Chapter 5- Hello Fight Or Flight Mode

Just a heads up, this chapter is flowing at a specific pace. Some of the scenes overlap with each other. One scene is happening while the another is occurring simultaneously or right behind. The breaks with time changes are little stand alone scenes. Like if you were watching it, the screen would fade to black before the next scene opens up. I wanted to give everyone a heads to avoid any confusion. A LOT goes down in this one. Let's enjoy the ride.

He was a vision of misery. The rising of the sun that morning meant it was day three post-op, a day very commonly known as the worst hurdle in the entire recovery. For any operation, once you make it past day three, things would only get better from there on out. As they filed into the ICU room, armed with breakfast and news that paired perfectly with its' recipient, they couldn't help but notice how dejected and painful he looked. Differing from the last time they saw him, Jay had ditched the hospital gown for his own clothing. With the change, he looked slightly more normal, like a person overcoming a cold rather than recovering in the ICU. Now in a t-shirt and joggers, you could see the monitoring cuff on his arm and the wires coming out of his chest were bunched in the middle and falling out of the shirt's collar. All IVs and ports were visible to the world as well. Also different from the previous visit was the coloring of his skin and the size of the swelling. The area around his eye was red, blue, and puffy like it had been punched a couple of times. His mouth was normal on one side and swollen on the other. Even under his jaw was bigger than normal. He may have been conscious when they came in, but he was not really in the room. Jay was too zoned out and in pain to really add something to the scene. He was holding ice packs to his face and staring at the ceiling as they all got situated, only blinking back into the world when Adam asked him something, twice.

"Hey man, you're looking great. Are you going to be offended if we eat something?" He and Kim held up bags of bagels and drink carriers of coffee, getting nothing in return.

"Jay, are you ok? Can you hear me?" Jay slowly blinked before lifting his shirt up to reveal the feeding tube and the murky, white liquid dripping into his stomach, giving Adam a thumbs up in his direction before making eye contact. They all smirked as food and drink were handed out. Jay sat himself up in bed and rested against the pillows, giving his guests the full view of his temporarily messed up face. Try as they might, it was hard to not wince or give out sorry faces. Jay felt whatever they were thinking and looked down at the sheets, suddenly embarrassed that they were there.

"Hey, it'll pass. Don't worry about it. Plus, you're face has somehow improved through all this so…" Jay looked up at Antonio and smirked, wincing shortly after. He closed his eyes as they ate, using the free moments to mentally escape the pain. Will gently shook his shoulder after a time, asking if he was up for getting an update. He responded with a quick nod before putting the ice packs down. They all looked to each other, telling the other one to get things rolling. Jay gave them a 'well?!' face before the story telling task landed in Voight's lap.

"Jason Briggs. It's him. He's the one behind all this." Jay's face went white, his eyes grew wide with shock. He leaned forward a little and messed with the IV port in his right hand, slowly shaking his head after a time. He picked up the board and wrote down, 'haven't heard that name in forever. How do you know?'

"He left his finger print on the bomb that was attached to your front door. A calling card of sorts." Jay's face scrunched at his eyebrows, clearly unaware of this 'bomb on the front door' story. They all glanced over at Hailey, who threw her hands up.

"He was asleep and I didn't want to wake him up with…that. I was going to tell him this morning but you all showed up." She and Jay made eye contact for a brief second before he turned back to Voight, clearly wanting answers.

"She and Kim went to your place last night to get some things and heard the sound of a ticking bomb on the other side. Turns out it was a bomb that was rigged similar to the bullet casing in the truck. Jason's print was front and center on the bomb's display. From there, it was a matter of filling in the pieces and tracking down his place." Jay exhaled as he closed his eyes, raising his eyebrows as Voight spoke. It was quiet after that, everyone not sure if they should say something or just leave Jay alone. Will broke the pin drop silence after a moment.

"Jay, you ok?" There was the slightest sniff as Jay rubbed under his nose, nodding as he gave the 'move along' motion with his hands.

"We talked to Mouse and he filled us in on Jason's past and…that day. It became pretty obvious this was our guy. We also got in contact with Dr. Charles who informed us that after Jason's discharge, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and ASPD, which explain how he had the mindset to do all that he did. It's likely he's off his meds right now and is living in a halfway house. We located the halfway house and…um…we found this." Atwater, Kim, and Adam placed their phones on the bed, waiting for the incoming freak out.

