Dilemmia One:
A hostage situation, Jim was in charge - it was his call - he made the one that he thought was right, it was not, the hostage died in his arms. The gunman died after shooting the hostage.
Tears filled Jim?s eyes as he handed the lifeless body of the tiny infant to Doc Robins.
An in house investigation cleared him, but he could not forgive himself. That was two days ago, Jim is no where to be found, no one knows where he is.
Dilemma Two:
Sara had taken a few personal days off, she needed to think. She had been offered the job of her dreams, but could she take it? Would Gil go with her? Could she ask him to give up everything for her?
Sara went to the only place where she could be alone, a small cabin out in the middle of no where. No one else knew about it, so she thought.
When she pulled up she seen the door ajar, wishing she had brought her service weapon, she picked up a piece of a 2 x 4 and slowly pushed open the door.
Passed out on the floor she found Jim, she dropped her ?weapon? and went over to him.
?Jim,? she yelled shaking him. He rolled over, the smell of his breath was enough to knock her off her feet, he was drunk.
?Go away, leave me alone,? he said. Sara sat on the floor next to him, ?No. Jim want is going on.?
Tears filled his eyes, ?I may as well pulled that trigger myself,? he sobbed. ?How were you to know that man would have shot his child?? Sara said trying to comfort him.
?I have been doing this for 20 years, I should have been able to read him,? Jim said trying to stand but falling backwards.
?There was no way for you to know,? Sara said helping him up. Jim pushed her away and plopped on the cot, he reached under it for a bottle.
?Oh no you don?t,? she said snatching it away from him. Jim swung at and hit her, he grabbed the bottle when she let it go and downed it before she could stop him.
Sara pulled her hand away from her face, her eye already starting to swell and bruise.
Jim caught a glimpse of her from the corner of his eye, ?Oh my God, what have I done.?
Tears fell from his eyes as he tried to stand, ?Sara, I am - I am so sorry.?
Sara just walked away from him, she went outside. Jim staggered out and stood next to her.
She looked at him, ?I need some cold water for my eye, help me.? Jim nodded, together they headed to a small creek that ran through the back part of the property.
Jim took of his jacket and bent to wet a rag, Sara pushed him in. The water was ice cold, ?Son of a bitch,? Jim yelled suddenly sobered up.
Sara stood on the shore laughing, ?Toss me your stuff, I?ll get you something to clean up with.?
She went back to the cabin, grabbed a bar of soap and a towel and went back to the creek.
?Wash up, I?ll put on coffee,? she said tossing him the soap. Jim had undressed down to his boxers, Sara picked up his clothing and went to the cabin.
She had brought supplies, she rifled through the box and found the coffee and then found the old fashion coffee pot.
By time Jim got back Sara had stared the fire in the stove and had the coffee perking. ?Smells good,? he said wrapped in the towel.
Sara could not help but laugh, Jim looked so funny standing there, he was shivering and still wet.
Sara poured coffee as Jim started a fire in the fireplace. She found a blanket, and wrapped it around him, then tossed his trousers and shirt over a chair to dry.
?You know you are not going to fine what you are looking for in that bottle. Talk to me,? she said.
Jim sipped his coffee, ?Do you know how long it has been since I took a drink?? ?I know it has been a while,? she said.
?I thought I had it licked, I really did. But when Jackson pulled that trigger??? his voice quivered.
Jackson had killed his ex wife after she won custody of their child. The police cornered him at her house after a 911 call from a neighbor, he had grabbed the child and threatened to kill it too.
?I did not believe him,? Jim said. ?You did everything by the book,? Sara said. ? ?By the book? ? he said grunting, ?That baby is still dead.?
Sara reached for and took his hand.
?I picked her up,? he said chocking back tears, ?Her life slipped out of my hands, I could not help her.?
By now he was sobbing uncontrollably again.
?I remembered this place,? he went on to say, ?I stopped at the liquor store, stocked up and figured I would come out her and drink my self to death.?
?And you would have you fool if I had not showed up,? Sara said refilling their coffee.
