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Jay doesn't remember much when he wakes up, but he realizes he's in a hospital bed. He's cold, everything's cold, except for his hand which is practical sweating. The hand that's holding his, tracing patterns into his skin, is clammy. Jay follows the hand to the body it belongs to and sees Erin asleep against the bed rail. She looks like hell, black eye, busted lip and a cut surrounded by a bruise that stretched across her cheek. He probably looked worse than she did though.

"Erin?" Her head was still on the bed rail when she opened her eyes. She picked her head up and just stared at him, tears threatening to roll down her cheeks.

"Jay." She stood and and ran a hand along the side of his face. "God, Jay don't do that to me again. You scared the hell outta me." Erin leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead, breathing him in to reassure herself he was safe. Pressing her forehead against his, smiling that he's here with her.

"So what's the diagnosis?" He felt that gauze wrapped around his thigh and bandage covering the back of his head.

"Grade five concussion from the gash on the back of your head, which needed ten stitches, a bruised rib, two broken ribs and a gunshot wound to the thigh." Tears started to build up in her eyes again, remembering what they went through. "The broken ribs and gunshot wound needed surgery to fix, but nothing too serious anymore." She gave him a small smile.

"How'd we get out?" Jay knew this would be difficult for her, hell it'd be difficult for anyone.

"Voight and Antonio. I don't have the whole story yet, all I know is that somehow they tracked down those men and they told them where we ran off to." Erin took a breath, recomposing herself. "One minute I'm lying down in a tree with you and the next im sitting in a ambulance with Voight telling me to stop moving and Antonio telling him to back off. He didn't want me to go with you, eventually I did because I refused to get checked until you did."

A rush of doctors and nurses entered his room, pushing Erin out much to her dismay. They kept asking him questions, poking him, reapplying new bandages. He didn't want to answer their questions, he just wanted Erin back in here. His eyes jumped to the door when it opened, expecting her to be there with a smirk and a cup of coffee. Instead she's empty handed, and looks pretty pissed off.

"Lindsay." She looks into his eyes from where she is, leaning on the door. Jay can see the tears building up, burning to escape her eyes.

"Come here, Linds."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't. I promise." She makes her way over to the space he made for her. Careful not to touch his ribs, even if the hurt ones are on the other side.

"Jay, what if we're just kidding ourselves with this," she motioned to the space between the two of them. "We have a dangerous job, in probably the most dangerous unit. And I've already gotten shot, and you just got shot, and a concussion, and a broken nose, plus two broken ribs and a bruised one. We were kidnapped, Jay!" Now Erin was sitting up facing him, trying not to get too angry. "What if next time something happens, it's worse that a grade five concussion and a couple bad ribs. What if you don't make it out alive? Do you know what that would do to me Jay? It would destroy me!" The tears were pouring down her face.

"Is this about Jules?"

"Don't. Don't try and bring her up right now. You know she was the closest thing I had to a sister, Jay." Erin started shaking with sobs and Jay just held her close, resting her head in the crook of his neck. "I always used to talk to her about you. I used to say how it scared me when you wouldn't open up about things. And then I told her that I thought I had feelings for you. Even back then she told me to go for it, but to be careful of dating a cop. God, I wish she could be here. And every time i think about her, I think about how I had to tell her husband," Erin choked back about sob. "I just never want to be on the other side of that Jay." He felt his gown soak up her tears.

"Then we deal with that when the time comes. But right here, right now. I'm okay and you're okay. That's all that matters right? I love you Erin Lindsay. Nothing will change that, and I will do everything and anything to make sure that I come home with you at the end of the day. Don't ever doubt that."

"I know, Jay. I love you too."

Jay can feel her breathing even out into deeper breaths. He keeps his arm wrapped around her, keeping her close to his side. He doesn't move her away, even when Voight comes through the door to sit next to him. He can see Voight watching Erin sleep, sighing when he sees the slow rise and fall of her chest.

"How's Atwater doing?" Jay made sure to keep his voice down, as to not wake up Erin.

"Good, he should be released within the next couple days."

"Good, that's good." Jay nodded, not really knowing what to say.

"Burgess, she really cares about him?"

"They're partners, they have each others back."

"Partners huh?" Jay nodded. "Well some partnership. She barely leaves his room, kinda like Erin here."

"They went through the academy together. They're both from out of state so they've become close friends."

"Close friends? That why she was so upset when he got shot?"

"He's her best friend."

"You know? I've never really understood why people get so close to cops, they could get killed every time they leave the house."

"How much of that did you hear?" Jay knew he was standing out there listening to them.

"Enough to know that you really care about her, but she's right Halstead. If you ever get hurt again and she's not there, I'm not sure she would be able to handle it."

"I know, and I love her. She's the best thing that's happened to me in a long time. I know, she has a dark past, but so don't I. Being in the war, I saw stuff that I wish I could forget, but I can't. And every time I wake up screaming, she's there to bring me back. I honestly don't know what I would do if something happened to her." Jay looked down at her, seeing how calm her face was. All of the lines were gone, and she just looked so peaceful.

"I know I don't have to tell you this, but I need to because she's like a daughter to me. So if you break her heart, I'll make sure you don't forget it." Voight stood up and started to walk out when he turned back to Jay. "I know that you've only been together a couple of months, but you have my blessing for whenever you need it."

"Thank you. It really means alot that you're okay with this. To both of us." Voight nodded and walked out, quietly shutting the door behind him after taking one last look at them. Voight could tell that Jay has the best intentions, the way he looks at her and talks about her. He loves her and would never do anything to jeopardize that.