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“... it might be your last,” Starsky finished.
“Is that a threat?” Roper asked, regarding him casually.
Starsky had one last card up his sleeve. It was a desperate move, but he actually was completely out of other options. “You, see,” he said, “I didn't really think that you'd do this out of the goodness of your heart,” Starsky said, cocking an eyebrow. “But I know you'll do it to save your own life.”
Roper frowned. “You'd better explain that one,” he said.
“Well, see, you're sick, Mr. Roper,” Starsky said, smiling cheerfully. “With the same plague Callendar's carrying – the same one that's killing my partner. I know you don't care about some cop – but I also know you'll help me anyway, because you'll be helping yourself. Before I came here, I got sick myself, and now I've passed it on to you. Have a nice day, sir, and remember, that's Lincoln Hospital, downtown.
Starsky turned to leave, and was prevented from it by one of Roper's goons, holding a gun on him. “Call him off, Roper,” he said. “You'll have a **** of a time getting out of the hospital a free man if you can't explain what happened to me.”
Roper waved his goon off. “So, tell me, Officer Starsky,” he said, “why you're not in isolation like your partner is, if you've got this plague you're talking about.”
“I may have neglected to say anything about it to certain people,” he said. “The doctors would have frowned on this whole scheme of mine if they'd known about the dizzy spells.” He winked.
Roper turned to two of his goons. “Go with him,” he said. He looked back at Starsky. “If you're really sick, then of course you'll be willing to stay in your sick partner's isolation room.”
“Heard of Brer Rabbit and the briar patch?” Starsky asked. “There's nowhere on earth I'd rather be.”
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Starsky went right to the hospital once they let him go. He had to talk pretty fast to get the doctors to let him share an isolation room with Hutch; they were going to insist upon his having a room to himself. It was better medical procedure – Starsky had known he'd have a fight on his hands the minute he heard Roper's ultimatum – but he managed to talk them into it, pointing out that everyone, no matter who they were, would benefit from Roper's help in bringing in Callendar. And, he also reminded them, he was going to get sick and die anyway, so he might as well do it the way Roper wanted it. (He didn't know what Hutch had been on about earlier; he was a terrific liar).
They gave him a robe and a private place to change, and took his clothes away when he had finished. He wasn't going to let them take his gun – he hid it in a cupboard and grabbed it on his way into the room. As Roper's two goons watched through the window, he went right to Hutch.
In the short time that Starsky'd been away, somebody had put an oxygen mask on Hutch. Starsky's first inclination was to run out and go grab Roper, and make him find Callendar right that moment – but he told himself that, in the only way possible, that was exactly what he was doing. He put the gun down on the floor next to Hutch's bed, where they couldn't see it from the window, and sat down on Hutch's bed again. Hutch turned to look at him, quizzically.
“Hey, Schweetheart,” Starsky said in his best Bogey.
Hutch was sure, even in his state, that he'd told Starsky to leave, and stay gone, and he reiterated the idea with a look.
“I've done all I can do, partner,” Starsky explained. “Other people have to take it and run with it now. And they will, don't worry. I've made sure of it.”
Hutch suddenly noticed something that made him quite anxious. Starsky leaned close to hear what he was saying through the oxygen mask.
“Your mask!” he was saying. “Your mask!”
Starsky looked down at the ground. Lying to the doctors was one thing. Lying to Hutch, on the other hand... but, it occurred to him, it wasn't lying anymore. Now that he'd got into the room, he'd been exposed, sure and certain, and started the clock ticking for himself too. He swallowed, and looked Hutch in the eyes.
“It's too late for that. I've got it, too, Hutch.”
Even though he was gasping for air, Hutch's eyes widened, and he shook his head, mouthing the word 'no.'
Starsky grabbed Hutch's hand. “Hey!” he said. “I'm gonna be alright... and so are you. Roper's going to have Callendar in here within a day.”
Hutch was confused, and, with another look, asked Starsky how he could be certain.
Starsky raised his eyebrows. “Because he thinks he's sick too,” he said, grinning mischievously.
Hutch wondered about that – for about three seconds. Horrified, he looked at his partner like Starsky had betrayed him.
