Work Text:
Alone in the Dark
by Hawk
“Come on, Jim. Talk to me.” Simon looked down toward Jim, worry etched in every line on his face.
The explosion had taken them both by surprise. Jim had smelled something “funny” moments before he heard the click of the bomb activating. They’d taken off running for the door of the warehouse but it was simply too far away. At least they’d put some distance between them and the bomb. Before Jim’s senses had homed in on it, they had been walking directly toward it. The fact that there were three floors of concrete between them and the bomb as well as that they were moving away from the blast actually saved their lives.
The floors had collapsed inward, forming small pockets of air enclosed in concrete slabs. Jim and Simon were in such a compartment. Simon had a superficial cut on his right arm as well as a puncture wound to his left thigh. He could feel the blood seeping through his clothes but didn’t think he was in any danger. Jim, however, hadn’t been so lucky. He’d taken a blow to the head when the roof had caved in on them.
It was dark in the pocket where they were trapped but Simon could still feel, and what he felt was tacky, oozing blood on the back of Jim’s head. Jim was unconscious and Simon was frightened. There should be a rescue effort – but it would take a while to get to them and he wasn’t sure how much time Jim had. Unconscious was never good.
“Jim,” Simon said again. “Come on, Detective. Wake the hell up!” He tapped Jim’s face, punctuating his command. “Sandburg will fucking kill me if you… well, you know. So don’t die on me – and that’s an order.”
A dry, rasping chuckle sounded and Simon sighed.
“Damn it, Jim. You nearly scared the life out of me.” Jim’s head was cradled in Simon’s lap and he felt Jim nod.
“Scared me too, Simon,” Jim said softly. “I feel like shit – how about you?”
Simon shrugged, all too aware that Jim couldn’t see it. “I’m okay – a couple of scrapes, small puncture on my thigh. I’ll live.”
Jim moved his head and Simon thought he’d probably nodded. “And me?”
Simon sighed. “You’ve got blood on the back of your head and you were unconscious for quite a while – at least ten minutes by my watch.”
“Watch?” Jim said, shifting again on Simon’s lap. “Indiglo?”
Simon chuckled. “Yeah – it’s darker than dark in here.”
Jim sighed a little shakily.
“What is it, Jim?”
Jim shrugged. “Couldn’t see – assumed the worst and I thought you just weren’t telling me.”
Simon laughed quietly, leery of bringing the roof down on them – again. “Nah, I wouldn’t do that to you. Although I would’ve thought you could see something with your senses.”
“Maybe just nothing to see, Simon. Even I have to have some light.”
“Here then.” Simon activated the light on his watch and held it up. It cast an eerie green glow on Jim’s pale face. Jim didn’t react to the light and Simon felt his stomach drop. “Jim?”
“Yeah?” Jim’s voice was small, almost scared sounding.
“What do you see?”
“Don’t fuck with me, Simon,” Jim said softly.
“I’m not. What do you see?”
“Darkness.”
END