Tolerance Book II

Chapter Seventy-Two: Worries

Two streets away from the Voight residence Adam, Kevin and Antonio sat in a black surveillance van discussing the likelihood of taking King out of action.  Each man had been rattled by the blatant intrusion into the Sergeants' family home.   It unsettled them and once again reinforced the tenacity of their nemesis.   King had already convinced the Unit he was capable of obtaining information he should never be privy to but the breach of Voights' house was a clear signal that the gloves were now fully off.   They had already known the cold blooded Murderer was not going to stop of his own volition so that raised the troubling question of how the man intended to end things. The note left in the ensuite towel for Jay was an affirmation King wanted to end the so called  'games ' now.

"Jay won't kill him," Adam finally voiced the very real worry they all had.
"For King it would be the ultimate game winner," Kevin opined with a heavy sigh, this was going to get ugly.
"We can't be sure that's hus goal," Antonio countered, they needed to cover all possible scenarios.
"His brother is dead.  He's clearly changed his tactics since then," Adam noted.
"Well the alternative to Jay not killing King is what?"
"King kills him," Antonio spoke grimly, that was an unacceptable option, they had duscussed this previously but were nowhere closer to a solution.
"If King doesn’t want to end it why walk into a trap?" Kevin wondered, there was a chance they were misreading the situation but he doubted it.
"So we're sure the note means he knows about Med?" Adam asked his own question.
"Seems a safe assumption," Antonio shrugged before looking at Kevin, "doesn’t seem to be any other reason to walk into a trap other than to end things."
"I know Jay left early to get some rest but he looks whacked," Adam commented.
"Guess until King is dealt with he isn't going to be able to switch off fully," Kevin suggested noting the Italian-American beside him had developed a sudden interest im his cell, "you know something we don't?  Did he say anything to you?"
"Nothing I can share," Antonio stated honestly., knowing his companions would not press the issue.
"Damn," Adam shook his head wishing, yet again,  life wasn't so complicated for his best friend.

On another street Mouse sat in the back of a well equipped surveillance van with the two New Yorkers.   The pair had been apraised of the latest developments by Amtonio and had immediately offered their assistance.  Normally the IT Specialist wouldn't be too happy left with the out of towners but his concern for Jay over rode everything and accordingly when Antonio had put him with Murphy and Parker he had accepted the decision without hesitation, not questioning the Detectives' right to give orders.  The ex-Marine had some questions and he hoped the Psychologist/Profiler could provide some, if not all, of the answers.
For his part Parker was well aware his profession tended to make people uncomfortable and it had been quite obvious that was the case  with the IT Specialist.  To say he was surprised the other man had not objected to Murphy and himself accompanying him would have been a lie.  Now after bland niceties had been exchanged he waited patiently  for the reason behind the lack of argument to be disclosed.

