Voight entered the station and proceeded to the basement. "Hello, Hank," Platt greeted him as he passed by. Voight simply nodded in response as he continued on his way to the basement.
Upon reaching the cage where Roland was being held, he was met with a threat. Jay and Ruzek were stationed outside the cage, and Voight instructed them, "You two may leave."
Ruzek nodded and headed upstairs, stating, "I will go check on Erin." Voight acknowledged this with a nod, while Jay, though following Ruzek, hesitated slightly. "Voight, please try to refrain from causing harm," Jay advised, which resulted in a disapproving look from Voight.
Voight's fists clenched at his sides upon Jay's request, considering all that Roland had done to Erin. Once Ruzek and Jay had departed, Voight turned his attention to Roland, who was pounding his fists against the cage.
Voight approached the cage and proceeded to open it. 'Release me if you are wise,' demanded Roland as he attempted to lunge at the detective, who forcefully pushed him against the cage, declaring, 'You are not going anywhere,' as he pinned Roland in place with a snarl and firm pressure.
'You will face the consequences for your actions; taking the life of my friend is one transgression,' Voight growled, intensifying his grip on Roland's head before adding, 'But the primary reason you find yourself in this confinement.' Suppressing tears, Voight banished thoughts of Erin's face from his mind.
'Why?' taunted Roland, jolting the Sergeant from his reverie. 'Your ultimate mistake that will lead you under Lake Michigan,' Voight retorted.
'By harming someone dear to me, violating and exploiting someone you should never have touched,' Voight softly whispered in Roland's ear, prompting laughter from the captive. 'Oh, you are motivated to pummel me for Lindsay?' Roland mocked amidst his amusement.
Voight's anger intensified as Roland chuckled, causing frustration as he was unable to retaliate while being held against the cage. He was infuriated by Roland's lack of remorse for his actions.
"You believe she enjoyed it, don't you? Could you see it in her eyes as you watched me?" Roland taunted with a smug expression before Voight forcefully pushed his face into the cage. "She did not enjoy it, you scumbag. And what's worse, I had to witness you assaulting her without being able to stop it."
Voight suppressed tears and Roland inquired with a smirk, "What's wrong, Sergeant?" attempting to observe Voight's reaction. Without responding, Voight, the gray-haired man, was preparing to take Roland outside to a familiar location for dealing with criminals, until interrupted by Platt.
"Hank!" Platt called out to Voight, who restrained himself from reacting sharply to the interruption. "Erin is requesting your presence, and she will only speak with you," the female Sergeant informed with tears welling in her eyes.
Voight attentively listened to Platt's words, taking a deep breath before responding, 'I'll be up in a bit,' he whispered. 'I'll wait for you in the car,' Platt said before taking his leave, leaving Voight with Roland who was lying on the floor.
The Sergeant securely restrained Roland back in the cage after delivering forceful blows to his stomach and chest, causing Roland to gasp for air.
'And you know, Voight, I'd do it again if I could. Don't pretend you're not interested in Erin, just look at her,' Roland taunted with laughter as Voight continued to kick him.
'You won't have the opportunity, because when I'm out, you'll find yourself swimming with the fishes in Lake Michigan,' Voight growled before exiting, leaving Roland in the cage.
'Tell Erin I send my regards, and I'll see her soon,' Roland chuckled as Voight proceeded upstairs with Platt to head to the hospital.
ยท At Med *
An hour had passed since Erin had been asleep, and now she found herself awake with Al and Antonio present in her room, urging her to talk and undergo the rape kit examination. Despite their encouragement, she simply shut them out and declined by saying 'No,' while clutching the blankets with her nails.
Antonio expressed understanding by stating, 'I know you don't want to do it, Linds,' as he attempted to touch her hand, which she promptly pulled away. Al interjected, reminding her that it was for her well-being.
Erin, maintaining her stance, repeated her refusal and inquired about Hank's whereabouts. She expressed frustration at Voight's absence, preferring not to show vulnerability in front of Antonio and Al, despite not having an issue with them personally.
Al reassured her that Voight was en route and emphasized that undergoing the rape kit was crucial for ensuring Roland's conviction.
The brunette observed her hands. 'Why do they need the rape kit when we have evidence of what Roland did?' Erin inquired while absentmindedly tending to her nails.
'Roland had Hank witness his assault on me. How much more evidence is necessary?' She questioned, her breathing growing heavy from discussing the traumatic event.
Antonio and Al exchanged a knowing glance, both harboring the desire to dismantle Roland, yet understanding that it wouldn't alleviate Erin's pain.
'We understand, but you are aware of the legal procedures,' Antonio murmured. Erin nervously bit her lip as Jay and Ruzek entered the room. 'How is she?' Jay inquired, prompting a welcome interruption for the brunette from the older detectives.
'I'm okay,' Erin responded, averting her gaze. 'Where is Hank?' She inquired, expressing her desire to speak only with Voight at that moment, even knowing her reluctance to engage with others, including Jay, her partner.
Al observed Jay, who nonchalantly raised his shoulders. 'The last time Ruzek and I encountered him, he was involved with Roland,' Jay responded wearily, foreseeing Roland's fate upon their return to the district.
Erin's attention was drawn as she questioned, 'What do you imply?' She couldn't shake off her conflicted desire for Voight to eliminate Roland, although she knew it wasn't morally justified. Jay reasoned, 'Erin, you understand his protective nature towards those he cares about.'
With his arms crossed, Jay added, 'Atwater informed us that he had contacted Platt to bring Voight here.' Despite her wishes for solitude, Erin avoided eye contact and aimlessly fiddled with her blanket, reluctant to ask the men to leave.
As time passed, the growing silence only intensified Erin's restlessness as she attempted to distract herself by watching TV, while Al and the others left to grab food and track down Voight.
Upon a knock at the door, the brunette halted her thoughts to find Voight standing before her. She turned off the television, which had been displaying a random show. 'May I enter?' Voight inquired before stepping into Erin's room without awaiting permission.
'Please, come in,' Erin responded with an eye roll, and the man seated himself in a chair. Voight extended his hand towards Erin, to which she hesitantly complied. 'Are you feeling better?' he asked, peering into her hazel eyes.
'I am now that you are here,' she murmured. Observing as Voight gently caressed the back of her hand with his thumb, Erin deliberated on his suggestion for her to undergo a rape kit examination.
'Hey, I won't pressure you into this, but I believe it would be beneficial for you to undergo a rape kit examination to clarify the situation. I want to ensure that Roland was not involved in any way,' he expressed, planting a gentle kiss on her hand.
The brunette processed his words, acknowledging her irrational reluctance towards the idea of a rape kit examination, despite her familiarity with such procedures due to her work on previous cases.
Erin emitted a sigh as she gazed at Voight while biting her lip. She expressed her hesitancy by stating, 'If I decide to proceed with this, I do not wish to face it alone, despite realizing the irrationality of my emotions.'
Voight responded by shaking his head and reassuring Erin, 'You are not foolish, Erin. It is understandable to feel apprehensive about undergoing the procedure. The dynamic shifts when we are assisting a victim other than ourselves,' Voight conveyed his reasoning to Erin.