Tolerance Book I (Chicago PD/Med FF) by Frances51163

Chapter Four

Back at the 21st precinct Hank walked out of his office and looked at the three men Platt had just ushered up the stairs Adam and Kevin got to their feet and stood off to the side letting their leader set the tone for the meeting.

"Thanks for coming down at such short notice," the older man held out a hand which was shaken in turn by each puzzled looking man.
"You said you would tell us why you need to talk to us," 34 year old blond Lance Hanson reminded getting right to the point.
"Let's go to the break room," Hank suggested instead of an interview room for he had decided to show the men respect for Jays' sake.
"Anyone want coffee?" Adam offered as the three men took seats at the round table with Hank and Kevin leant back against the fridge.
"We're good thanks," this time it was the smallest of the three men, the black haired Jack Williams, who spoke.
"So why did ye meet Jay at Chicago Med?" Hank decided to get down to business.
"We actually followed him there," Mark Murphy, the last of the trio, spoke with a grin watching the Detectives for their reactions.
"Why?" Hank demanded without any mirth.
"We were going to call into the precinct to see him but then we saw his car pulling out so we decided to follow him."
"Ye must have been very anxious to see him," Kevin rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"We needed to talk him," Hanson shrugged.
"Who was the fourth guy ye met heading over to the car park?" Adam checked.
"Haven't a clue. Jay didn't introduce us. He never even mentioned the guys' name but it was obvious Jay was surprised to see him," Williams replied.
"We can't get a good photo of him from the CCTV footage. Would ye be willing to sit down with a Sketch Artist in the morning?"
"Of course. The thing is though there was something familiar about him but none of us served with him."
"So what did he say when he walked up to ye?"Adam enquired with a frown.
"Nothing really," Hanson thought back, "he said 'hello Jay we should talk' and Jay just nodded but it was clear he was not happy. We asked if he was alright and he said yes he just needed to deal with the guy."

"So why are ye asking these questions?" asked quietly sensing he wouldn't like the answer.
"Someone beat the living daylights out of Halstead and you three and the fourth guy were the last ones with him that we know of."
"Hey Jay is one of us. We would never hurt him!" Hanson insisted when he realized just why they had been asked to the precinct.
"Jay is the best Ranger we ever met. Saved our butts more times than we can count. Lieutenant didn't take to losing men," Williams offered vehemently.
"Well who would want to hurt him badly?" Kevin checked.

"How bad are his injuries?" Hanson asked his own question sitting up straighter in his chair.
"Concussion, head wound, broken ribs, dislocated shoulder."
"There are two different footprints on his torso," Adam added softly.
"Someone stomped on him?!" Williams let out a roar as he got to his feet and began pacing trying to calm himself down.
"Were you in an ambush with Jay by any chance?" Hank asked softly.
"Yeah," Williams paused mid stride, "why?"
"One of our friends found him under a truck in the parking lot. When he went to get Jay out he thought he was back in Afghanistan."
"That damn day is never going to leave him," Hanson commented wiping a hand down his face tiredly.

"If ye're willing to talk we'd like to hear about that day when all this is sorted," Hank stated satisfied that his gut instinct to trust the men was correct.
"So ye figure that other guy attacked him?" Hanson didn't make any response about sharing the story.
"Most likely with someone else since there are two different footprints," Kevin reminded, "and it must have happened just after ye left him because there was only a short time time between when he was seen with ye and when we found him."

"So why did ye want to meet him that night?" Hank asked.
"We'd rather not say," Williams answered, "Jay wouldn't want us to."
"Damn stubborn idiot," Murphy shook his head in fond exasperation.
"Ye sure?"
"Yeah if he wants ye to know he'll tell ye," Hanson and Murphy both stood up, "if ye have any more questions before the morning we can be contacted on this number. We're in town for another week," he handed over the number of the Intercontinental Hotel.
"Well whether we do or not I hope we meet up for a drink before ye leave," Hank shook hands with a genuine smile.
"Is he at Chicago Med? Murphy asked as the trio headed for the door.
"No. Said he was 'fine' and got himself discharged." Hank stated unhappily.
"Knew he hadn't changed," Williams chuckled, "he hates hospitals and Doctors."
"So Will keeps saying," Adam grinned.
"We thought he was kidding us when he said his brother was a Doctor!" Hanson added with his own smile and then led the men down the stairs.

