I'm finally done with chapter 10. It continued to add to itself, and I couldn't seem to stop writing, so it's a bit longer than the rest, but here it is anyway. Thanks again for continuing to read and review!
March 8, 1996
Blair stepped out of the elevator and headed for Jim's desk, gripping his backpack tightly in his left hand. He ran his right hand through disheveled curls, shaking his head distractedly.
Ellison looked up at him as he approached, and Blair knew that his partner had probably registered his presence before he had even gotten off the elevator. "What's up, Chief?"
The grad student sat down in his usual chair beside the desk, setting the backpack down gently. "I'm just frustrated, man. I just got a call from the cardiologist's office, and they have to reschedule my ablation. I guess that Doctor Simmons has to be out of town for some seminar or award or something on the 18th, so they're pushing me back to the 21st. I just wanted to get this thing over with!"
Ellison patted his partner on the back sympathetically. "I know you're frustrated, but at least it's only a few days later. I'm sure it will be here before you know it."
March 18, 1996
"Are you going to answer that, Chief?"
Blair looked up from the report he was working on. "Huh? Oh, yeah." He dug out his phone and answered. "Hello . . . Yes . . . Okay. . . Thank you, I will. Goodbye." Shoving his phone back into his backpack, he sighed, looking defeated.
"What was that all about?" Jim was trying very hard to give Blair his privacy, so he was making every attempt to avoid eavesdropping on telephone calls.
Blair shrugged. "That was Doctor Simmons' office again. Just a friendly reminder that today is the day I have to stop taking all my heart meds. I can't even believe that I'm upset about that. I mean, just look how hard I fought to not start taking them in the first place! Now I'm upset that they want me to stop."
Jim smiled sympathetically. "I hear you, Chief, but you know this is only temporary. After another couple of weeks, you'll be feeling better than you have for a long time. You've just got to keep telling yourself that."
"Yeah, I know." Blair pushed his backpack back under the desk and scraped his chair in closer. "In the meantime, what else can I do to help? I'm done with this report."
"There you go. Good attitude! Let's keep you busy so we can keep your mind off things. I just happen to have this whole other pile of reports to take care of . . ."
"That's just great, Jim. Thanks." Blair's sarcasm was obvious. He sighed. "Fine. Pass one over here."
*****
"Hey, Chief. How're you feeling?" Jim sat down beside Blair on the sofa where the grad student was grading papers.
Blair looked up with a grimace. "I guess not too bad so far. I can definitely tell I'm not taking the medicine; I'm feeling tired a lot, and I've been having a lot of palpitations. But so far it's just annoying. I don't think it will keep me from helping with your cases."
"Well, let's just take it one step at a time. We'll try to take it easy, and if it gets to be too much for you, let me know. I don't want you taking any chances now that we're this close to getting this fixed."
Blair nodded, running his hand through his hair wearily. "Yeah, trust me, Jim. You so don't need to worry about me overdoing it! I just want to get this over with, and if I mess it up now, it'll never happen."
Jim nodded. "Hey, I invited Simon over for dinner tonight. You okay with that?"
"Yeah, sure. Just let me finish up these last few papers and I'll get started on it." Blair looked back down to his work, picking up the next paper.
"No, buddy, that wasn't a hint for you to cook. I've got it covered; I'm grilling on the balcony. You're good; just keep doing what you're doing." Ellison slapped his partner on the back, and headed back to the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready in half an hour."
Blair shrugged, grateful for a little extra time to work. He had a whole folder of papers left to grade, and he hadn't even started preparing for tomorrow's classes. Sometimes he wondered how he kept up with everything, and it was only going to get worse now that he would be out of commission for a week or more.
He was so engrossed in his work that it barely registered when Simon's deep bass voice joined Jim's on the balcony. He looked up, startled. When had he arrived? He must have really been concentrating hard to not notice a knock at the door. He carefully marked his place in the paper he was reading, then stood and headed for the balcony.
"Hey, Simon. Sorry I didn't hear you knock." He joined the two men already on the balcony, sneaking a mushroom off the platter Jim had sitting there.
Banks chuckled. "That's because I didn't. Your partner, the 'human crime lab', heard me coming and let me in before I could disturb the genius at work."
"Oh." Blair flushed self-consciously. "Thanks, man."
Jim smiled. "No problem. I know you have to get as much done as possible before the big day."
