New
Arrivals
Author-Suzie
Titles
Lost and Found
by Suzie
Summary: Jim has a bad dream. A response to Challenge #7 at Jen & Suzie's Challenge Page.
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: Thank you, Jen! Oh wise and wonderful Beta Beast!
Something woke Blair and he lay very still, listening for any unusual sound in the apartment.
Maybe I was dreaming, he thought when he didn’t hear it again.
Squinting at the red illuminated numbers on his bedside clock, Blair groaned as he realized he’d only been in bed three hours. Rolling over, he snuggled back down into the warmth of his bed, and was just dozing off, when he heard it again.
I am so not dreaming this, Blair thought, suddenly feeling nervous. Jim *must* have heard that. It surely would have awakened him before me.
Blair lay there and waited, wondering if he should get up to investigate. He heard the sound again, but it sounded different from the first time. No, not different … familiar. It sounded like a low, drawn out moan.
Realization hit and Blair sat upright in bed. “Jim!?” He scrambled up and out of his bedroom, not bothering to grab his robe, then headed for the stairs that would take him to his friend’s room.
At the top of the stairs, Blair stopped. He could hear Jim tossing and turning in bed, but the darkness didn’t allow Blair to see anything in the room. Another moan reached his ears and he slowly made his way to the bed. He was able to find the small lamp on the nightstand and turned it on. It was obvious to Blair that Jim was caught up in some dream even before the dim light revealed the tangled bedclothes that enveloped his sweat covered Sentinel as he tossed and turned on the bed.
Blair carefully sat on the edge of the bed. “Jim, wake up,” he called quietly, not wanting to startle the man too much. There was no response and Blair reached out, shaking Jim’s shoulder. “C’mon, man, wake up! You’re dreaming, Jim!”
The first blow stung as Jim’s hand slapped Blair across the face. The second one was a rock hard fist that sent him tumbling to the floor, unconscious.
**********
Jim came awake with a gasp and realized he was sitting up in bed. Looking around, momentarily disoriented, Jim ran his hands over his sweaty face and willed his pounding heart to slow down. That was one *hell* of a nightmare! He thought as he stared at his shaking hands. Taking a deep breath, Jim wondered how the bedside lamp had gotten turned on when his eyes stopped on the still form of his Guide lying face down on the floor.
“Oh my God,” Jim murmured as he quickly got out of bed to kneel next to the young man. “Sandburg?” he said as he felt for a pulse in Blair’s neck.
Carefully, Jim rolled his friend onto his back and was shocked at what he saw. “Blair?”
Blair’s nose was bleeding, there was a darkening bruise on his jaw that spread across his cheek, and a lump forming on the side of his forehead from hitting the floor.
“What happened …,” Jim began, but stopped and starred down in horror as he realized what happened. “Aw, Blair,” Jim said, feeling miserable.
Blair stirred and groaned as his eyes fluttered open.
“Hey, buddy, take it easy now.”
With a startled cry, Blair scrambled away from the big man until his back hit the dresser. There he huddled there, staring at Jim like he was an alien.
“Blair, I am so sorry this happened!” Jim said from his position on the floor. He didn’t want to move any closer to his friend, didn’t want to scare him any more than he already had. “I didn’t mean to hit you, Chief. I was having a dream … a nightmare. I’m sorry.”
Blair blinked, his hand lightly rubbing the sore spot on his jaw. “And you’re awake now?” he asked in a whisper soft voice.
“Yes, I’m awake. I won’t hurt you again … I promise.”
Blair reached up and touched his nose. His hand came away wet with blood and he paled further.
Jim slowly rose to his feet and moved toward Blair. He reached a hand down toward the huddled figure. “Please, Blair … I’m sorry.”
Blair put a shaky hand in Jim’s and let himself be pulled to his feet. He immediately leaned into the solid body in front of him as the room spun around and his ears began to ring. “Oh … man,” he gasped as he shut his eyes.
“Hang on, Chief,” Jim whispered as he hoisted the smaller man into strong arms. Quickly, he moved to the bed and gently laid Blair down. “Stay put. I’ll be right back.”
Blair touched the growing lump on his forehead and hissed at the stinging throb that bounced from one side of his skull to the other.
