Please Don't Shoot The Turkey
By Dar Hutson Scally
Part Two
Simon kneeled down on the other side of Blair and started looking for any sign that the kid had been shot.
Jim had already looked and smelled for any sign of blood and didn't find any. "He wasn't hit, sir. It's something else."
Jim pulled the beak off and started pulling the turkey suit away from Blair's face.
"Help me get this suit off." Jim said, working at loosening the suit. "I think he's just passed out from the heat."
They pulled the suit down away from his upper body, then carried him into the living room and layed him on the couch, propping his head with pillows.
The patrol officers had arrived and taken Mr.Carlson away, so Maggie gathered the children in the dining room and allowed them to begin eating, while the detectives were occupied in the living room. She didn't want the kids getting any more upset than they already were.
Jim pulled the turkey suit and tights off of Blair.
"Get me some wet towels." Jim asked Rafe and Brown.
Within a few minutes, they had Blair's legs and chest covered with cool wet towels and Jim was wiping his face gently with a cold rag.
It wasn't long before Blair stirred.
"Blair." Jim called.
Blair moaned and slowly pried an eye open, quickly shutting it back tight.
"Blair, come on, I need you to wake up now." Jim said, patting him gently on the cheek.
"Go 'way." Blair mumbled. "sleep." He tried to roll over but Jim held him still and prodded him again to wake up. He needed to make sure he was going to be okay now that they had cooled him down. He didn't relish the idea of a hospital trip on a holiday, but if he couldn't be sure that his partner was okay, they'd be headed there in a few moments.
"Blair, come on buddy." Jim urged. "If you don't wake up and tell me you're okay, I'm taking you to the hospital."
'That should get him.' Simon thought, knowing how much Sandburg hated hospital visits.
"Blair, son, we need you to wake up now." Simon said, using his authoritative Captain's voice.
Blair stirred again, rubbing his eyes, and opened them, looking around him. Four faces stared down at him. Right next to him, of course, was Jim, and standing behind him were Simon, Rafe and Brown.
"Blair, you okay?" Brown asked.
Blair blinked the fuzziness out of his eyes and moved to try to sit up. Dizzyness overcame him and he plopped back down.
"I'm okay." He said. "What happened?"
"You passed out." Jim said. "What do you remember?"
Blair thought about it. "Some guy came in with a gun. I felt too sleepy to pay much attention. I was hot." He looked down, noticing for the first time that he was no longer in the turkey suit, but laying in only his boxer shorts on the couch in the living room. The wet towels on his chest and legs were no longer cold but they felt good.
"You just got overheated in that suit and finally passed out." Jim said, handing him the wet rag. "Here, put this on your head and lie still for awhile. You'll be okay."
Blair took the rag and folded it over his forehead.
Simon herded Rafe and brown out of the room, figuring Blair didn't need them all standing around looking at him. Now that they knew he'd be okay, they should go have some dinner and help Maggie with the kids.
Jim sat quietly by Blair's side, thinking how easily this could have gone bad. Another close call. There had been too damn many of them. Why did it seem like Sandburg walked around in a battle zone half the time. He was just grateful that none of those gunshots had hit Sandburg or any of the kids. It occurred to him then, that this was the appropriate day to be thankful and he took a moment to be thankful that Blair was alive and would be okay. He was pulled out of his thoughts by a sound from the couch. His partner was calling him.
"Hey Jim, man, are you with me?" Blair was calling, looking a little alarmed.
Jim smiled, reaching a hand out to touch Blair's shoulder. "I'm here."
"I thought you had zoned. I've been calling you." Blair said.
"What do you need, partner?" Jim asked.
Blair smiled, handing him the rag. "I need you to help me up. There's a Thanksgiving dinner going on in the other room and I'm starved."
Jim laughed, taking Blair's arm and helping him to sit up, then stand. Blair wavered only for a second, then took a deep breath and started for the dining room.
Jim stood still, looking after him for a moment, before calling to him. "Sandburg."
Blair turned, surprised to see Jim still standing there. "What?"
"Aren't you forgetting something there, Chief?" Jim asked, unsuccessfully suppressing a giggle.
"What?" Blair started to ask, then realizing he was about to walk out into a room full of kids wearing only his underwear.
"Oh, yeah." He said, grinning sheepishly. " I guess I'd better go get dressed, huh?"
Jim nodded, walking past him and heading for the dining room. "If you hurry, maybe there'll even be some turkey left."
Blair looked after him. "I think I could actually do without the turkey this year, Jim."
The End