He just stared at them for minutes before scrolling to the next set of images. There wasn't any emotion, nor were there any tears. He just absorbed everything, nodding after a time before looking up at the concerned group. Will and Hailey questioned what Jay was looking at and he eventually handed them the phones, staring into nothing as they gasped and were tearful. Their investigation of the images was quick and phones were soon returned to their owners.

"I'm so sorry, Jay," Kim spoke after some time. Jay just shrugged before writing on the whiteboard.

"Where is he?"

"He wasn't there so as of right now…he's in the wind. We've got a BOLO out and every public transportation station and airport has his picture. He's not getting away with this." Jay just nodded as he daydreamed, accepting the news even if he didn't completely believe it.

"Did you have any idea he was following you? Any suspicion things weren't ok?" Jay shook his head, scratching his forehead before picking up the ice pack and retuning it to his face. Just when the day of misery couldn't get any worse, a whole new level dropped out from under him.

…

Business was running as usual down in the ED. It was a typical February weekday with the latest round of flu patients sneezing and coughing in the waiting area, snow shoveling injuries in the trauma rooms, and a random guy who somehow got an ice pick stuck up his bottom and claimed he fell on it. Nurses were throwing a million questions at Maggie every moment with doctors asking her to order tests and consults as well. Her work phone was constantly lit and buzzing. By now she was a seasoned pro at this and took everything thrown at her and made it all work out. It was a beautiful symphony to watch. However, the side effect of doing everything by one's self is the great chance of missing the small things: people sneaking in, patients giving out vital information amongst trivial ones, or calling someone by the wrong name. Today was no exception. A nurse at the waiting room desk told her about someone wanting visitation to a patient in the ICU and at first, she didn't think twice about it. With everything else going on, this was a quick decision that didn't require much of her. However, when said person beelined it for her, that's when she realized how wrong that was.

"Ma'am, which floor is the ICU on? My long time friend is there and he's recovering from a terrible attack and I need to see him." Maggie had her back to him as she spoke.

"Fifth floor, what's your friend's name I…" She stopped when she turned around and saw him. He was thinner than his photo and his skin was sunken. He'd let himself go from the time his photo was taken because the person in front of Maggie was disheveled and looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. But regardless, it was Jason Briggs in the flesh and she had let him through the gates.

"Jay, Jay Halstead," he responded without hesitation, smiling after he finished. It was evil and almost victorious; like he was excited about Jay's current location. She opened her mouth, stumbling before actual words finally came out.

"You know what, sir? I believe he was just sent for scans so let me call up to his doctor and see when he'll be done. Just a second."

"That's fine. You can tell Sergeant Voight I'm waiting for him arrest me and I'll be waiting right here." Jason proceeded to fall to his knees and place his hands behind his head, the evil smile still wide on his face.

…

"Yeah."

"Hank, I have Jason Briggs in the ED waiting for you." Voight didn't respond, just hung the phone up as his face grew worried. Whatever conversation was going on in the room ceased, everyone turning to face the suddenly quiet man. He and Jay made eye contact for a couple of moments, Jay somehow knowing what was said. He nodded once, instructing everyone to go do their thing.

"Hailey, stay with them. Everyone else, let's go." Will was a little dumbfounded by their swift and coded departure. He looked to Hailey and got a shrug. Jay wrote down, 'Briggs. He's here.' That got everyone to uncomfortably adjust in their chair.

…

The elevator doors opened to a cleared out ED with Maggie and a few hundred police officers surrounding enemy number one. He was still on his knees and still holding his hands behind his head. Voight stood in from him as Adam and Atwater placed cuffs on him, forcing him upright after a time. Now inches away from the animal, Voight concluded that Jason Briggs truly wasn't human anymore. There was nothing behind his eyes, no soul that shown him to be real. Everything about him was dark, evil. Dare I say, the closer you got to him, the colder you and the world felt. Revenge, horror, darkness was dictating this guy's every moment on earth. More than anything, Voight wanted to kill this soulless punk right then and there. But Jay wouldn't have it and neither would the witnesses in the ED. So instead, he grabbed Jason's right arm and forcefully escorted him to his car, just dying to get him in the cage.

