Author's note: I apologize for the delay in posting. My life has been insane: balancing the kids' virtual learning schedules, having brain surgery #7, and finally returning back to work where I've been able to write on my lunch break. I absolutely love this chapter. It definitely ends in a much different way than I had imagined originally. That ending should be coming in the next chapter...hopefully later this week! I'm anxiously awaiting the premiere of Med this week! Things sounds like they're going to be interesting, infuriating, and a hot mess all in one. The wine is chilling and my wine glass is clean! Kaci, enjoy your midnight reading! As always, enjoy! Click on that cute little button at the bottom of the page and leave me some love.
The storm is coming but I don't mind.
People are dying, I close my blinds.
All that I know is I'm breathing now...
~Ingrid Michaelson~ Keep Breathing
Two days passed since Jay had been shot with there being no progress in his condition. Will had sat by his brother's bedside, only leaving for occasional bathroom trips and much needed coffee. He wanted to be there when Jay woke up. Behind him, Will heard the door to Jay's room sliding open. Will sat up, turning to find Natalie standing behind him, holding his book bag.
" How's it going?" she asked, attempting to sound optimistic.
" The same," replied a defeated Will.
" I brought some of your things from home. Maybe you'd feel better if you took a long hot shower and shaved? I can stay with him."
" Are you trying to tell me that I smell?" Will said wryly, looking back to his brother. No
" Will, come on. You need a break. Plus you're starting to look like a hobo," argued Natalie. Will closed his eyes wearily, knowing Natalie was right. He stood, grabbing his bag from Natalie.
" Why do you always have to be right?" he asked tiredly, leaning in for a hug.
" Because I'm your wife. That's how it's supposed to work."
" I'm not the one wearing the pants in this relationship, am I?"
" I think that's an argument for another day," conceded Natalie.
" Smart answer," Will replied as he reluctantly headed for the elevators. As he journeyed downstairs, he could feel the weariness take over his body.
Will was thankful to find the lounge empty once he arrived in the ED. The last thing he wanted right now was everyone's feigned sympathy. He grabbed his shower kit out of his locker and headed into the adjoining bathroom area. Will quickly changes out of his dirty clothes, wrapping himself in a towel before putting his belongings into an empty locker. He caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror as he approached a shower stall. Natalie was right. His stubble was longer than he normally let it grow out to.
Will turned the shower on, stepping inside before he hung his towel one the wall outside. Steaming hot water cascaded upon his weary body. Will felt his muscles begin to relax as he let the water pour over his skin, the heat turning it a light shade of red. He stood frozen in place for a few minutes, trying to enjoy the steamy bliss without his mind wandering to Jay. Will eventually reached for his shampoo, lathering up his thick red hair. After thoroughly scrubbing his body with a loofah and body wash, Will stepped back under the shower head. He would have stood under the water, letting the soap and shampoo run off his body for much longer, but he was anxious to get back upstairs. Will turned off the water and hastily dried his hair with his towel before wrapping it around his waist. He grabbed his things and sat down by the lockers, quickly drying off the rest of his body before pulling on a set of clean clothes. Will then grabbed his toothbrush, toothpaste, and electric razor then headed to the nearby sinks. After brushing his teeth and taking a swig of mouthwash someone had left out, Will grabbed his razor.
Nearly ten minutes later his face was clean. He exited the bathroom, again thankful that the lounge was empty. Will would be lying if he said that he didn't feel slightly refreshed, despite his severe lack of sleep. As soon as he exited into the ED, Maggie was waiting, extending the biggest cup of coffee the cart outside sold.
" You're a saint Mags," declared Will.
" Thanks Big Red. How are things going upstairs?"
" Not a lot of improvement," Will said somberly.
Natalie kicked me out of the ICU because apparently I looked and smelled like a hobo."
" You were looking a little ragged." Will yawned before taking a long drink of coffee.
" Have you slept at all? You must be exhausted."
" I'm fine. I need to get back upstairs," he responded, brushing off Maggie's concerns as he headed for the elevators.
Nothing could prepare Will for what he saw when he stepped off the elevator into the ICU. Just outside Jay's room stood Natalie, Marcel, and Dr. Abrams.
" What the fuck is he doing here?" Will demanded angrily.
" I asked Dr. Abrams for a consult. Will. By now we should have seen some response from Jay…" stated Crockett.
" Dr. Halstead, I have reason to believe Jay is in a comatose state. I want to give him a little more time, but if things haven't changed by the morning I'll be scheduling an EEG." Will felt as if his body was going numb. Jay was in a coma. An EEG. He knew what those terms meant. He knew what was being insinuated.
" I need to go…be with my brother," he managed to get out, the world around him beginning to spin as he tried walking into Jay's room.
" Are you okay?" asked a worried Natalie, reaching for her husband. Will turned, looking at his wife before promptly collapsing at her feet.
