Fatal Vision

1.2K

A woman from Hutch’s past distorts his ability to see her clearly.

 

Please read the footnote at the bottom of this story re: chapter 4. No warning needed, I just didn’t want to give away the contents of this chapter until the end!

---

CHAPTER 1

“C’mon Hutch, we gotta go!” Starsky flung his half eaten burger out the open window of the Torino as he called to his partner. He flinched slightly realizing he’d just littered but hell, with the tip that had just come in, there wasn’t time to be neat or legal. He waited impatiently for Hutch, gunning the engine. His partner took one last look at his food, his mouth watering even for this greasy morsel.

Hutch glared darkly as he dumped it in the garbage and wiped his hands on his pants. His stomach rumbled and he just knew it would be a long time before they’d get a chance to eat again. Usually it was Starsky grumbling about being hungry, but this time, his day started without breakfast; not even time for a protein shake.

They had been chasing after a suspect for the past two days. This person was quick but deadly. All they had so far were two dead male bodies. The grisly details had been kept out of the paper but the way the faces of the men had been cut up and then stabbed in the lower extremities, well it was enough for Hutch to suddenly be glad he didn’t have time to eat. He could only imagine that Starsky’s urgent plea meant they would be on their way to another crime scene.

Hutch fell into the passenger seat and barely got the door closed when Starsky pulled out of the parking lot. With jerks and grunts, Hutch got the mars light fixed to the roof, the siren already blaring while Starsky blurted out the info that Dobey had just relayed over the police radio.

“Dobey says he got an anonymous tip about the guy we’re looking for.” Starsky kept his eye on the road as he weaved in and out of traffic.

Hutch felt himself bump against the door. He tried keeping his body stiff to prevent his head being slammed against the window. His voice was steady even though his nerves were on edge.

“We don’t even know if it is a guy. Didn’t the lab say that it could be a very determined woman who used drugs to subdue the men?” Hutch jammed his foot to the floorboard, using his imaginary brake to stop the Torino from crashing into the car ahead. Instead of getting out of the way, the blue Chevy slowed and stopped at the traffic light. “Jeeze, will ya slow down? We don’t wanna waste our time by filling out an accident report!” Hutch dry washed his face, his fingers lingering over his eyes, shutting out the scene in front of him.

“Calm down, I got it all under control.” After another screech of brakes and whip lash type of move, the Torino gracefully found an empty space of road to claim.

Within ten minutes, the detectives had pulled up to an abandoned hotel, where they had been told that they might find the assailant. Starsky radioed their location but insisted that back up wait until one of them gave the order.

“I can just see Dobey pacing his office and wiping his face in irritation. I know he doesn’t like us going in without the other teams in place, but we don’t know what’s here or if anything is even worth all the manpower.” Hutch glanced at Starsky, giving a silent agreement to go with what his partner wanted.

The only thing they knew for certain was that the killer had struck twice; both times the physical characteristics of the men were alike. They had blond hair, blue eyes and were similar in height and weight. The lab detected some sort of paralyzing drug in their systems which left the victims unable to fight back. The men were alive as their faces were cut up. But by the time the final pierce of the knife occurred, the men were already dead.

The partners waited, not sure what their next move should be. Hutch craned his neck, stretching to view all five floors of the building they’d been led to as well as the roof. This abandoned hotel was surrounded by other decaying structures with no signs of life. Further down the street, a building was known to be a haven for street people but they never caused any trouble. However, the two men who had been killed were known to have lived there at one time.

“You know, those two other men, it was like the killer used them to practice on. Maybe it’s a woman who wants to avenge a failed relationship.” Starsky studied his partner, coming to a conclusion that he didn’t want to consider. It wasn’t the first time he’d thought about it: just hadn’t said it out loud until now. It crossed his mind that perhaps Hutch really didn’t connect the resemblance.

“What about you buddy, have ya dumped any revenge- type ladies lately?” Starsky asked only half jokingly. He poked his passenger in the ribs, which only got him an icy glare in return.

“Starsky, shut up.” Hutch’s retort was far angrier than he meant it to be.

“I’m just sayin’, ya know?” Starsky was about to continue but was interrupted by the Hutchinson finger pointing at him.

“Well, don’t.” Hutch let out a long sigh, shifting his weight on the seat.

“Well, it’s possible. There is a resemblance…” Before Starsky finished, a shadow appeared at a window on the third floor of the building they had stopped at. Hutch quickly got out of the car and stood, looking up, watching.

Hutch leaned against the Torino, shading his eyes as he waited. Restless, he spoke about what was on his mind.

“I’m going up there.” Hutch pointed in the direction he was ready to take, regardless of his partner’s approval.

“Give me twelve minutes, then call it in.” He leaned into the window, the indent between his eyes deepened at Starsky’s negative but anticipated reply.

“Like hell I will.” Starsky considered a moment before continuing. “You get five minutes, and then I’m calling Dobey.

“Starsky, it’s probably nothing but a nuisance call.” Hutch turned away but didn’t move. He knew his partner had more to say.

“I’ll give ya four minutes, then I call in the cavalry.” Starsky whistled to get Hutch’s attention. His partner had continued to stare up at the building where they’d seen the person appear.

The blond bent again to face Starsky. His long fingers tapped on the door frame, thinking about a compromise.

“Starsky, give me a break. I’m just going to have a look around and I’ll be back before you even get the precinct on the radio.”

Starsky huffed, annoyed that they were wasting time with needless bickering.

He got out of the car, slamming the door in frustration. He leaned into the car, staring at Hutch over the hood.

“Six minutes then I come in after ya. That’s my final compromise.”

“You sure are stubborn.” Hutch growled but with a hint of appreciation.

They stood there, Hutch’s icy blue eyes focused on Starsky’s dark intensity.

Locking eyes, the two men agreed.

“Six minutes, blondie!” Starsky called after him and watched as his partner took the steps two at a time.

He set the timer on his watch for the allotted minutes but tapped at the crystal, expecting the time to jump to his command. Mentally ready, his body tensed when he decided he’d follow without calling immediately for Dobey. He realized he was being as foolish as Hutch, but maybe it really was just a prank.

His skin prickled, and he shivered, as the alarm went off, but he wiped at the sweat that had suddenly appeared across his forehead.

Now anxious about his friend, Starsky checked his gun then headed to meet up with Hutch. However, as he ran up the steps, part of them gave way, disintegrating under his feet. He lost his balance, fell backwards toward the sidewalk and landed awkwardly on his side. He hit his head on the pavement and the last thing Starsky remembered was hearing a very distinct snap as his leg collapsed under him.

Giving in to the pain and disorientation, Starsky didn’t move but worried about his partner enough to cry out to him, trying to get his attention. Unfortunately his voice wasn’t strong enough and faded quickly.

“Huuuutch!”

 

CHAPTER TWO

Hutch raced up the steps, ready to take control. He thought about what they might be getting into. Suppose it was an old girlfriend, irritated at him for breaking off a relationship? He allowed himself to think of the last time he’d been stalked by someone crazy enough to harm him, but annoyed with himself, he forced that thought out of his mind. He rubbed his shoulder at the memory but continued on his way.

Intent on getting in and out quickly, he ignored the atmosphere of the lobby as he kicked at the debris which littered the floor around him. He was unaware of the peeling, faded wallpaper, the blotchy paint and musty smell that permeated the room. Rubbish crunched under his feet, but he was so focused on his six minute time limit, that he swiftly headed for the stairwell.

Hutch climbed the steps cautiously, gun sweeping before him, his ears straining to detect any noise. He stopped half way up, leaning over the railing, expecting to see his back up close behind. He knew he should wait, but he was nervous and curious. His mind wandered back to Starsky’s teasing comment about his resemblance to the two victims. Was it coincidence or something more sinister? He wiped those disturbing thoughts away and continued up the steps. Quickly he scanned the second floor hallway, convinced that it was on the next floor where he saw the person cross in front of a window. As if to confirm his thoughts, above him he heard scraping and a smattering of dust fell from the ceiling, turning his shoulders and hair to gray flakes. Back to the stairwell, he once more peered over the banister to the bottom floor. Not willing to give his location totally away, he resisted the urge to call out to Starsky. Perhaps his partner was waiting outside until joined by the back up team. Hutch moved on up the steps, avoiding obvious cracks and weak spots which might announce his advancement.

Again he glanced down the way he’d come, still anticipating Starsky, but no signs of anyone entering from below nor did he hear Starsky calling out to him for help.

Unaware that he was expected, he entered the third floor. The warped wood door scraped against its frame, announcing Hutch’s arrival.

Someone had been waiting for this moment since the detectives had pulled up outside. Fully aware of exactly where Hutch was, the onlooker now turned away from the window after seeing Starsky hit the pavement.

It was more than could have been hoped for, to see that cocky brunet helpless and out of the way. There would be more time to set in motion Hutch’s final downfall. It was so simple, but death would not come easily to the blond. Torment would be slow but methodical. But there was no more time to day dream. No mistakes this time. Gliding across the floor, fingering the hypodermic and smiling with renewed adrenaline, the planner’s determined feet moved onward. Time to be more than just an observer. The object of desire was within reach.

Hutch backed up against the wall, getting his bearings and listening again for movement of any kind. He didn’t expect to hear sirens since the back up teams would enter without them but he would have felt better, knowing that his partner was beside him.

The floor was littered with paint chips and chunks of plaster. Occasionally, a fine mist of particles fell from the ceiling and spread down over Hutch, causing his nose to itch. He suppressed the urge to sneeze several times and at one point, as he shielded his eyes from the falling debris, he noticed foot prints leading down the hall, conveniently outlined in the fragments and dirt. Later, when hind sight was the only vision that was still clear, the next few minutes would play out sharply in devastating detail through his mind. But at this juncture, those foot prints only meant one thing; he was not alone. Physically, he turned, as if to go back down the steps to wait for Starsky, but his mind told him he was close and that it could all be over in a matter of minutes. After all, he had his gun and he was mentally ready for the confrontation. The foot prints appeared to be fresh; perhaps it was only a teenager using the abandoned building for a place to meet with his girl or to hide out from his parents. In any case, Hutch suppressed the urge to retreat and moved on, following the trail.

He glanced into the next room where the tracks stopped. Gun raised, he finally used his voice to announce his intentions.

“You there, I’m a cop with more police officers down stairs. I’m coming in and I’m armed.” Hutch hesitated a fraction longer, then confidently entered. There was only a large metal cabinet and a broken chair in the room. He moved closer to the cabinet, intending to search inside. Instead, it came crashing down on him, sending him to the floor. It was not the weight of the furniture but rather the surprise at its movement that caused him to lose his footing and land on his back on the floor. He lost control of his gun, which went skidding across the ground. He was pinned beneath the cupboard, momentarily dazed by the force. He continued reaching for his weapon, blindly stretching his hand, but not connecting with anything.

But then he saw a pair of feet. He twisted his head to get a clear view of who stood there, but a jab to his arm, delivered by his captor, suddenly dulled his senses and rendered him helpless.

The room began to shift, making him dizzy and nauseous. He tried to fight off the effects with no luck. But he clearly heard the words the woman spoke next.

“I knew you’d come. I missed you.” She pushed and shoved until the cabinet slid off of her captive. Hutch moaned, reacting to his predicament then feeling scared and vulnerable. The drug had already paralyzed his body but his mind was cloudless enough to realize that there was something familiar about the woman standing above him. Her words echoed and faded around him.

She stooped down beside him, her dark eyes flashing with lust and anger.

“You won’t remember this conversation, but this is only the beginning. I’ll see you later!” At this, she burst out laughing, enjoying some sort of joke which Hutch didn’t understand.

Just as quickly, the laughter stopped and suddenly a knife seemed to be floating before Hutch’s eyes. She caressed his face with it. He was unable to move away and couldn’t even close his eyes against the terrible knowledge that somehow he knew this woman. But what happened next, would unfortunately, stay with him for a long time.

She whispered in a loving but harsh tone close to his ear. “I still love you.”

The knife slashed over Hutch’s left eye without warning. It bit into his skin, ripping the flesh; jagged edges cutting into the muscles across his eye and down to his temple. The blood began to drip down his face, pooling in his eye and clouding his vision. Another stab of the knife to his upper arm but the drug had paralyzed not only his body, but also deadened the nerves to the pain that the weapon had no doubt caused. His mind was clear even though by now he was dizzy and his vision blurry. He knew who had killed the other two men and now he was next. Completely helpless, he could only hope that somehow Starsky would show up in time to arrest this crazy bitch.

Hutch cried out, trying to fight against the drug. He could no longer move even his fingers and his eyes couldn’t focus because of the blood that continued to drip down his face. Everything was streaked with red, including his tormenter. But he just knew it was her. He heard her laughter and as his world faded before him, he understood who the woman was.

