NEAR DEATHS DOOR

BY P&C PRODUCTIONS

CHAPTER 11

Thursday morning came and Starsky hadn’t been able to get much sleep, although the nurses had been kind enough to bring in a spare cot, a pillow and a blanket. Every two hours he was disturbed through the night with their presence as they checked on her…took her temperature and other vitals and changed her bags …he knew these things had to be done so he pretended not to mind.

At around 7:00AM two Nurses entered the room…they weren’t the same ones that had been disturbing him through the night so he assumed the shift change must’ve taken place.

"Hello, you must be Detective Starsky." One of them spoke up as she leaned towards him to introduce herself. "I’m Judith Hoffman and this is Susan Staton…we will be on duty today until 6:00PM if you need anything…just push the button marked Nurse." She told him.

"Nice to meet you," He said in a groggy voice. "Please excuse the way I look…I’m not used to company so early in the morning." He said as he offered up his hand to her.

She shook his hand with a smile, "you look just fine to me." She said. "We need to take some more blood so they can run some new tests today. The doctor will be in with the results after awhile."

"Sure…do whatever you gotta do…want me to leave." He said as he stood up and stretched his muscles as obscurely as he could.

"No…you can stay if you want to. Would you like me to bring you a cup of coffee?" Susan spoke up "We have some fresh at the nurses station and you look like you could use some."

"Terrific…a woman after my own heart." He kidded her.

The two of them worked quickly taking blood, temperature readings, and speaking softly in whispers to each other. Starsky walked over to the window to look at the sunrise…He thought about Hutch who was probably at this moment in the shower…getting ready for work. He had had to work alone before and knew how it seemed to make the day drag on forever. The kind of work they did was dangerous and he hoped Hutch wouldn’t run into any trouble today without a partner to back him up.

Susan and Judith finished with Cassie and Susan called over to Starsky. "I’ll be right back with that coffee." She told him and they both held back a giggle as they exited the room.

Starsky walked over to Cassie’s bed and just happened to glance down as he walked…His fly was open…it must’ve fallen down while he was asleep. "Geeeeesss.." He said as he pulled it back up and then he realized that the nurses had to have noticed it…he felt like a real idiot.

Hutch made it to the station around 8:00AM and began to go over the same set of files he had been reading the day before…The trial was in 10 days and he hoped that Cassie would wake up before then. Starsky’s testimony along with his own would be the prosecutors’ entire case. Without the two of them to back each other up…the piece of scum could walk and Hutch knew it.

Starsky had been trying to wake Cassie all morning…keeping in mind what the doctor had told him the night before…rubbing her feet and hands trying to coax some kind of response…talking to her the whole time.

Hutch walked in the room promptly at 12:00PM with a few books in his hands. Starsky looked at him curiously but with a smile that let Hutch know that his partner was glad to see him.

"What are those for?" Starsky asked him.

"The doctor said we should read to her…the sound of our voices would be good for her." He told him as he walked over to the small table that would normally be home to a telephone…but, there where no phones in ICU.

He placed the books on the table and then handed the one on top to Starsky.

"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn…I used to like this when I was a kid." Starsky was surprised. "How did you know"

"I called your mother to tell her that Cassie was in the hospital…she told me to pick it up for you." He said as he took a seat in a nearby chair and lifted another book from the stack. "Don’t worry…I didn’t tell her about the coma…wouldn’t want her to worry." He added.

"She hasn’t met Cassie yet but she still worries…always tries to give me advice…she never had any girls." Starsky told him. "They speak to each other on the phone now and then…Mom really likes her."

"Dobey called the school which is something I hadn’t thought of …told them about Cassie…then he called Child Services…they have to know about these things." Hutch explained to him. "She is still their responsibility."

Starsky hadn’t thought about them until now. He wondered if they blamed him for her condition…maybe they where reconsidering the arrangement.

"Hutch you don’t think they blame me do you?" His voice had a hint of fear in it…Hutch sensed it right away.

"No…of course not…relax partner. Hutch assured him. "Dobey told them about her sudden appendicitis…they also know that you haven’t left her side…Capn’ took care of them for you."

