| Starsky & Hutch One Too Many "To serve and to protect". Every policeman knew what these words meant and had sworn an oath to do just that. Most of the time they were successful, but there were days that 'protecting' wasn't enough. The blond man sitting at his desk in the squad room cursed then slammed his hand on the desk, ignoring the pain spreading through his arm. Today they served but had failed to protect the innocent, and it hurt more than any physical pain ever could. A life was lost today. The young life of a child. Detective Sergeant Ken Hutchinson had a hard time keeping his emotions under control. The expression on his face was grim. His blue eyes were flickering with emotions, switching from grief back to an all-consuming anger. The already long list of casualties grew fast, and there wasn't a damn thing he or any other policeman could do to stop it. Hutch knew almost every name on that list by heart, names of victims that haunted him at night until he woke up bathed in sweat. Every morning, when he looked in the mirror, he felt the responsibilities of his job crashing down on him, but he kept on going, because there were people depending on him to do what he got paid for. To do what he believed in. Until today. Today had been more than he could take. An innocent little boy had died. Another casualty. He should have saved the kid, but he made a decision and his chance was gone. Now he wallowed in guilt. Hutch rested his forehead on his arms in defeat; a message to everyone in the squad room to let him be. He could feel Starsky's worried eyes on him from across his desk, but the effort to lift his head to answer his partner's unspoken question was just too much. Starsky's words from earlier that day repeated themselves in his head. "Don't do this to yourself, Hutch. Don't get lost in it." He closed his eyes, a bitter taste in his mouth. Maybe it already was too late, maybe this time had been one casualty too many. He couldn't save them and the way he was feeling now he wasn't sure if he could save himself. A wave of desperation engulfed him, took him spiralling down further in his depression. All hope to see a glimpse of sunlight on the horizon soon, got lost in an abyss absorbing all the energy inside of him. Only darkness remained. ~~~~~ Written by Sonja H. van Schalm Edited by Pat L. March 2004 Netherlands [email protected] |