Monday Afternoon, Cascade General

Simon paced across the Emergency Room as he waited for word on both Jim and Blair. He kept seeing the whole incident over and over again. How had things gone so wrong? All the information they had uncovered about the group from the DEA files indicated this group didn't have access to the firepower that had been unleashed on his men. According to the DEA, this group had been too small to even be considered a low priority for them. The Assistant Director he had been speaking with had described it as 'a waste of their limited resources' and expressed his doubts that Rothchild was actually involved.

The forensics teams had finally been able to enter the building. According to the preliminary reports, the back and side doors had not simply been blocked, they had been padlocked shut from the inside. There was too much destruction from the flames to determine who had fired the shots that had started the fire. Only a few clues had survived the flames.

They had found the remains of six men, four in one location, two in another. All were burned too badly to identify. There was no one left alive to stand trial, but at least the source of the drugs was gone. They had also found the briefcase. Fortunately for the Mayor, the case was fireproof and he would get the money back relatively intact. Lastly, they had found the melted mass of metal that was all that remained of Blair's firearm. This was the evidence that Simon was most concerned about trying to explain. The gun had been unloaded. The rumors were already starting to fly about why the gun was empty. Sandburg's aversion to guns was well known in the Department.

Simon heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway. Hoping it was one of the doctors currently treating his detectives, he moved to the doorway of the waiting room.

He was disappointed to see two men in dark suits instead of a doctor. "Captain Banks?" asked the smaller of the two. At Simon's nod, he continued, "I'm Assistant Director Black. This is Agent Whitney. We're from the DEA. I spoke with you briefly several weeks ago about Cascade's newest cocaine operation."

He paused as he checked his notebook. "We need to speak with Detective Sandburg. We understand that he was the only man to walk out of that explosion unharmed."

Simon's cop instincts were screaming at him that these men were bad news. "You have been misinformed. Ellison and Sandburg both survived the explosion, but no one walked out of that fire unharmed. Detective Sandburg is currently being treated for severe smoke inhalation."

"That's not the information we received from your Department," Whitney sneered.

Simon's anger started to rise. "My officer barely managed to get both himself and his partner out of that warehouse alive! What is your interest in this case? I thought you were the one who said this operation, and the men running it, were too small-time for the DEA to get involved?"

"We're not interested in the drug operation. We are here to take Detective Sandburg into custody as a material witness in the death of DEA Agent Thomas Mallory," answered Agent Whitney coldly.

"WHAT!" Simon yelled, not believing what he was hearing.

"Agent Mallory was working undercover in the operation that your unit took out earlier today. We find it interesting that a detective less than two years out of the Academy with a disreputable history was the only one to walk away from the incident. We would like to know how he managed to do that," Whitney explained, his tone condescending and his poor opinion of Sandburg evident by the sneer on his face.

For one brief second Simon was speechless. Then, anger took over. "I told you he didn't walk away and I don't like the implication you are making. Let me make this clear! First, Detective Sandburg is not going anywhere with you. Nor will you be allowed near him until his condition is stable and his doctor approves. Second, he will not be allowed to speak with you without representation from the Cascade Police Department. At least myself and his partner who, if you recall me saying, was also present during the raid, will be present if and when you are allowed to speak with him."

"That is unacceptable. I'm investigating the death of one of my agents..."

Simon interrupted, "...Which has nothing to do with Detective Sandburg. All enforcement agencies were notified within the required timeframe concerning the raid. All approvals were received before we proceeded. Why weren't we informed there was an undercover agent in the operation?"

"Sorry, that information was deemed need-to-know. I've been out of touch from the Agency for the last two weeks and only saw the paperwork on your raid after the fact. All I can tell you is we have our orders. Detective Sandburg is coming with us. We were hoping to have his cooperation, but if necessary we'll get a warrant." Black waited patiently for the Police Captain to capitulate to his demand. No local law enforcement group had the guts to stand in the way of the DEA.

