SUNBURN
BY: Lin P and Linda H
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It had been a long day at the beach. After numerous games of volleyball, a few
too many beers and far too many hotdogs, Starsky flopped contentedlydown on his
towel.
Glancing around, looking for his blond partner, he was not
surprised to find him talking to the lifeguard. Well, he really couldn't blame his friend. She was a total babe;
blond shoulder-length hair, cute Canadian accent. Said her name was Lin
something or other.
Eyes drooping closed, Starsky decided a nap was in
order. He never realized he was laying
in direct sunlight, or that he had failed to put on sunscreen.
One hour later Hutch ambled back over to his friend and his
mouth dropped open. Gazing at the beet-red back and legs, Hutch knew the skin
was badly inflamed. He nudged Starsky's side gently with his toe. Starsky's
eyes slowly opened.
Feeling guilty for not paying closer attention to his
partner, Hutch was at a loss as to what to do.
First things first. He had to get Starsky out of the sun. He hunched
down beside his languid friend.
"Come on, get up." Hutch urged. " You're
burning."
"So?"
"Starsky," Hutch pushed his shoulder a little, and
Starsky flinched.
"See? You're *roasting* as we speak. All we need is
some carrots and potatoes"
Starsky slowly rolled over onto his back and immediately
winced.
"Ahhh, damn." Awkwardly, he pulled himself up to a
sitting position and squinted sleepily. "Whas happenin'?"
Hutch grimaced helplessly and stood up. "Get up,
Starsky! And slowly. You've got to cover up.
You're going to be lucky if this doesn't make you sick."
"Okay, okay." Starsky grumbled back. After he
stood, Hutch helped him ease his arms into his short-sleeved shirt. "I'll
do it..." He patted Hutch's hands away and buttoned up the front.
Within minutes, they were at Hutch's car in the parking lot,
loading their gear into the trunk, when Starsky started to stumble sideways.
Hutch caught his arm quickly.
"You okay?" Hutch held the sunburned limb as lightly as he could.
Starsky squeezed his eyes shut a few times as his head spun.
"Yeah...no...so dizzy Hutch."
"All right. Let's get you in the car and out of
here."
Still hanging onto Starsky's arm, Hutch guided him around to
the car-door and opened it. Starsky
slowly climbed in. "Oh man, my legs are even killin' me," he moaned
as he straightened them out as far as he could.
As Hutch rounded the car to the driver's side he spotted a
nearby water fountain. He reached into the back-seat and found an empty plastic
pop bottle. Glancing at Starsky he said, "Back in a flash."
In a moment he was climbing into the car and handing Starsky
the full pop bottle. "Here, drink this."
Starsky took the bottle and drank most of it as the LTD
pulled out of the parking lot. Finally,
he brought it down from his mouth. He fumbled to put the cap back on, squinting
down and aiming wrong a few times. Finally he got it.
Starsky leaned back against the headrest and closed his
eyes. "Ohhh Hutch."
"Feel sick?" Hutch glanced worriedly at him.
"Jus'...don't mention it." Starsky mumbled.
"Okay." Hutch was running what little medical
knowledge he had through his head. It didn't take long. "You know what you
should do when we get home? Get into a cold shower."
Eyes still closed, Starsky ran his tongue over his dry lips
then swallowed. "Why? I ain't horny." He snickered but it fell flat.
Hutch rolled his eyes. "Idiot," he muttered under
his breath.
Another mile down the road Starsky stirred.
"Hutch?"
"What?"
"Stop the car."
"Aw damn." The LTD wheeled over to the shoulder of
the road, sending plumes of dust behind it. The passenger door opened and
Starsky almost fell out.
Hutch stayed in his seat, looking out his window, trying to
concentrate on anything but the sounds coming from the far side of the car.
Finally his conscience got the better of him. He pushed his door open and
reluctantly got out.
He found Starsky on his hands and knees in the dirt. Though
he was finished being sick his attempts to get up where pitiful. He wobbled and
swayed on his four limbs.
"Oh, Starsk." Hutch put his hands under Starsky's
arms and helped hoist him to his feet. Starsky leaned heavily against him.
"All done." Starsky said simply.
"You're all done all right." Hutch steered him
back into the car. He leaned in to look at his friend's flushed face. Bleary
eyes looked back at him.
"You know what? I'm going to take you to the hospital,
Starsk."
"No...no." The dark head shook slowly. "This
happened before. I'll be okay. Jus'...get me in 'n get me home."
Hutch decided that he'd keep a close eye on him for the next
few miles then make up his mind about the hospital. If Starsky showed any more deterioration,
he'd be going to the ER whether he liked it or not.
Hopefully, he reasoned to himself, the episode on the side
of the road was due more to Starsky's four hot dogs and large consumption of
beer, than his overexposure to the sun.
They made it to Starsky's apartment without any further
mishaps.
Once inside, the door closed, Starsky headed for the couch
but Hutch cut him off.
"Uh uh." he said. "You're going for a cold
shower."
Geez..." Starsky felt too weak to argue as he was
slowly guided down the hall.
In the washroom Hutch propped him against a wall. "Uh,
Starsk." he said hesitantly and stepped back. "Get your clothes off,
get in there, and cool that skin off."
Hutch pointed to the shower.
"..'kay." But Starsky didn't offer to move. He
started to sway again when Hutch caught him and eased him down onto the closed
toilet seat.
"What ya doin?" Starsky mumbled as Hutch
unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it gently off.
"I'll sponge your back right here. Just sit
still."
Hutch ran a wet, cold cloth up and down Starsky's back while
his partner silently leaning against the sink. After ten minutes of this, Hutch
bent down to peer into his friend's face.
"Better?" He asked quietly.
Starsky nodded, his eyes heavy. "Yeah...but...how about
some aspirin? Gotta helluva headache comin."
"Yeah, sure." Hutch got three aspirin and a glass
of water and watched Starsky take them.
"Okay, one more trip." Hutch helped him to his
feet again. They made slow progress to the bedroom where Hutch deposited him
onto the bed.
Starsky sank back into the softness, then rolled onto his
side. With half his faced buried in the
pillow, one blood shot eye peeked up at Hutch and he mumbled something.
"What'd you say, Starsk?" Hutch knelt down beside
the bed 'til he was eye-level with Starsky.
Starsky raised his head just a little, enough to try again.
"I said...thanks."
Hutch smiled. "No problem."
"..utch..?"
"Yeah?"
"I say...'yer 'alright...'n matter what the rest of 'em
say." A tiny smile flashed across his friend's face.
Hutch watched him as he fell asleep. "That's all that
counts." He smiled. "Mush Brain."
THE END