18. Chapter 18

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The bedroom was dark, except for the faint glow of the alarm clock that cast a small beam of light onto Erin's forehead and Jay's nose. There was a soft hum of the apartment that seemed to get softer as the night wore on, blending into the background. Jay was fast asleep on his back, in traditional Halstead fashion, with his mouth slightly agape and the occasional snore escaping his lips. Erin was wrapped around his torso with her head snuggled into Jay's chest, brown hair splayed across his pillow.

Kate quietly crept into the bedroom, peering nervously at her sleeping parents. It was hard to see in the darkened room but as the little girl got closer, she could tell that both Erin and Jay were there, snuggled together in the middle of the bed. "Mommy?" Kate whispered, "Daddy?" She quietly tiptoed around the bed and put her tiny hand on her mother's arm.

Erin indolently opened her eyes, turning her head to see her daughter. "Kate? What's going on? Are you okay?" The young detective snapped into mommy-mode and sat up in bed, "Do you feel sick?"

She shook her head slightly, a stray tear trickling down her cheek. "I'm scared," Kate moved closer to the mattress, shivering slightly. She was wearing a pair flannel pajamas with a button up top so that she wouldn't have to raise her arms over her head. Despite being clad in fuzzy socks as well, the little girl was chilled from the early December Chicago wind that swirled against the windows.

"What are you scared of, baby?" Erin pushed the covers off her lap and glanced down at her little girl. Fresh tears were welling in her daughter's eyes, threatening to join the dried tracks that streaked down her pale cheeks.

Kate just shook her head again. She was clutching her stuffed tiger in one hand, and had her other arm over her stomach. She peered over Erin's shoulder to see her father and shyly looked up at her mother. "C-can I sleep in your bed tonight?"

Erin's eyes softened as her heart broke for the child in front of her. "Of course you can. Be careful, we don't want to rip your stitches." She cautiously helped her daughter onto the bed and pulled her closer, settling Kate in between her and Jay. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Kate nodded, cuddling closer to her mother. Erin pulled the covers over the little girl in an attempt to warm her up. "I don't want anyone to come get me."

"You're safe here, don't worry." Erin kissed the top of Kate's head. "You're right between Mommy and Daddy."

At the mention of his name, Jay rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbows. "Bad dream?" he asked Erin, who had her arm keeping Kate close. He squinted down at the tiny body between them and found his daughter's glassy hazel gaze. "Hi, Squirt."

Erin nodded, turning her head to face her partner. "The monitor didn't make any noise though." she commented, soothingly stroking Kate's hair, "I told her she could stay with us tonight."

"Are you feeling all right kiddo?" Jay asked blearily, rubbing his eyes. He placed a hand on his little girl's cheek, gently wiping away a few tears with his thumb.

"I hurt," she whimpered after a moment, "but not any more or less than earlier." Kate put her hand on her head. "I'm kinda woozy too."

"I think your tummy is sore and the pain meds are wearing off, making you a bit dizzy." Erin continued to run her fingers through her daughter's hair. "Falling asleep will make you feel better. We can take some medicine to help it hurt less in the morning."

Kate nodded tiredly, already falling asleep in the comfort of her parents. "Good night squirt, sleep well." Jay whispered, pressing a kiss on his daughter's forehead.

Kate closed her eyes and instantly was overcome with sleep. Erin looked over at her partner with worry lines etched in her face. "Don't worry babe," he mumbled, reaching out to run his thumb across her cheek, just like he had done to his little girl, "She gets the pain meds as soon as she wakes up."

Erin managed a small smile at her partner before closing her eyes and succumbing to sleep as well, burying her face in Kate's hair.

"Argh," Jay muttered at six when the alarm went off. He rarely ever required an alarm to wake up, but after a dramatic few days his body was desperately craving sleep. The grey December morning allowed for little light to stream in through the windows, leaving the bedroom dark and cozy.

"You can shower first." Erin said without opening her eyes. She looked so peaceful with one arm wrapped around Kate and the other resting lightly on his hip but Jay did not want to leave the snuggly confines of their bed. After a beat, he sighed and begrudgingly slid off the warm mattress, heading for the shower.

