The Healing Properties of Plants

93

Starsky is worried about Hutch after his brush with the plague.

 

Inspired by the US National Days – Bittersweet Chocolate & Houseplant Appreciation. First published January 2023.

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The doctors had sent Hutch home two days ago – two days too early in Starsky’s opinion. His partner was barely able to walk from one side of his apartment to the other without needing to sit and rest awhile before attempting the dizzy heights of shaving, making a drink or watering his plants. Starsky kept offering to do the latter chore but Hutch insisted that spending time with his plants was good for him.

Talking to plants and getting your fingers dirty was supposed to be good for physical as well as mental health, Hutch asserted. He’d called it a holey-istic approach or something. Starsky didn’t set much stock by the theory but he could see Hutch was happier and momentarily diverted from the few symptoms he was still suffering from – the unexpected temperature spikes, general fatigue and uncomfortably achy limbs – as he tended to the needs of his green, leafy friends.

Starsky watched as Hutch gave his plants a feed then walked through to the kitchen to tidy up the remains of lunch. Between Edith and Huggy, Hutch was being coaxed into eating a little more each day. They both made sure their meals included lots of ingredients containing the vitamins and minerals Hutch needed to build his strength back up. Starsky’s role the last couple of days had been serving up meals, tidying up, fetching throw pillows, blankets, glasses of cold water, giving Hutch his pills and generally trying to make sure that his partner didn’t do too much too soon.

Now, he was about to do a load of washing for his partner. The fact that Hutch had said yes when he’d suggested it showed just how floppy his partner was still feeling. Starsky sighed. He fervently wished he could do more to help Hutch in his recovery. He wanted Hutch back to normal, his skin and hair glowing with vitality and strength; not looking pale and listless, a shadow of his usual self.

At certain times of day, Hutch looked the colour of an old dish cloth, which reminded Starsky too much of how his partner had looked in the hospital. As Starsky shut the door on the washer carefully, so as not to make his friend jump, Starsky thought that he couldn’t wait to put this bout of ill-health behind them.

Bout of ill-health? Who was he trying to fool? Hutch’s mother? His own? Truth was Hutch had nearly died.

Starsky found himself swallowing hard.

“Starsk?”

Starsky swung round to find Hutch was weaving his way across the living room towards his bedroom.

“Yeah?”

“Think I’ll take a nap.”

“Good idea, pal.”

Starsky followed at a polite distance, just in case his friend wobbled too much, but not so near that Hutch would get irritated. He stopped in the doorway and watched as Hutch crawled into bed with a groan. Starsky fought the urge to plump his pillows for him.

“I think I’ll pop out and get a few things we need. I won’t be long.”

Hutch yawned. “Don’t hurry back if you’ve got things to do. I’m fine.”

“Sure you are.” Starsky quickly did a mental inventory: glass of water, check; headache pills, check; extra blanket in case Hutch got cold, check. He nodded to Hutch and then turned away, grabbing his jacket from the hook in the closet.

Closing the door softly behind him, Starsky hurried down the stairs and out to the red and white Torino waiting patiently at the edge of the sidewalk. Starsky got in, turned the key in the ignition and then drove the short distance to the local collection of small stores that Hutch usually jogged to once a week. His partner wouldn’t be jogging anywhere near here for a few days yet, Starsky thought. More like weeks probably.

He hated what the plague had taken from his partner. In his head, he knew his friend would get it all back, but in his heart he worried about how long it would take. Would Hutch completely recover? Doctors Kaufmann and Meredith had assured them both that he would and that it wouldn’t take long but…

Starsky shook himself out of his reverie and made for the mini-mart. He was looking for dark chocolate. He remembered reading somewhere that dark chocolate, bittersweet if possible, was supposed to be great for people because it had stuff in it that was good for the heart. Anti-somethings. And the best quality stuff had lots of healthy nutrients in too. Starsky hunted until he found a wrapped, dark chocolate bar that looked suitable. It wasn’t cheap but that convinced him it was of the quality his friend needed. He paid for it gladly and added it to the brown bag of fresh fruits he’d picked up. Fruit wasn’t something he often bought but he knew Hutch loved the stuff and the doctors had told their patient to eat healthily to aid his recovery.

