It was a frigid winter day in Chicago. Snow, blanketing ground and the trucks in the parking lot of the 21st District. The whole team was at the district. Kim was typing up some paperwork from an old case gone cold. Kevin was playing toss ball with his trashcan. Adam was going over the case files. While Hailey and Jay went over some reports from a witness.
Hailey leaned back in her desk chair, running her hands through her silky blonde hair. "We've been over her statement, we've reviewed it. It all points to Carter!"
Jay took a long sip of his coffee. "Hails. We can't do anything without probable cause. We can't ask for an arrest warrant yet."
"Yeah. I know that... That doesn't mean we can't get a knock and talk going, right?"
"Upton. It's too risky for us. You go through with a knock and talk. You'd end up on the board next to the victims." Voight barked, standing near his office.
Jay didn't want that to happen. He didn't want Hailey to end up as a victim for trying to do her job. They all just wanted this case over and done with.
Kevin walked over towards Adam, leaning against his desk with the basketball in his hands. "Adam, you ready for the game tonight?"
"Hell yeah dude. I'm gonna kick your ass so badly."
Kevin chuckled, tossing the ball up in the air. "Keep telling yourself that. You're gonna get wiped the floor tonight, Ruzek."
It was finally lunch and everyone was packing up for the break. Jay and Hailey walked to a place nearby them, a small diner. The two of them sat in the booth, looking over some more statements.
Jay sighed, "I know you want the killer to be Carter. I do too, but we need more evidence before getting a warrant or a knock and talk."
Hailey leaned back in the booth, "I know. I know... Maybe we should order. It's starting to get lunch time. I could go for a cheeseburger and fries and a coke. How about you?"
"Sounds good," he smiled, placing the case file down. The two of them ordered their food and got to know each other on a personal level.
Jay had taken off his jacket, his muscles straining through his button up.
Hailey had noticed his muscles, trying not to stare at them. It wasn't the first time in her life having a crush on her partner.
She couldn't help herself; this man was drop dead gorgeous.
Jay looked over at her, "Hailey, are you alright? You're acting weird."
Hailey snapped out of her zone. "Huh? Oh. I'm fine. Just zoned out. " That was a total lie.
Jay didn't feel good at all. The burger hadn't been settling in his stomach well. He felt nauseous, like he was gonna throw up.
He sat back down at his desk, trying to ignore the feeling. Kevin had just got back from grabbing a coffee from the break room.
"Jay, you alright, man? You look pale."
Jay groaned, placing a hand over his stomach. "Not really. I don't feel too good. That burger hasn't settled well in my stomach."
Kim had walked up beside Jay, placing a hand on his forehead. "You don't feel warm. Are you sure it's the burger? Maybe you ate too fast."
Kevin had gone to talk to Adam while Kim stood near Jay. "Maybe you should go home. I bet Voight will let you off early. You look like you're about to hurl."
Jay's face had gone completely pale at that. He was feeling really nauseous, like if he were to move he'd throw up.
"I don't think I can drive. I don't want to get sick behind the wheel," he was holding his stomach now.
Hailey had come back after grabbing some files, noticing Jay asleep. She chuckled softly to herself.
"Aww, look at him. He's so cute when he's asleep." She smiled, walking over to his desk.
Hailey knelt down beside him, noticing that his eyes were glossed over. She placed the back of her hand against his forehead.
"Babe...Jay?" It was a soft call, but there wasn't a response.
"Babe, come on. Let's get that shirt untucked and you need to get off of your feet. I'll finish your paperwork." Hailey tugged his shirt out of his pants, knowing that he hated sleeping in a tucked uniform shirt.
Jay lifted his head off the keyboard. He didn't even remember dozing off. He was now feeling worse than before.
"I need to hurl..." He mumbled out.
Hailey pulled him out of his chair, wrapping an arm around his waist to help him keep his balance. "Come on. Let's get you to the bathroom. You can throw up. "
Jay leaned heavily against her on the way to the bathroom. His head was now spinning, and he was starting to feel feverish.
He barely made it to the bathroom, puking into the toilet.
Hailey stood next to him, rubbing his back gently. "Oh, poor baby. Let it out, Jay." Jay continued to get sick, dry heaving into the toilet.
She made Jay as comfortable as she could on the bathroom bench. His head was in her lap now with the shirt untucked.
