This is set in early season 1 :)
The shrill, annoying ringing of the alarm sharply roused Will from his too short slumber. The red-head groaned, reaching out a hand to turn off the much hated device before attempting to find the edge of the cocoon of sheets he was in. After elbowing himself in the ribs and almost tumbling straight out of bed in his attempt to free himself, Will managed to get back on his own two feet. He hoped against all odds that his clattering had not woken up Jay, who had looked dead on his feet the night before. He was proud of his brother, sure, but when a particular case drove him to exhaustion, Will worried. It was natural to worry over his older brother, wasn't it?
Will sighed, stretching a bit before heading to the bathroom to wash as well as to brush his teeth. When he felt remarkably more human-like, Will silently trekked to the kitchen, almost giving himself a heart attack when he saw Jay there, nursing a cup of coffee and attempting to stifle yawns in between bites of freshly made toast.
"'Morning." Jay's voice was rougher than usual.
"Didn't you just close a case?" Will got his own coffee, all the while frowning as he saw the exhaustion that practically oozed off his brother.
"Paper work." Jay's disdain carried through the words, and Will couldn't help the slight chuckle, even as he subtly checked his brother for any signs of ailments. Anything to make him stay at home and rest.
"With this level of tiredness you won't even be able to concentrate." Will rose an eyebrow as Jay almost missed his own mouth in the next attempted bite.
"That is why I am going to buy an energy drink on my way to work." Jay grinned, dusting off his hands as he stood up. "By the way, can I catch a ride with you?"
"What happened to your car this time?" Will couldn't help but grouch, even though the district wasn't that far from the hospital.
"Got riddled with bullets yesterday. It's still in the garage." Jay smiled sheepishly before he left the room, presumably to take a wash and change out of his pyjamas.
Will couldn't help but huff out a laugh as he buttered his own toast, hoping that Jay wouldn't take long to get ready. Even though Will was no stranger to arriving late for work, he wanted to keep up his good streak so that Rhodes and Goodwin would cut him some slack. Maybe Natalie would pay him some more attention if he wasn't such a bad boy in her eyes.. Will shook his head, grimacing at how his thoughts ranged like those of a teenage boy with messed up hormones. With a small huff he stood, cleaning the kitchen before preparing his bag.
He was staring at one of the corners of the table, his mind musing on his patients when the creaking of one loose floor board alerted him of his brother's arrival, the ex-soldier snuggled comfortably in a black hoodie to ward off the chill. It was almost funny how sensitive Jay was to the cold, especially considering he did most of his job outside. The hoodie, at least a size too big, dwarfed his bulky figure and made Jay look younger than Will, who often had to present his ID in order to be believed after stating his age.
"Ready to go?" Jay was clipping his badge to his jeans, fingers moving automatically.
"Yeah, hopefully we won't get a shitload of patients today." Will shouldered his bag before locking the door, making sure that his keys were in his pocket beforehand.
"It's Chicago you're talking about." Jay let out a laugh as the brothers made their way to the car in silence, content to wake up fully before being forced to socialize.
After about 20 minutes stuck in traffic, Jay had emptied an energy drink and was coherent enough to keep up a conversation, and Will was rambling on his job. Despite the doctor-patient confidentiality, Will often felt the need to vent about the stress of his line of work to someone he knew wouldn't evaluate his psych while simultaneously conversing. Sometimes, family was all Will craved, and Jay was always there by his side. Obviously, words turned on Natalie, her upcoming baby, and how conflicted Will was about it all. Jay did his best to be comforting, but given that he had gotten Erin at the end, and that she wasn't pregnant with her dead husband's baby, he wasn't sure how to really advice his brother.
However, now that they were moving a bit more smoothly, Jay would probably be saved from answering, because the intersection right before District 21 was coming right up.
"I mean sure, I tend to get myself in trouble but I always save the patients so I don't get why she-"
Anything he was about to say was cut off by a loud horn, and Jay's head snapped up just in time to see a truck coming directly at them on Will's side, tires screeching just before Will's car suddenly turned violently on its side, performing a whole turn before skidding sideways until it came to a complete stop, smoke curling from underneath its hood.
Air bags deployed with a loud whoosh, serving as both a protector as well as an injury inflector. Slowly, they went down, revealing two deeply unconscious brothers, both leaning against the bent frame of broken windows, blood trailing down their faces.
Will's side was one with the car door, the metal curling around his side as if embracing him. His fingers, still weakly curled around the stirring wheel fell to his lap, utterly limp and devoid of any strength. His chest rose and fell weakly, his breaths getting caught in his lungs before they were forcibly expelled. Even though he could not feel a thing, his ribs ached, protesting the tiny breaths that were keeping the doctor alive until further notice. Cuts littered his pale arms, the broken glass penetrating through his clothing until it settled in the skin, providing small but annoying injuries.
