It was in the midst of this chaos that a familiar face appeared at Will's side, unexpected yet welcome in the sea of uncertainty. Jay Halstead, Will's younger brother and guardian angel in more ways than one, strode into the ER with purpose, his gaze immediately locking onto Will's haggard form.
"Will, what the hell are you doing here?" Jay demanded, his voice a mixture of concern and frustration.
Will tried to muster up a smile, but it faltered in the face of Jay's unwavering gaze. "Just trying to keep things running," he replied weakly.
But Jay wasn't having it. With a firm hand on Will's shoulder, he steered his brother towards the exit, his expression brooking no argument.
"You're sick," Jay stated firmly. "You're going home."
Connor, by this point mostly recovered, emerged from the doctor's lounge. Walking up to Will, he places a firm hand on his shoulder "You look like crap Halstead. Go home."
"Connor? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at home resting at least till next week?" Will asks surprised.
"Jay called, said you might need someone to cover your shift."
"No way, you're still sick, you should be home in bed" Will counters.
"Have you seen yourself recently?" Connor replies in amusement. "I'm pretty much all better, I'm still a little congested and there's this annoying cough that won't quite let up, but I'm well enough to be back at work. Ethan examined me and cleared me this morning. It's time for me to return favor, I've got the rest of your shift. Go home!"
Before Will could protest, he feels Jay prodding him in the back "You heard the man, let's go Will."
And just like that, Will found himself being ushered out of the hospital, his protests falling on deaf ears.
As he settled into bed at home, Will couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude wash over him. He may have been stubborn to a fault, but he knew that Jay always had his back, no matter what. And for that, he would be forever grateful.
As he drifted off to sleep, Will couldn't help but wonder what other surprises life had in store for the Halstead brothers. But for now, he was content to simply rest and recuperate, knowing that his guardian angel was never far away.