I Loved My
Friend
By Kerry OK
"You
wanna do another lap?" Starsky
said, egging on his obviously exhausted partner. "Starsk, we did five
miles, but if you're game so am I."
Hutch was glad to see that his partner was his old self. Granted it was a year since Gunther's
attempt on his life but there were times he thought his buddy would never
completely recover. They could finally put it all behind them now.
This
was going to be a new beginning. They
were going to get back to basics, cut the crap and stay healthy. "Nah, I guess five is enough for
today." Starsky liked to see his
partner back in shape. The golden boy
was back. Hutch's attitude, enthusiasm
and look were the Hutch he knew and loved.
The moustache was gone, courtesy of a lady that requested it's
removal. Starsky really thought that
one was going somewhere for his partner, but it was not to be. The ladies sure were attracted to cops but
it didn’t take them long to get disillusioned with the life they led. Hopefully he and Hutch would find the right
ladies, someday.
"Alright
then, showers and a light breakfast and we can hit the streets. I'll race
ya." Starsky said as he was
already taking off for the car. Hutch
wasn't in the mood to race. "I'll
let you have this one, but I'll get you next time." Hutch called to his partner. "Hurry up Blondie, we got crimes to
solve and suspects to round up."
"All
units in the vicinity of DeLong and Brewster, there was a shooting, armed
suspect last seen fleeing in that direction. White male, approximately 150lbs,
5'6" wearing a blue denim jacket and blue jeans." Hutch picked up the receiver, "Zebra
Three, we are responding."
"Hutch," Starsky protested, "We're not on yet, and I'm
hungry." "Hey buddy we are
only two blocks away, and like you said crimes to solve, suspects…"
Starsky cut him off, "Yeah, yeah."
Starsky
pulled up next to a patrol car.
"Looks like a drug deal gone bad." The officer told them.
"OK, we'll make a few passes." Starsky said. They drove
around for a few blocks. "Slow
down, Starsk, I want to be able to look up the alleys." "Stop the car! I think I see him."
Hutch bolted out of the car.
"Hutch, wait up." Starsky was annoyed at his partner's
zeal. "Control, this is Zebra
Three, we have spotted suspect in an alley off Gardiner. We are in pursuit. Over." Starsky
ran after his partner.
Starsky
got into the alley but did not see Hutch.
'Damn, where are you Hutch' "Starsk." Hutch called in a hushed
voice from a window above. "He is
in the building." Starsky joined his
partner and they carefully combed the halls.
A little boy was bouncing a basketball in the hallway. "You looking for somebody?" He
looked up at the two detectives.
"Yes," Hutch said, "Did you see a guy come in
here?" "Uh huh." The boy nodded. "Can you tell us where he went?" "Uh huh." The boy nodded again. Hutch dug a dollar out of his pocket and
handed it to the boy. "Now can you
tell me where he went?" "He went in there." The boy pointed to Apt 2B. "Thanks, buddy now could you please
leave here and go get yourself an ice cream cone." "Well the kind I like costs a
$1.50." Hutch reached into his pocket and gave the kid another
dollar. "Now get outta
here." "Thanks mister."
And with that the boy took off.
"Cute kid." Hutch said. "Yeah real cute, little hustler
if you ask me." Starsky said shaking his head. Hutch pounded on the door, "Police. Open up." The man was pacing. He looked out the window for an escape
route, but there were uniforms out there.
"Police, open the door!"
The detectives counted, "One, two, three" and kicked in the
door. "Drop it!" Hutch ordered.
The man quickly obliged. Starsky
cuffed him and read him his rights.
That
was a productive way to start the day.
As they led the suspect out of the building an old homeless man asked
for some money. Hutch again dug into
his pocket. Starsky just shook his head
and thought, 'The White Knight, no small wonder the guy is broke by payday.'
"You
guys are late." Dobey barked.
"Well actually Captain, we're not late we…" "I don't want to hear it Starsky, you
and Hutchinson in my office NOW!"
Standing
next to the captain's desk was the head of narcotics. "Hello Starsky, Hutchinson." Was the cool greeting from Captain Morrison. "What can we do for you this fine
morning?" Hutch said trying to be
courteous. "Well Hutchinson it is
really you we need." "Me?"
"We need you do go undercover as a buyer, we think you fit the part. And being outside narco we figure there is
less chance of your cover being blown. You speak Spanish and German I
believe." "Yeah." Hutch replied, "I learned German from my
grandmother and took it in college as well as Spanish." "Well brush up Hutchinson. You are up
for it?" "Yes sir."