Eyes flashing angrily, Simon leaned over the two agents in his most intimidating pose. Pounding one finger into Black's chest, he gritted his teeth and replied, "You and I both know that you don't have grounds for that. You are out of line here. I don't know what you are fishing for here, but you aren't going to find it. So I strongly suggest you leave, NOW!"

"Captain, is there a problem here?" a deep voice called from the doorway. Joel was standing at the entrance with Megan. Henri and Rafe were standing right behind them. It was clear from their angry expressions that they had heard part of the discussion.

"I don't think so. I believe these gentlemen were just leaving," Simon answered as he glared back at the agents, daring them to contradict his statement.

Assistant Director Black paled at the sight of the large group of detectives who had them boxed in the room, against the wall. Assessing the situation, he decided that a strategic retreat was in order. He could deal with Sandburg after they collected the files from the PD. With all the officers at the hospital, it would be easy for them to collect the paperwork. He motioned for Whitney to leave in front of him. The group from Major Crimes opened a narrow gauntlet for the two men to pass through. As they reached the elevator, he called back over his shoulder, "This isn't over, Captain Banks." Black glared coldly at the group.

"No it isn't, AD Black. In fact, our investigation has just begun and is about to be expanded. We expect cooperation from your department."

Once the DEA agents had left the floor, Simon turned to his detectives and asked, "How much did you overhear?"

"Enough. We have a dead DEA agent and, for some obscure reason, it looks like they're going to try to blame Blair," Joel replied.

"Brown and Rafe, I want you to head back to the station immediately. Find out everything that you can about the late Agent Thomas Mallory. Megan, rerun the background information on Rothchild's group. Run them through every source you can think of except the DEA. We relied heavily on their information during the planning stages of this operation. Obviously, we were misled. Something here stinks. I smell a cover-up."

"What about me?" Joel questioned.

"Stay here and wait for word from the doctor about Jim and Blair. I need to talk to the Chief and the Commissioner. Something tells me things are about to get very nasty. I want to make sure they're brought up to speed on the story before the press gets wind of this. Bring me all the paperwork and files that we have collected so far. I don't want the DEA to confiscate our documentation as part of whatever they're planning. They're up to something. They aren't playing by the rules on this and I want to know why."

The group broke up and headed off to complete their assigned tasks. By the time Simon was done with his calls, the doctor had not appeared. He rejoined Joel in the waiting room. Joel sat quietly, idly flipping through an extremely outdated magazine. Simon resumed the pacing that was previously interrupted by the appearance of the DEA agents.

"Simon, would you please sit down. You're driving me nuts here!" Joel requested as Simon paced in front of him for the fifteenth time.

"We should have heard something by now," Simon said, running his hand across his head. "I'll go check at the nurses' desk. See if they've heard anything new."

Simon turned around and started through the doorway. He was so distracted that he almost ran over the doctor who was entering the room.

"Captain Banks, I'm not sure if you remember me. I'm Doctor Jones. I've been treating your men." The doctor was still dressed in scrubs, slightly bloody down the front of the shirt.

Simon nodded. "I remember. How are they doing?"

"Detective Ellison is pretty much one big bruise. Nothing is broken; however, he does have a concussion. From what I understand, he was unconscious for only a short length of time. We'd prefer to keep him here for the standard twenty-four hour observation period, but he's fighting us. Actually, he's demanding to see Detective Sandburg. He has requested an AMA release."

"Sounds like typical Ellison behavior," Joel muttered.

"Captain, your man has suffered several concussions over the last few years. Because of his past medical history, I'm strongly against releasing him. I was hoping you would try to talk him out of it since he isn't listening to my opinion."

"Where is he?" Simon asked resignedly.

"Why don't you both come with me to see Detective Ellison? I do have a report on Detective Sandburg's condition. I'd rather say it only once, then answer any questions you all may have."

