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

Chapter Fifty-Two: Threats

Christmas Eve found a reflective Jay sitting in the dark sitting room on a brown leather armchair by the large ornate fireplace as the first rays of sunshine came through the shutter slats he had just opened.  He had woken from a nightmare with a thundering headache hours earlier and upon going downstairs to get some milk to take tablets with he opted to stay downstairs rather than deal with the painful throbbing which would have ensued if he attempted the climb back upstairs.  The descent had been bad enough.  Alone in the dark room he had watched the remnants of the nights' fire fade out.  But as the embers died  his memories came alive and he relived the day Max had been killed.     The innocent mutt had been in his thoughts since viewing the tape.   Of all things his mind could have fixated on it chose his childhood confidante.   That dog had sat loyally by his side as he poured out his heartache at his fathers' treatment and his fear for his brother and mother.  The faithful tawny brown terrier had heard all of Jays' secrets and never once judged him.  Jay thought back to that day which raised his fears to a whole new level.  Before that afternoon he had been hurt by his father but with the death of Max had come the death of his willingness to share his emotions.   Rubbing his still painful forehead the young man sighed and leant his head back to close his eyes but the door opened and a blinding light startled him.  He cried out in agony at the excruciating pain which threatened to overwhelm him.

"Whoa Jay!  It's only Adam and myself," Will quickly approached the armchair as the other man turned the light back off.
"Damn!" Jay had started rocking backward and forward trying to deal with the pain but obviously it wasn't helping.
"Adam get my bag," Will spoke quietly so as not to cause his sibling any more surprises as he knelt down beside him, "it's okay Jay.   It's going to be okay."
"Just leave me awhile.   I'll be out soon."
"No way Kiddo," Will placed a hand on the nearest shoulder as his open bag was passed to him,  "I'm going to give you something to help the pain okay?"
"Took something already."
"Vicodin?"
"Yeah."
"When?"
"I don't know ....... a few hours ago I guess."
"You can have something now.  It's okay."
"But ....,"
"Jay he's right.   You need some pain relief," Adam crouched down in front of his now still friend, "after you rest we can talk alright?"
"Well?" Will held up the newly filled syringe.
"Okay," Jay sighed in defeat and held out his arm.
"Sorry this needs to go in your hip," the redhead explained quickly and gestured to the crouched Detective, "just help him turn on his right side a bit."
"Sure Doc," Adam made short work of the task before his friend had a chance to argue.
"Just a quick pinch," Will  automatically warned before he pulled down the too loose jeans and briefs and inserted the needle after swabbing the area with a sterile wipe.
"You want to stay down here?" Adam checked as the Doctor finished his task and closed his bag.
"Yeah," Jay sat back on the armchair fully and looked at both men, "I didn't wake ye did I?"
"Course not.   It's our turn to sort breakfast.  Mind you I don't know how I keep getting the morning shift!"
"You know why," Will stated ruefully as he rose, "you can't play poker."
"Didn't know ye were all cardsharks," Adam grumbled as he sat down on the armchair across from Jay, "you make the coffee I'll be out in a minute."
"Anyone would think you were my boss!" Will complained but left anyway hoping his brother would talk to his friend since he wouldn't open up to him.

"You can leave me alone you know.  I won't disappear," Jay spoke as the silence dragged on in the room.
"I know.  I trust you," Adam assured, "but I was wondering if you were up to answering a couple of questions for me."
"What questions?" Jay frowned as he coughed.
"How come you're not kicking up a fuss about Christmas?
"I want ye safe."
"Will you answer one more question?"
"Okay."
"I know you went to the bank to rob it to keep the Samsons safe.  That's also the reason you stayed at the warehouse when they were out getting supplies but didn't contact us."
"We've been over this," Jay rubbed his eyes tiredly recalling his lengthy debriefing.
"We have but you never said why you were going to leave the bank when you found out you had been set up and the brothers had been killed.  In fact you fought us."
"Don't remember.  I passed out."
"Yeah you did but I want you to tell me the truth."
"It's ...... complicated .... you wouldn't understand."
"Well let me be the judge of whether or not I understand."
"I thought ...... maybe," Jay clasped his hands together tightly, "if I got to him he wouldn't find .....,"
"Find what?"
"Find ...... someone else ....... to kill."
"Why do you think he's going to find someone else," Adam leaned forward in  his seat, "did he threaten someone else?"
"No!  I'd have told ye.   He's killed five since the attack.   He's going to keep going till he's stopped!"
"We'd figured that out," Adam reminded, "what is it you're not telling us?   Did he give you a clue?"
"He didn't have to.  I know his ways.  The thing is he's a threat to anyone.  He always was.   That's why he has to he stopped now."
"Go on."
"Look you saw that .... tape.   You heard what he said."
"I did.   He mentioned 'test'.  He give you a lot of those?"
"A test could come at any time," Jay didn't answer the question directly,   "I hadn't thought of those days in so long but since the attack it's like all my childhood memories are floating to the surface."
"So tell me about the tests."
"If ...............," Jay considered how much he should divulge, "he took a dislike to the Mailman he was the price of failure."
"Damn ..... I don't know what to say Jay.  Do you think he hurt anyone?"
"No.  I didn't fail."
"Okay."
"So now will you just leave me be? Please?" the pale man pleaded.
"Sure.   I'll save some unburnt pancakes for you," Adam walked out after handing his friend a throw which the seated man pulled up around him as his eyes closed.

Arriving in the kitchen Adam found Will had been joined by Conor, Ethan, Hank and Antonio.   The others, he was informed,  were just gone out on shopping detail, much to their chagrin.

"So did you get anywhere?" Conor asked as he sat at the marble counter demolishing a strawberry pancake.
"He told me why he needed to get back to the old man that day in the bank," Adam replied but directed his gaze towards the Sergeant who was rinsing his mug under a tap, "he wanted to stop him finding another target."
"Any idea who?" Hank turned around curiously.
"That's the thing," the Detective sank down on a stool and looked at the other men, "turns out the old man didn't just threaten Will and his Mom."
"Who else?"
"That's where it gets tricky," Adam looked at Will sympathetically before looking at his Sergeant again, "those tests mentioned in the tape?   He threatened strangers.   Jay used a Mailman as an example."
"And he's only telling us this now?" Hank allowed his displeasure to show, this had been going on too long.
"Hey!   He's only started recalling things since the attack," Adam stood up and walked over to the sink to defend his friend, "things he's spent years burying.  Bits and pieces are coming back to him!"
"Guys arguing isn't going to help," Antonio broke the standoff, "wouldn't have saved the brothers.   They were just opportunistic killings.   Mancini was always going to be killed.  He knew too much."
"You're right," Hank conceded then gave Adam a nod, "he up to talking?"
"Not until that shot Doc gave him wears off.  He's asleep."
"Good," Will expelled in relief even though in view of what he had just learnt his stomach was threatening to dispel the cereal he had just eaten.

tbc