Simon studied Blair closely. "Yeah, how's that going, Sandburg? Are you feeling okay? Jim told me you had to stop your medication. Are you having any problems?"
Blair shook his head. "Not really; at least not yet. I'm hoping it stays that way! I need to keep busy right up until the 21st, or I'm going to get ridiculously behind."
"Well you just take it easy. We don't need you pushing yourself too hard and getting sick." Simon patted Blair on the shoulder and then looked at Jim. "Are those steaks about done yet, Jim? I'm starved!"
Ellison smiled fondly. "Coming right up, sir. Yours should be just the way you like it, just slightly pink in the middle. I'll put the mushrooms and onions on next, and then we'll be ready."
Blair relaxed, enjoying the time spent with his partner and their friend. They sat out on the balcony, enjoying the unusually warm March weather along with Jim's delicious offering of grilled steaks and baked potatoes. While the conversation swirled around him, Blair leaned back and savored the moment, knowing it may be the last such moment for a while.
March 19, 1996
The loud buzzing of the alarm clock startled Blair from a deep sleep. He sat straight up in bed, heart pounding heavily. It took him a minute to figure out what had woken him, and then he took a deep breath and tried to relax, willing his heart to slow down. Turning off the alarm, he sighed. No snooze today. After the way his heart had taken off when he had woken so suddenly, he knew he would never get back to sleep.
Moving slowly, he crawled out of bed and staggered unsteadily into the living room, grunting something unintelligible in response to Jim's greeting. He continued on into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Maybe a warm shower would relax him. Stepping under the spray, he grimaced. Because he wasn't taking his medication, he couldn't get the water very warm, so instead of relaxing him, it merely woke him up the rest of the way, but at least he felt refreshed when he got out. Dressing quickly, he headed back out to the living room.
Jim was waiting for him, watching the morning news on television. "How're you feeling, Chief?"
Blair rolled his eyes. "Is anyone planning to ask me anything other than how I'm feeling for the next couple of days? If I can't handle it, I'll let you know."
Ellison chuckled. "Okay, okay. Take it easy. I was just asking." He took a sip of his coffee and peered up at his partner. "So what's on your agenda for today?"
Blair sat down beside him on the sofa. "Well, today I'm concentrating mostly on Rainier. I have two classes I can't miss this morning. After that, my Anthro 101 kids have a paper to turn in, and I have office hours today, so I'll probably be spending most of the day in my office. Did you need me for anything?"
Ellison shook his head. "Not that I couldn't use your help with some more reports, but other than that, I don't really have anything special going on. I think that I might have a couple of witness interviews today at the station, but Simon will be there if I need any help. You just take it easy today and get done what you need to do at the University. If you feel up to it tomorrow, I could use some help at the station with those reports, but if you aren't feeling well enough, don't worry about it."
Blair nodded, standing up. "Okay. Well, I want to head over to my office to get started. Just let me know if you need anything."
He grabbed his backpack and headed for the door, reaching to snag his keys from the bowl on the counter on his way by. When he came up empty, he turned to Jim sheepishly. "Um, I forgot I don't have a car. Could you give me a ride?"
Jim chuckled and followed him out the door. In the hall, they headed straight for the elevator, since Blair knew better than to try the stairs when he was not medicated. His heart was definitely acting up today, and he only hoped it didn't get so bad he couldn't handle it.
*****
"Mr. Sandburg?"
At the tentative voice, Blair lifted his head off his crossed arms and looked blearily at the figure in his doorway. Seeing that it was Joseph Branscome, one of his better students, he made a concerted effort to wake up from his brief power nap.
"Hey, Joseph. Come on in and have a seat. What can I do for you?" He forced a smile, blinking the sleep from his eyes. Amazingly, the 15 minute nap had actually seemed to help.
He had been fine during his two graduate classes, keeping his mind off of his escalating heart rate by taking copious notes; but by the time he was ready to teach his Anthro101 class, he had been starting to get tired, and his heart let him know that. By the time his class was over, his whole body was throbbing with the pounding of his heart, and he was starting to feel very fatigued. He had forced himself to eat a salad for lunch and then had rested his head on his arms for a power nap until his office hours started.
Now it was time to move on to the next segment of his day. Normally, he loved office hours, being the social creature that he was, but today he was hoping that not too many of his students would need his help.
Joseph stepped into Blair's office and accepted the indicated chair. "Well, I have some questions about your lecture this morning. But . . . pardon me for saying so, but you don't look so well."
