Warnings: PG-13 mild violence, several bad words.
Disclaimer: They are not mine. They belong to Pet Fly, UPN and Sci-Fi Channel, but I'm seriously considering suing for custody on the grounds of neglect. No money made. So don't waste your time suing me.
Thanks to Kim and Zerena for beta'ing this for me. Any remaining errors are mine, of course.
Trishbsc
"Damn, I can't believe I'm running late again. Jim's gonna to kill me," Blair muttered as he checked his watch while heading for the car.
The weekly staff meeting for the Anthropology Department had run late, again. It seemed to be an unwritten rule that the older a professor was, the slower he talked, which explained why the meetings always ran so far over the scheduled times.
Blair made the mistake of presenting his theory to the other teaching fellows one night at the pub. His friends supported his theory. Then, promptly used it against him. Blair was considered the baby of the group and was roundly teased for his well-known tendency towards talking at length without pausing for air.
The day got even longer when his advisor stopped him in the hallway after the meeting. He had wanted a 'brief' summary report concerning the status of his dissertation. Once Blair had answered all the man's questions, another forty-five minutes had gone by.
All in all, it had not been a good day. Blair had assured Jim this morning that he would be home in time to make dinner tonight. Jim was due at the loft any minute and expecting the nice Italian dinner Blair had promised that morning.
As he was crossing the parking lot, his cell phone started ringing. "Oh man, please don't be Jim. Please don't be Jim. Please don't be Jim," Sandburg chanted under his breath as he answered the call.
"Hey, Sandburg." Blair heard the all too familiar voice of his partner. Blair winced, there went the theory about the power of prayer. Oh well, at least he doesn't sound too upset. Time for some fast-talking.
"Hi, Jim. I can explain."
"Me first, Chief. I'm sorry to do this to you, but I'm gonna be delayed getting home. We heard from Davison a little while ago. Kline is meeting with his supplier tonight."
Blair silently cheered. It appeared he was off the hook for dinner. He waited for Jim to finish talking.
"All of Major Crime is providing support to Narcotics since they are so short handed."
"No problem, Jim. I haven't started dinner yet, which is what I have to explain. Actually, I'm still at Rainier. I just managed to get away from my advisor. Do you want me to join you?"
"Not a good idea, partner. Captain Kowalski has the point on this, and you know what a stickler he is about laying out these elaborate plans. There's hell to pay if they are not followed down to the last little petty detail. Davison and Fisher are coming along as bodyguards for Kline. So there will be plenty of people on the scene."
"I notice you didn't mention how much Kowalski dislikes me personally and would prefer I had nothing to do with his little operation," Blair added, not completely able to hide his disappointment about not being included from his friend.
Jim heard the sadness in his friend's tone and tried to reassure his partner, "Hey, Chief, if you had been at the station, you would have been included along with the rest of Major Crime. Kowalski won't make any last minute changes."
"It's okay, Jim. I understand," Blair answered, not really convincing either himself or Jim.
"I wish you were here, Chief, then I'd be driving, not stuck riding along with Simon. He won't let me drive."
"I'm not surprised, it's only been a few weeks since you wrecked his car. I'm surprised he's even letting you step foot in his car after what you did to it last time you drove it."
"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side, Sandburg."
"I am, Jim. I want you to stay in one piece. Though, I admit, it's usually only the cars that wind up in pieces when you drive." Blair joked, his mood improved having figured out that Jim really did want him along.
"Ha, Ha, Chief."
"Seriously, Jim. You be careful out there?"
"Don't worry, Sandburg. There shouldn't be a problem. Major Crime is mostly backup and surveillance. I'm not even part of the action."
"Good, but what are you doing then?"
"I get to watch the monitors with Simon, making sure the equipment is recording properly. Doesn't that sound exciting? If everything goes according to plan, I should be home around eight."
"I'll plan dinner for then, and if you're running late, my spaghetti tastes good even when reheated."
"Gotta go, Chief. Simon's giving me that impatient look he usually saves for you."
"See you later, wise guy." Blair hung up the phone and got into his car.
As he sat in the driver's seat, he started thinking about the case that he and Jim had been working on for the last few weeks.
Two Weeks Earlier
"Ellison! Sandburg! My office," Simon yelled as he entered the bullpen and headed into his office with the two men right on his heels.
"Have a seat. I just got back from the Commissioner's office. Have either of you heard about a drug called 'The Ride'?"
"It's a new designer drug that's very popular on the streets, worse than Golden ever was. It's a powerful new hallucinogen," Jim explained.
"The word on campus is no one has ever had a bad trip while using it," Blair added.
"Narcotics has uncovered a different story, Sandburg. Within the last two weeks, they've taken several bodies to the morgue, which proves some people's 'Ride' has ended in death."
Simon handed the folder over to Jim. As he opened the file, Blair leaned over to study the case as well.
Simon summarized quickly the major points of the case. "So far, all the bodies discovered were people who were known to be seriously heavy drug users. Traces of other narcotics were found in all the bodies in addition to 'The Ride'. Dan Wolf isn't sure if the deaths are the result of the new drug or if there had been some bizarre interaction as a result of several narcotics being present in the bloodstream at the same time."
He paused, watching as Ellison flipped though the autopsy reports. He could tell they had reached the autopsy section because Blair's face had a slightly green tint to it.
"Narcotics has just found the fifth body reported in less then two weeks. The Commissioner's ordered that a joint taskforce be formed including Narcotics and Major Crime. The brass wants this drug off the streets immediately."
"Who has point on the case?"
"Narcotics," Simon answered, rolling his eyes. He had fought for control of the case, but had lost. Captain Kowalski was considered to be a hard-nosed, by-the-book officer. Therefore, Simon was not looking forward to Kowalski's first meeting with Blair Sandburg.
