R & R (Recovery and Rest)

Hutch was headed for a total collapse from exhaustion; the only person who didn't seem to know it was the man himself.

Dobey was growing increasingly worried about Ken Hutchinson and therefore so was his wife, Edith. She had heard at length about the extraordinary drive that his detective had used to push the case against Gunther and his rotten empire to successful completion. Both Harold and Edith regarded his two best detectives with great affection, almost as members of the family, and so keeping an eye on how Hutch was doing during the aftermath of Starsky being wounded was totally natural to them.

Dobey and the Bay City Police Department had insisted Hutch get counselling a few weeks after the shooting when it became clear that Hutch was having flashbacks and other associated problems. Hutch was resistant but after a few sessions, he seemed to be coping well; just in time to be there for his partner, who was in the next stage of his recovery. But 'being there' was now clearly taking its toll. Hutch seemed to think he had to be superhuman and do everything. He looked exhausted and anxious most of the time. Whenever Dobey or Edith asked how he was doing, he responded that he was fine. Finding a way to help him was high on their list of priorities but would he accept their help or see it as interference?

Huggy was worried about Hutch, aware that every time he visited his friend Starsky in the hospital, Hutch was there and seemed to have been there from early in the morning till late at night. He wasn't sure Hutch was eating; he never seemed to stop for food at the hospital and he certainly hadn't called in at The Pits in recent memory. Huggy didn't take it personally; he knew Hutch would feel lost being there without his partner. To be honest, Huggy would find it strange to see him there without Starsky by his side. But Huggy was concerned: Hutch looked thinner than he ever had seen him and weary, very, very weary. When he'd broached the subject, Hutch had said that he was fine. Someone needed to find a way to get the blond half of his favourite duo to rest and take a little better care of himself.

Hutch's work colleagues were worried about him too; he was like a ghost, hovering on the edge of their vision, not quite involved in the usual world of the workplace and yet somehow managing to put in some worthwhile work before disappearing back to the hospital. Several cold cases had been rigorously gone through and solved although nobody quite knew when Hutch had had time to do so. Minnie suspected he was covering some of his workload in the middle of the night when he knew Starsky would be asleep and wouldn't need him to be by his side. She wondered more than once when Hutch actually found time to sleep. She'd tried to approach him to find out how he was sleeping, only to be told that he was fine. She thought about how best to tackle the subject again but paused. Was it her place to do so? Or would it be better coming from someone else?

And now Starsky was worried.

Even if each of the others hadn't come and whispered in his ear over the past week, he would have noticed something was up with his partner. He was far enough along in his recovery to be aware of life beyond his own difficulties and challenges; even through the isolating confines of his hospital room and his recovery regime. He could sense that everything about Hutch was off kilter. His partner was crying out for help; he just didn't know it yet.

And so Starsky mulled the problem over and slowly a solution began to present itself.

While Starsky had been in the hospital, he had become aware that he and Hutch had a 'family' around them; an eclectic, slightly odd collection of people, but still a family in its essence. It was something of a surprise to him to realise just how interwoven both of their lives had become in other people's. A surprising revelation, yes, but a comforting one to know that there were people willing to help him in any way they could - just as he would help them without a moment's pause for thought – and by extension that they would also be there for Hutch.

The list of the members of this family unit was surprisingly long. In addition to his own dearly loved family which included his mother, Uncle Al and Aunt Rosie, there were others who'd become family by choice - Huggy, the Dobeys (Harold, Edith, Cal and Rosie), Minnie, the Walters family (Mrs Walters, Jackson Junior and Sammie) and the Ramos' family (Mom, Kiko and now Molly/Pete). He'd gone from counting his relatives on just one hand to needing to use ten fingers and borrow some of Hutch's as well.

In the last few weeks, Starsky had been bowled over by the number of visitors he'd had and the realisation that these friends were co-ordinating their visits so that someone different came every couple of days. He'd also come to realise that it wasn't a weakness to ask for and accept help, but he wasn't sure that his partner was in that place yet. Hutch was still trying to do everything in his own strength. 'Me' was trying to be strong for 'Thee' and not taking care of himself as a result.

