Title: Consideration 3
Author: Grey
Category: Drama
Series: Consideration
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: m/m, h/c, angst
Pairing: J/B
Website: http://grey.ravenshadow.net

Disclaimer: Blair, Jim, and Simon don't belong to me. It's a pity really, but I sneak around and they let me play with them sometimes.

Summary: After a serious brain trauma, Blair suffers major complications, while Jim and Simon try to cope.

Consideration 3
by Grey
Grey853@aol.com

"Oh, shit, man. What the hell is that?" Blair Sandburg scrambled up out of the hospital bed struggling with the covers and gown. "Jim, man, where are you? Oh, double shit. Get it off."

Rushing out of the restroom, alerted to his best friend's cries, he immediately saw the problem along with most of his best friend. "Settle down, Chief. What's going on?"

"Look, Jim. This is like way worse than a lizard in my pants. What is this thing?"

He couldn't help but grin at the antics, but the smile faded when he quickly realized that Blair really had no idea what was going on. "Calm down. It's just a catheter."

"It's gross. Take it off." Suddenly holding a hand to his head, he stumbled into Jim's steady arms with a moan. "Man, I don't feel so good all of a sudden."

Patiently, he lifted Blair back in the bed so that the IV, along with other tubes and wires, stayed in place. "It's okay, Chief. You just got up when you should've stayed down. You're not ready to be moving around yet."

"Oh, I get it. I guess that's why they've got the room on spin fast."

"You dizzy?"

"Way dizzy, man. So, what's going on? Why am I here again?"

Again was right. Every time Sandburg woke up he asked the same question. He just couldn't keep it on ready recall.

"You hit your head, Sandburg. You've got a little swelling. We're all just waiting for it to go down so I can take you home."

"Swelled head, me? I've never been one to brag."

Concerned that his friend didn't understand, he saw the mischief. A big goofy grin looked great on a Sentinel. "About time you smiled, big guy."

"You made a joke, Chief."

"I'm always making jokes."

"Not lately."

"Oh, I guess that's a good sign, huh? It was way weak though. I'll try to do better. I got standards to consider."

"The sooner, the better. Until you're your old self, we're stuck here."

"The two of us?"

"Absolutely, Chief. We're a team. Even so, I'd rather move headquarters back to the loft."

"Sounds good. I want to go home, too. How many Simons are there today?"

"What do you mean how many Simons?"

"I'm sorry, Jim. Don't be mad."

"I'm not mad, Blair. I just want to understand."

"Okay. I think I was trying to say where is Simon? The words seem to have a mind of their own, which is a damn good thing, since mine doesn't seem to work worth shit."

"It's going to be alright, Chief. The accident was only three days ago. You're doing great."

"If you call having a tube up your dick and in your arm great, I'll eat a fucking dictionary."

Lying back, squeezing his eyes tightly shut against the pressure of the light, Blair tried to control his frustration. "Sorry, man. I just really, really hate this."

"I know you do. I do, too. We just have to be patient. You are doing a lot better."

"Tell me how, because, I can't see it. Of course, I'm seeing one and a half of everything right now anyway."

"You aren't throwing up like you were and your words aren't as slurred. You're only cursing about half as much as you were, and most importantly, and my personal favorite, is that it's been almost 20 hours without a seizure."

"The thing is, Jim, I don't remember any of that. I mean, I do remember puking, but not the other."

"I do."

Blair took note of his sentinel's somber tone. "That bad, huh?"

"Believe me, it's not something I ever want to see again."

"Well, I'm glad I don't remember a damn thing about it then. Sounds like it sucked big time."

"Big time, Chief." Jim watched as his best friend and life mate lay quietly, which in itself signaled an eerie difference. Except in the midst of deep meditation, Blair rarely sat or lay still. Even in his sleep he moved. Jim Ellison held the longest Sandburg watch on record. He planned to keep it that way.

"Hey, Jim, what about my classes?"

"What about them?"

"Who's been teaching them? I'll bet they got that stupidass TA Martin from Archeology. And, what about the mid-terms? Oh, man, this sucks like so really bad. All those goddamn papers don't grade themselves. Hell, they're probably at home multiplying in the dark while we're away. They're stacked up, boffing like bunnies making a mess for me to grade. Man, somebody's got to go stop them before they take over. I swear to god I'm never going to catch up with all the stuff I've got to do."

"Jesus, Sandburg, slow down and take a breath. The brain needs oxygen, too. Besides, Professor Roberts is taking care of everything. Classes are covered, including doing the mid-terms and posting grades."

"Cool. Did you do all that?"

"I picked up the phone and told the Professor what happened. Guess what?"

"What?"

"His grand daughter goes to school with Michael Dobbins. He was glad to do you the favor."

"That's really great, Jim, but who's Michael Dobbins?"

The question cold-cocked the sentinel. He'd been lulled into believing too quickly that things were back to normal. Not so.

