Balance

85

Starsky wants Hutch to have a fun day at the amusement park, but Starsky may live to regret it.

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The sun was shining, the birds were chirping; it was going to be another gorgeous California day. A perfect day for going to the local theme park. But David Starsky silently wished he hadn’t agreed to go on this outing with his friend.

As he zipped up his hooded sweatshirt, his stomach started to ache…again. Earlier in the day Starsky had tried to force down his breakfast, but found he could only tolerate a few bites of toast. The last thing he wanted to do was to spin and sway on the many rides at the amusement park.

Rubbing his stomach absentmindedly, he knelt down to reach for his sneakers. The motion brought on a sudden wave of dizziness, as he was slowly forced to sit down on his bedroom floor.

Aw damn, feel like I’m gonna pass out.

The night before, he had experienced the same strange sense of unbalance and a faint ringing in his ears. Hutch noticed his partner wasn’t his usual self, and had offered to postpone their plans to go to the amusement park; but Starsky had insisted he would be good to go.

Bad idea, was the one thought going through Starsky’s head when he heard a knock on the front door.

Staggering to let Hutch in, he tried to compose himself. His friend entered the apartment with a wide smile, and launched into the list of activities he had planned for the day.

Hutch was so excited that he hardly noticed his friend’s pallor or the fact that Starsky was virtually silent. Pulling on his partner’s sleeve, the two men headed out to the car.

The weather was quite warm, but Starsky was plagued with the chills. He pulled his hood over his head, and slid down in the passenger seat trying to fall asleep. An elbow in the ribcage woke him up 45 minutes later.

“Starsk… You okay?”

“M’fine, Hutch.” Reaching up with fisted hands, he rubbed his eyes and shook his head. He was beyond fuzzy, and his ears were still ringing. Exiting the car, Starsky headed toward the theme park’s entrance. He was bound and determined to show Hutch a good time. It was important to him that Hutch have fun.

Growing up a Hutchinson, Saturdays were usually spent at a museum or some other quietly refined activity, which always made Starsky feel sad for his partner—thinking that Hutch hadn’t really had much chance to be a kid.

Hutch had always listened enraptured to Starsky’s tales about spending his youth at Coney Island, eating their world famous hot dogs and going on one wild ride after another. After years of hearing Starsky’s merry tales, he decided his childhood had been hideously deprived (or depraved, Starsky always said) and that it was time to see what all the fuss was about.

Starsky trailed supportively after his friend. Hour after hour, ride after ride brought him one step closer to being sick, but he was determined that Hutch should enjoy his day, so he said nothing.

Sitting down on a bench, Starsky closed his eyes, and willed his stomach not to revolt.

“Starsk,” Hutch began softly. “You sure you feel okay? You look sorta sick to me.” Hutch sat beside his ailing friend.

“Just tired, that’s all. Mind if we head home soon?”

“Sure, buddy.” Hutch smiled. Earlier he had won a large stuffed panda, which now sat on the bench with the two men.

“But see that ride over there? I sure would like to go on that one before we leave, okay?”

Starsky’s eyes bulged out of his head. The ride his friend was pointing excitedly to was a broken down Ferris wheel. The gears clanked and whined as the cars swung on what Starsky was convinced were rusty hinges.

Hutch sensed his friend’s hesitation.

“Hey, Starsk, that’s okay, we can do the Ferris wheel next time.” Stretching out his long legs, he mused softly. “My parents would never let me go on a Ferris wheel when I was a kid, said it wasn’t safe…tell you what, I’ll go on alone, you stay down here.”

Starsky was about to say no, but then he caught a look in Hutch’s eye—Hutch was really disappointed. And when did his partner ever really ask for anything? Suddenly Starsky knew he wanted to go on the ride. He took a deep breath. Okay, he would try…Maybe his stomach would cooperate.

Both men and one stuffed animal jumped into the old rickety seat.

Pulling the safety bar across them, Hutch grinned from ear to ear.

Slowly they began their ascent, climbing higher and higher. The higher they climbed, the further Starsky’s stomach dropped to his toes.

