CHAPTER 12

Hutch followed the ambulance in his car and got out quickly when they arrived at the emergency room entrance. The other officers had taken the rest of the kids downtown and Hutch had left word that he wanted to interrogate them personally and that they were to be held separately so that they couldn’t talk to each other before hand. Maybe if he could get the story from them one by one…the truth would sift through the tissue of lies he was sure he would be confronted with.

She was taken straight to an examination room still pretty much out of it but moaning softly as they wheeled her inside. Hutch thought about Starsky…up on the Fourth floor. While they examined her and took the samples that they always took when dealing with a rape victim…he felt he should go upstairs and tell him. What he would tell him he hadn’t quit decided
yet.

He entered the room to find Starsky on the phone with the department…

“What do you mean you don’t know…I WANT SOME ANSWERS!” He yelled into the receiver.

“Hey Buddy…take it easy.” Hutch said as he approached him.

Starsky hadn’t noticed him when he entered but quickly slammed the phone down as soon as he saw him.

“Hutch…What happened?” Starsky asked eagerly. “Why didn’t you call me?”

Hutch reached over and grabbed him by the shoulder with a concerned hand.

“Calm down…one question at a time.”

“Ok…Why didn’t you call?” Starsky asked again.

“I had to get her to the hospital…I’m sorry.” Hutch told him.

“So how bad is she…what did they do to her?”

“Starsk…” Hutch said in a soft voice. “She was beaten up pretty bad…the doctors are checking her out now.”

“Did they?…Did he??” Starsky couldn’t even say the words…but Hutch knew what he was asking him.

“We’ll know more in a little while.”

“Damn it Hutch…You know…you saw her. Did they?” He persisted.

“I think so…Oh God Starsk….I’m so sorry.” Hutch said as he bowed his head…unable to look him in the face.

“Where is she?”

“Downstairs…they have to take samples.”

“Christ….” Starsky said with his hand over his eyes. “You know what they have to put her through to get them.”

“She’s pretty out of it right now…maybe she won’t remember much.”

“What do you mean?” Starsky asked as he looked up at him. “They don’t drug you for an exam.”

“Apparently they drugged her before they…” His words trailed off.

“The same way he drugged her that night.” Starsky said softly. “I wanna see her Hutch.”

“Not right now…let them get her settled first.” Hutch argued with him. “I’ll take you down.”

“No Hutch…I wanna see her now…Right now.”

“You can’t just walk in on the examination.” Hutch told him.

“Watch me.”

“C’mon Starsk…you wanna embarrass her…Let her get through it and as soon as she’s done…”

“Alright…Alright…but I’m going down now…I want to be there.”

“What about the IV?” Hutch asked him as he looked at his partner’s left arm.

Starsky gave it a quick tug and winced as the plastic tube was yanked out painfully.

“They’ll just have to put it back in later….Let’s go.”

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She was still in the examination room when they made it downstairs. Starsky didn’t say another word as he paced the floor slowly…clutching onto his side. Hutch encouraged him to have a seat but he was completely ignored. After another half an hour…the Doctor came out to talk to them.

“Are you the one who brought her in?”

“Yes…I’m Detective Hutchinson and this is my partner Detective Starsky.”

“Have you contacted her parents?” The doctor asked with a concerned look.

“I’m her legal guardian. How is she?” Starsky asked.

“We’ve taken all the usual samples…but we don’t know what drug they gave her. I sent some blood work down to the lab…we’ll know more when the results are in.” He told them.

Starsky looked intense as he asked his next question…already expecting the answer.

“Was she….raped?”

“Yes…I’m sorry…I’ve seen this kind of trauma before. It looks like she had more than one attacker.”

“My God…” Starsky said as he turned away. It was too much for him to handle at the moment….and Hutch could sense it.

“Thank you….Let us know when you can tell us anything further.” Hutch told him to end the conversation. Starsky had just taken a serious blow and Hutch wanted to be alone with him.

“She’ll be moved to a room after we get her cleaned up.” The doctor told them. “I’ll let you know where.”

Hutch gave him a nod and the doctor walked back through the double doors. Starsky had gone down the hall as he and the doctor exchanged their final remarks…but Hutch had kept his eye on him as he entered the restroom.

Starsky was leaning on the sink with the water running full force and Hutch noticed the drops as they fell from his chin. Splashing water on his face was his way of making sure that he wasn’t dreaming… a helpless attempt to wake himself up. There’s nothing worse than a wide-awake nightmare.

Hutch just walked over to him and rested his hands on both his shoulders…there were no comforting words to be spoken. All he could offer him was his friendship…and a shoulder if it was needed.

“Why did they do it Hutch?” Starsky asked as he looked at his partner’s reflection in the mirror.

“I don’t know…Why does it happen all around the country every day?” He said not intending it as question.

Starsky spun around to face him with a mixture of pain and anger in his eyes.

“She was raped because she was with me…because he wanted to get to me.” Starsky answered him. “Just like Terry…I should have seen it coming.”

“So now you’re a psychic? …You think you should be able to predict the future?”

“I love her Hutch…but it seems like everyone who gets close enough to me becomes a target.”

“That’s not true Starsk…I’m still here aren’t I?” He said with a comforting voice.

“You can handle yourself.” He said smugly. “Half the time…they’re after you.”

“So we don’t live in a perfect world…you make enemies…and you watch your back…it’s always been that way for us.” Hutch told him as he held onto his arm..

 “So maybe I shouldn’t have let her move in with me…it’s my fault Hutch…I put her right in the middle of it.”

“You’re not guilty of anything. Except maybe loving her too much.”  He said softly.

“Even that can get you killed.” Starsky replied as he looked helplessly into his partner’s calm blue eyes.

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  chapter 13
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