"Wait
a minute," Starsky interjected "When this goes down, I'm there for
back up." "Of course,
Starsky." Dobey assured.
"Narcotics have really set the whole thing up. All you have to do
Hutchinson is play the part of a Euro-dealer.
Morrison here figures you being tri-lingual is a bonus." Morrison continued, "And your physical
appearance is a plus, Aryan if you don't mind the comparison." Hutch just
raised his eyebrows at the thought.
"The man you need to make contact with and convince is a neo-nazi.
His name is Helmut Gruber. Here is a file on him, more than you need to
know." "I don't like Hutch
going in alone." Starsky said
directly to Morrison. "That's the way it has to go down." Morrison looked at Hutch. "Can we count
on you?" "I'm there,"
Hutch looked at his partner. "What
could go wrong, and you'll be there to back me up partner." Starsky didn't answer, he knew only too well
what could go wrong.
"OK
Hutchinson, here is your passport and airline ticket. You are booked at the Century Plaza Hotel. You check-in in two
days." "Got it." Hutch said.
He and Starsky turned to leave.
"One more thing, stay off the streets, catch up on paper work. I don't want your face out there right
now." Dobey instructed. "Sounds like a plan." Hutch smiled and
they left Dobey's office.
"I
don't like it." Starsky said tersely.
"Starsk you never like it when I go undercover alone. It will be
fine. Maybe I could sneak you up to the
room, we can order the most expensive items on the room service menu and charge
it to the department." Hutch hoped
to get a smile out of his partner.
"I don't like it."
"Fine no one says you have to like it." "Let's get some paperwork done and then
go to The Pits for lunch?"
"OK." Starsky said grudgingly.
"Welcome
gentlemen." Huggy greeted his friends.
"What libations and edibles are you desiring this
afternoon?" "A cheeseburger
deluxe will do just fine Huggy."
"And you Mr. Hutchinson?"
"The same." "Hey
Starsk, after we eat, I need to stop at the DMV to have my license
renewed." "Why don't you do
that through the mail?"
"Because I get my picture on it." "Picture, why?"
Starsky said with a mouth full of cheeseburger. "Because Gordo, it isn't truly ID without a picture on
it. You'll see, soon a picture license
will be a requirement."
"Fine, an afternoon at the DMV."
Starsky
sat in his car listening to the radio.
Finally, his partner emerged and got into the car. Starsky grabbed the license out of his hand
before he could put it in his wallet.
"Hey, gimme that!" Hutch tried to grab it back. "Tsk Tsk,
I wanna see this picture that kept me waiting for hours." "It wasn't that long." Hutch gave up trying to retrieve his license
and waited for the snide remarks.
"Not too shabby Blondie." Starsky glanced at the back of the
license. "Organ Donor?" Hutch
finally regained possession of his license. "Yeah, organ donor."
"Doesn't that mean they chop you up for parts?" Starsky said a little disturbed by the
thought. "Yes genius, AFTER you are dead. Dead people don't need their "parts". "I don't know Hutch, sounds awful
Frankensteinish to me." Hutch just
shook his head, he didn't want to get into it.
Hutch
checked into the hotel. Starsky went
under as hotel staff. He wanted to be
close to his partner. Gruber made
contact. They would meet for lunch in
the hotel. Starsky was their
waiter. Little good he could do. They spoke German the entire time. From what
he could see the meeting was going well.
"Check, please." Gruber motioned to him. 'That he says in English.' Starsky mused. Hutch and Gruber shook hands.
Gruber was smiling. 'I guess the
meeting went well.' Hutch got stuck
with the bill. Starsky leaned over to
his partner and whispered, "Order room service." Hutch nodded and
handed Starsky the cash and headed to his room. "No tip."
Starsky muttered.
Starsky
delivered the room service. "Well,
what's the deal. I don't speak German
you know." "The deal is set
for tomorrow night at 10:00 pm at a place on the outskirts of the
city." Hutch wrote down the
address and gave it to Starsky.
"I'll give this to Morrison.
You know Hutch I don't like you…" "Going in alone." Hutch
finished. "I'll have a wire, you
and twenty other cops will be out there and believe me Gruber trusts me. I
don't know if that is a good thing or bad, you know he thinks I am one of
"the group." Hutch realized he wasn't going to get anything close to
a smile from him. Starsky looked right
into Hutch's blue eyes, "BE CAREFUL."
Hutch
was as ready as he was going to be. He
had the wire on and he had a gun. He
didn't expect to be searched and he even felt they would let him keep his
gun. Gruber liked him, said he was one
of his own. He felt it when they shook
hands. This should be a clean bust. In and out.
