CHAPTER 15

Cassie mumbled in her sleep and stirred a little which caused Huggy to look up from the book he was reading. She tossed her head from side to side and mumbled a little more and Huggy decided to walk over and try to get her to wake up. She was having a bad dream and from the way it sounded…she was obviously somewhere in her mind that he knew she didn’t want to be.

“Cassie…wake up. It’s Huggy...” He said as he grabbed her gently by the arms and shook her.

“No…No…NO!” Her voice grew stronger with each word until she finally opened her eyes to look at him.

“Hey…it’s alright…It’s just me.” Huggy told her softly as he watched her eyes open. “Ain’t no boogie man in here.”

“Huggy…Where’s Hutch?” She asked as she rubbed her eyes with one hand.

“He’ll be back soon. He had to go downtown for a while.”

She sat there for a moment trying to make sense of all the blurred images that flashed through her mind during the past few hours and then she suddenly had a horrifying thought.

“Davey…Oh my God!” She gasped.

“He’s upstairs. It’ll take more than one bullet to do him in.” Huggy told her with a smile.

“Wait a minute…he was shot…I remember.” She said as she placed the palm of her hand on her forehead and shook her head to clear the confusion.

“Yeah…but like I said he’s ok…” Huggy assured her.

“But he…I mean…it doesn’t make any sense.” Cassie stumbled over her words trying to make a coherent sentence. “Has he been here the whole time?”

“I don’t know…I guess so.” Huggy said with puzzlement.

“Then I must be going crazy…” Cassie said as she looked at him with a worried expression.

“Look…after all you’ve been through…it’s no wonder you’re a little mixed  up.” Huggy told her. “Do you remember much?’

“I don’t know…it’s all so fuzzy.” She said as she tried to pull her self into a more comfortable sitting position. The pain in her lower pelvis caused her to wince as she moved.

“Take it easy…” Huggy said as he reached for her arm to help steady her. “Maybe you shouldn’t move around too much.”

“It’s just that I thought…” Cassie stopped not wanting to say the words.

(In the cold light of reality…how could it possibly be true?)

“What?” Huggy asked curiously

“Huggy…I know this is gonna sound crazy.” She began.

“Well whatever it is…I think you should be talkin’ to Starsky or Hutch…not me…I’m just a bartender.” He said with a comforting smile.

“Huggy…I’m so confused…” She admitted as she looked at him “I don’t think I should tell anyone…I mean…I know it can’t be true…but I can’t get it out of my mind.”

Huggy reached for the bedside phone as he spoke. “Let’s Just take this one step at a time…I’ll call Starsky and…”

“NO…no don’t call him.” She pleaded.

“Ok…then I’ll call Hutch at the station.”

“NO…don’t call him either.”

“Well then what do you want me to do?” He asked as he sat the phone back down. “What is it that you’re so afraid to tell anybody?”

“Huggy…” She began softly. “Davey was there…I remember.”

“What are you talking about?” He asked with a look of complete confusion on his face.

“He did it…I remember…I don’t know how…I mean…It couldn’t have been could it?” She said as she began to cry.

“Wait a minute…You’re saying that Starsky?”

“I don’t understand it either…but I saw him…I heard his voice…I don’t know…maybe I am crazy.” She told him.

“But I’ve known Starsk for years…he’d never do anything like that.” Huggy assured her. “Are you sure?”

“No…I’m not sure…But it looked like him. Oh Huggy he said the most horrible things to me.” She said as the tears continued to fall and her voice cracked a little.

“Well if it’s true then you have to tell Hutch…But if you’re wrong.”

“Yes I know…If I’m wrong…I could get him in a lot of trouble.” She told him.

“Just let me make a quick phone call…I’ll bet we can clear this whole thing up.” Huggy assured her as he dialed the nurse’s station upstairs.

After a few moments she heard Huggy ask the nurse if Detective Starsky had left his room since the shooting. He listened for a minute…thanked the woman on the other end and hung up the phone.

“Well?” She asked eagerly.

“She says he was gone for a few hours…they had to readmit him.” Huggy said softly. “But that doesn’t mean…”

“There’s only one way to find out.” Cassie told him. “I’m gonna have to tell Hutch.”

“This is crazy Cas…I mean…do you honestly believe that he would stage this whole thing just to get to you?” Huggy asked her. “He was shot remember? I doubt he was in any position to do anything to you even if he wanted to.”

“You’re right. It’s stupid to think that he was working with Tony. I must be out of my mind.”

“Well in that case…let’s just keep this between the two of us.” Huggy told her. “Besides…that stuff can really screw with your mind. Why do you think people jump off of buildings.”

“You think I was just seeing things?”

“It’s possible…I had a cousin once who thought he was Superman.” Huggy told her with a grin.

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  chapter 16
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