Concussed Chapter 2
The whole team was gathered around the board giving updates on their current case. Kim was perched on top of Jay's desk while Kevin and Adam talked about the three victims that were being cyber stalked by an unknown perp.
Kim and Jay were next, giving info on a list of possible suspects. Jay let Kevin and Adam speak first, and she was glad because she was waiting for the Advil to kick in, she had a killer headache. She had been having a lot of them lately to be honest.
"This is Sam Owens, 31 years old." She began her speech. "He has a long… " she started drifting and she couldn't understand what she was saying but continued anyway. "Shmank pag flowy of byd overn.' Was everyone looking at her? What was Jay saying? She tried to blink her eyes to focus and then nothing.
Kim's body went completely limp as she fell into the board. "Kim!" shouted Jay, shocked, catching her before she hit the ground. Pictures from the evidence board fluttered to the ground around her.
"Call 9-1-1" Hank ordered as he got down on the ground next to Jay and Kim. Atwater was the quickest to respond, the others were still in shock and a bit scared. One minute Kim was standing there right in front of them and the next she was on the floor after hitting the evidence board.
"We have an officer down at the 21st police station. 31 years old. Yes she is breathing, no she is not conscious." Kevin reported seriously, trying to remain calm for Kim, for the team.
"Three minutes." He called out to the team. 2 minutes 59 seconds, 2 minutes 58 seconds, 2 minutes 57 seconds. Not that Kevin was counting. Nope not counting. Not thinking about her. Lying on the floor. Not moving. 2 minutes 45 seconds. His best friend. 2 minutes 44 seconds. Where was the ambulance? 2 minutes 43 seconds. Is she awake yet? 2 minutes 42 seconds.
"Adam, wait for the paramedics at the gate. Hank directed. "Hailey, get Kim's things together." Giving his team tasks to do helped them to not freak out or to crowd her or Jay. Jay was sitting on the floor next to their Sargeant with Kim's head in his lap.
"Adam, why are there paramedics here?" questioned Sergeant Trudy Platt, half worried, half demanded.
"It's Kim, she collapsed upstairs. Come on." he ushered her up after the paramedics rushed up with their medical bags. There was a flurry of activity inside the bullpen. Hank tried to clear the area around Kim and Jay for the paramedics to work.
"Any idea why she may have passed out?" The paramedics asked as they took her vital signs. Hank looked to Jay to answer for his girlfriend. He was still a little stunned to answer looking at Kim just lying there.
"Has she been sleeping? Is she drinking enough water?" They continued to question Jay in order to stir him into answering.
"The only thing I can think of is she has been having headaches more and more often." He answered truthfully.
"Did she hit anything when she passed out?" The second paramedic asked.
Hank answered. 'Yeah, she hit the evidence board right when she passed out." He pointed to the board a few feet behind them with the pictures still on the floor, that no one had time to pick up yet.
"Yeah, she has a nice scratch there on her cheek." Jay added quietly, stroking her soft skin with his fingers.
"We can carry her on the backboard down the stairs or drive the ambulance around." The paramedics suggested and Jay liked neither of their ideas. "How about I carry her down stairs?" He wasn't concerned it was a neck injury. Hank nodded his approval and so that is how Jay picked Kim up carefully, keeping her close to his chest. Adam ran ahead to get the gate, and Kevin was behind Jay and Kim just in case.
When the ambulance rolled up to Chicago Med Dr. Will Halstead was ready and waiting. Jay's message was a little frantic and harried.
"Jay. What's going on?" he greeted his brother and tried to get information about his brother's girlfriend and partner as the paramedics wheeled in Kim.
"She passed out in the bullpen. She's been nauseous, dizzy, having headaches, tired a lot lately." he explained, walking quickly through the halls of the hospital. Kim's friend Natalie, Dr. Manning caught up and was monitoring Kim's vital signs as they steered her into an exam room, where Kim was transferred to a patient bed from the stretcher.
"Any chance she could be pregnant?" Will asked discreetly, pulling Jay to the side. "Um no I guess, maybe?" He had never considered that nor talked about that with Kim either.
"That's hardly definitive, Jay." "But simple enough to find out." Will pulled Natalie to the side and asked her to run a pregnancy test before he did a CT scan on her brain. While he waited he read over her file. There were a couple of things in there that made him pause.
"The test was negative." Dr. Manning notified the brothers quietly. "And I ordered a CT scan, they are ready for her."
