Archive of Our Own ^beta

established relationship and mild language, sorry no sex I promise to do better next time
Spell checked and run through word perfect. But basically unbeta'd
Naomi's Doctor is based on a real person who needs some serious slapping.
This story is a sequel to: none

Ellison pulled his blue and white Ford pick-up `Sweetheart' into it's spot in front of 852 Prospect. He shut off the engine and pocketed the keys. He was exhausted. He'd been awake for 24 hours. He hated stake outs in old buildings. There were too many weird smell and noises for his comfort when he was rested. Sleepless, it just left his scenes overly focused and out of whack. Jim Ellison was a Sentinel. He was blessed or cursed depending on whether you asked him or his partner, with hyperactive senses. His vision was more acute than the average person. He could often find tiny specks of evidence that others missed.

He could smell Simon's cigar smoke while the police Captain was still in the elevator on the ground floor. Jim Ellison was able to accurately identify a drop of a substance diluted in a glass of water. He tell if it were going to rain by the feel of the barometric pressure on his skin. He was according to his roommate and lover Blair Sandburg, a walking human crime lab.

The rain had finally stopped. Ten solid days of rain had some Cascade residents hunting for gopher wood and looking up plans to build their own ark. Ellison hoped the rain was over for a while. He and Sandburg planned to get out of the city for a long weekend. He had received a new rod and reel for his birthday. Simon and Blair had pooled their money to get him the latest model, with all the accessories. His brother was lending them his hunting cabin near the lake. It was fully stocked with beer and was ready for occupation.

Sandburg wanted to again try his luck with the Cree fishing spear. For all of his Guides endless energy and perpetual motion Blair was surprisingly good with the spear. Jim was impressed with Blair's absolute stillness. It was a single minded stillness that Blair was unable to maintain anywhere else.

Reaching across the cab Jim nudged his guide. Blair had fallen asleep almost before his seat belt was fastened. The former academic had missed too much sleep in the last week. Washington vs. Ventriss had finally come to trial. The last continuance had been denied. Sandburg had testified all day yesterday and had been on the prosecutors list to testify for the last three.

Sandburg was in a unique position. At the time of the arrest eighteen months ago, he had been a civilian observer attached to Major Crimes. Brad Ventriss had been his student at Rainier. He had raped a co-ed. Soon after, he plagiarized a paper he turned in to then teaching fellow Blair Sandburg. Sandburg failed him for cheating and plagiarism.

Chancellor Edwards fired Sandburg for causing Rainier to loose the Ventriss money over such a trivial matter as academic fraud. Chancellor Edwards felt he should be forgiven for his youthful indiscretions. Despite Brad Ventriss's arrest for murder and industrial espionage, Edwards continued to resented Sandburg's involvement.

Rather than going to the board of governors and getting his job back Blair Sandburg, perpetual student and teaching fellow chose instead the go to the police academy. He graduated the top of his class academically. Having tested out of many of the core classes. Half of Major Crimes tutored Blair in fire arms.

Three months after his academy graduation Blair successfully defended his official thesis Closed Societies: The Thin Blue Line and was awarded his PhD. It made him the most academically over qualified cop in Washington state not attached to the FBI. The Mayor and Chief of Police worked with Simon Banks to ensure Sandburg had a position with Major Crimes. It was great for PR. He was easy on the eye and had experience at fund raising. After years of swimming in the shark filled water of academic political correctness and university politics he had the rare ability to talk bull shit with a wide cross section of society.

In an effort to keep the rape accusation out of the public eye and thus public opinion the Ventriss family settled out of court with the victim for a healthy sum. All charges were dropped by her the next day.

The defense attorney had made a great deal out Sandburg having been fired over his involvement with the Ventriss case. His testimony was challenged repeatedly. Beverly Sanchez had commented to Ellison that Sandburg had been unflappable. The defense attorney had nearly burst a vessel trying to discredit him.

Because Sandburg's testimony had concluded yesterday he and Ellison were free to replace Connor and Taggart on stake out. Capt. Joel Taggart and Inspector Megan Connor were both out with an intestinal virus. It had been making it's rounds through out the precinct after a Vice sting in the red light district netted ten prostitutes. Five of which had the `bug'. It had just made it's way into Major Crimes.

It had started out with just Ellison replacing Joel. But late into the afternoon Connor had succumb as well. So Blair, exhausted from two days of testimony and nearly two nights of studying the case files had joined his sentinel on the stake out. It was one of three sites rumored for a major drug and gun transaction.

