I just had to write this down. After watching that great but unsettling finale, and reading about UPN not including the show in next season's beginning lineup, this story flared into my mind and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it down. Blair's pale, still face was haunting me while I was at a seminar in San Diego and I had one heck of a time trying to pay attention to the speakers. Any comments, suggestions, whatever, my e-mail address is shallan@mho.net I've written stuff like this before but only for myself. Nothing has ever made the light of day for anyone to read much less on a fan fiction page so please be gentle.
Thank you, Cindy, for being a great beta for my first story! I understood you completely and agreed with your suggestions.
Disclaimer: I have nothing on these guys, no money is being exchanged, I hope I'm not infringing on anything for Pet Fly Productions or UPN or whoever. It is purely for my pleasure to place a closure on a great episode that I'm praying we'll eventually get to see the real conclusion.
Rating: Basically, I would consider this a G rating. Don't have any serious cussing with this.
Created/written: May 24, 1998
Shallan
"No, he's alive!"
"Jim. Stop it."
Sandburg's body laid so still on the ground. His lips had a blue tinge and his face was a pasty gray. Looks of disbelief mirrored the faces around him: Connor, H., Rafe. Simon Banks held on to the frozen body of his best detective, also staring down at the too silent form.
"Come on, Jim," Banks said softly. "Just let it go."
An empty feeling filled Jim Ellison. His best friend was lying before him. Killed by another Sentinel who had tried to kill him earlier and failed. The last conversation he had with the young man was of disappointment and anger. Sandburg had withheld the knowledge of finding another like him. Had not told him of Alex and how she had the same type of senses as he. That final conversation they had between each other at the station replayed through his numb consciousness again and an anguished cry erupted from his mouth.
"No!" he screamed and tore himself from his captain's grip. "You can't do this to me, Sandburg. I won't let you!" Ellison threw himself back down beside the body and pushed the EMT out of the way. He resumed CPR, first blowing the breath of life into the still form.
Taking his fist, he slammed it down onto Blair's chest, hoping to jolt the silent heart back into action. "Help me, Simon. Please!" Jim cried out to his captain, pumping the heel of his hand against the chest. "We have to give him a chance." He then leaned forward and again blew into Blair's mouth.
With a look of sorrow, Simon complied with Ellison's request and knelt back down to take over the rhythmic pumping. A soft chant could barely be heard coming from the captain's lips. "Breath, kid. Come on, Sandburg. You can do it. Breath, kid."
Blair Sandburg found himself standing in a jungle, surround by vines and trees. Off a little ways through the brush stood a temple with a familiar shape and figures. He knew this place. He had seen it before but it was only a drawing. How he had gotten here? The last thing he remembered was escaping from Alex and running across the university lawn towards the administration building, hoping to get some help. He had felt a sharp blow to the back of his head as he had neared the fountain in front of his building and then there had been darkness. He didn't even remember falling, but he must have. He fell .here?
"Hello .," he called out. "Jim? Anybody?" A measure of panic could be heard seeping into his voice as he slowly turned around, looking for a familiar face.
"Welcome, young one." A soft voice spoke from behind him.
Sandburg spun back around and found himself facing Incacha, the dead Chopec Indian that had charged him with being Jim Ellison's Shaman many months ago. He had a solemn look on his face as he held the younger man's gaze with his own.
"What's happening? You're speaking English. Where am I?" Blair took a hesitant step towards the wise man. "Wait you're dead. I was there and saw you die at the apartment. But, if you are and I'm here .then I guess I'm " His voice faded as realization flooded through his body. "She killed me. Oh, God."
"Peace, young Shaman," Incacha held up a brown hand to quiet the other man. "You are not yet dead in the waking land but time is short. You have a choice to make. You must decide the path you will take from here."
"Decide? What do you mean? Alex killed me. She was another Sentinel and not a nice one at that." Blair wiped both of his hands over his face and pushed his long, curly back. "Why am I here?"
