One Chicago: Linstead

Chapter 4: Relapsing

Jay opened his eyes after a long, nice, peaceful, resting sleep. He was calm when he woke up, safe, loved. He reached for the lamp's switch as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. The bright light stunned him. Erin's eyes fluttered open.

"What time is it?" She asked, sleepily.

"Five." He stated.

"Why are we up so early...?" She questioned, slowly falling asleep again.

"Go back to bed..." He ordered politely, now up on his feet already turning the light off. He walked into the apartment's kitchen and turned the light on. Jay grabbed the coffee pot and brewed himself a cup of coffee. He sat in the stool and wondered why they relapsed so quickly. Usually they took forever getting back together, but this time was different, maybe this time is different, Jay thought. Maybe it was, but he couldn't rely on that.

Erin woke up an hour later and shuffled into the kitchen.

"Erin, we need to talk." Jay stated.

"I just woke up, can this wait 'til later?" She mumbled.

"No. We love each other, I get that. I love you, you love me, but are we mistaking that love...it could be the love you feel for a friend. I.." He groaned. "I can't keep running back to you, or you back to me. We can't keep breaking each other's hearts, so we just need to stop this. I'm sorry, but its over, indefinitely, and you can't change my mind. I think it's time we meet other people." He stated, gasping.

This was a wake-up call to Erin. "So its over? For good? You know what...? I'm happy I don't have to miss your dry lips again, or look into your eyes and pretend I love you, 'cause you know what, I don't... I never did. Get Out!" She shouted, frustrated. "GET OUT! NOW!" She pointed toward the door as she sat down at the table. Jay exited the apartment.

Erin started sobbing, but relaxed as she realized they weren't right for each other, that that was supposed to happen.

She walked outside and looked up at the sun like she was searching for answers. Erin, slowly, walked to her car and looked at all the cars pass by as she sat sadly in her car. She started it up and pulled out onto the road. She wanted so badly to crash her car into another, but she didn't want to die, she didn't want to let him win. She drove straight to the district a walked inside.

She saw Platt, Mouse, Atwater, Ruzek, Burgess, Roman, Voight, Dawson, and Al, but no Jay. He was still on medical leave. "Hank, I'm back, what have we got?"

"Erin!? What're you doing here? I thought you said you were going to stay home for a week or so, to spend time with Halstead." He quizzed.

"I was, but he... well he broke my heart, so I need a distraction. And you are going to give one to me...now!" She ordered.

"Erin, go home, you're too emotional right now. Come back tomorrow, take a long day's rest." Hank ordered.

Erin whined at first, but went home as he said. She paced around her apartment, remembering everything that happened that morning. She went outside and drove to a bar.

She wanted to drown her sorrows. As she entered Molly's, she ordered a beer. Soon that one beer turned into two, then three, four, five...soon enough she was drunk. Very drunk. Too drunk. She stood up but got extremely dizzy, or lightheaded, either really, she didn't know. But she stumbled across Molly's as she fell to the ground. Someone pulled her up, she didn't remember most but she took her to the bathroom. She fell unconscious but stayed in the bathroom as the woman sat right next to her.

"Who are you?" She asked, weakly.

"You don't recognize me?" The woman questioned.

"I..." Erin vomited into the toilet. "It's spinning. The world. I can't..."

"Erin, it's okay. It's Kim. Kim Burgess." Burgess announced.

"Talk quieter...wait, what are you doing here?" Erin questioned, closing her eyes. Hoping she could fall asleep. But as she did, all she saw was Jay, and his face when they broke up that morning, and all the memories they'd ever had.

"Voight had me tail you." She confessed.

"That bit..." Again, she slipped into unconsciousness.

Burgess was worried so she called an Ambo, specifically Brett and Chilli, she wanted to keep it quiet.

"Burgess, what happened?" Brett asked as they loaded her into the Ambulance.

"I don't know, she drank too much or something, she has been in and out of consciousness, I got worried, she didn't even recognize me until I told her who I was. She was dizzy and lightheaded. I called you. That's all I know." Burgess stated.

"Okay, well stay safe, I'll call you? Let you know she's okay?" Brett asked, hopping into the Ambulance.

"Yeah."

They drove to Med and wheeled her into the hospital. "What happened?" Will asked as he saw Erin being wheeled in.

Brett explained, so Will just got her a room and waited for her to wake up. In the meantime, they ran some tests to make sure that was all, and that was all it was.

"Where am I?" Erin groaned out. She looked around and answered that for herself. She stood up and got dressed. She walked out of the room and went to the counter. "I'd like to be discharged, I don't belong in here." She stated.

"Okay, name?"

"Erin....Erin....Erin...." She thought really hard, "Erin something...I don't remember."

"Okay, which room were you in?" The lady asked.

"That one," she stated, pointing to the room.

"Erin Lindsay?"

"Yeah. I guess. Can I leave?"

"Yeah, sign here."

"Okay." She replied. The only thing was, she didn't remember her own signature, or how to even spell her name. She had forgotten almost any and everything about herself.