Jay, despite having been tossed around, was relatively less hurt. One arm was thrown across the seats, fingers just grazing one of Will's arms. The other limply curled around his mid section, protecting major organs from damage as best as he could. The air bag had managed to give him a nose bleed, a steady stream of blood dripping from slightly parted lips as one of his eyes started to blacken slowly. A bump the size of a goose egg was already forming on the side of his head where he had slammed against the door frame, knocking himself out. Glass shards littered his being, and a nasty gash covered his face in sticky blood, almost gluing his other eye shut. His hoodie was thick enough to have protected him from most of the glass, but undoubtedly, bruises coloured his body like a newly painted canvas.
Neither of them heard the shouts around them as panic rose on the busy street, and neither one of them showed any sign of awakening when both truck and squad came to free them from the ruined car. Consciousness continued to evade them as paramedics gently yet urgently strapped them to back boards and stretchers before high tailing to the hospital as soon as possible.
Nobody paid attention to the drunk driver, who was, for safety reasons, taken to a different hospital.
Natalie sighed, walking as best as she could with her ever growing tummy. Despite having a light share of work she still felt like sitting down most of the time, just to rest her ankles as well as her back. Their shift wouldn't start until a few more minutes, and she was content to just gather herself in the break room before having to go around and save people from life-threatening injuries.
Despite the stress her job brought around, she loved it more than anything. Seeing the relief on someone's face when they discover that a loved one would recover fully, or the happiness on a child's face when they'd be free to go home... They were all little things that made Natalie glad that she had chosen this path for her life. Like every job, it had its bad days. Seeing the utter devastation on family members and/or friends when the news that a loved one hadn't made it reached their ears was heart-breaking to say the least, especially when their hopes had been high. Natalie couldn't even fathom what it was like to go through that.
With Jeff, there had been no waiting for news, no waiting for a doctor to come out, blood splattered on his scrubs to tell her that her husband had not made it. No, it was just a letter. Only words that formed into sentences to blankly tell her that her husband was dead. Had been killed in action. Jeff Manning wouldn't be returning home. Not alive at least. He would never get to see his son, would never hear his first words or see his first steps or see him go to school for the first time.. Nothing.
One part of her wanted to raise her child all on her own, be both its father and mother, yet another part of her craved for another partner, someone to share the bulk of raising a kid with. Someone who she'd love and be able to grow old with. Some part of her heart knew that Will was slowly claiming that spot with his charisma, but most of her was still in denial, thinking that it was too early to jump into a relationship, especially considering she was supposed to be a mourning widow. It would be better if they remained friends for now. Their special day would come.. Hopefully way after her baby was born.
"WE GOT INCOMING!" Maggie's shout snapped Natalie out of her reverie, and the doctor gently pushed herself to her feet before schooling her features, ready for yet another day of attempting to lengthen lives.
"What've we got?" Rhodes strode in, ready to meet the gurney near the doors so as to make his assessment as quick as possible.
"Two males, late twenties, concussions, never regained consciousness, possible whiplash, several small cuts and bruises, ginger got a couple of broken ribs, weak breath sounds, possible simple pneumothorax.." The paramedics rattled all the information they knew.
As information was passed to and fro, nearly all doctors felt the floor beneath them disappear. Seeing a friend on one of the stretchers was never an easy experience, but seeing one of their own was even harder; and seeing the blood splattered all over the Halstead brothers was enough to shock them senseless. Choi stared blankly at the stretchers, his eyes wide as he took in the lax features of Will, whose pale lips were almost scary to look at.
"Manning! You and April take Jay, make sure there isn't anything we can't see, Ethan and Reese, you're with me, let's see what Halstead got himself into this time!" Connor immediately took control of the situations, knowing that nothing would be solved if they stood around like zombies staring at their fallen friend. Manning almost argued, wanting to take care of Will and make sure that he would be fine herself, but one look from Rhodes immediately kept her back. She was too emotionally compromised to take care of Will.
"Someone call Erin, let her know Jay is here!" Natalie snapped out of her shock as well, hurriedly leading the detective into another room.
"Where the hell is Jay?" Voight's growl broke the silence in the district, and the tired occupants rose their heads, only then noticing just how late their co-worker was.
"Maybe he over-slept?" Dawson was the first one to offer a possible solution that would evoke Voight's wrath.
"This is Jay we're talking about, something must have come up for him to miss work without telling us first." Erin's husky voice was tinged with worry, and the girl was already picking up her phone before it rang into her hand. If the shrill sound wasn't enough to wake them up fully, Erin's ashen face after she heard the news on the other side did.