"Thanks Natalie." "Anytime Jay." she replied and disappeared out the door.
"Why am I in the hospital?" Kim complained, groaning, looking around at the familiar beige walls, and the familiar blue patient bed, and the familiar maroon gown and the familiar red medical bracelet.
"You passed out on the evidence board this morning.'' Jay informed her to her embarrassment.
"Great, just great." she mumbled. "Did I solve the case at least?" she joked lightly.
"At least the rest of us get out of work." He teased. "Although I'm sure you aged Voight about another 10 years." He had a way of helping her through difficult times with his levity.
"The important thing is that we find out why you've been having these headaches." Jay said gently, rubbing her arm while they waited for Will to come get her. She was going to get the VIP treatment, one because she is a cop, and two she is dating the doctor's brother.
"Ready Kim?" Will Halstead asked, as he came into the private room. She nodded. "Can i walk her up?" Jay asked hopefully. Will nodded his consent.
"I'm going to sedate you so you don't move during the scan ok?" She agreed and he easily pushed some medicine into her IV tube and she was out before they even made it into the hallway.
"How long does the scan take?" Jay asked Will before he went into the computer booth controlling the machine. "About 30 minutes and then I'll review the results. Kim will recover back in her room for about an hour. And I should know by then what we are looking at.
Natalie went down to the waiting room where the rest of the Intelligence unit of the 21st police district of Chicago was waiting on results of Kim's tests.
"Will just took Kim upstairs to do a CT scan on her brain. They should have results relatively quickly." She announced to the team.
"A brain scan?" Kevin gulped. "That sounds serious." He added, concerned.
"Will thinks maybe the concussions she has had lately are causing these symptoms."
Dr. Manning explained cautiously.
"What's relatively quickly?" Hailey Upton wondered. Tests in hospitals always seemed to take forever.
"I think we can expect to hear from Will in about an hour, an hour and a half." Natalie decided optimistically.
"Luckily, we ruled out any serious brain injuries. What we think is causing her headaches is the result of a couple of concussions that she has suffered in a short amount of time." Will explained to the group, Kim was still in the recovery room before she came back to her room. He hurt for his brother, the two of them could not stay out of the hospital lately. "There is a little inflammation still around her brain which is what is probably causing the headaches. We're going to put her on some anti-inflammatories to help ease that." He informed them further.
Jay swore, he was practically living with Kim. How could he not know she was still showing signs of concussions? He stormed out of the waiting room, looking to escape into a dark hallway. He was a little ashamed to admit he was hiding. From Will, from the team, from Kim.
Hank looked like he wanted to kill someone, hadn't these two been through enough?
Kevin was trying to comfort Hailey and Vanessa and Adam had followed Jay out the door.
"Well, the good news is if you break your hand, you are already in the hospital." Adam commented, walking up to where Jay had been hiding out in the side hallway. The rest of the team had left after seeing Kim, except for Voight who was with her until Adam talked with Jay and calmed him down. He didn't want her to be alone. He just leaned against the wall waiting for a response, acting like he had nowhere to be and that he had no intention of leaving soon either.
Sighing Jay answered, " How did I not know she could have brain damage!? He looked broken, slumped in an uncomfortable plastic chair.
"Jay, he said she could have brain damage if she keeps getting concussions, not that she does have brain damage." Adam explained patiently. "And Kim would never, ever blame you or anyone else either." He reminded him. Getting advice or comfort from Kim's ex-fiance might be kind of weird to most people, but in the intelligence unit they were a family.
"Thanks man." Jay thanked his friend for being optimistic and for calling him out.
"She's got a hard head. She's gonna be fine. Take care of Kim." He put out his hand for a handshake and a bro hug and went to collect Voight so they could home.
"Ugh, it's like I never left." Kim muttered as she woke up. She looked up and expected to see Jay but saw Voight instead. "Hey" she greeted him, a little surprised.
"Take it easy on him, he feels guilty." Hank suggested slyly. "Yeah I know." she confessed. "I just want him to talk to me."
A light knock on the door interrupted them. "Hey boss, you ready to go?" Adam asked, with Jay standing behind him. Hank nodded, gave a quick kiss to Kim's head and patted Jay on the back. "Good night guys." Adam called and then the two were alone.
"Hey, come here." Kim beckoned gently. Patting the bed next to her. He accommodated her and climbed into the bed next to her. She automatically laid her head on his shoulder. "We're going to get through this, I promise." Kim fell asleep holding his hand and he fell asleep promising the same to her.