Title:  Going Deep

Author:  Joolz

Feedback: If you like J  [email protected]

Category:  Gen, H/C, angst, smarm

Archive:  Please ask first

Date:  May 11, 2003

Summary:  Help comes from an unexpected source when the guys get in trouble

Spoilers:  None to speak of

Warnings:  Not beta’d.  Blair and Jim bashing.  My first attempt at Sentinel fiction

Disclaimer:  Not my lovely characters, just playing with them.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

 

Going Deep

 

 

The Sentinel sighed with contentment as he followed his bouncing Guide up the trail.  This was exactly what he needed; four whole days away from the noise, the violence, the chaos of the city.  It was worth it to submit to Sandburg’s tests just to get the chance to clear his mind and body of the detritus of urban life that he was exposed to by his heightened senses.  The weak sunlight filtering through the leafy green veil overhead was impossibly gentle and soothing after so long under florescent lights.

 

It looked like the outing was doing Sandburg good, too.  After a long hike yesterday and a night sleeping on the ground the younger man was if anything even more energetic than usual.    Blair checked his map, turned to grin at Jim and called out, “Almost there”, before veering onto a nearly invisible side trail. 

 

Moving like a man in his element, Blair led him on a winding course through a thick grove of trees.  After about five minutes they entered a grassy clearing with a rock-lined fire pit and a small stream along one border.  Absolutely the perfect camping spot.

 

“I’ve gotta hand it to you, Daniel Boone.  You’ve outdone yourself this time.  I may never go home.”

 

The bright smile flashed again as Blair dropped his backpack.  “Say that again after you see the work I’ve got lined up for you.  Major Crimes will seem like a vacation.”

 

Jim just snorted in response and began to set up camp.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Contrary to his previous assertion, the anthropologist didn’t begin cracking the whip immediately.  They lazed by the brook nibbling on an early lunch until the sun was nearly overhead.  It was so peaceful it was almost surreal.  Instinctively they kept their voices low so as to not disturb the perfection of the setting.

 

Blair started a fire and placed some foil wrapped potatoes near the embers so they would bake slowly and be flaky and tender by dinnertime. Then he broke a lingering silence by inquiring softly, “You ready to start?”

 

Feeling indulgent, Jim didn’t even grumble.  He assumed the standard half-lotus meditative position, closed his eyes, and answered, “I’m all yours, Chief.”

 

Even without his sight Jim could sense the pleasure and excitement emanating from his Guide.  He heard the fresh air sucked in through widened nostrils and the eager shuffle as Blair positioned himself on the grass in front of Jim.  It was more than a little flattering to be the center of attention like this, and in truth Jim didn’t mind the testing as much as he often appeared to.  He wasn’t into self-analysis, but exploring his senses and learning to use and control them was allowing him to keep his sanity and function as a productive member of society, not to mention saving their lives more than once.

 

Blair’s low, steady voice soothed him into a receptive state within moments.

 

“Jim, you know the drill.  Breathe deeply, find your center, let yourself settle into that place of peace within; that place where you are most truly and deeply yourself.”

 

Jim was no longer alarmed by the rapid shift of energy and perception brought on by Blair’s guidance.  When they had started these exercises he had been afraid that he was being hypnotized, losing control.  Over time he had learned both to trust his Guide and that ultimately what he experienced was up to him.  The other man facilitated, but the journey was his own.

 

“Okay, Jim, today we’re going to explore the connection of your senses to the Earth herself.  I’ll be right here with you as an anchor.  You’ll always come back to me.”  The warm weight of Blair’s hand on his knee allowed Jim to sink yet another level into his meditation.  He was safe.

 

“Concentrate on your breathing for a moment.  Feel the air moving in and out of your body.  Relax into that rhythm.  Good.  Now become aware of the energy running along your spinal column.  This is the center of your etheric body.”

 

Jim could feel the currents of vitality cycling up and down his back. 

 

“Now let that column of energy flow out the base of your tailbone.  Focus the beam and let it drop into the earth beneath you.”

 

Jim gasped slightly at the sensation that hit him when he complied with the instructions.  He was no longer the focal point of his own awareness.  It felt like he had expanded in size and density, like his body was just a minor bump on a great, living beast. 

 

“Relax into it, Jim.  Keep breathing.  Feel yourself sinking into the soil, becoming one with it.”

