Chapter Two
I've Got Issues
August 2, 2006
The guy that they were chasing moved fast. Carlos Martinez, involved in a gang who had murdered an eight year old girl in a drive by. They had been trying to nail him and his gang for a few days now. They had just got lucky that he was where he was. The only problem with that is he's fast, but Aaliyah thinks she's faster.
With Dawson trailing behind her a bit they turned a corner where there are a bunch of abandoned buildings. Carlos just a few yards ahead, his pace slowing a bit from a few minutes ago.
Aaliyah could tell Dawson was slowly running out of breath, it makes sense though they've basically been sprinting for ten straight minutes.
Leah on the other hand didn't feel as fatigued as Dawson, she's loves running. She runs everyday after or before work. It really just depended. Running is her forte, not just literally but also figuratively. She's ran from a lot.
Leah had a nice strive and has kept a good pace so far. The wind blowing her ponytail and the slight layer of sweat on her face has been both a blessing and a curse. Almost there. Almost. She thought, he's got to stop eventually.
Rounding one more corner the guy tripped on a beer bottle, sending him tumbling to the ground. Speeding up Aaliyah called, "stay down and put your hands above your head!"
Carlos put his up above his head, while Dawson checked him for his gun; pulling out a piece from his pants. Leah pulled out her cuffs. "Carlos Martinez, you're under arrest for the murder of Lisa Wallis, and drug trafficking. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. If you cannot afford a lawyer one will be appointed to you." When Leah finished her speech cop cars came swarming around them.
A uniform cop came and took him away. "Damn your fast" Dawson muttered. Leah arched an eyebrow "thanks, not bad yourself."
"Want to grab a drink after work?" He asked.
"Yeah sure" Aaliyah replied as it's impossible for her to turn down a drink.
Back at the station Voight had him in interrogation. "He talking?" Leah asked.
"Nope" Al replied. "Hasn't even said a word."
"Voight will get him talking though." Erin replied.
"Let's hope so" Aaliyah replied. "I'm going to the restroom" Leah declared, while walking to the ladies room. Once the door was closed and locked behind her. Leah pulled out a flask that was in her jacket pocket. Unscrewing the top and tilting the bottle in her mouth was a release itself. Feeling the liquid go down her throat was a feeling that she couldn't describe just pure euphoria.
Closing the flask, she put it back in her jacket pocket, and popped a piece of gum in her mouth; so no one would smell the alcohol on her breath.
She flushed the toilet, and went over to the sink to wash her hands. Locking eyes with herself in the mirror. It was just a little bit, it's not like I drank the whole thing. Just a sip. She shook her head at the dumb excuse she made for herself just so she could have a drink. You're just like your parents. Aaliyah shook her head again. No I'm not. I'm doing something with my life. They never did.
You're a drunk.
"I'm not" Leah whispered and unlocked the bathroom door and stepped out.
July 16, 1991
The warm, sunny air filled the bedroom; cascading just the right amount of sunlight into the room, where it's not too bright to where it's uncomfortable and you have to squint your eyes.
Turning the next page of her book, that her mother had when she was kid. The book itself was good as it was in Dutch.
However reading time was quickly interrupted when her two year old sister waddled into the room. "Sissy!" She chirped happily and came running over to her on her short, stubby legs.
"Come pway wiff me." Lotte said with excitement. Smiling Leah put her book down on and jumped off the window seat she was reading in.
"Okay, what do you want to play?" Leah asked.
"I wanna go see horsies"
"Did someone say they wanted to go see horses!" Their father said sticking his head into Aaliyah's room.
"Yeah!" Charlotte yelled jumping up and down while clapping her hands. Her dirty blonde hair going in all sorts of directions.
"Okay then, girls get ready cause I have a surprise for y'all"
"Okay" Leah said
"Yay!"
"Hey Voight said we're going to hold Carlos in holding for the night. So we can go home." Al said
"Alright" Leah said.
"Hey Sawyer, I'll meet you at Molly's"
"Yeah sounds good" she said.
Later that night Leah met Antonio at Molly's. "So here we are chasing this guy for like ten minutes and then Sawyer not even slowing down! I'm telling you that girl is fast!"
"Am I late?" Leah asked Dawson who was already at the bar surrounded by the Chicago Fire department.
"And here she is now!"
Everyone started clapping for Leah when she walked up. "Okay, it was really nothing"
"What" a blonde hair woman said who was bartending along with another woman with brown hair and a man with grey hair.
