Sentinel - Progression Series 03 Full Circle Page 6

  Blair chuckled. "Good for you. Hey, Jim's been awake for almost an hour. Great news, huh?"

  "Yes, it is," the captain agreed, stepping up to Jim's bedside. Looking down, he smiled warmly. "How are you doing?"

  Jim moistened his lips and returned the smile. "Not bad, sir, considering." He reached up with his right hand and extended it to Simon, who caught it in his firm grip. "Thank you for sitting in for Blair at graduation."

  "Glad to do it," Simon assured, releasing Jim's hand. "And speaking of 'sitting in,' I have something here for you, Sandburg." Smiling, he moved to the end of the bed where Blair was standing. Looking down at the diploma in his hands, then up at Blair, he said, "It gives me great pleasure to present you with your doctoral diploma, Dr. Sandburg."

  Blair's gaze dropped from Simon's face to the diploma that was being offered to him. Slowly he reached out and took the coveted document into his hands, opening it slowly and reading his name, printed there in regal script. "Oh, wow," he whispered. "I can't believe I finally have this."

  Simon chuckled. "Believe it. You worked hard. You deserve it, son."

  Blair glanced over at Jim and gave him a smile, then looked back up at Simon. Extending his right hand, he said softly, "Thank you, Simon."

  Simon looked down at the offered hand, then back up to Blair's face. The young man's eyes gazed back at him steadily, an expectant gleam beneath the sheen of moisture. Grasping Blair's hand firmly in his, Simon pulled Sandburg close and enveloped him in a warm embrace. He held the surprised young man close for a moment, pleased when Blair's arms encircled his back to return the hug. "I'm proud of you, kid," he grumbled into Sandburg's hair. He patted Blair on the back a few times, then released him. Lifting one hand to his shoulder, he told Blair, "I mean that, Sandburg."

  "Thank you, Simon."

  "Can I see that, Chief?" Jim asked, gesturing at the diploma in Blair's hands.

  "You bet." Blair stepped up to Jim's side and handed him the diploma. Jim took it, handling it with infinite gentleness. Softly he read, "The Board of Trustees of Rainier University, upon the recommendation of the faculty, hereby confers upon Blair Sandburg the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Cum Laude, with all the rights, honors and privileges thereunto appertaining."

  Blair chuckled and bounced lightly on the balls of his feet. "That's just a fancy way of saying, 'You did it, Sandburg.'"

  Jim laughed softly and handed the diploma back to his friend. Looking up into Blair's eyes, he said huskily, "Congratulations, Chief." He reached up and tugged playfully at a strand of Sandburg's hair, smiling happily. "Does this mean I have to start calling you 'Doctor'?"

  "Only in public, man. But you can drop the formality when we're at home." He glanced back at Simon, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Same goes for you."

  Simon huffed out a breath of disdain. "Before your ego swells so much that I'm forced out of the room..." He held out a wrapped package to Blair. "This is from all the gang at Major Crimes," he explained as Blair removed the ribbon and began tearing the paper away.

  The captain watched proudly as Blair opened the box and removed two tissue-wrapped packages. He folded the tissue away from one of the packages and looked down at it. Simon smiled broadly as Blair looked up at him, pleasure in his eyes. It was obvious he liked the gift, a gold nameplate inscribed with his name and title and mounted on a solid mahogany wood base. "It's beautiful," Blair said sincerely.

  "Open the other one," Simon prompted. Again, Blair unwrapped a nameplate, identical to the first but mounted on highly polished blonde oak. "Simon? They're beautiful, both of them." He looked up at the captain, confused. "But, why two?"

  Simon took a deep breath--this was the moment he'd been waiting for all day. "Well," he drawled out, "One's for your desk at the University..."

  "Right. And the other?"

  "You're going to be needing the other one for your desk at the station." Simon reached inside his suit jacket and pulled out an envelope. Opening it, he withdrew a set of papers and handed them to Blair. "Those are your official credentials. Welcome to the department, Permanent Consultant Sandburg."

  Blair's eyes grew wide and he gaped up at Simon. "The commissioner approved my continued partnership with Jim?"

