Sutured Directly Onto His Heart

Missing scene for Black and Blue–Hutch’s save doesn’t sit well with Starsky.

The first sentence was the prompt for a challenge.

“I told you that would pop your stitches.” Starsky glared at Hutch, eyes narrowed. “Did you listen?”

“I saved your sorry ass,” Hutch shouted, grimacing from the pain. He held his left elbow with his right hand to support the wound in his shoulder.

Starsky had the decency to look chastised and glanced across the room where the uniforms were cuffing Train and the other suspects before walking them out to the waiting police cars. Hutch noticed that Sergeant Meredith was giving her statement to another cop. She looked a little worse for wear and was rubbing the rope burns on her wrists but otherwise seemed fine.

Hutch nodded, raising an eyebrow. He could easily see why Starsky had been distracted working with her—and not simply because she was attractive. He’d probably let his guard down because he wasn’t with Hutch. It was not, however, a valid reason to allow himself to be taken hostage. “And, I will point out that you never said that before I arrived here. You said it after I was already bleeding.”

“Doesn’t change the truth.” Starsky jutted out his chin defiantly.

“Timing matters, Starsk.” Hutch risked the pain to move his right hand and stab his forefinger at his best friend. “Which you seem to lack in this matter.”

“That’s a damned…” Starsky crossed his arms over his chest, cocking a hip in Hutch’s direction.

That was when Hutch knew the obstinance was all a ruse and that Starsky had been scared, not for his own life, or even Meredith’s but for Hutch’s. He had to admit that the old, dried blood on his blue jacket made the relatively small amount of blood leaking from a ripped stitch on his shoulder look far more gruesome than it actually was.

“Don’t mean to butt in on your discussion on the merits of Hutchinson’s timely arrival, but the ambulance is here,” Meredith said, raising her voice to be heard above Starsky’s and Hutch’s.

Hutch turned to acknowledge her, suddenly aware that every cop still in the room, not to mention the crime lab crew just arriving to get evidence and collect the stolen merchandise, were watching he and Starsky like spectators at a sports event.

“C’mon,” Starsky said gruffly, putting a gentle hand on the small of Hutch’s back. “Let’s get you to the hospital.” He guided Hutch to the front door, past the bemused police. “Meredith, can your drive my car to BC Gen?” he asked, handing over the keys.

“Sure.” She smiled at him.

Proof of his love, Hutch thought, letting Starsky support him down the front stairs. Because, in truth, he did feel slightly weak and in pain. But the proof of Starsky’s love was there—that he let someone else drive his car so he could stay with Hutch. In the way he told the ambulance driver, “Drive careful, he’s already had surgery once this week.”

And the way he gazed at Hutch while sitting on the tiny stool inside the ambulance and ripped open the package of gauze the ambulance attendant handed him to tuck inside Hutch’s jacket.

Hutch put his own hand over Starsky’s, still holding the gauze, and didn’t let go the entire five minute ride to the ER.

FIN