Disclaimer:
The Characters Starsky and Hutch and all that is associated with the show do not
belong to me. Too Bad ! This story is written purely for entertainment purposes
only. It is the way I see the hospital scene from Sweet Revenge. Any comments
are welcome please send them to
LoriM1018@aol.com The Song " Heaven can wait" is not mine either
...schucks! But it seemed to be fitting for this work.
DEDICATION:
For this my first
writing I wish to dedicate it to three very important people. First MHLPriest. A
fellow writer on this site. Her inspiring words helped me to realize that if
there was a story in my heart I shiould write it. I owe you big time girl!
And next my two
Daughters Kristine 11 and Tiffany 6 who both share in my love of Starsky and
Hutch. And who both told me that if I thought it was important to write these
stories than I shouldn`t let ANYTHING get in my way.....To this I dedicate my
first story....Heaven Can Wait.
HEAVEN CAN WAIT
written by LAM
1/2001
Heaven can wait,
and a band of
angels wrapped up in my heart,
gonna take me
through the lonely night ,
through the cold
of the day......
And I know, I
know
Heaven can wait,
And all the gods
come down here just to sing for me,
And the melody`s
gonna make me fly,
Without pain,
without fear.....
( Meatloaf " Bat Out of Hell " 1977 )
CHAPTER 1
Wednesday Morning 10:15 am
STARSKY
!!!!! Get Down ! Hutch yelled at his
partner.
Bam, Bam,
Bam......Burning....Stinging.....Shock.....
STARSKY
!!!!! As the police car screeched
around the parking lot, Hutch called one last time... STARSKY !!!
Silence.........
The police car was gone and in an inkling…it was all over.
Hutch yelled out
to his partner, "Starsky… ! Starsk ?
Where are you ? "
Chaos all over,
Cops everywhere...Until Hutch ran around to the drivers side of the Torino...as
soon as he reached the front, He stopped...dead in his tracks...The sight in
front of him left him numb.
The lifeless body
of his best friend, partner, laid as still as the night sky, right beside his
beloved car.
Hutch couldn’t
move "Starsk ? " he
said.....Maybe I’m dreaming.....Starsky if this is one of your jokes ..."
No it can’t be...All of 2 seconds had
gone by and it was like his whole world had
come to an abrupt halt.
Somebody yelled,
"Over there...he’s over there...."
All of a sudden
as if being slapped in the face he became acutely aware of what was happening around him.
"Shit!” he
thought to himself...“Starsky’s gone!"
He ran close to
his friend crying silent tears, knowing that this time could be it...Death was
so close...." Please God...not now, not now. " As he finally reached
his friend, he leaned back against the Torino and fell right to the
ground.
Amidst all of the
chaos and confusion, All he could think to himself was that he was too late...too damn late.
Chapter 2
Days seemed to go
by, but looking up at the clock in the hospital waiting room only proved that
it wasn`t days at all only hours...4 to be exact!
"Why hasn’t
anyone come out yet?" Sitting in
that chair was making him crazy. Even though he knew that Starsky was in good
hands, he wished that he could just burst through the doors and make his friend
better. "Wishful thinkin’," he thought.
Finally, signs of
life...a young nurse, blonde, about 28 years old, was making her way down the
hall towards Hutch...And he was right there at the door waiting, hoping against
all hope that he would hear that his friend was ok.....but he knew better.
"I am
looking for a Detective Sergeant Ken Hutchinson!"
"I’m
Hutchinson! " he said as he backed away from the door.
"Well, I am
the head nurse here. Just call me Kathy. Okay?
You came in with Detective Sergeant David Michael Starsky? Is this
correct?"
"Yes!"
"The Dr. has
sent me out here to get you. He has to speak with you in his office."
"How is
he? How bad is it?"
"Your
friend is still in surgery. His insides
were torn up pretty bad, but he is alive, I don’t quite know how, but he is
alive. Please, Detective, just follow me. "
"Sure.
Sure," he said.
"Here we
are!" She knocks on the door.
"Dr. Martin!
Det. Sgt. Ken Hutchinson to see you."
"Yes please
send him in. Thanks Kathy."
