Getting Zach out of the plane wasn't easy. Both Hutch and Starsky had checked on his condition several times during the setting up of their camp. During that entire time, he had shown no signs of waking up. But the minute they started to move him that changed.

The first problem was getting Zach out of the cramped area of the cockpit. There was not enough room for both partners to lift him from the seat in one smooth move. And with Starsky's injured leg, he found it difficult to put enough weight on it to brace himself. Hutch finally scooped Zach up in his arms and staggered towards the doors. He'd stabilized the injured arm as well as he could by strapping it to Zach's body with Hutch's own belt and even though Hutch was as gentle as he could be, Zach moaned and moved when Hutch lifted him.

Afraid that the injured man might start struggling, Hutch laid Zach down on the floor of the cargo area with his head in Starsky's lap. Starsky stroked his hair and spoke to him in a soothing voice. "It's okay, Zach. We're trying to help you. We're going to move you to somewhere where you can stretch out. C'mon, guy." He kept up the quiet nonsense words until Zach quieted. Starsky looked at Hutch with desperation in his eyes.

"We're hurting him, moving him like this. Isn't there something else we can do?"

Hutch shook his head. "I'm sorry, Starsk, but we don't dare leave him in the plane. If it should tip over, Zach could be hurt worse. Not to mention making it that much harder to get to him when help arrives. If we move slowly, and work together, it won't take long."

They decided the best thing to do was for Hutch to go out first holding Zach under the arms and Starsky, his legs. It took a few minutes of maneuvering, one scare when Starsky stumbled getting down from the plane, and a couple of cross words before all three of them were safely out. The movement, along with the jar he received when Starsky almost dropped him, caused Zach to moan again. Hutch and Starsky were almost to the campsite when Zach started the struggling that Hutch had been afraid of.

It took the two of them using all their strength to hang on to Zach and get him to the pallet they'd prepared without dropping him. As they lowered him down, Zach kicked and caught Starsky's injured leg just below the knee. Starsky went down with a barely restrained scream. Hutch quickly arranged Zach on the pallet and hurried to his partner. Starsky was lying on the ground, hanging onto his leg, trying not to whimper at the pain.

"Starsk. Let me look." Hutch tried to loosen Starsky's grip, but his partner was in too much pain to listen. "Aw, buddy. C'mon, let me look." Hutch began to go from worry to panic when he noticed the fresh blood under Starsky's hand. "Starsky!" He hated shouting but it worked. Starsky opened his eyes and stared up at him.

"What?" Starsky gasped out.

"You're bleeding. Let me look at your leg." Hutch didn't like the way his partner's face had paled. But he was somewhat reassured when Starsky finally allowed him to examine the wound. Zach's kick had reopened the top of the cut where it was the deepest causing it to bleed but not heavily. The bandage had pulled away from the leg at that point and the blood had seeped through Starsky's jeans. But it wasn't as bad as Hutch had first feared.

"It's not so bad, partner. But I want you to just sit here for awhile and rest. I'm going to get Zach comfortable then I'm cleaning that wound out. And I don't want any arguments from you either." Hutch patted Starsky's shoulder and went back to his other patient. He knew that Starsky was in mild shock from both the injury and the accident itself. While they had been busy trying to help Zach, it had given Starsky something to concentrate on. Now that the immediate crisis was over and the waiting had begun, his body might give into the shock. Hutch knew that he would need to keep a good eye on his friend.

Zach had stopped thrashing around, but he was still making incoherent noises and moving his head. Hutch made sure that he was elevated enough that he could breathe by folding one of the sleeping bags behind his back then covered him with one of the blankets.

While he was doing what he could to make Zach more comfortable, Hutch was also keeping an eye on Starsky. Starsky was sitting with his eyes closed, leaning back against one of the trees surrounding the little campsite. But whenever Hutch spoke to him, he'd look up or otherwise acknowledge Hutch.

Now that Zach was out of the plane, Hutch was better able to access and treat his injuries. The head wound had stopped bleeding but he couldn't tell how severe it was, although it was badly bruised. Zach's arm was definitely broken about halfway between the wrist and elbow. Hutch splinted the arm with a couple of straight branches that he trimmed with his pocketknife. Zach's leg, unlike Starsky's, was fine in spite of having been caught between the seat and the bulkhead. Satisfied that he'd done what he could for the pilot; Hutch turned back to his partner.

"Hey, buddy. How you doing?" Hutch crouched down beside Starsky and laid his hand on the slumped shoulder.

Starsky opened his eyes and tried to smile at his hovering friend. "Okay, I guess. My leg really hurts, though. And I feel strange."

"What do you mean, 'strange?' Strange how?" Hutch moved his hand from Starsky's shoulder to his wrist. Trying not to worry Starsky, Hutch covertly took his pulse. Counting beats and watching his partner's breathing, Hutch was not surprised to find both faster than normal but was relieved that neither was rapid. Hutch let go of Starsky's wrist and laid the back of his hand on Starsky's forehead.

"Hey, I'm not sick. I just feel a bit dizzy. And I'm cold." Starsky complained and jerked his head away from Hutch's hand.

"No, you don't seem to have a fever." Hutch ignored Starsky's mumblings and examined the wound again. "And you're not bleeding heavily. It's probably just reaction to the accident and to the altitude." Hutch sat back on his heels and locked gazes with his partner. "Listen, Starsk. You're in shock. If you take it easy and do what I tell you, you'll be fine. I've got to clean your leg and I need hot water to do it. I'm going to gather some wood for a fire. I want you to just rest while I'm doing that."

Starsky glared at Hutch, but Hutch stared him down. "Oh, okay, damn it. You're the medical expert here. And the nature boy. I'll just rest on my butt and let you wait on me." He grinned mischievously. "Might be fun at that, having you as my personal slave."

"Just don't get used to it, Gordo. As soon as we're off this mountain, things go back to normal." Hutch ruffled Starsky's hair, then stood up. He looked back over at Zach who was still mumbling.

"He going to be okay?" Starsky's soft voice sounded scared.

