NEAR DEATHS DOOR

BY P&C PRODUCTIONS

CHAPTER 10

Cassie woke up in a strange place…or at least she thought she was awake…dark and cold…damp floor and a chilling breeze that cut through her body making her shiver. There were no windows…no walls…just darkness…a very frightening place. She felt around and fanned at the air desperately…nothing…then…in the distance, voices. They were faint murmurs…far away…jumbled and overlapping with echoes. She tried to follow them but she couldn’t tell where they were coming from…what direction. She was so cold…she had no idea where she was and she was alone. ‘Dave…where are you?’ she called to him. She could hear him…calling to her…why couldn’t he find her? ‘Hutch…I can hear you…where are you?’ The voices…mixed together Dave and Hutch…echoing…all around her…everywhere and nowhere at the same time. She tried to make out the words…she could hear her name…over and over and then …jumbled phrases. ‘Talk slower…I can’t understand you.’

Starsky was leaning over her holding her hand and stroking her hair..

"Cassie…if you can hear me …open your eyes…I’ll let ya drive my car!" Starsky said to her "Cassie…I know you want to drive my car…it’s parked downstairs…waiting for you…all you have to do is open your eyes."

"You better take him up on it while you can.." Hutch told her. "You don’t know how long it took him to let me behind the wheel."

Cassie listened carefully…to the sound of their voices…"I know you want to drive my car…it’s parked downstairs…waiting for you." She could finally understand something. ‘Dave…I’m here…what are you talking about’ Now she wasn’t sure if she was really awake or dreaming…Starsky would never let her drive his car. Then Hutch’s voice ‘Hutch…I can hear you …why can’t you hear me."

"I still have my doubts about you" Starsky kidded him. "Cassie…I’ll let you drive it to the beach…and you can play the radio as loud as you want."

"I gotta see this…Cassie your in for a treat…driving Starsky’s car…and seeing him in those funny looking swim shorts." Hutch laughed.

"And just what is wrong with my swim shorts." Starsky looked over at him.

"Starsk…you look so ridiculous in those old things" Hutch told him. "Cassie your gonna have to take this guy shopping."

"Well maybe we just won’t take you along…I mean if your gonna make fun of me…you can just stay home." Starsky teased him.

"I’ve got a much better idea." Hutch said as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. Starsky watched curiously.

"What are ya gonna do…bribe her?" He asked.

"In a manner of speaking." Hutch told him as he pulled out three pieces of small paper from one of the folds. He picked up her hand and put them in her palm…wrapping her fingers around them. "Cassie…do you know what these are?" Hutch asked her. "Bee Gee’s tickets...hear me Cas…Bee Gee’s tickets…I had to stand in line for two hours to get them. I was gonna surprise you."

"Hey…I went up to get those and they were sold out…How’d you…?"

"Early bird." Hutch said with a smile. "Hey Cas…" He said as he bent closer to her ear. "I was thinking…If you want…Starsky and I can flash our badges and make them let us in the back…would you like that Cassie?" Hutch tried to coax a response…a nod of her head…something.

"Hey…Cas…I’ll bet if ya play your cards right…little ole Andy boy just might give ya a big wet one…right on the face." Starsky kidded her…then he watched her carefully…for a hint of something…she had to think that was funny…she had to be laughing…God…he just wanted to hear her laugh again.

Cassie tried to make out the words…her name…that’s what she kept hearing…Cassie…Cas…then she heard Hutch’s voice. "Know what these are?…Bee Gee’s tickets." Cassie was confused…why is he talking about the Bee Gee’s?

"Let her rest for a while and then we can try again." Hutch said as he tugged on Starsky’s arm. Starsky wasn’t ready to stop…he had to keep trying. He pulled away from Hutch’s grasp and leaned closer to her face. "Cassie you have to try…Fight Cassie…open your eyes and look at me Damnit."

Hutch pulled him away from her…grabbing him by both his arms and pulling him backwards. Then he spun him around so he could talk to him. "Starsky…let her rest now…you’ll just get yourself all worked up…it won’t do any good to yell at her." Hutch told him. "We’ll give her about fifteen minutes and then we’ll try again."

Cassie was listening…the tone of his voice was demanding…as if he might be mad at her. It reminded her of the morning that she woke him up…the morning after the storm…he had frightened her then but…there was something different about this. ‘Open my eyes?’ She thought that it was a strange request. ‘Am I asleep?’

It was around 6:00PM when Doctor Young came back to check on them…she opened the door to Cassie’s room slowly and found them staring out of her hospital window…talking quietly to each other. "Any progress?"

She asked them.

