Sorry we haven't updated in a while. We've been busy with our own fics (Demons Within and Still What I Need). :) For those enjoying this one, apologies! Hope this satisfies! Enjoy.
"What in the hell were you thinking? Or not thinking!" Erin was livid. She knew this was spiraling out of control into areas she had no intention of having Severide venture into.
"You definitely went off the reservation on this one," said Voight having a hard time holding back the small smile forming on his face. He had no desire to see Erin's service weapon up close and personal.
"But we can work with this. Yeah, we can work with this." Voight gave Kelly a "good boy" pat on the back and started writing in his notepad as he meandered his way back to his desk.
Erin didn't even look at the lieutenant as she headed off, apparently her vow of silence now including him.
"Do you need anything else tonight or am I good to go?" Kelly asked Halstead who'd been quiet since his return.
"Nah, you can head home." Jay gave him another wayward pat and took off in Detective Lindsay's direction. This was not on the playlist, sending in a civilian. Hell, the guy wasn't even a CI and we've got him dealing now? A buy here or there, gettin' some intel, but this?
"Great," said Kelly feeling like someone's damn lapdog. He had one thought. Hit those sheets for the few hours separating right now with his next shift.
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"Kelly, Kelly," Shay was shaking her roommate who wouldn't wake up.
"Mmm, wha...what?" he snapped cracking his eyes slightly. What'd it been? Thirty minutes an hour?
He peered at his phone, dropping it on his nightstand, arm throbbing with the stretch.
"Shit!" He scrambled to his feet, adrenaline kicking in. "Shit! I'm gonna be late! Why the hell didn't you wake me?"
"I didn't know I was in charge of gettin' you up. You came in so late last night, I figured you could use a little extra sleep."
"Tell Boden I'm on my way," Kelly called heading to the bathroom to run some water on his face and brush his teeth.
"And I did wake you up," said Shay to the closing door. "Good talk," she added exasperated with her best friend. And worried.
Hot shower tempting as hell. It was the only thing helping his shoulder, the pain stretching out to his fingertips. No time...gotta wait till I'm at the house, in between runs.
He'd canceled two appointments at Occupational Health, his new job leaving no time for anything but sleeping and eating. Shay was on his ass to get everything checked out. He could feel her eyes on him every second at 51. He'd also felt Boden eyeballing him when he winced in the slightest, every time he drew his arm close to his body. He needed to buy some time before chief called him on it.
A little while longer...just a little while longer.
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The next week and a half moved so quickly, Kelly didn't know if he was comin' or goin'.
Shift, drugs, shift, drugs. Repeat. He couldn't say when he'd last had a day off... a month ago? More?
Erin barely said two words to him other than give instructions on what to say, how to act, what to do in every possible scenario. Halstead was pretty frosty too, no small talk.
His new boss, Junior, didn't have a problem with talkin'. He had what you'd call the gift of gab. He was intrigued by this tough fireman entering his seedy world of drugs, quick money, addiction.
Kelly had another buy scheduled and this time the tables would turn.
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Voight instructed that he keep to the truth as much as possible...less of a chance of slipping up. He also insisted Kelly wear a wire now. At all times.
"Our little punk trusts you. He won't test you. One more jump up the line of command, and you'll be done," said Voight attaching the listening device to Kelly's chest, making sure the tape was flush with his skin, undetectable with his shirt on.
That's music to my ears," Kelly replied pushing down on the tape, not happy with the fact that he could probably do this with his eyes closed.
"Stick to the plan. Don't change it up, don't ad lib. Just say and do exactly what we rehearsed," instructed Erin, speaking directly to him for the first time that night.
"Yes, ma'am." he said slipping his T-shirt over his head.
"We all know how much you like to do your own thing," she added, a small smile on her face for the first time in days. She pulled on the back of his shirt that was caught on some wiring.
"You ready?" asked Voight stepping in between the two.
"Let's do it."
Kelly entered the same old room, but with a new mission...he was the one askin' the questions this time.
And Junior was answering.
"No shit! You had a broken fucking neck a year ago?" said Junior incredulously.
"Yeah, ended up stealin' drugs from my best friend's ambo. Decided I needed a better way to get 'em."
"What about you? Clean cut kid, you don't look like a drug dealer." Kelly commented casually shuffling through the box of "goodies" Junior deposited in front of the fireman.
"What does a drug dealer look like?" laughed the younger man.
He told Kelly about being in school, studying business, trying to get into commercial real estate development. This guy was a regular Donald Trump.
He said this was all a "temporary thing" just a way to bank roll his investments.
"If you think I don't look like a drug dealer, you should see the guy who supplies me. You'd never in a million years..." he broke off lost in thought, then continued.
"Yeah, this whole thing was dumb luck. Couple of years ago, I hurt my knee in a pick up game. I go to see this orthopedic and the dude hits me up to sell his stuff at school. It's been what you'd call mutually beneficial for both of us."
Pay dirt, thought Voight listening in.
"This doctor got a name?" asked Kelly.
"Why you so interested in his name?" asked Junior suspiciously, icy stare back.
"In case you hadn't noticed, I got a little problem with my shoulder, my arm."
"This guy's a fuckin' natural," said Voight from the van.
"Nah, better to keep it separate." Junior knew he'd been blabbing too long, said a little too much. No big deal he thought...I got plenty on the fireman to ruin his career, his life. "You got enough there?" he asked as Kelly continued flipping through the packs of pills.
"This'll do," said Severide smiling.
