The Sentinel stood up.  He turned slowly in a circle, senses at the alert.  There was no smell, no sound, just a featureless white nothing.

And the crossroads.

Four pale lines, identical in every way, leading off in opposite directions, disappearing into the grey, blank mist.

He focused on the path.  It was composed of millions of small white pebbles, pitted and scored.  He began to zone...there was no memory, no sound, no air...

[jim. oh god jim, simon, he's been shot, he's been hurt]
The blinding flash of memory left him gasping on his knees.

Jim.

His name was Jim.

He straightened, sensing an almost inaudible voice, the ghost of a memory of touch.  He reached out, but it was gone.

Jim sighed.  Choosing a road at random, he set off.
 

"There hasn't been a change. They say he should be awake now, but he's not."  Blair ran a hand through his tangled hair.  "I don't know what this is Simon.  If it's a zone, it's like nothing I've seen before.  I can't reach him."

"How about you?"

"Me?  The original Energiser bunny.  I just keep going and going and going..."  Blair took a deep breath and gripped Jim's hand tighter.

"Uh huh" Simon was unconvinced.  The kid looked even worse than his partner. Deep bags stood out under the blue eyes like bruises, and he hadn't moved from Jim's side, hadn't slept, for three days, holding his partners hand, constantly touching him, talking continuously in a low, soothing voice.

"Maybe you should get some sleep" he suggested, but Blair shook his head vehemently, curls bouncing against his cheek.

"This is all my fault Simon.  If I'd stayed in the truck when he told me, maybe Restal wouldn't have grabbed me.  Maybe Jim wouldn't have..."

"He was injured trying to protect you, his Guide. That is his function."  The words fell from Simon's lips without any intercession from his brain.

He looked at Blair with shocked eyes and quickly apologised.  "I don't know what the hell came over me."

"No.  You're right Simon. He's supposed to protect me, I'm supposed to Guide.  How could I have been so stupid?"  His voice rose with his excitement.  "It's so *simple!*"

"Simple meaning that I have no hope of getting it?" asked Simon dryly.

"Look, I gotta go make a call.  Stay here with Jim."  Blair bolted out the door.
 

*can't go forwards until you go back*

He shrugged and continued forwards.
 

He was gone again before Simon could even open his mouth.
 

Then he set off again.
 

"Where the hell have you been Sandburg?"  Simon snapped irritably. Not like I was starting to get worried...

"Calling in a favour from an old friend."  Blair pulled a paper bag from his backpack.

"Old Friend?" asked Simon, warily.  He did *not* like the look of this.

"Yeah, he um, keeps up all the old Aztec traditions.  Well, not the human sacrifice, but all the Shamanism type stuff."  He opened the paper bag and pulled out a bottle full of a pale green liquid.  "I told him about the situation, and he gave me this."

"What is that stuff?"

"It's a herbal mixture, used by Aztec priests to help in their rituals."  Blair cycled his hands through the air, trying to explain.  "It helps them focus on their visions."

"Visions?  As in hallucinogens?"  Simon shook his head. "No way Sandburg.  You are not giving Jim any of that stuff."

"It's not for Jim.  It's for me."

"No.  I don't need the two of you there.  Jim'll kill me when he wakes up and finds out I let you do this."

"Simon.  If I don't do this, Jim *won't* wake up. Now those doctors out there can't explain why he won't wake up, but I *know* he's trapped in there."

"And *how* do you know this?"

Blair hesitated.  He couldn't explain how, he just *knew*.  "Simon. I'm his Guide.  I need to be there, I need to guide him back."  Blair's eyes were wide, beseeching - the famous 'Puppy dog' look.

"Are you sure that's the only way?"  Dammit, the kid was starting to get at him. It was a goddamned *weird* idea, but he'd seen more than his fair share of weirdness with these two.

"You *can* reach it by meditating, but it would take me about two weeks solid to achieve that frame of mind and I don't think we have that much time."  Blair clutched the bottle to his chest.  "I *have* to do this Simon.  He needs me."

"Ok."  Simon said reluctantly  "Just say I buy into all this, what is that stuff suppose to *do* exactly?"

"It's supposed to strengthen your spirit, boost the out of body experience." Blair opened the bottle and drained the contents before Simon could stop him.

"*Sandburg!*"

"Keep an eye on us. I've heard this stuff can have some weird side effects." Blair explained as he settled back, crossing his legs.

"Like?"

"Um, people levitating, that sort of thing."

"Oh *great*. Are you sure this will work?"

