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  Help. Damn. Jim leaned away from Blair and closed his eyes, cursing under his breath. He'd practically forgotten why they were out here in the first place. He couldn't believe that Whittaker and his people had slipped his mind, even for a moment. He reached down to grip his leg as another wave of pain rolled past his imaginary dial. What were they going to do now?

  "Uh....Jim?" Blair's voice was soft in the darkness, almost timid, "Can...can I get up now?"

  Ellison smiled and wondered if Blair realized that their situation had just taken a nasty turn toward the dark side of the force. Probably not yet, he mused. The younger man still sounded dazed.

  "Yeah." He reached out a hand to offer assistance as Blair pulled himself to a sitting position. Jim felt him sway, "Slowly," he cautioned.

  "Whoa," the younger man reached out blindly to grasped at Jim outstretched hand and felt himself being steadied.

  "Okay?" Jim asked, peering through the darkness at his partner as he placed his other hand on Blair's shoulder.

  "Uh...yeah. That was just a little too quick."

  "Just take it slow and easy for a bit. Do you hurt anywhere else?" Although Jim had check for broken bones he hadn't been able to ascertain whether or not Blair had sustained any internal injuries.

  "No," came the answer, "Nothing too outstanding. Just kind of all over. But my head is killing me."

  Jim nodded, lightly touching the swelling on the young man's head. "I'll just bet it is."

  After a moment Blair spoke up. "How about you?"

  Jim thought about it before he answered. How much did he want to tell Sandburg at this point? The young man had enough to worry about as it was, but still....he did have the right to know where they stood. "I...ah...I've got a little problem with my leg."

  In the darkness Jim heard Blair stiffen then slowly make his way to him.

  "What is it, Jim?"

  The injury was making itself known again. "It...," he hissed in pain, "it's not too bad."

  "What?" Blair voice was rising in fear and frustration.

  "My leg."

  Blair felt a small pang of relief. At least they were getting somewhere now. He moved forward in the dark, reaching out to touch Jim's leg.

  "Is it broken?"

  Blair heard his intake of breath and knew Jim winced when his hands located the injury.

  "Sorry, man," he apologized.

  Jim gritted his teeth, biting down as his partner continued.

  "Where's that lighter, Jim?"

  The detective held it out before he remembered his partner didn't have the advantage of sentinel eyesight. He held his breath against the unintentional pain Blair was causing him and placed the lighter in the outstretched hand.

  Jim blinked against the sudden brightness as the anthropologist directed the flame's light to his leg.

  Blair knew there wasn't much he would be able to do for Jim until daylight when he could see the wound but he wanted to make sure his partner was not going to bleed to death before he could properly bandage the leg. He apologized again as he pulled back the torn edges of the denim jeans from Jim's knee. He knew his actions were causing more pain but he had to check the damage for himself. Blair knew Jim would downplay his injury if he thought it would endanger them.

  Through the faint light he could see there wasn't much blood. The knee area was swollen and there was one deep gash just below Jim's kneecap but the bleeding had already ceased. Blair closed his eyes in a moment of fervent thanks. If the injury had been more severe, Jim could have bleed to death before they knew it.

  As tenderly as possible he continued his exploration. Just below the gash his fingers felt an odd deformity. Gently he touched the area and jumped when Jim cried, losing the lighter in the process.

  Blair recovered quickly. "Oh God. I'm sorry, man," he babbled, reaching up to grip Jim's arm.

  After a moment to regain his breath, the sentinel waved down his fears.

  "It's okay, Chief. Just....just take it easy. Okay?" Jim tried to offer the young man a smile of reassurance. It fell horribly flat.

  Blair took a deep breath, fighting down a wave of dizziness and nausea, before moving cautiously back into position beside Jim's leg.. He couldn't tell if the bone was broken or if there was damage to the ligament or cartilage. Either way, the leg had to be immobilized.

  Working blind was not an easy task but half an hour later, Blair had managed to clean and wrap the wound. Jim protested when Blair took off his shirt and ripped it into appropriate lengths to secure the splint to his leg.