Saddened that his life would end without being able to stop this serial killer, he forced his fear away, wanting his last thought to be that of his friend. He didn’t want Starsky to be the one to find his mutilated body. But he didn’t want his last thought to be ugly and demented. Thinking of his friend, wishing he wasn’t alone, he forced out one last name, one that brought him comfort with his last breath. A plea for help.

“Starsky!”

 

CHAPTER THREE

Captain Dobey was angry. He was on a rampage and didn’t care who heard him. He slammed his chair into the desk, sending the pencil holder skidding across the surface. Every pen, pencil and letter opener clattered and fell in all directions. The desk lamp toppled over, sending papers floating to the floor. He was angry because too much time had passed since he’d heard from Starsky and Hutch. The back up team hadn’t heard from them either and waited for Captain Dobey’s decision about what to do next.

“Those damn fools.” Dobey paced his office again, wiping his face with his handkerchief. He stood, observing the squad room, expecting to see his two detectives come crashing through the double doors, proud of themselves for the case they’d just solved. Every head in the room bent toward some imaginary work that needed completed. No one wanted to be on the receiving end of Captain Dobey’s booming voice. Afraid now that his two best detectives had become the newest victims, he officially admitted to himself that he was scared.

With more control than he felt, Dobey scanned the room, until he found the officers he knew he could trust. The detectives huddled together, trying to look as if they were discussing a case, but in reality, they were just trying not to make eye contact with their superior.

“Williams, Baker, Collins! Get up, get ready and get moving. You’re coming with me.” Expecting his demands to be carried out, the Captain never looked back as he headed out of the squad room. Lumbering toward the elevator, he stopped when he saw Minnie.

She peered at him with sad eyes. Not wanting to admit even to herself that there wasn’t any news, she touched the Captain’s coat sleeve and shook her head. “There’s gotta be a logical answer. Maybe it was a dead end and they just decided to go to Huggy’s for lunch.” Minnie took her glasses off and wiped them on the hem of her dress.

Dobey offered a shy smile to the police woman, hoping that she was right. Resuming control and clearing his throat, he continued to the elevator, yelling over his shoulder to Minnie. “Get that back up team and have them meet me in the parking garage!” The last words loud and clear, even though the elevator doors had closed, sending the Captain and the three detectives to the ground floor.

Starsky awoke to pressure in his head and even while not totally conscious, he already knew that his leg was badly injured. It burned and just felt wrong. Later he would learn that it was broken in two places and that the ankle bone stuck out through the flesh at a grotesque angle.

He fought to regain his senses. His breath caught in his lungs, his head spinning. As he struggled against the pressure on his chest, voices became clearer, faces floated past his line of vision. The cold ground seeped into his limbs. He tried to move away from whatever compressed his body but instead, a worried voice greeted him.

“Take it easy son.” Captain Dobey pressed his handkerchief to Starsky’s temple, trying to stop the flow of blood. “Where’s Hutch, do you remember?” The befuddled look in his detective’s eyes, confirmed the fact that both men were probably in serious trouble.

At the mention of his friend, Starsky struggled to put the pieces back together, fighting to clear his head. But that didn’t mask the shooting daggers of pain through his entire body. Weakly, he panted with fear and confusion.

“He’s in there…” Starsky tried pointing upward but the muscles couldn’t support the gesture. So instead, the wounded man cried out for his friend.

“Hutch!” This time he reached out to Dobey for support but he missed his target.

The portly captain continued to press the red streaked rag to Starsky’s head. Hearing the ambulance, he steadied himself as he explained to the detective what was about to happen.

“David, the ambulance is here. They’ll stay with you while I go up there. Do you know exactly where Hutch went?” He moved out of the way as the medics arrived, equipped to appraise the severity of Starsky’s condition.

The injured man bit his lip and flinched when one of the medics examined the gash on his head. He kept his eyes closed against the tilting cement, trying to balance his position.

He held his breath until the dizziness faded, forcing his thoughts to focus on Hutch.

“It’s my fault. I made a deal with him.” Another stab of pain gained his attention. His body arched up and away from probing hands. He went limp, losing strength but his mind continued to taunt him with guilt.

“I let him go up there alone.” He gulped twice and moaned before continuing. “Somebody’s after him.”

“Concentrate on my voice, Starsky. Where is he?” Dobey kept his tone level and professional, figuring that would help the man remember. The Captain thought that his detective was delirious with pain, otherwise, how could he come up with such a bizarre statement?

“Third floor’s all I …” The detective sucked in his breath as the exploration of his wounds now focused on the lower limbs.

“Sergeant, your leg is badly broken.” The medic explained, as he continued to probe.

Starsky reacted with a mix of humor and pain. His voice weak, his jaw tense.

“Shit, ya mean I can’t go dancin’ tonight?” As the medic continued to explore the injuries, Starsky grabbed Dobey’s suit coat, curling the material in his shaking hand. He tried to ignore his own pain by expressing concern for his partner.

“Go find Hutch. He’s in trouble ’cause of me.” Dobey guided him back, gently pressing him to the ground.

“Cap, I didn’t back him up. I shoulda…” Another moan, this one long and ragged, cut off the rest of his thought. Mercifully, he fell silent as he lost consciousness against the pain that continued ministrations by the ambulance personnel caused.

The burly black man looked at the building in front of him and shook his head. One last glance at his silent detective helped him make his decision.

“Let’s move in boys.” Captain Dobey pushed Collins in front and indicated for Baker and Williams to follow. Avoiding the decayed steps, the men surged forward through the lobby to the stairs, going straight to the third floor.

Stopping just inside the hallway, all four men waited, evaluating their surroundings. Dobey indicated the foot imprints left on the dusty floor. Pointing forward, the Captain directed the men down the hall. Suddenly, they heard moans and weak words coming from a room close by. Pretty sure it was Hutch who called out for Starsky, the group forced themselves to proceed with caution, carefully searching the open rooms which led them to the sounds of distress.

Satisfied that it was safe, Dobey advanced into the next doorway, his gun ready, his heart racing. Immediately, the men gathered around the bleeding body in front of them. The three detectives converged, checking out a closet and a cupboard lying on the floor. The only other piece of furniture was a broken chair with three legs. Having secured the surroundings, Williams and Collins left to investigate the other rooms, leaving Captain Dobey and Baker to attend to Hutch.

“Oh my god.” Justin Baker knelt beside Hutch. The prone man was bleeding profusely above both eyes. Another gash on the right arm also flowed red, pooling around the detective and spreading away from his body.

Baker looked to his captain for direction but he too was rooted to the floor, unable to comprehend the sight before them.

 

CHAPTER FOUR

Blood was everywhere. Hutch’s normally straw colored blond hair was now red. His face streaked with color as well and the trail led down his neck, soaking the front of his shirt. The blood from his head mixed with the wound to his arm. His whole right side was soaked with sticky redness.

Dobey moved over to the other side, grabbing the wrist, searching for a pulse. Perhaps it wasn’t as bad as it looked? The Captain thought of his kids and their various cuts and scrapes. Knees and foreheads always seemed to pump out more blood than the tiny cut actually warranted. The child was terrified but once the bleeding stopped all was well again.

That was not the case this time. Hutch’s face above his eyes was deeply cut. The laceration to the bicep was also deep but not wide.

The blond was extremely still. Justin Baker went to the window, in order to collect his emotions. Ken Hutchinson was one of the best detectives in the precinct. Justin admired him and David Starsky and now the two were in a bad way. Justin watched the ambulance crew load David into the vehicle, ready to transport him to the hospital.

“Sir, I’ll go down and alert the medics that they have another casualty.” Justin hurried through the room without looking at Hutch. He stopped before he entered the hall when his captain spoke.

“Baker, tell them to get another ambulance quick. One of the medics needs to get here right away. I don’t know…” Dobey’s voice trailed off and Baker sprinted to the stairwell and down the steps.

The Captain swiped his hand across his face, trying to make sense of it all.

While still in the hall, the men had heard Hutch mumbling incoherently. The only thing they understood was Starsky’s name. But since they’d discovered him, the detective had fallen silent. Now, Dobey reached out, touching the other man’s shoulder; but he made no sound; didn’t even acknowledge the contact.

“Hold on. Help’s on the way.” Dobey was at a loss. He wasn’t good with offering comfort but knew how important it was for Hutch to understand that he wasn’t alone.

A raspy breath and then Hutch attempted to speak. His voice was low and Dobey had to strain to make out the words.

“Starsky.. was right.” Hutch struggled to talk. He swallowed and licked his lips. He didn’t seem to notice the slickness of blood that his tongue came in contact with.

“She’s here.” The stress in Hutch’s voice worried Dobey. Sure, the man was hurting and scared, but he wasn’t sure the detective was coherent.

“Who Hutch? Do you know who did this?” He didn’t want to push him, but the Captain feared that Hutch would pass out before he could identify his attacker.

The fallen man groaned. He spoke haltingly, unable to connect his thoughts.

“Six minutes.. Starsky… did he?” Dobey couldn’t follow what Hutch was trying to say.

“Don’t talk now. The medics are here to help you.” Dobey moved out of the way, walking to the window. He watched another ambulance pull up and his officers gather toward the entrance to the building. He expected that shortly the third floor would be crowded with the crime team as they fanned out, looking for clues and evidence. It didn’t seem to Dobey that there would be much to go on. Whoever did this was obviously gone and didn’t leave much for them to find. Hutch seemed to be the only witness and right then, he wasn’t in any shape to relay anything that would help.

The medic examined Hutch, surprised at how still his patient was. “Captain, my best guess right now is that outside of the obvious wounds, he was drugged with something to keep him immobile.” Roger did his best to keep Hutch comfortable until transport arrived. He monitored the stricken man’s blood pressure which was low and uneven.

Hutch kept talking but not in complete thoughts.

“Starsky!” Hutch called out to his friend. He became agitated, moaning and struggling for breath.

Dobey wasn’t sure that Hutch was aware of anything. He hadn’t responded directly to his captain but instead, mumbled in fragmented sentences.

“Too late…” A stretcher appeared with the other emergency worker. Dobey helped them get Hutch secured on the gurney.

“Tell him… she was…” Another attempt to convey information was beyond him. The detective tried to fight through the blackness that threatened to overwhelm him. He wanted to say something; he just couldn’t make his brain work.

Dobey watched as they rolled him down the hall. The Captain was soon joined by the crime team and busied himself with instructions. They studied the foot prints outside of the room, hoping that at least this would help them make some soft of identification.

As Hutch was carried down to the waiting ambulance, he tried to think about what had just happened. He couldn’t move his arms and memory was fading fast. He had an odd feeling that he knew something important but it kept slipping out of his mind. Everything was blurry and watery feeling. Where was Starsky?

Sometime later, he heard more voices. Noise was all around him but he felt like he was under water. He couldn’t see clearly and everything seemed garbled. But suddenly, one voice stood out.

“Sergeant Hutchinson? Wake up now.” Allison finished taking her patient’s blood pressure. She wanted him to understand what was happening to him.

“Whaa?.. ” Hutch heard a soft voice and struggled to stay awake.

“Ken, my name’s Allison. I’m a nurse and you’re in the hospital.”

Hutch nodded, appreciating the softness under his head.

“I can’t see. Oh god, the knife!” A memory flashed before him, making him nervous and jittery.

“It’s okay. Dr. Charles is going to operate and fix your eyes. But we have to do it quickly. While he’s doing that, Dr. Clark will operate and stitch up your arm. Hey, stay with me a minute longer.” She gently shook Hutch’s shoulder to get his attention. Allison needed him to be aware of what to expect.

“Okay, surgery– eyes.” He struggled to prove he was following the conversation.

“That’s right but you have to know that you aren’t going to be completely asleep. You won’t feel anything but you might hear us talking. Just try and relax and it’ll be over soon.” She patted him on the belly then offered a suggestion. “Ken, you could even join the conversation if you want!” That statement didn’t seem to reach her patient. But something told her this man had a strong personality and wouldn’t be intimidated by the procedure.

Hutch forced himself to stay awake; there was something he had to know.

“Where’s Starsky?” He tried to sit up but he felt pressure holding him back.

Captain Dobey looked to Allison for support. He didn’t feel right, not telling Hutch that Starsky had been injured and was already in surgery. Dobey decided it wasn’t necessary since the other detective’s injuries weren’t life threatening. It was more important that Hutch be taken care of. The loss of blood and extent of his own wounds were the most important thing at the moment.

Keeping his voice stern and even, he leaned over, close to the detective’s ear.

“Hutch, it’s Dobey. Starsky’s all right. You just behave now and do as your told.”