The doctor led the two men into one of the ER's treatment rooms. Jim was sitting up on the gurney, wearing a hospital gown and arguing with the nurse. When he saw the doctor enter the room, he asked rudely, "Did you bring the release papers?"

"No, Detective Ellison, I was hoping you might listen to your Captain since you refuse to listen to me."

The doctor stepped to the back of the group at the same time Simon stepped forward. His arms were crossed over his chest, his 'you are in deep trouble' expression generally reserved for his son Daryl, on his face.

"Sir, I need to..." Jim started.

"Stand down, Ellison! You are going to listen while I explain this situation to you. I know you want to see Sandburg, but that isn't possible right now. You need to see to you own health first."

Jim started to say something, but Simon continued talking over his objections. "Don't argue, I do NOT want to have to deal with a pissed off Sandburg. If he finds out I let you leave here in your condition, he'll make my life a living hell. Now, do you want to know what I'll do to you if he does that to me?"

"No, sir," Jim answered somewhat meekly.

"Good. For the next twenty four hours you'll remain in this hospital and obey the doctor's restrictions. In return for your good behavior, we'll see to it that you're kept apprised of Sandburg's condition. Do you understand and agree?"

Jim's face was screaming rebellion, but he curtly answered, "Yes, sir."

Usually Simon hated it when Jim reverted back to his military conditioning, but for now he was thankful. He turned to face the doctor. "I believe you said you had information about how Sandburg's doing?"

"Yes, Captain. Detective Sandburg's condition is a little more serious."

"The paramedics said his collapse was due to the smoke inhalation."

"That's what we thought at first, but we now believe he breathed in toxins from the burning chemicals, which has complicated his treatment. We have identified the chemical as carbon tetrachloride. It's a common industrial cleaning solvent. Because Blair was conscious and, from what I understand, exerting himself, his inhalation exposure to the chemicals was severe, but short."

The doctor checked the chart he had carried into the room before continuing. "When he was brought into the emergency room, his heart rhythm was irregular and he was in severe respiratory distress, common symptoms of this type of exposure. As a precautionary measure, we have placed Blair in the Critical Care Unit. Don't be alarmed by this action, gentlemen. Currently he's unconscious and his condition is stable. I do have a couple of questions for you, though. Do you know if Blair has had any previous exposure to chemicals? For example, classes in college, Hazardous Materials incidents, or anything similar?"

"Not that I'm aware of, not as a result of his present duties," Simon answered.

"He took basic chemistry as an undergrad, but it was a one-semester course to fulfill a science requirement. The other science requirements were all in the field of biology," Jim added.

"That wouldn't be a problem then. It usually takes repeated exposures to this class of chemical to cause long-term damage. There are no signs that he ingested the chemical and I know from his medical records that he's not a diabetic. These conditions would increase the risk of long-term damage. Do you know if he has had any alcohol in the last twenty-four hours?"

"No, we were on duty late yesterday. By the time we got home, we were exhausted. He made some tea and we both crashed for the evening," Jim said after a slight hesitation as he reviewed the past day.

"Good, alcohol would have made it easier for the chemical to affect the bloodstream. We'll be closely monitoring his heart and lungs. We will also be watching for signs of either hepatic or renal toxicity. It is much easier for us to do that if he's in the Critical Care Unit. From what I can tell of his current symptoms, I don't think there will be any complications. If his heart and lungs remain stable, we'll probably move him out of CCU tonight. It will be a day or two before we determine if the levels of toxicity were high enough to cause other damage."

The doctor could tell the three men were becoming more apprehensive about their friend the longer he spoke. He tried to reassure them.

"Don't look so concerned. This type of limited exposure does not result in long-term damage. If no complications arise, and I'm not expecting any, he'll be home in a few days. His other injuries are minor in comparison. His right hand has some first and second-degree burns, but there shouldn't be any scarring. His left hand has only some minor first-degree burns. He's actually doing very well considering what could have happened. One of you, not you, Jim may sit with him if you wish. Just cooperate with our staff.

