Rating: PG

Comments: Starsky and Hutch aren't mine, I'm just borrowing them. I love these guys and I love feedback.

Feedback: Definitely, here or my email address dvluvsdogs@yahoo.com

Thursday Evening

"What happened to you?" Starsky asked as he entered his partner's apartment.

"Flower show." Hutch replied miserably.

"Flower show? What were ya doin' at a flower show?" Starsky couldn't believe his ears. The last place his allergy-suffering partner should be is at a flower show.

"Aaachoo!" Hutch sneezed, looking startled.

"Wow. Did you keep your eyes open when you just sneezed? I didn't think you could do that." Starsky smiled as he hobbled to the kitchen with the bag of groceries. They'd planned to have dinner together to celebrate Starsky having the cast removed from his foot. He'd been recuperating from a broken ankle for quite some time, had been relegated to desk duty for the duration and the cast coming off was the beginning of the end of Starsky's suffering. Hutch, on the other hand, looked like he was still in the midst of his.

"I don't know. Aaaaachooo! Unh, shit." Hutch laid his head on the back of the couch.

"Did ya take anything for that, Blintz? Doesn't sound like it."

"Yes, but it hasn't kicked in yet." Hutch blew his nose, rose from the couch and walked in to the kitchen to see what Starsky was up to.

Starsky turned to greet his partner and just barely stopped himself from laughing out loud at the sight of his suffering cohort. Hutch's eyes were watery, his nose was runny and red, and he seemed somewhat flushed, probably from the constant sneezing. He was a sight.

Hutch noticed the muffled grin and said, "Don't laugh, Starsk. I'm in no mood. What'd ya get to eat?"

"I got us some steaks, baked potatoes and some asparagus. And ice cream for dessert. So while I get dinner ready, why don't you go sit down and tell me how you got stuck at the flower show?" Starsky steered Hutch back toward the couch, but Hutch stopped him about half way there.

"Wait, you shouldn't be standing so much on that foot. You just got the cast off. Let me make dinner while you rest your foot."

"No, I've been resting my foot for weeks. It feels fine. I'll get everything ready and then I'll sit once it starts cookin'. So, tell me what happened." Starsky was curious to see how Hutch, of all people, could have been unlucky enough to get roped in to this assignment.

Earlier That Morning

"Yes, Hutchinson, you have a problem with that?" Dobey asked.

"Allergies, Cap'n. You know, I have an allergy to most flowers. Can't somebody else do this baby-sitting assignment?" Hutch thought it was worth a try.

"No. The Commissioner asked for you specifically. The Ambassador and his wife will only be attending the show for about an hour and a half. You'll survive for that long." Dobey wasn't going to budge on this one. And he really had no idea what he was asking Hutch to do.

"Um, why me specifically?" Hutch couldn't think of what he'd done to deserve this punishment.

"Well, it's your own fault, really. Your personnel file, along with about five others, was given to the mayor to select an officer to escort the ambassador and his wife at the flower show. Turns out that you mention a hobby of yours that conspicuously fits the bill." Dobey grinned knowingly.

The Canadian ambassador to the United States and his wife were in Bay City and planned to stop in at the annual Bay City Flower Show. This show was one of the largest such shows on the West Coast. Bay City was also the sister city to Victoria, British Columbia where The Butchart Gardens were in the midst of seventy-fifth anniversary celebrations. The Flower Show had invited them to put together a display for this year's event.

"I put on there that I garden." Hutch looked down dejectedly. "But Captain, I don't keep flowers, just green, leafy stuff. I'm not allergic to that."

"Don't you have medicine that could help you get through it?" Dobey asked.

"I'll take my allergy medicine, but it won't do much good being surrounded by all that flora." Hutch was pretty unhappy about being assigned this particular baby-sitting case.

"Sorry Hutchinson, but we can't change the assignment now. You need to be there in fifteen minutes." Dobey ordered.

"Why exactly do the ambassador and his wife need police escort to a flower show?" Hutch asked pleadingly. He knew the desperation in his voice wasn't going to sway Dobey, but it made him feel better to get the whining started.

"The mayor just wants to make sure they're safe during their visit." Dobey had already moved on to other business, reading from a file as he answered.

Hutch looked appalled. "So, there've been no threats. No indication that anything is going to happen?"

"No."

Hutch walked out of the office, knowing he was in for a miserable day.

Thursday Evening

"So obviously the allergy medicine didn't work." Starsky said, stating the obvious. Hutch gave him a dirty look.

"Sorry." Starsky observed his partner a while longer in silence, then said, "Hey, can't they give you a shot that'll work faster than those pills? Maybe you should see if you can get in to the doctor before it's too late." It was only about six-thirty in the evening.

"Maybe. Aachoo! Aaaaachoo!" Hutch was looking worse as the night wore on.

"Come on, what's your doctor's number? Let me call and see if we can get you in there." Starsky limped over to the phone on the coffee table.

"Hey, you're limping. Sit down." Hutch pulled his partner down to the couch.

"Hutch, are you sure you're not delirious? I've been limping for a while now." Starsky mussed up the already messy blond locks as he spoke.

"I'm not delirious." He whined, as he playfully pushed Starsky's hand away. "I can call the doctor."

"Just give me the number. You sit back and try not to sneeze on me." Hutch gave him the number and Starsky quickly called and explained the nature of the allergy emergency. The doctor's office told him to bring the patient right in. There was no point in suffering when they could take care of it readily.

"See? I don't know why you insist on suffering through this when the solution is so easy. Here." Starsky handed Hutch his jacket. "Let's get going."

"What about dinner?" Hutch asked drowsily. The constant sneezing had worn him out.

"Boy, you really are out of it. I put everything in the fridge. It'll keep 'til we get back."

Later That Evening

The shot seemed to do the trick, but it also had the added side effect of making Hutch a little drowsier than he already was. Starsky watched his partner as he tripped his way up the stairs, hoping that Hutch didn't crash back in to him; he didn't know if his foot was ready yet to keep them both from falling.

Hutch headed over to the couch, but Starsky stopped him from sitting.

"Hey Blondie, why don't you go lie down for a while, huh? Sleep'll do you good." Starsky doubted his partner was too interested in dinner at this point. It was already after eight o'clock and Hutch was clearly ready for bed.

Hutch looked at Starsky tiredly. "But what about our celebration dinner? Your foot?" He finished through a huge yawn.

"Are ya hungry, Blintz?" Starsky asked as he walked Hutch to the bed.

"No." Starsky looked at his exhausted partner and chuckled at the sad, puppy dog aspect his best friend projected.

"Okay. Then kick your shoes off, get undressed and get in bed. We'll do dinner tomorrow, okay?" Starsky peeled the covers back and helped ease his partner onto the bed.

Hutch grabbed Starsky and hugged him tightly. "Hey, what's this about?" Starsky asked, chuckling a little at the sudden embrace, but warmly returning it.

"Just wanted to thank you for helping me today, and not laughing." Hutch slurred sleepily as he eased up the bear hug.

"Well, don't thank me for that, buddy. I've been laughing all the way through." But he saw that Hutch was already asleep and probably hadn't heard his last comment. And he was glad for that.

"Sleep tight, buddy." Starsky brushed the hair off Hutch's face and limped out to take his spot on the couch.

The End