Hi, so here is another chapter and I hope you enjoy it. There is only one more chapter of the Season 2 arc of this story and so therefore I hope you enjoy this. This is primarily Jay and Hank's point of view and it does jump around a lot but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Also I am not a medical expert so any inaccuracies (and I imagine there will be) then I apologise.

Also a very strong TRIGGER WARNING for Greg Yates, Nadia and the discussions of rape that came with this episode, discussions of sexual assault and stabbings. Basically TRIGGER WARNINGS for this whole chapter.

Disclaimer-Nothing here is mine just the character of Bridget.

Please Read and Review and I will do my best to bring you the next chapter sooner rather than later.

What Lies Buried

Chapter 16-I've Got Reasons To Hate You

There is a hunt for Greg Yates and Nadia. Jay and Hank share several moments of past, present and future as Bridget fights for her life under Will's care and SVU bring a case to trial.

December 2015

They hurtled through the door after the ambulance with as much speed that Jay was sure they were going to crash through the gates. Why in the name of God he had thought it was a good idea to let Hank drive them here was beyond him.

They barely had time to get out of the car before Will was there. One look at his sister on the gurney and he went white around the mouth. Mouse had called Jay was sure of it but then Bridget was being rushed through into a room and he and Hank were left standing at the door watching and waiting for the terrible silence that seemed to follow.

Doctors seemed to be barking orders at each other. Will, Conner and Natalie all seemed to be thinking and doing before the other spoke aloud and Bridget's blue dress was cut away showing a gaping wide mark in her side and blood pooling everywhere.

"Will—"

Will was in doctor mode now but he still managed to understand that Jay was asking for conformation. He had seen injuries such as these before and he knew what they looked like.

"Stabbed multiple times, sharp knife and he knew what he was doing he's made a right mess and it's intentional, he's nicked the spleen and god only knows what else as well. This was designed so that she could bleed long and slow and painfully aware of what was happening and…and Jay she must have known that."

Jay swallowed feeling the vomit rise. He choked it back breathing in and out through his nose.

"Wait" Natalie said her dark hair flying over her shoulder. "Will, Jay, is this the man that's setting woman on fire?"

"Yeah" Jay said shortly.

Natalie nodded once her mouth twisting sharply and then she moved down to the end of the bed and Jay saw as she lifted Bridget's dress.

"NAT?"

"Jay" Natalie said smoothing down the blue fabric or what was left of it anyway. "I need you to think back to this morning and I need you to try ok—was your sister wearing underwear?"

For one glorious second Jay's mind went so blank it was like he had passed out. It was one perfect second in an endless nightmare and he clung to it with all that he had before he had to come crashing down to reality.

And when he did it was a bitch.

"I don't…I don't…"

"JAY"

It was his brother that he looked in the eye and only his brother.

"She wears underwear" was all he said.

"Well she's not wearing it now" Natalie said. "We don't have time to do a rape kit, she needs to get into surgery, Sarah pass me those swabs at least we can get some DNA, Jay is she a virgin?"

Again he blinked. It was as if the answer was on the cusp of his tongue but he couldn't form it into words.

"JAY?"

This time it was Hank and he forced himself to speak though it was through numb lips—somewhere deep down within him he had to acknowledge that Bridget's father didn't know if she was a virgin and his hatred of Pat became if possible even worse.

"As far as I know yes"

"Okay" Natalie said but it was not okay, it was not okay and Jay turned sharply and suddenly he was puking in the corner of the room and not just puking but full on vomiting, retching until he was sure he was going to fall to his knees.

But before he could do that someone had caught him around the waist and was dragging him outside.

It took Jay a second to realise it was Hank. The man's daughter was bleeding to death in front of him and he was taking time to make sure that Jay was okay and Jay was sure that he could feel a panic attack hit him all at once and—

—And suddenly he was being forced into a chair and his boss was in front of him hands cupping his face like a father would a son and Jay was breathing normally.

Damn it. When Hank Voight did he actually did.

Jay took a breath and took another and took the water that was offered him.

