Starsky vs Hutch
Chapter 11
And so began the long process of bringing David Starsky back to his friends. Hutch wanted to move in permanently but Dr Brumley would not allow it. So he went to work in the mornings and visited with Starsky in the afternoon and evening.
Thankfully the 'reprogramming' appeared to be working and Starsky no longer displayed aggression towards Hutch, now just treating him as though he were invisible. For the first few days Starsky did not acknowledge Hutch's presence so Hutch just sat quietly reading, or rather pretending to read while watching his friend out of the corner of his eye. But one day he noticed that Starsky was also looking at him, although his eyes slid away when he realised Hutch had seen him.
Hutch was not normally a patient man, especially when his partner was in trouble, but Dr Brumley had stressed the importance of moving along at Starsky's pace, so he waited for some sign that his buddy was ready to take the next step.
That came just over a week after Hutch's visits began. Starsky was asleep when Hutch arrived so he sat in his usual place, preparing himself for more long hours of inactivity, thinking it was a bit like being on a stakeout. He wished he was in the 'tomato' playing some inane game with Starsky instead of this tedium.
Hutch was finding the round of work, visiting Starsky, home or Huggy's, and then bed surprisingly draining and his eyelids began to droop as he listened to Starsky's rhythmic breathing. He fought against the exhaustion but it was a losing battle and he soon fell asleep in the chair.
Not long after, Starsky awoke. He stretched luxuriously like a big cat, scratched his stomach and rolled over. He froze at the sight of Hutch in the chair but then, realising he was asleep, sat up and took the opportunity to examine the blond. Even in sleep he looked tense, lines around his eyes and mouth and a deep groove between his brows. His face looked pale and drawn, his hair dishevelled.
Starsky's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What is that cop doin' here day after day?" he wondered, clenching his fists unconsciously.
"He wants to help us," said his real self, trying to break through the barrier he had set up to protect himself.
"He's a cop," snapped his alter-ego. "He can't help us."
Some instinct told Hutch that Starsky was awake and he began to stir. Although his movements were imperceptible that same instinct told Starsky that Hutch was awakening. He quickly pushed back his real self and sat upright on the edge of his bed, silently watching.
Hutch's eyes fluttered open and he grimaced as he registered the awkward position he was in. As he stretched and groaned he realised that Starsky was observing him. He straightened and returned Starsky's gaze waiting for him to make the next move, as he had been instructed. Starsky's jaw worked as though he was going to speak but no sound came.
He cleared his throat nervously. "Why are you here?"
"Because I want to help you."
"Why?" Starsky's voice registered surprise.
"Because I'm your friend. Because you're my friend."
Starsky looked puzzled at this. "You're not my friend. You're a cop."
"And so are you, buddy. We're the good guys, remember?" Hutch attempted a smile. It felt strange, as though he had not smiled for a long time.
Starsky ignored his comment. His eyes flitted around the room before coming back to rest on Hutch's face. "Where's Charlie?" he asked.
"Don't worry, Starsk. She can't hurt you any more."
Starsky's eyes glittered angrily. "Charlie never hurt me," he growled. "Charlie looked after me. She's my friend, not you."
Hutch swallowed, internalising this hurt to worry over later when he was back home.
"Starsky, do you know who I am?"
Starsky eyed him insolently from head to feet and back again. "Sure I do. You're the cop who arrested me." A brief pause then he added grudgingly "You fight well...for a cop."
Hutch smiled sadly. "So do you, buddy."
Starsky stared at Hutch feeling irritation beginning to rise as Hutch refused to look away. It felt like the blond's eyes could see right inside of him and he worried that he would somehow see the small voice hidden within his mind. "Whatcha starin' at?" he groused.
"My friend," Hutch said softly. "I know he's in there somewhere. I know you don't believe me, Starsk, but we are friends...best friends...and I'm not gonna give up on you. You can push as much as you like but I won't be going anywhere. Not until you're better."
"I'm not sick. There's nothing wrong with me," Starsky protested. He was taken aback by the wave of sadness that swept over Hutch's face.
"Oh, Starsky. Can you honestly tell me this feels right...that what you have done feels right?"
Starsky opened his mouth to reply, then turned away from Hutch's knowing gaze and refused to engage in any further conversation although he had plenty to occupy his mind.
The rest of the day passed like any other, Hutch pretending to read and Starsky pretending Hutch wasn't there.
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When Starsky awoke the next morning he lay for several minutes staring at the ceiling. Despite his ordeal, his sleep had only rarely been disturbed by nightmares. The previous night his dreams had been filled with images of the blond cop which skittered away when he tried to concentrate on them. What was it about this man that haunted him? He puffed out a breath in frustration as he levered himself upright. He felt as though a headache was brewing and decided a shower might help him feel better. He stripped off his pyjamas, made his way to the small bathroom attached to his room unconcerned by his nakedness, and stood under the torrent of hot water.
Wrapping a towel around his waist he appraised his reflection. Muscles rippled as he rubbed a smaller towel over his head. His hair was beginning to regrow and tight black curls covered his head. Bristles rasped as he dried his face. His face looked harder than he recalled and his blue eyes glared back at him with a disconcerting mixture of defiance and fear.
Starsky was beginning to tire of his enforced captivity though he still lacked the motivation or energy to do anything about it. His normally upbeat personality had been smothered by his treatment at Charlotte's hands and he was struggling to break free of the lethargy which overtook him.
Just as he returned to his sleeping area the door opened and the nurse, Danny, came in. The worry on his face was replaced by a smile when he saw Starsky. "Everything okay, David? I wondered where you were."