 

As Jim followed Blair’s directions the voice sounded increasingly distant, and he was no longer totally aware of the presence of his Guide.  The sensations became his whole existence.

 

“Allow your perception to extend around you.  What are you aware of?  The quality and texture of the rock, the movement of tiny living beings, the shape of the mountain we are sitting on?”

 

That and more.  There was a throbbing pulse running through him now.  It was Blair’s heartbeat.  It was the Earth’s heartbeat.  It was his own heartbeat, too. They were one and the same.   He let himself drop farther down, following the pulse to its source.  The heat around him grew, the sense of life force grew as he approached the center of the planet.  He was aware of being a living entity, enormous, the whole Earth.  He was connected to all life.  He WAS all life.  He was the force that held the planet together. He was an endless source of giving.  He was love.  He was joy.

 

Jim had never felt such an overwhelming sense of peace and happiness.  He didn’t want it to end, and he resisted his Guide’s voice as it tried to call him back.

 

“Don’t go too far, buddy.  Jim, follow my voice.  It’s time to return now.  That’s enough for the first time, Jim.  You need to keep a hold on yourself, too.  Come back now, man.”

 

He knew that voice.  That was Blair, his Guide, his friend.  That was the man who had taught Jim to do this, who had lead him to understand what his senses were capable of, was always there to support him.  Suddenly he wanted to share this with Blair, and pulled himself back toward his body.  As he leapt upward out of the center of the Earth he was aware that a connection to all he had experienced remained.  The Earth was always there, immutable, a thought away. 

 

As he began to feel the air moving in and out of his lungs once more, he realized that he was gasping and that tears were streaming down his cheeks.

 

“That’s it, man!  You’re okay.  Everything’s okay now.  You’re with me now, Jim.”

 

Jim opened his eyes to find the familiar, expressive, curl-framed face inches from his own.  The kid was practically in his lap, rubbing his arm with one hand and massaging his scalp and cheek with the other.

 

“Oh, man!  That must have been one hell of a ride. Are you all right?  Can you tell me about it?”

 

The feeling of love and joy was still bubbling up in him, and he couldn’t hold it back.  For this one moment he didn’t want to hide behind the defensive walls that shielded him from others, and he let them dissolve.  Jim pulled Blair into a crushing bear-hug, his heart pounding in his chest.

 

Blair laughed out loud as he protested.  “Hey, hey, hey!  Calm down, big guy.  Guide-squashing isn’t on the agenda.  Take a deep breath and get a grip.  On something that isn’t me!”

 

Jim slowly released his friend, who sat back slightly but continued to beam at him. 

 

“Talk to me, Jim.  What happened?”

 

Jim swallowed hard, wanting to answer but still feeling slightly dizzy and off balance. He kept hold of Blair’s arms in an attempt to ground himself, took a breath and opened his mouth.

 

Then two things smashed through his blissful state.  One was a sound:  a twig snapping.  The other was a scent:  human.  Both nearby.  His world rocked once again and his body felt leaden as he tried to focus his senses on their surroundings.

 

“Jim, what’s wrong?”

 

The Sentinel roughly pushed his Guide away, making room to spin around into a crouch, his body between Blair and the intruders.  On the other side of the stream stood two men in hunter’s camouflage garb, rifles leveled at the pair in the clearing.  Jim automatically widened his search perimeter and located four more men in the woods behind him and Blair. 

 

Jim still hadn’t said a word as he locked gazes with the more hostile looking of the grubby men in front of him.  The object of his scrutiny raised his eyebrows and said in an ugly drawl, “Looks like we found ourselves a couple of fairies out here in the woods.”

 

+++++++++++++++++++

 

 

Jim tracked the movements of each of the six strangers, glad that Blair seemed too surprised to say anything.  Jim clamped down on the voice in his head that was remonstrating him for not scouting the area thoroughly before beginning the tests.  He needed to focus on damage control, on protecting Blair.

 

The second man shifted uncomfortably.  “Let’s go, Leo.  This is none of our business.” 

 

The others stepped into the clearing, all equally well armed.

 

Leo spoke a little louder.  “Whadya  say, guys?  Got us a couple of fags makin’ out in broad daylight.  Think we should just let ‘em be, or maybe we should teach ‘em a lesson on proper behavior?”