He had heard several derogatory comments that had been attributed to Kowalski about the 'Major Crime Observer' through the station's gossip vine. Up until now, he had ignored the man. Simon was sure there would be a problem, but he was under orders to assign Jim to the case, which meant including Blair.
Jim winced. He also knew Kowalski's reputation and wasn't looking forward to working with the man.
"They've been working the case from the beginning and already have two men working inside the operation. We have a meeting with them at two this afternoon to bring us up to speed on the investigation. Study the file and be ready. That's all."
During the kickoff meeting, Captain Kowalski from Narcotics had introduced the two of his detectives who had worked on the case from the beginning, Stan Davison and Peter Fisher.
The deal had been all set up. Davison had reported that Kline was just about to make a major purchase. Kline had asked Davison and Fisher to ride along with him to the meet. He had confided that they were dealing with the main man, the creator of the drug. Kline wanted to put on a good show by bringing along some muscle. The two Narcotics detectives had set themselves up as his best dealers, gaining Kline's confidence. They were meeting the supplier in an alley at six o'clock.
Throughout the meeting, Fisher had been downright hostile anytime Sandburg said a word. At first Blair thought the man felt insulted by the order to bring Major Crime into their case. It didn't take long before Blair realized that for some reason Fisher had a problem directly with him. Jim's instincts immediately picked up on the hostility coming from Fisher and the nervousness coming from Blair, putting him on edge also. The meeting had not gone well.
Both sides finally agreed that Narcotics would concentrate on working their people undercover on the distribution side of the case. Meanwhile, Major Crime would work on identifying the manufacturers of the drug. So far the drug had not appeared in any of the nearby cities, so both the distribution and manufacturing of the drug was local to Cascade.
As soon as the meeting broke up, Blair headed into the breakroom to get some coffee for his partner and some tea for himself. He didn't realize Fisher had followed him into the room until he was shoved from behind into the counter. Just as he managed to face his attacker, he found himself pinned against the wall by the much larger detective from Narcotics.
Fisher didn't expect a physical response from the smaller man and was surprised when Blair shoved him back a couple of steps.
"What is your problem, man? You've been pissed at me since the start of that meeting. What did I ever do to you? I don't remember ever seeing you before," Blair said angrily.
Neither man noticed they were acquiring a very large audience.
"I was up for a rotation in Major Crime until you came along. Now I have to watch some snot-nose, hippie Jew-boy stroll around Major Crime like he owns the place. You took away my shot at working in that unit," Fisher sneered, invading Blair's personal space.
Blair didn't back down from this intimidation. He was familiar with people trying to use his shorter stature against him. "It's not my fault they changed your rotation. Something else must have happened to change their minds. I'm only an observer. My being there has no effect on the rotation of the detectives," he retorted.
"Major Crime is the best unit in the Department. You don't belong there. After that little incident in the garage a few weeks back, you should have been kicked out of the Department. You don't deserve to be here after that little episode," Fisher taunted, jabbing a finger against Blair's chest with every word.
Most of the fight went out of Blair after Fisher said that. He couldn't answer. He was still embarrassed and ashamed about that particular incident.
Blair lowered his head and started hard at his shoes as the memories of the last couple of weeks washed over him. Fisher's angry voice fading into the background.
He didn't really remember much after eating the Golden laced pizza. He only had vague flashes of grabbing Jim's backup gun from the desk drawer and heading down to the garage. He could remember firing the gun several times, but that was about it. He was glad he didn't remember most of it and no one else wanted to upset him by discussing it
The first week after he had been released from the hospital, he'd avoided coming into the station. He hadn't known how he could face everyone. He was sure Jim knew the real reason he was avoiding the station, but Jim hadn't pushed him into talking about it.
When Joel Taggart showed up at the University with lunch the following Friday afternoon, Blair thought that Jim had gotten tired of waiting and asked for help. Joel was the logical choice. He didn't play around, he had asked Blair directly when he was coming back to work at the station.
When Blair was done weaving his tales of woe about the backlog of work at the University, Joel, recognizing the obfuscation for what it was, had confronted the issue head on. After Blair finally admitted he was nervous about seeing the guys in the bullpen, Joel proceeded to use several of the same arguments Blair had used on him when he had lost his nerve following the Brackett bomb.
When that hadn't convinced Blair, he had brought out the final argument. He simply said that his partner needed him at the station. Blair had almost started laughing at the statement, but before he could say a word, Joel started to describe Jim's behavior during the past few days. He used the words--sad and depressed--unable to concentrate--confined to desk duty--words that terrified Blair.
Joel also explained that Jim had been telling everyone that Blair was doing well, just not able to come back to work yet. It had been Simon, alarmed by Jim's uncharacteristic and worrisome behavior, who had enlisted Joel to track down Blair and find out what was going on.
Joel then laughed, saying he got the easier of the two jobs. Simon was speaking with Jim right now, trying to get him to open up. Blair found that concept equally amusing.
Blair had returned to the station the following Monday. Not one person had anything negative to say about what happened in the garage. In fact, most people had believed the story Jim had told about Blair's absence being the result of not being well enough to come back to work yet.
Even Brown, the department prankster who had originally dubbed Blair, 'Hairboy', had taken the time to make sure Blair clearly understood that no one held him responsible for what had happened in the garage. Of course, he then proceeded to make several jokes about Blair's poor marksmanship before offering to take him to the shooting range.
The dark memories faded as the narcotics detective continued to shoot his mouth off. Fisher's comment was the first negative one Blair had heard about that incident. He watched Blair's crestfallen expression and sensed, like most predators can, a weakness in his prey. Fisher quickly realized he had scored with that statement and followed up by saying, "Ellison deserves better than you for a partner."