"Simon, why don't you stay with Jim until they settle him in a room? I'll go stay with Blair," Joel suggested.

"Okay, Joel. I'll come find you once Jim's settled," Simon answered gruffly, understanding Joel felt much closer to Sandburg because of all the assistance and support the young man had freely given a few years back when Joel had doubts about continuing to work with the department.

"Would the two of you quit talking about me like I'm not here," Jim inserted.

"Sorry, Jim," both men said in unison.

"Detective Taggart, if you'll come with me, I'm on my way to check on Blair," the doctor offered.

Joel walked over to Blair's bed and stared at all the equipment connected to him.

"It looks much worse than it is," the doctor whispered. "Most of this is just to monitor his condition."

Joel nodded and stared at the monitors. There was a pulse-ox meter attached to Blair's finger. His hands were wrapped with white burn pads covering both palms. He was receiving oxygen through a plastic tube. At least he wasn't on a respirator. There was also a heart monitor softly beeping at a steady rate. To Joel's untrained eye, everything appeared to be normal. Blair appeared to be sleeping peacefully.

Joel sat down on the hard plastic chair that was by the bed. "Hi, Blair. I'm gonna keep you company for a while. Jim's just down the hall. Simon is taking good care of him, so don't you worry about it. You save your strength for yourself. You are the only one who can soothe the mood of an injured Ellison and he is feisty right now, so wake up soon."

Joel kept talking on various topics. He intentionally picked subjects that he and Blair had argued about previously. The kid thrived on debates and Joel enjoyed the heated debates they engaged in periodically. He figured if Blair could hear him, he would wake just to present his own opinion.

Monday, late afternoon, Cascade General

Simon entered the darkened hospital room after a quick trip down to CCU to check on Blair. Jim had fallen asleep shortly after he had been assigned a room. It was a good thing he hadn't forced the issue of the AMA release. He would have fallen on his face before leaving the hospital. He looked terrible. The side of his face was swollen and badly bruised. He doubted that it was possible for Jim to even open his right eye. Earlier, he had called the bullpen to let them know about Jim and Blair. He also called Steven Ellison's office. Simon was well aware that the two Ellison brothers had grown very close over the last few months. As he sat down, he heard a groan from the bed.

"Jim?" Simon asked as he leaned over the bed. Jim's eyes fluttered, then closed tightly at the brightness of the room. "Hang on, Ellison. Let me get the lights turned off."

Simon made a quick trip over to the wall where the switches were and turned off the fluorescent bulbs that were directly over Jim's bed. "The lights are out now, Jim. Try to open your eyes."

Cautiously, Jim re-opened his eyes. "Simon, how's Sandburg? Have you seen him? Is he still doing all right?" Jim asked as he tried to sit up. He quickly changed his mind as the pain in his head increased exponentially as he moved to sit upright.

"Sandburg's fine. He's still in CCU, but the doctor doesn't think he'll be there much longer. Joel hasn't left him alone for a minute. Looks like he's going to be just fine."

"I know you don't understand, but I really need to see him, Simon." Jim's voice was a little rough. His mouth was dry. He reached a shaking hand out for the pitcher of water sitting next to the bed.

"I'll get it, Jim," Simon said as he grabbed the pitcher and poured the water into a cup. He picked up the filled glass and handed it to Jim. "How are your senses doing? Are you having a problem with them? Is that why you need to see him?"

The sound of the door opening interrupted the conversation as Doctor Jones entered the room.

"Nice to see you awake, Detective Ellison."

"How long was I sleeping?" Jim asked, puzzled by the comment.

"About six hours. The nurse woke you after the first three hours to check on you," answered Simon with a smirk. "You were not at your best, so she let you go right back to sleep. You needed it, Jim. If there had been any change in Sandburg's condition, I would have told you."

"The last set of blood tests showed no sign of toxicity and his heart rate is no longer showing any irregularities. If he continues to improve, he'll be out of CCU tomorrow morning."