When he had finished, Jay softly sat down on the bed and kissed his girl's dry lips. "Good morning," he whispered, brushing a few strands of hair off her forehead, "It's time to get up."

Erin lazily opened her eyes and looked up at him, taking note of the dressy button down shirt he was wearing. "We have to be in court, don't we?"

Jay nodded, checking his watch. "Kate," he said gently, reaching over his girl to rub his daughter's arm, "Wake up Squirt."

The little girl didn't move and remained cuddled into her mother's side. Erin propped herself up on her elbows and glanced worriedly at Jay. "Kate, baby," she tenderly stroked her daughter's hair, "I guess she had a bad nightmare last night."

Jay shrugged and frowned slightly. "Good news is, she gets the pain meds this morning so that should help a bit." He got up from the bed. "I'll start the coffee."

"Kate," Erin said again, peeling the covers off, "It's time to wake up sweetheart. You're going to hang out with Hank for a bit so Daddy and I can go to court. Maybe read some new books."

"Mommy?" Kate opened her eyes and immediately winced. "My tummy hurts."

"Oh baby, I know it does." Erin toyed with Kate's soft hair. "We have some medicine in the kitchen to make it feel better, okay?"

The child gripped Erin's arm as she tried to get out of the bed. "Don't go Mommy," Kate whimpered, tears filling her eyes.

"I have to get ready for work. Daddy's right outside and I'll just be in the bathroom. Maybe you could try to go back to sleep for a little?" Erin glanced to the bedroom door for Jay, but he was already in the kitchen.

The little girl nodded and released her mother's arm. "I'm going to shower now, you can stay in bed for a few more minutes." Erin gently kissed her forehead before heading to the bathroom.

20 minutes later Erin returned, dropping the damp towel into the hamper. "Kate." Erin carefully pulled the covers off her tired child's head. "Come on sweetheart. I know you're sleepy, but Sergeant Voight is waiting for us and he has some new stories for you."

"Mama," Kate's voice broke, "It hurts. So bad." Her lower lip quivered. "I-I-I can't sit up." Concerned, Erin sat down on the bed next to her daughter, taking note of the little girl's features that were twisted in anguish.

"Can I bring you to Daddy?" She ran her fingers through Kate's hair. "He has some medicine in the kitchen for you that's going to make you feel a whole lot better."

"It hurts when I move," Kate complained, tears spilling over her cheeks. Erin knew that Kate never complained about anything and tended to downplay any type of ache, so any admission of pain must mean the child was in agony. She frowned and glanced at her baby's stomach, heart aching for Kate's misery.

"I'm going to carry you into the kitchen now. Daddy will look at your stitches and make sure everything's okay, sound good?" Kate nodded tearfully, wiping a shaking hand over her cheeks. Erin gently maneuvered the little girl into her arms and carried her toward the kitchen, Kate emitting soft squeaks of discomfort as she was shifted.

"There are my two favorite girls." Jay smiled when he saw Erin and Kate. It quickly faded when he realized Kate had her head buried in her mother's shoulder and that Erin looked absolutely overwhelmed. "What's wrong?"

"Her stomach is really bothering her," Erin told him, rubbing Kate's back. "Kate? Can Daddy look at your stitches?"

Reluctantly, Kate allowed Erin to set her down on the counter, a soft groan escaping her lips as her bottom made contact with the cold granite. "Morning, kiddo, how are you feeling?" Jay asked, wiping a few stray tears from his child's cheek. His poor little girl looked pale and disheveled, her eyes swollen and red from the tears.

"Tummy hurts." Kate managed, recoiling as Jay made an attempt to lift her pajama top. She let out a plaintive whimper at his touch, causing him to halt his movements. Erin raised her eyebrows at her partner, silently willing him to be especially cautious.

"Is it okay if I take a look at your tummy? Just to make sure everything's okay?" Jay asked gently while Erin rubbed circles on the little girl's back. Kate nodded, letting her father to lift up the pajama top so he could slowly peel back the dressing on her belly.

Jay tentatively inspected his daughter's stitches before replacing the bandages."She couldn't even sit up," Erin whispered to her partner. He grimaced and gently rolled down Kate's pajama top.