Blair smiled at Joseph's wording. He sounded like the son of a blue blood that he was, boarding school upbringing included. "I'm fine, Joseph. Thanks for asking. Now about those questions?"
Joseph nodded politely, and then launched into his questions. Blair always enjoyed Joseph's questions. The young man may have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, so to speak, but he had also been born with an intelligent mind. Blair suspected that Joseph would go far in life; between his mind and his wealth, he could pretty much do whatever he wanted with his life.
The two scholars discussed the morning's lecture for the next thirty minutes, and when Joseph's final question had been answered, Blair was actually disappointed. He had not only enjoyed the lively discussion; it had been keeping his mind off of his rapidly declining energy.
"Thanks, Mr. Sandburg. I'm much more comfortable with the material now. Thank you for taking time to help me." Joseph waved as he exited the room.
Blair sighed. That discussion had been invigorating, but now he had time to think about how lousy he felt. The palpitations were worsening, and if he sat still, he could see his hair moving with every beat of his heart. It was going to be a long afternoon.
"Mr. Sandburg?"
Okay, round two. Blair plastered a smile on his face and looked up to greet his next student. His heart sank. Another wealthy student, but this one was using her wealth to coast through life. She had never shown any interest or aptitude for anthropology and was currently failing the class. Blair suspected that if she were to actually put her mind to it, she could be at least an average student, but she had no interest in that area. "Hi, Miranda. Come on in and have a seat. What can I do for you?"
Miranda Taylor sashayed into the office, the scent of her strong perfume preceding her. Blair had a fleeting thought that it was a good thing Jim wasn't here, or he would really have to dial down his sense of smell. She brushed a strand of her perfectly coiffed blond hair behind her ear in a move that was obviously designed to make the observer notice. She was a beautiful girl and had the money to dress to impress, but Blair was still left cold. Mostly, Miranda annoyed him with her lack of interest in anything academic and her shallow empty lifestyle.
He had to fight the urge to roll his eyes when the young woman sat down gracefully in the offered chair, crossing her legs under her short skirt. She was obviously after something, with this rather blatant attempt at sensuality. "What can I do for you, Miranda?" he repeated politely.
Miranda leaned back in the chair, seeing that she wasn't getting anywhere. "Mr. Sandburg, I need to pass your class."
"I would be happy to set you up with a tutor. If you do some extra credit work, I'm sure we can bring your grade up."
"Well, you don't understand. I don't have time for that kind of thing. But my daddy will kill me if I don't pass. Is there . . . some other way we could work it out?" She batted her eyelashes at him, smiling hopefully.
Blair fought to keep his cool. Great, just what he needed on a day when he wasn't feeling well. One of his students was either propositioning him or offering to bribe him. Either way, it was not something he really wanted to deal with on a good day, let alone when he wasn't feeling his best. He could feel his heart rate accelerate just thinking about the mess this could turn into.
"Miranda, I'm not quite sure I understand what you're suggesting, but there is only one way to pass my class, and that is to do the work. I'm sure you understand that. If you would like the extra credit work or a tutor, I'll be happy to set you up with that, but anything else is out of the question."
Miranda's seductive smile disappeared, replaced by a petulant sneer. "I don't think you realize how important my father is. If I were to tell him that you tried to force yourself on me, your career would be over. You'd probably end up in jail. What do you think about that?"
Blair's heart jumped into overdrive, and he had to fight to keep taking deep breaths. This was so not what he needed today. He wasn't even sure how to answer her. He was not going to pass her without doing the work, not even if he lost his job over it.
"I think it's a good thing that Mr. Sandburg has a witness to the fact that you just propositioned and then threatened him. That's what I think."
Both Blair and Miranda looked up, startled, toward the unexpected voice that sounded from the doorway. Angie Lorenzo stood there, eyes flashing dangerously as she glared at the younger woman.
Miranda paled dramatically and rose to her feet. "Um, maybe I could talk to you another time about the tutor thing. I'm sorry to have bothered you." She quickly exited the room, making a wide berth around Angie as she left.
Blair looked at Angie gratefully. "Thank you so much! I wasn't quite sure how I was going to get out of that one."
Angie sat down in Miranda's vacated chair. She studied her friend seriously for a minute, and then leaned back. "Blair, can I be honest with you?" At his nod, she continued. "You look like crap. You look exhausted, you're pale, you have dark circles under your eyes, and this was the last thing you needed today. I know you're trying to make it without your medication until you have your procedure, but I think you need to call it a day."