"If help comes soon, I think so. The head wound doesn't appear serious, but he's been out a long time and that's never a good sign. Plus he's got a broken arm and that can be serious if it's more than a simple fracture." Hutch looked down at his worried partner. "I'm going to be honest with you, buddy. He's in shock and he's unconscious. Shock can kill a person faster than a bullet. I'm going to do everything I know how to, but I can't guarantee it's going to be enough."

"Damn."

"Yeah. But they know where we are and someone should come looking for us soon. The emergency beacon is on and once I get the fire going they'll see the smoke." The look on Starsky's face tore at Hutch. Fear, hope, and pain were etched into the little frown lines around Starsky's eyes. "Why don't you go and sit beside him. Talk to him, keep him calm. I'll get that fire going. If he wakes up I can give him a little tea. That might help. Oh, and wrap that other blanket around yourself."

Starsky nodded and hitched himself across to sit beside Zach. Hutch watched for a moment as Starsky took Zach's right hand into his and leaned down to speak quietly to him. Hutch was afraid that Zach might be hurt beyond his ability to help him, might have injuries he didn't see. Afraid that if rescue didn't arrive soon, it might be too late. And he was also afraid for Starsky. Between his contaminated wound and his own shock, Starsky could also be in serious trouble.

They all could.

Hutch sighed, and went to gather wood for his fire. And to pray that he was wrong on all counts.

***

Starsky held onto Zach's hand and talked. He had no idea what he was saying except whatever it was seemed to help calm down his injured friend. Zach stopped tossing his head and lay still. Frowning, he seemed to be listening to Starsky but didn't actively respond when Starsky said his name.

"Hey, Zach. Why don't you open up your eyes, buddy? Let me know you're in there." Starsky tried very hard not to let the despair he was feeling reflect in his voice. Or the fear. He turned to watch Hutch as he brought some fallen branches over to a spot he'd cleared for the campfire. Starsky knew that what Hutch had said was the truth. That he didn't know how badly Zach was hurt. Hutch had always told him the truth, even when he knew it was something that Starsky wouldn't like. That was one of the things Starsky appreciated about Hutch. But once in a while, he wished his partner were better at lying.

Starsky felt a cold tremor run down his back and remembered the blanket. Hutch had left it near Zach's pallet and it was within easy reach. Starsky draped it around his shoulders and returned to his vigil. Looking down at Zach's face, Starsky was struck by how vulnerable his friend looked lying there. Like a little kid. God. He wasn't sure if he was praying or not, but Starsky knew that there wasn't anything he could do for Zach and he never felt so helpless in his life.

Zach suddenly jerked, startling Starsky. The pilot sat up half way and resisted Starsky's attempts at getting him to lie down again. Starsky yelled for Hutch and he came running. Dropping to his knees beside Zach, he helped Starsky force the injured man back down. Zach was whimpering and muttering, still not totally conscious. He flung out his splinted arm and just missed braining Hutch.

"Zach! Listen to me. You're safe. It's Dave, Zach. Wake up." Starsky patted Zach's cheek, hoping to get through to the agitated man.

"What's he saying, Starsk? I can't understand it." Hutch, reclaiming the position that he lost when he ducked the flailing arm, asked.

"It's Vietnamese. I don't understand all of it, but he's giving his name, rank, and serial number. He must think he's back in Nam." Starsky was panting with the strain of trying to calm Zach and from the pain the struggle had reawakened in his leg..

Just as suddenly as he started to fight them, Zach relaxed. The quiet was almost as unnerving as his muttering had been. Hutch leaned back on his heels and stared at Starsky.

"I thought he said that the Vietnamese that found them were friendly."

Starsky ran a shaking hand through his curls. "Yeah, well...that's only half of it and I've never gotten the whole story out of him. Friendly villagers did find them but some enemy soldiers had captured them first. The South Vietnamese rescued them. I know that one of the medics was killed and all of them were hurt. That's one reason it took so long for them to be evacuated. But that's really all I know. He'd never talk about it. What I found out, I found out from his mom and she didn't know everything either." Starsky laid his hand on Zach's shoulder. "He was truly to hell and back, Hutch. He doesn't deserve to go out like this."

Hutch covered Starsky's hand with his own. "I know, buddy, I know. All we can do now is hope that they find us soon."

"Dave?" The voice was so soft and hesitant; that at first Starsky didn't realize Zach had spoken. "Dave?"

"Right here, Zach. You with us again?" Starsky barely felt Hutch draw back his hand as Starsky bent down to talk to Zach.

Dazed-looking brown eyes stared up at him. They blinked a couple of times. Then recognition dawned. "Hi."

Starsky grinned hard enough to hurt himself. "Hi, yourself. How you feeling?"

Zach stared up at Starsky as if the question confused him. "What happened?"

"We had a rough landing. Don't you remember?" Starsky tried not to let the little thrill of fear he felt show on his face. He looked back up at Hutch for comfort. Hutch simply shook his head and stood up.

"I'm going to go get that fire going. The sooner I get that water heated up, the sooner I can take care of your leg. If you need me, yell." Hutch walked away. Starsky watched him for a moment, taking in the slumped shoulders and felt the fear grow in his gut. A hand patting at his arm brought him back to Zach.

"Dave. Are you hurt? Hutch said...." A moan interrupted Zach when he tried to sit up again.

"Hey, don't do that. Just lie still." Starsky eased Zach down as the other man gasped in pain. "What hurts? Your head?"

Zach lay with his eyes closed and breathed heavily. His breathing slowed and he smiled. He shifted uncomfortably on the sleeping bag, drawing one leg up off of the elevated end. "Yeah, it hurts. So does my arm and just about everything else." He opened his eyes again and, rolling his head carefully, looked over at Starsky. "You?"

"Just got a little cut on my leg. Hutch is such a mother hen you know. I'm only humoring him." Starsky grinned down at Zach.

"I'm so sorry this happened, Dave. I can't for the life of me figure out what went wrong." Zach closed his eyes again and frowned. "I've never heard a fuel pump make that kind of noise before. It sounded more like a firecracker than anything else. But we'd have been okay if that damn tire hadn't blown. Shit - there goes my almost perfect record." He grinned a little.