"Sorry"

"Don't be"

"Hank I—"

"Jay this is not your fault"

Jay nodded weakly. Hank turned and messaged someone on his phone. He raised one eyebrow. Jay had absolutely no idea how he was acting so calm. He felt like he was itching under his skin. Like…like it was sand that he couldn't get rid of.

"Nadia still missing"

Oh dear Lord.

"Should we—"

"You can go if you want Jay. But right now I am staying here."

Jay nodded. There was nowhere he'd rather be anyway and he was not in the best mind frame to hold a gun. Erin and Al could lead the charge.

Hank's phone buzzed again.

"Benson" said once and then he flipped it to silent and sat down. Jay breathed in and out, he was not sure what to do next but he needed to do something other than stare at the blood that was on Hank's hands.

"Are you…are you and her…"

"No"

"Oh"

"I told Bridget as much…we…we had a row. Well not really a row, I just…shouted at her"

Ah.

"That explains why she didn't come inside" Jay muttered.

"She didn't come inside because I told her to go home. She was staying to help Nadia. If I had just brought her inside the room then…"

"Then what? She'd have still gone and helped Nadia and we'd be in the same boat as we are right now. And if she'd have gone home he would have only got her there. You heard him it wasn't hard for him to figure out who she was"

Hank said nothing.

"I shouted at her" he said finally. "The last conversation I ever—and I shouted at her"

Jay swallowed harshly. He wasn't sure what was worse the matter of fact, listless tone that his boss was using or what he was actually saying.

"Boss…Bridget is not going to die on us. You know that. She fights…she…"

"She was stabbed eight times Jay"

"And she's still alive"

Hank rubbed his hand over his face and Jay was suddenly awash with a fury that made his head spin.

"Please don't act like she's already dead" he said sharply. "Please because I can't stand it…this is my baby sister and she's not dead until Will tells me she is. So Sarge if you are going to sit here and act like she is I'd rather you just go"

His boss looked at him with that flat expression that he used on perps right before he stepped into the cage. Jay didn't flinch. He'd stared down worse.

For a second they stared at each other and then Hank nodded.

"She's tough" Jay said forcibly. "She's a hell of a lot tougher than everyone thinks—hell she's coped with worse"

"You mean me?"

"No I meant Mom"

And he actually did mean his Mom.

"Bridget…she didn't cope well with it, with her getting sick and…Pat…well you know he didn't…and Bridget was there, she was dealing with it all. Will was in med school and I went to war and she was left to deal with Mom's chemo and Mom's shakes and Pat's mood swings and then when I came back she was…tougher. It took me a couple of days to figure out why but…she doesn't show that she's tough but she is"

He was rambling and he was aware of it but he couldn't stop because if he stopped then he had to think and if he thought about his sister and the blood and the fact that she was missing her underwear…

"Camille used to be like that"

Jay stopped. It was the first time he had heard anything about Bridget's well…birth mom from anyone other than Erin. Hank was still looking out into the hallway and he didn't know what to make of it.

"Oh"

"Yeah…she forgave me you know? I handed off our baby to a stranger and she forgives me just like that."

For a moment Jay didn't know what to say. It seemed one of those moments where it was very important to just let his boss talk. In truth he honestly didn't know how Mrs Voight had done it. He wasn't sure that he would ever be able to do it if it had been his baby.

"We had another one you know. Before. Justin he was…he was a twin"

"Erin never said—"

"Erin doesn't know"

Oh.

"Al does. His wife too. That's it. And you now I suppose"

Jay cleared his throat before speaking.

"What happened?"

"Stillbirth. Back in those days you just…you didn't talk about it. Didn't do memorials or funerals or anything. The nurse just took the baby away and that was it. You got maybe a week off if the department was in the right mood and there wasn't an influx of cases which back then there always was. You just…got on with it"

Jay blinked. He didn't know what to say honestly he didn't. He'd have never had guessed which he supposed was the point.

"Did…did you have…is that where Bridget came from?"

"No…I don't really. We never did have a name picked out, and the Doctors said don't get pregnant again and when she told me she was pregnant with Bridget it was half terror half excitement because…because I knew I could lose her. I nearly did. It's how your Dad got Bridget off me. She coded and that was all I could focus on"

Jesus.

