New
Arrivals
Author-Lorelie
Titles
Wild Beasts
by Lorelie
Disclaimer: The Sentinel and all related characters are the property of Pet Fly Productions.
"And just where are you heading off to?" Jim Ellison called to his best friend as he watched him grab his backpack and move away from their campsite.
"I told you I wanted to take a better look at those markings on those caves we saw yesterday." Blair Sandburg responded. "I won't be gone long."
"Okay, but don't lose track of time. I want to be out of here by two o'clock at the latest. It's a long drive back to Cascade. And I do not want to have to pack up the truck by myself."
"Come on man, most of the truck is packed." Blair smiled at the larger man. "I promise, I'll only be gone like an hour at the most. I just want to take some pictures. Those markings are a great example of Native American writing, and I want to show them to my classes."
"Just remember, two o'clock. If you're not back, I'm leaving without you." Jim yelled after him as the anthropologist walked away.
"Yeah, right," Blair called back to him, over his shoulder.
As the young man made his way toward the cavern he and Jim had found the day before, he reflected on the past five days. The two men had spent the time camping in the Cascade National Forest. It was only March, but both friends had felt the need to get away from it all after several months of grueling cases and classes, topped off by being 'Sentinel and Shaman of the Great City'.
Blair was on spring break, and Simon had agreed to give Jim some time off after the two had helped bring down a drug lord. Packing their camping gear and heading to the great north woods, they had spent the time fishing and hiking, and just generally communing with nature. Blair had even been able to gather some data for his dissertation, discretely observing Jim throughout the entire week.
It had been on a hike the two had taken yesterday that they had discovered the unique markings in several caves not far from where they had set up camp. Blair recognized them as belonging to a Native American tribe that had lived in the area over a hundred years ago. He had not thought to bring his camera with him and decided then to go back and snap some photos before they left.
Shivering, Blair thought to himself, 'Good thing we're heading back today. Gonna be a cold one tonight. Glad I'll be in a nice warm bed.' The weather had been warm and sunny for the entire week, but today the clouds had returned, and the day was decidedly cool.
He quickly made his way to the caves and found the markings. Finishing up the roll of film in his camera, he looked at his watch. Good it was only twelve-thirty. He'd have plenty of time to make it back to the truck by two. Turning, he began his trek back to the campsite.
As he walked, a light rain began to fall. 'Great,' Blair thought, quickening his pace. 'This is all I need, to catch a cold two days before my vacation ends.'
His mind on the inclement weather, he didn't see or hear the movement in the brush ahead of him. Unexpectedly, a large black bear moved out in front of him, blocking his path.
Blair came to an abrupt stop, his heart in his throat. Suddenly, the cold rain didn't seem to matter any more. 'Don't panic. He's probably more scared of you than you are of him.' They young man gave a slight laugh, 'Okay, so we know that's a lie. There's no way he can be more frightened than I am. But come on, this isn't the first time you've encountered a wild animal.'
Blair looked around, hoping to find a tree or some safe haven from the bear. The bear growled and began advancing on the anthropologist.
Slowly, Blair began to back away from animal. Without warning, the bear lunged at him.
Turning, Blair began to run in the direction he came, knowing full well that there was no way he could outrun the large beast.
The bear caught up to him and reached out with a huge paw. The young man felt an agonizing pain as dagger sharp claws ripped into his side. The force of the blow knocked him to his knees.
The mammal attacked again, again clawing at his injured side and stomach. As he prepared to attack a third time, Blair managed to scramble to his feet and again tried to escape.
Dizzy because of the throbbing pain in his midsection, Blair ran blindly, his only thought that he had to get away or else this beast was going to kill him. He didn't realize how close he had moved toward the edge of a small precipice that the hiking path had followed. Suddenly, the side of the path gave way, and Blair felt his feet go out from underneath him and he fell down the side of the embankment.
The bear gave up the chase, having enough good sense not to follow his prey down a cliff and turned away.
