Starsky & Hutch Fanfic Site by Cristina Pereira
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This story was written purely for entertainment and is not for profit, and is not meant to trespass in any way on the holders of the rights to Starsky and Hutch.

Many  thanks to Rebelcat for her great beta work and kindness.

 

I watched as, lost in thought, Captain Dobey paced the living room from one side to the other. He looked at everything, but he wasn’t seeing anything. He had been silent these last few minutes. He waited as I finished helping Starsky take his bath.  This had become a routine task for me since the day Starsky came home from the hospital and started the long road back to recovery.... the long road back to becoming once again the healthy, strong, happy and full of life man that he had been. And actually, the distance we had traveled so far had seemed impossible to reach just a few months ago. There were times when I thought I didn’t have the strength to help Starsky. But, all I had to do to forget my own weakness was look in his eyes and realize the almost superhuman effort he was making to overcome his pain and exhaustion and remember the enormous inner force that my best friend and partner had.

 

Well, as I stepped into the living room, I was looking at Dobey. For many years, I had been proud to have him as OUR CAPTAIN. An affectionate man was hidden behind that huge body and those grumpy manners. A loyal man and a friend. A man who had lost his own best friend and partner, something that, thank God, hasn’t happened to me. Today, more than ever, I understand you, Captain. Your pain, your sadness and the loud, immense absence of your partner. What would I have done if that had happened to me? Where would I be now?  Would I have had the strength to do as you did and become the best captain any police officer could ever hope to have as his superior officer?

 

Suddenly, Captain Dobey stopped pacing, and sat down on the couch.  For the first time, he seemed to notice my presence.

 

 "He’s fine." I sat down beside him on the couch. “He was feeling so alone...  Right now, he’s taking a nap. The effort required to take a bath still leaves him drained. Anyway, he really likes your visits very much, Captain. He misses everybody. I tried to reassure him, but he’s still worried about the future...  I’ve tried to reassure him, but he’s still worried about the future...”

 

"I’m sure he’ll recover, Hutch. Perhaps he won’t be as fast or as hard headed as he was, but he’ll recover eventually…" Dobey went still again. And I waited to hear what it was that he really wanted, or needed, to talk about.

 

"You know....  the first day I met Starsky, I knew he would be both a blessing and a trouble in my life...  he has a way of getting on my nerves, questioning me, disagreeing with my orders, and causing problems like no other cop I’ve ever met. But at the same time, he’s always been the cop who most reminded me of Elmo... Sometimes, he could be so irritating... so stubborn... so....” Dobey trailed off. “Starsky is so much the same as he was. Maybe that was the problem in the beginning... I was scared of loving him as much as I loved Elmo. I didn’t want to lose him again... and that’s just what’s almost happened..."

 

Urgently feeling the need to give him support after that confession, I put my hand on his shoulder and commented, "You’ve never talked much about your partner, and we’ve always respected that. Your pain must have been terrible, unbearable. If something like that had happened to Starsky... when I remember him there,  lying on the ground... the blood... the hospital... All those moments.  It’s terrifying to think that we could be standing here today talking about someone we love... Someone who’s gone... forever."

 

Dobey looked at me with warm eyes and stated, “But he is here. He’s alive. Fighting. God gave you this second chance son. You’re helping Starsky come back, to be the man he was. And I don’t think that’s nothing.”

 

"It’s everything, Captain. It’s everything." We sat together in silence for several minutes. "Captain, why haven’t you ever said these things to Starsky?  He respects you very much... although he doesn’t show it very often..." I added, smiling gently.

 

 "Hutchinson!!!!  Don’t you dare say anything of this to him!”

 

 "Too late...." Starsky said in a sleepy voice.  I looked up to see him leaning against the doorframe of his bedroom. He looked tired, but a sparkle of amusement shone in his eyes.

 

"Starsk..." I said as I got to my feet. I led Starsky to the sofa and helped him  sit.

 

"I may be all screwed up, but my ears are still working fine..."   I could see in Starsky's eyes the same bright happiness I’d known of old.

 

"Oh my God...." Dobey complained.

 

 "Don’t worry, this secret will stay here... until I’m back in the precinct, of course."

 

 "Don't you dare, Starsky!" Captain Dobey looked at him threateningly.

 

"Take it easy, Captain. I’ll probably be stuck here for months. Until I get back to my old shape, and my doctors and the review board clear me to go back to work." Starsky said rather sadly.

 

"Unfortunately, I won’t be retired before that happens...  So I won’t  have a chance to preserve my image..." Dobey stood up and left, without waving goodbye.

 

I looked at Starsky, and we both started laughing.

 

 

The End.

 

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