Band-Aid
Rated TEEN
Part of Cycle I (Lost Balance Found )
Written for Patty1h who bid on this for Moonridge charity auction
"Blair? I smell blood."
Blair turned to see Jim in just boxer shorts poised at the arch to the kitchen, his body tight as he scanned the small room.
"Cut myself," Blair admitted as he pulled his finger out of his mouth. The cut between the first and second knuckles started bleeding right on cue. Blair grabbed a paper towel and pressed it to the deep cut.
"Chief, you really did a number on that. Where's your first aid kit?"
"It's just a cut," Blair protested, but when Jim stood there with his determined expression, Blair nodded toward a cupboard. "In there."
Jim grabbed the kit and popped it open, pulling out gauze pads, white tape, and antibiotic ointment. "Let me see," he ordered as he held out his hand, and Blair surrendered his hand. Jim peeled back the paper towel and made a small wince.
"Geez, Sandburg, are you trying to take off a finger?"
"Very funny, man. I slipped slicing the mushrooms," Blair said as Jim held his finger under water in the sink.
"No more knives for you," Jim said as he pulled open a drawer and pulled out a clean towel. When he pulled the finger out of the running water, he held the finger tightly with the towel.
"Man, you're going to ruin the towel," Blair complained.
"Not my main concern right now," Jim said. "Hold this a second," he said, and Blair held his own finger as Jim open a package of gauze and put antibiotic cream on it. He silently pulled of lengths of tape, ripping them off and hanging them from edge of the counter before taking control of Blair's finger again, pressed the medicated square to the cut and holding it while he wrapped tape around it.
"All better, now try not to cut off any other limbs," Jim joked as he gathered up the trash. Blair watched, and he realized that no one, not even Naomi had ever been so concerned about him.
Looking at the white tape wrapped tightly around the white square on his finger, Blair felt a pressure in his chest that made him take a deep breath. In that moment, he decided that he wouldn't leave Jim again. If Jim went back to Cascade, he'd face Simon and the other rather than risk losing Jim forever.
"Are you okay, Chief?" Jim asked with a concerned look, pushing the door shut on the garbage.
"Yeah, I'm just fine," Blair answered as he turned back to the counter. "Want an omelet?"
"Does it come with your blood?"
"Ha ha."
"Why don't you go get rid of the bloody shirt, and I'll finish up the omelets, Chief," Jim said with a push.