"You must decide if you wish to return as your Sentinel's Guide or remain here. You can continue on to the temple and be at peace for having served faithfully and with honor. Or you can return to the waking land and continue your duties to your Sentinel, his tribe and the Great City. With one there is peace and rest. With the other there will be hardship and pain. It will not be an easy path to travel." The tribal elder slowly folded himself down and sat in a position of patient waiting.
"But I didn't serve Jim faithfully. I didn't tell him that I had found another Sentinel. And she turned out to be using her abilities to commit crimes. Jim hates me now. I don't think he'll trust me anymore." The last words were spoken softly and with great sorrow. His shoulders sagging and tears threatening to blind his eyes.
"Does he? So sure are you of this? Listen and hear the truth of words spoken from the heart." Incacha raised his right arm and pointed towards a dark alcove of tangled brush, opposite from the temple.
Blair opened his mouth to ask another question but then looked into the wise man's eyes. They spoke volumes despite no sound being made. Taking a deep breath, Sandburg turned towards the direction given and became still.
"You can't do this to me, Sandburg! I won't let you. Help me, Simon. Please!" Blair could hear the anguish in the man's voice. Jim was calling to him. He wanted him back. Without another thought, he turned back to the older man. "What do I do? How do I get there?"
"You make this choice freely? The path will be difficult."
"Yes, dammit! Can't you hear him? Jim needs me and I can't let him down. Not like the last time. Not again."
"He sent you away. You did not tell him of your knowledge."
"That doesn't matter. I'll make it up to him somehow. I just can't hurt him again." Tears of anger replaced the sorrow that previously filled his eyes. He had caused his best friend pain with the deception. But Blair knew that his death would hurt the man even more. It might even kill him. "Jim'll die and I can't let that happen. He's needed no matter what type of Guide he has."
Again he heard his friend's voice and looked at the dark area. "Please, Blair. Don't let Alex win. I can't do it without you!" The pain in Jim Ellison's voice tore through the anthropologist's soul.
"You have made your choice." There was a finality in Incacha's words but also a small amount of pleasure.
"Yes, I have chosen!" Blair all but screamed the words. He stared hard at the seated Shaman then looked again towards the darkness and took off running. Blair stumbled slightly when he first stepped into the foliage. He thought he felt a jolt of electricity course through his body. Shaking it off, he continued through the trees.
"Remember this place and return, young one." Incacha's voice seemed to follow Blair into the darkness, as if the man was beside him. "It is time for you and your Sentinel to seal your bond. I have chosen well." The dark growth seemed to envelop Blair as he pushed into it and then there was a flash of light.
The EMT's again placed the charged paddles of the defibrillator onto the still chest of the long-haired man laying before them. There had been no reaction to the first jolt so they increased the power to try again. The man who seemed most upset by the event, was trying so hard to revive the kid, had pleaded for them to help. Tears streamed down the faces of all who were watching. No one would believe that these people were hardened police detectives, who had seen and faced death so many times before. Even amongst their own.
The body jerked upward in a spasm as the electrical charged tore through the body a second time.
"Oh, God. Please Sandburg. Take a breath. Come on back, Chief. I can't go on without you." Ellison slapped the cheeks of his silent friend's face. "Don't leave me." He closed his eyes and silently begged any power that would listen to him. One did.
A soft growl came from Ellison's right, causing him to open his eyes and look towards the sound. Everyone around him appeared to be frozen, staring down at the still form beside him. They didn't seem to hear the growl despite it sounding so loud to the detective.
He knew that tone of that growl and saw his spirit guide, the black Jaguar, slowly pace towards him and Sandburg's body. Walking beside the cat was another animal, the wolf Ellison had shot in his dream. "Help him," Jim pleaded softly, "or let me go with him." He poured his whole heart into the plea and gathered his friend's body into his arms. The cat held the detective's gaze for what seemed to be an eternity before it gave a scream of defiance. It then looked towards the wolf and gave it a nudge with it's nose. Without hesitation, the wolf leaped into the body of the man Ellison held so tightly. Time stood still for what seemed minutes.