"He’s a great guy…ya know that Hutch…he always comes through when it counts…tell him I said thanks…will ya." Starsky said with a sound of relief.

"You can tell him yourself…he said he’d be by to see you today…and to check on Cas." Hutch told him. "I picked this up for myself…figured I could relieve you for a while and read this one to her." He said as he showed him the book he’d been holding in his hand.

Starsky took it from him and read the cover. "Romeo and Juliet…how appropriate it’ll probably make her think about…Romeo…I mean Mike."

He said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"C’mon…still playing that jealous routine." Hutch lectured him. "She’s gonna have boyfriends Starsk…she’s at that age…hormones going crazy, body developing…you can’t stop it from happening."

Starsky just shook his head. "Yeah…I know." He knew…He knew that the jealousy he felt everytime Romeo (as he refereed to him) came by to see her

was more than anyone could understand…especially Hutch. God…he didn’t even understand it himself.

Hutch stayed for a little while longer…spoke to Cassie and held her hand…he was trying but somehow he knew that he was just putting on a show for Starsky. He didn’t want it to be his voice that woke her but his partners…Starsky needed to be the one, he was just there for support.

"I have to go now…I’ll be back in a little while." Hutch’s soft voice called to him from Cassies’ bedside. "Read to her for awhile…then try for a response…then read some more…I’ll take over in a few hours so you can rest." Hutch told him. "See ya later…Bye Cas." He winked at him and then disappeared through the door.

"Thanks Hutch." Starsky called out to him just before the door closed.

Starsky read to her for a few hours…drinking water to keep his voice clear.

All the while wondering if he was just entertaining himself or if she was actually paying any attention. In any case…it was all he knew to do at the moment. He was following doctors’ orders…even if he did think it a waste of time. He held her hand as he read…moving his fingers under her palm…still trying to stimulate a response.

Then it happened…he felt something…a slight movement. He looked up from the book and continued to move his fingers as before…but this time paying close attention to hers.

"Cassie…sweetheart you just moved your finger! C’mon baby…do it again for me…Please…move your finger again." Starsky was full of adrenaline and his heart was racing. He stood up and leaned closer to her face. "C’mon honey…you can do it…move it again." Nothing else happened…he waited and coaxed her for twenty minutes with no response. He sat back down in his chair…held her hand and let a few more tears fall from his eyes. He thought of Terri again for some strange reason…she had been on his mind a lot lately. He wasn’t gonna let Cassie slip through his hands…even if he had to fight off the Grim Reaper himself.

"Terri…help me." He called to her…it was the first time he had spoken to her out loud in a long time. He needed her.

Captain Dobey entered the room around 3:30PM and found Starsky holding her lifeless hand and reading…not looking up right away but acknowledging his presence with a wave of his hand.

"How is she?" He asked as he walked to her bedside and touched her on the cheek. "Poor kid." He added.

Starsky came to the end of the chapter he was on and finally looked up at Dobey. "Hi ya Capn’…glad you could make it." Starsky said. "Oh…by the way…thanks for making the phone calls for me…Hutch told me what you did."

"I’m your Superior…it’s my job to…" He was interrupted.

"It’s not part of your job to cover my ass like that Cap…I appreciate it." Starsky didn’t give him a chance to make light of his good deed.

"You know how much you mean to me…and Cassie…I was just." Dobey stopped short.

"You were just taking care of us…I know…means a lot." Starsky finished.

"Go on downstairs and get something to eat…stretch your legs…get some air…Cassie and I will read the next chapter." He said with a smile. "Get outta here."

"Ok…but hold her hand…she likes that." He told him as he walked out slowly. "Bye Cas…I’ll be right back…I promise." Then he shut the door behind him.

Dobey got himself as comfortable as he could in the bedside chair and then picked up the book that Starsky had left flipped upside down so as not to loose his place. Dobey began to read the next chapter and after the first five words…he stopped. "Sorry Cassie…forgot to hold your hand." He said as he reached for her. "Now then where were we…"

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