Only The Shadow Knows

Now working together in the NICU as nurses, Starsky and Hutch are proud as punch that Pete Ramos is following in their footsteps.

The previous story is Reporting for Duty. Part 4 of the Vital Signs Series.

As charge nurse, Hutch studied the assignment board while the new shift wandered up to the nurse’s station to get their assignments. He was well aware there would be a nursing student today. Who to put the fledgling with?

“Mr. Hutchinson?” a gruff voice called out.

“Mrs. Stevenson,” Hutch greeted as warmly as he could muster. She constantly reminded him of his fourth grade teacher who had been a cross between a drill sergeant and a softie—depending on her mood.

A nursing student stood beside her, someone Hutch recognized instantly, although Pete had on his best poker face. Pretending that Hutch wasn’t actually his de facto parent.

“This is Pete Ramos.” Mrs. Stevenson waved a hand. “He will be shadowing one of your nurses for the evening.”

“Hi, Pete,” Hutch smiled. “I have just the nurse for you to follow.”

Starsky walked up, eyes bright with mischief. “I’ll take the student,” he said as if they’d prearranged the entire thing.

In a way, that was true. Hutch had known Pete would come at some point, but had not been sure it would be on a day he and Starsky were in the Intensive Care Nursery. Now that they were both on evening shift at the same time, they had synced their schedules to be together as often as possible.

With Pete there, it was like a family reunion. No need to tell Mrs. Stevenson.

“Thanks.” Pete grinned.

Hutch grinned back as Starsky and Pete walked into Room A to get bedside report from the day nurse. Very few people who didn’t know Pete could have told that he was once a woman. His hair was in a stylish mullet, he wore the same nursing student scrubs as the other men in his class, and had nary a curve of breast on his chest.

The testosterone meds were working. Whether Pete ever got surgery to correct his genitals to his chosen sex was a completely different matter. Hutch loved his son unconditionally.

~~**~~

“Been in an ICN before?” Starsky asked formally, once the day shift nurse had left. He was aware that the other nurses in the room would expect him to do so, even if he knew what and what Pete had not seen as a student from their weekly updates. “This is Katherine. She’s 25 weeks gestation.”

Pete peered at the tiny infant lying on a warming table. “My God.” He sucked in a breath. “I knew you and Hutch talked about little peanuts, but…” He trailed off. “How big is that baby?”

“Just over a pound.” Starsky unwrapped the tiny being to show her long skinny arms and legs. “Slide that chair over, Pete. You can’t handle the babies, but get up close while I do my assessment. Get the full experience of changing a diaper.”

“Been there, done that.” Pete laughed. “Just bigger. Kiko’s kid.”

“Around here, a baby’s first poop is called meconium.” Starsky quickly shoved one panty-liner sized diaper under the used one before tugging the old one free. “So we like to say—”

“Shit happens?” Pete nodded.

“Meconium happens!” Starsky chortled, glancing up when Hutch walked in. “The charge nurse will watch the baby so I can take this to the dirty room to weigh the diaper.” He dug an elbow into Hutch’s side. “Right, lover?” he said softly enough so no one heard him above the constant alarms from all the ventilators, IV pumps, heart monitors, and pulse oxygen saturation devices.

“A guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do.” Hutch raised an eyebrow.

Starsky waggled his fingers, walking out of the room. The other nurses knew about he and Hutch, this was no big deal to them. He was extra proud to have his half adopted son there, too.

Going to be a great shift.

FIN