Doctor Jones returned the chart to the holder and left the room. Jim found the controls for the bed and raised the head of it. "Simon, how did Blair get exposed. The last thing I remember is being pinned down in a crossfire by Rothchild's goons."

"We're not exactly sure what happened. Forensics has theorized that during the exchange of rounds, some stored chemicals were ignited by the gunfire which in turn caused the explosion. We did find the remains of a barrel of carbon tetrawhatever along with numerous other chemicals that were stored in the warehouse. "

"That explains the odor I was picking up inside. I thought it was paint thinner."

Simon knew his next statement would upset Jim, but he didn't have a choice. "Jim, do you remember what happened in there? I hate to do this right now, but we really need a statement from you."

Jim noticed immediately that Simon was hiding something. "What's the problem, sir? Something has got you on edge right now."

"Detective, I need you to tell me what you remember. Officially, for the record, then I'll fill you in on what's going on," Simon ordered.

Jim stared at Simon, hoping for more information, but Simon's glare was equally determined. "Okay, we got to the warehouse right on schedule. When we entered the building, Sandburg noticed two of the members of the group weren't with the others. We figured the deal was a setup almost right away. I had already noticed the doors had been padlocked. I knew they were up to something. If the idea was to keep others out, they would have put the locks on the outside of the door. They were trying to cut off our avenues of escape. Rothchild had brought along a new face. It was this new guy who demanded that we give them the money and walk away. Once the shooting started, Sandburg and I took cover behind some machinery. They had us pinned down pretty tight. Blair and I returned fire, but we couldn't get a fix on any of them because of the crossfire."

"Sandburg was returning fire?" Simon asked.

"Of course he was returning fire," Jim answered, angrily, rolling his eyes at what he believed was a stupid question. "I told you. They had us in crossfire! Actually, he had to reload before I did. In fact, the last thing I can remember is him yelling something about Rothchild flanking us and that he needed to reload. Why the questions, Captain? You're not doubting him now, not after all this time, are you?"

"Not me, Jim. I know there isn't anything he wouldn't do to protect you. He's made that pretty clear. But there are several complications with the case right now. Finding Sandburg's gun unloaded in the rubble is minor in comparison to the other issue."

Simon paused, taking a deep breath. "There's no easy way to say this. The DEA was here earlier. It turns out that there was an undercover agent in Rothchild's operation. They said they wanted to take Blair into custody as a 'material witness' in his death."

"Why the hell didn't you tell me that before?" Jim asked angrily.

"Because you weren't in any condition to do anything about it and I wanted to get more information first," Simon yelled back.

Jim was upset at first, but as he thought about it, he became more puzzled than angry. It didn't make any sense. "Why didn't they tell us about this agent before now and why did they only want Sandburg? Why not me, too? I saw everything that Sandburg did."

"That's the first question that comes to mind. I have a lot of others. Their attitude really bothered me. They were even more arrogant then usual. I have the others checking into the story right now. Why don't you try to rest? There isn't much we can do until I hear from the others, and I made it clear to the DEA they're not getting anywhere near Blair. So there's nothing we can do for now but wait."

Jim shook his head. "I'm not going to be able to sleep until I get a handle on what's going on."

"I'll check in with the office, see if they've turned up anything else yet. You stay in bed. That's an order, Detective."

"Yes, sir. As long as you promise to come right back and fill me in," Ellison replied as he lowered the head of the bed and closed his eyes. Simon reached for the door, only to have it open for him as Steven Ellison entered.

"Hello, Captain Banks. Nice to see you again," Steven greeted as he entered the room.

"Hello, Mr. Ellison. Please excuse my abrupt departure, but I have something I need to take care of."

"No problem, and please call me Steven."

"When I'm off-duty, please call me Simon," he replied as he walked out the door.

Steven looked over at his brother and asked, "How am I supposed to know if he's off-duty?"

"Simon is never off-duty," Jim teased.