"Erin?" Ruzek piped up, his voice tentative.
"Jay's in the hospital, he was in a car accident this morning."
There were a few seconds of shock until the news settled in before a flurry of activity broke out in the bullpen as everyone scurried for their coats and car keys. They were all quiet, their minds undoubtedly envisioning the worst even if they hoped for the best.
Jay felt weird. He was floating, but at the same time he was grounded, feeling every crinkle in the sheet that he was laying on, and the coolness of the other sheet that covered him up until his hips. Strange.. He didn't remember going to bed shirtless last night, especially considering how sensitive he was to the cold. There was an annoying beeping sound behind him, and something snaked around his ears. Had he fallen asleep entangled in his headphones again? Groaning in annoyance, he flapped his arm around, attempting to turn off his alarm, but someone grabbed his hand and gently laid it back on the mattress, the slight pressure on his wrist more than enough to keep him from moving again.
Why was his head aching?
He didn't recall getting drunk.. Then again he rarely remembered getting drunk.
"Jay?"
The request sounded far away, almost as if someone was speaking to him while he was running after a perp, the words made indecipherable with the wind rushing through his ears. Undoubtedly it belonged to a male, but to whom exactly, Jay had no idea.
"Come on Jay... show us those baby blues."
It was another voice, huskier than the previous one, and he could place it somewhere above him. Maybe it belonged to the person who was keeping his arm pinned to the bed. And keeping him from turning off that damn annoying alarm.
"You sure do love your beauty sleep."
Another voice, more light, filled with teasing. Why were there so many people around his bed? Couldn't he sleep in peace? Jay surely didn't remember throwing a slumber party, and definitely not one for men. His head rolled on the pillow, which was definitely not his own, it was too flat. Fed up with all the mysteries, Jay tried his hardest to open his eyes, succeeding partially before the light blinded him thoroughly and sent horrible stabbing pains through his head.
A groan rumbled in his parched throat, and something warm settled just above his eyes, blocking the harsh light. Blue-green eyes fluttered open, and the hand was slowly moved away as his eyes somewhat adjusted to the light. Jay blinked confusedly when he saw the stark white ceiling above him. It was then that he noticed the antiseptic smell all around him, and the hustle bustle of nurses and doctors in the background. The annoying alarm must have been a heart monitor, and the irritating tubing around his ears was a nasal cannula, if the fresh air underneath his nose was any indication.
However, despite the obviousness of where he was, that still didn't explain why exactly he was waking up in a hospital bed. He was sure he had taken breakfast at home this morning..
"Why am I in the hospital?" His voice was garbled, and Jay winced as his throat protested its use.
"You were in a car crash." Erin supplied from right next to him. It was then that he noticed the whole team was scattered around the room, the relief in their faces crystal clear.
"A car crash? I wasn't even driving!" It was then that his brain caught up with current events, and the memory of seeing a truck heading straight into Will's side of the car flashed right before his eyes. He sat up abruptly, ignoring the shrill call of the heart monitor and the sudden dizziness that almost made him topple off the bed. "Where's Will? Is he okay? What happened?" It was hard to get the questions out when he was fighting to breathe as well as keep down his breakfast, and soon enough his stomach won. Jay thanked whoever had the quickest reflexes when the basin was thrust right under his chin. His head ached worse as he heaved, tears prickling the sides of his eyes as pain assaulted him from everywhere.
When he was done, someone handed him water, and he gratefully washed out his mouth, removing the icky taste. Someone was rubbing his back, undoubtedly trying to calm him, but panic still plagued him, why wouldn't they tell him about Will? Where was his brother? There was a lot of noise around him, voices melding into one another, all speaking, but neither one of them even remotely understandable. Why couldn't he breathe right? If he was in a hospital, he should have enough air, right? His chest was aching horribly now, almost keeping him from taking in the air he craved so much. Had he broken some ribs? He wouldn't be surprised.
"Jay, can you hear me?" A melodic voice broke through his musings, and Jay felt himself relax slightly. He knew this voice, had heard it before in his life. Hell, he craved the sound of that voice nearly every morning.
"Erin?" His own voice made him wince, but he pushed past that, attempting to open both eyes. It surprised him when one of them stubbornly refused to open more than half way.
"Yeah it's me, calm down a bit won't you? Just take a few deep breaths." Erin's hand rubbed his bare back softly, and Jay was suddenly aware that the nasal cannula was gone, replaced by a mask that someone was holding onto his mouth and nose. He greedily sucked in some air, delighting in the feeling of having full lungs before he released his breaths slowly, relieved to feel his heart calm down slightly.