"Sweetie no one can out run my brother like that" the brunette said.
"Hey, hey I didn't say I was out runned" Dawson said defending himself.
"That's not what I heard" the blonde woman said. "I'm Shay" she said sticking out her hand. "Leah" she replied shaking her hand.
"Oh and I'm Gabby. Antonio's sister" and Leah shook her hand as well "and we're the paramedics at firehouse 51." She said gesturing to herself and Shay.
Leah nodded her head and took a seat next to Dawson at the bar. "And what can I get the fastest runner here today?" Shay asked winking at Leah.
Aaliyah smiled "I'll just have a beer"
"One beer for the hot girl coming right up" Shay said, making Aaliyah's cheeks burn a little at the compliment.
A few seconds later a glass of beer was placed in front of Aaliyah. "Thanks"
"Is this your first time coming here? Because I've never seen you around before."
"Yeah it's my first time" Leah replied to Shay's question. Taking a sip of her beer Shay asked another question "I'm sorry I just have to ask but are you gay?" Aaliyah's eyes opened real big for a second before almost coughing on the beer.
Leah set the glass down before answering "you are half right"
"Oh my god so you're bisexual"
Leah nodded her head yes "oh thank god cause I'm gay" Shay declared. Leah smiled. The truth is Aaliyah's really only had one girlfriend, but that was a long time ago. She's thought some girls were cute or whatever but since she's been in Chicago, she's actually not had some serious relations. Including guys as well. She's slept with them on the occasional one night stand, but that has rarely happened. Twice. It only happened twice.
Aaliyah put her pale, blonde hair into two braids. The braids coming down past her shoulders.
"Sissy can you do my haiw now?" Lotte complained impatiently. "You have to do it how mommy does it."
"I know" Leah replied. Their mom is always out of town in Europe every summer. She leaves in June and doesn't come back till the end of August.
Leah grabbed Charlotte's hair brush from her hand and started to lightly brush her sister's hair. She had to brush lightly since she's a tender head.
Leah French braided her hair into two braids like hers. Their mom had taught Leah to braid hair, in case she wasn't here to do Charlotte's hair.
Lotte loved getting her hair braided. Loved. Adding the two rubber bands Leah declared that she was done.
"You didn't put the wibbons in it" Lotte said, holding up two light, pink ribbons. Aaliyah sighed and took the ribbons from her sister's hand.
Tying the last bow "done" Leah declared, hoping she didn't miss anything. Lotte hopped off the bed and ran into the bathroom to admire her new hair. "I love it!" She yelled from the bathroom.
The girls went downstairs to where their daddy was waiting. "We're ready" Aaliyah said as she swung her book bag over her shoulder.
"Woah woah woah darling" Ron said as he took the book bag off her shoulder and set it down on the floor. "You won't be needing this today"
"Why not"
"You won't need to be reading where we're going"
Many drinks later Leah was laughing with Shay, way too drunk for a work night. "Hey Leah maybe we should get you home since it's still a work night for you." Shay said pulling Leah off the stool.
"okayyy" she slurred.
Antonio had given Shay the address of Leah's house. Shay looked over at Aaliyah who had her head against the window of the car. Her eyes closed.
When shay got to Leah's condo she gently shook her shoulder. "Hey Leah we're here"
Aaliyah grumbled "w-what?"
"We're here" Shay said again "I'm going to help you up. Okay"
Shay got out of the car and onto the the other side to help Leah get out. "Come on"
The loud, blaring noise caused Leah to groan as she opened her eyes. Which was a mistake as the bright sunlight burned her eyes. Must've forgotten to close the curtains.
The loud noise wasn't stopping and it took her a second to realize it was her phone. Blindly looking for it on the nightstand by knocking over a few things with her arm, her fingers finally grabbed a hold of the device. Swiping answer she pulled it to her ear. "Sawyer" she grumbled.
"Leah where the hell are you!" Erin yelled, making Leah pull the phone away from her ear a bit.
"W-what? What do you mean?"
"You were supposed to be here an hour ago!"
"Shit" Leah cursed as she looked over at her alarm which read seven am. "I'm on my way" Leah said as she hung up the phone.
The pounding headache was nearly unbearable. How much did I drink? Who even brought me home? Shaking her head she stepped into the cold shower. The cold immediately brought more alertness to her.
