Kathy Kellenberger

   Hutch removed the gag from Starsky's dry mouth, feet still bound, straight jacket still tightly in place, muscles aching from being kept totally immobile the entire day.

   "I'm gonna call Dobey Starsk and pull the plug..."

   "No, not yet. Hutch we if we pull out now we'll never get approved for another investigation here..."

   "Starsky, I don't like it! It's dangerous...for Jane and for you! Matwick has you on his operating schedule and I can't let you..."

   "Not until tomorrow night Hutch...please. Something bigger is going on here than what we thought...and we can't leave these innocent people here... Listen, I know a little bit of what it feels like now. The treatment here is inhumane. Look at them the wrong way and they shoot you up...something they don't like and they tie you up. Please Hutch, I'll be careful."

   "What am I supposed to do with you huh? Okay, but you be better be careful! I'll be around as much as possible without looking suspicious. I have to go now, I'm late leaving as it is. I don't want them getting any ideas.

   "Thanks Hutch." Starsky gave Hutch a warm smile. He was scared, tired and hurting, not to mention he had to get to a bathroom...bad. He'd been restrained all day and not allowed out of bed. "Can you help me to the bathroom before you go Hutch?"

   Hutch untied the restraints around Starsky's ankles and got him to the bathroom, having to place the restraints back on when he got his partner back into bed. He hated doing it...it just didn't feel right.

   "See ya in the morning Hutch."

   "Yeah." Hutch gave a long look into the determined blue eyes staring back at him, squeezing his calf in reassurance, before leaving the room, turning out the light and closing the door.

~~~~~~

   Starsky couldn't sleep and stared into the darkness for what seemed like hours. He didn't want to admit to Hutch just how scared he was. What if Matwick changed his mind and came for him tonight? He dozed a couple times during the night only to be awakened by nightmares that "they'd" gotten to him with Hutch not there to help him. He almost wished he had let Hutch pull the plug on the investigation like he said.

   It was a long night for Hutch too. He also couldn't sleep and stared at his ceiling, counting the tiles and praying nothing went wrong, praying his partner was safe. He reached for the phone to call Dobey but replaced the receiver slowly. He had to believe in what Starsky believed in... and he did.

~~~~~~

   "Hanson!"

   Hutch was in a rush to make sure Starsky was safe and just about forgot that 'Hanson' was his undercover name.

   "Yeah?" Hutch acknowledged the large, middle aged nurse. He had not seen her before.

   "You're early."

   "Better than being late. I had some errands to run and figured I'd come in early today. Wouldn't have been time to go back home and get here on time. Where's nurse Bicroft this afternoon?"

   "She has the day off. I'm her replacement for the night, you can call me Amanda. Since you're here we could use your help."

   "Sure." Hutch nodded obediently.

   "You were with Skyler yesterday...guess you know what happened?"

   "Yeah...I mean yes Ma'am."

   "Well, he's a stubborn one. Think you could go and check on him? They had to sedate him twice last night...must have been having nightmares."

   Hutch felt a relief at the new nurses request. Just what he wanted to do, and fast, was to check on his partner. Oh Starsk, I'm not gonna let them keep pumping you full of all this stuff.

   "Hey..." Hutch gently shook a very drowsy Starsky.

   "uhh"

   "Come on buddy, wake up...its me...Hutch."

   "Huush?"

   "Aw Starsk...hold on partner." Hutch retrieved a cold washcloth and began to wipe at Starsky's face. "They must have given you a couple strong doses of that crap."

   When the cold cloth didn't bring Starsky around, Hutch untied his ankles and sat him up on the edge of the bed, holding him securely. Starsky's head fell onto Hutch's shoulder for a few minutes before he began to wake up.

   "Hutch?" Starsky's voice was but a whisper. "Hutch...I must'a been dreamin' and talking out loud. A nurse came in twice and injected that damn poison into me... a bit roughly I have to say. I didn't mean to be loud... Can I have a drink of water Hutch?"

   Hutch put the straw into Starsky's mouth and he sipped as though he hadn't had water in days. It was almost an entire day since he had anything to drink...any care at all from the staff except to drug him.

   "Come on buddy, you need some air. Lets get you outside. I can't take the jacket off Starsk...they'd suspect something." Hutch retrieved a wheelchair and lifted his friend into it.

   The outside air did awaken the drowsy detective. When they were far enough away from the main building Starsky told Hutch of some paper's that Jane had left in Freddie's room. Freddie later came into Starsky's room and stuffed the papers in his right pant leg. Hutch was discrete in taking the papers and stuffed them in his uniform pocket.

~~~~~~~~

   The previous day Jane discovered that Swytec, now dead, was blackmailing Matwick for Lithium Carbonate. She was now in a coma. Starsky and Hutch were very worried...for Jane and for the others who were at the mercy of the Cabrillo State Mental Institution.

   Hutch stayed as close as possible to Starsky throughout the evening, but was called away by the new nurse, Amanda Coyle, many times to attend to other "disorderly patients." Hutch too saw the harsh treatment given to the patients of the institution, treatment that was much uncalled for.

   Starsky's straight jacket had been removed after some smooth talk between his partner and one of the orderlies. He took the opportunity to slip into Dr. Matwick's office to investigate. There had to be some answers in the deranged doctor's office. He quickly pretended to play "crazy" when Matwick made a surprised and unannounced visit. His attempts to fool the doctor were futile.

