By JudyL

July 25, 2004

So the Cascade Time's listmom, Angie, has issued another challenge.

"...it's hot, it's summer, and we all like to read, this is an *official story challenge write me something* post.

Here's the requirements --

It's gotta be something Sentinel related. I'm in need of some Jim and Blair stories. Purdy please even. So gotta have J and B. I'd like to have the truck in it. I want hurt and comfort. I don't care if you have elements of humor in it, I like to laugh -- but I like hurt and comfort. I like smarm. I'm a squishy smarm gooey kinda person. I'd like to have some of the other characters in it, even if just in passing -- maybe a Rafe or a Brown. Maybe Joel -- I like Joel. I want it to have some sentinely spirit guidey things in it. I like the whole spirit guide/shaman/vision/walk off cliffs/take a leap thing. I wanted it to be more spiritual. I like that idea. And guidey. Definitely hearing that old heartbeat etc. Doesn't matter how long or short it is.

And here's the real kicker. <g> I found something weird on the Old Farmer's Almanac site. I didn't realize that all the full moons had names. So, somewhere in this story, I'd like for you to use one of these names. I'm going to put the URL in here http://www.almanac.com/astronomy/moonnames.php
and you guys can take a look. I'd like to set a finish up date of -- oh let's say August 30th. That should give everyone who'd like to participate a chance to participate.

So this is an official listmom request. Do any of you care to go forth and answer the call?"

Yes, Angie, my muse jumped up and down and up and down and this flew from my fingers. <G>… You seem to have a talent for challenges. Hope you like it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There. That was the sound he'd been searching for. He tried to open his eyes, but the effort was too great. Instead he focused on the steady beat in his ears and let the darkness take him again.

**********

"Come on, Jim," Blair badgered as he followed his partner out into the garage. "Just let me drive. Please?"

"Uh uh. No way Chief," Ellison said again. "I may be tired, but you got hit on the head. Again. No way am I letting you drive."

They reached the driver side door of the battered, old, blue and white Ford at the same time. Jim pulled the keys out of his pocket and started to slip them into the keyhole.

Blair lunged forward and grabbed the keys then danced back out of Jim's way as the Sentinel reached to retrieve them.

"Give me the damn keys, Sandburg," Ellison glared.

Blair shook his head. "If you won't let me drive, I won't let you drive. You can't even stand up straight, man," Sandburg insisted motioning toward the now listing Sentinel.

Jim leaned back against the truck grateful for the solidity of the vehicle. He hated to admit it, but the ground did seem a little uneven. The case they'd just wrapped up had involved a double murder and although they had a suspect, the evidence was thin. The Sentinel had been on stakeout for three nights in a row, without his Guide due to Sandburg's class schedule. The break they needed had finally come this afternoon. The perp was currently cooling his heels in a cell, but only after an hour-long chase and tackle that had left Blair with a bump on the head and drained the last of Jim's adrenaline leaving him practically cross-eyed from exhaustion.

"What do you suggest, Chief?" Jim asked wearily.

"Come on, Jim," Blair insisted. "The doctor said I was fine. They wouldn't have released me so quickly if I had a concussion. It's just a flesh wound." He jangled the keys. "Let me drive us home. I promise," Blair made an 'x' over his heart, "to stay five miles below the speed limit." He held Jim's eyes. "Okay?"

Ellison sighed and closed his own eyes briefly. "All right, Chief," he said moving away from the door and waving graciously for Blair to do the honors.

Blair grinned. "Hop in Jim, your chariot awaits."

Jim snorted but made his way over to the passenger side. He took a quick look around then climbed in. Good. No witnesses. He smiled sappily at his thoughts but just shook his head at Blair's questioning gaze.

Blair rolled his eyes at his partner's humor as he fastened his seat belt and waited for Jim to put his on.

Jim fumbled with the clasp. "Damn, must be more tired than I thought," he mumbled still unable to get the belt to lock.

"Here, let me, Jim," Blair said reaching over to help. "There's a trick to it."

Jim's head jerked up as the latch clicked into place. "It's broken! And you didn’t tell me!"

Blair shook his head. "Naw, man, it's always been a little tricky. Don’t worry about it."

