Eeeeek!
"Jenna?" Jay answered his phone quickly and sat up straighter in the passenger seat of Voight's Escalade. He hadn't heard from the social worker since she'd left another apologetic voicemail the day Piper was forcibly removed from his arms in the courtroom. "What's going on?"
"I need you to meet me at Chicago Med," Jenna informed him quickly, "I stopped by Barbara Fletcher's to do a wellness check on Piper, and Piper was alone in the house. She hasn't eaten in what looks like days, and I don't know when she last saw her mother."
Jay broke into a cold sweat. Piper was in the hospital, again. He was never letting her out of his sight. "She's anemic," Jay said immediately, turning urgently to look at his Sergeant. "Allergic to clams, and her lungs are on the weaker side so you've gotta keep her as calm as you can, and make sure she's breathing. When you get to Med, ask for Will Halstead, he's my brother. I'll be there as soon as possible." He turned to Voight, "Piper's at Med, something's happened."
Voight wordlessly turned on the lights of the car and sped down the block.
"Jay's coming," Jenna said to Piper as she half carried the little girl into the Emergency Department, "You're going to be okay, sweetheart."
"I don't feel good," Piper mumbled, "I'm really dizzy."
"I know." She glanced around the bustling Emergency area, keeping Piper close. "My name is Jenna O'Donnell, I work for DCFS and I have an emergency removal who needs medical attention," she informed the person at the desk, "I'm also looking for Dr. Will Halstead."
"That's Will," Piper pointed feebly to the redheaded doctor who was speaking to a nurse a few yards away, "I know him."
"Dr. Halstead," the woman at the front desk called, "A minute?" She gave a smile to the social worker, "Just a second, Ms. O'Donnell."
"I'm gonna faint," Piper warned, attempting to hold tightly to Jenna's arm before her grip went slack.
"Oh my god, Piper," Will exclaimed as he caught sight of the little girl falling into Jenna's arms. "I got her," he said, quickly lifting Piper into his embrace, "Hey, munchkin, it's Will. I'm Jay's brother, if you remember me, and I need you to keep those eyes open for me, okay? I know you're pretty dizzy."
"She hasn't eaten all day, probably longer," Jenna informed him as Piper shakily came to, "I went to do a wellness check and made the decision to remove her on the spot."
"I want Jay," Piper managed weakly as Will hustled her across the busy room and into a bay.
"We're gonna get him here," Will confirmed, carefully setting her down on the hospital bed. One look at the little girl's chapped lips and ashen complexion told him she was incredibly dehydrated. "We just gotta get some fluids in you, and something in your belly, okay? Jenna, I can stay with Piper if you can grab her something to eat."
Jenna nodded. "I'll be right back, sweetheart. I called Jay, he said he's on his way."
"When was the last time you ate, munchkin?" Will asked as he gestured for a nurse to start assembling an IV to get the child some fluids, and for another to draw blood. He stroked her tiny hand as she valiantly attempted to keep her eyes open, "It's okay if you don't remember."
"She forgot about me," Piper rasped, "She said she was gonna run an errand and she didn't come back since yesterday."
"Okay," Will nodded, his heart breaking. Jay had been worried, and rightfully so. The child was not alright. "Maybe you had lunch yesterday?"
Piper wrinkled her brow, "Maybe breakfast. I-I don't remember, I just had to stay in my room. And she took her phone so I couldn't call for Jay or Erin." She closed her eyes, "I really don't feel good."
Will nodded again. "You're gonna feel a bit of a pinch okay, but just because we need to get you hydrated so you feel a bit less dizzy. Ms. O'Donnell's going to be back with something for you to eat also. Can you keep your eyes open for me though, please?"
Fear filled the little girl's eyes as Will spoke, doing his best to distract her from the nurse trying to find a vein in her arm. "We're gonna have to have a soccer rematch soon," he said, offering a small smile, "Maybe we can switch up the teams, and you and I can take Jay and Erin, hm?"
Piper's lip quivered. "I haven't been practicin'," she whispered, "She told me I had to stay inside."
"That's okay," he assured her gently, relieved when the nurse finally found a vein. The little girl was severely dehydrated, barely even producing tears. "We'll have a practice, don't you worry."
"I'm not living with Jay anymore," she mumbled, tears now trickling down her cheeks, "They said my mom could keep me safe but she just left me alone."
Will swallowed. "You're safe now," he said finally, "We're going to get you feeling better too. Maybe get you some crackers and juice." His eyes softened when Piper sniffed, "You're going to be okay, kiddo, I promise."
"I'm really sleepy," she informed him, "And dizzy."