Hailey quietly left the bathroom, going to Voight. "Sarge, can I talk to you for a second?"
Voight was in his office, going over a case file. He looked up when Hailey entered. "Yeah, Upton. What is it?"
"Jay's not doing good at all. I just had to help him to the bathroom because he had hurled. His eyes are glossed over, he feels feverish, and his stomach is really upset," she explained, concerned for her partner.
Voight placed the file down on his desk, getting to his feet. "Take yourselves home. I'll bump up someone from patrol. Platt won't mind."
"Thank you, Sarge," Hailey replied. She walked back into the bathroom, back over to where Jay was.
"Come on, bud, let's get you home." She slid her arms under his arms, helping him up off the bench.
Jay was barely able to keep his balance, leaning heavily against Hailey as they walked out of the bathroom. He groaned softly. His vision was starting to blur.
"Mmm... Head hurts."
"I'm sure it does," Hailey replied, wrapping an arm around his waist to keep him upright. "I'll drive you home, but first we gotta finish packing up the files and stuff. You okay to wait in the bullpen while I run back to my desk?"
Hailey made a quick trip to her desk, shoving both hers and Jay's stuff into her bag. She quickly made her way back over to Jay.
She knelt down in front of him. "Hey, I'm done packing up our stuff. You ready to leave, or do you need a minute?"
Jay sat up, placing an arm over his stomach. "Mmm... Ready to go. My stomach feels awful, and my head is killing me," he mumbled out.
Hailey helped him to the parking lot, helping him into her car. "Don't worry. We'll be at your apartment in no time."
Jay laid his head against the headrest, feeling really dizzy.
The car ride was rough on Jay. It was taking all he had to keep himself from puking. By the time they got to his apartment, he was feeling really sick and on the verge of throwing up again.
Hailey parked her car in a parking space outside his building, killing the engine. "We're here, babe. We just need to get you upstairs now."
Jay mumbled out a small "thank you." He was feeling too nauseous and dizzy to do much speaking.
He needed help getting out of the car and into the building. He leaned heavily against Hailey as they walked to his apartment.
Once they were inside his apartment, Hailey got him to the couch and laid him down. He leaned his head back against the arm rest.
"I feel like I'm dying," he mumbled out.
Hailey placed a hand on his forehead, rubbing his head softly. "You're feverish. How's your stomach feeling? Gonna get sick again?"
Jay lifted his head, groaning softly. "Mmm... I think so," he mumbled, placing a hand over his stomach.
He leaned forward now, getting sick into the nearby trash can.
Hailey kneeled down beside him, rubbing his back softly. "Shhh, it's okay... Get it out, babe." She continued to rub his back as he got sick into the trash can.
Once Jay had stopped getting sick, he laid down and placed his head in her lap. He groaned softly, burying his face in her legs.
"Mmm... My stomach hurts... And my head is killing me..."
Hailey started to run her fingers through his hair, trying to comfort him. "You feel all warm and feverish. I'll go get the thermometer."
She gently moved his head so she could get up. She quickly went to the bathroom to grab the thermometer.
Hailey came back with the thermometer in her hand. "I'm gonna take your temp, babe. It'll only be for a quick sec." She placed the thermometer under his arm, waiting for it to beep.
Once the thermometer beeped, she pulled it out and checked the reading. "102... Damn. You're feverish. No wonder you feel awful," she said, checking the reading again.
Jay groaned again, burying his face in her stomach once more. "Mmm... That explains why my brain is starting to go fuzzy..."
Hailey gently placed a hand on his head, rubbing his hair softly. "Mmmhmmm. I think so. Do you feel dizzy, babe?"
Jay nodded, closing his eyes. "Mmm... Yeah. My head is spinning and my vision is starting to get fuzzy too..."
Hailey sat down on the couch behind his head. She gently pulled his head into her lap, so his head was now in her lap. "Close your eyes and try to relax. I'll keep rubbing your head and playing with your hair, okay?"
"Mmmkay," he mumbled, closing his eyes and burying his face in her lap. The fever was making him more exhausted.
He wrapped his arms around her thighs, holding onto her gently.
Hailey started to run her fingers through his hair and massage his head and shoulders. "Shhh, just relax now, baby. Try and get some rest."
