74. Chapter 74

Finished this one sooner than I expected! Peep the note at the end too :)

Hank returned in a new shirt. Jay was seated in the visitor chairs, awaiting an update from a nurse as to when he could finally see his girl. "Any news?" Hank asked, taking a seat beside the stressed detective. He was trying to be gentle, but not knowing where his daughter was or if she was going to be okay was killing him.

"Choi said she's okay. But going to be in a ton on pain," Jay breathed, removing his head from his hands.

Hank exhaled, "She's strong."

Jay nodded in agreement, "He…he said her heart rate was really high," Jay swallowed, "That she narrowly avoided something really bad, but I-I just, I just think she's gotta be terrified."

The older man's eyes softened. He put a calloused hand on Jay's shoulder, "I know kid, I know. When I saw her I just," Hank paused and attempted to maintain his composure, "The last thing she said to me was your name. She's thinkin' about you and she knows how much you love her."

He nodded again, tears in his eyes, "I don't know if I could do this without her."

"You won't have to," Hank said quickly, trying to convince both himself and Jay, "She's going to be okay, Jay. She's got you and Kate and she's not one to give up easy."

"Oh my god, Kate," Jay buried his head in his hands again, "She's traumatized. I mean, between this and Jackson and the miscarriage…"

"Erin got through all those things, kid," Hank reminded him, "You know as well as I do all the shit our girl has seen, but every time she's gotten to the other side. And Kate's going to be alright too."

"I'm not letting either of them out of my sight again," Jay replied dryly, resulting in a soft snort from his sergeant, "Erin made us a family, Sarge. Without her, I don't think any of us would be here. She's brought me back from the brink so many times and with Kate I just…" He sucked in another breath, "She makes us a family."

It felt like ages before a nurse finally came to inform Jay that Erin was in a room and that he could go see her. "You first, kid," Hank insisted, "I'll wait for Kate, give the two of you some time."

Jay raised his eyebrows in surprise but then smiled gratefully, "Thanks, Sarge," he nodded.

"We're not at work, Jay," Hank informed him, to state the obvious, "You can call me Hank, you know."

"I'll try to get used to it," Jay offered as much of a smile as he could manage before following the nurse down the hall to where his fiancé was.

"The anesthesia should be wearing off shortly, but with the blood loss and additional medications, it's likely she'll be asleep for a few more hours," the nurse caveated prior to opening the door, "Dr. Halstead has been with your partner since she was brought in, so she's been in good hands."

Jay smiled tiredly, just ready to see his girl, "Thank you," he breathed.

When the nurse opened the door to Erin's room, Jay's world stopped. Erin lay in the hospital bed, appearing to be sleeping peacefully. Her shoulder was covered in bandages, and it looked like there was a sling beside the bed, likely for her later use. Jay could tell that she was bruised from the fall and detected streaks of red in her brown locks from her blood, but she still looked like an angel. His angel.

He closed the gap between himself and his partner as quickly as he could.

"Hey, babe," Jay greeted softly, smoothing her hair off her forehead and planting a gentle kiss. He sat beside the bed and reached over her small frame to grasp her far hand that was free of the IV cables and monitors, "I'm here now. And you're going to be okay."

"She should be awake in an hour or so," Will whispered, still standing by Erin's shoulder. He had examined her vitals and they all looked good, but he was reluctant to leave his future sister in law's side, "She's going to be alright, lil brother."

"Thank you," Jay exhaled, unable to fully express how grateful he was that his brother refused to leave his girl's side when he couldn't be there, "Really, man, thank you."

"I'll be back in a little while. Going to check on Voight and Kate," Will informed him, "If Kate asks…?"

"Bring her in," Jay replied quickly, "Please. I know she's desperate to see her mom."

"Will do," the older Halstead nodded and quietly exited, allowing Jay and his partner some privacy.

