Tolerance Book II

Chapter Seven: Unwelcome Memories

Much to everyones' disappointment finding the listening device had not been a precursor to Wells turning up. The assumption had been be would need to verify first hand that Jay was dying and take a hand in hastening his death. It had seemed logical in view of Wells' obsession with the Detective. Four days after the listening device had been found however their target proved as elusive as ever. Working around the clock the men were all tired but no one complained. The end goal of protecting the young Detective negated any complaints. Rotating shifts as the uniformed Officer outside the hospital room which Jay occupied at least meant there was some variety to break the monotony.

Al had taken Voight aside after the second night and volunteered to be the permanent resident of the second bed in Jays' hospital room. Although the Sergeant had sensed there was something else behind the request rather than simply a desire to protect the ex-Ranger from Wells he knew his friend well enough to know that any questions would be rebuffed. If Al wanted to tell him what motivated the request he would do so in his own time. Jay was unaware that he had instilled a new worry in Al. Twice Jay had woken up in a cold sweat after nightmares and each time he had downplayed them. What Al hadn't shared with the unsuspecting man was that he had cried out a number of times as he wrestled demons in his sleep and as a result the older man was able to piece together the topic of the nightmares. It saddened him immensely that even now the Kid was dealing with the torment his duty in Afghanistan had embedded in him. Although both men had been Snipers Al knew that the tasks asked of Jay would have been more soul destroying. Different conflicts required different approaches. Al had always been assigned to take out targets who had security personnel and bad guys around them. He suspected Jays' targets would not have been so easily delineated and therefore the capacity for collateral damage would have been high, no matter how good a Sniper he was. Now as the fourth day drew to a close he debated broaching the matter with his friend and had decided to do so when the door opened.

"We got trouble," Voight strode in, the uniform doing nothing to hide his authority, "we only have the room until tomorrow evening."
"We can't ......," Jay began to argue but was cut off.
"The CEO has been over-ruled by the Board of Directors. He's probably going to lose his job over letting us set up here. The Board is concerned about liability."
"Hell," Al cursed in frustration, "so what's the game plan?"
"Wells doesn't show by four tomorrow we close it down."
"We just forget the whole thing and I go back to work on the investigation?" Jays' scepticism was obvious.
"We'll let it be known your condition has improved and you're recovering at the hotel."
"So we set up surveillance there."
"No Halstead," Voight shook his head negatively, "the hotel is too risky. The only reason the hospital was a go was because we have the whole floor locked down. In the hotel too many civilians could become collateral damage and .....,"
"Kid?" Al noticed the colour drain from the prone mans' features as Voights' words came to a halt in surprise.
"Halstead?" Voight stepped closer to the bed, noting the glazed look.
"Hank get a Doctor. Now!" Al for once gave his friend an order, knowing it would be obeyed.
"On it," Voight didn't hesitate and with one final glance at the cause of his concern headed for the door.

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Jay was confused. One minute Voight was speaking to him and the next there was a Doctor leaning over him shining a light in his eyes. He batted the intrusive object away.

"Behave Kid," Al directed, relief lacing his tone as his friend finally began to respond to his surroundings.
"Detective Halstead," grey haired Dr. Philip Alden straightened up after finishing his exam, "do you remember what happened?"
"I ...," Jay paused trying to marshall his brain cells, "we were discussing the case ...,"
"That was twenty minutes ago," Voight stated gently.
"Do you remember anything else?" the ER Doctor asked carefully.
"No ... what happened?"
"You went into shock," Alden explained as he wrote up some notes and headed for the door, "for now get some rest. Your body still has a lot of recovering to do."