"They're healing nicely," he said, pasting a smile to his face in an effort to make his little girl feel better, "You'll be all better soon enough."

"Her stomach is pretty swollen," Erin commented, tenderly placing her hand on Kate's abdomen. Kate winced at the contact, another distressed whimper rolling off her tongue.

"Will said to expect swelling and discomfort, especially around the incision area," Jay reassured her, still looking concernedly at his hurting child, "Where does your tummy hurt Squirt?"

"Everywhere," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes, "It just hurts so badly." Jay frowned, running a comforting hand over Kate's head.

"Do you think we should take her in?" Erin looked at her partner. "Jay, she couldn't move without excruciating pain," she paused and lowered her voice, "And she never complains."

Jay thought for a moment but shook his head. "I don't know if we should put her through that. Will said it's normal after surgery in the abdomen, especially considering the morphine's worn off. Plus he's coming by the district today for lunch. We can give her the pain meds now though." Erin nodded, convinced that her partner was right.

"Okay, but any worse I think we should go," Erin said, grimacing as poor Kate let another whimper slip through her lips. Jay nodded in agreement, kissing the top of Kate's head and brushing away a few tears that remained on her cheeks. "Does your tummy ache like last night, baby?"

"It hurts worse than last night," Kate complained, holding her stomach gingerly with both hands, "So much worse."

"The medicine should help make it hurt less." Jay stroked her head. He turned to his partner. "I guess the morphine and other drugs have totally left her system."

"Poor thing." Erin looked at her daughter sympathetically. She reached into the cabinet and pulled out the bag of medications, placing them on the counter.

"There's so many." Kate looked at the antibiotics, antacids, stomach healing and pain medications, "I have to take all those?"

"Sorry, babes, but they're going to make your tummy heal so you're not hurting," Erin promised, retrieving two plastic cups and the bottle of apple juice from the fridge.

Jay took out the correct dosage from each medicine and put it into a cup. He poured the liquid syrup into the small plastic cups and placed them on the counter next to his daughter.

"The pills are just like your vitamins," Erin said. The nurses at the hospital had been impressed that someone of Kate's age could swallow pills without a fuss. "And the liquid medication will work fast."

"And the good news is that they'll make you feel a whole lot better." Jay filled a cup with water and one with apple juice to follow the liquid medication that he knew was going to taste disgusting.

Kate took each pill one by one and swallowed the syrup. She wrinkled her nose at the taste, confirming Jay's suspicion. "When will they work?" she asked, rubbing her eyes again.

"They should start working in a minute or two." Jay helped her down from the counter. "Do you think you can walk?" Kate tentatively took a few steps and sighed in relief, nodding that she could indeed walk without severe pain. "How about if you go brush your teeth? Mommy or I will be there in a bit to help you change, sound good? And then you get to hang out with Sergeant Voight for an hour or so while we go to court, and we'll come home early."

The little girl nodded again and slowly headed to the bathroom. "Remember to be super careful!" Jay called after her. He turned to Erin and let out a breath. "I guess this is when the pain is supposed to set in."

"Loss of appetite, nausea, dizziness, fatigue…" Erin trailed off, holding two bottles of medicine in her hands. "Look at all these side effects."

"A lot of meds mean a lot of side effects." Jay shrugged, examining other bottles.

"Drowsiness is a main side effect on this one." She pointed out, reading the label of one of Kate's many bottles. She set it down and leaned over the counter top.

"It looks like drowsiness is a side effect of four of the six." Jay told her after inspecting the labels.

"And she takes each of these four times a day for the next four months." Erin showed him the prescription. "Poor thing will be exhausted."

"At least she won't be sick." Jay sighed, reaching out for his girl. Erin embraced her partner, and he held her closely. "You look beautiful today." he whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. She smiled and rested her head against his shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Erin shrugged and yawned tiredly. "Is it paranoid of me to be so concerned about her?" she asked, her words muffled against his dressy court attire.

"Not at all." he kissed her gently. "Have some coffee." he handed her a mug, which she accepted gratefully.