"I know." He glanced around the Emergency Department, hoping that Jenna was returning with some food for the little girl, or that his brother had arrived. "How about some ice chips?" he suggested, "Kinda like a snow cone."
"Never had one of those," Piper mumbled lethargically, her eyes drooping shut.
"Stay with me, munchkin," Will insisted, gently tapping the little girl's cool cheek, "We need to get you something to eat."
"How about some crackers, sweetheart?" Jenna asked after hustling back toward the hospital bay, bearing a packet of crackers and a soda. Will exhaled softly. They needed to get food into the little girl as soon as possible. "Should help you feel better."
Piper let out a small whimper. "I want Jay," she insisted, "I want to go home."
"I know," Will stroked Piper's cheek with his thumb, similarly to how Jay used to, "He's coming, but I know he'd want you to have a few bites of cracker."
She gingerly accepted a cracker and took a tentative bite. "Good job, munchkin," Will praised, "These are going to help you feel better quicker."
"Did your mom give you anything to eat yesterday, Piper?" Jenna asked worriedly, exchanging a glance with the doctor, "Do you remember?"
Piper shook her head slowly. "I don't 'member when I last saw her. She forgot 'bout me," Piper whispered, glancing up to the social worker, "She said she was goin' out with some friends to run errands but then she didn't come back."
Jenna managed a small nod. She knew something like this was going to happen, which is why she recommended against Bunny in the first place. The fact that the child couldn't even remember the last time she ate filled her with guilt.
"Where is she?" A familiar voice echoed around the Emergency Department, "Where's Piper?"
Jenna quickly stood to get the detective. "'s that Jay?" Piper asked weakly, "He's here?"
"He's here," Will confirmed, pleased that Piper managed at least two crackers. He knew she needed a lot more, but it was a start.
"Jay," Jenna called, "Over here."
He hurried across the crowded room. "What happened?" he asked urgently, "Where is she?"
"She's just in that bay, with your brother," Jenna said carefully, "I went to check up on her and found her alone in the house. There was alcohol everywhere and she looked downright terrified."
He nodded, mind racing a thousand miles a minute. "C-can I see her?"
"Yes. I need to make a few calls, I want to get her placed with you officially for the time being. This was the last chance her mother had." Jenna touched Jay's arm gently. "She needs you, and Erin."
Jay swallowed. "I uh, I need to give Erin a call too."
"I'll handle the calls, Jay. You focus on Piper." She gave a small smile, "She's going to be happy to see you."
Jay gently pushed aside the blue curtain that separated Piper from the rest of the bustling ED, heart pounding in his chest. He wasn't sure what to expect when he saw his little friend for the first time in five days. He'd imagined every scenario, down to the worst case. Even the best case scenarios kept him up at night, but nothing prepared him for reality.
Piper was seated on the hospital bed, clad in the same clothes that she'd worn to court five days ago. Her usual pink cheeks had been replaced by an ashy grey, and her eyes were red-rimmed and sunken. His heart shattered into pieces as he made eye contact. "Hi there, kiddo," he managed, taking a step toward the hospital bed, "I'm so glad to see you."
In an instant, Piper was in his arms. She used the last ounce of energy she had and practically tumbled into his embrace, narrowly avoiding ripping out the IV from her small arm.
Jay held Piper closely. His little friend was thinner than he remembered, and he could feel her tiny heart racing as he stroked her hair and kissed her head. "I'm here," he cooed, heart was going through a blender on as Piper buried her face in his neck, desperately clinging to his shirt, her grip weak and shaky, "You're safe, Pipes."
"She's really dehydrated," Will informed him carefully, "Took in over a half a bag of saline in the fifteen minutes before you got here. Waiting on the results of her bloodwork to make sure she hasn't been exposed to anything."
Jay nodded, still stroking Piper's head. "Is she hurt?" he asked, realizing that he could be doing more harm than good while holding the little girl in his arms.
"We didn't get a chance to check," he said, "Poor thing nearly passed out at the entrance. I don't think she's eaten in days."
He swallowed the lump in his throat, absolutely overcome with guilt. "Can we get you checked out, kiddo?" he asked thickly, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice, "Just need to make sure you're not hurt."
Piper squeaked and held tighter, unwilling to separate herself from the detective. "Shh," he whispered, carefully rocking back and forth, "You're safe now."
Jay sat in the visitor's chair, Piper still in his arms. The little girl hadn't even spoken yet but remained clamped to his side. She refused to be separated from the detective and held his shirt weakly in her fists.
"Her blood sugar is crazy low," Will murmured to his brother. He was scrolling through the iPad with the results from Piper's bloodwork, "Iron levels are the same as when she was brought in a few weeks back, so any improvements from the supplements have been erased over the last few days. No signs of drug exposure in her bloodwork though."
