Midnight on Prospect

Part 7 - Epilogue

Blair woke to soft music. His head still hurt but the throbbing had dissipated enough that it could be mostly ignore, though the same could not be said for the rest of him. The pain meds seemed to keep that in check, he noticed. He slowly opened his eyes to find Daryl sitting in the chair next to him. The young black man’s nose buried deep in a textbook. A small radio sat on the table, music coming from an oldies station.

"Hey," he rasped, catching the youth's attention.

"Hey, Blair. How you feeling?" Daryl put the book down and leaned forward. Concern was etched across his face.

"Sore."

"I’ll bet. Do you need the nurse or anything, man. I could go get her?"

"Nah, just water, please." Blair gave a half smile as Daryl jumped up to retrieve the water jug and cup from the bathroom. He returned moments later, a straw in the cup. He raised the bed, slightly, to make it easier for the grad student to drink. After only a few sips, Blair pushed the cup away. "Thanks."

"No problem."

"Jim come back yet?"

"Not yet. But it’s only been a couple of hours. Want me to call him for you?" Daryl asked.

"Nah, thanks. I was just wondering." He glanced at the book on the table. "You been watching me sleep all this time. That’s got to be pretty boring." Blair teased, his swollen lips turned upwards in a semblance of a grin.

"No way, man. I was catching up on my history homework. I’ve got sixteen chapters to read by tomorrow’s class so I made use of the quiet." Daryl grew quiet himself. "I guess I was kinda worried about you. Dad wouldn’t tell me what happened only that you’d been hurt. Are you…"

"I’m okay, Daryl. Honest." Blair reached out weakly to grab a hold of Daryl’s shirt sleeve "Really, Thanks for worrying but I will be fine."

Daryl gave him a feeble smile and gripped Blair’s hand tightly. "Well good, ‘cause you promised to take me to the museum next week when that new exhibit opens so you better be well enough to go."

"Hey, I’ll be there." There was a long period of companionable silence as the two friends merely soaked up the comfort of being there.

Blair spent a moment reflecting back on where his life had taken this wonderful turn. Sure he was laid up in the hospital yet again, but that didn’t matter in the long run because he realized that for the first time in his entire life, he had friends. Good friends who were loyal and honest and loving. He had never before felt such a sense of peace from staying in one place for this long. Usually he was itching to get away, stop the association before it got to this point but now, realizing what a difference his friends made in his life, he wondered why he hadn’t found this sooner.

He felt the tiredness wash through him again and he yawned. Daryl noticed instantly.

"Get some more sleep, man. I can just read. Dad and Jim should be here shortly so go on. I don’t mind."

"Thanks. Sorry." He closed his eyes and was asleep almost instantly.

Daryl watched for a few minutes longer before picking up his textbook and was soon absorbed in the history of the North American Native Indians and the last battle of Custer.

~*~*~*~

It was nearing four by the time Jim realized he should get back to the hospital. He had left Blair far too long but since he and Russell were making such good progress he hadn’t wanted to stop. Now, Russell needed to pick up his partner from the airport so Jim informed Simon of his intention to return to Blair.

"I’ll come with you and get Daryl." Simon told him. Together they made their way to the parking garage under the building. "How did it go with Waterman?"

"Not too bad actually. We have some ideas on where he might go next." Jim fished his keys from his pocket. "He was right about one thing for certain, Simon. Michaels is one sick bastard."

"How so?"

"The FBI suspect him in four different pornography rings, three of those involving children, including ours. How he has managed to stay free is beyond me. This is just sick stuff." He waved the file toward the Captain who snatched it to read for himself. He hadn’t yet seen what had been done so he took the time on the short drive to familiarize himself with the contents.

What he found both sickened him in its disturbingly frank discussion of the suspected crimes and pleased him in the hopes that there was potential for catching this sick pervert before he did more harm. He lay the file on the seat between them before turning to Jim.

"So where do you plan to start?"