 

Jim was aware of the scrutiny of six pairs of eyes as he slowly rose to his feet.

 

Unfortunately Blair had to respond, drawing the men’s attention to him.  “Wait a minute, man.  You’ve got it all wrong.”

 

Jim growled warningly, “Sandburg…”

 

The group leader perked up.  “Sandburg?  So we got us Jewish fags, eh?  Even better.”

 

The second man interrupted again, “Come off it.  You’re paying me take you hunting for Grizzly, not people.  Let’s get back on the trail.”

 

Jim recognized the aggressive glint in the first man’s blue eyes and decided on the strategy of trying to out alpha-male him.  He put all his own force of will into his eyes and voice as he added, “That’s some good advice, except that I’m a Cascade Police Officer and the Grizzly Bear is a protected species.  I suggest you come back in August with a Black Bear permit, otherwise I’ll be forced to place you under arrest.”

 

Jim felt Blair and the others shift uneasily behind him, but Leo didn’t flinch.

 

He snorted, “Ain’t that something?  Jewish fag pigs.  You know, you boys represent everything that’s wrong with America.  Foreign influence, corrupting the innocent children of this fine nation, and the oppressive government trying to interfere with everything that makes a man free.  Don’t hunt what you want.  Don’t drive where you want.  Don’t own a gun.  Don’t cross the fucking street.”  He took a step forward, fingering his rifle.  “You make me sick.”

 

The hunting guide took a step back.  “Are you crazy?  This guy’s a cop!  Let’s get out of here!”

 

The other man never took his eyes off of Jim.  “Go if you want, any of you.  ‘Cause things are about to get interesting here.”

 

The guide backed carefully into the trees.  “Fuck you, man.  Find your own way home.”  Then he was gone.

 

One of the men behind Jim fidgeted uncomfortably, sounding very young.  “Uh, Leo?  I, uh…”

 

“Go on, Bobby.  Git.”

 

The boy choked out, “Sorry,” before he disappeared, but Jim didn’t know to whom he was apologizing.  It didn’t matter, they were down to four against two which were odds he could deal with, except that his gun was on the other side of the clearing in his backpack and Sandburg wasn’t armed either.

 

Jim tensed, waiting for his opportunity.  He felt Blair’s steadying hand on his back and heard him murmur, “Careful, Jim”.  He would be careful, but he would NOT allow these cretins to harm his Guide.

 

Leo stepped over the stream toward them and ordered, “Tie them up.”

 

As soon as the man came into range Jim moved.  If he could take out the leader the others might fold.  He was on the hunter wresting the rifle out of his hands before the other man knew what was happening.  He knocked Leo to the ground and was turning to the others when a shot rang out.  Jim felt like he’d been kicked by a mule and groaned as he realized that he hadn’t been careful enough.  Then darkness took him. 

 

 

++++++++++++++++++++

 

 

It was the same voice that always brought him back.  Blair’s voice penetrated the fog and the pain, the alarm in it slicing through all other considerations.

 

“Come on, man.  We don’t have time for this.  Jim needs a doctor right now!  You don’t want to be responsible for a cop’s death, let me tell you.  Those guys are like pit-bulls when it comes to one of their own.”

 

There was the sound of a backhand blow to a face, and Leo said, “Shut up, kike.”  Then he spoke to someone else.  “Higher.”

 

“Ow!  Listen, let’s talk about this.  Why don’t you tell me why you feel so oppressed by different social groups and the government?  There’s got to be a way for us all to learn to get along, man.  The world’s in enough trouble already.”

 

Jim tested his body to see how much of it he could control.  The entire upper left quadrant of his chest felt paralyzed with pain, definitely a gunshot wound.  He dialed it down.  Otherwise his muscles were slow to obey him, but they were coming back on line.  He opened his eyes to see Blair in front of him, his hands tied together by a rope that had been thrown over a tree branch, pulling his arms over his head.  His friend was surrounded by the four men, none of whom seemed to be paying attention to Jim.

 

Leo glared into Blair’s face.  “All I want is for you to shut the fuck up and take what’s coming to you.  How about a little roasted pig?  Too bad I forgot the barbeque sauce.”

