Jay had been in New York for about three months, suspended for forcing his gun down a suspect's throat. Feeling worthless in Chicago, he accepted an offer to join a task force and had been working there ever since.
The bullpen felt empty without Jay.
"Does anyone know when Jay's coming back?" Adam inquired.
Kim shook her head at Adam. "No, and Erin hasn't shown up since he left," she explained.
Adam nodded just as Hank emerged from his office.
"That was Olivia. Halstead's left New York; he's got an apartment in Chicago..." Hank began.
"And?" Antonio pressed.
Hank sighed, donning his jacket. "Pat's at the scene," he replied.
The unit sprang into action, descending the stairs.
Erin, awakened by her phone, answered groggily, "What?"
At the mention of "Jay," she sprang from bed. "I'm on my way!" she exclaimed, grabbing her jeans and leaving.
Arriving at the apartment, the unit drew their weapons. Hank kicked the door open to the sound of Pat's drunken slurs.
"DAD! CHILL!" Jay shouted.
Pat hurled a glass bottle at Jay, missing him.
The unit entered, and Hank confiscated the bottle from Pat. "Enough!" he commanded.
Kim approached Jay, who then collapsed.
"Hey! Hey! Jay!" she called, laying him down to check on him.
"Boss! Halstead's down!" she alerted Hank.
Hank crouched beside Jay. "Did you drug him?" he demanded.
Pat shook his head. "No! Not him or his kid!" he retorted.
Hank directed Kim, "Find his kid! I've got this."
Kim ascended the stairs, calling, "CHICAGO PD! MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN!"
Without knowing the child's name, she felt helpless.
Opening a door, she found a small boy inside.
The little boy, no taller than a yardstick, quivered on the bed.
"Hi..." Kim whispered gently.
The boy glanced over, his body shaking.
"Hey, it's okay!" Kim reassured him with a soothing tone.
Kim holstered her gun and approached the bed.
"May I sit here?" she inquired softly.
The boy gave a slow, trembling nod.
With a reassuring smile, Kim seated herself beside him.
"Hi, I'm Kim. What's your name?" she asked gently.
The boy glanced up, his voice a faint whisper, "J-Jayden."
A warm smile spread across Kim's face. "That's a fantastic name, Jayden," she praised.
Jayden offered a shy smile, his gaze falling to the duvet.
"Why don't we head downstairs?" Kim proposed.
Jayden's eyes met hers, his head shaking in refusal.
"Don't worry, it's safe. I promise," Kim reassured, nodding encouragingly.
Jayden looked up and then back at Kim.
"Do you promise?" Jayden asked in his babbling voice.
Kim nodded with a smile.
"Okay..." Jayden replied, nodding in return.
Kim's smile broadened as she lifted Jayden into her arms.
"I've got you, kiddo," Kim whispered soothingly.
Carrying the little boy, Kim walked out of the bedroom.
Kim descended the stairs slowly and saw Jay lying on the stretcher.
"DADDY!" Jayden shouted.
Jayden struggled to break free from Kim's hold, but it was futile.
"They've got him, sweetie..." Kim said, nodding.
Jayden finally wriggled out of Kim's embrace.
"Dada! Please wake up..." Jayden begged.
Brett secured Jay to the stretcher and rolled him out.
"Let's get him loaded up!" Brett commanded.
Brett and Violet wheeled the stretcher outside, and the team followed.
"Sweetie, why don't you go with these nice police officers?" Violet asked, smiling softly.
Jayden shook his head, sobbing.
"I want my daddy!" he cried.
Kim walked over and gently picked up Jayden.
"Daddy's going to ride in a cool ambulance, while we get to ride in a cool police car!" Kim said with a smile.
Jayden didn't respond, continuing to cry for Jay.
"Come on, sweetie," Kim whispered.
She climbed into the truck and settled Jayden on her lap.
Adam shut the door and settled into the driver's seat.
At Med, Jay was being wheeled inside.