Starsky took Hutch's head in his hands. “Listen to me... listen to me!” he exclaimed, and Hutch looked at him. “Roper will have Callendar in here before I even start to feel sick. And it will be in time for you. It was the single solitary way left for me to save you, do you understand that? You can't expect - I'm not gonna stand out there and watch you die without doing everything I can possibly do. And it will work! Will you trust me? Please?”
Hutch sighed, and raised his right hand to Starsky's left. “Trust you,” he said through the mask.
Starsky heard – or, rather, saw – a bit of a commotion out in the hall. Nurses had led the two goons of Roper's away, and the doctor was having a flurried conversation with Captain Dobey, who'd just arrived. Starsky looked up just in time to see Dobey fly to the window and pound on the glass. Hutch heard it, and peered over in the direction of the noise, trying to focus.
Starsky grinned ruefully. “Looks like I've been found out,” he winked. “Be right back.”
Taking a little more time than he needed to, despite the Captain's noiseless blustering, he went to the phone near the window and picked it up.
“What the **** do you think you're doing in there!?” Dobey bellowed into the receiver, without preamble.
“Captain, haven't you heard? I'm sick.”
“And since when did you get sick?” Dobey demanded. Starsky shrugged.
Dobey's jaw clenched. “And of course you felt the need to run all over the city in your condition,” he said. “Do you have any idea what you just did – how many people you exposed? And you're supposed to be a public servant!” He was shouting so hard Starsky could see the spit flying. “Never mind that now you're off the case of tracking down Callendar! You just signed Hutch's death warrant!”
“No, I just bought Hutch his only chance,” Starsky said. “Callendar’s coming in – Roper will see to that. And I know exactly how many people I exposed. None.”
“You’re contagious as soon as you feel sick,” Dobey informed him critically.
“I don’t feel sick,” Starsky assured him.
“But the doctor said…”
“I lied,” Starsky said. “Do you think the doctor would have let me in here if I hadn’t told her I had the bug already?”
“Starsky!” Dobey was horrified. “What in the **** were you thinking?”
“Look,” Starsky said, “the best thing you can do right now is put a tail on Roper. He’ll get to Callendar and then you’ll get them both.”
“You did explain to him that we need Callendar alive?” Dobey said, attempting to be some semblance of business-like.
Starsky nodded. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t come in looking the picture of health, though.”
Dobey nodded in turn. “Right. I'll make sure the doctors are ready for him. You take… oh… Starsky...” He shook his head, sighing deeply. “How is Hutch?” he asked finally.
Starsky turned back to look at Hutch, clenching his jaw. He looked back at Dobey. “Callendar can’t come soon enough. Let me know as soon as you’ve got him, huh?
“Yeah,” Dobey sighed. “I’ll be around.” He started to hang up, but then lifted the receiver to his ear again. “Starsky?”
“Yeah?”
Dobey opened his mouth to say something, but didn't. He just shook his head slowly.
“What was I supposed to do, huh?” Starsky asked.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
After they were left in an isolation room together, Roper's men called in.
“So, do you buy it?” Roper asked. “Was that cop for real?”
“Yeah, I buy it,” said the goon on the phone. “I'm here wearing a dress, I buy it so much.”
Roper sighed. “Alright, I guess I’ll play his game. But not exactly by his rules. I’m going to go to my club in the morning like usual, and Callendar’ll probably come out of the woodwork then. I’m going to send Robertson over to explain to you what I have in mind, alright? You can talk to people?”
“Yeah, over a telephone in the hall. Pretty public.”
“Busy?”
The goon wrinkled his nose. “We should be able to have a private conversation if it's short.”
“Okay, Robertson will come right over. By the way, how long do they say I have?”
“Three days or so until you start feeling it. But, of course, they’re saying that the sooner they work out a cure, the easier it will be for us all.”
“Naturally. Expect Robertson soon, got it?”
“Yeah.”
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Dobey was in close contact all morning with the uniforms who were staking out Roper. Once Callendar had been caught, the first thing he did, the very minute he was able, was to get up to Hutch's room. He knocked on the glass, and both Starsky and Hutch looked over at him. He was able to communicate excitement without words; Starsky jumped up and hurried over to the phone.
