It had been about an hour when Juliette finally began to feel like she was slipping.
Not wanting to distract anyone from helping the more seriously wounded, she had tried to patch herself up.
It had worked, for a small while.
She could feel the blood starting to seep through her bandage.
Looking around, she couldn't see Will anywhere.
She slid down the wall closest to her, her eyes closing in silent pain.
She thought no one had seen her.
She was wrong.
April saw her and instantly knew something was wrong, Dawson had seen her too.
"Hey," she tried to get Juliette's attention as she rushed to her side, Dawson hot on her heels.
She got nothing but a groan.
"Juliette," April tried again, "Come on honey, you know the rules,"
Dawson joined in, "Open your eyes for us,"
Slowly, Juliette opened her eyes, a grimace tight on her face.
"Hurts," her voice was quiet, too quiet.
"What does?" April asked as she looked her over. She hissed when she saw the red staining on Juliette's shirt, "Is this your blood?"
"Hmmm," Juliette's eyes were beginning to shut again.
"Hey, hey," April shook her gently, "Keep 'em open for me,"
"What hurts?" Dawson repeated the earlier question.
"Follow the blood," Juliette tried to keep the mood light, even though she knew the odds were not in her favour.
April and Dawson exchanged concerned looks, before turning their attention back to Juliette.
"Will…" Juliette trailed off.
"Will what sweetie?" April tried to keep Juliette's focus on her, while Dawson took a better look at the injury.
"Don't tell Will, but he was right," Juliette's eyes closed as she spoke, "Too much blood. I tried,"
Juliette slumped over at this last statement, blood loss finally catching up with her.
"Juliette?!" April began to panic.
"We need to stop this bleed," Dawson snapping her fingers in front of April's face.
Once she had gotten her attention, she went began applying pressure to the wound.
"We need a doctor," April went to go find one when Juliette's hand suddenly grabbed her arm.
"Not Will," she slurred, "Break him,"
That was all her body could take, and she slipped into unconsciousness.
Grabbing her wrists, April checked for a pulse, "It's barely there,"
"But it's there," Dawson's voice was soft, "Focus on that,"
Smiling in thanks, April pulled herself together, "What do you need me to do?"
It had been hours since the man who had injected himself with a virus blew himself up.
It had been hours since Juliette finally succumbed to her injuries.
It had been hours since Dawson and April began doing all they could to keep Juliette alive.
Will had finally got the good news that everyone was in the all clear, that the virus wasn't contagious.
He called Jay and told him things were clear, that the ED was re-opening.
He then went looking for Juliette.
Now was the time to sit her down and make her get treated.
Jay caught up with him as he was still looking for her, and pulled him into a hug.
"Good to see you too," Will hugging him back.
Pulling apart, Jay's eyes raked over Will to make sure he was okay.
"I'm fine Jay. No injuries," he sighed.
"Where's Juliette?" Jay asked, accepting Will's diagnosis of himself.
"I don't know," Will's voice was full of concern, "But we need to find her,"
Before Jay could say anything, Will spotted April and Gabby.
"Please no," he began to panic as he raced over to them.
Jay didn't like Will's tone, and followed him.
Both Halstead's almost broke when they saw Juliette unconscious on the floor.
Jay was the first one to regain some moniker of composure.
"She's so pale," came Will's timid voice from beside him.
Jay turned to face Will and placed a hand on his shoulder, "She needs you now man,"
That must have been the magic words, because no sooner had Jay said them, Will got into doctor mode.
"I need a gurney!" he yelled as he knelt down beside Juliette to make his own assessment.
Jay must have zoned out as Will began barking orders.
It wasn't until he felt Gabby's hand on his arm that he realised Juliette was no longer on the floor in front of them.
"Jay?" Gabby's concern threating to make Jay cry.
"Juliette?" he was all he managed to get out.
"Follow me," she said as she led him to the trauma bay Juliette was now in.
Will was pacing outside the bay when they reached it.
"What's going on?" Jay's voice startling Will.
"She needs surgery. Surgeon is in there," he began pacing again.
Jay was about to make him stop when April came out.
"How bad?" Will asking what Jay couldn't, even though Jay knew this was killing Will more than him.
The look on April's face told them all they needed to know, "They'll do the best they can,"
Will stormed off after that comment, outside into the cold.
"Is he going to be alright?" April pointed to Will's retreating form.
"Only if she pulls through," Jay sighed as he went after Will.
Bracing himself against the cold, Jay stood beside his brother.
They stood there in silence for a few minutes, both trying to wrap their heads around the fact that their person was at death's door.
"It's my fault," the voice so soft that Jay wasn't sure he was even meant to hear it.
"You weren't the one with the grenade," Jay answered.