~~~~~~

   Hutch was now under the strong influence of the drug Matwick slyly poured onto an apple he was eating. It only took minutes for Hutch to become too dizzy to stand, eyes too blurry to see. He was hallucinating and his adrenaline was pumping fast. He was aware enough to know he was in grave danger as he attempted to run from Charlie, a crazy he and Starsky put away years ago.

~~~~~~

   "On the table Mr. Starsky! Now!!!"

   Starsky did his best to remain cool while thinking of a way out of the predicament he was now in. He preferred to be looking down the barrel of a gun, not into it. He did as he was told.

   Matwick made him lye on his stomach and strapped him securely to the table.

   "I'll send nurse Coyle in with some medication for you Mr. Starsky..."

   Starsky struggled at his restraints and was beginning to panic, he'd been at

   Cabrillo State at least 36 hours more than he would have wanted to be. He needed Hutch...now...fast.... He screamed his partner's name as he saw the dazed face appear in the window of the door between the two of them.

   Hutch did not even look at Starsky...it was as though he could not hear him. Starsky knew then that Hutch must have been drugged and feared for his partner's life. He struggled to free himself desperately. It was then that nurse Coyle came into the room, holding a syringe, the syringe meant for Starsky...the "treatment"...."therapy".... She was a crude looking nurse, not empathetic, not nurturing, not merciful.

   Starsky looked at her in disbelief that this was all happening, his eyes pleading for her not to inject him. No words would come. He knew that whatever was in the syringe had to be bad, possibly lethal. He prayed.

   Nurse Coyle exposed Starsky's lower hip where she intended to insert the needle and force in the contents.

   "No...please don't do this....please...." Starsky's voice broke off as though fear itself took it away. He turned his head and let if fall onto the table as he felt the medicine being pushed into him. A small whimper did escape. He tried to free himself again, but could feel his strength being pulled away. He realized that he his speech was also betraying him as he called for Hutch. The room was spinning, he was trembling and his head was pounding and he felt sick. His last thoughts were of his partner. He prayed Hutch was safe and wouldn't be hurt. Blackness soon took him away.

~~~~~~~~

   Starsky woke some time later in another room...strapped to another table, this time on his back. He looked around the room in horror as he saw all of the equipment. He wasn't sure what all of it was, but knew it could not be good. Dizziness and nausea continued to plague him along with all of the other side effects of whatever was in the previous syringe. He tried calling for Hutch once more, only to find he was too weak to yell. His mouth was dreadfully dry and he had a terrible ringing in his ears.

~~~~~~

   Hutch found himself in a stairwell, moving as fast as he could to get away from Charlie. He was losing strength fast and his own dizziness was overcoming him. He fell onto the platform at the top of the stairs as he was too dizzy and weak to go on.

   Charlie was now on top of him, holding a knife. Hutch tried to fend him off and keep the knife from piercing his body. This was a battle he was losing as the knife came down into his shoulder, his arm, his leg. As a last attempt to save his own life, he kicked at Charlie. Charlie slipped and fell down the steps. He now lay at the bottom of the stairs, unmoving.

   Hutch tried to get up but could not. He was in severe pain from the stab wounds and was losing too much blood. He made a couple more attempts to stand before collapsing for the last time. Hutch now lay unconscious, wounded and bleeding uncontrollably.

~~~~~~

   Dr. Matwick entered the room where Starsky feebly tried to free himself. Matwick was talking to the nurse, Amanda, and telling her to prepare the necessary instruments for Starsky's treatment.

   Electrodes were placed on the sides of his head. Starsky was still under the strong effects of the drug he was given earlier, but aware enough to know what was going on.

   "What...what are you gonna do to me...?" Starsky tried to focus on the mad doctor and thought about pleading with him, if only he could have. He was to dizzy, weak and sick.

   "Gonna teach you a little lesson Starsky. I'm in charge here, not you. You have no control. This will be a shocking experience for you...try to enjoy it...I will."

   "Don't..." Unwanted tears slipped from the corner's of his eyes. "Hutch...."

   "Your partner can't help you now...he can't even help himself."

   "You better not hurt hi..." Something was shoved into Starsky's mouth and his head was strapped more securely to the table.

   "You can go Amanda, I'll take care of Mr. Starsky from here."

   Starsky was powerless to help himself, he only prayed that Hutch would survive and be okay.

   Matwick flicked a switch that caused a small electrical current to go through Starsky's head and body.

   "Like that Starsky! That was just a sample, now for the real thing."

   The crazy doctor turned the voltage up and gave Starsky another shock, this one much stronger. Starsky immediately went into violent convulsions. He felt his life slipping away as he blacked out.

~~~~~~~~

   Starsky felt pressure on his hand and heard the beeping of yet another machine. He was beginning to wake up, finding it difficult to do so. He opened his eyes to find he was in yet another room with white walls. He saw an IV above him and panic set in once again.

   "Starsk? Its okay, don't be afraid. Your in the hospital...a regular hospital. You're gonna be okay now."

   "Hutch!" His voice was but a whisper. He hurt everywhere and was still very weak. "Please get Hutch for me..."

   "I'm right here buddy...I'm right here." Hutch moved from the chair he had been sitting in, sleeping in for the last two days, to sit on the edge of the bed. He needed more than just Starsky's hand and knew that Starsky needed the same. He stroked his friends cheek, letting him know that he was safe now and then leaned down to give his partner a hug. Starsky's weak arms returned the embrace and he held on as tight as he could.

   "What happened Hutch? Are you okay?"

   "I'm fine Starsk...got quite a few stitches, thanks to Charlie, but I'm okay. I'm so glad you're awake now. You had me scared for a while buddy."

   "Who's Charlie?"

   "Its a long story and we'll talk more after you rest. Jane came out of her coma and really came through for us. She called Dobey. Told him we were in trouble. We made it again partner. You rest now, I'll be right here. I'm not gonna leave your side."

THE END