See part one for disclaimer and warnings

Title: DRUGS

Author/pseudonym: Sentarla

Rating: PG

Status: 4/?

Date: 18/12/98

Archive: Yes ohhhhh PLEASE do!!!!!!

Series/Sequel: Non

Note: Sorry about the wait, have told you all about the wonderful Beta's I have. Shycat and Bonnie are sooooo Fantastic. If only you could see the mess I call gramma. By the time you guys get to read, sometimes I wonder if it is still my story. Man they are both so tops. Well Hope you all like it.

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Once they had reached the hospital, Jim carried his guide through the door.

"Help, I need help here."

With much ado, Blair was taken and wheeled into an exam room, as a doctor was paged. Stuck in the waiting room, Jim tried to listen to his guide.

"That's right, Mr Sandburg, I just want you to close your eyes and rest. There is no need to worry, everything is taken care of. Sleep.

Jim heard the doctor close a door and faintly mumble under his breath as he wrote on a chart. Pulling out his cell phone Jim called Simon.

"Banks," The ruff just woken voice of his Captain answered.

"Simon, it's me." Hearing the tone of his friend's voice, Simon instantly became alert. "Jim, you okay? What's wrong?"

"I'm at the hospital, something's wrong with Sandburg."

"What do you mean?" Simon asked softly; the sounds of Simon gathering his clothes and keys could be heard in the background.

"I don't know, he cut himself shaving this morning, but it didn't stop bleeding, and then he collapsed."

"I'll be there in 15, Jim. Can you hang on till then?"

Sighing in both relief and gratitude, Jim agreed.

"Okay, Jim, call me if you hear anything."

As soon as he got off the phone, the same doctor who had seen Blair the other day came over to him.

"Detective Ellison."

Standing up, Jim nodded.

"We have you named as Mr. Sandburg's next of kin, is that correct?"

"Yes, I am," Jim replied with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Sitting down, the doctor waited for him to join him.

"Detective, from all test results that we have currently done, the best conclusion we can draw is that Mr Sandburg is having a severe blood thinning problem. It would seem that his blood is unable to clot. If I had not treated Mr. Sandburg myself the other day, I would have instantly come to the conclusion that he is a hemophiliac. His records however state that he is not, so I will have to wait on the blood test results before I can make an accurate diagnosis. At the moment I am treating him as if he were a hemophiliac. I have him on a mixture of blood clotting drugs, and he is responding quite well. I am however a little wary about using all these different drugs while we don’t know what he currently has in system. Mr Sandburg is asleep at the moment and he will probable stay that way for a few hours yet: when the blood is thin, oxygen is reduced and there is not enough for the other organs."

Wearily, Jim rubbed a hand over his face. "How could this have happened, doctor?"

Shaking his head, he looked at Jim. "I have no idea, Detective, I have never seen or heard of a case like Mr. Sandburg's before. At least not at someone his age."

"May I see him?"

"Of course Detective. He is in room 113."

Rising, Jim headed for Blair's room, wondering where the good morning had gone.

Blair was peacefully sleeping in the bed with an IV of blood and another one full of clear fluids going into his arm. A large white bandage was on his cheek, slowly turning red.

Pulling a chair closer, Jim sat beside his partner.

"Hey, Chief, you really gave me quite a scare. The doctor says you’ll be fine, you just need to rest, and that’s what I want you to do buddy. Rest. When you wake up I will be right here, there’s nothing to be afraid of, so rest."

Seeing some of the tension leave the sleeping body, Jim watched as Blair moved into a deeper sleep.

Ten minutes later a nurse entered the room

"Detective Ellison, there’s a Captain Banks waiting outside. He asked me to let you know."

Nodding his head, Jim thanked the nurse and turned to Blair to lightly squeeze his hand. "Chief, I’m just going outside to talk to Simon, I won’t be far away. If you need me, just make a sound. I will be listening." Waiting for any reaction and getting none, Jim got up and left.

Seeing Simon pace the small corridor outside made Jim smile. Simon was acting like a worried parent waiting for news from a doctor. Seeing Jim he stopped and came closer.

"Jim, what’s happened, is the kid okay?"

Looking at Simon, Jim sank into a nearby chair. "I don’t know Simon, the doctor is waiting for test results. They have him on some drugs to stop the bleeding, and they also gave Sandburg a blood transfusion. He is asleep at the moment. God, Simon, he only shaved himself, he usually cuts himself. What’s the difference this time?"

Before Simon could come up with an answer, Blair’s doctor came over.

"Detective Ellison, we have the test results back."

Nodding his head, Jim waited for the news. Seeing the doctor pointedly look at Simon, he waved off the concern and said, "Anything said to me can be said to the Captain as well."

Nodding his head, the doctor pulled up a chair and sat down in front of them, creating a small private triangle.

"Gentlemen, it would seem that we have a significant problem. All the test results that have come back indicate Hemophilia. As impossible as it may sound, Mr. Sandburg is a Hemophiliac."