As Hutch entered
the office, what he saw before him was an acute reminder of what had happened
only hours before. Dr. Martin was a tall lanky man, in his early 40`s. His long
black hair had been tied back in a ponytail. He was still wearing his green
surgical scrubs, but they were stained with blood...Starsky’s blood...and there
was too much of it.
"Detective
Hutchinson, I’m Dr. Martin. Please have a seat."
“Ken!
Okay...please call me Ken!"
"Alright Ken.
There is no easy way for me to say this...so I’ll just have to say it...Your
Partner...Well, he is dying."
"What?
Dying? " Even though he tried to keep a calm demeanor, there was something
about the word dying ...It just makes your whole body shake. Through the tears
dripping down his face, he said, "Are you sure? Can’t you do
anything?"
"We are
doing all we can for him now...the rest is up to him."
"Why aren’t
you in there? Working on him? Helping
him?"
"Det...Ken,
we have the best team of surgeons in the state working on him. He has lost a
lot of blood. The bullets shattered when they hit him and did so much
damage."
"So what are you telling me?”
"Only what I
can. That he is still in surgery, but he is dying. All I can tell you is that
you should pray... pray that he has some fight left in him."
"I’ll have
to call his mom, in New York, you know."
"Ken, he
could use all the support he can get. But if you are his friend, pray...and
pray hard."
"Yeah...
sure...What else can I do?" Hutch thought to himself.
Turning around
and opening the door Hutch stopped, stared back at Doc Martin and said,
"What else can I do? You just get back in there and work like hell to save
him! He’s not only my partner you know, he’s my best friend. Irreplaceable. Can
you do that for me?"
Doc Martin just
looked at the emotionally drained man standing before him and said, "Sure,
Ken. Sure. But I can’t promise you anything. "
Chapter 3
Inside the
operating room the scene was very different. Action was everywhere; there were
four surgeons in the room, each one doing his or her part. Dr. Matthew King was
in charge of this operation, overseeing every detail. Dr. Barry Wells, Dr.
Katherine Cartwright, & Dr. Joseph
Keirnan were assisting. The precision
with which this team was working was like that of a well-oiled machine. Their
only task was to stabilize the officer that lay in front of them.
"My God,
Katherine, have you ever seen so much damage?"
"No, Joseph,
and I hope I never do again. Whoever did this certainly knew what he or she was
doing."
"Yes, they
did. I wish I knew what this guy did
too piss them off! Katherine, please
take charge here while I go and get Seth? Okay?"
"Sure
Joseph. I got it."
"Barry? How
much more did he lose?" Katherine asked.
"Too
much! He’s lucky he’s still with us.
I’ve switched the bag. Keep massaging his heart."
"I’m on
it."
Beep.....Beep.....Beep....Beep
As Katherine was
massaging his heart she looked down at him and said, "Hang in there,
Detective...
keep on
fighting."
On his way out of
the OR, Joseph almost ran head on into Seth. "Jesus, Seth! I was just
coming out to get you. He’s flatlined and we need you in there! Anyone here for him?"
"Yes
Detective Hutchinson! His partner."
"Great!
David will need his support. Let’s get back in there and try to get him
stabilized!"
"Okay,
Joseph , I’m right behind you."
"Katherine
and Barry are in there with him now. I don’t know how much more blood he can
stand to lose."
"Where the
hell is Matt?"
"He’s in
there too! Just trying to take care of the other wounds."
Just then they
entered the Operating room.
"Okay,
Matt!" Seth said. "Bring us up to speed!"
"He’s
okay. Back with us. Katherine massaged his heart, and that
worked...Thank God! We drained his lungs again and we managed to get the
bullets out...what was left of them. The stitching...that’s what’s gonna take
time. The damn bullets tore him up, like a shredder. It’ll be a miracle if we can pull this one off."
"Hang in
there, guys! You’re doin’ just fine."
Chapter 4
Well, four hours
had turned into six and then almost seven. Outside, Hutch couldn’t take it
anymore. He kept pacing at the door, looking for Kathy.... or anybody who could
tell him something about his partner. He hated being alone. He didn’t realize
that Dobey and Huggy were right there. And Dobey and Huggy could see that
trying to calm this man down was completely out of the question. Turning
around, the blonde detective, realizing that he was not alone, said " Cap!
