"What happened?!" Hailey gasped, running to his side. The bandage was soaked with blood and it was beginning to run down his side.
"Get my phone from my pants," he pointed, "Call Will."
Hailey grabbed his phone and hit Will's contact. He answered, sounding sleepy.
"Jay, I just got to bed after a shift, this better be important."
"Hey Will, it's Hailey. Jay's stitches started bleeding when he got out of the shower, I'm not sure what to do."
"Alright, I'm headed over. He might have torn a stitch, that's not uncommon. How much blood?"
She looked at Jay's side, assessing the situation.
"The bandage on the front entry wound is soaked, the back wound looks okay."
"Okay, put a clean bandage on it and apply pressure till I get there."
Hailey hung up. "Jay, what happened?"
He looked at her sheepishly. "I was trying to put my boxers on and I bent wrong and..." He gestured at his side.
"Jay. Why didn't you ask for my help?"
"Hailey... I thought I could spare myself some embarrassment."
"Well now look at the mess your in," she scolded him. "Now I have to help you anyway." She raised her eyebrows.
She went out to get a fresh bandage and changed the dressing, Jay managed to keep his towel around him. Then she picked up the boxers off the floor, bending down she held them out and closed her eyes. "Step." She ordered.
"Im not three, Hailey." He said as she helped him pull them up.
"Really? Because you're acting like it." She snapped.
"Geez, what did I do?"
"Jay, you're suppose to take care of yourself so you can heal, and get back to being my partner."
He frowned. "I am taking care of myself."
"Not when you're being too stubborn to ask for help!"
"Okay, can you HELP me put these sweatpants on?"
She glared at him, helping him put on his pants. Then they went out to the living room where he laid on the couch. The new bandage was also turning red, but at a much slower rate.
Someone knocked on the door, Hailey opened it and let Will in. He had a medical bag with him. "I never get to use this." He said, holding it up. Walking over to Jay, he took off the bandage and assessed the wound, Hailey hovering over his shoulder.
"Well, it looks like maybe you just tore a few stitches. If the bleeding has slowed that's a good sign. I can stay and monitor you and see if we need to go into Med."
Turning to Hailey he said, "You could probably go home, Hailey, I know you've been really helpful to Jay, you deserve some time off." He said, smiling. "I can stay with him this weekend."
Hailey nodded. "That's probably a good idea." She looked at Jay. "Hey, man, I'll see ya. And it better not be at work." She insisted.
Jay sighed. "Fine, but if I'm going to be a recluse you need to visit."
She smiled her gorgeous smile at him. "Deal."
Hailey slept peacefully in her own bed that night. The next morning she went to Pilates and did some grocery shopping. Vanessa invited her for drinks in the evening. She texted Jay, he was doing good, Will wasn't letting him lift a finger. Her Sunday was just as uneventful. In the evening, she went to visit Jay.
Will was at the hospital, so Jay was alone when Hailey knocked on the door. When he opened it, he smiled when he saw her. "Hey, I missed you." He said softly.
Sudden noise came up the stairs.
- and you put anchovies on it. Who does that? They're disgusting, that one is all yours."
Kim, Adam and Kevin came around the corner, carrying pizza boxes. Kim was berating Kevin for his toppings choices.
"Well no one's kissing Kev tonight," Adam joked.
Jay looked at Hailey confused.
"I thought maybe you'd be up for a party." She said, smiling.
He tried not to look too disappointed. He would've preferred to just to hang out with Hailey.
The crew took over his apartment. Rojas showed up 30 minutes later. Hailey had even invited Voight, but he said he was a maybe, so they figured he wasn't coming. He didn't usually hang out with them. Pizza was passed around, the Bears game was turned on. Everyone was talking and laughing, and having a great time. Hailey noticed Jay was sitting in the armchair, not really engaging in any conversation.
He got up to go to the bathroom and Hailey followed, slipping in the door behind him.
"Shit, Hailey you scared me."
"Hey, what's going on?"
"What do you mean?" He said, confused.
"You don't seem like your having fun."
He shrugged. "Just not really feeling social."
"We can leave?" She asked.
He sighed. "I don't want you to leave."
"What the hell? You just said you're not feeling social."
"No, Hailey. I don't want YOU to leave."
Oh. What he was saying registered with her. He had only wanted to see her. And she had invited a bunch of people to his place.
