An Unfortunate Mix-Up ✔️

Chapter 30: Waking Up

Chase stood in the doorway, taking a series of deep breathes as he watched his teammate closely. 

It had been a day since landing the plane ready to simply pick him up after a busy day in Chicago. A day since he had found the blood and broken phones. A day since he had realized Alex had been kidnapped. A day since he had to make the phone call to his boss, followed by his teammates, to relay the news with worry staining him. 

It had been a day of eating at him if he hadn't been a little late if he could have changed the outcome not only for Alex, but for Jay as well.

He remembered hearing another plane had landed in Chicago, thanks to his father. After the series of phone calls, the worry just increased for Alex with Alex's parents, Blake, a couple other crew members, Mr. H, Linda, William, CJ and Jake among those who made the trip to Chicago.

He remembered as they sat in silence at the 21st district waiting for news of them being rescued, as well as hearing various details of the case be spoken by the Intelligence Unit team. He remembered hearing they'd been found, followed by the nervous trip to the hospital in hopes of the best news possible. With having heard what happened in the basement, it was probably the best news they could've hoped for.

They'd been there for a while, with CJ and Jake finally convincing Alex's parents to get a bite to eat and freshen up a little as they promised they had everything under control. They weren't about to leave him alone, and would notify as soon as he woke up. It was why the pair sat in the room, as Chase and William took their turn standing by the back wall.

"He's going to be okay..." William comments quietly as he looks over at Chase, seeing the worry written over his face. Chase could only nod his head in agreement, knowing how strong his teammate was. However, he couldn't help but feel nerves as his eyes laid on the man before him.

"I think we're all going to feel better when he wakes up," Chase replies, to which William couldn't even dare to try and argue with him. "I just can't stop thinking about what happened and what if I would've gotte-"

"You can't do that to yourself, man. Sure, you get there a little sooner, and boom, you're jammed up with them. That could've cost more issues because what if they don't want to take three hostages, and what if balancing everything out becomes harder? I know you're thinking you would've been the great hero, but it doesn't always work like that." William takes his eyes off of Chase, and looks back at Alex with a sigh. "Between all of us, fuck, I hate that it's him. I almost wish it was me."

"Nah man, you're the pretty young boy of the squad. We both know that you would be feeling that pain more." William just rolls his eyes, but couldn't help but chuckle in knowing where the comment came from originally.

The pair rest their eyes on the sight before them, silence falling over the room with just the monitors being the only noise they had heard. It was comforting in a way, in knowing he was there with them. The fact that Chicago Med had been very open about the visitation policy was also comforting, too.

"Jake..." CJ's words catch everyone's attention as Jake allows his eyes to drift down to CJ's hand, seeing another hand had caught it. "Come on buddy...."

"Squeeze his hand, open those eyes," Jake adds in the encouragement, not allowing his sight to leave the hand, although wanting to see a pair of his eyes watching him as well.

"Come on Alex, you can do this..." CJ feels the squeeze become that much more, the nod of his head catching the attention of the pair of teammates at the back of the room. 

"That's it buddy..." Neither of them move, as they both slowly look at his face, seeing a pair of eyes looking back at them. The smiles immediately fill the room, except for the man before them.

"Oh..." were the only words that Alex allowed to escape his mouth, pain engulfing him as he reached for his side where he had been penetrated hours earlier in the day. "Fuck..."

"You can do lots of that when you're better," Chase comments, earning a smack from William as CJ couldn't help but chuckle in response. 

"Pain..." He reaches to his side, feeling the bandage that laid there, only for his hand to be pulled away gently by CJ as the pair of midget drivers caught each other's attention. "It hurts..."

"It's going to be sore for awhile," CJ tells him straight up. "You had a piece of the beam from the house stuck in there, nicking your spleen if I remember correct. Lost a lot of blood, collapsed your lung, scared the crap out of everybody in this room. There's a good reason you're going to be sore for awhile, bud."

"Least you're in a place where they can give you the good stuff for it," Jake adds, glancing back towards William and Chase. They knew what was warranted immediately, as William stepped out of the room to get the doctor while Chase pulled out his phone. Everybody knew the steps to follow if Alex woke up, no exact responsibilities assigned but knowing what was necessary. Chase knew after a matter of texts, there'd be a bunch of relief and happy tears, followed by some big hugs to follow soon. "And maybe you'll meet a sexy nurse to take home to take care of you."

"No, thank you. Too much pain..." Alex takes a deep breath, glancing up at the monitor above his shoulder as he sees the lines across the screen, as well as the beeps filling his ears. He could only hope they were what they wanted to see right now. He then takes a series of deep breathes, the pain filling his side that much more, surprised William hadn't returned back with a doctor yet. Where were these good drugs that the boys promised him? There was another realization as he laid there, everything flashing through his mind that happened in a matter of seconds. "Jay..."

"The doctors say he is going to be okay," CJ assures Alex immediately, knowing the caring side of him would be worrying and more concerned without getting the answers he wanted. "He has a road to recovery, a couple different things going on, but the doctors are taking care of him. He is going to be okay."

"I am just sorry that I was late man," Chase lets out as he glances up from his phone, seeing the emotions flash across Alex's face with all the flashbacks coming to him at once from the hours of hell he endured. It seemed no matter the words he was told by everybody afterwards, the guilt was still there from being a little late. "Here comes Willie B with your relief..."

"He's complaining of a lot of pain to his side," CJ comments as Connor (Rhodes) enters the room, taking a couple steps back away from the bed to give them space to do what they needed to do. "I told him you'd be here with some relief.." 

"The pain is not a surprise, but you are right - we have relief in store," Connor says, as Chase takes a step out of the room. It did not go unnoticed, as William followed, with Alex glancing as his teammates as they did so.

"It's not his fault," Alex says quietly as he takes a series of deep breaths, still trying to keep his composure despite all the pain he was feeling. CJ nods his head in agreement, though knew there was bigger things to focus on right now.