"Guys. White man with a shotgun just stormed Chicago Med,"
"That's where Hansen's mother is,"
Jay only vaguely heard the conversation. As soon as Erin said the words shotgun and Chicago Med in the same sentence, all he could think about was that Juliette was on shift today.
He didn't really pay attention as he followed Erin to the car, or as she drives to Med.
Normally he would be protesting somewhat about not being able to drive, but right now all he could manage was hoping that Juliette wasn't working on or near the floor that housed Nate's mother.
Out the corner of her eye, Erin could see the quickened rise and fall of Jay's chest. She could tell that his mind was clearly on something else.
"Jay?" her question only just snapping through to Jay's attention.
He turned to face her, but didn't speak.
"You good?" she knew there was no way he would tell her what was going on his head, so she settled for making sure he was focused on the task at hand.
"I'm good," Jay didn't know whether he was trying to convince himself, or Erin. Regardless, it reigned him in just enough to make it through the call.
As Erin pulled into Med, Jay took a deep breath and rushed his way through to floor currently being held hostage by Nate and his shotgun.
The sight that confronted him, stopped him in his tracks and scared him more than he thought it would. And it was definitely the one thing he hoped would never happen.
"Stay back,"
"Nathan. Please don't do this,"
In addition to the words being spoken by a sacred kid and his mother, she could hear her heart beating.
She focused in on her heartbeat for a moment, breathing in and out with the beat, calming herself.
After a few moments and one more deep breath in, Juliette stepped forward slowly with her hands raised to show she wasn't a threat.
"Nathan is it?" she asked softly, wanting his attention but not wanting to startle him.
She got a silent look and a shotgun pointed at her in return.
When his eyes began darting around at all the security personnel and their raised weapons, she spoke again to draw his attention back to her, "Don't look at them Nate. Keep your eyes on me,"
His eyes remained focused on everyone behind her.
She took another deep breath and spoke even calmer, "As long as you keep looking at me, you'll be safe,"
They must have been the magic words.
She breathed a slow, quiet sigh of relief when his eyes settled once more on her.
Tentatively and slowly, she stepped forward. Her arms still raised. She would undertake the whole exchange like that if that's what it took to resolve the standoff with no casualties.
As she took another step forward, she heard footsteps coming down the hall.
When she heard one set stop abruptly, she knew it was Jay. She didn't need to see to know who it was.
Without turning her attention away from Nate, without dropping her hands, she quietly tapped the floor three times before taking another step forward.
She hoped he had seen her do it and still remembered what that meant.
He had seen her, at first thinking he was just seeing things, and he remembered alright, and that small seemingly non-significant action snapped him out of his own head.
"Wait! Wait," his voice loud but not shouting as he moved further into the floor.
His voice stopped Juliette moving any further for the time being, as Nathan's eyes began roaming once more.
"Put your guns down! Put them down," Jay's voice more stable and stern than it was before, but to Juliette's ears, she could still hear the fear in his voice. It was only heard by her, but it was there nonetheless, "Put your guns down!"
"Stay back!" came Nathan's voice once again, echoing his earlier request.
Juliette closed her eyes for a brief moment as she took a deep breath.
Opening eyes, she resumed slowly moving forward, her arms still raised and growing heavy with each passing second.
"Nate, focus on me okay?" her voice calm as she quietly pleaded, "Eyes on me,"
She only moved again when his eyes settled on her once more.
"Nate. I want you to listen to me okay," she stopped moving when she made it to the doorway, "My friend here, the one who got everyone to put their guns down, he was in the Army. 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger regiment. His name is Jay. I've been through a lot with him, so I need you to believe me when I say that I know exactly what you're feeling right now,"
"Please, listen to her," came Nathan's mothers voice from behind him.
He turned his head briefly to look at his mother, and when he faced Juliette once more, he eyes were watery. The situation he had found himself, the pleading from his own mother, and the empathy from Juliette starting to get to through to him.
She took one last step that put her inside the hospital room as she spoke again, "You were trained to protect. That's what you did. It's over Nathan, okay?"
A watery stare and more silence, Juliette took that as a good sign.
"I need you to just put your gun down and I promise you, I promise you're going to walk out of here," she took a slow breath and continued, "You're seventeen, they can't charge you as an adult. Alright? You can still make a deal,"
"They won't shoot me?" Nathan sounded scared and tired.
Closing her right hand into a fist slowly, she was silently telling Jay to disregard her next choice of words, "Buddy, they would have to shoot me first,"
The air was thick with tension as Nathan carefully studied her, mulling her words over.