Closing his eyes, Jim made himself listen to the rest.

"I also got the results from the chemical found in Mr. Sandburg’s blood. So far, it is the most likely reason for Mr. Sandburg’s condition. The University took a small amount for study, and when given to mice they also developed blood problems. The Scientists at the University are still trying to break it down, to find a way to countermand it. It may take some time though, hemophilia has been around for centuries and we are still no closer to a cure. At this point in time, it is best if we treat Mr. Sandburg as if he had Hemophilia."

The two listeners nodded their heads. Simon spoke up for the first time. "What do you mean? How do we do that?"

The doctor sighed and looked at the floor for a few moments. "Okay, first let me say that anything I say is not personal, I am giving advice, not dictating." Both men nodded, waiting for him to continue. "You would both know the basics about Hemophilia. Living with a hemophiliac can be very difficult in many ways. Most first reactions would be to wrap the person up in cotton wool and restrict their movements to a degree they feel trapped. The other main reaction is the complete opposite. They act as if nothing has changed and the usual result is fatal. You need to find the middle ground. Mr. Sandburg will need to know that his life is not over, he can still live a rewarding life. It just has to be different. The things he took for granted have dramatically changed; for example, shaving. A cut could turn into something life threatening if medication or treatment is not sought. At the moment, someone punching Mr. Sandburg in the arm could cause internal bleeding. Yes, that’s right, a simple knock or fall. Any form of bruising needs to be checked immediately. Consider them all life threatening. I’ve looked over Mr. Sandburg’s records, and I’ve noticed that he has been a frequent visitor here; gunshot, concussions , drugs overdose. It would be in his best interest if Mr. Sandburg stayed away from police duty. The chances of injury to his all ready fragile health is too great."

Jim hung his head and calmed his breathing. It would be tough, but he would see to it all. If it meant desk duty for the next 20-30 years, he would do it without complaint if it meant the life of his Guide.

Simon wished for a cigar and watched his best detective. He saw the news hit and then saw the determined expression. Knowing what was going through Jim’s head, Simon put a hand on his shoulder and let the doctor continue.

"Mr. Sandburg will be ready to go home tomorrow morning. I have not told him yet, but I would like your presence, Detective, when I do. He will need a lot of support. The important thing is that you see he gets his medication on time and takes it regularly. It will stop any minor bleeding if it should occur again. Here is a card with my home number, pager and work hours. If anything should happen, or you need anything, call me. We are all entering new territories with this one." Nodding his head in goodbye, the doctor handed over the card and left the two shell-shocked men. The meeting he thought had gone very well.

After a few minutes of silence, Simon cleared his throat.

"Uhmm. Jim, you okay? Jim, talk to me."

Turning dull eyes to Simon, Jim asked why. Simon watched as the eyes turned from that dull desperate look to one of anger.

"Why the hell would Michael do this to Sandburg. Shit,Simon, Blair's done nothing, he’s an innocent. When I find the sorry sick s.o.b, I’m gonna…."

"Ellison!" Banks half yelled, stopping his friend in mid sentence. "Jim, I don’t want to know. I don’t want to be forced to repeat any of it. Hell, Jim, I have my own torture methods in mind, but don’t say them aloud. We will get him, and when we do..." Simon closed his mouth and let the thought hang in the air.

Feeling his Guide’s restlessness, Jim told Simon and went back to him.

Sitting back down in his chair, Jim noticed the bandage had been changed and the bleeding had completely stopped. There were dark smudges under Blair’s eyes and a tired look on his face.

Jim was still there 3 hours later when his Guide fully woke up.

"Hey, Chief, how are you feeling?" Jim asked, a note of concern in his voice.

"Better. Thirsty. What happened?"

Letting Blair sip some water, Jim told him to hold on while he got the doctor. Within two minutes he had arrived and seeing an alert Blair, he checked the vitals, recorded them and then pulled up a chair and proceeded to tell Blair everything.

Although he looked completely calm, Jim could feel his partner's heartbeat increase. After it all, Blair gave a little chuckle. "Well, I guess Michael won after all."

"Chief," Jim groaned, "No."

"Yeah, Jim, he did. He wanted to use me as a guinea pig and he has. He is probably somewhere close in the hospital recording everything. No, Jim, I’m okay, but please understand I am not giving up!"

Keeping his emotions tightly in check, Jim nodded his head and gave his partner a small smile.

"What ever happens, Chief, we are in this together."

Seeing this as a good time to leave, the doctor nodded to the two men and left.

Blair spent the rest of the afternoon tossing and turning Simon arrived after dinner and talked to Blair. Everything was going well until Simon prepared to leave. Forgetting his own strength, he gave Blair a supportive/encouraging squeeze on the shoulder as he stood up. Blair gave a faint moan at the pressure and Simon quickly let go. But it was too late; both Simon and Jim could see the rapidly developing bruises.

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