I was sick so I decided Starsky should get sick too. This is slash, though not explicit.

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Friday

It was only by happenstance that Starsky ended up doing the babysitting.

When Kiko and his wife needed someone to watch their six year old daughter while they went to a business affair in the evening, they found that their usual babysitter was busy. Molly, Kiko's adoptive sister, had a date, and Kiko's mother had a mild cold that no one wanted to pass on to Clara. So they turned to Starsky and Hutch. But Hutch, now Lt. Hutchinson, had to work late, and so Starsky was drafted to fill in.

He didn't mind. It was well known that Starsky was, in many ways, just a big kid himself, and he enjoyed hanging out with the younger crowd.

Arriving with a flourish in the Torino, he was filled in on the details of the evening by Clara's mother. "We won't have access to a telephone, so if anything happens you'll just have to do your best. But we won't be too late, just a few hours, so you shouldn't have any trouble."

They had a good time at first. Starsky engaged her in a rousing game of "hide and seek" through the house, and then they cooled off with a few games of Candy Land. Finally they settled down for dinner, grilled cheese sandwiches which Starsky made himself.

Clara ate well, but slowly. Then, after she drank her glass of milk, her eyes widened, and she turned a slight shade of green.

"I… I don't feel so good."

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Starsky asked worriedly.

"I… I think I'm gonna' be sick."

"OK, try to make it to the bathroom," Starsky prompted.

She took off quickly, but didn't make it. Halfway down the hallway she lost the race. "That's OK" Starsky said soothingly, as he dried the tears she had begun to cry. "It happens to everyone sometimes."

He cleaned her up, found a bottle of Pepto Bismo in the bathroom cabinet, and put her to bed with a glass of ginger ale and a few crackers. Then he mopped up the mess, and read to her until she fell asleep. At last he settled down to wait for her parents to come home.

When they arrived, they weren't too worried. "It's a 24 hour bug that's been going around her school," Kiko sighed. "I'm really sorry you had to deal with it."

"I just hope you didn't catch it," said her mother. "I think it's pretty contagious."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Starsky assured them.

Unfortunately he was wrong.

Saturday

Starsky woke up feeling pretty good. Hutch was off for the weekend, as was Starsky, so they looked forward to a fun day of puttering around their house, doing some chores but also having down time.

Hutch called Kiko to see how Clara was, to be told she felt better but just wanted to sleep. "She threw up once during the night, but she's better now. She's got a little fever and her head aches," Kiko told him.

Reassured, Starsky and Hutch relaxed. The rest of the day passed pleasantly. Towards the afternoon, Hutch made a suggestion that Starsky couldn't turn down, and they spent several hours in bed, acrobatically. Finally, sated and comfortable, they settled down to a spirited game of Monopoly.

After Hutch had, once again, beaten Starsky in the game, they had dinner, cooked by Starsky, spaghetti and meat sauce.

It was after Starsky finished his beer that the trouble began. His eyes widened and he turned a faint shade of green.

"Hutch, I… I don't feel so good."

"What's wrong, Babe?" Hutch asked.

"I… I think I'm gonna' be sick."

"Get to the bathroom!" Hutch commanded, but Starsky had already headed that way. Luckily, being older and faster than Clara, as well as having a shorter distance to travel in a smaller house, he made it.

Hutch was right behind him, rubbing his back comfortingly as events took their course.

"OK Babe, better out than in," he said soothingly. "Here, rinse your mouth out."

Starsky rinsed and spit. "I guess I caught Clara's bug after all."

Hutch laughed. "Looks like you did."

They didn't have any Pepto Bismo, so Hutch got Starsky tucked in bed, and drove out to the 24 hour pharmacy for some. He also got ginger ale and crackers.

When he got back, Starsky was curled into a small ball of misery. "M' head aches," he complained, "And my middle."

Hutch gave him a dose of the pink stuff, and a cool washcloth for his head. He poured him a glass of ginger ale. "Here, sip this," he commanded.

Starsky complied, and soon felt a little better. He nibbled on some crackers.

Hutch read to him until he was drowsy and then got ready himself for bed. He slipped in behind Starsky on the bed and took him in his arms.

"I just hope you haven't caught it from me," Starsky murmured sleepily.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Hutch promised.

Unfortunately, he was wrong.

Sunday

Hutch woke up worried about Starsky. He had thrown up again during the night,before he was able to sleep uninteruptedly. Hutch dug out their thermometer, and took Starsky's temperature, which was, as he suspected, somewhat feverish.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"My head aches. And I feel queasy," Starsky muttered.

Hutch gave him another dose of Pepto Bismo.

"No breakfast for you, except some crackers. And drink some ginger ale." Hutch said sternly.

He called Kiko to check on Clara, and tell him about Starsky catching the bug. Clara was fine. It was, as predicted, just a 24 hour virus. Her mother, however, had also come down with it the night before. "I'm really sorry Starsky got it too," Kiko added.

"Not anyone's fault," Hutch said.

Hutch spent the day nursing Starsky, who slept a lot. He watched TV and nibbled crackers and sipped ginger ale. Little by little, his head felt better and his queasiness cleared up.

By evening he felt almost back to normal, and his fever was gone. Hutch made a simple dinner of chicken soup, and Starsky was able to eat a whole bowl.

It was after he finished his soup and ham sandwich that Hutch started to slow down

His eyes widened and he turned a slight shade of green.

"Starsk, I… I don't feel so good."

"Oh no… what's wrong Babe?"

But Hutch was already heading for the bathroom.