"Why don't you lay back down Jay? Gather your thoughts before trying to kill yourself." Natalie piped up from besides Erin, a small smile playing on her features as she pulled back the mask and adjusted the nasal cannula again. Jay didn't have the strength to protest as Adam and Antonio pushed him back on the bed, their hands a steadying presence on his shoulders. Voight and Olinsky remained near the door, silent yet watchful guards. Kevin was smiling from the corner. He automatically smiled back, pushing against the splitting pain in his head.
"What's the verdict Doc?" Now that he was relatively aware of himself and his surroundings, Jay could feel a dull ache all around his body, and his head was thumping with every beat of his heart.
"Well in case you haven't noticed, you have a moderate concussion, and stitches on your forehead. One of your eyes is swollen closed, and you have more than a few bruises, particularly on your chest, that's why it hurts to breathe. Otherwise everything else is superficial, we're keeping you in for observation because of that concussion, but then you can go home given someone is there to look after you in the first 24 hours." Natalie finished off the rant with a smile.
"Can't I just be discharged now?" Jay pouted, his dignity all but stripped away.
"No." Manning smiled, more than adapt to the Halstead charm.
"Not even if I hang around the hospital?" He disarmed her with a small smile.
"Why would you hang around the hospital if you're discharged?" She raised an eyebrow, as if doubting he would do what he was indeed promising.
"Because you're avoiding telling me about Will, so he must be worse off than me, and there is no doubt that I'll stay with him." Jay raised an eyebrow of his own, as if willing her to contradict his theory.
"I wasn't avoiding it, but I had to make sure you were alert before giving you even more shocking news." She was gentle now, almost cautious.
"Shocking news? What's going on?" Jay sat up, pushing against the hands holding him down as all his pains suddenly took a step back, only concern filling his being. What was going on? Will wasn't dead, was he?
"You two were brought in about two hours ago, but Will was hurt much more than you, obviously since the truck hit his side. He has two broken ribs on his left side, which caused his lung to collapse, resulting in a simple pneumothorax. He's got a chest tube in at the moment. His arm is horribly bruised, he was crushed by the metal. Like you he has a concussion, but he hasn't woken up yet. He's got a lot of bruises and cuts from the broken glass, but everything else is superficial and would heal in no time. I'm here with you because Rhodes took care of him, not me." Natalie spoke clearly, knowing that Jay was concerned as hell about his brother.
"If he's unconscious why can't I sit by him?" Jay's voice was full of barely contained rage, and even Erin lost her cool for a moment, staring at her partner as he glared daggers at the doctor.
"Because you need rest. You'd be no good to him if you're collapsing beside him." Manning met his glare with one of her own.
The tense atmosphere was broken up when Voight's phone rang shrilly in his pocket. The others remained quiet as he made a quick conversation with the other.
"We have a case, let's go. Listen to your doctor Halstead, and don't come back until you've been given the all clear."
The team let out various goodbyes before exiting the room, their presence immediately missed by the detective in bed. He slumped down, resting his aching head on the pillow underneath him. Might as well catch some rest while he could, even though he knew he'd be woken up every two hours just to be checked on.
"Will's going to be fine Jay, so let's focus on you before I take you to him, okay?" Natalie smiled softly, running a hand through the detective's hair before leaving him alone to rest.
Several hours, many torturing pen lights, endless questions, and even a few pet downs later, Jay woke up by his own volition. Manning was next to him, taking down notes before she felt his eyes on her.
"Good afternoon Jay." She smiled as she gently removed his IV. He dimly noticed that the nasal cannula was already gone.
"What time is it?" He sat up gingerly, well aware of his aches and bruises.
"7:30. Look at the wall." She got out a pen light, checking his concussion before dropping a bag of clothes on the bed, courtesy of his team.
"How's Will?" Jay slowly stood on his own two feet, wincing slightly at the soreness in his muscles before he started dressing, the sweats and hoodie a welcome respite.
"He woke up for a few seconds, he's just sleeping now. His lung was re-inflated, but Rhodes has him on a vent so his system is not over-taxed, we'll probably remove it when he wakes up. Otherwise it's just bruises, a bit worse off than you. His arm will probably need a few days of rest before healing enough for him to use it, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Natalie frowned slightly, her hormones not helping her to deal with Will being hurt. She took a couple of deep breaths, attempting to compose herself while still in this room, and was surprised when she felt gentle arms encircling her, providing the comfort she desperately craved for. She did not cry, and was well aware to not lean on Jay's chest, but she couldn't help but leech the reassurances that practically oozed off Jay despite the fact that his brother was laying in a hospital bed with a machine breathing for him.