A wail echoed from the bathroom just as Erin was about to finish her last sip of coffee. "Kate!" Erin yelped, dropping the mug on the kitchen floor, letting it shatter to pieces. Jay, in the midst of lacing up his court shoes, sprinted for the bathroom, Erin right behind him.

Kate was curled up in a ball on the bathroom shower mat, her knees drawn to her chest in agony. "What happened?" Jay exclaimed, sinking down to his daughter's level. He put his hand on her forehead and stroked it gently with his thumb. "Is it your stomach?"

The little girl nodded weakly. "I tried to take my shirt off and I-I-I…" She stuttered before dissolving into tears.

"Oh, sweetheart." Erin crouched down next to her partner and delicately placed her hand on Kate's back. "Daddy and I will help you. Come here, let's get you sitting up."

"I can't!" Kate wailed, fresh tears streaking down her face. "It hurts!" Jay reached out unbutton her shirt so he could look at her stitches, but a howl of pain stopped his hand. "No, no, no!"

Erin and Jay exchanged glances. "We should take her in." Jay sighed as Erin rubbed Kate's back. "I don't think this much pain is common for stomach surgery. Especially with the painkillers."

"Don't make me move." Kate whimpered, looking up at her parents with wet, swollen eyes. "Don't make me."

"We can't just have you lying on the floor in pain, kiddo." Jay turned to his partner again. Erin nodded in agreement, continuing to rub her daughter's back. Kate groaned again, her face screwed tightly in anguish.

"Hang on, Jay." Erin tentatively lifted the edge of Kate's pajama top, revealing an angry rash that was spreading across her daughter's back. "She's having an allergic reaction to one of the medications." Erin's eyes were wide. "We gotta get her to Med, right now."

"No no no no no no no!" shrieked Kate, "No no no!" She burst into tears again, her entire body wracked with sobs.

"I'm so sorry baby," Erin stood quickly, "but we need to get some medicine in you as soon as possible." Kate wailed, desperately trying to keep Jay from picking her up.

"I know you're hurting, kiddo, that's why we gotta take you." Jay grimaced at the thought of causing his daughter any type of pain, but quickly realized she would be far worse off if he did nothing. He carefully lifted the little girl, who let out a shrill squeal in displeasure, her small body convulsing in sobs.

Erin placed a coat over her daughter as she bawled in her father's arms. "You're being so brave, sweet girl," she cooed, grabbing Jay's coat and her own before opening the front door. "I know it hurts, but we're going to take care of it really soon."

"It's not fair!" Kate cried as Erin sped through the intersection, lights flashing. Jay was sprawled across the backseat of the Sierra with Kate in his arms in an attempt to provide the little girl some relief, but nothing seemed to work. She moaned pitifully as Erin took the right turn. "It's not fair."

"I know it's not." Jay stroked her hair, noting how pale her face had gotten. "Are you going to get sick?" Kate groaned again and clutched her stomach tighter, struggling to take a breath. "Er, she can barely breathe!" Jay exclaimed, all attempts to keep his cool failing. Kate inhaled sharply and coughed forcefully, resulting in a screech of anguish.

"We're almost there, baby, hang tight." Erin peeled into the emergency entrance and slammed on the breaks.

"I'm dizzy." Kate gasped out as Jay quickly got out of the car, Kate in his arms. Her breathing had become increasingly labored as the drive wore on and was now desperate, tortured wheezes.

"So close, kiddo, you're being so brave." Halstead rushed toward the entrance, Erin on his heels.

"I'm gonna…" Kate started before vomiting all over the sidewalk, narrowly missing her father's shoes as he sprinted for the ED doors. "Ow." She moaned, "Ow ow ow."

"Don't worry baby, we're here." Lindsay pushed open the emergency department double doors. Kate's labored breathing turned into panicked gulps for air as her parents began searching for a doctor that they knew. "Maggie, she's having an allergic reaction to one of her meds." Lindsay shouted, catching sight of the senior ED nurse.

Maggie raced over and accepted the bag of medicine that Lindsay thrust at her. "Get me a bed!" The seasoned nurse hollered, rattling off commands at various interns and other nurses. She turned to doctor. "Anaphylaxis. Allergic to one of these." She handed the man a bag of the medication before turning to the family.