Blair Sandburg gave a mighty gasp as his eyes flew open and his body jerked back to life. He then clenched his eyes shut again as he started coughing and spitting out water.
"Yes!" came the exalted shout from Ellison. He clutched Blair's body in a quick hug and then helped him turn to the side to get rid of the water. "Come on, Chief. I've got you. Get it all out. Breath, Sandburg!"
The shocked look of surprise over the resurrection of the young man changed quickly to shouts of joy from Rafe, Brown and Connor. Banks sat back on his heels, wiping the tears from his face as he stared at the gasping, coughing form of Blair Sandburg. He then gave a shout and laughed in relief. He threw his head back and gave a silent prayer of thanks.
Inspector Megan Connor stood to the side of the group. "Mother of God," she whispered as silent tears fell from her eyes. She wanted to hug someone, to be hugged. But she knew she wasn't yet accepted by these men, so she kept her distance. The men all huddled closer to the two on the ground to confirm that Sandburg was indeed alive.
After coughing out as much water as he could, and what felt like half a lung, Sandburg was helped to lay back down onto the grass by Ellison. Slowly Blair raised his right arm, searching for the hand he knew would be there. And it was, almost instantly. The warm fingers clutched his cold hand and gave it a light squeeze. Then another warm hand cupped his face. He opened his eyes again to look around in confusion.
"You scared me, buddy. I thought I was going to have to chase after you," Ellison spoke softly, catching the look from frightened blue eyes that focused on his face. Blair could see the relief, joy and love blazing back at him.
Then there was pain. His head seemed to be one big ache and his chest screamed with pain. " Jim.." Blair gasped. "Alex she " he started to say but then had to stop as he went into another spasm of coughing. The movement caused the throb in his head to grow and black spots appeared before his eyes.
"Shhhh. She's gone. Just relax and breath." Blair closed his eyes and nodded, then wished he hadn't. The movement brought more pain and he whimpered softly. How he felt showed clearly on his face.
"Sir?" The EMT placed his hand on Ellison's arm. "Please move back and let us take a look at him." Jim started to bark back at the man when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder.
"Let them work, Jim." It was Simon. He slowly pulled back on the muscular shoulder. "You can stay close but Blair needs medical attention. Come on, man. Give them room."
Reluctantly, Ellison shifted back and allowed the EMT to move forward. He gave Sandburg's hand another squeeze before releasing it. "I'll be right here, Chief."
Blair's pain-filled eyes followed his friend as he stood up. The darkness that had been hanging at the edge of his vision then flooded across his consciousness and his eyes fluttered shut with a sigh. A growl escaped from Ellison and he took a step forward when he saw Sandburg slip back into unconsciousness. He wasn't going to lose the young man. Banks stopped him again.
"He's okay, Jim. Can't you tell?" Simon said quietly and put emphasis on the words, hoping his detective would catch the meaning without him having to voice the real thought. There were too many witnesses to be that blatant. Banks knew that he may have already revealed the secret to the surrounding detectives when he had earlier asked Ellison if he could hear Sandburg's heart from where he had been sitting.
Focusing, Ellison picked up the beating of his friend's heart with his enhanced hearing. It was slow but steady and sounding almost too loud to his ears. But it was a comforting sound. He relaxed as the medics continued their routine of taking blood pressure and pulse without any sense of worry or urgency.
"Rafe, Brown, get back to the station and put out an APB. That woman couldn't have gone too far and we got to get her before she leaves the city. The charge is two counts of attempted murder now and make sure it's known that she is a very dangerous lady. All caution should be used when trying to apprehend." The two men nodded at the order and turned in unison towards their car currently blocking the college lane.
Brown hesitated for a moment and watched as Sandburg was carefully placed onto the ambulance's gurney. It was too close this time, he thought. Banks cleared his throat to catch the detective's attention. Brown jerked lightly at the sound, gave his captain an embarrassed smile, and then followed his partner.