Jay nuzzled his head against her, starting to relax a bit. The combination of the fever and getting sick made him so tired and exhausted.
He soon fell into a feverish sleep, still holding onto her.
Later on, Hailey decided to watch something on Netflix to pass the time. She was still on the couch with Jay asleep in her lap.
She started going through the titles, trying to see what looked interesting to her.
Hailey soon found the perfect movie to watch. It was a cheesy 80s slasher movie. She turned the volume down low enough so it wouldn't wake Jay up.
She had gone through about half the movie now. She was still running her fingers through Jay's hair as he slept. He was still holding onto her with his arms wrapped around her legs.
The movie was starting to get a little boring at this point. She decided to check Jay's temperature again.
She gently moved his head off her lap, getting up to get the thermometer. Once she came back, she gently put the thermometer under his arm and waited for it to beep.
After it did, she took it out and looked at the reading. "104. Damn. That's not too good," she mumbled to herself.
Hailey was watching him now. She noticed that he was starting to cry softly. "Shhh… baby, you're okay. It's okay. Shhh," she whispered, rubbing his back gently.
"You're okay… shhhh… I'm right here," Hailey whispered, brushing his hair back from his forehead.
Hailey started to run her fingers through his hair again, trying to relax him back to sleep.
Jay relaxed a little again because of her running her fingers through his hair. He continued to whimper and moan, the headache still making it hard for him to fall back asleep.
"Shhh… go back to sleep, baby. Shhh…" she whispered, still running her fingers through his hair. She leaned down and kissed the top of his head, trying to offer some comfort.
Jay leaned against her now, still whimpering in pain. He couldn't get the headache to ease up. Every time he tried to relax it would pound and throb again.
Hailey continued to run her fingers through his hair and rub his back, trying to soothe him back to sleep. "I know your head hurts, baby. I know. Shhh… just relax… go back to sleep…"
Hailey watched as he slowly started to fall asleep again. "Shhh… shhh…" she whispered, keeping her hand running through his hair.
Hailey continued to run her fingers through his hair and rub his back softly. Jay slowly started falling back into a deeper sleep. He was still holding onto her with one arm thrown over her legs.
Once he was asleep again, Hailey kept one arm around his shoulders, holding him against her. She continued to run her fingers through his hair, making sure he stayed asleep.
Hailey quickly grabbed the nearby trash can and sat it next to the couch. She was now rubbing his back. "Shhh... I got you babe. It's okay... get it up, baby..."
Jay started to get sick into the trash can. He was groaning and whimpering from how bad the headache had gotten from the throwing up.
After he was done, he laid back down against her stomach.
Hailey continued to run her fingers through his hair, trying to soothe him. "You're okay, baby... I know your head is killing you, but everything is okay,"
After a while, Hailey decided it was time to get Jay into a bed. The couch probably wasn't the most comfortable spot for him.
Hailey slowly got up, making sure not to wake him. She gently moved his head off her lap and got up. She knelt back down beside the couch, gently grabbing his shoulders.
"Come on, babe. Let's go to the bedroom,"
Hailey smiled softly, gently running her fingers through his hair. "I know everything hurts, baby. But you'll be more comfortable in the bed. Let me help you up, sweetheart."
Hailey gently helped him to his feet, wrapping an arm around his waist to support him. She slowly led him over to the bed, helping him lay down.
"There we go, babe," she whispered, sitting on the edge of the bed beside him.
Hailey noticed that he looked glassy-eyed and out of it.
She leaned down and spoke softly to him. "You're looking a bit out of it, sweetheart. I'm just gonna check your temp now. Okay?"
Hailey placed the thermometer under his arm, waiting for it to beep.
Once it did, she took it out and looked at the reading. "Jesus... it's at 105 now. You're really bad, babe..."
As the reading on the thermometer was 105, Jay started sobbing softly. At this point, his head hurt so bad he could barely think straight.
He had one hand buried in his hair and the other grasping at the sheets. He was whimpering and crying, begging for the pain to stop.
Hailey quickly laid down beside him, pulling him against her. She gently took his hand away from his hair and instead started running her fingers through it, trying to soothe him.
"Shhh... It's okay, baby. I know your head hurts... Just try and relax now... shhh..."
Jay nuzzled his head against her, still crying softly. He was holding onto her now, burying his face against her stomach.
