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Starsky vs Hutch
Chapter 10
A week later Hutch was slumped disconsolately in a chair in Captain Dobey's office. Dobey looked with concern at his detective. Most of the bruising had faded, the cuts were healing and his nose was less swollen but Dobey was worried about the mental bruising Hutch was suffering from.
Although Starsky was out of Charlotte's clutches he continued to repeat the mantra she had implanted in his consciousness. Even more incomprehensible to the Captain was Starsky's reaction to Hutch. He had thought that nothing could come between his two detectives but Starsky reacted so violently to Hutch's presence that the doctors had been forced to ban Hutch from visiting. Hutch had reluctantly agreed in the hopes it would speed up Starsky's recovery.
"How are you, son?" Dobey asked.
Hutch lifted lacklustre eyes. "I'm fine, Captain."
"You don't look fine," Dobey said gently. "Do you need more time off?"
"What I need is Starsky back on duty beside me! But it doesn't look like that's gonna happen any time soon!" Hutch said heatedly. He took in a breath then exhaled noisily. "Sorry, Cap. I just feel so helpless."
Hutch got up and began to pace. "They say they're gonna start to reprogramme him. Reprogramme! Like he's one of Minnie's computers!" Hutch let out a shivery sigh. "It's not right, Captain...it's just not right."
Hutch stopped pacing and Dobey came up behind him as he stared out of the window. He rested his hand on Hutch's shoulder. "Is there anything I can do, Hutch?"
Hutch shook his head. "I just wish I could see him but he gets so agitated they won't let me in any more."
Dobey observed his detective carefully and came to a decision. "I want you to spend the rest of the day making sure we have a water-tight case against that woman and her henchmen. Get Minnie to help...you two work well together." He put up a hand to forestall the inevitable protest. "I'm going to go see Starsky myself."
It was a measure of Hutch's desolate mood that he did not argue or ask to accompany his superior.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Dobey drove across town to the secure unit where Starsky was being held. He was shown into the office of Starsky's psychiatrist, Dr Shirley Brumley, who shook his hand and offered him coffee. Dobey observed her as she busied herself with the coffee pot. Dr Brumley was a tall, willowy lady in her late thirties with auburn hair pulled back loosely into a bun from which tendrils escaped. She adjusted her glasses as she sat behind her desk and looked Dobey in the eye.
"I'm glad you've come to see me, Captain. I hope you can give me some insight into Detective Starsky and most especially his relationship with Detective Hutchinson."
Dobey perched on the edge of his chair and took a sip of his coffee. "I would have thought Detective Hutchinson would be the best person to speak to," he said. "He and Starsky are very close."
"Yes, that's what he told me. I was hoping for a different perspective to shed light on Detective Starsky's behaviour. His reaction to Detective Hutchinson is quite extreme."
Dr Brumley paused and Dobey raised his eyebrows, inviting her to continue. "We have managed to get a little information about what happened to him during his captivity. We believe he was subjected to some form of brainwashing and will be working with him to undo the damage. Detective Hutchinson appears to be the target of his...uh...mission, and as such every time he attempts to visit, Detective Starsky feels compelled to fulfil his mission."
Dobey put down his cup and sank back into the chair. He had found it hard to believe that Starsky could do harm to Hutch but here was the evidence laid bare.
"Can I see him?" he asked.
"Of course, Captain. Come with me."
Dobey lumbered to his feet and followed the doctor down a long corridor of closed doors. Stopping at one of the doors, Dr Brumley ushered the captain in. He found himself looking through an observation window into a small room. He could see Starsky lying on his back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. His hands rested on his stomach, clenched fists the only sign of any tension within him.
"Is he like this all the time?" Dobey asked worriedly. "Normally he can't keep still."
"Most of the time," Dr Brumley affirmed. "At first he would not speak but he is beginning to respond to myself and my assistants and we're starting to build up a picture of what happened to him."
Dobey could feel his anger growing as he listened to the doctor. "We think that Detective Starsky has been subjected to classic brainwashing techniques," she said. "Sensory overload, sleep deprivation, withholding food and water, physical and mental abuse..." Dr Brumley gazed through the window at Starsky with sympathetic eyes. "Then another person offers help, comfort, softness...and of course the subject responds to this. This 'friend' promises that things will change if the subject accepts what they say. Gradually new thoughts are introduced, in this case effectively a new moral compass. We think his memories have been erased or covered up. He seems very dependent on someone called Charlie."
"She's the woman who masterminded this whole thing," Dobey growled. "Can I talk to him?"
Dr Brumley hesitated then gave a curt nod. "Very well. You can try but don't be surprised if he doesn't respond to you." She picked up a phone and called for assistance. Dobey followed the doctor to the door of Starsky's room where two male nurses met them.
Unlocking the door, Dr Brumley led them into Starsky's room. He made no sign that he had heard them.
"David," said Dr Brumley softly. "You have a visitor."
Starsky did not move.
"David? Are you going to say 'hello' to your visitor?"
Starsky remained still and silent. Dr Brumley looked at Dobey and raised her eyebrows.
Dobey cleared his throat. "Hello, Dave...uh...Starsky. How're you doing?" He closed his eyes and shook his head at the banality of his question. Starsky did not respond apart from a slight tightening of his jaw. Dr Brumley nodded encouragement so Dobey cleared his throat again.
"Starsky, I need to take a statement from you, son." Still no response. "Starsky? Do you know who I am?"