"But Bridget was just this name we liked. Once we had that it was like the pieces of the puzzle just came together. And then…then it all went to hell"

Jay said nothing. He wanted too. There was a lot of things that he could say but he didn't know how to or if he was welcome too.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure boss"

"Bridget filled out a load of paperwork when she started working here and I saw her middle name was Anna"

"Yeah"

"Where did that come from?"

Of all the questions that he had expected that had not been one of them and perhaps it showed on his face because Hank just shrugged and Jay decided it was best to just humour him.

"It was my Mom's idea. She…she got pregnant after Will and I and the baby…Anna…she was there one morning and then she stopped moving and was gone by the next night and…and we just didn't talk about it and my Mom she couldn't get out of bed for ages and then…"

"And then Bridget came home"

"Found by the side of the road like a piece of trash" Jay said parroting the lies back.

"Lies"

"I know but…for what it's worth Hank my Mom loved Bridget. She…they were so close they were like each other's shadows and we, Will and I and my Mom we made sure she was the most loved girl in the world"

Carefully he didn't mention his father.

Hank gave a long sigh. He didn't look at Jay and Jay didn't look at him. It was easier that way.

"I know Jay…and I can't even begin to tell you what that means because when you have nothing to do but think for sixteen years then the worst case scenario's just keep hitting you from all angles. And this…this was one of them"

Jay shifted so he could look his boss in the eye.

"Hank you didn't stab her. You didn't take her underwear and you didn't do…God only know what. You didn't do anything wrong. Back then or now. And when our girl pulls through this she is going to need us all in her corner fighting with her so whatever rabbit hole your going down then get out of it because this is only the start. We still have to find Nadia, we still have to find Yates. And your head has to be in the game"

Hank watched him with a flicker of something that might have been once upon a time amusement.

"Well look whose giving orders"

"Yeah well I don't like it. Never did want a white shirt anyway"

He got what was the equivalent of a small smile and then Hank was back to staring at the nurses desk and Jay followed.

"You were right" Hank said quietly. "About interrogating Will. There was a part of me that saw your Dad. I didn't even realise it until you told me. Doesn't mean I wanted him to be guilty"

"I know. And I don't blame you. Will doesn't either and Bridget doesn't. It's just been the three of us for so long that if one of us is threatened we all feel it. It's family. But it's okay because…because we just got to figure out what this new one looks like"

He nodded to himself as if that was it and Hank couldn't believe that Jay Halstead of all people was being that naïve but he didn't say it.

He couldn't say it.

It was only later that he realised that somewhere down the line they were both gripping each other's arms.

Will came out looking exhausted. By this point Al had arrived. Hank knew why he had arrived but that left Erin and Antonio as the highest ranking officers on the case and he was not sure Antonio had the will power to stop the whirling dervish that was his foster daughter when she was on a mission.

And this one for Erin was about as personal as it got.

But that didn't matter. His whole heart had lodged somewhere in his mouth and he couldn't breathe again. He had felt like this only once before and that was when Sharon Goodwin had told him…she wasn't here now which Hank was thankful for. He wasn't sure he could keep it together if she was. She who had already seen him at rock bottom once.

Please, he thought desperately. Please, please don't let her be dead. Please. I will give my life over and over again if she can live through this. Please…Cam…please don't take her from me now. Just let me keep her, just a little bit longer.

"She's alive" Will said raking a hand through his hair.

Jay made a small noise and collapsed back onto the chair. Al's hand found his shoulder and his grip was so painful it kept him standing.

Will nodded leaning against the desk.

"Will" Al said gently. "Just give us the facts as you know them medically"

Will nodded. He took another deep breath and then he spoke.

"She was stabbed eight times and he was clever. He knew exactly where to hit, he knew what would lead her to bleed long and slow. Her underwear was missing but Nat's done the best rape kit she can under the circumstances and she thinks it's negative but I've got to say there's no real way of knowing and we found…we found green nail varnish on her toes, Jay I don't—"

"No" Jay said finally. "No her toes were painted dark purple She showed me, she…she always shows one of us—"

"Yeah I know" Will said heavily. "This is your guy?"

