A Detective, A Doctor + One Lost Halstead

Chapter 3

"Whoa, hold on," Trudy Platt says, cutting me off. "Honey, you can't just go off on your own. I understand that you want to see your brothers, but it's not as simple as that. There's a lot you don't know about them, and you need to consider-"

"I don't care!" I interrupt, my voice sharp and defiant. "I don't care what they're like now, or if they don't want to see me. I have to know. I have to see them for myself. Please, Trudy, you have to help me."

Trudy Platt lets out a long sigh. "I'll help you, Amelia, but you have to listen to me," she says, her voice firm. "Your brother Jay...he's not in a good place right now. He's been through a lot, and he's not exactly the same person you remember."

My heart sinks at her words, the image of the brother I don't remember taking on a darker tone in my mind.

 "What do you mean?" I ask, already dreading the answer.

"Jay's had a tough life," Trudy replies, her voice low. "He's lost people he cared about, he's had a messy divorce, and he's seen things no one should ever have to see. He's not the carefree kid he used to be. He's hard and angry and...well, I don't want you to be disappointed when you see him."

I swallow down the lump in my throat as I take in Trudy's words. My brother...hard and angry and broken. It's not the picture I had in my head of the brother I once loved. But I don't care. I need to see him, to know for sure what he's become.

"He's had a divorce?"

Trudy Platt heaves a sigh. "Yeah, he divorced his wife a few years back," she says, her voice tinged with sadness. "It wasn't an easy divorce, either. Jay was devastated...and he hasn't exactly been the same since."

I hang up the phone, my mind made up. I don't care how hard or angry or broken my brother Jay is, I need to see him for myself. I sneak back to my room and log onto my computer, carefully avoiding any noise or movement that might attract my dad's attention.

With a quick few clicks, I book a ticket to Chicago, my heart pounding in my chest. I've made up my mind, and there's no turning back now.

I close the laptop, taking a deep breath as I try to calm my own racing heart. I've just done something crazy, something reckless. I'm not even sure what I'll find when I get to Chicago, but I know I have to go.

I step off the plane and into the bustling Chicago airport, my heart racing in my chest. I don't have much baggage, just a small bag with a few changes of clothes and some toiletries.

I can hardly believe I'm really here, in Chicago, about to see my brothers for the first time in years. As I board a taxi, I try to keep the nerves and anxiety at bay, but it's hard. My brothers...I have no idea what they'll look like now, what they'll say.

The taxi drives through the busy streets of Chicago, and I try to ignore the knots in my stomach as I take in the sights. It's nothing like my small town in New Jersey, and I feel out of place in this big city.

The taxi pulls up in front of a building and the driver turns to me. "This is it," he says, gesturing towards the building. "You sure you wanna get out here, kid?"

I look out the window at the building, taking in the sign on the front: Chicago Police Department. This must be where Jay works, where I'm going to see him.

"Yeah," I say, my voice shaking just a little. "This is the place."

The driver nods and opens the passenger side door for me, and I step out onto the sidewalk. I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves as I look up at the imposing building, wondering what's waiting for me inside.

I step into the bustling police station, my head on a swivel as I take in the chaotic scene. Cops are rushing around, shouting orders and chatting with each other. It's all a bit overwhelming.

As I walk through the room, Trudy Platt suddenly appears in front of me, a stern look on her face.

 "Where the hell do you think you're going?" she asks, her voice stern but kind.

I freeze, my heart skipping a beat as I stare up at the woman who I've talked to once over the phone. She looks the same as she did when I saw her picture, tough and no-nonsense, but with a hint of kindness in her eyes.

"I...I'm looking for Jay," I stammer out, my voice catching in my throat. "I need to see him."

Trudy's eyes narrow as she looks me up and down, sizing me up. "You can't just barge into a police station looking for a detective," she says, her voice firm. "Especially not detectives as busy as the ones working in Intelligence."

My heart sinks as I hear her words, but I don't let it show. "Please," I say, pleading with her. "I've come all this way, I have to see him. Just...just let me talk to him for a few minutes. Please."

Trudy looks at me for a moment, her face stern but her eyes softening just a little. "Come with me," she says, gesturing for me to follow her. "I'll talk to Jay, but I can't promise he'll want to see you."

My heart leaps at her words and I nod quickly, following her as she leads me through the station. I can hardly believe it, I'm actually going to see my brother. After all these years.

We reach a set of offices, and Trudy gestures for me to wait outside one of the doors. "I'll go talk to him, you just wait here," she says, her voice authoritative. "Sit, don't touch anything, don't move from this spot. Got it?"

I nod dutifully, my heart racing in my chest. "Yes, ma'am," I say, my voice respectful. Trudy gives me a sharp nod and then dissapears through the door, leaving me alone in the hall.

The minutes tick by slowly, each one feeling like an hour as I sit there, waiting anxiously for any sign of Trudy or my brother Jay. I can hear muffled voices from inside the office, but I can't make out what they're saying.

Finally, the door swings open and Trudy appears again, a serious look on her face. "He'll see you," she says, gesturing for me to come in. "But I warned you, kid. He's not what you remember."

My heart skips a beat and I nod wordlessly, preparing myself for whatever it is I'm about to see. I step into the office, my legs shaking slightly, and I come face to face with my older brother for the first time in years.

What do you think Jay's reaction is gonna be?