“What is it?” he asked. “Did you get him? Please tell me you got him!”
“We got him,” Dobey said cheerfully. “Just like you said. It was like Roper was pretending to be a sitting duck on purpose – a bit of a firefight, because Roper's men were waiting for Callendar's too... but a couple of uniforms, Stafford and Butler, talked them into letting us take him in. It was good work. And Callendar's safely here.”
“You got him!” Starsky turned to Hutch. “They got him!” he called across the room. “I told you we'd get him, and in time, didn't I?” He sighed. “What a relief,” he said, turning back to the window. “I knew you'd get him, but, I'm awfully glad it's done. Let me know as soon as the vaccine's ready, huh?” He lowered his voice. “Hutch is really hurting, Captain. Tell them to make it quick.”
“The doctor's on her way up to take Callendar's blood now. It will be quite a relief for everyone to have this thing contained and over. And then, when you two meatheads are recovered and back at the office, you and I are gonna sit down, Starsky, and have a little heart-to-heart about your methodology.”
Starsky grinned. “When Hutch is better, I'll listen to anything you care to say.”
Dobey peered at him through narrowed eyes, and then just shook his head.
When Dobey walked away, Starsky hurried back to Hutch. “Hey,” he said, taking Hutch's hand, and rubbing his arm. “Hey, did you hear that? They got Callendar in.”
Hutch acknowledged what Starsky said with a movement of his head, but he was gasping for every breath, and couldn't speak. Starsky was desperately worried that they wouldn't be able to make a vaccine fast enough, even having Callendar's blood to work from. “Come on, pal,” he said. “Just keep on taking one more breath. I know it hurts, but it won't be too much longer now, okay?”
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Out in the hall, Dobey heard a discussion coming from Callendar's room, when he went there to catch up with Dr. Kaufman. When he got close enough to hear what the doctor and the hit man had to say to each other, he realized that he was concerned in the situation too, and butted in.
“Now, look here, you creep! Two of my best men are dying of this disease, and I’ll be ****ed if I’m going to let some two-bit hit man keep them from getting what they need! For twenty-five cents I’ll stick you myself if I have to!”
“Captain, really,” Dr. Kaufman said. “Please. This is my job.”
“Make sure you do it,” Dobey said, giving Callendar a threatening look.
Dr. Kaufman turned back to Callendar, who was lying in bed with his arm in a sling. “I can’t make you let me draw your blood. But I can tell you that there are dozens of people here, and you are the only person that can help any of them, unless we get lucky and find a cure by pure chance down in the lab. But that will be too late for almost all of them, if not all. Please, on behalf of all these people, please let me draw your blood and cure them.”
Callendar shook his head. “Nah, I only see cops and crime lords here, and I'm not interested in saving any of them.”
“Is there anything I can say?” she asked.
“Just leave me be,” he said.
Dr. Kaufman tried reasoning with him. “What if I’d just let you be when you came in with a shot in your arm? Could I have made a judgment about who you are and decided not to treat you?”
“Look, lady,” Callendar said, “you’re the one who decided to be a doctor. You’re the one who has to care about the sick and injured. I’m not a doctor and I never made any promises to anyone.”
“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Dr. Kaufman said distastefully.
“Stuff it, lady,” Callendar said complacently.
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Dr. Kaufman and Dobey walked together right to Starsky and Hutch's room, and while Dobey stood close, Dr. Kaufman told Starsky of Callendar's refusal. He didn't quite follow until she said something about releasing Callendar in a couple of days.
Starsky didn't move for a moment. “What?” he breathed finally. “You mean – you're telling me that Callendar is here, and you're just going to let him go without taking any blood? Hutch is going to die, and you're not going to help him?”
Dr. Kaufman sighed. “Let me try to explain...” she began, but Starsky interrupted.
“Explain?” he asked breathlessly. “Do you see him there? He's been in agony for days, and you're gonna let him die that way because a paid gun doesn't want you to take his blood?”
Dobey took the phone from Dr. Kaufman. “Starsky,” he said, “they're still working in the lab to find a cure.”
