Thank you so much for your kind words! I tried to take the suggestions and feedback from your reviews into account when I was writing this chapter. (Guest Amelia- Yes! Time for Jay to get over himself, right?) I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 34

"They put me on a psych hold!"

Will raised an eyebrow at Jay, but didn't respond.

"That doctor said I'm not thinking rationally and I'm a danger to myself!" Jay shouted.

Erin looked at him, slouched in the chair next to his hospital bed. "You threatened to remove your own chest tube. And take out your drains. And go home without any help."

Will shrugged, "If that's what Dr. Reese's medical opinion is—"

"Bull." Jay narrowed his eyes. "You put her up to this."

Will raised his hands. "I asked her for a consult." He didn't mention he chose her because she was less pragmatic than Dr. Charles and he was pretty sure she would do what he hoped for Jay.

As Jay took a breath, ready to unleash again, Erin pushed herself out of her chair and leaned in close to Jay. "You need to stop, Halstead." She brushed a kiss against his temple and murmured. "Jess needs you. But she doesn't need you passed out on the floor of your apartment. And she doesn't need you flying at her boyfriend. She needs her big brother who said he's got her back."
Will watched as the tight line of tension across Jay's shoulders slowly dissolved.

"Adam is going to need his team—his family. And he's going to need Jess. Which means, Jess is going to need you on her side. Not on whatever side pits you against Adam."

Jay looked at Will. Will waited for him to accept Erin's words.

Jay heaved a sigh. "I don't want her hurt."

Will shook his head. "She's already been hurt, Jay. By Mom dying, by Dad checking out, by trying to follow in your footsteps…And she needed us through it all and we weren't there. But we are now."

Jay's jaw worked. He swallowed hard. "We are now," he said under his breath.

Will waited for more agreement than that, but Jay leaned his head back against his pillows and closed his eyes. He exchanged a look with Erin. One side of her mouth curved in a doubtful smile.

It was the best he was going to get from his cement-skulled brother for now. Will told Erin he'd check back on Jay later and exited the room into the hall. He let out a breath and hoped he was right about Adam and Jess.

The quiet beep of machines filtered through the hush of the ICU. Will made his way around the nurse's station to get to Adam's room. Quiet laughter broke through the stillness.

At the end of the hallway, Mouse stood with Sarah Reese. He said something and his mouth twisted in a self-conscious grin as she laughed again. She laid her hand on his arm and leaned closer to say something that made him nod.

"There's something there." Jess' voice at his elbow made him jump.

"Looks like it," Will said slowly, eyeing his sister. "And you're ok with that?"

Jess smiled at Will, but it wasn't the teasing grin he remembered from her as a teen. She looked wiser, sadder. "Mouse deserves some happiness," she said. "Someone without drama. Without baggage."

Will frowned. "Hey, if you broke things off with him because you think you didn't deserve him—"

Jess cut him off. "I fell in love with Adam. Mouse and I are just friends and I want him to be happy."

Will searched her face, looking for any doubt. She held his gaze, her eyes clear.

"Adam's getting discharged," she said, changing course.

"Sam said he still doesn't know where the swelling is coming from."

Jess lifted her eyebrows and looked through the glass door at Adam. "Adam said he can wait for the swelling to go down at home just as well as he can in the hospital. Dr. Abrams agreed."

Will tried to imagine how much of a pain in the neck Adam had to be to get Sam Abrams to agree to discharge him before he could walk when Jess squared her shoulders and faced him head on.

"I'm moving in with him."

Will stared down at her. Jess lifted her chin defiantly, daring him to say something.

"As his nurse?" he finally asked.

"To help him," she agreed. "He can't walk, Will. He needs someone there to help him."

Will blew out a breath. His sister was going to move in with Adam to play nursemaid.

"He can stay with me," he said suddenly. "You shouldn't be moving in to be a caretaker. That's not why you live with someone."

Jess shook her head, sending her loose curls flying. "Will, I love him and I'm going to—"

"That's not the right reason," Will tried again.

But Jess wasn't listening. She turned on her heel and marched back into Adam's room without a backward glance.

