It is currently past midnight, and Erin has been sitting in a hospital chair next to Soifon's hospital bed, alternating between being awake and asleep. She remains by her lover's side, with the only sounds in the room being the machines attached to Soifon and the soft music playing on the television.
Erin anxiously taps her leg and bites the tip of her thumb. She whispers, 'You must fight, my dear.' As she adjusts herself in the chair, she hears the door open behind her. 'Erin,' Kelly calls out, entering the room. 'You may come in,' she quietly informs him.
The brunette observes as Kelly enters the room carrying two bags of takeout and some coffee. He carefully closes the door without making any noise. 'Why have you returned?' Erin inquires, watching him place the bags on the table.
Before answering, Kelly pulls up another chair and sits beside Erin. He retrieves one of the bags and a cup of coffee, offering it to her.
"You need to eat, and I have come here to ensure that you get some rest," Kelly responded to Erin's inquiry. Erin accepted the bag and examined its contents, preparing to speak, but Kelly spoke first. "You must eat, Erin. You have the baby to worry about, just as much as Soifon. If you exhaust yourself or starve yourself, you will be of no assistance to her." With these words, he placed his hand on hers.
Erin blinked and acknowledged that he was correct. "And if I have to take inspiration from your actions, I will," she declared, leaning back in her chair. She then observed as the brunette revealed her sub, questioning, "What action are you referring to?" Her hazel eyes had narrowed playfully.
"The action of helping me when I am in need and encouraging me to relax when it was my sister. Now, it is my turn to advise you to relax," Kelly explained, as he removed his own sub from the bag and took a bite. "Additionally, I am here to keep you company so that you do not become too bored," he added. Erin rolled her eyes. "I do not require any company. I already have a friend here," she asserted.
Kelly placed a hand mockingly over his chest and expressed, "That inflicted pain, Lindsay." His words prompted Erin to smile slightly as she responded, "I am joking, Kelly. I appreciate your company." With her attention now returned to Soifon, Kelly gently kicked Erin's leg and spoke, "That is not nice." This caused both of them to laugh, to which Erin retorted, "Nobody ever claimed that I was nice."
After their lighthearted exchange, Kelly turned to Erin and inquired, "So, what is the latest update on Soifon? Did Will mention how long she will be unconscious?" His gaze shifted towards the figure resting on the bed as Erin sighed and replied, "It is solely up to her to wake up, but Will mentioned that he expects her to regain consciousness within a few days." She spoke with a frown etched on her face.
Kelly nodded as he looked at Erin, saying, "She will overcome this. Although I may not know her well, she has you taking care of her. She will be alright." Erin gazed into Kelly's blue eyes and smiled, nodding her head. She whispered in response, "I know. She is one of the toughest women I have ever known. She has endured a lot." With her half-eaten sub and untouched coffee set aside "Perhaps, if you wish, we can discuss it further." Kelly offered.
Erin took a deep breath. 'Are you certain that you wish to listen to me speak?' she inquired. She fought back a yawn that escaped her throat as Kelly leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. 'Certainly, it will alleviate excessive worry and I am intrigued to learn about how the two of you became acquainted,' he responded.
The detective gave a slight nod. 'Very well,' she said, readjusting her leg on her knee. She briefly glanced at Soifon before returning her gaze to Kelly. 'Soifon and I have been friends since our time in high school,' she began, observing as Kelly nodded in acknowledgement.
'We experienced similar circumstances while growing up,' she shared. Kelly had limited knowledge about Erin's past, apart from the fact that Voight had been her foster father. 'You mean Voight also took her in?' Kelly queried. Erin shook her head. 'No, I wish that had been the case, but she endured a more difficult situation than I did,' she informed him.
'She was adopted by this family when she was approximately two or three years, prior to our encounter in ninth grade,' she continued, running her hand across her face.
Kelly extended his hand to gently rub her back. 'It is alright. Do not overexert yourself. Why don't you talk about the more pleasant days?' he suggested, causing Erin to chuckle and nod as she reflected on those moments. 'I am unsure of where to begin,' she whispered."
" 'Share with me an embarrassing experience the two of you had in high school or even at work,' Kelly suggested with a smile. 'I am certain you have plenty of those,' he added, prompting Erin to laugh."
'If Soifon wakes up and hears me recounting an embarrassing story, I will find a way to seek revenge,' Erin quipped, playfully nudging Kelly and causing him to chuckle. 'Fair enough,' he replied, shrugging playfully."
Erin smiled as she recalled a humorous incident. 'Alright, here is one,' she began after taking a deep breath. 'And remember, this story remains between us. It does not leave this room,' she warned, giving him a stern look that quickly turned into a laugh. 'Alright, I understand,' Kelly responded, joining in the laughter. 'Now, proceed with the tale.'