"Conner, I want you to wait for the forensics people and make sure they go over this area and Sandburg's office with a fine toothed comb." Banks strong voice barely registered with the Australian inspector. She was watching Ellison walk along side the gurney with his unconscious partner and climb into the back of the ambulance. The vehicle took off in a clamor of sirens.
"Conner!"
"Uh yes sir. I'll wait for the team," she replied and walked towards the anthropology building.
Jim Ellison was back in the jungle of Peru. It was the same place he had seen in his dreams, where he had shot the wolf that had turned into Sandburg and died. The wolf was again laying before him only it wasn't dead and there wasn't any arrow protruding from the animal's side. It appeared to be unconscious but breathing easily. The temple he had seen in his dream was back also, with its statues and strange markings.
Again, Ellison heard the low growl of a large cat. However, unlike his previous dreams, it was the sound of his spirit guide, the black Jaguar. There was no sign of the other Jaguar that had haunted him before. He swung around quickly to look behind, but there was nothing there. When he looked back towards the temple, Incacha stood looking at him.
"Inqueri." The wise man nodded his head towards the Sentinel. "You must bring your Shaman here. Too long have you waited to complete your bond. Do you not want him? Was I wrong with him?" Incacha's eyes burned into the other man's, daring him to deny what was right. "You made your choice to continue and he has now chosen to be with you."
"No, no, you had chosen well. Blair is my friend and my ..Guide."
"Is it so hard to accept what he is?"
"Yes no! Incacha, it's just that he has come to great harm too many times since becoming a part of my world. Evil seems to come after him and he has no ability to protect himself. I just worry that one day I won't be there to save him. I almost failed this time."
"He has made the choice and accepts the world that you travel. Do you deny what he offers?"
Ellison opened his mouth to speak. The wolf at his feet awakened and raised its head to look at him. The eyes that stared at him were blue the same color as Sandburg's. They looked calmly at the man standing over him. There was no fear, only trust in the look the animal gave him.
"No. I accept Sandburg as my Shaman," he stated firmly and then looked defiantly into Incacha's face.
"Good. When the young one is well, you both must travel here to seal your bond." The older Shaman's form began the fade, but the voice was clear. "Too long have you waited for what must be done."
"But where is here? Incacha?" Ellison called after the fading image. "How do we find this place?"
"Your Shaman is wise. He will find this place as he is meant to." The man disappeared completely. Ellison turned quickly to his left and right, searching for his former Shaman. The forest around him began to fade, becoming a blur of light and shadows.
"Incacha!" Ellison called out the name as he jerked awake. For a moment he was disoriented, not really knowing where he was at first. He realized that it was the hospital and not the jungle. The smells of antiseptic and chemicals threatened to overwhelm his sense of smell until he was able to tune it all out. He could hear the voices of nurses and doctors talking outside the room along with a voice over the PA system. He then focused on another sound in the room that was the sweetest he had heard in a long time. One he had thought he had almost lost forever. The strong beating heart of the person Ellison called his friend and now accepted as his Shaman, Blair Sandburg.
It had been two days since the incident at the university. For the first twelve hours, Sandburg had been in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital, monitored closely to ensure that his body would continue to function properly and that pneumonia wouldn't settle into his lungs. Those hours were the hardest on Ellison. He was only allowed to be with his friend ten minutes out of every hour. When Blair was finally moved to a private room, Jim posted himself beside the bed and waited.
The young man rested too quietly against the stark white sheets of the hospital bed, looking younger than his years. He was still pale but there was now some color in the face that had been so still not too long ago. The lips were no longer blue. Ellison tuned his hearing more towards the sleeping young man. Yes, the heart was beating strong and started to increase in tempo as the body in which it was housed started to awaken. There was a deep inhale of air drawn into lungs that had once been so silent. Slowly, eyelids rose to reveal confused and drugged-hazed pupils so dilated that there was barely any blue color showing.
