NEXT OF KIN

After Starsky is gunned down in the parking garage his mother insists on taking him back to New York. Is this the end of the legendary partnership of Starsky and Hutch? This story is post Sweet Revenge and it deviates from the canon version.

CHAPTER 1

Hutch paced the corridor in front of Starsky's room. Rachel Starsky was meeting behind closed doors with his doctors. As his next of kin it was her decisions that the doctors were required to defer to. Although he knew that it was selfish, Hutch couldn't help but feel left out.

Starsky had been gunned down almost two months ago in an assassination attempt that had been directed at both detectives. He had suffered massive damage from five bullets to his chest and abdomen. The doctors had been positive that Starsky would never survive his injuries but Starsky had surprised them all by literally coming back from the dead. Rachel had flown to Bay City to be with her eldest son after Captain Dobey had called her.

Hutch stopped pacing when the door finally opened and Rachel stepped out. She was followed closely by Starsky's primary doctor, Doctor Lexington. The doctor was a tall thin man in his mid-sixties. He had neatly trimmed gray hair and piecing deep-set brown eyes.

"If you have any other questions feel free to have one of the nurses page me." Lexington told Rachel with a condescending smile. Rachel nodded as he turned and walked away.

Rachel took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She looked at Hutch with a shaky smile. 'There's no change." She said with a hitch in her voice. "The tests all came back the same as they did last week."

Hutch felt his stomach contracting into a tight ball even though he was expecting the news. Starsky had survived the attack against his life but not without permanent damage. The bullets that had slammed into his body had shredded muscle and tissue, shattering bone, rupturing vital organs, severing nerves and causing internal bleeding that had been difficult to control. Shock combined with massive blood loss had led to a cardiac arrest and Starsky's heart had stopped beating for almost four minutes.

Hutch slid a comforting arm around Rachel's shoulders and gave her a forced smile. "Let's go get some coffee."

Rachel nodded as she wiped a stray tear from her cheek. Hutch had already shed more than his share of tears since the shooting. With heavy steps, Hutch and Rachel walked down the hallway.

The hospital cafeteria was almost deserted except for the staff. Rachel and Hutch went through the line, both opting for a cup of coffee and a small salad. Hutch led the way to a small table near the back of the room where they wouldn't be disturbed.

As they settled down at their table, Rachel looked distracted as she pushed her salad around with her fork. Finally, she said, "The doctor wants to put David in a nursing home. He said he's not going to get any better."

"NO!" Hutch said a bit more sharply than he intended as he snapped his head up to look at her with a shocked expression on his face. "You can't let them do that to him! He can get better. I know he can. It's just going to take some time."

Rachel raised her head and looked at Hutch with a sad twist to her mouth. "Don't worry. I told him that I wouldn't allow it." She paused, knowing the devastating effect that her next words would have on the tall blond sitting across from her. "As soon as the doctor says David's strong enough I'm taking him back to New York."

"New York?" Hutch repeated in a stunned voice. That was the one possibility he had never considered. "Why? His life is here…his job, his apartment…" He bit his tongue to keep from adding himself to that list.

"Ken, we both know David can't go back to his job or to his apartment." Rachel said in a gentle voice. "He still can't do anything for himself and he may never be the same again."

"No, I don't know that. I don't care what the doctors say. They're the ones who said he'd never live through the night and he did. They're the ones who almost gave up on him when his heart stopped beating…and he still came back. He can beat this too…I know he can!" Hutch insisted "He just needs more time…"

Rachel reached out and gently caressed the back of Hutch's hand. It was a small gesture meant to comfort that made a lump lodge in Hutch's throat. He swallowed painfully as he struggled to regain his composure. The fear of losing Starsky was so strong that Hutch had pushed that idea to the back of his mind. He had prepared himself for Starsky's death in those dark hours immediately following the shooting. He had given up on him then. He would not do it again.

"I didn't mean to make it sound like I was giving up on him. I'm not." Rachel said "But, I need to go home. I've already stayed here a lot longer than I should have. But, I couldn't leave…not until I knew David was going to be alright. I almost lost him …just like I did his father." Rachel paused and wiped a tear from her cheek as she remembered the husband she had lost so many years ago. "I sent David away to save him and he still followed in his father's footsteps and he almost died more times than I care to think about." She took a deep breath as she gathered her thoughts. "I wasn't there for him when he needed me…but I am here now. I'm a selfish old woman and I want to spend how ever long I have left with my son. I need to take him back to New York with me…where I know he'll be safe." The protests died on Hutch's lips when Rachel raised her hand to silence him. "I know he'd be safe here with you. I know that you would devote your life to taking care of him…but I can't let you do that. Can you understand that?"

Hutch hung his head and closed his eyes. He did understand even if Rachel's words cut through his heart like a knife. He knew if he loved Starsky, then he had to let him go.