Connor approached and observed the patient.
"Jay Halstead. Collapsed from unknown causes. SATS 90/100. BP 110/50. GCS 9. He coded twice in the ambulance, and we administered two shocks to revive him. He's received two milligrams of Morphine and two grams of Paracetamol," Brett detailed.
Connor nodded towards Maggie.
"Trauma!" Maggie confirmed.
Brett pushed the stretcher toward the trauma room, continuing his briefing.
"Ready! On my count," Connor directed.
They all took hold of the sheet beneath Jay.
"On three! One, two, three!" Connor counted.
They transferred Jay onto the hospital bed, and Connor began issuing commands.
"Get me a Head and Neck CT. I also want Dr. Halstead in the loop," Connor instructed.
April approached, carefully raised Jay's arm, and inserted a new IV line.
"M-Mmm..." Jay mumbled.
Connor looked at Jay and smiled.
"Glad to see you back with us, buddy!" Connor said, still smiling.
Jay looked around and realized he was in a hospital.
"Jayden..." Jay whispered.
Connor's expression changed as he asked, "Who's Jayden?"
Jay's eyes widened in panic.
"My son! Where's my son?" Jay cried out.
Connor gently pushed Jay back against the bed, glancing at April.
"Give him 2g of Morphine. It should calm him down until we find his son," Connor instructed with a nod.
April acknowledged with a nod of her own and pressed a few buttons.
"You're going to feel a bit sleepy. It's okay to take a little nap," April soothed.
As the morphine took effect, Jay felt drowsy and soon lost consciousness.
"Someone chase up CT!" Connor barked out an order.
Doris hurried to the phone and quickly dialed the number.
In the waiting area, the team gathered. Jayden was now comfortably seated on Kim's lap.
Engrossed, Jayden played with a toy he had found in the play area.
Connor entered the waiting area and immediately noticed the team gathered there.
"Hi..." he began tentatively.
Hank, who had been sitting, looked up and quickly stood.
"How is he?" he asked urgently.
Connor nodded, confirming the situation.
"He's sedated to calm him down, but before he passed out. He mentioned having a son?" Connor detailed the events.
Hank, understanding the gravity, nodded and softly added, "This is his son..."
Kim rose and approached them.
"Hello, little one," Connor greeted gently.
Jayden, looking up, felt a wave of fear.
"It's alright, sweetie. He's a doctor, taking good care of your daddy," Kim soothed.
Jayden's gaze lifted once more, and he uttered a few innocent words.
"You look after my daddy?" he babbled.
Connor offered a reassuring smile and a nod.
"Yes, I am! You must be the famous little Halstead your daddy has been telling us all about," Connor said with a warm smile.
Jayden let out a giggle and gazed upward. "Can I see my daddy?" he asked in his little voice.
Connor turned to Jayden and responded, "Not yet, buddy. But after this, you'll be able to see him anytime you want! We're going to use a really cool machine that will show me what's inside daddy's body so I can remove it, and he's going to feel a lot better!" Connor assured him with a nod.
Jayden's face fell into a pout, and he let out a sigh. "I'll keep you guys updated," Connor promised, nodding affirmatively.
The team exchanged understanding nods and settled back into their seats.
Connor had intubated Jay and was examining his CT results. "Damn, he's got a broken bone in his left foot and a piece of metal in his stomach," Connor sighed.
He nodded to the technician, who then helped Jay out of the CT machine.
"Get him ready for the OR!" Connor commanded.
The nurses acknowledged and approached Jay.
Erin arrived shortly after, pacing back and forth. "How long does a bloody CT scan take?" she demanded.
Adam attempted to soothe Erin by rubbing her shoulder, but retracted his hand when she issued a warning.
"Adam, if your hand isn't off my shoulder in the next five seconds, I'll kick you in the ass," Erin threatened.
Adam removed his hand and sighed.
"Do you want me to see if I can get an update?" Kim asked.
