HEIGHTS
Disclaimer: I do not own The Sentinel or any characters from that show. I'm just playing with them for fun, not money. This story takes place sometime in season one. Just a smarmy little thing.
Jim ran onto the roof, gun out, and shouting a warning to the fleeing suspect. Blair was right behind him, trying to ignore the fact that they were several stories in the air. The other group of gang-bangers that escaped from a couple of rookies were being pursued through out the PD building; these two were the only idiots to run for the roof.
Shots were fired and Jim pushed Blair behind the door. Jim listened closely, flirting with a zone out, until he could tell where the two gunmen were hiding. As the first shooter paused, Jim ducked out and took him down. He walked over to cuff the suspect and Blair edged onto the roof. The second suspect was still somewhere out here, unless he was smart and jumped over to the next roof. Blair carefully made his way to the roof's edge and tried to gauge the distance to the next building, but gave up as a wave of vertigo hit him. He turned around to find Jim snapping the cuffs, one around the suspect's wrist one around a thin metal pole.
Blair started to take a step forward when a voice near his ear whispered, "Move and die." The point was emphasised by the gun digging into his back. Swallowing against the lump in his throat, Blair turned panic-stricken eyes toward Jim. Jim's gun was aimed directly at the suspect's head and Blair could see the tension holding Jim's body rigid. "Drop the gun," yelled the gang-banger as he back toward the edge. Blair could feel the panic and probably drug-induced shakes in the guy's arms. They were very close to the edge of the roof and the guy decided to pull Blair up onto the outer ledge with him.
Both of them were sweating now and all Blair wanted to do was get on the roof again. Man, he hated heights! The ledge seemed all together too narrow for both of them. Blair was unceremoniusly shoved down onto the roof, while the suspect seemed to be talking to Jim. Blair was too panicked to understand the words, but his eyes were focused on Jim's empty hands. Luckily so were the suspect's so he missed the doors slowly opening to his left. A shot was fired and the gunman tumbled to the roof. Jim rushed forward as Simon and a handful of Major Crimes detectives swarmed through the service door and onto the roof. H and Brown pulled the injured gunman to his feet and read him his rights as a couple of uniforms corralled the gang banger Jim had cuffed to the pole.
Kneeling down next to Blair, Jim checked for physical damage. A jagged cut and darkening bruise over his right eye contributed to Balir's ragged features. His heart rate was way too high and his breathing was shallow and rapid. Jim laid a gentle hand on Blair's shoulder and felt the tremors shaking his body. Pulling a handkerchief from one of Blair's pockets, Jim pressed it to Blair's bleeding forehead. Blair flinched, but didn't pull away. He sat, shaking and hyperventilating, as Jim put a hand on the back of his neck and lowered his head. "Slow down Chief," Jim whispered, "Take it easy. It's okay, calm down."
The roof had emptied pretty quickly and Simon had just sent the last worried Major Crimes detective back downstairs. He turned his attention to his favourite team and watched the hard-nosed Jim Ellison gather a trembling anthropologist into a loose embrace. He walked toward them, intending to check for injuries, but paused a couple of steps away when he overheard Jim soothing his partner. "Shh, it's over," Jim whispered, "You're safe. I'm here, I won't let you fall." Simon stepped closer and saw Blair's face half-buried in Jim's chest, tears still falling onto Jim's shirt.
Simon leaned over a little and, spying the bloody handkerchief, asked, "Is he okay? Should I get a medic up here?"
Jim glanced up and shook his head, "No, he'll be all right once he gets a handle on this panic attack. The cut on his forehead isn't too deep, won't need stitches this time. I'm going to take him home once he calms down, if that's alright with you sir? It's possible that he has a slight concussion, and I don't want to leave him alone."
Simon nodded and replied, "Sure, Jim. Take him home and keep an eye on him. You can fill in the paperwork tomorrow." With that, Simon clasped Jim's shoulder; then turned and walked back to the stairs to let his detectives know that their favourite observer was going to be fine.
Jim checked his partner's vital signs and found them beginning to drop back into the normal range. He tugged gently on Blair's curls to get his attention and whispered, "You ready to go home, Chief?" Blair nodded, then winced and brought a hand up to his forehead. Jim caught the floating hand and gently laid it at the corner of the handkerchief. "Hold it there," Jim instructed, "When we get home I'll put some butterfly bandages on it." That piece of business taken care of, Jim carefully pulled his partner to his feet.
Waiting for the dizziness to pass, Blair breathed through the pain and clung to Jim for balance. Blair hardly noticed when Jim's arm wrapped around his waist and then Jim pulled Blair's arm over his shoulder. Suddenly, Blair felt almost steady. Opening eyes he hadn't realised he closed, he took in their positions. This would definitely give the rumour mill some ammunition to play with, but right now Blair couldn't work up the energy to care. He just wanted to go home.
Jim manoeuvred his exhausted, injured partner into the elevator and hit the floor number for Major Crimes. By the time the elevator had stopped, Blair had fallen asleep, still leaning on Jim. Now this presented Jim with a bit of a problem. How was he going to get their coats without creating a scene? Blair was not co-operating as Jim tried to move them toward the door. Jim managed to stick his foot in the elevator to keep the doors open, but had no idea where to go from there. He was about to give up and call for some help, when Simon came strolling out of Major Crimes with their coats and Jim's keys. "You looked like you could use a hand," Simon said, "Do you need some help getting him downstairs?"
"I think we can manage," Jim replied, "I'll wake him up enough to get in the truck. Thanks, Simon." The elevator closed as Jim stepped back into the car. Simon grinned at the changes in his best detective and walked back into the chaos that was the Major Crimes offices
The End.