Scrubbing down her body and hair. Hoping to stop the dulling ache in her head. Why? Why do you do this to yourself? She thought because she really wanted to know. Why do I always make stupid decisions?
she sighed and turned off the water. Opening the shower curtain she grabbed her towel and wiped her face and arms before putting the towel on her head. Grabbing the second towel she wrapped it around her shivering body.
Leah immediately went for the medicine cabinet and grabbed the Advil bottle for her headache. Swallowing the two pills with water she set the glass down on the counter.
The reflection of herself in the mirror didn't look as bad as she thought. Maybe the shower helped. She looked clean besides the dark bags under her big, blue eyes; which didn't look that blue currently, more like a grey now. Aaliyah felt like that happened when she feels like shit. Shaking her head at herself thinking her eyes change color when she feels like shit. Come on Aaliyah it's probably your brain playing tricks on you.
"Sorry, I overslept" Leah said out of breath rushing into the squad room.
"yet you had time to make a smoothie" Al said, gesturing to the drink in her hand.
Leah looked down at the smoothie "Umm...yeah it helps with headaches…"
Al looked at her, almost like he knew what happened last night. But he didn't and that was what was important. Is that he didn't know.
Sitting down at her desk, Erin gave her a pity look. I don't want peoples pity. Sighing she pulled out the file of the current case they were working on. "Has Carlos Martinez said anything yet?" Leah asked.
"Yes but not anything about the case he just said that he wasn't going to talk to us" Halstead said. "But Voight is down there in the cage with him so...we might get something."
The cage. Where laws apparently don't exist. No one really goes down in the cage with Voight, well maybe Al or Dawson. Leah has never went down there but she knows what happens.
Leah continued to look into the file on Carlos Martinez, but the words on the file were jumbling together and becoming unfocused. Shutting her eyes tight to make the feeling stop, she opened her eyes again and the words were now focused.
She rested her head into her hand so she wouldn't have to hold up her head as just doing that was unbearable. Water. I need to drink water. The reasonable part of her brain said; but the unreasonable part of her brain said just take a sip, it will take the edge off. Your head won't hurt anymore.
One sip...won't hurt…
That's a MISTAKE. You CAN'T do it!
But one sip...it's just one…
Alright fine one sip, no more, and no less.
"I have to use the restroom" Leah said standing up from her desk. Walking to the bathroom she closed and locked the door behind her. She pulled the flask out of her jacket pocket.
Unscrewing the lid she poured the liquid in her mouth. Feeling a new wave of euphoria hit her. She didn't feel stressed at the moment, instead she felt relaxed. Calm. At peace.
Putting the flask back into her jacket pocket, she pulled out a pack of gum and stuck a piece into her mouth. The mint gum never tasted good after she had a drink. The gum and the alcohol still on her tongue did not reconcile with each other.
Flushing the toilet she turned on the sink to cool water and washed her hands. The cool water on her hands woke her up a bit more. Turning off the sink, she grabbed a paper towel and walked out the bathroom door.
Daddy's truck always smelled like cigars. It was never a pleasant smell, especially when it was ninety something degrees outside in Georgia.
The wind was blowing Aaliyah's braids behind her as her dad had rolled the windows down; knowing his daughters did not like the smell of his truck that he was so used to smelling.
"Daddy awe we almost thewe?" Lotte asked.
"Almost sugarplum" he answered.
A few minutes later the truck pulled into a dirt parking lot with other vehicles. "Alright munchkins we're here" Ron said putting the truck in park and taking out the keys.
The girls hopped out of the truck and landed in the soft dirt. "Alright girls" Ron spoke up. "Do you see those stables over there?" He asked pointing to the horse stables a few yards away.
The girls nodded their heads. "Alright I want you to walk over there and pet the horses. Don't let anyone see you, okay?"
"Okey doke" Leah said
"Yay!" Lotte said
"I'll come and get y'all when the race is over" Ron said "and Aaliyah" Leah turned around and looked at her dad in the eyes. His hazel eyes were serious, so she knew she had to listen up. "Take care of your sister"
"I will"
"Alright go, I'll see y'all later" Ron said walking away in another direction than the direction they're heading. Grabbing Lotte's hand, she walked with her sister towards the stables.
They could hear the horses winnies. Their smiles grew even larger the closer they approached.
By now they could see the horses all lined up in the stalls. The girls were small enough to where they could fit through the back. The stall that they had snuck into had a white horse with black spots.