"Hello Nancy…we’ve been trying…she’s taking a break…we were just about to try again." Hutch told her as he turned around.

Starsky just kept staring out the window. He was thinking about the night of the storm…and the morning after. He shouldn’t have yelled at her…yes he was angry, but he knew why…not so much at her, but at himself.

"Just keep trying…tell her that she is asleep…she may not realize it. Put yourself in her place…she can hear you…even if she doesn’t seem to respond." Nancy told them. "it’s easy to get discouraged…don’t…I’ve seen patients just open their eyes after a couple of days and sit straight up in bed demanding candy…cookies…even spaghetti…their usually hungry." She said with a smile.

Starsky turned around. "I won’t give up…don’t worry." He walked slowly away from the window and stopped at her bedside. "I just want to shake her…scream at her…anything." He said without turning around.

"It would only confuse her…or make her draw deeper into herself…she may be able to feel it…but she’s not able to make her muscles respond…a temporary break in communication." Nancy explained "What has happened to her is a result of physical and emotional stress…a built in instinctive response."

A light knock on the door drew Starsky’s attention. A young pretty brunette in a nurses uniform stepped into the room. "We have to take some more blood and change her bags…take some vitals…it will take about 20 minutes…you can wait in the cafeteria or down the hall if you like." She informed them.

Hutch walked over to Starsky and left Nancy standing by the window alone. "Hey…lets go get a cup of coffee…maybe a sandwich…the nurses will be with her…and you and I could use the break." He said as he placed a familiar hand on his shoulder.

"Alright…I guess she’ll be ok for a few minutes." He agreed and Hutch motioned for Nancy to join them…

"You hungry?" He asked her

"Sure…why not." She said as she walked over and gave Hutch a pat on the back. "I’ve been going since eight this morning…I could use the break myself."

They all went down to the cafeteria and spent the next thirty minutes talking and eating…Hutch and Nancy carried most of the conversation and Starsky answered what few questions that were thrown at him with vague remarks or brief responses. His mind was still upstairs.

Hutch had to go to work in the morning and knew he’d better go home and get some sleep. He really didn’t want to leave his partner there alone but consoled himself in the fact that he would see him at lunch and again as soon as his shift was over…

Hutch walked with Starsky back to the elevator and then all the way back to Cassie’s room. "I’ll stay if you want…I can leave early enough to take a shower and …"

"No Hutch…go home…you won’t be able to sleep up here." Starsky told him. "Besides…I’d like to be alone with her for awhile."

Hutch walked over to talk to Cassie one more time before leaving. The nurses had moved her…her head was turned in the opposite direction and her arms were lying back under the covers. He pulled the blanket down enough to pull her arm free and then he put her hand in his…cupping it with the other "Cas…I have to go now…I’ll be back tomorrow…Goodnight honey." He said and then he lifted his hands higher…and slid the one he had rested on top…down her arm…so he could kiss hers softly. He then rested her arm gently on top of the blanket and threw Starsky a concerned half-smile. "Goodnight partner…see ya tomorrow." As he headed out the door.

‘He touched me…I could feel it.’ Cassie said in her seemingly semi-conscious state. She couldn’t see the rest of her body but if she tried…she could feel it. She was beginning to have a sense of her surroundings."I can hear and I can feel…but I can’t talk…except to myself and I can’t move."

It was very frustrating and it took a lot of her energy to concentrate just so she could do these small things. It also made her very tired.

Starsky stood there staring at her for a minute…wondering what it will take…wondering if it was even possible. He thought about Terri. About the last time he saw her. The doctor told him she was going to die but he didn’t believe it…now the doctor tells him that Cassie can wake up with his help…he didn’t believe that either…and he was fresh out of magic wands.

He crept up to her slowly and picked up the lifeless hand that Hutch had placed on top of the blanket. As he held it gently he began to move his fingers softly on the back of her hand….turned it over and rubbed her palm. Then he had an idea…rubbing her palm a little harder. He remembered what the doctor said…that she may be able to feel even if she can’t respond.

He tried to stimulate the nerves in her hand, as he did, he spoke to her softly.

"Cassie…if you can hear me…squeeze my hand…C’mon Cassie…you can do it….try really hard now…just move your fingers…just a little for me Cas…try…Please" His voice started to get louder…more insistant.

"You can do this Cassie…just a little…show me that your in there somewhere…show me you want to try…damnit Cassie….try!"

Cassie could hear him…she was so desperate…she tried and in her mind she could feel her hand moving…wrapping around his fingers tightly…squeezing as hard as she could…but his voice kept telling her that she wasn’t moving…it was so frustrating. ‘I’m squeezing your hand as hard as I can…why can’t you feel that?’

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