"Oh yeah"

"So…er…what happens now?"

It was him that spoke up and all eyes slid to him but instead he looked the Doctor in the eye.

"She's alive. She makes a full recovery right?"

Will's face crumpled a little and Al's fingers dug even harder. He was going to bruise he knew but he didn't care. He really, really didn't care.

"She…we stopped the splenic bleed, we managed to control all the internal damage but she…he bashed her head against the floor I think and…and there's a bleed on the brain"

Oh god no.

"Okay" Al said slowly. "Can you fix it?"

Will shrugged.

"Sam think's if we leave it alone it should heal on it's own. It's…it's not massive, there's a chance it could correct itself and—"

"And if it doesn't?"

"We evacuate the bleed. It's…it's not an absolute mess yet. She's…she's…I don't know. I could call it either way. We've just got to monitor the situation very closely for the next couple of days"

"And then?"

"And then we see…brain bleeds…there complicated. Never predicable no matter how much you wish they were. But Bridge—she's got a lot going for her, she's strong and one hell of a fighter and she's in the best place but—"

"But there's no guarantee of survival?"

Will looked at him dead in the eye.

"No there's no guarantee of survival. Bridget…she's…she's on her own with this"

He breathed in and out, very carefully, very controlled. She needed the cop in him now, not a Dad. Not yet anyway.

But God how hard it was to separate the two.

"Ok. So we wait…"

"Yeah…"

"Ok."

But it wasn't. It wasn't ok.

Come on baby girl. Just keep fighting.

One step in front of the other.

One step.

"Jay…get in touch with Erin and figure out where she needs us. Tell Antonio to call in with SVU and give Benson everything she needs on her end. We'll be there soon"

"We will?"

"You heard your brother. She doesn't need us at her bedside she needs us to catch the bastard who did this to her. She needs cops not…not family."

Jay watched him for a second.

"Okay" he said slowly. "Okay if your sure—"

"I am"

"Look I can have Meredith come and sit here" Al said softly. "You know she's going to want to be here anyway and at least…well…someone's here"

"You sure she wont mind?"

Al rolled his eyes.

"Please. I'm surprised she hasn't loaded my spare weapon, forced a poor taxi driver to break the speeding limit and hasn't kicked down the door by now. Trust me if Greg Yates tries it here I'd be surprised if he made it past the front desk"

Hank thought of Meredith and thought that Al had a point.

"Ok. Jay go make the phone call. I…I need to go to the bathroom and then we can go. Call me if anything changes"

He turned and walked away. Al followed him at a discreet distance which was good because Hank had enough time to throw up in the sink before he slipped through the bathroom door.

"She's alive" Al said finally as he heaved over the sink.

"That's something Hank. That's…that's got to be something she's a hell of a tough kid. I mean she's a tough kid."

"He took her underwear Al"

There was a prolonged pause.

"Did he…"

"They don't know. But he took her underwear and there's green nail polish and he stabbed her in a place where he knew she would have to feel herself dying and then he threw her in a car trunk outside of my house like she was trash. And he still has Nadia"

"Jesus"

But the worst of it was not said yet.

"I shouted at her"

"What?"

"I…I had to interview Will and…and Jay came in and she followed and then she and Benson had it out and she accused me of fucking Olivia Benson and then I shouted at her. The day afterwards. She was crying. That's how Yates got to her, she was crying"

"Are you fuck—"

"Al"

"It's a legitimate question Hank, you know Cam never wanted you to be a monk for the rest of your life"

He shook his head. "It's not like that"

"Okay then—"

"Al if you lost Meredith how hard do you think it would be to replace that? Not just her, but everything that you had with her?"

Al was silent for a moment.

"Okay. But you caught her on the raw and she reacted. Come on Hank how many times did you call me afterwards because you and Cam had, had screaming matches and you were afraid that someone was going to call in a domestic?"

