Kevin and Olivia were inseparable. On the job, 9/10 they were doing something that required both of them. Not that that was unusual, that was exactly what partners were for in the first place. To be cover, backup. But it was different with them. Their friendship was just as strong outside of work as it was inside.
He was the only person that was actively invited over on days Olivia wasn't keen on being social. Which wasn't a lot, but when it did happen he was honored. Just like she was when he invited her over to his place when his neighbors were having parties. It was like an unspoken thing between them.
Like they were each other's person. Platonic soulmates if you will. Aside from family, it was always them at each other's beds when they were in the hospital. It was like time stopping if one of them got hurt, cause how do you deal with seeing your best friend and person you're supposed to protect lying on the ground in pain?
It was hard. And even now as Olivia sat next to his bed, her eyes drooping, fighting to stay open. Wanting to be awake when Kevin woke up. She was just thinking about how she wasn't there.
The best she could think was that she was there now . He wasn't alone. He wouldn't be waking up to a hospital room with doctors passing by hopefully noticing he's awoken. He wouldn't be laying there by himself when Ethan Choi came into the room to tell him 'Hey, you really almost died last night. You got real lucky.'
No, she was there and she would be there until he woke up. Tired or not. And just as her head finally fell against the side of the bed, craving just a few minutes of sleep, Kevin's arm twitched, pulling the girl right back up. "Kev?" She asked softly, as if saying anything too loudly would break the other person in the room even more than he already was.
His eyes fluttered open, vision still partially blurred as she stood, leaning over him. "Oh my god, I'm gonna go get Dr. Choi." Olivia smiled tightly as she let go of his arm, poking her head out the door. "Maggie, can you page Choi? Kevin's waking up." She dipped back into the room, taking a couple minutes to text the first team member that showed up in her messages to tell them Kev was awake.
A groan left Kevin's lips as he tried to sit up, "Hey, no, no, wait til Choi says I can move the back up," She lightly pushed against his shoulder, pushing her seat out of the way as said doctor walked into the room.
"Hey Kev, nice to see you awake."
"Glad to be, can we get my bed up?" Kevin was quick to ask about the state of his bed, hating to be lying back in it for too long. Said he always felt like it was one step from being in a casket, which... fair enough right?
As soon as Dr. Choi nodded Olivia reached and grabbed the control to his bed, lifting his back up. "That good?" She lifted her eyes to him, putting it down when he nodded. Choi looked over the vitals screen before shifting his attention back to Kevin.
He put his stethoscope to his ears, listening to the sounds of his heart and his breathing. "How do you feel?" Olivia stood back, letting Ethan handle things, her hand sitting, fiddling with the golden sun pendant she always wore around her neck.
Kevin shrugged faintly, "If I'm being honest, like shit. Like a fire truck landed on my abdomen." He spoke, glancing up at the girl who could do nothing more but give him a reassuring smile partnered with a thumbs up.
He reciprocated with a similar smile before wincing, "Is there anything else you can do for this pain because man it hurts." His words were met with a faint chuckle from the doctor as he nodded.
"Yeah, Doris, hang a bolus of morphine." Choi stepped back, clasping his hands in front of him. Military like pose, Olivia had seen Jay do it all the time and so did her dad. "Like I said to Olivia already, you were shot twice. In your chest and stomach. The first one just missed your lungs, went through the spleen. We were able to fix it so things weren't too hard there."
"Now what I didn't say already. The second bullet grazed the iliac artery, which we were lucky to get you into the OR when we did or you would have bled out into your abdomen. It lodged into your small intestines but Dr. Marcel was able to get it out without doing any extra damage."
Olivia bit at her lip as she listened in, she wasn't that aware of how bad it had been. Sure he had looked, one cough gone wrong, away from death's door but she heavily assumed it was just her eyes playing tricks on her while she assumed the worse.
Not that he was bleeding internally still while she was sat there next to him. "We're gonna keep you here the next day, maybe two, make sure you're healing right and there's not any damage we missed." Dr. Choi glanced over at the girl before back to Kevin. "Any questions?"
He shook his head slightly, "Not that I can think of, thanks Ethan."
"Yeah no problem man, I'll be back to check on you later. We're just waiting for a bed to open up upstairs before we can move you." With that he left the room and Olivia let out a breath, looking down at her feet. She stifled a yawn before moving to take her rightful seat next to the bed.
