Hospitals

A little scene imagining Starsky has been hurt and Hutch is watching by his bedside.

What was it about hospitals that made you feel sick? They were supposed to be places of healing and help but the long corridors, the subdued lighting, the stale air all combined to deplete a person’s energy. Long hours sat in an uncomfortable bedside chair didn’t help either.

Hutch was tired. The sort of tired that crawled into the bones and wouldn’t let go. The sort of tired that meant he was close to lying down and maybe not getting up again. He rubbed a hand over his face, trying to wake himself up a little. It didn’t work. He went back to vacantly staring at the figure in the bed, wondering if he was ever going to wake up.

He should be talking to Starsky or reading to him or singing to him but after three days his voice was hoarse. He did the only things he had the energy left to do: keep a hand on Starsky’s arm so his partner would know he was there; and pray. He closed his eyes, his head gradually lowered and he fell asleep.

*****

Captain Dobey walked along the corridor, a serious expression on his face. Starsky had been in a coma for three days. The doctors had assured them that Starsky would wake up and that it should be today. Dobey hoped so for the sake of both of his detectives. Starsky’s head injury had been of great concern but he was being well looked after. Hutch, on the other hand, was declining before his eyes. Driven by worry, guilt, loyalty, love, he was working himself into a state of exhaustion.

Dobey reached the room and opened the door quietly. The first thing he saw was Hutch sleeping in the chair and he let out a breath of relief. He swung his eyes towards Starsky and blinked in surprise. Starsky was awake!

Before he could react any further, dark blue eyes met his and a finger was raised to lips indicating Dobey should keep quiet so that Hutch could sleep.

Dobey nodded and smiled. He tapped his watch to say he’d be back later and mouthed, “Glad to see you awake.”

Starsky nodded and then settled back against the pillows. The last thing Dobey saw before he closed the door was Starsky watching over his partner. He wiped his hand over his face and grimaced: his boys had a way of adding to his grey hairs but also expanding his heart.