If someone doesn’t come out here soon, I’m going in there! It’s been almost
seven hours! I
need to know what the heck is goin' on."
Dobey looked at
Hutch as if he was his own son.
"No way, son! Leave them be ...they know what’s best."
Huggy said,
"Yeah, Hutch! Starsky’s strong, man! He’ll pull through it."
"Oh ...you
know that, huh?" Through tears that only came from out of his frustration,
he said, "You don’t know diddly squat, Hug! He’s....he’s dying, man! And
ain`t no way anyone of us can stop that!"
Tears are a wonderful thing.
Hutch knew that more than all of them...He used a lot of them over the
past 7 hours or so.
Just then he saw
Kathy.....looking exhausted but coming towards him just the same. It was now 6
pm.
He ran towards
her and almost knocked her down. Grabbing her by the shoulders so she wouldn’t
fall, she said,
"Hutch...He’s
out of surgery!"
"Oh good.
Can I...I mean we see him now?"
"Who are these
gentlemen?"
"Oh...Captain
Dobey, Huggy Bear, This is Kathy. Head Nurse you know!"
The two gentlemen
stepped forward to shake her hand and she said, "Nice to meet you."
She turned and
looked at Hutch. "We have to talk. Right now the Dr’s. are cleanin’ up and
the orderlies are taking him to recovery. As soon as he gets through recovery
they will move him to a private ICU room. Okay?"
Hutch says
optimistically, "That means we are out of the woods…Right?"
"Let’s wait
for the Doctors...See what they have to say."
Chapter 5
Well, as soon as
those words came from Kathy’s mouth, the team of five Dr’s. came down the hall.
With great anticipation, Hutch, Dobey and Huggy were all standing...waiting to
hear about how their friend was doing.
Dr. Seth Martin
extended his hand towards Hutch first, since he already knew him. Then he
looked at Dobey and Huggy and said, "Gentlemen, let me introduce myself
and the members of the "TEAM". I am Dr. Seth Martin, & this,
starting from the far left is Dr. Matthew King, Dr. Barry Wells, Dr. Katherine
Cartwright, and Dr. Joseph Keirnan."
"I’m Captain
Harold Dobey and this is Huggy Bear. When can we see him?"
After the usual
introduction ritual it was all business.
Katherine said,
looking at the three men, "Well first of all let’s sit down. I don’t know
gentlemen, what David looked like before the shooting, but I wanted to prepare
you for what you will see when you do go in there to see him.........
Well no amount of
talking could have prepared the three men for what they were about to see.
Walking towards the elevator, Dr. Keirnan reminded the boys that what they were
going to see up on the 7th floor was good. With that they entered the elevator.
Once inside, Dr.
Keirnan said, "Remember, he is in a coma, and heavily sedated. He probably won’t be coming out of the coma
anytime soon, so I don’t want you guys in there with him long! You got
that?"
"Got
it!" all three said seriously.
Finally floor 7. Out
the door they went. Down the Hall, which seemed to go on forever, & to the
left. Room 7218. Starsky’s room. Approaching the room, Dr. Barry Wells repeated
Dr. Keirnans statement "remember guys, this is good! It’s the next 24
hours we have to worry about!"
With that he opened the door. As the door opened, Hutch’s heart skipped
a beat. As he looked at his friend and partner, he said, "Oh my God,
Starsk! I didn’t realize....."
Chapter 6
There he was.
Detective Sergeant David Michael Starsky, in a coma and sedated all right. But
to Hutch, he looked dead. You couldn’t see his face, he had so many wires,
tubes...And they had intubated him!
Hutch thought to
himself, "Not like this! God
please...not like this!"
Hutch just stood
there frozen, not knowing what to do or say!
Just then nurse
Kathy went up to Hutch and whispered softly into his ear, "Just talk to
him, Hutch. He needs you.”
Dobey stepped
forward to put his hand on Hutch’s shoulder as a gesture of comfort, but Hutch
still stood there, frozen, like a statue, he was lost and he didn’t know how to
find his way back.
Kathy was his
guiding light, so to speak. She gently touched Hutch’s hand and led the blonde
detective over to his partners bedside.
"Starsky.”