Starsky yelled wildly. “He doesn't have that kind of time, and you know it!”
“Starsky!” shouted the Captain. “There's nothing else we can do! Now cool off!”
The doctor took the phone back. “Listen...” she began.
Fighting angry tears, Starsky looked at her. “He liked you,” he said. “And you can be sure of one thing: if you were in danger, and it was up to him and his professional ethics, he would save you.” With a vicious glare, Starsky slammed the receiver down on the phone as hard as he could – he heard something crack, but he didn't care. He didn't plan to use the phone any more anyway.
Hutch heard the noise, vaguely at least, and turned to look as Starsky returned to his side. “Hey,” Starsky said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Through the obvious pain, Hutch looked questioningly at him. “Here's the thing,” Starsky said. “You're going to get better. You're going to be just fine.” He took one of Hutch's hands in his own. “But you have to do it yourself. And you can do it,” he said quickly. “You're going to be just fine.”
Hutch looked at him for a few moments, then shook his head slowly.
“Sure you can,” Starsky said, starting to cry. “You're my partner. You can do anything. Callendar did it; you can do anything that punk can do.”
Hutch shook his head again, and then he tried to say something through the mask. Starsky leaned down to catch it. “You,” he heard Hutch breathe.
“Why me?” Starsky asked.
Hutch didn't have enough breath to explain. He held on to Starsky's hand more tightly.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Out in the hall, as he watched Starsky go back to Hutch's side, Dobey clenched his teeth. He'd yelled at Starsky, but it was the doctor, and Callendar, and the whole situation he was mad at. As Starsky sat down, Dobey turned to the doctor, who was watching Starsky with a stricken look on her face. “Okay,” he said heavily. “You were going to explain it to him; now explain it to me.”
Dr. Kaufman looked at him plainly. “Captain, please try to understand. I can't just do things to people because I want to. Even if it was to save everyone in the whole world, I can't go in there and take his blood when he's said no anymore than you can just grab criminals off the street and lock them up forever without giving them a chance in court. It would undermine everything I do.” She sniffed, lightly. “And sometimes it means that people die. Good people. Just like, in your line of work, following those rules about how to treat criminals means that sometimes criminals go free and hurt more people. Can you understand that?”
It was a little bit annoying to him that he could.
“Can he?” she asked, nodding towards Starsky.
Dobey sighed. “I'll try if I get a chance,” he said flatly.
Dr. Kaufman nodded. “I'm going to get back to the lab,” she said. “If we can get something soon, it might be in time for Starsky.”
Dobey nodded.
He stood at the window for several minutes, saying his own goodbye, keeping an eye out in case Starsky saw him – he didn't want to look like he was trying to intrude. But Starsky never looked up again; it was as if the whole world was right in front of him.
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Captain Dobey and Dr. Kaufman had been so intent on the problem, and their discussion of it, that neither of them noticed that they had an audience. Mrs. Yeager heard the raised voices from outside Ritchie's room, where she'd stationed herself since the doctor had declared her free of the disease, and walked over to investigate. That they had been counting on Callendar to develop a vaccine was interesting; his refusal to cooperate wasn't that surprising, but it did make her feel ill to think that he could help in such a vital way and was simply refusing to do so. But, she thought, maybe he didn't understand exactly what was going on. Did he even know that Richie was sick? Perhaps not, she thought... maybe even probably not. Would the doctor even think to tell him that a child's life was at stake? Did the doctor even know that it was her house that Callendar had stayed at – that Richie had picked up the virus nursing Callendar back to health?
In any case, it would be worth it to go make sure.
She slipped past the conversation without drawing anyone's notice – the policeman had everyone's attention, since his was the most advanced case, of those still living, at least. She made her way to Callendar's hospital room, one that she could just enter, if she wanted to, because it wasn't an isolation room, and she knocked quietly on the door.
“Yeah,” came Callendar's voice from inside.
She opened the door; Callendar was surprised to see her.
“Sorry to disturb you,” she said. “Are you alright?” She motioned to his arm in a sling. “How did that happen?”