 

The man reached down and lifted a burning branch out of the fire pit and brandished it toward Blair, who tried to shy away, eyes wide.  He swung the branch, hitting Blair in the back and holding it there until the flannel shirt caught fire.  The young man squirmed and tried to shrug the shirt off, but was too tightly bound.

 

His voice sounded loud and high-pitched as he screamed in pain and fear, “Uhgh!  Get it off!  Stop it, please!”

 

The adrenalin that shot through him at his Guide’s distress completed the process of re-integrating Jim’s motor control.  He was on his feet and had his arm around Leo’s neck in an instant.  It took such a short time to snap the neck that he was on top of the next hunter before they had even realized what was happening.  That one fell, too.  The third put up more of a fight, but as Jim released the dead body and turned toward the fourth, that man was disappearing into the forest as fast as he could run. 

 

Finally able to focus on Blair, Jim saw that the whole back of his shirt was smoldering, and that he had his head bent forward in an attempt to keep his hair out of the flame.  The smell of burning cloth and flesh assaulted Jim’s senses, causing him to stagger for a moment, then he was at his friend’s side.  He tore the rest of the shirt away from Blair’s body, revealing reddened skin.  The Guide tilted his white, shocked face and whispered, “Oh god, Jim.  It hurts.”

 

Jim murmured gently in reply, “I know it does, Chief.  Let me get you down from there and we’ll get you taken care of.” 

 

After digging the Swiss Army knife out of Blair’s pocket, he cut the ropes and caught the younger man as he collapsed.  With one arm supporting his chest Jim inspected Blair’s back, not liking what he saw.  Both the flannel shirt and the t-shirt had burned, bits of which were stuck to the skin.  In some places blisters were already starting to form, and in others the skin was shiny and red.  Jim thought back to his emergency training.  ‘Don’t pull the material away.  Cool the burn with cold, running water.’

 

Wrapping his arms under Blair’s chest he hauled the injured man to his feet, supporting him as they stumbled toward the creek.  Jim walked Blair right into the water and set him down in the ice cold current.  The temperature shocked Blair into greater coherency, and he looked up at Jim questioningly.  “Jim?”

 

“It’s okay.  Trust me.”

 

Jim sat in the water behind Blair and drew him back, supporting his head and shoulders as he was lowered into the stream. 

 

Blair gasped and struggled briefly as the cold hit his back.

 

“Easy, Chief.  This is gonna help you.  It’ll feel better in a minute.”

 

Jim could feel Blair trying to relax, but the pain had to have been severe.  It didn’t stop the other man from worrying about Jim, though.  Gazing up from where his head rested on Jim’s thigh, Blair probed, “How are you?  You’re hurt, man.  You’ve got blood all over you.”

 

“Just a flesh wound.  In one side and out the other.  Don’t worry about me.”

 

Blair frowned.  “Where are those guys?”

 

Apparently Blair hadn’t noticed Jim’s slaughter of their attackers. “They won’t be bothering us any more.  At least most of them won’t.  Just relax.”

 

Blair observed him with wide blue eyes.  “Jim, man, we are so screwed.”

 

Jim tried to chuckle but only managed to shake slightly.  “Everything’s going to be fine.  We’ll get you to a doctor soon.”  Before Blair could protest he added, “Both of us.”

 

Blair quieted and he settled down into the water.  As the minutes passed Jim’s adrenalin rush began to subside and the hole just below his collarbone started to ache.  His mind also was also feeling a bit fuzzy, and he had to admit that maybe blood loss could be a problem.  Jim shook himself and forced himself to focus.  Blair needed him.  Period. 

 

Jim checked his watch.  Two more minutes in the water. 

 

His cell phone would be out of the service range here, so they would have to get at least part way out of the park before they could call for help.  There was no question.  Jim would do it.

 

Just rousing Blair proved a challenge.  The poor kid was in shock from the burn, and shaking from the cold of the water.  Jim hoped that the soaking wouldn’t do more harm than good.  As he laid the young man face down on the grassy bank it was obvious that he wasn’t up to a hike, not even downhill.  Retrieving their water bottles and first aid kit he eased Blair onto his side and helped him sit up slightly.

 

“Drink, Blair.  Burns dehydrate and you need water.”  Blair’s hand trembled as he held the bottle, but he complied.  Then he stretched it out to Jim.

 

“Now you.  Blood loss dehydrates and you need water.”