Steven laughed and sat down in the chair Simon had recently vacated. "Sorry, Jim. I would have been here sooner, but I was tied up in meetings all afternoon,"

"Thanks for dropping by, Stevie. I really wasn't expecting you, but I'm glad you're here."

"Are you all right? What did the doctor say?"

"I'm fine, little bro. The doctor's just keeping me for observation."

"How's Blair? The message didn't say."

"He's still in CCU, but the doctor thinks that he's going to be fine."

"I'm glad to hear that. When Lily gave me Simon's message, I came straight here. I did try to call Dad and let him know what happened, but Sally said that he's in London for the next two weeks."

"Thanks, Steve. I forgot to have anyone call him."

"Don't be surprised if Sally drops by with some of those cookies you love. She's kinda at loose ends with Dad out of town."

A few hours later

Steven looked at his watch, then back at his sleeping brother. It was obvious that Jim needed more rest when he had fallen asleep in the middle of their conversation. He looked up as Simon quietly slipped back into the room. "I didn't want to leave him alone. Can you believe that? I was afraid to leave my big brother alone in a hospital room."

Simon nodded. "Actually, I understand the feeling quite well."

Steven smiled and climbed to his feet. "Now that you're back, I'm going to go see Blair. Will you tell Jim that I'll see him tomorrow? I'll drop by during my lunch." Steven leaned over his brother and whispered, "Rest easy and I'll check on you later." Jim moved restlessly but didn't wake.

For the next couple of hours, Simon reviewed some of the paperwork Megan had dropped off earlier. He didn't notice that several hours had passed until the door to the room creaked as it opened just a crack.

"It's okay, guys. Come on in, you don't have to be quiet. I'm awake," said a hoarse voice from the bed.

"Since when?" Simon asked, turning to stare at Jim, now doubting whether he had gotten any sleep at all.

"Hey Jim, you're looking much better," Henri greeted with a smile. Rafe entered right behind him, carrying several file folders. He handed them to Simon.

"Captain, your instincts were dead on. Agents Tweedledee and Tweedledum showed up at the bullpen. They demanded all the files from Rhonda. They were really giving her a hard time when we walked in."

A large grin broke out across Henri's face as he recalled that scene.

"You find something amusing about Rhonda being harassed by two agents?" Simon asked gruffly.

"No sir, absolutely not." Brown answered, contritely, but with twinkling eyes. "But watching Rhonda chew them up, spit them out, and kick them out of the bullpen was pretty darn funny. They never knew what hit them."

Simon choked down his own laughter at the image created by Henri's words of Rhonda standing up to the two agents. He himself, had been on the receiving end of Rhonda's ire once or twice. It felt similar to facing down a felon with an automatic weapon pointed at you while being armed with a squirt gun. "Give us your report. What were you able to find out about the late Agent Mallory?"

"Unless the DEA has started paying their people about ten times what we make, this guy has another large source of income. We checked out his assets. The guy was very rich when he died and he didn't even make an attempt to hide it. There's no record of inheritance, lottery, or successful investments. No obvious source for the large amounts of cash we found in his bank accounts," Rafe answered.

"If you examine the files the DEA sent over, you'll find that the agent responsible for checking out Rothchild's operation was Agent Mallory. He's the one who described the group as being both small time and lacking any significant firepower," Henri added.

Simon opened up the file and started to skim over the information they had so far. A picture slid out of the folder and landed on the bed. Jim reached over, then sat up in surprise as he recognized the man. He winced at the pain in his head, regretting how quickly he sat up.

"Simon, Mallory is the man at the meet who demanded that we hand the money over to them. He's the one who started all the shooting."

"This explains why the information we got was so wrong. What if Mallory was skimming cash for his personal use? That would be a good reason why he wouldn't want the group to be taken out," Simon replied.

"He falsified the reports back to his own people. He just didn't anticipate the police department taking down the operation," Jim responded.

"That doesn't explain why they're going after Sandburg." Rafe frowned. "Why go after him?"