The night had been uneventful. When six am arrived their relief did not. Three hours into the next shift Detectives Riley and Bilson arrived. Both were transfers, him from Homicide and her from Vice. They both reeked of mutual sex and beer.

Jim pulled the former homicide detective aside for a few quiet words as Blair gave their report to Detective Bilson. "Next time you two decide to get lucky, do it on your own time."

"I don't know what you mean Ellison. My clock didn't go off. The old lady forgot to set it."

"Riley, you both reek of sex and Bilson's perfume. The breath mints don't hide the smell of beer by the way. Besides, I heard Connor complain to Rhonda yesterday that you hit on her just before she went home sick. Seems your wife is Spokane for a week. Connors exact words were, `Riley is a root rat. I'm not having a naughty with a married perv'."

"Listen Ellison..." Riley sputtered. He could feel his chances of a repeat performance with Bilson quickly evaporating.

"Save it for the Captain, Riley."

"You turned us in?" Riley shouted. Sandburg and Bilson turned at the angry shout. "I don't believe you Ellison."

"Riley, I don't know how they do it in Homicide or Vice. But in Major Crimes when your on a stakeout and your relief is three hours late, you call it in. A patrol car was sent out to investigate. They reported what they observed back to the precinct."

"Riley stayed at my place last night so we could take one car, that's all." Bilson tried to explain. Ellison met the former Vice detective's embarrassed stare.

Jim turned to his partner. Blair looked uncomfortable. "You ready Chief?" Jim headed to the door with out a backward glance at the mortified pair.

"Yeah. I think I covered everything with Bilson. Have a good shift guys. See you at the precinct." Sandburg quickly retrieved his backpack and headed for the door. "Brown and Rafe will relieve you at two pm."

With that Blair fled the room. He didn't want to be there for the fireworks he knew was coming. Ellison had neglected to mention that the uniforms had entered Bilson's building. They were ordered to investigate after another patrol reported that both vehicles were parked out front. Bilson's land line was engaged or assumed out of order. Both Detective's cell's were turned off.

Simon called nearly an hour later to assure them their position had not been compromised. Their `relief' was otherwise occupied. The uniforms reported they had knocked on the door of Bilson's apartment but was unable to get an answer. As one uniform reported back to dispatch the other listened at the door for signs of distress. He reported what he heard.

" Riley shouted `Ride um cowboy'.

`You get me pregnant Riley and they will never find your body.'...followed by a masculine shout of completion.

`Don't you climb off me Riley you ass hole. I didn't finish...'

Ellison was glad he was not partnered with either. Riley was convinced he was a red hot lover. Bilson seemed willing to let her middle aged partner sow his wild oats. Jim shuddered. It couldn't be an attractive picture. Him starting to show a beer gut from too many night's spent at Muldoon's. Her with crows feet from too many sessions in the tanning bed and overly bleached hair.

"Come on buddy, we're home. Time to get some sleep in a real bed instead of that lawn chair you were in." Jim shook Blair again. The younger man awoke with a snort. "Unless you want to sleep on the street." Ellison cajoled. He knew that would get his partner moving.

Just after Sandburg's graduation from the Academy, he had been conscripted by Vice for a stake out in a Leather Bar. Someone was doping and raping young long haired men. The only similarity in each victim was the hair length and youthful appearance. Vice wanted to capitalize on Sandburg's good looks and long hair. He was unknown to the leather scene. His motorcycle pants and vest complete with nipple ring and silver studs had created quite a stir.

On the forth day, the case broke. The suspect had attempted to drug the former academic turned cop. After helping his `new friend' outside for some fresh air he was apprehended while attempting to strip what he thought was his unconscious victim.

The arrest followed quickly. Blair had spent much of the night at the precinct filing his report. It was nearly dawn before the exhausted guide could head home. Rather than changing into his regular clothes, Blair had gone home in his leather gear instead.

Sandburg arrived home just after 5am. The sun was just peaking over Cascade mountains. Jim wasn't due to be up for two more hours. He decided to park outside the loft and wait. He had been in court the day before and had been unable to `supervise' his partner that night. Since Jim had to be in court again the next day Sandburg decided to let his lover sleep. He hadn't intended to fall asleep himself. Just after dawn a jogger had spotted what he thought was a strange hooker asleep in Professor Sandburg's classic Volvo. He called the police.

