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

Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Four: A Way Out

Authors' Warning: Reference to a Childs' Death (Not Graphic)

"Halstead I need you to talk to me," Hank walked over after catching Adams' eye outside and signalling him in.
"What?" Jay rubbed sweat from his brow as he tried to consign the long forgotten memories back to storage.
"Here I got you a soda," Adam walked in and passed over an unopened chilled can which his friend immediately rubbed against his forehead as he reluctantly eased back down on the couch again, his friend following suit but staying at the opposite end so as not to crowd him.
"Sorry," the shaken man kept his eyes closed as he laid his head back savouring the cool metal against his skin as the weakness finally abated, he had got to stop reacting so badly to things.
"Nothing to be sorry for Kid.  Nothing at all," Hank put in gruffly as he walked over and sat down behind his desk, "you ready to talk about Daniel Franklin?"
"Ye have the Reports no doubt.  The death was all over the news at the time," Jay spoke insightfully as he recalled his friends' earlier serious features now knowing what they were reading, "I'm not going over that night with ye if that's what ye want."
"We usually talk to witnesses."
"He doesn't need to Sarge does he?" Adam protested on his companions' behalf.
"He gave a Statement.  I want to know what exactly went down that night."
"It was a long time ago.  You saying Franklin is blaming me?!" the full ramifications of the questioning were finally sinking in and Jay put down the can.
"Daniel died of a single gunshot wound to the head.   You were the one who phoned it in.   There were no other witnesses apart from Tom."
"You were nine years old man," Adam said softly, "must gave been a nightmare."
"So now it's become my word against Franklins?" the young man ignored his friends' sympathetic words as he glanced back into the open plan office noting the others were gone.
"He's saying you could have saved him."
"Oh sure!  Because I'm a miracle worker!"
"Tell us what happened."

Chicago Med

To say Will had been surprised when Antonio and Kevin turned up unannounced at the hospital for a chat would be an understatement.   Conor had soon asked to join the men and they now sat around the break room as the redhead shook his head.

"That was a long time ago.  I remember Jay became really withdrawn for a while.  Danny was one of his best friends."
"But if he was why didn't Jay make the connection with Tom Franklin?" Conor queried.
"Tom would have been way older and Franklin isn't an uncommon name.  Besides Jay  was undercover in LA, not here. Might have been different if he had been in Chicago."
"So what do you know about the shooting Doc?" Antonio ran a hand down his face.
"Not much really.  Mom brought Jay home one night in a squad car.  I was ten or eleven and all into questions.  He never said anything just went straight up to bed.  Mom said one of the Paramedics at the scene had given him a mild sedative and he'd been checked out at the hospital for shock.  Apparently Danny had got into his fathers' gun locker ....,"
"We checked the old news Reports," Kevin explained, "according to the Police Reports nine year old Daniel Franklin shot himself accidentally while playing with his fathers' gun in a nearby playground on December 19th, 1993."
"Is that what happened?" Conor spoke for the first time.
"That's what the Reports say," Antonio hedged.
"What do ye think happened?" Will looked from the visitors and back to the Surgeon.
"They think there was more to it," Conor guessed ruefully, "if it was that straight forward Franklin wouldn't be blaming Jay for his brothers' death."
"We didn't say he was .....," Kevin frowned.
"Ye didn't say he wasn't.  Besides why else would he be coming after Jay?"
"But the Reports ....," the redhead began only to be cut off.
"Sometimes back then to save families grief the real cause wasn't recorded," Antonio offered, "doesn't happen so much nowadays but before some people turned a blind eye trying to help."

"So Doc did Jay ever actually open up to you or your Mom about it?" Kevin took out his notebook.
"Not really.   Mom tried to get him talking but he just kept saying he didn't see 'much' and he was 'fine'.  I never thought it was anything other than a tragic accident.  If Mom had any doubts she never shared them.   I can't say if he spoke to her about it or not."
"Where was the old man when all this went down?" Antonio checked.
"He'd been away for a few weeks on a job.  Just as well.  He'd have made things much worse for Jay had he had been around."
"Yeah.  More than likely."
"Sorry I'm not much help guys."
"Hey you told us what you know."
"Where is Jay?"
"Hank's talking to him."
"I'm going down there," Will got to his feet purposefully and retrieved his coat from his locker, "and before ye try to dissuade me my shift is over."
"You might as well come with us then," Kevin didn't even try to argue.
"Does this mean it's over," Conor watched as they headed for the door, "no more witness protection?"
"Early days Doc," Antonio cautioned, "will be a while before we can confirm we have everyone.   Best to keep taking precautions."
"You think this is it? Finally?" Will asked as he closed his jacket.
"I really hope so," Antonio acknowledged optimistically as they saluted the Surgeon before heading out.