"I know but she was crying, she was already upset and I yelled at her"

"Because she hurt you. Look I like that kid, I know you love her but she's…she knows that you have weak spots and she knows how to get a reaction out of you. I know she did it with Pat Halstead to get a reaction out of him and she's doing it with you. Also…she's a teenage girl, trust me raising them is not easy"

He heaved again and then wiped his face and mouth with water.

"Al if she dies…if she dies then I die too"

"Hank"

"Listen to me. If she dies then I don't make it back. Because she is…she is my baby and I just got her back and Justin's settled and Erin's good and…and if she dies…then you are going to have to wrestle my gun away from me"

There was another long pause.

"She's not going to die"

"Don't do that. Please don't do that Al. You didn't see all the blood"

Slowly he sunk to the floor. It was like everything that had kept him upwards was cutting away and Al was there, his partner, his best friend and the guy who had seen him at his worst, through his Dad, to Bridget, to Camille, to prison to this.

And Al just held him as he fell apart.

If Jay noticed anything he didn't say anything.

Erin called them from the car saying that it was now clear that Yates was taking Nadia back to New York and that they were racing over the border as fast as they could but she didn't think it would do much good. The head start was too good and he'd switched plates twice that they knew off.

Jay leaned his head against the car and watched as they raced down the streets.

"Hey can you do me a favour Hank?"

"What?"

"When Bridget wakes up can you not teach her how to drive"

"I taught Erin"

"Yeah well…that explains a lot"

It certainly did explain why they got to New York a hell of a lot more quicker than they should have done. Antonio called them as they were crossing the bridge saying that Yates had killed again but they were closing in on him and could they meet him somewhere in Tribeca.

"What else" Jay said into the silence.

Antonio breathed in and breathed out again over the phone.

"We found the car, there's…there's a lot of blood in it and Nadia's scarf which was drenched and…and we think it might be where he initially transported Bridget cause he left us a memento"

"What the hell does that mean?"

There was another breath over the phone.

"We found a pair of panties in the trunk"

Hank nearly threw the car into a tree.

"What?"

"Yeah and there covered in blood, I can't…I don't think there's anything else on it SVU forensics are going to take a look at it and how's—"

"We'll be with you in five"

The call ended.

"Sarge…what happens if he did…"

Christ he couldn't even finished the sentence.

"We deal with it. Right now we have to get to Nadia. And Yates."

"And then?"

"Then what Jay?"

"Well…I don't think Olivia Benson's gonna let you take a trip to the docks do you?"

"I thought you didn't approve of that anyway"

"Yeah well…things changed"

"Since when?"

"Since my sister was thrown in the trunk of a car to die like trash without her underwear"

"Jay—"

"I know you love her you know"

"What's that got to do with—"

"I just…I wanted to say it. That I know you love her and that you're a good dad."

Hank pulled the car up to the side of the road.

"Are you good to do this Jay?"

"Yeah" Jay said though he wasn't, he really, really wasn't and he could feel the hysteria building. It had been months of bottling down his emotions and for some reason it was all coming out and he couldn't stop it.

"Your not"

"Are you?"

"No"

Jay took another breath and he staggered out a breathe and then another.

Somewhere down the line he was hyper aware that Voight's hand was around his neck and he was being forced to look into the same emotion, panic, terror, rage and this helplessness that seemed to gnaw at their insides until there was nothing left.

"I just…I just wanted to say that" he said finally staring at his knees.

"I know" Hank said gently. "I know and I know where your head's at and believe me right now mine's the same way but if you can't get out of this car and be in the job then don't get out at all"

Jay nodded. "I can get out the car" he said finally. "I can get out of the car and I can do my damn job"

"Alright then. Let's go"

And that's how he came face to face with Greg Yates.

He didn't kill him. But it wasn't for lack of trying. And the monster knew that.

Yates gave another theatrical long put upon sigh.

"I keep telling you I don't know where Nadia is. And as for Bridget well…stabbings are very common in Chicago. Especially if your father has been to prison. That kind of thing makes you a target—or so I've read"

Hank was going to kill him.

He was going to wrap both of his hands around his neck and not let go until he stopped breathing.

