Work Text:
I wanted to be there when Jim woke up from his surgery, but circumstances made that impossible. Shortly after Blair disappeared to sit with him in recovery, Rhonda paged me and I had to make a quick trip back to the Station. By the time I returned to the hospital, they'd already moved Jim to his own room.
The receptionist in surgery looked up his room number for me. While I was alone in the elevator I thought about my friends as I waited for the car to arrive on the fourth floor. Friends. The fact that I considered both these men to be my friends startled me slightly.
I've known Jim since he transferred into Major Crime just after my promotion to Captain of the department. He was a good cop with a solid arrest record, but the man had a chip on his shoulder a mile wide. To be honest, I wasn't too sure whether we'd ever even be able to be civil to one another. I certainly didn't think we'd end up as friends.
Thank God for Jack Pendergrast. Jim didn't change immediately when I teamed the two of them, but after Jack disappeared Jim settled down and ditched the attitude. I came to value his insight and his dedication and I considered him a casual friend, but nothing deeper than that.
Then came Sandburg. Even after they finally 'fessed up and told me about the sentinel business, I wasn't quite sure what to make of the kid. I mean, have you seen the way he dresses? And, I'm sorry, but that kind of energy just isn't normal. At first I figured him for a flake who wouldn't last a month with Jim. After all, I've seen first hand how Jim can be when he gets his back up about something and it was obvious that he wasn't entirely comfortable with Sandburg's explanation about what was happening with his senses. It's a damn good thing I didn't take that bet with Joel about just how long Sandburg would stick around.
You see, it was a classic case of the immovable object meeting the irresistible force. It turns out the immovable object isn't quite so immovable and the irresistible force really is, irresistible, I mean. I gotta say, Mr. Immovable is the better for letting Mr. Irresistible nudge him into new ways of thinking about things. Hell, I guess it's okay to admit to myself that I'm the better for it, too.
I open the door to Jim's room and step inside. The sight that greets me makes me glad that I made an effort to be quiet. Jim's asleep, lying on his back and propped up a bit on a couple of pillows. He's not the only one. Sandburg's seated in a chair and his head is pillowed on his arms on the bed. His eyes are closed and his breathing is even. Jim's hand is curled around the kid's wrist, his thumb pressed against the pulse point.
I figure there's no need to wake them -- they both look like they could use the sleep. I don't plan to go far, just down to the cafeteria. A cup of coffee and a danish sound like a great idea right now. And by the time I return, they should be awake.
As I glance back at the two of them over my shoulder before I leave, a word pops into my mind. It's an old-fashioned word, not in common use today -- a word that conveys a wealth of meaning. Conviction, character, commitment. Unswerving loyalty. There's something so right about it, I think as I gaze at them. I smile slightly as I turn to go out the door.
Steadfast.
Yeah, I'd say that sums them up perfectly.