Hopefully he and Starsky would be having a beer at The Pits by 11:30, 12:00
at the latest.
Hutch
entered the house. He was right, no
search. Gruber ran up to him and gave
him an embrace. "Can I get you
anything, my boy?" Gruber said
smiling. Hutch decided it might be best
to play along with the nicities and asked for a beer. "Come sit. This is
my associate Carlos Perez." Hutch
felt a Spanish quiz coming on.
"Como esta usted?"
"Muy bien, gracias."
Hutch extended his hand to Perez and the men shook.
They
bantered for awhile. Starsky was going
nuts listening to them switch from German, to Spanish to English. But he also was impressed by how well Hutch
was doing. Hutch tried to move things
along. "I would love to talk all night
with you gentlemen, but I am leaving tomorrow and could we get on with our
business?" Gruber rose and stood
behind Hutch, he placed his hands on his shoulders. "Yes, yes you are right my son. Onto business." 'Son,' Hutch thought well is this guy ever
going to be in for a rude awakening.
Starsky
looked at Morrison. "Any minute now." "Morrison nodded.
"But not a second too soon."
He put his hand on Starsky's arm more as a warning than to calm him
down.
Morrison
saw a man headed for the house.
"Oh he did make it after all." Starsky saw him too and couldn't believe it was the guy they
busted in that building a few days ago.
"That guy can make Hutch!"
"What!?" Morrison spat
angrily, "Dobey told you guys to lay low!" "We busted him before you gave Hutch the assignment."
"He is as associate of Carlos Perez, his name is Manny, he was released
because no witnesses could make a positive ID, or didn't want to."
Morrison explained. Starsky was about
to leap out of the car. Morrison
grabbed him. "NO! You can't blow
it now." "What do you mean,
once that guy is in there it is blown and my partner is in there!"
At
that moment, the signal was heard "Well gentlemen it has been a pleasure
doing business with you." Starsky
bolted out of the car. The cops
converged on the house. Manny ran
inside. "COPS,
EVERYWHERE!" He screamed. Carlos looked at Gruber, "I am not interested
in a shootout, you Gruber? I guess we give it up and let the lawyers sort it
out." Manny pointed at Hutch,
"Carlos, he's a cop." Carlos
just shrugged, "Of course there usually is an inside man. Gruber you
FOOL!" Carlos spat. "Just because he looks like you dead son. They played you right." Gruber ran out the door.
Starsky
ran in and was relieved to see his partner unhurt. He started rounding up the
suspects. Hutch headed after
Gruber. "Hutch where you
going?" Then he realized he didn’t
see Gruber.
"Gruber - FREEZE." Hutch commanded. "Drop the
gun." Gruber obeyed. Hutch kicked
it aside. He turned to Hutch, he looked
like a wounded man. He felt he had just been betrayed. "I trusted you." His voice trembled. "You were supposed to." Gruber broke into tears and fell to his
knees. "Come on, up Gruber, hands against the wall. Starsky was now behind his partner. "Everything under control
partner?" "Yeah I think so.
Come on Gruber, get up." Hutch
moved toward him cautiously, gun drawn.
Gruber looked Hutch in the eyes and drew a small pistol from an ankle
holster and fired at Hutch. Starsky
couldn’t believe it. "Damn!" "GRUBER DROP THE WEAPON!" He just
smiled at Starsky and placed the gun to his temple and fired.
The
shots got Morrison and another officer to their location. "Call an ambulance!" Starsky screamed. "Gruber is dead. My
partner is wounded." Starsky knelt
by Hutch. "How are you doing,
where were you hit?" Starsky
searched his body but didn't see anything.
"My head hurts." Hutch
rubbed his forehead. Then Starsky saw
it. A small entrance wound. Hutch felt the blood on his head, then
verified what he felt by what he saw on his hand. "I guess he got me, I can't believe I didn't see that coming
Starsk." "Yeah, I didn't see it either." Starsky looked at his partner trying to hide
his concern. When he saw the wound all he could think of was Terry. "It looks like just a scratch, I think
the bullet just grazed your hard head."
"You think so, it doesn’t feel that way." Hutch closed his eyes but quickly opened
them again but it was dark.
"Starsk, where are you?"
Hutch had panic in his voice. "I'm
right here, looking at your ugly mug."
"I can't see you Starsky."