It took Starsky a minute to realize that Zach had drifted off again. He couldn't tell if the pilot was asleep or unconscious. Not wanting to disturb him if he were asleep, Starsky climbed to his feet as carefully as he could and hobbled over to where Hutch had a nice little fire going.

When the two of them had been looking through the Piper, they'd found all kinds of interesting things. As Starsky had told Hutch, Zach had enough emergancy equipment in the plane to put a scout troop to shame. Along with the basics of flashlights, water, and dried food, they'd discovered a complete camp cooking set. Hutch had rigged a tripod out of long, peeled branches and had hung the largest pot from it. The water in the pot was steaming and Hutch was going through the first aid kit again. He looked up when Starsky approached.

"I thought I told you to rest." Hutch tried to look stern, but Starsky could tell his heart wasn't in it.

"Yeah, well I didn't feel like resting anymore. I think Zach's asleep and my butt was hurting sitting there." Starsky stood, mostly on one leg, and watched Hutch lay out bandages, gauze, and antibiotic. "He's pretty bad, isn't he?" He didn't know he was going to ask that until he heard the words. Starsky could hardly bear to see the look of compassion in his partner's eyes.

"Yeah. But waking up was a good sign. Let me take care of your leg there, partner. Then I'll fix us something to eat. Zach's got enough stuff here that we could survive for a month. And I think there's a stream just on the other side of the meadow. I remember seeing something when we were coming in." Starsky could tell that Hutch was trying to sidetrack him and he loved him for it. But the beginnings of the pain of loss where already lodged in his chest and nothing Hutch could do would lessen them.

Starsky turned to look at Zach. Lying there, with his feet elevated to help with blood flow and his upper body raised to help with breathing, he looked small and frail. Starsky shivered and closed his eyes. A warm arm wrapped around his shoulders. Starsky looked up into his partner's eyes. "I'm sorry, Hutch. I'm scared. I really am."

"I know."

Leaning into the comfort of his partner's embrace, Starsky looked up at the pale sky, searching its depths for the help he was afraid wouldn't arrive in time. "He's always loved planes, ya know. Even when we were kids, that's all he talked about. Flying his own plane. I guess if you've got to die, at least you should die doing something you love." Sighing, Starsky dropped his gaze and looked back at the damaged Piper. "He's so damn proud of that plane. Sometimes, when he doesn't know I see him, he'll stand there; just touching it like he can't believe it's really his. Deep down, he's a bigger kid than I am." Starsky smiled fondly.

"You know what he told me one time? He said that he loved flying so much that if he didn't have to come down to refuel, he'd forget to eat. He could just fly forever. That it was the closest thing to being totally free that he knew. That when he's flying all alone up there, he thinks he hears God talking to him. Then he laughed and said that I should remember that all pilots are a bit nuts." The sigh that escaped from Starsky was almost a sob. Hutch pulled him in closer.

The two partners stood for a quiet moment; each lost in their thoughts. Then Hutch patted Starsky's arm and released him. "Sit down on that stump, Starsk, and let me fix up your leg."

As gentle as Hutch tried to be, his ministrations still hurt. Starsky hissed and bit his lip against the pain of the warm water. It took a long time, or at least it seemed a long time to Starsky, before Hutch was satisfied that he'd cleaned the wound sufficiently. "That's the best I can do now, buddy. If it starts to swell up or hurt worse than it does, let me know right away." Hutch didn't look up from the bandage he was wrapping around Starsky's leg.

Laying his hand on his partner's head, Starsky ruffled the soft hair. "It's okay, Hutch. I know that you've done all you can under the circumstances." Starsky knew that Hutch understood the unspoken part of that statement. That Starsky would never hold it against Hutch if Zach didn't make it.

Hutch patted Starsky's uninjured leg and stood up. Looking up at the sky, he sighed. "It's a good thing it's light late this time of year. Gives them more hours of daylight to search for us. I'm going to set up a distress signal. The Piper may not be very visible from the air, stuck under that tree and all." He looked down at Starsky. "I want you to stay off that leg as much as you can. You need stitches and that's something you don't want me doing. Trust me on that one, partner."

Starsky smiled gamely at Hutch. "You got it boss. Anything I can do while I'm sitting around on my butt?" He meant the brave words but what he really wanted to do was lie down and sleep until this whole nightmare was over.

Smiling, Hutch reached out an arm and helped Starsky to stand. "No, nothing I can think of right now. Go on back and stay with Zach. The most important thing we can do for him right now is to keep him warm and calm. Talk to him even if he doesn't respond. I won't be too long setting up the signal and then I'll fix us something to eat." Hutch started to turn away, then stopped and turned back. "Take some water with you. If he wakes up again - when he wakes up again - give him little sips, not too much. We have to watch for dehydration. But don't give him too much at once because it might make him sick."

Starsky watched his partner walk off towards the Piper and the small pile of things they'd pulled from the plane thinking they might be useful. Sighing, he made his slow, painful journey back to Zach's side.

****

It didn't take Hutch long to construct the large letter "X" in the middle of the clearing. He hauled rocks from the roadside to the spot he picked, arranging them in the pattern that would signal to any passing aircraft that they were in need of medical help. As he worked, he worried about the length of time they might have to wait for that help. And how much time Zach might have.

There were things he hadn't told Starsky, things he was sure that Starsky already knew. But maybe, just maybe, if they were left unsaid they wouldn't come true. Hutch didn't know how serious Zach's head injury was. And he was not even sure that was the reason for his drifting in and out of consciousness. Hutch had gone to check on both his patients a couple of times as he constructed the signal. Once, Zach had been awake and more or less alert; the next he was out of it again, barely conscious and slightly delirious.

Hutch knew that shock was their worst enemy. He thought back to a rainy night in a restaurant where he watched his best friend slip in and out. Of how he fought against the shock that was more likely to kill Starsky than the actual bullets. Of the fear that he'd not get the situation under control in time to save his partner from his own body's attempts to preserve blood flow. He - they - had won that time. Hutch prayed that they'd win this time too.

For Starsky's sake if nothing else.