Blair was floating. He wasn't really in any recognizable pain but neither did he want to move, lest the numbness protecting his body go away. Where was he? What had happened? He was in the hospital, why? He gave a fuzzy look at the I.V. bag hanging beside his bed and followed the plastic tubing to his left arm. Looking around, his eyes focused onto the figure that stood next to the bed.
"Jim," Blair tried to say but it sounded more like a choke. Carefully, he wet his lips and tried again with more success. "Jim."
"Hey there, Chief. How're you feeling?" Ellison spoke softly. The pleased grin on his face belied the ecstatic joy that coursed through his body as he heard his friend's voice.
"Like numb. Thirsty."
"Thirst I think we can take care of. The numbness, I don't know." Ellison picked up the hospital cup and spoon that had been sitting on the tray beside the bed. "You can only have ice chips for now. Orders, sorry."
"Whatever. As long as it's wet." He accepted a spoon full of mushy ice and savored the relief it gave to his throat.
Sandburg shifted in the bed to turn towards his friend and then grimaced as his body awoke with the movements. The numbness was replaced by welcome but painful sensations. His chest was sore, like he had been beaten, and his head felt two sizes too big. But, at least he was now feeling something. "What happened? Why am I ." He started to ask why he was there when the memory of it all flooded back into his mind.
Ellison heard his friend's heart start to pound and saw the fear build in his eyes. Sandburg's breathing increased towards hyperventilation and what Ellison thought might be a panic attack to end all panic attacks. Blair tried to raise his hands to his face but there just didn't seem to be enough strength. The drug haze was quickly clearing from his mind.
"Easy, Chief." Jim grabbed the young man's fluttering hands and carefully pressed them back down to the bed, checking to make sure the I.V. wasn't disturbed. "You're safe and the doctor says you'll recover. It's going to take some time, but don't worry. We have all the time in the world." He gave one hand a reassuring squeeze and brushed his other hand across Blair's forehead to push the curly hair back. Taking a few, deep breaths, Blair calmed back down. A relieved smile was firmly settled on Ellison's face.
"I'm so sorry, man," Blair began with tears starting to form. "I should have told you about Alex from the beginning. I shouldn't have ." The anguished eyes clenched shut at the memory of what he had done, withheld valuable information that could have caused the death of his best friend, his Sentinel. He opened his mouth to apologize more, to beg forgiveness, when a hand was placed softly over it to silence the words.
"No, Blair. Don't. It's not your fault. I should have told you about the dreams, about seeing that other Jaguar. I shouldn't have shut you out and then thrown you out of the apartment. It's as much my fault if it was any ones. I'm sorry, buddy. I was wrong." Ellison sank to the chair he had spent the last 36 hours, still clutching one of the trembling hands. "I was wrong and it almost cost you your life. Can you ever forgive me, Chief?"
Blair opened his mouth again to protest but was stopped again by his friend. "He told me that you had made your choice. He asked me if you were not the right one." Ellison stared at the small hand held in his, unable to look at Sandburg. "I said that you were." The words were spoken barely above a whisper.
"Who?" A realization was beginning to dawn but Blair needed to hear the words.
"Incacha. Before you woke up, I was dozing and dreamed I was back in the jungle. He was standing before this temple. The one that has been in my dreams lately. He told me that you had decided. That it was time for us to seal our bond."
"I was .dead. I think." Blair' voice held a tone of awe as he spoke what he hadn't wanted to believe. His eyes took on a distant look and his heart had increased its tempo. "Or, at least I was pretty near. And I saw a temple, too. It's just like the one in the drawing in my office. It's the temple of the Sentinels though it's supposed to be only a fable. Incacha was there. It was, like, so strange 'cause he spoke to me in English. He asked me if I wanted to travel there to the temple or come back to you. He had said with one there would be peace and with the other there would be pain." Blair looked at his partner and went silent.
When the silence started to become deafening, Ellison looked up into Sandburg's face and saw the pain. "I heard you calling me, man. There was no other choice I could make. Was there?" A smile flitted hesitantly across his face but the eyes were still solemn.