 

With a curt nod of acknowledgement Jim drank, then got out Tylenol for the both of them.  There was nothing he could do for Blair’s back right then, not even bandage it.  It would need to air out, and Jim would just have to try to keep it clean until they got medical assistance.  He plastered a large bandage over the injury on his chest, which thankfully had stopped bleeding.  Jim couldn’t reach the exit wound on his back and was going to leave it, but of course Blair was insistent.  Blair tutted in disapproval at the size of the hole, but managed to pack it with gauze and tape it.

 

Blair’s hand stilled on his back and Jim followed his gaze to where three bodies lay in the center of the clearing.  Blair stared for a moment then looked at Jim.  There was no judgment there, only understanding and sadness.  Blair nodded once and then asked, “Shall we go, B.P.?”

 

Jim lifted his eyebrows.

 

Blair’s voice was steady and soft.  “My own Blessed Protector.  Those guys picked on the wrong Jewish fag pigs.   They never had a chance.”

 

Jim frowned at the words, but Blair reassured him.  “It’s okay, Jim.  We’re going to be all right.”  How could Blair be so strong?

 

Suppressing a wave of dizziness Jim climbed to his feet.  After retrieving his gun and cell phone, and attaching several water bottles to his belt, he helped his partner up.  Blair insisted that he was fine and guided them into the woods, but he did lean heavily on Jim’s good arm.  The five minute trip back to the main trail took considerably longer, and by the time they arrived Blair was reeling where he stood.

 

Jim sat him on the ground and Blair hunched over miserably, his face pale and sweating.  Lowering himself next to his friend Jim wasn’t faring much better.  He leaned back against a tree and tried to adjust his senses to the levels that would allow him to function most effectively.  That done he still felt just plain weak.  He needed his body to be stronger and it wasn’t cooperating.  He bristled with frustration.

 

His Guide’s voice broke into his thoughts.  “Breathe, Jim.  Breathe deeply and go inside for a minute.”

 

Eyes closed, the Sentinel did as he was told.  The calming exercise reminded him of his earlier experience during the test.  Jim cautiously opened himself to the Earth again and there it was.  He felt the limitless supply of energy beneath him, in the tree behind his back.  Was this something he could use? 

 

Jim shuddered as he allowed his senses to open again to the Earth.  The energy ricocheted through him as though in a pinball machine, then settled into a placid glow.  The Sentinel’s eyes fluttered open and he saw the forest around him in incredibly vivid detail with no diminishment for distance.  Once again he had the feeling of being at one with a greater organism.  He was as aware of the waving stamen in the wildflowers as he was the smooth soaring of the hawk.  As he was the labored breathing of his partner. 

 

Focusing the enhanced senses on Blair, Jim catalogued the damage.  The other man was beginning to develop a fever, was sitting stiffly, frozen in place by the pain and the tight, burnt skin of his back, and he was exhausted.  Sympathetic tears came to Jim’s eyes as he filtered out the scent of burned human flesh.  There was no time to spare in getting Blair medical assistance.  Infection, pneumonia and scaring were more likely the longer the delay.

 

Jim psyched himself up to do it, whatever was needed.  Consciously maintaining the connection to the ground through the soles of his feet he stood, surprised at how much better he felt.  He could do this.

 

Looking down at his friend he announced, “Okay, Blair, this is what’s going to happen.  I’m going to bend over, and I want you to lock your arms around my neck.  Then I’m going to straighten up and lift you.  If you can, hold on with your legs, too.  Then I’m going to carry you until we can get into cell range.  Think you can do that?”

 

Blair shook his head and said sadly, “Jim, man, you can’t carry me.”

 

“Wanna bet?  Look, I’m fine, really.  It’s no problem.  We have to get out of here, and I think this is the fastest way.  If you work with me it’ll be easier.  Ready?”

 

As Blair started to protest again Jim bent and pulled Blair’s arms up to his neck, wincing at the hiss of pain that cut off the objections. 

 

“Sorry, kid.  Grab on as best you can.”

 

He felt the arms tighten and began to straighten up, forcing himself not to wrap his own arms around Blair’s back.  When the younger man was on his feet Jim stopped, still bent over, and locked each hand around the wrist of the other arm.  He wedged his braced wrists under Blair’s rear and finished straightening, lifting Blair off his feet and onto Jim’s chest.  With a groan of effort Blair hoisted his legs up to wrap them around Jim’s waist.  He was rigid and awkward to hold.

