Jay felt his body recoil and fall to the ground, almost in slow motion, as the bullet ripped through him. He felt his head hit the ground and stared at the ceiling, unable to move, weakly feeling for the wound with one hand, gasping for air. He heard footsteps running down the stairs and struggled to keep his eyes open. His vision blurred around the edges as Hailey knelt beside him.

"Jay! Jay! Stay with me, Jay!" she shouted.

He shifted his eyes toward her, using every ounce of energy to stay awake. She placed her hand on the side of his face momentarily, turning his head toward her, before moving her hands down and putting pressure on the bullet wound. He groaned at the increased pressure in his chest and closed his swollen eyes. He felt himself fading in and out, only catching glimpses of images and snippets of sound around him through the darkness.

"Set up an Officer Down detail to Med," he heard, Voight's voice low but urgent.

Darkness.

"His vitals are dropping. He's losing too much blood," he heard Hailey say. He felt the ground shaking as more people walked around him and opened his eyes again to see paramedics.

Darkness.

His entire world seemed to tilt as someone raised his head to strap an oxygen mask to his face. He felt himself being lifted onto the backboard, felt the uneasy balance of being carried up the stairs. His heart was racing, and his limbs felt heavy and useless.

Darkness.

Voight stood over him, a look in his eyes Jay had only seen a handful of times.

Darkness.

Kim's face, "Hang in there, Jay."

Darkness.

Adam's face.

Darkness.

Sirens.

Darkness.

The familiar roughness of the stretcher being loaded into an ambulance.

Darkness.

Hailey leaning over him again. This time, with the bright lights in the back of the ambulance behind her, and someone else busy beside her trying to save him.

Darkness.

"More pressure," he heard, and someone leaned harder into the wound in his chest. Jay squeezed his eyes shut and groaned.

XXX

Will stood at the nurse's station desk, scribbling a note on a patient's chart to finish a case before moving on to the next. He didn't hear the phone ring, and didn't hear Maggie answer. The familiar sounds faded into the white noise of the ED. It wasn't until he glanced up and saw the look on her face that Will tuned in and grew concerned.

"Maggie?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," she said into the phone. "Understood."

She hung up the phone, ignoring Will, and quickly scanned the ED for available resources.

"Dr. Choi, get Baghdad ready, and call Dr. Rhodes down stat! April, get the hybrid OR ready. We have a GSW to the chest, 3 minutes out," she called.

Will cocked his head, confused at the over-preparation for a GSW, as Maggie finally turned to him. She walked around the desk and stood directly in front of him, putting her hands on his upper arms, keeping eye contact with him as the rest of the department bustled around them.

"Maggie, wh-" he started.

She didn't let him finish.

"Will, it's Jay," she said calmly, holding his arms firmly to ground him.

In that moment, he felt the blood drain from his face and the nausea rise in his throat.

"Is he-" he started again, but Maggie cut him off, guiding him to a chair outside the trauma room.

"Will, we've got this. Be his brother, not his doctor" she instructed firmly, sitting him down and dashing off to finish the preparation. In slow motion, Will watched as everyone in the department seemed to make eye contact simultaneously, readying themselves for the situation at hand.

Ethan stood in the doorway and made eye contact with Will, nodding, his look serious and determined. In that moment, the doors to the ED slid open and Will instinctively stood up and searched through the crowd, desperate for a look at the man on the stretcher.

As the crowd of people pivoted into the trauma room, a momentary space between the paramedics gave him his first glimpse of his little brother, and Will's heart sank.

XXX

Jay regained consciousness again just as he was wheeled through the doors of Med, the familiar controlled chaos of the department immediately bombarding his senses. He closed his eyes, the bright lights sending shooting pains through his head, and felt the stretcher pivot into the trauma room.

"Male, 32, CPD detective, GSW to the chest, head trauma, GSC 7. Heart rate 130, BP 90 over palp. One 18-gauge IV in his left AC, couldn't get the second line in route," he heard the paramedic rattle off.

"Get a femoral line and a cooler of O neg for the rapid infuser!" Dr. Choi said to the resident beside him, focusing his attention on Jay's battered body for the first time as the paramedics stepped away.

"Jay! Jay, can you hear me?" Jay heard as he felt the hands of the staff suddenly all over him.

He cracked open his swollen eyes to see Ethan and April standing over him and continued to pant shallow breaths against the mask on his face.

Suddenly, Ethan was pushed out of the way and Will appeared beside him, a devastated look in his eyes. Jay opened his mouth automatically to reassure him, a reflex, and instead, coughed a spray of blood into the mask on his face. He squeezed his eyes shut, gasping to try to recover, and heard the alarm beside him signal louder.