  "Yep. And you'll be interested to know that it was your thesis subject that finally convinced him to approve your position. He really bought into that 'thin blue line' stuff. Coupled with Ellison's track record over the last four years, he could hardly say no."

  "Oh, man, Simon, this is great!" Blair beamed, looking from the captain back to Jim. "Did you know about this, man?"

  Jim, smiling proudly, shook his head. "No, I didn't." He looked over at Simon. "Thank you, sir. I know the commissioner would have never approved this without your support."

  Simon folded his hands across his chest and smiled smugly. "You two make me look good. I have to keep you around."

  The laughter of the three men filled the room. But it died away quickly as Blair's face clouded with worry. "But what about the shooting? I mean, won't that change the commissioner's decision?"

  "The approval came through before the shooting," Simon clarified. "But that won't affect you keeping your credentials. You can't be in the field with Jim until IA and the DA have cleared you, but that won't take long. I'm sure you'll be okayed by the time Jim has his doctor's permission to return to active duty."

  Blair nodded. "Okay. I can live with that."

  "You realize of course that you have a stack of paperwork to complete and sign in order to finalize those credentials?" Simon warned dryly.

  "So what's new?" Blair laughed. "Cops and paperwork--can't have one without the other."

  "Well, part of that paperwork will set the wheels in motion for you to start receiving a paycheck from the department, so don't complain too much."

  Blair lifted his hands in surrender. "Hey, I'm not complaining. Did you hear me complaining?"

  Simon chuckled, then stepped up to Jim. "I'm going to go so you can get some rest."

  Jim smiled up at him. "Thanks again, sir. For everything."

  Simon nodded and patted gently at Jim's good shoulder. "You rest. I'll be back to see you in the morning."

  /

  /

  /

  Blair studied the nameplates, running his finger across the engraved 'Ph.D' after his name. Smiling, he re-wrapped the gifts, placed them carefully into their box, and stepped up beside Jim. "Can you believe this, Jim? I get to keep working as your partner. I am so psyched!"

  Jim chuckled wearily and closed his eyes briefly. "I told you it would work out, Chief. Didn't I tell you that?"

  "Yeah, you did," Blair smiled down at him. "Listen, all this celebrating has worn you out. Why don't you try to get some sleep. I'll be right here."

  "No," Jim whispered out. "I'll rest, but I want you to go home."

  "Jim--"

  "Go home, get some sleep, and I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

  Blair paused, considering Jim's request.

  "I'll be fine, Chief. In fact, I'll rest better if I know you're at home getting a decent night's sleep." Jim glanced over at the table beside his bed. "Is my wallet here?"

  Blair blinked, confused. "Yeah, it's here in the drawer." He opened the drawer on the bedside table and withdrew the wallet. "Why?"

  "I want you to take it," Jim instructed. "There's some money in there. Get a cab home."

  Blair opened his mouth to argue when Jim stopped him by a shake of his head. "No arguments, Chief."

  Blair frowned expressively, then smiled. "All right. No arguments. But I'll be back first thing in the morning."

  "I'm counting on it," Jim said softly, smiling up at his friend. "By the way, I have some graduation gifts for you at home..." His voice drifted off as sleep threatened to overcome him.

  "Shhhh," Blair soothed, leaning over him and touching lightly at his forehead with his fingertips. "You just rest and get well. That's the only gift I need."

  Part Four
>
  Blair pushed open the door to the loft and stepped inside. A stale smell hit him almost immediately and he wrinkled his nose. Too many days all closed up. The place definitely needed airing out before Jim came home.

  He placed his backpack and the nameplates Simon had given him on the kitchen table, then crossed to the balcony. Opening both doors wide, he stepped out. Exhaustion pulled at him, but he wasn't ready to go back inside just yet. Instead, he leaned on the railing and drew in several deep breaths of the crisp night air.

  He would have gladly sat beside Jim's bed another night if his partner had needed him to. But now that he was home, he had to admit that he was glad. It would be nice to sleep in his own bed for a change. Even nicer when Jim came home, too, and things got back to normal.