Twenty year beat cop Mark Tankersley and his rookie partner Toney Levine found Detective Sandburg asleep in his classic Volvo. Dressed in his black leather gear complete with silver studs and nipple ring, Sandburg did indeed look like a hooker.

The moment was especially funny for the uniform cops. Their unit had been part of the bust at the leather bar. When the call came in they had taken bets that the exhausted former academic turned cop had fallen asleep in his car. After some good natured ribbing and posing for cell phone pictures Blair had been able to escape into the loft and the comforts of his bed.

"I'm up. I'm up. Tankersley and Levine have enough pictures of me sleeping."

"Especially in those tight leather pants. I would love a copy of those pictures. I saw Connor show Bilson yesterday."

"Rhonda made copies for me to send to Naomi. She'll get a laugh out of them." "Like I said babe, I want copies."

"You have to admit the sight of me coming in dressed like that put you in a good mood. Beverly Sanchez said the guy's defense attorney couldn't wipe the smile of your face."

"Babe it was peeling you out of those tight leather pants and having my wicked way with you that put that smile on my face." Jim held the door open as they entered the lobby of their apartment. Thank God the lift worked. They were both to tired to deal with the stairs.

"I can't believe is that Bilson is screwing Riley. She's still a fairly attractive woman despite the dyed hair and Tammy Fay Baker make up."

"Well he won't get a second chance tonight. I heard Bilson confront Riley about her having to play second fiddle to Connor. He went to Bilson right after Connor shot him down."

"Maybe we should have someone check in on them in case she kills him?"

"What, and spoil her chances of hiding the body properly." Jim dead panned.

"True. Only fair."

Before the lift reached their floor Jim sneezed. "Chief, your mom is here."

"You sure? Last letter I got she was at a retreat at Big Sur."

"I smell white sage burning. It's either your mom or that Wicca New Age friend of yours...what's her name, rainbow hair and all those beads?"

"Kate Little Deer, and she is Native American. Last I heard she was in New Mexico setting up an exhibition on Mayan textile and Funerary Rites. Besides, she promised not to do that again after she found out we were lovers."

"I thought Naomi had promised that to." Jim continued to sneeze as he exited the lift. Blair hurried to the door and unlocked it. Throwing it open he was hit with an almost toxic cloud of smoke. His eyes began to burn and tear.

Coughing, he hurried to open the balcony door, letting in the fresh morning air. Blair spotted a cloud of smoke rising from a bowl on the counter. It was full of smoldering sage. Next to it was a shallow dish with several long incense burning in it.

"Jim, turn on the exhaust fan over the stove. I'll turn on the one in the bathroom and prop the fire escape open. Maybe we can suck some of this out."

Jim entered the loft with his mouth covered by his shirt. He hurried to the kitchen and turned on the exhaust fan. His vision was almost obscured by the thickness of the smoke. Even dialing down smell he was nearly choked by it.

"There's more incense burning upstairs babe. I can smell it, sage to." Jim began to cough in earnest. There had to be at least a pound of sage burning just in the kitchen alone.

Jim heard his lover dash up the stairs to their bedroom. He heard the oscillating fan click on. They had bought the fan this past summer during a rare week of heat and rain. Using oven mitts Jim put the smoldering bowl into the sink and turned on the water. As soon as the water made contact with the hot surface it cracked. Closing the drain he filled the sink with water. Jim scowled as he recognized the bowl. It was a decorative fruit bowl Sally'd given them last Christmas. He found the fruit piled in a corner. He dumped the dish full of incense into the water as well.

He listened as Blair open and close several drawers. Moments later the younger man came down with two bowls in his gloved hands. He deposited them in the sink. The heat making the bowls burst. "Go outside on the balcony babe, until we can get some of the smoke cleared out." He told Jim as he headed back up. He knew the Sentinel had problems with just a little sage burning at the best of times.

Blair recognized some of the incense he smelled. They could be very soothing one at a time. Combined, in mass, they clashed powerfully with the sage. The effect was more chemical warfare than a spiritual cleansing. There had been at least a pound of sage in the bed room and half dozen incense burning in several bowls. Gathering up the bowls he carried them down to the sink. He shoved the incense into the water in an untidy pile of sticks.

He flicked on the ceiling fan Jim had installed last summer. It was great on a rare hot day in Cascade to keep the air moving around the high ceilings. It was mostly used during poker nights to keep the cigar smoke from becoming a living thing during the games.

He wished, not for the first time, that the sky light opened. It would make getting the smoke out much easier. He could see professional cleaners in their future to get the worst of the fumes out of the drapes and furniture. What was his mother thinking.

