"Sometimes it's good to be scared. It means you still have something to lose." - Grey's Anatomy
Chapter Two : Waiting
Hank Voight's voice broke in pieces outside the hospital walls. "I ca...I can't do this again. I can't lose someone again." He turns his face away from Alvin, tears developing in his eyes. "She is all that I have left…"
Alvin sighs. He doesn't honestly know what will make Hank feel better because when he was in this situation nothing at all made him feel better. He just bites his lip for a moment, watching his friend.
"I'll call Jay. And I will call the team...I'll even see if Dawson will come help for a couple days." Alvin speaks. "You won't leave the waiting room until we hear some good words. The team…" Maybe not Jay, because he knew how the young detective felt about Hank's (in all meaning) daughter. "We will get our team on it."
Hank sniffles. "She has to be okay…" Alvin puts a hand on his friend's shoulder squeezing, pulling out his phone.
- Softly Spoken. -
Jay Halstead woke up to his phone ringing a billionth time. He swears angry, sliding the green phone button over and putting it to his ear. "It's two forty in the morning...what the fuck is so important!?" He rolls over onto the bed to reach for Erin, frowns when he feels that no one is there.
Erin said she'd be home around midnight. He shakes it off as he focus on the phone call that is before him.
"Jay." The man on the other line is Olinsky.
Jay lets out a little yawn. "Yes…?"
"Get down to Med…"
Before Alvin can finish his sentence, Jay interrupts. "Is Will okay?" The detective is on his feet and out of bed, slipping on yesterday jeans and finding his shoes as he holds on to his phone.
The older man out of the two sighs deeply. "Will is fine, Jay. It's Erin. She's hurt. It's bad..."
Jay says nothing as he hangs up the phone. He slides his fingers through his hair, anger flowing through him and punching the bedroom he shares with the woman he loves, letting out some hurt.
- Softly Spoken -
It was three twenty-two am, when Adam Ruzek, Kim Burgess, Kevin Atwater and Antonio Dawson arrived at the scene of the car crash. Kevin is the first one to speak, "Antonio, what are you doing here?"
The detective or now known as Chief Investigator looks to the three. "I heard what happened. Alvin called. Stone called me afterwards, he sent me over to help. It sounds like you guys will need it. And...and I want to be here. This is attack on all of us...not just here. Alvin is at the hospital with Hank and Jay. He said he would call with some news once there is news…then maybe how things are will come help. Both Voight and Halstead are off the case."
Kim looks down. She speaks up, not knowing what to say but wanted to say something. "She will be okay." She takes a deep, shaky breath. "She is strong." Kevin nods in agreement. Adam felt like he was in his own little world, not really hearing what's around him as he is looking at her car, that is in a horrible place, silent.
"If you guys need time. That's fine, take a moment or two, gather your thoughts and breath. Let's get to work. We need answers. And fast." Antonio speaks to his former team, his friends.
- Softly Spoken -
Jay runs in Med, breathing heavily. He wasn't a man who expressed himself in words, but he was afraid. He heard the tone of voice in the phone Alvin's call, the older man was frightened himself.
He thinks to himself, What if she is not okay? What if she's died? What will happen to Jay?
Jay knew if he lost Erin, things would never be the same. He would lose apart of himself, that he may never get back.
He can't lose his partner. His love of his life. He takes a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before letting himself remember the reality he was in.
He takes a moment to look around for a nurse, doctor, anyone he might know. He walks over to two familiar faces, Voight and Olinsky, who sat in the corner away from everyone else in the waiting room. He knows they are outside of work and he should call them by the first name instead of the last, but he can't help it. It's habit now. "Where is she?" The words mumble out of his mouth.
Voight is the one to speak, his eyes still on the ground. "She is in with the doctors...we haven't heard anything since we got her…"
"How bad is it…?" The young detective whispers, interrupting the man without meaning too.
"It's bad."
- Spoken Softly -
Kelly Severide comes back from the hospital bathroom, with doleful look planted on his face. He looks back down to his hands before heading to the nurses desk that lies across from the room Erin was laying in.
Severide breaths with a slight hitch in his breath, watching as doctors and nurses are around her. It's only been a little less than an hour since Erin has been brought in. "She's holding on…" Maggie says behind him. "She is one of the strongest people in Chicago. It might be a long process but she will be okay."
"I'm glad I could get her here in time…" He slides his fingers across the top of his shoulder blade, it's a new nervous habit that he has picked up and been trying to stop. "Can you keep me updated?" Maggie nods a yes. "I'm going to check in with Voight, real quick before heading back to the firehouse. I'm sure he is here by now…"
He walks out of into the waiting room after a quick look inside the room, with the weight on his shoulders. Or that what he feels like. Sometimes he wishes he could forget things. The man looks around seeing the waiting room before him, it is being filled with members of the Chicago Police Department.
"Voight." He speaks up as he walks forward. "I'm sorry about, Erin. I hear she is putting up quite a fight in there." He didn't want to say that he took a look for himself, upsetting the man. He knew from a couple years ago, how defense the man could get for the people he called family. "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call me. I want to help anyway I can."
Voight nods, mumbling a thank you underneath his breath.
- Softly Spoken -
It was a little after seven thirty am, when two doctors working on Erin walks out to the waiting room. Jay is quickly on his feet seeing the man he calls a brother coming out, "Will." He says with a soft tone, he is sacred to speak up afraid he might break down. He wanted...needed to stay strong. He doesn't notice his face go pale, seeing both doctors covered in blood.
Voight stands, close to Alvin, speechless. Alvin is prepared for the worse, but doesn't know how to keep his friend grounded or away from the case if Erin has passed.
"Erin is alive."