Blair was saved from having to answer by the timely intervention of both Simon and Jim. They had been standing in the doorway with Captain Kowalski since the beginning of the entire confrontation. Rafe and Brown were discreetly standing behind them with Davison watching the discussion.
Ellison moved around the table to stand next to his partner. Fisher took one look at Ellison's face and wisely moved away from Sandburg, keeping the table between him and Ellison.
"Why don't you ask me who I think I deserve for a partner. Because the truth of the matter is, Blair deserves a better partner than me." Blair looked up from his shoes to look at his partner's face, not quite believing what he just heard. Jim continued, "There was NEVER any question of holding Sandburg responsible for that incident. There was no way he could have known that pizza was laced with Golden."
Simon jumped in as soon as Jim stopped talking, "As to your rotation with Major Crime that was never an absolute certainty. If you really want to know why it was cancelled, it was the result of the third complaint filed against you for using excessive force. Until the investigation was over, your rotation was temporarily put on hold. When that situation was resolved, Captain Kowalski's squad was understaffed so you were automatically transferred to his unit."
Captain Kowalski interrupted, "Fisher, why don't you wait for me in my office where we can discuss this in private." After Fisher left the room, Kowalski turned to face Captain Banks before saying angrily, "I suggest that you talk to your OBSERVER about his inappropriate behavior concerning starting public confrontations with the detectives in this department."
"I plan to handle the matter appropriately, Captain," Simon answered, with a glare at Jim to remain silent.
Captain Kowalski nodded and left the room.
"Sandburg!" Simon said sternly.
"Yes, sir," Blair answered. He placed a restraining grip on Jim's arm. Blair believed that some of the blame for the confrontation with Fisher was his and he didn't want Jim defending him. He should have just walked away from Fisher instead of escalating the confrontation.
Jim was ready to jump to Blair's defense, but more importantly he was shocked and amazed that Simon was doing this in public. Usually when he chewed someone out, it was in the privacy of his office. But he remained silent when he saw something in Simon's face that indicated it wasn't Blair he was upset with.
"No one in MY unit is ever to START a public confrontation with other detectives or officers in this department. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Sir," Blair responded, obviously not understanding. Since he refused to look at Simon, he didn't notice that the stern expression Simon usually wore when chewing someone out was missing.
Simon sighed and tried another tact. "Sandburg, look at me." He waited until Blair's eyes met his. "If anyone in MY unit is ever harassed by another detective or officer, I expect them to defend themselves and then report the incident to me. Is that understood?" He stated in a much smoother tone.
"Yes, Sir," Blair answered with a smile as the light bulb came on. He stared at the uncharacteristic grin on the captain's face.
Before turning away, he changed his expression back to his usual stern captain's face, asking Brown and Rafe if they had any work to do before heading into his office.
Once Simon left the room, Brown made a thumbs-up gesture and Rafe started applauding before Simon's growl had them scrambling back into the bullpen themselves.
Jim tugged on Blair's sleeve. "Come on, partner. We've got a lot of work to do."
"Sure, Jim."
Present
Blair started his car and exited the parking lot. He was stopped at a traffic light just after exiting the University grounds. He noticed there were several construction-warning signs on Main Street as he turned at the light. The road crew had the street completely blocked off and had set up a detour. As Blair was following the detour signs he realized he was only a few blocks from his old neighborhood.
Mama Leonardo's bakery should be open. He could pick up some fresh-baked garlic bread for dinner. He had worked at the bakery when he was an undergraduate student. The old neighborhood had really gone downhill in the last few years, but she refused to retire and leave.
Blair stopped by periodically to make sure she was doing all right. He hadn't seen her in almost a month. She had taken him under her wing when he was sixteen, teaching him how to cook when he had worked there. He had spent most of the holidays with her and her family when his mother wasn't available.
He turned down Oak St., heading for the bakery. Jim loved fresh garlic bread. It would be a nice surprise.
Several detectives from Narcotics were positioned in the two buildings on both sides of the alley. Cameras were set up on both the street and the alley to record the buy for evidence.
Jim and Simon were watching the action via the monitors in one of the buildings. Narcotics had bugged the alley for sound earlier, and Rafe and Brown sat in an unmarked van across the street listening and recording everything that went down.
Megan and Joel were on the other side of the alley making sure no one else wandered in by accident. The plan was for Fisher to say the words, 'It's a done deal' once the money and the drugs had been exchanged. Then everyone would move in for the arrest. It was 5:35 PM. Everyone was in position. All they could do now was wait for the targets to appear.
Rafe saw a familiar looking car turning onto the street. Rafe leaned over and tapped Brown on the shoulder. After Brown pulled off the headphones, Rafe pointed out the window and asked, "Isn't that Sandburg's car pulling up?"
Brown looked out the front window and started. "Yeah, what's he doing over there?"
As they watched, Blair parked and exited his car. He entered the bakery up the street. An angry voice crackled from the radio still easily recognizable as Captain Kowalski.
"Banks, what is he doing over there? Getting a snack before joining the detail? I knew letting that punk kid take part in the taskforce was a mistake on my part."
"No, Kowalski, Sandburg doesn't have any idea what's going down here."
There was a brief pause before Simon's voice was heard again.
"According to Ellison, Sandburg used to live around here and is friends with the family that runs the bakery. "
Jim was pacing the room, muttering under his breath, "Why tonight, Chief? You have an undeniable gift for finding trouble. Just get the bread and go home, buddy. Don't talk too long."
Simon grunted his disbelief at the last muttered instruction before saying, "Yeah, right, this is Sandburg. Talking is almost an autonomic response with him."
Jim ignored Simon's words and finished with, "Please, Chief, clear out of there."
"Damn, someone just entered the alley from the other street," Simon said, pointing to the monitor showing the alley. The man was staying in the shadows, but someone was definitely present.