Somehow, it really didn’t matter to him. He heard what Dobey said, but it didn’t seem to reach him. He didn’t feel pain or worry or anything. It just all went away.

Shouldn’t the six minutes be up? Maybe … Damn, nothing…I can’t tell where I am. I feel like I’m floating. I can’t see anything except.. where’d this damn light come from? It’s so bright, it’s burning through my eyes. But I can’t even tell if they’re closed or open,. I can’t see around it. I can’t blink or move away from it. But I hear voices.

“Severe lacerations. We’ll do a Frontalis Sling.”

They must be talking about me but I don’t know why. I feel something touching me.

Pressure on my face. It’s sharp but doesn’t hurt. Shouldn’t I be scared? I feel like I’m drunk, ya know when nothing registers anymore?

“So I was reading about the benefits of a protein shake and they gave this recipe.” Hutch was surprised that he understood the conversation. He didn’t know what was happening to his body, but his mind seemed to work fine.

“Go on, Allison, what was in it. I sure need something to give me more energy.”

“Well, there were all sorts of minerals and herbs.. Gee Beth, I can’t think what else.”

“Black Strap Molasses.” Hutch thought he’d only said it in his head until he heard his name.

“Hey, thanks Ken, I knew you’d want to join our conversation eventually!” Both girls shared a laugh. Even Dr. Charles wanted to know more about this miracle mixture.

Wait, it’s all fading. Finally the light’s gone. But where am I?

I don’t care. Think I’ll sleep.

 

CHAPTER FIVE

A hospital is not the peaceful, restful place that one would expect. It’s not easy to get the healing power of sleep when you are surrounded by the noise from the over head speaker system. There is always a doctor being paged or a secret security code announcing some sort of emergency known only to hospital personnel. Occasionally these are interrupted by the Brahms Lullaby, signaling the birth of a baby. Not to mention any number of people walking the halls, equipment being wheeled to another destination and TV’s from other rooms blaring many different channels.

But this particular room was quiet, the lights dim. There was an I.V. pole standing guard over the bed’s occupant, while the other bed was empty. Those sheets were tangled and pulled back in a heap; the pillow lay across the middle of the mattress. A vase of flowers sat on the tray table. Starsky had been sent for x-rays of his leg to be sure it was in the correct position since the cast had been applied the day before. Also, a scan of his head was ordered to be sure there was no damage from his concussion.

The man in the other bed was asleep. Hutch’s surgery had gone well but his body was worn out. He’d lost a lot of blood so not only did he have an I.V. of antibiotics, there was also a bag hanging to replace what blood he lost. Both I.V.’s were attached to his left hand since it was his right arm that was sutured and now covered with a sterile dressing. He was tied to his bed with the additional catheter which he would bitterly complain about once he was fully awake.

The door opened as a nurse entered. Susan turned the over head light on in order to check on her patient. She needed to record the progress of the I.V’s leading into the man’s body. The antibiotic was almost finished as was the blood drip. She checked her watch, marking the time of her next visit. She noted the dark bruising on Hutch’s eyes, the result of his surgery. The dark rings would widen and more colors would appear by the next day. After checking all the settings, she stood next to the bed, resisting the urge to reach out and touch the swollen face. She had gone to a lot of trouble to transform herself into the woman who now stood before Hutch. But it would all be worth it because soon, she’d have him back.

She walked to the foot of the bed in order to record her findings but turned as the door bumped and banged open; a wheelchair with the left leg straight out preceded the patient. Starsky wheeled himself into the room, complaining about the cold x-ray waiting room he’d been forced to sit in for more than an hour.

“Man, why can’t hospitals provide warmer robes?” He pushed himself toward his bed, turned around and rolled back to the foot of Hutch’s bed.

“He doin’ okay?, Starsky asked, his attention immediately on Hutch. His gaze took in the almost empty bag of blood and the steady rise and fall of his chest.

“Yes, he’ll be fine. He’ll be uncomfortable for a few days but he’s doing real good.” The nurse pushed her tortoise shell glasses back up her nose as she headed to the other side of the bed. She paused and Starsky missed her unpleasant expression which converted to a bland one as he looked to her for assurance. He pulled his attention from Hutch to the nurse.

“Doc said his vision would be really blurry for a few days. That’ll drive him crazy, not bein’ able to read or see clearly.” Starsky watched as the nurse checked the wound on her patient’s upper arm before hooking the chart back on the end of Hutch’s bed.

“I’ll be back later to change the dressing. Right now, it’s more important that he sleep and regain his strength. But when he wakes up, he’ll need to use ice on his face every fifteen minutes which will keep some of the swelling down.” She gazed again at the man in the bed, keeping her smile to herself. She noticed that David wasn’t paying her any attention; so typical of him.

She turned to leave, pleased that there was no hint of recognition in David’s eyes. This was going quite nicely, she thought, as she bustled out of the room.

Starsky wheeled himself up to Hutch’s bed. He positioned himself sideways, so that he could be near his friend. At the moment, he studied the man, feeling guilty for putting both of them in their present conditions.

A lot had happened in the past eighteen hours. By the time Hutch had arrived at the hospital, Starsky was already in surgery to repair his leg. Broken in two places, he required a metal rod to fuse the bones back together. His head injury was stitched and he was observed for several hours before finally, he was allowed to sleep. He needed to remain in the hospital for several days to make sure that there were no complications from the surgery or from his head injury. That was fine with him. He didn’t want to leave Hutch, particularly since he felt it was his fault that Hutch had been attacked.

“Aww Hutch, I’m sorry. I shoulda followed you into that building.” Starsky reached for his friend’s hand, squeezing it slightly. He was pleasantly surprised when Hutch returned the gesture.

“Hey blondie, you back with me?” Starsky sat forward in the wheelchair, waiting for a reply.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Figured I’d better put a stop to your guilt trip.” Hutch cleared his throat and licked his lips, keeping his eyes closed. Starsky grabbed for the cup of water, guiding the glass into the searching hand.

Hutch tried to focus, squinting and blinking. Not fully open, he eyes burned and watered profusely. The glass shook and tipped slightly, spilling water on the sheet. Starsky rescued it before his friend was completely drenched. Once his hand was free, the blond tried to reach up to his eyes to wipe away whatever was clouding his vision.

“Easy there buddy. Ya can’t be messing with your eyes. Do you remember what happened?” Gently, Starsky guided Hutch’s hands away from his face. The man in bed crossed his arms over his chest to prevent himself from scratching or reaching for his face.

Hutch let his head fall back against the pillow. He was quiet for a minute, forcing his memory to clear. He kept his eyes closed as he talked.

“I remember pulling up to that old hotel and we argued about my going in alone.. then I fell or something hit me after I walked into a room.” He reached over, lightly touching his bandaged arm.

“They did more than just hit ya. You’ve got fifteen stitches in your arm and also they used that knife to cut you up pretty good on your face.”

“My eyes really hurt.” Hutch struggled to open his eyes but shut them tightly again, groaning and covering his face with his hands.

“What’s wrong? Do ya need the nurse?” Starsky tried moving in closer to the bed but couldn’t get past the I.V. pole. Frustrated, he reached over to his own bed, pushed the call button and turned back to his friend.

Hutch continued in a tight voice. “Damn, the light’s so bright, what’s that all about?” Just then, a nurse hurried into the room. Allison quickly assessed her patient’s distress and turned the over head light out. Immediately, Hutch’s relief was evident. He relaxed back against his pillow and his breathing evened out. Starsky continued to hover the best he could, the I.V. stand still in his way.

“Sorry Ken, that light should never have been turned on. One of the side effects of your surgery is sensitivity to light. Until your eyes heal, you might want to wear sunglasses, even indoors.” She reached into the pocket of her uniform and pulled out a pair. Starsky looked at her, raising his eye brow to form a question. She smiled at him then guided the glasses into Hutch’s hands.

“Here, this’ll keep you more comfortable till you can get a pair of your own. I just got back from my break outside, hence the glasses in my pocket.” Gratefully, Hutch put them on, oblivious to the fashion statement he made.

Starsky chuckled seeing his friend in the large, round dark shades, trimmed in white; an unmistakably female accessory.

“At least now I’m not having that intense pain. Give a guy some sympathy here!” Hutch breathed a sigh of relief, ignoring Starsky’s continued laughter.

Hutch noticed something familiar. While Allison had been talking, he listened closely, recognizing her from somewhere.

“Nurse? I think we’ve met before. Is it my imagination or…” Allison interrupted him with her own laughter.

“Black strap molasses I believe. Yeah, I was in the operating room and the other nurse and I were talking about a protein shake. You gave us the missing ingredient!”

 

CHAPTER SIX

The three people shared the laughter like old friends. Starsky’s’ head jerked up, his eyes growing wide at a sudden thought.

“You mean you guys were talking about a protein shake?” After hearing about how Dobey found Hutch, he was amazed that his friend would have been so coherent.

“Not before but during the surgery. I was awake while the doc fixed me up! I heard voices and could speak. Just didn’t feel anything.” Starsky cringed, imagining what that would have been like. He kept his eyes closed while at the dentist. He had no wish to see what was coming.

“It figures you’d get your opinion heard about those damn health drinks.” The men laughed again, Starsky giving Hutch a friendly jab to his knee.

Soon, though the atmosphere changed when the door opened and Susan joined the group. Allison cleared her throat and adopted a more serious tone while the two men continued to joke with each other.

Susan surveyed the room, shaking her head in disdain.

“I’ll not have my patient disturbed. You can leave now Allison. I’m quite capable of taking care of my responsibilities.” She stepped closer to Hutch, checking that nothing was amiss. Silent now, Starsky watched as Susan busied herself with her patient.

“Ken, it’s very important that you stay calm and sleep as much as possible. You’ve had a major trauma and you need to build your strength back up. There’s way too much excitement for you just now.” For the first time, she stared at Starsky, her mouth in a thin line of dissatisfaction.

“You need to be in bed. You shouldn’t be bothering Ken. He needs his rest so just leave him alone. I’ll be back with that ice for your face Ken.”

Susan left the room without another word, leaving the men wondering at the strange attitude.

“Oh boy, isn’t she the limit? She gets so protective of her patients.” Allison shook her head but agreed to herself that David did need to rest.

“You better do as she says David and get in bed. Or else she’ll make sure you’re fitted with a catheter!” Laughing lightly, she helped Starsky out of the wheelchair and guided him to the mattress. With little struggle, he was soon flat on his back, his head resting against the pillow.

“It’s just my charming good looks that got to her.” Hutch sat regally behind his sunglasses, sitting as if on a throne.

“You haven’t seen yourself lately have ya buddy? Your eyes are every color you can imagine and your face is swollen up like a balloon. This time, it ain’t your boyish good looks!” Starsky yawned as he pulled the covers up to his chest.

Allison furtively looked toward the door, making sure they were still alone before she continued.

“She’s a strange one. Why, a few months back, we had two male patients, both in serious condition and Susan just insisted on being with them constantly. She made it her duty to be their constant provider and she was really broken up about it when they died.” Allison stopped suddenly, thinking she shouldn’t be revealing such information.

‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be sharing hospital gossip. I guess you should just feel lucky to have such an attentive nurse.” Allison plumped the pillow behind Starsky’s head and left quickly without another word. Despite what Susan demanded, Allison wanted to check on these two men again. They were very nice and David was so handsome!

A few minutes later, Susan returned with an ice pack for Hutch. She clucked over him, making sure the ice was in place. She helped him with a drink of water and raised the head of his bed until he was more comfortable. Then she set about to change the dressing on his arm, all the while instructing him on the use of the ice.

“Use that ice four times every hour, a few minutes at a time. When you need more, just use your call button and I’ll fill it back up. Your face will be back to normal in no time, as long as you do what I say.” She pulled the blanket up around Hutch’s chin. He flinched slightly at her touch. She noticed how he pulled away from her. But, she reasoned to herself, it’s because he’s embarrassed to show how he feels in front of David. Once again, that guy was in her way.

“Now you rest and if you need anything, I’ll be just outside at the desk. I don’t go off duty for several more hours yet but by then, you’ll be sound asleep. Probably won’t wake up till I come back tomorrow. You poor boy.”

As an afterthought, she raised her head to look over at David.

“You need anything?’ Her words were clipped and her tone indifferent compared to the personal, almost mothering attitude she’d used with Hutch.

‘Umm, I could use some water. My leg hurts too, any chance of something for that?” Starsky tried to be nice, but he really didn’t like her attitude. She was cute but not Starsky’s type.

“I’ll send the aide in with your water and I’ll check with the doctor about a pain pill. Just don’t bother Ken anymore with your chatter.”