Starsky dropped the bag off in his car and then walked down the street to a small lot that opened out to a market stall selling plants. He knew Hutch sometimes came jogging back with new purchases from this very place. Starsky prowled the stalls for a while, feeling totally out of his element. Finally, he decided to ask the stall holder for help. Joseph was more than happy to help once Starsky explained what he was looking for. Once Starsky had made his choices, Joseph wrote down the name of each plant, what care it needed and its health benefits. Starsky was surprised by some of the information. Maybe there was something to Hutch’s claims after all.

With a now full car, Starsky drove back to Venice Place and started to unload his purchases, which required three trips up and down the stairs. Once inside the apartment, Starsky checked on his partner and saw he was still sleeping. He kicked off his shoes and tiptoed into the bedroom and arranged the four new plants to one side of Hutch’s bed. Then he took the fruit and chocolate through to the kitchen and set about making a fruit salad.

Sometime later, Starsky heard Hutch stirring, stretching, starting to climb out of bed and then pausing. He could imagine Hutch’s face as he spied the plants. However, he kept his eyes firmly on his comic and stayed sitting on the sofa. He heard Hutch moving about and then a few moments later his partner came and joined him on the sofa.

“Hey! Who dropped off the plants? I didn’t hear anyone. Was it someone from the squad?”

“No.”

“My neighbour across the way? No, she likes plants but she wouldn’t bring me four. The Dobeys?”

“No and no.”

Hutch frowned, thinking hard. “Huggy?”

“No.”

“I give up. Who was it?”

Starsky folded his paper up neatly and then said, “Me.”

“Really?” Hutch smiled with delight. “Aw, that’s really nice of you. Want to help me carry them through to join the others?…Although I might hang the spider plant in here.”

“Nah, the spider plant is staying in the bedroom. You can put the basil and chamomile in the kitchen so you can use them in food and drinks. I’ll help you carry the palm through as it needs lots of light…and you spend a lot of time in your greenhouse anyway so that will be okay.”

Hutch looked thoughtfully at his friend. “Why did you buy these particular plants, Starsky? And why four of them all today?”

Starsky shrugged. “You said plants have healing properties. Turns out you were right. Your friend, Joseph, pointed me in the right direction of ones that would do you good.” He reached into his pocket and draw out Joseph’s list. “Basil is loaded with vitamins and minerals. Chamomile tea is supposed to help you sleep better and the palm makes the air moist so it helps with blocked sinuses and stuff. Might help you get better faster. At least, I hope it will.”

Hutch nodded. “And spider plants are good at cleaning air. That’s why I have them dotted around here.”

“Yeah, but you ain’t got one in the bedroom so that one stays there. Clean air, better health.”

Hutch regarded his friend with an understanding look. After a moment, he said softly, “I’m okay, pal, and I’m going to be one hundred percent soon. You can stop worrying about me. Okay?”

Starsky stayed quiet but nodded.

Hutch stood up slowly and said, “How about you bring the chamomile through to the kitchen and I’ll look out my book on how to use herbs. It’s bound to say how to make chamomile tea.”

“Okay.”

Starsky hopped up and did as asked. By the time he had carried both plants through, Hutch was sat at the kitchen table looking through his book.

“You feel like eating some fruit salad?” Starsky asked.

Hutch looked up with surprise and then nodded, looking pleased at the prospect. Starsky retrieved the bowls from the refrigerator and placed them on the table. Then he got spoons, gave one to Hutch and then put the bar of dark chocolate in front of his friend.

“What’s this?”

“Bittersweet, dark chocolate. It’s supposed to be good for you. Thought you could have some after the fruit.”

“I’ve got a better idea.”

Hutch got up and took a cheese grater out of a cupboard. Then he returned to the table, undid the wrapper on the chocolate and proceeded to grate a little over his fruit salad. He offered both items to Starsky.

“Going to try some?”

“Yeah, why not?” Starsky replied, as he took both and then grated some slivers of dark chocolate into his bowl.

Then they both pushed their spoons into the fruit and chocolate concoction and tasted it at the same time.

“Mmm.”

For some minutes afterwards, a contented silence filled the apartment as the pair of them ate. When they were done eating, Starsky arranged Hutch’s new palm where he wanted it. He was glad to see the happiness produced by his gifts and was hopeful that the positive effect of the plants would speed Hutch’s recovery on its way. Hutch was pleased to see some of the anxious lines around Starsky’s eyes had eased a little. The house plants, one way or another, were healing them both.