Blair sighed. Angie was one of the few TAsthat he was close enough to that she knew what was going on with him. She had been there the day his heart troubles had started eighteen months ago, and it was kind of fitting that she was here now. "You're right. I think I'll skip the rest of my office hours and head home. I might even squeeze in a nap before Jim gets home from the station."
Angie nodded solemnly. "I know you won't be here tomorrow, so I'll tell you now that I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that everything works out on Thursday. I'm sure you'll be back to your old self in no time."
"Thanks, Angie. I appreciate it, and thanks again for your help with Miranda. It was lucky for me you happened to be walking by." Blair stood wearily to his feet.
Angie stood also, smiling impishly. "Well . . .actually it wasn't so much luck. Jim asked a few of us to keep an eye on you today."
Blair chuckled, not really surprised at this news. It definitely sounded like something Jim would do. "Well, thanks anyway." He came around his desk and gave Angie a quick hug. "I'll see you soon."
Angie hugged him back and headed for the door. "Go home."
Blair laughed. "I'm out of here. Don't worry; I've definitely had enough!"
Angie waved and left the way she had come, and Blair gathered up his books and papers and stuffed them back into his backpack. Shutting off the light, he locked the door to his office and headed slowly back out to the parking lot. Once he got there, he sighed as he remembered that he didn't have a car. Jim had dropped him off this morning, and he was supposed to call when he was ready to go home.
He walked back into the courtyard in front of Hargrove Hall and sat down on one of the low stone benches that ringed the fountain. Pulling out his phone, he dialed and waited for Ellison to answer.
"Ellison."
"Hey, Jim. It's me." Blair rested his elbow on his knee and his head in his hand.
"Hey, Chief. You okay?"
Blair laughed shortly. "I told you to stop asking me that!" He sighed again. "But no, I guess not. I had kind of a rough day. I hate to ask, but could you come. . ." He trailed off as Jim's truck pulled up beside him. "How did you know?"
Jim smiled mischievously as he got out of the truck. "Angie called me. I figured you'd need a ride." He grabbed Blair's backpack and opened the passenger door. "Hop in, and I'll take you home."
Blair stood up and walked slowly to the truck, climbing carefully into the passenger seat. He felt like an invalid with the way everyone was treating him, but he supposed that he might as well get used to it since it appeared that he was going to be feeling that way for a while.
March 20, 1996
"Hey, buddy, I know you don't want to hear this, but are you sure you feel okay?" Jim sat down at his desk, studying his partner carefully. "Maybe you should have stayed home today."
Blair lifted his head from the report he was working on, glaring at Ellison. "Jim, if I didn't feel up to it, I would have stayed home. Yes, I feel like crap. But if I'm going to feel like crap anyway, I might as well do it here so I don't go crazy staring at the walls at the loft."
"Okay, okay." Ellison soothed, holding up a hand. "I didn't mean to upset you. I'm just concerned, okay? Is that a crime?"
Sandburg smiled despite his best efforts. "No," he admitted grudgingly. "I know you're concerned, and I appreciate it. I just can't sit at home when I could be here helping."
"Ellison, my office!" Simon poked his head out of his office, and then retreated.
Jim exchanged glances with Blair, standing up. "I'll be right back."
Blair nodded, watching passively as Jim disappeared into Simon's office and the door closed. He briefly hoped they weren't talking about him, but then turned his attention back to his report. He had only been working for another few minutes when the door opened, and Jim returned to his desk, purpose in his stride.
"Chief, I have to go. We may have a break in the Torres case, but I need to go out and talk to a couple of his employees at his accounting firm. I'll be back soon."
Blair shook his head stubbornly. "No way, man. I'm coming with you. I promise I'll stay in the truck, but you are not going out there without backup."
"Absolutely not!" Jim shook his head. "I am not taking you out in the field today. The last thing you need is that stress. I'll be fine."
"Come on, man, didn't you hear me? I said I'd stay in the truck. I just need to be there, in case you need me. "
Jim ran a hand through his hair, glaring at his partner. "Fine. But you stay in the truck."
Blair grinned. "I said I would, didn't I?"