Quickly, she turned toward the door but slowed to glance back at Hutch. She smiled slightly as she left the room.

“What’s with her?” Starsky watched the door close.

Hutch wiggled further into the bed. “You’re just jealous. For once a female pays me more attention and you just can’t handle the competition.” He fell silent, his sunglasses hiding the deep furrow between his eyes. A few minutes later an aide came in with a fresh pitcher of water for Starsky.

Hutch could tell Starsky was digging in for a long nap. His friend yawned and pushed the control button to raise the bed to a more comfortable angle. He figured Starsky wouldn’t need that pain pill after all. But there was something he had to know.

“What does she look like Starsk? There’s something familiar about Susan.”

He was confused as he tried to put his finger on exactly what was bothering him, but couldn’t put it into words. His vision was still blurred and he experienced double vision. All of that made him dizzy and unable to think straight. His view of Susan was so distorted; he couldn’t even tell what color her hair was. But given all of those doubts, he still had the vague notion that he’d met her before.

Starsky was almost asleep but shook himself awake at the sound of Hutch’s voice.

“I guess she’s cute. She’s got short red hair and glasses. Kinda chunky in a sexy way.” Starsky yawned again and punched his pillow into a more comfortable lump.

“There’s something… I just can’t. Damn.” Hutch made a fist and hit the mattress in frustration.

“Uh, huh.”, his friend responded drowsily. Before long, he was sound asleep, leaving Hutch to wonder about the missing pieces that were still a blur.

 

CHAPTER SEVEN

Another nurse brought a medicine cup with a pill for Starsky a short time later. She set it on his bed side table but turned toward Hutch as she stifled a laugh.

“I guess he doesn’t need that pain pill after all.” She glanced again at her patient, tempted to wake him up so he could take the ordered dose. Common sense rather than duty won out.

“He can sleep most anywhere, anytime. You’re smart not to wake him up; he’d be pretty grumpy if you did.” Hutch handed Cindy his now sloshy ice bag.

“Since I’m here, I better put those drops in your eyes.” She poked around the drawer of the bedside table where Hutch’s medical supplies were kept. In the mean time, the patient grimaced at the thought of the irritating medication.

Cindy noticed the frown as she pulled out a tissue and unscrewed the cap from the vial of drops.

“I sure wish I didn’t need those. They make my eyes worse, if that’s possible” Regardless of his complaints, he rested his head back against the pillow and waited for the burning to begin.

“I know they’re uncomfortable, but the first one is another antibiotic to replace the I.V. drip that was taken away. That’s one good thing. Then this next one,..” She interrupted herself as she reached for the second bottle. “This one helps cut down on the dryness.” Squirting the second medication in his eyes, she held his one eye open to complete the delivery of the thick substance.

“I know all that but that second one makes my eyes more blurry to the point that I can’t see at all for a few minutes.” He squinted and made a frustrated noise as the stinging and blurriness increased. He reached for his sunglasses but tried to be polite as Cindy left, despite his sour mood.

Half an hour later, Starsky snored lightly and Hutch remained thoughtful.

He wanted to talk to Captain Dobey. He still needed to give his statement to his superior regarding the attack. Slightly surprised that more than twenty four hours had gone by without being questioned, Hutch decided it was time to give his account of the events as he remembered them.

Reaching for the phone and dialing proved to be quite a challenge. Of course he knew the police station phone number by heart, but it was different dialing without seeing the numbers clearly. After two attempts, he decided he needed help.

“Starsky, hey sleepyhead!” The dark-haired man groaned in his sleep but didn’t respond otherwise.

“Some help you are,” Hutch grumbled. He reached for the call button but hesitated. He didn’t want Susan to answer his summons. Maybe she’d be gone by now. Well, he had no choice. He figured if she came in, he would just forget about calling until she left for the day.

He pushed the button and without realizing it, held his breath until Allison walked into the room.

“Are you okay?” Allison glanced at David who was sleeping soundly. Then she moved closer to Hutch to check on him. His face was still very swollen. “Looks like you need more ice. Is there anything else I can get you?”

Hutch pushed the sun glasses up higher on his nose. Behind them, he squinted and blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision but without any success.

“Just wish I could see. This is damn frustrating. It’s like I’m under water, trying to see with my eyes open. Everything is wavy and distorted.”

Allison moved closer, smiling at the feminine glasses that Hutch still wore. He didn’t seem to mind. She figured as uncomfortable as he was, he would gladly wear them in order to alleviate some of the more irksome side effects of the surgery.

“Close your eyes and take the glasses off. Let me inspect your incisions to make sure everything is healing as it should.” Gently, she touched the swelling and bruising, confirming that all was well. Then she moved to the other side of the bed to examine his arm. The wound there was also healing well. No signs of infection or problems.

“Everything is fine. You just need to be a patient patient!”

Hutch shrugged his shoulders and gave her a weak smile. “I’m not very good at resting or giving myself time to relax I guess. I just want it all to go away.”

Allison patted his head, moving some of the longer blond hair off of his brow.

“But there is something you could do. I’m afraid again my frustration got the best of me, so could you dial the phone? I need to get in touch with my captain.”

Hutch relayed the phone number and as she dialed, he gathered his thoughts in order to show that he was in control, even if he didn’t feel that way. Allison waited until Hutch started speaking and then crossed over to her other patient to check on his condition. He was obviously comfortable enough to sleep and she found nothing out of the ordinary. His blood pressure was good as were his respirations so she left the room, content that these two men were safe until the next round of checks were necessary. She did remind herself to gather more ice for Hutch but first she needed to look in on the man across the hall.

As Allison left, Hutch continued his conversation with Captain Dobey.

“Cap, there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.” He listened a moment while Captain Dobey asked him a question.

“Who? You mean David Starsky, ace detective? Hah, he’s sound asleep and has been no help. Yeah, yeah, he’s fine but there’s something… damn, I just can’t put my finger on it.” Hutch glanced over at his friend and frowned. That man really could sleep through anything.

Unfortunately, a series of problems would prevent the Captain from coming to the hospital until the following day. However, he would send Sean Brooks, the sketch artist. Sean would help Hutch recall the details of the woman and put those memories into a drawing. Running out of things to say, Dobey covered his concern with grumbling under his breath and complaining that the two detectives were needed back at the precinct as soon as possible.

Hutch held the phone away from his ear as his superior’s words grew louder before he clicked off the line.

He struggled to get the receiver back on the cradle. He held it in his hand, not sure which of the three phones was the real one. All three floated in and out of his sight, so from behind his sun glasses, he blinked rapidly and squinted until finally there were only two in front of him. He aimed in the general direction but totally missed his target. The pitcher of water went flying, soaking the box of tissues and sending the vase of flowers crashing to the floor.

The unexpected noise interrupted Starsky’s deep sleep enough that by the time Hutch was done swearing, his friend was sitting up in bed, wide awake, ready to save his partner from certain danger.

“What the hell? You okay buddy?” Starsky rubbed his eyes as he looked around, automatically reaching for his imaginary gun. Hutch snickered but secretly, he felt safer having his partner awake and alert while his sight was compromised.

“Have a good nap?” Hutch asked in a sarcastic tone.

“How the hell can I sleep with all this racket going on?” Starsky sat up further in bed and stretched his arms over his head.

Hutch sighed heavily and ran his hand through his hair. He loved his partner but sometimes the man was a very frustrating experience.

He related the details of the conversation, explaining Dobey’s problems at home and at the office, keeping him away until the next day.

“Are the kids okay?” Starsky leaned forward; concerned that one of his Captain’s children might be sick. He had a special place in his heart for Rosie, his little left handed friend.

“They’re fine, but plumbing problems at home and a new case at the precinct has him pulling his hair out. At least this time, we aren’t responsible.” The men shared a laugh and continued the light hearted conversation until a volunteer brought them their dinner.

Meatloaf covered in a gelatinous substance that was supposed to be gravy got the guys talking about pizza cravings, health shakes and a general desire just to go home.

 

CHAPTER EIGHT

The cafeteria was packed. It was a sea of white uniforms, green scrubs and lost looking visitors all trying to shove down their food in an attempt to stay afloat for the rest of their shift or in the case of the visitors, to get back to the business of being a loved one’s guardian.

Sitting at an empty table, Susan munched on her celery sticks and sipped at her iced tea. Lost in thought, she daydreamed about her job; specifically, about her most favorite patient. Being so close to Hutch and waiting to carry out her plan was torture but it would be worth it. She ignored one of the nurses who acknowledged her with an enthusiastic wave and friendly greeting.

‘Hey Susan!’, the girl called, as she joined her friends at another table. She wasn’t invited to join them, but Susan didn’t care. She still had to kick herself mentally to remember who she was now rather than her real name.

Diana.

Diana Harmon.

It seemed another life time ago. She’d learned a lot of valuable stuff while in jail. You were supposed to be rehabilitated by the time you were released, but instead, she’d made use of her time, planning for this very day. She knew how to play the system and worked at appearing to be conforming but on the flip side, she took advantage of the prisoners who taught her the most. From Frannie, she learned how to keep silent when all you wanted to do was scream. Sally introduced her to friends that could help her with anything she needed once she got out. Jail was a great storehouse of knowledge which wasn’t the purpose of incarceration.

At first, she worried that someone would recognize her but soon after starting to work, that fear never happened. Not even that male chauvinist David Starsky recognized her. She looked at her watch, silently counting the hours until Ken was finally hers.

She looked around suddenly, remembering where she was. Her thoughts scattered now, focusing back on the present.

She half heartedly waved to an orderly she’d gone out with once. He looked like Hutch but it wasn’t enough.

Beth went through the food line and settled on the spaghetti. She reached into the cooler for a diet pop. Further along the line she spied a tempting chocolate brownie which she picked up before the voice in her head could over rule her. She paid for her meal then stood looking out over the crowded cafeteria, spotting a group of girls she knew. She got closer just as they got up and walked away from their table. Like a flock of buzzards, another group swooped in, claiming the space. She could have sat with the old lady sitting alone by the condiment counter, but couldn’t face a story that most likely included how her husband of sixty years was wasting away with dementia and didn’t even know her anymore.

Glancing at the wall clock, she felt panic as she realized she’d already spent fifteen minutes of her forty five minute lunch break. One more sweep of the tables garnered a scenario that wasn’t pleasing either but given the choice between the old woman and the table by the window, she chose the latter. She took a deep breath as she hurried over to join the other nurse who, not surprisingly, sat alone in an otherwise over crowded cafeteria.

“Hey, Susan, mind if I sit with you? Seems I picked the wrong time to have lunch.” Beth shook her head but didn’t wait for the other girl to invite her. She set the plate on the table along with the soda and dessert. Happily she sprinkled the top of her spaghetti with Parmesan cheese and added a few red pepper flakes.

Realizing she missed the salad bar, she looked at her watch. “Shoot, I shoulda gotten a salad I guess. Did you know that I grow lettuce in my garden? I should have packed a salad as a matter of fact… Oh well, I’ll start my diet tomorrow.”

Watching Beth twirl the pasta around her fork caused Susan to flash to another time. Cooked spaghetti all over the kitchen floor. It had been an attempt to make him happy but the whole thing had been ruined when that conniving Starsky barged into Hutch’s apartment, dragging along some bimbo.

“Susan? You okay? You’re a million miles a way.” Beth didn’t wait for her to answer so she continued as if the other girl wasn’t preoccupied.

“Hey, did you look at the schedule board before you came to lunch?” Beth wiped her mouth before she continued. “I’m still in step down under Nurse evil eye. Oh that woman! If she’d just let us do our jobs…” She took a drink of her pop and swallowed.

Susan stopped what she was doing. If the schedules changed, she wouldn’t be near Ken anymore. If she couldn’t be near him.. Her curiosity got the best of her. She had to know.

“Did you notice my name? Where am I being sent?”

Beth sprinkled Parmesan cheese liberally over her spaghetti then she sighed, thinking of the handsome doctor that Susan would be working with.

“You’re lucky. You get to go to the E.R. That Dr. Rhodes is just so handsome. He’s got really strong hands and his eyes…” She didn’t continue with the description but smiled secretly at her table mate.

“The emergency room? Great.” Beth misunderstood the dark glare of frustration on Susan’s face.

‘Don’t you like it down there?” She stopped eating and listened as Susan began to speak.

“I really like the E.R. You meet some interesting people.” Susan sighed before continuing. “But I learned the hard way not to mix business with pleasure. I went out with a patient once and..” She wished she hadn’t revealed so much but now felt the need to share.

“Oh gossip! Tell me more!” Beth continued nibbling on the ice cream while fixing an encouraging smile on the girl across the table from her.

“Who was he? What was the matter with him?”

