Gen-Dues for January 2010. Spoilers: Cypher (1.5)
Rating: PG Content warnings: none
Summary: Yet another take on the angst filled Cypher episode, with more Jim whump this time (as compared to my other fics Hiding in plain sight and Zero replacement value).
Author's notes: unbeta'd and terribly late
Flawed, or should that be floored?
Jim parked neatly in the space outside the Loft building. He would only be a few minutes and he'd already been stuck in heavy morning traffic on the way over. He hurried through the lobby and as usual the lift was out. Never mind, he liked the exercise, he thought, as he jogged a steady pace up the stairs. He flashed back to running full pelt up the stairs two days ago after reading the beeper message, only to find the trashed front door and apartment. A heart stopping moment of horror.
On the third floor his elderly neighbour at 309, Mrs Casson popped out, the sweet smell of baking wafting out, making his nose twitch in delight.
"Detective. You got the new key alright then?"
"It's Jim, remember and thanks."
"Don't thank me, thank my son- he was glad to help. How's Blair doing? I baked a cake and some cookies."
"Smells good, Mrs C. He got the all clear this morning. We're going to rest up in town for a day or so. I'm just grabbing some gear. I'm sorry about all the fuss and drama," he said as he fiddled with the new key and lock on the door. He dialled up his senses to appreciate the wonderful baking aroma. He was glad his senses had calmed down after rescuing Blair. Things had been a little wonky.
"You come by for the baking in a minute when you're done then."
"Yup." Jim replied absently as he shut the door.
0o0
Blair jerked upright, his magazine slipping off his lap, as the nurse came back into the room- a breeze of starched linens and towels. He hadn't realised he'd dozed off in the chair.
"Oh, sorry hon- I thought you'd gone." It was Sarah, the day shift nurse who'd been one of the team looking after him post-David Lash debacle. "You waiting for me?" she smiled at him.
"Another time maybe," he smiled back "but, no I'm waiting for Jim to return with some clothes and my backpack."
"That's the long yard of tall dark and handsome we couldn't get to move from your bedside for two days?"
Blair laughed at that. "Yeah. He said he'd only be half an hour or so. My attending cleared me this morning and I only had to wait for the paperwork to confirm the last tests. Jim's been gone over an hour and a half. I've done paperwork and you need your room and bed back."
"Well, where did he go for your clothes? New York?" she asked with a grin as she stripped the bed of linens and headed towards the bathroom.
"Ha, no- right here in Cascade. I know the traffic can be nasty but this is ridiculous."
"I'm sure he'll be back," her words slightly muffled behind the partially shut door.
"Yes, I'm sure he will," Blair said quietly to himself.
He thought about how lucky he'd been to survive Lash's kidnap and drugging. Sure he'd passed out at first, but later he'd developed a slight heart arrhythmia. He'd been stuck in a bed as the drugs were flushed out of his system (literally) and hooked up to scary heart monitors all night. All Blair remembered was that when he woke up Jim was there, no matter what the time. Jim had refused to leave, the medical staff said.
And Jim had to be sporting a few injuries himself after the fight and falling through the window with Lash. He couldn't remember if he'd asked and what Jim's reply was. The big lug had better be alright, or Blair was going to tell him off in no uncertain terms. When he saw him again that was- if he ever saw him again.
Jim hadn't said which hotel, but it as long as it was comfortable and took his mind off what had happened at the Loft and warehouse, he was good with that. Blair had no doubt that he'd be cared for- unlike David Lash whose flawed, warped mind had turned even his own father against him. Lash had become a predatory, needy monster trying to be somebody else, someone better, someone different.
Blair had only ever been encouraged by Naomi to be himself.
He glanced at his watch again. Still no Jim. He wondered if Jim had been re-routed to the PD, maybe he should catch a cab to there. He felt slightly panicked and embarrassed that he couldn't, didn't want to go back to the Loft yet. Jim didn't seem to mind, he had taken it in his stride, just like he always seemed to. Yeah, Jim was a rock.
Oh God, he was channelling Simon and Garfunkel now…
Time to do something. He stood up and made his way to a nearby pay phone since he couldn't use his cell on the wards, grateful for Jim's donated bag of 'emergency' coins. There was no answer at the Loft. He left a message on Jim's beeper too. With his next coins he dialled the PD.
"Simon. Is Jim there with you?"
"No. He said you were getting out this morning and asked for a few days off. Which I granted, since he was black and blue as well."
"He went to get some stuff from the Loft and he's been gone too long."
"I can send a patrol car by to check if you'd like. I'm tied up here and so's the rest of the squad."