He spoke quietly. “Starsky, I’m here
friend."
Kathy had stopped
and went to let go of his hand when she felt a tightening squeeze on it. She
looked up at Hutch into his pleading eyes....
"Kathy,"
he said, "please, don’t go."
How could she
resist those eyes...He looked like a lost little boy, trickling tears were
coming down the sides of his face.... "Okay, Hutch, I’ll stay."
"How do I
talk to him? I can’t get the
words!"
"Hutch, you
can talk to him...just like you are talking to me right now. Tell him you have
no words...anything. He CAN hear you."
"Yeah, I
know he can hear me, but look at him! Kathy? Cap?”
Captain Dobey
said, "I know.....I got eyes
Hutchinson!"
Hutch held his
head down. Looking towards the floor, he said, "That’s not him lying
there."
Just then, as if heaven
had sent an angel to help, Kathy found herself rubbing the detective’s
back. Like the waves during a storm, a
flood of emotions overtook Hutch and in an instant he realized that he wasn’t
looking at some stranger lying in that bed but his Best Friend! Probably in the
most vulnerable position that he had ever seen him in.
Suddenly his
heart melted...and he felt the unbridled compassion that he had worked so hard
to suppress over the last 7 or 8 hours burst through the damn that he called
his defense. He fell at his friends bedside and the tears flowed forever it
seemed.
"Starsky! Oh
God Starsky! I’m here." He took
his friends hand in his and held on as if he was rescuing him from a cliff.
What Hutch didn’t
realize was that - at that moment, even though his friend couldn’t physically
speak it to him, in his mind he was thinking, "Thank You, Hutch! My friend!
My Brother! For being here. It’s
me and thee Hutch... me and thee!"
Chapter 7
Ken Hutchinson
was a damn good partner and David Starsky knew it. Even laying there in his
comatose, sedated state. Something
inside him wanted to jump out of that bed and tell Hutch that it would be okay.
But every time he tried to speak, he couldn’t.
"God, I’m
locked in this place and I can’t get out. What the hell happened? I have to find out!"
Thursday 6:15 am
Well, now that
morning was on the horizon, Kathy knew that she should check on the guys, after
all, watching what transpired last night between them gave her a glimmer of hope
for David. When she opened the door there was David in bed. She went over to
check his vitals...nothing unusual for a man in his condition. As she came
around to check the IVs there was Hutch..."He’s gonna have one hell of a
headache...sleeping like that!"
After all,
Hutch’s position hadn’t really changed much since last night except that now he
was sitting in a chair next to the bed, with his arms folded on the side of the
bed and his head slumped over in them.
"He looks
like a kid," she thought to herself.
It had been about
20 hours or so since the shooting but only about 12 or so since David was taken
from the OR.
As she fixed the
blanket around him and briefly touched his arm.
"Only 12
more hours to go kiddo!" she whispered to herself. "Only 12 more hours to go."
With that Hutch
started to move.... "Oooohhh! Aaaahhhh! God why do I hurt?"
"Don’t
worry, Ken. It’s Kathy...You are still in the Hospital."
"Oh ...I
kinda thought so."
"Ken, why
don’t you go home, David is halfway there. I’ll be here. You need good sleep
Hutch. You should go home and I’ll call
you if anything happens. Okay?"
Hutch wasn’t even
paying attention. Something startled
him and he looked down at Starsky... "Never mind, Gordo, I thought you
were gone."
But ... It was
just a dream....Just a lousy dream.
Kathy looked at
Hutch and said, "You must have had
a rough night!"
Hutch just stood
there and said, "Yeah, you can
call it that!"
She looked at him
again and saw that he had been crying... "All night?" she thought to
herself. Both of his eyes were red and
swollen, tear marks were still all over his cheeks. But still he was only half
awake.
"Hey
Blondie? ( a voice whispered ) Didn’t know you cared that much!"
Hutch jumped back
and now being fully awake he grabbed his partners arm... "Starsky? Starsk?
Is that you?"
But as he looked
at his still comatose partner, all he could see were all those tubes and the intubation
tube! It cc-- ould—n’t be...he can’t
talk.. He didn’t care...Kathy said he could hear ...so he reached his head down
towards his partners pillow and said,
"Yeah.....I do!"