“It wasn’t around here, thank goodness. But I worked in a big emergency center and he was a cop who came in after tearing up his hand in an accident. He needed stitches and a tetanus shot. So of course I delighted in giving this big, handsome cop a shot in the butt and do you know what happened? He fainted!” Beth coughed and sputtered on her drink trying not to laugh.

“Isn’t that typical? The big strong looking ones are the worst babies!”

Susan continued with her story. She told her friend that she was so taken with the guy’s good looks she did something really unprofessional.

“I followed him and accidentally bumped into him and his friend at a local hang out!”

Since Beth didn’t interrupt, Susan continued with the story that she’d spun around what had really happened. The fantasy was much better than the truth.

“Well, we spent the night together but he wasn’t that entertaining, if you know what I mean. So I left, never expecting to see him again. But he kept pestering me, waiting at my car after my shift was over. I told him to leave me alone and drove off. But he kept following me. I went out with him once thinking that if I spelled it all out, he’d leave me alone.” She made herself stop and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

Beth leaned over and patted Susan’s hand. “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it.”

Sniffling and shaking her head, Susan continued. “No it’s okay. It feels good to talk about it. To make a long, painful story short, he raped me and cut me up with a big knife. He’s in jail and I moved on. I forced myself to forget about him. But he was really handsome. You know that patient Ken Hutchinson? Well, he looks a lot like that guy. It scared me at first but then I decided I wasn’t gonna let my fear get the best of me. That’s why I got kinda bitchy at you guys. I wanted to take care of the guy myself. I wanted to prove to myself that everything was alright.”

Her meal forgotten about, Beth wiped her own eyes with her napkin as she absorbed the personal story Susan had just shared with her. Everything made sense now. Obviously, it helped her deal with the memory. Susan was a damn good nurse and most of the patient’s really liked her.

“Wow, I don’t know how you’ve continued with nursing. For the first time, I’m actually speechless. You have so much courage” Beth drifted off, letting the other girl compose herself. For once she didn’t feel the need to fill the space with chatter.

“No, thanks so much for listening. I really needed to tell somebody.”

“Jeeze Louise! Look at the time! I gotta get back to the floor in two minutes or else the wicked witch of five south is gonna drop a house on me!” Beth pushed her chair back but stopped abruptly.

“You sure you’re okay?”

“Yes Beth I am. He was blond and tall and sexy but I’m over him. Besides, revenge is sweet!” Susan laughed but Beth didn’t. All of the sudden, her skin felt clammy. She wasn’t sure what was so funny, but didn’t like the sound of Susan’s laughter.

 

CHAPTER NINE

Just about the time the men finished eating, Sean strolled in with his sketch pad and pencils. His long, stringy hair and small, wire rimmed glasses made him look more like a lost soul than the talented police artist that he was.

“Hey man, what’s up?” Sean set his supplies on an empty chair and walked over to Hutch to shake his hand. He saluted Starsky who was engrossed in an old movie on the T.V. mounted on the opposite wall.

“Not much. Just here for the atmosphere, ya know?!” Starsky turned the sound down as he spoke but kept his attention on a movie that he hadn’t seen for awhile.

“Don’t mind him, as long as there’s a comfortable place and a T.V., Starsky’s in heaven!” Glaring at Hutch, he thought about throwing something at him, but reconsidered, since Hutch wouldn’t be able to dodge the projectile. Settling for mumbling under his breath, he went back to his movie.

Hutch got up and joined Sean in the corner where two recliners sat against the wall. He swayed a bit since his depth perception was still off. Hutch got comfortable and waited until Sean joined him with his drawing tablet and pencil.

“Excuse the sunglasses, but my eyes are still pretty damn sensitive since the surgery. But let’s get started before I forget anything else about the person that attacked me.” He leaned back in the chair and behind his glasses, closed his eyes in order to relax and get a clear picture of what he remembered.

“I got all the time in the world. Well, except for Dobey chewing my ass out to hurry up and get here and get back with the sketch. He sure don’t have a lot of patience. He needs to learn to meditate.” Sean wiggled out of his sandals and crossed his legs in the chair.

Hutch chuckled at the thought of Dobey doing yoga or meditating. He cleared his throat as he tried to relax and think.

“Just start with what you recall and we’ll fill in the blanks as we go.” Sean waited until Hutch began to speak and then the pencil began to hover over the surface.

A few minutes went by as Hutch talked and Sean drew. As the details began to slow, Hutch became frustrated and complained that he couldn’t tell the artist any more.

“It was more of a feeling I guess than what I actually saw. I think I’m describing emotion rather than physical characteristics but maybe that will transpire into a true likeness.”

“You did good, brother. It’s definitely a woman and a cute one at that. You wanna look?” Sean set his pencil down and uncrossed his legs. He held the drawing up to the man sitting next to him. Hutch leaned forward, blinked hard but shook his head.

He swallowed hard and blinked. He wanted so much to be wrong.

“Let Starsky look at it. I’m anxious to see what he thinks.” Hutch was pretty sure of Starsky’s reaction. Even though he couldn’t clearly see the finished drawing, he knew the end result. He would never forget her. Now he was convinced that she was back.

Hearing his name, Starsky turned off the T.V. and struggled to get out of bed. Sean crossed to the other side of the room and helped Starsky balance and settle into the wheelchair. He propelled himself over to where the others were, stopping alongside Hutch’s chair.

“So is this like one of those ink blot tests? You tell me I’m crazy if I see a dragon eating a donut?” Still laughing he reached out to get a better look but abruptly stopped as he took in the likeness on the paper.

“Hutch, are you kidding me? This is gotta be a joke, right?” He continued to stare at the picture the artist had drawn.

“You think I’d make something like that up?” The two men glared at each other, although the icy blue of Hutch’s eyes were hidden behind the dark glasses, Starsky could still feel their pull.

Starsky rested his hand on Hutch’s knee. His friend would need a lot of support and protection if his memory was accurate.

“Hutch, listen to me. You described someone that you couldn’t possibly have seen recently. You sure about this?”

“Starsky, I may not be able to see now, but I know who I saw, who did this to me. Just tell me what you think.”

Deciding just to say who he thought it was, he sighed and shifted in the wheelchair.

“Diana Harmon.” The name felt like sandpaper on Starsky’s tongue. The bile rose in his throat as he remembered what Diana had done to his friend. Hutch rubbed his arms, as if he were cold. Sean watched the scene play out in front of him, wondering who this chick was, but was reluctant to break the startling tense atmosphere.

Starsky reached across and put his arm around Hutch’s shoulder. The men huddled together, filling the third man in about this long ago incident.

They were unaware of Susan as she stood just inside the door. She watched them as they hovered over a large piece of paper. Her lips curled in disgust as she saw Starsky rub Ken’s back. The man’s head was bowed. The voices were low but she could tell that it was a serious conversation.

Her brown eyes blazed with anger but she licked her lips in anticipation.

Now that she would be going to the emergency room for her next shift, she made the decision to step up her plans. Actually it would be to her advantage to work in the E.R. because she would have easier access to supplies that she needed and could sneak back to this room on her own time.

As the door closed behind Susan, the three men continued discussing the meaning of Hutch’s memory.

“See, when she attacked me, I felt like I knew her. But she gave me some kind of drug that not only paralyzed me but wiped out my immediate memory of the assault.” He visibly started to shake. He rubbed his hands together, trying to calm and steady himself. He looked up as Starsky cupped the blonde’s neck, giving silent support. Sean continued to stare at the picture, not willing to break the detective’s train of thought.

“We better let Dobey know what’s going on.” Starsky began to roll himself toward the bedside table to make the call. He picked up the phone but held it in his hand when Hutch stopped him.

“Don’t Starsk. There’s more.” Hutch stood up but the dizziness surprised him as he wobbled to catch his balance. Sean stood up too, held onto the man and slowly walked him over to the bed. Hutch sat on the side of the mattress, taking long, slow breaths.

The wheel chair bound man put the phone back on the cradle and sat next to his friend.

Sean broke the mood as he began to pack up his supplies. Quickly, he put the drawing in the leather satchel and boxed up the pencils that he’d used.

“I better get this back pronto.” He raised the flat, black case to emphasize what he intended to do.

He didn’t speak again but hurried out the door. As he moved swiftly down the hall to the elevator, he kept thinking about the serious turn this story had taken. What he had in his possession was priceless. He didn’t pay attention to the chubby nurse with red hair who joined him in the elevator. He didn’t notice that she hadn’t pressed a button. Instead, she leaned back against the wall, her hand in her pocket, as the elevator continued to the parking garage.

He glanced over at her as she exited the elevator.

“Nice day now that your shift is over. Have a great evening!” Sean continued toward his car, not giving a second thought to the nurse who seemed to be going in the same direction. They both stopped beside his car.

As an artist, Sean was aware of details when it came to a police drawing of wanted criminals. His mind was on the beauty of the woman beside him, not the needle in her hand. She came nearer and he thought she was about to ask him something when he felt a quick jab to his neck. His hand automatically went to the area which was now burning. He looked surprised as he lost the ability to comprehend time or space.

The satchel slipped out of his limp fingers. Susan grabbed his keys as they dropped to the floor. Struggling to get Sean in the back seat, she shoved his legs across the seat and hurried to get behind the wheel.

 

CHAPTER TEN

After Sean, left, the room was still, the air crackled with emotion.

Hutch was silent for a long time. His breathing was ragged, as if he held back tears. Actually, his frustration and guilt had been building and now overflowed.

The door swished open causing a shudder to ripple through Hutch. Starsky watched as the pale face turned gray and waited until Hutch breathed again as soon as Beth entered the room.

Beth smiled at both men as she entered. She really liked them and it had nothing to do with their injuries. Maybe after all this was over…

“Tell me something, please.” Hutch removed the sunglasses but didn’t squint as the brightness reached his eyes.

‘When is Susan’s shift over? Is she still here?” The questions caught in his throat as he inwardly cringed, waiting for the answer.

“Yes she’s gone for the day. She won’t be back because she’s scheduled to rotate to the emergency room.” Beth noticed that the bruising around Hutch’s eyes was much lighter and the swelling had gone down.

“You aren’t wearing your dark glasses. Are your eyes feeling better?” She checked the stitches above his brows.

“Yeah, things don’t seem so blurry either.” Hutch waved his hand in front of his face.

Beth finished her notes on both charts.

“Well, I’ll see ya’ll later. If you need anything, just ask.” She stopped by Hutch’s bed again and they exchanged glances. Both smiled timidly at the other.

If only the situation was different, Beth thought to herself as she left the room.

Starsky turned his attention back to his friend.

“Hutch, c’mon buddy what’s on your mind?” It was obvious to him that his friend was worried. The deep lines on his forehead and around his mouth were evidence that his friend was dealing with a lot of uncertainty.

Hutch didn’t answer but studied the phone. He reached for it twice but let his hand fall away from it each time. Finally, he pulled the phone on to his lap as he sat with his legs crossed on the mattress, rubbing his temple. Deep in thought, he’d almost forgotten that Starsky had asked a question.

“Hey, why do you think it was Diana that attacked you in that building?

“B-B-c-cause, she’s here.” Hutch whispered. His chin rested on his chest. Then he lifted his head and stretched his neck and shoulders.

“Who? What the hell are you talking about?” Starsky was frustrated now. The stutter only appeared when Hutch was seriously worried and anxious.

The need to be closer to Hutch was strong. Not only in a physical sense but emotionally too, he had to get to the bottom of what ever was bothering his friend.

He pulled himself up onto the bed beside Hutch. He couldn’t cross his legs like his friend, so he sat at the bottom of the bed, resting his encased leg on the edge. He got as close as he could before speaking. He tapped Hutch on the knee to get his attention. Once the icy blue eyes fixed on him, Starsky tried again to get answers.

“Let’s start at the beginning. Why do you think it was Diana that attacked you in that abandoned building?”

Hutch sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He closed his eyes to get his bearings then opened them again and spoke slowly, trying to recall every detail.

“I walked into a room and this big cabinet fell on me and knocked me to the ground. After she stuck me with a needle, I couldn’t move but I heard every sick thing she said.” He swallowed hard and smiled at Starsky who encouraged him to continue.

“She… she said she loved me. I c-couldn’t see her but there’s no way I’d miss that voice. What ever she gave me really knocked out my memory. Plus that anesthetic during the surgery and the after effects really made me weak and unable to think clearly.”

Hutch shrugged his shoulders and lowered his gaze. Suddenly he was ashamed.

“I should’ve listened to you. You had a feeling that someone might be after me, yet I had to prove you wrong. If I woulda listened to you, instead of charging in on my own, none of this woulda happened.”

