The Stars Go Out

Hutch sits by Starsky’s bed—a missing scene from Sweet Revenge.

For Gen Prompt Bingo Round 27. Prompt—Apocalypse

All he sees is red—behind closed eyelids, staining his hands pressed tight together as if in prayer.

All he smells and tastes is metal—tang of copper on his tongue and scent of death in his nose.

All he hears is chaos—sound of metal scraping against metal, ringing in his ears of bullets and yelling.

All he feels is…nothing.

Starsky is dying. He says the words to Dobey, to Huggy, to himself. He believes them. He doesn’t want to.

He sits by the bed—listens to the soft beeps of machines (so much noise in such quiet), watches the drip, drip, drip of blood going into Starsky’s arm (so much blood to replace), tastes the fear of loss (so much to lose), smells antiseptic and sickness and hurt (so much hurt), reaches out and falls short of being able to touch him (don’t leave, I’m not ready).

Hutch has never thought the world would end this way—in a hospital room, bandages white against Starsky’s chest, a machine helping him breathe.

Starsky is dying. He says the words over and over in his mind. Maybe if he says them enough, it won’t hurt when his world dissolves around him.

Chapter End Notes: Title from this quote by Arthur C Clarke:

Look, whispered Chuck, and George lifted his eyes to heaven. (There is always a last time for everything.) Overhead, without any fuss, the stars were going out.