Tolerance Book III

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Five: Reunited

Sheriffs' Office

At the early morning hour of twenty after three the Unit  and Parker stood bleary eyed under the  glare  of the too bright fluorescent lighting in the Sheriffs' Office. The phone call to Voight had been brief.  All the local man had divulged.was their urgent presence was required.  Now the men waited to be appraised of the latest developments.  If the stocky mans' expression was any clue things were about to go south.  Voight had remained silent on the hasty drive from the motel.  Now after leading his men through the bullpen into the office he was ready for answers!

"Peters what couldn't you tell me over the phone?"
"Your Detective was found .....,"
"Oh no!" Adam paled as his feet went numb and he collapsed onto the nearest chair.
"No ...," Mouse shook his head unwilling to accept the loss of his friend.
"He's alive!" the Sergeant quickly realized his error.
"What?" Voight eyed the Sheriff in disbelief, calling them to the Sheriffs' Department rather than a hospital and imparting his news had left only one grim conclusion!
"Peters," Als' quiet voice was laced with rebuke, "what are you playing at?"
"Just sit down and I'll explain everything."
"Like hell! We want to see Jay!" Adam insisted.
"Everyone sit," Voights' firm voice directed as he led by example, clearly the Sheriff wasn't acting maliciously so they needed to hear him out however impatient they all were to reunite with the green eyed man.
"This won't be easy to hear," the Sheriff began once everyone was seated, "Detective Halstead was dropped off at General Hospital two hours ago and ....,"
"Why are we only finding out about it now?" Kevin demanded angrily.
"This will go a lot quicker without interruptions," the big man explained without rancour, he couldn't blame the men for being frustrated.
"Proceed," Voight ordered sending a warning glare around the room, he would not tolerate any more interruptions.
"As I was saying Detective Halstead was dropped off.  A Cab Driver found him wandering along the road out by Pine Bluff. That area is remote and not hospitable to Hikers."
"Billings?"Antonio dared to ask, relieved the Sergeant didn't skewer him with a death ray.
"No sign of anyone else," Peters replied grimly, this was not good.
"So what are you holding back?" Voight pressed knowingly, clearly there was a reason they hadn't gathered at the hospital.
"It seems your Detective  .....," Peters hesitated knowing what he had to impart would not be easy to hear, "has specifically stated he does not want to stay in hospital. "
"What the hell?!" Adam was on his feet in an instant.
"What injuries does he have?" Al asked with his usual calm demeanour in place.
"A broken right wrist, multiple facial contusions  .....,"
"A head injury would explain his refusing treatment but then this is Jay and he hates hospitals anyway," Parker mused aloud.
"He doesn't have a concussion," Peters shrugged off that suggestion unhappily.
"Any other injuries?" Voight pressed.
"Needle marks. They're checking but no toxicology results yet."
"So what?  He was drugged and refuses treatment?" Antonio frowned.
"We'll have a better idea when we know what's in his system," the Psychologist offered optimistically.
"Any other issues?" Voight asked with a heavy sigh, he really didn't want to hear any more bad news.
"Apparently Detective Halstead became quite combative when he was informed the needed to stay and ....,"
"What the hell!" this time it was Kevins' turn to vent.
"But why did you have us come here?" Voight pressed, irrespective of what the injured man might want they needed to see him.
"Because .....," Peters paused as the door to the office suddenly opened to reveal a very pale but very alive  Jay shadowed by a Deputy who seemed to be bracing himself to catch the young man if he collapsed, "he insisted on leaving the hospital AMA."

A few seconds of silence descended before the men shook off their surprise and looked at their friend.

"Man you look like hell," Adam as ever spoke without a filter as he hastily shoved his former seat close to his best friend sending a nod of thanks to the concerned looking  fifty something Deputy, "sit before you fall down."
"Why didn't you stay in the hospital?" Parker demanded careful to avoid rebuke in his tone, it was clear to everyone the green eyed man needed to be lying down.
"Complicated," Jay replied hoarsely as he gratefully eased himself down onto the offered chair without looking around.
"Could we get a can of Fanta and a Mars bar?" Al looked at the Deputy as he fished a small pill bottle out of his pocket in explanation.
"Sure," Tom Black nodded and quickly headed off for the luckily always well stocked vending machine.
"Halstead you don't have a concussion so you need to take painkillers," Voight declared to pre-empt any arguments.
"Sarge," Jays' quiet acceptance had his friends even more worried, he wasn't prone to taking meds so easily.
"I'm guessing you have quite a tale to tell," the moustached Detective commented wrily as he walked over and pulled up a chair beside the dishevelled man as the others retook their seats.
"Don't know where Billings is," the green eyed man pointed out, his words laced with self recrimination.
"He break your wrist?" Voight asked gently eyeing the soft cast on the right arm held in a white sling.
"Yeah."
"Whatever went down you are not responsible," the Sergeant insisted  firmly, like the others he knew without doubt their youngest would have done everything in his power to stop the Fugitive taking off.
"What exactly happened?" Peters asked earning a round of glares.
"Right now Sheriff Detective Halstead is going to take some painkillers to knock the pain back," Voight spoke calmly but sternly, "once they kick in in about an hour he'll answer questions."
"Thanks," Als' words were directed to the Deputy who had just returned with the requested soda and not one but two bars of the requested chocolate.
"No problem," Black handed over the items before nodding to his Superior and leaving.
"But  ....," Peters wasn't put off by the interruption.
"It's either that or we leave," the Sergeant pointed out.
"Oookkkaaaay."