Even if he hadn't…even if he hadn't had stabbed Bridget then he would kill him. Nadia was dead. Hank knew it, Antonio knew it, Jay knew it, even somewhere deep down within him Erin knew it. There was no way Nadia was still alive and the best hope was that they found a body before he torched it.

Benson was talking, doing her best to try and get a confession out of a man who was never going to confess…ever and he was trying to get his head in the game and not think.

But Yates was still talking.

"It must be difficult for her" he mused. "She did seem so very upset. I think she was surprised to find out that someone could be nice to her"

"And then you stabbed her and removed her underwear and did God only knows what to her"

Those eyes slid to him.

"I did nothing" he almost hissed. "Nothing Seargent but…but if someone was to do that then…I can personally tell you virgins are so much better than prostitutes. Lucky your man had access to both"

Hank snapped the second Jay kicked down the door.

It took Antonio, Amaro and Benson to get them both out of the room just as Erin came skidding into the hallway her face as white as milk.

"He goes to a beach…Suzy she said that he…he goes to a beach"

And that was how they found Nadia.

There had never really been any doubt about what state she would be in had there? Just another girl who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Just like Bridget.

Just like all the rest.

Left to die like trash.

Prosecuting Yates should have been straight forward and yet it wasn't.

"Wait" Jay said as Hank delivered the news. "We can't get him on Bridget?"

"No"

"I don't…why can't we get him on Bridget?"

"Because the only other person who was there is dead. Bridget's not gonna be able to testify and…and you know all of this so why ask me? Barba feels that Nadia is the best bet to get a conviction, we get Yates on rape and murder and he's inside for life and then we can get home and…"

And stop being cops was what he wanted to say. To stop being cops and start being Bridget's father and brother again. They had both been running on hoped up adrenaline and coffee and anger and panic since this case had begun and Hank just wanted to see the bastard fry and then go back to the hospital and just be with his baby girl.

Jay said nothing.

And then…

"Will says she's doing okay. But she's not woken up yet and he said that's normal but I don't know. Apparently Meredith's taken over the hospital room and reduced a nurse to tears for gossiping about…everything…"

"Sounds like Meredith"

Actually it did. Woah betide anyone who pissed off his wife's best friend. Hank who had done it on more than one occasion knew how deeply unpleasant Meredith could make life be when she wanted to.

Amaro had been talking on his phone when they got to the court room.

"There's some good news" he said snapping the phone shut. "We had forensics take a look at the underwear twice and there's no semen on it."

Jay made another noise like he had done when he had realised that the underwear was missing.

"The blood's Bridget's but it doesn't look like he did anything or left DNA anywhere. I don't know if that helps you guys but…but it's looking like she wasn't raped. I think Benson's right, I think this was a screw you to Chicago PD. Nadia's more his type than Bridget. Bridget was just the warning shot. A distraction"

"Thank you"

Amaro dithered. "I…I have a daughter to you know. And…and I don't know how your standing. Just…just know were all with you"

"Thanks man"

Amaro nodded and ducked into court.

"So" Jay said sitting down for a second. "That's…something"

"It's not conformation. Not until Bridget tells us. If she can tell us"

Jay said nothing for a second. It was like he was still trying to process everything.

"It's it wrong that I'm glad Nadia was his type and not Bridget?"

Hank thought about it. Nadia had been the sweetest girl that had ever come to work for him, she had been like Erin only less brittle. She'd been Bridget's friend and they had worked together, laughed together and gossiped together. Hell they'd done homework together. Nadia who had wanted to be a cop because she had seen what they did and had loved it. Nadia who had pulled herself out of the gutter and beaten addiction and had cleaned herself up all before her eighteenth birthday and her reward for all that hard work and those guts had been to be kidnapped, tormented, raped and killed by a monster.

And Nadia had been the type and not Bridget and he was pathetically grateful and horrified all at the same time and guilty for feeling it as well.

"No it's not wrong"

He thought of that blood flecked smile and those dark eyes. He had thought of nothing else really. Twice now he had held his daughter in his arms and twice now someone had taken her away. He didn't know if she had seen him there. If she had understood that he was there but he did know that he would have given everything and anything to be there in her place.