Sweat started to pour off of Starsky’s back. He clutched onto the Panda’s soft fur for relief. It provided none. With a quick glance at Hutch, he was not surprised to see the blond grinning with his hands in the air, whooping with joy.

“Oooweeeee!” Hutch yelled out to the wide horizon as they rose. He laughed and turned to look at his friend. Starsky had one arm gripped around the panda and the other hand clung white-knuckled to the bar in front of him. His eyes were pressed shut.

“Come on, Starsk,” Hutch cajoled happily. “Open your eyes. Look around!”

“You look for me,” Starsky muttered through tight lips.

“What’sa matter?” Hutch touched Starsky’s arm. “Loosen up.”

Starsky cracked one eye open and turned his head slowly to peer at Hutch. “Don’t even say that.”

“Huh?”

Starsky made a face and carefully opened both eyes. He looked cautiously at the view. “How come it don’t look so high from the ground?”

“Well, Starsk,” Hutch replied, “you’ve got to hold your two fingers like this and measure the people up here. Then you . . .”

“Shut up, Hutch,” Starsky said miserably.

“Aw, come on.” Hutch softened. “Enjoy it. We’ll be down before you know it.”

“This was a bad idea.” Starsky said and sighed shakily….”Bad.”

“Why?”

“Cause . ..”

The Ferris wheel came to a sudden, grinding halt, sending all the cars into deep swings. Starsky and Hutch gaped wide-eyed at each other as they gripped the bar.

“Huuuuuuutch!” Starsky wailed as they tipped upwards to the blue sky, then swung down with a swift-moving view of the ground below.

“Hang. . .hang on,” Hutch said nervously as they rocked back and forth. “Just hang on.”

“Oh, Huuuutch!”

********

Starsky and Hutch were frozen in their seats as they waited until the car finally eased into a gentle sway again. Hutch inched forward to look below.

“Don’t do that,” Starsky hissed.

“I wonder what’s happened.” Hutch sat back again. He looked over at Starsky’s pale face and managed a weak smile. “We’ll be going again in no time.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. Going. How far and how fast?”

“Oh, now. . . don’t be melodramatic. Sit back and enjoy the view until they get whatever’s wrong fixed.” Hutch noticed the beads of perspiration on Starsky’s forehead and the squinting eyes. “Take it easy, Starsk,” he said sympathetically.

“Sure.” Starsky answered quietly and swallowed hard. He shut his eyes again.

“You okay?” Hutch asked.

“I’m dizzy.”

“That’s natural. After what just happened.”

“No,” Starsky said even more quietly, eyes still closed. “I feel like I’m gonna slide outta here, Hutch.”

Hutch’s face registered shock. He put a hand on Starsky’s arm again and leaned slightly towards him. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I don’t know. I just feel weird…Sick.” Starsky’s arm unwrapped from the panda and found Hutch’s hand. “Don’t . . don’t let me fall.”

“I won’t,” Hutch answered quickly. “You’re in your seat. You’re fine.”

The dark head nodded. Hutch craned his neck to look over the edge then back again at his friend. “Just hang in there, Starsk.” He didn’t know what else to say.

“Oh God, Hutch.” Starsky’s voice had a cracked edge to it. “I don’t . . .I feel like I’m gonna tumble outta here.”

A loud cranking noise startled the two men. The wheel started to move back and forth and finally found it’s groove as it began is descent downward. One by one, the patrons were allowed to exit the cars. An eternity later, Starsky and Hutch had finally reached the bottom position. Before the attendant could swing the bar open, Starsky had leaped out and was quickly running towards the men’s room.

He found an empty stall, and he emptied his stomach. Once the intense nausea had subsided he flushed and went over to the bank of sinks. Splashing cool water on his fiery face seemed to help quell the feeling of ill health. Hutch had by now entered the bathroom, panda in hand. Standing beside his partner, he took a good look at him. It was obvious that his friend had just been ill.

“Okay, now, buddy?” Hutch asked as he wet a paper towel and placed it on his partner’s forehead. Starsky leaned back against the cool tiled wall, and tried to catch his breath.

“Hutch…please take me home. I feel awful.”