Jay lifted her hand slightly and pressed a kiss there as well, focusing his attention on the love of his life. "You've been so strong today," he praised, "Well, you're strong every day. But today especially. And Kate and I, we're going to be here with you until you wake up, okay? And we'll be here after, too. We're not leaving you, babe."

He gently ran a thumb over his girl's soft cheek, acutely aware of the salty tears that had dried on them. "You scared the heck out of me," he continued, feeling better just talking to his girl, even though she was asleep with all the drugs coursing through her system, "I just kept thinking about how much I love you and how much Kate loves you…" Jay trailed off but pressed yet another kiss to Erin's delicate fingers.

"I don't know if I ever told you about how much Kate missed you while you were in New York," Jay smiled sadly, recalling just how badly his little girl had missed her mom, "Will's going to bring her in soon because it's getting late and I know she won't be able to sleep without seeing you before bed."

"Kate?" Jay called into the apartment, blearily stumbling into his daughter's bedroom. He awoke at three in the morning, overcome with the sensation that something wasn't right. His little girl hadn't been in bed beside him, nor was she snuggled in her own bed. "Kate?"

He cursed himself softly as he headed toward his daughter's closet where he assumed she would be hiding. With Erin out of town, he was trying his hardest to be awake for every nightmare but the lack of sleep was seriously catching up with him. "Hey, kiddo, it's alright," he started, gently pushing open the closet door, "I'm sorry I didn't hear-" Jay stopped short when he saw his little girl was nowhere to be found.

Panic set in as Jay moved some clothes aside, hoping to find his daughter far in the back. "Kate?" he called, louder this time, "Kate?"

He hurried back to the living room, glancing around every corner. Jay dragged a hand through his hair, wracking his brain, trying to figure out where his little girl could be hiding. He doubted she would leave the apartment, but triple checked the front door to be sure she hadn't left or been taken. "Please come out," Jay begged, checking in the bathroom closet for Kate, "Kate, sweetheart, Daddy's really worried."

Jay opened the door to his and Erin's shared closet. He heaved a huge sigh of relief when he saw her cowering amongst Erin's summer clothes that were stacked up on the floor, beneath her dressier shirts that were usually reserved for court. "Oh, baby," he cooed, borrowing Erin's nickname for their daughter, "It's okay. I'm so sorry I didn't hear you. Everything's alright."

"Want Mommy," Kate managed, lifting her head off her knees and staring up at her father with broken eyes, "I want her."

"Me too, kiddo," Jay replied honestly, sinking to the closet floor. He looked around the small space, "Did you come in here because you were missin' Mommy?"

Kate nodded slowly. "Smells like her in here," she whispered, clutching tightly to Tiger. Tears filled her eyes, "I want Mommy to come home."

"I know. I know you do. And I miss Mommy so much too, Squirt. But she's doing her job out in New York, and she'll be home soon." Jay rubbed his eyes tiredly, "Do you want to come spend the night in our bed?"

Kate was quiet for a beat, "I-I feel safer in here."

Jay gulped, having not been expecting that answer. "Um, okay. How about I grab you a blanket then, hm? So you don't get cold?"

She nodded slightly, keeping her eyes trained on her father as he headed to the living room to grab a blanket off the couch. When he returned, she was still on the closet floor, but appeared to relax slightly when he re-entered. Jay spread the blanket over her tiny body and crouched down. "You sure you want to spend the night down here?"

Kate nodded solemnly, relaxing further as he carefully ran a thumb across her cheek. "Do you want me to go?" he asked after a moment, unsure of what answer he really wanted. On one hand, he did not want to spend the night on the cold closet floor, but on the other, he desperately wanted his little girl to feel comfortable with him, especially with her mother so far away. She shook her head and clasped his hand.

"I-I feel safe with you Daddy," she mumbled, eyes cast downward, "I-I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Jay insisted, settling on his rear instead of crouching on his knees, "I just want you to feel safe, kiddo, and if that means sleeping in Mommy's closet tonight, that works for me too."

Kate managed the tiniest of smiles, "'s your closet too."

