Chapter 10

 

Starsky stretched and turned over in his bed, amazed to see the sunlight still framing the window shade.  They’d come home from the hospital, and Hutch had insisted he get into bed.  And, other than Hutch using some pillows to prop him up and then tucking him in, he remembered very little.  He was surprised he had awakened so quickly when sleep had come so easily.

 

“Hutch?”  The sound came out more of a cracked whisper, his throat still sore and dry.  But it was enough; Hutch was instantly at his side.

 

“Well, good morning, sleepy head.”

 

“Morning?”  Starsky was confused.  The clock read 8:19 and he realized it was morning, not the night before.  “I slept…?” he asked incredulously.

 

“Yeah, straight through the night.  Your body obviously needed it.  You put it through a lot yesterday.”

 

Starsky started to straighten up in the bed, but the movement started him coughing, and he sank back into the pillows.

 

“Hold on, buddy.  I’ll get you some water.”

 

Hutch returned almost instantly with a glass of ice water and a pitcher.  He set the pitcher down on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for the coughing spell to pass.  As it slowed, Hutch said, “You did pretty well last night, coughing off and on, but nothing bad enough to really wake you up.”

 

But bad enough to keep you from sleeping, I’ll bet, thought Starsky.  He ran his hand through his unruly curls and then sipped from the glass his partner still supportively held in his hand.

 

“I’m okay now.  Thanks.”  Starsky set the glass on the nightstand and shakily stood up.  “Got any coffee ready?”

 

“Sure.”  Hutch’s hand stayed protectively near Starsky’s elbow.  Seeing that his partner was moving forward, Hutch instinctively moved, ready to help if necessary.  “After some coffee to wake up, you might want to shower and get the rest of the soot off, ” Hutch observed.

 

Starsky glanced in the mirror at his face and chuckled.  “Yeah, I guess I still look pretty bad.  How come you let me get in bed this way?”

 

“’Cause you were dead on your feet and you needed rest more.”

 

Seeing Starsky favor his right leg as he walked, Hutch asked, “Your leg hurt?  Dr. Samuel gave me some pain medication for you.”

 

 “Yeah, it hurts a little, but my arm hurts more.”  Wincing, he cradled his arm in the sling.  “Actually, I hurt in places I didn’t know I had.”  Starsky sat down stiffly on the couch.

 

“Well, you really pushed your body, you know.  Just rest there, I’ll get the coffee.”

 

 Starsky rested his head against the back of the couch and shut his eyes.  He heard Hutch return and, opening his eyes, reached for the coffee mug.  Taking a sip, he could feel the warmth spread through his body, and he sensed Hutch looking at him.  “What?” he asked, shifting uncomfortably under Hutch’s stare.

 

“You going to tell me why you were there?”

 

“Where?”

 

“At the Taylors’ house.  You were supposed to be home resting.”

 

Starsky shrugged, took another sip, and said, “I went for a ride.”

 

“Yeah, and you just so happened to see a house on fire.”

 

“Sure…”

 

Since it was obvious Starsky was trying to avoid the subject, Hutch said gently,  “Starsky…I saw you and David together in the park the other day.”

 

Starsky glanced up at his partner and felt the heat on his cheeks as he blushed. 

 

Hutch reached over and put his hand on Starsky’s knee.  “It’s okay, buddy.  It looked like the two of you were having a good time.  How come you didn’t tell me about him?”

 

“I met David…” Starsky coughed and cleared his throat.  “...by accident, and I mean ‘accident’ literally.”  At Hutch’s silence, Starsky continued, “We’ve been playing ball in the afternoon.  I just went by his house today to pick him up as usual, only I was a little later than normal.  If I’d been there the usual time, none of this probably would've happened,” Starsky finished ruefully. 

 

Starsky raised his head suddenly and looked at his partner.  “Hey, what were you doin’ there?”

 

“Well, it turns out David and Billy’s mother, Carol, is our witness in the Bon Ami Lounge murder and robbery.  You know, the one we thought might be in danger? Well…I was stopping by to check on her.”

 

“You’re kidding?” Starsky asked, shaking his head in amazement.

 

“Nope, small world, isn’t it, buddy?  I was there to see her and was surprised to see the Torino, even more shocked to see you coming out that window—bleeding, covered in soot, and carrying David.  Why didn’t you call for back-up?”

 

Silent, Starsky thought a moment, trying to clear his still foggy memory.  “Well, I just walked up to the door to pick David up, and I didn’t realize the house was on fire until I was almost at the front door, and then my only thought was to get David out…I guess.”

 

“Tell me about David.”  Hutch studied his partner carefully.  “What did you mean by meeting him literally by accident?  What happened?”

 

Starsky sighed, and leaning back on the couch, told Hutch about the near tragedy and how it had evolved into the two of them becoming baseball buddies.  He told his partner about picking up David every afternoon, playing ball, and spending time together.

 

“Well, why didn’t you tell me about him?” asked Hutch softly, returning with two newly filled coffee mugs.

 

Starsky, shifting a little in embarrassment, decided to continue, “I would have, but I thought you’d really come down on me because I nearly killed David.”

 

“Starsk, that was an accident.  You said so yourself.”

 

“Yeah, but I was tired and wasn’t concentrating.  Maybe Dobey would’ve found out and he’d say I wasn’t fit to come back yet and kick me off that stupid part-time desk job.”

 

“C’mon, Starsk, it wasn’t that bad an accident.  David was fine; he didn’t even have to go to the doctor’s to be checked out.”

 

“Maybe I should have taken him, but I was scared.”

 

Hutch stood up and started pacing.  “Stop right there.  You’re always accusing me of being on a guilt trip…look at you.  Everything turned out fine, and you and David have become good buddies.”  Seeing the distressed look still on Starsky’s face, Hutch sat down next to him on the couch.  “There’s something else, what is it?”

 

Starsky swallowed hard a couple of time and, studying his hands intently, continued, “What if I’m too tired to watch your back and you get hurt?”

 

Hutch’s heart ached and he rested his hand on his partner’s shoulder.  “Look, when you saw the fire why did you go in?”

 

“I don’t know.  There wasn’t any time to think.  I just reacted.”

 

“And when it comes right down to it, if something was happening to me you wouldn’t stop to think—you’d just react.  And I wouldn’t want anyone else’s reaction but yours, buddy.”

 

Starsky finally looked up at his partner.  “You think?”

 

Hutch smiled.  “Of course.  When you’d need them, your instincts would kick in.  Didn’t this just prove it?  Besides, I’d take you with half your instincts working, over a whole squad of officers, any time.”

 

Starsky sat back and, with a small grin, muttered something Hutch didn’t quite catch.  “What was that?”

 

Starsky, blushing slightly, repeated it a little louder, “I had to take care of him.  David’s a miniature you.”

 

Confused, Hutch asked, “What do you mean?”

 

“Well, David reminded me of what I thought you looked like as a kid, and whenever I’d play ball with him, I’d picture it was you and me playin’,” Starsky said, embarrassed.

 

“Oh, buddy,” Hutch softly responded.  “Couldn’t be me.  From what I could see, David is a better player than I ever was.”

 

 Starsky chuckled.  “Yeah, I taught him everything he knows.”

 

“C’mon,” Hutch laughed, “go take your shower and I’ll call the hospital and see how he’s doin’.”  He extended a hand to Starsky who, using it for support, stood up and headed to the bathroom.

 

Watching his partner, Hutch yelled out, “And keep those bandages dry!”