…

The smiling, happy face that greeted them in the ED vanished as they threw him in an interrogation room. Now, he was a mute, emotionless body cuffed to the chair opposite from Voight and Antonio. They asked him a question and got a zoned out stare. They threatened the worst treatment in prison and Briggs didn't even flinch. The creepy split personality was rearing its' ugly head. The remaining members of Intelligence were on the other side witnessing the show, quickly losing their ability to hold emotions back. Whether the whole thing was a performance or not, he was winning.

"You've been busy the last year or so, Jason. We saw your place and all the stuff in it. You're a very detailed, obsessed person."

Nothing.

"Look, I don't care if you say a word. We've got enough evidence to lock you up for a very long time. We have your print on the bomb planted at Jay's place and the surveillance on him showed your intent to harm him and the photos and information on the bar where Jay was shot are enough to convince a jury. We just want to know what's next. What's the endgame here?"

Nothing.

"We know about your time in the military and we know about that day. Jay didn't force you to do it. You did. So why blame him all these years for the outcome of your life?"

"Not going home," Jason whispered ever so quietly.

"Excuse me?"

"Not going home," he mumbled a little louder.

"Explain that," Antonio responded. Jason just looked right at the two way mirror and smirked.

"Who's not going home?" Jason resumed his robotic countenance. Voight tried looking into the eyes, but only saw darkness. The light in his eyes went out some time ago. No one was home in there. The kid was nothing more than a vessel fulfilling a life long fantasy. They weren't going to get anything out of him. So he stood and left, listening to Jason repeat his three word line with no life behind it.

…

Jay eventually fell asleep after the team left. He didn't do too much after their departure which had Will and Hailey worried. Will chalked it up day three pain but Hailey was suspicious. He hadn't been like this his entire hospital stay and it was odd how quickly his demeanor changed. She wondered if he knew something or was trying to mentally connect the dots. He didn't attempt to strike up a conversation and it took multiple times of questioning for him to reconnect with the world. He at some point rolled on his side with the ice packs and was soon asleep. Will had stepped out to get something to eat when the nurse came in. She mentioned something about an x-ray or scan and Hailey didn't think much of it.

"Hey, doc wants new scans of his face. Just to make sure everything still looks ok" she commented. Hailey quietly got out of the chair and nudged Jay's shoulder a couple of times, receiving slow blinks and a groan after awhile.

"Sorry, you've gotta get up." He looked up at her with a desperate face, asking her to make it all stop, before nodding and rolling over. He got himself into a sitting position before they escorted him to the wheelchair.

"It'll be quick," the nurse encouraged, Jay only nodding. As they left, Hailey waved trying to lift Jay's spirits. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere but heading upstairs. He was miserable and tired and didn't want to deal with this anymore. She watched till they disappeared down the hall before cleaning up the place. She was in the bathroom organizing Jay's bathroom bag when Will returned.

"Hello?! Where is everyone?"

"In here. Jay just went upstairs for a test or a scan or something."

"Why? There's no reason for him to have one." Hailey stopped dead in her organizing tracks. She was instantly numb and there was that sick de ja vu feeling. She forced herself to shuffle out to the bathroom door and fling it open, looking stunned as she stood in the doorway.

"Please tell me you're kidding." Will was now joining her in the uneasy/worried party.

"No…they got them right after the surgery and there isn't a reason to get new scans. Everything's too swollen to get a good image." It was happening, again. Hailey was watching Jay fall into trouble right under her watch. Here they go again. Will was the first to bolt out of the room, Hailey quickly in tow. She called Voight as the two of them rode the elevator three floors up, each encouraging the car to ascend faster.

"Get back here, quick. Jay's in trouble."

…

Since he couldn't verbalize anything, the ride to the testing room was quiet. Even in his semi-conscious state, Jay couldn't ignore the twinge of uneasiness. Something was off but he didn't know what. It was like that feeling when you know you're missing something but don't know what that thing is. He kept running things through his head but would always dead-end at a question mark. Why did Jason come to the ED willingly? What was the meaning behind the bomb at his place? Why all the surveillance only to attack once? And why didn't the shot to his face kill him? It was a small miracle that things hit at the angle they did and that he pulled through. Or perhaps that was the intention for the bigger picture. Jay shook his head as the elevator doors pulled open.

"You ok, Jay," the nurse asked? He nodded his head as he adjusted his weight in the wheelchair, summarizing his mental bunny trails as side effects of the drugs, exhaustion, and trauma. The passing of the patient from ICU nurse to lab tech was uneventful and soon Jay was sitting across from the MRI machine. The tech helped him off the chair and sat him on the table that slid under the powerful scanner.