Chapter 8
Thursday 7:00 am
Morning Rounds.
Well, now that
Kathy had gotten Hutch a real good cup of coffee, he noticed this
"Team" of Doctors heading straight towards him.
"Officer
Hutchinson?" Dr Martin said.
"Ken,
please, okay? Just Ken. How’s he
doin’?”
"You know
all of us, right?"
"Sure,
sure...My partner? What’s goin’ on?"
"Well, we
don’t know yet... Give us a minute with him, Ok?"
"The hell I
will...I’m stayin’, you got that?"
"Sure Ken.
Okay. Let’s go then."
As they entered
the room the very sight of Starsky laying there on the bed caused everyone to
feel his pain.
Stitches, tubes,
the intubation tube...by now Hutch didn’t even care, he just wanted his partner
back.
Just after they
had examined Starsky, they went back to Hutch.
Dr. Martin looked
at Hutch and said, "Okay Ken...Here it is...Obviously he is still in a
coma...But he’s alive. At this point
I’d say he’s a miracle.”
"I
know," Hutch said. "But you
gotta understand...he’s as close to my own flesh and blood as anyone’s gonna
get. Dobey gave me a few days...cause we’re not quite through that CRITICAL
STAGE yet? Right?"
With that Dr. Martin
laid a hand on Hutch’s shoulder and said, "Right! But he’s strong...and
Young.” With that the Drs. started to leave. "We’ll be back later to check
in on him." Dr. Martin knew what the two men meant to each other and as he
left, he hoped that David would pull through.....For Hutch’s sake.
Hutch stood there
alone...looking down at Starsky`s body yet again, he struggled to find hope ...
not just for himself ... but for his partner too. He leaned down towards
Starsky and said, "Okay Buddy.....time to put those boots on.....But just remember ...I’m not ready to give up on
you yet!"
"I know
partner...I know!" thought Starsky
to himself. Even though he was still
comatose and sedated, He could still think. And it SUCKED...To be here in this
state. "I know something is very wrong but I can`t remember a thing. I
hear my partner but I can’t speak to him or move. Whatever this is ...Please
bring an end to it God. Please! My
partner sounds as if he is suffering and I can’t help him. But why? That is the Key! What
happened?"
Chapter 9
Thursday 4:15 pm
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Beep!
Hutch lept to his
feet and went to the door. "KKKAAATTTHHHYYY !!!" he yelled.
Kathy had already
seen the warning light go on from David’s room at the desk, but it was Hutch’s
cry for help that jolted her from her seat. As she jumped up and started
running down the hallway she told the other nurse on duty, "Kelly, damn
it! Get Dr. Martin! Get Dr. Martin!"
As she ran down
that hall all she could say was, "Hang in there, David...Hang in
there."
Kathy ran into
the room like a bolt of lightning. Right past Hutch and over to David. Hutch was sitting in his chair thinking that
this couldn’t be good, and he didn’t want to get in their way. "Hang in
there, Starsk! Come on! Don’t just give up." Hutch knew that they were
just shy of the 24 hour mark.
"Damn it! Why now!”
Kathy on the
other hand, even though it was pretty chaotic in the room, was pretty level
headed. She stood next to the bed and checked his vitals and checked for any
signs of breath. As she looked up for one second she caught a glimpse of
Hutch....sitting in the chair with a
look of panic in his face.... "Doc Martin’s on his way, babe. Don’t give up on David!" She reached down and started to rip off the
bandages that were across his chest.
She knew he was in trouble!
Dr. Martin got
there just as Kathy was calling for a crash cart.....this of course was routine
in situations such as these.
Dr. Martin looked
at her. "He didn’t flatline, did he?"
"No, doc,
but he is damn clo--- Forget it! He’s flatlined ....c’mon doc!"
Hutch just sat
there watching his friend dying feeling like shit because he knew that there
was not a damn thing he could do for him...No ... this fight was his ... and his
alone....
The crash cart
was moved right alongside the bed. Kathy was on the other side of the bed doing
compressions! Dr. Martin picked up the paddles and readied them for what he
hoped would jolt David back ----
"CLEAR!" As he touched
the paddles to David’s chest, Hutch watched in silence as his partners body
jolted upright and then fell flat on the bed. Once again.
