Author’s
notes;
I always
wondered what it would have been like if Terri had been involved with Starsky
for a few years before her tragic death.
I decided to write her into one of the episodes as though she were
a part of his life during a certain event such as, when Starsky was shot during
the “Shootout” episode. These could
be considered “missing scenes”, the episode was filmed in real time so these
scenes fit into the hour in the restaurant and and I am adding hours immediately
following. I never liked the tag
scene at the end of “Shootout” so I refuse to acknowledge that it even existed.
Please excuse
me if I am not 100% accurate with the exact "real" times that I
have integrated throughout this story. :)
Enjoy!
Sasha
UNTIL DEATH DO US PART
By
10:45 PM - Scene
taking place in between the interrogation scene and the arrival at the restaurant:
(Torino)
The heavy rain was pouring down
in buckets as they left the precinct and headed to the Italian restaurant,
Starsky had coerced Hutch into going there for a late night dinner. Starsky was paying closer attention than normal
to the wet, shimmery roadways, he was not about to take a chance that he and
Hutch would get into an accident or run into any problems that would delay
him from feeding his growling stomach.
“Starsk, are you sure I can’t convince
you to come have scrambled eggs with me
at my house instead?” Hutch pleaded. “It is just so cold and wet out here, it would be much more relaxing
at my place.”
“Hutch, you can’t get any more relaxed
than you will get after you have experienced some of the great pasta they
serve at this place! Besides, I have
to pick Terri up at the airport remember?
She is flying back from the teaching seminar in San Francisco around
midnight so she can make an early
morning meeting at the school, this restaurant is closer to the airport than
your place OR mine.”
Hutch could not help but chuckle
to himself at the clever way Starsky had just tricked him into going with
him to the airport, he had to admit though, he missed Terri too. Since she and his buddy had first became an
item, she fit so well into both of their lives that it was as if she had been
there for years. It was the first
time that Hutch did not feel threatened by one of Starsky’s serious girlfriends,
threatened that they would slowly pull Starsky further and further away from
him.
“Why do I get the distinct feeling
that you had this planned all along Starsk?” he asked, wanting to playfully make Starsky squirm. “And what do you mean, do I remember? You
never told me anything about when she would be returning from that seminar!”
Starsky hesitated, for a brief moment
he felt a little selfish for tricking Hutch into this, he just hated to wait
in the airport by himself, left to his own paranoid fears that something bad
would happen and Terri would not arrive home safely. The mere thought of losing her made him absolutely
crazy.
“Awe, c’mon Hutch, ya know how I
get when she travels, I am a wreck! I
was afraid you would not go with me if I came right out and asked ya.” He glanced sheepishly towards his partner looking
for signs of forgiveness.
Hutch almost grinned, he could never
resist the occasional moments when Starsky admitted any vulnerability.
His partner was one of the strongest and most confident men he knew
yet, when it came to things like this, he was jello.
“Alright, alright, save the dramatics.
Let’s just go get some dinner and then we’ll go to the airport and
welcome your better half home.” He
looked over and smiled to let Starky know that he wasn’t angry.
*********
... Jumping ahead to the scene directly
following the shooting...
*********
11:15 PM -
Hutch
(Restaurant)
As I lowered my bleeding, semi-conscious
partner down onto the couch, I prayed silently that he would be able to hold
on. I did not know how long he could
last at the rate he was losing blood. All I could do was try to keep as much of that vital fluid from
continuing to seep out of his wounds and buy us some precious time.
11:35 PM -
Starsky
(Restaurant)
I was getting more and more groggy
and (thankfully) numb by the minute, everything seemed so slow. It wasn’t until Hutch handed me his watch that
I remembered that I was supposed to be heading to the airport about now.
It’s ironic, I was always so worried about something happening to Terri
that it never occurred to me the fears she must deal with on a daily basis
because of this career of mine.
I forced myself to erase these thoughts
from my mind, I had to be as alert as I could to focus on the task at hand
and help my partner get us out of this.
The sooner we put an end to this, the better my odds would be to survive
and enjoy years to come with my two best friends, Terri and Hutch.
12:10 AM -
Hutch
(Restaurant)
“Starsky? Can you hear me?” he knelt down next to the slumped form of his partner who was close to falling back over towards
the floor. “Starsk? An ambulance is on the way, just hang on.”
He did not like the pale gray color that Starsky’s skin was shaded,
the shock and the blood loss were taking their toll.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the sirens in the distance.