  Except normal would now be a little different. A tiny smile pulled up the corners of his mouth. He was no longer Blair Sandburg, grad student and police observer. He was Dr. Blair Sandburg, professor of anthropology at Rainier University and part-time consultant for the Cascade PD's Major Crime Division.

  He shook his head, chuckling softly. If someone had told him four years ago that he would eventually end up on the police department's payroll, he would have laughed in their face. This partnership had started out as a simple thesis, but had spiraled quickly into a deep friendship that turned into a permanent part of his existence, his very being.

  He grinned at the thought and turned from the view of the city, glancing inside the loft, inside his home. Leaning back on the railing, hugging himself against the chill in the air, he let his gaze take in what he could see: The comfortable couches where he had spent so many hours watching TV, working on school papers, arguing with Jim; the fireplace that was always lit on cool fall evenings; the kitchen table where his diploma sat--the piece of paper that represented a monumental change in his life.

  "Count your blessings, Sandburg," he muttered, heading back inside, "Because you're more fortunate than most."

  /

  /

  /

  Blair rolled over, murmuring softly. Something pulled at him-- a sound, a feeling-- he wasn't sure what. But as he blinked his eyes open, he realized it was still dark in the loft. His gaze shifted to the bedside table. 2:14 a.m. He listened for a moment, but all he heard was the soft ticking of the kitchen clock and the low whistle of the wind outside. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He shivered and pulled his blankets higher.

  Then he heard it--a footstep, the rustling of fabric. Someone was moving around quietly in the kitchen. He frowned. Had the hospital released Jim? Had he come home while Blair was sleeping? And if he was home, why the hell was he out of bed? Dammit! It was way too soon for this.

  He could just imagine what had happened. Jim had bullied his way out the hospital, demanding to be released, saying that he was feeling so much better. Blair let out an exasperated breath and shoved his blankets away. Fine. The sentinel may have talked his way out of the hospital, but Blair would be damned if he was going to let him wind up right back in there because he refused to take it easy.

  Crossing the room, he threw his doors wide. "Jim?" he called out. But the kitchen was empty. Shadows snaked across the counter tops and moved up the wall. Blair stepped out of his room, hugging himself for warmth, his robe forgotten. "Jim?" he called more softly, more hesitantly.

  He glanced up, but the bedroom above was empty, silent. Licking his lips, a slight feeling of dread beginning to creep up his back, he padded toward the living area. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I didn't hear anything. Maybe... But then he saw him. The sentinel stood before the balcony doors, his back to Blair, staring silently out at the dark night.

  Blair crossed to him. "Jim," he whispered, clearly relieved, "You scared the hell out of me. What are you doing out of the hospital? You shouldn't-" But the words died in his throat as the man turned and he realized...

  It's not Jim!

  His heart slammed against his ribcage as dark, hate-filled eyes locked with his own.

  No! No! No!

  The single word repeated in his mind over and over as he stared up into the ashen face of the man he had killed. He took at step back, but it wasn't far enough. Pale, icy fingers latched onto his upper arms, locked him in place, kept him from retreating.

  "Did you forget about me?" the dead man spat out, the words echoing in the silence of the loft. "Was killing me that easy for you?" The hands on his arms tightened, drew him closer. "Was it? Was it!"

  Blair jerked upright in bed, his breath coming in great gasps. He looked around wildly, searching for the man he had killed, his muddled, sleepy mind taking several seconds before realizing that it had just been a dream. That he was alone in the loft. He pressed his hands against his eyes, trying to erase the images, the words of the nightmare from his mind. It didn't work.

  Throwing back his blankets, he grabbed up his robe and crossed the room. But as he reached his door, he hesitated, his hand shaking where it gripped the knob. There's no one out there. You're alone. He gritted his teeth and opened his doors.

  The loft was empty. Silent. Dark. He ran a hand through his hair as he crossed to the balcony doors. Shoving the strands back, he wished he could push the dream from his mind as easily. A chill stole over him as he stood at the window and looked out at the sleeping city.

  Why now? Why was he having this dream now? But he knew why. Because Jim was going to be okay. Blair no longer needed to devote his full attention to his friend, and his mind was beginning to process everything that had happened.