Simon stared at Jim, who was obviously about to make a move for the door. "Stay put, Ellison. You heard the briefing. This guy Kline is both violent and paranoid. You know that is a bad combination. The supplier is already here. We need to keep the streets cleared."
"I know, but... look, he's leaving."
Simon and Jim were both staring at the monitor which showed Blair opening the passenger side door and arranging two packages on the seat before walking around the front of his car.
"Just go, Chief, before things start happening," Jim muttered. He heaved a sigh of relief as Blair started the engine and pulled away from the curb.
The relief was short lived. As Blair's car moved forward into the intersection, another car came barreling around the corner, clipping the back end of Blair's car. Jim moaned in frustration as he watched Blair pull off to the side of the road, right in front of the alley where the supplier was already waiting.
The situation turned completely ugly as first Stan Davison then Peter Fisher exited the passenger doors of the car that had just hit Blair. George Kline had been driving, he was a little slower to exit, but made up for it by running straight at Blair.
Blair was checking the damage to the rear bumper of his car and didn't see Kline approaching until he was grabbed by one arm and thrown up against his car. Kline braced his arm against Blair's throat yelling, "Hey, Hippie boy, who taught you how to drive? You made me wreck my car, now you have to pay."
Blair started to answer but recognized Fisher and Davison. He realized quickly what a nasty situation he had stumbled into. He revised his initial response to something much more diplomatic, "Sorry, didn't see you coming. Looks like we both have equal damage, so let's just call it even. No need to exchange information. My insurance rates are high enough. I'll just be on my way."
As Blair attempted to slide out from under the arm, Kline pushed him to the pavement. He landed heavily on his side and his breath left him in a whoosh. "Where do you think you're going? I'm not through with you yet," Kline threatened.
Davison tried to take control of the situation. "Let the kid go. We've got more important business waiting for us. It's almost six now."
"Don't ruin my fun, Davison. I said I'm not through with him yet. Fisher, be a good fellow and bring him along. I'll deal with him after our business is concluded."
Davison didn't move as Blair regained his feet and ducked away from Fisher who had lunged for him knocking him back down onto the sidewalk, then dragged him to his feet again. Fisher yelled snidely, "Where do you think you're going, Jew boy?" He then punched Blair twice in the stomach.
Davison stared at Fisher wondering what was going through the other detective's head. He could have easily justified letting Sandburg get away. The kid had made a slick move and he would have backed the guy up with Kline. It appeared that Fisher wanted the kid hurt. Davidson moved to Sandburg's other side and grabbed his arm. He took the opportunity to discreetly support the younger man by placing his other arm under Blair's elbow. Blair was too dazed to notice.
"Nice job, guys," Kline complimented as he grabbed a bag from the front seat of his car, "Let's go. I don't want to be late to the meeting."
Davison tried one more time to get control of the situation, "Why don't I stay here with the kid? He'll be here when you're done. If we bring him into the alley with us, he'll just be in the way."
"Nah, I'll keep him in line," Fisher answered. Fisher pulled Blair away from Davison, then twisted Blair's arm behind his back and forced him into the alley behind Kline. Davison followed a few steps behind hoping that Captain Kowalski would call this thing off. Fisher was clearly out of control. He was acting as crazy as Kline.
Kline strolled into the alley as if he didn't have a care in the world. The supplier stepped out of the shadows, glancing nervously at Fisher who was still holding onto Blair.
"Don't worry about them. They're with me. Well, have you got it? Let's see the merchandise," Kline said as he gestured toward the men behind him.
"Freshly made this morning. If you've got the cash, we can make a deal."
"Let's see it."
The supplier held up a briefcase, "Let me see the money first."
Kline opened the duffel bag he was holding. Inside were numerous bundles of twenty-dollar bills. Cautiously, the two men exchanged the merchandise. Kline eagerly opened the briefcase. Elation quickly changed to anger as he discovered that the briefcase was only a little more than half filled.
"What the hell is going on! Are you jerking me around here?"
The supplier held up one hand and shook his head. "Sorry but the price per vial is going up. This stuff is much better than the last batch. The process was changed to remove the remaining impurities. The trip begins almost immediately. No delay and the Ride is much more intense. You can even cut the stuff into smaller doses without losing the effects if you like."
"I wanna see a demonstration of this new Ride in action before we make the deal. We can use Curly over there as a test dummy. If what you say is true, I'll double the next order. Fisher drag him on over here," Kline ordered as he ripped the packaging from one of the syringes in the briefcase and took out a vial.
Blair started struggling wildly when he heard what Kline had in mind. Davison glanced at Fisher, hoping that he was through with his revenge against Sandburg and they could put a stop to this now. They had the main supplier. They could give the signal.
Fisher compensated by putting Blair in a chokehold. Tightening his grip until Blair was almost unconscious. Fisher coldly whispered to Davison, "You say one word and I'll break his neck. Sandburg is getting exactly what he deserves."
Kline walked over with the loaded syringe and ordered, "Get his jacket off."
Fisher released his hold on Blair and pulled the leather jacket off him in one smooth motion. Blair was too dizzy and weak to put up much resistance. "Hey, Curly, hold still or this is really going to hurt," laughed Kline as he grabbed Blair's arm and pushed up the shirtsleeve.
Blair tried again to pull away, but with Fisher behind him and Kline holding his arm, there was nothing he could do. He felt the needle plunge into his arm, then felt the liquid burning through his arm as the drug was shot into the vein.
Fisher and Kline both stepped away from Blair, staring ghoulishly as they waited for the show to start. "Tell us what's going on, Curly. You were running at the mouth before. Don't be quiet now," Kline ordered. He stepped forward, yanked Blair's ponytail, jerking his head back painfully.
