An Unfortunate Mix-Up ✔️

Chapter 29: Surgery

Jay could feel the poking and prodding. He could feel the sharp pains shooting up the sides of his body. He could feel the muscles moving without instruction. He could feel the pain aching in his back, almost feeling like it'd rip through everything.

Stirring lightly, he felt a panic begin to set in as he heard a variety of voices surrounding him, followed by more poking. His eyes flash open as he feels a sharp pain, willing himself to let out a scream.

"Woah...easy Jay..." He hears a familiar voice, knowing it was one of the doctors at Chicago Med. Kelly was down in the collapse with him. Kelly had said they were being rescued soon and he could still roughly feel himself being lifted out of there. So why was he in pain? Did they escape, or did something happen?

"Pain..." was all he could let out as it threatened to engulf every part of him, perhaps more than before. 

"We're slowly dealing with that man, don't worry. We've got you. We're taking care of you.." Jay hoped those words were right as he'd take any relief he could right now from what he was feeling. He trusted the source of those words, knowing this person would take care of him no matter what. That's what brothers were for, right?

"Erin..." The name slipped from his lips, as he remembered his words to Will. He needed to make sure she was safe. She couldn't endure what he had gone through.

"Don't worry, Hank called Olivia, she's taking care of her..." He then feels another sharp pain up through him, eyes squinting closed almost on command as he fought against it. "Easy Jay..."

"Pain..." The word voluntarily escaped once again as his ankles, legs, back, torso, stomach, ribs, arms, wrists - everything just hurt to the nines right now.

"Like I said, Ethan is taking care of it. Now close your eyes buddy. He's going to give you something to relax..." Those were the last words that Jay heard as he felt a needle prick his arm, allowing him to fade back away into the darkness.

Perhaps that was welcomed right now as he didn't know how much more he could handle.

************

It was hours later as Will sat in the waiting room, having joined Hank and Hailey after persistence from practically every colleague in the building. His eyes only looked up from the ground when he watched some unfamiliar individuals walk in and take seats on the other side.

They were known by individuals in the room, as Hank stood up and made his way over, shaking their hands.

"I can assure you that Alex is in good hands with the doctors here," Hank told them, especially keeping his eyes on the older pair at the end. "They've always come through for us when we need it. He's going to be okay."

There was an awkward silence from that moment on, as everybody just silently sat. There were worries and nerves. There were a couple trickling tears down cheeks. There was also an unease in not having heard anything or seen anything.

The eyes only left the ground when those on the other side were asked to follow, to which Will knew that meant they were getting an update on Alex. He just hoped it was positive, not wanting to see Alex worse off based on what happened, and not wanting that on his brother's conscious.

He watches as Connor makes his way into the room after a bit, eyes locked on himself and Hank with a nod. The nod was all Will needed, knowing that everything Connor had done was going to be fine.

"He's going to make it, right?" Hank questions, not knowing Connor's cues from obviously having not spent enough time with him. Will chuckled at that thought, as it was very common for the Intelligence Unit officers to be over at Chicago Med so cues should be easy by now.

"Alex will be okay," Connor comments as he takes a deep breath, perhaps debating whether to continue with his next set of words. "The beam was deep in there, nicked his spleen, but he will be fine. Limited movement to slowly getting back into things, combined with changing dressing and a lack of infection, he should be healed completely in a month. The lung is almost back to full size, too. All his vital signs look good, thanks to some hydration and a blood transfusion." 

"How about Jay?" Hailey asks about her husband and partner, as Connor takes another deep breath. Jay was another story in his mind, as there was certainly a list of concerns.

"I would suggest vacation, or very light desk duty for a month if he persists, but there's concerns...." Hailey instinctively grips onto Hank with her left hand, as Will clasps onto her right hand, nerves filling the group as they sat there in hearing the bare minimum details. "I am going to head to toe here because it seems simple enough. He has a mild concussion. His heartbeat is irregular, unsteady, and sometimes flexes more than the cardiovascular department would prefer. It's why they asked for pacing wires to be put in place temporarily to stea-"

"How long is that necessary? Like Connor, please be honest. It's me. Is he going to be okay?" Connor could see the angst in Hailey's eyes as he looked straight at her, before glancing towards Will.

"Like I said at the beginning, vacation or desk duty so we both know what that means. The duration for the wires - it all depends how quickly his body heals. He was electrocuted to his back multiple times, at least 10. It has messed with his heart, as well as the central nerves system and muscles. That's why he's getting shooting nerve pain or muscle spasms randomly. As his body regulates itself and goes back to normal, that will all improve." 

"Was he ever normal, though?" Will questions with a chuckle, as Connor couldn't help but join in to break the tension in the room.

"His pain tolerance is stupid high at times if you ask me," Connor comments, to which Will nods his head in agreement. They both knew where that came from in relation to Jay's training and background, but were still quite regularly surprised. "The electrocution was delivered to the back, resulting in third and fourth degree burns across his back. We've cleaned them, cream, bandage, but are keeping an eye as a skin graph may be necessary. He was bound by his wrists, resulting in cuts and bruising. He actually broke his left wrist with his escape method. His stomach is covered by heavy bruising, to which is equated to being struck with a bat multiple times it appears. A couple broken ribs as a result. There are whip marks across his legs, which that brings more pain obviously. His left leg was broken in three places due to the trauma caused by the beam falling - surgery is done to stabilize that. Essentially, it will take six to eight weeks to heal from everything. The big thing right now, though, is bodily function, from his heart to his muscles and nerves. If that continues to get better, he will be fine." 

"Can we go see him?" Connor nods his head yes as that was essentially why he had returned after allowing Alex to have his visitors.