Jay nodded, still doing his best to remain calm. He and Erin had been trying so hard to normalize Piper's iron levels, and Bunny's inability to take care of the little girl undid all the progress they'd made. His blood was reaching a boiling point – Bunny clearly hadn't been feeding Piper. He carefully stroked her back, overwhelmed by just how fragile she felt against him. He swore he could feel her ribs more than before, and it filled him with rage. "Are you up for some crackers?" Jay asked carefully, "Or maybe a few sips of soda?"
The little girl let out a low whimper and turned her head into his neck. Jay frowned. Piper's skin was cold and clammy, and he could feel her shaking slightly. "I know you're not feeling good now, kiddo, but it'll help to get food in your tummy."
"What about some ice cream, munchkin?" Will offered, "I bet my friend Robin here could go and get some from the cafeteria." The nurse gave a smile when Jay gave a grateful nod. "We also might need to get her a bit of glucose in the IV," he said, tilting his head slightly to the side as he regarded the little girl. "Can you try to squeeze my fingers?"
Piper took Will's extended fingers and managed a feeble squeeze. "Good job," Will praised, gesturing for another nurse to administer the additional glucose. Her eyelids drooped again as she leaned against Jay's chest in exhaustion. "How about some another cracker while we wait for Robin to get back, hm?"
The little girl shook her head and held tighter to Jay. He could tell from Will's furrowed brow that Piper's grip had been incredibly weak. "What hurts, Pipes?" Jay asked, concern ramping up, "We want to help."
"I don't wanna let go," she mumbled, her words almost slurring together as she spoke to him for the first time, "Wanna stay with you."
"I'm not letting you go," he promised, "You're stuck with me." He kissed her forehead, noting just how cool she was to the touch. "Can you have a few crackers for me please?" Jay practically begged, reaching for the packet that had been left on the table beside the bed, "And maybe some juice? I just want you to be feeling better, kiddo."
He let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding as the little girl extended a shaky hand for the cracker. "Where's Erin?" Piper asked after accepting a cracker from Jay, "Is she okay?"
"She's okay. Jenna's on the phone with her right now I bet," Jay said, "She's going to be really happy to see you." He ran his fingers through Piper's snarled locks as she chewed, forever grateful that she was back in his arms. "I'm so happy to see you."
Piper sniffed. "I'm glad you came," she mumbled, "I forgot what it was like to be alone all the time."
Jay's heart ached. "You're not going to be alone again," he promised, "This was Bunny's last chance to change, and she blew it. She's not coming near you, not after this. You have my word."
He pressed his nose into Piper's soft hair in relief as she tentatively bit into another cracker. "Are the crackers helping at all?" he asked hopefully, gently stroking her cool cheek, "Are you still dizzy, kiddo?"
"Not so dizzy, but my head hurts," she mumbled, lifting a hand to her forehead, "Where's Erin?"
Jay widened his eyes in alarm at his brother. Piper had just asked about Erin, and appeared to have forgotten. "It's a symptom of the really low blood sugar," Will assured him, "Headache, confusion, dizziness – once she's hydrated and stabilized, she's going to be okay."
"She's coming, Pipes," Jay assured her, "I'll call her in a bit too to check in."
Will gave a grateful nod to Robin, the nurse, who returned with a small cup of ice cream. "How about some ice cream, munchkin?" He lifted a spoon to her lips and smile when she took a tentative bite. "I bet that tastes good, huh?"
After Piper managed a few bites of ice cream, Jay relaxed slightly. He could tell the glucose and fluids were helping, as his little friend appeared more alert. "I missed you so much," Piper mumbled, leaning back against Jay's shoulder after another bite, "I was worried she was gonna take me away."
Jay swallowed the lump in his throat. He missed Piper too, more than words could say. "I missed you too," he said finally, "I uh, I didn't even go home for a while because it made me too sad when you weren't there. I've been staying at Will's."
Piper looked up at him, alarmed. "You-you didn't sleep?"
"I did," he said quickly, heart aching at how his little friend could be worried about him while she was the one in the hospital. She was the sweetest little person he knew. "I just missed you really bad."
"I think I slept a lot," she murmured, snuggling closer in Jay's embrace, "At Bunny's house. I didn't wanna talk to her or her friends, and I had to stay in my room a lot, like I used to do."
He closed his eyes for a second, building up the courage to ask the question that had been on his mind since he'd first laid eyes on her. "Did she hurt you, kiddo? Or any of her friends?" Jay asked, holding his breath as he waited for the little girl to voice a reply.