"Always? You mean ever since I bought it? Blair!" Jim spluttered, unable to believe his friend hadn't said a word about the faulty equipment.

"Jim, it's fine," Blair said patting the older man on the shoulder before he stuck the key in the ignition. "Once it's latched, it works just fine."

**********

"Can you see him?" Banks asked anxiously holding tightly to the rope.

"No," Rafe called back up. "Ellison's seatbelt must have come undone. He's got Blair pinned against the door."

**********

"…so, I was impressed with her research, but kinda disappointed ya know," Blair said as he carefully checked his mirrors and changed lanes. "I mean, it would have been so cool if the Wolf Moon was in May, you know?" Blair glanced at Jim then smiled softly.

His friend had leaned his head against the door and was snoring lightly.

"Told ya, big guy," Sandburg whispered under his breath. He quickly returned his attention to the road as he flipped on the radio. Blair started to hum along with the song.

"Huh!" Jim grunted sitting up suddenly.

"Ah, man," Blair said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. Should be home in a few minutes, Jim."

Ellison frowned and shook his head. "You didn't wake me, Sandburg." He blinked furiously trying to wake up and figure out what had. Jim stared at the road ahead. They were just reaching the bridge. The mid afternoon traffic was flowing along at a good pace.

"What is it, Jim?" Blair asked turning off the radio.

"I don't know…" he replied. Jim's eyes suddenly focused on the bridge. "Oh God! Blair stop!"

Several cables in the suspension overhead were unwinding before the Sentinel's eyes. One of them snapped even as Blair tapped on the brakes to slow down without causing a major accident.

The bridge shook and another cable snapped. A mass of flashing brake lights in front of them almost blinded Jim. Blair applied more gentle pressure to his own brakes and gasped as he looked in his rear view mirror. A tanker truck was on his tail and was obviously going too fast to stop in time.

"Hold on Jim," Blair said through gritted teeth as he yanked the steering wheel to the right and they found themselves rushing down the embankment nose first.

**********

"Dammit!" Rafe swore. "Where are those Fire Rescue guys?"

A soft moan from inside the truck drew his attention. "Blair?" Jim cried out softly.

"Jim," Rafe said relieved beyond words. "Just stay still, man. Blair's right there with you, but the truck is unstable. Don't move," he commanded.

Jim's eyes fluttered open briefly. Why is Brian hanging sideways outside the front window? His fuzzy mind couldn't supply the answer so he let his eyes drift shut again, the comforting beat of Blair's heart still strong in Jim's ears.

*********

"Jim," Blair gasped breathlessly. "Wake up, come on, man, please?" He didn't move to touch his partner, too afraid that any shift of weight might continue their downward fall. He jerked his eyes away from the tree-infested slope before them and tried to control his breathing. It was impossible for Blair to get a full breath.

"Sandburg?" Jim groaned softly, moving his head slightly in Blair's direction.

"DON'T MOVE!" Blair commanded. "Please, for God's sake, Jim. Don't move."

"What happened?" Ellison asked prying his eyes open.

A sharp gasp told Blair that the Sentinel had taken in their predicament. "Honest, Jim," Blair said wryly. "It wasn't my fault, man."

Jim snorted a bit hysterically then took a deep, calming breath. "I know Blair." He closed his eyes against the sudden blinding headache. Must have hit my head. Jim opened his eyes and flicked a glance at his partner. "You doing okay there, Chief?" Blair's face was white.

"Oh, you know, just hangin' around."

Ellison exhaled sharply to keep from laughing at the gallows humor. "This really isn't the time to be cutting up, Junior," he retorted.

Blair grinned weakly. "Mine was better."

"Yeah, well, you've had more time to think it up," Jim said, slowly extending his senses to get a feel for their position.

"I don't think Sweetheart's gonna make it this time, Jim," Blair wheezed. He coughed a bit.

Jim froze as he saw minuscule flecks of blood hit the cracked windshield. "Sandburg."

"Don't, Jim," Blair snapped. "There's nothing," he stopped and took a short sharp breath then continued, "you can do right now, except listen for help."