**********
I can’t believe I hit him! Jim scowled as he gathered towels and ice. He wet a washcloth and dropped it into the bowl with the ice cubes. I’m suppose to be his *Blessed Protector* for crying out loud!
Hearing a painful groan from upstairs, Jim hurried up the stairs to find Blair sitting up on the edge of the bed.
“Hey, you need to be lying down,” Jim scolded softly as he set the bowl and towels on the nightstand.
“I’m getting blood all over your bed,” Blair said. “I’ll just go down …”
“No, just lie back and relax. Don’t worry about the bed,” Jim said, gently forcing the injured man back onto the mattress.
Blair watched Jim’s face as he sat on the edge of bed. Large hands first gently checked the lump on his head, then lightly touched his face around his bruised cheek and nose.
Jim carefully wiped the blood off of Blair’s face with the damp washcloth, relieved to find no major damage and his nose had stopped bleeding on its own. He avoided the eyes he knew were watching him, as he wrapped ice in a towel and held it to Blair’s cheek and nose.
“Jim,” Blair said quietly, and then waited until his friend looked at him. “What happened?”
Jim’s blue eyes were dark with concern as he looked down into Blair’s slightly unfocused ones. “I had a dream … a nightmare.”
“Care to talk about it?” Blair asked carefully, knowing that Jim didn’t normally like to talk about these things.
“Not really,” Jim said, gathering the towels and bowl. “Not right now anyway. In the morning … okay?”
Blair yawned. “Okay, but we are going to talk about it … right?”
Jim sighed, “Yeah … you deserve an explanation.”
“Damn right I do,” Blair said with a soft smile. Then he looked into Jim’s worried eyes and said, “I know you didn’t do this on purpose, man. You were asleep … it’s not your fault.” He started to sit up.
Jim’s hand on his chest stopped him. “You stay put up here tonight. I don’t think there’s a concussion, but I want to keep an eye on you for a few hours at least.”
Blair didn’t argue and lay back down. He didn’t have the energy to go down to his bedroom anyway and his head was throbbing dully. “Can I have some aspirin?”
Jim pulled the sheet and comforter up around Blair and said, “Sure, I’ll be right back.”
**********
Jim woke as morning began to light the loft. Opening his eyes, he watched Blair sleep across the bed from him. Features relaxed in sleep, long curls spread haphazardly and tangled over the pillow, blanket tucked securely under his chin, Jim thought his friend looked too young … too vulnerable. Blair had been beaten, shot, and terrorized by both people and animals during the past three years they’d worked together.
Why do you stay?
Blair had told Jim once he had enough information for ten dissertations. He’d been given plenty of reasons to pick up and leave. He would soon have his degree … and no reason to stay any longer.
Please don’t leave!
Seeing the dark bruises on Blair’s cheek and nose made guilt flare in Jim’s belly. He reached out and gently brushed the hair away from the reddened lump on the side of Blair’s forehead.
Blair sighed in his sleep and snaked a hand from under the covers to capture Jim’s and hold it securely. “Sentinel … Guide … Friends,” he murmured so softly only his Sentinel could hear.
Jim blinked and a single tear coursed down his face to soak into the pillow just above his ear. Those three whispered words told him what he needed to know. He shifted slightly closer to his Guide … his *friend*, and let his hand close loosely around Blair’s, as he drifted into an easy sleep.
**********
Two hours later, Jim opened his eyes again and found himself alone. He immediately let his senses find Blair below in the living room and got a whiff of coffee and fresh muffins, just out of the oven. Sliding out of bed, Jim put on his robe and slippers, and went down the stairs.
“Morning, Chief, how are you feeling?” Jim said, heading for the kitchen and the coffee.
Blair was sitting in the chair, which was in the morning sun as it came through the balcony windows, resting his head back against the cushion. He was now dressed in sweat pants and a T-shirt and sat with his legs crossed on the cushion in front of him.
“Morning, Jim, I’m okay,” Blair yawned as he opened his eyes to look at his roommate. “Have a muffin,” he smiled. Then leaned his head back again and closed his eyes.
“Thanks, they smell great,” Jim replied, his mouth watering. He sliced open one of the still warm blueberry muffins and set it on a small plate before spreading a layer of butter on each half. Then he poured himself a mug of coffee, picked up the plate, and joined Blair in the living room.