"No, Chief. There couldn't have been any other. I would have found a way to join you if you had. We're both in this for the long haul, right?" Ellison's voice was calm and held a tone of relief. "So, I guess you had better work on getting well. We've got a trip to make. That is if you can find where that temple is located."
"No problem, man. I know we'll find it." Sandburg's smile came a little easier this time but started to fade as his eyelids became too heavy to keep up. The earlier energy was quickly fading. "But what about Alex? Did you guys get her?"
"Don't worry. She won't get far with the whole Cascade police force searching for her. I think that everyone who has any influence with any other agency in the country has been calling in their favors for the past two days. Can you remember anything she might have said to you before um that might have hinted where she was going?" Ellison knew that he was treading on thin ice bring up the traumatic incident. But there was two canisters of deadly gas missing and presumably in the psychotic woman's possession.
Blair became quiet and a strange look passed over his face. "You mean before she sort of killed me? It's okay, Jim. I mean, it's what happened, right? Can't be denied. Remember, that which doesn't kill us just makes us stronger." He said the words calmly and then looked into the other man's eyes. There seemed to be something there that Ellison didn't remember seeing before. Something he thought he had only seen in one other person's eyes. Incacha's.
"Uh, let's see. Alex said she had wanted to thank me for helping her with her abilities. She had lied about getting them from being stranded in the woods. They had actually appeared when she had been in prison, solitary confinement, and she almost went nuts. Then she told me that she couldn't let me live and pointed this big gun at me. All I could do was shut my eyes and hope it would be over fast." Sandburg's heart rate started increasing again but not to a dangerous level. "But when she didn't pull the trigger, I had to look at her. She just stared at me for the longest time. I think it was a zone out or something. So I threw the first thing I could get my hands on at her and ran out of the office. The last thing I remember was running out of the building and across the road towards the fountain. Then my head exploded and there was nothing else till ."
Ellison pulled his chair closer to the bed and held his friend's hand firmly between both of his. "Until you woke up .in the jungle. Right?"
"Yeah. It looked like Peru. I mean there was no way I could have forgotten that place." Blair's eyes took on a distant look again, staring off towards a blank hospital wall. "It was quiet and at first there wasn't anyone there. Then Incacha was standing in the trees. We talked."
"You said that he asked you to make a choice."
"He said that I could go on to the temple and I would find peace and rest for serving you faithfully and with honor." Blair stopped suddenly and stared down at the bed sheets on his chest. The hand being held by his friend twitched and tried to pull from the grasp. Ellison held it more firmly and then gave it a squeeze.
"And the other choice was?"
"To come back and be your Guide. But there would be pain and hardship." The words then seemed to spill out of the young man in a rush. "But I told him that I hadn't been faithful, I had lied to you and you hated me. So you sent me away." The last words were barely a whisper.
"But you still chose to return." Ellison pushed, knowing that the words had to be said.
"Incacha said that I was wrong and I should listen to words spoken from the heart. And then I could hear you calling. You were crying, I think. You said that I couldn't let Alex win and you couldn't do it without me."
"I meant it, Blair." Jim using his first name caused the young man to look back up at his partner. "I know I don't tell you this enough but I can't handle this Sentinel stuff without you. You're my anchor. My control. If I lose you " It was now Ellison's turn to hesitate. "We're partners, Chief, and you're my best friend. You are also my Guide and my Shaman and we now have a task to perform."
"Travel to the temple. Incacha said something about us sealing our bond. What do you think he meant by that?"
"I don't know. You're the Shaman, Chief. I think this is something you're supposed to find out and we have to do together."
"God, I hope this isn't something that's going to hurt, man. And I really don't want to have the ability to see your big kitty friend. He's scary enough to make my hair fall out." Sandburg tried to lighten the mood that had gotten too heavy.
"And it's such beautiful hair, too." Ellison smiled and reached up to ruffle the curls. Both men just grinned at each other until a large yawn from Blair broke the spell. His eyes were losing focus again and starting to close.
