Educating Simon
This is a January Themefic for Sentinel Angst. Write a missing scene that hasn’t been done often. I couldn’t recall reading anything that covered this particular scene.
This takes place after ‘Siege’ but before ‘Killers.’
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Simon opened his door and let Ellison and Sandburg into his home. He led the way into the living room and motioned for them to take a seat while he grabbed a cold six pack from the kitchen.
He had requested a full briefing from Ellison. He needed to know what had been going on with Jim while the two of them were storming the PD. But after a little thought, and a few days to consider, the office didn’t seem the right place to have the conversation. Especially since Jim had insisted that Sandburg needed to be there too.
Banks really didn’t know what to make of the anthropologist. His appearance certainly didn’t inspire confidence in the no-nonsense captain. But if Simon was honest with himself, a man’s choice of clothes and how he wore his hair had little to do with his trustworthiness.
From everything Joel and Rhonda, and even Daryl had told him, Sandburg had stood up to Kincaid and been quite resourceful throughout the whole incident. At the very least, Banks owed it to the man to listen with an open mind.
“So,” Simon said, opening his own beer and taking a swig. “Let’s have it. What’s the real reason Sandburg needs to ride along with you?”
Ellison met his friend’s eyes then turned to Sandburg. “Blair can explain it better than I can, Simon.”
Blair? Simon’s
eyes widened a bit. On a first name basis
already?
It had taken months, maybe even close to a year before Jim had used Simon’s first name. In fact it had been the Christmas after Jack disappeared. Banks had invited Ellison for a quick beer, but one had turned into two and before they knew it both men were snookered.
Jim had been stone drunk, lamenting the loss of previous partners,
his men in
After that night, Jim seemed to turn around a bit. He was more accessible, not quite so much the loner, though he still had a rep for being a hard ass. And he’d started to call Simon by his first name when they were off duty.
The fact that Sandburg had already gotten through Jim’s defenses enough to be accorded that trust was astonishing. Simon turned his attention to Sandburg and watched him thoughtfully as the younger man began to talk about Sentinels, heightened senses and how it all related to Jim Ellison.
Despite the seemingly endless energy the man displayed as he paced the floor, speaking and waving his hands in broad, rapid gestures, Sandburg obviously knew his subject. He explained how Sentinels of old were the watchmen for their tribes and how their senses gave them the ability to predict bad weather, find game and warn their people of danger.
Other people had enhanced senses, but only a Sentinel had all five. And Ellison was a Sentinel. Sandburg wanted to help him learn to manage those senses and in return he would write about Jim for his doctorate.
Simon saw Jim frown a bit at that last statement, but Sandburg had already started outlining his plans to test Jim’s abilities and help him fine tune the skills so that the detective could use them at crime scenes. He briefly described what Jim had already done with the Switchman case.
Banks nodded thoughtfully as Sandburg wound down. The anthropologist stopped and stood still for a moment, watching Simon, expecting some reaction. When none was forthcoming, Blair sat down beside Jim and cast an anxious look at the Sentinel. Jim just shrugged.
“Okay,” Simon said finally. “But I don’t understand why you have to ride with Jim. Can’t you do your tests and research after hours?”
“NO!” Blair exclaimed. He stopped himself and took a deep breath before continuing. “Part of helping him is figuring out how he should handle his senses in the field and I can’t do that unless I see Jim ‘in the field.’” Sandburg took another breath. “Look, Simon,” obviously he had no trouble using people’s first names, “there are some things that you need to know,” Blair shot a quick look at Jim, the Sentinel nodded his permission.
“When a Sentinel is using his senses,” Blair explained, “sometimes he gets so focused on one sense that he may get lost in it. I call it the zone out factor. This zone out is sort of like a black out. The Sentinel is unaware of what’s going on around him. That’s why Sentinel’s have partners to back them up. To help them keep from zoning and to bring them out of the zone if it happens.”
Simon shook his head and looked at Ellison. “I can’t let you out on the street like that Jim.”
“Simon…” Jim started, sitting forward quickly.
Banks raised his hand to silence his detective, but Sandburg interrupted.
“Captain Banks,” Blair said his tone suddenly authoritative. Simon met Sandburg’s blue eyes and found that he couldn’t look away. “You’ve seen Jim use his senses, and in all the weeks that we’ve been working together, I’ve only seen him zone a handful of times. And then it was only when he was caught off guard by something. I’m sure that as he learns to use his senses, the possibility of zoning will become negligible. In the meantime, that’s why it’s so important to let me ride with him. And Jim will promise not to use his senses when he’s alone,” Blair turned his head to look at Jim. “Right, Jim?”
Simon blinked and shook his head as Sandburg broke eye contact. What the hell? He watched the kid hold Ellison’s gaze until the older man nodded reluctantly, agreeing to play it safe when he was on his own.
Sandburg turned back to Banks with a blazing smile. “See, Simon? Everything will be fine.”
Banks tried to hide the puzzled look he knew he must have on his face by downing the rest of his beer. That done, he stood and glared down at the men before him. “All right. We’ll give it a try.” He shook his finger at them. “But if I hear one word or see any evidence that Jim is having problems with this zone thing… I’ll have both your asses behind a desk so fast you won’t know what day it is. Capeesh?”
Jim grinned up at his boss. “We hear you, Simon.”
“Thanks, Simon!” Sandburg chirped.
Simon sighed and rolled his eyes. Somehow he knew his life was going to get a lot more interesting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jim and Blair walked down Simon’s sidewalk to the truck. Sandburg looked over his shoulder before he climbed into the vehicle.
“What’s wrong, Chief?” Jim asked as he started the car.
“I don’t think he likes me very much,” Blair admitted glumly.
Ellison grinned and pulled out onto the street. “He hardly knows you, Chief. Besides, I didn’t like you much when we first met either.”
“What!” Blair exclaimed with false dismay. “What’s there not to like? I’m funny, good-looking, and have an endless supply of witty conversation.”
Jim chuckled. “Well, Chief, let’s just say you don’t exactly fit a cop’s picture of a model citizen.”
Sandburg turned in the seat to get a better look at Ellison. “Oh, that hurts Jim and just goes to prove that you guys need to lighten up and stop taking people at face value. I mean, look at the way Simon dresses. Tailored suit, tie, he looks like a model for the perfect Captain, but I bet if you put him in old, worn out jeans and a faded T-shirt in the wrong part of town that he’d get the same kind of response from the cops that I get.”
Jim frowned.
“Simon’s credibility doesn’t come from the clothes he wears, but from his experience and ability,” Blair continued, “but if I gave him that same example he’d know exactly what I was talking about. A person’s race or dress shouldn’t stereotype them, but…” Sandburg shrugged and straightened to face forward once again.
The truck was silent for a moment, and then Jim spoke.
“Maybe you should tell him,” he suggested.
“Huh?” Blair asked.
“If you think he doesn’t like you because of how you dress, maybe you should give him the example you just told me.” Jim shrugged. “Personally, I think he just needs more time to get to know you, but it might speed things up.”
Blair stared thoughtfully out the side window for a few minutes. Jim stopped the truck to let Sandburg out in front of his ‘apartment.’ The student hopped out then turned to lean back into the truck for a moment. “Thanks, Jim. I think I will talk to Simon.”
Jim grinned. “Great.” He cast a worried look at the dimly lit doorway. “Go on, Chief. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Good night, Jim,” Blair said before slamming the truck door closed and moving toward the warehouse.
Ellison watched until the door was closed and presumably
locked. He shook his head as he drove away. Got
to convince the kid to move to a better neighborhood.
Finis
Feedback please. Judy