Chicago PD 2 07/ SVU 16 07
Prompted by tumblr user allenting. What happens after Erin gets hit by the bike in New York.
He tries to break her fall, help her land as gently as possible on the cold asphalt, keeping his left hand under her head for support. He leans over her, his heart beating hard in his throat. Her face has gone pale, her skin clammy.
"Erin? Erin can you hear me?"
"My head," she croaked out.
"I know, we've got an ambulance coming, just try to stay still ok?"
"Did we get him?"
"Yeah, Benson got him. He's with uniforms now, don't worry Erin. Just lay still, ok?"
Once loaded in the ambo Jay holds her hand, gently rubbing his thumb back and forth across her knuckles. He's listening to the paramedic ramble off her vitals but can't make sense of the information with the sound of the sirens mixed with the blood rushing in his ears. She's been fading in and out of consciousness for the last few minutes.
He can't wrap his head around what happened. One second she's ahead of him, running full out, within arms reach of the suspect, the next a bike comes out of no where, crashing into her. He wants to vomit at the memory of the sickening sound her head hitting the asphalt made. She's the toughest cop he knows yet here she is laying on a stretcher in the back of an ambo.
They wheel her away from him at the hospital. The duty nurse fires a dozen questions at him. Dose she have any allergies to medication, any previous health conditions, he answers her, matching her rapid pace, and then reluctantly takes a seat in the waiting area she's guided him to. She says they have to run some tests, do a cat scan, check for concussion and any internal bleeding. Reassures him head wounds alway look worse than they are. Jay sits with his head in his hands. She has to be okay.
Oh fuck, he has to call Voight. Jay decides to put that off until he has some real information to share. No sense in having Voight bark a thousand questions at him he has no answers for.
An hour later the nurse calls his name. Says he can go see Erin now. She gives him a room number and points him down the long hall to his right. He pauses at her door. Takes a deep breath and pops his head in. The motion catches her eye and she turns to smile at him. "Hey" she whispers.
"Hey yourself. How you feeling?"
"Like I got run over by a bike." She smiles, embarrassment flushing her cheeks pink. The colour looks good on her. Better than the pale grey colour in the ambo. He sits on the edge of her bed, careful not to bump her. But after the scare she gave him he needs the proximity.
"Well you kinda did" he chuckles.
"Yeah. I didn't see him."
"None of us did. What the doctor say?"
"I have a concussion. Nothing serious." She plays it off like its nothing. But he's not buying it. He stares her down, letting her know he's not buying it. "Jay, I'm fine." She reassure. "Really. Aside from the headache, I'm fine."
The doctor comes in then. Jay takes the opportunity to ask for himself. "Well, it's a nasty bump, needed a couple stitches.. A concussion for sure. We're gonna keep her overnight for observation. And she should take it easy for a few days after that for sure."
"I'm fine," Erin protests again. The doctor looks at her pointedly "You need to rest. No way am I gonna clear you for duty." Jay thanks the doctor for his time as he leaves to check on his next patient.
Erin looks heartbroken. Jay gets it, after all they are here for her brother, looking for the sick bastards who hurt dozens of kids. This case is personal for her. "Erin," he soothes, "you're not gonna do Teddy any good trying to go after these guys with a concussion. Let SVU handle it. I'll call Voight, maybe he'll send someone else out to help. We all know how important this is for you. We won't stop till we catch them. You know that."
Erin pouts. "I know, I just.."
"Hey," Jay pulls a chair up to her bed, sits and takes her hand in his. "it's gonna be okay." He gives her his most reassuring look. "Try and get some rest okay? Before the nurse comes back to check on you?" She sighs and gives a slight nod careful not to dislodge the ice pack proped between the pillow and the back of her head.
After Erin falls asleep Jay slips out to call Voight. To his relief Voight tells Jay he'll be on the next flight out to help with the case. He makes it clear Jay is to head home with Erin and keep a close eye on her. Jay doesn't say Voight would have a fight on his hands if he hadn't ordered him home with Erin.
Jay returns to her room. The nurse said they'd be waking her at regular intervals to check on her and that he could head back to his hotel but no way in hell is he leaving his partner. He rearranges the chair so he can prop his feet up on the bed frame but still hold Erin's hand. He watches her sleep. The steady rise and fall of her chest. Listens to the rhythmic beeping of the monitor she's connected too. Try's not to replay the bike crashing into her, tries not to hear the sound of her head hitting the ground.
Eventually he falls asleep too. They spend the night like this. The nurse comes in periodically to rouse Erin and check her vitals. Each time Jay wakes with a start, worried by falling asleep he's somehow let something bad happen to her when he's supposed to be keeping watch. Each time the steady pace of her breathing and heart monitor lulls him back to sleep.
In the morning Voight arrives. He sends Jay to the hotel to pack his and Erin's things and check them out while he visits with his girl. When Jay left Erin was still protesting going home but he knows this is one battle she's not going to win.
Jay returns to the hospital and Voight stops him in the hall. Reminds Jay to keep a close eye on Erin, makes sure she's no where near the district for the next twenty four hours and he expects an update on her this evening.
Jay brings Erin her bag and puts it in the bathroom so she can dress for their flight home. "Thanks." She says defeated.
"Hey, they'll get them." She smiles sadly. He helps her walk to the bathroom, keeping his hand on her back to steady her. She again protests that she fine but he caught the swaying motion when she first stood up.
Once back in Chicago Jay helps Erin settle on her couch and orders them take out. "How's your head now?" He asks after he's convinced her to eat something.
"Honestly? It hurts like hell."
"Can I get you anything?"
"A blanket?" She asks giving him her best puppy dog expression. Jay laugh's and grabs the afghan off her arm chair. He draped it over her and settles in beside her, offering up the remote. Erin laugh's "wow I should get smashed into more often if it means I get control of the tv."
"Yeah thanks, but I'll pass. Watching you hit the pavement once was more than enough for me." Jay replies flatly. Erin looks at him quizzically then flips through the channels. She settles on a hockey game. "What no chick flick?" he teases.
"I've already got a headache. I don't need to listen to you whine too," she jokes.
He laughs, kicks his feet up on the coffee table and drapes his arm over her shoulder. She leans her head against him. By the end of the first period they're both sound asleep.