Then, he heard the weak voice of his partner mumbling something, leaning closer
he barely made out what Starsky was saying,
“Terri...*cough*...airport...”
Oh no! He had been so busy with all of this unexpected commotion that he
had completely forgotten about Terri waiting at the airport. He immediately placed a call to Captain Dobey
at his home. “Captain? Sorry to wake you but we have a problem...”
After Hutch explained the events
and current situation to him, Dobey promised to page Terri at the airport,
then pick her up and bring her to the hospital, Hutch hung up the phone and
dashed back to assist the paramedics and apprise the awaiting police officers
of what had taken place there in the past hour.
He assured them that they would get complete statements only after
he went to the hospital with Starsky and was convinced he was out of the woods.
12:30 AM -
Terri
(Airport)
“Is Sergeant Dave Starsky there?”
Terri called the only place she could think of when she got off the
plane and noticed that Dave was not there, she had tried his house as well
as Hutch’s to no avail. She had a sinking feeling that something was
terribly wrong because she knew that nothing would stop him from being there,
unless it involved unavoidable police business or ...something worse.
“No? Well, what about his partner Ken Hutchinson?” Terri was starting to panic, if the precinct
had no knowledge of their whereabouts, then where were they?! She had no sooner hung up the phone that
she heard her name being paged thoughout the airport. As she was directed towards another nearby phone at one of the
counters, she breathed a sigh of relief thinking that it had to be Starsky.
“Dave? Where are you?” Her knees
almost buckled as she recognized the deep, yet softened voice of Captain Dobey.
“What’s wrong, what happened?! Where
is Dave? Is he alright?” She felt her panic rising.
“Take it easy.” Dobey replied, trying desperately to keep her
from panicking further, “He will be
just fine, he suffered a bullet wound in the back of his shouder tonight during
a hostage situation." He decided
not to tell her about the less serious head wound or any other details that
would cause her more alarm. He continued,
"There is a black and white parked outside the airport’s main
entrance, they will bring you straight to County General where Starsky is
being taken. Hutch is with him and I will be there as soon as I can. Starsky is strong and you need to be strong
for him now too.” He hoped his words
would help ease her mind somewhat, he cursed the fact that he did not live
closer to the airport so he could have been there for her in person.
1:00 AM -
(Hospital)
“How is he Hutch?” Dobey inquired as he arrived at the Emergency
room. “Well, they kicked me out of the treatment room so
they could prep him for surgery. The
Doctor was waiting on the results
of the Cat Scan of Starsky’s head, one of the bullets creased his skull. They cannot take any risks with anesthesia
if it turns out he has a serious head wound.”
His voice started to crack as he filled the Captain in, the gravity
of the entire evenings events were just catching up to him.
“Hutch, you need to sit down.
There is nothing you can do right at this moment and you look like
hell! Your adrenaline is only now
starting to abate, plus the fact that you have been up all night.
Besides, Terri will be here at any moment and I know you, you will
not rest for a minute once she gets here, so sit down!”
As his weary detective took a seat
in the waiting room, Dobey went to the Emergency entrance to wait and escort
Terri upon her arrival. He too had
grown to love this woman, but what was not to love? It had become apprarent early on in her relationship
with Starsky that they were truly soul mates.
1:25 AM -
(Hospital)
"Captain Dobey!" Terri shouted as she rushed through the door
pulling her small wheeled suitcase behind her.
"How is he doing?! Can
I see him?"
"Terri," Dobey responded, "Honey, now just calm
down and come with me, I will do whatever it takes to get you in to see him.
He hasn't been taken up to surgery yet as far as I know and I am sure
the Doctors will agree that hearing your voice will give him strength."
When they got to the waiting room,
Hutch was nervously pacing the floor. Terri
ran over to him, throwing her arms around him and breaking down into quiet
sobs. He consoled her as best he
could, if anyone could understand how she felt, it was him. "Are you okay Ken?" She asked while carefully looking him over,
"You didn't get hurt too, did you?"
"No, I didn't, I am fine and
Starsky will be too. I have seen him
in far worse situtations than this and he has pulled through just fine." He did not mention his extreme worry about
the lack of feeling and movement he had noticed in Starsky's affected left
arm. His shooting arm.
Just then, the Doctor came into
the hallway and behind him, the orderlies were wheeling Starsky out towards
the elevator to be taken up to surgery.
Terri hurried over to his side and cautiously grabbed onto his right
hand, she quickly took in his pale appearance.
