Under Different Circumstances

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

On the short drive to the hospital, Brett studied me quietly but didn't spark up a conversation. I assumed that she wanted to give me space to let me think over the events that had just happened. My heart was still beating a little faster than normal, and my hands were shaking slightly. I had never been this close to a shooting event much less nearly become a victim of one. I realised that I could have been in the back of this ambo in a much worse condition or even dead. Every day I had lived so far, every decision I had made in my life could have brought me to bleed out on the pavement. As that recognition set in, I had to actively work on keeping my breathing steady. I was safe and unharmed thanks to a young detective. Never before, had I met someone and had instantly felt this kind of a connection and attraction before. He looked at me and I felt like he understood my every thought and emotion. I wondered if he felt the same way about me but ruled that possibility out right away and blamed my feelings on the adrenaline and the simple fact that he had saved me.

At the hospital, Foster and Brett brought me into a treatment room and said their goodbyes. I thanked them a few more times and was left to sit and wait for the doctor.

Roughly fifteen minutes later, a young doctor with red hair and dark eyes walked in, studying a tablet.

"Hailey Upton. My name is Doctor Halstead. What happened to you today?" he asked, looking up from the screen.

I had never met someone with that name before today, and now, I had heard it twice within an hour. "Halstead?" I questioned. "Any connection to Jay Halstead?"

His gaze softened, and the corner of his mouth twitched up into a quick smirk, "Yeah, that's my brother."

I chuckled at that information and pointed to the bandage on my forehead. "In that case, to answer your question, your brother happened."

His forehead crinkled in confusion before I continued and told him about how his brother had saved my life by tackling me to the ground.

His facial features relaxed again. "Yeah, that sounds like my brother." The pride in his voice was unmissable. "How does your head feel now? Do you still have a headache or feel nauseous?"

This time, I could shake my head without having to bend the truth. "The nausea is gone completely, and my head doesn't pound as much anymore. I'd say it's just sore now."

"That's great. Look straight ahead please."

He took a flashlight out of the front pocket of his doctor's coat and shone it into my eye before flicking the light beam away again and repeating the same procedure on my other eye.

I used that time to study his face. There were definite brotherly similarities between the two men. Both of their faces were covered in freckles, and they had the same, kind facial expression that originated from their eyes.

"Your pupils are dilating exactly how they should," he concluded contently. "Nevertheless, I would like it if you stuck around for an hour or so, just in case your condition changes."

I nodded, and he began treating my laceration and a few scrapes on my arm and elbow that I hadn't even noticed yet.

A few hours later, I had signed all the paperwork I'd been given and was packing up my things when I heard a familiar voice by the doorway to my treatment room.

"They're letting you leave already? I'm going to guess that's a good sign?"

I spun around to find Jay leaning against the doorway. A small butterfly fluttered around in my belly at the sight of him. He had kept his word.

"Yes! No concussion, and I didn't even need stitches. They were able to glue the laceration, and they said the scar will be barely visible in a few weeks. It's like I kept telling you, no big deal," I beamed at him.

He smiled happily and walked into the room towards me and took my bag out of my hands. Sensing my confusion, he explained, "I'll drive you home. It's the least I can do."

"Listen, you don't need to do that. You don't need to be nice and take care of me because you feel guilty. And I'm definitely not going to file a complaint or sue if you're worried about that," I told him, giving him an out if he wanted it.

"That's not why I'm doing this." His smile that followed was so sincere that I believed him and objecting again didn't even cross my mind.

"I met your brother by the way," I told him as he led the way out of the room and the ED to the hospital parking lot.

"Yeah?" he questioned, curiously pulling up an eyebrow.

"He wasn't at all surprised when I told him what happened."

"He wasn't surprised that I was responsible for your injury?" he chuckled.

"No," I grinned back at him, "he wasn't surprised that you saved someone. You seem to do that quite often."

"I certainly do my best. I tend to like the outcome better when I interfere instead of letting the bad guys do their thing unhindered. I especially like the outcome of today's events," he looked at me out of the corner of his eye with a smirk on his lips.

I admired his natural humility and wondered if he had just told me that he was glad that he had met me.

When I climbed into the passenger side of his truck, I was enveloped in a mixture of a clean-car-smell and the scent of his cologne. I gave him my address, and he knew how to get there without needing the navigational system.

During the short drive, I couldn't help glancing over at his profile every few moments, and I caught him doing the same a couple of times.

Breaking the silence that had fallen after we had pulled out of the parking lot, I asked, "So, what did the guy you arrested this morning do?"

"Drug and human trafficking. Two young women died due to his actions." He looked over at me, gauging my reaction. "We'd been surveilling him for three weeks and finally got the proof we needed to arrest him this morning."

"I'm glad he's off the streets now," I said coldly, my reaction calmer than he had expected.

Steering the conversation away from the offender, I held up my left arm. "You didn't get hurt at all from the fall this morning?" I asked, showing him the scratches on my forearm and elbow. "I didn't even notice these until your brother pointed them out to me."

As a reply, he showed me the palm of his left hand and his wrist which had dark red scrapes on them. "It's part of the job. I've had much worse," he shrugged it off, returning his hand to the steering wheel.

That sparked my curiosity, but I didn't feel like prying and decided to return to that topic a different time if I ever got the chance.

We drove up to my house, and Jay parked in front of it. My nerves kicked in, and I wasn't sure what to say, how to say goodbye. I wanted to see him again, but I didn't know if I could be brave enough to ask for his number since I still wasn't sure if the attraction I was feeling was one-sided or not.

"Thank you for driving me," I said quickly, realising that we'd been sitting in front of my house quietly for a few seconds too long.

"My pleasure," he replied, pausing for a second before continuing. "So, my unit and I will be at a bar called Molly's to celebrate the arrest and the end of the case tomorrow night. Since one could say you're now a part of the case too, you'd be welcome to join us." His eyes watched me carefully, and I recognised a hint of tentativeness.

"Yes," I blurted out. "I've heard of that bar. I would like that."

Relief washed over his face, and he nodded contently.

I gave him one last smile before I turned to open the door and get out of the car. I felt slightly self-conscious as I walked up the steps to my front door as I still felt his eyes on me, watching my every move. I quickly turned and waved before I opened my door, slammed it shut, and leaned against it as I let out a big breath. Only then did I hear him start the car up and drive off. What I didn't see was the small smile that didn't leave his lips during his entire drive home.