'Thee' was going to have to find a way to restore the balance between them. Just because he wasn't physically fit yet, didn't mean he couldn't be there for his best friend in other ways. He was determined that he was going to find a way to get Hutch to lay down some of his worries and responsibilities before Hutch's physical and emotional state got any worse. And maybe it was time to let others be part of the solution.

Hutch got home just after midnight, early enough to get six hours sleep before he went back into the squad room (to do some more work on the cold cases Dobey had assigned to him) and then on to the hospital to accompany Starsky to his physio session. Six hours of sleep would be a luxury. He almost felt guilty for coming home earlier than normal. He inserted the key in the lock and pushed the door open. Wearily, he closed the door behind him and locked it, glancing around to check all was as it should be. He hung up his jacket and his holster and gun and went through to the bedroom, stopping in the doorway to stare at the pile of clothes and sheets neatly placed on his bed.

Someone had been in while he was out and done his laundry for him. It was the second time it had happened and he still had no idea who it was, but he was ever so grateful to them. Grateful enough to feel tears pricking the back of his eyes. He wiped a hand across his face to get rid of the moisture and then went and put the clean clothes and sheets away.

He noted that his bed was freshly made with clean sheets and a blanket and decided it looked like heaven right at this moment.

He undressed, put on a t-shirt and shorts and cleaned his teeth before crawling in under the covers. He pillowed his arms under his head and stared at the ceiling, wondering who the kind person was. It had to be someone with access to a key. Mrs Ramos was keeping an eye on his plants for him once a week, but when he'd asked her last week she had denied doing the laundry. Edith Dobey had been dropping food around once a week to try and tempt him to eat something but she wouldn't have time to do laundry as well. He wracked his brains but couldn't think of who it could be. Yawning, he turned off the light and settled down. Within seconds he was asleep.

When the dawn light crept across the room, he woke with a start. He checked the clock and saw that he had slept without waking for a full six hours. He felt better than he had for a while, yet somehow still exhausted. Trying to continue to hold down his job (even if only part-time) as well as doing everything he could to support Starsky was draining all his energy. He knew he needed a break but he didn't know when he would have the time for that.

Starsky was getting better every day, which was wonderful, but as soon as he was well enough to leave the hospital, Hutch knew he would be needed even more by his partner. At the very least, there would be follow up medical checks and physio appointments to drive him to. He might need to cook meals for a while; he certainly didn't want to ask Edith to do any more than she already was.

Hutch wondered about how quickly Starsky would become fully mobile. He worried about all the stairs outside Starsky's apartment. He kept meaning to talk to his partner about the idea of moving but there never seemed to be a right moment to suggest it. But Starsky would be released from the hospital any week now so it was time to talk to his partner about it before it became a pressing problem. He vowed he would do it when he visited later today.

Still feeling weary, he went through to the bathroom to shave. It had been a few days since he had bothered. He looked in the mirror as he put shaving cream on his face and noted the dark circles under his eyes. He sighed. At the back of his mind, he knew he needed to get some rest. Something had to give but he wasn't sure what responsibility he could drop. He certainly couldn't drop his partner; that was out of the question. No, he'd just have to keep going until Starsky was well enough for him to ease up a little. For now, 'Me' would just have to stay strong for as long as 'Thee' needed him to.

"Hutch. I got my marching papers," Starsky informed his partner when he walked through the door at the start of visiting hours. "I'll be let out of here on Friday."

As Starsky had fully expected, Hutch's first reaction was not one of joy, although that particular emotion quickly smothered the other that had very briefly crossed his face. Most people wouldn't have spotted it, but Starsky was looking for it and saw it: a moment of overwhelming panic. Internally, Starsky nodded to himself and was glad that he'd started putting some plans in place with the people he trusted. The difficult part was going to be trying to convince Hutch to let others carry some of the burden that he'd been carrying alone for so long.

Hutch found his voice and his enthusiasm enough to say, "That's great, Starsk! That's just great!"

"It is but it also comes with some hurdles I gotta get over. I'm pretty mobile now but I'm going to need some more physio to get to back to full mobility. Edith kindly offered me to stay with her for a couple of weeks. She's going to let me sleep in Dobey's den so I don't have to climb the stairs – he's gonna love that! Me in his den!" Starsky couldn't help snorting at the thought. "And Uncle Al and Huggy are going to take it in turns to run me to my physio sessions."