He exhaled when Piper shook her head against his neck. "I wouldn't let her touch me. And I hid," Piper croaked, "When she had friends over. 'cause Erin said they used to hurt her."
Jay nodded and instinctively held tighter after exchanging a sad glance with his brother. He was glad Piper knew to stay away from her mother, but especially her mother's friends. "Did she give you anything to eat, munchkin?" Will asked carefully, hoping the child's memory was a bit better after the fluids, "I know you said you didn't remember when the last time you ate was."
"I-I don't know," she mumbled, "I think I had some cereal but then once I woke up there wasn't any left, and Bunny said she was gonna go out, and I wasn't allowed to leave. She said I could have coffee to keep me awake but I didn't, 'cause Jay said kids are not supposed to drink coffee."
Jay took another breath, willing himself to remain in control. There was so much wrong with Bunny's parenting style from the lack of food she kept in the house, to having friends over who were clearly up to no good, but the fact that she was willing to give a nine year old coffee was what almost undid him. Because he'd been the one to tell the little girl she was too young to have coffee, and she remembered. Even when she was away, she remembered things he taught her. "I'm so sorry," Jay whispered into her hair, "I'm so sorry Pipes."
"I just wanted to come home," she managed, "I wanted to call but I couldn't take her phone, even when she was passed out on the couch."
"It is not your fault," Jay shook his head. Of course Bunny had passed out on the couch. That didn't surprise him at all. "Not one bit. Jenna's making some calls now to make sure that you can come home with me, okay?"
He felt the little girl immediately relax against his chest. "I left a message for Erin," Jenna reported as she re-entered the bay, "And I got confirmation that Piper can go home with you after she's discharged, and will remain with you until the court hearing next week."
He let out another breath. Piper was coming home with him. He pressed a kiss on the top of her head, memorizing what it felt like to hold his little friend in his arms. "I wanna go home now," she whispered.
"We need you to finish the other bag of IV fluids," Will said gently, "But you're almost there. Then if you can have a few more crackers, we'll get you outta here."
Piper whimpered again in defeat, but being close to Jay was helping her anxiety. She was exhausted. "'s Erin gonna be at home too?" she asked, "How come she's not here yet?"
"She might be in a meeting," Jay said as lightly as he could. He hadn't talked to Erin in almost a day and a half, and he missed her. They'd gone from talking almost constantly to radio silence while they both suffered separately. "But we'll give her a call in a bit again."
"Can I ask you a few questions, Piper?" Jenna asked, leaning against the vacant hospital bed while the little girl remained in the detective's lap, "I know you're sleepy, sweetheart."
"I still get to stay with Jay?" Piper made eye contact with the social worker, who gave a kind nod in response.
"You do. But I just need to know a little bit about what it was like when you were living with your mom the past few days. Are you up to answer a few questions?"
"I don't wanna remember," she whispered, her voice wavering slightly, "I just wanna go home."
"Soon, kiddo," Jay promised, "Just a few questions, a few more crackers, and then we're going to pick up my car from the district and head home."
"Actually, Voight texted me," Will interjected almost sheepishly, "Said he left your car at your place, and is waiting in the parking lot to take you guys back when Piper's ready."
Jay let out a breath. He wasn't sure how he was going to be able to drive with the child who was so reluctant to release her grip on him. It wasn't lost on him that his boss was texting his brother, but that was a conversation for another time. "Almost there, Pipes," he said, resuming the motion of gently running his fingers through her hair.
"You said your mom had friends over?" Jenna asked, "Did you meet any of them?"
Piper shook her head. "I hid," she replied, "I-I knew not to be in the living room 'cause I remembered what Erin said. And I knew they were drinking and doing drugs."
Jay felt his heart rate increase. Bunny hadn't been able to keep it together for a week, not even for the sake of her own child. "Did she have friends over more than once?" The social worker asked, scrawling a few words on a notepad, "Or during the day?"
"She slept a lot during the day," Piper recalled, "Her friends came at night, a few times. Not the first night. The first night we had dinner, but I heard people come over after I went to bed. When I woke up I had dry cereal 'cause there was a box in the kitchen, and Bunny was on the couch. I knew she was alive, because she was breathing. She said we could do something fun during the day but I never left the house."
Jenna nodded in understanding. "I just slept a lot," Piper continued, "I don't really remember much about the days. I-I didn't want to talk and I was hungry but then I was just sleepy. Like now."
"Low blood sugar," Will said to social worker, "If she wasn't eating, it's no wonder she was exhausted."
"I'm glad you came by," Piper said finally, "I was alone for a long time b-but Bunny said that if I left she'd have someone track down Erin and Jay and hurt them." In an instant, panic crossed her face, "I-I don't want that to happen, you gotta bring me back."