“Oh, a cop shot me while I was trying to get away from him. It's not bad. What are you doing here?”
“Richie's here,” Mrs. Yeager said. “As a patient.”
“What happened to him?” Callendar asked, not faking the interest he showed.
“He... he caught the illness, that you had,” Mrs. Yeager said slowly.
“Oh,” Callendar said, looking away. “I'm sorry.”
Mrs. Yeager bit her lip, and then just started talking, in case he was to start bullying her and make her stop. “I know you've told them that you don't want to save the people that are sick with that disease – and I understand about the criminals, and I suspect if I knew more about you, your work I mean, that I'd understand about the policemen too. But my son liked you. He took care of you. And he's just a boy – he's got his whole life ahead of him. Can't you let them take your blood for him?
Callendar wasn't thoroughly cruel – it went against the grain, because of how many other people it would help, but Richie was compelling. He didn't take very long to reply. “Yeah, okay,” he said, looking away. “Go get the doc.”
“Thank you!” Mrs. Yeager gasped. She hurried out of the room.
“But I don't want any more cops in here! I don't want to have to look at 'em!”
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Callendar reiterated the point when the doctor came in to draw his blood.
“Don't worry,” she said. “I'll keep them away from you – until they arrest you, of course, but they're not going to do that until you've recovered some. I'm only taking a quarter pint right now. It will get us started, and I don't think you can spare much more right now.”
“Just make sure the kid gets the vaccine first,” Callendar said. “You don't get any more until he's better.”
“He's one of the sickest,” said the doctor, “so he'll definitely be in the first group to be treated.”
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Dr. Kaufman was thoughtful enough to call Captain Dobey with the news as soon as she had a spare moment, and, thanks to a relay from the station (he had only just left the hospital when she called), he was on his way back in immediately. He was, in turn, thoughtful enough to swing by The Pits and pick up Huggy. (Whether or not that was because he wasn't sure that Starsky was still speaking to him was not something he was prepared to admit).
“Oh, man,” Huggy commented as they came up to the glass. “Hutch looks bad.”
“Yeah,” Dobey said. He tapped gently on the glass with one finger.
Starsky looked up, almost lazily. Huggy waved at him, and Dobey beckoned him over. Starsky frowned, but picked himself up off Hutch's bed and came towards them, looking like he was having difficulty walking.
Huggy took the telephone receiver from Dobey, and motioned to Starsky to pick up.
“Hug,” Starsky acknowledged.
“Hey, Starsky... we got good news, they took Callendar's blood.”
Starsky perked up noticably. “They did? Is there a vaccine?”
“Uh, I think they're still working on it, but it should be soon,” Huggy said.
“Okay,” Starsky said.
“You don't look that great, man,” said Huggy.
“Yeah, I don't feel so great either,” Starsky replied.
“Hutch still fighting?”
“Like a champion,” Starsky said. “But we gotta get him help.”
“It's on it's way, or so they say,” said Huggy.
“'K,” said Starsky. “I think I'm gonna go lie down.”
“Do that,” said Huggy.
They hung up the phones. Starsky went to the unused bed nearer to the window, and took the pillow off it. He drifted over to Hutch's bed, plunked the pillow down on the end, climbed on the bed and curled up with the pillow, his head near Hutch's feet.
Huggy turned to the Captain. “Thanks for letting me in on it,” he said. “You think it's actually going to be ready in time?”
“For Starsky? Probably,” said Dobey.
“What about Hutch?” Huggy asked.
Dobey glared. “We can only hope it is,” he said. “And that's why I'm staying right here for now.”
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Dobey found a chair somewhere, put it where he could see in his detectives' window, and sat and read a newspaper.
A few minutes later, two uniform policemen walked briskly past. Dobey looked up – they were supposed to be guarding the isolation room containing Roper's two men.
“Greenwood! Clay!” he called. “Where are you going?”
The men started to walk faster, and Dobey was worried. He put down his newspaper, and, as they started to run, he pulled his gun and followed them. When they got to Callendar's room at the end of the hall, they turned around and fired a couple of shots. Dobey dodged, but they got him in an arm, and he fell.
