NEAR DEATHS DOOR

BY P & C PRODUCTIONS

CHAPTER 19

They waited for a few more hours…talking to her…trying as hard as they could but still nothing. Completely exhausted from having stayed up all night together, Starsky laid his head down on the side of her bed…and still holding onto her hand…he drifted off to sleep. Hutch decided to lie down on the cot to catch a few winks himself…if she started to spasm again…Starsky would be able to feel it. The Nurses had just come in and removed one of the IV’s that Cassie had had in her arms for the past week. Another good sign…they wouldn’t be back for another couple hours.

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The pretty young lady had brought Cassie back in her dream…as far as she could take her.

"You’ll be alright." She told her. "I have to go now…Tell Dave I said I would always be there if he needed me…and that I still love him."

"WAIT!" Cassie called after her…but she was gone. "What do I do?"

"Just open your eyes Cassie." She heard her say in a whisper…and then she was alone again.

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Slowly…she began to move her fingers…lightly wrapping them around his. Starsky felt it…and woke suddenly.

"Cassie?" He called her name softly. "Do it again baby…c’mon do it again."

Hutch rose to his feet at the words…she had done something…he heard it in Starsky’s voice.

Her fingers moved again…in an unmistakable attempt to respond to his voice…Starsky looked over at Hutch who was by this time standing closely behind him.

"Did you see that Hutch…did you see that? Starsky wanted to hear Hutch confirm it for him…to know that he saw it too.

"I saw it…tell her to do it again." He coaxed.

"Cassie baby…wiggle your fingers for me…C’mon now…show me you can do it." He told her as he rubbed her arm gently and held her hand in his.

Again she moved them…just barley…but she did it. Starsky hit the button for the Nurse. He wanted to show someone else…someone who could tell him why she was still asleep…why hadn’t she opened her eyes yet?

A Nurse entered the room followed by Doctor Nancy Young…who had been making her rounds.

"Sorry I’ve been away for a while…I was called out of town for a few days." She told them. "Sonja tells me that she’s getting better…I’m so glad."

"She moved her fingers…I think I can get her to do it again….watch this." Starsky told her…with the enthusiasm of a little boy showing everyone how he can ride a bike with no hands.

Cassie…hold my hand…hold my hand as tight as you can…try honey." He said and then he waited…holding his breath…along with everyone else in the room. After a few seconds…her fingers moved again…weakly wrapping around his.

"A very good sign…she’ll be waking up soon." Nancy told them. "Let’s try something else." She said as she gently pulled the blanket from her feet and reached into her top coat pocket for a pen. "Cassie can you feel this?" She said as she rubbed the bottom of her foot with the end of her pen.

Cassie responded with a slight movement of her foot. Nancy looked up and smiled. "She’s coming back…she’ll probably wake up tonight."

Starsky smiled and bit his bottom lip…his adams apple noticeably moving up and down. "I knew it…I just wanted to hear you say it." He managed to get the words out and keep the tears inside.

It was around 6:00PM when Doctor Van Schalm came for a visit and found both men in good spirits…laughing and talking to her as if she were wide awake.

"I heard the good news…have you gotton anything else out of her yet?" She asked them.

"She’s been moving her fingers and toes when you ask her to…Nancy said she should wake up tonight." Hutch told her.

"I’m surprised she hasn’t already…her test results look real good…levels are well below the toxic range…let me know when she comes around…I’ll be here in the Hospital for awhile tonight." She told them. "Then we can schedule her surgery…and move her to a room with a phone where she can have more visitors." She said with a smile and then turned around and walked out of the room. "See you later."

A few more hours went by and Hutch had made another trip to get something for them to eat…but this time it was fron the chinese restaurant down the street. They were tired of eating sandwiches from the cafeteria…it was time for some real food.

They sat in her room talking and eating and trying to say things that might stimulate a response from Cassie…they expected her to come back any moment with one of her little sarcastic remarks…so they were trying to coax one from her. Talking again as if she could hear every word.

As time went by and nightfall came. They were so tired that neither one of them could stay awake any longer. Starsky rested his head on her bed again holding her hand…and Hutch decided to pull up a chair next to him and scoot way down in it to get comfortable…propping his feet on the end of her bed.

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1:00AM :

Cassie looked through very small slits in her eyes as she tried to focus in the bright light of the room. As her eyes grew more accustomed to her surroundings she turned her head slightly…to see what was on her right side. She felt something there. She was very groggy as if she might be drunk…(though she had never actually experienced the feeling before) it took her a moment before she realized that it was Dave…asleep beside her. She could see his hand in hers…so she gently wrapped her fingers around his…and smiled.

Starsky tightened his grip around her fingers in his sleep…not yet realizing the fact that she was awake…he was so tired. She wanted to wake him up…so she pulled her hand away from his and began to touch his hair. Gently putting her hand near the back of his neck.

This was enough to generate a response…he lifted his head quickly and looked straight into her eyes. Then he grabbed her with both hands on either side of her face and smiled at her through his tears.

"Hello Princess" He said in a whisper

"Hello…Best Friend" She answered…not really sure why she chose those particular words at the moment.

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