“Hey, we both needed a break. Dobey wasn’t likely gonna give us time off any time soon. So consider this a… working vacation!” Starsky wanted to diffuse the guilt that was beginning to build with Hutch but the humor was lost on the man in front of him.

In fact, Hutch didn’t seem to have heard what Starsky said.

Mindlessly, Hutch drummed his fingers against the phone. He reached out to grab Starsky by the wrist to check the time.

“Dobey should have called by now. I know as soon as he’d see that picture, he’d want to know the whole story.”

“Listen, I know you’ve been having a lot of pain because of surgery and you’re kinda scared about that crazy bitch that attacked you. But are you absolutely sure that it was Diana?”

Hutch shot a dark look at his partner. He got out of bed, standing and waiting for the dizziness that didn’t occur. He paced across the room and returned once again to Starsky’s side.

“I know this sounds crazy but I’m sure Susan is Diana.” He hesitated, watching Starsky’s face for acceptance.

“Whoa, just hold on there!” Starsky slid up to the top of the bed, occupying Hutch’s space. He propped his back against the pillows. Hutch sat down beside him, turning to face the dark eyes that stared back.

“She don’t look a thing like Diana. She doesn’t even sound like her. How the hell did you come to that conclusion?”

“Yeah, if you listen closely… Since I couldn’t see real well, I’ve relied on my hearing. She always seems so sweet to me but you, she just dismisses as quickly as possible. Then gradually I remembered more of the attack and what she said. It just all fits.”

“Well, she wouldn’t be the first criminal to get outta jail with a better education in the field of deceit. But she was certifiably crazy at her trial.”

“Starsky, she was only sent to a minimum security psychiatric facility. She would have conformed or done what she needed to get out of there. You and I both know it’s not hard to change your appearance or even change your identity. She could have learned all that plus probably got hooked up with contacts in the city. And as far as parole officers…” Hutch let that thought hang. An overloaded system made it easy for the well informed to beat them all at their own game.

He reached out to look at Starsky’s watch again. Two hours had passed since Sean left. That was more than enough time for Dobey to have seen the picture and to have called them.

 

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The gift cart was a regular event each day at Memorial Hospital. Actually it was like a convenience store on wheels. It brought the gift shop to each floor of the hospital by a volunteer, usually a senior citizen. Most people welcomed the interruption in their often boring, difficult day.

This third day of confinement for the detectives was just like the others had been. The only difference was that they were both feeling better and able to move around. For Starsky, this meant he was restless and looking for distractions.

When the gift cart stopped outside their room, Starsky grabbed his crutches and hopped out to join the other patients who had already gathered, looking for something to read or a favorite brand of toothpaste to replace the grainy kind that was provided in their hospital wellness basket.

Starsky inspected the magazines, picked up one about cars and a candy bar.

He would save the magazine for later, but his sweet tooth needed attention immediately so he hobbled back to his room to enjoy the treat.

It was rare that the fifth floor ever got as quiet as it was this evening. Some patients had been discharged and as of yet, there hadn’t been any admitted. Dinner trays had been served and the best part was that the head nurse was on her dinner break. So Cindy hunched over a gossip magazine at the front desk and figured she’d have twenty minutes of peace without Nurse Brooks. That was heaven!

She looked up at the sound of footsteps and felt a brief surge of panic, but relaxed once she saw it was only Susan. Cindy watched as the other woman stopped in front of her.

For Susan, she was really pleased that it was Cindy and not Beth at the desk. Cindy was a nice girl and a good nurse but kind of scatter brained and gullible. These two qualities were just what Susan could use to her advantage. She stopped in front of the other girl and pasted on a smile that made Cindy feel that she was taking part in a big secret.

“Hey Cindy, would you like a break for about ten minutes? I’ll cover for you if you want to go to the lounge, finish your magazine and get a diet soda.” Susan smiled and inclined her head toward the nurse’s lounge then offered an explanation.

“I’m actually off duty but I need to double check that my chart notes are up to date before I sign off and start my rotation in the E.R.” She came around the other side and peered over Cindy’s shoulder at the magazine.

“Oh that would be great. There’s a great story in here about that blond guy who sings. He’s really hot!” She pointed to the young man in a shirt which was opened to the waist and clicked her tongue in admiration as she headed for the lounge.

Susan got right to work. She pulled the charts that she needed, changed a few things then initialed them correctly. Forgery was something she’d picked up quickly while she’d been away. The other women inmates had been impressed with her talent.

Her eyes kept darting to the elevator. She was pretty confident that Nurse Brooks wouldn’t be back for awhile because she’d seen her in the cafeteria with her boyfriend.

She grabbed a few things she needed and stuffed them into her pockets just as Cindy came back. Along with what she’d already pilfered from the emergency room, all of it would be essential in order to accomplish her task.

“I forgot to clean out my locker. I think that’s where I left my favorite lip gloss!” Susan quickly moved to her locker, cleared it out and waved goodbye.

Surprisingly she had the elevator to herself as she pushed the button for the garage. She decided it was time to shed her ‘Susan’ persona. She’d go back to being in her old skin. She wouldn’t have to hear that fake name again and by the time anyone figured out what was going on, she and Hutch would be together, forever. At that point, it really wouldn’t matter what her name was, only that no one could ever separate them again, not even Starsky.

The drug she’d injected Sean with would be wearing off and he’d find his way to the precinct.

Checking her watch, she took in a deep breath. She was ready.

Meanwhile, on the fifth floor, Allison finished up in room 505. She had done the initial history and examination and now her patient was ready for surgery the next morning. No other people had been admitted so the rest of her shift should be routine.

She decided to finish her day with a quick check on the two detectives.

“I’m just popping in on my favorite patients before I’m done for the day. She moved to Starsky’s bed, curious as to what he was watching so intently.

Starsky was absorbed with an old monster movie, one he hadn’t seen in a long time while his magazine lay forgotten beside him.

Allison became engrossed in the cheesy black and white film and took more time than she should have in their room.

Starsky became aware that she was enjoying the program and asked her what her favorite old movie was.

“Oh I love the old monster movies, like The Blob, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, all those creepy, silly ones!” She jumped slightly as a particularly exciting part played out on the T.V. screen.

“A woman after my own heart!” Starsky teased. She blushed as she gathered up the stethoscope and blood pressure monitor.

“I guess I better go. But let me know how it turns out.” She felt embarrassed and wanted to melt into the floor. She didn’t even stop to say good bye to Beth, she just wanted to retreat to her quiet apartment. She had no way of knowing that her evening would be anything but quiet.

Starsky and Hutch exchanged glances. The dark-haired man gave his friend a lop- sided grin as he went back to his movie.

With Allison done for the day, Beth and Cindy would be continuing their shift with Nurse Brooks. The woman always went by the book, was efficient but not gentle. She was from the old school and believed that her duty was clinical and there was no room for personal involvement.

Beth had only been gone for a minute so she was surprised when Nurse Brooks wasn’t around.

“Cindy, where’s Nurse Brooks? Didn’t she come back from her break?” Once the head nurse was on the floor, she presided over her responsibilities with a keen eye and her hand in every situation.

“She came back only to give a hurried explanation that there was an emergency at home. She grabbed her purse and left. About ten minutes later, personnel called and said that Allison had agreed to come back to help out, even if her shift was over.” Cindy chewed on her fingernail.

“It’s okay. I don’t expect any problems.” Inwardly, Beth was relieved.

It always calmed her to make herself aware of all that she was responsible for. Even just glancing over charts made her feel more organized so she grabbed David Starsky’s chart along with Ken Hutchinson’s. They were at a point that they didn’t require much and in fact would be going home in a day or two.

She pulled David’s chart to see if there were any new instructions. She didn’t expect any and was confused when she read over new orders. She read through them a second time and when she got to the doctor’s signature, she grew more curious. She pulled Ken Hutchinson’s chart and found that his medication orders had been changed as well.

Knowing that the detectives had been hurt while on assignment, Beth’s curiosity grew.

“Cindy, was Dr. Bradbury here today? Wonder why he changed the medication orders for the detectives?”

“He wasn’t here. In fact, isn’t he on vacation? I think he left yesterday after he made rounds. Dr. Michaels is covering until he gets back.” Cindy got up and joined Beth at the desk. She scanned the page that was open.

“Well, maybe he forgot something and came back when you weren’t here.”

“Nurse Brooks always reports any changes that occurred if we aren’t here. She’s fanatical about that. The only person that’s been here recently is Susan. She came to pick up some stuff then left.”

She shook her head and silently berated herself for thinking about something so crazy. She and Allison had talked about Susan often, speculating that there was something not quite right about their fellow nurse. Allison’s comment that Susan seemed almost territorial when it came to Starsky and Hutch’s care came back to her. It wasn’t good nursing to get so attached.

Beth felt great relief when half an hour later her friend hurried toward the front desk. She pushed Allison toward the lounge, mumbled to Cindy about filling her in and shut the door behind them.

Cindy shrugged her shoulders and went to answer the call from a room down the hall.

 

CHAPTER TWELVE

Sitting on the other side of Dobey’s desk was a very worn out, confused and embarrassed police artist. Sean sat forward and accepted the cup of water and two aspirin from Captain Dobey. After tossing the empty cup into the trash, he resumed holding an ice bag against his throbbing head.

Dobey gave him a few minutes even though he was anxious to know more. He was tempted to just call his two detectives, but he had to have more details.

Sean eventually leaned back against the chair and set the ice bag on the floor beside him. The Captain anxiously tapped a pencil on his desk, prompting the artist to continue with his explanation.

“I’d finished with the drawing according to what Detective Hutchinson remembered about his attacker. It was a woman.” He stopped to rub at his neck which was stiff and sore.

“Go on son, what else do you remember?” Dobey tried to be patient. The man in front of him was pale and shaking. The medics had quickly looked him over and decided he was okay but needed to be in the emergency room. The man refused until he’d told the Captain everything. He felt responsible and guilty and now wanted to help in any way he could.

Dobey was beginning to think that Sean wasn’t the only one in danger. But he had to move slowly and be absolutely certain before he made a decision.

Sean cleared his throat. His face was flushed, partly from the effects of his ordeal but also because he was mortified that he could have been overcome so easily. To make matters worse, he’d lost the drawing or rather, it had been stolen.

“Did you recognize the likeness once Hutch said who he thought it was?”

“I didn’t, but Detective Starsky got really bummed out when he saw it.” He leaned forward again, folding his hands together. “They said her name was Diana. Then Starsky got real pale and he kept staring at Hutch.”

Dobey was quiet, thinking back to the only woman by that name that he could recall. He shuddered at the memory of rescuing Hutch after her insane assault against him. He prayed it wasn’t the same person.

Reaching for the phone, Dobey dialed a number, waiting for it to be answered. He held the phone to his ear tensely, his attitude growing darker at the long delay.

“Hello, I’m Captain Harold Dobey, Bay City police. I need some information about one of your inmates.” He listened for a fraction longer than he cared to then broke in with a terse comment.

“Well, I can’t wait till the office opens tomorrow morning. Get a message to your superior… Now!” He barked out his phone number and slammed the phone back into the cradle. He pulled out a handkerchief and with a beefy hand, wiped his sweaty brow.

Waiting until his anger subsided, he spoke in a more controlled tone to the man in front of him.

“If the person you described is who I think it is, my men are in jeopardy. The phone call I just made would have helped me find out if Diana Harmon had been released. If she had, why didn’t we get any notification of it? Sometimes this system….” Not expecting an answer, he let his questions deflate. His mood static, he beat his hand against the surface of the desk, causing Sean to jump. Dobey looked at him and tried to offer a reassuring smile. After all, it wasn’t this poor man’s fault that he’d stumbled into a bees nest. Taking a cleansing breath, he encouraged his visitor to continue.

Sean rubbed his upper arm this time and rotated his head, trying to work out the stiffness. Sean moved on to speak about the woman who’d followed him to the garage.

“This woman got off the elevator but I didn’t think anything of it. I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.” He smiled sheepishly before continuing. “I guess that’s why I’m not a detective.”

“Did you recognize her?” Dobey asked the same question, hoping that the woman responsible for this wasn’t the same in the drawing.

“She had red hair and was kinda pudgy. She was a nurse on the same floor as your detectives. But the next thing I knew, I was on my back on the cot in the emergency clinic here. I don’t know what else happened.” He flopped back against the chair and closed his eyes.

“So the woman in the picture and the one who followed you to the garage were not the same person?” Sean shook his head and was prevented from speaking when the phone rang.

Dobey grumbled in his throat as he picked up the phone.

“I told you I didn’t want to be disturbed!” The Captain bellowed into the phone. He grew quiet and then barked out a reply.

“Why the hell didn’t you say so.? Put the call through.” He mumbled to himself and ran a hand through his thinning hair.

