Drowning In Secrets

Please stay...

*taylors 5 month mark*

Taylor had officially been in the unit for 5 months today and Jay hadn't let it go unnoticed, "hey you, happy 5 months" he smiled as Taylor walked into the bullpen. She narrowed her eyes at him, "happy 5 months? What have you got planned Halstead?" She smiled at him. Jay laughed and shook his head, "today marks the day you joined intelligence 5 months ago" he looked up at her as she leant on his desk sideways, "awh you remembered?" She teased him. Jay rolled his eyes but smiled, "shut up" he nudged her arm. She laughed and slipped of his desk, if only she knew that her laughter wouldn't last much longer.

"Crawfords waiting for us on a scene let's go" hank walked out into the bullpen. They all got up and ran downstairs to gear up, the pair took Taylor's car since he liked how she drives and they arrived at the scene in no time. He still had no clue how she could drive so on edge but so carefully at the same time...

"It looks like a gang war, 5 female DOA's all shot dead, ballistics said they were firing 98's. There's 2 offenders in the wind..." Crawford began to explain but the sound of shots interrupted them all. It all happened so fast, one minute they were all stood in a semi circle listening in and the next thing they knew was pure chaos. Taylor thought everyone was safe until she realised jay was on the floor gasping for air, "jay..." she ran over to him and ripped off his vest. Tears in her eyes were forming way too quickly and her vision was already blurred, "stay with me jay..." she applied pressure to his bullet wound on his shoulder. "I want eyes on the shooter now!" Hank barked orders at the rest of the unit as he called an ambo. "Stay with me jay. please stay..." she almost begged him as they locked eyes.

Jays vision was dipping in and out of focus, one second he could see light, the next was darkness and the next would be his partners face but even when he is on the verge of dying all he can think of is how she's so perfect. His pain became non existent as his eyes rolled shut, utter darkness. "We need to get him to med now!" Brett cleared the path back to the ambo as she rolled the gurney back up to the ambo. "I'm going with him" Taylor looked at hank as her boss waved her off. She hopped in the back with Mackey as Brett closed the door and ran around to the front. The drive was only short but to Taylor it felt like eternity, she didn't let go of his hand the whole was there as Mackey flashed her reassuring smiles.

Once jay was fully wheeled into the ED Will spotted her stood there in shock, "he's gonna make it tayls, come on take a seat" he guided her over to a waiting room chair. She immediately broke down into wills arms, "I know, I know..." Will brushed hair hand over her head as she cried into his shoulder. Will knew how close the two were and if it wasn't for the fact that he needed to get back to work he would've stayed with her, "I'll be back to let you know if anything changes..." he rubbed her arm then ran in to check on his brother. Hank ran into the waiting room followed by the rest of the unit, "he's just got here, wills gonna keep us in the loop..." she spoke quietly. Hank nodded and took a seat next to her, "he's gonna be fine" he spoke barely over a whisper. Taylor looked at her boss and smiled with tears in her eyes, if only she could believe him.

A few hours had passed only now Taylor found herself sat in jays room alone with him still knocked out, she sat up straight and leaned forward to hold his hand. She put her head on his hand as she held it in both of hers, "I'm so sorry...I should've took the bullet..." she whispered knowing he couldn't hear her. And she was right, jay couldn't hear her but she needed to talk to him still, she needed him to know she cared.

Jay could feel pain again, he could see faint lights blaring down above him too. He slowly but surely flickered open his eyes to see Taylor sat next to him while fiddling with her coffee lid, "tayls..." is all he could spit out. Taylor shot her head up, "jay" she gasped and immediately stood up to go get Will. As jay watched her leave the room the light was too bright so he had to squint to see her, all he could see was her silhouette in the doorway. That familiar silhouette which he could tell apart from a mile away, curves, curves and more curves, eventually he saw his knucklehead, ginger haired brother walk into his room in a hurry. "Can you hear me jay? How's the pain level?" Will put jays bed slightly higher.

Jay mumbled groggily, "I feel like I've just been shot in the chest..." he spoke sarcastically which made Taylor chuckle although it sounded more like a relieved laugh. Will shook his head, "haha very funny man, seriously though, how you feeling?" He fiddled with the iv line. Jay huffed, "I'm in a little discomfort but nothing too bad" he sat up in bed despite wills attempts to stop him. Will nodded, "that's my call, I'll be back to check up on you later" Will sighed as his pager went off, he ran out leaving the two partners alone. Taylor leant on the arm of jays hospital bed, "you scared me..." she looked down. Jay smiled, "you ain't getting rid of me that easy..." he met her gaze as she looked back up with a smile on her face.

The rest of the team came in to visit jay before getting back to work, Taylor stayed with him though, "you know I hate hospitals..." jay pulled a face and looked at his partner. Taylor smiled, "I do" she nodded. Jay sighed, "you gotta get me outta here" he sat up a little. Taylor laughed, that same contagious laugh filled the room as well as jays mind, "not an option" she shook her head. Jay huffed, "fine" he smiled. She stayed with him until he was let out, unfortunately Will ordered him to stay on bed rest for the next day.

"You don't have to stay..." jay groaned as he got into his apartment, Taylor followed right behind him carrying his bag. "I'm staying Halstead, no second thought about it. I'll just take the couch" she closed the door. Jay smiled to himself, "yes ma'am" he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She laughed but forced him to sit on the couch since he was meant to be resting. "Here" she handed him something quick to eat since it was late. They watched a film and talked all night, they often found themselves lost in each other's eyes a few times before they eventually called it a night. Jay gave her some joggers and a t shirt to sleep in since her clothes would be uncomfortable, they swam on her but she liked the oversized look. Taylor took the couch even after jays argument that she should take the bed and he takes the couch, she never gives in and she definitely doesn't lose. In the end jay slept in his bed and Taylor took the couch.