21st Precinct

Jay had once again abandoned the couch and now stood looking out at the darkening skies.

"By the time I got to the playground he already ............ had the gun pressed to his temple," the quiet man finally broke the long silence which had lingered.
"How did you know he was there?" Hank knew mobile phones weren't in much use back then.
"Had a hunch," Jay shrugged a shoulder as he adjusted the sling the Sergeant had insisted he put back on, "that was Dannys' favourite place.  I ..... I knew he was upset.  Some of the older boys had been bullying him."
"He didn't tell his brother?" Adam wondered quietly as he placed a cell phone on the desk setting the record function with a silent nod of approval from the Sergeant.
"Nope. Looked up to him. Didn't want to seem like a baby I guess."
"So something got worse that day that made you think he would do something?" Hank pushed.
"Not really.  For Danny I guess it was the same as any other day.  I found two older guys tackling him behind the gym building.  He had a couple of bruises forming but was okay."
"Because you protected him," Hank stated instinctively, there was a reason they were recording this even if his youngest Detective didn't know it yet.
"I just got them away from him.   Anyway Danny thanked me and said it wouldn't be happening again and then he took off for class."
"But you went looking for him that night."
"It was the way he spoke to me ....,"
"Different to the other times you saved him from a beating?" Adam pushed wanting on record how he had helped the troubled boy.
"Yeah.  He sounded so ...... confident.  Like he had figured out a solution but that didn't make sense so I went to the playground to check after I called to his place.  His mother said he was out playing but was due back soon."
"Where was Tom Franklin at that time?"
"He was having his dinner when I called.   I saw him and Mr. Franklin sitting in the kitchen when Mrs. Franklin answered the door."
"Okay so you found Daniel at the park ...," Hank urged patiently.
"'Danny', he hated 'Daniel'."
"Okay, you found Danny, he had the gun pressed to his temple.  What happened then?"
"What the hell do you think happened?!"
"Tell us."
"I ..... I tried to talk him into giving me the gun but ....... his eyes.   He was so ..... calm.   There was no fear or panic.  I told him I would sort the bullies out once and for all even though I didn't know if I could.  He wouldn't listen .... reckon maybe he knew I couldn't ......... I don't know how long we stood there about three feet from each other, felt like hours but it could have been seconds.  The next thing I knew he was ........ gone ....... and Tom Franklin came running up screaming at the top of his lungs.  Can't blame him.  It wasn't a pretty sight."
"What did he say before he pulled the trigger?"
"I told ye."
"What were his final words?" Hank pushed.
"He ...... he said 'thanks for trying Jay'," the pale man quickly brushed a tear aside as his colleagues shared a glance and Adam turned off the recording.

tbc

Authors' Note - 12th May, 2019

The following is why I decided to include a childs' access to a gun in this story:-

The gun laws in the U.S. are erratic to say the least.  There is too much access to weapons.  Common sense seems an unknown commodity in a lot of quarters hence the numerous heartbreaking and totally preventable school shootings and other mass shootings.  In Ireland our An Garda Siochana (Police Force) is unarmed except for Special Units.  Since An Garda Siochana came into being in 1922 less than 20 Gardai (Officers) have been shot fatally.  In 2019 already 18 U.S. Police Officers have been shot dead.  People say you can't compare the U.S. to Ireland because one is very big and the other very small.  The truth is you can compare the two by going per capita (per head) and in doing that you learn that there 11 times more gun deaths in the U.S.  The amounts of lives that would be saved if decent gun laws were enforced would be staggering.  The fact that childrens' innocence is being stripped away at such a young age as boys and girls undertake Active Shooter Drills from 3rd Grade up is seriously sickening in view of the fact that the problem is solvable if people would do the right thing and turn their back on gun lobbyists and their money.  Children should be allowed retain their innocence about the harshness of our world for as long as possible for they will have many years in later life to live with that cruel knowledge.