"Hi horsie" Lotte said very excitedly as she went to pet the horse's leg. Leah pet the horses lower abdomen as she wasn't very tall either. "Leah, Leah, lift me up"
Aaliyah picked up her sister and put her over her shoulders. She walked over the horses face and went to pet it. "Ha it's like a cow with its black spots" Lotte said.
"Or a Dalmatian" Leah replied
"What's a Dalmatian?" Lotte asked
"It's a type of dog that has black spots"
Leah stepped out of the bathroom and took a seat back at her desk just as Voight walked into the room. "One of the addresses they stay at is a house, 2183 Berk Avenue" Voight said "Sawyer you're with me, we're gonna check out this house"
"Yes sir" Aaliyah said standing up out of her chair and following Voight out.
They walked downstairs and out the door. Voight got into the driver's seat of the car and Aaliyah took the passenger seat.
"Where were you this morning?" Voight asked.
"I overslept. I forget to set my alarm" Aaliyah replied. She wasn't lying it was the truth. That was what had happened but she just wasn't going to say why she had forgotten to set her alarm.
"Why did you forget to set your alarm?" Voight pressed
"I dunno" Leah shrugged "tired I guess"
"You know if I find out you're hiding something from me, you can consider yourself fired" Voight said.
Leah gulped. She wasn't hiding anything. Everything is under control.
"If you have a problem, the best thing to do is to come clean about it" Voight said.
Aaliyah thought for a minute. If you tell him yourself the consequence will be less. Of course there will still be a consequence, there's no getting out of that. It would be worse if he found out himself, because then I would be fired and that would be it. You would have nothing. Just like your disgusting parents.
Deciding it would be best to speak up sooner rather than later, Leah went to speak, right as she went to open her mouth to say something Voight beat her to it.
"You're a good detective Aaliyah, I don't want to end your career"
Aaliyah nodded her head "umm I'll talk to you when the case is over" she said
"Alright I'm gonna hold you to that"
Leah silently nodded her head. Tears were coming to the surface, threatening to spill; but with a deep breath and shutting her eyes tight for a second longer than normal, the tears were gone when she opened her eyes again. Just like that.
She learned that trick for herself long ago as she didn't want to cry in front of them. It only would make the situation worse.
"Leah the horse is so pretty" Lotte said, still on her sister's shoulders. The girls had been in the horse stables for a while now. Aaliyah was becoming a bit unsure as she didn't know when the jockeys would be coming back to mount their horses for the horse race.
"Lotte, we should go now because someone is going to be here any minute" Leah said with worry in her voice.
"But I don't want to go!" Charlotte cried getting off her sister's shoulders.
"Charlotte we have to" Aaliyah said raising her voice "come on" she said pulling her sister along and out of the stables.
"Nooooo!" Charlotte yelled kicking and thrashing her legs, while Leah tried to pull her along.
"I wanna see the horsie!" Charlotte cried with tears streaming down her face. "I hate you!" She yelled.
It felt like someone had knocked the wind out of Aaliyah when Lotte said that. An average two year old would not know of the word hate but she did. Only because their parents fought a lot. But all of the time it was their mother that screamed that she hated their father.
Aaliyah loves her little sister, even if they sometimes didn't get along. She knew deep down that her sister loves her and that she loves her back.
"Charlotte Grace Sawyer!" Aaliyah yelled. Charlotte stopped crying and thrashing at the use of her full name. "You need to stop right now!"
Charlotte looked at her sister, her hazel eyes all red and swimming with tears. "Take a deep breath" Aaliyah instructed and took a deep breath herself. Lotte did the same and took a deep breath.
"We can ask daddy to see if we can see the horses another time" Aaliyah said.
Charlotte nodded her head. "And Charlotte" Leah started "we never tell each other that we hate each other"
"But mommy says-"
"I know what mommy says but that doesn't make it okay"
Lotte nodded her head. "Okay sissy"
Voight pulled up a few blocks away from the house they were supposed to go to. Leah opened her door and stepped out of the car.
The first thing she noticed was that the neighborhood was abnormally quiet. Almost too quiet. Sure the neighborhood was sketchy but, normally there would still be some noise.
"Do think it's too quiet?" Leah asked Voight as they walked to the house.
Voight turned around to look at her just as a gun sounded. A piercing pain went through Aaliyah's shoulder.
Blood splatter went everywhere. The red liquid hitting Voight. Aaliyah was on the ground, holding her hands where she was shot.
Voight was quick though, taking off his jacket and putting pressure on the wound. "Ahhhh" Leah groaned in pain.
