"Listen, baby. Your Dad had been shot, so he has to stay with uncle Will at the hospital for a while. It's not that bad. It's just a couple of scratches, but it's the reason why he's not coming back home until Thursday, alright?", Erin explained to her son with tears in her eyes.

Staying at the hospital for 7 hours after Jay was brought in with a gun shot injury turned her into a wrack.

The 7 year old gave her a sad and desperate look, before he started to cry himself.

"Is he going to die?"

Antonio who stayed in the waiting area with Lindsay kneeled down and shook his head.

"No, absolutely not. Your Daddy's a fighter."

Just at the moment the door went open and Will returned from surgery.

"He's out of the wood. It's not that serious. But we need to monitor him closely and…"

"Daddy!"

Suddenly Terry started to run in the opposite direction. It seemed like the news freaked him out, so he started to search for his dad on his own.

Being a fast runner at the age of 7, he was faster than any doctor or nurse, making him the first one, who reached Jays room.

He opened the door with his little hands and stared at his father in shock.

"Daddy!", he cried, recognizing his father lying in a white hospital bed, surrounded by machines, but already awake.

"I don't want you to die. Please don't die", he stammered and the next thing that Jay recognized was his son clinging on him like a little monkey on his mother.

Even before he was able to console his child, Erin and Antonio reached the scene.

"Terry, it's okay. Hey", Jay talked in a whisper to calm his child down.

"No one's going to die. He's gonna be okay", Erin stroked her sons shoulders, while he was still crying into his fathers hospital gown.

It was a heart breaking view for all adults in the room.

The kid was scared as hell and there were no words to make it better.

Lindsay wanted to go home, but there was no way to get Terry only a milimeter away from his Dads bed side.

As soon as Antonio wanted to pick him up he started to scream and kick.

With Terry witnessing the whole scene from the car, he still seemed in shock.

"Erin, you should let him stay here with Jay", Will entered the room, looking at his sister in law in concern.

"I will order a bed, so he is able to stay with his father. It could help the risk of developing a PTSD. He's still in shock after all that. I think we should have an eye on him"

"Alright."

Kissing her child goodbye, Erin followed Wills order, so the room became silent.

Terry crawled onto his bed, that was pushed to his fathers side with the help of his uncle.

"Alright, buddy. Careful with the bandages and cables", Jay warned his son who already placed his head on his shoulder.

Will looked at his brother and nephew in concern.

"You guys know where you find me. If you need help or anything, just push the button."

"Thanks, bro."

Will turned off the light and left them alone.

There was a long silence, before Jay started to speak.

"Terry, I'm okay."

Realizing that hiss on was crying and sobbing, Jay started to stroke circles around his back.

"Listen, I know, it scared the hell out of you to see me like this, but it's not that bad as it looks. This is my job and I did what I had to do. I wanted to get the bad guys to save the good ones."

"But I don't want to lose you. Not like this."

Jay felt the anger rising inside of him. He hated himself for putting his kid in such a situation like this. He always had been a chicago police officer. But since his own boy was born, things seemed a little bit different.

"I know, buddy. That's why I'm going to be really careful."

Still hoping that he would never regret his promise, Jay closed his eyes.
The next time Will looked into the room, father and son were fallen asleep…

CPDCPD

"What's the matter with you, little guy?", Erin sneaked into Terrys room, after she finished the paper work, she carried home before.

The little boy sat in his bed, that looked like a fire truck from the outside and shrugged his shoulders.

"It's too hot in here. I can't sleep."

With a warm summer reaching chicago and a broken ventilator, staying at the house felt like spending a week in the desert of Arizona.

"And what are we doing now? You've got school tomorrow", Erin reminded her son, who looked even more deperate.

"Can you tell me about our emergency plan?"

"About what?"

Erin stared at the grade schooler in confusion. With Jay already fallen asleep on the couch, she only could assume that it was something Jay his father had told him.

"Yesterday, I had a dream where someone broke into our house and killed both of you. He came to shoot me too. I wanted to run away but I didn't know where to hide."

Erin looked at her boy in shock.

"You didn't tell us."

It wasn't her plan to sound reproachful or let him feel guilty. But she didn't understand the reason why he ate it for so long.

"I don't want to make you sad. In school we have an emergency plan. In case something happens. Isn't there anything like this we could have at home?"

Erin sighed and grabbed his hand.

"Alright, big guy. Let me show you something", she directed Terry to the hallway and finally to her office where she moved a shelf away. The little boys eyes widened when he recognized another room behind it.

"It's some kind of a shelter. There is a safe where Daddy keeps backup guns and other stuff. He had built it, in case something really bad happens. Like war or something else."

"Are you guys in trouble?"

Erin already suspected that Terrys fear belonged to aftermath effects of Jay being shot around three months ago.

"No, baby. There is no need tob e afraid. Grandpa got the guy who shot Daddy. This is over, okay?"

Erin hugged her son, who nodded quietly.

"What about reading another good night story?"

"Another one?"

"Of course."

""Can you stay with me until I fall asleep?"

"Done", Erin twinkled, squeezed his hand and guided him back to his room, where he fell asleep, just a few minutes after she began to read…