*****
Blair leaned back in the passenger seat of Jim's truck, wishing he felt better. He didn't like Jim going in by himself, especially in the Torres case. They suspected he had been set up for the smuggling charge he had been arrested for, but unfortunately Torres had not survived his stay in the county lockup. Somebody definitely did not want the man talking. Now the Major Crimes crew was trying to prove his innocence to give his family some peace.
It appeared that someone Torres had employed may have been the one behind the setup, and they had narrowed down the suspects to two possibles, Trevor Wilson and Parker Michaels . Henry and Rafe were keeping Wilson under observation, but Michaels appeared to have dropped off the face of the earth. Jim was going in to talk to a couple of the other employees at the firm to see if they had any information on either of the suspects. He should be okay, but Blair just hated to have him out completely on his own while he could still function well enough to be backup. He was going to be out of commission for at least a week; he hated to start sooner if he didn't have to.
He shifted on the seat, trying to get comfortable. Jim had been inside for several minutes already, and Blair had been watching the comings and goings into the accounting firm. The building was a strip mall, also housing a bank, doctor and dentist offices and a realtor. Jim had parked directly in front of Torres' accounting firm, so that Blair had a straight shot into the building and could keep tabs on his partner.
He really couldn't wait for tomorrow to come. While he was very nervous about having the ablation done, at least he should feel better than this once it was over. He didn't want Jim to know, but his condition had definitely deteriorated today. His body was throbbing so strongly that he felt like he was swaying on the seat, his hair swinging with every beat of his heart. He was actually surprised Jim had given in and let him come along. He knew his partner had to have seen the visible evidence of his affliction.
He felt extremely fatigued and wanted nothing more than to go to sleep, but that would not be classified as being useful. He looked in the plate glass window in the front of the building, and he could still see Jim talking to two of the employees. His body language indicated that he was alert but not overly concerned with the situation, so things must be going fairly well.
He was idly watching the people walking by the building when he spotted Parker Michaels, the missing suspect, heading up the sidewalk toward the building. He pulled his phone out and dialed Jim's number immediately, his heart in his throat. He jumped when he heard the phone ringing on the seat beside him. How could Jim have forgotten to take his phone today of all days?
Michaelscontinued up the walk toward the building until he spotted the detective inside talking to his coworkers. He stopped abruptly, did an about face and headed back in the direction he had come. Blair knew the police had been looking for Michaels but had not been able to find him. Without thinking, he opened the door to the truck and got out, calling Simon as he walked.
"Banks."
"Simon, it's Blair. Jim's in the building withtwo of the coworkers and I can't get in contact with him, at least not in time. Michaels just showed up and he saw Jim and took off. I'm following him until someone can get here."
"What?"
Blair winced and pulled the phone away from his ear at Simon's roar. "I'm sorry, Simon. I just don't want to lose him. Jim's going to be concentrating on the two suspects, checking heart rates to see if they're lying. He won't hear me if I yell for him. Don't worry, I won't get close. I just want to see where he's going."
Blair could hear some kind of commotion in the background on Simon's end, and then the captain's voice was back. "Sandburg, you make sure you stay back. The last thing we need is Michaels spotting you. Now which way is he going?"
Blair looked around and spotted the street sign. "I'm walking north on Cottage Rd. He just passed the intersection at Front St."
"Okay. You hang in there. We're getting backup to you as quickly as possible. Stay on the line with me and keep me updated on your location."
"Right." Blair kept the phone at his ear as he continued to follow Michaels. The farther he walked, the worse he felt, but he didn't think he needed to fill Simon in on that little tidbit.
"Sandburg, are you okay?"
It wasn't really a lie, just an obfuscation. "Yeah,man. I'll be fine. Why?"
"You sound out of breath. Are you running?"
"No way!" Sandburg was emphatic about that. "I wouldn't do that. I know . . . how stupid that would be. I'm . . . just walking." He tried not to think about the fact that he really was getting short of breath now. He continued following Michaels, trying to keep his mind off of anything else.
"Where are you now?"
Blair looked around wildly. It was a lot harder to read the street signs this time; his eyes had started to blur. He blinked, trying to clear his vision. "Um . . . I'm coming up on . . . uh . . . "
"Sandburg!" Simon's voice was sharp with concern, and Blair heard that strange commotion on the other end of the line again.
He shook his head woozily, his steps slowing automatically as he tried to regain his balance. Squinting, he saw Michaels cross another street, and he lurched forward, still trying to keep him in sight. "Simon, he just . . . went across . . . um . . . Second Street. Is that . . . backup coming . . . soon? I don't . . . think I can . . . keep up much . . .longer."