As they disappeared into Callendar's room, Dr. Kaufman came running up behind Dobey.
“They have the serum, Captain,” she said, trying to help him, “all of it!”
Dobey pushed her away. “Get down, and stay down,” he hissed. There was a gunshot from inside Callendar's room, which Dobey had expected, and he got himself into a decent position to fire with his good arm. And when they came out of the room, he fired quickly, hoping fervently that nobody would unwittingly stray into his line of fire. And he was thankful that nobody did.
“Captain!” Dr. Kaufman said, horrified.
“What?”
“Shooting – policemen – in a hospital?!?!”
“Those aren't policemen,” Dobey said, leaning back against the wall weakly. “They're Roper's men, from the isolation unit. You'll find that they have all the serum on them. Hopefully it's not ruined. Callendar's likely dead too. And can you find someone... to help me with my arm?”
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The first time that Hutch was really fully conscious again was a morning; he woke with his face to the outside window, and morning sunlight was shining in. He breathed in, noticing that there was no mask covering his nose and mouth, and that breathing in didn't hurt. It was a relief. He could tell he was still weak, but it didn't hurt, and for several minutes he just lay there, enjoying it not hurting.
He heard something from the hallway, and turned to look. It was nothing that concerned him, just someone walking past. But as he looked he noticed something that did concern him – the other bed in the room had a person in it. He felt a stab of worry – Starsky had been exposed – and he sat up in bed a little.
It was Starsky there, of course. Hutch jumped out of bed.
At least he tried to. He could barely lift the blankets off. He fought them, for thirty or fourty seconds at least, and when he had them off, there was still the standing up to do. But somehow he managed to struggle to his feet and attempt to get across the room to the other bed. “Starsky?” he called.
He fell down, and before he knew it Starsky was there helping him up. “What are you doing?” Starsky asked, laughing at him the same way he always did when he rescued him. “You stay in bed.” Starsky heaved him up and half-carried him the couple of feet to the bed, and plopped him back on it. “They said you wouldn't be up and walking around for another couple of days at least. What were you trying to do?” Hutch lay back, and Starsky pulled the blankets over him, and then stood looking at him with one eyebrow raised, and a grin on his face.
“Are you alright?” Hutch gasped. He was quite out of breath, more so than falling out of bed should make someone.
“Am I alright?” Starsky laughed. “Yes, I'm alright, thank you.” He shook his head.
“But – don't I remember this right? I thought you told me you'd caught it too.”
“If you remember, I also told you that they were gonna have a vaccine before I even started to feel sick. I've been better for more than a week.”
“What're you here for, then?”
“'Cause I talked them in to letting me stay,” Starsky winked. “I'm making blood for them. They only got a little before Callendar was killed. I got some of that round because they figured I'd beat everyone else to being able to give blood. And boy were they right. You've had one dose made from Callendar's blood and two from mine. For awhile we weren't sure you were gonna come back to us, buddy.”
Hutch groaned a little. “Near misses,” he muttered. Then he looked at Starsky. “You know, that was really risky, that stunt you pulled,” he said.
“Yeah,” Starsky said, sitting on the side of the bed. “Crossed my mind.” He shrugged. “Worked, though.”
“Yeah, well, next time you decide you're going to do something that crazy, just remember how I'll feel if you use me to kill yourself, okay?”
Starsky gave him a look of pretended severity. “It wasn't that risky,” he said.
“Still...” Hutch said. “Have a heart, huh?”
“Oh, sure, next time, I'll just keep standing out in the hall and watch while you die,” Starsky said. “There really weren't any other choices, Hutch. I suppose we could have made a public announcement, if the docs had gone for it – asked Callendar to turn himself in. That would've worked great, huh?”
“Starsk...”
“Don't 'Starsk' me. You would've done exactly the same thing,” Starsky said. “And don't try to tell me you wouldn't.”
Hutch started to say precisely that, but stopped – he couldn't actually say what he meant – and he looked to see if Starsky understood what he was trying to say.
Starsky grinned softly, and then smirked. “Come on, it's not the end of the world,” he said. “You're still mad about it tomorrow, you can yell at me then. Huh?”