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

Chapter Forty: In the Hands of Friends

To say Peter Jones was surprised by the Units' armed arrival at his quiet suburban residence was an understatement.  Within the blink of an eye, it seemed to him, he found himself sitting handcuffed in an interrogation room being barraged with questions from Hank and Al.

"So what do you have against Detective Halstead?"
"I don't know what you mean," Jones shook his head, "like I said I hardly know the guy."
"So why did you sell him out?" Al demanded harshly.
"I didn't! Look there's been some kind of mistake.  I barely spoke to him when I was here."
"So why did you want him dead?" Hank asked coldly.
"Would ye just tell me what I'm supposed to have done because I never even had a row with him let alone wanted him dead.  I told ye already I didn't do anything!"
"I'll ask again.  What were you doing here on the night you were seen when you were supposed to be finished work?"
"I don't .....," the young man paused as something came to mind, "I did ...... I did come back one night ...,"
"Now he remembers," Als' voice dripped with sarcasm.
"Don't remember the date but ....,"
"We know the date. Keep talking."
"I lost something and came back to check the office. That's why I didn't log in. Didn't want anyone asking questions."
"Look Jones we don't have time for twenty questions so just tell us what you were doing, where you went and who you spoke to," Hank stated with his usual gruffness as he glared across the table.
"I couldn't find what I was looking for so I thought I might have dropped it upstairs."
"What did you lose?"
"I .....,"
"Jones this is us being patient," Al slammed an open palm on the desk, "what did you lose?!"
"An ...... an engagement ring."
"So you decided to check upstairs in case you dropped it up there," Hank conjectured, "so why not go in the front way?"
"Like I said I didn't want people asking questions.  Anyway I went up ...,"
"The back way," Al supplied, "how did you get up when the door was locked?"
"Heck I can work my way around most locks," Jones boasted with a half smile which instantly died under twin glares, "anyway I went up and couldn't find the ring."
"And you heard me talking in my office."
"Yeah but I didn't stay long and then I ....... oh no!"
"What?"
"I ..... I met Detective Halsteads' father ... outside," Jones frowned as he tried to recall the brief conversation, "he asked me if ..... if I knew where his son was staying."
"So you told him what you had heard in the office," Al was not impressed, "ever strike you Sergeant Voight was having a private conversation?"
"I ... I guess it never dawned on me.  I mean it was Detective Halstead' father.  I could hardly lie to him."
"So you checked his I.D.?" Hank glowered already knowing the answer, even though he knew anyway it was Halstead Senior.
"No." Jones blushed.
"This the guy?" Al held up his cell showing a photo of the man they were seemingly always steps behind.
"Yes.  Did he ...... hurt Detective Halstead?"
"You can leave," Hank unlocked the handcuffs briskly.
"I'm sorry," Jones spoke genuinely, "I didn't mean ...,"
"Next time keep information to yourself which you shouldn't have obtained," Al warned gravely.

In the observation room Antonio placed a calming hand on Adams' shoulder as he cursed.

"We're not getting anywhere," Adam said angrily as he shrugged off the hand and began pacing.
"Seems to me Halstead Senior is just having an incredible run of good luck," Antonio sighed, "he happens to be around to hear the guys talking in Mollys about Jay and then is able to follow them to Med."
"And then he happens to be outside when Jones comes downstairs after hearing Sarge," Adam added, "you believe Jones?"
"Yeah. He couldn't be that good an Actor."
"So we're not one bit closer to finding that piece of ...,"
"We'll find him.  His luck has to run out sometime."
"And in the meantime Jay is out there by himself with no back up!"
"If we've learned anything about Jay in the past few weeks it's that he's resourceful."
"You saying you're not worried about him?" Adam challenged sceptically.
"No.  No I'm not saying that," Antonio turned and headed for the door, "come on let's see if Kev got anywhere with his CI."

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

As his friends were battling to find his father in Chicago Jay was dealing with a battle of his own making.  There were two reasons he had been reluctant to contact his old friend. The first was that he hated dragging anyone else into his troubles - hence he had only asked to borrow some money.  The second reason was the fact that Jimmy was a Doctor. The ill man had found himself not only moved to a new hotel but before that he was subjected to the 'indignity' as he called it of a chest x-ray.  He had argued until his voice was hoarse but still wound up being checked out in the local hospital where his friend worked. Finally arriving at the Homestead, which was definitely way more expensive than he needed, he had been informed that he was staying in a twin room as the relentless Doctor had taken it upon himself to act as a mother hen.  As he lay on the soft bed coughing Jay turned to look at the young Ortega, hoping to find an ally.

"Diego will you take your father with you?" the pale man asked when they were alone.
"You are sick.  You need to rest."
"I will rest but he needs to go home with you.  I'm well able to look after myself."
"Huh," a new voice entered the conversation as Jimmy entered the room with a pharmacy bag, "you go for a swim in December and get a chest infection and you say you can look after yourself!"
"Jimmy look man I didn't mean to put you out. Can't you just leave me?" Jay pleaded in embarrassment.
"Hey you listen to me," the older man dropped the bag on the end of the mattress and crouched down at the head of the bed so his friend could see him properly, "you're not putting anyone out!  You're my friend and if I needed help I know I could count on you so just stop worrying and relax for a while okay?"
"But ...," Jay rubbed his eyes tiredly, "I don't want ye here."
"You telling me you don't like my son," the Doctor spoke as he rose to his feet sending his son a wink, "because I don't believe you?"
"That's not what I meant ..... and you ..... know it," Jay wheezed out as he sent a look of apology to the younger man just in case he had in fact offended him, he was feeling so sick he found his concentration hard to hold onto.
"Sure I know it," Jimmy smiled as he returned holding a syringe in his hand.
"Hey what the hell are you going to do with that?" the young Detective demanded with a frown as he held onto the covers tightly.
"It's an antibiotic," Jimmy explained as he effortlessly caught the nearest arm and swabbed an area before he injected the medication ignoring the yelp of protest from his unhappy patient.
"Didn't say you could do that!" Jay pouted as he rubbed his stinging arm.
"We agreed at the hospital that if I didn't admit you I would look after you here."
"Don't recall that," Jay frowned trying to get his brain cells activated, unfortunately for him they seemed to have gone on strike.
"You said if we brought you here you would rest," Diego walked over to stand beside his father, "you have a temperature."
"You're a Doctor too?" Jay groaned, of all the luck.
"Not yet," Diego smiled, "still in Med School."
"Well take your Dad away ..... so I can rest ... if it's that important."
"Nice try," Diego shook his head ruefully, "I need to know how to deal with awkward patients so you're my test subject!"
"Funny, really ...... funny," Jay commented with a sigh as he slipped into darkness.

Diego looked over at his father worriedly as he was taking medical supplies out of the bag.

"Will he be okay,"
"If we can get his fever down he should be.  I'm going to give him antibiotics by IV.  The shot will help but he needs a course of antibiotics to deal with the chest infection.  Just have to make sure it doesn't develop into pneumonia."
"He didn't let you check his ribs," the aspiring Doctor reminded for they had seen the faded bruising.
"I'll do that once we have the IV set up."
"He's exactly like you said," Diego accepted the IV bag from his father with a grin, "tough with a stubborn Irish streak."
"Well he always told me I had a stubborn Mexican streak."
"So ye must be twins."
"You saying your father is stubborn?"
"You saying he's not?" Diego challenged as he inserted the line into the nearest hand hoping this man he had heard so much about would make a good recovery.

tbc