Blair landed hard on a ledge thirty feet or so from the top of the precipice, striking his head on a large rock as he fell.
As the searing pain from his wounds caused him to loose consciousness, his last thought was that there was no way that he and Jim were going to get on the road back to Cascade by two o'clock.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jim Ellison stowed the last of the camping gear in the truck and glanced at his watch.
Damn it, it was almost two, where the hell was Blair? "Don't worry Jim, I'll be back in time to help you." he mimicked his guide's voice. Yeah, right. "Hey Sandburg, the stuff's put away, you can come on back now." he called out.
Sighing he started walking toward the caves he and Blair had found yesterday. 'Kid probably decided to explore inside them a little bit.' he thought to himself. Knowing Sandburg, he had become so engrossed in the cave drawings, he had completely lost track of time.
'At least I hope that's all it is.' As always, a small part of the Sentinel worried that something had happened to his young friend. Blair had once called Jim his 'Blessed Protector', and the older man had taken that role to heart.
More than a little agitated at Blair for being late, Jim made his way quickly to the cave. Once there, he extended his senses, listening and looking for Blair. When he found no trace of him outside, he moved inside again and listened closely for any sign of the man.
"Blair? Hey Chief, you in here?" he called. No answer. "Come on kid, it's getting late, we should have hit the road by now."
Again no answer. A small gnawing feeling was beginning to form in the pit of Jim's stomach. Blair wasn't in the cave, and he hadn't met him on the path anywhere. So where the hell was the kid?
Slowly, Jim began to make his way back toward the campsite, this time extending his hearing and sight, piggybacking them as Blair had taught him.
A little more than halfway from the truck, he caught sight of something dark on the leaves lying in the path. Kneeling down, he touched it, and realized with dread that it was sticky. Bringing it to his nose, he smelled it, the coppery scent causing the pit in his stomach to grow. Blood.
Standing, he looked around and noticed signs of a struggle. What the hell had the kid gotten himself into now?
"Blair?" he yelled. "Hey, kid you out here anywhere?"
Instantly, his ears picked up a sound. Listening carefully, he heard it again. The sound of labored breathing, and then a slow heartbeat. Yes, there it was again. Blair's heartbeat.
Moving toward the sound, he stopped short when he realized he was standing on the edge of a small cliff. The sight below him caused his heart to leap to his throat. There was Blair, lying below him on a ledge, unconscious.
The smell of blood threatened to overpower him. It was obvious that the younger man was injured, but until he could get down to him, there was no way of telling how badly.
As much as the Sentinel hated to leave him, Jim knew that the best thing for Blair was to get help, so he turned headed back to the truck, the image of his young guide lying thirty feet below him still etched in his mind.
'Just hang in there, buddy, I'll be back as soon as I can.' he thought, as he sprinted off.
Reaching the former campsite, Jim jumped in his truck and grabbed his radio.
"Hello," he said frantically, "Is there anyone there? This is Detective Jim Ellison of the Cascade police department. I'm about twenty miles off the Cascade Highway, on the old logging road. I have an emergency here."
Static, then a voice came back to him, acknowledging the transmission. "This is ranger station six, what is the nature of your emergency?"
"My friend has been hurt, he's fallen onto a ledge about thirty feet from a hiking trail. I need search and rescue to bring him up so we can get him to a hospital."
Silence, then a long sigh. "We'll have someone there as soon a possible, but we have another crisis right now, a group of school children are lost in the high peaks, and all available teams are searching for them right now."
Fear twisted in Jim's gut. "How long will it take to get here?"
"It's going to take them at least three hours to get from their location to the ranger station, then another hour or so to you. We do have additional teams standing by, but they're at least four hours away. Listen, just hang tight, we'll have someone there as soon as possible. Now give me your exact location."
