Starsky had no idea what had happened. One minute he and his little friend had been talking about this and that and the next minute he had been bowled over by what he could only describe as a blonde tornado. He sat up and rubbed his right elbow where it had made painful contact with a rather large rock. His first thought was for the young girl and he was relieved to see her safe in the loving embrace of a woman whom he assumed was her mother.
His next thought was to find out what the heck Hutch thought he was doing. “Hey, Hutch,” he said, with more than just a hint of annoyance. “What’s gotten into you? Are you crazy?” He turned around, determined to get an explanation for this strange behavior, only to find that Hutch was lying immobile in the grass. A large tree branch partially concealed the still form and Starsky gasped when he realized that both were lying where he and the girl had been just moments before.
“Hutch?” he asked anxiously, moving to kneel beside the still form. “Hutch! Are you ok? Huh? Come on, man, wake up! Hutch?”
Starsky carefully moved the tree branch off the injured man then gently probed the back of his head looking for injuries. There, to his dismay, he found a large lump, sticky with blood. He reached into his back pocket and drew out his handkerchief, pressing it against the oozing wound.
By this time, a small crowd had gathered and a young woman stepped forward to kneel down beside Starsky.
“I’m a nurse,” she said reassuringly. “Why don’t we roll him over and get a better look at him?”
After carefully assessing the wound on the back of Hutch’s head, she and Starsky gently rolled the blonde onto his back. Although he was pale and still unconscious, his pulse was strong and steady and his respirations were normal. Someone in the crowd had thought to wet a towel in a nearby fountain and pressed it into Starsky’s hand.
“C’mon, Hutch’” he said in a low, even voice as he gently wiped the man’s brow. “Time to wake up now. Nap time’s over.”
To Starsky’s immense relief, Hutch began to stir and opened his eyes. He looked bewildered at first, then understanding dawned on his face. “Hey,” he said in a voice that was weak and shaky. “You and the girl ok, Starsky?”
Starsky could not believe his ears. “Don’t ya got that a little mixed up there, Blondie? I’m supposed to be asking you if you’re ok. You’re the one that’s layin’ on the ground bleeding all over my hankie.”
“Listen,” interjected the nurse who had all but been forgotten. “We need to get him to a hospital to be checked out. He may have a concussion.”
“No way!” Hutch’s tone left no room for argument. “I am NOT going to a hospital. Just help me get up and I’ll go back to my room and take a couple aspirins. I’ll be fine.”
“Hold on a minute, Hutch. If this nurse thinks you should be checked out, then maybe you should go. It may not be such a bad idea.”
“The only thing they can do for me at a hospital is put me in a room where people I don’t even know can come by and wake me up every hour to see if I need a sleeping pill. No thank you. Just help me back to my room, would ya?”
“Just stay where ya are, Hutch. I’m going to talk to Florence Nightingale here and see what we can do.”
Starsky stood up and pulled the nurse to her feet. They moved several feet away to a spot where they could talk privately. Starsky kept a close watch on Hutch and was relieved when another young woman took over the job of wiping his face with the wet towel.
“So,” Starsky began, “Is what he’s saying true? I mean, is there any other reason for him to go to the hospital other than for someone to watch him?”
“Well, they may want to take an x-ray or two to see if anything is broken, but I doubt it.”
“Ok then. It’s settled. If he doesn’t want to go to the hospital he doesn’t have to. I’ll stay with him for the next 24 hours and keep an eye on him. Is there anything in particular I should watch for?”
“Yes. If he starts vomiting or has a high temperature or if he loses consciousness again, you will need to get him to the hospital right away. Otherwise, just put some ice on his head, keep his head elevated and try to get him to rest as much as possible. He may be wobbly for awhile and I’m sure he’ll have a splitting headache, but that’s to be expected. Are you sure you’re up for this?”
“Absolutely!” Starsky replied with a confidence he really didn’t feel.
“Ok then. I’ll leave him in your capable hands.” With that final remark, the nurse made her way back to the group of friends she had left behind.
As he watched her take off down the path, Starsky abruptly realized he was so concerned with Hutch’s injury he had neglected to get the nurse’s name or phone number. ‘Boy,’ he thought to himself with a wry grin. ‘I must really be slipping!’
“Ok, Hutch, here’s the deal,” Starsky said as he returned to kneel once again at Hutch’s side. “I’m gonna take you back to your room, tuck you in and then I’m gonna baby-sit ya for the next 24 hours or so. Whatta ya think?”
“I don’t need a baby sitter, Starsky, thank you very much! If you’ll just help me up, I think I can manage from there.”
Starsky decided not to argue. Instead, he reached down and pulled Hutch to his feet, steadying him as he regained his balance. He watched in alarm as all the color drained out of the blonde’s face. “Hey Hutch? What say we sit down and rest a minute before we go back to the Academy? I’m kinda tired.” Hutch gratefully took his cue and sank to the ground, unable to take even one step on his own.
“Hutch,” Starsky began hesitantly. He instinctively knew better than to push the issue but he also knew someone had to keep an eye on this man. “Look at me.” Hutch slowly raised his head. Starsky could see the pain and fear harbored deep in those eyes and his heart went out to him. He could understand the pain; getting bonked in the head with a tree had to hurt. But where was the fear coming from? He decided the only way to find out was to ask.
“What’s wrong Hutch? What are you afraid of?”
Hutch tore his gaze away from Starsky’s face. “Nothing,” he said matter-of-factly. “I just have a headache, that’s all.”
Starsky sighed in exasperation. This was not going to be easy. Maybe if he could get Hutch back to his room, they would have time to talk about things then. All he had to do was get him back there somehow.
“I have a great idea! Why don’t we get you back to your room and then I’ll go get us some food. How does that sound?” Starsky had no intentions of leaving Hutch alone for the rest of the day but he figured, one step at a time. If he could get Hutch to agree to this, he would take it from there. ‘Blondie may be stubborn,’ he thought to himself, ‘but I’m sneaky!’
“I have to admit that lying down for a while sounds like a good idea,” Hutch said reluctantly. “Let’s give it a shot, shall we?”
Starsky once again reached down and pulled Hutch to his feet. This time, however, he put Hutch’s arm around his shoulder and they made their unsteady way back to the Academy.