?Why did you come?? he asked.
Sara knew that Jim knew about her and Gil, she told him about her dilemma.
Jim looked at her and smiled, ?You are talking to the wrong man, young lady.?
?I can't ask him to make that kind of choice,? she said.
?So you would just walk out of his life with out even telling him why?? Jim said.
?It would be better them making him make that type a decision,? she said.
?I think that should be my choice,? Gil said standing in the doorway.
Sara did not know that Jim had called him when she left for the cabin.
?Gil?? she said. Jim smiled at them, wrapped the blanket around himself and walked outside.
?How long have you been standing there?? she asked. ?Long enough,? he said. ?I ?.? she started to say.
?I can not live without you,? he said, ?I will fallow you to the ends of the earth if need be.? ?But?? she started again.
?But nothing. Anyway, a year in the rain forest sounds like fun,? he said pulling her close to him.
Jim smiled as he seen them kissing through the window.
?Have you totally lost your mind James,? a voice said from behind him. Jim about jumped out of his skin, he turned to see Annie standing behind him, his mouth fell open.
?I come to Vegas to see you and find you out here,? she said. ?But how ?.?? he asked.
Annie explained that Gil had called her after the shooting, she knew him well. She put 2 and 2 together. She had gone to Gil?s when she did not find him at home so she came with Gil when he got the phone call.
Jim pulled her into an embarrass, ?I was so foolish.? ?Let?s go inside before you catch cold,? she said.
?Sara and I am going home,? Gil said, ?How about you too?? ?I think we will stay here and talk,? Annie said.
Jim walked over to Sara, ?Thank you.? Sara hugged him, ?Thank you.?
Jim and Annie talked most the night, he told her all that happened, all that went through his mind.
?I can?t do this any longer,? he told her. Annie smiled at him, ?I have a solution.? She told him that the police academy near her was looking for a teacher, he could put his years of experience to good use.
Jim smiled, ?Under one condition.? She looked at him, ?What?? ?Be my wife,? he said, ?I should have asked you long ago.?
?Are you still drunk?? she asked. ?No. Why?? he asked.
?I don?t want you to sober up and change your mind,? she said. ?Never,? he said pulling her close to him and kissing her. ?I have never made love in front of a fire place,? Annie said sitting on the floor.
?Neither have I,? Jim said sitting next to her. There is a first time for everything and after their first time they slept cradled in each others arms.
Gil was sitting on the bed when Sara came form the bathroom. ?Are you sure,? she asked.
?Sure I want to make love to you?? he asked. Sara walked to him and smiled, ?Sure you want to give up everything for me and the rainforest.?
?Yes,? was all he said as he unfastened her robe, ?Yes to both.?
Gil cupped her breast in his hands, Sara moaned softly them pushed him to the bed.
He lift his hips as she slid off his pajama bottoms.
Sucking, kissing, and licking sent waves of pleasure shooting through his body.
He was near his climax when she stopped, he looked at her, she smiled.
He knew what she wanted, he scooted up and she mounted him.
Sara rocked back and forth, Gil?s manhood found that sensitive spot with each motion.
Their body?s moved as one, his release was explosive.
Her's was just as intense.
Sara fell to his chest, she lay there until her breathing slowed down. She rolled from him, found her comfy spot and fell asleep.
The next morning arrangements were made for Gil to join Sara in the research center.
Ecklie was beside himself as they both handed him letters of resignation.
Two days before they were to leave Jim and Annie stood for them as Gil and Sara were married in a civil ceremony.
A week before Gil and Sara had done the same for Jim and Annie.
Two days later they four of them stood in the airport, Gil and Sara?s flight was called.
?Take care, keep in touch,? Jim said as he shook Gil?s hand.
Sara wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight, ?Thank you.?
Jim had tears in his eyes, ?Thank you. I damn near ruined my life.?
On the plane Gil slept, Sara smiled as she thought back to the day that, by nothing but sure happenstance, two dilemma?s were solved, two lives were changed forever.