"No, sweetheart," Jenna shook her head, "That's not happening. You're safe with Jay, and she's not coming near you."
"Jay's not safe, Erin's not safe," Piper spluttered, rapidly dissolving in Jay's lap, "Please, she's gonna do something."
"We're not going to let that happen," Jay promised, "I know it's hard to believe kiddo, but Sergeant Voight's going to drive us home, and we're going to have someone from the department stationed outside the apartment building, just in case, okay?"
Piper gave a small nod. "What about Erin?"
"I'll give her a call when we get home," he assured her, "And I'll see if she can stay with us for a bit, hm?"
Jay had never been more grateful for his sergeant. Just as he'd suspected, even after she was discharged, Piper was incredibly weak and refused to put even an inch between them. He held her closely in the backseat of the Escalade while his boss drove them to the apartment, taking the long way back to be safe. While he settled on the couch with Piper, Hank busied himself in the kitchen, promising to make one of Camille's favorite recipes for stuffed shells.
"Where's Erin?" Piper mumbled tiredly, "I thought she was comin'."
"I'm going to try calling again," Jay replied, gently rubbing Piper's back with one hand and dialing Erin with the other. Jenna had left his partner a message almost two hours ago, and Jay's concern was steadily ramping up. He frowned when he was immediately met with Erin's voicemail. "Hey, Er, it's Jay. Give me a call back when you can."
"I want Erin." Tears filled Piper's eyes and quickly trickled down her cheeks, "I want her to be okay, Bunny's gonna get her, you gotta get her."
"Shh," Jay cooed, quickly disconnecting the call and bringing Piper in closer to his chest, "She's going to be fine, Pipes."
Piper wept into Jay's shoulder, her small form trembling with exhaustion, anxiety, fear, all of the above. "I know you're hurting, kiddo," he attempted to soothe, "It's been a really rough couple of days, but you're safe now."
"I never want to go back," she whispered, "I don't wanna leave ever again."
Jay was quiet as he held his little friend. He knew that he couldn't keep that promise. In the best case scenario for Piper, Erin would get custody, and she'd be safe with her big sister. The alternative was Bunny or worse, and Jay didn't even want to think about that. Either way, Piper wasn't going to be in his arms forever. "I'm always gonna be there for you," he said finally, swallowing the lump in his throat. He hadn't let any tears fall since laying eyes on her in the hospital, and he needed to remain composed for Piper's sake. "No matter what happens."
"How about some dinner?" Hank suggested, "It's one of Erin's favorite meals."
"Doesn't that sound good?" Jay prompted when Piper refused to lift her head from his shoulder, "Some yummy pasta?" He furrowed his brow slightly, "Or what about some ice cream?" He didn't care about the nutritional content of whatever Piper agreed to – he just needed her to eat something. The IV fluids had helped reduce Piper's dizziness and lethargy, but Will advised ensuring that Piper continued to eat in order to avoid another trip to the ED.
"Don't wanna let you go," she mumbled into his neck, "I-I don't wanna leave."
"You're not leaving," Jay promised, "I'm right here with you, I promise. But we need you to eat a little bit so you don't get too dizzy again, right?" He glanced up to his sergeant, who turned for the freezer to produce a carton of ice cream. "Look, Pipes, Sergeant Voight found your favorite."
"'s Erin's favorite too," Piper replied tearfully, "Does… does she not want me anymore? Is that how come she's not here?"
"No, no," he said quickly, "She's coming, kiddo, I know she is. How about a few bites for me, please?"
Instead of the nod he'd hoped for, Piper burst into sobs. "Kiddo," he attempted, rising to his feet to gently rock back and forth, "It's okay, you're okay. Erin's coming. I know you're scared, but I need you to trust me, alright?"
"I'll call again," Hank said, reaching for his phone and receiving a grateful nod from Jay as he held Piper in his arms, trying to keep the little girl breathing.
"Shh, shh, shh," Jay whispered into Piper's hair, "You're allowed to be upset, kiddo, but I need you to take a breath, okay? C'mon, you can do it."
Piper squeaked when a knock came at the apartment door. "I got it," Hank said quickly, "Might be your brother."
"Shh," Jay tried again, doing his best to keep the little girl from hyperventilating, "You're safe Pipes."
Hank opened the door to reveal his incredibly breathless daughter. "Where is she?" she asked quickly, wiping the tears off her cheeks, "I-I came as soon as I got Jenna's voicemail, where's Piper?"
Up next: lil reunion and...why was Erin in NYC? Let me know what you think!
