New
Arrivals
Author-Suzie
Titles
Explanations
by Suzie
Summary: Jim wants to find out why. #2 in Writer's Block Series #2.
Disclaimer: Some of the characters in this story belong to the UPN Network and Pet Fly Productions as part of the television show The Sentinel. I do not claim these characters as my own. No money has changed hands.
Notes: Thanks, Jen, oh wonderful Beta Beast! <G>
"Jim?" Blair's soft voice called into the room.
"Right here, Chief," Jim answered immediately, moving to sit on the edge of the bed.
"How long ... have I been here?"
"Six days total now."
Blair moved slowly to look around.
"They moved you out of ICU this morning," Jim smiled. "Do you remember that?"
Blair gave a little sigh. "Vaguely. When can I ... get this off?" he asked, indicating his leg still in traction.
"Probably tomorrow. The Doctor said those last x-rays looked really good."
Blair was making great progress and becoming more alert every time he woke up. The Doctor had encouraged Jim to get Blair to talk a bit more to exercise his lungs and help his memory.
"Jim," Blair frowned. "I think I'm ... starting to ... remember the accident."
"Feel like talking?" Jim asked, cautiously.
Blair nodded. “Help me … sit up?”
Jim smiled as he pushed the button to raise the head of the bed. Blair used Jim’s right arm as an anchor to help him adjust to the change of position.
"That's enough," Blair groaned as he reached a half-sitting, half-reclining position.
"You okay?" Jim asked, concerned.
"Yeah ... gimme a sec," Blair gasped quietly, eyes closed.
"Take your time."
After a minute, Blair's hand relaxed on Jim's arm and he thought Blair had fallen asleep. Then he opened his eyes and smiled up at Jim.
"I remember ... a van getting hit ... in an intersection," Blair said quietly, words still coming in gasping breaths, though there was improvement. "There was a lady ... in the van ... she was hurt. I was telling her ... that help was coming." He frowned, then asked, "What happened, Jim?"
Jim sighed, wishing he didn't have to tell Blair anything, but knowing he had to. "Another car, driven by a drunk driver, ran into the pile up you witnessed ... while you were inside the van. You ended up being thrown out through the windshield."
"The lady in ... the van?" Blair questioned. "She was hurt ..."
"She didn't make it, Chief," Jim answered. "I'm sorry." Please don't remember any more.
"I remember sitting ... with her ... telling her everything ... would be okay," Blair said, his breathing becoming a bit harsher. "What about ... the other people ... at the scene?
"One other bystander was killed. He was assisting the driver of one of the other cars involved. There were a dozen or so other injuries ... not too serious. They've all left the hospital now."
"There was something else ...," Blair thought aloud, the constant dull headache from the concussion, along with the drugs, clouding his mind. "The lady I sat with ... Samantha?"
Jim nodded, sadness showing in the big man's eyes. Please don't go there, Chief.
Blair blinked as the statement on his Sentinel's face confirmed the foggy memory. "There were kids ... in the van ... backseat ..."
Jim only looked into Blair's eyes and shook his head slightly. He couldn't bring himself to say the words and he watched the depths of his Guide's blue eyes fill, then overflow with tears.
"They ... were ... alive," Blair gasped out in sobs.
Jim carefully and gently gathered Blair against his chest, letting his friend cling to him. "Shhh ... there was nothing you could have done." He reached for the call button and asked the nurse to bring something to calm Blair down.
The crying and sobbing caused massive pain to course through Blair's body, but the young man didn't care. He couldn't stop the flood of tears as the memories of that evening raced through his mind. They were all alive! "It's ... not ... fair!" Blair gasped painfully.
"I know, buddy, I know."
Blair didn't notice the nurse as she came in and administered the medication to his IV line. Jim felt him begin to relax almost immediately.
"Why?" Blair cried softly.
"I wish I knew," Jim whispered.
The sobs slowed until they became slight gasps. Jim gently laid Blair back against the bed, pulling the blanket up, and brushing the hair from Blair's tear streaked face. "Rest," he whispered, gently brushing at a few stray tears slipping from barely open eyes.
Blair trembled slightly and reached for Jim's hand. "When can I ... go home?"
"In a few more days." Jim held and stroked the hand in his. "Sleep now."
Blair shook his head and fought to remain awake.
"You need to rest. There's plenty of time to talk," Jim said soothingly. "I'll be right here when you wake up." He watched Blair blink slowly. "Close your eyes now, Chief. Sleep for awhile."
Blair looked at his Sentinel one last time before his eyes became too blurry and he let them fall shut.
Jim sat, quietly watching his Guide sink into sleep. He knew that Blair would ask him again ... *why*. People ... children ... had died and he would want an explanation, but Jim didn't have one. How do I explain the stupidity of other people? How do I explain that one person was in a hurry and the other’s blood/alcohol level was nearly .3? How do I explain why the innocent die while the guilty live on?
Jim let his eyes trace the cuts and scrapes on Blair's still pale face, and the twenty stitches across his forehead. He had counted those stitches himself many times over the last few days. A vision of Blair being tossed around the front seat, then crashing through the windshield of that van forced Jim to close his eyes and take a deep breath. The emergency crew had found Blair a good ten feet from the front of the van.
Anger surged through the Sentinel as he shifted back to the chair beside the bed. Blair will want an explanation and, damn it, I'm going to find one!
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end