Ellison fought to control his frustration. Wanna bet? He focused all of his senses on his Guide and took inventory. Sight had already told him that Blair was pale. He was also sweating heavily and panting. Fine pain lines marred the skin around Sandburg's eyes.

Hearing told Jim even more. Harsh rasping breaths indicated fluid build up in Blair's left lung, possibly blood if those flecks were any indicator. That meant maybe broken ribs and a punctured lung.

Smell and taste both gave a hint of blood, sweat, tears and fear.

He couldn't really use touch in the traditional sense, but even from across the cab, Jim could feel Blair trembling with pain and reaction.

"Hang on, Chief," Jim murmured refocusing his hearing to the road above. He could hear panicked voices, engines idling, the sound of wood creaking, stressed metal whining and in the distance… sirens. "Help's on the way, Blair. Just hang tight."

Blair grunted. "Now that was bad," he whispered.

Jim smiled.

*********

"Any luck?" Joel asked gazing over the side at the blue and white Ford.

Simon shook his head. "No, they're trying to decide if they should bring the whole thing up first before they get Sandburg out." He glanced back at the road. "How's Jim?"

Taggert shrugged a worried frown on his face. "He hadn't regained consciousness before the ambulance left."

**********

"Chief?" Jim said turning his head ever so slowly to look at his friend.

Blair sat with his head leaned back against the headrest, his eyes closed.

"Blair," Jim repeated softly.

"It's… hard…" Blair wheezed. "Hurts…"

Jim's eyes widened with fear. He tuned his hearing to Blair's chest and cursed silently. It sounded as though the left lobe had collapsed. "Take it easy, Blair. I can hear Simon up there now. We're almost rescued, buddy."

Sandburg just barely tipped his head in acknowledgment.

So far they'd been lucky. The tree that had stopped the truck seemed to be holding firm. But Jim wasn't willing to place bets that their luck would last. He could hear the bridge above protesting the loss of its support cables. All it would take was for one more to pop and… well, Jim didn't want to dwell on the possibilities.

"Hurry, Simon," Jim pleaded.

********

"I got him…"

"Hold it!"

"STEADY!"

"Clear! Let's get him up."

Rafe steadied the rescue gurney one last time as the people at the top finally began to lift it away. Brian and the Rescue crew started their climb back up to the top of the ravine. Blair's gurney disappeared over the edge before Rafe got halfway there.

He was grateful for the supporting hands that helped pull his aching body the last few feet onto solid ground. Henri and Joel slapped his back and helped Rafe stand.

"Blair?" Brian asked.

As one, H and Joel turned toward the ambulance. Rafe caught a glimpse of Captain Banks climbing in before the doors shut and the vehicle sped off with lights flashing and sirens blaring.

*********

"Shit!" Jim cursed. He'd just heard the terrifying sound of another cable snapping and now, milliseconds before Blair, he could feel the ground shake and the truck start to shift. "Hold on Chief!"

The truck lurched, first to the right slamming Jim into the window, knocking his head against the glass, then to the left. The tree that the front of the truck rested against groaned and started to splinter. Both Jim and Blair automatically braced themselves against the dash. The tree cracked and the men stared in shock as the majority of the trunk fell away and tumbled down the slope. The truck rocked forward then slid slowly, almost diabolically over the stump.

Jim winced as he felt the stump catch and tear at the undercarriage of his vehicle. Unfortunately, it didn't catch firmly enough. The rear of the truck slid around, metal screeched and moaned. The sound of the rubber tires trying to keep a grip echoed through the cab as they skidded roughly down the slope, the stump acting as a temporary pivot.

Blair bit his lip trying not to cry out each time the truck jerked. Small gasps and grunts still managed to pass his lips. Every jolt sent waves of agony through him as his ribs protested the abuse.

The truck stopped, leaving them in an eerie silence for a moment, then an earthy groan started and the vehicle slowly twisted further around. A loud slurping noise from underneath the truck was the last warning they had.

The weight of the truck pulled the tree stump from the tortured earth. The Ford completed its spin and now faced nose down once again as it barreled another twenty feet down the slope. Blair and Jim were tossed against their seat belts unable to do anything more than hold on and pray.