Henri snapped his fingers. "I got it. Mallory couldn't have done this all on his own. Someone else had to be involved. If this operation wasn't worth the DEA's involvement, why had they left one of their people undercover in the group? No way was the guy working alone."

"Right," Rafe replied as the pieces fell into place. "What if the DEA didn't officially know that Mallory was involved? What was an Assistant Director doing on a routine pickup of a witness? Those guys never leave the office. Assistant Director Black said he just got back from vacation. If this was a partnership between Black and Mallory, it would explain everything."

"Black was not available to warn Mallory that the operation was being taken down this time. Mallory could have been told about Jim and Blair being cops a while ago. If this had been another simple meet, he could have killed them and kept his cover intact. Now, with Mallory dead, Black is looking to shine the spotlight on someone else while he covers up his involvement. Who better than Blair?" Simon added.

"What do you want to bet, if Blair had been taken into custody, we would have found him dead with either a load of drugs or a lot of cash. Black would have slipped away in the frenzy generated by the press," Jim said, fuming.

The men fell silent as the ramifications of what could have happened sunk in.

Simon finally broke the silence. "It would explain why Black didn't come after Jim, too. Jim's reputation would have been much more difficult to question than Blair's. Rafe, see what you can find out about AD Black. I want more evidence before we bring this to the Commissioner.

Megan threw open the door to Jim's room and ran inside, "Turn on the TV. You've got to see this," she gasped out. Everyone stared at the TV, watching as Don Haas's face appeared on the screen. Behind him was the yellow tape surrounding the scene of the warehouse.

"This is Don Haas reporting. Earlier today, viewers reported hearing multiple gunshots from this location. It was described as a war zone in more than one account. Shortly after the shooting started, a major explosion decimated this area and caused damage to several nearby buildings. Confidential sources have informed this reporter that the explosion that rocked this area earlier today was the result of a police raid on a drug lab gone terribly wrong. In addition to the alleged drug dealers, an agent for the DEA was also killed in the incident. Also injured in the explosion were Detectives James Ellison and Blair Sandburg.

According to my sources, Cascade PD is refusing to cooperate with the DEA's investigation of the incident. Is this because of the need to cover up errors made by the Major Crimes Unit? Was this another case of trigger-happy law enforcement officers entering a hostile situation with guns blazing? We understand that the newest member of the Major Crimes Unit, Detective Blair Sandburg, was reportedly involved in the incident. What kind of officer is being graduated from the Police Academy these days? Are they being taught to shoot first and ask questions later? You may recall the name Blair Sandburg as the former graduate student from Rainier University who was expelled when he submitted a fraudulent doctoral thesis. So far, Cascade PD has no comment on the raid and will only say that the incident is being investigated. We will be providing updates on this story throughout the day as more information becomes available. Now, back to the studio."

Jim turned off the TV as soon as the studio newscasters started talking.

"Well, now we know why they're going after Blair," Rafe said angrily, breaking the shocked silence in the room caused by the news report.

"I bet I know who those confidential sources are and when I get my hands on AD Black, he's going to have a lot of explaining to do," Simon said, visualizing Black's neck between his hands, his grip tightening slowly.

"I'm just glad Sandy isn't awake to see this. It's going to break his heart." Megan sat down on the foot of the bed looking at Jim's unhappy expression.

"Guys, don't say anything to Blair about this. I want to be the one to tell him. I need to be the one," Jim implored. "Megan's right. Blair is going to take these accusations badly."

"Once he finds out, he's going to need all the support he can get, Jim. Don't forget, we're all on his side," Simon admonished.

"I know, Simon. He's going to need every friend he's got if we're going to get him through this with his confidence intact. We need to start damage control on this and start assembling the troops."

"I'll find out how the Commissioner plans on dealing with this," Simon said, already moving for the doorway.

"I'll call Charlie Blanchard at the Academy. They're under attack, too. I'm sure they're going to want to defend themselves against these accusations." Jim reached for the phone on the table next to the bed.