Silence.......Beeeeeeeeppp.
The steady hum of
the heart monitor indicated that they would have to hit him again..."
CLEAR!”
Hutch watched and
listened...panic was filling his mind...
"Come on,
Starsk! Damn it ...Come on!" Once again Starsky’s body jolted upright...
then fell back onto the bed..... everyone in the room held their breath......
The wait seemed
to go on forever, but within a few seconds there it was a beautiful rhythmic
line going across the heart monitor!
"He’s
back! Kathy.. He’s back!" Dr.
Martin relinquished the paddles putting them back in their place on the cart
just as Kathy was coming around. Her gentle touch to his shoulder was just what
he needed.
"Thanks Doc.
"
"No. Thank
you, Kathy... for your quick action. He’s going to owe you a lot when he comes
to!"
Kathy turned
around to get more bandages for David and spotted Hutch...A single tear falling
and a big sign of relief flashed across his face.
"Hey,
Doc?" he said. "He’s okay,
right?"
"Okay? No
way."
"Doc!
Remember --- This is Hutch you’re talkin` too!"
"I’m aware
of that Kathy!" He turned to Hutch...
"I’m sorry. Just a little
tense."
As he turned to
leave the room he looked at Kathy and said, "Keep an eye on him Kathy, if
there is any change in him ...what-so-ever I want to know IMMEDIATELY, you got
that?"
"Sure
doc."
"Hey
Doc?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks...and
you too, Kathy."
"Oh, it’s
okay Hutch, really."
Chapter 10
With that, Dr.
Martin left and headed back to his office.
Kathy, standing
next to Hutch, smiled and said, "Hey. If I were in David’s place I’d want
to have a friend like you! You must be
an angel Hutch, sent here to watch over him. I really respect the way you care
for him."
"Aw, Kath -
you don’t know the half of it. This man, he’s the angel...It’s his devotion and
childlike innocence that keeps this hard-hearted cop from going....you
know....crazy! I mean he’s just so damn loyal...ya know?"
"Yeah, I
do!" Grabbin’ his arm, she said, "Listen, Ken... it’s lunch time. Why
don’t you go down to the cafeteria and get yourself somethin’ to eat? Huh? You’re lookin’ kinda weak."
"No can
do."
"Not even if
I promise to stay right here?"
"I can’t
Kathy...I just can’t."
"Ken, David
is in a private ICU room...I am HIS assigned nurse. I have NO other patients.
Okay?"
"Well?"
"Go, Hutch!
Before I call your Captain..."
"What if he wakes
up? ...and I’m not here?"
"Trust me,
Hutch...He KNOWS when you’re here. He’ll wait."
"Yeah...you’re
right ... He’ll wait."
With that Hutch
went downstairs but only to buy his lunch...not to sit and eat it!
Chapter 11
All of 10 minutes
went by. In the elevator, all he could think about was Starsky...he thought how
lucky Starsky was to be loved by so many people. Starsk had this way about
him...maybe that grin of his...maybe that curly hair...who knows ...all Hutch
knew was that he was glad someone was up there looking out for his buddy.
Floor 7, finally.
Kathy was right. Hutch was looking forward to sitting down and eating...maybe
this is what I need.
Even if it is
"Hospital food".
As he stepped off
the elevator and headed for Starsky’s room, he started to hear this wonderful
sound... Just as he reached the door, he realized what he was hearing....
singing ... the most beautiful singing.... Hutch just stood at the entryway and
there before him sitting at his friends bedside was Starsky’s "other"
angel. There Kathy sat, holding onto
his hands ever so gently. Looking down at David she sang:
Heaven can wait,
and
a band of angels wrapped up in my heart
gonna take me through the lonely night
through the cold of the day
And I know, I know
Heaven can wait
and
the gods come down here just to sing for me
and the melody’s gonna make me fly
without pain, without fear
give me all of your dreams and
let me go along on your way
give me all of your prayers to sing
and
I’ll turn the night into the skylight of day
I’ve got a taste of paradise
I’m never gonna let it slip away
I got a taste of paradise
It’s
all I really need to make me stay....
