tw for character death
After Jin's death, Erin spends the night in Hank's spare bedroom and it reminds of her when he first took her in. He lingers in the doorway for a moment, making sure she's comfortable and safe, before he returns to the precinct. She doesn't necessarily mind Voight's protective nature, despite the fact that he isn't going out of his way to protect anyone else from the team by letting them camp out at his house. If it were any other situation, she would laugh at the mental image of Olinsky and Ruzek fighting over the couch. But she does mind Voight letting her sleep in late. She only stops in the kitchen long enough to grab a mug of coffee and to clip her badge to her belt, not paying attention to the newspaper on the kitchen table.
The precinct feels strange. Wrong without Jin. She was still struggling to understand Jin's death, and they were only just beginning to process it as a team. But she knew that she had to be strong for the younger members of their team. She had expected for Kelly to call; he'd only met Jin a handful of times but they seemed to get along and she was sure that Jin's death was already running through the Chicago newspapers. But the only messages on her phone are from Voight and Jay; nothing from Kelly Severide. She drops her coat over the back of her desk chair and goes to refill her coffee mug once she makes it upstairs.
Jay is seated at the table, feet propped on the chair next to him. He's reading one of the Daily's, eyebrows furrowed, and when he looks up to find Erin fiddling with the coffeemaker he sighs loudly.
"Thank god you're finally here," he says, pushing himself to his feet and grabbing her arm, tugging her out of the room, and down the hallway.
"While I appreciate the love I really need more coff—"
When Jay pushes the door open she sees a lump laying on her bunk. She doesn't need to see his face to know that it's Kelly. His boots have been kicked haphazardly off and onto the floor and his jacket is draped over the edge of the bed. He's covered in a blanket, dirt, and is clutching her pillow like it's a lifeline.
"Burgess tried to get him to shower but he just kept shaking his head and telling her no so she convinced him to at least take off his boots and jacket and lay down on your bunk for a bit. He's been there a since 3 AM."
"Has he been drinking? Why didn't you call me?"
"I thought so at first. Tried to tell him that you weren't here but he wouldn't listen. Vought answered when we called the house and said to keep him here until you got in this morning. When Antonio came in he told us—" Jay bites his lip, looking contemplative. "Told us there was an explosion and… And Shay…" Jay shakes his head softly, unable to say the words.
"Oh, Kelly," Erin says softly and finally moves into the room. She kneels down next to her bunk and stares down at Kelly's face. His cheeks are still marred with black soot and wet tears. She pushes back his hair when he starts to stir from his sleep. "I'm so sorry, Kelly."
He stares at her for a moment before tightly shutting his eyes and whispering, "She was my best friend, Erin."
She crawls onto the bed next to him and wraps her arms around his chest, hugging him close. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Kelly." She isn't sure what else she can do except lay there with him. She wipes his tears away and he finally drifts back to sleep. Later, once she's fallen asleep too, Voight drapes another blanket over the both of them with tired eyes.