The floor was silent enough that you could hear a pin drop.
Juliette froze and couldn't help but flinch when the sound of Nathan clearing his weapon cut through the silence.
"Here ma'am," Nathan's words accompanied by his arm outstretched offering his shotgun, and his face turned to face his mother.
Jay moved in quick and took the gun from Nathan when Juliette failed to do so.
Jay's voice as he cuffed Nathan broke through to Juliette.
She moved out of the way, allowing Jay to escort Nathan out.
She remained in that spot, breathing in and out, trying to drown out the sound of her own heartbeat that was ringing loud in her ears.
Jay saw her beginning to crumble.
He handed Nathan off to Erin and made his way back to Juliette, ignoring the questioning look he got from her. He would explain things to her later.
Juliette didn't notice he had come back for her until she felt herself being pulled out of the room, his arm slid around her waist as he walked her out of everyone's eyesight.
Once they were relatively alone for a hospital, Jay let go of her, looking her over as he did so to reassure himself that she was okay.
She was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, and her eyes closed. Jay could hear her breathing heavy, and knew that the adrenaline she had been channelling to remain calm was beginning to wear off.
"You really want to give me a lecture right now, don't you?" Juliette asked, one eye open and looking at him.
Ignoring her comment for now, he asked a simple question, "You good?"
"Better," she answered honestly as they both looked down at her trembling hands. She was a little surprised. She had expected something harsher than that.
Looking her over once more, Jay nodded. Running his hand through his hair, he launched into the lecture he was dying to give, "What were you thinking?!"
She didn't say anything. She simply remained leaning against the wall in silence, allowing him to say everything he needed to say, everything she had been expecting him to say. She knew she shouldn't have doubted the lecture happening.
"Clearly thinking wasn't an ability you possessed today. You put yourself in front of someone with a loaded gun, loaded! You were unarmed and unprotected. And you put yourself in the position! Why? Why would you do something as stupid as that?! You know better than that Juliette, you were taught better than that," He began pacing as he continued, "What if something had happened? Huh? What if he pulled the trigger? Accidently or not, he could have shot you! Do you know what that would have done to me? To Will? Oh god Will! He needs to know, how am I going to explain this one to him? I'm supposed to keep you out of harm's way and then you go and…."
He was cut off by Juliette stepping in front of him, her hands on his chest.
"Jay breathe," she said quietly.
When she could still feel his rapid heartbeat, and hear his laboured breathing, she moved her hands to either side of Jay's face and forced him to look at her.
"Leave Will to me," her voice was laced with her unspoken apology.
Not trusting himself to continue with his lecture, he decided to just rest his forehead against hers.
After a couple minutes, which both spent collecting themselves, Jay kissed her forehead and stepped back, effectively causing her to drop her hands.
"You good?" her words echoing his previous question as she studied him.
"Better," he echoed her answer, earning him a slight grin.
They headed back out onto the hospital floor, both having work they needed to get done.
Erin and Antonio were waiting for them when they re-emerged.
"Need a statement?" Juliette asked, but she already knew the answer.
Antonio nodded and walked her over to the Nurse's station where he had a pen and paper waiting.
"She did good," Erin said as she stepped up to Jay.
"Yeah, she did," Jay agreed, taking one last look at Juliette before looking at his partner.
"She should take the police exam," Erin smiled, she was impressed with Juliette, "She'd make a good cop,"
"Already passed it," he couldn't hide the pride in his voice, "Finished training, did a year in uniform and then chose to become a nurse instead,"
He was met with a raised eyebrow and a grin.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing," Erin chuckled as she walked away, "We need to get back,"
"Juliette, come with us," Jay said as he watched his partner walk away, "Finish your statement at the station,"
"Here is fine," she answered back without taking her eyes off what she was writing.
"Please," there was just a hint of pleading in his voice, but it was enough to cause Juliette to look at him.
Seeing the remaining fear that something could have happened to her today, she sighed, "Okay,"
The bond Juliette had with Jay was reaffirmed to Antonio as he watched Jay grab hold of her hand and walk her out of the hospital.
Sensing that Juliette riding with Jay alone would be a good thing for both of them, Antonio said nothing as he handed his keys to Jay, then got into Erin's car.
The drive back was marred by an uneasy silence.
Jay was the one to break it, "You lied to him. You hate lying to people,"
"I know," Juliette sighed, "I had to,"
"I know," was all he said in return.
Passing Trudy at the front desk with a small smile and a wave, Juliette followed Jay upstairs.
"You can use my desk," Jay said as he made his way to the interrogation rooms.