After checking everything again for sage, Blair dumped several partially burned cones into the water. The water was a murky purpley brown color. He was grateful that the sink was stainless steal, at least it wouldn't stain.

Blair left the mess and went to join his lover on the balcony. Drawing deep breaths he tried to clear his lungs of the cloying fumes.

"Chief, I thought your mom had forgiven me for turning you into a `jack booted pig cop'." Jim said from his spot at the rail.

"I did to. She seemed to detach with love the last time she was here."

"Have you told her about us, about being a couple?"

"No. She won't answer any of my emails. I think she's still pissed about me refusing to let her publisher friend Sid look at my Sentinel work. She seemed to feel I'm not living up to my spiritual potential."

"Well Sweetie, your not." Naomi breezed out onto the balcony. She carried another large bag of sage and a stick lighter.

"Mom, no more sage." Blair took the offending objects from his startled mother and tossed them over the balcony rail.

"Blair Jacob Sandburg, what are you doing? We have to get the negative energies out of the loft. The atmosphere in there is like a great toxic cloud. You two must have been fighting for weeks." Naomi began to become agitated. She confronted the two surprised men.

"That's it isn't it. You've been fighting. That's why all of your cloths and things are missing from your room isn't it?" Naomi felt a flush rise up through her. It was as though she were being pressed down by some great doom. She turned first to Jim and then to her son then back again. Never pausing from her accusations to let them answer. "You've thrown him out again haven`t you? Are you living in your office again? What if that crazy woman comes back?"

The lovers watched in morbid fascination as Naomi worked herself into a panic in the space of seconds. Jim noted her skin was flushed and she had begun to sweat. There was an air of sickness about her that was almost frightening.

"Calm down Naomi. I haven't thrown Blair out. Alex Barnes is still in Conover, in a coma as of yesterday afternoon."

"Then where are his things!" Naomi shouted.

"Mom, calm down." Blair put his hands on his mother's shoulders, making her look at him. He had never seen Naomi so upset. "My stuff is upstairs in Jim's room."

Naomi blinked and looked up at her son. Her argument suddenly derailed. She knew she was being unreasonable. She just couldn't seem to calm down. She'd had this feeling of doom for days. She wasn't by nature given to hysterics. A little drama, maybe in order to get her way occasionally. Not that it worked on her son anymore. She didn't understand the fear she felt.

"Naomi, have you been feeling stressed for no apparent reason?" Naomi nodded. "How about breathless and weary?" Jim rested his hand on her shoulder. She was trembling. Without checking her pulse he could tell her heart was pounding. It seemed to be working awfully hard.

"Yes, I've been sick. I think I've had the flu. I left the retreat early so as not to give it to anyone." All the fight had suddenly left her.

"Achy between the shoulder?" Jim rubbed her shoulders blades. He could feel the tension. Naomi nodded.

"Jim, what do you think it is?"

"Chief, I think she may be having a heart attack. Does heart problems run in your family Naomi?" Jim asked the now outwardly calm woman. He began to usher them all back into the still smoky loft. He went to the kitchen and got out the aspirin. They always kept some in the kitchen, bathroom medicine chest and bed side table for easy access. Some injuries defied holistic remedies.

"Yeah, Grandpa Jacob had a bad heart. That's why I've always been so paranoid about what I eat." Blair answered. Naomi nodded thoughtfully.

Blair led Naomi to the yellow chair and helped her to sit. He took out his cell and dialed 911. He stepped a little away from his mom as Jim came back to her. "Yes, I need an ambulance at 852 Prospect apartment 307..." Blair paused to listen. He turned to look at his partner. His expression wry. "Yeah, the Ellison/Sandburg residence. My mother is having a heart attack." He paused again and listened. He gave the operator all of Naomi's information.

"But I don't have the symptoms Papa did?' Her breathing was labored.

"Women have heart attacks differently than men do Naomi. They`re less dramatic. That`s why they are often misdiagnosed as the flu or chronic fatigue. Women usually have indigestion or gas like pain, nausea and dizziness, unexplained fatigue. They have upper body pain instead of down the arm. It sounds very much like the flu. Women also have a feeling of impending doom or anxiety." Jim handed her a 325 mg aspirin and a glass of water. "Chew it." She took the aspirin and chewed it. She grimaced at the taste.