"Hey, you said yourself that he'll be fine, and I trust your judgement, so how about we go see him?" Jay offered her a small smile, his eyes twinkling slightly even though a storm was already gathering in the dark blue.
Nobody said anything when they saw Natalie and Jay practically fast walking to Will's room. His injuries had touched the hearts of many, and all of his colleagues were relieved that it wasn't anything worse, that he hadn't arrived in a body bag. However, despite the fact that he wasn't in a critical state, it still startled Jay when they stepped into his room.
Will's usually pale skin was competing against the sheets in a battle of whiteness, cracked lips forced open so that the tube could travel into his lungs. One of his arms lay on a pillow, from elbow to wrist shaded in several hues; green, blue, purple and yellow being dominant. His hands, much needed for his profession, remained miraculously untouched, fingers laying limply on the mattress. A bandage was wrapped around his bare chest, stabling his ribs, and like Jay, he had one side of his head swollen and coloured, a classic shiner. An IV snaked into his unhurt arm, and Jay barely registered the steady beat in the background, even if its noise grounded him. He unconsciously moved forward, one hand reaching forward to tousle his brother's hair, Will's ginger locks tickling his fingers.
"Do you think he'll take long to wake up?" Jay turned to the doctor, who had dragged a chair for herself and sat on the other side of Will.
"Well, aside from the concussion, there are no hits or injury to his skull or brain, so I reckon he should wake up soon." Natalie frowned worriedly, a low groan rumbling in her throat as her back protested the hard chair.
"Do you know what happened to the other driver?" Jay grasped his brother's injured hand, making sure to keep his touch light as he unconsciously rubbed circles in his palm.
"He's in another hospital. He was drunk off his ass, he's supposedly facing charges." Natalie cut that topic short, anger briefly showing on her expression.
"Good, hopefully he'll get his license taken away." Of course they both knew that he'd probably walk with only a little fine, but life was full of little hopes that kept us going forward.
A few beats of silence passed, the two of them just observing Will as he lay there, completely immobile.
"Do you remember what happened before you got hit?" Natalie broke the silence, even though her eyes never veered from her co-worker's face. Jay couldn't help his snort.
"We were talking about you, and how he feels about you, which I'm sure you already know, even though he acts like a little kid when faced with emotions." Jay smiled when her jaw tightened.
"I don't think it would be morally right to pursue a relationship at the moment, that's why I'm blowing him off. I'd prefer to get the baby out of me first." Natalie shrugged, releasing a deep breath.
"They're your emotions Natalie, take your time to sort them out, if you're not comfortable with a relationship, then don't pursue one, and if you ever need help with him, come to me and I'll talk some sense into his head." Jay smirked, eyes crinkling near the edges.
"I just.." Whatever she was going to say was cut off when Will's chest broke its steady pattern, and a small choking sound filled the room. "Will?" An uncomfortable expression flickered on Will's features before chocolate brown eyes snapped open, pupils blown with panic and confusion. "Keep him calm, I'll fetch Rhodes." She immediately hurried out, calling out for the dark haired doctor as Jay turned to his brother, keeping a steady hand on his shoulder as Will choked around the tube, his eyes filling with tears at the discomfort. The heart monitor beeped shrilly in the corner, nearly deafening Jay with its warnings.
"Hey brother, keep calm okay? Let it breathe for you, you're going to be okay.." Jay kept up his litany of none sense, one hand automatically going through his brother's hair as pain and confusion undoubtedly plagued Will. The red-head struggled against Jay's gentle hold, and Jay couldn't help but push him down further, no doubt awakening slumbering pains in his brother. Will seemed to calm a bit, but there was a residual panic that scared Jay, and he automatically tightened his hold. He didn't have time to regret it before Rhodes and Manning came back in, their coats swishing behind them. He was unceremoniously pushed aside as Rhodes removed his brother's pillow, laying him completely flat on the mattress.
"Will, I need you to cough on 3, okay?" Will nodded as much as he could before coughing as harshly as he could, wincing when the tube came out. Natalie immediately secured a breathing mask around his face, guiding Will into slowing his breathing until he calmed down a bit, even though he seemed a little green in the face. The heart monitor slowly calmed down, and Jay saw Rhodes put down a half empty syringe on a nearby table, his expression still wary as he studied the monitor.
"Will? Are you going to throw up?" Natalie kept Will distracted while Rhodes threw away the tube as well as raised the bed, leaving Will in a reclining position. Will shook his head, and then gently grabbed his throat, a gesture which apparently the doctors understood. However, Rhodes first grabbed Will's chin, shutting up the younger one's protests with a silent glare as he shone a penlight in his eyes. Will winced, automatically squinting as Rhodes moved it from one side to the other before turning it off, a satisfied smile on his lips.