"It's okay, we're gonna get you help. Hang in there"
Increasing the pressure on the wound, the pain was unbearable, "ahhhhh" more groans and cries escaped her lips.
Voight pulled out his radio. "10 13, 10 13, we have an officer shot!" Voight yelled. Leah started to close her eyes, the pain becoming more unbearable. "No, no, come on Aaliyah stay with me"
Voight looked around. Hearing an ambulance in the distance. "Come on, come on" he muttered as he kept pressing down on the wound with his jacket.
The sirens got louder and louder.
Soon ambulance 51 came into view and two paramedics stepped out of the ambulance.
Shay and Gabby ran over to her, Shay with the backboard and Gabby with the gurney.
"Leah Leah can you hear me?" Shay asked crouching down next to her. Only a groan came from Aaliyah.
"Looks like the bullet went through the soft tissue in her shoulder" Gabby said.
"Alright Leah we're gonna get you to a hospital okay" Shay said, while they put her on the backboard and onto the gurney, rolling her into the ambulance.
The girls waited by their father by his old, brown truck, and soon their father emerged from the crowd of people exiting the horse race. He wore a huge grin and a handful of cash.
"Look Princess'" he said holding out the cash in front of them. It was definitely a lot. "Do y'all want to go get ice cream?"
"Yeah!" the girls cheered and jumped into the truck.
Their father took them to an ice cream place in town that they went to on occasions. It was mainly special occasions or sometimes like this when their father wins a lot of money; he'll usually take the girls out somewhere.
Once they all got out of the car Lotte immediately ran to the door to the ice cream parlor.
Ron opened the door for his two daughters, Lotte immediately ran inside while Aaliyah stuck by her father's side.
"Alright girls take your pick" Ron said while coming up to the counter.
"Mr. Sawyer how are doin?" Asked a woman named Mrs. Bailey. She's a really nice lady. Since it's a small town everyone knows everyone.
"I'm doin good" Ron replied. "Girls what do you want?"
"I want an ice cream cone with mint chocolate chip and cookies n' cream" Aaliyah said
"I want stwawbewwy and chocolate ice cweam cone" Lotte said
"Alrighty one mint chocolate chip and cookies n' cream cone coming up and a strawberry and chocolate cone as well. That will be $3.50"
Voight sat out in the hallway of the hospital pacing back and forth replaying the last events that happened twenty minutes ago. What could've he done differently? How did he not see it coming? The questions haunted him the more he thought of them.
Shaking his head slightly to clear his head he saw Erin and Al walking up to him. "What happened?" Erin asked "Leah was shot!?"
"Yeah the sons of bitches must've seen us coming" Voight replied hastily.
"Is she okay?" Al asked
"Yeah they're doing some blood tests on her now" Voight replied "the bullet hit her muscle and came out her upper back. There's no permanent damage."
Erin nodded her head processing the new information Voight had just given her. "Do we know what gun it was fired from?" Erin asked
"Yeah CSU recovered a forty-five caliber, full metal jacket slugged from the sidewalk. Pancaked, won't get much from ballistics" Voight replied
"Forty-five?" Al said "that's long range for a pistol"
"One bullet, rooftop sniper. This was a targeted hit, they knew we were coming" Voight said putting his hands on his hips. "Alright Al, I want you to go back and have a little talk with Mr. Martinez."
Al nodded his head and left, while a doctor Halstead came out. "Hey Voight, we have something we need to discuss" he said holding a file.
"About what?" Erin asked
"About Detective Sawyer's blood tests" Will replied looking at Erin "alone"
Erin looked unsure "I'm gonna go get a cup of coffee" she said and walked off. Once Erin was gone Will started talking "Detective Sawyer had a blood alcohol level of .04, which is legal but since she's on duty it's…" he trailed off "she could get fired for this"
Voight nodded his head. He knew. He always knew something wasn't quite right with her, he just didn't know what it was. She's a very secretive person. She shared basic information about herself but...nothing else really. It was fine though, Voight respected that because trust is earned; and if she wasn't ready to share something then that's understandable.
Voight sighed "she was going to tell me after work" he said
Will nodded his head "are you sure about that?" He asked
"Yeah, I'm positive. We were talking about it in the car right before she got shot."
Will looked less unsure than he was five seconds ago, but that still didn't ease the situation. "Look…" Voight started "I know it's your job to write these things down but, can I ask you to look away for just this once"
Dr. Halstead looked like Voight had just ask him to commit a murder. "She's a good detective. I don't want to end her career. She needs help, she doesn't need to be fired."