  "Was killing me that easy for you?"

  Blair closed his eyes as the man's words came back to him... because he was unsure of his answer.

  /

  /

  /

  Blair finished the last of his bagel and glanced at the clock. He needed to leave in five minutes if he was going to get to the hospital by nine a.m. like he wanted to.

  After his nightmare, he'd spent the rest of the night on the couch, dozing on and off but not really sleeping again. Because with sleep came dreams, and he didn't like what waited for him in his dreams.

  Just put it out of your mind, Sandburg, and get to the hospital.

  Scooping up his keys and his backpack, he headed toward the door. The phone rang before he could reach it. He debated only a moment before answering it. After all, it could be Jim asking him to bring something.

  "Hello?"

  "Hi, sweetie!"

  He smiled as Naomi's voice came through the line. "Mom! Hey, they found you!"

  "Oh Blair, am I too late? Did I miss it already?"

  "Yeah, afraid so, Mom. I am now officially Dr. Blair Sandburg."

  "Honey, I'm so proud of you. Finally, a doctor in the family."

  He laughed. "Just don't ask me to take out your appendix. So where are you?"

  "I'm in Johannesburg. I've been in the bush for the past several weeks. Oh, honey, you wouldn't believe what developers are doing to this beautiful country. It's just criminal. But I don't want to get started on that--I didn't call to depress you with talk of disappearing ecosystems."

  Blair's gaze fell on the box he'd left on the kitchen table, the box containing his new nameplates. "Mom, before I forget, I have more good news. My request for a permanent position at the station was approved. I'm now a consultant, a permanent, paid consultant. So I'll be teaching at the U, but continuing to work with Jim as much as possible."

  "I'm glad, Blair." Naomi's voice lowered and she took on an almost apologetic tone: "I have to admit, sweetie, that I'm still not crazy about you going out on the streets with a police detective every day. I worry. But I know it makes you happy so I'm happy for you."

  "Thanks, Mom."

  "So, tell me," she continued, her tone brightening, "Was Jim there at the ceremony? Did he take lots of pictures? I want to see pictures, Blair."

  "Um, Mom... things didn't exactly work out that way." He hesitated, unsure how much he wanted to say, how much he should say. "Jim was shot in th
e line of duty. He--"

  "Shot!" she blurted out, her voice filled with a combination of fear and shock. "Is he all right? Are you all right? Blair, I'm going to catch the next plane to Cascade and--"

  "No, Naomi, you don't have to do that," he said, his voice overriding hers. "There's no reason for you to cut your trip short. Jim is still in the hospital but he's going to be fine. We're both fine, so just relax. I'm only telling you this because I ended up staying with Jim instead of going to my graduation so there won't be any pictures."

  Silence came through the line, then softly, "I'm sorry, Blair. For both of you. But, sweetie, this is exactly the kind of thing I always worry about so much. It's not that I don't trust Jim. I know he watches out for you when you're with him but he can't predict everything that's going to happen. I just don't want you to be put into a situation that you can't handle. It scares me, baby."

  Blair rubbed his forehead, a headache beginning to throb against his temple. "I know, Mom." He glanced at the clock. "Listen, I don't want to cut you short, but I'm due back at the hospital and-"

  "You go, honey. I'm sure Jim needs you. And Blair, I really am so proud of you."

  Blair hung up after promising to call her back later so they could make plans for a visit soon. As he drove toward the hospital, a small niggle of guilt plagued him as he went over the phone conversation in his mind.

  I didn't lie to her. I just didn't tell her everything.

  He couldn't tell her because he knew what her reaction would be. If Naomi found out that her only child had taken a life, even in self-defense, she would freak out. And would sure as hell say that she had been right all along, that working with Jim was definitely a mistake. Parking Jim's truck, he walked toward the hospital knowing he had made the right decision. That it was in his mother's best interest if she never found out the entire truth.

  /

  /

  /

  Jim looked up as the door to his room opened. He smiled widely as Blair came in. "Hey, Chief, I was getting ready to send out a search party."

  "Sorry, man. My mom called just as I was leaving."

  "Everything okay with Naomi? You don't look so happy."