"Sarge what if she doesn't—"

"Didn't you tell me to go if I thought like that"

"Yeah but that was before—it shouldn't be taking this long—"

No it shouldn't have.

He knew that too.

"You told me Bridget fights, and she does, she stayed alive long enough for us to get to her. She'll stay alive long enough for us to get back and she'll pull through this"

It was what Jay needed to hear weather or not he believed it.

"Okay"

"You good"

"Yeah. Yeah I'm good."

"Good, now let's go put this son of a bitch behind bars for life"

Yates had been convicted. Erin had flat out told him she was staying until Nadia's body was released. There was a deadened look in her eye that had reminded him of when she was a teenager but he honestly just couldn't deal with that all at once. Instead he told Antonio to have Erin's back and he and Jay took the earliest flight back.

Antonio had patted him on the shoulder with that look that told Hank he was thinking about that nightmare with his own son and said that he would handle everything that needed to be handled on this end.

It was only when they were up in the air and Jay was bouncing next to him like some sort of hopped up teenager that he realised he had not spoken to Olivia Benson since he had arrived. There had been too much going on from start to finish and he had always had someone in the room.

In all honestly, he didn't really care.

They got to the hospital without even getting changed. Jay slid out of the car.

"Never teach her how to drive" he said wincing. "Seriously Sarge I can see the accidents on the freeway right now"

He could almost smile.

That was before he got to Bridget's room.

The room where she had been in the ER was clean.

"Will" Jay turned on his heel in a flash but April was already there her expression grave.

"ICU" was all she said and Jay was already gone.

Will was on the ICU floor speaking with one of the doctors, he was sat down and Conner Rhodes was sat next to him and it took Hank a moment to realise that they were holding hands. Not just holding hands but gripping at each other as if Conner was keeping him stable.

"What happened?"

Sam Abrams turned around and sighed.

"Bridget's brain bleed got worse" he said shortly. "It's now advancing, significantly. I need to go in and evacuate before it becomes catastrophic. The problem is at the same time her left lung has collapsed. It's too much pressure on one body and she's struggling. Actually…she's dying"

Jay made another small noise. Meredith who had been watching with her hand over her mouth and ever the mother, went to stand by his side.

No. No. No.

No. Please, please no…please don't take her from me.

"So what do we do?" Jay said finally his voice shaking.

"I go in, and evacuate the brain bleed, it's a simple procedure really, I've done about twenty a day so far it's a small hole in the back of the skull hell she doesn't even have to lose any hair to do it cause that's always the fear with teenage girls. Conner's going to go in and watch the heart and repair the collapsed lung but the reality is the safest, best medical option right now is not to try and rush the healing process. So I need someone…one of you to sign off on putting her in a medically induced coma"

No.

"A medically—Will?"

Never before had he heard Jay sound like that. He sounded small, so, so small.

"I've looked over the data myself Jay I don't see another way out of this" Will said running a hand over his face. "I just don't…I just don't see a way out of this"

For a second both Halstead brother's looked at each other.

Sam Abrams sighed.

"Look I know there are issues here, I listen to the water cooler gossip though I don't understand half of it but I know that someone here has to make the decision so who is—"

"It's me" Jay said finally. "It's me, I was the one who…I asked for power of attorney and Pat didn't bother to stop me so…Hank…I…"

"Does this guarantee that she lives? Does this give us a one hundred percent guarantee—"

"If I don't do this she's dead."

He was going to throw up.

But the doctor was still speaking.

"If I do this then…the rest of it is on her own terms. To put it frankly she has to Bridget has to come out of this coma on her own or she's not going to survive"

And Hank didn't remember very much after that.

And there you go, I hope that you enjoy this chapter, the next one will come as soon as.

Next Chapter-Bridget drifts and dreams and sees her life in many shapes and forms as she finally gets some kind of closure. Meanwhile Jay and Hank live day by day and Erin spirals towards her rock bottom. The last chapter of the Season 2 Arc.