"I know," Juliette said to his retreating form as she took a seat and continued to write her statement.
She had just finished her statement when a cup of coffee was placed in front of her.
Looking up, she grinned at Erin, "Thanks,"
"Thought you might need the pick me up," Erin smiled back as she sat down at her desk.
"For the phone call I have to make next, certainly," Juliette took a sip, relishing in the taste of the warm liquid sliding down her throat.
She picked up her phone and dialled the number, tapping her fingers on the desk absentmindedly as she waited for him to pick up.
After what seemed like eternity, he did, "Hey Will,"
"Juliette? Everything okay?" she cringed at the instant concern. She should have known he would have heard the relief in her voice.
"Had a close call today," she answered, as she tried to think of the best way to tell Will what happened, the version that would yield minimal fallout.
"You or Jay?" with the way he sounded, Juliette pictured him pacing as he asked.
"Both, I guess" she sighed, "Me mainly,"
"What happened?" she heard the exasperation in his voice.
"I sort of maybe put myself between a loaded gun and bunch of armed officers," she cringed, not that Will could see, in anticipation of what she thought was coming next.
What she got instead was silence. If she hadn't heard Will breathing, she would have thought he had ended the call.
"Will?" she spoke his name hesitantly. Jay had given her false hope of avoiding a lecture earlier, and she was unsure if Will was doing the same.
"Was Jay there?" came the reply.
"He was nearby, yes," she answered.
"Are you okay?" another question.
"Yes," she was unsure of where this line of questioning was going.
"Okay," was all she got. No lecture, no yelling. Just okay.
"Okay?" she was confused and surprised by Will's reaction.
"What do you want me to say Juliette?" there was the exasperation again, "I'm guessing Jay's already said everything I would have, probably worse. What's done is done, I can't change what happened. You said you're okay and I believe you," the unsaid I'm not there not going unheard by Juliette.
"I'm sorry," was all she could think to say.
"I know," he sighed.
After a second's silence, Will spoke again, "I have to get back to work Juliette,"
"Will, I…." she felt like there was something she should say.
"Etta, I'll to you later. Okay?" the use of her nickname making Will's fear known.
"Okay," she sighed, "Be safe,"
"I'm only dealing with rich women and their boobs," Will tried to make a joke but his voice was too serious.
"You're a Halstead," she ignored the attempted joke.
"Seems like I should be telling you to be safe," and with that the call ended.
Jay picked that exact moment to walk out, catching Juliette staring at her phone like it had hurt her.
Glancing at Erin, he got his answer as she mouthed Will at him.
"How'd he take it?" he asked as he took a seat on the edge of his desk.
"Better than I thought he would," she looked up him, "Still hurt to make the call though,"
He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed as a silent sorry, before standing.
"Come on, I'll drive you home," he collected her stuff as he spoke.
"Back to the hospital you mean," she wasn't going to let him get his way this time.
"Etta," he began, but was cut off with a hand held up in front of his face.
"Don't Etta me, Jay," the tightened grip on her phone not going unnoticed by Jay, "I don't need another Halstead calling me Etta today,"
"Will got to you, didn't he?" his question had a bit of sympathy attached to it.
"Always does," she answered sadly.
"Can I please just take you home?" Jay asked softly.
"I have a shift to finish," Juliette was determined.
"I think they'll understand," Jay had a feeling he wasn't going to win this argument.
"I already let you bring me here. Let me finish my shift," she wasn't really asking, she was telling him.
"I need to know you're somewhere safe," Jay confessed, surprising Juliette for the second time today.
"The hospital is safe," her response earning her a glare, "This was one time. And you have the guy in custody,"
"Juliette," her name being used as a plea from a Halstead was something that always unnerved her.
"I'll let you hang out on the floor with me if it makes you feel better," she was half-joking, allowing him the option if he was really that worried, "I only have a few more hours of my shift left Jay. Please?"
"Go. We're good for the day," Voight's voice caused both Juliette and Jay to look at him in surprise. Neither one heard him enter the room.
Nodding in thanks, Jay turned his attention back Juliette, "Back to the hospital it is then,"
Juliette smiled, "Thanks,"
"You knew you'd get your way," Jay said as he gestured to the stairs, "Ladies first,"
"I always do," she quipped as she headed down the stairs.
"Don't I know it," Jay mumbled under his breath as he followed, but he couldn't hide the smile on his face.
As he watched his detective and Juliette disappear, Voight turned to Erin, "What's their deal?"
"Jay's never really given me the full story," Erin shrugged, "Family I guess, like me and you but different circumstances,"
Voight gave Erin a smile before heading back into his office.