Just like a child again
Heaven
can wait
and
all I got is time until the end of time
I won’t look back
I won’t look back
Let the altars shine
And I know that I’ve been released
but I don’t know to where
and Nobody’s gonna tell me now
and I don’t really care
no no no
I got a taste of paradise
That’s
all I really need to make me stay
I got a taste of paradise
If I had it any sooner you know
you
know I never would have run away
from my home
Heaven can wait
and
all I got is time until the end of time
oh I won’t look back
I won’t look back
let the alters shine
Heaven can wait
ah Heaven can wait
I won’t look back
Iwon’t look back
let the altars shine
let the altars shine
Hutch just stood
there in the doorway silently watching as his best friends other
"ANGEL" just poured out her heart to him. Tears began to well up as
he listened...
"David,"
Kathy said through her tears, "I
know you heard that. I know that’s how you feel. I can’t explain it but I just
know. You see ... you are not alone David. Your angel is here with you, constantly
watching over you. He’s wonderful, but I am sure you already know that. Somehow
I just know that you are going to come back to us. You have things to do David,
and I know from what your partner says about you that you can’t leave things
undone. And with all of the other stuff that’s happened to you well...let’s
just say you are what God would call a living Miracle."
With that, she
brushed back the curly black locks with her hand being ever so gentle. "Oh
David ...you are warm," she said.
Hutch stepped
back from the door...Being the gentleman that he was .......He didn’t want to
intrude on their "MOMENT".
"Let me get
you a cold cloth," Kathy said, and with that she got up and walked towards
the bathroom...she picked up a cloth and moistened it under the tap with warm
water then she put it in a cool alcohol solution. Wringing it out, she said,
"There you go, David."
She just rubbed
his brow...."I know this feels better."
Now she got to thinkin’...I wonder what color his eyes are?
What does his
voice sound like?
His smile...What
does his smile look like?
As she finished
rubbing his face, she put the cloth down and reached over to his hand. As her
hand touched his, she got this big lump in her throat and her eyes began to
fill with tears..."Oh David, please don’t give up. I know there’s some fight left in you...I
feel it.....
Chapter 12
Hutch, once again
silent in the doorway, was thinking that his partner certainly was
lucky......"Ah-hem?"
Kathy moved and
spoke. "Hutch? How long have you....."
"Long
enough," he interrupted, "to know that David’s in good hands."
"Oh God,
Hutch!" Kathy said crying... “He just can’t die.”
"I know
Kathy, I know." Hutch pulled her into a soft embrace of comfort.
"Hey, Thanks
Kathy...for sitting with him. Your kind words and thoughts well...they’re just
what he needed."
"You know
what?" Kathy said.
"What?"
"I think I’m
in love - you know?"
"Yeah I do!
Hey ...we got us a long night here, let’s settle in, okay?"
"Okay,
Hutch...you’re the boss."
"Oh ...and
Kathy..."
"Yes?”
"Thanks for
the break."
Chapter 13
Friday 6:20 am
Hutch was
beginning to stir in the chair in his partners room.
Kathy had put in a
double shift during Starsky’s stay...and she wasn’t about to quit now. David
Starsky was a friend now. No way was she going home...She was going to be there
when he woke up.
She glanced down
at her watch...6:20 am... "Maybe I should look in on him again?" She last checked on him at 5:30 am and even
then there was no change.
"Jesus! This
can’t be a good sign. 36 hours had gone
by and still no change," she thought to herself..."I can’t think bad
thoughts...Hutch and David still need me. I gotta be strong."
As she got up and
was walking down the hall to her patients room, she couldn’t help noticing that
it was setting up to be a really sunny and warm day. The sky was crystal clear
blue and there wasn’t a cloud in it. "Please God. Bring relief for my friends
today. They have been through so much already."
As she opened the
door to David’s room, she noticed Hutch first. Sleeping just as he had on and
off over the past 36 hours all curled up in that chair, but he was stirring
just the same. She went over to him and fixed the blanket that had worked it’s
way down towards the floor.
"There," she said, "that should be better." And with
that she ran her hand over his blonde hair and then turned towards David.
Lying still in
that bed...going over to the monitors she noticed that there still was no
change. David was still comatose, & sedated.