He was mumbling out incoherent words, still whimpering and crying from the pain.
Hailey held him against her, trying to soothe him through the crying. She continued to stroke his hair and ran her fingers through it, trying to ease him back to sleep.
"Shhhh... Shhh... It's okay, baby. I've got you... I've got you... Shhh..."
Once Jay had quieted down, Hailey decided it was time to try and get the fever down. She gently laid his head back down on the pillows and got up, heading to the freezer.
Hailey grabbed a bag of frozen mixed vegetables and headed back to the bedroom. She walked back into the bedroom, seeing that Jay had managed to doze off again.
She gently sat down on the edge of the bed, placing the bag of frozen vegetables on top of his forehead.
Now that Jay's fever was coming down, Hailey decided now was a good time to make some food.
Hailey needed to make sure he got something to eat. He hadn't eaten in hours, so she thought soup would be the best option. She walked into the kitchen, preparing a simple chicken soup.
She started boiling the chicken and adding vegetables to the broth. She added some spices and seasonings, making the soup flavorful.
Hailey continued stirring the soup while it simmered, checking on it every now and then.
After a while, the soup was done. Hailey turned off the stove and ladled some of the soup into a bowl. She walked back into the bedroom, carrying the bowl of hot soup.
She gently set the bowl down on the bedside table and sat down on the edge of the bed, gently shaking his shoulder.
"Hey, babe, I brought you some soup. You need to eat something. I bet your stomach isn't feeling good right now," she whispered to him.
Jay groaned softly, slowly opening his eyes. He was still feeling groggy and disoriented from the high fever.
He tried to sit up, but his head started spinning from the movement. He laid back down, groaning again.
Jay slowly opened his eyes, groaning softly. He lifted his head, blinking a few times.
"No... Don't feel good... Head hurts... stomach hurts," he mumbled, his voice raspy and weak.
Hailey gently placed the bowl down on the bedside table. "Eat half now, then I'll get you back to sleep," she said gently, picking up the bowl and feeding him some soup.
Jay slowly ate the soup, grimacing at the taste. He was nauseous and didn't feel like eating, but he knew he needed something in his stomach.
He managed to eat half the bowl before he had to stop. "Can't eat anymore..." he mumbled out, laying back down.
Hailey set the bowl down, seeing that he didn't want anymore. She laid down beside him, pulling him against her again.
"Okay then. No more," she whispered, gently rubbing his back.
Hailey sat there, still rubbing his back. She heard his stomach gurgling and he was now digging his fingers into his head again.
"Shhh... your head and stomachache, huh?" Hailey whispered, kissing the crown of his head.
"Baby... don't dig your fingernails in your head, babe. It'll make your headache worse," she whispered, gently grabbing his hand and pulling his fingers away from his head.
Hailey gently started rubbing the sides and back of his head, scratching his scalp with her nails. "There you go. Just relax, baby. I've got you now," she whispered, still scratching his scalp.
Hailey continued to scratch his head, running her fingers through his hair. "You're feeling sleepy now, aren't you? Your eyes are fluttering," she whispered, still rubbing his head.
"There you go. You relax now, baby. Just go back to sleep," she whispered to him, still rubbing his head.
As he was dozing off again, she pulled the covers over them and snuggled up against him.
Hailey held him close against her, running her fingers through his hair. She kept rubbing his head and playing with his hair, keeping him from stirring too much.
She gently kissed the top of his head, whispering to him again. "Shhh... Just sleep baby... I've got you now..."
Hailey continued to rub his head and play with his hair, keeping him relaxed and calm. She stayed like that for hours, never stopping.
Every time it looked like he was going to stir and wake up, her fingers would resume massaging his head and playing with his hair, keeping him asleep.
Jay stayed asleep all night, feeling safe and comfortable with her holding him against her.
The pressure of her fingers rubbing his head and scratching his scalp kept him calm. It also kept the headache away.
As it was nearing morning, Hailey had decided that he needed a bath now. He was sweaty and his hair was greasy from being ill.
She gently woke him up, whispering to him. "Babe...babe...you gotta wake up now. You need a bath."
Jay groaned softly, opening his eyes sluggishly. He looked a little more alert now, but he was still exhausted and lethargic.
"Mmm...kay..." he mumbled out. He slowly sat up, holding onto his head as it started spinning.