"That sounds about right. I can barely walk across a room before I'm exhausted. Everything turns my stomach." She leaned into Jim's space conspiratorially. "I thought for a while I might be pregnant." She paused to take a breath. "I've had this terrible sense of dread for days. I can't seen to.. catch my breath."

"Your heart's not getting enough oxygen. That's why your tired and achy."

Blair came back and knelt down in front of his mother. "It's going to be okay. The ambulance is on it's way." He took Naomi's hand in his. He was terrified but knew she was taking her clues from him. He had to be calm for her sake.

"Why can't you drive me to the hospital? Wouldn't it be faster?" Naomi asked a bit breathless.

"It might, but this way you'll get oxygen as soon as the EMT's arrive. They will transport you as a suspected heart attack. You will be taken back immediately rather than setting in the E.R. waiting room for hours waiting to be called back." Blair explained.

"I'm going to lock up and call Simon while we wait, Chief. He`ll have to find someone to cover the stake out tonight."

"Good idea. Leave the exhaust fans going. Between them and the ceiling fans maybe we can get some of the smoke cleared."

"I'm sorry about that Sweetie. I've had this awful feeling of dread for days. I let myself in last night. When you didn't come home I realized you were probably on a stake out. So I decided to just sleep in your room. When I didn't find even a bed in there, I started looking for your things.. clothes... artifacts, something. All kinds of things went through my head." She paused for breath.

"I've been trying to tell you for months. That's why I've kept trying to email you. I didn't want you come visit and be upset. We've been together as a couple nearly sixteen months." Blair rubbed his mom's hand. It was a gesture to calm his fears as much as Naomi's.

"I was being silly Sweetie. I didn't open anything for months. I had decided I was your mother and I was right." Blair raised an eyebrow at his mother and smirked. Naomi blushed deeply. "Oh dear, I sound just like my mother. If she'd interfered half as much as I have ..." Naomi shook her head and sighed. "By the time the advisors at Big Sur convinced me my karma would suffer if I held in all that anger, most of the earliest emails had timed out. Then once I got here I started to feel anxious. The longer I waited the worse it became. I even went down to the basement and got out your old incense burners."

"Where did you get all the sage mom? There must have been two pounds of the stuff."

"Three with what you tossed over the balcony. I had it in my luggage. Since I drove in with friends I didn't have to take it through customs." Naomi smile mischievously. She sipped her water and tried to calm her breathing.

In the waiting area of Cascade Medical's emergency room Jim took out his cell phone. He listened as the young internist dismissed Naomi's symptoms as the flu. Then he suggested her anxiety might be a sign of menopause. Naomi began to swear in Yiddish at the insensitive man for his sexist remarks. She was becoming increasingly upset.

"Chief, that idiot just called Naomi `little lady'." Jim said quietly to his lover as he dialed.

"Shit." Blair pushed his exhausted body out of the chair and prepared to rip the man a new asshole.

"Hello, this is Detective Jim Ellison. I need to speak to Doctor Lang. It`s urgent." He listened. "Yes, I'll hold." Jim usually didn't use his position to get his way when not actually being a cop. He was not however above doing it. He listened as Sandburg ripped the Doctor a new one. Being Naomi Sandburg's son, Blair was well versed in the feminist platform. The female nursing staff already loved him for it. Several had dated him before he took up with the big buff cop. Jim could almost feel the waves of pride coming off Naomi.

"Jim, what can I do for you. My nurse said it was urgent?" Doctor Mike Lang and Ellison had been in boot camp together.

"Hey Mike. My roommate's mother, Naomi is in Cascade Medical's E.R. She's having a heart attack. The E.R. Doctor, however is trying to convince her she has the flu and should drink plenty of fluids. He's about to release her." Lang had witnessed the ex-Army Ranger do things no one could explain. But, like so many other things he'd witnessed in the service of his country he assumed Jim's abilities were a strict `need to know'. If Ellison said that someone was having a heart attack then it was a sure bet that they were.

"Whose the attending?"

"Doctor Williams." Jim could almost hear the other man wince.

"Isn't Detective Sandburg's mother the former hippy flower child, tree hugging, feminist you were telling me about?"

"That's her. Mike, if he calls her `little lady' one more time I may have to help her hide the body."

"You won't have to Jim. The nursing staff will volunteer. As chance would have it am one floor up in my office. Which exam room?"

"Six."

"See you in about two minutes." Lange hung up.

Jim entered the exam room to hear the young Doctor speak to Blair over Naomi's head as though she were a child. The nursing staff made way for the burly detective. They would happily have stood back and let the aggravated woman kill Doctor Williams.