"Give me one second, Mr. Halstead, to warm up the machine before we get you all set up. This is a mild sedative to help calm you during the test." He watched as the syringe was pushed into one of the IV ports and the clear liquid flowed into his veins. It was when the guy stepped away that Jay remembered someone telling him that the plate on his cheekbone was metal. Metal. The thing that'll rip out of his skin when under the powerful magnet of a MAGNETIC Resonance Imaging machine. If he knew this truth, people in the medical field definitely knew this as well. No doctor would order that type of scan for him. That's when it all clicked. He was injured in that way to make him unable to call out for help. Jason's willing surrender was to drop everyone's suspicions, creating no reason for people to suspect the 'needed scan.' And the mild sedative that was just inserted into him was to make him incapable of stopping his incoming doom. Everything led to this precise moment. This is where he was going to die. Hello, fight or flight mode. The tech seemed to understand Jay's epiphany moment because he looked over at Jay, both making eye contact before the struggling got underway.

Jay concluded he had minutes before he was entirely unconscious so swift action was vital. As best he could, he lunged for his attacker, making them both fall to the floor with Jay at the bottom of the pile. The attacker must've ripped out IVs on the way down because Jay's arms were soon in pain but free to move about. He tried to put his attacker in a sleeper hold but was soon met with the elbow of the man, everything going white and fuzzy as he felt the impact on his precious cheekbone. Something told him to keep moving, to stay awake or it was all over. The seconds Jay was absorbing the white hot pain, the attacker freed himself and was soon upright, charging for the exit. Jay used his foot to trip the guy before maneuvering himself upright and elbowing the guy in the back, hard. Alas, he didn't stay down for long. He heard a satisfying gasp from the attacker before kicking the guy back to the ground, locking an elbow under the guy's neck. Jay missed the first strike, but was hit hard with the second. This time, his broken jaw was struck and that floating pain moment reappeared. He blinked, kept telling himself to breathe, before reconnecting with reality. He felt the feeding tube get yanked but ignored the pain, not relaxing his grip on the guy's neck. It was a lifetime later, but soon the writhing body under him went limp, allowing Jay to exhale before scooting away. Jay managed to make himself stand and take a couple of steps back, catching his breath while staring at his handiwork. He backed all the way to the wall before allowing the sedative to finally work its' magic. Everything hurt, he was probably in need of medical attention, but he didn't care. Sweet victory was his.

…

Three minutes later

Hailey kicked the door open, Will giving her a thumbs up for her effort. The two of them briefly stood in the doorway, witnessing the evidence of a struggle and two bodies lying motionless in the room. Jay was slumped over on his left side passed out with the attacker two feet away unconscious on his back. Will went to Jay while Hailey cuffed the attacker. He was stirring from his slumber as the cuffs clicked tight. He tried to fight her, but was met with a kick to his side.

"Nice try. You're under arrest for the attempted murder of a Chicago police officer. Get up." By now, hospital staff and police officers were peering into the room, gawking and gasping over the scene. Hailey handed off the perp to one of the officers before kneeling next to Will and Jay. The sources of the yanked out IVs was dripping blood now and there was a growing blood stain on Jay's shirt from the missing feeding tube.

"It doesn't look like he broke any needles, thank God."

"Is he alive?"

"Yeah, pulse is strong so he's just unconscious." Hailey held up a vial and put it in Will's face.

"I found this in the guy's pocket."

"Ketamine. He'll wake up in a couple of minutes. How he was able to do all of this while on that is…" Will trailed off as Jay began to stir, fingers and toes twitching before the eyelids slowly slipped open.

"Hey man, you're ok." Jay flinched, readying himself for another blow.

"Whoa, whoa. It's all over. Just relax and breathe. You're ok, just lie here and breathe." Will placed a hand on Jay's chest, waiting for his brother's body to relax. Hailey sat motionless during this time, watching the brotherly bond unfold in front of her. Will snapped her mental wandering.

"Hey, can you press this to the blood on his arm?" She didn't protest, just scooted closer and did as she was instructed. Will used his free hand to examine the bleeding on Jay's face. He barely touched Jay's left cheek before Jay winced in pain.

"Yup, it's broken. Dammit." He looked up to one of the nurses standing in the doorway.

"Page ortho, he's going to need to go up soon." Jay began to panic a little, his breathing getting quicker and head shaking.