Jim complied and then ended the transmission. He scrubbed his face and gave a frustrated sigh. It would be hours before help arrived. God, he hoped that Blair could hold out that long. Jumping out of the truck, he moved to the back and undid the tarp that he had tied down over the camping gear. He grabbed a line of rope and the first aid kit, along with a couple of bottles of water. As an afterthought, he went to the cab of the truck and snatched the radio from the front seat. Stuffing everything into a canvas bag, he then hurried back to where he partner was.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blair heard sounds coming from above him as he slowly regained consciousness. As realization of his plight hit him, his first thought was that the bear had returned. His body stiffened, causing another wave of pain to course through his battered body. Moaning, he tried to roll into a ball, to ease the pain. Then, he heard someone talking to him.
"Blair, buddy, if you can hear, me, just hang on. I'm coming down to you. Don't move."
He immediately recognized the voice as Jim's, and he let his body relax. His blessed protector had arrived. Maybe he would make it out of this mess alive.
Jim completed his climb down the rope and dropped neatly to the ground. Kneeling down next to Blair, he spoke again, in soothing tones. "It's going to be okay, kid, help's on the way." Placing a hand on the younger man's shoulder, he said, "I know this is going to hurt, but I need to check you out. To see how badly you're hurt, okay? I'm going to roll you over on your back really slow."
Blair relaxed a little and let Jim guide him onto his back, holding back scream of agony as he felt a searing pain in his injured side.
He heard a gasp as the deep, bleeding gashes from the animal's claws became visible, then Jim's voice again. "Christ, Chief, what the hell happened?"
"Bear... attacked me on the trail." Blair said weakly. "I... fell trying to get away."
Jim stared at the torn, ragged lacerations in Blair's side and across his stomach, still bleeding profusely, the smell and sight of the blood again turning his stomach.
"Hey, man, you with me here?" came a feeble voice.
Tearing his eyes away from the wounds, Jim looked into his partner's blue eyes, seeing the pain and exhaustion there. Mustering as reassuring a look as he could, he said, "Yeah, I'm right here." Grabbing the first aid kit, from the bag, he continued. "Look, we need to stop the bleeding from these cuts." Quickly, Jim removed gauze pads, tape and a bottle of antiseptic from the pack. "Just hang in there okay, this is going to hurt like hell."
This time, Blair was unable to hold back the scream of agony as Jim poured the liquid over the gashes. Working as quickly as he could, the Sentinel bandaged the wounds and taped them tightly.
Placing a reassuring hand on the younger man's forehead, he said, "It's okay, Chief, it's all done. Just stay with me here, okay?"
Tears in his eyes, Blair nodded. "Now what?"
"We wait for help to get here." came Jim's response. God he hoped they hurried though, he had detected warmth radiating from the wounds, and he was afraid that the antiseptic may have been too late and they had already become infected. In addition to the gashes from the animal attack, Jim could see several ugly bruises beginning to show on Blair's body from the fall. There was no telling if he had sustained any internal injuries.
Blair began to cough, and Jim focused his attention on the man lying in front of him. "Hey, take it easy, try to breath slowly." Reaching into the pack he had brought with him, he withdrew a bottle of water. "Here, why don't you take a swig of this." Placing his arm around Blair's back he help him sit up enough so the anthropologist could take a small drink.
Wincing in pain as Jim helped him settle back, Blair said weakly, "Thanks, man." A spasm of pain hit him, and he groaned. "Oh, God it hurts."
Jim watched in torment, wishing there was something he could do to take away his best friend's pain. Looking at his watch, he realized that it had only been two hours since he had radioed for help. They still had a long wait ahead of them, and he knew that Blair's suffering would only increase.
Placing a reassuring hand on his guide's forehead, he smooth backed Blair's hair. "I know, kid. Just try to hang in there, okay? I already radioed for help, but they're a ways away. They'll be here as soon as they can." Blair's eyes closed and he relaxed under Jim's touch.
Blair's forehead felt warm, confirming Jim's fears that the cuts had become infected. The younger man's breathing had evened out, and when the Sentinel was sure that he had fallen asleep, he moved over to the backpack and removed the radio.
Pressing the transmit button, he said, "Station six, please come in."
"This is station six," came the response.