"Dr. Choi, his oxygen's dropping," April shouted.

Ethan took a firm hold of Will's shoulder and shifted him toward Jay's head, out of the way.

Will blinked hard, refusing to take his eyes off his brother as tears stung his eyes.

"Try to take some slow breaths, Jay," Dr. Choi said, placing a hand on his chest.

"We've got you, Detective," April said as she cut off his remaining clothing and swiftly laid a drape across his pelvis. A doctor he didn't recognize stepped up to the bed with a needle that made his stomach turn and he closed his eyes, trying to breathe against the immense pressure in his chest, his vision fading around the edges.

"Hey, stay awake, Halstead," Ethan warned, shining a penlight in his eyes and causing him to groan.

He felt a sharp pain in his groin and instinctively pulled his knee up toward him. Dr. Choi laid a firm hand on his knee, pushing it back on the bed.

"Try to stay calm, Jay. He's putting in a central line. He's almost done," he heard his brother explain quietly in his ear.

He felt Dr. Choi remove the drape and run his hands along his legs, asking Jay to move his toes. Panic started to rise in his chest, feeling exposed and completely out of control. He tried to concentrate, but his thoughts felt too slow, like trying to run underwater.

When he was satisfied, Dr. Choi nodded at April, who quickly laid a sheet across Jay's pelvis, and he moved on to examine Jay's upper body.

"Single GSW to the upper left chest," Ethan called out, removing the bandage and quickly assessing before reapplying pressure. "Roll him on three. One, two, three."

Before Jay could comprehend the command, the medical team rolled him up on his right side and he inhaled sharply, a broken groan escaping his throat.

"I'm sorry, man," Ethan said quickly, running his hands along Jay's back.

"No exit," he called out.

Jay felt himself being lowered back onto the bed and squeezed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth and taking short breaths through his nose. He felt a hand on his head and opened his eyes to see his brother staring at him intently, his eyes wide.

"Ethan," Will pleaded on Jay's behalf.

"I can't give him anything yet, Will," Ethan said, throwing him a cautionary look, "not with that head wound."

Someone pushed the x-ray machine over and everyone instinctively took a step back from the bed, giving Jay a moment of reprieve from the barrage of hands all over him.

He watched Dr. Choi and April moved closer to the screen, exchanging a look after seeing the results.

"I need a chest tube," Dr. Choi called out.

"And an intubation tray," Connor added, entering the room. "We're moving to the hybrid OR!"

"He needs to get to CT," Ethan argued, worried about Jay's head trauma in addition to the bullet wound.

"He doesn't have time," Dr. Rhodes countered, pointing to a spot on the x-ray. "He's going to bleed out if I can't get that bullet out and repair the artery."

Will dropped his head and took a deep breath, mustering every ounce of composure he could, strategically moving to the right side of the bed.

The arguments and the medical jargon were moving too fast for Jay. He couldn't understand anymore, using every ounce of energy to stay conscious. He felt Will wrap both his hands around his own heavy right hand and squeeze it, grounding him.

"Jay, they're going to put in a chest tube and take you to surgery. The bullet went through your lung and it's stuck in your shoulder. It hit an artery," he tried to explain simply, his voice shaky.

Jay felt confused. He was seeing snippets of images surrounded by darkness again, and the world was shifting each time he turned his head. He felt something cold splash onto his chest and another drape laid on top of him. He felt someone pin his legs and his heart rate spiked even higher, instantly panicking at the feeling of being held down.

Will immediately reacted, pushing the person off. "Don't hold him down!"

"Dr. Halstead, you're in the way! He's going to crash if his heart rate spikes any higher!" Ethan yelled at him.

"Trust me…" Will responded, his voice low and calm.

Jay blinked hard as Will moved back toward his head and grabbed his hand again, using his other hand to turn Jay's head toward him and lowering himself to eye level, his gaze serious.

"Jay, listen," he said, "they won't hold you down, but you have to stay still, okay? Can you do that?"

Jay panted against the oxygen mask and nodded slightly, closing his eyes, barely able to see Will as his vision faded in and out.

"This is going to hurt," Will warned him, and Jay set his jaw.

Jay felt the sting of the scalpel being slid against the skin of his chest under the bandage and squeezed Will's hand as he felt Dr. Choi dig two fingers into his chest cavity, roughly spreading his ribs. He knuckles turned white and he heard himself yell, a primal, animalistic sound. His head suddenly felt light, like consciousness was fading for good, when he felt Dr. Choi insert the chest tube into his lung, twisting it into place.

