Antonio approached Jay and struck his shoulder, demanding, 'What the hell have you done to Lindsay?' Jay retaliated by rubbing his shoulder and glaring at him, replying, 'And why do you assume it was me?'
Antonio persisted, 'You were the one in the break room with her. What did you do to upset her? She was finally content, and you managed to bother her.'
Jay, understanding Antonio's curiosity, revealed, 'If you really want to know, I inquired about when she was planning to move back to her apartment.'
He elaborated, 'I also mentioned that she has been staying with Voight for two months and questioned if there was anything more between them.' Jay observed Antonio's raised eyebrow and continued, 'I even asked if Voight was taking advantage of her assistance.'
Jay emitted another grunt as Antonio struck his shoulder again. "Does it hold any significance how long she will be residing with Voight?" He inquired, rolling his eyes. Before the brunette man could respond, he stated firmly: "As long as Erin is content, does it truly matter who she is staying with?"
"Moreover, Jay, Voight has been a consistent presence in Erin's life for longer than any of us have been aware," Antonio pointed out. Jay sighed, unable to comprehend why Antonio was overlooking the situation.
"I suspect there might be something developing between them, Tony. They are hardly ever apart for more than a few hours, and I've noticed the way Voight gazes at Erin," Jay stated, clenching his fist. He realized he might come across as envious that Erin spent more time with Hank, but he remained unfazed.
Antonio shook his head. "I would prefer not to discuss this further, Jay. However, if you persist in behaving in a disrespectful manner towards Erin," he warned, "not only will you have Voight to contend with, but I will not hesitate to intervene, because Erin deserves to be happy after what she has endured in the past two months."
Jay sighed and nodded, acknowledging that he couldn't get Antonio to understand. He then said, 'Okay, okay, just don't hit me again,' while observing the second in command walking away as Erin and Voight approached the bullpen.
'Of course, they're together,' Jay mumbled to himself, unaware that Atwater was passing by. 'What was that, Jay?' Atwater asked curiously. 'Oh, nothing,' Jay replied.
Erin joined Voight at the bullpen, and she noticed Antonio walking away from Jay with an irritated expression. Deciding not to inquire further, she sat at her desk while Voight discussed a case with them.
'Do we have a case or something?' Ruzek inquired from his desk when Voight arrived at the front. 'Yes, we will all be heading to the scene,' Voight confirmed as he gestured towards Antonio. 'Antonio, you will be partnered with Erin,' he instructed.
Erin observed Jay's tense expression as Voight assigned her to work with Antonio. Jay confronted Voight, questioning why they couldn't be partners and standing up with determination, even as Voight maintained a stern posture with crossed arms.
Voight's response was firm, asserting that Erin and Jay would not be partners as he had decided, instructing Jay to work with Atwater instead and warning him to leave the unit if he had any issues. Antonio agreed with Voight, suggesting they should proceed to their destination, prompting Erin to follow.
She found Voight's protective reaction endearing, as he showed irritation towards anyone interfering with her.
As the team prepared to depart, Erin hoped for a smooth operation, wishing for a minor incident rather than a serious one at the scene they were heading to.
ยท At The Scene *
Upon parking the car, Erin followed Antonio to the scene where they met up with Voight and others who were talking to witnesses. 'What do you think happened?' Erin inquired as they approached the group.
'I am unsure, but we will discover the truth. Please remain close to me,' Antonio responded, leading them towards a young man muttering to himself.
Observing the five-car pileup, Erin pondered the reason for their presence at the accident site. 'Hello, sir, may we have a word with you?' Antonio asked, displaying his badge to the jittery young man. 'Certainly,' the man replied nervously upon seeing the detectives.
'What is your name?' Antonio inquired, while Erin noticed the man's anxious behavior, suspecting he may be under the influence of a substance. 'My name?' the man muttered, his hands shaking, 'My name is none of your concern,' he snapped, his demeanor suddenly hostile.
Erin exchanged a glance with Antonio, silently questioning, 'Do you think he's under the influence?' She whispered, 'I believe so, we must bring him in-' Antonio began to respond but was abruptly interrupted by a loud bang near them.
The gunshot rang out so suddenly that it caught everyone off guard. 'Take cover!' Antonio shouted as he swiftly tackled the man to the ground once he regained his composure. Erin hesitated, taking a step back as she witnessed Antonio disarm the shooter and secure him in handcuffs.
Her ears were ringing loudly, head spinning as she realized something warm and sticky on her hand. As the events unfolded in slow motion, Erin stumbled back, watching as Antonio successfully cuffed the man and then turned his attention to her.
Upon hearing Voight's urgent call of her name, Erin blinked and saw her lover by her side in an instant. His voice was filled with concern as he asked, 'Erin, are you okay?' The brunette strained to comprehend his words as she tried to focus.
Voight had quickly rushed to Erin's side upon hearing the gunshot, his main focus being on her well-being after witnessing Antonio intervene in the situation.
Disregarding the chaos of onlookers and screams, he urgently checked on Erin's condition. 'Erin,' Voight repeated, as he gently guided her to sit down, ensuring her comfort and trying to maintain his own balance.
As he touched her stomach, he noticed something alarming. His eyes widened in shock as he realized that Erin had been shot. 'Gabby, Brett!' Voight called out, attracting the attention of the paramedics from station 51, who promptly ran over to assist.
Voight held Erin's hand while Brett and Gabby hurried over, followed by the rest of the team. Gabby was the first to reach Voight and Erin, stating, 'We need to transport her immediately.' She then instructed Brett to retrieve the stretcher.
Erin's eyes began to droop as she observed Gabby and Brett preparing her for transport, her surroundings becoming increasingly faint as blood trickled from her mouth, causing her to cough.
'Let us depart at once,' Gabby exclaimed as she guided Voight into the ambulance and boarded. 'Antonio, Al, ensure that everyone follows this ambulance,' Voight instructed his second-in-command before the doors closed and the vehicle sped off towards Med.
Voight sat beside Erin, clutching her hand, while he observed Gabby cutting open the brunette's shirt and removing her jacket before administering an oxygen mask to Erin's face.
"Ten minutes away with a gunshot victim," Brett informed Med as they were en route. Voight paid no attention to the noises around him as he gazed at his significant other, sensing her hand beginning to slacken its grip. He urged, "Come on, Erin, do not surrender. Do not put me through this."