  "You're going to freeze," he said.

  Blair snorted and continued with his task. "I don't think one shirt is going to make that much difference. Besides...Mom...I still have my t-shirt and jacket. Okay?"

  Jim lightly cuffed the back of his head, "Smart ass."

  Blair winced at the light tap. His head was still hurting, but he had to ignore it for the present time. Jim needed him. He flashed a grin for the older man's benefit and finished tying the last of the strips of cloth. He knew his partner was hurting too, but it felt good to hear the amusement in the Jim's voice. Finally, satisfied with the results until daylight, he set about making his partner comfortable.

  Their clothes were wet and Blair could feel his teeth beginning to chatter. He bit down hard in an effort to keep the sentinel from hearing. The last thing he needed right now was his blessed protector worrying about him catching a chill.

  Jim had remained quiet during the bandaging, but by the time it was completed, beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead. Blair was certain this couldn't be good for the injured man. They needed to get a fire started and get warm.

  He tried to peer around what remained of the building but gave up after a few moments. Clouds still hung heavy in the sky, obliterating even the faint light that might have been given off by the moon and stars. It was still pitch black to Blair and once again he found himself wishing for Jim's sentinel eyesight, just for a while.

  He started to rise.

  "Where are you going?"

  Blair jumped as he felt Jim's hand clamp down on his arm. It took a moment for him to regain control of his racing heart. "Jeez, Jim. Don't do that. I just thought I'd check the other buildings to see if they're in any better shape than this one. We need to do something about getting warm. And..." he paused to look toward what remained of the ceiling, "we don't know if the rest of this place is coming down or not."

  Jim had been worried that Blair's mind would follow that line. During the two years they had been partners it was usually Jim who was in control and playing the part of the 'blessed protector'. Blair's role was usually in the guise of teacher or instructor. When they had run up against dangerous elements, Jim had always stepped forward without asking or question to take command. Blair had never seemed to mind, in fact, he had seemed more than willing to let Jim handle the situations. After all, dealing with criminals was Jim's world.

  But now the blessed protector was injured and it was going to be up to the young teacher to keep the sentinel safe until he was able to function at full capacity again.

  Releasing control of his welfare was not an easy thing for Jim Ellison, and there was no one, with the exception of his partner, that Jim would have done so willingly.

  But even letting go had it's limits.

  He knew Sandburg couldn't see enough through the darkness to maneuver with any degree of certainty. He also knew Blair wasn't telling him the entire truth about how he was feeling. Jim had picked up the sudden increase in heart beat and respiration in his friend a couple of times since he had regained consciousness. He was holding back, again.

  "I don't think that's a good idea, Chief."

  Blair settled back on his heels. "Why not?"

  Jim stared at him through the darkness. "How far can you see in front of you right now?"

  "What?"

  "You heard me. How far can you see in front of you right now?"

  Blair paused, his suspicions running high as he tried
to reason out Jim's line of questioning.

  "I can see...."

  "Can you see my hand?" Jim interrupted.

  Blair concentrated, trying to see any shape or outline that would indicate the location of Jim's hand. He knew if he wasn't able to see the upheld hand, Jim would never let him get away to search for better shelter. After long moments, the image of a dark mass coalesced before his eyes. He smiled at his success. "Yes," he answered with a new confidence. "I see it."

  Jim exhaled, "Sit down, Sandburg. You're not going anywhere."

  "But...I don't underst...."

  "I'm not holding up a hand." Jim's voice was steady and held no accusation.

  Blair sat in stunned silence, trying to reason out Jim's deception. He had seen the dark shape of a hand. Hadn't he? He frowned, trying to bring back the image that had been before him. Hadn't that been Jim's fist he'd seen through the darkness? Or had he wanted to see so badly he had imagined it. He sighed in weariness. Maybe he hadn't seen anything. He knew from the psych classes he'd taken that during times of stress, people were apt to see a lot of things, real and imaginary. He hung his head. If he couldn't see it would be foolhardy on his part to go stumbling around in the dark in unfamiliar territory.