An immediate release of pressure in his chest allowed him to take one real breath for the first time since he'd been shot, but the relief was short lived as the pressure started building again quickly. Every breath now sent a blinding pain through his body and he gasped, causing himself to cough again. He felt small, sharp stabs in his side as Dr. Choi stitched the chest tube into place. The alarms on the monitor beside him were screaming and he felt himself start to fade.

"They're going to intubate you, Jay," Will said, bending down close to him. "Your oxygen's too low. You've lost too much blood."

Jay swallowed hard as Dr. Rhodes moved into position, his face serious as he placed his hands on either side of Jay's head and tilted it back slightly.

"Try to relax, Detective. We've got you," Connor said, nodding to someone Jay couldn't see with his head tilted back.

"Just hang on, Jay…" he heard Will say quietly into his ear.

The last thing Jay felt was the medication being pushed quickly into his system and he let the darkness take over.

XXX

Will felt Jay's grip on his hand loosen as he watched his brother drift into unconsciousness. His eyes stung with tears as he watched Connor expertly slide a breathing tube down Jay's throat and secure it, attaching a bag and squeezing. He watched Jay's chest rise properly for the first time since he'd come in and swallowed hard, clearing his throat, and attempting to regain composure.

The trauma team unlocked the wheels of Jay's bed and Will dropped Jay's hand, watching them push him quickly out of the room toward the hybrid OR. Ethan stayed behind, stepping over the blood on the floor and pausing briefly beside the red-haired doctor.

"We've got him, Will…" he said confidently, squeezing Will's arm before disappearing to follow the stretcher.

Will slowly made his way into the hallway and sank back down in the chair he'd previously occupied. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, and watched his outstretched hands shake in front of him. He clasped them together hard, bringing them to his bowed forehead and took a deep, shaking breath as April knelt in front of him. He looked up, his eyes red, and met her gaze.

"Do you want company?" she asked softly.

"No," he answered quickly. "Go with Jay."

She raised her eyebrow and he sat up straight.

"Please, April. You're the best nurse in this place. Go help my brother," he pleaded, quieter this time.

She nodded and stood, waving Maggie over to take her place. Maggie appeared beside Will, her hand absently rubbing small circles between his shoulders as he rested his head back in his hands.

After a few moments, she cleared her throat.

"Jay's team is here in the waiting room. Do you want me to update them?" she asked softly.

Will swallowed hard and stood, rolling his shoulders back and shaking his head. "I'll do it."

XXX

Will stepped into the waiting room and made eye contact with Sergeant Voight, then with his brother's partner. The rest of the team fell in step behind them as they approached, and the rest of the police force, there in solidarity, remained where they stood, staring expectantly.

"Hey everybody," he started, struggling to maintain himself. "He's in surgery with Dr. Rhodes. The bullet hit an artery. They're trying to repair it."

"Is he going to be okay?" Hailey asked.

Will averted his gaze, staring at the floor. "He lost alot of blood…"

Hailey's face fell, and he knew she got the message, even as he avoided her question.

XXX

Ethan walked into the break room to find Will lying on the couch, his hands over his face.

"Hey…" he started quietly.

Will startled, immediately standing and looking at Dr. Choi expectantly.

"He's okay, Will," Ethan said.

Will let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding and embraced his colleague, relief washing over him.

After a quick embrace, Ethan stepped back. "Rhodes repaired his lung and the artery in his shoulder, no lasting structural damage. We got him into CT and the concussion isn't pretty, but it won't need surgery. We activated massive transfusion protocol in the OR, and his levels look stable for now, but we'll keep a close eye on him tonight."

"Is he still on the vent?" Will asked, quickly running through worst-case scenarios in his head. "Can I see him?"

"Yes, and yes," Ethan interjected, answering before Will could add any more questions. "They're moving him in an ICU room for the night, and when the anesthesia wears off, we'll extubate. Should be soon. Let's go."

XXX

Jay regained consciousness slowly. He heard the familiar beeping of hospital monitors and tried to clear through his clouded memories, fighting to break through the surface. He cracked his eyes open, and instantly felt someone squeeze his hand. His breathing hitched, and he immediately felt the tube in his throat. His anxiety rose as his eyes darted around.

"Hang on, Jay, hang on and we'll get it out," Will said, waving toward someone in the hallway.

Connor entered the room and flipped a couple buttons on the ventilator with one hand, reaching for a syringe with the other and connecting it to the tube in Jay's throat, pulling back quickly on the plunger.

Will placed a supportive hand behind Jay's back, helping him lean forward slightly as his heart rate continued to skyrocket.

"You're okay, Jay. On the count of three, I need you to cough for me," Dr. Rhodes said.

