Howdy! Thought I would sneak this one in. I wrote it a while ago and have been tweaking it and the last chapter of 'He's a Keeper' when Whiplash is giving me shit. Hope you like it. It was pretty fun to write.
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He's been slouched against a dirty brick wall for maybe 15 minutes or forever, he's not sure. Could be longer…
His eyes skirt around the edges of the alley then travel to the pool of blood, a red halo that surrounds his CI's head.
Kenny is staring at him with his dead eyes, accusatory, sad. Wanting to know why he shot him.
He's not sure.
Pulling his leg up, he drapes his right hand over his knee, gun dangling.
He doesn't know what happened. He tries to think back to an hour ago, two, but sees nothing. His mind is a dry erase board wiped clean.
He knows he should move, maybe call someone…who…he's not sure who.
He looks at Kenny again and his dead CI still looks mad at him, disappointed, pissed that he killed him.
"Sorry…"
Kenny doesn't buy it. Doesn't take his dead eyes off him.
"What the fuck Halstead. Why the fuck you kill me man? I'm jus tryin' to help you and you fucking shoot me in the head."
He squeezes his eyes shut at the pain in his head, then opens them again, the least he can do is look Kenny in the dead eyes when he apologizes.
"Sorry…sorry Kenny…I…why did I shoot you?"
Kenny's facial expression doesn't change but his tone of voice carries the all caps 'what the fuck' that would've been written all over his face if he wasn't deader than a doornail.
"I asked you first asshole."
Jay tries to read Kenny's face. Tries to see if he's pulling his chain but his face is still lax and his eyes are still dead and he knows Kenny won't answer him.
"Not sure…uh…sorry though man. Sorry."
He knows his apology means nothing. There's not a big enough apology you can give a dead guy for killing him.
"Sorry man."
"You said that already but I'm still all dead over here so save it."
"Okay, ya…you are…sor…"
Kenny doesn't say anything back. Just lays there with blood leaking out the bullet hole.
"Why is…"
"You better take care of that Halstead. You gunna be just as dead as me 'fore long."
"What?"
Kenny doesn't roll his dead eyes but he would have.
He can feel it then. The pain in his side.
"Excuse me a sec…"
"Damn Halstead. You don't have to excuse yourself. We ain't at some dinner party and I'm dead…no need for manners."
"Sure…ya…"
Kenny's right…he's not sure why he tried to be polite other than he put a bullet in the guy's head and he didn't want to be rude.
"HALSTEAD!"
He looks at Kenny again and he's looking back at him like he's some sort of idiot. He's dead but knows if Kenny's brains weren't scrambled with his bullet, he would be pointing to his side in exasperation. Kenny had never been a patient guy.
Putting the gun down, he straightens his right leg and can see the blood coating his jeans and blue t-shirt.
"Oh."
He lifts his shirt, pokes his finger through the hole in it, then looks at his bloody abdomen.
"Oh."
"See told ya man."
He glances at Kenny again.
"Ya. Thanks."
He scowls from Kenny to his abdomen and back again, "You shoot me?"
"Maybe."
"Why?"
Kenny doesn't move but he can feel the shrug dangling in the air.
He remembers that he's supposed to put pressure on the wound, but its weak at best so the bullet hole continues to leak blood.
"Damn."
"Ya damn is right. Hurts like a bitch don' it."
The pain hits him then and spreads out from the epicenter of the bullet hole. He's not sure what to do next.
"You hit your head man."
He looks at Kenny again then takes his bloody hand and touches his head. He can feel the goose egg to the back of it.
"Ow. Shit! You do that Kenny?"
"Kind of…not on purpose though. I was just trying to shoot you. Didn't mean for you to hit your head."
The words are harder to spit out, enunciation out window, they're a slur, "It's okay. Don't worry about it." And he isn't. Not that he can see. There is no worry, no nothing in Kenny's dead eyes.
Wincing, he touched his side again.