Erin nodded as Connor walked out.
"How is he?" Erin asked softly.
Connor took a deep breath before responding.
"We had to perform surgery on Jay because he had a broken left foot and a piece of metal lodged in his stomach. We've successfully removed it and repaired the damages. He's been intubated and will remain so for a while. But he's stable," Connor explained.
Erin exhaled deeply and embraced Connor tightly.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Erin said, her voice quivering.
Connor gave a gentle laugh and nodded in response.
As Connor stepped back, he felt a small hand pull at his maroon scrubs.
There stood Jayden, his expression weary and anxious.
"Mr. Connor? When can I see my daddy?" Jayden asked with a pout.
Connor sighed and crouched down.
"Daddy's in a deep sleep right now, kiddo. He'll wake up as soon as you do," Connor promised.
Jayden sobbed and reached out for someone to hold him.
Kim approached, but Connor took care of it.
"Why don't we go find your Uncle Will, hmm?" Connor suggested.
Jayden calmed down and began sucking his thumb.
As the doors closed, the entire team expressed their awe.
"Wow, I've never seen Rhodes be that nurturing!" Adam remarked, puzzled.
The team nodded in agreement, and Hank spoke up.
"Jayden isn't like a typical three-year-old... His mom, Hailey, died in a car accident. I was the first on the scene when I was still in uniform. Hailey was intoxicated, and both Jay and Jayden were unconscious. When they regained consciousness at Med, I had to break the news to Jay that Hailey had passed away, which devastated both him and Jayden. Since then, Jay has been raising Jayden alone. That's why Jayden was so distressed and clingy; he knew Jay could soothe him to sleep and be there when he woke up," Hank explained.
The unit was unaware of the extent of Jay's troubled past.
"I had no idea..." Erin murmured.
Hank sighed and nodded.
Later on, Jay was in the ICU with Erin holding his hand.
Erin sniffled and sighed. "You hear me, Halstead? You better wake up because I need someone's ass to kick..." she laughed softly.
The soft beeps filled the room as Jayden approached with a picture. "What's that, sweetie?" Erin asked.
Jayden looked up and babbled, "It's a picture bear!"
Erin smiled softly, and Kim helped to place the picture on the wall.
The door swung open and Will entered. "Hi, everyone," Will smiled.
The team greeted him, and Will checked Jay's vitals. "He's improving! We should be able to take him off the vent in a few hours," Will nodded.
Erin's smile blossomed as she gently kissed Jay's hand.
Hours later, Will and Connor stood by Jay's bedside.
Doris, with a steady hand, turned off the ventilator. "We're about to remove the tube. I need a strong cough from you," Connor instructed. Jay blinked twice in agreement.
"Okay," Connor murmured softly.
With a swift motion, Connor removed the tube, prompting Jay to cough violently. "That's it! Good job!" Connor beamed.
Jay's cough led to him vomiting in the basin.
"Is that normal?" Erin inquired, concern lacing her voice.
Connor nodded, leaving Doris to comfort Jay. "Yes, it's a normal reflex. Don't worry," Connor assured her.
The team exchanged relieved smiles.
Doris reattached the oximeter to Jay's finger and tucked him in with the duvet. "Press this button if you need anything, sweetie," Doris said with a warm smile.
Jay nodded, his groan betraying his fatigue.
Suddenly, Jayden's voice pierced the quiet. "DADDY!" he yelled.
Jay's smile returned as he removed his mask. "H-Hi Buddy," he greeted with a raspy voice.
Jayden's understanding of his father's hoarse speech saddened him. "I-I'm glad you're awake!" Jayden chattered excitedly.
Jay responded with a smile and a tender kiss on Jayden's head. "So am I, Kiddo," Jay whispered back.
Readers note:
I am new to writing stories on Fanfiction...
But whoever writes stories on here. I am a MASSIVE fan!
Please leave comments/reviews? I don't mind!
Thanks!
C x