"Station six, this is Jim Ellison again. I've joined my partner and assessed his injuries. He needs medical attention as soon as possible. What is the ETA of the rescue team?"
"Detective Ellison, I have advised search and rescue of your emergency. Due to your location, there are unable to send a helicopter. I do have two teams on there way, but it will be several more hours before they arrive."
Jim sighed in frustration. He didn't know if Blair had several more hours without medical attention. "Look, I don't know if my friend has that long, just get them here as soon as possible, okay?"
Concluding the call, Jim signed off and moved back over to sit next to his injured guide. Placing a hand on Blair's forehead, his sense of touch told him that the fever from the infection was rising. Jim sighed, he hoped that the rescue team got here soon. "Come on, kid, stay with me here, please." he said softly to his sleeping friend.
Despite the fever, Blair shivered. The temperature was dropping as night approached, and a steady rain, although light, continued to fall. The slight movement was not lost on the Sentinel, and he reached again for the bag he had hurriedly packed after making his initial SOS call to the ranger station.
His movements woke Blair and he opened pain filled eyes toward Jim.
The older man gave him a reassuring smile. "Hey, how you doing?"
"I've definitely been better, man," Blair responded weakly. Shivering again he said, "God, I am so cold, and my side is killing me."
Jim frowned at Blair's choice of words. Grimacing, he said, "Okay, listen, I have an idea. We need to get as much pressure off that side as possible, and try to keep you warm. I'm going to help you sit up a little, and lean against me. That should take some of the strain off your side. Then we'll get the blanket I have in this bag here over you. That ought to help you out a little. The only thing is, it's going to hurt like hell when I move you. Think you can handle it?"
Giving him a feeble smile, Blair responded. "It's not like I have any choice do I?"
Squeezing his shoulder reassuringly, Jim said, "Not really Chief." Positioning himself slightly behind the young man, he continued, "Okay, you ready? I know this is going to be impossible, but try to relax."
"Do it."
Placing his arm around Blair's upper back, Jim gently lifted him and then slid in next to him, letting the shorter man's head rest on his shoulder. He could fee Blair stiffen with the first movement, then relax. A whimper escaped his lips, but he didn't cry out.
"You're doing great, kid." Jim encouraged, reaching for the blanket he had packed in the bag. "Just let me get this around you and then we should be all set." Unfolding the blanket, he draped it over Blair.
Leaning to rest his back against a tree behind him, he tightened his hold on the younger man. Blair responded by nestling closer to Jim, exhaustion and pain overtaking him again.
As Jim felt the body next to him relax he soothed, "It's going to be okay, Chief, we'll be out of here soon."
A voice responded so softly that if he wasn't a Sentinel, he never would have heard it. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry, for what?" Jim asked, confused.
"Sorry about this. I know you wanted to leave by two today, and I go ahead and mess it all up." was the reply.
"God, Blair, it's not your fault you were attacked by a bear."
"I know, but if I hadn't insisted on going back to get pictures of those caves, none of this would have happened, and we'd be back in Cascade already, not stuck on some mountainside."
"Blair, I should have gone back with you, maybe the bear wouldn't have decided to attack if there had been two of us."
The anthropologist looked up at Jim and smiled wanly. "Come on, man, don't try to turn the blame. I'm the one who screwed up here. Hell, I'm the one who always screws up. You're always pulling my butt out of the fire."
"Chief, you're being ridiculous here. This was not your fault, it was just an accident. And as for 'pulling your butt out of the fire', as you put it, the reason your butt is in the fire is usually because you're working with me. Face it, you're life was a lot safer before you and I hooked up."
Blair's eyelids began to droop. "That's not true, Jim. I found myself in the middle of quite a few unique situations before I met you. True they never involved homicidal serial killers or rogue CIA agents, but even so. And you have to know man, that I would never go back to the way things were."
Jim leaned his head down to rest on top of Blair's. Looking down at his best friend, Jim responded, "The same here, kid."