Junior made his exit, but Kelly continued to shuffle through the box holding enough pills to medicate a football team, make that two. He stopped at the familiar blister packs he knew so well. Those old friends that would bring relief...instant relief a year ago. Would bring relief now. Kelly pulled out the pack and flipped it through his fingers...how easy to slip them in his pocket. Voight would never know, none of 'em would.
He took a deep breath and pushed them back in the box, slamming the lid on top. He tucked it under his arm and headed out.
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"Sorry, couldn't get him to spill the name," said Kelly.
"You did good. If this fireman thing doesn't work out..." Voight laughed, or as much of a laugh as the gravelly voice would allow. "Jin's workin' on a name."
"You did good," confirmed Erin squeezing in by Kelly, the crowded van taking off back toward headquarters. "This should be it. Jin'll get the doc's name and we'll make our move."
"Music to my ears," said Kelly as he untaped all the shit on him, Erin starting to help.
"You do need to get that checked out," added Erin running her hand down his shoulder lightly.
"Yes, ma'am," his usual answer repeated.
Erin's hand traveled down the length of his arm, resting in his hand.
"Jin got it." Voight's words caused Erin to pull back. "Severide, you've got an appointment next week with our drug dealin' doc."
Erin's mouth dropped to the floor and Jay flinched knowing another screaming match was on its way. Voight always kept things interesting, he had to give him that.
"What the hell?" started Erin.
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"Severide. In my office."
Kelly closed the door to Chief's office knowing he was about to get ripped a new one. Deservedly so. He'd been dragging ass, showin' up late...his head not where it should be. He knew it, the guys knew it, and Boden sure as hell knew it.
"What's going on?" Chief asked not beating around the bush.
"I don't know what you mean," tried Kelly looking down.
"Cut the bull and talk to me."
"Been feelin' under the weather. I'll get it together."
"That's all you got to say?"
"Yep."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"Then get the hell out of here."
Kelly stormed off to his quarters feeling like he got off pretty easy...until he saw Shay sitting at his desk.
"Not now, Shay, not now."
"Kelly, we're all worried about you. Talk to me."
"Later, okay. I promise, we'll talk later. I just can't right now." Kelly's pleading look was not lost on his roommate.
"There is no later with you! You're never home, Kelly. Never! Where do you go? What's going on? Talk to me!" Shay's eyes were full and tearing at Severide's heart. Jesus, the lies, the half truths.
"Shay, please. I can't..." he tried again having nothing else to give.
"Well I can't either, Kelly. I can't watch you do this to yourself."
He could only sit motionless as Shay walked out. That damn appointment he'd been dreading couldn't get here soon enough.
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Waiting in the examining room, Kelly took a couple of deep breaths trying to calm his nerves. He focused on Erin's words...just go in like it's a normal appointment and feel out drug doc. If there's an opening, go for it. If not, get out. She'd given him a little squeeze before he went up...kinda passed as a hug if you used your imagination.
Dr. Gerald Fleming walked in, warm smile spreading all the way to his eyes, and Kelly wondered if it was a different doctor from the practice. There's no way in hell this guy was a drug dealer.
"Hello Lieutenant Severide. I'm Doctor Fleming, but you can call me Dr. Gerry." He extended his arm for a handshake and Kelly wondered if there'd be a treasure chest to choose a prize from when he left.
Saying the guy was easy to talk to was an understatement. Kelly told the doc about the shoulder pain extending down to his arm, getting worse not better.
"I'll order an MRI and that should tell us what we need to know. I wouldn't panic. Looking at your range of motion I'd say some rest and PT will fix you right up. But let's get the scan as a precaution, okay?"
Kelly nodded his head feeling better about his shoulder even if the whole sting had been a dead end. Maybe this would be it. The end of his role with the CPD. God willing.
"Anything else I can do you for?" asked the doctor as he filled out a prescription.
What the hell, thought Kelly. Voight will be glad I got confirmation that this wasn't our guy.
"Doug's the one who told me to see you."
The Mr. Friendly mask that Dr. Gerry was wearing slowly stripped away. Junior's real name was Douglas Sanders, Dougie to his friends, but just Junior to the CPD.
"Let me check one more thing," said the doc motioning for Kelly to stay in the examining table and clearly ignoring the Doug comment. The smile was gone, and it was like some other guy just walked in.
He came over to Kelly and placed one cold hand on his shoulder while grabbing the hurt arm and extending it slightly back.
"Any pain?" he asked coldly.
"Just a little."
"Doug sent you?" he asked extending the arm back a little.
"If we're tellin' the truth, not really. I just figured I'd cut out the middle man, or boy, and get a bigger piece 'o the pie." Kelly was flying blind, not sure what to say, still shocked this was drug doc.
"I'm happy with Doug. He's done a pretty good job."
"Pretty good sounds like there's room for improvement."
"There's always room for improvement." Dr. Gerry smiled again but this time the smile held so much more. He moved Kelly's arm back further while pressing on the shoulder harder. "Tell me when it hurts."
"Okay, right there," said Kelly closing his eyes a little.
Dr. Gerry yanked back harder, gripping the arm tighter and pushing down hard on the shoulder.
"Aaahhh!" yelled Kelly trying to wrench free, doubling over.
"I tell you what," said the doc, his face right up to Kelly's. "You want Doug's job, you take it."
He released the arm and Kelly brought it to his body, the breath sucked out of him.
"Whaddya mean take it?" he asked.
"You figure it out."
Oh what a tangled web... haha! Kelly just isn't getting out of this one. We've got some Linseride love coming up soon. They've been flirting, but that's it. Not for long. :)