She put her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry Jay. I should've asked first. I can stay after they leave?" She said.
"I'd like that."
She turned and went out the door, looking back to see if he was following.
"Um, I actually came in here to use the bathroom..."
"Oh right! Sorry!" She laughed, returning to the others. Adam already had many beers in him and was doing impersonations. Making his voice gravelly, he was saying, "Attwater, get me a piece of pizza, that's an order."
"Is that suppose to be me?" A husky voice said from the door.
Sure enough, there was Voight. The whole team laughed at Adam's expense, who had turned red.
Jay returned from the bathroom. "Hey, Sarge."
"Halstead. I wanted to see how you're doing. Good to see you vertical."
"Thanks, Sarge." They shook hands.
"I also want you to take your two weeks medical leave and let that heal. That's an order." Voight demanded, glancing over to Adam with a half smile.
Jay looked at Hailey who was giving him a death stare and he nodded. Hailey wasn't going to back down this time.
Voight didn't stay long, he knew being around put a damper on the teams' fun. They all wanted his respect and honor. Ever since he walked in the door, Adam had been silent.
Eventually, everyone headed out. Hailey hung behind on the pretense that she was going to help clean up, which she did.
Then she sat on the couch with Jay.
"How ya holding up?" She asked, patting his knee.
"I'm good. Still sore. I miss my nurse though, Will isn't quite as pretty," he smiled.
She laughed. "When does he get back?"
"His shift is over at 7am. So I'm alone tonight, I guess." He glanced over to see her reaction.
"Oh." Hailey thought for a moment. "Well, I could stay if you don't want to be alone?"
Jay perked up. "That'd be great." He tried not to seem to eager.
She nodded. "I don't have any clothes though. Can I borrow some to sleep in?"
He nodded. "You know where they are."
She went to his room, grabbing a t-shirt and sweatpants. When she emerged from the bathroom after a shower, Jay laughed at the sight of her. His t-shirt covered her butt, and she had to hold the pants up when she walked. Hailey gave Jay a look and said, "Foster didn't happen to leave an outfit, did she?" That shut him up real quick.
They settled on the couch watching TV, Jay propped on pillows on one end, Hailey with her knees tucked up to her chin on the other end. They talked and laughed well into the evening, falling asleep on the couch together.
Hailey slowly woke up the next morning. Her head rested on something hard. Peaking an eye open, she realized she has somehow moved from her end of the couch to his. Jay was still propped up in the corner of the couch, and Hailey had curled next to him, her head resting on his chest and his arm tight around her. She slowly tried to move out from under his grasp, but his eyes cracked open.
"Hey." He said gently.
"Hey. Sorry, I'm squishing you."
"No, it's okay."
"Really, you don't mind the drool?" She said, smiling and sitting up.
Jay also tried to sit up, wincing with pain. Sleeping on the couch didn't exactly help the abdominal wound situation.
"Do you want me to get your meds?" She asked, concerned.
"Nah. I stopped taking the pain meds."
"What? Jay. Don't be tough." She scolded.
"No really, I'm fine." He insisted. "Especially after the whole thing with Antonio... I just don't want to use them if I don't need to. Plus, they give me weird dreams." He said, rubbing his forehead.
Right. Weird dreams. Like that 'dream' he had the first night Hailey stayed with him after he came home from the hospital. Sudden guilt and shame filled Hailey. She took a deep breath. "Jay, I have to be honest with you."
He looked at her, confused. "What?"
"The night I brought you home from the hospital. That wasn't a dream."
He was puzzled. What dream? The only dream he remembered was the one where she'd been in his bed and he'd pulled her on top of him and...
Hailey watched his face as he figured out what she was saying. No turning back now. Realization set in and he reached for her hand. Hailey saw the look in his eyes. The same look he'd had when he'd touched her eye after walking her to her car. Jay started to move his body closer to hers, and Hailey stood up quickly.
"I can't, Jay. I... I can't do this. I'm sorry." She started grabbing her things.
"Hailey, wait, can we just talk?"
"I need to go, I need to... Get to work, I'm sorry, forget I said anything, I'm sorry." Hailey was rambling as she made for the door, closing it quickly behind her.
Jay was shocked. Did she have feelings for him too? He was determined to find out.