Jay returned a grin, "Well, technically yes. But who has the most clothes in here?"

"Mommy," Kate replied, "But I comed in here cause it smelled like you and Mommy. Cause when I'm with both you, that's when I feel the safest."

"She needs her mom," Jay told Erin, kissing the top of her hand again, grateful to feel her warm skin beneath his lips, "She needs you, babe."

Hank knocked gently on Erin's hospital room door, his granddaughter holding tightly around his neck. Halstead was sitting beside his girl's bed, gently holding her hand and stroking her cheek. He appeared to be talking to her as well, and looked considerably more relaxed now that he was able to sit with her. Jay turned at the noise and gestured for the sergeant to enter.

"Hey Er, Hank and Kate are here," Jay whispered to her, hoping that the entrance of her father and little girl may rise her out of the drug-induced slumber.

"We're a little nervous," Hank informed Jay, indicating that he was speaking for Kate, though in reality he was speaking on both their behalf. He was nervous to see his daughter laid up in a hospital bed, as the thought alone had made his stomach turn. His girl, who had grown from a scrappy teenager to not only a highly-regarded detective but a mother, was pale and bruised from a gunshot wound. The sight not only made his stomach turn but covered him in a cold sweat from both concern and anger at the man who hurt her.

Jay nodded in understanding and offered a smile to his daughter, "Hi Squirt. Do you want to come say hi to Mommy? She's sleeping right now, but I think she'd love to hear your voice."

Kate looked from her father to her mother nervously, still holding tightly to her grandfather. "Mommy's okay?"

Jay smiled and nodded, "She's a little hurt, but she's already on the mend. And you know how strong and brave Mommy is." He gave a grateful look to his sergeant, who was gently running a hand over Kate's back to provide comfort, "I bet a kiss from you would help her feel better even faster."

"Is it alright if I pass you over to your dad, kiddo?" Hank asked gently, understanding how anxious his granddaughter was. She nodded again and reached out to Jay, immediately melting into his embrace.

"I'm so glad Mommy's not dead," she whispered, tears filling her soft eyes. She looked up at Jay tearfully, "I thought I was gonna have no mommy."

"Oh, sweetheart," Jay held his daughter closer, "I'm sorry you were so scared. I was scared too, but Uncle Will and Dr. Choi said that Mommy's going to be okay in no time."

"Is she gonna hurt?" Kate asked, glancing to her mother who appeared to be sleeping peacefully. The nurses had thankfully taken care of the blood on the side of her face from her shoulder wound, but Kate could still tell that her mother was seriously injured.

"For a bit," he said honestly, exhaling slightly, "But then she'll be better. Kinda like when you had surgery in your tummy. You were hurting for a bit, but then you got better."

Kate furrowed her brow, "I-I don't want Mommy to hurt."

"I know, Squirt, I don't want her to either. But Mommy is so strong, the strongest person I know. And she's going to need our help for a bit just to make sure she's comfortable, but she's going to be just fine." Jay forced a smile for his girl's sake.

"How come she's not awake yet?" The little girl was still tearful. She wanted to hear her mommy's voice, now.

"Soon, kiddo," Hank interjected. He had taken Will's position opposite Jay and Kate and tenderly ran a thumb over his daughter's forehead, "Your mom just needs a little more time."

"I wanna stay with Mommy this time," Kate told Jay seriously, "I don't wanna go home."

Jay sighed, recognizing that he couldn't ask Hank to leave his daughter's side, and he wasn't going to leave her either. Will likely would want to be around to monitor Erin's vitals and he didn't love the idea of Kate not being with him while Erin was still in the hospital. "Okay, baby," he said, settling back in his chair, "It might be awhile though."

"I just wanna be close to you and Mommy," Kate said simply, resting against his chest. Jay had grasped Erin's free hand again, and Kate placed her little palm on top. Jay smiled and kissed Kate's forehead as they waited for Erin to wake.