Not trusting his voice to speak, Hutch steepled his fingers and rested his forehead against his hands. He couldn't answer but then Rachel didn't seem to expect him to. Finally, he raised his head and looked into Rachel's face.

"I need him too…" Hutch admitted in a broken voice, blinking back the tears that gathered in his eyes.

"I know you do and I know that he needs you." Rachel said "You can come to New York anytime you want to. I know that won't be the same but you can't give up your life just because David can't go back to his."

"What about you? You can't take care of him by yourself."

Rachel laughed softly and looked at Hutch with a twinkle in her eye that reminded him of his partner. "Have you forgotten just how much family David has back in New York? Believe me I'll have more than enough help."

Hutch allowed himself a thin smile as he pushed his untouched salad aside. He and Starsky had depended on each other for so many years that it was difficult to watch Rachel stepping into what he considered to be his rightful place.

"Did the doctor say how long it would be before he'd be strong enough to make the trip east?"

"A week…maybe less." Rachel reached across the table and clutched at Hutch's hand. "I want you to spend as much time with him as you can until then. I know how hard this is for you."

"Thank you." Hutch said with a grateful smile. "Does he know?"

"Yes, but I'm not sure how much he understands."

They both fell silent their thoughts focused on the man lying upstairs in a sterile hospital bed on the fourth floor. Although Starsky was awake he was disoriented and confused. He suffered from mood swings, migraine headaches, and uncontrollable tremors on the left side of his body. The doctors blamed his current symptoms on the lack of oxygen to his brain during cardiac arrest.

Hutch rose gracefully to his feet and put his hand on Rachel's elbow to guide her out of the cafeteria. He was badly shaken by her plans to take Starsky back to New York but he was an expert at keeping his emotions hidden from everyone except for his perceptive partner. The smile he pasted on his face hid the pain that was tearing his heart apart.

As Hutch pushed the button for the elevator, Rachel took a step back. "I think I'm going to call Edith to come and get me. Why don't you go on up and spend some time with David?"

Hutch nodded flashing Rachel a grateful smile. He knew she was just making an excuse so that he could spend some private time with Starsky. He gave Rachel a kiss on the cheek just as the doors slid open. Grinning, he stepped into the elevator and pushed the button for the surgical floor.

On the fourth floor the nurses were busy passing afternoon meds while the aides passed juice to the patients who could have fluids. Inside Starsky's room, the lights were turned low and the blinds were drawn shutting out the sunlight. The room was dim and quiet except for the beeping of the heart monitor sitting beside the bed. Starsky's eyes were closed, his thick dark lashes brushing against his gaunt cheeks.

Hutch sat down in the hard plastic chair beside the bed. He reached out and gently wrapped his fingers around Starsky's right hand. Starsky's fingers jerked involuntarily and his eyes fluttered open. For a few moments those sapphire orbs swept lazily around the room as Starsky struggled to get his bearings. Finally, he focused his attention on Hutch's face and a ghost of a smile tugged at his lips.

"Hu..ss..hh…" He mumbled in a slurred voice. Hutch smiled, pleased that Starsky had recognized him. Sometimes he didn't.

"Hey, buddy…" Hutch said in a soft, gentle voice that he reserved solely for his best friend and partner. He brushed an overlong curl back from Starsky's forehead smiling fondly when the hair wrapped itself around his finger. He made a mental note to tell the nurses that he would be giving Starsky a haircut. "How you doing?"

"Hu..rts.." Starsky whimpered.

"I know, buddy. I know." Hutch said sadly. Starsky was constantly in pain despite the pain killers he was on. But, the drugs could only do so much. They dulled the worst of the pain but couldn't eliminate it entirely.

"Where am I?" Starsky asked in a frightened voice as his gaze swept around the room as if he was seeing it for the first time.

"In the hospital. You got shot. Remember?"

"Oh, yeah…that's right." Starsky visibly relaxed. He frequently seemed to forget what had happened. The doctors had told Hutch and Rachel that that was normal. It was his mind's way of protecting him from the trauma he had experienced. It was highly unlikely that he would ever remember the actual shooting. His eyes drifted shut as he fell back into a drugged slumber.

"You rest, buddy." Hutch whispered "I'll be right here when you wake up." He settled back in his chair to watch over his injured friend while he slept as he done for so many nights since the shooting. The nurses had all been impressed by Hutch's obvious devotion to his grievously wounded partner. He had allowed Rachel to sit with Starsky during the day but the nights belonged to Hutch and Hutch alone.

As he sat there through the long hours of the endless night, Hutch thought back over their years together, first as classmates at the academy, as friends and finally as partners on the force. They were closer than friends, closer even then brothers, they were bonded together at a molecular level. They shared almost a psychic bond, feeling each other's pain and sharing each other's thoughts. It was that unique bond that had made them the most legendary team of detectives on the BCPD. Now, it looked as if that partnership had finally come to an end.