He had a unit of blood going into one arm and an IV going into the
other, he was sporting a white bandage
around his head which surprised her, she was unaware that he had suffered
any other injuries.
He at first looked to be unconscious
but when she quietly whispered his name, his eyelids flickered and she found
his beautiful blue eyes peering up at her. "Terri?" he said
weakly, "M' sorry 'bout the airport..."
his eyes were already starting to droop closed again.
"Shhh," Terri said,
"Don't talk, I am here with you now and that is all that matters.
They are taking you up to surgery now and I will be here when you wake
up, I love you." She leaned down
and laid a feather light kiss on his lips, mustering up all her willpower
not to break down crying. The Doctor
then guided her away from the gurney so they could load him into the awaiting elevator.
Hutch came up behind her and placed
his strong, supporting arms around her shoulders. "C,mon, let's go get some coffee and
head up to the surgery waiting area." he said. She let herself be lead to the cafeteria, she knew that Hutch and
their Captain were as worried as she was.
6:25 AM -
(Starsky's hospital room)
The sound of a distant beeping is
all he could hear as Starsky started to regain consciousness, as he looked
around to take in his surroundings and get his bearings, he had to smile upon
seeing the beautiful, sleeping form of his lover laying on top of the nearby
bed.
He then noticed his partner, looking
somewhat uncomfortable, sleeping in a chair on the opposite side of the room.
Starsky moved slightly and noticed that his shoulder was heavily bandaged
and strapped to prevent any movement, his mouth felt as dry as the Mojave
Desert and he was still a little groggy from the pain medication that was
slowly dripping from the IV into his arm.
"Wow, I made it." he thought.
He had to admit, he had his doubts when he was at the restaurant, his
strength fading with each passing moment.
Just then, something intuitively made Terri wake up, she quickly glanced
over to Starsky's bed and was pleasantly surprised to see him awake.
"Good morning handsome,"
she said as she got to his side. "How are you feeling? Do
you need anything? Are you in much
pain? I can call for the nurse, do
you want me to?" He had to smile
at the numerous questions she was directing towards him, she was all he needed,
when she was near him, nothing else mattered.
"Hey," he replied, surprised
at how hoarse his voice sounded, "I'm
okay, I don't need anything but what I have here already, you and Hutch.
What else could a guy ask for?"
"Did I hear my name?"
Hutch had awoke just in time to hear Starsky's sentimental remarks,
"Well you certainly look a lot better than you did last night,
how are you feeling?" he asked
with concern.
"Fine, fine, now stop with
the worry, both of you." Starsky
demanded, "I venture to say that you two have no room to talk, you look
like you haven't slept at all, am I right?" No answer was necessary, he could tell by the looks on their faces
that he was right. "Now, I want
you both to go home and get some sleep, I will need your help later when I
talk them into letting me out of this joint."
In unison Terri and Hutch both responded,
"What?!" Hutch continued,
"Buddy, you must be delirious if you think for one minute that they will
discharge you in anything less than 3 days! Nice try." he said
shaking his head.
Before Starsky could argue, the
door opened and they were then joined by Dr. Peterson, the surgeon who removed
the bullet from his shoulder. "Good
morning Mr. Starsky, good to see you awake. I trust that you are being taken well care
of by these two?" he winked in
Terri's direction. "I wanted
to stop in and take a look at my handywork and also talk to you about your
extended recovery."
"We removed the bullet from
you shoulder, you are one lucky man detective, one inch further to the right
and you would have suffered a severe spinal injury." he looked down to his notes on the clipboard
he was carrying, "You should
regain full use of your arm after physical therapy which I recommend we start
you on as soon as next week."
"As for your head, you suffered
a slight concussion from the impact of the bullet graze, we closed up the
gash it created with about 26 stiitches, those can be removed in 2 weeks.
Again, you were lucky, I don't think I need to tell you what the result
could have been with that bullet's impact.
I suggest you buy a lottery ticket when you get out of here Mr. Starsky," he laughed, "that kind of luck needs to be taken advantage
of!"
"Thank you for the update Doctor,"
Starsky replied. "I appreciate you patching me up, now... let's
talk about my release shall we?"
Terri and Hutch looked at each other,
smiled and rolled their eyes, what were they going to do with him?! They decided to sit back and watch as Starsky
tried to plead his case in an effort to convince the Doc to send him home.
They both knew he would be unsuccessful but they had to enjoy the show!
The End