It was rare in this day and age to find a man so out of touch with societal norms as Doctor Williams. He was an intelligent, English speaking, American born Doctor. He seemed oblivious to the fact that most women found him offensive. Blair was holding his mothers hands. Jim suspected it was to prevent her from striking the moron.

"Sweetie, did you bring your gun?" Naomi asked in a surprisingly reasonable voice. Her oxygen saturation was still low and she had begun to pant. Blair looked startled at his pacifist mother. He could see a lawsuit in Cascade Medical's future. At the very least he could see demonstration by the local feminist groups.

"Don't worry Naomi. My doctor is on his way." Jim came to stand next to Blair. He put a calming hand at the small of his Guides back.

"I was just explaining to the `little lady' and her young man that she just has the flu. She has none of the classic symptoms of an actual heart attack." Williams went on as though Jim had not spoken. He never seemed to make eye contact with anyone. Naomi sat glaring at the man. She was unaccustomed to being ignored or talked down to by anyone. Especially by someone her son's age. She was already planning the rally protesting her treatment. Little lady indeed.

"I'm not going to put the poor thing through the time and expense of running a bunch of tests. I'm prepared to send her home with something for her tum tum. I don't think there's any reason to upset her further."

Just then Doctor Mike Lang entered exam room 6. "Hello Ms Sandburg. I'm Doctor Mike Lang, Detective Ellison's Doctor. He has asked me to take over your care. If that's alright with you of course?"

"Yes. I would like that.." Naomi continued to glare daggers at Doctor Williams. "very much. Thank you."

After a lengthy discussion the two Doctors agreed to disagree. Doctor Williams left in a huff of righteous indignation. He was looking out for the fiscal welfare of the hospital. Naomi's over powering aroma of wood smoke and incense led him to believe she was indigent, perhaps even homeless. Who would pay for it all.

Doctor Lang ordered an electrocardiogram and a cardiac enzyme test. After a brief discussion with Naomi as to the length and actual symptoms of the episode he further ordered an troponin test to check for proteins in the blood indicating any heart muscle damage. As she was obviously in respiratory distress he increased her on oxygen and began an I.V.

Jim pulled Doctor Lang aside. "Mike, there won't be any issue with Naomi's bill. I will see to it myself."

Mike smiled at his friend and patient. "Jim, even as blustery a loud mouth as William's is, you couldn't possibly have heard that part of the conversation." Ellison blanched. He had been to tired and worried to be careful. Before he could begin damage control, Mike let him off the hook. "Don't worry Jim. Out in the jungle when you kept our cookies out of the fire, I didn't question your abilities then. I won't question it now. Besides, there are all kinds of charities out there for people who can't pay. I'm not worried about the bill."

"What made William's think Naomi was indigent?"

"The smell of wood smoke and incense. Doctor Williams is from California. He's not used to actual wood fires like we are here in Washington. The scent on her is a little strong. He assumed she's been living outdoors."

"She was trying to rid our apartment of negative energies." Jim rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "We may never get the smell of white sage out of the furniture."

Ellison and Lang watched as the nurse wheeled Naomi out of the exam room with Blair in tow. They continued down the hall toward the lifts. She was sitting up and talking, but was obviously still in distress. Her oxygen saturation was still down. As the lift doors opened to admit them Simon Banks existed.

"Ms Sandburg are you alright?"

"Jim says I'm having a heart attack." She smiled weakly up at the tall African American. As usual the man was hot. She didn't know what it was about tall men that got her pulse racing. He was a cop after all.

"Jim called in his own Doctor. At least she's getting treatment now. The E.R. Doctor was wanted to send her home."

"Just because you're a Doctor doesn't mean your good at it."

The nurse pushed the gurney into the lift and pushed the button. "Jim's in the E.R. waiting room. I'm going to radiology with Naomi and then I'll be back."

Simon Banks watched as the lift swallowed one half of his best detective team. He knew Blair was terrified. You never think about your parents mortality. As a cop you expect your own life to be cut short not those around you. Even being Sandburg's mother Naomi was a relatively young woman.

Simon made the trip to the E.R. waiting room without any assistance. He'd had a great deal of experience finding it over the years he'd been a police officer and now Captain. When he entered Jim was talking with a Doctor Simon was familiar with. He had kept the Captain apprized of Ellison and Sandburg's conditions far too often.

"Jim, I got here as soon as I could."

"You didn't have to come Simon." Jim turned to his long time friend and boss.

