Missing Scene from The Fix.

The Easy Option

Starsky's POV

I've lost track of how long I've been sat here.

I can hear him moaning in the next room, I can hear him calling for me. I've never refused Hutch, until today. I can't do it, I can't give in to him. I know how much it hurts, I know how much he needs it but I can't cave. And I won't let him give up either.

We've been up here for a few hours now. He's quit pacing and now has just collapsed, shouting out to me, calling for me to end the pain, to give him his 'medicine.'

'Believe me Hutch, I'm going through every second of this agony with you', I think to myself, 'even if I cant physically share your pain, I can feel your horror and your despair and it is killin' me partner.' I cover my face with my hands.

It would be so simple to take the easy option, to send Huggy off into the night with cash to end his misery right now, but I can't do that, I gotta keep at this and I gotta stay strong for Hutch.

I can hear his shouts getting more threatening, more desperate. He screams at me to show my miserable face. I get up slowly and move into the next room, my heart breaking at the sight of my friend all over again. He glares at me, the look is of pure hate. I have to tell myself again that it's not really my partner, this has been done to him. He is a victim. Nothing that comes out of his mouth is true, it's that evil stuff that was forced into him doing the talking. And soon, I'm gonna find out just who did it and they better hope they've fled the country like the cowardly scum they are, for their own sakes. If I catch up with them, I'll make them suffer for every single second of pain Hutch has been forced to endure today, plus some more, and that'll be just for me. I think about the name Hutch said earlier – Monk. I'm looking forward to following that up in the morning but in the mean time I've got more important things to worry about, like getting my partner through the worst night of his – and my – life.

"Starsky," Hutch snaps at me, bringing me away from my musings, "you can't ignore me forever you know."

I sigh as I move closer to him. I see that Hutch is now slouched against the wall, eyes red and staring, the remains of a candy bar wrapper clutched in his fist. I look at him and try to see my best friend but he's not in there. 'I'll get you back buddy,' I promise myself silently. I crouch down beside him.

"I'm not ignoring you buddy," I reply softly, not getting to close, having learnt my lesson from Hutch's attempt to almost throttle me in the process of the last desperate bid for freedom.

His lips turn into a painful smile, almost the smile I'd expect to see on a gloating corpse.

"You scared of me Starsk?"

I frown. "I'm scared for you Hutch, not of you. I think you still got a long way to go pal and I'm here to help you."

He stares me out for a few seconds. "Fat lot of good you are," Hutch's hisses before turning away.

I shake my head and close my eyes. How long will this go on for? I stand back up straight, watching him, just wishing there was something I could do, someway that I could suffer the agony for him. I have never felt so useless.

"Right now pal, you won't believe or want this but I'm here for you, I wanna help you.."

"LIAR!" He screamed, interrupting me. I actually recoil from him, the sudden hatred in that voice taking me by surprise.

"You don't want to help me! You could end this whole agony for me now and you won't! You're no friend to me buddy. You are worse then those guys who did this to me. Atleast they didnt leave me to suffer!"

I can feel my own anger rising at his words. He was actually defending the people who'd done this! It was too much, even if it was the dope talking.

"Now you listen to me Hutch," I respond angrily, now my nose right up close to his and my finger wagging in his face, "I don't want to hear you talk like that ever again, you hear? Those scum that forced this shit on you, they are the bad guys, they wanted to hurt you, to break you." Hutch let out a low moan and I realise at that moment, that those men had completely succeceeded in their task. I just prayed I could get my partner back. At this precise moment, it wasnt looking to likely.

That same horrible smile returned to his lips as he looked up at me. "You don't understand do you Starsky, I dont care! I want my fix! I need my medicine and you're the bastard who is keeping it from me. You're the bad guy!" He then chuckled and looked away. "My best friend," he said in a screechy high voice, mocking me. "I don't think so."

I'm almost trembling now. Forgetting myself for a moment, I leap forward and drag my very weak partner up and pin him against the wall.

"You wont push me away Hutch, you won't make me leave. Is that what you want? So you can then make it out of that door and score a hit? It's not going to happen buddy boy. And I think you know me better than that. This is where I belong!"

Panting heavily, the blond stares at me. I can see the hope leaving his face and I release my hold on his shirt. At that moment, Hutch saw his chance and with a roar, knocked me out of the way, sending me tumbling to the floor and threw himself towards the door.

I sit up and watch him, knowing full well that the door was locked and there was no way Hutch was going to open it.

It took him a bit of time to come to that conclusion too. Finally, he gives up tugging at the door knob and turns to face me.

"Give me the key Starsky," he orders, his tone now unrecognisable to me.

I shake my head.

"The key Starsky," he repeats. I could see he was just holding on to any sanity remaining within him.

"No Hutch," I reply.

"I NEED IT!" he shouts at me and due to tiredness, despair and hatred all getting to me, I lose my temper too.

"I need my best friend!" I yell back, "seems neither of us are getting what we want tonight!"

With another wild cry, Hutch lunges at me, knocking me back down to the floor. His hands scrabble to reach my throat but i keep him at bay, knowing he doesn't have the strength to keep this up.

"GIVE IT TO ME," Hutch screamed with such despair that every part of me wants to cry out.

"Can't do it buddy," I say to him calmly.

"You BASTARD!" He shrieks at me whilst still fighting with everything he had left, which wasn't much. He was getting weaker by the second. I'm able to force him to the floor and I pin his arms above his head. He is now sobbing uncontrollably, the anger having left him with only despair.

"I'm not gonna let you do it Hutch," I tell him, "I'm not gonna let you take the easy option."

"It hurts Starsk," he begs me, "please, I need it. Please help me."

It takes every last ounce of will I have to refuse him but I know I have to. "You're gonna be ok Blintz," I whisper to him, "You're stronger than this."

Hutch shook his head and realising the anger was completely gone, I release his arms. He grabs for me but this time to embrace me, to hold on to me and it seemed, to never let go.

"Starsky," he chokes out, "this is killin me."

Despite myself, I smile. "Me too buddy," I tell him. "But I'm right here pal. We're gonna get through this together, you hear me. Me and thee, remember?"

He stirred and then I hear something like, "I don't deserve.. Just a junkie.." I feel the familiar rage building inside me again at his words.

"You are not a junkie Hutch! And I never wanna hear you say that again, ok?" He doesnt reply but merely lets out a low moan.

"So tired."

I nod. "Yeah buddy, time for some rest, do you reckon?" He doesn't complain as I help him up and more or less drag him towards the bedroom. I push him down onto the bed and he instantly turns over on to his side, trying to get comfortable. I brush his hair away from his eyes and clasp his hand.

"You sleep buddy," I tell him softly, "I'll be right here. I'm not going anywhere."

I drop his hand and he immediately reaches out for me again, needing me to stay close. I look away, determined to hold it together, for Hutch. I return to my spot at the bottom of the bed and drop back down to the floor. I was tired too but I didnt want to sleep, I wanted to stay awake for Hutch. If he needed me, I wanted to be there. I glance at him again, knowing we weren't in the clear yet, there was still yet more pain to come for Hutch but I would get him through it, if it was the last thing I do. No easy option for Hutch or for me and that was the way it had to be. We'll beat this devil together tonight and tomorrow, I'll go find a monk and then – well, thats when I'll get me some payback.

FIN