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

Chapter Forty-Nine: Accomplice

"This is something that I remembered the other day," Will looked at his hands on the table, "after we spoke ...... about Max. I remember a couple of days after Max ..... died ..... I found Jay sitting in the shed. It was obvious he was upset. I tried to get him to talk to me. Mom was at a neighbours' house and the old man was out somewhere. Anyway Jay was just looking at this empty space on the wooden floor. I asked him what he was looking at."
"And?"
"He said ......,"
"Doc any bit of information we have may be helpful, however innocuous it seems," Al put in.
"It's not innocuous," Will looked at the two men, "at least not in light of how Max died. At the time it seemed to be though so I didn't really think too carefully about it. Anyway ..... like I said Jay was just looking at this spot on the floor. When I asked he said ....... he was trying to figure out how he had failed the test."
"At the time I thought he was referring to school work. Thing is when he went back into the house I noticed ......,"
"What?" Kevin urged when it became clear the older Halstead sibling was not going to continue.
"In the dust ........ on the floor where Jay had been looking ...... there was a shape etched in the dust. As if someone had been laying there. I never even considered my father had beaten him to the ground. What the hell is wrong with me?!"
"Will listen to me," Al leaned forward to make sure he had the other mans' attention, "you were a child. Just like Jay. You couldn't have known what was going on."
"Hindsight's a b**ch," Kevin offered sombrely.
"So I'm learning. I hadn't thought about that mutt in years but I remember he used to shadow Jay around. I know Jay told him his secrets. Secrets he'd never tell me."
"There's a reason dogs are called 'best friend'," Al noted.
"Yeah."

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"So like I explained the fever has finally gone down," Conor pulled the hospital gown back up and covered his quiet patient with the sheet and blanket again, "do you have any questions?"
"No ... thanks," Jay turned on his side away from the Surgeon and Adam who was again on guard.
"I need to give you a shot," Conor shared a look with the Detective who was apparently engrossed in a magazine.
"What for?"
"Just something to help you feel better," Conor rolled his eyes in frustration as he hated deceiving his friend.
"Doc you tell me what's in that shot and I'll tell you if I want it," Jay turned over onto his back and looked at the black haired man, "don't even try lying."
"Listen Jay," Conor couldn't help looking at Adam for some support but much to his consternation found the other man still reading his magazine which was ..... upside down - he'd kill him after, "it's just a shot. You telling me you don't like needles?"
"Yes."
"Well you need this," Conor pulled the cap off of the syringe purposefully and moved closer to the bed then stopped suddenly.
"Doc put the syringe down," Jay asked politely enough as he heard a chuckle from behind the magazine.
"Now Jay ....,"
"On three if that syringe isn't on the locker you're going to wish you had put it down. And I don't make idle promises."
"Think he's serious Doc," Adam commented as he put down his reading material remarkedly unconcerned that there was a gun pointing at the Surgeon.
"Hey you agreed to this!" Conor objected.
"Nope I didn't," Adam smirked, "if you remember I never said I agreed with anything."
"Hell I don't get paid enough for this," Conor grumbled but winked at the pale man as he walked to the door, "but ye can explain things to Voight. I got work to do."
"Don't tell me you're afraid of Voight?" Adam asked with a grin.
"Nope. Just want to be out of here before ye get a lecture."
"No back bone!" Adam called after him as the door closed.

"So you ready to let us help you deal with this once and for all?" Adam became serious as he sank down on the side of the mattress and took his weapon back.
"Think I'm going to have to," Jay replied around a cough, the chest infection was lingering on just to add to his misery.
"Good," Adam nodded as he checked the gun before replacing it in its' holster, "listen Jay before the others get here I want you to know that you can talk to me about anything, anything at all. I told you that before but I want to make sure you remember okay?"
"Kay," Jay turned back over on his side, "thanks. And don't worry I'll tell Voight I worked it out about the shot."
"Nah," Adam protested quickly, "I'll take the heat. Sarge will guess anyway. From now on they need to know that you're in charge."
"Even Voight?" Jay coughed out.
"Yeah man, even Voight. In the end it's your life."
"Okay. Wake me when he gets here," the ill man muttered as his eyes closed.
"Sure," Adam understood the unspoken trust his friend was placing in him by falling asleep and knew it was worth any amount of harsh words from his boss.

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Three days before Christmas found the Unit and the three ex-Rangers sharing a family residence behind security gates and high ivy trimmed walls with Conor, Will and Ethan. The property was not a safehouse but was owned by an old school friend of Platts who was spending the Holidays in Europe. The estate boasted 8 bedrooms, two ensuite, and 3 bathrooms. Jay had not wanted to accept the offer but the no nonsense Sergeant had told him her friend usually let friends stay there for the Holidays and it was inaccessible without security codes. Jay had finally capitulated when Platt told him she wanted to do something to help and this was all she could think of.

Settled in the large cream sitting room in various plush velvet armchairs and sofas the men were discussing the present position in the case.

"Where did he meet up with Tom and Curt?" the question was the first time Jay had joined the discussion as he sat on the ground beside the fire in front of the armchair his brother sat in soaking in the heat.
"We think it was just opportunity," Hank explained quietly, "when he killed the two with Burton he was probably intending to go it alone."
"But he came across the brothers," Al added.
"Like I told you they had run away from their Care Home," Adam looked across at the younger man, "the people we spoke to said they were always watching Cop shows. It's obvious they were harmless."
"Yeah," Jay ducked his head, "and I forgot."
"What do you mean?" Lance asked.
"When I first met them," Jay shook his head, "the old man introduced us at the warehouse. I thought they were the guys who had attacked me at Med. I'd forgotten those guys had already been killed."
"With the temperature you had I'm surprised you could even stand upright let alone think clearly," Conor immediately tried to comfort his friend.
"They came back from getting supplies with a bag full of treats. He had them believing they were playing a game. The old man fooled them easily. Thing is ...,"
"What?" Hank asked with a frown concentrating on his Detective.
"Ye said Tom and Curt had gone missing over a month ago. The other two were involved in the attack but .....," Jay rubbed his forehead, "Tom and Curt spoke like they were involved in it."
"That doesn't make sense," Mark put in, "we definitely didn't see anyone else that night."
"The Samsons didn't run away from the Home until after the attack," Al argued, for the past few days they had been double and treble checking every piece of information they had.
"But they spoke of it as if they had been there, taken part in it," Jay pointed out, pounding his chest as he coughed.
"They liked Cop shows," Hank observed thoughtfully, "maybe they watched it, the attack. Just got into role playing."
"The old man filmed it?" Will cut in.
"He knew where the attack was going to be carried out," Al offered.
"But it was only by chance he followed us to Med wasn't it?" Jack looked at the Sergeant.
"Yeah so it's likely he filmed it on his cell."
"Can't have been good footage. He was involved in the attack after all," Adam poured water on the theory.
"So there's someone else working with him?" Antonio spoke the words none of them wanted to consider.
"Think I'll have an early night," Jay got to his feet slowly, reluctantly accepting his siblings' help, "see ye tomorrow."

"What's going on?" Ethan looked at the others once they were alone.
"He's still blaming himself for the Samsons," Will replied with a frown.
"It's more than that," Kevin stated firmly.
"He knows who's working with the old man," Hank finished with certainty.

tbc