"Rhonda said it sounded serious. I remember when Taggart's wife Sharon had one several years back. We nearly lost her. Everyone thought she just had the bug that was going around. The doctors didn't find the problem until she insisted they do blood work." Simon explained. "I had not known until Sharon Taggart's heart attack that there were any differences in the symptoms between men and women."

"That's exactly the problem with heart aliments in women." Doctor Lang explained. "The symptoms look like other things. They're often less severe and dramatic than in men. Women don't get the `classic symptoms'," Lang made air quotes to emphasis his point. "They're often misdiagnosed. Most of the research has been with male subjects. Because of this, Doctors are less familiar with the symptoms of a woman having a myocardial infarction. Their treatment is often delayed causing increased damage.

"Heart attacks claim more American women than men every year. They pose a greater threat than all forms of cancer combined. Heart disease is the number one cause of death of American women. It's estimated that almost one in two women in America will eventually die of heart disease or stroke. That is almost half."

Tests showed that Naomi was indeed having a myocardial infarction. It had been a slow process that was in many ways coming to a head. Doctor Lang described it as a widow's heart attack. In a scant few days or weeks she would have died. Heart disease ran in the Sandburg family. It was an eventuality, it seemed, she could not escape.

She admitted she was aware that her cholesterol was high. She had been trying holistic methods to correct the problem. It had worked for years. She had kept her numbers low. In the end the plaque build up had slowly accumulated.

She was put in ICU/CCU where she could be monitored. She was poked and prodded. Her vital signs were constantly checked. Lang hooked her up to a ECG and watched how her heart was actually beating. No life threatening arrythmias were found.

Much of her initial distress was eased when she was given oxygen. She stopped feeling as though she was running a marathon. The intravenous line pumped in fluids, medicines and pain killers in constant measured amounts. Much to her great chagrin she was catheterized to measure her output and monitor her kidney function.

Through testing Lang found several blocked arteries. All possible procedures were discussed at length and their benefits considered. In the end surgery was determined to be the best course of action. Three days later Naomi Sandburg had bypass surgery.

Once ambulatory Naomi came to stay with her son and what she quietly considered her `son-in-law'. The loft apartment on Prospect had been professionally cleaned with non chemical, non caustic products. Blair's room had been cleaned to the Sentinels exacting standards and made ready for her recuperation.

Naomi loved her only son with all her heart. She loved Jim as though he were her son as well. She was having fun listening to them at night trying to make love quietly. Jim Ellison, Ex-Army Ranger, cop and all around control freak was a screamer. She didn't examine too closely the mechanics of what the two men did together. She simply didn't need that much information about her son's sex life. But like everything else Blair Sandburg did, he was apparently very good at it. Judging by the sounds coming from the loft bedroom he was also the more sexually aggressive of the pair. Naomi was sure Jim had hurt himself at least once trying to be quiet. On the third day of her convalescence at the loft she had mercy on them.

"Naomi we're going to the market. Is there anything special we could get for you? Anything you need?"

"Thank you for asking. Yes there is. I would like a Walkman and head phones."

"If you want to use the stereo please feel free Naomi. I hope I haven't given you the impression that I minded. I want you to feel completely at home here."

Naomi knew Jim meant it. He was an excellent host. He had been very forgiving of her recent attempts at the `cleansing' of his loft. He hadn't brought it up nor had he hinted at the expense of the professional cleaning. She was sure most of the furniture had been replaced. She knew all the window treatments had. She'd heard Jim promise Simon Banks a case of his favorite beer if the big cop helped him haul a new king size mattress set up the stairs two days before she was released.

"Yeah mom, we want you to be comfortable here." Blair said as he went to the bathroom to run a brush through he finger mussed hair. They had been upstairs `getting ready' and had taken the opportunity to fool around a little. Naomi had been on the phone with the advisor from the Big Sur. They were certain they'd been quiet enough that surely she hadn't noticed. Blair's shirt was un-tucked from his pants and Jim's cable knit sweater was inside out.

"I appreciate that too. You have a nice collection of oldies Jim. But this is something more for.... bed time." Naomi's brows bobbed up and down. She smiled sweetly as Blair dropped his brush noisily into the sink. She heard him come out of the bathroom. Jim blushed suddenly, staring at his lover. "I can't always fall asleep right away. This way, I can block out all the house hold `noises' I'm not used to." Jim's blush deepened. "I have several recording of nature sounds I like to listen to when I can't sleep. Perhaps there is a model that can be programmed to plays a continuous loop?"