"They are?" Hutch asked with surprise. He walked over to the window and tried to peer out through the obscured glass. "I figured I'd be doing that."

"No need, pal."

Hutch frowned slightly as he turned around and walked back towards Starsky's bed. "But I've been at all your physio sessions so far. I thought I was helping by keeping you motivated."

"I couldn't have asked for a better coach!" Starsky was quick to reassure. "It's just I figure I'm doing so well now, you don't have to be there every time. Maybe you could do something you want to do for a change. Spend time with your plants, maybe? Or jogging? Or playing the guitar?"

Hutch walked over to the bedside table and rearranged the books and comics. He looked totally nonplussed. Doing anything normal seemed like something that belonged to a previous life, a life Hutch wasn't sure he could ever return to. He said none of this out loud. He didn't have to. Starsky had a pretty good idea what was going through his friend's overstretched and fatigued mind.

"When did you last buy a new plant?" Starsky asked gently.

Hutch considered the question, before saying, "A while ago."

Starsky nodded. Mentally he added the words, "Before the shooting." Out loud he said, "You've been here every day, Hutch, for hours and hours. If you're not accompanying me to physio, you're visiting me or running errands for me. The only time you take a break is when you go back to work. I think you need some time off for good behaviour." Starsky tried to make his tone playful, hoping that it would help Hutch see the truth without sounding like he was telling him what to do.

Hutch walked back over to the window. All he could think about was the fact that Starsky would be released soon and what that meant in terms of best supporting his friend's continued recovery. "We need to talk about whether you can even live in your place. How soon did the physio say it might be before you'll be able to manage the stairs by yourself?"

Starsky nodded. "A while longer. That's partly why I'm going to stay with the Dobeys for a couple of weeks and then after that, if stairs are still a big problem, Mrs Ramos said I could stay with them for a week or so. Kiko's offered to let me have his room and sleep on the couch. He's a good kid, that one. 'Course he's had a great Big Brother to inspire him." Starsky peered at Hutch, hoping to see him smile, but Hutch was still looking worried. "And after that, well, we'll see how I'm doing and I'll make a decision then. The physio's hopeful I'll get full mobility back if I work hard at it. I'm hoping that won't take too long."

Hutch had opened and closed his mouth a couple of times while Starsky was talking as if wanting to interrupt but then thinking better of it. Starsky saw him deliberating, trying to get used to Starsky's plans and see the sense in them.

After a moment of silence, he asked, "When did you arrange all this? How? I've been here nearly all the time and I didn't hear any discussions. And, well, I've…I've been looking at some places that are on ground level in case you might need to rent somewhere on the flat for a while…Even visited a couple…Was thinking maybe we should get a place together so I could help you get back on your feet. We could both give notice on our places."

Starsky swallowed down a lump of gratitude before speaking, "Aw Hutch, I was afraid you might suggest something like that." He saw Hutch's face fall and quickly added, "And I love ya for it but I don't want you changing your whole life to fit around me."

"But I figured you'd want my h-"

"-I'm not saying I don't want your help. I do. And I'm not saying I won't need a lot of help initially but it doesn't all have to be down to you, pal. I got other people I can call on as well. You don't have to shoulder the whole load."

Hutch looked incredulous and then hurt.

"I see."

The two words were said so flatly, Starsky shook his head and sighed.

"No, I don't think you do. I'm not saying your help isn't good enough."

"Well, what else am I supposed to think?"

"Hutch, stop pacing and come and sit down, will ya, so I can talk to ya properly."

Hutch's steps faltered, he paused and then gave into Starsky's request, sitting on the hard, plastic chair next to his friend's bed.

"Hutch…" Starsky paused, trying to pick the right words. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. I wouldn't be doing as well as I am if it wasn't for you. Somehow, you've lent me your own strength when I needed it most. You've kept me going. You wouldn't let me give up even when I wanted to. It's always been Me and Thee and that bond between us has saved my life. I'm convinced of it. But it's supposed to be a two way thing. When one of us falls down, the other does the heavy lifting until things are back to normal. I fell down, pal. You've been holding me up for a long time but you can start to ease off now. You can let go a little. When do you sleep, Hutch? When do you eat? When do you just stop and do something you'd like to do?"

