The ambulance ride seemed to last for hours, though it was really only a matter of minutes. Hutch had insisted on going along, though Starsky was barely conscious of his presence.
Hutch continued a litany of encouragement, “Hang in there, Starsk. We’re almost there; don’t leave me now, buddy.” He wasn’t sure if his partner could hear him or not, but hoped he was getting through at some level.
The medical staff whisked the gurney into the emergency room and slammed the door in Hutch’s face. “Sorry, sir, no one allowed beyond this point,” the polite, but stern nurse told him. Within minutes, Captain Dobey arrived and began the tortuous waiting with Hutch.
Hutch rubbed his forehead, trying to stave off the tension headache that was mounting quickly. He knew it could be a long night and dreaded the waiting. Maybe he should call someone…Starsky’s mother, Huggy, Kira...
With the thought of Kira, Hutch stopped short. God, if he could only take back the last few days! The wave of guilt was overwhelming. He knew now the brief excitement of his involvement with the woman hadn’t been worth the pain he’d caused his friend.
What if Starsky didn’t make it? What if he died without Hutch having a chance to make it up to him? The thought was more than he could endure. Hutch jumped up from his seat and began pacing, no longer able to hold in the anxiety.
“Hutchinson—Ken, relax son,” Dobey said soothingly. “It could be a long wait. Try not to get too worked up. You know he’s strong and as stubborn as a mule.”
“Cap’n, you don’t understand,” Hutch said. He felt an overpowering need to unburden himself of the guilt. “We kind of had a falling out and I’ve acted like a real jerk. I, well…I uh, haven’t had a chance to make things right.” Hutch looked down as he spoke.
“I know you two have been at odds for several days now. I know it’s affected your work and I hoped you’d had a chance to resolve your differences. In all the time you two have been working for me, neither of you ever asked to be reassigned.” Dobey shook his head in disbelief. “It must have been a doozy of a fight.”
“It was,” Hutch said quietly. “And I could’ve prevented it, but I didn’t.” Hutch rubbed his eyes, trying to discreetly brush away the tears lurking behind the lids.
“Well, he’ll pull through, and you’ll have a chance to clear it up.” Captain Dobey awkwardly laid his hand on Hutch’s shoulder. “You know Starsky’s never stayed mad with you for any length of time. This time will be no different.”
“Cap’n, the blood…” Hutch closed his eyes, remembering the dark pool staining the rooftop where Starsky had lain. “Did you see how much blood he lost? I think he went into shock.”
Dobey didn’t answer. He also believed that Starsky had gone into shock. The deathly white pallor of the detective’s face as he was lifted into the ambulance had been a frightening sight for the veteran cop. He had seen his own partner bleed to death many years earlier, shortly after he had joined the force.
The next hour and a half passed in silence, as neither man could offer the other further encouragement. Hutch continued the incessant pacing and Dobey simply sat staring at the floor. Finally, the doctor appeared in the doorway and asked who was there with Detective Starsky.
“Right here,” Hutch said anxiously. “How is he? Can I see him?”
“I’m Dr. Riser,” he said. “And you are...”
“Detective Hutchinson. He’s my partner. This is Captain Dobey. We’re the closest thing to family he has here in LA.”
The doctor nodded his understanding. “Well, he’s a very lucky man. We’ve stopped the bleeding for now. It wasn’t easy, as the bullet nicked a lung. We’ve given him two units of blood and I’ve ordered four more. We’ll wait and see if that’s enough. He was in shock when he arrived here, but I believe we’ve stabilized him for now.”
Dobey and Hutch simultaneously let out a sigh of relief. The doctor noted this and hurried on, “However, he’s not out of the woods yet. If we can prevent further internal bleeding, I think he stands a good chance of recovery. The next few hours will be critical.”
“Can I see him?” Hutch asked again.
