse by the larger pieces of cement that the machine had churned up and now he had a hard time seeing because of the dirt that flew in his eyes.
Without realizing it, the men had walked backwards far enough to reach the unprotected embankment. The ground was uneven and the loose dirt and stone gave way under the combined weight of both of them.
Still grasping at Starsky, Hutch tumbled backwards as they both went head over heals down the mound of dirt and rocks that had been piled there by the road crew.
Hutch stopped as he landed in a brushy area. Starsky tumbled a bit further down, coming to rest in a dry river gulch. All was quiet except for the continued rumble of the machines above. The crew members had no knowledge of the two bodies lying sprawled below.