Starsky couldn't believe what his friend said. "What do you mean, you can't see me?" "Just what I said, I can’t see
anything." Now thoughts of Emily came into his mind. 'My God what was this bullet doing to him.' Hutch blinked again. "Wait, now you are just
blurry." He blinked again. "Now there you are." "How many fingers I got up?'"
Starsky asked intensely
"Three." Hutch smiled.
"Okay, good."
The
paramedics arrived. They placed Hutch
on the stretcher. Starsky followed them
out to the ambulance. "I'm coming
with you." "No Starsk, you
can't leave you car here. I'll see you
at the hospital. Really its okay." His tone told Starsky not to push the
issue. "Fine see you in a few."
Starsky helped them put Hutch into the ambulance. Hutch was grateful he could convince his
friend not to ride along. He couldn't
see again. He didn't want to worry him.
Starsky
called Dobey and Huggy. He wasn't about
to pace the hospital corridors alone. "How is he?" Dobey asked. "I don't know anything, Captain. He took a shot to the head.
I've gotta take a walk. I'll be right back. You guys stay here." "Of course." Huggy looked at Captain Dobey, "WHY?
Why do these things keep happening to these guys. They deserve better."
"Yes they do, but they are good cops, no more than that, they are
the best detectives I have ever had the pleasure to know. They put themselves out there and that is
why they get hurt." Huggy nodded in agreement. "I know, but it still
ain't fair."
The
dark haired detective came back just in time to see his fair-haired partner
being put into a room. He couldn't
believe what he saw. Hutch was attached
to more machines than he could ever imagine.
He saw a doctor approach Dobey, who immediately directed him to Starsky. "Detective Starsky, I am Dr. Adam
Goldman. "Yes, how's he
doing." "Come with me." The
doctor said gently. "We need to talk." "I'm not going anywhere, we can talk here." "Fine." The doctor conceded. He didn't want to further agitate Starsky .
"I see in his file that you are his
partner, he has instructed that you can make decisions for him although
Detective Hutchinson was very careful that his wishes be known. All the
necessary legal documents are here."
"What are you talking about wishes. I just want to know how my
partner is." "Detective, your
partner is dead." The doctor just
said it. Starsky looked blankly at him,
as if he didn't understand. "I
just saw nurses bring him into a room. I mean he didn't look to good but he
wasn't dead either."
"Detective, he is brain dead.
You saw all those machines, they are keeping his body alive. He is an organ donor." Starsky was not grasping his words. Dobey and Huggy had been standing there and
they heard what Starsky heard, but knew he wasn't ready for this.
"I
was just talking to him a couple of hours ago. He lost his vision but that came
back." Starsky was trying to make
sense of what the doctor was saying.
"Yes his vision came and went again. But the bullet was inoperable and it moved quickly, ultimately
causing brain death. I am so
sorry." "Starsky." Huggy
put his arm around him. "I'm going
in to see my partner." "Take
as long as you need." The doctor left them.
Starsky
went into Hutch's room. He called his
name. "Hutch." No
response. He just lay there, still. Eyes closed. Starsky would give anything if those blue eyes would open. The only sound was the humming of the
machines. Starsky just sat next to his bedside. He kept telling himself that
Hutch would wake up any time now. He was not ready to accept that his partner
had died.
The
doctor asked Huggy to speak to Starsky. He had been in with Hutch for hours.
Huggy entered the room. He went over to
Hutch, touched his hand and said his own silent goodbye.
"Starsky,
you have been in here a long time. You really got to leave, the doctors have to
do what, what Hutch wanted."
"I can't leave Hug, because when I do, he's gone." "Starsky, you could stay here for 100
years, and Hutch would still be gone.
That ain't him there anyway.
That is just his body. Hutch's
soul, well it is in a better place." "What better place, I WANT HIM
HERE WITH ME!" "Starsky calm
down, I know, but that just ain't the way it is. I think of Hutch with Gillian
now and hanging with Terry. Starsky he
wouldn't want you doing this. Now come
with me. It is time. Hutch wanted it this way." Finally Starsky understood. "Give me a minute Huggy, I promise,
I'll be right out."
Starsky
looked at his partner. "Well I
guess this is goodbye my friend. I don't know what I am going to do without
you. But you still have more work to
do. The White Knight, even in death you
are saving lives." Starsky leaned
over and kissed him on the forehead. He
left the room and didn't look back.
Dobey went in for a minute to say his goodbye.
The
grieving detective was headed for the elevator, when the doctor stopped
him. "Detective, this was with
Detective, you partner's papers."