"No."  Blair admitted, eyelids growing heavy.  "I'm kinda flying blind here..." his eyes slid closed and his grip on Jim's hand tightened.

"Ok.  But if you don't come back, you're in big trouble." Simon pushed the bottle back onto the bench and did something he hadn't done in years.

He began to pray.  For both his friends.
 

"Who's there?"

No answer.

"What the hell do you want?" Jim screamed at the cold, flat sky. "Answer me!"

The only answer was the mocking echo of his own voice.
 

"Jim."  he tried to shout,  but the words tumbled away in the slipstream.  "Jim, where are you?"  He tried to look, but all he could see was grey, grey...

A snarl caught his attention. Looking down, he saw the shadow of a panther, a startlingly black shadow against the grey.  The panther was running, leading him towards his Sentinel.  He followed, flying lower and lower, until he saw him.

"Jim!"
 

"Chief."  Jim steadied him as he stumbled.  "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Rescue party, man."  Blair grinned at him. "My turn this time."

"That's great.  *Where* are we?"

"Umm..." Blair trailed off, looking around the landscape.  "Somewhere in your mind, between the conscious and unconscious states.  Where your dreams come from.  You know, you should really try to brighten the place up.  Maybe a few flowers, some throw rugs.."

"Sandburg. If we're in my mind...What the hell are *you* doing here?  Did I dream you?"

"Uh, no."  Blair scuffed some of the pebbles at his feet "I, um got here via some interesting Aztec herbal derivatives."

"Drugs.  Dammit Sandburg..."

"Jim.  I'm your Guide.  I couldn't leave you here.  Besides, the panther guided me here.  I belong.  You'd do the same for me."

"Ok, genius.  Now you're here, how do we get out?"

Blair froze.  "Ooops."
 

Dammit, after this little stunt he was going to have to do something to stop all this.  The kid wouldn't take a sidearm, so maybe he should just weld Blair permanently into a bulletproof vest.  Maybe then Jim would stop...

No, he wouldn't.

Damn.
 

"Look, I said I was sorry man.  I should have thought this out more carefully."

"You should have thought full stop."

"Funny, Jim." Blair tossed a pebble at the crater with an unnecessary amount of force.

"I wasn't joking."

"I know."

They tossed a few more pebbles.

"Maybe we're supposed to go down a road?"  suggested Blair.

"You think?"

"C'mon Jim, it's *your* mind."

Jim shook his head.  "I've tried walking down one.  All it did was lead me back here."

"Whew, man, Freud would have a field day."  Jim turned a disapproving gaze on him.  "Sorry."

"There's something about this place."  Jim said reflectively.  "...I have to...dammit, I can't *think*"

"Maybe we're supposed to walk it together?  You know, Sentinel/Guide?"

Jim got to his feet.  "It's worth a shot."  Extending a hand, he pulled Blair to his.

"Ok.  Eeny, Meeny, Miny...Moe." Blair shrugged.  "East it is."

"That's West."

"Whatever.  Lets go."

"After you, Cochise."
 

"Dammit, how long is this supposed to take?"  He never was very good at waiting.
 

"I guess you picked the wrong road, Chief." said Jim, trying to inject a little humour.

"That's real good Jim."  Blair booted a handful of white pebbles, then sat down, running a hand through his hair. "Sorry.  Maybe we need to try something else.  Simon's still out there.  Maybe if we yell really hard we might get through to him."

"Won't work." said Jim with a shake of his head. "When I first got here I just about yelled myself hoarse trying to get through.  I think it's something to do with those clouds.  They block any noise."

"Maybe you should try silence." joked Blair lamely.  Suddenly he jumped to his feet.  "Silence.  Vidya!  *Yes.* It might just work!"

"What?"  Jim asked, confused.  Blair had lost him about three sentences ago.

"Vidya man, it's a tenet of Krishna - denying sensory pleasure in order to seek the Absolute Truth.  *The true path.*"

"Eh? I'm not getting you Chief."

"All these roads man, they're not *real!*"

"Uh huh.'  Jim took his partner by the arm.  "Maybe you should sit down."

Blair shook him off. "No, you can't see it.  That's why you need *me.* Look, shut your eyes.  Ignore everything you can sense.  All of it.  Just...let it go."

"Chief - "

"Let it go, Jim." Blair said softly, eyes already closed.

Jim closed his eyes and tried to 'let it go' but all his senses were there, clamouring for attention.

Which was strange, because there was nothing there...

"I can't do it."  He said frustratedly.

"Jim.  Take my hand."  Blair slowly opened his eyes.  A fifth path, ghostly and insubstantial, stretched out before him, shimmering liquidly in the distance, as if made of quicksilver.