"I'll let Joel know what's going on. I'm sure he didn't see the report. I'll also suggest to the hospital staff that they don't talk about it around Sandy," Megan said as she followed Simon out of the room.

"Rafe and I will head down to the station. Blair has a lot of friends among the uniforms. We'll let them know what's going on," Henri said, nudging Rafe in the direction of the hallway.

Jim waved good-bye with a quick gesture, because he already had Charlie Blanchard on the line.

Monday Evening, Cascade General

Blair knew that he didn't want to wake up. Even before he opened his eyes, he recognized that he was in the hospital. The sounds and smells were unique. His chest and throat ached from all the coughing. He felt a hand reach over and move his hair back away from his face. "Jim?" he croaked weakly.

"No, Blair. It's me, Joel. Take it easy. Don't try to talk. Your throat has to be pretty sore. Would you like some ice chips?"

Blair nodded. He felt a large hand slip under his head, providing support as the chips were placed in his mouth. The cold water soothed his throat.

"Where's Jim?" Blair rasped as Joel lowered his head back to the pillow.

"Don't talk anymore, Blair. Jim is down the hall. In case you don't remember, he regained consciousness right after you got him out of the warehouse. He's been complaining loudly about having to stay the night. Simon's keeping him in line until you're able to deal with him, so don't worry." Joel pressed the call button over the bed. Doctor Jones must have been at the nurse's station because he entered the room a moment later.

"Hello, Blair. I know it's hard for you, but don't try to talk. Your throat needs the rest."

Blair lay quietly on the bed, too tired to argue. The doctor checked his vital signs and made several notations on the chart.

"Well, Blair. I think the worst has passed. I'll make arrangements to have you moved into a semi-private room first thing in the morning," Doctor Jones said with a smile and a pat to Blair's shoulder.

Tuesday Afternoon, Cascade General

Steven had stopped by Jim's room, at lunchtime, as he promised bearing the gift of Wonderburger. He was as angry at the news reports as his brother was. Jim was thankful that Steven had come to see him before seeing Blair.

So far, Blair was unaware of the news reports and Jim wanted to keep it that way until the doctor was sure he was completely out of danger. Steven promised to remain silent on the issue until Jim gave him the word, but he was consulting with an attorney about the possibility of libel or defamation charges against the news reporter. Overnight, all the networks had picked up the story. Blair's reputation was being smeared in both print and television reports, along with the Police Academy and Major Crimes.

It was just after Steven had gone back to work when Doctor Jones brought Jim his release papers. Even though the twenty-four hours were technically not up, the doctor knew Jim had no intention of actually leaving the hospital. Jim just wanted to be in a different room.

Blair had been moved into a room two floors below him just after nine in the morning. Jim had periodically focused his senses to monitor his condition, but Blair appeared to be sleeping most of the time. The hospital staff had been instructed not to mention the news reports to Blair. The television in his room had 'malfunctioned.' Actually, dead batteries had been inserted into the remote and Blair was told the TV wasn't working.

A little after two, Jim was dressed and walking into his partner's room. "Hi, Chief. How are you feeling?"

It was still difficult for Blair to speak. Instead, he waved his hand back and forth in a so-so motion in reply. He picked up a notebook, which Joel had left for him that was sitting on the table next to the bed, and started writing. The bandages on his hands made it hard to write, but it was easier than trying to speak. He kept it simple, asking about Jim's senses.

"They're fine, buddy. Everything's under control, just a little headache. Do you need anything?"

Blair wrote back, "No, Megan's bringing stuff from home, books and CD player. She'll be back soon."

Megan reappeared around four with the requested items and an early dinner for the men. She had checked with the doctor and had brought some of Blair's favorite soup from the deli near the loft. They played a few rounds of poker before the nurses announced that visiting hours were over. After Megan took Jim home, Blair spent the rest of the evening listening to one of his meditation CD's and reading.