Emergency!

93

Starsky is taken unexpectedly ill.

 

Written for the SHFF December photo prompt from an idea kindly donated by Bev.

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It had been just another, ordinary work day: only remarkable for the fact that nothing much had happened. They’d finished the witness interviews for the case they were currently working on and even had time to catch up on the notes for their last two cases. “Divide and conquer,” Starsky had suggested regarding the files and Hutch had agreed.

“As long as you don’t use any flowery language that will have Dobey making us rewrite it,” Hutch warned, the Hutchinson finger underlining his point.

“Yeah, yeah,” Starsky said, with a grimace. “Accurate and very boring, I promise.”

Starsky finished first and took his file through to Dobey and then came back into the squad room.

“You nearly done?”

Hutch nodded. “Couple more minutes.”

“I’ll just go get a snack while I’m waiting.”

“You’ll spoil your dinner!” Hutch said to no avail. Starsky was already headed out of the doors.

He returned moments later, wolfing down a packet of peanuts and then starting on a candy bar. Hutch shook his head. He still didn’t know how his partner could be constantly hungry. He finished collating photographs, witness statements and his report and then took the finished file through to his captain.

As he walked back to his chair to collect his jacket, he heard Starsky sneezing.

“Guzendheit!”

Starsky didn’t answer. He sneezed again and then started scratching at his throat.

“Starsky? You okay?”

As Starsky coughed and scratched some more, Hutch’s eyes widened as he saw three hives pop out on his partner’s skin.

“Hey, you look like you’re having an allergic reaction to something. What did you touch?”

“Nutthin’.” Starsky sneezed again and wiped at his now runny nose.

Hutch reached into his pocket and pulled out his hayfever tablets. “Here, take a couple of these. It might help.”

Starsky swallowed one pill and then the other, nearly choking as he did so.

“You want to leave going to Huggy’s?” Hutch asked with concern.

“Nah, I’ll be fine. It’ll wear off whatever it is. Let’s go,” Starsky said, still scratching at the hives on his neck.

The two of them headed down to the Torino. They were almost there when Starsky stopped moving.

“H-Hu-sssh!” Starsky struggled to speak and turned frightened eyes towards his partner.

Hutch could see that his lips appeared to be swelling up.

“Hospital now!” Hutch said.

Starsky climbed into the passenger seat of the Torino as Hutch took the keys from his hand. Hutch hurried to the driver’s side and started the engine, lights and siren. The squeal of tyres as they left the parking lot was worthy of Starsky’s driving.

Hutch grabbed the mic and asked Mildred to alert Memorial Hospital that they were on the way, describing Starsky’s symptoms in detail. Then he signed off.

As he drove, Hutch darted anxious glances at his partner. “Not far, Gordo. Hang in there.” Although Starsky had sprouted a few more hives and his breathing sounded hoarse, Hutch was relieved to see that the swelling around his lips hadn’t worsened.

At the hospital, staff rushed out to meet them and wheeled Starsky quickly away. Hutch hurried after them, giving detailed answers to the nurse asking him questions. He was barred from going in the emergency treatment room but could watch through a small window as his partner was hooked up to an IV and given oxygen. After a few minutes, the sense of urgency amongst the staff seemed to lessen and Hutch breathed a sigh of relief.

Dobey appeared behind him. “Mildred told me what happened. How’s he doing?”

Hutch wiped his face. “Okay. I think he’s doing better.”

Just then a doctor came out of the room and looked at them. They introduced themselves and asked for an update.

“It’s a case of anaphylaxis. Detective Starsky seems to be allergic to peanuts. We’ve got him on an antihistamine drip and that is calming his symptoms down. He’ll be fine to leave in a few hours, but he will have to keep away from nuts from now on.”

“He eats peanuts all the time! How can he suddenly become allergic?” Hutch asked.

“It does happen that way sometimes,” the doctor said. “We’ll move him to a recovery room in a moment. You can go with him.”

“Thanks doctor.”

“I must say I think your partner would be in a lot worse shape if you hadn’t thought to give him those antihistamines. That was quick thinking.”

Dobey squeezed Hutch’s shoulder as a well done. Hutch looked surprised but pleased.

As Starsky was wheeled through the doors and along the corridor, Captain Dobey and Hutch fell in by his side. Once he was settled in a room, Dobey told his young detective that he was glad he was okay and then headed back to work.

Hutch sat down heavily in a chair and let out a long breath.

“That was scary,” he admitted.

Starsky nodded. “It wasn’t much fun from where I was sitting. How can I suddenly become allergic to peanuts? I don’t get it!”

“I don’t know but you’ll just have to accept it and be really careful from now on.”

“The doctor says I’ve got to carry adrenaline around with me just in case. He says another time the reaction could be worse.”

Hutch nodded and placed his hand on Starsky’s arm.

“That’s kind of a scary thought,” Starsky said. “That it could happen again…and that I’d have to use the adrenaline. I guess I gotta learn how to inject it… and quick.”

“WE’VE got to learn,” Hutch amended his friend’s statement. “We’re in this together.”

Starsky nodded gratefully. He was reassured by knowing that he had Hutch’s support in this, just like he would with anything else. It might take a bit of time to get used to a new regime so he could safely go on living life, but he knew he could do it with his partner’s help.

“Thanks pal.”

Hutch squeezed his shoulder. “Anytime.”