Supplication

Flash ficlet, written for duluthgirl’s prompt “Hutch + Dobey; what was said right after they restarted Starsky’s heart.”

Missing scene from “Sweet Revenge,” natch.

“Go get us some coffee, will you?” Dobey said to Huggy.

At Huggy’s nod, Dobey steered Hutchinson toward his temporary office. Hutch, after a long glance through the window at Starsky’s still form, allowed himself to be led away.

Dobey pushed Hutch to a chair and sat down in another, trying not to groan as his joints creaked. God, he was tired. The horrible events of the day had knotted his muscles and stretched his nerves to the breaking point. Officer down: it was the worst part of the job. Then he looked at Hutch, at the man’s thousand yard stare, and remembered.

No. Partner down: that was the worst, bar none.

Then he noticed Hutch’s wrist. “What the hell happened to you?” he demanded.

Hutch blinked. When Dobey pointed at the bloody wrapping, Hutch muttered, “Happened in the garage. It’s nothing.”

Doing his own muttering about stubborn detectives, Dobey got up to find a nurse, but Hutch reached out to stop him.

“Captain.”

It was a question, a plea. A whole host of them in that one word, almost a supplication. Dobey answered the only one he could.

“You heard the doctor. He’s alive. Your partner‘s alive.” He said it carefully, making sure Hutch understood. There would be no more talk about a new partner, nor about keeping Hutch out of harm’s way. Not as long as Starsky clung to life, not as long as that heart of his continued to beat. Dobey was under no illusions: it had stopped once, it could very well stop again, probably for good. But there was always a chance. There was always hope. It wasn’t much, but it was all he had to offer.

Hutch nodded. “Thank you, sir.”

The words were grateful and heartfelt, but gratitude was the last thing Dobey deserved or wanted, so he merely said gruffly, “Let’s get you patched up.” He put his hand on Hutch’s shoulder for a brief moment before leaving the room.

He made his way to the nurses’ station. After arranging for Hutch’s injury to be seen to, Dobey paused, then asked for directions to the hospital chapel. He’d go later, after Hutch was taken care of. Maybe there was something else he could offer, after all: a supplication of his own.