"She was bleeding out and I didn't stop her from helping," Jay could definitely hear Will trying to hold back tears, "I should have stopped her,"
Reaching out a hand, Jay grabbed Will's arm as he spoke, "We've never been able to stop Juliette from doing anything,"
"Should have tried," Will shook his head.
"Wouldn't have worked," Jay tried to reassure his brother.
Both stood there in silence again, the only sounds coming from Will trying to compose himself.
"Come back inside," Jay said when the cold finally got to him.
"Give me a minute?" Will asked.
When he didn't hear a response from Jay, he finally looked at him and was met with a look he hadn't seen in a while, not since there were kids.
"I'll be right in," he pleaded.
Jay simply nodded and headed back inside, leaving Will with the minute he needed.
Erin greeted him on the other side of the ED doors.
"Who?" he asked.
"Adam," she answered as she pulled Jay down into a seat.
"Tell me," she tilted her head in Will's direction "How bad will it be?"
Running his hand through his hair, he spoke, "I'll lose him,"
And with that realisation, the weight of the situation finally came crashing down.
Erin noticed the change, and instantly wrapped an arm around him.
"What is Juliette to you, to him?" she asked softly.
"Everything," was the only answer he had, and it was the truth.
"Tell me," Erin prompted.
"We've known each other for so long, I don't how what our lives look like without her," Jay smiled sadly, "Erin if she…."
Erin said nothing, knowing there was nothing she could say. She simply gripped him tighter.
"She knows everything about us, everything, and still sticks around. Even when we've given her reasons not to. I wasn't exactly the nicest person to be around when I got back, but she stuck it out, even when Will couldn't" the fondness he had for Juliette was clear as he talked about her.
"Sounds like a tough woman," Erin smiled.
"She is," Jay sighed, "But she means so much more to Will,"
"They together?" Erin asked.
Jay chuckled softly, "Our mother's one wish,"
Erin raised an eyebrow at him.
"If she dies…" Jay struggled to get the words out, "I only just got him back,"
"She's going to make it," came Will's gruff voice as he slumped in the chair next to Jay, "She has to,"
A few hours later….
The bouncing of Will's leg was driving Jay nuts.
Erin had left them to go back to work, telling Jay that Voight had said to stay as long as he needed.
That just left the two Halstead brothers together, still waiting for news about Juliette.
After a couple more minutes, Jay couldn't take it anymore.
He gripped the leg closest to him.
Will looked at him confused.
"Stop," Jay grunted, he was tired.
"Sorry," Will looked as tired as Jay felt.
Jay was going to tell Will to try and sleep when the surgeon came out.
"How is she?" Jay asking when Will failed to do so.
"She lost a lot of blood. Thought we were going to lose her on the table, but she surprised us," the surgeon was being honest, "She's got a rough week ahead of her while she heals,"
"But she'll be fine right?" Jay was hopeful.
"She's going to be just fine," the surgeon smiled, "She's in recovery,"
Not waiting for permission, Will made his way to Juliette's room.
He was standing in the doorway when Jay caught up with him.
"She's still with us," Jay said as he pushed Will inside and made him sit next to her.
"We could have lost her," Will sighed as he reached out for Juliette's hand, entwining their fingers.
"We didn't" Jay sighed as he took the seat on the other side, placing a hand on her arm.
Both Halsteads needing the reassurance of her continued existence.
Will watched the rise and fall of Juliette's chest, the movement oddly soothing to him.
Jay watched his brother, noticing how even while asleep, Juliette could still calm Will.
"Get some sleep," Jay said quietly when he saw Will's eyes begin to droop.
"You too," came the sleepy reply.
It didn't take long before Jay heard Will's gentle snores.
Jay was just about to fall asleep as well, when he felt the arm he had hold of twitch.
Looking up, he breathed a sigh of relief when he found Juliette staring at him.
"Looks like I won't be needing that lift soldier boy," she quipped hoarsely, her throat dry.
Jay got her some water and helped her drink small sips.
"You scared us Etta," Jay sighed as he sat back down.
She looked over at Will when she realised he had his fingers entwined with hers and his head on top of their joined hands.
Reaching over with her free hand, she ran her fingers through Will's hair.
When that didn't wake him, she spoke quietly, "How bad?"
"Self-blame," Jay answered.
"Shit," she hissed at herself.
"And you?" she asked, removing her free hand and turning her gaze back to Jay.
"Took care of him," he admitted.
"Who took care of you?" she had a feeling she already knew the answer.
"Erin tried," he shrugged.
"Halsteads," she smiled softly, "Huge idiots,"
Jay pretended to look hurt.
"Get some sleep Jay," Juliette said as her eyes began to close again, "You look like shit,"
Laughing silently to himself, Jay followed her lead and finally closed his eyes now that he knew his family was going to be just fine.