Chapter 26: Awesome shot.
Jay/Hailey. Set after series 7. At Kim and Adam's wedding, Jay and Hailey finally confessed their feelings and spent the night together and now they are back in Chicago and hiding their relationship from their friends.
I do not own Chicago PD or any or the characters.
This chapter is a continuation of the last one, exploring Jay's PTSD.
Enjoy and review :)
That night, Hailey was surprised that Jay slept all the way through the night, without a single nightmare. The PTSD episode she had witnessed the day before had been extreme, the most extreme she had ever seen Jay experience. She knew Jay knew that, so, when he was still sleeping, she found the number of his psychiatrist and made an appointment for the next day, after their shift.
Jay woke up at 5 and Hailey was already awake. Jay exhaled and said, "Hailey, I'm so sorry about yesterday. I just- I don't know, I lost track of where I was. I could've put you and the team in danger."
Hailey gave him a small smile and replied, "Jay, you don't have to apologise, and you didn't. You never would." She paused and looked at Jay's eyes now. His face was the palest she had ever seen it and his eyes were looking so tired. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought he was ill. He was, but not physically. "How are you feeling?"
Resting his head back on the pillow, Jay shook his head and closed his eyes for a couple of seconds. "To be honest, like crap. I'm not- I'm feeling so anxious I can hardly breath." He paused, then added, "I need to speak to my physiatrist."
"I've made an appointment for you, at 10 tonight."
Jay reached out for Hailey's hand, then put his arms around her, looking into her eyes. "Thank you for staying with me, Hailes. For everything. You really are the best." He hesitated and bit his lip.
Hailey knew what he was asking. "They didn't see what happened, Jay, don't worry." She kissed him and smiled, but she could tell that he was not totally there. "If I make you some toast, you can have some more medication after it."
Jay smiled and nodded, but Hailey knew that he was not alright, and he knew that she knew. They were connected, best friends, partners and he remembered that she had held him when he had been sobbing in her arms. He really did love her.
When they arrived at the District an hour later, Platt called, "Chuckles, come over here!" The look in Jay's eyes told Hailey that he wanted her to go with her, so she did. She was certain that wouldn't escape Platt's notice, as well as how Jay looked this morning. "Chuckles, I wanted to say congratulations on that shot. From what I've heard, it was quite something!"
Normally, Jay would come up with a witty comeback, but he had no energy for it today. He just forced a smile and replied, "Thanks, Serge." He walked away and through the gates and Hailey followed. She could feel Platt's eyes on Jay, and she knew that the desk sergeant knew that there was something wrong.
In the bullpen, as Jay was making his way to his office, Adam walked over to him and declared, "Serge, that was an epic shot! It went right through his head! You took him down so easily. You gotta teach me to shoot like that."
Adam had the tendency to be annoying on a good day, so today, Jay could not be bothered, so he just nodded and said, in a tight voice, "Thanks, Ruzek." Hailey could see the tension in his body and his eyes.
Adam intercepted Jay on his way to the office, like an over-excited puppy with a toy, holding his hand out for a handshake. "Sergeant, that was one amazing shot. We're so lucky to have an Army sniper."
Finally, Jay snapped and growled, "The victim was an Army sniper, wasn't he?" His voice was low and threatening, but Hailey could also see the pain in his eyes. Jay cleared his throat, suddenly and, stated, in a detached voice, "Yesterday was a team effort. Well done, all of you." Without saying another word, he walked into his office and slammed the door shut.
