“Wake up, buddy. Wake up.”

Starsky could feel the light touch of his partner’s hand on his face.  He could hear the panic as Hutch began to shake him.  He could see the bright glare of the sun streaming into his room.  He sat up in bed, his eyes looking around the unfamiliar room.

“Hutch.  What…”

Hutch let out a relived breath.   “Scared me, Gordo.  Had a hard time waking you again.  I was about to call the nurse.”

Starsky grabbed his head.  “Gotta headache.  Where am I?”

“In the hospital,” Hutch said with concern.  “Don’t you remember?”

“Hospital.”  He sat up in the bed, his eyes scanning the room.  It was indeed a hospital, but the last thing he remembered was looking into the dead eyes of a young woman--a woman who was eerily familiar.

“Oh, my god,” he said quickly.  “The girl.  The dead girl.  I…I…”

Hutch sat on the bed.  “Starsk….”

“Hutch, what happened to me?”

Hutch looked worried.  He grabbed Starsky hand before answering. “You passed out after you saw the girl.  I took you to the hospital.  They were pretty sure it was heat exhaustion and they released you.    I took you home.  I gave you something to eat and Jennifer stopped by.  You went into the bathroom to take a shower.  Didn’t come out for a while so I went in and found you passed out on the floor.  I called an ambulance and rushed you back here.”  Hutch reached for the call button.  “I’m gonna get the doc in here.”

Starsky fought to control his breathing.  It was almost like the panic attacks he suffered when it was dark only this time he was disoriented.  He remembered seeing the dead girl and then something else.  He shook his head as he tried to recall the details of the day.  Something had happened after seeing the dead girl and he didn’t remember any of it.

He looked up when the doctor entered the room.  He remembered Dr. Rickert from earlier in the day.  At least he thought it was the same day.

“I heard you had a relapsed, detective.” The doctor said as he took his pulse. 

“Relapse?”

“Yes, you passed out again.  So now we’re running more tests.  I don’t think it’s your heart, but we’ll be checking that just in case.”

Starsky looked up at the doctor.  “There’s nothing wrong with me.  Just the heat and I didn’t drink enough water.  That’s all.”

The doctor locked eyes with a very worried looking Hutch.  “We still need to run some test.  Your body has been through a lot and we need to be sure it’s not something else.  Give us a few days.”

But he didn’t want to stay.  He was prepared to protest when Hutch cut in.  “Let them run the test.  We’ve got to be sure you’re okay.”

Starsky looked at the frightened look on Hutch’s face.  He settled back in the bed.  He had no choice.

“Run your test.  I ain’t goin’ nowhere.”

****                                                                                                                               **** 

Starsky was sent home a few days later with a clean bill of health.  They couldn’t find anything wrong with him nor explain the amnesia. Starsky’s memory of the time after seeing the body had not returned.   Hutch stood at the door of his partner’s room.  Starsky lay on his back clutching a book.  The light was on making it easy for Hutch to check on him. He thought of turning it off, but Starsky had insisted the light remain on all night claiming that it would wake him if he came in and turned it off. The dark-haired detective seemed to be sleeping peacefully, but Hutch was worried.  His sixth sense was on overdrive.  He wouldn’t leave him for even a second.  Something was happening— something dark and sinister.  Hutch could feel it in the deep recesses of his mind.  Feel it the way he had when Morgan Harlow had nearly driven his partner over the edge.  Hutch vowed he would stop whatever was happening to his friend.  It was his job to look after Starsky.   He was glad that Dobey had granted him leave until Starsky returned.  No way was he going to let anything happen to him this time.

Two days later both detectives returned to work.  Starsky had insisted that Hutch go home citing the need for privacy.  Hutch was prepared to protest when he remembered Jennifer and wondered if the reason Starsky needed privacy was because he and Jennifer were more than friends.  He wouldn’t blame his partner for keeping it a secret in light of Kira.  Still it hurt that the open communication they’d once shared was gone because he couldn’t keep his pants on.   He had reluctantly returned home vowing to fix the rift that still existed between them. 

****                                                                                                                               **** 

The bar was filled with smoke as the blonde sang a song that hadn’t been popular for at least thirty years.  It was a typical retro bar with girls hired to dance with the male patrons.  The men who populated the bar had been young when the song had been popular.  Now they clung to the fragments of youth as they listened to her sultry rendition of Night and Day. 

Soon the song ended and the blonde came over to his table.  He knew she would come.  He’d been shamelessly flirting with her throughout the evening.  He knew a hungry woman when he saw one and this one was in full hunger mode.  She was looking for someone to wipe away the dismal life she lead.  Someone to remind her she was still young and alive and not just the fantasy of men who would never taste the nectar of youth again.

The blonde took a seat next to him and put her hand on his thigh. “Why don’t we go somewhere,” she whispered.

He kissed her oblivious to the people around them.  He could feel his body responding to her as his tongue darted into her mouth.  He felt her hand climb up his thigh and he did nothing to stop her.  He heard the clink of glasses, the shuffling of feet as couples moved to the dance floor.  Still the kiss continued, deepening, becoming maddeningly passionate.  She broke the kiss and stood, offering her hand.  He took it standing, his pants painfully tight.  She turned and he followed her out into the night, the knife safely hidden from the prying eyes of the patrons within.

****                                                                                                                               **** 

Starsky awakened with a start.  The dream had been so real.  He thought of the blonde woman.  She was beautiful and the effects she had on him still lingered.   “I’m in need of a very cold shower,” he said as he got up.  He wondered what time it was so he stole a glance at his bedside clock and discovered it was nine o’clock.   The clock has to be wrong.  He put his shoes on and padded to his living room.  He froze when he saw the clock.  It was nine o’clock He sat heavily on the couch, his body shaking.  It felt like it was no more than two o’clock.  True the shades were drawn, but no way could it be nine o’clock.  No way had he slept an incredible twelve hours.

Starsky heard a knock at the door.  It had to be Hutch and he was late again.