"Russell wants to check out the Foundry on Chesterfield. Apparently, Michaels used one like it in Philly to hideout. So we are going to look into it later this evening." He turned into the hospital parking lot. "One thing bothers me though. With all the information that the FBI has on Michaels why is it not known that Michaels was born and raised here in Cascade. That is what he told us. He said that he had no intentions of being kicked out of Cascade for any reason. FBI has no record of where Michaels is from or even his real name."

"So in other words there is either two men by the same name going around doing the same thing or else there is too much information where there isn’t enough."

"Something like that. I don’t think Russell was lying. I couldn’t sense any changes to his respiration or heartbeat but something about all of this doesn’t set right. I mean how is it that we haven’t heard about this guy before if the FBI has been after him for four years. Usually we get something by way of notice on these things. Especially with the new paedophile laws in place."

"So something isn’t right. Jim, I don’t feel good about all this. Watch your back with this guy. I will do some checking first thing when the Bureau opens in the morning but in the meantime, keep your eyes and ears open. I don’t want you ending up in there with Sandburg." That said, Simon climbed out of the truck. His car was still in the parking lot where he had left it this morning when he and Jim had returned to the police station.

Inside they found Daryl, curled uncomfortably in the armchair beside Blair’s bed. Both were sound asleep. Simon went to wake his son up, a fond smile playing at his lips.

"Son, come on. That can’t be very comfortable." He shook the eighteen year old lightly and was rewarded with bleary brown eyes opening to catch his own. "Come on, son. Let’s get you home."

"Okay, Dad. What time is it?"

"After four. Time to go home." Simon grinned as Daryl climbed to his feet. His legs were still asleep and he swayed slightly in his father’s embrace.

"Hey, Jim. Say bye to Blair for me, kay?"

"Will do. Go get some sleep. You obviously still need it." Jim shooed them both out, laughing lightly. He turned back to his partner as he heard a soft groan.

Blue eyes met blue eyes and a smile was shared.

"Did you catch him?" Blair asked softly, one hand coming up to rub at his eyes.

"Nope, but we got clues now. Strange ones, but still clues. You gotta hurry up and get well, Chief. I need my back up out there with me." He took Daryl’s vacated seat and sat. His left hand reached out and curled around Blair’s, his fingers rubbed gently across the knuckles.

"Anything you want to tell me, Jim. I mean about this case."

"Nah, not right now. How you feeling?"

"Better, I think. It might just be the meds, man. Powerful stuff. Can’t feel too much of anything right now." He yawned widely. "I am sick of this, Jim. When can I go home?"

"I don’t know. I haven’t talked to the doctor yet. Want me to go find him?"

"Not yet. I just…Will you…" He wasn’t sure what he was asking but Jim knew. As always, Jim seemed to sense his need. The Sentinel lowered the bar and sat beside him on the bed.

"Just you and me, Chief. The doctor can wait." His hand stroked Blair’s forehead with the backs of his knuckles. The lines around Blair’s soft blue eyes faded slightly and a gentle sigh escaped him.

"That feels so nice." He whispered. He closed his eyes for a moment, soaking in the sensations. When he opened then again, Jim was leaning over him, hand still moving lightly across his brow.

"Do you want to sleep some more?"

"No. I am sick of sleeping all the time, I am sick of the pain meds that make me sleep and dream. I am sick of the nurses coming in here and their hands all over me. I just want to go home. I don’t feel safe here." Tears swam in the azure blue. Jim knew he was trying to hold them back but the emotions that he fought off were too strong.

With gentle movements, Jim gathered the shaking body into his arms. He felt Blair’s own hands grip his arms, helping Jim move Blair into the embrace. Blair pressed his head into the shoulder of his Sentinel. He didn’t try to hold back the tears but his crying was silent, healing not hysterical. The soft sound of Jim’s heart rested under his ear and the melodious beat drew him into a calm place, not sleep but restful. Safe and secure, knowing he was well looked after now, Blair let himself relax for the first time since he had first woken.

"Can I go home, now." He whispered as sleep took him once more.

"Soon, my brother, soon." Jim whispered back, even knowing Blair could no longer hear him.

The End

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