Life is Fluid Part II

Chapter 14: Midnight Demons

Will had taken the spot previously occupied beside Jay's bed, sitting in the chair. He was used to spending time at the hospital, and sometimes finding odd spots to crash when they had gotten overrun with patients or if he hadn't wanted to leave despite end of shift to keep an eye on a particular patient. He was able to get curled up in the chair, and be comfortable, his eyes drifting closed at times as he kept an eye on his brother. 

However, finding the sleep he wished for, did not come easy as he kept periodically waking up to look over his left to see just how Jay was doing. Thankfully, the sedative was working and allowing him to get the relief he craved for with some sleep. There was also a slight increase in his blood pressure per the monitors, which gave hope that fluids were finally setting in with his body and his kidneys were healing. Of course, they would not know the full truth till morning and the proper scans were done. 

He lets out a sigh as he knew the question that would be asked in the morning. 

Can I go home? When can I get out of here? He knew more than anything Jay hated being in the hospital, and everything about them. Who could blame him after having spent weeks with his mother as she died of cancer? It was why despite how much agony he was in earlier, they had managed to change him out of the hospital gown into a very loose t-shirt and pair of shorts from the items that had been brought from home. 

Can we please go see Erin? How is she doing? Will knew the concern that Jay felt about Erin, as he had asked how she was doing while Will helped him change earlier. Will did not have much to offer, in having not seen or spoken to her or Hank since seeing them at the office. He also did not figure it was right for him to tell Jay about Erin wanting to keep her badge and such, knowing that would be a special moment for them to share. Truth be told, he had seen the positive influence she had on him over the past year and wanted to see the relationship continue to blossom. He wanted to see them continue to get closer, with Jay finally having someone to lean on like he deserved. Sure, she had her flaws, but truth be told, Jay had his own too. Was it too much for them to balance them out together?

When I go back to work? How soon can I return to the office? There was no way you could ever keep Jay down for long. He wanted more than anything to be in the office, catching the bad guys, chasing people down through the streets. There was something about the adrenaline and action that just hit him in the perfect spot in the soul. Perhaps it was because it was the structure he needed to keep the triggers of the war at bay. Perhaps it was his way of continuing to put that life in the rearview mirror. But wait - even when he was younger and they were kids, you could never keep Jay down for long. He always had to be doing something or he got bored. This was just an extension of that now he was older.

Will takes a deep breath as he looks back towards his brother once more, scanning him over, before taking another glance at those monitors. They would always tell you the beeps of the monitors would drive you crazy. Sometimes that was the case for Will in having nightmares about them at times. But this time, it brought peace in hearing the consistency, in knowing his brother was going to be okay.

He knew he wanted to be here and not leave his post no matter what. He knew he wanted to help Jay even once he was released from the hospital, glad he was staying with him right now. He wanted to tend the wounds, help him deal with the pain, be the comforting rock he needed even if he denied that. 

He hadn't been there for him when their mother died, running off to California for his own selfish reasons. He hadn't returned to Chicago when Jay came home from the war, dealing with both the physical and emotional scars. He had read Jay's file in knowing the injuries sustained - including a medically induced coma for 48 hours due to the amount of pain. He had heard from Mouse how bad things got at times during the recovery, and months beyond that. 

Drugs. Alcohol. Bar Fights. Nightmares. Lack of sleep. Lack of motivation. Tears. A pair of drug overdoses. It was why there was no way Jay would ever touch opioids ever again, in not wanting to relive that horror once again. How could he have let his brother go through that alone? What kind of brother did that make him? 

"Will?" Jay questions as he glances around the room, half-asleep. "Will? Are you still here?" 

"We're both still here," Mouse comments from his spot in the corner of the room, having taken up residence on a cot. Will had got one brought into Jay's room on special request to his boss in knowing his brother could use the comfort from both, but also knowing the hell Mouse had gone through himself with worry and panic over the past 24 hours. 

"Okay. That's a good thing. I don't want to be alone.." The simple words brought a tear to Will's eye in knowing where those fears came from. Some of them from his past. Some of them from what he had just gotten through at Derek's hands. They saw the injuries and had the video of part of the torture. But would they ever learn the full story?

"We're not leaving you, Jay," Will says as he reaches over, placing his hand on top of his brother's. "We're both going to be here as long as you need us. We love you...."