He dropped the last stone into place and stretched to ease his back. Trying not to moan from the pain of the overused muscles, Hutch closed his eyes and tried to center his thoughts. Tried to think what else he could do to improve their chances for a speedy rescue. During one of the forays into the Piper, he'd tried to raise someone on the radio, but discovered that it wasn't working. Whatever the problem with it was; Hutch didn't have the knowledge to even begin to fix it. He had to be satisfied with the knowledge that Zach had made contact with someone before they went down and that help would be sent. Eventually. The emergency transponder was working as far as he could tell, so a search party would be able to get a fix on them.

Their biggest problem would be how long it took those search parties to start looking for them. Hutch knew that Search and Rescue operations, while good, were limited in manpower. This being the beginning of the tourist season, the backcountry was starting to fill up with novice campers and hikers and resources were often stretched to the breaking point. It might be hours, or even days, before someone came looking for them.

And Hutch knew that Zach didn't have days. Not if what he feared was true. He might not even have hours.

Looking back up at the clear blue sky, Hutch wondered at the futility of it all. Here they were, three people who only wanted a pleasant day together. Not out to do anyone any harm, they had been minding their own business when this happened. Now, one of them was dying and one was losing someone very precious to them. In his heart, Hutch was glad that it was Zach and not Starsky who was the one dying - if one had to die - and try as he might, he could feel no guilt at that emotion. He just wished he could spare his friend the pain of that impending loss.

Turning his back on his dark thoughts, and the distress signal, Hutch walked back to the campsite. Checking on his friends, he smiled to see both of them asleep, Zach's hand clenched in Starsky's. Zach appeared to be truly asleep and not unconscious, which Hutch supposed was a good sign. Starsky lay with his head just above Zach's on the makeshift pillow. Injured leg stretched out, blanket wrapped tightly around his shoulders, Starsky looked very young and vulnerable. Hutch could see the two boys they must have been all those years ago and he felt almost sick from the sadness that picture brought him.

Hutch left the sleeping pair and went to stoke the fire and make something to eat. Although he couldn't give any food to Zach for now, he knew that Starsky would be hungry. Hutch looked at his watch, surprised, and not a little dismayed to discover it was past five o'clock. They'd been on the ground for almost three hours and Hutch wasn't sure how many more hours of light they'd have. Even though - as he had said to Starsky - the sun did not set until fairly late, he wasn't sure of the conditions in these mountains. He knew it would get cold quite quickly after sunset, especially as high up as they were, and he had to keep Zach warm. Starsky too.

He suddenly felt very tired. The responsibility of two lives, as well as his own, rested squarely on his shoulders. Hutch never felt so alone, or so nearly helpless in his life. Deciding that he'd better gather more wood, he took one last look at his friends and headed out to forage.

*******

Starsky woke with a start, wondering where he was and why he hurt so much. Opening his eyes, he found himself staring at a headful of dark brown hair and remembered. Sitting up was an adventure. His leg had stiffened and his neck felt as if someone was trying to twist it off. His jerky movements roused Zach and he moaned.

"Sorry, Zach. Go back to sleep, buddy." Starsky tried to sooth.

"Tired of sleeping." Zach's voice sounded thready, as if he was having trouble breathing. Starsky pushed himself up onto his knees so he could see Zach's face.

Pale, almost white, Zach was sweating and his eyes were feverishly bright. His broken arm lay on his hip and his right hand lay against his left side. Zach looked up at his friend and the fear in his eyes scared Starsky.

"Zach?" Trying to speak past the knot of dread that was growing in his throat nearly strangled Starsky.

"I don't feel so good, Dave." Zach closed his eyes and tried to take a deep breath. He gasped instead and his hand clenched against his side.

"What is it? Where do you hurt?" Starsky's hands hovered over his friend, unsure what to do to help, afraid to touch and inflict more pain.

"It's okay. I'm fine." Brave words, but the tightly closed eyes and bitten lip belied them.

"Yeah, right. Zach, tell me where you're hurting so I can help you." Starsky looked around, trying to locate Hutch. He finally spotted him on the far side of the meadow, picking up fallen branches.

Zach lay quiet for a minute, obviously trying to regain control over his pain. Finally he opened his eyes and stared up into Starsky's worried face. "I don't think you can help me on this one, Spud." He moved his hand on the blanket. "It's here, I think something's broken inside." He closed his eyes again, tired from the strain of talking.

Hands trembling, Starsky moved Zach's hand enough so that he could loosen the blanket. Pulling it away, he pushed up Zach's shirt and almost gasped at the large bruise covering the lower part of his friend's chest. The belly beneath it looked swollen and Starsky quickly removed his hand when Zach flinched. Starsky looked at Zach's face and tried to smile at the bleak eyes.

"You just lay still. I'm going to go get Hutch. He'll know what to do." Starsky covered Zach up again and patted his shoulder.

"Dave," Zach's quiet voice halted Starsky's getting to his feet. "Don't kid a kidder. It's not good and I know it. Even though I was just the pilot on those Medevacs, I learned a little." Starsky looked down at Zach's calm face and realized that Zach knew he was in serious trouble.

"Look, don't count yourself out yet. Just lie here and we'll be right back." Starsky pushed the lank hair off of Zach's forehead and got up. It wasn't easy. His leg hurt terribly and Starsky swayed for a minute trying to keep from falling. Or throwing up. Gathering strength from somewhere, he started to hobble across the meadow towards Hutch.

Hutch, head down and searching for wood, didn't see Starsky approaching until Starsky was almost halfway across the meadow. Starsky didn't want to shout, but was getting ready to when Hutch looked up. Seeing Starsky, Hutch dropped his armful of wood and loped across the grass towards him.

"Starsk, what's the matter?" Hutch skidded to a stop in front of his partner and grabbed his elbow. Starsky leaned against that support.

"It's Zach. He's in a lot of pain. I looked at his side and he's got this huge bruise. And his stomach looks swollen." Starsky could hear his voice catch and tried to calm down. He knew he wasn't going to be of any help to Zach, or Hutch, if he fell apart now.

Hutch stared at Starsky for a minute then dropped his gaze. Without looking at his partner, he shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "I was afraid of something like this." He raised his head, but wouldn't meet Starsky's eyes again. "We better go and see what we can do for him."

