Tolerance Book II

Chapter Sixty-Four: Aftermath

"So what happened?" Adam repeated his earlier question, hoping to get an answer this time.
"I had a quick word with Halstead before Rhodes decided there were too many people in the treatment room," the Sergeants' interpretation of being thrown out drew chuckles from his audience, even Mouse, "he noticed the markings on one of the M67s was not in the standard print size and ...,"
"And?"
"Kaboom," Al put in sardonically.
"I mean was that all?" Adam shot the moustached Detective an exasperated look.
"It was enough to tell him King had sabotaged the grenade which meant a high possibility it was rigged to explode without outside influence."
"Damn lucky he noticed it in time," Murphy spoke in genuine relief and gratitude.
"That's not exactly how the Kid sees it," Voight informed the group unhappily.
"How else could he see it?" Parker looked at the Unit members seeing knowing looks pass between them.
"If I know Jay," Antonio proffered the explanation the Intelligence men all knew was most likely, "he's blaming himself for not noticing the anomaly earlier."
"Seriously?" Murphy asked in disbelief.
"Oh definitely seriously," Kevin concurred with a sigh to several nods of agreement.
"Well we'll set him straight," Parker eyed his companions keenly, they owed their lives to the young Detective and he needed to accept that truth unhindered by unwarranted guilt.

                     ----------------------------‐

Will stood in the cubicle and watched Conor deal with his brothers' injuries.  His earlier harsh words had merely been a way of relieving his stress at seeing Jay yet again injured.  Once x-rays had returned a verdict of non life threatening injuries the gaping head wound over his right ear had been dealt with before the mangled flesh of his back had been cleaned and sutured.  The ever professional Surgeon was applying the last dressing which hid the evidence of the days' events from sight if not from memory.  He was no fool.  He had been an unwilling participant in this exact scenario a number of times now, stuck between a fuming Will and an apparently nonchalant Jay.  He knew the younger Halsteads' silence had no relationship to the unpleasant injuries he had sustained.  The stoic tolerance of the inevitable wound cleaning had reminded him yet again of his friends' over familiarity with pain.  The black haired man had administered a number of local anaesthetics but same could not block the pain fully when vigorous scrubbing was required to ensure no tiny fragments remained nestled within the sliced flesh and torn muscle.  Conor shot a warning glance towards the redhead, mutely telling him to maintain his composure.  His earlier rantings had not benefited his sibling.  Whatever was happening in the King case was still very much ongoing and the elder Halsteads' anger would not help the situation.

"Okay you're good to go," Conor turned his full attention to his patient as he checked the final piece of surgical tape keeping the sixth dressing in place, "you need to keep the wounds dry and they need to be changed daily.  I'll get you dressings to take home with you as well as a course of antibiotics."
"Thanks Doc."
"How are you doing otherwise?" Conor asked gently as he noted the man was unusually quiet, even by his standards.
"Fine," Jay winced as he straightened up and got off the treatment table, studiously avoiding his brothers' eyes.
"You'll need help changing the dressings," Conor pointed out unnecessarily, more for something to say than anything else.
"I'll sort it," the injured man assured as he carefully put on the purposefully too large blue scrub top the Surgeon had found for him.
"You can stay with me ....," Will put in before being interrupted.
"Nope.  I'm going home," Jays' response though given quietly held a resolute note that was intended to deter argument.
"As well as the antibiotics I'm giving you a course of anti-inflammatories," Conor spoke up before the redhead could stubbornly persist, "they need to be taken with food and Jay it's important you take them.  The swelling needs to go down so the wounds can start healing."
"Will do Doc," Jay held out a hand, "appreciate all you've done.  Would you mind giving us a minute?"
"No problem," Conor returned the firm grip, "I'll sort out your prescriptions."

Once the siblings were alone Will began to wish the Surgeon had remained.  A tense silence had fallen as soon as the curtains were closed.  Jay was debating ripping his brothers' head off over his earlier actions or simply ignoring him. Neither option however would really solve anyrhing.

"You still mad?"
"Jay I wasn't mad at you .... it was just a shock ............ to see you being brought in .....,"
"Hell you don't handle shocks well do you?" the injured man huffed as he placed a tentative hand up to his bandaged head, "feel like a damn mummy!"
"You look like one too," the redhead couldn't resist teasing his sibling despite the circumstances before becoming serious, "so are we good?"
"For now."
"What does that mean?"
"It means we're good for now," Jay reiterated, "but you're going to have to learn to reign in your temper.  You're lucky Voight didn't deck you."
"Why would he have?"
"You're kidding right?"
"No."
"You practically called the man incompetent for letting me get injured again ......,"
"I never said that!" Will hastily protested.
"Not in so many words but you might as well have."
"I was worried! I can't even remember everything I said."
"Well unluckily for you Sarge has real good powers of recall," the Detective watched his brothers' consternation turn to worry and figured it served him right.
"You can explain things to him can't you?"
"Me? You weren't exactly lacking in your criticism of me either."
"But ......,"
".... you were worried?"
"Exactly."

The younger Halstead wondered how long he could keep his companion dangling.   He had no intention of letting Voight rake him over the coals but it wouldn't do him any harm to think it was a possibility.   As for the earlier remarks hurled at him he understood there was no malice behind same.   He had come to the conclusion long ago that Will got the fiery trait and he got the placid trait.  That assignment of qualities probably saved Will from many well deserved lectures, like today. Stifling a wince as his freshly injured ankle vied for attention Jay pushed inconsequential matters such as injuries and sibling squabbles aside.  Right now the grim circumstances which led to Med needed to be faced.  Right now he needed to admit his oversight ........

tbc