As soon as she sat she tugged her lips down in a smile, "I knew a couple bullets couldn't kill ya," She spoke, getting a faint laugh and a nod from the man.
"Damn right, where are the others?"
"Working, Voight made me stay here since the last time my partner..." Olivia trailed off, even after all this time it was still hard for her to really think about. To really talk about. And Kev knew that, of course he did.
He got the rundown of the team's history and especially Olivia's all within his first week upstairs. "I know." He put a reassuring hand on hers, "But I'm okay. And we'll find this guy." His words were reassuring.
They had to be likely to find him, his tactics were messy, his trail of victims was growing and now he had directly attacked a team member? Which in itself didn't even make sense. "I just don't get it. Why were you a target? I mean the first three victims were all law based. Lawyer, law student, judge. And then to jump to a police officer? Especially when you don't have any connection to any of the three victims before."
A pause. "Not to mention, why kill those three in the span of what? A week? And then put a pause on things for two whole weeks and completely change who he goes after?" A heavy sigh left her lungs as she shook her head. "It just doesn't make sense."
"It doesn't, but we'll figure out the connection if there is one." Olivia put her other hand on top of the one Kevin had on her's, nodding.
"I know, I just hate this. I mean, I thought maybe you guys were out in the field and didn't call me or something. Not that, that this creep got in your house?" She could feel herself tearing up again, pulling her hands away to press into her eyes.
She did not want to cry in front of him, not right now at least. "Hey, Ols, it's okay. We'll get him." He would have reached for a hug if he wasn't worried about pulling either a stitch or IV out of him, instead opting to just grab her hand again.
A knock came to the door, Connor poking his head in, "Hey, sorry to interrupt but I thought you two could use some breakfast." His eyes lingered on their joined hands for a moment before Olivia stood, waving him in.
"Yeah, yes, especially Kev." She lifted the food tray he was holding from him, turning to put it on the table that swung over his bed. "Here, eat. I'll be right back." He nodded faintly, ready to eat something finally, not even realizing how hungry he'd been.
Olivia turned, pulling Connor out of the room and hugging him, "Thank you, you didn't have to do that." She said appreciatively, pulling back to look at him with a smile.
"Yeah of course, he's had a rough night and by the looks of it so have you," His hand went to the side of her face, noting the red of her eyes and fresh wetness underneath them. "Did you get any sleep since you went in there earlier?" The lack of response was all the reply he needed to get.
Tilting his head, Connor sighed, "You should try and catch at least a little bit of sleep baby," His thumb trailing across her cheek, the obvious look of concern on his face made Olivia frown before she nodded.
"I know, I will I just-"
"Was worried, I know. But he's okay now. Awake. Stable. And you're tired." Connor said softly, his eyebrows raising when Olivia leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his sides. "You okay?"
She nodded faintly, his arms falling to wrap around her shoulders, kissing the top of her head. "Yeah, I just, I appreciate that you're concerned I guess," She muttered, squeezing him before pulling back.
"Of course I am, you're my girlfriend aren't you?" A light smile appearing on his face as she nodded slowly. Technically they never had the label talk and all that but considering that one of them was at the other person's house every night these last few weeks it was safe to say they were.
Olivia leaned up to kiss him quickly, "I am, I should head back in there but really, thank you," She grabbed his hands before turning and going back into the room, immediately getting wiggled eyebrows from the man in the bed.
"Don't."
"I didn't even say anything!"
"You were thinking it," She squinted her eyes at him, sitting down and grabbing a piece of the toast that was still on the plate. "And I do not want to hear it this early, ignoring the fact that it is almost noon." Olivia added on, looking over at him.
He sipped at the juice pouch he got, both of his hands holding it like a little toddler. "Lips are sealed," Kevin put the pouch down, pretending to lock up his lips as Olivia rolled her eyes. Just as she was taking the last bite of the toast, Kim came into view from the doorway, a breath visibly leaving her.
Olivia slid the chair out of the way, letting her and the others in to see him. "How's he doin'?" Voight questioned, the only one that didn't immediately rush in, knowing the team was more deserving of being in there.
She let out a heavy sigh, "He's good. Choi said he's out of the woods basically. Keeping him here a day or two to make sure he doesn't rip stitches or they didn't miss anything. After that though he'll be cleared to go home."