He asked a few questions and listened for a long time until offering his thanks to the caller. His hand moved slowly as he replaced the receiver. He got up from his chair and walked around to stand beside Sean.

“I want you to stay here. Go to the clinic downstairs.” He picked up his hat off the other chair. He flipped it from hand to hand, thinking.

Sean started to ask a question but the look on Dobey’s face stopped him.

“I think you could be in danger so just do as you’re told. I gotta get to the hospital and figure this mess out.” He opened the door to the squad room.

Grousing to the room in general, he stopped at Detective Webster’s desk.

“Take Sean down to the clinic and keep him there.” The man got up to do as he was told while the Captain moved on to speak to two other men. They listened, nodded in understanding and followed their superior out the door.

The Captain filled them in as best he could. He outlined his idea and gave each man their instructions.

First, they headed to the supply office to pick up equipment. They didn’t have the proper requisition form but fortunately, Minnie was doing double duty behind the caged window. He gave her brief details but as soon as he mentioned Starsky and Hutch she was more than willing to help. She assured the Captain that she would write up the requests and he could sign them later. She had a soft spot in her heart for those boys, particularly Starsky.

Once the men left with their supplies, Dobey continued outlining a plan as they walked toward their cars.

The Captain would set up residence in one of the empty hospital rooms where he could be in control without being in the way.

He hoped this idea worked without putting anyone in danger, especially Starsky and Hutch.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The empty hospital room had quickly turned into a command post. The police Commissioner had been alerted to the details as Dobey knew them and the appropriate departments had been alerted within the hospital. Quickly the area was transformed into the captain’s ship. A small desk and a straight back chair replaced the hospital bed. The regulation phone was the only decoration on the top of the desk. The piece of furniture he now sat behind was dwarfed by his bulk. Dobey continued to make a list of expectations while the four other people around him dealt with their own worries.

Hutch stood by the darkened window. It was late evening and the lights outside glistened and twinkled as the rain sluiced against the pane of glass.

Starsky watched his partner, knowing the man was focusing on his perceived failure rather than the future. He continued to pluck pieces of the Styrofoam cup that was now empty of the strong coffee he’d consumed out of habit rather than need.

Beth and Allison stood together at the opposite end of the room, trying to contain their nervousness and excitement at the prospect of their duties.

The atmosphere in the room was strained. The girls didn’t want to interrupt but also needed to get back to their duties. They understood what their role was and were restless at the thought of what may happen.

Beth cleared her throat as she walked over to Hutch. She spoke softly.

“Excuse me, detective? If it’s alright, Allison and I really need to get to our patients.” Hutch smiled, and nodded his head.

‘Yeah, who knows when this may all go down. I really appreciate your willingness to help.” He reached out to her and Beth blushed. Turning her thoughts back to the task before them she nodded in silent understanding. They had all decided that Cindy should remain at the desk, oblivious to the danger. She was told only that Detectives Starsky and Hutchinson required extra protection as a result of their injuries. It would help them all if she would stay at the nurse’s station and keep it running without interruption.

“Ya know what? This is actually really cool. When I was a kid I wanted to be Nancy Drew.” At Hutch’s amused glint in his eyes, she continued to explain. She was glad she could bring even a fleeting smile to that handsome, blond man.

“Nancy Drew, girl detective. She solved all those mysteries. She was so smart and always did the right thing.”

Beth continued regaling Hutch with funny childhood stories of how she had solved neighborhood problems such as the missing pet snake her brother had and how she’d actually found her own bike which had been stolen.

Across the room, Allison tried to calm her nerves. She wasn’t as confident as her friend was about all of this. It was true that as nurses, they relied on their attention to detail and often helped to solve dilemmas with patients that even educated doctors couldn’t comprehend. Most of the time, it just boiled down to listening to the person, something not all doctors had time for. She sat on a straight backed plastic chair as detective Starsky came toward her.

He gave her an encouraging nod and momentarily, she forgot her anxiety as she looked into those dark blue eyes and felt the friendliness he offered with his crooked smile.

“You must think we’re annoying, interrupting with our own ideas and silly fears.” He reached out to steady her shaking hands.

‘No more talk like that. Often concerned, observant citizens hold the key to a crime. You’re very detail oriented because of your job and along with your instincts, well, we’re glad you called the Captain.” Starsky tossed the remains of the now destroyed cup in the trash.

“It’s Beth that’s the smart one. She can pick up on the smallest thing and avert a larger problem just by a ‘feeling’ she gets. She’s crazy sometimes but she’s a good nurse. I love my job and do my best to make people comfortable. I’m more of a listener I guess.” Shyly, she returned Starsky’s gaze. “It’s just scary to think that Susan is such a dangerous person.”

He winked as she got up to rescue Hutch from the magpie that was her friend.

Allison pulled on Beth’s elbow to get her attention. The other girl waved to Hutch and with their heads together, they talked in low tones as they made their way back to the floor. Allison reminded Cindy to just stay at the desk and that they would make the rounds of the few patients that were still on their wing of the hospital.

The plan was for them to stay busy and not change a routine that Susan would undoubtedly use to carry out her plan.

All of this was actually just conjecture. But again, with what the nurse’s surmised and Hutch’s memory as well as Sean’s accident, it all added up to Diana.

Not knowing exactly what to expect was difficult for the three men in the room. They were all used to having a clear cut plan and anticipating all angles. To go on just speculation didn’t make the Captain feel in control but they had followed leads generated on hunches before with far less to believe in or substantiate an intelligent course of action. At this very moment, Dobey thought about the time Starsky had been taken prisoner by a cult spearheaded by a madman. They found the detective by figuring out the crazed leader’s riddles and taunts.

Starsky recalled Hutch’s experience when he went missing for several days. After putting all the pieces together, found him trapped and severely injured under his car which had been forced off the road and landed in a canyon.

Hutch rubbed the inside of his elbow, remembering the pain of forced drug addiction. Starsky had found him and helped him, even though they both could have lost their jobs over the incident.

They were all connected by hope and trust in each other. Now with nothing more to say, they exchanged glances. Starsky and Hutch fixed each other with a look that screamed silent volumes of expectation.

This time of night, the only part of the cafeteria open was reserved for staff. There were only a few hospital personnel taking a break. Bagels, ready made salads and sandwiches were offered along with the routine vending machines lined up against the wall.

Diana sat by herself, watching with narrowed eyes. She wasn’t sure how they could all go about their business when her world was about to change so drastically.

She was secure in the knowledge that no one really paid her any attention. She wasn’t even supposed to be there but no one cared about anything other than their own immediate needs.

She checked her watch, mentally recounting what had already been completed. Nurse Brooks would be found unharmed but mad as hell. Diana had lured her away from her station with a false call about a problem at home. She had tied up and gagged the older nurse and deposited her in a far corner of the parking garage in a dumpster.

Everyone was out of her way. She knew the fifth floor was pretty empty but still, medications had to be passed on time and the patient’s needs addressed during the night. She counted on there being enough distractions to keep everyone busy when she slipped into Hutch’s room. Also about now, medications had been given that would finally quiet the ever present David but more important, Hutch also would have taken his medication; a dose that would bind her to him forever.

Curling her lip in a satisfied sneer, she fingered the contents in her pocket.

As if what she was about to take was no stronger than a breath mint, Diana pulled out the white pill and laid it in her palm. She contemplated the power that rested in her hand. Looking up at the clock on the wall, she was sure that by now, not only had Starsky unknowingly taken his last pill, but that Hutch also would have been given the forged medication she had ordered for him in the name of his doctor. As she swallowed her dose, she shivered, realizing that soon, her vision of bliss would be complete.

She stood up, leaving the half full bottle of pop on the table. No one looked as she drifted out of the cafeteria.

 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

David Starsky was rarely still or quiet. His back to the door, he did his best to pretend to be asleep but in the bed next to his, he heard Hutch breathing.

Restlessly, he rolled on his side to steal a glance at the other bed.

Hutch was on his back, with his hands tucked behind his head. His eyes were closed and he tried to ignore the impatient noises he heard on his other side.

‘I’m Hungry.” Starsky grumbled as he changed position again.

“Would you shut up?! You’re supposed to…” Hutch couldn’t finish that thought.

Starsky whispered an answer, trying to lighten the tension in the room.

“Yeah, I know, I’m supposed to be dead but I ain’t. So don’t wrinkle that forehead of yours with nonsense. This’ll all be over soon.”

No response for a few minutes led Starsky to believe that Hutch was asleep for real. As for himself, he was too wound up to ‘play’ dead. But he heard the worry in his partner’s voice whose thoughts echoed his own.

“What if I’m wrong? What if it isn’t Diana?” Hutch spoke in a low voice, realizing that everything they were saying was being recorded by Dobey in the other room.

Starsky scratched his chest. “Damn I can’t wait to get rid of this tape.” He scraped his fingers across another area on his belly.

“Blondie, this is gonna work. No ‘what- ifs’ allowed. It’s a crazy theory but too many people are thinking along the same lines.” Starsky rolled again and thought how lucky they were that Beth had been keen enough to pick up on Dr. Bradbury’s fake signature. If they had been given what was listed there, well, they wouldn’t be having this conversation at all.

After a few minutes, Starsky began humming to himself. Hutch just ignored him and tried to steady his own nerves. Breathing evenly, he concentrated on how best to make this plan work. Suddenly, he became aware of an announcement outside their room on the hospital speaker system.

He hissed out a command to his friend.

“Listen!”

“Paging Dr. Bear to emergency. Requesting Dr. Bear.”

Hearing the agreed upon announcement which signaled that Diana was close by, both men got ready.

Starsky wiggled into a position where he covered himself with the sheet and still faced Hutch. Wearing the wire, they were both protected to some degree and everything that was about to happen would be recorded. But Starsky still was nervous enough to worry that he or Dobey wouldn’t be able to keep Hutch out of danger and still get enough for a conviction. He stole a glance over at his friend who offered a timid smile as he tried to look as if he were drifting off to sleep.

A few minutes later the door to their room slowly opened.

Hutch’s legs twitched, he felt sweaty. He rolled his head to the side, looked toward the door and saw Diana. He pushed himself further up in bed.

“Who is it? Captain is that you?” Trying to act as if he still couldn’t see, he held his breath until his visitor responded.

She came nearer then, reaching out, touching Hutch’s bruised face. He tried to pull away but she grabbed him by the shoulder. She bent down to his ear and whispered to him.

“Now do you see? I love you.” Diana licked his ear.

He tried not to cringe. The smile he fixed her with was as fake as his interest in her.

She smoothed out his blond hair as she sat beside him on the bed.

“I’ve waited so long for this day. Tell me if you like my red hair. I feel so sexy like this with it short.” She fingered the short tendrils of hair against her neck.

“I knew it was you! I couldn’t convince anybody that I’d seen you. I didn’t realize how much I missed you.” Hutch’s voice sounded strained to his ears, but it must have convinced Diana because she smiled lovingly, caressing his cheek.

Hutch tried to move away from her but she wiggled closer, lying down beside him.

She leaned up on her elbow and traced the stitches above his eyes. He blinked rapidly at her touch.

“I thought it was very clever of me to kill those men in order to bring you to me. They didn’t matter to anyone. Except I guess I should be grateful that it was them that brought us together.” She laughed in that childish way Hutch remembered from the first night that they had met.

She raised her head to kiss Hutch’s nose. Then she rubbed her hand across the material that covered his upper body.

She noticed Hutch’s glance toward Starsky.

‘David won’t bother us. I finally got rid of the only other person that stood in our way.” She glared in Starsky’s direction. “We have plenty of time to get reacquainted.” Now Hutch felt the panic rise in his chest. The evilness with which she planned all this was startling.

She straddled Hutch so she could watch his face as they talked.

“When did you figure out who I really was?” She didn’t expect an answer but wanted to hear the desire in his voice.

“Say it. Say my name!” She moved her hips, rhythmically swaying against him.

Hutch sighed, regretting what he needed to do to stop her for good.

He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him then kissed her.

He broke off the kiss to cradle her head in his hands.

“Diana!” He whispered, hoping he wouldn’t have to repeat it. She slid her hand down his belly at hearing her name on his lips.

“That’s right darling. I’m here. I had a long time to think about us. I knew you’d wait for me.”

Hutch swallowed and ran his finger along her jaw.

“So you killed those homeless men just to get to me? I would’ve come to you had you just done it the old fashioned way.”

Diana laughed again, this time covering her mouth to muffle the sound.

‘I’m not that naïve darling. You would’ve hung up on me had I called you. You only thought you hated me.”