"Sorry, bud. But its' gotta get fixed. You're going to be fine." Will felt around the jaw, finding the same conclusion.

"And the jaw is broken. I'm going to sit you up and cut the wiring, ok?" Jay nodded as Will and Hailey sat him against the wall, Will reaching for the wire cutters before talking.

"Your jaw is misaligned right now so this will help the pain a little bit. You're not supposed to talk but I know that's not going to happen. Keep it to a minimum." Jay nodded before allowing Will to clip his mouth free. In seconds, Jay was exhaling through his mouth, feeling the nausea from the ketamine creeping up.

"Hey," the rough voice commented as Will put the wire cutters away. They all half laughed, beginning to absorb what went down minutes ago.

"I'm gunna puke," Jay spoke after a moment, leaning over as the bile and nutrient pack made its' way out of him. Will rubbed his back while Hailey told him everything was fine, the episode was over in a minute or so. Will wiped under his mouth as Jay caught his breath, wincing with every inhale.

"It's over," Hailey announced before gently hugging her partner, Will smirking at the two of them.

"I'm sorry," Jay whispered before the tears fell. Hailey didn't let go of him, repeating to Jay that everything was fine. She figured it was the drugs messing with him and he probably wouldn't remember any of this. She pulled away after a moment, letting Jay wipe under his eyes.

"Pre-op is ready for him," a nurse announced, pointing to the wheelchair waiting for its' rider. Jay looked at Will with a worried face, Will patting his brother's back before helping him up.

"You're going to be fine. It shouldn't take as long as the first one. I know it's going to set recovery back for a couple of weeks, but things will work out. We'll both come with you." Jay, Will, Hailey and the pre-op nurse all boarded the elevator and rode in silence. Will noticed Hailey's and Jay's hand holding and smiled, watching as Jay's face turned red while feeling his brother's stare.

…

Forty-five minutes later

What a difference three days made. Will found himself venturing into the same waiting room he waited seven plus hours in that night. He felt like he was the star of the Truman Show. Same clothing, same occupants, same person and same operation they were all waiting to be over. However, the emotion emitting out of the place was vastly different from that night oh so long ago. All questions had been answered and all villains were locked away in their rightful place. Everyone could finally relax and celebrate what was accomplished. The looking over of one's shoulder was not necessary today or in the foreseeable future. Life was gradually working its' way towards normalcy and everyone was elated for this truth. Differing from three days ago, Will opened the door to sleeping bodies draped across multiple chairs. Also different from three days ago, no one worried about Jay. Obviously, they were concerned and aware of the delicate nature of being under the knife especially in such a public area. But unlike the first time round, he wasn't battling for his life. This was a correction, a follow-up if you will.

Also opposite from the first surgery, Jay was conscious and aware of what was going on around him. In pre-op, it was clear to see the uneasiness. He attempted his best cover, but the support group wasn't buying it. He hated that he was having to go back to square one. Whatever progress was made was erased by connecting with another person's elbow. He now knew what he'd be waking up to and the miserable early days that were right ahead of him. He wasn't looking forward to waking up and not being able to speak, but the pain and soreness he was currently experiencing made him want the surgery to be done and over with. Anything was better than his current predicament. It was a case of mixed emotions and he just wanted these days to be in the past, soon. Life in hospitals wasn't for everyone and boy did he hate it.

Hailey stayed with him till it was time for the feeding tube to be re-inserted. She held his hand through the IV inserts and swore to not look as Will and the nurse switched out his attire. She witnessed the monitoring cuff and leads get put back in their designated places. The whole time, it was clear to see Jay's silent resistance of it all, not believing he was going back to the starting line. She did her best to distract and encourage him, reminding him things were only going to get better from here. And plus, he knew he could handle whatever the other side had in store. But the feeding tube was where she drew the line. Her reasoning was that their partnership and friendship didn't include witnessing that in their contract. That made Jay smirk. She promised to be there when it was all over and quickly, but not too quickly scooted away. Due to the hole already in place, placing the tube was as simple as numbing the area and feeding a camera through the hole before re-inserting the tube. Even under the light sedation and numbing of the area, Jay couldn't help but squirm through the hole thing. It was awkward, it was weird, it was something he never wanted to repeat. Will talked him through everything and soon the peg and its' line were creating a peak against the hospital gown. The brothers were given a few minutes alone before Jay was whisked off, using their precious speaking moments wisely.