"Just follow me Jim.  I can see it." He kept his voice calm and steady, eyes fixed on the road ahead as he stepped forward.

There was a brief moment of disorientation, a sensation like slipping through fog, and then the road was under his feet, solid, paved with tiny blue bricks.

Blair gave a crow of delight. "Jim.  We're through!  Jim?"

He turned and saw his hand, stretched out, impossible elongated, passing through  a mirrored barrier to the other side, where Jim was.

"Blair.  I can't... It won't let me..." He could hear the famed Ellison Jaw grinding in frustration.

Blair reached forward with his other hand, watching the tiny ripples as it broke the surface of the mirror.

"Hold onto my hands Jim."  He guided gently "Close your eyes and step forward."

There was a firm grip on his wrist, a moment of resistance, then the barrier began to ripple as Jim stepped through.

Then the mirror began to shatter, fine lines running crazily over the smooth surface.

"What the hell?!?"  Blair could hear Jim's voice echoing faintly over the sound of straining glass.

"Jim!"  he shouted.  'Jim, *you have to step through!*"

"What the hell do you think I'm trying to do?"  Jim roared back.  "It won't let me pass!"

Blair pulled with all his might, staring in shock as one of his hands came free.

"*Jim!*" he shouted.

"Blair!"  Jim's voice was suddenly frightened.  "Don't let go!"

"I won't Jim, I promise."  His arm felt like it was being ripped out of its socket.

i can't hold him oh please, somebody help me, i can't hold him...
"Simon!"  he screamed suddenly "*SIMON!*"
 

"Blair." Simon scooted his chair closer.  "Blair.  What is it?"

A shaking hand slid into his vision.  Simon gripped it tightly in both of his.  "Dammit Sandburg, snap out of it."
 

"Chief?"  A familiar voice called from the bed.

"He's here Jim."  Simon felt a wave of gladness through his chest as he cradled Blair's limp form. "I've got him."

"Where..." Jim tried to sit, then stand.

"Stay there." Simon ordered.  Lifting Blair in his arms, he stood and moved to the edge of the bed.  "He's here Jim."  He gently lowered the form into the waiting arms of the Sentinel.

Jim brushed his partner's hair back, senses gauging his well being.  "So cold.."  he glanced sharply up at his Captain.  "Simon.  Why is he so cold?"

"Jim, he drank something..."  Then the room was full of medics, crowding around, lifting Blair away and onto the other bed.

"What happened? Sir.  We need to know what happened."  Simon realised they were talking to him and jerked his eyes away from the accusing gaze of the Sentinel.

"He drank some kind of a herbal mixture." He scrabbled on the table and pulled out the bottle.  "It was in here."

"We need to get him to detox.  Stat."  The doctor took the bottle.  "We'll run this through the labs."  A stretcher was brought in and they took Blair away.

"Simon." began Jim

"I'm sorry."  Simon said immediately.  "Dammit Jim, the Kid was so *sure* that I didn't even think about reactions."

"Yeah, he's good like that." said Jim reflectively.

"Jim?  You ok?" he had expected a shouting match, not this oddly conciliatory tone.

"Yeah Simon.  Thanks." Thanks for bringing us back.

"Any time."  Simon gave him another worried look.
 

"Thanks guys."  Blair mumbled, before curling into a snug ball and seemingly falling asleep.

"How is he?" Jim asked the doctor.

"Good to see you're awake Mr. Ellison.  He should be fine.  We've pumped his stomach, and it's just the exhaustion he has to deal with.  We will be keeping him in overnight, just in case - the lab results on that drink came back pretty nasty.  Do you have any idea where he got it from?"

" 'An Old Friend' he said."  Simon supplied.

"Yeah, well I think we'd better have a talk to this 'Old Friend' once we get out of here." growled Jim.  There were several murmurs of agreement.

The doctor smiled.  "I have the feeling this 'Old Friend' had better start running now."  She marked off a few notes on their charts, then gently ushered everyone from the room.  "Visiting hours are over for tonight, gentlemen.  You can come back tomorrow."

Blair waited until everyone was gone.  "Jim?"

"Go to sleep Chief.  You heard the doctor."  Jim shifted in his bed, resisting the urge to scratch the bandage around his head.

"I just wanted to say..." Blair's voice was fading as he fell asleep.  Even with his Sentinel hearing, Jim had to strain to catch the end of the sentence.

"...welcome back."

"You too, Chief."

END

Taleya
 

All Content Copyright © 2001 Taleya Joinson
Last modified: November 12, 2010