Just a little snippet written for the 4th of July.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“It’s going to rain, Sandburg,” Jim argued as his roommate continued to fill the picnic basket.
“Ah, come on, Jim,” Blair wheedled, “it’s the Fourth of July, man. We have to go see fireworks. Where’s your sense of national pride?”
“Hopefully here, dry, at home,” Jim grumbled.
“Please?” Blair said turning on the puppy dog eyes.
Jim sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Chief,” he started wearily.
“What is it Jim?” Blair asked, concern pouring off of him.
Ellison sighed again then gave a half shrug. “It’s just really hard,” he admitted softly.
Blair’s eyes narrowed as he tried to decipher his friend’s cryptic remark. “Your senses, you mean?”
Jim nodded, keeping his eyes averted.
“Do you want to go, Jim? I can help you, if you do.”
The Sentinel looked up. “You think so?”
Blair grinned. “Sure Jim. It’s just a matter of adjusting to the sounds, sights and smells. You’ve worked under much more difficult situations than a few fireworks.” He put a hand on Jim’s shoulder. “You can do it, Jim. If you want to.”
Jim held his friend’s gaze for a long moment then nodded slowly. “Okay Blair. If you will help me. But I may have to leave early.”
Blair patted Jim’s shoulder. “Cool! This will be great. And if it gets to be too much, just let me know. We can come home and watch from the balcony.”
~~~
They stood on the hillside overlooking the bay. Small groups of people huddled around them under blankets and umbrellas, all watching the firework display overhead.
“I told you it was going to rain, Sandburg,” Jim said peering out from under the blanket they held over their heads in a vain attempt to stay dry and still watch the fireworks.
“Yeah, yeah,” Blair replied, “but at least it’s not cold.” He grinned cheekily. “And you seem to be handling things okay. Right? You’re not having any trouble with your senses, are you?”
Jim shook his head as thunder rolled across the sky accenting the sound of the fireworks. “No. I’m good. Now be quiet and watch the show,” he teased loudly so as to be heard over the thunder.
“Quiet?” Blair shouted with a grin. “There’s nothing quiet about this show. It’s bright and noisy and wet. Whooooeeeee!” he yelled exuberantly.
Ellison chuckled and shook his head feeling a bit like letting loose with a whoop of his own. Blair’s passion for life was contagious. His young friend had once again freed Jim from the shackles his senses sometimes became.
Blair glanced at Jim. “Thanks for coming, Jim.”
Jim leaned toward Blair until their shoulders touched. “Thank you, Blair, for helping me to be able to enjoy this again.” He looked into Blair’s eyes and smiled at the warmth he saw there. Another round of fireworks exploded over head, reflecting in his partner’s eyes. “Happy Fourth of July, Chief.”
Together they lifted their faces to the rain and watched as fireworks lit up the cloudy sky. The rumble of the explosions echoed through them, felt as well as heard. A not so subtle reminder of the price paid for freedom.
“Happy Fourth, Jim.”
The end
Feedback is greatly appreciated. Judy