Blair shivered again, causing a wave of pain to course through him. Shuddering, he said through gritted teeth, "Oh, God it hurts."
Jim rubbed the younger man's shoulders soothingly. "I know buddy, I know." The heat radiating off Blair had him worried. The infection was growing worse, and Blair's complaint of the cold meant he was also probably going into shock.
Just then, the radio crackled to life. "Detective Ellison, this is ranger station six, do you read?'
Grabbing the radio, Jim responded. "This is Ellison, where the hell is that rescue team?"
"They're on their way, sir. ETA is less than a half hour. How is your friend doing?"
"He's hanging there, but he needs medical attention as soon as possible."
"Both search and rescue and Medivac are on there way. I've already radioed the local medical center to expect the patient."
For the first time since he had found Blair lying unconscious on the ledge, Jim allowed himself a small feeling of hope. Maybe they would make it out of this one okay. Not just Blair, but both of them, because over the last three years Jim had slowly come to realize that if anything ever happened to Blair, he truly didn't know if he could survive himself.
"Hear that kid, help's almost here. Just hang on a for me, okay?"
"I'll try Jim." Whispered Sentinel-soft, then the younger man's eyes closed as he lost consciousness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
True to their word, search and rescue arrived twenty minutes later. Jim had heard the vehicles as they stopped next to his truck and then the team's approach as they made their way toward him and Blair.
When they were sure they were within earshot, he called out. "Hey, we're down here!"
Looking up, his was able to make out the face of one of the men as he peered over the bank. "Hang on! We're going to set up some lights and then we'll get you out of there."
'Thanks for the warning', Jim thought to himself, and looked away, shading his eyes from the sudden onslaught of light that swept over both of them.
The voice from above spoke again. "I'm Captain Pierson. The ranger at station six said one of you were hurt pretty bad, that right?"
"Yeah," Jim answered, "My friend. He was attacked by a bear and fell down here trying to get away from him. The animal did a number on his side and stomach, but I think I managed to stop the bleeding. He's got some pretty nasty bruises from the fall, and I don't know about internal injuries." He's also running a pretty high fever from an infection that's set in from the wounds."
"Okay, the closest trauma center is in Tacoma, we'll radio them and update them on the situation. As soon as we get you guys out of there, we'll get him back to our vehicles. The Medivac chopper is about a half hour from here. It's the closest place they could set down. We'll transport him to their location and then airlift him from there."
"Great." Jim called up to them. "Listen, I used to be a medic in the army. If you can send a litter down, I'll strap him in and you can bring him up. That way it'll save one of you having to come down here."
"Sounds like a plan," Captain Pierson agreed.
Jim moved and slowly laid Blair on the ground so he could grab the stretcher basket that the search and rescue team had begun lowering. When it was low enough, he unhooked it and moved it over to his unconscious friend. As much as Jim hated to see him like this, he also felt it was for the best for now, because he knew if the younger man was awake, the jostling he was about to encounter would cause him great pain.
As gently as he could, he picked Blair up and placed him in the litter, strapping him in. Then he motioned for the team to lower the ropes again. He grabbed them and hooked them up to the stretcher.
"Okay, he's all set." Jim yelled.
"All right, men, let's bring him up" The captain said.
With expertise borne of many years working the mountains of Washington state, the team brought the litter up quickly. Another rope was dropped down and Jim clambered up himself.
Moving to the front of the litter, he grabbed one of the handles, almost knocking down the man who was about to take it.
"Sir," the man began to protest.
"I've got it." Jim said, with a look that did not leave room for argument.
"It's okay, Donnelly, help with the equipment." Captain Pierson said.
Jim had found out a long time ago that the eyesight he had as a Sentinel by far exceeded even the best night vision apparatus, and with him in the lead, they made it back to the vehicles in record time. Quickly they loaded Blair into the EMT vehicle and sped toward the site where the helicopter was waiting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The trauma staff had been awaiting their arrival and whisked Blair away as soon as the chopper had touched down. Jim had been lead to a waiting room and told that they would apprise him of Blair's condition as soon as they could.