Voight nodded, "Well, when he gets out I'd rather if he stayed with one of you guys. His house is a crime scene, yes but he might still be a target. And home safely or not, he won't be able to fully protect himself next time." His words instantly soured the hopeful mood Olivia had been in.
A wave of nausea came over her, biting at her cheek as she pushed past Voight, finding her way to the nearest bathroom and dropping in front of the toilet as she threw up. Might still be a target . Repeated over and over as she leaned back, her head hitting the wall lightly.
She should be used to how harsh the world of crime is, why was it affecting her as badly as it was? Because it was Kev? Because of something that happened three and a half years ago? It was stupid. So stupid. Her heart pounding in her chest, the shallow breaths she took just to keep herself breathing at all.
The room was spinning and she could do nothing but squeeze her eyes shut and pull her knees to her chest. It felt like being pulled out with the waves, each crash of one over your head was another wave of doubt and fear and anticipation that she didn't have it in herself to handle.
Two rapid knocks burst through the static that covered Olivia's ears, "Liv?" A pause, maybe they'd go away if she didn't reply. "Liv, I know you're in there." Hailey, it was Hailey and she was sitting there ignoring her.
"Olivia, please open the door." The tone of the last sentence was so soft, caring, that she forced herself to stand, flushing the toilet before opening up the door, turning right back around to wash her hands and rub water over her face. "Voight said you ran off." The blonde's watchful eyes fell to the back of her head.
She didn't answer, swishing water in her mouth instead in an attempt to get the bitter taste out of her mouth. "Look, I know this is scary. I do. I still think about when Jay got taken, shot.-"
"Hailey, I love you, I do but you just, you don't get it. You don't know-"
"I do." Olivia turned to her, her eyebrows pulled together. "Voight told me. The same way he told Kim. The same way he told Kev. I know. And I get that this brings those feelings up but you're strong. Kevin is strong. Whether this guy comes after him again or not, I know you'll be right there with him ready to protect him and that is what he'll need." Hailey let out a light breath.
"I can't tell you how to feel or react to these kinds of things. Everyone's baggage shows differently. But you know all of us are here. All of us." Olivia rolled her tongue as she nodded.
"I know, I know you guys are. It's just, this isn't something I can just, get help with. It's something I have to deal with on my own. I appreciate it though, really." She let out a soft sigh, "I'm sorry, I'm also just... super tired." She added on, looking over at the blonde once again.
Hailey nodded, "Hey, it's okay. Take the time you need, we're still gonna be out here," She went to leave, Olivia shaking her head, immediately following her out. If there was anything she wanted to be doing right now it was to be looking for the asshole that shot Kev.
Feelings be damned.
Voight looked at the two girls as they made their way back to the spot outside Kevin's room, Adam now sitting where she had been not even an hour ago, cracking some joke that made both the men laugh. "I wanna be put back in," Olivia spoke, crossing her arms as she looked at her boss. "I don't care, I'm good. I can handle it."
Slightly he nodded, "Alright, you and Halstead partner up for the rest of the day. Hailey, you go with Kim." The two girls nodded, not minding the change in partnerships. "Let's head out," He turned to leave, Olivia stepping into the room.
"Hey, Voight wants us to head out." She said loud enough for them to hear, Adam lifting an eyebrow as he stood.
"Us?"
"Yup, me included," Olivia looked past him at Kevin, "I'll be back later though," She reassured him, passing by Ruzek to give him a hug. "Hope you don't mind me partner-cheating on you." She joked.
Kevin laughed quietly, shaking his head, "Who'd you get stuck with?" He teased, nodding his head at the others.
Olivia huffed out a laugh, "Jay,"
"Ooh, good luck." Kevin pointed his fingers at Jay, as if he'd be keeping his eyes on him, "Nah but be careful yeah?" He added, nudging Olivia's arm who just nodded. She really always was, well, for the most part.
But if she got the lead on someone why should she stop? "I usually am, aren't I?" She raised her eyebrows at him, getting a similar look in return as he shook his head.
"Yeah, it's the other times that make me worried."
Olivia waved him off, walking out of the room to meet up with Jay who was waiting by the door, obviously having been brought up to speed on the current partner swap. "Ready?" He asked, watching as she stretched up.