Blair just smiled stupidly at him. 'The Ride' for Blair had already begun and he was going with the flow.
Jim started to head for the door when Kline threw Blair up against the car.
"Wait, Ellison. Let Davison and Fisher try to handle this first. They are both experienced detectives," Simon ordered, wishing that these monitors had sound. "Look, Davison is taking charge."
Jim looked briefly at the monitors, but then decided it was easier to turn up the dial on his hearing. Simon recognized that vague look and moaned, "Ellison, if you zone I swear, you'll be doing the 'Take a Bite Out of Crime' demonstrations for the next six months wearing that silly dog suit."
"If you'll be quiet, I'll tell you what's going on," Jim replied.
"Everyone hold your positions. Do not move in. I repeat. Do not move in." Captain Kowalski ordered.
"Davison is trying to convince Kline to let Blair go," Jim relayed.
"Didn't work," Simon answered as he saw Blair try to get away and Fisher preventing him. "Fisher could have just let him go. What the hell is he doing?"
"That idiot Fisher just called Blair 'Jew-boy' in front of Kline. There was no way he could have known that if he had just met the guy. We need to move in!" Brown reported.
"I said hold your positions and maintain radio silence," Captain Kowalski answered.
Simon watched as Fisher punched Blair and heard Ellison mutter, "He's mine when this is over."
"Get in line, detective," Simon answered as he watched the group head into the alley. Simon picked up the radio.
"Requesting permission to move to the head of the alley. We now have a civilian in danger."
"Hold your position, Banks. You're the one who said the kid could handle himself during an investigation. Let's see how he handles this," Kowalski responded viciously.
Simon watched the monitor as the money and the drugs changed hands. But neither detective in the alley gave the signal.
"Hold your position until the signal is given," Kowalski ordered.
"They're going to inject Sandburg with the drug, we need to move in now!" Brown yelled over the radio.
Simon looked at Jim for confirmation, but he was already out the door.
"SHIT," Simon yelled at the ceiling, before picking up the radio.
"This is Captain Banks, Major Crime, MOVE IN NOW. It's a done deal. Move in now."
Just as he left the room he heard Kowalski sputtering over the radio, but both Major Crime and the other Narcotics officers had answered that they were moving in.
By the time Simon reached the alley, most of the action was over. Two officers from Narcotics had Kline in custody. Megan and Joel had grabbed the supplier and were reading him his rights. Ellison had Fisher pinned against the wall. Before he could do anything, he saw Davison putting the cuffs on Fisher, then talking softly to Ellison. Jim stepped away from Fisher and scanned the alley for something or someone.
Simon heard Captain Kowalski screaming his name and striding angrily towards him. Simon smiled as he lit his cigar, now the fun was about to begin.
"I'm requesting that disciplinary action be taken against your entire unit, Banks. Who the hell do you think you are, taking charge of this incident like that? I'm going to see that Detectives Ellison and Brown are busted down to street patrol for their actions in this disaster. Just you wait, Captain."
Simon exhaled a large cloud of smoke directly into Kowalski's face.
"Do what you think is right, Captain, but I stand by my people and their actions. If you go to IA with this, you will lose." Simon walked away looking for both Ellison and Brown. They deserved a warning to stay out of Kowalski's way. He caught a quick glimpse of Jim running out of the alley into the street.
"God, what now? He muttered to himself and then realized Sandburg was not in the alley."
During the chaos that occurred as the detectives from two units entered the alley to make the arrests, a dazed and confused Blair Sandburg managed to slip out of the alley. Brown spotted him first. He and Rafe exited the van, hoping to stop him before he wandered too far from the scene. Both detectives had heard what had happened in the alley and approached Blair slowly, unsure of his reaction.
Blair didn't recognize them. He only saw two very large men approaching him, surrounded by the Golden Fire people. They had found him again and his muddled brain ordered him to run. "Not again," Blair muttered, "Please, not again." Blair turned away and ran down the street, headed for the next block. Rafe and Brown were right behind him.
He ran for two blocks before heading across the street into a large apartment building. Blair raced up the stairs. Brown was only one flight behind.
Rafe stopped at the first landing and called Jim. He gave him their location. Ellsion was their best shot at stopping Blair before he hurt himself. He left the line open as he continued up the stairs after his partner and Blair.
By the time Rafe caught up with them, they were already on the roof. Blair was about ten feet from the ledge. He was shaking and tears were running down his cheeks. Brown was talking softly to him but Blair wasn't responding to him at all.
Rafe eased up beside Brown. He could hear Blair whispering over and over again the words, "I'm sorry." Rafe took a few steps away from his partner. He didn't want to spook Blair, but he needed to get closer.
"Why are you sorry, Blair? You haven't done anything," Rafe asked calmly.
"I killed Jim. The Golden Fire people told me I have to be punished now. That's why they came back. Can't you hear them? They are all around us now. Can't you see them?"
"Jim's not dead, Blair. You haven't killed anyone," Brown answered as he moved a few steps closer, but quickly stopped as the distraught man in front of him moved another couple of steps closer to the ledge.
"I remember pulling the trigger. We were in a garage. Jim was standing right in front of me asking for the gun, but I pulled the trigger," Blair yelled, growing more agitated with each passing moment. "I killed him. I remember."
"No, Blair, you're not remembering this right. It didn't happen that way. I swear to you, buddy. Jim is alive and well," Rafe insisted.
Blair shook his head, unable to figure out whom to believe, the golden fire people or the two strangers who seemed to know him.
Finally, Rafe heard him whisper, "If Jim were alive, he'd be here right now." Blair was only a foot away from the edge now. He turned and looked down at the sidewalk, a forty-foot drop.
