By Kayra

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The alarm clock shrilled, jerking Blair from a deep sleep.
He reached over, slapping at the offending object. Scoring
a direct hit, he turned over, pulling the blankets closer
he buried himself in their warmth.

As silence fell over the warehouse, Blair shot up with a yelp.
"What time is it?" He yelled to the empty room. "7:30.
I told Jim I'd meet him at the precinct to get my observer
paperwork done."

Blair got out of the bed, leaving the covers in a pile.
He showered, the time and the chill of the warehouse making
him hurry. Pulling on a flannel shirt he looked at the clock.
"Oh good. 7:45. Time left for breakfast. Wonder what's left
that's edible." He pried the lid off of a metal container
and triumphantly lifted out a bag of bagels.

"Yes! Bagels!" Blair cheered as he got a clean knife.
Humming, he sliced into the soft bread, only to catch
his finger with the sharp instrument. The bagel
tumbled out of his hand, onto the counter.

"Damn!" He turned to the sink and ran cold water over the
injured hand. "That's great, Sandburg. Your first day
and you show up wounded."

The bleeding stopped, he checked that the bagel was still
clean and sat down to spread cream cheese on the bread.
In front of him was the paper from the previous day.

"Drug Ring Busted in Raid!" exclaimed the headlines. His
attention captured, Blair forgot about the bagel as he read
the story of how an all night stake out between Major Crimes
and Narcotics had brought down a major drug ring.

By the end of the article, which described a shootout
and a chase on foot for the suspects, Blair sat stunned.

"I can't do this." He whispered. "I can't
chase after bad guys and cops. Shoot outs! What if he
expects me to carry a gun? I can't shoot at someone!"

Panic bloomed and Blair stood, tossing the paper away
from him. "What in the world do I think I'm doing? Going
to play cop? Get a grip, Sandburg. You're a student. What
makes you think this can last more than a day?"

Pacing around the living area of the warehouse,
Blair spotted his prized book, "The Sentinels of
Paraguay." He stopped, lifting the book and opening
it to the portrait of the Sentinel. The stern face,
sworn to protect the tribe. Turning the page, he
stared at a portrait of a another man, described as
the Sentinel's companion. The companion who was always
at the Sentinel's.

"That's who I think I am. The Sentinel's companion." He
said quietly, lightly running his fingers over the page.
"I've convinced the Sentinel. Now I have to convince me."

Blair set the book down carefully. "Better get
going if I'm going to be on time." He left, locking
his doubts and fears behind him.

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