"Sorry, Jim. Guess dying takes a lot out of you." He offset his words with a sleepy grin. Then he allowed his heavy eyelids to finally crash down.
"Don't worry about it, Chief. You just work on getting well, okay? I'm going to find Simon and let him know we're going to need some time off. Who knows. To keep us out of trouble, he just might want to come with us." Ellison stood back up by the bed. "You going to be okay with me leaving? There'll be someone outside the door at all times that can get me if you need anything."
Blair didn't answer but let sleep pull him back into its embrace. He knew that Jim would stay there until he was sure his friend was asleep. Which he did, listening to Sandburg's heart slow down and his breathing deepen into the natural rhythm of sleep. He softly brushed the young man's hair back away from his face one more time and held his hand to the side of his face until he was sure Sandburg was completely asleep.
Upon stepping outside the door of the room, Ellison sagged against the wall, covered his face with his hands and gave a deep sigh. He felt like he had gone several rounds in a boxing ring.
"Jim?" Simon Banks stood at the nurses station looking at the detective with worry and confusion on face. "Sandburg doing okay?"
"Yeah. He's fine, Captain. He just went back to sleep."
"And?"
"He remembers everything that happened up to and including dying." The look Ellison gave his captain shook the older man.
"Jesus, Jim! And the kid didn't go into hysterics? I know that I would have." Banks walked over to the other man and leaned against the wall. "What did he say happened?"
"Let's go get a cup of coffee. I don't think I can talk about this without lots of coffee. Who's going to be sitting out here?" Ellison pointed to the chair set outside Sandburg's room.
"Brown volunteered for the first shift tonight and Rafe demanded the second. Even Connor wants part of the duty until that woman is found. Seems the kid is pretty important to all of us." Simon put his arm around Ellison's shoulder and led him to the elevator. Brown stepped off the elevator as it opened with a large styrofoam cup of something steaming in one hand and several newspapers in the other.
"Hey, Jim. How's Hair Boy doing? He gonna be okay?" the bald, black detective asked in passing.
"Sandburg woke up for a bit and knows where he's at, H. He's back asleep now. I'll be down in the cafeteria with the Captain if he needs me, okay?"
"No sweat, man. The kid'll be safer than in his momma's arms with me. Don't worry." Brown gave the two men a large smile and then sat in the chair by the door.
"I can't believe I let this happen, Simon," Ellison started as soon as the elevator door closed. "How could I have let it go this far?"
"Don't start on a guilt trip, Jim. It's like Sandburg said. You started acting funny when another Sentinel entered your territory. Since this is the first time it has ever happened, neither of you were able to handle the invasion or even understand what was happening. I'd like to order you to see the department shrink, as well as Sandburg, but there is no way you two could even skirt around the issue without letting her know the whole truth. You think the kids gonna need to talk to someone about this?" Banks punched the button on the wall that would send the elevator to the floor the cafeteria was located.
"No, I think he's handling the whole thing pretty good. Better than me. It's strange. I figured being that close to dying would change a man, but he has this new...maturity or something about him. I could see it in his eyes." Both men stepped off the elevator when the doors opened. It was late and there were very few people in the cafeteria.
After each got a cup of coffee, they sat at a table in the corner that afforded both men a clear view of the elevator and the stairs. Besides needing privacy, both men maintained their habit of keeping watch with their surroundings.
"What did you mean when you said that he remembered up to and including dying?" Simon asked after sitting down.
"He said he tried to escape Alex and was running out of the building when she hit him with something. Then the next thing he remembered was being in the jungle with Incacha." Ellison stared at his coffee, not wanting to see the reaction from Banks.
"He was where?" Simon exploded and then quickly lowered his voice. "You mean he hallucinated about the jungle, don't you?"
"No sir, I don't think it was a hallucination. He's never done that with Incacha, even after the Shaman died at our place. Sandburg told me that Incacha gave him a choice when he was there. He could stay or return to us knowing it wouldn't be very easy." Ellison spoke the words quickly, not wanting to spend too much time thinking about what a different choice would have done to him.
