It's My Life ~Linstead

Part 12

Erin's POV

I'm feeling pretty rebellious right now, so I stare him in the eye as well and say, 'No'. Then I turn on my heel and go to comfort the tiny toddler that's screaming.

I walk over to the toddler and squat down next to him.

E-"Hey buddy. My name's Erin. What's yours?"

He looked at me with big round eyes for a hot second then down at his hands. He stared at his hands for a minute, still wailing, before he turned and dove into my lap. He was still crying, although his cries were now muffled because his head was buried into the crook of my neck and his little hands are holding onto me so tight in sure I'll have finger imprints later. My heart broke into a million pieces for this little boy whose name I don't know. I pull him tighter to me and whisper into his ear, " Shhh, it's okay now. You're okay now." I just kept whispering in his ear, and my hand moved to stroke his hair. I'm whispering and stroking, whispering and stroking, trying to make a little boy feel safe again.

I look up from the boy and look around me. I see people who were held hostage in various states of shock and hysteria right now, and what seems like half of the Chicago police force is crowding the house, doing what they can to try and calm people down enough to let a medic look them over. I turn my head to look back down at the child who is curled up in my arms, but have to look back up to do a double take.

When I do, I see a little girl staring at me. She's not too far away, and looks so so familiar for some reason. Gosh, she just looks so familiar and the way she's staring...I don't know why but I feel compelled to do something for her. I look down at the kid on my lap again, then back at the little girl. I call out to her.

E-"Hey sweetie, I'm Erin. What's your name?"

That got her attention. She's looking me in the eye now, and she looks so scared. Probably because of what she just went through. Poor girl, I can't believe that there are monsters out there that would put anyone, let alone children, through something like this. If I ever get left alone in a room with that bastard, so help me it will be the last room he's ever breathing in.

The little girl pulls me out of my angry musing when she takes a step closer to me, and says,"I'm Ella. And that my brother, Christian. He's my twin"

Ah so that's why he looks so familiar. Ella takes another step closer to me, then another. She looks down at the ground, then peaks back up at me with round blue eyes, just like her brothers and shyly asks, "Can I, um..." She looks at Christian snuggled up in my arms, now quietly sobbing. I shift Christian to my left arm and open my right up to Ella. "Of course, hun" I say as she practically bolts into my arms. In no time, she too is crying. I just hold the kids tight and let them cry. And cry. And cry some more. It seems like we sit there forever before a medic walks over to us and squats down next to me.

The medic, Sylvie Brett from firehouse 51 leans to whisper in my ear, "I'm sorry to disturb them, but they look to be tender age and that requires them to be transported to the hospital by ambulance. It's Gabby and I today"

I of nod in understanding, then I shift the children in my arms so I can stand up. I get my feet under me, and go to push myself up, but as soon as I tighten my core my ribs hurt all over again and Brett has to pull me the rest of the way up or else I would've fallen over backwards.

SB (Sylvie Brett)-"Woah, Erin are you okay?"

E-"Yeah, I'm fine"

Brett just looks at me, clearly still unconvinced, so I just say 'I'm fine' agin, but this time Voight and Jay walk up in time to hear me waving off Brett's concerns. Jays confused, and Voight doesn't look happy about it, so he says to Brett, "No, she's not. We're actually just on our way to med now"

I shoot Hank my death glare and argue back that I have two sleeping tender aged kids in my arms who were just held hostage by 3 crazy people that shot and tortured at least 4 people in front of them. We've been walking and talking, so by now we're at the ambulance. I climb up the steps into it and gently lay down Ella and Christian side by side on the waiting cot. I get back out to Jay, Hank, and Sylvie all telling me that I need to go to med, so I just give in by saying fine. I turn to Sylvie and tell her what I know about the kids, she thanks me, and then I start walking towards my car. I'm almost there and have my keys out before Jay, who was walking beside me grabs the keys out of my hands.

J-"I'm driving"

E-"Bullshit"

J-"Erin, you look like you're about to pass out any second here. You are not driving until you get a all clear from a doctor. "

E-"Fine."

We get in the car and Jay pulls out his phone. He puts it on speaker, then sets it on the center counsel. It rings a few times, then Mouse picks up.

M-"What can I do for ya"

J-"Cut video and audio from Erin and I. We're on our way to med"

M-"You got it, video is cut now and so is audio."

J-"ok thanks man"

M-"Yup, let me know how it goes at med"

J-"Will do, talk to you later"

M-"Mhmm"

Mouse hangs up and then it's just Jay and I. Jay looks sideways at me from the drivers seat.

J-"So, Hank told me what happened"

E-"And?"

J-"And you just weren't gonna say anything and pretended it was nothing"

E-"I'm not pretending, it is nothing"

J-"Erin, *he looks at me again and moves a hand to rest on my left thigh* if it weren't for your vest I  could've lost you"

I look at Jay, and the worry and sincerity on his face makes me go soft.

E-"Then I guess it's a good thing you can't get rid of me that easy"

J-"It's a very good thing"

I smile and lean back into my seat. Jay is drawing little circles all over my thigh, and I just enjoy the feeling. I look around and see that we are pulling into med. Jay parks in to closest parking space and puts the car in park. I go to reach for my door to get out, but Jay puts a hand on my shoulder to stop me. I look back at him and see him staring at me.

J-"I love you, Erin Halstead."

E-"I love you too, Jay Halstead"

I am so sorry I haven't updated this in what feels like forever, I've been so busy with work this summer. I just wanna say thank you for all of the comments and votes, the more of those I get the more I'll write, so keep them coming. They mean more than you'll ever know. Have a good one, Ladies and Gents.
~🖖