Jay watched with a similar smile as they handed him a glass of water, and he took a few sips before his head apparently cleared, and his eyes flickered around the room before settling on Jay himself, a wide grin suddenly appearing on his face, even though it was half-hidden by the mask that Natalie had put on his face again after he had emptied the glass.
"Jay! Are you okay? What are you doing out of bed?" Will's voice was hoarse, but Jay didn't focus much on that, too caught up with the fact that he could hear his brother's voice. That the accident hadn't separated them.
"I'm fine Will, I should be asking you that." Jay rose an eyebrow at his brother.
"I think you'd better ask Rhodes that." Will turned to the other doctor, who was busy writing down on his tablet, but looked up when he heard his name.
"Well, you have two broken ribs, and one of your lungs collapsed, but I will check to see if I can remove the chest tube later. Your concussion cleared up quickly, and CT scans didn't show any swelling or anything of that sort, so your brain remained intact at least. However, your arm will need to rest for a week at least, the bruises are deep, and no doubt painful once we get you off the pain-killers. Other from that you have a lot of cuts from the glass, but they're superficial and will heal on their own. For now I'd recommend resting, then we'll see when we can discharge you." Rhodes awkwardly smiled as he put down the tablet. "Do you remember what happened?"
"I remember the accident, nothing much after that. Both of our cars are totalled now." Will frowned slightly, attempting to stifle a yawn but failing miserably. A wince crossed his features when his ribs protested the intake of breath.
"That's good, now try and get some rest, you can talk with Jay later." Rhodes smiled before leaving the room.
"Get well soon Halsteads." Natalie left the room as well, closing the door behind her after sharing a small smile with Will, who looked exhausted even though he had only been awake for a few minutes. He didn't know there was a sedative coursing through his system, obviously.
"Go to sleep man, I'll stay here." Jay adjusted the bed so Will was laying back a little more.
"You should be in your own bed, not here." Will's voice was slurred, and the mask was muffling his words.
"I'm fine, I only have a concussion." Jay settled down in the chair, one hand automatically going through Will's hair, attempting to sooth his brother to sleep.
"Your ribs are bruised, don't think I can't hear you rasping." Will couldn't help the small smile when Jay gaped at him, but then quickly dropped off to sleep, his breaths evening out as his head lolled slightly to the side.
Once his brother was asleep, Jay relaxed as much as he could on the hard chair, and felt all the adrenaline and tension slowly wash away, only to be replaced with relief that both he and his brother were going to walk away from this, even if sitting hurt at the moment. His bruises and sores were making themselves known, and his head ached furiously, the concussion rearing its ugly head. He knew without a doubt that Natalie would soon come and shoo him away to his own bed, but for now he just wanted to treasure those few moments with his brother, even if he was asleep. Even if he could feel his own eyes closing, gently shutting the world out little by little until all was black, and he fell asleep sitting up, his head cradled by his palm.
When Will woke up again, the mask was gone, replaced by a nasal cannula that snaked uncomfortably behind his ears. The chest tube was also gone, if the itchy feeling of stitches was anything to go with. His ribs protested mildly when he breathed in too deep, and Will coughed softly, attempting to shallow his breathing a bit, even though he knew it was bad if he breathed shallowly for too long. His forearm contrasted sharply against the sheets with all of its hues, and he winced internally as pain shot through the limb even when he attempted to graze it with his other hand. The needle of the IV prickled uncomfortably, and Will groaned when he realized that both of his arms were half immobile at the moment. At least his legs had been spared the whole ordeal. His throat was dry and scratchy, and Will vainly tried to swallow some spit to lubricate it. He could feel tiny cuts splattered all along his being, and had no doubt that his face was swollen on one side, and God knew what he looked like after everything that had happened. However, he was thankful that of all the aches and pains, a headache was not one of them.
After analyzing himself completely, he looked around the room, absentmindedly noting the heart monitor and the IV bags before his eyes landed on his brother. Jay was slumped sideways, his neck craned awkwardly and slightly hitching breaths escaping him in his slumber. One arm was thrown over his stomach, undoubtedly cradling bruises, and the other held his head, although it seemed in danger of slipping off the thin arm rest anytime now. A blanket was thrown over his legs, having slipped off his bulky frame, and Will couldn't help the smile when he noticed that his brother was relatively unharmed, if you didn't count the gauze pad that was stuck to one side of his forehead, undoubtedly hiding a nasty gash behind it. Of course, the black eye was something that Will didn't even consider an injury anymore, given how many times Jay returned with shiners from work. The doctor was surprised at how Jay was even sleep with the annoying heart monitor in the background.