Hospital chairs were not good for the back and she was becoming oh so aware of that, "Yeah, you didn't have to wait for me, I have my own car." She spoke, following him out of the building.
"Yeah well Voight said a building came up under a name one of his CI's gave and he wants us to check it out, so I'll drive." He spoke, nodding his head in the direction of his truck.
Once they were in it Jay was driving them off to some old building on the outskirts of Chicago and the closer they got the more nervous Olivia was. And it went without saying that the building was sketchy.
The vines growing up the side and the rust on the door did nothing for her as she pulled on the extra vest Jay kept in the back seat. "Alright, we stay together, sweep the first floor then move up." He said, tightening his own.
Olivia nodded, following him over to the building's door, having to kick a few bricks that had crumbled by it out of the way. It didn't seem to be occupied by anyone, aside from the truck they just pulled up in the overgrown lot was empty. Only sign that people had been there was the trash littering the ground and the graffiti on the building itself.
The two split to each side of the door, Jay reaching to pull it open. One shared look and he pulled it open, Olivia's gun raising, ready to shoot if needed as she looked at the long hallway, doors on either side all the way down. "Move." Jay muttered, his left shoulder to her right one.
"Hold, cover." Olivia spoke, splitting into the first room on the left, surveying it before going back to the previous position. "Clear. Move." The next door, on the right this time, was open, the two doing the same as before except this time Jay cleared.
All the way down the hallway. Which was about fifteen rooms total.
"Clear." Jay muttered, looking at the stairs, "I'm starting to think this place is a bust," He added, the two slowly making their way up the cold cement steps. Olivia fully agreed, they still hadn't found any signs of life aside from an old mattress on the floor that just seemed to be some place for a homeless person to stay.
The next floor was just like the one below, a sigh leaving the girl's lips, "'Kay, ready?" She glanced at him, noting his nod. "Alright, move." And just like downstairs, she turned into the first room on the left, clearing it, moving back for Jay to check the one on the right.
They swept the floor, guns lowering when they realized nobody was there. "Well, this place is empty. Hardly used at that." Olivia spoke, tucking her gun away. Jay nodded, the two making their way back to his truck.
"So we have nothing. Still." Olivia tossed the vest into the back seat, the door slamming as she got into the front, "Hey," She turned to face Jay as he got in, "Did you guys ever put together why he would have targeted Kev?"
Sadly, Jay shook his head as he started the truck up. "Nope, we tried but we went through every case that connected the judge and lawyer and Kevin didn't pop up with any of them." It was obvious that not knowing the connection was getting to him too.
It just didn't make sense. He knew it, Olivia knew it, hell even Voight knew it and that's what bothered them the most. That's why Kevin's name had a big red question mark next to it as Olivia and Jay went back to the precinct. They weren't done for the day so why waste gas dropping her at med just for her to drive herself here?
"How the hell do we still have nothing? One of our own was targeted and we have nothing on this guy?" Voight put his hands on his hips, looking down. "It had been three weeks since our first body. THREE. And this killer is sti ll out there. Still killing people. We need to catch him before he drops a fourth body."
Jay sighed as Voight slammed into his room, grabbing the phone as soon as he did. Who he was calling, they had no idea but he didn't look too happy as he was talking. It felt like they just ran head first into a brick wall and Olivia was not happy with it.
Two days later
"Alright, I already talked to Olivia about it, but Kevin I want you staying with her for the foreseeable future." Voight stood with his arms crossed in front of the hurting but on the mend officer as he waited for his discharge papers to arrive and for him to be given the sweet release of freedom from this hospital.
Olivia stood at the end of the bed, giving him a tight smile when Kev looked at her. "Sarge, that's not necessary-" Voight cut him off, raising his hand.
"I don't care. Your house is still a crime scene, we're still looking for possible DNA and," He glanced at Olivia, knowing the last time he said this she ran off and vomited. "And you might still have a target on your back. You're staying at Montgomery's."
The girl did her best to choke back the reaction to that statement, her couch already set up at home for the man to be able to rest on. She would have offered him her bed but he would absolutely never take it so she figured she'd skip the argument.
Kevin sighed, nodding. If there was anything he wanted to skip out on, it was also an argument with Hank Voight. Nobody wanted to be on the receiving end of whatever ego filled spiel he was going on about. Especially not his team.