Brown and Rafe exchanged frustrated glances, each hoping that the other would come up with an answer to the implied question of why Jim wasn't there.
The solution came from behind them as an out-of-breath James Ellison magically appeared on the rooftop. Jim knew exactly what was going on. He had focused on the conversation as soon as he'd entered the building. Before he could say anything, Blair started to ramble. "Jim, I'm sorry I killed you. Please forgive me. I need you to forgive me before I go," Blair pleaded, his shaking increasing. His shallow breath was punctuated by the occasional panicked gasp for air.
"Where do you think you're going, buddy?" Jim asked calmly, as he took a few cautious steps closer to his friend.
"I have to go with the fire people. It's my punishment for killing you," Blair answered, puzzled by what was to him an obvious answer.
"But where are they taking you?" Jim questioned, desperately trying to understand what had triggered this nightmare of his death in Blair's confused mind. He moved another few precious steps closer to Blair.
"Straight to hell, where I belong," Blair whispered sadly, pain clearly visible in the tear-filled blue eyes. Jim heard Brown curse behind him.
"That's not where you belong, buddy. You're supposed to be with me. That's why I'm here." Jim explained, holding one hand out towards his partner hoping he could grab hold of Blair if things went badly.
"The fire people lied to me," Blair said, a small glimmer of hope appearing in his eyes.
"Yeah," answered Jim, jumping on the opening Blair just gave him. "They lied. You're supposed to be with me. Together we are stronger than they are. That's why they are trying to split us up."
Blair looked puzzled, but he had turned away from the edge of the roof. He wiped his eyes with trembling hands, but it didn't help clear up the jumbled mess of confused thoughts tumbling inside his head. He looked to Jim hoping for clarity.
"Don't listen to them, Blair. Take my hand and everything will be all right again," Jim pleaded, watching for any indication that Blair was going to jump.
He could tell Blair was trying to process all the information with a brain that was too muddled by drugs to cooperate.
"Trust me, Blair."
That statement had Blair taking a couple of steps closer to him.
"Trust me, Blair, take my hand and we can send the fire people back where they belong."
Jim saw in the deep blue eyes locked with his that a decision had been made. Blair, ignoring the extended hand, moved towards Jim. He wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug, whispering softly, "Please don't let them take me." Blair's hand slid down Jim's arm, then gripped Jim's left hand as if he was afraid to let go.
"I won't, buddy. We are stronger than they are," Jim whispered back.
Blair knees buckled out from under him as he slowly lost consciousness. Jim gently knelt on the roof, continuing to hold him tightly. "You're not going anywhere without me."
Jim looked up into the concerned eyes of his fellow detectives as first Brown then Rafe removed their coats and wrapped them tightly around Blair.
"EMTs are on their way up," Rafe said softly.
"Thanks, guys. Thanks for looking out for him," Jim answered, tears brightening his eyes.
"He's one of us, Ellison. When he wakes up, we'll make sure he knows it," Brown answered.
The paramedics moved efficiently with their equipment onto the scene. Even unconscious, Blair still had a tight grip on Jim's hand. Jim tried to keep out of their way but was not willing to let go of Blair. He helped them maneuver Blair onto the gurney then stayed close as they moved down to the street.
Neither paramedic had any doubt that Ellison was riding along in the ambulance. Simon met them at the back of the ambulance.
"Simon, would you call ahead and see if Doctor Jones is on duty?"
"Sure, Jim. That's the doctor who treated Blair after the Golden incident, right?"
"Yeah, it will be easier than trying to explain Blair's recent medical history to some intern."
"I'll track him down and explain the situation to him," Simon answered.
Jim climbed into the back of the ambulance and Simon shut the doors.
The trip seemed to take forever. Blair was restless. He struggled against the straps that fastened him to the gurney. His heartbeat was too fast and he had a hard time catching his breath. He remained quiet as long as Jim kept talking to him.
Jim continued to talk to him as they moved him into one of the cubicles. The intern on duty entered right behind them.
"What do we have here?"
Jim looked up and asked, "Where's Doctor Jones?"
The intern stared for a moment, "Sir, would you please leave so I can treat your friend?"
"He's my partner and you don't understand what's going on. I can't leave him. Where is Doctor Jones?"
"Orderly, would you please remove this man?" the intern ordered.
As a large orderly was trying without success to physically force Jim from the room, Doctor Jones was running down the hallway. Just as he entered the cubicle Blair started to have another flashback. He was screaming for Jim as he tried to get down from the table. The intern and an orderly were physically holding him down while Jim struggled with another orderly as he tried to get to his partner.
"What's going on in here?" yelled Doctor Jones.
"Prepare a sedative!" ordered the intern.
"Cancel that, turn the patient loose, NOW," shouted Doctor Jones.
The intern glared at the other doctor. "He's my patient, I can handle this," the intern answered as Blair slipped out of his grasp.
"I'm his doctor. You are not aware of his case history. Step aside and let his partner handle him." Doctor Jones gestured for the orderlies to move away. Blair scrambled down from the exam table and moved into the nearest corner, still yelling for Jim.
Jim mouthed the words 'thank you' to Doctor Jones, then moved until he was standing in front of his screaming partner. He touched Blair's arm with one hand and put the other along Blair's face, speaking softly, "Relax, Chief. Calm down. I'm right here. Take a nice deep breath for me. Please, buddy." Jim didn't need the heart monitor to know that Blair's heart was getting dangerously erratic.
Blair grabbed onto Jim's arms with an amazingly strong grip. "Don't leave me, Jim. They come back when you're not here."
"I promise, buddy," Jim reassured him, with a glare at the intern. "But you need to calm down for me. Take it easy, breathe nice and slow for me, please?"
Blair nodded and relaxed his grip on Jim's arms.
