Erin Lindsay felt herself floating in the fuzzy area between asleep and awake. Based on the brightness of the sunlight on the other side of her eyelids, it was probably time to open her eyes, yet she was content to stay as she was. However, instead of melting back into dream world, her instincts set her nerves on edge. Someone was in the room with her muttering under their breath.
Staying as still as possible to not alert the unidentified person to the fact she was awake, Erin began to take stock of where she was and how she felt. She was sore all over, but the worst pain centered around her left side. She also had a roaring headache and her mouth felt as though she'd been chewing on cotton balls, But she was also warm, comfortable, and on a soft bed; three were things she hadn't felt in months.
The more awake she became, the more aware of her surroundings she became. Even with her eyes closed she could tell she was safe. The bed smelled familiar although her still fuzzy feeling brain couldn't quite place it.
"Erin, if you're awake, I really need you to open your eyes." Crap, she'd been discovered. Maybe if she stayed still enough, she could fool this person into thinking she was still asleep.
"Come on, Erin, it's important." With a deep inhale of the reassuring scent of the sheets, Erin slowly opened her eyes to be greeted by the smiling face of Will Halstead.
"Well, I'm glad to see I didn't kill you." He said with a chuckle.
Erin couldn't resist the amusement on his face. It brought a small smile to her own.
"Hey Will".
A quick glance around confirmed what her other senses already told her, she was in bed at what had once been her and Jay's apartment. Erin made a move it sit up but was immediately stopped by a sharp pain in her side and a firm hand on her shoulder from Will.
"Don't sit up yet Erin, I had to put quite a few stitches in you last night and I'd really prefer it if you didn't rip any of them."
"What are you even doing here?" she questioned.
"I could ask you the same thing," he countered. Her glare drew another chuckle from him. "Jay called me. He was super cryptic and panicky on the phone but now I understand why. Your injuries are serious Erin. Aside from the stab wound that I stitched up for you, you're clearly malnourished, and I think your ribs may be broken on the right but I can't tell without an x-ray. I really would feel better if we took you to Chicago Med for a full work up."
"No, no hospitals."
"Erin…"
"No, Will, I can't."
Their staring contested ended with a big sigh from Will as he turned to get a few pill bottles from his bag. "I need you to take these now," he said, handing her a small collection of pills. "A pain killer, an antibiotic, and a vitamin for now. I'll leave the bottles and the instructions. I want you to take them on a regular schedule until we can do a better work up on you."
Erin took the pills with no protests. The cool water felt good against her lips and dry mouth. She could already feel her brain getting fuzzy from the effort of their conversation and now the pain meds. Will saw this too and began to collect his stuff.
"I'll be back to check on you tomorrow morning when I get off shift. Until then, try and get as much rest as you can and don't move too much."
Erin nodded slowly, already feeling sleep wash over her. Snuggling into the pillow which she now recognized as smelling like Jay, she barely heard the door shut behind Will before she was asleep.
A few hours later, Erin stirred slightly in her sleep. Suddenly, her senses became acutely aware that someone else was in the room. Her whole body tensed, concentrating on the sound of the breathing. Based on what she could hear, the person was standing by the door, just a few feet from her. Mentally she calculated the best way she could land a hit without doing too much damage to her already injured body. But before it came to that, she heard the gravelly voice of Hank Voight.
"Relax kid, it's just me. Go back to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."
The safety blanket of knowing Voight was keeping an eye on her lulled her back to sleep.
AN: First, let me just say, I have been absolutely overwhelmed with the response this story has gotten. No need to worry, there are at least 2 chapters (if not more) left.