The sergeant nodded as Will knocked on the door, "Ethan got pulled into a patient emergency, told me to drop these off," He spoke, giving Olivia a smile before handing the papers off to Kevin. "And you're all set." He nodded, going to walk off.
"Will wait," Olivia said, turning back to Kev, "I'll be right there but you can start heading to the car," She looked at Voight, "Stay with him?" At his nod she stepped out of the room, walking a bit aways before turning to the tall doctor.
He tilted his head slightly, "What's up? Are you okay?" It took everything in him not to put a hand on her shoulder or arm, especially knowing that Connor was on trauma surgery today and would 100% be bouncing around the floor, probably wanting to see her before she left too.
She nodded quickly, "Yeah, yeah I'm good. I just wanted to say thank you, for uh, being there the other day." The girl picked at the invisible fuzz on her shirt, trying to fight the way her heart picked up in her chest. "I appreciate it, I know I was a mess but," She shrugged slightly. "Just, thanks."
Will smiled, giving her a quick pat on the arm, barely even touching her really, "Hey, no problem. Honestly. Glad to have been able to," He paused, over thinking the words he just said before clearing his throat. "I uh, you should probably go. Get Kevin settled and everything. I'd say see you around but in the nicest way possible, I wouldn't mind not seeing you in these halls anytime soon."
Olivia nodded, "Agreed, but yeah, I'll see ya, maybe around Molly's or something," She gave a quick wave before turning, walking away from him, the doctor speeding away on his own, in need of calming himself down. Of course the second she turned around she was face to face with none other than Connor.
"Hey, I see Kevin was discharged."
"Yeah, I'm taking him back to my place now," Her hands fiddled with the bottom of his scrub top, straightening it out as she spoke, "Voight wants him to stay with me until we lock this guy up so," She looked up at him with a smile. "It'll be a bit."
Connor's eyebrows furrowed, "That mean you can't do dinner tonight?" He questioned, a layer of sadness in his voice. A frown appearing on his face when she nodded. "Tomorrow?" Olivia sighed, shaking her head.
"I'm gonna have to be with him a lot, I'm sorry." He stepped back, a wave of coldness going over him. If he backed off now he wouldn't snap at her, even though he had no right to. He knew that. He was aware that the jealousy that coursed through his veins was in vain, that she was going to be by her partner's side after he got hurt.
There was nothing he could do about it, and he shouldn't want to do anything about it. But something about the way he'd seen her sitting next to him, held him. All of it. It pressed every button that he didn't even know he had. As far as he was aware he was not a jealous or protective person. So why did seeing her with the other officer fill him with such rage?
Such annoyance? "Connor?" Olivia stepped closer to him, flinching back when he shook his head, her eyes looking over him quickly. Did she do something? Was this because she was blowing him off because she really didn't mean to.
"Alright. Call me when a time slot opens up." His voice was flat as he went to brush past her, letting himself be stopped by the grasp to his wrist, Olivia circling him to face him. Her hands lightly went to his cheeks, pulling him down so they were eye to eye.
She smiled softly at him, "I promise I'll make all of this up to you okay?" The girl leaned in slightly, wanting to kiss him, but too afraid to do so after how he was acting. With a sigh Connor pressed his lips to hers. He wasn't mad, he couldn't be mad at her.
"Okay, I'll be waiting."
"Oh I know it," She teased, kissing him against chastely before running out to her car, Kevin leaning against the side of it as she unlocked it from afar.
He cocked an eyebrow up at her, "What'd you have to say to Halstead?" Kevin was quick to question, buckling up with a slight wince as Olivia got in the driver's seat.
"I was just thanking him. No biggie." She shrugged, driving the two towards her house. All of her hoped that he didn't pick up on the fact she was downplaying it. Well, technically she wasn't. She was just saying thank you.
But the thank you was for holding her while she was crying her eyes out and keeping her from the full breakdown she was sure she would have had if he hadn't. If he thought anything about it, he didn't say anything, instead just leaning his head back.
At the house he wasted no time in sitting on the couch, sinking back into it. "It's the best I got so I hope you don't mind." Olivia sighed, looking over at him. He didn't even have a chance to reply, his eyes already shut as he quickly dozed off.