He sat there for a minute, waiting for the dizziness to pass before looking at her again.
Hailey gently took his hands, helping him up off the bed. "You're feeling dizzy now, aren't you? Headaches back too, huh?"
Jay sat on the toilet with his head in his hands, trying to stop the room from spinning. He felt awful again. His stomach was upset again, making him feel nauseous.
The headache was also back, throbbing in his head, making it feel like his head was being hit with a hammer.
Hailey got the shower running, making sure the water temp was right. Once the temperature was right, she turned back to him.
"Alright, babe. Let's get you undressed now," she said gently, grabbing the hem of his shirt and pulling it off.
Jay was now sitting on the toilet in just his boxers. He felt cold, his head was still pounding, and he was still feeling nauseous. He was holding onto his stomach now, closing his eyes from the light and the pain.
Hailey gently held his head with one hand while the other started to pull his boxers down. "Okay baby, get up now. Let's get you in the shower."
Jay slowly stood up, holding onto the counter to keep from falling over. He was very dizzy now, leaning heavily on the counter. His stomach groaned unhappily, making him want to vomit.
He was also shivering now, feeling cold from losing his layers of clothes.
Hailey gently helped him into the shower, being careful with him. She made sure he didn't fall down inside the shower, holding onto him so he could stand.
"There we go... now just stand there for a second while I wash your hair."
Jay leaned back against the shower wall, keeping his eyes closed. He was still shivering.
The warm water was helping the shivering, but his stomach was still upset. He could feel the bile rising inside it, making him nauseous.
Hailey washed the shampoo out of his hair, seeing that he wasn't feeling very good. She knew he needed more help than just her, so she decided it was time to call Will.
"Babe, I think I'm gonna have to call your brother. You don't seem too good right now. You're shivering and you just said you think you're going to be sick again."
Jay groaned softly, but nodded. He felt awful now. His head was pounding again, making him want to cry. His stomach was making him nauseous, and he didn't even have the energy to stand now.
"Yeah... Call Will," he mumbled out, leaning more against the shower wall.
Hailey finished washing the rest of the shampoo out of his hair, seeing that he was getting weaker. She quickly turned the water off, pulling him out of the shower.
"Alright, let's get you wrapped in a towel. I'll get you dried off and into a pair of those sweatpants you like while I call Will."
Jay let her lead him out of the shower with a towel around his waist to keep him warm. He was shivering again and felt dizzy, but he could walk. He sat down heavily on the toilet seat, placing his head in his hands again.
His stomach was churning furiously now, making him gag repeatedly.
Hailey quickly got his towel dried off, helping him into a pair of his favorite sweatpants. She then got him a shirt and helped him into that.
She knelt down in front of him, gently taking his hands. "Stay right here baby. I'm gonna go call your brother to come over. Okay?"
Hailey talked to Will for a few minutes, explaining everything that was happening with him.
After she hung up, she knelt back down in front of him, cradling his head against her stomach.
"Alright, baby. Will's gonna be here soon and help you out. He said he has some stuff from med school and his time working in the ER that will help you feel better."
Jay just nodded weakly, not even trying to fight her on this. He still had his head buried in his hands, holding his stomach.
His stomach was rolling violently, and he couldn't stop himself from dry heaving anymore. He started gagging again, burying his face against her stomach as if trying to hide from his own sickness.
"Shhh... there you go, baby. Get it up, baby. Let it out," she whispered to him, rubbing his back gently. She knew he'd feel a bit better if he got sick again and got the crap out of his stomach.
A few minutes later, Will arrived at the apartment, unlocking the door with his own set of keys.
He walked in, calling out for Hailey. "Hey Hailey! YOU TWO DECENT?"
Hailey sat on the floor with Jay, still cradling his head against her stomach. She rolled her eyes when she heard that, yelling back.
"YES! WE'RE STILL DECENT. YOU CAN COME IN!"
Will walked into the bathroom, seeing Hailey holding Jay to her stomach. He saw the look on Jay's face and knew exactly what was happening.
"Is he throwing up?" Will asked, walking over to them.
Hailey nodded, ruffling Jay's hair softly. "He's been throwing up all night. We got his fever down, but his head and stomach are still bothering him. The fever's back up to 101 again and his stomach's been upset again too. He's been dry heaving the last few minutes," she explained.