Jim moved so that Blair's head was resting on his chest, one arm wrapped tightly around Blair's body, the other gently massaging his scalp, smoothing the tangled curls. Suddenly, Blair went completely limp against him. Alarmed, Jim looked at Doctor Jones.
"It's all right, Jim. It's to be expected. If you can lay him down, we'll move him to the Critical Care Unit now. Don't worry, you can stay right with him. I believe your presence is the best medicine he can have right now. Once we get him settled, I'll explain what's going on.
Jim nodded and the two orderlies carefully moved Blair to the gurney. Jim walked along side the gurney, down the familiar hallway to the Critical Care Unit. The doctor waited until the orderlies had Blair settled on the bed, before explaining his diagnosis.
"Your captain already filled me in on the phone about the drug. I've treated several other overdoses of the Ride and there is very little we can do other than let the drug run its course. We need to keep him hydrated and most importantly, keep him from hurting himself."
"Blair wouldn't..."
"...Detective Ellison, I think Blair's exposure to this new drug will trigger flashbacks from his previous ingestion of Golden. These flashbacks have been heightened much more intensely than normal because of the second drug. Each time a flashback starts adrenaline is continuously flooding his system, which is putting a massive strain on his heart. Until the new drug works its way out of his system each time he regains consciousness, the flashback will start and the cycle will begin again."
"I can keep him calm. I did once already on the roof. I think I became part of the hallucination, but in a good way."
Doctor Jones nodded. "I believe you. As to treatment, there are already too many drugs in his blood. I'd really like to avoid giving him any more. I'm hoping your presence can limit both the intensity and length of the flashback. From what I've seen so far, Blair doesn't become nearly so upset when you are present during these events, so I feel this is probably our best bet."
"Thanks, doctor. Then I can stay?"
"Yes, I've arranged for you to have unlimited access to this room. Most of the nurses know getting you to leave is almost impossible anyway, so you shouldn't have any problems. They also know to call me directly even if I'm off duty. If you need anything, please let me know right away. Any questions?"
Jim shook his head, looking down at his restless partner. "We'll be fine," he answered.
Simon found Jim sitting exactly where he had expected him to be, by Blair's bedside. Jim was starting to look worse than Blair. It had been almost two days since Blair had been hurt. Ellison obviously hadn't slept for more than a couple of hours since Blair had been admitted. "How's he doing?" Simon asked softly.
"Much better, it's been about six hours since the last flashback. He hasn't regained consciousness yet, but his heart rate has been stable for the last few hours. The doctor thinks the worst is over," Jim answered. His senses were completely focused on his partner, waiting for the slightest indication he was waking up.
"Jim, there's someone from IA outside. I asked them to wait, but they are pretty adamant about talking to you right now."
"What do they want? I thought Davison had buried Fisher with his statements, not to mention all the audio and video evidence."
"They want to fire him, not a demotion or a suspension. They want to make sure it sticks. They are also looking at Captain Kowalski's behavior during this case. They want your statement about yesterday's incident and about Blair's run-in with Fisher in the breakroom a few weeks ago."
"I can't, Simon. I don't want him to wake up alone."
"What am I? Chopped liver? I promise not to go anywhere until you come back. Deal?"
"Simon, he thought he had killed me. Even when he lost consciousness, I got the impression he figured we were both dead. I need to be here when he wakes up."
"Look, Jim, I've arranged for you to use the room across the hall. There are no patients in there. You'll be close enough to hear me yell if he starts coming around, which I promise to do. Hell, you'll probably hear his eyelids opening and be here before he finishes opening his eyes completely. Okay?"
"Not okay, but I'll do it anyway. Simon, please talk to him, or read from the paper. The doctor is pretty sure he's hearing us, or at least was hearing me."
Simon rolled his eyes, but gave in at the puppy dog eyes Jim was making. "Did Sandburg teach you that look?"
"Yeah, does it work?"
"Yes, but don't tell Sandburg. I like the idea of him living in fear from me."
Jim laughed, "My lips are sealed, Simon." Before he left, he leaned over the bed, and smoothed Blair's hair back from his forehead. "Chief, just wanted to let you know I have to go across the hall for a minute. Simon will be here with you so don't give him any grief, okay?" Jim stepped back and watched for a reaction. Blair stirred a little, but settled right back to sleep. Jim nodded to Simon, then headed across the hall.
Simon sat down in the chair Jim had just vacated. "Talk to him he says. Sandburg, ever since you walked into my office spouting that thin blue line crap, life has definitely been interesting."
"I guess I should thank you. Ellison has been a lot easier to deal with since you've been here. I don't know how you did it. Carolyn and I tried for years to break through the wall Jim had built around himself. You might not believe this, but I had barely scratched the surface. Then I realized that Jim didn't lower the walls and let you in, you tore down the walls, letting everyone else in with you. Are you listening, Sandburg?"
Simon paused, half expecting to hear Blair answer. "You didn't just reach Ellison. Your presence has touched everyone in the unit. Did you know that since you joined Major Crime our solve rate has increased by over twenty-five percent. No, how could you? I should have been the one to tell you."
"I also should have thanked you for helping me improve my relationship with Daryl. Joel thinks the world of you too. Do you understand just how grateful he was for your help? Are you still paying attention here, Blair? I'd order you to wake up if I thought it would help. Jim's not going to get any rest until you wake up. So how about it, Blair?"
"Well, let's see what's in the paper, since you're not talking."
"That's okay, Simon. You're released from duty. IA is through with me for now." Jim said as he stood in the doorway.
"Jim, why don't you grab a couple hours of sleep. That cot over there looks really comfortable. I'll keep an eye on your partner."
"No thanks, Simon, but if you don't mind I could use some decent food. The cafeteria here is terrible."
