CHAPTER 8

Starsky took the receiver from her hand as she held it out to him from across the desk. Then he placed it to his ear…and cautiously began to speak.

“Hi Capn’…” He said as he winced and quickly pulled the phone a little away from his ear so that the sound of the older man’s harsh voice wouldn’t break his eardrum.

“ I see it isn’t you. So what happened to Hutch…and why didn’t you call me? He said with a bit of sarcasm in his voice. “I know it’s not real important but YOU DO HAVE OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES! WHAT DO YOU THINK I’M RUNNING HERE?…A DAY CARE?

“Sorry Cap…” Starsky began as he held the phone a little closer to his ear. “I’ve been here all night and…”

“SO YOU COULDN’T HAVE CALLED ME AT HOME? I’VE BEEN ON THE PHONE ALL MORNING
TRYING TO TRACK THE TWO OF YOU DOWN!”

“You were worried about us.” Starsky grinned as he spoke.
 

“OF COURSE I WAS WORRIED…The hospital was the only other place I could think of…and you better call Huggy. He’s out looking for you.”

He paused as his voice filled with concern with his next question.

“How is he?”

Starsky cleared his throat before answering him. “I don’t know for sure yet. I was just on my way up to see him.”

“So was he shot? Was he stabbed? Did he get hit by a car? How many guesses do I get?” Dobey asked him knowing their history of injuries.

“He choked on an apple.” Starsky told him softly.

“He’s in the HOSPITAL…because he choked on an APPLE?” Dobey questioned him. “DID I HEAR YOU RIGHT?”

“Yeah…He couldn’t breathe.” Starsky told him knowing how far fetched the whole idea must sound to him. “They had to cut his neck open and shove a tube down his throat.”

Dobey thought about it for a moment. Of all the strange things that had happened to his two young detectives…this had to top the list.

“Give him my regards and keep me posted…I’ll try to break away this afternoon to see him.” Dobey offered as his voice grew soft. “…and Starsky.”

“Yeah …”

“Don’t ever do this to me again.”

“Thanks Capn’…” He said with a smile as he handed the phone back to the waiting nurse…who had been listening in on the conversation the whole time.

She took it from him and placed it back on the hook as she spoke to him.

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah…He’s not too angry…thank God.”

“He sounds like he really cares about you…I’m sorry…I couldn’t help overhearing.” She told him shyly.

“Yeah…He’s a real Schweetheart.” He said in his best Bogart voice as he smiled at her.

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Hutch caught the uneasy look she was giving him and knew that his response had been totally inappropriate. Guess she WASN’T who he thought she was after all. So he was forced to confess the truth to her.

He grabbed the pen and paper he had kept in the portable bed table and began to scribble out a message.

“What are you doing now?” she asked as he continued to write…but he didn’t answer her.

“I’m sorry…I don’t know who you are….I don’t remember.” He wrote carefully making sure she would be able to read it.

He tore off the page and presented it to her…and waited for her reply.

“So you make a habit of kissing strange women?” she asked him curiously.

He didn’t respond with words…but his eyes told her that he was acting out of desperation.

“I can’t believe you don’t know me…it’s Cassie Hutch…I’m you’re…friend.” She prompted as she looked at him with a sadness that shown on her pretty face. “We’ve spent so much time together…you HAVE to remember.”

He just hung his head and shook it slowly back and forth…indicating that he was sorry…but he just didn’t.

She took him by the hand and began to speak to him…telling him everything she could to bring his memory back. The rape…the talks that they had…the laughter they shared…all of it. A few times she mentioned Davey…but he didn’t know who she was referring to. He just sat quietly as she laid it all out for him. He felt that the least he could do for her…was to listen.

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Starsky turned around to make his way to the elevator when a familiar face caught his eye. Coming in through the automatic doors of the waiting area was Huggy. He spotted Starsky right away and quickly approached him.

“Dobey want’s to see you…What are you doing here…Where’s Hutch?” Huggy blurted out in a panic.

“He’s upstairs…I already spoke to Dobey…I was just going up…wanna join me?” Starsky said answering all of his questions in one breath.

“I’ve been beating the streets looking for you…I shoulda’ known this is where you’d be.” Huggy scolded him as he proceeded to walk with him to the elevator.

“I’m sorry Hug…but I’m glad you’re here.”

“Where’s Cas?”

The elevator doors closed as Starsky informed him that he had already sent her upstairs to see him. A bit more conversation took place between them as they were lifted up to the fourth floor. As the doors opened…Huggy’s last words were audible.

“He choked on a WHAT?”

“An apple…He was eating in bed again.” Starsky told him as they made their way down the hall. “It was all my fault.”

“Wanna’ run that one by me…How was it YOU”RE fault?”

“I made him laugh…That’s how it happened.”

“Don’t blame yourself man…” Huggy said as he put his hand on his friends shoulder. “The guy’s always choking on something…How many times has it happened at my place?”

“Everytime I caught him with a mouthful…That’s why I shoulda’ known better.” Starsky told him as he stopped in front of the door to his room. “This is it.”

They pushed the door opened and found Cassie talking to him with tear-filled eyes. Telling him about the time she had come to live with Davey…and he had set her room up for her…with her posters and her stuffed animals. She never moved them from the positions he had placed them in. They reminded her of him…and the sweet thing he had done for her.

Starsky caught the look of sadness in his face as he smiled at her words…

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  Chapter 9
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