"Thanks Simon, I really appreciate it. Maybe if you knew the hotel I could go there."
"No, stay where you are."
"Alright. I…" he broke off, Sarah appeared at his side. "What is it?"
"He's here."
"Simon, a nurse says Jim's here. It's okay…." His words trailed off as Sarah shook her head at him.
"I saw the admit board in ER. They just brought him in."
"What?!" he said in disbelief, forgetting he was still holding the phone which was squawking at him.
"He's in the ER. Gotta go!" He slammed the phone back on the hook and sped off following the red lines on the floor that guided him to the lift and got out on the ground floor.
0o0
At the admit desk he asked about Jim, what he'd been admitted for.
"Are you a relative or have medical legal rights?"
"He's my work partner at the police department. He's very sensitive to medical treatments I have to know what's wrong and help your doctors out! They might kill him if they give him too much or too little drugs- he has unpredictable reactions!"
The receptionist looked at him like he was crazy, her eyes flicked over to the security guard in the corner.
"Look, in his wallet there'll be his emergency contacts. Phone them." He dared her. Knowing that his cell phone was in his pocket. She dug through the papers and dialled. His phone vibrated and then rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and waved it at her.
"You're Blair Sandburg?" she noticed the med bracelet on his left wrist and put her hand on his arm to turn it round and read it. "Cubicle two. Breathing difficulties and a rash," her tone was apologetic.
Blair rushed through aiming for the triage area. A nurse stopped him. He held up his bracelet- he had no other ID on him- "My friend detective Jim Ellison- what's causing his rash and trouble breathing? I may be able to help. I'm his emergency contact. What happened?"
"He's unresponsive. We've had to put him on Oxygen. He has contact dermatitis on his hands and face."
By now they'd reached the cubicle, the nurse swept back the curtain revealing Jim hooked up to bleeping machines.
"Doctor Carlisle, this is Detective Ellison's emergency contact."
"Have you an idea what might have caused such a violent reaction? The paramedics found him unconscious on the floor of your apartment. A neighbour said there'd been an incident recently. She'd had the door lock replaced and her son touched up the damaged wood floor."
"Well the door lock was smashed in. I suppose there could be wood particles still in the air from sanding and drilling. They could catch in his throat or make him sneeze badly, if he was feeling bad." Blair thought furiously as the nurses tried to soothe the red skin on Jim's hands on one side of his face.
"But why would he react to new varnish this badly if you have a wooden floor. It must have been varnished or had work done on it before." The doctor queried.
"We need a sample of the new varnish. If it's old school then it'll have harmful petrochemicals, acrylics and God know what in it. That's got to be it. It's triggered a huge reaction this time. He can be very sensitive to odors. The residual solvent fumes would knock him out easy."
"I'm recommending an anti inflammatory cream to reduce the dermatitis. If that's not enough we'll have to try a topical steroid cream. But his breathing's deteriorating." Blair had noted the dropping numbers on one machine and the irregular beeps on another and Jim's sweating face.
"Did the paramedics give him epinephrine?"
"Yes. And we administered another dose here. I'm reluctant to give him more for overloading his system. I'm hoping he'll settle down."
"Let me see if I can get through to him." Blair pushed past the Doctor and a nurse moved out of the way. He stood next to the bed and leant over next to the unaffected side of Jim's face.
"Jim? It's Blair. If you're in there- calm it down okay. You're alright. Just keep calm and dial everything down." He looked round to see of the nurse were wondering what he was talking about, but they were busy. The doctor looked at the number so n the machines.
Blair gently curled one hand round Jim's arm above the wrist, avoiding the red rash patch. "Jim, can you feel that? That's me, not the floor. Not the nasty varnish. It's all gone. You can breathe now."
Jim moved his head and his breathing hitched in the mask over his mouth. Then he coughed and choked.
"It's alright. Come on back slowly now. Keep it calm and low. I'm here. Simon's on his way. He's gonna be mad as well, but you let me deal with him."
There was a touch on his arm; he turned to see Doctor Carlisle with a less worried face.
"I don't know why it's working, but he's less panicked than he was. We'll keep the oxygen going but I can reduce it by a few percent. We'll monitor until we can take him off it."
A nurse nudge a chair behind him and he sat gratefully, keeping up his litany of touch and sound until he saw Jim's eyes open a sliver and one hand twitched under his.
He'd done it! Brought Jim through the nastiest zone and freaky reaction he'd ever seen.
"Yeah, I'm here. We're definitely staying in the best hotel we can find after I've decontaminated the Loft. Don't worry I'll check the hotel out for smokers, carpets and anything else I can think of!"
END