"So they're not in the frame," Hank put in as they headed back to their desks, "think it's time to talk to Halstead first thing in the morning."
"Kev and myself can take the next watch," Adam offered.
"No I'm going to head over there now and send Antonio home. We'll sort out a proper rota tomorrow but no matter how much the Kid complains he's stuck with us and I don't want to hear any stories of how he gave anyone the slip?" Hank seemed to direct the last words towards Adam.
"Hey Sarge I won't let him persuade me to do anything!" Adam quickly defended himself after shooting a glare at the grinning Kevin.
"Boots," Hank headed for his office after the cryptic one word utterance.
"'Boots'?" Adam repeated scratching his head.
"He was wearing boots when I got to his room. No way did he got those on himself with a concussion, broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder," with that Hank walked into his office and closed the door behind him.
"Damn," Adam sighed as he threw a pen at Kevin who was laughing.

----------------------------

Jay turned over carefully on his bed, mindful of his ribs and then noted his right arm was in a sling. Will! He glanced at the clock and was surprised he had slept for a few hours as it was ten after seven in the evening. Voices outside reminded him he was not alone so he slowly got out of the bed and retrieved his jeans from where he had thrown them at the bottom of the bed earlier. That task took so much effort that he decided not to put on the black shirt properly just draped it around his shoulders.

"So you're awake," Will greeted when he walked out of the bedroom.
"Yeah I'm fine," the slow moving man squinted as he made his way over to his couch and sank down carefully as his ribs protested and lay his head back.
"Here these might help," Will had walked over and crouched down beside his pain riddled younger brother and was holding out a pair of sunglasses.
"Thanks man," Jay accepted the glasses without opening his eyes then put on the shades still with eyes shut.
"So Kid you feel like talking?" Hank spoke from the armchair where he had been assessing the younger man.
"Sarge?!" Jay sat up quickly nearly losing the glasses and then grabbed his head in agony.
"It's okay Jay just breathe through it," Will had hastily returned to his siblings' side after glaring at the Sergeant.
"Sorry .... I ....,"
"Kid you have nothing to be sorry for," Hank stood and walked over to join the elder Halstead in a crouch, "didn't mean to startle you."
"Here take these," Will demanded as he held out two white tablets.
"I don't need them."
"Halstead take them so you can have a decent conversation with us without passing out."
"Okay," Jay finally took the meds and accepted a glass of water from Al.
"Thanks guys," Jay shifted uncomfortably under the three mens' scrutiny.
"I made you a cheese sandwich earlier," Will explained as he retrieved the aforementioned item from the fridge.
"So you up to talking?" Hank asked as he gave the pale man some room and returned to the armchair he had vacated
"Sure," Jay accepted a glass of milk from his brother then started in on the sandwich.

"You know who attacked you," it was a statement not a question and Jay frowned.
"I do?" Jay frowned looking between his boss and Al.
"We spoke to your friends," Hank explained casually.
"You didn't interview them did you?" Jay demanded slightly raising his voice, now for the first time the men saw the Lieutenant in the room, the leader who protected his men.
"We talked in the break room," Hank explained easily knowing the young man understood the meaning of that.
"What did they say?" Will asked impatiently not concerned in the least where the men were questioned.
"They said the fourth man that approached them as they were heading for the car park looked familiar but they didn't know him and Jay wasn't happy to see him."
"Who was it Jay?" Al asked casually from where he was leaning against the wall by the window.
"Don't know," Jay took another bite as Hank and Al shared a knowing look.
"Well until we find out who did this you have 24 hour protection."
"Sarge there's no need for that," Jay argued as he rubbed his aching temple.
"You'll be recovering for a while anyway Jay," Will pointed out.
"Don't remind me," the younger sibling ordered morosely.

tbc ...