 

“Ellison,”  he stated seriously, “I don’t like this.”

 

“I know you don’t, Chief, but if you can relax it’ll work better.  I know it hurts, but try to relax your muscles as much as possible.  Except you have to hold on, okay?”

 

Blair sighed and let his forehead drop forward onto Jim’s shoulder.  “Go for it, Superman.”

 

Shifting his burden a little higher Jim took one step and then another.  He could do this.  He would do this.  There was no other choice.  He reminded himself to breathe and to be aware of the Earth.  He focused his attention on the path in front of him, mapping every obstacle, every irregularity, well before he reached it.  He tuned out the pain in his chest and focused on his feet and legs.  One more step, and another; ducking and weaving to ensure that no errant tree branches touched his partner’s exposed skin, jostling Blair into wakefulness when his grip loosened. 

 

Jim entered a strange kind of zone out, one shared by many who find themselves in a crisis situation.  Nothing impinged upon his consciousness except what was immediately necessary in order to take another step.  Worries and scattered thoughts were not allowed to distract him from his task.  He was unaware of how much time passed or how many miles they traversed. 

 

As they passed over a small rise a new quality brought Jim back to himself.  There in the distance was something other than forest:  civilization, people, help. Upon breaking his concentration, however, his own body began to scream at him.  Everything hurt, more than he could handle.  He couldn’t find that link which allowed him to draw on the forces of nature around him.  He was suddenly back in his body and in agony.

 

Stumbling a few feet off the path he placed his back against a rocky ledge and slid down to sit on the ground, releasing Blair to settle in his lap.  He tried to go for the cell phone, but found that his hands were asleep, feeling crushed out of them by hours of carrying a not-so-light man.

 

Blair was leaning heavily against Jim’s chest, almost past his own limits.  He mumbled into Jim’s neck, “Jim?”

 

“How you doin’, Chief?”

 

“Hurts so much.”

 

“I know it does, buddy.  But that’s a good thing.”

 

The only response was a snort of disbelief.

 

“No, seriously.  It means the burn isn’t too deep.  If it didn’t hurt that would mean the nerves were damaged.  You’re going to be all right.  I promise.”

“What about you?”  Blair slid one hand down to cover the wound on Jim’s chest with his palm. “You’re shot.”

 

“Honestly, I’ve felt better.  Do you think you can reach the cell phone?  My arms aren’t cooperating right now.”  Silently, Jim said a prayer that they were in service range, because he didn’t think he could get them any farther.

 

Blair felt around carefully until he located the device.  Without raising his head he pressed Simon’s speed-dial number out of force of habit.  A gruff voice came on, “This had better be important, I was just on my way home.” 

 

Tiredly, Blair responded, “Simon.”

 

“Sandburg?  Aren’t you guys off communing with the forest?”

 

Jim interrupted.  “Let me talk to him.”

 

Blair held the phone up to Jim’s ear where he held it with his shoulder.  “Sir, guess what?  We’re in trouble again.  Can’t even go camping without a major disaster.”

 

Despite the casual words Simon must have heard something in the Sentinel’s voice, because he responded with total seriousness, “Where are you, Jim?  What happened?  Are you all right?”

 

Jim rattled off the basic information as efficiently as possible.  “We’re in the Olympic National Park.  Mountain top, fifteen miles south of Port Angeles.  We were attacked.  Blair has second degree burns and needs to get to a hospital right away.  I took a bullet, could use a ride home.  If you fly in, you can orient yourself from the church steeple in town.  I can see it from here, and we’re in a straight line due south.”  He retraced their steps in his mind and added, “About a half mile back from where we are there’s a meadow where you can land.  When can you be here?”

 

Simon checked his watch and thought fast.  “Less than an hour, Jim.  You just stay put and take care of yourself and the kid.”

 

“Not moving.  When I hear the helicopter I’ll call again and talk you in. Thanks, Simon, and hurry.”

 

After fumbling to disconnect the phone Jim realized that Blair was asleep.    It was just as well.  The more he slept the less he would suffer.  Heat was pouring off Blair’s body in waves, the fever again.  Despite knowing that it was bad for Blair, Jim didn’t mind having his own personal heating blanket.  He was beginning to feel more than a little chilled, himself.

