Before we begin this journey, this is my very first FanFic story. I've read many incredible works on this site for awhile now and felt the urge to get off the sidelines and dive into this writing world. I was inspired to write this piece while watching baseball (oddly enough) and I hope you enjoy it. Please feel free to review this. I'd love to hear feedback. Here we go.

Chapter 1- A Big No-No

It was a Friday evening unlike any other. The Intelligence unit out of the 21st District had a free weekend. All paperwork was caught up and earlier that day, they had wrapped up a tough, intense case that required chasing a perp into a subway stop. The suspect was finally brought down when the team surrounded him, guns drawn, and a hidden Detective Jay Halstead placed a terrifying laser red dot on the suspect, point blank. The events unfolded like something out of an action movie. It was badass. It was perfect.

So now, as the team was shutting off the office lights and heading down the stairs, the obvious question was raised by Adam Ruzek: "Everyone have weekend plans?!" Of course, this was a no-no thing to do. The minute someone asked about plans, a case was sure to crop up early Saturday morning. The team playfully groaned and scolded Adam for bringing this up while quickly climbing into their cars, driving off into the city.

It was an early November night. The leaves were in full color and the temperature had reached light to heavy jacket mode. Some lingering Halloween decorations were still on the lawns of homes and children were being called in from their afternoon football scrimmage. Jay Halstead was on his way to meet up with his brother Will. Another odd set of circumstances: both brothers were free for a night. Normally, Jay would be working on a case till way after Will's normal bedtime or Will would work the graveyard shift. However, on this night, Will had somehow lucked into a shift that got him off at 6pm. The brothers had decided to meet up at Will's apartment for a hockey, tacos, and beer night. Will Halstead and Natalie Manning were a few weeks from getting married and Jay wanted to carve out some time with his older brother while the two of them were still bachelors.

On the way to Will's, Jay drove in silence. This was something he did often as a way to wind down and process the day's activities. He thought back to how the team could've solved the case sooner or without the need to shut down an entire subway stop. He also wandered if his brother would bring up wedding plans. It had been a consistent topic lately and, being honest, Jay was slightly over hearing about venues, food, and seating arrangements. His brother had developed a 'groomzilla' syndrome and Jay was not sure why. It was weird to see the groom freaking out over details while the bride-to-be tried everything to coax him. Jay was laughing to himself about this when it all happened.

He was in a left hand turn lane waiting for the light to turn green. His blinker was on and he waited a second or two after the light turned green before beginning his left hand turn. As he crossed through the intersection, a heavy truck flew through the intersection and hit Jay's vehicle hard on the left side. Jay saw the oncoming car for a second before his head struck his driver side window, hard. He remembers the force of the car hitting him straight on and he remembers hearing a crack. The accident occurred in seconds. However, in a split moment, Jay Halstead went from thinking of brother with a scanner in Bed, Bath, and Beyond to being enveloped into a world of darkness.

He turned the key in his lock and set down the to-go back from the taco restaurant. Will had forgotten to put the beers in the fridge before work and so he decided to throw them in the freezer, hoping that would speed up the chilling process. Having accomplished that, Will ventured to his closet to find some sweats and a hoodie. Once he had accomplished the perfect lounging attire, he sat in the living room and looked over his honeymoon itinerary. He knew this trip had to be perfect. Would Nat enjoy a week long trip on a private beach in Figi or an adventurous time in southern Italy? He spent countless hours researching before narrowing his selection to an ocean side cottage in New Zealand. He spent the next hour going over last minute arrangements and narrowing down restaurants. He wanted to treat Natalie to a week of sight seeing, adventure, and a foodie's dream.

It wasn't until well into the hockey that he realized Jay hadn't arrived, let alone called to let him know he was running late. Will called his brother and the phone rang to voicemail. Odd. Maybe he was still working on a case? Perhaps he had stopped by his place to pick something up? He called again and got the same result. He texted and the message was never read. Before going into panic mode, Will called Voight to see if he knew where Jay was. Voight said he saw him last when they left the district. Will called Antonio Dawson and got the same answer. He decided to head over to Jay's apartment to search for him when his phone lit up and began to ring. It was Maggie from Chicago Med.

"Will, are you home?"

"Yeah I am. What's going on? Did something happen with one of my patients? I'm in the middle of something and can't come in. Ask Ethan to handle the problem."

"Will, I need you to sit down. It's about your brother." The panic began to rise. Maggie was always one to find that perfect balance between hope and reality. Even in a dire situation, Maggie found a way to calm loved ones down with a positively hopeful tone. Her tone now was grim, almost veering on emotional.

"Your brother was in a serious car accident and suffered a brain injury. They just took him up to surgery. Do you need someone to pick you up?" Will sat in shock, wondering if he'd fallen asleep. Jay was on his way over. He had just spoken to him a few hours ago. This had to be a nightmare.

"Will? Please say something. Jay's in good hands, but you need to get here. Now."

"I'll drive. I'll be there in 15 minutes."

He hung up and went into autopilot mode. He ran to the closet and grabbed some shoes. He turned the TV off and grabbed his keys. As he was opening the front door, Will paused for a moment and uncharacteristically, cried. He knew the uncertainties of a brain injury. He knew the risks during the surgery and the recovery afterwards. He was a surgical resident turned ER doctor. He knew the drill. But, this was different. This wasn't an unknown patient that just entered the ER. It was his brother. He knew the fight his brother was in for, but he also reminded himself that Jay was as stubborn as anything and could find a way to pull through. Will took these moments to let it all out. He knew from the moment he crossed the threshold till he walked his brother out of the hospital, or until he returned to his normal way of life, that he would be living and thinking for two. He didn't know what the next hours, days, or weeks had in store. But he knew he had to be strong and ready for whatever lied ahead. So after a minute of tears and fear, he collected himself, walked into the hallway and locked his apartment door. Here we go. Hang in there, Jay.