Will knelt down beside them, reaching for his stethoscope. He lifted Jay's arm and placed it under his arm, listening to his stomach.
He heard the gurgles and growls coming from his stomach, which told him what he needed to know. "Yep, his stomach's upset alright. No wonder he's feeling so crappy," Will mumbled to himself.
Jay groaned softly into her stomach again. His stomach was still gurgling loudly, making his head hurt even more than it had before.
He was whimpering softly, holding his stomach with one hand and gripping the bottom of her shirt with the other.
Will continued listening to his stomach, hearing the loud gurgles coming from it. "Yeah, it's definitely upset," he mumbled, removing the stethoscope from his stomach.
"What was he eating before he started to feel worse again?" he asked, looking at Hailey and patting Jay's back.
"Well, a few hours ago, I got him to eat half a bowl of chicken soup. That's been all he's had to eat. I think he's been drinking Gatorade too," Hailey responded, stroking Jay's hair.
"Mhmm.. I think trying to get him to eat is the reason his stomach's upset again. He doesn't need solid food right now. His stomach's too upset for that. He probably just needs some Pedialyte to get his strength back for right now," Will explained, checking his abdomen again.
Jay groaned and lifted his head slightly, looking up at them. "Can we please stop poking at my stomach now...?" he mumbled out, holding his head from the pain.
Hailey felt his stomach rumbling against her stomach and knew he was going to be sick again. She patted his back softly.
"Shhh... Just get it up, baby. You'll feel better after you do," she whispered to him.
Jay nodded weakly against her stomach.
"Mmm... feel sick... stomach hurts..." he mumbled out, tears starting to form in his eyes again.
Will sighed, knowing that they needed to get the rest of the contents of his stomach out. "Go ahead and get sick, bud. No holding it in. Gotta get it out of your stomach."
Will watched him get sick, rubbing his stomach softly. Once he was done getting sick, Will turned to Hailey.
"Okay, once he's stopped for a few minutes, we need to get him into bed. I'm gonna hook up a portable IV and get him some Pedialyte going. He needs it more than food right now."
Hailey nodded, gently rubbing his back as she held him. She kept him against her stomach, feeling the small tremors running through him. He was whining and whimpering softly, pressing his face against her.
"Shhh... Just rest here for a second. You'll feel better after we get an IV line in you," she whispered to him.
"I know you don't like needles, bud, but I need to get an IV line in you. You're dehydrated. You need some fluids to get your electrolytes stabilized," Will said, getting the start kit ready.
Jay whined a bit hearing that. He didn't want to be stuck with a needle again. He hated needles since he was a kid.
"Please don't... I hate needles..." he mumbled out, whimpering a bit.
Hailey managed to get him to the bed, laying him down. Will got everything set up to start the Iv line. He looked over to her, seeing how Jay was hiding in her neck.
"Alright, I'm gonna need you to make sure he doesn't look while I get this line going," he said, grabbing the IV catheter.
Hailey nodded, keeping his head tucked in her neck. "Shhh... keep your eyes closed, baby. You're okay. I've got you," she whispered to him, running her fingers through his hair.
Will put the tourniquet on his arm, tightening it to make the veins pop up. "Just keep your eyes closed and relax your arm, bud. It'll be over in a few seconds," he said, starting to find his vein.
Jay was whining and struggling slightly, hearing that they were gonna find his vein.
He kept his face buried against Hailey, holding onto her firmly as he trembled. "Please don't hurt me..." he mumbled out, squeezing her shirt tightly.
Will could see how much he was struggling, so he decided to get it done quickly.
Within a few seconds, he found the vein and put in the Catheter.
"There we go... all done, bud. That wasn't so bad, was it?" He wrapped a tourniquet to hold the line in place and connected the tubing and solution.
Jay was still shaking, tears streaming down his face. He could feel the Iv in his arm now and he didn't like the feeling of it.
He buried his face into her neck again, holding onto her tightly. "I hate needles..." he mumbled out, whining a little.
Jay kept his face buried against her neck, holding onto her tightly. He was still crying and shaking. The needle had hurt when it went in and he could still feel the sting of it in his arm.
"I hate needles... I hate needles..."
Hailey gently patted his back, trying to get him to relax. "I know, baby. You don't like needles. But it's done now. It's all done with," she whispered to him.