 

Sensation finally returning to his hands, Jim reached up to gently massage the nape of his friend’s neck as he watched the twilight settle more thickly around them.  He whispered, “We’re going to be all right, Chief.  It’s almost over.  We’re going to be all right.”

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

 

Detective Ellison leaned tiredly against the side of his partner’s hospital bed.  It had been a long couple of days.  He had had surgery and Blair had been through some unpleasant treatment, but they were both doing pretty well, considering. 

 

Blair was asleep on his stomach with large pieces of gauze draped across his back.  The pain killers kept him out a lot of the time.  Jim had been able to say hello to his friend a couple of times, but they hadn’t been alone since their rescue from the mountain top.  The image of that creep lighting Blair on fire kept replaying in Jim’s mind, setting off his angry, protective impulses again and again.  He hated more than anything the feeling of helplessness that filled him when he couldn’t stop something bad from happening – in his city or to his Guide.

 

“Hey there, Superman.”

 

At the sound of Blair’s voice Jim turned to look into his face. 

 

“Good morning, sleepyhead.  You get your beauty rest?”

 

Blair smiled at him.  “Man, beauty is so far out of my reach.”  His expression turned serious.  “Thank you, Jim, for saving my life again.  What you did back there was pretty damn impressive.”

 

Jim shook his head.  “You’ve got it all wrong, Sandburg.  It wasn’t me who saved us, it was you.  Again.”

 

“What’re you talking about, man?  I didn’t take out the bad guys with my bare hands or carry you up and down a freakin’ mountain side.  And the doctor told me that what you did, getting me into the stream I mean, was just the right thing.  The burns would have been a lot worse if you hadn’t done that, and he says there’ll hardly be any scarring.  So thanks, man.  Take the credit and deal with it.”

 

Jim leaned down so that he could speak directly into Blair’s face, and brushed a curl away from his forehead.  When he spoke he felt like he’d never been more serious in his life.

 

“Blair, sometimes I think you don’t have a clue what you’ve done for me.  That’s probably because I don’t tell you often enough.  Okay, I don’t ever tell you.  Well I’m going to now, so just listen.”  The other man’s deep blue eyes were locked onto his face. 

 

“When you first found me I was on the verge of a total melt down.  I wouldn’t have survived much longer on my own, even without counting garbage truck incidents.  I’m alive today in general because you’ve helped me to deal with my senses and even make some use of them.  I’m alive today in specific because of what you’ve taught me, including that exercise we were doing right before all this started.”

 

Blair perked up and couldn’t help interrupting.  “Yeah, Jim, I wanted to ask you about that.  What the hell happened to you?  What shook you up so much?”

 

“A lot.  And I’ll tell you all about it.  But right now what I want to say is that you helped me to be open to something that I never would have imagined on my own.  Sometimes I get, um, scared, okay?  Being so open to everything around me, the way I experience things so strongly through my senses.  Sometimes I want to shut it all off and protect myself.  But you’ve taught me that being open can be a strength, and I can’t deny that.  What you taught me to connect with the other day is precisely what saved both our lives.  So thank you, Blair.”  He grinned affectionately.  “You’re my hero, buddy.”

 

The look of amazement on Sandburg’s face was priceless.  The phrase ‘pole axed’ came to Jim’s mind.  “Hey, what are you looking so shocked for?  I am capable of saying stuff out loud, on occasion.”

 

Blair still stared.  “There, you see Jim? That was something I didn’t know about you.  Maybe we should run some tests on this newfound skill.  Test the limits of your vocal chords.”

 

“Don’t push your luck, Sandburg.  I just wanted to, you know, say something.”  He shifted uneasily, all this mushiness making him uncomfortable.

 

Now Blair smiled back at him.  “I know, man, and I won’t expect to hear stuff like that every day.  But thank you, you know, for saying it.  I’m glad I can help you, not just study you.  We make a pretty good team, don’t we?”

 

“Sure we do, Chief.  Like Batman and Robin.”

 

“Or Sonny and Cher.”

 

“Or Proctor and Gamble.”

 

“Or George and Gracie.”

 

“Say goodnight, Gracie.”

 

“Goodnight, Gracie.”

 

 

 

The end

 

 

 

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