Chapter 3
Jim woke at the unusual sounds from downstairs. The faint creak of Blair's door the almost soundless footsteps. Beau's reassuring whisper. The careful steps past Blair sleeping on the couch. The hesitant approach to the stairs. Little feet moving up the steps. Jim smiled faintly in reassurance at the tear stained little faces. Lifting the edge of the blanket inviting the boys in. Jim chuckled as the boys crawled over him placing him between them and the stairs. So now their safely protected from the monsters. That's it put the big guy between them and danger.
"Thank ya," Beau sighed while he rubbed Dev's shaking shoulders. Carefully Jim pulled the silent twin close pillowing the little head on his shoulder. Silent tears trickled down the pale cheeks. The small body shook with soundless sobs.
"Sh now it's alright," Jim crooned.
"Dev dreamed of Momma," Beau's voice trembled.
"The first time I met your momma I thought she was an elf," Jim's voice was gentle. Jim told of how the Welsh girl stole the hearts of a company of Rangers. The boys giggled as Jim told them stories of mishaps and mischief. How their Daddy Blue had discovered all his underwear had been replaced with boxers with big pink hearts, while they were out on a training exercise. Things would have been fine but he got hurt and the medic cut his pants off revealing the fancy drawers to the entire unit. Shannon's revenge when Vin replaced the sugar in the canister with salt. She made a peach pie just for him. The merciless teasing Vin got when he unrolled his sleeping bag on a exercise to discover a well worn one-eared teddy bear. How the bear would make appearances regularly over the next several years.
"Thank ya Capt'n Jim. Tad don't talk 'bout Daddy Blue and Momma. It maketh him thad," Beau's wise little voice stated.
"Something's hurt for a long time," Jim answered gently.
"I know that'th why Dev don't talk," Beau stroked his sleeping brother's hair. "Tad keepth takin' uth to the phytyatritht. Won't help none," Beau's voice sounded old and tired.
"Beau, why doesn't he talk?" Jim asked gently.
"Dev'th like you," Beau finally admitted. "Be kinda thupid ta tell the doctor tha' though," Beau sighed. Jim wasn't surprised that the boys had recognized him as a sentinel. "We wath in tha car with Momma," Beau raised troubled eyes to Jim.
"When she went to heaven?" Jim's voice shook. "Yeth, Dev went real deep into the thill. He thopped breathin' and I couldn't get him back,." Beau's voice trembled in memory.
"He zoned?" Blair asked from the stairs.
"Momma called it tha thill," Beau answered.
"He zoned on his dying mother," Blair's voice broke. Jim pulled the tiny sentinel a little closer.
"Kin ya fix it?" Beau asked sadly.
"We'll try kiddo, we'll try," Jim promised.