Will nodded his head. "Okay, I get it" he said "but if it happens again-"
"It won't" Voight clarified
"Okay, well she's in room 103 down the hall, she's also drugged up on morphine to help mask the pain"
"Okay thank you"
Will nodded his head and walked off, less than a second later Erin walked up "what was that about?" She asked
"Aaliyah"
"I know that but what about Aaliyah"
"That she's an alcoholic"
"What!?" Erin said shocked "I mean I figured that she had some issues but…"
Voight nodded "the two of you are more alike than you think" he said
"Is that why you're letting her stay?" Erin asked
"Who says I'm letting her stay"
Erin chuckled "because I know you and you would let her stay"
Voight smiled "yes I'm letting her stay because, she's a damn good cop"
Erin smiled "thank god"
"I'm gonna go see her know" Voight said walking in the direction of her room. "I'll go with you" Erin said trailing behind.
When they opened the door a drugged up Aaliyah smiled at them with a big goofy smile "Erin, Hank"
"They got you on that happy stuff" Erin said
"How are you doing?" Voight asked
"It doesn't hurt" Leah said gesturing to her wounded shoulder with her her good hand.
"Yeah it went straight through and through" Voight said
"Through and through" Aaliyah said still with a big smile on her face "just through and through the…" she trailed off with a dazed look on her face. Confused to the world around her.
Erin and Voight smiled at her as she was as high as a kite. "Did you...did you get the guy that shot me?" She asked, the smile disappearing from her face.
The look Voight and Erin gave must've been enough to tell her that they didn't get the guy that shot her. With a deep breath Aaliyah was out again.
"Come on we need to head back to the precinct so we can find the S.O.B's that shot her" Voight said.
June 4, 1995
Aaliyah looked at herself in the mirror. The bruises decorated her body along with red cuts. She was in a lot of pain but there was nothing anyone could do about it.
Well that's a lie. Her mother could do something about it, but she's the one who dragged her into this mess to begin with.
Aaliyah wanted to cry, but she can't. She can't show any weakness or she might not live to see another day.
She closed her eyes to keep the tears from falling but as soon as she did the images of what happened yesterday flashed through her eyes.
Rough hands all over her. Not being able to go anywhere. Stuck. She was stuck. She still is stuck.
Opening her eyes again only to make eye contact with herself in the mirror. Her big, blue eyes were glassy. Glistening in the bathroom light. A lump formed in the back of her throat, making it almost impossible to breathe. It felt like she was choking.
Trying to swallow the feeling down did nothing but let a few tears escape. Wiping the tears away hastily with her hand, she crouched down against the wall in the corner of the bathroom. Her knees to her chest.
A wave of nausea coursed through her, making the pain she was already in more unbearable. Breathe. Just breathe. She told herself, to try and make her calm down.
She attempted to take a deep breath only to feel like she couldn't. Like the air wasn't going all the way in. She's drowning, she can't breathe.
The tears were now streaming down her face silently, there was no use wiping them away. There were too many of them.
I just want to go home, she thought. I just want to be back in Georgia with my sister and Amanda. I don't even want to be in Europe anymore.
"Help" she whispered, it was barely even audible, so no one could even hear it. But the people she needed to hear it were three thousand miles away. An ocean away.
The thought only caused more tears to flow. Aaliyah put her hand over her mouth to choke back a sob that was about to escape her lips.
There was no getting out of this. She is surrounded by evil people who only care about themselves. She is nothing to them.
Looking down at her feet she started playing with her toes. Her nails were long and she needed to cut them. Aaliyah started picking at her toes, getting all the fuzz from her socks out of the crevices.
Just doing this made her feel a bit better as her mind was distracted by something else.
Looking up at the cabinet in front of her, she realized that the cabinet was slightly ajar. Reaching out her hand she opened the cabinet door all the way.
Only the basic necessities were in there; toilet paper, cleaning supplies, cups, gloves. But something shiny caught her eye. Reaching in and pulling out the shiny thing, Aaliyah realized it was a flask. She feel the liquid sloshing around as she pulled it out.
Unscrewing the bottle, Aaliyah took a sip. It burned her throat. She gagged as the alcohol tried to come back up, she swallowed to push it down.
A knock on the door made her jump slightly. "Shaina? Are you in there? You've been in there for a while now?"
Aaliyah opened her mouth to talk, but no sound came out. She tried again "yeah, I'm fine" she said, that was quieter than her normal talking voice.