He had tried in vain to follow the sounds coming from the direction that they had taken his best friend, but exhaustion and fear kept blocking him. Twice, he had found himself starting to zone. He tried to think good thoughts. Blair had made it this far. He'd be okay. He had to be okay. He couldn't even imagine the alternative.
Looking at his watch, he realized it was past nine o'clock. He and Blair should have been back in Cascade hours ago, they had promised Simon they would try to stop by tonight and bring him a couple of the fish they had caught.
Catching sight of a telephone in the corner of the waiting room, he realized that he should call his captain and let him know what had happened. Jim was expected back at work on Monday. He'd have to let Banks know that he needed to extend his vacation, or something. There was no way he was going to leave Tacoma until Blair could go home with him.
As he dialed the telephone, he realized that there was another reason why he felt the need to tell Simon of the situation. Simon had come to care about Blair almost as much as Jim had, and he knew that no one else would understand the feeling of desolation that he was feeling except the black man.
The phone was picked up on the second ring. "Banks residence."
Trying to keep the despair out of his voice, Jim said, "Hey Daryl, it's Jim. Your dad around?"
"Yeah, Jim. You and Blair back from your camping trip?"
"That's what I needed to talk to your dad about."
"Sure, hang on, I'll get him."
A deep voice came on the line. "Jim, it's about time you got home. I figured to hear from you earlier today."
"Actually, Simon, I'm not home. I'm calling from Tacoma."
"Tacoma? What the hell are you doing down there?"
The hopelessness the Sentinel had felt all day began to overwhelm him. "Simon, there's been an accident, Blair was mauled by a bear this afternoon. Search and rescue just brought him in to Tacoma Trauma Center."
"Dear Lord. How bad is it."
"Pretty bad sir. He fell thirty feet or so trying to escape the animal, and we had to wait several hours before help arrived. He's developed an infection from the cuts. They're treating him now. I... I tried to listen to see how he is, but no luck."
Simon could hear the despondency in his detective's voice. "Look, Jim, I'm coming down to wait with you."
"Sir, that's not necessary." Jim protested.
"Yes it is. Blair is my friend too. And there is no way I'm going to let you go through this alone. I'll drop Daryl off at Joan's and be there as soon as possible."
"Simon..."
"No arguing detective."
"Okay," Jim finally assented. As much as he hated having Simon drive the distance, he was glad that he would not have to wait alone, especially if the worst occurred. "And Simon?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Simon Banks made the hour and a half trip from Cascade to Tacoma in an hour, lights and siren all the way. As he drove, he hoped two things. One, that Blair would pull through this, just like he had pulled through every other life threatening event that had befallen him in his short life. Secondly, he hoped that if the unthinkable did happen, if the young man did not survive, that he made it to the hospital before it happened. As much as he felt the need to be there as Blair's friend, he also knew that he had to be there for Jim, not just to support him as they waited for word on Blair, but to make sure that Jim kept some hold on sanity if they lost the young anthropologist.
The captain had watched the two men go from strangers who just happened to each hold something the other needed, to something akin to brothers. Actually that didn't even cover it. They were like two parts of the same soul. Simon sighed. He didn't even pretend to understand the whole Sentinel thing. what he did know is that if anything ever happened to either one of them, the other one would have a hard time going on with life.
Pulling into the lot of the Trauma Center, he quickly parked his car and made his way into the hospital. Walking to the admissions desk, he asked the pretty blond woman sitting there about Blair, holding his breath while he waited for the answer.
"The doctors are still with him. I believe the man who came in with him is in the waiting room down the hall."
Simon thanked her and moved down the hall.
"Jim," he said walking into the room. "Any news on Sandburg?"
Jim turned tired eyes toward his captain. "Someone came in about an hour ago, told me they had to take him to surgery, to repair the lacerations from the bear attack." Running his hand through his short hair, he sighed. "God, Simon, I just don't know, I mean what if he doesn't make it?"
