Hey Brother (One Chicago)

15- Nightmares and Promises

"Stop! Leave me alone! I don't want to go! Help!" I shout, but no one hears my cries for help. He grabs my wrist harshly, dragging me across the room. I try to fight back but my body grows limp with exhaustion. He throws me into the back of the truck, two other men sitting either side of me. They have evil looks on their faces.

"Please, I want to go home" I beg, my voice shaking as tears escape my eyes.

"You're not going home ever again. You're coming with us" he growls. The man to my left taking out a needle from his pocket. I scream in pain as he stabs it into my arm.

"Get off of me!" my eyes shoot open, revealing a dim room. The door opened, I realise it was just a bad dream when I see Antonio.

"Hey, you're okay" he reassures me. This hasn't happened for the longest time. I'm guessing the case today has really affected me more than I thought it had. I look at the alarm clock on the bedside table, 5am.

"I thought he was taking me again" I mutter, rubbing my eyes.

"It's just a bad dream, he can't hurt you anymore" Antonio says, sitting on the edge of the bed. I sit up, crossing my legs.

"Why do people do it?" I ask, him not knowing what to respond. The truth is no one knows, if we did things like this wouldn't be happening. "Why can't people like him just not exist?"

"I'd be out of the job if they didn't exist" he says, making me laugh. He has a point.

"Sorry for waking you" I apologise, embarrassed that I'm still scared of something that happened months ago.

"There's no need to apologise. I was waking up in half an hour anyway." he states. He leaves the room after double checking I'm okay. I sit on the bed, still a bit shaken by the nightmare. I get myself ready for the day knowing I need to take my mind off of it. My outfit basic as usual, I do minimal makeup not really feeling it today. I tie my hair up in a ponytail, pulling a few loose strands out at the front to frame my face. I look in the mirror, my face looking exhausted. I hate the way I look today, I hate the way I feel. Antonio is ready before me, he's sitting on the sofa when I walk out of the bathroom.

"Are you sure you want to come in?" he asks. I nod in response, knowing I can't let Voight down like that. I want to prove I can actually do something. Properly. Everything I've ever done has been for someone else. I've never had the self discipline to actually commit to something. I have a feeling Voight offered me this opportunity for a reason. He knows I want to prove myself and maybe this is how I do it.

"I wasn't thinking straight yesterday. I'm fine honestly." I say when he doesn't speak. I think we both know what happened yesterday has really set me back. I was just getting somewhere and now I feel like I'm back to square one. He agrees with me, knowing I wouldn't go if I knew I wasn't ready. We sit and talk for some time, the clock ticking away. Soon enough it's time to leave. It's an early start today so we stop to pick up break fast on the way. As we walk into intelligence everyone else is already there. Not expecting me to be here. But no one says anything. After all it isn't their decision.

There's already a case on the board, an arson case. Severide and Casey emerge from Voight's office. Greeting us with a smile. They stick some of the photos they have in their hands on the board.

"Three houses all go up in flames within one week. All three with the same cause. These fires were deliberately started."

"Anyone injured?" Jay asks.

"No, whoever did this didn't mean to kill."

"Do we know if these three families have anything in common?"