She slid on her long sleeved grey shirt back over her purple, and blue abdomen; and her jeans over slim, bruised legs.
Unlocking the bathroom door, made her just want to pass out as she didn't want to be here. 'You have to' she thought. She knew she had to, she just really did not want to.
She pushed open the bathroom door to reveal the man that brought her here to this mansion house. His blue eyes bore into her "there you are I was worried about you Shaina" he said smiling while patting her head. Aaliyah got a clear view of his four leaved clover tattoo on his wrist. It was identical to her mother's tattoo.
"Shaina, I made you snack, it's in the kitchen"
'That's not my name. And it never will be.'
Dr. Halstead walked into the room where Aaliyah layed peacefully but, with a dull ache in her shoulder.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" He asked
"I just want to leave the hospital" Aaliyah replied dully.
"Well you are free to go, but you need to take it slow detective"
Aaliyah rolled her eyes slightly. Taking things slow was not exactly in her nature. "Okay"
"We have prescribed medication for the pain, you'll just have to pick it up at your pharmacy and you'll have to go to psychical therapy." Dr. Halstead said
Leah nodded her head understanding that these are things she must do in order to get better faster.
"Here are your discharge papers" Dr. Halstead said handing her a clipboard "I'll just need you to sign here" he said pointing at the signature slot.
Luckily for Aaliyah, she's left handed and the bullet hit her in her shoulder, so she shouldn't have a problem with paperwork.
As soon as she finished signing it, Voight entered the room. "Hey, I'm going to take you home." He said
"Okay" Leah replied
The car drive ride to her place was the longest, most awkward ride. You could probably cut the tension with a knife. "Alright Aaliyah listen up, and listen good."
Aaliyah took her eyes off the car window and turned her direction to Voight. "I know that you're an alcoholic"
It felt like the wind had been knocked out of her, her chest tightened and a knot formed in her stomach. Am I going to get fired? This is it. My career is over, because I have a stupid problem. You are so disgusting Aaliyah!
She was right. She is disgusting. Aaliyah took a deep breath before talking. Don't beg for your job, you don't deserve it. Just take the responsibility for your actions.
"You're right. I am an alcoholic." It felt weird saying it out loud for the first time. Because for the first time, she actually acknowledged that she had a problem. It made her feel a bit better but at the same time it made her feel so much worse, because she knew she wouldn't get to keep her job after this.
"That's the first step" Voight said "acknowledging that you have a problem"
Leah nodded her head slightly. Her eyes facing forward as she couldn't look Voight in the eye. "Look, you're not the only one who has battled with past demons. Everyone has them."
Leah still kept her eyes on the road. "You're a good detective, I'm not going to end your career. I'm going to get you help"
Aaliyah looked over at Voight. Relief flooding through her and silently thanking him. "But if it happens again, you're out of here" Aaliyah nodded her head understanding, "thank you sir"
Voight nodded his head right before they turned into a parking spot of her condo.
When inside the safety of her condo, Voight handed Aaliyah a flyer for AA meetings. Aaliyah took the pink flyer that had a bunch of dates, times and places for the meetings.
"Thank you"
Voight nodded his head. "And if you ever feel like you need to drink, you call me. Day or night"
"I will"
"And I'll pick you up at six for your first meeting" Voight said.
"Okay, but what about the case"
"The team can manage without us for a little bit"
Leah nodded her head slightly. She looked around in her condo feeling a bit awkward just standing there with Voight staring at her.
He then went into her laundry room. A few seconds passed when he came out with a trash bag. He opened up her cabinets in the kitchen tossing out all the alcohol, he then opened her fridge and tossed out all her beers.
Aaliyah just stood there, in the middle of her living room unsure of what to do. "Alright, where do you keep your other alcohol?" Voight asked
Aaliyah pointed towards her bedroom. Voight made his way in there again opening up all her drawers. Which was a bit awkward as one drawer was only dedicated to her bras and panties.
Voight had found all her flasks. Which she had no doubt that he would. "Alright, is that it"
Leah nodded her head yes. "Okay because if I find out your lying to me consider yourself fired"
"I'm not" Aaliyah whispered. It was true, she really did not have any alcohol left that was not already in that bag.
"Okay" Voight said "I'll pick you at six" he said and walked passed her with the bag alcohol. She could hear all the bottles clinking together and the last remaining liquid that was left in them.
