Case by Case Love

Chapter 10: A Second Bomb

Jay takes a deep breath as he sits there, patiently waiting. 

He knew from the moment he radioed he had disarmed the device to when rescue and the bomb squad arrive should only be a matter of minutes. It could not come sooner for him as he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. The bomb may be disarmed, but it was still not comforting being this close to it. 

He also wanted to get loose and downstairs so he could get his hands on the suspect himself, and question as to what in tarnation's he was thinking. There were few times he agreed with Hank's extreme tactics with witnesses - but this was one of those occasions. He wanted to ensure the cage downstairs was used this time and to its full extent in ability until all answers were driven out of their suspect. It was the same way he hadn't cared when the man who shot at him on his second year on the job was locked down there. Whatever was necessary, right?

BANG!!!!!

His thoughts were frozen or forgotten - possibly both - all the same time in a single moment when a loud sound boomed through the air. At the same time the sound could be heard sending a ringing sensation through his ears, he feels the ground shift below his feet and glasses shattering in the room next to his. 

"Shit!" He screams as he tries to grab onto the strongest object closest to him in the room - hopeful the big table he was at maybe was anchored into the ground being one of those big offices.

The sensation does not stop, and in an instant, he feels like he's free-falling, going down multiple stories in the building at once through the floor, with the table and bomb obviously following him right through thanks to the chain that remained. 

He could feel an instant headache coming on. There was a ringing in his ears that wouldn't go away. His arm hurt. His chest hurt. His entire body hurt, but those body parts hurt the most. He didn't need to open his eyes to know there was scattered debris around him - from glass to drywall, to the bomb he had disarmed.

He tries to get his wits about him, but the ringing in his ears felt as though it was becoming too much - or perhaps the pain ricocheting through his body as he laid in the scrambled debris. 

"5021 Adam bomb explosion at the corner of North Michigan Avenue and Oak Street," he could hear from his radio which was scattered somewhere in the debris that surrounded him. Why hadn't he clipped it back on his waist? Why hadn't he grabbed onto it when he started to fall? Where in tarnation was it? "Need all units to my location. Rescue to my location. Multiple wounded so requesting all ambos in the area to my location. Intelligence officers, please check in..."

"Hailey and I are okay," Adam comes through first on the radio. Jay could only wonder where they were, having known they were on the fifth floor of the building at the opposite side of the street. They had probably come down once Jay had assured them things were going to be okay, and were on the main street right now.

"Kim and I are okay, no sign of the suspect," Kevin was next through the radio, which Jay knew based on previous tactical plans the pair had probably been positioned by one of the exits in hoping of catching the suspect which had left Jay's location.

"We're all good on ground zero," Erin's voice was the last to come through, quiet though as Jay could hear the worry laced in her voice. It was obvious she had seen what had happened to the building that Jay was now surrounded in debris by - partial collapse was probably the view from the outside - and worried as to whether he was going to be okay. He wanted to give her assurance. He wanted to offer the words of comfort he would be okay.

"Jay?" Hank's voice demanded attention through the radio - not in a worrisome way, although he probably was worried in Jay's thoughts with their close relationship. However, it was a Sergeant's voice that came through. It was one that demanded answers and attention. It was the voice that you could not ignore.

He could not focus on the voices, the ringing in his ears threatening to take over his thoughts. 

He could not focus on the finding the source of the voices, the pain ricocheting through his body, the blood he felt dripping down his arm piercing through every thought. 

Deep breathes. He had to focus on surviving. He had to do what was necessary. He had to remember the training - move slow, put the pain aside, and do everything to complete the mission. You could worry about the rest later, right? 

Letting out a large scream, he forces his body to reach to where he noticed a black box, clasping it with his right hand. He had wanted to with his left being closer, but there was no way the pain would let him to do so. He then picked it up, thankful it was what he wanted.

He then flops on his back in the midst of the debris, focusing on the deep breathes in trying to keep his body as calm as possible to prevent the shock it threatened to go in from the situation. He tried to focus on the little things around him, ignoring the sensors that told him of the pain he was experiencing. He didn't even want to take a look at that arm right now.

"5021 George," he barely lets out as his breathes became more labored despite trying to focus on his techniques. "Secondary bomb in building next door went off. Partial building collapse. Fell two or three stories. Need help...send rescue...need help...5021 George officer in distress..." 

He then feels his body shake despite not being cold, a cough ricocheting through his body as he screams in the pain that followed by it. He then feels something wet with his lips, reaching his good arm up to wipe it away. He then looks at it, every bit of fear written in his eyes as all he could see was red.