"I didn't realize there was so many...stray noises in the loft mom." Blair came further into the room. It had been at least twenty years since Naomi had caught him with anyone. He felt like a Rainier freshmen again.

"You know yourself Sweetie, having lived in communes and such over the years. You hear all sorts of noises at night. Especially when all the city sounds are quiet. You know, like the settling of old foundations. The sighs and moans of the wind." Naomi's eye's sparkled with mischief.

"Oh gods." Blair muttered under his breath and headed for the door. He grabbed his coat off the hook as he fled muttering to himself. His backpack forgotten by the door.

"I'll aha." Jim cleared his suddenly dry throat. "see what I can do Naomi. I'm sure there is something out there."

About a week into her recovery Naomi started feeling depressed. She had been warned this was to be expected. She was enlightened enough not to be worried about her looks. She was comfortable in her own skin. Intellectually she knew she was a beautiful woman. She had been told so by men of power as well as the common hippy on the beach.

But. She was worried how the scar would look. Joel Taggart recognized the signs when he came to bring a report for Ellison to sign. The stakeout with Riley and Bilson had finally ended. The bust having taken place at one of the other possible locations. Riley decided to transfer to Spokane so his wife could be closer to her sister. The female officers and staff speculated it was either that or divorce court. Bilson went back to Vice.

Joel knew the signs of post-op depression well. He called in the big guns. Sharon Taggart was a lushly built woman who even in her fifties was still able to hold her husband's attention. She and Naomi sat in the living room and had tea as Joel, Jim and Blair went on a bagel run.

"I guess I'm worried about the scar. I'm very self conscious about it."

"Think of it as a beauty mark Naomi." Sharon Taggart never stood on ceremony when it came to names.

"I don't see how it could be that. It's awful." Naomi gingerly fingered the still bandaged incision site.

"It's a beautiful mark. It means you survived. Here look at mine." She pulled down her blouse and showed Naomi the scar. It was a slightly lighter shade of coffee than the skin around it. "It's like other thing in our lives. Good things and bad things. They all leave a mark on us. Some you see, some you don't. I wore silky scarves for ages until I decided the scar had faded enough."

Naomi considered that for a moment. "I do have several very pretty scarves. Some Blair's given me from all his travels."

The two women talked on for some time. Sharon Taggart had such a positive outlook on her life.

"That's very Zen of you."

"I had a good teacher."

"Really, maybe I should talk to him. Maybe I wouldn't feel so defeated."

"That's just the post op blues talking. They go away. I put my faith in God my family and a husband who loves me."

"Your going to have to introduce me to your Guru. I could use a source of positive energy right now. Mine seems to be all taped out."

"You know him. He is that long haired, high energy, speed talker partnered with Jim Ellison."

"My Blair?" Naomi asked surprised. "I always thought police work would dampen his energy. Perhaps make him more calm, less spiritual, less joyous I suppose."

"Just the opposite Naomi. He thrives on it. Blair is doing something important. Something bigger than himself, something meaningful. He is making a difference. He loves helping people." Sharon Taggart rambled on about Blair's accomplishments with the police department and all the good they had accomplished in the community. She spoke with such quiet pride in Joel Taggart and everyone at Major Crimes.

Naomi chewed that over for a while. In her youth she had been an activist in ever cause she could find large, small or impractical as most of her generation had. She'd always thought of the police, in her mind always spelled `P.I.G.', as the oppressive arm of the government. She'd taught Blair to stand up for his principles and the good of those around him. Maybe it was time she grew past her youthful impulsiveness. Maybe she should look at the world with more mature eyes.

Six weeks later Naomi Sandburg was fully recovered and released from Doctor Lang's care. After she got back from an extended retreat back to Big Sur it was, she decided, time for her to settle down. But first she had a feminist rally to help organize against Doctor Williams and the hospital. Blair had yet to change her mind. She also wanted to raise awareness of the differences between men and women, both in their heart attack symptoms as well as their treatment options. It was a cause she could get behind. One she now could speak about from experience. She'd settle down eventually.

Maybe.

Dedicated to my friend Tammy M. Who like Naomi live to tell the tale. All symptoms and treatment mentioned are accurate and can be found at theses websites.

http://www.Webmd.com/heart-disease/features/her guide-to-heart-disease

http://www.womensheart.org/content/HeartDisease/panic_attack_or_heart_attack.asp

End

Beauty Marks by Mwanda: [email protected]
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