Her door slammed closed making her jump a little bit. The condo was silent. The silence was deafening. She couldn't even believed that, that had just happened. This was it. She is going to get sober after eleven years of being an alcoholic. Was it even possible for her to actually get sober? But the real question was...could she actually do it?
She sat down on her bed and pulled out her phone. Calling a number that always seemed to be there for her no matter what.
"Amanda, Hey"
"Leah! How are you?"
How was you? The question ranged through her head. How do I feel? I'm not sure.
"Umm...I'm not sure actually"
"Why? Are you okay? What happened?" Amanda said asking a bunch of questions as she didn't know what was going on with her long time best friend.
"Well I got shot-"
"What! When? Why didn't you call me sooner!"
"Well it was earlier today and I didn't want to call you because I was a little preoccupied"
"Oh I'm so sorry, are you okay? Where were you spot?"
"Umm it doesn't really hurt that bad right now, I was shot through my right shoulder..."
"But there's something else" Amanda said as she could always tell when there was something else with her friend and Aaliyah could do the same. It was literally impossible for them to keep secrets from each other. But Aaliyah could keep secrets from Amanda, as there was one that she was taking to the grave. She would never tell another living soul.
"Umm they took my blood and there was alcohol in it. I was almost fired but Voight decided to help me instead,which I'm forever grateful and now he's going to pick me up in a few hours for my first AA meeting."
"Wow, I mean that's kind of a blessing in disguise because now you can get the help you need. It's a good thing Aaliyah."
"Yeah. But what about your gambling?" Amanda's gambling was a touchy subject but maybe since Aaliyah's getting the help she needs maybe Amanda will too.
"I don't have a gambling problem." Amanda said flatly
"But...you...umm…." Leah mumbled as she didn't know what to say to her friend. Sure, her gambling problem wasn't terrible as it could be but it could get worse as time goes on.
"I guess" Leah said meaning to Amanda's apparent non-existent gambling problem. "Umm anyway I have to go. Talk to you later" Leah said
"Okay bye" Amanda said and Aaliyah hung up.
Setting her phone down on the nightstand, Aaliyah layed back on her pillows and closed her eyes; going back through the day. I was shot. My boss found out I'm an alcoholic. I'm going to an AA meeting. My friend doesn't think she has a problem but she does. One of those is a lot to take in for one person but, for some reason all of Aaliyah's problems like to hit her all at once.
I need to call my sister, and tell her what has happened. Leah thought, I'll do it tomorrow.
The dull ache in her shoulder made it harder for her to keep her eyes closed. It hurt to just lay down but, she's tired. Taking in a deep breath she tried to let the tendrils of sleep pull her under.
A loud knock jolted Aaliyah out of sleep. Sitting up too quickly caused a stabbing pain to her shoulder "shit" she cursed getting up out of bed. She must have fallen asleep fully clothed, cause she still had her shoes on and everything.
Her hair had just got caught in the sling for her shoulder. Looking through the peephole Aaliyah saw Voight looking down at his watch.
Opening the door Voight smiled "you ready? Let's go" he said
"Oh okay" Aaliyah said while Voight was pulled her out the door. She turned around and locked it before they left.
The awkward silence in the car kind of got her as she realized she couldn't play or pick at her hands since she's only got one good one. "The meeting is at a church, and it's and hour and a half"
"Okay" Leah said nodding her head. You don't have to talk for the first one just make sure you talk at maybe the second or third and so on. Leah thought to herself, knowing what takes place at these kind of things.
Voight pulled into a parking spot at the church; he even opened the door for her as she only had one good arm. Leah and Voight walked up the stairs and the more they walked up closer to the door, the nervous pit in her stomach continued to grow with fear and anxiety.
Once they stepped foot in the church it was definitely weird for Aaliyah. She hasn't stepped foot into a church since she was a child, well that's not true she's had to go into churches to talk with potential suspects. But this was a bit different.
They walked down a corridor that had a bunch of painting of Jesus and what not, took another turn down another hallway until they entered a room.
There were all kinds of people. It looked like business people, people who worked from construction who have not yet been home yet as they still were in their work clothes. Almost everyone was, because they came here right after work.
Some of the people were standing or getting coffee others were chatting with each other. And the rest were seated in a chair that was arranged in a circle.
"All right you did the part, now it's the easy part." Voight said
Leah softly smiled and nodded. She made her way to the people who had the same illness as her. She took a deep breath, her body relaxing slightly as she sat down in one of the chairs. This is it. I am going to get better.