" Will!" she yelled frantically, hoping for a response. Marcel looked to Sam Abrams.
" I need a gurney. STAT!" he ordered, crouching down beside his unconscious colleague.
" Dr. Halstead. Dr. Halstead!"
Will felt himself in a fog, trying to make sense of what was going on. He heard the beeping of a heart monitor, but couldn't figure out where the noise was coming from.
" Crockett. I think he's finally waking up."
That voice. Natalie's voice. It sounded so far away. He could feel her hand resting on his arm. Slowly Will became more aware of his surroundings. The oxygen flowing from the tubes in his nose. An IV in his right hand.
" What the hell am I doing here?" mumbled Will.
" You passed out in the ICU," explained Natalie.
" This is ridiculous. I don't need to be here!" argued Will as he attempted to fully sit up, only to be forced backwards onto the gurney by Crockett's firm grip.
" Actually you do. You've got an elevated heart rate and you're dehydrated. If I had to guess this is all stemming from the extreme stress and your being exhausted. There's also the fact that you're still healing from the attack almost two months ago."
" My head hurts," Will said, randomly changing the subject as his hand gently reached towards the back of his head.
" You took a pretty hard hit to the head and busted it open. I had to put a few staples in," explained Crockett.
" How long have I been out?"
" Not quite an hour. You had us worried there for a bit."
" Did you get a head CT?" questioned Will.
" I made him take you straight to radiology as soon as they got you on a monitor," said Natalie, wiping away a stray tear.
" Nat. It's okay. I'm okay."
" You had me so worried. You've been a mess since Jay was shot. How can you be there for your brother if you're not taking care of yourself?"
" I'm fine," argued Will, ignoring Natalie's plea as he removed his oxygen.
Where are my discharge papers?"
" You aren't going anywhere! You need rest Will!" pleaded Natalie.
" I'm fine!" he spat, sitting up and ripping off his chest LEDS.
" Whoa there. Slow down Halstead."
" Get your hands off of me Marcel," Will declared angrily, reaching for his IV.
" Will! Stop it! You're being ridiculous. Your body is exhausted! You need rest! Just lay back down and listen to us!" begged Natalie tearfully.
" Don't tell me what I need damnit!" snapped Will. An audible gasp escaped Natalie's mouth.
" I refuse to sign your discharge papers," stated Crockett.
" You're a crock of shit Marcel. See what I did there? I'll just sign out AMA. My brother is upstairs fucking dying and you've got me down here because I passed out. Let me go!" he shouted, now sitting up, his legs dangling over the edge of the gurney. Will stood up, feeling slightly dizzy as he did so.
" If you won't take this IV out, I will."
" Hold up. Don't go doing anything more stupid than you already have. What if we make a compromise?" offered Crockett.
" You can't be serious!" exclaimed Natalie.
I'm calling Goodwin."
" Hear me out here you two. I'm willing to let Will go back upstairs to be with Jay, but there's one condition," proclaimed Crockett, looking towards Natalie.
" I'm listening," Will said.
" Leave the IV in. Let me hang a new bag of saline and some electrolytes. That will help your body rehydrate and recuperate from the dehydration and the exhaustion. It's far from ideal, but it appears I need to take what I can get."
" Go for it," instructed Will.
" Will! Please. Don't do this. You need to stay down here so you can be monitored and get some good sleep. You're a brilliant doctor. You have to know what this is doing to your body," Natalie pleaded.
" Don't patronize me," Will retorted, bringing tears to Natalie's eyes.
" I can't...I can't stay here while you're making such reckless decisions," she proclaimed, quickly exiting. Will turned his attention back to Crockett who had already hung the new bag of fluids, a syringe in his hand.
" Thank you for doing this."
" Just because I'm doing this doesn't mean that I agree in any way, shape, or form."
" I don't care."
" Maybe you should care a lot more about your wife's feelings," Crockett chimed in, disposing of the syringe.
" Maybe you should stay out of my business," Will said, opening the door and dragging his IV pole behind him.
" A thank you would have sufficed," offered Marcel as he too exited, to stand next to a distraught Natalie.
" Don't follow me. Either of you," he threatened before stepping onto an elevator.
" Let him go," reasoned Crockett.
" What the fuck are you doing? Just letting him walk away like that? His body was so damn exhausted he passed out.:
" Trust me."
" Trust you? You're pretty far down on my list of people to trust right at this very moment."
" That wasn't a boost of electrolytes I put in his IV. I dosed him with Valium. With any luck he'll be sleeping like a baby shortly after he makes it back to the ICU," he confessed. Natalie found herself speechless, somehow in awe of Crockett's deceitfulness.
You look like you could use some sleep too. Why don't you go lay down? I've got the ED covered."
Natalie yawned in agreement, heading for an on call room.
