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

Chapter Eight: A Brothers' Hurt

For Jay the early hours of the morning went by quickly but when he woke at 5 a.m. he made the mistake of moving further onto his left side instead of letting the pillow in front of him take most of his weight as it had been doing as he slept.  The fire burning in his side caused him to clench the pillow tightly as he buried his head in its' embrace to quieten the unstoppable groan which he expelled as he had noticed his older brother asleep on the chair beside the bed.  He closed his eyes and tried to block out the pain.  A hand covering his startled him and he looked up eventually to see the worried features of his sibling.

"Sorry ...," Jay spoke hoarsely taking slow shallow breaths as he tried to ride out the pain.
"For what?" Will frowned changing the grip on the hand he was holding as he crouched down beside the bed so his brother didn't have to strain to see him.
"Didn't mean ..... to ....... wake you."
"You squeeze my hand and let me take some of that pain okay," Will ordered gently.
"It's ......... okay," the suffering man huffed out.
"Just do it," Will insisted and forced a grin when he felt the grip tighten, "good.  Now you have nothing to be sorry for," the Doctor looked up as the door opened.
"Thought I heard voices," Hank walked over to stand by Will, "anything I can do?"
"No ..," Jay began only to be interrupted.
"Actually if you wouldn't mind there's half a cheese sandwich in the fridge.  Could you get that and a glass of milk? He needs to take some meds."
"There's no .... need," Jay grated out.
"Be back in a minute," Hank nodded easily, he had noticed the death grip the pale man had on his brothers' hand.
"Will ... you ......... can't ask Voight to .... do stuff. He's my ...... boss!" the Detective spoke as soon as the door closed.
"Well he's not mine," Will grinned at his brothers' discomfiture.
"Ah man you're killing me ..... here!"
"You really want to go to work tomorrow?" Will became serious.
"Yeah. I was discharged you ........ know."
"Against Doctors' orders.  Anyway if you want to be able to function tomorrow you need some more rest so you're going to take some meds with the food okay?"
"I have a choice?" Jay groused.
"No."

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Jay had eaten as much of the remainder of the sandwich that he could manage and then taken the tablets before Will helped him to get settled and turned off the lamp and after a while the reluctant patient fell into a drug induced slumber.  The injured man slept through Hank and Al leaving and Adam and Kevin taking over the watch.  Without Will needing to say anything Hank had explained to himself and Conor, who had arrived at the same time as the changing of the guard, that it would be fine for Jay to go down to the precinct later on thereby giving him a chance to rest as long as his body would let him.

"Guys help yerselves to breakfast if ye want," Will gestured to the kitchen after greeting the two Detectives.
"Thanks Doc but we already ate," Adam spoke quietly for fear of waking the injured man, "could use a coffee though."
"Me too," Kevin followed his friend into the small kitchen.

"So how is he doing?" Conor followed Will over to the couch and sat down as the other collapsed into an armchair.
"According to him he's 'fine'," Will made a face.
"And how are you?"
"I'm fine," Will frowned, surprised by the question.
"I see where Jay gets it from," Conor stated with a smile, "you're tired.  Maybe you should lie down for a bit."
"No Jay ..,"
"Jay is my patient and you won't be any good to him if you collapse.  I'm free for the day so go on."
"Okay I'll lie down for a while," Will stood as he yawned, "call me when he wakes okay? He's going down to the precinct and I want to be with him."
"Okay," Conor agreed as he got to his feet and went in search of coffee.

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It was twenty before twelve when Jay finally opened his eyes.  He was lying on his back and put a hand up to his aching head.  A quiet voice greeted him.