Hutch ran a weary hand over his face. His voice was very quiet, his eyes downcast as he admitted: "I don't know if I can let go."

"I want to help you, pal. Will you let me?"

Hutch lifted his eyes slowly and locked his gaze with his partner's. All the trust that they had built between them over the years was on full display. Hutch swallowed and nodded.

"Good. So this is my plan. I'm going to stay with the Dobeys and you are only allowed to visit me in the evening as long as you eat dinner with us first. Okay?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Nope."

"Then okay," Hutch said, with a glimmer of humour in his eyes.

Starsky grinned. "If you stick to my rules all next week, I got a surprise lined up for you the weekend after."

Hutch had a moment of revelation. Seeing the grin on Starsky's face and the light in his eyes, he realised that Starsky was enjoying making plans and the prospect of being in control of something again. His partner had endured weeks and months of other people dictating his life. Now he had one thing he had control over. Hutch. If Hutch going along with his partner's plans would aid in his sense of control and the beginning of a return to normality, Hutch would do his part. Even if it meant stepping back a little, but only a little.

"What's the surprise, Gordo?"

Starsky shook his head. "I'm not going to tell you, Blintz, or it won't be a surprise!"

Hutch rolled his eyes and leant back in the chair. He could feel a little knot of anxiety loosening. Maybe 'Thee' was able to help 'Me' out once again. Starsky's recovery had been a long haul and Hutch had anticipated his part in it going on for several months more. He was only just now realising how tired he felt. He stifled a yawn.

"Go, get some sleep, Hutch. Minnie's popping in tonight. I'll have company. You get some rest and come by tomorrow."

Hutch hesitated. "You sure?"

"Yeah, pal. I'm sure. Hey, how about you bring the chess board tomorrow. I feel like a game."

Hutch stood up, saying, "Sure. As long as you realise I'm not going to let you win just because you're in the hospital."

Starsky snorted. "Let me win! You're in for a beating. Ten bucks says I win."

"Taking candy from a baby," Hutch joked as he headed towards the door. "See you tomorrow, Gordo."

"See ya, Blintz. Sleep well."

Hutch saluted and then headed out of the hospital and towards home, wondering if he actually might get a good night's sleep. In the hospital, Starsky breathed a sigh of relief and hoped that Hutch would get sleep well and start to lose some of the stressed look he was currently wearing.

Almost a week had gone by. Living under Starsky's 'rules', Hutch was looking less gaunt and smiling a little more. Edith had made sure that he not only had a good meal with the family in the evening but had snacks to take home to eat the following day for lunch. Spending time with Cal and Rosie was proving therapeutic too; the children soon had Hutch playing board games inside or throwing a ball around outside during the hour before their bedtime. After they'd gone upstairs for the night, Hutch would sit with Starsky, either in the Dobey's lounge watching TV or listening to the radio or in the den if Starsky was tired out and needed to rest. Hutch started finding he was able to relax when he finally went home, knowing that Starsky was in Edith's more than capable, loving hands.

On Friday night, Starsky waited until after dinner to talk to Hutch about his surprise.

"Hutch, can you come over around ten tomorrow and bring an overnight bag with ya? We're going on a trip."

Hutch looked at him as if his partner was crazy. "Trip? What trip?"

"A camping trip."

"No, no way. It's too soon for you to be away from the city and the hospitals. What if you have a relapse? No, absolutely no."

Starsky waited patiently and then asked, "Are ya ready to listen? I'm not being reckless. I've planned this carefully and checked what I can and can't do and I've got the go-ahead. I'm not going a huge distance. The hospital will be reachable but nothin' bad's gonna happen…It's all arranged. I'm going. I'd like my best friend to go with me."

Hutch pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply.

"Hutch, I need this and you need this. Little by little, I'm getting back to how I was. I want things to get back to normal for you too." Starsky could see Hutch was listening. "Do you trust me?"