The two of them returned to the campsite, Hutch helping his partner across the uneven ground. Zach hadn't moved since Starsky left except to draw his left leg up and bend the knee. He opened his eyes when Hutch dropped to the ground beside him.

Laying a gentle hand on Zach's forehead, Hutch smiled down at him. "Hey, Zach. Starsky tells me that you're not doing so well."

Zach smiled thinly, "Never knew ol' Spud to be a master of the understatement before." He moved his leg and hissed in pain.

Hutch unwittingly repeated Starsky's movements of removing the blanket and lifting the shirt. He looked down at the bruise for a long minute then gently ran his hand over the swollen belly. Neither Zach's nor Starsky's eyes left Hutch's face as he examined the injured man. Finally, Hutch pulled the shirt down and put the blanket back. Sitting back on his heels, he looked first up at his partner, then at their friend.

"How long have you known you were hurt this badly, Zach?" Not an accusation, simply a request for information.

"Since I first woke up enough to know what was going on. I didn't say anything because I figured they would have come for us before now. I still wouldn't have said anything, except I know that I'm only going to get worse and I wanted you guys to be prepared for that." Zach's long speech seemed to wear him out and he closed his eyes. Taking shallow breaths, he lay still.

Looking at Hutch's face, Starsky knew that it was bad, but he had to hear it. "Hutch?"

Hutch's silence and stricken face said more than any words could have as he stared up at Starsky. "Tell him, Hutch." Zach's quiet voice broke the stillness that seemed to settle over the meadow.

Sighing, Hutch stood and put his hands on Starsky's shoulders. Looking into his partner's eyes, he proceeded to break his best friend's heart. "He's dying, Starsk. And there's nothing I can do to stop it. He's bleeding inside, probably either his spleen or a kidney was injured in the crash. Without surgery, there's nothing that can be done. If help comes soon, he stands a chance. If not...well...." Hutch's voice broke.

Starsky stared at Hutch, his eyes searching his partner's. Knowing the truth, but wanting to deny it. Knowing there was no way he could change things. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying not to give into the grief he'd been feeling since he first saw Zach's body slumped across the controls. He felt his head shaking back and forth in denial and couldn't stop it. All he could do was remember. In his mnd's eye he saw Zach's laughing face as it was that first day they met all those years ago. And felt as if he'd failed somehow.

The strong hands on his shoulders were the only thing that held him up for a space of time as he tried to contain the feeling of loss welling up inside. Finally, Starsky stepped back away from those comforting hands and opened his eyes. "Then help will just have to hurry up and get here, won't it?" He was surprised at how firm his voice sounded. Hutch studied his face for a minute, then apparently satisfied with what he saw; he nodded.

"Yeah. We've got a couple of hours of daylight left, so they could still show up. I'm going to go get some more wood and build a signal fire out in the meadow. Make it good and smoky so that any passing planes will see it." He looked down at Zach, then back at Starsky. "Keep him warm, bathe his face with a wet cloth and only give him small sips of water. We don't want him throwing up and aggravating the injury. I won't be far away. If you need me, yell." Hutch's try at reassurance fooled no one, but both Starsky and Zach were grateful at the attempt.

"Hutch," Zach turned his head on the pallet so he could see the tall blond standing over him. "Use the seat cushions from the plane. They'll make good, dark smoke."

"You sure you want me to do that? I mean, you love that plane." Hutch crouched down again so Zach didn't have to strain to see him.

"I don't think it much matters, Hutch. That plane won't fly again. Not with the damage she's taken." Zach left unsaid what they were all thinking. "Besides, the insurance will cover it. Damage resulting from accident you know." He grinned, looking so young for a moment, that Starsky felt his breathe catch.

Hutch patted Zach's shoulder and stood up. Casting a compassionate look at his partner, he left to prepare the signal fire. Starsky went over to the campfire and threw on more wood, feeling suddenly chilled. Rummaging through the assortment of things they'd brought from the plane, he found a clean cloth and brought it and a water bottle back to Zach.

Sitting down was as hard as standing up had been. The trip across the field had done nothing good for Starsky's leg and it ached. Finally getting as comfortable as possible, he dampened the cloth and wiped Zach's face. "I'm going to tell you something, Zach, and I want you to listen really good. You're not going to die because I won't allow it. You understand? All those years ago, I made a promise to your father that I'd take care of you. I know I haven't done a very good job of it, not for a long time, but I won't let you make me disappoint your dad." Starsky's voice faltered over the last word as Zach's hand grabbed his wrist.

Surprisingly strong, Zach's grip tightened, then he slowly relaxed it, slipping his hand lower until he clasped Starsky's. "Spud, some things are just the way they are. That's one thing I learned in country. And sometimes, no matter how hard we may wish them so, nothing's going to change that. Remember when we were kids and you had to go back to New York? None of us wanted you to go, but we all knew you had to. Life was never the same for any of us after that but if you hadn't gone, who knows what might have happened?" Zach closed his eyes again. He was so still that for a moment Starsky was afraid. Then the dark brown eyes opened again.

"You've always been my best friend, Dave. Even when time and distance separated us. You're the brother I never had. You know that. I know I'm not your best friend anymore and that's as it should be." Zach squeezed the hand in his. "I like Hutch, and not just because you do. I like him because he cares about you. A lot. It's not so bad leaving when you know that the people you love are taken care of. Beck has John. And the new baby. The other girls have good marriages and my parents have all those grandkids to keep them going. My partners will survive without me."

"Zach, stop it. Help will come and everything will be fine. You'll see." Starsky hated the sound of acceptance in his friend's voice. "You got to fight. Nothing's over 'till it's over. That's something *I've* learned over the years. I've come awfully close to dying once or twice. Times when it was a done deal. But I wouldn't give up. And Hutch wouldn't let me. Now I'm going to do that for you. You're not going to die because I won't let you."