He handed him a white envelope with Starsk written on it. Starsky looked at it then put it in his
pocket. He stepped into the day, it was
light out but it was raining. He got
into his car and drove. He wound up at
Hutch's, but he had no idea how he got there.
Hutch's
car was parked in front. 'He must be
home.' Starsky thought. He took the key
from above the door and went into the apartment. It was quiet and dark. He
walked into his bedroom. Not in
there. He went into the
greenhouse. Not in there either. He sat on the couch. He looked around the
empty apartment and it wasn't until now that he felt the full impact of his
partner's death. Hutch was gone from
him forever. He took the envelope out of his pocket and placed it on the coffee
table. He wanted to read it. He picked it up, put it down, up, down. Finally he found the courage. He cried as he read it, but yet he found
comfort in the words.
Dear Starsk,
Well
buddy, if you are reading this letter, that means I died. And I know that you are feeling like the
whole world has come to an end and you will never be able to endure the
pain. I know this because I felt that
way those few minutes that you were gone.
I know what you are thinking.
This is different. I'm not
coming back, but buddy I promise I am still with you. You don't think I would let you ride around in that striped
tomato all by yourself. Put your hand
over your heart. Just do it. There you
found me. You see, I am right there in
your heart. Whenever you need me, you
know where to find me. I will be with
you always.
Now
Starsk, you have to be strong. You have
more life to live. Live it to the
fullest. We don't know how long we
have. So live each day to the max. I did buddy. I really did. I had a
good life. I want you to find Ms.
Wonderful, get married and have a couple of kids (name one after me). Keep being the best cop you can be. Take care of yourself and remember I am with
you always, I told you where to find me.
What I want is that when you do remember me, you remember me with a
smile.
Well,
bye buddy. I'll be watching you, until
we meet again.
I love you partner,
Hutch
Starsky
sat in the pew. He heard the rain
lightly tapping the stained glass. It
had been raining for three days. Would
it ever stop? He listened to the
eloquent words spoken about his friend.
He knew he would speak. He
didn't have to, but he wanted to. He
hadn't prepared anything. He just
gripped the small poem book in his hand.
The book was Hutch's. It was
where he found the words that explained exactly how he felt. A five line poem, written by Langston
Hughes. Huggy finished and Starsky
stepped up to the pulpit. He opened the
book to the poem but he didn't need to look down, it was etched upon his heart,
it spoke what was there. He began, his
voice thick with emotion:
I loved my friend
He went away from me
There is nothing more to say
This poem ends, soft as it began
I loved my friend
Starsky
stepped down. Nothing more need be
said. The organist began playing
"Amazing Grace". Starsky took
his place among the pall bearers and lifted his partner's casket. It was headed for the airport. Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinson were bringing their
son home to Minnesota. The golden boy
would be buried in the Hutchinson family mausoleum.
The
procession left the church. The rain
had stopped. As Starsky helped place
the casket into the hearse he looked to the sky and saw a small patch of blue
breaking through the clouds. Blue, he
thought he would never see that color again.
Then the sun broke through. He
felt it on his cheek, his neck and on his shoulder. Hutch's hand on his shoulder.
Starsky placed his hand over his heart.
'There you are.' And he smiled.
ALTERNATE
ENDING
For
those who only want happy endings. I
like them better too, but I couldn't get that one out of my head.
The
dark haired detective came back just in time to see his fair-haired partner
being brought into a room. 'Hutch
didn't look too bad.' He thought. Dobey
sent the doctor to him. "Detective Starsky, I'm Dr. Adam
Goldman." "Yeah, doc, how's
he doing." "I am pleased to say he will be just fine. We were able to remove bullet." "His vision," Starsky questioned,
"He was having trouble."
"Yes I know, that is because the bullet was pressing on the optic
nerve, but we got it, he'll have no ill effects. He is a very lucky man."
"I'm the lucky one doc. Can I see him?" "Sure, he's probably still groggy, give him a few
minutes."
Starsky
went into Hutch's room. He would just
sit here until he woke up. Starsky
nodded out. "Starsk?" Hutch
called weakly. "Yeah, right here
buddy, how you feeling?" "Like I was hit over the head with a
sledgehammer." "Doc says
you're going to be alright."
"Starsky, you don't look so good, go home, get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning. I'm beat, you don't need to watch me
sleep." "OK pal, see you in
the morning." "Starsk," "Yeah buddy." "Do you ever think we'll be
pre-disastered? "Huh?" Starsky said wearily. "You know, that we'll have been knocked
around enough that we finally stop getting hurt." "I hope so Hutch, I sure the hell hope
so."