  "I'm sorry, Jim. I..."

  As if reading his thoughts, the older man quieted him. "It's alright, Chief. You believed you saw it. Nothing else matters."

  "But it does matter Jim. I didn't..."

  "Blair. I know you were telling the truth," he reached to clasp the younger man's forearm in a secure grip, giving it a gentle shake. "The human lie detector. Remember?" Even though he knew it couldn't be seen through the darkness, he sent Blair a reassuring smile and after a moment he felt the muscles in the arm beneath his fingers relax slightly. He knew his partner had believed he had seen something. Jim had been around him long enough and in enough different situations to be able to distinguish the differences in Blair's heartbeat when he was being less than completely truthful with him. It was a skill that had come in quite handy during their partnership. He just hoped the young scientist never learned how to control the rhythm of his heart.

  "I could use the lighter," Blair offered. "It would help some."

  "Not enough it wouldn't. You'd be stumbling around out there in the dark and..." he paused to make sure there was a teasing quality in his voice, "I'm not in any condition to get you out of trouble right now." Jim paused until he was certain his friend understood the remark was made with affection. "We can wait here for the rest of the night. I don't think the rest of the room is coming down any time soon."

  He unconsciously held his breath when Blair was silent for a moment before answering, "Can we at least stay up against the wall until daylight? It's still a couple of hours off."

  Jim smiled at the tone of concern he heard in the question. Blair was willing to acquiesce to his instructions but the younger man still felt a responsibility to protect the sentinel. As much as Jim was Blair's 'blessed protector', in much the same way, Blair was his. And it was a role the young man fulfilled with all his heart.

  "Yeah," he said, beginning to ease himself toward the wall. "We can do that."

  Jim felt his partner's hands come around his chest from behind and assist him to their new location.

  He had expected pain to accompany his movements but since Blair had bandaged and immobilized his leg, the pain had lessened dramatically. Hopefully, he'd be able to move on it by morning. Whittaker and his people couldn't be very far behind them by now.

  He frowned with worry, grateful the night hid his concern. If he couldn't move by daylight, he'd have to get Blair to go for help and that was not going to be an easy task. Jim knew he'd have better luck getting the wind to cease blowing than getting Blair to leave him. He'd have to think of something.

  However, it could wait until daylight. Right now they both needed rest. He settled against the wall as Blair placed his backpack under the injured leg then settle next to him. They were both tired, cold and hurting.

  Jim scooted himself closer to his partner at the same time he reached for the pack he'd been carrying.

  "What're you doing?" Blair asked.

  He pulled the tarp from the pack and shook it out. "This thing may not be wool but it might help us maintain a little body heat," he draped the nylon cover over them both, "Get over here close." Jim slipped his arm around Blair's shoulders and felt the younger man shivering. "Cold?"

  Blair nodded and moved himself as close to his partner as possible, "Y..yes. I didn't realize it until now."

  Jim knew the adrenaline they had both been operating on was fading away. When he'd turned down the imaginary dial to control his pain, he'd also reduced his sensitivity to the cold. Blair had been unable to do that and was now feeling the chill. Jim rubbed his partner's arms briskly to create a bit of friction. "Any better?" He felt Blair's head nodding against the side of his shoulder.

  "Yeah. A little."

  "Good. We'll rest until daylight then see what we can do about getting out of here." He felt Blair's head nod again as his breathing evened out. Jim smiled. Cold, wet, hurt and hunted by killers, the younger man still felt secure enough with Jim around to fall asleep. He knew exhaustion played a large part in it but Jim couldn't help feeling it was also a matter of trust. Blair trusted him as much as he trusted Blair.

  Jim relaxed and settled back as best he could, easing his leg to a more comfortable position. He needed a few hours sleep too.

  * * * *

  It was still an hour before the sun would be up but Thompson already had his people in route. The storm had passed several hours ago but it had taken until now to complete the preparations. Simon was once again traveling with the Federal Agent in the lead jeep.