Zach wasn't looking at Starsky, wouldn't meet his eyes. "You remember that time when the McClousky brothers cornered me under the bleachers in the gym? The oldest one, what was his name? Oh, yeah - Harold - Harry Butt we used to call him. Anyway, Harry was holding me and the other two were trying to figure out which one was going to punch me first when you and Beck showed up. Don't think any of them knew what hit 'em." He smiled. Starsky dampened the cloth again and wiped his face. He was startled by how cold Zach's skin felt, even though he was sweating. Zach kept talking as if Starsky had not touched him.

"You blindsided Harry and he dropped me. Beck tackled Joey and I got a good right to Richie's jaw. Remember that? You taught me that right cross. We had to pull Beck off of Joey's back and then we took off. Ran right into Coach Tuttle. The McClouskys got suspended for two weeks and the three of us had to clean the gym storeroom. Remember that?"

Zach turned towards Starsky, his eyes hazy looking. "God, I idolized you. You were like Superman and the Lone Ranger all rolled up into one. Did you know I even thought about becoming a police officer after I left the military? Wanted to be your partner, be just like you. But you had Hutch and I knew you didn't need me. Besides, I wanted to fly more than anything else. Dumb, huh?" His eyes slowly closed, then jerked open. Zach shifted, trying to sit up a bit more. He breathed in sharply and drew his eyebrows together in a grimace of pain.

"Hey. Don't move around, Zach. Hutch said you need to lie still." Starsky held Zach's shoulders, trying to quiet the man's movement. Zach suddenly coughed. A dry, rasping sound as if he couldn't get enough air to cough properly. "Zach?" Starsky, not knowing what else to do, eased him up a little more on the pallet, pushing the rolled sleeping bag forward. Zach's gasping breath eased a bit. But his eyes looked unfocused and his skin was even paler than before.

Zach groped for Starsky's arm and hung on. "I'm okay. Just couldn't breath." He looked up at Starsky's face and squinted. Starsky knew that Zach was having a hard time seeing him and leaned down a little closer. "Spud?"

"Right here, pal."

"Don't let me fall asleep again, okay? I don't want to die in my sleep." Starsky felt the tears in the back of his throat at the fear and resignation in Zach's voice.

"Okay. I won't let you fall asleep." Starsky reached for the water bottle. "You want some water, Zach? Might help your throat a little." He held the bottle to Zach's lips when he nodded and tried to help his friend drink. Only allowing him a little, although Zach was having trouble swallowing to get much down, Starsky took the bottle away. "That's enough for now. Hutch said not to give you too much at a time."

"Yeah." Zach lay back against the bag behind him and fought to breathe. "Tell me a story, Spud. Remember when we were kids and we had that tent in your backyard? You'd tell Beck and me those ghost stories. We'd pretend we were out in the woods or something. Beck never let on, but those stories always scared her. Didn't scare me none." He ran out of air and lay pulling in shallow breaths.

"I don't know if I remember any stories, but I'll try." Starsky held Zach's limp hand and tried to think past the screaming in his head. "Okay, did I ever tell you about the time Hutch and I went undercover in that nightclub that was a front for a prostitution ring? No? Well, you should have seen ol' Hutch, dressed like some mid-western hick...." Starsky talked, not really listening to what he was saying. He concentrated instead on watching Zach's face, raising his voice when Zach's eyes started to close. Changing inflection when Zach's attention seemed to wander.

Starsky barely noticed when Hutch came back to the campsite and sat down on Zach's other side. Barely registered the acrid smell when the wind shifted a bit and the smoke from the signal fire wafted towards them. His entire being focused on keeping Zach awake, alive. No matter how. Starsky didn't even notice when Hutch suddenly looked up at the sky and stood. Didn't stop talking, hanging onto his friend for all he was worth with both words and hands.

"Spud." Zach's weak voice broke through the spell Starsky had woven around himself. Around them both. The safe little haven of life and the need to keep Zach there with him. Starsky looked down into the brown eyes and slowly became aware of a new noise over the hushed sound of the wind in the trees and the distant murmur of the creek running along one edge of the meadow.

"Spud. It's a chopper. They've come." Zach's hand twitched in Starsky's as he tried to squeeze it but didn't have the strength. "You'll be okay now. Just like back in Nam, the Medevac pilots always come through." His smile was faint. Zach looked towards the west, his almost unseeing eyes searching for the helicopter that they all could hear more clearly now. Starsky followed his gaze, finally spotting the metallic gleam as the sun glinted off the approaching helicopter.

It took Starsky a moment to realize that Zach's hand had relaxed in his. He looked back down at his friend. Zach's eyes were closed; his body slumped forward towards Starsky.

"Zach?" Starsky barely heard his own voice. Reaching out his free hand, he touched Zach's face, then ran the trembling hand down his cheek until it rested over the large artery in Zach's neck. Holding his breath, Starsky willed the artery to pulse under his fingers. For the blood to be flowing still. But knowing in his soul that it was over.

The search and rescue crew climbed out of the helicopter and joined the three men at the little makeshift campsite. To stand in silence and watch as the blond man wrapped his arms around the curly-haired one crying over the body of his friend.

*******

The days that followed passed in a blur of sadness and denial. Starsky flew to Seattle with Zach's body in a plane piloted by Rory. The funeral, held much later than Jewish tradition called for, was painful. Especially since Hutch wasn’t there. He had stayed behind because they had a murder to investigate.

*******

Because Zach's death had been unattended by medical personnel, an autopsy had to be performed. Neither Hutch nor Starsky were comforted by learning that Hutch's diagnose had been correct. Zach bled to death from a ruptured spleen. The coroner tried to reassure the grieving partners that, even if help had arrived earlier, the chances of Zach's surviving such massive blood loss were slight. And that there had been absolutely nothing either of them could have done for Zach under the circumstances.

During the flight back to Fresno in the helicopter, Starsky remembered what Zach had said about the strange sound the fuel pump made when it malfunctioned. Hutch and he talked about it and decided that it was worth checking into. While the doctors examined Starsky, Hutch made a few phone calls. Starting with the FAA. They agreed to speed up their routine investigation of the accident.