He was just about to attempt and stretch for the water cup on the table when the door suddenly opened, making him jump and cringe all at the same time. He turned to the door, a sheepish grin already on his face. Connor Rhodes stood near the door, a disapproving expression on his face as he briskly walked forward and handed the water to the bedridden doctor.
"Do I really have to say anything?"
Will merely sipped at the water, relishing in the fresh feeling against his parched throat.
"How are you feeling?"
Will saw something he'd never thought he would experience. Rhodes' mask fell, and there was only concern written in his features, enhanced by the slightly pinched eyes and the beginning of a frown atop of dark eyes.
"Like I got t-boned by a truck."
Connor's hands were gentle as he checked Will's chest, starting from the stitches then palpating gently on the broken ribs. Nevertheless, Will still grimaced as the pain spiked suddenly. Rhodes apologized, momentarily taking his hands off to give the bedridden doctor time to gather his breath once again. The coldness of the stethoscope was next, and Will followed the instructions quietly, making sure to not make much noise so he wouldn't wake up Jay.
"Will." There was something akin to concern in Rhodes' voice, hidden by frustration but there nonetheless.
"I've been better, but you did a good job." Will smiled at his co-worker, who was now poking at his bruised arm, no doubt testing if he was still feeling pain and if circulation was okay.
"I know you're clumsy, but can't you be careful while driving?" Connor raised an eyebrow at Will, who was busy keeping his breathing regular as pain travelled to the very tips of his fingers.
"I was being careful, he came out of nowhere." Will's voice was contained, forcibly kept down for Jay's sake. Connor gently put down his arm on the pillow again, releasing the injured limb.
"You know you're going to have to take time off, and take pain killers for a week at least." Rhodes wrote something on his pad, and Will carefully shrugged.
"I'll rest up, hopefully things don't get messed up as long as I'm gone." He smirked good-naturedly, catching Connor's snort for what it was, an expression of relief.
"Please, things would probably settle down while you're at home." The dark-haired doctor couldn't help the smirk as Reese walked in, smiling at Will before gently fixing the blanket on Jay.
The small motion caused the detective to jerk awake, blue eyes snapping wide open for a second before he grimaced, eyes tightening as he blinked repeatedly, no doubt attempting to bring the world into focus. Rhodes immediately laid an arm on Jay's shoulder, a dreadful mistake, as the still somewhat sleepy detective promptly seized the arm and flipped Rhodes over his shoulder, causing the other one to let out a yell as his back connected harshly with the ground.
"JAY!" Will's voice grounded his brother, but the commotion had brought Manning, Ethan, April and Maggie to the room, panic apparent on their faces. They gaped at the sight of a breathless Rhodes laying totally still on the floor, a shocked Reese kneeling next to him and a woozy but obviously shaken Jay half leaning on Will's bed as the bed-ridden doctor rubbed slow circles in his back, guiding his older brother out of the start of a panic attack.
"Fuck, I'm sorry Connor, you startled me." Jay looked up, pupils blown completely wide as Ethan helped Rhodes up before running a hand on the back of Rhodes' head, checking for the bump that was surely beginning to form.
"It's fine, sorry for startling you." Rhodes dusted himself off, pulling away from Choi and standing to the sidelines as Manning checked over Jay, who was clasping his brother's injured hand with no intention of letting go anytime soon.
"Well, the concussion has passed, so you should be fine, if only left with a residual headache for a few hours. Your vitals are good, you just need to pick up the pain killers I'll prescribe for your chest, and no heavy lifting, fighting, or work in the streets for at least a few days." Manning's voice was strict, and Jay didn't even think of arguing against the enforced rest.
"When can I leave?" Will piped up from behind his brother, his voice somewhat small. It was then that Manning noticed how young he actually looked. His hair was mussed, completely messed up as if he had woken up after a night of tossing around. Light circles made his eyes appear heavy, and the nasal cannula was downright intrusive. Less than the vent had been, but still an ugly addition to his otherwise handsome face. A slight scruff was scattered on his face, and she couldn't help but smile. It made him look roguish. His injured arm was still prepped up, and she glared at the bruises, wishing they could disappear from the pale limb.
"Your lungs are working as they should, so there really is no reason for you to stay here much longer. I'll take you off the cannula and see how you fare until tomorrow, but barring any complications, you'll be out of here and on bed rest at your own apartment a little after noon." Rhodes shrugged, a wince crossing his features for a split second as his now tender back protested.
"Did all the doctors suddenly take a break?" Goodwin's voice broke through their cloud, and they all smiled nervously at their manager.