"HALSTEAD!"
"WHAT?!"
"Hittin' your head knocked the smarts right outta ya. Call someone, or you. are going. to die."
He can see the exasperation on Kenny's face, can imagine it at least…he's pretty dead…
"Ya…" his head hurts, his side hurts he's not sure what to do…what he's supposed to do.
"Kenny…"
"Christ Jay, reach into your bloody fucking jeans with your bloody fucking hand and call 911, or your girl, or that asshole boss of yours."
"She's not my girl, she's my part…"
"JAY! It doesn't fucking matter man! Call someone. Jesus! I wish you didn't hit your head. You're driving me fucking nuts."
He doesn't tell Kenny that when he was alive, he was already pretty nuts… but he's dead now, no need to hurt his feelings.
It takes a bit because of his hand is shaking, but eventually pulls his phone out and sighs at it…
"Unlock it, hit 9-1-1… in that order!"
"It's not locked."
"Then hit the fuh-king numbers!"
"Ya ya…oka…"
"You don't lock your phone? Who doesn't lock their fucking phone? … … HALSTEAD! 9-1-1!"
His phone is a blur, "Shit…I know…"
"Doesn't fucking look like you know."
He mumbles to himself so Kenny can't hear him, 'I knew…I was just… I knew…'
He hits 9-1-1.
"Hit the green button asshole."
"I was going to. Shut the fuck up Kenny."
Everything is only a whisper and slurred, so he doesn't know how Kenny can even hear him. Hearing must be the last sense to go when you die…he didn't know that.
911 what's your emergency
"Uh…"
"Tell'm you been shot, dumb ass. Don't make me come over there."
He looks up at Kenny staring at him or through him. He's dead, probably through him…He looks pissed.
"I've been shot…I'm…"
"Tell them your name and where…"
"Jay Halstead badge number 51…"
"They don't need your fucking badge number Jay, they need to know where the fuck you at."
"Right Ya…"
Sir, Sir…
"Um…I'm at…twe…"
"2148 Lacklyn, back alley."
"21 uh…"
"TWENTY ONE FORTY FUCKING EIGHT!…dear Lord God almighty…take me now or direct me to hell…I'm already there, a different fucking hell…Halstead!…HALSTEAD!"
"Ya thanks Kenny…I really am sorry I had to shoot you."
"HALFUCKINGSTEAD!"
Sir…please stay on the phone we are tracing your location.
"Thank fucking God. Take him the fuck away. You are absolutely useless Halstead."
"Don't be an asshole. You shot me. I'm not useless."
Sir…sir
"Maybe not before but you dumber than a rock now. I know that's partly my fault cuz you hit your head when you fell but damn you're making being dead hard."
"Ya sorry about that Kenny…"
He can see the resignation on his CI's dead face.
"Don't worry about it Jay. Not your fault, you can't help being a pain in the ass, you weren't too bad before you hit your head."
"Before you shot me."
"You shot me fucking first."
"Kenny, if I shot you first, I wouldn't be shot. Think about it."
"Now how the fuck I supposed to think about it with your bullet bouncing around my brain…"
He has nothing to say to that. Kenny probably would have a hard time figuring it out being dead and all.
"Jay! That 9-1-1 lady talkin t'you…"
He looks at Kenny confused as hell, then hears the tinny voice coming from his phone.
"Ya…hello?"
"Stay with me sir. Ambulance is two minutes out. A squad car should be pulling up now. Intelligence is on the way
It's only then Jay hears the sirens…
"Uh oh…gotta go…po po comin…"
"Thanks Kenny, for your help. Sorry again for shooting you."
"Don't worry about it Halstead. I shot you first…you just doing your job. No hard feelin's?"
"No man…it's okay…better go Kenny…Voight's here."
"Shit okay. That asshole probably kill me again."
"Probably, ya…you should go."
He looks at Kenny again and he's just plain dead. Nothing left to say.