He tried to keep his voice even. "He's the little boy you saved, Blair. Don't you remember pushing him out of the way of the getaway car?"

"Guess not. I just can't picture it right now. Maybe later. 'Kay?"

Blair pulled his legs up to nestle back under the covers, trying to get comfortable. He made a face and complained. "I keep forgetting about this lizard baby. Every time I move, it moves."

"I should hope so, Chief."

"I'm not kidding. It's freaking me out, man. It's like it's alive or something."

"Just try to forget about it, Sandburg."

"Actually, considering that I'm forgetting everything else, it'd be nice to add this critter to the list."

A knock at the door, brought Simon into the room.

"How's it hangin', kid?"

"Man, you don't even want to know."

Jim interrupted the puzzled expression by asking, "How are things at the station, sir?"

"Too busy. My two best men are out on sick leave."

"Jim's not sick is he, Simon?" He turned in a panic to look at his sentinel. "Did you get hurt and didn't tell me, Jim? You know you gotta tell me things."

"Sandburg, stop it." The captain's booming bass caught everyone's attention. "I just meant that the two of you are here. Jim's just fine. Doesn't he look fine to you?"

Looking pale and sheepish, Blair flashed one of his best pupdog blues. "Sorry, Simon. I'm having trouble getting the gist of things lately. Jim always looks great to me, but right now everything is like major fuzzy. My glasses don't help. I mean, you're like this huge mother of a shadow standing there, man." Head-heavy he rested back on the pillow. "How come all you cop guys have to be so fucking big? I mean regular folks could get a complex or something."

"You've never been regular folk, Chief."

Turning over carefully to get a better view of his favorite man, Blair smiled sweetly. "Thanks, Jim. You know what?"

"What, Chief?"

"I think my brain must be shrinking."

"Why do you say that?"

"I'm remembering some things I forgot before."

"What things, Blair?"

"You kissed me and I kissed back. Cool."

Simon cleared his throat before he spoke. "Sandburg, it's a good thing Jim's already told me about the two of you or that kind of remark could get both of you into a lot of trouble."

Truly baffled, Blair asked, "What the fuck?"

A gentle arm touched his guide's arm. "Blair, why don't you go to sleep for awhile? Your hands are shaky."

"They're shaky for you, babe."

"Go to sleep, Blair. You'll feel better after a nap."

"Okay, Jim." Rubbing his face into the pillow like a sleepy child, Blair lay still and let himself drop off into a restful slumber.

As soon as they were out in the hall, Simon cursed. "Damn, Jim, he looks better, but sounds worse. It's like he's saying whatever nonsense pops into his head."

"I know. It's like his internal censor has clicked off."

"This could be a real problem. What did the doctor say? Is he going to get better?"

"Sandburg saying whatever wanders through his brain is the least of my concerns right now. He's still having severe headaches, blurred vision, and vertigo. He's on meds for the seizures, but I don't know. He still has a lot of confusion."

"No shit. I guess all we can do is wait, huh?"

"Yeah, but I'd wait a lifetime as long as he gets better."

"Who'd have guessed you to be so goddamn romantic, Ellison. The surprises are just piling up like shit around here."

"Thanks, Simon. Your support means a lot to me."

Placing a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "Jim, you're worn out. I'll bet you haven't slept since this started. Why don't you go home and get some sleep? I'll watch the kid for awhile."

"No way, Captain. Besides, I couldn't sleep without Blair there anyway."

"Do I want to know why that is, Jim?"

"His heartbeat."

"You get hit in the head while I wasn't looking? What are you talking about?"

"Blair's heartbeat. I can't go to sleep without hearing it."

"Yep, a regular goddamn romantic."

"I'm serious, sir."

"I believe you, Jim. Why don't you go take a listen to him now while he's conked out. Maybe you can get some rest, too. It won't do the kid any good, if you collapse from exhaustion."

"I'll be fine, sir. I just need to get Blair well and home."

"Sure thing. Now, go take a nap with your buddy." Flustered when he heard his own words, Simon tried to recoup. "I didn't mean it like that."

Jim smiled at his friend's discomfort. Knowing that the captain tried so hard to understand, meant a lot. "It's okay. I know what you meant."

"Good. Okay, well, I'll come back later tonight then. Call me if anything comes up or you need anything."

"Sure thing, Simon. Thanks."

"For what?"

"For being here and being a good friend."

"Jesus, Jim Ellison, butch cop of the year turning into a softy. Romantic as hell. It's starting to get scary."

"I know. And guess what?"

"What?"

"It's going to get a whole lot scarier."

"Why's that, Jim?"

"Because romance isn't dead. He's sleeping just a few feet away and he's all mine."

"I'm leaving, Jim. I'm overdue for a strong dose of the criminal element. Suddenly I feel a mucho macho attack coming on."

Jim chuckled as his captain walked off scratching his head in bewilderment, completely befuddled at the new Jim Ellison, the Sandburg edition.

The End