"It's okay, Blair. Stop now. We'll take it from here. Just stop!"
Wow. Did Simon just call me Blair? Something must be wrong. Blair staggered after Michaels, not really registering what Banks had just ordered him to do. He almost tripped as he stepped off the curb, caught his balance, and continued into the intersection. He almost thought he heard Jim's voice behind him, calling his name, but that wasn't possible, was it?
He was actually starting to hear his own heartbeat. Was this how Jim felt, with his sensitive hearing and touch? He slowed even more as his vision got worse; he was seeing spots now, and he was afraid he might throw up. This was starting to feel familiar. When had he felt like this before? He was in the middle of the intersection now, and he flinched as his fingers opened of their own accord, and the phone clattered to the ground. He stopped, swaying, intending to lean down to retrieve it, but he lost his balance and crashed to the ground. His eyes closed despite his best efforts to keep them open, and the last thing he heard was Jim's panicked voice.
"Blair!"
*****
Blair came awake slowly, trying to figure out what was going on. Something didn't seem right. Wasn't he doing something? He shifted his head restlessly and stilled suddenly. He was leaning against someone's leg. What had happened? He opened his eyes, blinking slowly. There were flashing lights and faces and legs and confusion. He closed his eyes again; dark and quiet was better.
"Blair, are you in there?"
Jim's concerned voice brought the young observer's eyes open again. Jim sounded scared. Detective Jim Ellison was never scared. He definitely needed to find out what was going on. "Jim?" It was only after he spoke that he realized that he was wearing an oxygen mask, muffling his voice. "What's going on?" He reached up weakly, trying to push the mask off.
Jim grabbed his arm, stopping him, and smiled down at him shakily. "Welcome back, buddy. What's going on? You just about gave me a heart attack, that's what's going on. Remember how you said Doctor Simmons told you that the only way your arrhythmias would be fatal would be if you passed out crossing a street? Well, you just did it! If I hadn't been right behind you to pull you to the curb, you would have been run over."
Blair was becoming more alert now, and his heart quickened as he realized what had almost happened. "Thanks. Wait . . . Michaels! What happened to Michaels?"
"Take it easy, Chief. Michaels is in a police car on the way to the station for questioning. Simon had Rhonda call me at Torres' accounting firm to tell me what was going on, and I took off after you, but he also had Rafe and Henry divert here to pick up Michaels. He's definitely acting suspicious, so I think he's our man."
"Sir, we should really get him to the hospital."
Blair looked up, surprised to see that he once again had paramedics on either side of him. One of them grasped his arm firmly and bent to find a vein for an IV. Blair pulled his arm away sharply. "No way, man. I'm going to be in the hospital tomorrow. I'm not going today, too! I just need to rest. I didn't get hit by a car, so I should be fine now. Tell him, Jim. I just want to go home and sleep."
Jim looked up at the paramedics. "If he takes it easy, I think he'll be okay. He's having a cardiac ablation in the morning."
One of the paramedics shrugged. "Fine, but I need you to sign a paper saying that you're refusing treatment."
Blair nodded. "Where do I sign?" He was definitely not going to spend the night in the emergency room. He removed the oxygen mask, already starting to feel a little better from the extra help breathing. He grabbed a handful of Jim's sweater and pulled himself up slowly to a sitting position. When the paramedic offered him a form and a pen, he immediately scribbled his name at the bottom. "Can we go home now? This is embarrassing."
Jim chuckled, starting to relax. "Come on, Lone Ranger. Let's get you to the truck." He helped Blair to his feet, aided by one of the paramedics. Together the two men got him upright and half carried him to the truck, which seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Jim saw his puzzled gaze and smiled. "I cheated. I drove."
Blair gave him a half hearted grin and allowed himself to be lifted into the truck. When Jim leaned across him to fasten his seat-belt, he slapped Jim's hand away irritably. "Enough. I can do it myself."
Jim backed off, raising both hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, Chief. Have it your way. Do it yourself, and then sit back and relax. I'm taking you home, and you're going to bed. You've scared me enough for one day."
Blair fumbled with his seat-belt, finally hooking it, and then leaned his head back in the seat. Well, day three was definitely turning out to be interesting anyway. He could hardly wait for tomorrow.
So next chapter Blair goes to the hospital. Thanks so much for your continued support on this story! You're awesome.