“Sure thing, buddy.” Hutch held the door open as his friend quietly exited the washroom.

Starsky walked on wobbly legs towards the LTD. Hutch opened up the doors to his vehicle in an attempt to let some of the heat out of the car. After placing the panda in the back seat he turned around to check on his friend. Starsky was leaning up against the car, sweat pouring off his face and dripping off of his hair.

“Starsk, you running a fever?” Hutch inquired as he placed his hand on his friend’s forehead. Starsky was burning up.

Damn it, thought Hutch, as helped get Starsky situated in the car.

“Relax, blondie, I’ll be fine. Just need some aspirin and a shower, ‘kay?”

“Okay, buddy. Why don’t you try and sleep, Starsk. I’ll have you home in no time.” Hutch quickly got into his car and started the ignition with shaking hands.

Starsky fell into a light slumber for which Hutch was grateful. Taking a mental inventory, Hutch became increasingly annoyed with himself. The signs were all there. Starsky had been sick all day long.

A sudden moan brought the blond man out of his reflective state.

“Starsk?”

“Hutch…God I feel so dizzy….feel like I’m gonna pass out on ya, Blintz.”

“Oh jeez, Starsk, put your head between your legs.” Hutch pushed the brunet’s head downward.

Slapping the mars light on top of his car, Hutch drove expediently to Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Room.

********

“An ear infection, Hutch?” Starsky was amazed at the diagnosis. Lying in the hospital bed, he had been given anti-nausea medications as well as an anti-vertigo drug by a mean looking nurse named Hilda, who had seemed to take pleasure in roughly plunging a needle into his vein for some IV fluids to combat dehydration.

Hutch had finally calmed his friend down after that little episode. He smoothed down the wrinkled sheets; he quietly answered his friend’s question.

“That’s right, buddy. That cold you had last week obviously invaded your ears. The inner ear infection causes all of the symptoms you’ve been experiencing. And hiding from me,” he chided gently.

“Sorry, Hutch,” Starsky said sheepishly. “I just wanted you to have a good time.”

“That’s okay, buddy. You’ll be feeling better in no time. Shut your eyes for a while,” Hutch said softly. He leaned down closer to his partner. “And I had a great time,” he added. “Thank you.”

Smiling, Starsky had no problem with the order to close his eyes. He quickly fell into a deep sleep. Sometime later, he awoke. The room was dark. He saw Hutch sitting in a chair across from the bed.

“Hutch, sorry I ruined your day.” Starsky began. “I really wanted you to have a great time at the amusement park. I always felt kinda bad for you, ya know. Spending your weekends at operas and libraries, well that don’t sound like a real lot of fun for a kid.”

Hutch remained silent.

“Hutch, you angry with me? Hutch?”

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, and dragging his IV pole with him, Starsky began his journey over to his friend. Seeing the light switch on the wall, Starsky clicked it on, and was shocked to see the panda staring at him from the plastic seat. The seat he was sure that Hutch was occupying.

“Ahhhhhhh… ” Screamed Starsky.

Hutch who had watched the entire episode, was now laughing under his breath.

“It ain’t funny, Hutch,” Starsky replied, as he grabbed onto the paw of the panda and went to toss is out the hospital window.

“Windows are locked, Starsk,” Hutch put in, the grin evident in his voice.

“Here, then, get this bear outta my room.” Starsky sniffed as he extended his arm to his friend and pushed the bear into the other’s open hands.

“Sure thing,” Hutch chuckled as he backed out of the room with the large animal clutched to his chest.

Heading toward the nurse’s station, Hutch was greeted by a squeal of delight as an attractive nurse approached him and the bear.

“That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” the shapely brunette cooed into Hutch’s ear.

“Me, or the bear?” Hutch asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, both, but I meant the bear,” she grinned.

“Why, thank you. I was just about to donate him to the children’s ward of this fine hospital.”

“Oh, that’s so generous of you. Let me go with you. I’ll lead the way,” she offered with a twinkle in her eye.

Starsky saw the scene unfold from his doorway. Well didn’t it just figure?

Hutch gets the pretty girl and I what do I get, but a needle in my arm and a nurse named Hilda.