#

"Am I supposed to carry you over the threshold?" Adam asked sarcastically.

Jess set down Adam's bag from the hospital and reached out her hand for his keys.

"I think it's more likely that I can carry you over the threshold at this point," she said with a teasing grin. He didn't smile back.

Trying to hold back a sigh, reminding herself it had only been three days since Adam found out he couldn't walk—and then reminding herself he just couldn't walk yet—she turned the key in the lock and pushed open the door.

She was about to go back behind his wheelchair when she was pulled off balance and fell into Adam's lap. The grin he gave her was a glimpse of the old Adam. "I can wheel you across," he said, propelling himself forward.

Jess' laugh was a cover for tears of relief to see Adam smile. Inside his apartment, she wrapped her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips to his and he responded. One of her hands tangled in his hair and suddenly he wasn't there. He pulled away.

"This isn't right."

Jess blinked. "What do you mean? Dr. Abrams said—"

Adam ground his teeth together. "You moving in here is something else. I want you here. But not because you have to be. We're not going to confuse what this is. You being my nurse."

Jess felt her heart drop. "Are you…are you breaking up with me?"

Adam's reaction was strong and immediate. "No." He cupped her face with his hands. "I'm saying, this is the wrong choice. I'll figure out how to get around here. And when you come over, it's as my girlfriend. Not to take care of me."

"Adam, you can't—"

"I will," he said softly, but there was no doubt. "I'll figure things out. But I'm not ruining what we have by making you wheel me around like an old man."

Jess blinked tears away, still not sure what Adam was saying. "You took care of me, when I couldn't trust anyone else, or take care of myself. You were there for me. Let me help you."

Adam gave her hands a squeeze, then let go. "Having you as my girlfriend is more help than you know, Darlin'. That's what I need." He started to push to stand and Jess tried to help him, but he managed to get on his feet. He half fell towards the arm of the couch and got a grip there, then with painful dragging steps dropped towards the couch. Perspiration beaded his forehead.

"Please let me help you," Jess said.

Keeping his eyes closed, Adam shook his head. "Help me by letting something be normal. Let us be normal."

Jess hesitated.

"I thought you were going back to work today. First shift back since my accident."

Jess glanced at her watch. "I can call Boden and tell him—"

Adam's jaw tightened. "I need normal," he said.

"If you need anything," she finally said. "You'll call?"

He didn't answer. Jess smoothed back the hair that had fallen across his forehead. In the end she didn't say anything. Adam let her go without saying anything else.

#

"Halstead!"

The chorus of voices through the locker room at 51 greeted Jess.

"Good to have you back," Casey said, giving her a warm clap on the back.

Jess smiled her thanks, but her mind was back at Adam's apartment. What if he fell and couldn't reach his phone? What if the swelling was in his brain and he had a seizure? What if—

"I heard Ruzek is back home," Cruz said.

"Yeah, he is," Jess said, trying to sound like she didn't doubt the wisdom of that.

Jess opened her locker and stowed her bag, taking her time as the rest of the shift welcomed her back. When the last one had filed out, she finally shut her locker and turned back to the empty locker room. The almost empty locker room.

Brett tilted her head, sympathy in her eyes. "How is he really?"

Jess looked up at the ceiling and swallowed hard. "Stubborn," was all she could manage.

"And how are you?"

Jess blinked frantically, trying to hold back the tears.

"Aw, Jess," she said, opening her arms.

Jess stepped into the hug. She took in a shuddering breath. "He's not himself," she whispered hoarsely.

"He's been through a lot. And so have you."

Jess shook her head. "I want to help him." She wanted to go back in time three weeks and change what had happened. The uselessness of that wish just forced more tears forward.

"If you or Adam need anything, we're all here—"

Overhead tones interrupted Brett's assurance. "Ambulance 61, person down of unknown causes."

Stepping away from Brett and swiping away the tears on her cheeks, Jess pulled herself together. She registered the address and zipped up her jacket, following Brett to the ambulance. She just had to make it through this shift. And then through tomorrow with Adam. She would be there with him until he was healed.

#