She bent down and unbuttoned Hutch’s pajama top. She followed the scar on his upper arm, then ran her hands over his bare chest

“I feel your heart beating. It’s racing! I’m so glad your body remembers me. I knew I’d done the right thing to make this night happen.” Hutch winced as she nibbled his collar bone and moved further down.

Abruptly she stopped as her attention turned toward Starsky. Afraid that she somehow suspected what was happening, Hutch pulled her hand into his and laid it against his center.

“Oh, so you really are glad I’m here!” She caressed him and all the while, Hutch bit his lip, trying to stop what he realized he couldn’t control.

They were quiet for awhile until Hutch’s moan of agony mingled with a different kind of emotion from Diana. She brought her head up, looked at Hutch’s face and then sat up completely. She had a confused look on her face. The blond hoped that she hadn’t figured out that she was being set up.

‘Ahh, crap.” Diana moaned again and rubbed her upper left arm. “My arm must be asleep from being in this position too long.” She massaged it then moved over to Hutch’s other side. Now leaning on her right side, she slid up his body to kiss her lover.

Hutch allowed the kiss to continue. He tried to respond but the taste of her made him nauseous.

She broke off the kiss and sat up. Frowning, she began to panic.

“It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.” She whispered to herself. She counted out how long ago she had medicated herself. “I thought we’d have more time.”

“Are you feeling alright my darling?” She questioned Hutch, searching his face for any signs of distress.”

“Oh yeah, this is as good as I remember. You’re just as beautiful as I remember!” Hutch reached for her, opening her blouse and fingering her breast.

She pushed his hand away as a shooting pain behind her eyes blinded her.

“Shit! I wanted to be able to see you to the end! Why aren’t you having the same reaction? What’s gone wrong?” She held her head in her hands, panting and gasping through the pain.

Now Hutch was alert and anxious. He wanted to call this whole thing off but he knew he needed to keep her talking as long as possible.

He held her hands away from her head. She cried out against the brightness of the room. Actually, the lights had been dimmed and curtains drawn. But in her last moments she was sensitive to all that was around her.

“So you killed those men and attacked me?” He stared at her contorted face. Fear now replaced the lust in her eyes.

“Of course.” She gasped for breath before continuing. She pulled her hands out of Hutch’s and grabbed her head. “I arranged it all. I wasn’t counting on that artist…” Her sentence was cut off by the burning in her belly.

She forced her eyes to focus on Hutch. “You bastard, you tricked me!”

The nearness of death cleared her mind. She would die alone, rather than with her lover.

Hutch recoiled at the hatred he saw on her face. Just then, she gagged as white foam appeared at both corners of her mouth.

She screamed as she flopped backwards. Her eyes rolled up into her head. Starsky did his best, but hampered by the cast, the quickest way to get help was a distress call.

“May Day! May Day!” He slid across the bed, determined to rescue Diana if at all possible. He wanted the bitch to pay for all she’d done. In the end, she settled her debts in a painful and lonely way.

 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

They both stared at her prone body for what seemed like a long time. Starsky shook himself into action and again, he tried checking for signs of life but didn’t expect to find any.

Suddenly the door burst open as Dobey and several uniformed officers swarmed around Hutch’s bed. The blond watched it all, unable to move or respond.

Beth followed the policemen into the room and took over trying to revive Diana. But she was gone. No amount of resuscitation was effective. Allison came in with a crash cart but saw that it wasn’t necessary.

Voices combined with swift action to fill the room with controlled chaos as Captain Dobey began to organize the recovery of information. He had anticipated everything from Diana trying to escape to the worst case scenario, someone’s death. Of course, he had hoped that they would’ve been able to apprehend Diana without mishap, but with her demise, the case just got easier to close.

Everyone had their job to do. The police photographer took the last of the pictures and left with several rolls of film. The coroner finished his preliminary exam. He wouldn’t know for sure the cause of death until a complete autopsy, but Dobey wanted the professional’s best guess.

“Any indication of the cause of death Charlie?” Dobey kept his distance, as Charlie did a cursory exploration of the signs of death.

“Best guess is a heart attack. But then again, it looks like it coulda been some kind of drug. Won’t know for sure till I get the body to the morgue.” His bland way of speaking was typical for him. Living people didn’t interest him. It was the secrets that a body revealed, that fascinated him. He followed the two orderlies as they wheeled Diana’s body out the door.

Beth spoke quietly to officer Marks. He was taking a quick inventory of the events that the young woman knew. A more detailed and formal statement would be handled at the precinct. Officer Daniels was near the door, talking with Allison, taking her statement. The two women would follow up at the precinct the next day.

Wanting to tell the nurse’s about their colleague, Captain Dobey stopped them before they left.

“You’ll be glad to know that Nurse Brooks was found unharmed. But she’s gone home and left word that you also should go home. Coverage for the rest of your shift has been arranged.” Beth kissed the Captain on the cheek. He cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment but smiled back. Quickly, he turned his attention back to the center of the room.

Beth and Allison left, glad to be out of the buzz of activity.

Dobey presided over all that was happening but his glance kept darting to his detectives. This had been a dangerous set up that could have turned out much worse. He was anxious to talk to them and get everyone settled.

Starsky closed the space between them and spoke calmly to his partner who rubbed the crevice between his eyes. Hutch listened and nodded his head. In the midst of chaos, the two men had the ability to focus on each other in order to collect details, compare notes and support each other. With only a few words spoken between them, they were able to analyze a situation regardless of what went on around them.

“But Starsky, she’s dead! I should’ve been able to stop her.” Starsky shook his head, realizing that he had a lot of work to do.

“I shoulda anticipated it.” Hutch pounded his fist into his knee, frustration escaping.

Hutch’s chin rested on his chest.

“How?” Starsky spoke the word sharply.

Hutch suddenly looked up, and flashed a tentative smile.

“This time she didn’t have a knife on her that’s for sure!”

“I guess you checked her pretty closely huh?” The fact that Hutch was able to joke about the situation was a good sign.

Hutch reached over to massage his bandaged arm. It ached and his head throbbed. Starsky recognized the signs of a migraine in Hutch’s eyes. They were dull and milky instead of the clear blue they normally were. He reached out, covering Hutch’s hand with his own. He nodded in understanding. Talking now, was healing and also a way to focus on details which were important to recall.

“I think she must’ve heard me swearing under my breath at her a few times. I woulda stopped her if it wasn’t so important.” Now Starsky indulged in his own guilt. His guilt lay in the fact that he always wanted to protect his partner from all forms of danger, physical and emotional. The steely affirmation of friendship in the look between them was strong.

A deep sigh seemed to strengthen Hutch. For the first time, he surveyed the room and all the activity. He ran his hand through his hair and stood up tall, ready to get involved. He reached for the wheelchair and pushed his partner to join their Captain who was deep in conversation with the two officers.

“Go back to the precinct and start the paper work. I’ll be there in about an hour. I expect your reports on my desk.” His gruff voice left no room for questions.

He turned his attention to his two detectives. Hutch looked pale and tired. Dark smudges under Starsky’s eyes indicated just how exhausted and stressed he was.

“Did you get everything you needed?” Hutch’s voice was ragged as he spoke to his Captain but he forced himself to think in terms of completing their assignment.

“Yeah. I know you risked a lot by doing this. I’m proud of both of you.” Dobey grabbed Hutch’s hand in appreciation.

“Just doin’ our job Cap,” Starsky said in a weary voice. But something else caught his attention. Scratching the middle of his chest, he suddenly pulled off his shirt and ripped off the wire and attached microphone.

With a loud yelp, he held the offending piece of equipment up for all to see. That brought on a release of laughter, clearing the tension out of the room and galvanizing them all to go about the business of cleaning up.

 

EPILOGUE

Friday afternoon about a month later, Huggy’s was relatively quiet. The lunch crowd had thinned out and now, before the weekend dinner madness, there was time to clean the tables, stock the bar and recharge before the bar filled up with people looking for a good time.

At a large table set apart in a relatively quiet corner, five people sat together. Finally out of his cast, Starsky only required the use of a cane. Hutch suspected that he used it more for sympathy than any real dependence on it.

In any case, Allison couldn’t believe her luck that Starsky had called her after the chaos of Diana was over. They seemed to have a lot in common and his sense of humor was refreshing. She caught Beth’s eye and winked. They had both been blessed with strong yet sensitive men.

As for Hutch, the bruising on his face had completely cleared up and the stitches removed. There were no lasting effects of the trauma to his eyes or from the surgery. His shoulder was healing. Both men were still on medical leave and receiving physical therapy. Since they were dating nurses, they felt that every need they had was being well taken care of.

Starsky did his best to help Hutch deal with Diana’s death. The blond felt he was responsible for the tragedy but his friend didn’t let him wallow in self recrimination for long. Beth also had a way of drawing her boyfriend out. She didn’t let him take himself too seriously.

Enjoying the last morsels of their dinner, they accepted drink refills as Huggy teased Starsky about his eating habits. He tipped his hat up further on his head, then smiled at the women while he directed his comment to Hutch.

“You girls are much too good for the likes of these guys.” Huggy punched Hutch in the shoulder. A groan followed a pained look on the blonde’s face.

“Now is that look because ya know I speak the truth or because of somethin’ else?”

“I’ve been able to forget about my shoulder until you hit me. Thanks very much.” His tone was darker than he meant it to sound. He grew quiet and lowered his head.

Starsky picked up on the change in his mood.

‘Cap, you never did say if the secretary was able to transcribe everything for the trial.”

“Yeah no problem getting it all reported.” Dobey swallowed a mouth full of hamburger and wiped his chin. “Except she did say there was a lot of unexplained noise in some parts of the tape.”

“Probably Starsky’s stomach growling!” Hutch cheered up and once again joined the group.

“Hey, can’t help it if I was hungry!” Starsky finished off his last bite of pizza and reached over to Allison’s plate, helping himself to her left over fries.

She playfully slapped his hand away but didn’t resist when he bent close to kiss her on the lips.

“MMMM.. I love the taste of French fries!” Starsky murmured against her ear.

Hutch turned serious for a minute, expressing what he and his partner had discussed many time since Diana’s death. He moved closer to Beth and smiled at her.

“I can’t tell you how grateful we are that you girls were so observant to notice that the doctor’s signature was a forgery. If we woulda been given those fake orders, well….” Hutch’s voice stuck with the emotion he couldn’t contain. Starsky reached out to squeeze his friend’s shoulder. They exchanged a glance, a smile and then Hutch recovered.

Allison felt confused about the whole situation. Her belief that everyone deserved a second chance had been badly challenged. She took another sip of her iced tea before she spoke.

“What I can’t figure out is how Susan got..” Allison caught her mistake and amended her comment. “I don’t understand how Diana got away with so much. She lied to everyone, including us. I guess I’m just naïve and willing to accept people for what they are.” She shrugged her shoulders as she reached out to Starsky.

“Unfortunately, that’s life. And worse yet, it’s what keeps Hutch and me employed. She was just evil.” Starsky caught Hutch’s eye and they both silently agreed that not talking about it further was the best for them all.

“Well, one good thing came out of all of this.” Hutch put his arm around Beth and pulled her closer to him.

“This went way beyond Nancy Drew. I’m quite content to let you deal with the bad guys.. and girls!” Beth kissed his nose which brought a huge smile to her boyfriend and a belly laugh from Starsky.

Dobey cleared his throat as he threw his napkin down on his empty plate and pushed his chair back.

“I know when I’m in the way. It’s time for me to go.” Starsky waved to his captain as he continued to nuzzle Allison’s neck.

Hutch stopped tracing Beth’s jaw long enough to pay attention to Dobey’s departure.

“Don’t stop on account of me son. You both deserve happiness and rest. See you both in a couple days.”

Hutch stood up, bringing Beth with him. They followed Captain Dobey out the door. Hutch whispered in Beth’s ear as they walked to the car.

“HUUUUUTCCCCHHHH!” Starsky stood up realizing that his only way home had just left. He grabbed Allison’s hand and arched his brow.

“You wanna explore the back seat of Hutch’s car?”

Hutch leaned against the car and watched as his friends mingled, exchanging hugs and last minute conversations. For Dobey’s part, he kissed each woman on the cheek and grabbed Starsky by the shoulders to offer his friendship.

As the little group broke up, Hutch couldn’t get the meaning of this night out of his thoughts. He was struck not only by his renewed vision but also at how lucky they all were. As his companions got in the car, he whispered to himself:

“What a beautiful sight.”

---

Footnote: Frontalis Sling is the repair of the muscles attached to the eye lids. For the purpose of this story, Hutch needed the surgery after the knife cut into those muscles. It is an actual surgical procedure done mostly for repair of the weak muscles due to a congenital condition. I had this surgery earlier this year which of course led me to think about S/H and how it might be used in a story.

Becky