"Jay! What's going on?" Dr. Halstead emerged from a trauma bay and caught sight of his niece struggling to breathe.

"She's allergic to one of the meds." Jay said breathlessly, Kate gasping desperately in his arms.

"Do something!" Erin exclaimed frantically. Within the minute, Jay set Kate on a hospital bed and Will administered some type of painkiller and epinephrine, because the little girl had finally quieted. Her breathing quickly went from erratic gasps to slower wheezes for air until the child dozed off, spent from the exertion.

"Poor thing." Jay mused, stroking her hair off Kate's damp forehead. He turned to his partner. "Good catch on the allergic reaction."

Lindsay grimaced tiredly and let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. "Let's just figure out what medicine did this to her so she can finally get some rest."

Halstead pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I'll call Hank. Tell him we'll be late."

Lindsay nodded and continued to stroke Kate's head.

After two hours in the ED figuring out which medicine Kate was allergic to, the family headed home so that the tired little girl could get some rest. According to the State's attorney, Jay needed to testify to make the case, while it would be okay if Erin missed it. "Are you two going to be alright if I go to court?" Jay asked, carrying his fatigued daughter down the hall to their apartment, "I don't think I should be long." The little girl hadn't uttered a word since entering the ED, falling in and out of sleep as she was examined and moved.

"We'll be fine," Erin opened the door, "I think she just needs to sleep."

Jay nodded in agreement and headed for his daughter's bedroom to allow her some much-needed rest. Kate whimpered, wrapping her arms tighter around his neck. "Don't worry squirt, this medicine should do the trick. You're going to be feeling better in no time." Jay stroked the back of her head gently, resting his cheek against Kate's soft hair.

"Uh-uh." Kate shook her head and let out another whimper as Jay tried to ease her into bed. "Daddy no." She pleaded, tears leaking out of her eyes. "Don't go, don't go."

"You need some rest Squirt." Jay sat down atop the light blue comforter, Kate still in his arms. "You're exhausted. You had a major surgery this week, your body needs to recover."

Erin entered the bedroom, bearing Kate's new cocktail of medication and a cup of water. "Okay baby, so these new pills need to be taken with some food, so do you think we could have a little bite to eat?"

Kate shook her head again, burying her face into Jay's neck. "I've got to go to work, Squirt. They really need me, otherwise I wouldn't leave you." Jay slowly loosened the child's grip. "But Mommy is going to be here with you and I'll be home before you know it." He gently passed Kate over to Erin, where she crumbled into her mother's embrace.

"Ow, Mama, ow," Kate moaned, curling in tighter to Erin's frame, "It hurts."

"We have to get some meds in her." Jay placed a hand on Erin's back. "As soon as she eats something."

"How about some food babes?" Erin nuzzled the top of Kate's head. "And we can hang out on the couch all day. We could read some of the new books from Sergeant Platt or watch a new episode of Planet Earth."

Kate replied with a whimper. Erin and Jay exchanged looks, but Erin nodded at her partner, recognizing that he was needed at the courthouse. After a moment, Jay turned to leave for work. "Daddy!" Kate cried out, bursting into tears.

"He'll be home soon, don't you worry." Erin followed with Kate still in her arms, trailing after her partner as he headed for the front door. "Do you want to give Daddy a hug good bye?"

"Nuh-uh," Kate mumbled, her face remaining in Erin's neck, "I hurt too much to move."

Jay and Erin's hearts broke. "Oh, sweetheart." He leaned in and placed a kiss on her damp forehead. "I love you." He turned to his girlfriend. "These meds will work." Jay said confidently, running a finger down Kate's cheek.

"Except for the fact that they're going to make her a hell of a lot more tired." Erin sighed, looking over at the shattered mug and coffee that littered the kitchen floor. "You better get to courthouse or ASA Stone is going to be pissed. I'll take it from here."

"You sure?" Jay reached for her hand. "I could stay you know. Even just for a little bit."

She smiled sadly. "Yes, but you have a jury waiting for you. I'll take care of our little patient, and see you for dinner, okay?" Erin pressed her lips to Jay's. "I love you."

"Love you." He mumbled against her lips.