Tolerance Book III

Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-One: Pushing On

21st Precinct- Kitchen

Once Conor departed Jay had retreated to the kitchen on the pretext of getting a soda. When he didn't return promptly Al retrieved the pill bottle from his drawer and followed him sending a meaningful look to the others. He needed some alone time with the injured man.

"How are you holding up?"
"Me? I'm good," Jay automatically assured as he leant against the counter, he felt awful but he wouldn't complain.
"You're a bad Liar," the older man scolded mildly as he walked over to the small fridge and opened it retrieving a can of Fanta Orange and a Mars bar before repeating words he'd used before, "but since you only lie about your health I'll forgive you. Here take these with some painkillers."
"Al I ...," Jay looked at his companion wearily.
"Put it this way," the moustached man interrupted the anticipated argument and held up the small medication bottle, "you take these and I won't let Voight send you home ...,"
"There's no ....,"
"Kid you're exhausted and that catnap earlier wasn't much good. You want to work you gotta be smart. You collapsing from pain and exhaustion won't do our investigation any good."
"Hell you don't play fair!" Jay grumbled as he took the offered items then sat down at the round table and popped the tab on the soda can after shaking three tablets out.
"As your Elder I get to play anyway I want," Al filled a glass of water then sat down opposite his young friend, surprised but relieved he had agreed to take the medication.
"What do you think Al?" the green eyed man asked solemnly, banishimg the teasing in an instant.
"I think you're right," the veteran Detective knew what was being asked, "trafficking makes sense.  Of all operations that's one that Gambini would go to extra lengths to hide. Certainly explains why there's no word on the street.  He runs a tight ship anyway.  If he didn't he'd be behind bars."
"If it is that he must have Suppliers and somewhere to keep the Victims. Williams has no history to indicate he would be involved ....,"
"..... so it's as we figured. He stumbled across something .....,"
"..... that got him killed," Jay noted as he swallowed the meds with a healthy gulp of the fizzy orange liquid then ripped open the chocolate bar.
"You spoke to Severide? He knows to be careful?"
"Yeah. He's sharp. If anyone is watching him he'll pick up on it.  Mind you I figure if anyone was going to target him over the Porter case it would have been when I was taken."
"Makes sense," Al nodded his agreement then huffed, "in as much as any of this makes sense!"

"We can't even be certain my abduction is related to me looking into Williams," the green eyed man voiced his real concern as he looked at his companion, "what if it's unrelated to all that?  Nothing to do with Gambini ....,"
"But the guys who took you work for Gambini," Al countered.
"Could be a coincidence."
"Hang on a second Kid," the moustached man sat up straight and looked across the table intensely, "right now you're below par.  You're still recovering from what went down at the Plaza Hotel then you get abducted.  You're dealing with a hell of a lot so things might not seem too clear but I lnow this has nothing to do with your old man or anyone he set after you ....,"
"You can't be certain."
"You saying my instincts are off?" Al spoke quietly but there was a hint of challenge lacing the words.
"No!  I'm not saying that," Jay sighed heavily, "I just .....,"
"Kid I get it. You have to consider your  old man in any scenario where you're attacked and that's one hell of a burden to carry  ...,"
"I don't want any of you to get hurt because of me!"
"Damn Kid," Al was witnessing a rare vulnerability and knew the trust that entailed, "you got to stop carrying the weight of all this on your shoulders. If any of us gets hurt it will never be your fault.  That's just the plain truth."
"So how do we nail Gambini once and for all?" Jay shook off his personal demons determinedly.
"By doing our job," Al responded confidently, he couldn't blame the younger man for having doubts about a successful outcome but he refrained from sharing his own.

Jay knew his friend was trying to be positive for his sake and that said a lot about the pragmatic man.  Once again he thanked whatever fates had let him have such a good ally.  He pushed aside the issue of the Mob Boss and brought up his other main concern.