Starsky insisted on being the one to phone Zach's parents. The phone conversation was brief and if Hutch hadn't have been there to lend support, Starsky wasn't sure he would have been able to talk. He never had liked the part of being a cop that required breaking that kind of news to families. But this was different. These people *were* his family. In every way that was important. When he heard Mr. Dahlman's cheerful voice say hello, Starsky almost lost his hard won composure. Sitting in a wheelchair in the emergency room hallway, he leaned against Hutch's side and tried to breathe. After several false tries, the words came and the grief shared.

It had taken a few days for the autopsy to be completed and all the papers to be signed. In the meantime, the partners returned to LA and started the investigation into the plane crash. The FAA investigator, in an unusual show of speed, reported that there had been a small explosive device attached to the fuel pump, set to go off at a specific time. It was only pure bad luck that they'd decided to fly into the mountain range and not straight home. It was also pure blind luck that the bomb had only blown up the lead to the engine instead of the fuel pump itself. The inspector hazarded a guess that the bomber didn't know much about planes and thought he was attaching the bomb to the engine itself.

Because the accident - and probably the planting of the bomb - had occurred in a different county, the partners really didn't have jurisdiction. After some negotiation with Fresno and Tulare counties, they were allowed to head the investigation from their end as everyone agreed that the bombing was probably linked to one of their cases. And the partners were sure they knew which one. The only one that Zach had been involved in. The drug running Torenz brothers.

***

Neither Rory nor Starsky talked much on the flight to Seattle. The short stopover in Fresno to pick up Zach's coffin was especially hard on Starsky. Although it didn’t take long to load the plain wooden coffin onto the plane, it was long enough for Starsky to remember everything about the last time he was at the airport. The restaurant, the ride in Cal's truck. The teasing and the hard work. But mostly Zach. Grinning at the partners in friendship and a shared sense of adventure. The hatching of the idea to fly into the Sierras. And all that happened after almost overwhelmed him. When Cal came to say a few words to Rory, Starsky couldn't face him. He walked around the other side of the Cessna and leaned against a wing strut. Looking off towards the distant mountains and tried not to think.

The balance of the flight was long and Starsky finally fell asleep, finding comfort in the darkness. Zach's father was there to meet the plane at the small Seattle airfield that Three Eagles Air used. Mr. Dahlman pulled Starsky into a bone-crushing hug. One that Starsky was glad to return.

Starsky's heart almost broke as he looked at Mr. Dahlman's face and noted the lines and dark circles that were evidence of the grief the man was suffering. "I'm sorry we couldn't get Zach back to you sooner, sir, but...well...." He couldn't bring himself to mention what had happened to Zach's body after death. Not to the father of his friend. Not to the man who had just lost his only son.

"It's all right, David. We all understand. Some things can't be helped." Hearing those words hurt. So much like what Zach had told him trying to reassure him that he didn't mind dying. "The girls are all here. We made arrangements to have the funeral first thing tomorrow. Anna and I want you to stay at the house with us. Jackie, Leah, and their families are staying with us and Dee and Doug are staying with Becky. There's lots of room, so we won't take no for an answer."

Starsky, knowing that argument was useless, nodded acquiesce. They both turned as a hearse pulled up beside the plane. Standing back, Mr. Dahlman and Starsky watched as Rory and the two men from the funeral home unloaded the coffin. Mr. Dahlman placed his arm around Starsky's shoulder and held him close. Then they climbed into the Dahlman's sedan and, following the hearse, left the airport.

The Dahlman house was a place of mourning. All the pictures and mirrors were covered and the very air in the house seemed to grieve. All the sisters were there when Starsky and Mr. Dahlman arrived from seeing Zach's coffin safely delivered to the funeral home. Each girl took a turn hugging Starsky until the only one left was Beck.

She stood near the foot of the stairs, dressed in black. A matching ribbon held her short hair in place. For a moment, Starsky was reminded of the night he realized Beck was a girl. Her smile, so like her twin's, flashed at him and he found himself transported back over the years to when they were young and believed they'd all live forever. He almost expected to see Zach running down the stairs wearing one of his ever-present ball caps. Struggling to contain the grief that threatened to overwhelm him, Starsky walked to Beck. She held out a hand and he took it, looking into the solemn brown eyes.

"Beck. I...I'm so sorry." Starsky's voice broke.

"It's okay, Dave. I always knew this day would come. I'm just thankful that you were there with him. Someone who loves him almost as much as I do." Tears welled up in her eyes and she was suddenly in Starsky's arms. "Oh, Dave. What am I going to do without him?"

Sometime later, Beck's husband came and took Beck home to lie down and Mrs. Dahlman showed Starsky where he would sleep. A sleep that didn't come until almost dawn.

Early the next day, the family journeyed to the synagogue where the funeral service was to be held. Because of his still weak leg, Starsky could not act as a pallbearer. The sisters' husbands plus two of Zach's partners took that duty. Starsky escorted a firm-lipped Beck to her seat and sat with the family during the service. When Mr. Dahlman started crying as he tried to say a prayer for his lost son, Starsky slipped an arm around Beck and buried his head in her shoulder.

The night before, simply because Zach's mother had asked it of him, Starsky had agreed to speak at the service. To give the eulogy. Starsky, who had never liked public speaking, dreaded doing it, but felt it was the least he could do for this family who had welcomed him into their midst. Beck's pat on his knee alerted him it was his turn. He pulled himself together and painfully climbed the few steps to the podium.

Looking out over the gathered mourners, he swallowed hard and searched out his courage. He focused on Beck's encouraging smile and began.

"The Dahlman family has always been a source of inspiration for me. Many years ago, they practically adopted a troubled kid. All of them - Mr. and Mrs. Dahlman, the girls, Jacqueline, Leah, and Delilah - treated me as if I was one of the family. They loved me, taught me the importance of responsibility and loyalty. They helped me rediscover my heritage and my place in society. And for that, I thank God every day. But I thank the Dahlmans themselves for giving me their two youngest children as my friends. Zach and Beck...Rebecca, are a special pair of people. Even for two rotten kids, they are pretty darn special."

Starsky paused for a moment and closed his eyes. "We had some great times, the three of us. Drove their parents and my guardians nuts. Probably terrorized the whole neighborhood. But through it all, they became my friends and my siblings. Then we all grew up and went our separate ways. And that's a whole other story."