Hutch swallowed and looked at Starsky. "How can you ask that?"

"I know you trust me on the street but will you trust me to know what I can and can't do? Can you trust me enough to accept that I've planned this weekend away so it will be good for both of us?"

Slowly, Hutch nodded. Starsky held out his hand and Hutch took it in his, feeling reassurance flowing through his friend's fingertips.

"Good. That's good. Go home and pack and be here by ten. Don't be late."

"All right…Wait! You hate camping! Why did you pick camping for your first trip anywhere?"

Starsky just looked at him.

"Oh…Thanks…I guess you'll let me know where I'm driving to tomorrow. What about food? Should I buy supplies on the way?" A slither of excitement had entered Hutch's voice.

"The food's already been sorted by Huggy and Mrs Ramos and they will drop it to you at nine in the morning. And yes, I'll let you know where we're going tomorrow. Now go home and get packed."

"Yes, sir!" As he left the room, Hutch mumbled, "Were you this bossy in the army?"

Starsky grinned after his friend's retreating back.

At exactly 9:55 a.m., Hutch arrived outside the Dobey's house. He was greeted by the sight of Starsky standing at the front door, leaning on a stick. Next to him was a brown case containing his clothes, a loaner from the Dobeys.

"Hey pal, right on time."

Hutch hurried up the path to stop Starsky trying to carry his case.

"Let me help you with that."

"Thanks," Starsky said, as he hobbled slowly down the path, with Hutch keeping pace with him.

"Where are we headed?"

"Santa Monica. I'll tell you more when we're on the way," Starsky said, cheerfully.

They stowed Starsky's case in the trunk and Hutch made sure his friend was settled comfortably in the front seat.

Starsky peered over as Hutch started the engine.

"Yes, I remembered to get fuel!" Hutch stated firmly.

"I didn't say nothin'."

"You didn't have to. I could tell what you were thinking. And before you ask, I got Merle to check my engine was up to a trip. My car is running smoothly so we've got nothing to worry about."

"That'll be a first," Starsky quipped. "Your car running smoothly."

"Ha ha."

As they headed towards the outskirts of Bay City, Starsky drank in the views: buildings or coast-line, he didn't care what he was looking at. It was just good to see something totally different from the hospital and the very local area that he'd been forced to keep to. He laid his arm along the back of Hutch's seat, his shirt sleeve grazing the edge of Hutch' shoulders.

"Thanks, pal."

"For what?"

"For saying you'd come on this trip."

There were so many things Starsky wanted to thank Hutch for, but this would just be the first of the 'thank you's he planned to say over the weekend and the weeks and months to come.

"I was coerced. I could hardly let you go on your own, now could I?"

Starsky snorted. "No, you couldn't. Anyway, I knew you wouldn't put up much of a fight – you love camping."

Hutch nodded. "So where are we headed?"

"We're not going far. Just up into the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains. Babcock knew a friend who knew a friend, who has a small cabin there, and persuaded him to let us have it for a few days. There's a lake and his friend keeps fishing tackle at the cabin if you're interested."

"Sounds good. Wait. You said, 'a few days'?"

"Dobey's given you Monday off so we'll head back late in the afternoon."

"Hey!" A thought occurred to Hutch. "You took a risk. What if I'd only packed enough clothes for one night?!"

"I know my Blintz. You always bring a spare set of clothes!"

Hutch had to admit this was true.

Starsky apologised: "Unfortunately, I got an early appointment on Tuesday or we could maybe have stayed a bit longer. I'm sorry it has to be so short."

Hutch patted his friend's side a couple of times.

"It will be plenty of time to enjoy ourselves. You're doing great, Starsk. You don't want to push it."

Starsky sighed. "I do want to push it but I know I've got to be sensible."

"Whatever time we have, it will be good," Hutch observed.

"Yeah. It will give us a chance to talk."

"We talk all the time at the hospital," Hutch pointed out.

Starsky shook his head. "I think I've been doing most of the talking…or complaining," he added sheepishly. "You've been doing most of the listening. Thank you, but we gotta get back to this being two ways. How are you really doing, Hutch? And don't say fine!"

Hutch huffed a laugh and then shrugged.

