CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Hutch paced from one end of the hospital waiting room to another. It seemed like hours since the ambulance had delivered a barely breathing Starsky to the emergency room. Huggy sat in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs that seemed universal to every hospital waiting room he had ever had the misfortune to be in over the years. He watched his blond friend carefully. He knew that Hutch was starting to unravel now that Starsky had finally been found.

A doctor stepped through the doors that barred them from the treatment area and looked around the room. In a weary voice, he said, "Family for David Starsky?"

Hutch rushed over to the doctor with Huggy right on his heels. In a anxious voice, he said, "That would be us. Is he okay? Can I see him?"

The doctor looked at the tall blond and the skinny black man with an arched eyebrow, obviously skeptical about their relationship to his patient. Before he could question them, Huggy Bear said, "We're the closest thing to family that he has. His immediate family is all gone."

Apparently satisfied with that answer, the doctor nodded and said, "Mr. Starsky is alive but in critical condition. He's been severely beaten and has several serious injuries."

"What kind of injuries?" Hutch asked grimly.

"He has six broken ribs, a punctured lung, several severe burns, especially around his eyes from a caustic substance, most likely gasoline, and both of his knee caps are broken. He also had a ruptured spleen that we had to remove and some internal bleeding that took us awhile to control. In addition, he has a severe concussion with a possible skull fracture. We'll be able to access his condition better when he wakes up. Right now, he's in a coma."

"But, he's going to be okay. Right?" Huggy asked, resting a comforting hand on Hutch's shoulder. He could feel the trembling of the other man's muscles beneath his fingertips as Hutch absorbed the information that the doctor had just given them.

"That depends on your friend. He appears to have been in good physical condition before this incident and that's in his favor. But, at this point, I can't give a definitive answer. The next seventy-two hours will be critical. If he survives that, then he has a fighting chance of making it."

"Can I see him?" Hutch demanded "What room is he in?"

"I told you, he's a coma. He wouldn't even know you're there. I'd advise you to wait a few days before you see him." The doctor answered in a patient voice, as if reciting his speech by rote. He wasn't prepared for Hutch's reaction to his statement.

"I need to see him and I need to see him now!" Hutch said in a cold, deadly voice. He never raised his voice but the tone of his voice left no room for argument. "Now, you can either tell me where he is or I will tear this hospital apart until I find him!"

"Doc, I'd think you should do what he says." Huggy said quietly "Starsky and Hutch here are really tight. Believe me; Curly will get better a lot quicker if Blondie is there with him."

The doctor hesitated and seemed to be considering refusing until he saw the murderous look in Hutch's eyes. He wisely decided to rescind his former statement and said, "Very well. I'll allow it. But, I do not want the patient disturbed. He's in the ICU. I'll tell the nurses to allow you to see him but you will have to leave when they ask you to."

Hutch turned on his heel without another word and began to walk down the hall in search of his injured friend. Throwing an apologetic glance at the doctor, Huggy hurried after the determined blond. The helpful directory on the wall beside the elevator directed them to the ICU which was on the fourth floor of the hospital.

Ignoring the nurses on duty, Hutch strode down the hallway, glancing in each room, until he found the cubicle where Starsky was. He stepped into the room, pausing beside the bed, and staring at his unconscious friend. Tubes snaked under the covers to various parts of Starsky's body and numerous machines surrounding the bed monitored his vital signs. His eyes were bandaged but patches of red skin could still be seen on his face. Hutch knew from previous experience that other bandages on the lean body were hidden by the hospital gown and the blanket.

Hutch sank down in the chair beside the bed, remembering all the other times he had sat this same lonely vigil at the brunet's side when he'd been injured in the past. He longed to take Starsky's hand but resisted the urge, no longer sure that his touch would be welcome. The past ten years loomed between them like an invisible barrier. Hutch found himself wondering if the unique bond they had once shared was severed permanently or if they could find something worth salvaging.

The sudden urge to drink almost overwhelmed Hutch. While searching for Starsky, he had been able to keep his demons at bay and resist the lure of the alcohol but now, that urge was impossible to ignore. Hutch took a deep, cleansing breathe and tried to calm his ragged nerves. Sensing Hutch's state of mind, Huggy took a step closer and clasped the broad shoulder, offering what little comfort he could. The thin black man knew that Hutch's primary emotional support system was lying on that bed in front of them. He closed his eyes and sent a silent prayer to heaven for Starsky's survival. He knew that losing Starsky, then finding him again, only to lose him again now would totally destroy Hutch this time. Starsky's life wasn't the only life that was hanging in the balance.

The nurses came in periodically to check the monitors and make notes in Starsky's chart but none of them told the two friends that they had to leave. Something in Hutch's face or in his dejected posture seemed to touch them, so they bent the rules and allowed him to stay where he was. Huggy smiled to himself. He doubted if any of them could have forced Hutch to leave Starsky's side at this point anyway. Huggy found a second chair in the hallway and brought it in to the room. Settling down beside Hutch, he made himself comfortable and waited for some sign of improvement in Starsky's condition.

After a few hours, stiffness and the call of nature, forced Huggy and Hutch both to their feet. Hutch paused and looked down at his friend, obviously reluctant to leave the brunet's side, even for a few minutes.

"Come on," Huggy said gently. "Let's get you something to eat. Curly ain't going anywhere."

Hutch turned to look at Huggy, the expression on his face tearing at Huggy's heart. In a broken voice, he said, "I don't want to leave him, Hug. What if something happens to him while I'm gone?"

"We'll make sure that the nurses know where to find us." Huggy reassured him. "You ain't gonna do anybody any good if you end up in here beside him."

"God, I want a drink…" Hutch admitted, hanging his head in shame.

"Wanting a drink is one thing, taking that drink is another story." Huggy told him. "As long as you don't do that, it's gonna be okay."

"I don't know if I can do that…" Hutch mumbled under his breath as they walked down the hall towards the men's room.

"You do it the same way you've been doing it…one day at a time." Huggy told him confidently. "One minute at a time if you have to." He took Hutch's arm and gently guided him into the men's room. He would watch over his two friends the way he always had and be there for them. That's what friends are for.