"When Zach knew he was dying, he told me it wasn't so bad leaving when he knew that the people he loved were taken care of. Zach was always like that. Even when we were kids, he worried more about others than himself. When he was in Nam, we ran into each other one time. He told me he wanted to fly the Medevacs because his life would mean something if he could save just one kid and send them home to raise a family. I told him that all the Medevac pilots were nuts. He laughed and said not to tell his Mom."

Starsky opened his eyes again and looked up at the ceiling. "Zach told me one time that he loved flying. He could fly forever. That when he was all alone up there, he thought he could hear God talking to him. Then he laughed and told me to remember that all pilots are nuts. But I like to think that maybe, just maybe, Zach really did hear God talking to him up there in the sky. And that Zach's up there yet, doing what he loved best." Starsky brushed at his eyes, then continued.

"Zach, I make you a promise. I'll never forget you. I'll always consider you my little brother and Beck my little sister. I'll look out for her just like we all looked out for each other when we were kids. And you know what, Zach? I'll never be afraid to fly again. Because I'll always know that you're out there somewhere looking out for me. And if it's meant to be that I go out in a plane, at least I'll know you'll be around to get me. And we'll go flying together."

*******

Hutch had news for Starsky when he landed at LAX. The young man who had delivered the shipment to Zach in Bakersfield had been arrested on an unrelated matter, but one serious enough that he wanted to make a deal for a reduced sentence.

"Seems there was one more Torenz brother that we didn't know about. This one was never really involved in the drug running, but would do odd jobs in Bakersfield for his brothers. When their brother, Mark was killed, they decided a little revenge was in order. Somehow they found out that Zach was the one who informed on them and they made him their target." Hutch, driving his LTD, stopped at a light and looked over at his partner.

Starsky stared at him. "You mean, they were out to get Zach and not us? That us being there was simply a happy coincidence for them?" At Hutch's nod, Starsky hit the dashboard with his fist. "Damn it all to hell. I knew it was a bad idea letting him get mixed up in all of this." Starsky dropped his head into his hand and leaned against the door.

"Starsk, you can't blame yourself for this. Zach did what he thought was right. Even if he and you hadn't been friends, he would have reported it. Maybe not as quickly, but he would have. You know that." Pulling out from the light, Hutch patted Starsky's leg. "Listen, buddy. Zach would be the first one to tell you not to blame yourself. It happened the way it happened and there's no turning back."

"I know. But it doesn't mean I have to like it." Starsky answered quietly. "What's the rest of it?"

"There was another couple of guys down here involved in all of this. That's why the source didn't dry up when we busted the brothers. One of them snooped around until he found out that Zach had a scheduled stop in Bakersfield and which courier company Bradshaw's used up there. They set up this fourth brother, Owen, as a driver - got him hired on as a float. How, I don't know since the guy's got a record, but that's for Bakersfield to figure out. Then he mugged the regular driver and staged that whole truck breaking down thing to get Zach away from the plane for awhile. While Zach was tooling around on that go-cart, Owen set the bomb. Guess they didn't count on his bringing us along for the ride."

"Lucky us."

"Yeah. Anyway, Owen, who's now trying to save his own neck, is ratting out the whole bunch. We've got arrest warrants for half a dozen people all over Southern California and more in Texas. It looks like the ring is busted, partner."

Try as he might, Starsky could find no pleasure in the closing of the case. Not at the expense of losing Zach. The rest of the trip to Starsky's was silent.

*******

"Hey, Starsky. You got some mail." Hutch followed his partner into Starsky's apartment, gathering up the scattered envelopes and flyers from the floor.

Busy putting the pizza he'd been carrying into the oven, Starsky yelled back, "Anything interesting?"

"Mostly junk. Oh, here's your electric bill. And...." Hutch stopped.

"And what?" Starsky walked out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel. Hutch wordlessly held out a blue envelope.

Starsky turned the pale blue envelope over and saw his name written in careful script, "David Spud Starsky." He looked back up at Hutch. "It's from Beck." Hutch nodded. He knew that in the last five months Starsky and Becky had written to each other several times and talked on the phone at least once a week. Starsky closely followed her pregnancy, worrying about her, and offering useless advice. Trying to fill in for her lost twin. Hutch had even sat through Starsky's end of conversations about swollen ankles and which was better - cloth or disposable diapers?

Hutch also knew that Starsky still missed his friend, still grieved over his death, and blamed himself a bit. "Well, you going to open it? She probably wants to know if you think yellow or green is a better color for the nursery." Hutch gently teased.

"Yeah." Starsky smiled. Getting a letter opener from his desk, he slit the envelope open. When he pulled out a folded card, a photo fell out and drifted to the floor. Hutch retrieved the photo and was about to hand it to Starsky when he noticed the silly grin on his partner's face.

"It's a birth announcement, Hutch. Beck and John had their baby. A boy by the color of the card." He held the little card in his hand and stared at it.

"You going to read it or what?"

"Oh, yeah. Right." Starsky flipped the card open, read the inscription, then stood, and stared at it with his mouth open.

"What? Starsky, what's the matter?" The shocked expression on his partner's face startled Hutch.

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong." Starsky looked up at Hutch with tears in his eyes. "They had twins. Two boys."

"That's wonderful, Starsk. Makes you an uncle twice all at once. Why didn't she say anything before? She must have known."

Starsky shook his head. "No. There's a little note here saying that the twins were a total surprise. That they only ever heard one heartbeat and it wasn't until she was giving birth that the doctors realized there was two babies." He stared down at the card again, his grin back and growing bigger. "Look what they named the babies, Hutch."

Hutch handed Starsky the picture, took the offered card, and read the inscription.

John and Rebecca Cohen proudly

announce the birth of their sons:

Zachary John Dahlman Cohen

&

David Kenneth Dahlman Cohen

May they bless our lives and may we bless theirs.

Hutch looked back up at Starsky with amazement in his eyes. "They named one of the boys after us? After me?"

All Starsky could do was nod. And stare at the picture of two brand new baby boys. With straight dark hair and deep brown eyes. And wonder why he heard the sound of laughter. And an airplane flying overhead.

The End

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