  Their route was marked along the old logging road. Simon prayed that when Ellison and Sandburg reached the road they would stick to it for speed instead of taking the shorter, rougher route across the mountain.

  * * * *

  Morning sunlight broke over the eastern ridge but did little for warmth. The temperature hadn't dropped as much as Jim had feared it would, but it was still a cool morning. They were fortunate the warm summer weather had lasted as long as it had this year. He silently thanked God it wasn't a month from now and shivered at the thought of October in these mountains.

  Jim had awakened a short time ago and after a few moments to orient himself he had stared in wonder at the destruction that lay before him. Although he had been able to see it during the night with his enhanced vision, it still chilled him in the daylight.

  There was little left of the building he and Blair had taken refuge in the previous night. The back wall had tumbled in on itself when the ceiling had collapsed. The two side walls were still partially standing but the back portion was no longer attached to a roof. The center of the building was littered with fallen debris and Jim was amazed that he and Blair had survived the collapse with as few injuries as they had sustained. The wall they were sheltered against and the stretch of roof it was attached to were all that remained of the structure.

  Jim shifted uncomfortably and felt a twinge of pain radiate from the wound in his leg. His butt had long ago gone numb but he was still hesitant to move much. Each time he did, it increased the pain.

  He felt movement and looked down at the shaggy head leaning against his shoulder. His partner was once again sleeping.

  Even being able to turn down the imaginary dials, the pain had been a constant companion for Jim during the night making it impossible for him to sleep completely. Instead he had used the opportunity to wake Blair every few hours. The younger man had responded slowly throughout the night, a sure sign he was suffering from a head injury, however slight.

  Now that the sun was rising, they would have to be on the move once more and he wanted the kid to rest a little longer.

  Jim smiled inwardly. He caught himself referring to Sandburg as a 'kid' again. He couldn't help it. It was a nickname his partner had become tolerant of since begin
ning his work with Jim at the station. A good thing too, since it was used by just about every one of the other cops in Major Crimes. It wasn't so much his age as his appearance and the child-like enthusiasm he displayed for his work and the world in general. Sandburg had an innocence about him and was constantly able to find new angles and new perspectives on cases that Jim and the other cops had become to hard-boiled to visualize or were slower to see. At times Jim worried about the darker side of his work affecting that innocence. He treasured the friendship that had sprung between the two of them and didn't want to see Sandburg changed. He grinned to himself. Maybe keyed down a little bit, but not changed. If nothing else he was sure Simon Banks would appreciate it. Blair's attitude was infectious and at times that made it difficult for the stern Captain to maintain his illusion of annoyed tolerance toward the hyperactive collage student.

  In truth, there wasn't one of the cops in the entire Major Crimes Unit, including Simon, that hadn't been affected by the non-stop ball of energy that had become Jim's partner. He might have been viewed as the pesky little brother that tagged along with the big kids but they each knew he contributed more than his share to the department.

  Jim turned his attention back to the debris that littered the floor of the crumbled building before him. Timbers lay everywhere from the caved-in roof. He and Blair had been more than a little lucky they hadn't been more seriously injured when it had given way.

  He shifted again and thought about revising his opinion of their luck. His leg didn't feel like it was going to last long for walking today and with Whittaker and his people on their trail their 'not serious injuries' could prove fatal.

  Jim frowned as he felt Blair begin to move beside him. If he was unable to get very far today, he wanted to think of something to convince his partner to leave him and go for help. A task he wasn't looking forward to.

  First of all, his partner was injured. Blair wasn't about to admit it but Jim knew the signs all too well. The younger man was suffering from a concussion. Second, Jim smiled to himself, the anthropologist was one of the most stubborn people he'd ever met in his life. If Blair believed in something, not even an act of congress would sway him. And Jim knew his partner would not believe that leaving his injured sentinel was the logical thing to do. As much as Jim wanted to convince the younger man it was right, he knew that had the circumstances been reversed, there was no way Jim would have left Blair.