"I am doing okay…now."

"Go on," Starsky encouraged. "You sleeping any better?" Hutch gave him a sideways glance, to which Starsky responded with: "I got eyes and I know how to tell the time. I don't know when you've had time to sleep. My spies told me you've been burning the midnight oil at the precinct."

"Did they now?"

"Yep."

"All right, yes, I haven't got much sleep the last few months but I've got the rest of my life to catch up on my sleep. You needed me at the hospital as much as possible…and I needed to be there with you, to help you in whatever way I could."

Starsky nodded and squeezed Hutch's shoulder.

"And I appreciate it. Saying thanks don't seem enough somehow but I'll just keep saying it till I feel I've said it enough."

"And I'll say I know you would do exactly the same for me."

"Always."

They fell into a companionable silence, just content to be in each other's company without interruption. It seemed a lifetime since they had been able to do just that.

A few miles on, Starsky reached into his pocket and pulled out the piece of paper with the directions on and guided Hutch along increasingly smaller roads until they arrived at the small campsite, containing just ten cabins. They signed in and collected a key from the campsite's manager in the small cabin that served as an office. They drove along the trail through the woods until they arrived at cabin number 3. They grinned at each other when they saw the number.

The cabin was set about three hundred yards from a large lake. It had its own jetty and boathouse and the view was stunning.

"Wow."

They both climbed out of the car and stretched as they drank in more of the view. Hutch walked around to the passenger side and handed the key for the cabin to Starsky before popping the catch on the trunk.

"You open up. I'll bring the supplies in."

Starsky grimaced. He didn't want to be treated like an invalid but he also didn't want to stubbornly insist on doing something that would wear him out and then not be able to enjoy the trip. Instead of moaning at Hutch, he nodded and carefully walked up the two steps to the door. He unlocked it and pushed the door open. He felt Hutch arrive at his shoulder.

"Looks nice."

They both walked in and looked around, quickly finding that there were two bedrooms. They pretended to pick the one they liked the look of but Starsky knew Hutch was manoeuvring him to take the one nearest the washroom so that he wouldn't have too far to go when he had to get up in the night to use the john. Hutch offered to help him unpack his bag but he declined, enjoying unpacking and organising his possessions himself.

Once done, he joined Hutch in the kitchen area and supervised him as he unpacked tasty treats and placed them in the ice box or cupboards. There was a large, brown paper bag with Starsky's name written on it. He grinned when he saw it and told Hutch not to unpack it until later.

Hutch handed Starsky a root beer and quickly made sandwiches for them both. Starsky popped a couple of pills before they took their sandwiches outside. There was a small bench in front of the cabin where they could eat and look at the view.

"You need a rest, Gordo? Or shall we walk down to the lake?" Hutch asked, when they'd both finished eating.

"Let's have a short walk. Then I'll rest for an hour and then maybe we could set up a campfire for this evening. There's supposed to be a fire-pit here that we're allowed to use."

Side by side, they walked down to the lake. Starsky found it tiring, but was pleased to find that he wasn't wheezing. He really was doing so much better. They discovered there was a small boat in the boathouse and talked about taking it out the next day if Hutch felt up to rowing.

"Don't want you to do it if it will wear you out," Starsky cautioned. "This is supposed to be a chance for you to rest."

"Yes, Mom," Hutch said in a light-hearted tone. "I'll make sure I get plenty of rest…Speaking of which…"

Starsky rolled his eyes but nevertheless turned and headed back up towards the cabin.

On the way back, Hutch asked, "Have you lent your key to my place to anyone?"

"Nope."

"Hmm."

"Why?"

"A guardian angel has been in a couple of times and done my laundry for me and I can't work out who it is."

Starsky shrugged. "Just accept it. People want to help, Hutch. Both of us. I think we both got to get better at accepting help…and asking for it."

"You're probably right," Hutch said ruefully.

When they reached the cabin, Hutch collected their plates from the bench and then deposited them in the sink to wash later.

"What are you going to do while I rest?" Starsky asked.

"I think I'll read."

"Good. See ya in a bit."