A small copse of trees stopped the truck's forward motion abruptly. The steering column was jammed six inches toward Blair by the impact. Several of the smaller saplings gave way to the two tons of metal and the Ford listed to the left.

Jim felt the truck falling again and grabbed onto his seat belt with one hand and the door with the other knowing he'd be left hanging when the motion stopped. The truck landed hard on the driver's side, supported by nothing more than the stand of trees. The Sentinel felt more than heard the clasp on his seat belt give and tried desperately to keep from falling onto his partner.

It all happened too quickly. The seat belt popped open and Jim's hips started to slide down the seat. His hands slipped from the belt and door at the same time and Jim fell. He managed to twist his body just enough so that he was able to catch himself on the steering column. He grunted as his arm impacted the steering wheel and bones snapped.

Jim jammed his left arm behind Blair's back to try and support his weight. "Chief?" The younger man was breathing but unconscious. Jim shook his head to clear the fog that kept trying to take over. "Gotta stay 'wake," he muttered, his muscles slowly relaxing, gently draping his body across Blair as the Sentinel lost his battle and joined his Guide.

*********

"Simon," Joel called urgently as he, Henri and Rafe rushed into the emergency waiting area.

Banks looked up, his face haggard.

"What happened?" Brown asked as they all reached their captain.

Simon sighed and removed his glasses so he could rub the image out of his eyes. "We almost lost him on the way over. Punctured lung, blood loss," the big man trailed off.

Joel put his hand on Simon's shoulder. "How's Jim?"

The Captain shook his head. "He still hasn't regained consciousness. The doctor is worried about his head injury." Banks sighed and straightened his shoulders. "Did they get everyone off the bridge safely?"

Taggert nodded. "There were a few fender benders, bumps and bruises, but these two were the worst injuries. Fortunately the cables held."

"From what witnesses told us," H reported, "Blair managed to avert a major pile up by getting out of the semi's path. With the extra room, the truck was able to make an emergency stop and just tapped the car in front of him."

Rafe nodded, his eyes glazing a bit as he imagined how the event might have gone down. "Blair saved a lot of lives today, probably even his own and Jim's by taking the truck over the side."

Simon shook his head. "Kid's got more guts than brains." He shoved his glasses back onto his face and met Joel's eyes. "And that's saying a lot."

~~~~~~~~

Joel watched as Simon oversaw the nurses as they settled Blair into the same room with Jim. Simon had been very insistent and the doctor had finally agreed. After all, what could it hurt? Neither man had regained consciousness. Ellison had been out since they pulled him from the truck and Sandburg since his surgery.

Simon seemed a bit troubled by something. "What's wrong, Simon?" Joel asked. What is it about these two? What connection do they have? I know you know my friend.

Banks looked up startled, as if he hadn't realized he had an audience. Simon shook his head. "I can't help but think that if they could touch…"

"What, Simon?" Joel prodded. "What would happen?"

The Captain raised his eyes defiantly. "I think they might wake up."

~~~~~~~

Joel took a quick peek over his shoulder at the door. They'd managed to move the beds side by side without disturbing any of the wires or tubes leading to the two unconscious men. And evidently no one had been alarmed by the noise they'd made.

"Now what?" Taggert asked.

Simon leaned over the edge of Jim's bed and gently moved the Sentinel's splinted right arm out until his hand rested on Blair's bed. "Put Blair's hand in Jim's," the Captain said confidently.

Nothing happened. Banks frowned, his gaze shifting from one man to the other. "Come on," he urged under his breath.

Finally he saw it. A slight twitch of Jim's fingers followed by a quiver in Blair's. Simon smiled and looked up at Joel.

"They're going to be all right," Simon said, his relief and belief evident in his eyes.

Joel blinked. How can you be so sure? He caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and turned his head to see the two hands clasped firmly together. Joel smiled and felt the fear in his heart melt away at the sight. Yeah, they're gonna be fine, Simon. Just fine.

End

The real Full Wolf Moon happens in January. I use GM's May b-day for my stories, thus Blair's consternation that the Wolf Moon doesn't take place during his birth month. <g> So what do you think Angie? Did this fit the bill??

Feedback it greatly appreciated. Judy

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