“He’s unconscious, Detective,” Dr. Riser answered. “But if it’ll make you feel better to see him, I don’t think it could do any harm. We’ll be moving him to ICU in a few minutes. Once he’s settled, you can go in and sit awhile. I can’t honestly tell you when or if he’ll regain consciousness this early in the game.”
After what seemed a lifetime passed, a nurse escorted Hutch to ICU. Starsky presented a stark vision, his ghostly white face contrasted by the curly, midnight black hair. He lay motionless, his breathing shallow, but even. Hutch was encouraged that Starsky wasn’t hooked up to any breathing apparatus, just the transfusion IV and several monitors which were recording his heartbeat, blood pressure and other vital statistics.
Hutch pulled a chair close to the bed and sat where he would be within Starsky’s line of vision, should he unexpectedly open his eyes. “Starsk, I’m here,” he said quietly, as he reached over and took his partner's hand. “I’m gonna stay with you, buddy.”
There was no acknowledgment from the man who lay quietly clinging to life. But Hutch expected none. It just made him feel better, being able to say the words.
The allotted visiting time came and went, but Hutch made no effort to leave. The nurse came in, touched him lightly on the arm and told him he should leave now. “I need to be here,” he told her simply. The nurse decided not to press the issue, and quietly left the room. It had been her experience that even with unconscious patients, having a loved one near by could be beneficial.
Eventually overcome by fatigue, Hutch laid his head against the bed railing and fell asleep. He woke when another nurse came in to hook up the sixth unit of blood. She encouraged Hutch to go home and rest, but he still refused to leave.
“He’s doing much better,” she offered. “The last lab report shows his blood count is coming back up. That indicates the internal bleeding has stopped. So perhaps he’ll regain consciousness soon.”
Hutch rubbed his eyes and rose to stretch his legs, “I can’t leave yet,” he said. “I have something important to tell him.”
The nurse didn’t argue. She and the others assigned to the ICU that night had decided Detective Hutchinson would be allowed to stay.
š ›
Hutch woke again when his shoulder was gently prodded by Captain Dobey. “Ken, go get some coffee. You look like hell. I’ll sit with him awhile.”
Hutch fought his way up from the restless sleep in which he had been submersed. He stretched his stiff back and neck before standing to face his boss.
“Besides,” Dobey went on, “there’s a young lady in the waiting room who wants to see you. Kira heard about the shooting this morning when she arrived at work and insisted on coming right down.”
This was not welcome news to Hutch. He wasn’t sure yet what he wanted to say to Kira, but he was sure of one thing. He intended to end his relationship with her, whether Starsky pulled through this crisis or not. Even if she was sincere, but confused about her feelings for the two of them, Hutch would not let her destroy their friendship.
“Before you talk with her, I’d like to see you outside for a minute,” Dobey whispered. The two men stepped into the hallway.
“Hutch, after our talk last night, I realized that the problems between you and Starsky started about the same time Kira Clark was assigned to our department to work on the dance hall murders. I hadn’t requested her. Dan Parker, the Captain of her precinct, called me and said he would consider it a favor if I’d give her a chance to do some undercover work with us.” Dobey paused and cleared his throat before continuing.
“Well, I called him this morning and asked him if there was anything he’d failed to tell me about Detective Clark. It seems that she has a history of causing problems among her male co-workers. She apparently gets her kicks by playing one man against another. Parker sent her to us while he tried to straighten things out in his own department.”
Dobey looked Hutch in the eyes. “Look, I don’t know if something like that happened with you and Starsky, but if it did, don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re not the first.”
Hutch felt a surge of emotions, a combination of anger and disbelief, as he digested what Captain Dobey was telling him. He had been such a fool! Kira didn’t care about either of them. It was all a game to her. The conniving bitch! Well, he’d put an end to it here and now.
“Hutch, calm down before you talk with her,” Dobey suggested. Hutch held up his hand to stop him from saying more.
“I’ll handle it, Cap’n.” he said as he strode forcefully toward the waiting room.