"We're checking on the patient, Sharon." Maggie quipped from next to Manning, who was by now sitting down, both hands resting on her pregnant belly.
"How are you doing Will?" Will couldn't help but smile when he saw her soft eyes, concern easily readable on her features.
"I'll be fine." He shrugged carefully, feeling the weariness starting to catch up with him even if he had done nothing that wasted his energy.
"You'll be on leave for this week and possibly the next, then we'll see if you can return to light duty next week, okay? And get well soon Jay." She smiled before heading out as Will nodded his assent, his blinks becoming longer by the minute.
"Well, looks like both Halstead brothers need rest, so let's get another bed in here and let them be, shall we?" Maggie clapped her hands, as if regaining order in the quiet room. Everybody turned to stare at her at the mention of another bed, but there was a certain level of understanding on some faces, mainly Manning's. "What? It's not like Jay is ever going to leave Will's side, and he might as well sleep on a bed." Jay couldn't help the small huff of laughter that escaped him as the nurse raised an eyebrow at him, as if daring him to disagree with her. He wisely didn't comment.
"I'll go get the one from Treatment 6, it's free and not likely to be used with today's pace." Ethan shrugged, escaping the room along with Rhodes, who was still blinking repeatedly every now and then.
"Hey Jay, do you want us to talk to Dr. Charles about your panic attacks? Or the fact you flipped Rhodes off your shoulder while half asleep?" Natalie suddenly spoke up, looking at Jay who appeared shocked at her request.
"What? No, there's no need. I'm fine, really, I was just startled, and considering the accident and concussion, can't blame me for being confused, can you?" Jay raised an eyebrow, looking completely relaxed to the others, yet Will could see the tension slowly spreading across his brother's shoulders.
"Well, the offer still stands if you change your mind, okay?" Natalie smiled, noticing the defences that Jay was raising one by one and not wanting to get him worked up.
"Mentioning Charles.. Where is he? Thought he'd come visit." Will changed the topic as soon as he saw Jay becoming uncomfortable, knowing that this was dangerous territory to discuss so soon after such an accident.
"He had a case to handle outside the hospital, he doesn't even know you're here." Maggie responded, moving out of the way as Rhodes and Ethan returned, pushing a bed in front of them.
"We'll be sure to tell him, maybe he'll get you a teddy bear with a get well soon card!" April smirked at the doctor, who laughed softly so as to not aggravate his ribs.
"Okay that's enough, you need to rest and so does Jay, so I better not hear a single word coming from this room, understand?" Despite being only a nurse, Maggie was way more than used to dealing with stubborn patients, and Will was clearly one of them, even if he was complying to their orders pretty easily for now.
The two brothers nodded groggily as they burrowed deep into their respective pillows, before Jay suddenly sat up again.
"Hey Natalie, where's my phone? I got to tell the team I'm fine." Natalie fished out the phone from her pocket, and the detective smiled thankfully as he fired off a text to Erin, knowing that she'd alert the whole team even if they were working a case at the moment. After shooting them a last warning glance, both Maggie and Natalie left, leaving the two brothers to their own devices.
"Hey man, next time you drive us to work, okay?" Will's voice, albeit still a bit rough, was filled with light banter.
"No doubt about that." Jay couldn't help his smirk as he surveyed the gown that Will had been dressed in. "You know someone's got to swing by the apartment to get you a change of clothes before we leave." He couldn't help but huff at his brother's dramatic exclaim in the next second.
"Oh man! I loved that hoodie, us doctors really need to stop shredding perfectly good clothing."
"Oh yes, they'd better salvage a perfectly replaceable hoodie than your life." Jay's sarcasm was top notch, and the detective couldn't help but amusedly roll his eyes at his brother.
Not bothering to wait for a reply, he sunk into the covers and let the reassuring beeping of Will's monitor lull him into a dreamless sleep.
God knew he'd need the rest if he had to deal with an injured, bored out of his mind Will Halstead on the next day.
Hey guys.. I have an exhaustion induced headache as I am typing this so excuse any typos in this A/N, okay? =)
1) Disclaimer - I do not own Chicago Med and am not making any profit what so ever with this fanfic.
2) I am going back to school next week. I have another story finished (once upon a time!) , but after that uploads will be slow, sorry, but starting a new college and really need to keep my head focused =)
3) This was something I wrote for fun simply because there aren't many Will whump fanfics out there and I had to satisfy my craving for it XD Sorry if I didn't do the characters as much justice as they should have had, it's my first time writing for this fandom =)
4) I really hope you liked it, so leave what you think in the reviews below? c=
5) I kinda forgot what I had to say so I'm going to close it here XD
Thank you for reading!
Chrisii c=