His boss looks angry, throwing Kenny a look that probably killed him again. Damn. Poor Kenny.
The pain in his side flares and he tips to the side with a groan.
He's never seen Voight run before but he gets to him in time to keep his head from hitting the ground again.
"Mmm…nuh…"
Voight's leaning over him, tapping his face…talking to him he thinks… can't really make out what he is saying…maybe he's talking to Kenny…but…what's going on…
A pressure on his side bursts the pain like a balloon and he tries to push the hands away but they just push harder.
"St…staahhp. Stahp…"
"Hold still kid, your gunna be okay…where the hell's that ambulance?!"
"Killed him boss…"
"Shh…stay with me…don't try to talk."
"…Kenny…he's mad at me."
"Hey…what? …"
He can feel the warmth of Voight's hand on his cheek and leans into it, passing out to the comfort of it, "Jay…JAY!"
X
Three days later
He can hear them laughing, trying to be quiet and failing…or at least Ruz is failing.
"Hey! There he is!"
He goes back to sleep. His head hurts, his side hurts and Ruz is way to happy about it…or something…happy about something.
X
"What?"
"I said, you were talking to Kenny."
"I don't…" he scrunches his eyes shut for a moment so he can hear better then looks at Hailey, Voight, someone bland for help, someone less…someone not Adam…"what?"
His boss takes over, "You were pretty out of it kid…talking to Kenny while you were on the phone with dispatch. Just do us all a favor and at least pretend to listen so we can put it to bed before one of us kills Adam."
Adam rolls his eyes then starts the recording, grinning at the confused look on Jay's face.
The recording is all low mumbles and slurred words but they can understand what Jay is saying, and now that they know he's going to be okay, it is pretty damn funny.
Hearing his side of the conversation with Kenny threw him for a loop, "Wait…Kenny was alive? I thought…" he scrunches his eyebrows together, "I…"
Adam pauses the recording, and Hailey answers with a bit of a smile in her voice, grateful for some humor, any humor, when just a few days ago they were out of their minds with worry.
"No he wasn't Jay, but apparently your concussed brain didn't register that little bit of information."
Adam starts the recording again and Jay looks more and more confused.
He's tired, his side is on fire and he has a growing headache he can't seem to wipe away. He pushes the button for the PCA, desperate for pain relief. He doesn't remember any of it.
When it's finished, Adam pockets his phone, "Crazy right? You were talking to Kenny man."
He isn't really sure what to think about the whole thing but he's pretty sure if Kenny was here he would tell him he's crazy. He's not here, but just incase, he sets Kenny straight…and Adam since it looks as if he would agree with his CI.
"Concussion…not crazy man."
Adam is about to give Jay more shit, but a sleepy mumble from Jay brings that idea to a screeching halt.
"Shut it, Kenny, 'm not crazy."
"Adam's eyes jerk to the others then back to Jay, "Hey, you…you okay man?"
He looks confused, eyes blinking wide at the question, "What?"
Adam swallows, then opens his mouth to say something more but before he can, a drugged up, shit kicking grin slowly spreads across Jay's face.
Blowing out a relieved breath, Adam shakes his finger at a Jay, "Dammit Jay! You are an asshole."
"Mmm…"
"OHHH! Good one Jay, fuckin with your boy…he right though, you are an asshole…"
It's a quiet pain filled mumble, maybe even a little exasperated but they all hear it, "…not'n asshole Kenny."
"Pain in the ass's what you are…crazy as fuck too, chattin' with a dead guy."
Hesitant laughter fills the room, but before they can ask Jay if he's fucking with them, he falls asleep.
Adam chuckles but it is a little unsure, "He was fucking with us again, right?"
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Okey dokey. There it is, all set free and whatnot. Hope you liked it.
Last chapter of Whiplash will definitely be late. Had to change a big section since Barbara was so mean in the last chapter…harrumph.
Stay safe peeps! Big smooch!