Erin smiled before she commenced recounting the anecdote. 'Okay, it transpired during our time in either eleventh or tenth grade,' she initiated, her hazel eyes gleaming mischievously as she directed her gaze at Kelly, who nodded in response. 'We were on a break for a few days, and Soifon and I decided to embark on a camping expedition with Hank and Justin, in order to have a brief respite,' she stated.
'Ah, I can imagine how enjoyable that must have been,' Kelly interjected with a grin, observing Erin's nod. 'Indeed, it was particularly delightful for Soifon, as it provided her with an opportunity to escape from home. However, that is not the embarrassing part,' Erin disclosed, taking a deep breath to recollect the entire incident before a smile adorned her face with the recollection.
'Our journey necessitated a stop at a gas station to refuel, and the three of us, Justin, Soifon, and I, had to remain inside the vehicle while Hank proceeded to pay for the gasoline and, naturally, procure some refreshments for the road,' Erin commenced, her eyes brimming with mischief.
Kelly nodded and took a sip of his coffee as he attentively listened to Erin. He couldn't help but smile when he noticed the brunette visibly relax. "While we were waiting in the car, Justin was recounting a story to Soifon about a raccoon that frequents the campsite. Apparently, it either approaches people for food or steals from them," Erin explained, her expression turning into a smile.
Curious, Kelly inquired, "And how did Soifon react to the story?" Erin met his gaze, a mischievous smirk adorning her face, and replied, "Soifon actually believed in the raccoon's friendliness, and when we arrived at the campsite, being an animal lover, she made it her mission to find the elusive creature and attempt to pet or pick it up. It took her a whole day to locate it."
"Eventually, she managed to approach the raccoon and even extend her hand towards it, inviting the creature to come closer," Erin laughed, causing Kelly to chuckle along. "But there's more," she continued, through her amusement. "The raccoon's reaction was quite unexpected," Kelly, still chuckling, inquired, "Pray, what did the raccoon do?"
"Soifon took out her phone to capture an image of it, but unfortunately, the raccoon unexpectedly snatched her phone away from her grasp, growling at her before making a speedy escape." Erin responded amidst her laughter.
"It was quite amusing, especially when Soifon had to pursue the mischievous creature in order to retrieve her phone." She shared, as Kelly looked at her in surprise. "Well, that was an unpleasant raccoon," he remarked.
Erin nodded, still laughing. "Soifon was not pleased with me or Justin because we simply sat there, witnessing her chase after the raccoon, and found humor in the situation." Her eyes sparkled as she continued, "She even stumbled into a few puddles in her haste to reclaim her phone."
"The only person kind enough to assist me in recovering my phone was Hank. Meanwhile, both you and Justin faced severe consequences." A gentle voice interrupted the laughter, causing Erin to spring from her seat and rush over to the bed upon hearing Soifon's voice. "You're awake!" Erin exclaimed with a smile, realizing that Kelly had gone to fetch Will or Rhodes.
Why was Kelly getting Will or Rhodes or even both of them? Erin grabbed Soifon's hand and ran her fingers over the raven-haired woman's hair. 'I am awake and I heard you telling your friend about our camping trip,' Soifon smiled as she gazed into Erin's hazel orbs. 'Oh, that story?' Erin asked with a grin. 'Yes, and I still have to get you and Justin for that,' Soifon threatened playfully.
Erin couldn't help but chuckle. 'But it's been a long time ago, plus Hank kind of gave us a new one for it and made us clean and cook the whole day. Why do you have to go do whatever?' The brunette reminded her, causing her lover to laugh.
But she stopped when the pain shot through Soifon's chest. 'True, but I will still have to get you two back,' she whispered. The two women were talking when Kelly came back with Will and Rhodes following behind him.
'It's good to see you awake, Soifon,' Will said with a smile as he walked over to check a few things. 'That's a surprise. I wouldn't think you wouldn't be awake for another day or two.'
Soifon could not help but smile at Will. 'I do not believe anyone would be able to sleep while someone tells an embarrassing story,' she said with a playful grin, glaring at Erin, who gave her an innocent look. 'It is not my fault,' she said, pointing a finger at the firefighter.
He playfully narrowed his eyes and replied, 'Very funny, Lindsay, blame it all on me,' with a chuckle. 'I told you that you could tell me any story, and you chose to tell me that one,' Kelly defended himself, causing everyone in the room to chuckle.
Soifon winced as she laughed and said, 'Okay, stop making me laugh, it hurts.' Will checked her breathing while Rhodes checked the IV. Will wrote the new information on his clipboard. 'Alright, I will be back in the morning. Everything seems to be going well,' he said, and followed Rhodes out of the room. 'Alright, you three, call if anything happens,' he said, and closed the door behind him.