"Kathy? Is
that you?"
"Yes, Ken.
Just checking David."
"Again? Is
he okay?"
"The same,
sweetie...the same. I just...well
something told me that I should come in. You know?"
"Yeah, I
know."
Hutch got up and
went over to his partner’s bed, and just like he had done so many times during
the past 36 hours, he put his hand down and picked up Starsky’s hand in his.
"He’ll be
okay, Hutch."
"Yeah, Kathy...Hey,
thanks I needed that."
"Huh?"
"Didn’t you
just rub my hand?"
"Ah....No?
No, Ken, I didn’t."
With that they
both looked at each other ...and then at David...............
Chapter 14
Well...Kathy’s
been an ICU nurse long enough to know when someone was coming out of a coma!
They watched David’s hand with anticipation..... There! There it was... a very
slight movement from his thumb!
"Oh God,
Kath---He’s waking up!" Hutch said.
With that, Kathy
went out of the room, and ran down the hall. She grabbed the phone on the desk
and dialed...
"This is
Kathy up on 7 ... The patient in room 7218 is waking up!" Then she hung up
the phone and told Kelly to page Dr. Martin. She would need help to remove the tube
from your throat. When she got back to the room, she found Hutch leaning down
over his partner.
"It’ll be
okay buddy! Don’t move!"
Kathy came over
and told Hutch that it was going to get crowded in there very soon so he should
stay out of the way. He could be close but they would have to get the tube out.
Kathy moved right
in to stand next to David. Then she took his hand. Holding tightly, she
thought..."Where the hell is Martin?"
As the both of
them, Kathy and Hutch, stood there looking down towards Starsky, he slowly
began to open his eyes.
Kathy let go of
his hand and leaned down towards him..... "David! Please try to take it
easy. Hutch is here too. And don’t try to talk." The tears were streamin’
down her face. "We have to get that tube out first. Doc Martin’s on his way. If you understood
that please blink your eyes once for me. Okay?"
With that he
blinked. Kathy’s whole body shook....."Great sweetheart! Great !" She
bent down and laid a kiss on his forehead and ran her hand through his dark
curls.
With that Doc
Martin rushed in. "How is our boy?"
Kathy read his
vitals and said, "Good to go,
Doc!"
"Okay Kathy,
let’s do it."
"David. I’m
Dr. Martin. We have to take the tube out. Do you understand?"
He blinked.
"I guess
that means yes! "
He blinked again.
Kathy came close
to her new friend and said,
"Promise me David…You won’t try to talk, right?"
He blinked yet
again.
She knew that it
would hurt, but she knew her friend too.
Kathy stood
behind David holding his neck, while Dr. Martin reached for the tube.
"Ken, please hold his arms?"
"Sure! Don’t move buddy!"
Dr. Martin looked
at David and said, "When I count to 3 I want you to push like you were
coughing okay?"
He blinked.
"Okay guys
on three...Ready? One..Two.. Three!”
David did what he
was told but it still hurt like a son-of-a-gun. It felt like bristles of a
brush being brushed all the way down his throat!
"God! He
thought It’s gotta end soon."
There it was finally out!
Hutch looked at
his partner who now had tears running down his face. "Welcome back Buddy!
We missed ya!”
“Ah Ah Ah !"
was all he said as David tried to open his mouth to speak...
" Don’t talk
yet, Gordo. Kathy’s gone to get you
some ice chips."
No sooner said
did Kathy come back to the room. At David’s bedside she began to give him the
Ice chips. "There isn’t that better?"
He blinked. Starsky looked up at Hutch..."What a
beautiful sight. Man!"and then he looked at Kathy again...She too was
looking at David...Deep into those dark indigo eyes of his.
Kathy thought for
a moment then moved to speak. "David? I’m Kathy...It’s nice to finally
meet you."
Hours seemed to
go by, but it was only minutes...David Michael Starsky had his life back. And
with his first breath, with everything in him, he looked at his two angels and
said, "Hey ...you were right!"
"Huh?"
Hutch and Kathy stood there wondering about what he said.
"Heaven Can
Wait!"
Hutch and Kathy
looked at each other smiling and then turned to him...
"Yeah! We
know! "
The End