"Wonderburger?" Simon asked already knowing the answer.
"Yeah, order me a No. 3 with a coffee."
"Okay, Jim. I'll be back in twenty minutes."
Jim waited until Simon had entered the elevator before moving to Blair's bedside. "Chief, are you really awake or are my senses way off kilter here?"
The voice was weak and the words were slightly slurred, but he was elated to hear Blair answer, "MMmm, I'm awake. I heard most of Simon's speech, but I didn't want him to know I heard him. He's really fond of his gruff Captain facade. Is there something to drink?"
"Hold on, partner." Jim filled one of the little plastic cups with some water from the pitcher the nurse had left. He raised the bed a little, then held the cup to Blair's lips as he supported the back of Blair's head.
"Thanks, Jim." Blair said after sipping the cool liquid.
"Blair, do you remember what happened?" Jim asked tentatively.
"Not really, just a bunch of bits and pieces. Some of which I hope didn't really happen," Blair answered softly.
"It's okay, Chief. We can go over it a little if you want."
"Fisher went over the line, didn't he?" Blair whispered.
"He did, Chief. Don't worry about that right now. IA is building a pretty strong case against him. Because he and Davison couldn't get away from Kline for the final briefing, he didn't know the street was also wired for video and sound."
"I'm sorry, Jim. I didn't know you guys were at that location for the meet. I didn't mean to screw everything up for you."
"Blair, there was no way you could have know what was happening. Nothing was screwed up, we got both Kline and his supplier. They are both going away for a very long time."
"But..."
"But nothing. We can talk about it more later if you want, but Doctor Jones wanted to be notified as soon as you were awake," Jim said firmly as he reached for the call button beside the bed.
"Wait, Jim. Simon should be back soon. The doctor can check me out while you are eating. While I know we're not dead and the fire people aren't real... I... I really need you to stay close right now," Blair mumbled hurriedly, blushing at his request. "It's crazy but..."
Jim interrupted, "Then we're both a little crazy but I feel the same way right now. Lie back and relax, don't go back to sleep just yet though. We have a few minutes left to ourselves. Simon's car is just coming up the street. He really needs to get that muffler fixed."
"Wow, you can identify the sound of Simon's car from here," Blair said excitedly.
"Yes, Professor. Don't get any smart ideas about tests though. Let's get your doctor in here to check you out. Maybe we can convince him to let you go home tonight."
"Home sounds really good right now," Blair answered as he yawned.
Simon and Doctor Jones arrived at the room almost at the exact same time. Jim sat down on the cot and mechanically consumed the lunch Simon had brought, ignoring the coffee completely. He listened as the doctor ran a series of standard tests on Blair, who seemed to be quite coherent.
It was almost thirty minutes before he was done. Blair had fallen back to sleep before the doctor could explain his findings. The doctor turned to tell Jim the good news, but could only chuckle at the image of Jim who was sound asleep as his captain moving him into a more comfortable position on his side. Once the Captain had finished tucking his men in for the duration of the afternoon, the doctor gestured for Simon to follow him out of the room.
Once they were in the hallway, the doctor said, "They should both be ready to go home around noon tomorrow. Blair seems to be done with the flashbacks. There are only trace amounts of the drug left in his bloodstream, but I'd still like to keep him under observation for the next 24 hours. Jim looks like he could use a little looking after himself. I'll have the nurses keep an eye on both of them."
Simon nodded. "Tell whichever one wakes up first that I'll be back to drive them home tomorrow."
"Don't worry, Captain. We'll take good care of them."
"Thanks, Doc."
Epilogue
Simon opened the door, watching as Jim assisted an exhausted Blair into the loft and over to the couch.
"Want something to drink, Chief?" Jim asked as he headed into the kitchen.
"Is there any of that apple juice left?"
"Yeah, Chief. How about you, Simon?"
"Nothing for me, Jim. I need to get back to the office."
"What's going on, Simon?" Blair asked.
"Fisher is through, the decision came down yesterday. The DA is thinking about filing criminal charges against him, but I don't know if the charges would get anywhere.
IA also suspended Captain Kowalski for two weeks without pay. When he comes back, he'll find himself riding a desk. They demoted him from his Captain's rank. He is eligible for retirement in six months, so he'll be riding a desk at headquarters in the record room until then. They almost took away his pension but he still has friends in the Commissioner's office who prevented that decision. Joel and I are splitting the duty until the Captain's exam is given next week. Davison is taking it. If he passes, the job is probably his."
"Oh man, Simon, that really sucks," Blair moaned.
"Not your fault, Sandburg. Just make sure you're back to work on Monday. Ellison's paperwork has been piling up."
"I'll be there," Blair answered with a smile, way too happy about doing paperwork.
"Appreciate that, Chief," Jim added as he handed the juice to Blair and sat down.
"I'll see you both on Monday. No, don't get up. I'll let myself out," Simon said as he headed for the door.
The two men sat quietly, watching whatever was on the television. Jim stole furtive glances at Blair. Blair was too quiet, too still. He was occasionally silent but never still. Even in sleep, his body was constantly in motion.
"Quit staring at me, Jim. I'm all right, just very tired."
"If you want to talk about it, I'm here."
"I know. That's what best friends do, Jim. I'm just not ready to talk about it yet. Jim, I also know that I have Simon, Joel, Rafe and Brown to lean on, too. I'm still remembering more pieces. Rafe and Brown did good when we were on the roof."
"Yeah, they did. I was impressed myself."
"Once I have it together, we'll talk. I promise. I want to meditate a little first."
"Usually, you're the one demanding to talk, Chief. I'm going to remind you of this little discussion the next time it's you pushing me to talk."
"That's blackmail."
"Call a cop."
"Thanks, Jim."
"Anytime, Chief. Anytime."
The End.