"So what's up with Halstead tthat he attracts someone like King?" Murphy fonally broke the silence and received a glare of exasperation from his fellow New Yorker.
"What do you mean?"
"Simple enough question," the Assistant Director noted evenly, despite what his friend thought he genuinely wanted the younger mans' take on what was going on.
"I don't have a clue," Mouse admitted unhappily with a shoulder shrug, "hell King is the only one who knows why he does things ....... no offence Doc."
"None taken," Parker assured wrily sending Murphy a rueful look before becoming serious, "he's remarkably calm about the whole thing don't you think?"
"That's Jay.   He doesn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve."
"He always been like that?" Murohy enquired wondering if they would get further insight into the young Detective.
"As long as I've known him."
"Ye met in Afghanistan?"
"We actually met in Boot Camp," Mouse corrected the older man, "man without him I'm not sure I'd have ever got through that.  He never let me quit, no matter how hard things got."
"Sounds like a good friend," Murphy acknowledged.
"The best."
"Are you worried about King?" Parker decided to shift the focus to the more pertinent issue.
"Sure ... but not for the reasons you might think?"
"Oh?"
"I know Jay could take care of himself in a fight and .....,"
"Even in his present condition?" Murphy interrupted allowing his scepticism to seep into his voice.
"Even in his present condition," the IT Specialist affirmed with absolutely no hint of doubt, "he can always set aside physical problems and concentrate on what needs to be done."
"You're speaking from experience," Parker mused.
"Yeah, seen it on more than one occasion.  He has an amazing pain threshold. Even significant injuries would never interfere with a mission."
"So why are you worried about King?" the Psychologist pushed, he would like to ascertain more about the Detectives' military experiences but felt he was in danger of crossing a line so pulled back and focused on the main issue.
"Well ..... we, the guys in the Unit ..... we reckon King might want Jay to kill him ...," Mouse spoke in a rush of words, unsure if he would be scoffed at.
"Could be the case," Murphy shared a confused look with his fellow New Yorker, this possibility had come up before after all.
"The guys reckon King would figure he won if he made Jay take him out."
"Possibly," Parker concurred grimly.
"But King doesn’t really know Jay, despite whatever he thinks."
"We're agreed on that," Murphy nodded
"He doesn't know Jay won't try to kill him despite all the things he's done to provoke him."
"Because Jay is quite a contained person," Parker spoke thoughtfully as he contemplated how different the conversation would be if someone like Voight was the one being provoked, "but he'd defend himself if it came to it wouldn't he?"
"I .....,"
"What?"
"I don't know ...," Mouse finally voiced his real fear, his friend might not be willing to live if it meant killing King.
"That doesn't make sense," Murphy argued, this prospect had also been discussed before but clearly the younger man felt it was still a relevant worry, "he was a trained Sniper. An ex-Ranger, he ....,"
"I know what he was," Mouse put up a hand to stop the description of his friend, "and what he is.  Being a Sniper kills a part of you, unless you're a stone cold Killer. Jay was never stone cold, despite the outward appearances.  It took a lot out of him.  Part of his ..... soul I guess. He's always placed a high value on peoples' lives.  The Sniper missions used to haunt him, not that he ever said anything."
"He definitely doesn't fit the normal sniper 'type'," Murphy noted candidly, he had been shocked upon learning of the young Detectives' extensive military background and even then he knew there was a lot more they were not privy to, "now Alinsky I could see alright."
"He's not a stone cold Killer either," Mouse defended the seasoned Detective.
"Nope but he's definitely not as ..... compassionate .... as Halstead."
"Maybe not."
"Did you want to ask a question?" Parker asked astutely, knowing now why no argument had been raised when he was stationed in the van with the two New Yorkers.
"Guess I'm wondering if you think King would come up with some other diabolical thing to make sure Jay took him out ...,"
"Hell all he does is diabolical things!" the Assistant Director grumbled in disgust.
"He seems ready to meet Jay at Med," Parker ignored his friends' interruption, "which does support the theory he wants to end things ....,"
"But?" Mouse prodded when the other man stalled.
"We're assuming he knows about Med although he didn't mention it."
"How else could he see Jay? Besides we know he knows about Med because he's  obviously been listening to our conversations in Voights' house."
"I'm just playing Devils Advocate.   What if he has plans to see Jay before Med?" Parker was aware he wasn't actually supplying answers to the worried man but the more he thought about it the more it seemed unlikely King would wait for Med.
"King is anything but predictable," Murphy tossed in, he couldn’t rule out Med not being the scene of the awaited showdown either.
"But do you think he could make Jay kill him?" Mouse went back to his earlier question.
"You know him better than me.  What do you think?"
"I don't think so ...,"
"That doesn't sound very convincing," Murphy pointed out with a frown.
"I was trying to think what would make Jay react the way King wants."
"And?"
"If he went after Will or one of the team ....,"
"But everyone is staying in numbers," Parker reassured, "Antonio told us he had spoken to Will and he's going to stay with Conor."
"Would that stop King?" Mouse spoke as each man had the same thought ...

Chicago Med

Conor looked around the nearly empty Emergency Room in relief.  For now he would enjoy the relative peace and quiet.  Experience had long since taught him that could vanish within minutes.  Rubbing a hand tiredly down his face he wondered, not for the first time, if he was getting too old to pull double shifts.  Day shifts always seemed easier than night shifts, no matter what came through the doors.  Night shifts tended to be episodes of sporadic activity followed by mind numbing hours of boredom, especially if paperwork was up to date.   Eyeing the wall clock it seemed to mock him.  Only ten after two, it was going to be a long shift!  He watched  as Will  stepped out of a cubicle wearing a distinctly disgruntled  expression and approached the Nurses' Station where he currently sat.

"If I had a dime for every drunk I've had to patch up I'd never have to work again!" Wills' complaint was aired quietly, to ensure patients couldn’t hear.
"But you're not in this job for the money," Conor reminded with a grin, "you're in it for the charming people we meet."
"Well the guy I just treated definitely can't be called 'charming'!"
"He didn't like your bedside manner?" the Surgeon teased unrepentantly, it was long a bone of contention between the pair that the redhead could be too clinical when dealing with patients.
"He didn't like that I refused to remove the fork from his thigh ....,"
"Should I even ask?" Conor winced.
"He bet his buddy he couldn’t avoid stabbing him wearing a blindfold."
"Okkkkaaaay."
"Guy is delighted he won the bet," Will elaborated with a look of disgust, "he isn't feeling any pain so to him that means all is okay."
"You explained the error in his thinking," Conor stated rather than asked.
"I tried.  He nodded off halfway through."
"The joys of alcohol."
"That's not what I'd call it," Will grumbled around a heavy sigh of defeat, some days the job truly sucked!

Anything Conor was about to say to appease his friend was forgotten as a loud crash emanated from the cubicle of the drunk man in question.  Getting to his feet Conor joined Will and the pair strode over to pull back the curtains.  What greeted them was not what either man had expected .....

tbc