"Thought you were going to sleep all day," Conor spoke after just pulling the covers up having examining the younger man as he looked into pain bruised eyes, "just stay there while I talk to you," he forestalled.
"About what Doc," Jay was not happy to see Conor in his room but figured if he was there his brother was getting some rest.
"How are you feeling and I don't want to hear 'I'm fine' out of you?"
"Well I guess I'm .... okay," Jay gave a cheeky grin but Conor noted the mirth did not reach his eyes.
"Jay you're going to be in a lot of pain for a while and although we can give you painkillers you're still going to have a lot of discomfort."
"I know," Jay closed his eyes at the thought of the next month or so.
"I know you do," Conor spoke softly and the certainty in his voice struck the injured man.
"What do you mean?" Jay opened his eyes and looked at the Surgeon.
"I had a series of scans and x-rays carried out to find out what we were dealing with the night you were attacked."
"You ..... you didn't let ..... Will ...," Jay began to panic at the thought of his brother knowing the full extent of the injuries he had sustained at the hands of his father.
"No Jay," Conor sat down on the side of the bed and placed a hand on one shoulder, "just take some slow breaths, it's okay.  You're going to be okay."
"Don't want ..... Will to ..... know .... not ever," the pale man shut his eyes.
"Don't want me to know what?" Wills' voice broke the silence.

If possible Jay became paler and a tear slipped from the corner of one eye unknownst to him as he shoved Conors' hand off his shoulder and turned away from the two men as much as his battered frame would allow.

"Just leave ... me alone," the injured man ordered gruffly.
"Not going to happen," Will strode over to the other side of the bed and sat down opposite Conor, "tell me whatever it is Jay.  Please."
"Maybe this isn't the time," Conor suggested calmly earning him a glare across the bed from Will.
"Just leave me be!" Jay was getting frustrated stuck in the bed unable to escape to gather his thoughts.
"Tell me," Will ignored the plea, needing to get everything out in the open once and for all where his younger brother was concerned.
"Just tell him," Jay finally said brokenly in defeat.
"Go on," Will placed his brothers' hand in his and held on even though the other resisted.

"How much does he know?" Conor ignored Will and looked at his patient.
"He knows about the time I broke a couple of ribs, when I broke my left hand, some fingers I think." Jay answered after a long silence.
"Jay how did you get those injuries," Conor asked quietly.
"He didn't get them," Will spoke angrily, "he was given them.  By our father!"
"Will!" Jay looked at his sibling in dismay and pulled his hand away.
"Damn it Jay I'm sorry! I didn't mean ...," Will trailed off guiltily and stood up pacing.
"Jay look at me," Conor directed looking at the distressed man, "Will didn't need to say anything.  I knew as soon as I saw the scans and x-rays.  Many of the breaks had a great amount of calcification which meant they were years old."
"Don't want people knowing," Jay finally looked at the dark haired man, "don't want to talk about it."
"Well you're my patient so you know I won't discuss it with anyone but," Conor paused before continuing, "I think Will should know so what do you say? Can I tell him now?"
"He'll get mad."
"I'm right here ye know," Will protested as he took up his place on the side of the bed again.
"Be surprised if he didn't," Conor continued to ignore his colleague, "but that's just because he's going to be thinking of what you went through.  And think of it this way you'd be upset if Will was the one who had suffered so many injuries"
"Okay .... but just get it over with now."

"Well like Jay said he did have two broken ribs, a broken hand and a few broken fingers," Conor looked across at the red haired man and hoped he would remain calm until out of sight of his brother, "he also had two broken arms, a broken clavicle, multiple broken ribs front and back."
"Oh my God," this time it was Will who paled, "how did I not know?"
"He picked times usually when you were away.  Remember your summer trips with Peter?" Jay referred to his brothers' childhood friend and his family.
"Yeah they took me on holiday with them a few times."
"What other times?" Conor probed.
"When I'd have to stay off school if I was sick."
"Damn," Will shook his head in disbelief, "why didn't you tell me?"
"No point in upsetting you when there was nothing to be done," Jay sighed wearily, "now you know so just drop it okay?"
"Okay," Will acquiesced but promised himself he would get his little brother to open up about what he had gone through.
"You want to get up or rest for another while?" Conor rose.
"I'll get up," Jay replied although really all he felt like doing was taking it easy.
"Grand," Conor headed for the door, "I'll let Will give you a hand.  What do you want to eat so you can take some painkillers?"
"I'll sort something," Jay rubbed a hand down his face.
"He'll have a cheese sandwich with lots of ketchup," Will informed the Surgeon as he opened the door.
"There's no need."
"One sandwich coming up," Conor went out before the Detective could protest any further.

tbc