Finding my way in Chicago

Chapter 4

Phoebe's Pov:

We arrived at the district. When we walked inside we walked up some stairs and stopped at what looked like a cage but with stairs behind it. Lindsay put in a code and her hand print, then she opened the gate and we walked up. We got upstairs and I saw several desks. Lindsay and I walked into a room that looked like a break room.

"Want anything to drink?" She asks me.

"Can i have some coffee?" I ask smiling innocently. She looks at me and smiles and raises her eyebrows.

"Sure, I don't see why not." She laughs. "We have creme and milk in the fridge and the sugar is right here." She points to a container sugar that's next to the coffee machine.

"Thank you! I just need some energy. It's been hard lately staying asleep. I'm either up half of the night or not sleeping at all. Plus sleeping on benches and buses isn't the best place to sleep for days at a time." I rant to her.

"I understand completely. See when i was your age, i wasn't doing so good. I had no one to take care of me. I was on my own. That was until I met this cop and he helped me through a lot then eventually he took me in. I lived with him until I was able to live on my own. Him and his wife were like the parents I never had. He kept me in line, made sure I was fed, and had a roof over my head. And for that I will forever be thankful to them." She tells me. I get the feeling she is like me and doesn't really like to open up unless you can trust the person you are confiding in. I have a feeling I'm going to really connect and learn from her.

"Can i meet them sometime?" I ask her but something in her face is off.

"You have already met the cop, but the woman died of cancer a couple of years ago." She tells me. She looks upset. I give her a hug.

"I'm so sorry detective Lindsay." I tell her, still hugging her.

" Erin, please call me Erin." I nod my head.

"Wait, you said I've already met the cop. Who is it?" I ask. She looks at me and smiles then looks out the door and nods her head to Voight as he is walking back into his office.

"Wait, it was Voight!" I say. She nods her head. I stand up and she looks confused so I smile at her and walk out of the break room. Everyone stares at me as I walk into Voight's office and take a seat.

"Hi" I said to him. He looks surprised that I'm in there.

"Hi" He said back.

"You know you did a good job with her. I just wish I had someone like that to be there for me." I say looking down at the floor.

"Listen kid, we're a family here and we protect our own. You'll always have someone here to protect you okay." He tells me, smiling at me. I get up and see that Erin is in the doorway staring at us. Everybody behind her was looking into the room trying to understand what was going on.

Erin says to me "Why don't you go sit at my desk while I talk to Hank okay." I nod and she gives me a hug before I walk out. I hesitate before taking a seat at her desk. Jay is sitting at the desk in front of me. The guy I saw talking to the paramedic is sitting next to me, but I don't know anyone else's name.

"Can everyone tell me their names because I'm drowning over here. I know you're Jay, you told me this morning. I don't know your name but I recognize you from yesterday. But I don't know anyone else's name." I tell them.

"Wait, I just only met you today how do you recognize me from yesterday?" The guy at the desk next to me asks.

"Well yesterday after everything I went for a walk and just kept walking until I saw the firehouse. The firehouse just amazed me so much I just sat across the street looking at it. Then I saw you there talking to the lady paramedic."

"Oh right. Yeah, that's my sister Gabby. She has asked me to stop by." He tells me. "By the way I'm Antonio Dawson."

"I'm Kevin Atwater." Says the guys next to Jay.

"I"m Adam Ruzek." The guy behind Kevin says to me.

"Alvin. Alvin Olinsky." Says the guy wearing the beanie and is sitting behind Jay.

"Well you know my name. I'm Jay Halstead."  

"Can i just call all of you guys by your first name?" I ask them. They all nod.

It's been silent for a few moments after our conversation. I think no one knows what to say. So I've decided I'm going to break the silent awkwardness.

"Okay, someone please say something. Anything. The awkward silence is killing me. I mean come on talk like i'm not even here. I know you guys talk. You look like talkable people, well except for you Al. Can I call you Al? Imma call you Al." They all start laughing and Al just smiles at me so I smile back. I stand up and just start twirling in the walkway in between the desks. Everyone smiles at me. Voight's office door opens and Erin and him walk out; they smile at me twirling. "Okay that just made me kinda dizzy." We all start laughing. I start to yawn.

"You tired?" Kevin asks me.

"Yeah a little. I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Why don't you go get some sleep on the couch in the break room." Erin tells me.

"Thank you." I tell her. I start to walk to the break room but before I walk in, I turn around. "I hope you guys catch him because the longer he's out there, the more people he can hurt. But no pressure. Good luck! Imma go catch some z's."