"I'm sorry, Will. I'm sorry you've had to go through all this. And again." Will heard the dread and emotion in his voice, resting on the end of the bed and sighing.

"Jay, none of this is your fault. You did the right thing years ago and it's not your fault that guy turned out the way he did. None of this is on you and no one blames you. It's the risk we take when we do the right thing, knowing the negative outcome it'll bring. But I'm proud of you. And, can we not forget you kinda saved the day today." Jay looked up and smiled at that one, proudly nodding his head.

"Yeah, maybe…"

"Hey, no more talking. I know this is the last time for awhile, but it's not helping things and I'm positive it really hurts." Jay only nodded, focusing his attention on the sheets and the pulse oximeter on his finger. Will took in the battered person in front of him and concluded her never been prouder to call Jay his brother. He was a vision of pain and misery and brokenness. Yet somehow, there was a caring soul in there more concerned with other people's wellbeing than his own. While some may consider that a negative aspect, that's who his brother was. No matter how things effected him, he always put others first. And Will loved that about him and hoped that mindset never changed. Soon the OR nurse stuck her head in and signaled it was time to move. Will walked with Jay to the OR doors, promising to be there when things were done. Jay thanked him with a nod before fixing his gaze forward, ready to get the de ja vu going. Will watched till Jay disappeared behind the big swinging doors before heading for the waiting room.

As Will stood in that doorway, he couldn't help but cry over the beautiful sight. The people in this room gave everything for his brother. They hadn't eaten, slept, or stopped for three days, devoting every ounce of themselves to getting justice for Jay. And now, on the other end of it all, they could all relax and relish in their victory. Will didn't know what to say or do other than silently thank the Lord for these incredible people. He hoped he could return the favor somehow, someday. For now, he took in each tired, sleeping face. Adam and Kim were sleeping against each other. Atwater pushed three chairs together and seemed to collapse on them, an arm hanging over the edge while a spit bubble popped on the side of his face. Hailey was in a corner on the couch, scrunched into a ball and snoring. Voight had even found a wall to sit against and rest his head, the deep, heavy breaths of sleep were an odd thing coming out of him. Will took out his phone and took a pano of the group, knowing Jay would love to see the sight when he got out. Will made it two steps into the room when a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"You share that, it'll be the last thing you do." Will's head snapped over to Trudy, thumbing through a fresh batch of celebrity gossip magazines. He somehow missed her sitting up in another corner.

"I believe someone has developed a liking to those," was Will's best and only response. She scoffed as Will situated himself in the same chair he sat in three days ago.

"Ha, please. I'm not that easily swayed." Will rested his head on his fist, letting out a couple of yawns.

"What's the latest in Hollywood?"

"Meghan Markle's father is a creep. Guy can't take 'go away' for an answer. Will drifted off listening to Trudy banter about the trivial life of the people living in the TV screens.

…

Five and a half hours later

Will and Hailey planted themselves on each side of Jay's bed. The surgery was a great success and Jay was the proud owner of a new metal plate in his cheekbone and a couple of screws and plate in his jaw. Both the upper and lower jaw was re-wired with extra tight banding in his mouth. The incisions made days ago were re-opened, re-sutured, and fresh steri-strips were reapplied. The bruising was multidimensional. Bruises from the first procedure were blending with the fresh, early shades of blue from the latest round of poking and prodding. Even if it was three days ago, they forgot how medicated Jay was that night. While still being asleep, he wasn't the same person they said farewell to. If he was conscious at this moment, he'd likely not remember most of the day. The person asleep next to them was off somewhere else for the moment, drifting in another universe while his body rested. Will looked up at the clock to read eleven fifty-seven PM, feeling like he did this routine not that long ago. He grabbed Jay's hand and squeezed it, thankful that the world's second worst day was almost over.

"It's all done, Jay. We're here whenever you're ready." Will looked off towards something in the corner as Hailey stood to lean over the bed, hovering over Jay's head before carefully placing a kiss on his forehead. She didn't care if Will saw it. After dancing around things the last few months, she couldn't wait a moment longer. The time was here, the moment was just then. Whatever feelings she was squashing that night in the bar a seemingly lifetime ago couldn't be held back anymore. The next step was now. So she and Will sat, each holding a hand and staring into nothing, letting the soft beeps of the heart monitors fill the room. They had a good inkling for what was coming next, but unlike the last time, they were ready for it all.