Starsky went off for his nap. When he returned an hour later, he was pleased to see Hutch had fallen asleep on the couch with his book open on his chest. He decided to leave him for half an hour before waking him so that they could explore further and find the fire-pit. This turned out to be along the edge of the lake to their right. A small area had been carved out with a semi-circle of benches made from tree trunks, encircling the fire-pit.

A wooden box to one side of the clearing contained pans for cooking and matches and spills to start the fire with. Hutch had found a supply of kindling and small logs at the back of the cabin. These he brought down by wheelbarrow. Starsky sat and watched as his partner set about getting the fire going. He could see Hutch was smiling to himself and finally looking as if he was relaxing.

"Hutch, if you unpack that paper bag back in the cabin, you should find marshmallows for toasting."

"Ah! I see. What do you want for dinner? You have to have something substantial before you eat a ton of marshmallows, Gordo!"

Starsky grimaced. "Did I see one of Mrs Ramos' soups in the things you unpacked? How about that? That'll be enough for me."

"Good idea. I'll bring it down here and warm it over the fire."

"Need any help?"

"No thanks. You just keep the fire going."

"I can do that."

Starsky stared into the flames as Hutch headed up the slope towards the cabin. Only a little while later, Hutch returned carrying the soup, a bowl of bread rolls, two bowls and utensils. He poured all of the soup into a pan and set it on the tripod above the fire.

"Keep an eye on it," he instructed as he went back to the cabin.

He returned a couple of minutes later with the bag of marshmallows in one hand and his guitar in the other.

Starsky smiled. "I'm glad you brought your guitar with you."

Hutch nodded, as he took over stirring the soup so Starsky could sit down and rest.

When the soup was hot enough, Hutch decanted it into the two bowls and passed one to Starsky. The bowl of bread rolls was within easy reach of both of them and they ate with enjoyment as they sat side by side. It was starting to get dark and one by one small pinpricks of light appeared in the sky.

"Time for marshmallows!" Starsky declared as soon as he'd finished.

Hutch rolled his eyes but obligingly handed Starsky a long, freshly cut stick and the bag of marshmallows. Soon, Starsky was happily toasting three marshmallows at once to Hutch's one. Hutch almost said something about healthy eating but decided to let his friend enjoy himself. It was wonderful to see him looking so like his old self, a huge grin across his face as he carefully timed the toasting process to just the right level of stickiness to burnt outer edge.

"Delicious!" he said, smacking his lips.

Hutch stared into the flames and felt a sense of peace descending on him.

"A dime for your thoughts?" Starsky said quietly.

Hutch changed position a little before he spoke: "Just thinking how peaceful it is out here…and how long it's been since I've felt at peace about anything."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault."

"Yeah, I know, but it's still because of me that you've been run ragged." Hutch went to speak but Starsky held up his hand and continued: "It's also because of your care for me, I know that. It's what we do: give our all to get the other one through whatever the trouble is. But you can ease up now, Hutch. You've done it: you've got me through this. Won't be long till I'm out the other side and ready to go back to work. You can lay all the worry down. You can take some time off. We got plenty of people around us to call on and…you gotta let me help you now. We gotta find the balance again. Me and Thee's got to be two way again…You think you can let that happen?"

Hutch rubbed his face but then he nodded. "Yeah, I can do that. I want to do that. I think this weekend away is going to help. This…This feels normal. This feels like old times."

"Yeah, it does," Starsky readily agreed. "I was worried about you, pal. Everybody was worried but I can see you're looking better already."

"Yeah. Thanks Starsk."

"Thank you, Hutch…Now how about some music before I turn in for the night."

Hutch picked up his guitar and gently strummed, checking the strings were in tune.

"I haven't played in weeks," he admitted after a moment, "I hope I won't make too many mistakes."

"Only you, me, the lake and the stars here, pal, and we don't care if you make mistakes!" Starsky replied.

Hutch laughed and Starsky realised it had been a while since he'd heard that sound and he was so happy to hear it now. He knew he'd been right to push for this weekend away. The time had been long overdue for Hutch to re-centre his soul and for them to get their Me and Thee bond back in balance.

As he listened to Hutch begin to play and then sing softly, he recognised that the healing process had already started and everything was going to be all right with Hutch…with both of them.