"How much longer is it going to be? Til she wakes up?" Jay asked tiredly, his eyes swollen and exhausted as he sat beside his girl, waiting for her to show him those hazel eyes he loved. Will had stopped by to check on Erin's vitals while Kate slept on Hank's shoulder. The older man was resting against the wall, unable to sleep while his daughter was laying in the hospital bed. Jay hadn't been able to rest either, refusing the nurse's gentle request that he head home for rest.

"Not sure," Will furrowed his brow, "Choi should be in shortly. Her vitals are stable though man. She might just need some time."

"She's not awake yet?" Choi entered the room and raised his eyebrows in surprise when Will nodded to confirm that Erin had not yet woken up.

"It's been nearly four hours since she got out of surgery," Will reminded him, "Anesthetic should have worn off by now."

"Hm," Choi mused, rounding the bed and examining Erin's vital signs.

"What's going on?" Jay asked, looking over his shoulder to his sergeant for support, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Jay. But Erin's not out of the woods yet," Choi informed him gently, "Her body's been through a lot. There's still a risk of infection and with the loss of blood, we'll want to conduct a nuero exam to assess any damage to her brain."

"Her brain?" Jay nearly choked, "I thought – I thought you said she was okay."

"It's not likely that she sustained any nuero complications," Choi said quickly, "But given that it's been a few more hours than we thought and she's still not awake, we have to consider that possibility."

"God," Jay exhaled, burying his face in the hand that wasn't holding Erin's, "Um, okay. What do we do then?"

"We wait," Will supplied, "If she's not awake in the next few hours, we'll reassess and go from there. But don't stress now, Jay."

"Too late," he croaked, toying carefully with Erin's fingers, silently begging her to open her eyes.

At first, all Erin could feel was pain. Searing, burning pain, cutting through her entire body. It felt like her blood was on fire as she struggled to open her eyes. Hank. He was stressed, trying to keep her awake. Hank being stressed meant something was really, really wrong. As she struggled to get out her fiancé's name, to tell anyone that could hear her that they needed to get Jay, her world went black again.

The ambulance ride was nauseating, Erin drifting in and out of consciousness as Hank begged her to stay with him. Jay? Where was Jay? What about Kate? Erin's thoughts were jumbled together by the feeling like she was being split in two, her body feeling weaker by the minute. Who kept crying? Was it Kate? Was Kate hurt? Erin felt her stomach roll as she realized the desperate cries were coming from her own lips.

Then it was Will. No, it really wasn't the Halstead she was looking for. Where was Jay? Why wasn't he here yet? She cried out, but no noise came. She tried again and again, but she couldn't scream. Jay's name played on her lips as she tried to call his name again. There was a lot of noise, so much noise. Where was Jay? Erin tried to cry again until the buzzing in her ears grew too loud to bear and she finally succumbed to the darkness.

Finally, finally, finally, there was Jay's voice. Jay. Jay was in the room with her. He was talking about Kate, about how much he loved her. She wanted to wake up, open her eyes and throw herself into his arms, but her limbs were heavy and her eyes felt like they were glued shut. She listened as Jay talked, willing her body to comply with her demands.

Kate. Her little girl. She could hear her tearful voice. She must be so scared to see her Mommy in a hospital bed, though it wasn't exactly new. But this time, Erin wasn't there and she couldn't even tell her baby she was going to be okay. And Hank. He sounded so worried. She knew he was trying to be stoic, to be calm, though the tinge in his voice indicated he was feeling anything but.

There was Jay again. Her Jay. He was talking in a low voice, his thumb running over her hand again and again. She could do it. She could wake up. She needed to wake up. Her eyes first. Erin cracked an eyelid and the blur in front of her shifted. There was Hank, resting in a chair against the wall and holding a sleeping Kate in his arms. Right at her bedside was Jay. Gosh, she missed that face.

"Hi babe," Erin croaked, tears welling in her eyes as she found his baby blues, "Missed you."

Good news finally! Feel free to leave a review.

I'm also taking suggestions / requests for the sequel to this story! Let me know if you have any!