Dobey moved nearer to the bed. "David?...Dave?..."
Starsky rolled over with his back to them, curling up as small as he could. Dobey reached out hesitantly and gently placed his hand on Starsky's shoulder. "Dave? It's me, Captain Dobey...uh...Harold."
Starsky seemed to shrink even more and Dobey drew his hand back. He turned distressed eyes on the doctor who moved towards the bed. "It's okay, David. We're going now. Practice those relaxation techniques we've been teaching you."
She turned to one of the nurses. "Danny?" He nodded and moved towards the bed, murmuring in soothing tones.
Dobey followed the doctor back to the observation room and watched as Starsky slowly relaxed and fell asleep. Then he and Dr Brumley returned to her office where he filled her in on Starsky's background, his police career and his relationship with Hutch.
She was especially interested in his military background. "Soldiers were taught survival techniques to try to prevent brainwashing by the enemy if caught," she explained to Dobey. "They were taught to psychologically remove themselves from their situation. I wonder if David was able to utilise any of his training? Obviously he wouldn't be expecting to need it and would be out of practice, so to speak, but it might just give us the answers we need."
Dobey looked a little brighter at that but Dr Brumley cautioned that it would be a long, slow process. "It will probably take much longer to undo than the original conditioning and there is no guarantee of success I'm afraid."
She then explained the procedure to Dobey as gently as she could but Dobey became increasingly horrified as he realised this would mean replicating many of the elements of the original brainwashing, particularly the sensory overload and sleep deprivation.
It meant that Starsky would be disorientated for a time but then it was hoped that Dr Brumley and her team would be able to replace the implanted thoughts and ideas with Starsky's own.
It was a long shot but it was the only one they had.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Three weeks later Hutch was trying to relax at Huggy's. He sat in the booth he and Starsky favoured, nursing a beer and staring into the distance. Huggy slid into the booth beside him.
"Any news, amigo?"
Hutch refocused his gaze onto his friend's concerned face. He shook his head. "Nothing new," he said dejectedly. "I can't believe we're going through this."
"Trouble does seem to follow you two around," Huggy agreed. "Have you been to see him yet?"
Hutch shook his head again. "They still won't let me in, Hug. I don't know what to do to help him...I feel so helpless."
Huggy rested a hand on Hutch's arm. "Not much longer, bro. I'm thinkin' somethin's gotta break soon."
Hutch snorted a small laugh. "So long as it's not Starsky that breaks." He chugged down the rest of his beer and stood up. "See ya tomorrow, Hug."
Huggy watched his friend leave, shaking his head sadly. It just didn't seem right seeing a Hutch without a Starsky.
Next morning when Hutch arrived at headquarters, Dobey was waiting for him.
"Come on, Hutch. Dr Brumley wants to see us. We have an appointment at ten."
Hutch's heart felt lighter than it had done since this whole sorry saga had begun. Dobey was unable to give him any details other than he had received a message from Dr Brumley asking them to go to the centre.
Both speculated as to the reason for this sudden call and Hutch found himself wavering between the extremes of cautious hope and complete despair.
On arrival they were shown to Dr Brumley's office where she offered them both a drink. Hutch wanted to go straight to Starsky, it seemed so long since he had last seen him. However Dobey pinned him with a look that dared him to refuse, so he accepted the coffee as gracefully as he could.
Dr Brumley sat behind her desk and opened the file in front of her. Hutch felt his impatience growing as she reviewed everything he already knew, but he pasted an expression of polite attention on his face. However he sat up straighter as she came to details of Starsky's treatment and recovery.
"We are pleased with David's progress," she began. "We have stopped the sensory overload and he is now allowed more sleep and extra food. He is still in isolation but that is to help him feel safe and not because we feel he is a danger to anyone. He remains fixated on Charlie. We think that it was she who provided the softness after the harsh treatment meted out by her henchmen. He becomes upset if we try to tell him she was bad and his view of the police is still skewed. He needs gentleness to counteract the treatment we have given him so our nurse, Danny, has taken on that role."
Dobey sensed Hutch stiffening at that and spoke up before his detective could jump in. "With respect, doctor, I think that Starsky's friends are in a better position than your nurse to fulfil that role."
Dr Brumley surprised them both when she said "I agree with you in principle. I am, however, still concerned about his reaction to you, Detective Hutchinson."
Hutch was momentarily stunned. Despite himself he had had high hopes of this meeting and now the doctor was saying that he was hindering Starsky's recovery.
Then he rallied. "Doctor, I understand your reservations but Starsky and I are like brothers, closer than brothers. I'm sure I can help him if you give me the chance."
"Detective, I don't doubt that your heart is in the right place and you truly believe you can help your friend, but I don't think you are the right person to help him just now."
Hutch looked at her, an expression of unimaginable pain on his face. "Please just let me try," he whispered. "I'll do whatever you say if you'll just let me try."
She glanced at Dobey who nodded. "Ask anyone, doctor, and they'll tell you about their relationship. If anyone can bring Starsky back, it is Hutch."
The doctor turned to Hutch and stared at him as though weighing up his worth. "Very well," she said eventually. "But not today. I need you to understand your role in this process and what you can and cannot say or do."
Her look challenged him to argue so he swallowed down what he was about to say and nodded agreement. Dobey bit back a smile, certain that Hutch would instinctively know what Starsky needed and would do whatever it took to bring his friend back.
TBC