Jim had, of course, been monitoring Blair since he’d woken up. Looking for even the slightest sign of discomfort from the younger man. Every time Jim looked at the bruises on his Guide’s face, guilt and anger swelled in him.
“Jim, you can stop now,” Blair said quietly without moving his head or opening his eyes. “I’m all right.”
Jim looked shocked. “What?”
“I know you, man. You were checking on me with your senses, weren’t you?” Blair moved to look at his Sentinel and smiled. “You know it’s the truth.”
Jim set his coffee mug on the table. “I did hit you pretty hard, Chief,” he said softly. “And you did end up with a nasty bump on the head.”
“I know, Jim. You’re still a little upset about what happened last night?”
“Aren’t you?”
“Yeah, but I’m more upset about the dream that caused such a reaction then the fact that you did it.”
“I hit you … I *hurt* you, and all you’re worried about is the dream I had?!” Jim’s anger flared hot as he stood and paced to the balcony windows.
Blair’s voice was calm and sincere as he said, “You didn’t hit me on purpose, Jim.”
“Do you realize that I could have killed you?” he said, staring out at the bay.
“Yes, but you didn’t … and I don’t think you would have.”
Jim turned slightly to look down at Blair. Trusting blue eyes looked back at him. “A Sentinel/Guide thing?”
“Probably.”
They were both silent for a short time. Jim went back to his muffin and coffee. Blair moved to sit at the opposite end of the sofa from Jim.
“Jim, tell me about the dream,” Blair finally said.
Jim sighed and sat back against the cushions. “I was in the jungle. It was dark. I was trying to find you.”
“Me?”
Jim nodded, “You were calling for me … screaming for help. I was trying to find you, but every time I seemed to get close, your voice would come from somewhere else.” He took a deep breath. “I was running, trying to find you and I kept running into Lash and Kincaid and Brackett … just to name a few. They kept trying to tell me you were gone.”
“Gone? Gone how?” Blair asked gently.
“At first I thought they were telling me you were dead.” Jim looked over at Blair with sad eyes. “Then I realized that they were telling me that you had left … gone away.”
Blair swallowed hard at the emotion in his friend’s voice.
“I kept searching! I was desperate! I couldn’t believe that you would just leave!”
“I never would … you know that!” Blair said emphatically.
“I know,” Jim whispered, smiling faintly. “But it was your voice, your calling out to me, that kept me fighting to get to you. As long as I knew you were there I wasn’t going to give up the search. It was as if I knew I couldn’t survive without you.”
Blair stared at Jim, not knowing what to say.
“I must have struck out at you thinking you were Lash or someone,” Jim said, staring down at the floor.
“Jim, I … I …,” Blair stammered.
“There’s been times when you’ve been hurt or held hostage … and I’ve thought about what would happen if you didn’t survive,” Jim said self-consciously.
“And?” Blair prompted gently.
“I don’t think I would … survive that is. I don’t think I’d want to.”
“Jim, don’t say that!”
“You’re the best friend I’ve had in a lot of years, Chief. You’re closer to me than my own brother. You’re my Guide. I couldn’t do this without you.” Jim’s voice took on a desperate tone. “I wouldn’t want to!”
“Oh God, Jim,” Blair sniffled, his voice little more than a whisper.
“You were so desperate for me to find you, and I was looking! You were lost and I couldn’t find you!” Jim reached out and gently wiped away the tears that were slipping down Blair’s cheeks.
Blair looked up at his Sentinel, his voice trembling as he spoke, “Don’t worry, you’ll find me, Jim. You always do.”
Jim was quiet for a minute, watching Blair tried to control his emotions. Then Jim moved to sit next his friend and silently wrapped strong but gentle arms around the smaller, compact frame that was now next to him. Relieved in the response that he got as he set his face against the side of Blair’s head.
I can do this, Blair thought, sniffling as his arms went around Jim’s chest and he buried his face against one broad shoulder. He could let his best friend … his Sentinel … know he cared and understood.
They remained like that for a long time, reveling in the familiar comfort they pulled from one another. Feeling the suns warmth cool as it left the room in late morning shadows.
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