The black man sat down next to him. "Look Jim, I know it's hard. But Blair needs you to be strong now. You can not give up on him. He's a strong kid. I was thinking on the way down here everything he's survived so far. He'll survive this, too."
"I hope so, sir."
Simon patted Jim's knee. "You have to have faith, Jim." Taking in Jim's disheveled appearance, he said. "You know, you look like hell. Have you had anything to eat at all today?"
"Lunch, around twelve or so. Nothing since then."
Simon looked at his watch. It was past eleven now. "That was almost twelve hours ago. Look why don't I see if the coffee shop is open. I'll grab a sandwich and cup of coffee and bring it back to you."
"I appreciate it, sir, but I'm really not hungry."
"Jim, look you have to eat. The last thing Sandburg is going to need when he wakes up is to hear that you've collapsed from exhaustion." Standing up, he said, "I'll be right back."
The captain was pleased to find that the coffee shop was indeed open and quickly grabbed a turkey sandwich and cup of coffee for Jim. Returning to the waiting room, he stood guard over the Sentinel while he ate.
After he was satisfied that Jim had consumed a minimal amount of food and liquid, he sat down next to him to wait for what both men hoped would be good news.
A few hours later, a young man dressed in surgical scrubs stepped into the room. "Detective Ellison?" he asked.
Both Jim and Simon had been fitfully dozing, but came awake at the inquiry.
Jumping to his feet, Jim said, "How is he?"
Holding out his hand, the man said. "I'm Doctor Osborne. I'm the one who treated your friend's injuries. I must say, he gave us quite a scare, but he's a fighter."
"So he's okay?" Simon asked, introducing himself.
"Well, their were no internal injuries from the fall, but the wounds from the bear attack were quite deep and he did lose quite a bit of blood. We were able to repair the damage without any problem though. Our biggest concern was the infection that has occurred due to the attack. We've started treating him with antibiotics however, and he seems to be responding nicely." Smiling the doctor went on, "I don't see any reason why your friend won't make a full recovery."
Both police officers let out deep sighs relief, the tension of the past hours finally easing.
"We've settled him into his room. He's been given something to help him sleep. You can see him for a few minutes if you like. Then I suggest you both get some sleep yourselves. Just ask one of the nurses at the front desk and they'll direct you to your friend's room."
Grabbing Doctor Osborne's hand, Jim shook it. "We will. Thank you doctor, for everything."
Smiling, the doctor responded, "You're welcome detective. Believe me, I like happy endings too."
Turning to Simon, Jim fought back tears of relief. He was not surprised to see the same feelings mirrored on his captain's face.
"He made it Simon, I... can't believe it. I mean I really thought that this was going to be it, you know?"
"I told you, don't ever sell the kid short Jim. He'll probably survive all of us."
"That's what I'm hoping for sir, because I don't know what I'll do if he doesn't."
"Hey, Jim, good thoughts here." Simon admonished. "Now come on, why don't you go see that partner of yours and tell him good night. Then we'll see about finding a hotel somewhere around here so we both can grab a few hours sleep."
Both men moved out of the waiting room. "You're right, Simon." Jim said. "Sandburg's going to be okay, that's the important thing." Walking over to the nurse's station, he got directions to Blair's room and the two men started down the hallway.
Arriving the ICU room, Jim opened the door, and looked questioningly at Simon when he held back.
"It's okay Jim, you go ahead. I'll see him tomorrow during regular visiting hours."
"Just give me few minutes Simon, then we'll head out." Jim responded.
The captain smiled as he watched the Sentinel move to stand next to his guide. Carefully, Jim took Blair's hand in one of his, and placed the other on the younger man's forehead, smoothing his hair back. He didn't need enhanced hearing to know what the older man was saying. He was offering words of encouragement to his best friend, telling him that everything was going to be fine.
Simon sighed. Yes everything was going to be fine, thank God. Jim's words came back to him. 'I don't know what I'll do if he doesn't.' He hoped none of them ever had to find out.
Finis