Author Note: Sorry for the long wait for chapters, I just got done moving into a new apartment plus just getting wifi back, and I promise to upload 8 soon as possible.
Chapter 07: Voight's Visit and Apologies!
Voight followed Al into Med and went to Erin's bedroom. Time's almost up for visiting hours, so they had limited time to see Erin, which didn't sit right with Voight because he hadn't seen her in two weeks.
'You okay, Hank?' Al asked, noticing Voight's expression. 'Yeah, I just hope Erin won't be too mad at me,' Voight replied. Al reassured him, 'She'll be happy to see you. Just explain why you didn't visit and don't leave anything out.'
They entered Erin's room, where almost everyone else was. 'Hey, Voight, Al,' Antonio greeted. 'How is she doing?' Al whispered to Antonio, noticing Erin looking uncomfortable with so many guys in the room, her hazel eyes wide like a scared animal.
Antonio glanced at Erin and then back. 'I don't think she's doing well, she hasn't said a word since we arrived, and every time we try to talk to her, she just pulls away,' he explained. 'It's normal for her to react like that, especially around guys,' Al said, noticing the concern on everyone's faces.
'We're not gonna harm her, she should know that,' Ruzek added, looking puzzled. 'Definitely not in that way,' the blonde clarified.
Jay, with a clenched hand, objected, 'What do you mean? We can't just abandon her.' He was uneasy about Erin being comfortable with Kelly sitting by her bedside and whispering to her.
Al shook his head and sighed, 'We're not, the best way to help Erin is to give her space, and give her time,' he said. 'She knows we won't hurt her but she needs to reassure herself.'
'I guess that makes sense, but what do we do in the meantime? It sucks that we can't help her now,' Adam said as he looked at the brunette who just nodded at Kelly who spoke to her.
Al nodded, 'I know but right now the best way to help is give her space, right now she only trusts Kelly.' Antonio nodded as he headed out of the room and had the others that had been here for awhile out.
'I'll be out there as well,' Al said as he looked at Voight. 'You stay here and see if she'll talk to you,' he said and headed out of the room leaving Voight alone with Erin and Kelly.
Voight swallowed as he looked at Erin who seemed to calm down once the room was less crowded and he saw Kelly look in his direction and whispered something in Erin's ear causing the woman to look towards Voight.
《 Erin》
Erin was trying not to freak out about her team. She was certain they wouldn't harm her, but she was hesitant to trust any guy right now, except Kelly who had her back.
The moment everyone left the room, she started to calm down. Feeling dumb for not being able to rely on them, she admitted she needed time.
Erin leaned her head on Kelly's shoulder as he whispered, 'Hey, someone's here to see you,' hinting at Voight's presence in the room. Erin looked over to see her foster father standing there. Conflicted about Voight's visit and still upset he never dropped by, Erin struggled to trust her team.
Erin asked harshly, 'What's up?' then she turned her attention to Voight as he approached, with Kelly holding her hand.
'I think we need to talk,' he whispered, giving Erin his usual look that made her feel a bit better. Erin looked at Kelly to see if he was okay with her talking to Voight.
'Go for it, Erin,' he said, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. 'He won't hurt you, you know that.' He kissed her head and left to give them some privacy.
Voight watched Kelly leave the room and close the door, giving them space to talk. 'So, what's on your mind?' Erin asked, adjusting in bed to feel more comfortable, trying not to draw back from Voight, who had taken Kelly's seat.
Voight gazed into Erin's eyes, taking a deep breath. 'Sorry for not coming to see you sooner, kiddo,' he murmured. 'I didn't want to see you like that, I wanted to wait until you weren't hooked up to all those machines,' he explained.
Erin listened and understood – she knew he had been dealing with a lot, especially after Justin's death, and finding out about her attack must have been tough for him.
'I wanted to visit, but I was also busy trying to figure out who did this to you, Erin. I knew you had someone here looking out for you,' Voight explained as he reached for Erin's hand, which she slowly accepted.
Erin let Voight hold her hand, feeling a frown crease her forehead. She had thought he didn't care, but in reality, he had been preoccupied with finding her attacker. 'But did you ever consider coming to see me?' she asked, trying hard to hold back tears.
Voight was quick to hug Erin after she said it was okay. 'Yeah, I've been checking in on you through Antonio and Al,' he revealed as he gave her a gentle kiss on the head.
Erin felt relieved after hearing the truth. 'I forgive you, Hank, but don't disappear like that again. I need you around,' she whispered.
Voight held her close, promising, 'If I do it again, feel free to kick my butt.' His joke made Erin laugh.
'I'll do it even without your permission,' Erin joked back as she moved away from Voight, who chuckled and leaned back in his seat. 'Fair enough,' he agreed.
Voight and Erin remained in silence until Voight decided to broach the subject. 'Erin, I understand your reluctance to discuss that particular night, but could you possibly provide me with any details regarding the assailant's appearance?'
L beErin struggled to compose herself and suppress the distressing memories flooding her mind. She let out a whimper as she recalled the horrifying image of her assault.
'I only wish to offer my assistance, Erin. Another similar incident occurred recently, and I believe sharing information could be crucial in solving these cases,' Voight stated, urging Erin to meet his gaze.
Despite her inner turmoil, Erin hesitated, torn between the desire to cooperate and the fear of her attacker's retaliation, which he had vowed would happen regardless of her cooperation.
"Hank, I can barely recall anything… he had a mask on, only showing his lips. All I remember is his brown or green eyes," Erin said nervously, tears streaming down her face.
"It's okay, Erin. Don't blame yourself. I swear we'll catch thisBastard and make him pay," Voight reassured her, placing his hand on hers to comfort her.
"Thanks, Voight. I believe in you and the team. There's no one else I'd rather have by my side," Erin said, managing a smile.
Voight smiled back, "I'm glad. Let me know how I can make it up to you once you're out of here, just you and me," he offered, making Erin smile. "I'll hold you to that," she replied as Kelly entered the room with a smile.
'I gotta go, visiting hours are up,' Voight said standing up from Kelly's seat and letting the lieutenant sit down. 'I'll swing by tomorrow and bring some lunch.' He mentioned, making Erin's eyes light up. 'Really?' She asked eagerly.
Voight chuckled at her reaction. 'Yep, I promise, and I'll grab something for Severide too,' he said, causing the other man to laugh as he left them alone.
Kelly took a seat, asking, 'How'd it go?' He took her hand, which Erin gladly allowed. 'Pretty good, just like you said – he's just busy and still processing what happened,' Erin said.
'See, told you,' Kelly said, planting a kiss on her forehead. 'Anyone who doesn't appreciate you or is rude to you is just missing out.' Kelly's words made Erin laugh, and she started to relax and drift off to sleep.