"Jesus." Banks just looked at the other man, not wanting to remind the detective of what had happened at the precinct. That scene of Ellison and Sandburg was still vivid in his mind.
"I know, I know. I remember what I had said to him, how cruel I was. But Simon, he just looked at me with those eyes of his and said I had called him back. That he had no other choice but to return. After all I had said and done he still chose to return. What did I ever do to earn that?"
"The kid loves you more than a brother ever could, Jim. He's got more patience than anyone I have ever seen. Hell, he has put up with more of your stuff than I ever would have." Simon let out a snort of exasperation and then chuckled.
Ellison gave the older man a sheepish grin, agreeing with what he said and meant. Both men sat quietly for several minutes, contemplating the events of the past several days.
"So what now? You are going to take some time off to be with the kid, aren't you?" Simon finally asked.
"Well, now that you asked, Sandburg and I are going to have to do something just as soon as he is well enough to travel. So, I'm going to be needing a lot of that vacation time you keep nagging me about." Ellison drained the last of the coffee from his cup and then looked back towards the coffee machine.
"What do you mean well enough to travel? Where are you going? What do you have to do?"
"Incacha has spoken to both of us. Separately. When Sandburg was .when we thought he was dead, he said he spoke to the Shaman. Sandburg was told by Incacha that he had to find this special temple that was in the jungle. Then, Incacha came to me a little while ago when I was dozing up in the room. Remember when he had appeared at our apartment injured? Well, I was given into Sandburg's keeping then and he was given the title of Shaman by Incacha. We were supposed to go to this temple and 'seal our bond' but Incacha died before he could tell us about this next step." Ellison gave a heavy sigh. "I guess I wasn't ready to accept Sandburg as my Shaman to even think there was something we needed to do."
"What in the hell is that all supposed to mean? What's this bond thing and where is this temple?"
Ellison held up his had to hold off more of his captain's questions. "I have no idea, sir. That's Sandburg's job. He has to find the location of this place and then we're supposed to travel there. After that, I'm not sure what we're supposed to do or even what's supposed to happen. Whatever it is, I'm not going to push it off. Not after what's happened now." As Ellison stood and walked over to refill his coffee cup, Bank's cell phone rang.
"Banks," he said into the phone. "When? Uh, huh. You sure it's the same stuff. Okay. What about the woman? Well, at least that is one problem taken care of. Keep me informed if anything else develops. Right." He took a large gulp of his coffee before turning his attention to the anxious detective who sat back down before him.
"They found the cannisters?" Ellison asked.
"And caught some guy trying to transport them. Seems an anonymous tip was called into the FBI about a terrorist trying to transport two cans of a very dangerous gas aboard a cargo ship bound for the Orient. The call was made by a female."
"You don't think .."
"I'm not making any guesses but protection is also going to be provided to you until we're sure that woman is caught or dead. They're gonna transfer the gas to some military facility until its decided what to do with the stuff." Both men stood up and walked over to the elevator.
"Well then, I guess you're going to have to find someone willing to take a long trip as soon as Sandburg is ready. I said I'm not gonna put off this thing, Captain ."
"If you're that determined, then I'll go with you two. You helped me enough when I needed you ." Not finishing the thought, the Captain took off his glasses to give his eyes a much needed rubbing. "Just give me enough warning so that I can get things covered at the precinct."
"No problem, sir. Knowing Sandburg, he'll research this thing until he has every down into the most minute detail. Besides, I sort of had a feeling you might come with us." As the elevator door opened, both men stepped in.
"Now don't you start getting spooky on me. Those weird sense of yours are enough to handle without you starting to qualify for the psychic hotline." Both men just chuckled at the doors quietly closed.
To be continued either by me or, hopefully, by the conclusion episode when the series returns.
Comments, suggestions, positive critiquing can be sent to me at: shallan@mho.net