Case by Case Love

Chapter 12: Worried

Erin takes a deep breath, fighting the urge for tears to escape her eyes and begin rolling down her cheeks in that very moment. She doesn't even flinch as she feels an arm wrap around her shoulders, already knew who it belonged to. If there was anybody in the hospital waiting room that could sympathize with her, it was this man. 

Kelly had one of a few people to have seen Jay since everything happened. Kelly saw the bruises that traced his entire body from the fall. Kelly saw the blood that bled from multiple spots along his right arm. Kelly saw the blood that trickled from his mouth due to a cough. Kelly heard the pain that was laced in his voice when he called out, and was being helped out of the building. Kelly felt the body tremble against his touch when cutting the chain, and taking him out of the predicament he was in.

"I just wish they could come say something, anything," Erin whispers, finally reaching up to wipe her eyes as she felt a tear trickle down the cheeks, finally leaking out of her eyes. It seemed with each passing minute, now an hour since arriving at the hospital, it was getting that much harder to resist the urge of just letting it all go. "I just want to know that he's going to be okay. I just want someone to tell me that. Can't they tell me that at least?" 

Her resistance was gone in that moment, as the tears began falling, only resulting in Kelly's grasp on her shoulders to tighten, shifting so she could bury her head in his chest. Her body shook against his as everything she had been trying to hide since leaving him alone in the building began coming out in a big wave. There was no chance in Kelly's shirt being dry when she was done.

"I should've stayed there with him," she continues. "I should've went into that room, and stopped them before he could have been stuck there. We could've gotten out there together way before the second blast. I should've saved him! He's my partner! He's my responsibility! I wasn't there for him!" 

"You followed orders and what you were told to do," Kelly replies quietly, although knowing he had not done the same in return. Nobody was supposed to had entered the building until the engineer gave the all clear with the partial collapse. But yet he had done so with Otis to ensure that Jay got help as soon as possible. He knew Chief Boden would let it slide, but the higher ups would have plenty to say. It wasn't the first time. He would take all the heat as long as Jay was okay. "If you would have stayed, it would have resulted in both of you hurting together. We both know that would've been a lot worse for both you and Jay." 

"Jay would be focused on taking care of me that he wouldn't take care of his damn self. He would not have let you or Otis touch him, even if I was barely hurt in that case. But we wouldn't had been there because we would've gotten out of there sooner together. That's why we are a team, Kelly!" Kelly rubs her back, trying to calm her down in knowing her reaction was drawing attention from others in the room. Part of him didn't care, though, knowing she had to get it out of her system.

"You can't play the what if game, Erin. It was just drive you crazy. Been there, done that - don't put yourself through that suffering. We both know where all of your energy should be focused right now." Kelly then reaches for a Kleenex, handing it to her as he tries to not shift his position in wanting to let go of the comfort he was offering. "Jay is going to be okay." 

"I hope you're right. My heart tells me that you're right. He's been through so much. He can fight through this..." Kelly nods his head, glad his point was starting to get drawn across. He knew the amount of blood he saw when arriving on the scene, and the fact coughing some up was never a good thing. However, he also knew the unreal strength of Jay and the things they had fought through before.

"He's survived being shot in the chest. He's survived being tortured twice. He's survived being blown up in a hum-vee. This is just another chapter for him." Kelly lets out a sigh as he thinks back to his own history with him, a sigh escaping his lips as he does so. "He doesn't deserve any of this, though. He's one of the biggest heart-est people that I know. He will do anything for those he cares about. Karma is going to make sure he is okay."

"Karma, and this team of doctors. We both know Will won't let Connor or Ethan hear the end of it if something happens to his baby brother. Will will whoop them both a new one. Connor has worked miracles before." Kelly nods his head as he glances over Erin's shoulders at Stella, the pair trading a smile as he does so. 

He remembered when Connor saved her life. He remembered when they also took the harder route of saving her lung rather than a simple removal so she could be a firefighter. He remembered it was a result of smoke inhalation while trying to save him in a fire that was caused to arson.

It was the same fire that resulted in Jay and Will's dad passing away, unfortunately, from smoke inhalation just 29 days after open-heart surgery. He remembered when he and Jay met a day after, both vowing revenge against the individual together. 

I know what you are feeling. He almost killed Stella. If you need help, let me know..... was the words he had told Jay that day. Those words had sunk further in for Jay than he realized, surprised when Jay called him, looking for him to help with the pursuit of a suspect after Hank had asked Jay to hang back, feeling he was too hot-headed to think about the situation rationally.

Kelly remembered the guilt he felt in hearing that Jay had taken a bullet in pursuit of the guy. 

Kelly remembered the anger he felt in knowing Jay was going to get full lectured from Hank for his actions. There was also the anger and frustration in Hank offering a lecture for him as well.

However, there was relief in knowing Jay had found the guy and was able to catch up him, not letting him get away. With the fact Jay had been the only person to track the guy down that day, he wondered if without those actions the guy would have gotten away with almost killing his wife.

"Connor has this under control," Kelly assures Erin as he looks back at the woman in his arms. "He's going to be okay..."