Will and Jay faced significant challenges from birth, raised by a mother struggling with drug-addiction and a father, Pat, who frequently changed partners. This environment placed a heavy burden on Will, who found himself responsible for not only his own well-being but also that of his younger brother and baby sister, When their parents were home, it was a constant cycle of fights and arguments. Jay was only four years old when Will began to bear the brunt of his siblings' blows, leading to frequent hospital visits after each punch or needle prick, often given by his mother when she was not in the right frame of mind. Fortunately, they were taken in by an unlikely guardian – a police sergeant from the intelligence unit. Over time, he became acquainted with Will and Jay, and it was Hank who shaped them into the men they became. Will secured a position at Chicago Med, while Jay was offered and accepted a role in the 21st District, working under his foster father and alongside his long-term girlfriend, Erin Lindsay.
Erin and Jay were walking into the district and were walking up towards the bullpen.
"So, how does it feel to be a detective?" Erin inquires.
Jay smiles and gazes at Erin.
"It feels pretty good," Jay responds.
Erin grins and strides into the bullpen.
"Lindsay! Halstead! Is it okay to put pineapple on pizza?" Adam queries.
Erin and Jay exchange glances and laugh.
"Yeah?" Jay chuckles.
"See!" Adam declares triumphantly.
Kevin sighs and reluctantly hands Adam a dollar bill.
"Hold up! If we had said no, would you still have given the money to Adam?" Jay questions.
Kevin shakes his head.
"Nope!" Erin and Jay respond in unison.
Erin takes the money and returns it to Kevin.
"Hey! That was a fair bet!" Adam protests.
Erin and Jay chuckle and sip their coffees.
"Adam, when you're quite finished betting on pizza toppings, can we get some paperwork done?" Hank requests.
Adam nods and offers an apology.
"Halstead! Lindsay! You got a sec?" Hank calls out.
Jay and Erin nod and walk into Hank's office.
"What's up?" Erin inquires.
Hank sits down with a sigh.
"Pat's out..." he begins.
Jay turns pale, swallowing hard.
"When was he released?" Jay stammers.
Hank exhales deeply before answering.
"Yesterday morning," he reveals.
Jay nods, setting his cup on the table.
"I thought no one paid his bail?" Erin interjects.
Hank confirms with a nod.
"Jennifer did," he discloses.
Jay is in disbelief that his own mother would pay the bail for his abusive father.
"Where is she now?" Jay questions.
Hank shrugs with a heavy sigh.
"The officers said she was jittery and high," he reports.
Jay nods and exits the office.
"Erin, keep an eye on your partner today; don't let him go off the rails," Hank instructs.
Erin acknowledges with a nod and leaves the office.
"Hey, it's going to be okay..." Erin soothes.
Jay sniffles and continues typing his paperwork.
"Yeah..." Jay whispers back.
Erin gives his shoulder a squeeze before walking over to her desk.
As Erin sipped her beer, a heavy knock suddenly echoed through the room.
Glancing at her phone, she realized the hour was unusually late for visitors.
With a sense of curiosity, she rose and made her way to the front door.
Upon opening it, she found Jay, looking utterly exhausted.
Without hesitation, Erin offered her support, wrapping an arm around his waist and taking hold of his leather jacket.
"Come on," she whispered gently, guiding a sluggish Jay into the sanctuary of the apartment before softly closing the door behind them.
Dear Readers:
This is gonna be a very sensitive topic, so it some parts trigger you please skip the chapter!
I'll add trigger warnings (Suicide warnings, drug addiction warnings. Etc.)
Hope you like this chapter!
Stay tuned for more parts!
C x
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