Many thanks to Tammy for your expert help with this chapter.
Starsky vs Hutch
Chapter 14
"Huuuuutch!"
Starsky scrambled to his feet and ran to Hutch's side, nearly sprawling on his face in his haste. Hutch lay in the road, unmoving. Starsky reached out a trembling hand. "Oh, Hutch," he whispered. "What d'you have to do that for?"
The car driver walked towards them on unsteady legs. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. He came out of nowhere. I'm so sorry..."
Starsky held up a hand to halt the man's babbling. "'S not your fault. 'S all my fault. Jus'...jus' call an ambulance will ya."
The driver looked close to tears but he trotted to the nearest house and knocked on the door.
Starsky touched Hutch's cheek lightly as he gently supported his head. "Hutch! Hutch! Can ya hear me? C'mon, buddy. Let me see those baby blues...please, Hutch." He tried to do a quick inventory of Hutch's injuries but his eyes kept being drawn to the blood seeping from a cut on his head and one on his arm. He fumbled with his shirt, thinking of using the material as a make-shift bandage.
"Oh, Hutch," he said shakily. "You gotta wake up...please"
The car driver returned, followed by the resident who passed a blanket to Starsky. He thanked her and gently covered Hutch's inert form.
"The ambulance is on the way," she said. "I'm sure they won't be long. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine...fine." Starsky waved her away impatiently, not meaning to be rude, just totally focused on Hutch.
"C'mon, Hutch. You need to wake up now. Please, buddy." Starsky could feel tears prickling his eyes and he blinked furiously, determined not to cry. For the first time in a long time he was feeling something other than lost, lonely or angry but there was no way he was going to give in to his emotions while Hutch needed him to be strong.
Hutch had come back into his life but he had fought against the subconscious feelings Hutch's presence engendered, preferring to keep that small essence of himself hidden away where it felt safe. The shock of Hutch's accident had destroyed the fortress in Starsky's mind and that small voice had joyfully burst forth and made Starsky whole again. But at what cost? Hutch had saved his life, again, and now he lay in the road unconscious.
"Oh, Hutch. I'm so sorry," he whispered.
Starsky wanted to hold Hutch close but was scared to do so in case he made his injuries worse, so he contented himself with holding Hutch's hand. He cradled his face with his other hand, rubbing a trembling thumb back and forth along Hutch's cheekbone. To his relief he heard the sound of approaching sirens. A black-and-white arrived first and two patrolmen got out. One approached Starsky while the other went to talk to the small group of onlookers which had materialised, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Detective Starsky! What are you doing here?" the young officer exclaimed. Then looking more closely, he added "Detective Hutchinson?"
Crouching down on his haunches he looked at the blond detective with concern, then looked up at Starsky. "What happened, sir?"
Before Starsky could reply, an ambulance pulled up behind the cruiser and two paramedics appeared at Starsky's side. One was a well-built black man, who looked much as Captain Dobey must have done as a young man. The other was a slim girl with her brown hair cut in a short, elfin style.
"Excuse me, sir. You need to move away then we can help him," the man said.
Starsky did not want to relinquish his hold on Hutch. "Come on, sir. Let us help him."
Gently they prised Starsky away from his partner and the woman began to examine Hutch.
"Okay, sir. My name is Leroy and this is my partner, Sara. Can you tell me what happened?"
Starsky looked beyond Leroy as though watching the accident play out on a screen. He let out a shaky breath. "I nearly got run over and he pushed me outa the way. The car hit him instead."
"Okay, sir. Do you know his name?"
Starsky looked down at his partner and swallowed hard. "Yeah, it's Hutch...uh...Hutchinson, Ken Hutchinson."
Sara looked up to her partner. "Pupils equal and reactive, resps and BP both fine. Query spinal injury. Lacerations to head and right arm."
"Okay, Sara. Get the backboard and C-Collar and we'll get him off to hospital." Leroy turned back to Starsky. "How long has he been unconscious?"
Starsky did not respond at first. He stared at Hutch, the mention of a spinal injury filling him with dread. Leroy touched him on the arm making Starsky jump violently. "Has he been out long?"
"No more than ten minutes," the car driver replied. "You got here really quickly."
Sara returned to Hutch's side. "Hello, Ken," she said gently. "My name is Sara and my partner is Leroy. You've had a nasty accident so we're going to take you to hospital for a check up." As she spoke, the collar was eased around Hutch's neck to prevent him moving his head. "Can you hear me, Ken?"
She was rewarded by a small groan.
"That's good, Ken. Now we're going to put you on a board, strap you in and we'll be on our way."
Leroy slid the backboard into position and they carefully rolled Hutch into position and strapped him down.
"You're doing really well, Ken," said Leroy. "Can you open your eyes for me?"
Hutch groaned again and his eyelids fluttered.
"That's really good, Ken. A little more?" Leroy encouraged.
Hutch's eyelids flickered a few more times then his eyes opened. He blinked several times trying to look around. Starsky had been watching helplessly, feeling his guilt beginning to grow. He saw the growing panic on Hutch's face and moved swiftly to his side, grabbing a hold of his hand.
"Keep still, Hutch. You're okay, you're okay. You had an accident, remember? You need to keep still, buddy."
Hutch quieted at Starsky's words and locked eyes with his partner. "St...Starsk?"
Starsky swallowed, fighting to maintain his composure. "Yeah, it's me, buddy," he whispered, rubbing his thumb over the back of Hutch's hand. The look of pure joy on Hutch's face was nearly his undoing.
"We need to go," said Sara. And allowing no time for argument, she and Leroy settled Hutch in the back of the ambulance. Starsky jumped in and Leroy drove to the hospital where a medical team awaited their arrival.
TBC