Jay squeezed his eyes shut and listened to Connor count to three, then mustered all his energy and coughed. As he coughed, Connor pulled the tube from his throat and the muscles in his chest seemed to spasm as he struggled to regain control. Pain ripped through his body as he inhaled and he groaned as Will helped him lay back again, placing a cannula under his nose and looping it around his head.

Under normal circumstances, he would protest, but he didn't have the energy. He felt a sheen on sweat break out across his skin at the energy he'd just expended, and kept his eyes closed for a moment, steeling himself to answer the questions he knew were coming.

"Detective?" Dr. Rhodes asked. "I'm going to check your sutures, okay?"

He felt the surgeon move his gown aside and grit his teeth as the man pressed lightly around his injury. His breathing hitched as the pain escalated, and Connor stepped back.

"Okay, okay," he said. "Let's get you some more pain meds on board."

Jay exhaled slowly and opened his eyes, his vision swimming. He blinked hard, focusing.

"I'm fine," he croaked, his voice hoarse.

Rhodes chuckled, and Will put a hand behind his own head, rolling his eyes.

"Jay, you've got a serious concussion and you just had major surgery on your shoulder. Not to mention you had a tube shoved in your chest just a few hours ago and almost your entire blood volume replaced," Connor said, the reality of the situation he'd just survived falling between them.

A nurse he'd never seen before entered the room and handed a vial to Connor before turning to leave. He stuck a needle into the vial and pulled the liquid into the syringe. Jay's stomach flipped and he closed his eyes again, bringing his right hand to his head. He felt the liquid being pushed through his IV and immediately felt his thoughts cloud again. Will placed an ice pack on his left shoulder and he took a deep breath, the medication taking the edge off the pain in his chest.

"There's someone else who wants to see you," Will said, nodding at Hailey standing in the doorway.

Jay cracked a smile and straightened himself in the bed, gritting his teeth at the movement.

Will and Connor gave him a nod and exited, letting Hailey approach his bed.

"How ya feeling?" she asked, a small smile on her face, clearly relieved to see him.

"Like I've been asleep for a year," he croaked, clearing his throat as she chuckled. "Hailey, you know I hate hospitals."

"I do," she smiled.

"You gotta get me out of here," he pleaded.

"No. Not negotiable," she chided, turning as someone else entered the room.

Voight approached the bed and Jay straightened again, a reflex.

"How's the shoulder?" he asked.

"Feels like I'm going to be flying crooked for awhile," Jay answered, avoiding any kind of answer about how much pain he was in.

"Just concentrate on getting better, kid," Voight said, serious but kind.

He turned to exit the room and Hailey shot him one last smile before following the sergeant.

Jay watched his colleagues leave the room and exhaled, closing his eyes.

XXX

Jay watched the seconds tick on the clock as Will slept with his head rested on the side of the bed. He took short breaths and gritted his teeth, his chest tight and his head pounding. He quietly shifted in bed, trying to relieve some pressure from his side, and a flash of pain from his shoulder caused him to groan. Will stirred, and then shot upright as the monitor beside them started to alarm, the pain in Jay's shoulder causing a spike in his heart rate.

"Jay…" Will said, quickly assessing his brother's condition.

"I'm good," Jay lied through gritted teeth.

Will stood, retrieving medication from the cabinet behind him, despite Jay's protest.

"You're in pain, Jay, and you're not going to heal that way," he said, drawing up two separate doses from different vials.

"Will, please," Jay pleaded. "I don't want-"

"Hey, I know," Will interrupted. "You don't want to feel out of control. You want to get out of here."

Jay nodded once, draping a protective arm across his mid-section as he shifted again.

"I promise I'll try to get you out of here tomorrow. I'll tell Rhodes that I'll stay at your apartment and watch out for you, but you've got to promise to take these meds for at least a couple of days, and let your body get some rest," he said, holding up the two syringes. "Look, a small dose of morphine and a muscle relaxer. Please? I won't let them do anything without your consent. I need you to get some sleep."

Jay stared hard at his brother, weighing his options, his head pounding and the burning pain in his shoulder distracting him. "Fine," he finally said, and Will sighed.

Will injected the two medications into his brother's IV and grabbed a new ice pack from the table beside him, gently placing it on Jay's shoulder and shifting it until he saw Jay's jaw relax slightly, the pain medication taking effect.

Jay closed his eyes and felt his body start to relax again, his brother resuming his position in the chair beside his bed. After a few moments of silence, Will spoke.

"You know you got lucky this time, right? Really lucky."

"I know, Will. I know," he said softly, sleep taking over.