Jay was seated patiently at his desk, awaiting a text from Erin. She had previously informed him that she would be slightly delayed due to her order taking longer than expected.
Jay glanced at his watch to check the time, and let out a sigh of disappointment when he realized that Erin had not yet responded to his message regarding her estimated arrival time.
As Jay reclined in his chair, he observed Voight abruptly exiting his office and was prompted to inquire about the situation. Hoping to receive news of an ongoing case, Jay asked, 'Something of importance? Do we have a case?'
Jay continued to watch the scene unfold as Voight locked eyes with him and shook his head in response. Voight conveyed, 'We are heading to the hospital, Erin has been injured.' The team members, upon hearing this, wasted no time in rising from their seats and swiftly donning their coats.
As Jay trailed behind Voight and the rest of the group, countless thoughts raced through his mind. How had Erin sustained an injury? What had happened? Numerous inquiries flooded Jay's thoughts, particularly as he had just exchanged text messages with Erin mere moments ago.
Jay secured his seatbelt as he climbed into Voight's truck. With genuine concern, he asked his boss, 'Did they provide any information about what happened?' Hoping for a reassuring response.
Voight replied, 'Roman mentioned receiving a call reporting gunshots and a car crash, but when they arrived, there was no one present.' Jay nodded attentively while Voight continued, 'They found Erin on the ground but fortunately, she wasn't shot. She only sustained minor injuries.' Jay let out a sigh of relief, grateful that the situation wasn't as serious as he initially thought.
Arriving at the hospital, Jay observed Voight expertly parking the truck. Antonio, Al, and the others followed closely behind.
Upon entering the hospital, Burgess and Roman greeted Jay, Voight, and the rest of the group. Voight inquired about Erin's condition, and Jay noticed Burgess glance at Roman before responding, 'Erin will be fine, but she hasn't provided any details about what happened. Whenever we ask, she becomes withdrawn.' Roman affirmed, 'But Will assured us that she will recover.'
Jay observed Voight, who nodded and said, 'Jay and I will communicate with her.' Voight then turned to the rest of the team and instructed, 'Antonio, take Ruzek and Atwater and gather information about Erin's whereabouts, see if anyone witnessed anything.'
Antonio acknowledged the task, stating, 'Understood.' He proceeded to lead Ruzek and Atwater out of the hospital, followed closely by Roman, who would guide them to the location.
Jay followed Voight, Al, and Burgess to Erin's room after Antonio and the others departed. Burgess provided an update, stating, 'Will said Erin has a concussion, a few bruises, and possibly some cracked ribs, but she is expected to recover in a few days.'
Voight expressed appreciation, saying, 'Very well, thank you, Burgess.' As Jay and Voight entered Erin's room, Al and Burgess remained outside.
Jay directed his attention towards Erin, who was seated on the bed, engrossed in reading something held within her hands. He observed her as she set it down upon Voight closing the door.
'Hey, Kiddo,' Voight greeted as he and Jay approached Erin's bed. 'What brings you guys here?'
Jay observed Erin and took a seat in a chair. 'We have come to inquire about your well-being and to gather information on the incident,' he stated, glancing at Erin, who let out a sigh.
'I am alright, just a few bruises,' Erin responded, her gaze fixed on Voight as he paced the room. 'We need to know what transpired, Erin,' her surrogate father insisted. 'We must identify this individual in order to apprehend him.'
Erin released another sigh as she examined her hands before returning her attention to them. 'Everything happened so rapidly. I fled the pizza establishment upon hearing a crash and gunfire,' she began.
Jay nodded and inquired, 'What occurred next?' Erin seemed to be struggling to recall the details. 'Once outside, I stowed away my phone to better assess the situation, and then this man...' Erin trailed off.
'Take your time, Kiddo,' Voight offered, ceasing his pacing and returning to the bedside. 'This man appeared out of nowhere and held a gun to my head, threatening to kill me if I made any sudden movements or uttered a single word.'
Erin took a deep breath and stated, "He wanted me to accompany him." As she experienced a sharp pain in the back of her head, she moved her hand to rub it.
"Please try to relax, Erin. Did anything catch your attention?" Jay asked, noticing his partner's discomfort. Despite knowing that she needed rest, they needed to gather any information to determine if this man was working for someone.
Erin furrowed her brow, fighting against the pain, and took a deep breath before replying, "He mentioned being hired by someone, but I never found out who or what before Roman and Burgess arrived. Then the man fled." She gradually drifted off to sleep.
Observing Erin beginning to fall asleep, Jay and Voight exchanged glances. Voight inquired, "Before you rest, Erin, did you manage to get a glimpse of the man?" She shook her head in response.
Will entered the room to check on Erin and noticed his brother and Voight sitting beside her. He remarked, "I hope you two aren't causing her any distress. She needs to rest." Will approached Erin with concern.
"Apologies, Will," Jay uttered as he observed his brother attending to Erin's vital signs. He acknowledged that they might have been overly harsh, but both Voight and he were eager to see what would unfold and if they could apprehend the culprit.
"When can she be discharged?" He inquired, patiently awaiting Will's response as he finished examining Erin. "I recommend keeping her under observation until tomorrow due to the concussion," Will stated.
Voight nodded affirmatively. "Alright, we will return tomorrow to check on her, and we sincerely appreciate your care for her," he conveyed.
Will nodded in agreement. "Erin should be well enough by tomorrow, although after her release, she should avoid exerting herself for a week or two," Will advised.
Jay nodded as he stood up and gently patted Erin's hand. "We will ensure she follows that advice," he promised. "We will come back to pick you up tomorrow," he reassured Erin.
Jay felt uneasy leaving his partner, particularly after she had disclosed information about being targeted for kidnapping. He pondered what would prevent the individuals after Erin from employing someone else in their pursuit.
Voight leaned down and placed a kiss on Erin's forehead. 'I'll see you tomorrow, kiddo,' he said before leaving the room. Jay followed behind him.
'Voight, I don't feel comfortable leaving Erin's side, especially after she was attacked,' Jay expressed as they encountered Al and Burgess outside.
'Is everything alright?' Al inquired once Voight and Jay joined them. Will followed behind them, and the curly-haired Halstead shut the door behind him.
'Erin will be okay. She told us what happened, and we'll discuss it further at headquarters,' Voight assured, turning to Jay. 'I'll have Burgess stay here and keep an eye on things,' he suggested.
Jay nodded, understanding that he needed to be at District Twenty-One to work on the plan for Erin's attacker but also wanting to stay by her side here.
'I'll stay right here and won't leave,' Burgess promised, adding with a hint of humor, 'Even if Erin wouldn't appreciate having a babysitter.' Her remark elicited chuckles from everyone present.
"Don't hesitate to contact us in case of any events," Voight stated, observing Burgess who acknowledged the instruction. "Rest assured, I will inform you immediately," she assured.
Voight nodded and departed the hospital, followed by Jay and Al. "Notify Antonio to join us at the district," Voight instructed.
Jay promptly texted Antonio and got into Voight's truck. "Who do you believe is targeting Lindsey?" Al inquired, fastening his seatbelt.
"I am uncertain; that is what I am hoping to determine," Voight replied as he settled into the driver's seat, buckled up, and exited the hospital parking lot, heading towards headquarters.