"Needed a shower," Starsky replied sulkily. "'S that a problem?" Suddenly he was tired of being treated like a child. "And I wanna shave."
Danny was surprised yet pleased at this small rebellion. It was the first time Starsky had shown any interest in anything on his own initiative. "Sure thing, David. Let me help you."
"My name is Dave or Starsky...and I wanna do it myself," Starsky said with a sudden flare of temper.
Danny left the room and a few minutes later returned with Dr Brumley. "Here you are, David," she said handing over a bag of toiletries.
"Call me Dave...or Starsky," he snapped, seizing the bag and stalking back to the bathroom.
"Just stay here and follow his normal routine," the doctor said quietly to Danny. "I think this is a breakthrough but we mustn't get too excited...there's still a way to go."
Starsky felt better after his shave and returned to find Danny waiting for him with breakfast. He eyed the oats and fruit juice with suspicion but realising there was nothing else, and acknowledging to himself that he was hungry, he sat down and got on with it.
"What would you like to do this morning, David...uh, Dave?" Danny asked when he had finished.
Starsky looked around the bland room as though searching for inspiration then shrugged. Danny sighed inwardly.
"Shall we stay here or go to the lounge?" he tried again. Starsky was once again unable to decide so Danny decided to stay in Starsky's room, as usual, and he tried to involve Starsky in some tidying up...as usual. He was pleasantly surprised when, for the first time, Starsky joined in.
However this burst of activity was short-lived and Starsky soon dropped onto his bed and fell into a light sleep. When he woke up he resumed his perusal of the ceiling. His eyes roamed back and forth as he counted the tiles and tried to decide what the stain on the ceiling reminded him of. "Australia," he thought with satisfaction. "Looks like Australia."
He was conscious of Danny sitting quietly in the corner but made no attempt to communicate with him. He lay still and tried to work out what felt different this morning. Normally he felt apathetic but today he had been more energised although the lassitude had taken him over again. It had felt good to take some control earlier but the responsibility scared him too.
His thoughts turned to the blond cop...Hutchinson? Yes, that was his name. Starsky couldn't understand why he arrived every day after lunch. He seemed to be under the impression that they meant something to each other, a misguided impression in Starsky's opinion. He also seemed to be weighed down by an aura of sadness which Starsky felt an inexplicable desire to lift. And yet he also felt animosity towards the man. This anomaly left him confused and anxious.
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When Hutch arrived later, Danny intercepted him before he could go to Starsky's room. "Dr Brumley would like to see you, Ken. Don't worry," he added quickly, seeing the alarm flare in Hutch's face. "She just wants to bring you up to date and discuss our next steps."
Hutch followed Danny to the doctor's office and sat down with some trepidation. "Don't look so worried, Ken. We've had a small breakthrough this morning. As you know David is very passive most of the time and needs guidance to make choices. This morning he showered by himself and demanded to shave. It may seem a small thing but this is a big step forwards for him."
"He also looked like he didn't want the breakfast but ate it because he felt he should," Danny added.
Hutch smiled. "Normally he'll just eat whatever is left over in his fridge. I've even known him to have cold pizza and root beer."
Dr Brumley shuddered and gave Hutch a look of horror. "Well, we shall definitely not be giving him that! Though I do think we should be offering him a choice. Danny, take care of that will you."
She turned to back Hutch. "Right, Ken. Let me tell you what I think.
"We are beginning to see that soldiers who have been brainwashed are recovering spontaneously. We're not really sure why but there are one or two theories floating around.
"Some of them were not brainwashed at all...they just played along with their captors to minimise the harsh treatment they had to endure.
"Others have recovered because they are no longer exposed to their captors or the mission. Without that reinforcement they have reverted to their normal behaviour.
"Now David's case is a bit more complex. Remember I told you that soldiers underwent training in techniques to counteract brainwashing? I think David tried to detach himself from what was happening to him and has locked away the part of himself that makes him the man he is...the man you knew. In effect his soul is locked inside his mind and can't, or won't come out. We need to find the key."
Hutch sat stunned for several seconds, trying to take in what the doctor was saying to him.
"So how do we get to him?" he asked finally.
"Trial and error..." Dr Brumley began. But Hutch leapt to his feet, leaning across the desk and jabbing his finger in her face.
"Now look here, lady. You've had my partner locked up in solitary confinement while you subject him to God knows what treatment and now you don't know what to do?"
Danny tried to restrain Hutch but the irate cop brushed him off like swatting a bug.
"It's fine, Danny. Don't worry," the doctor said, leaning back in her chair out of reach of the threatening finger. She spoke more firmly. "Ken, please sit down and listen to me."
Hutch eye-balled the doctor for several seconds then took a deep breath and dropped heavily into the chair. He ran a hand through his hair and smiled apologetically.
"We have been observing your visits and although it's not obvious we have seen some changes. He is watching you more and more and he spoke to you yesterday."
"Yeah. He wanted to know why I was visiting...like he couldn't understand why I would want to."
"You've been remarkably patient, Ken. I know this hasn't been easy for you but I'm coming to believe you really are the key to releasing David."
"Tell me something I don't know," Hutch thought sarcastically, but said aloud "What can I do, doc? I'll do anything to get Starsky back."
"Just continue visiting as you do now. I don't want to suddenly change David's routine as it is something he relies on. What I do want is for you to be more pro-active. So initiate conversations, reminisce, bring in some photos...you know David best so just follow your instincts."
TBC