Summer has finally arrived for me so I decided to write something that I have been putting off for awhile. I really want a Halstead Brothers crossover (or at least more interactions between the two) so I wrote this angsty piece to satisfy my needs.

Hope you enjoy.

All rights to the respective owners.

HEY BROTHER

SYNOPSIS: A shooting puts the Halstead brothers in danger as a grieving mother seeks justice.

"C'mon, you gotta stay awake."

"T-tired."

"I know, buddy. But we're almost there. We'll get you patched up and you'll be good as new in no time."

"Sr'ry... can't."

"Hey, no no no. Don't fall asleep. Keep talking."

A huff of frustration. Typical of him. "I'm c-cold."

"I know. You've lost a lot of blood and you're going into shock. But you can't fall asleep. And to keep you awake, you have to keep talking."

"Can't."

"Yes you can. You have to."

"I'm s-sorry 'bout all t-this."

"Don't talk like that-"

"You're the best brother I could-" a sharp cough. Blood spills out of his mouth. "I could have ever asked for." A smile.

"No, don't say goodbye." tears ran down Will's face.

"Love you, bro." the hand he was holding goes limp.

"No no no no." he checks for a pulse. He can't find one. "No! Come back! No, please, no!"

Two Hours Ago

"That was one of the best games of the season!"

"I know. They way they came back like that? They'll go far in the playoffs, for sure."

Jay Halstead laughed at his brothers bold claim. For once, their schedules allowed them to catch the Blackhawks game and a meal together, even if they both had a long day already. It was worth it in the end, just the two of them spending time together.

"You wanna stop by Molly's? I could use a drink." Jay asked as they walked the cold Chicago streets. Even on a night like this, they agreed to walk the city, just because they wanted to. It was nice to put aside they're daily lives for a short time.

Will sighed. His next shift wasn't for two more days, so he nodded. "Only if we get to pick up a carton of Cookies 'n Cream on our way back home."

"Great. You're buying, by the way." When Will raised a brow, Jay continues, "I bought the last three rounds at Molly's, and our meal before the game."

Knowing that this was a losing battle, Will surrendered. "Fine. But you don't get any ice cream."

"Yeah, right!" Jay playfully punched Will in the shoulder. When he turned around when he sees a woman walking towards them. She wore a big coat, and her hands were shoved deep into her pockets. On the lit sidewalks Jay could see that she has bags under her eyes and it appears that she has been crying for some time. Something felt off, but he was unable to determine what it was.

As a detective, he learned to trust his instincts. And those instincts were telling him that something wasn't right.

"Oh, Jay, you think we could stop by the store and grab some-" Will stops short when he sees the woman approaching him. He stops short, recognizing the woman after a few seconds, "Mrs. Waters? Can I help you with something?"

Mrs. Angela Water didn't say a word. She simply pulled her left hand from her pocket, raised the handgun, aimed at the doctor, and fired.

"Will!"

Everything happened so fast.

Jay was moving before the shot was fired. He wrapped his arms around his brother and they both slammed against the cold concrete ground just as the shot rang out. Not wasting a second, the detective led his brother back the way they came, yelling for people to get to safety.

A plan was trying to form in his head, but for some reason, Jay couldn't think straight. He began to slow, the back of Will's shirt was still clutched in his hand. When he could no longer hear the woman following them, Jay stopped and leaned against the wall of a building.

"Are you okay" he asks automatically, looking at his confused brother. "Will?"

"Huh, what?"

"Are you all right? Are you hit?"

Will gives himself a once over, and decides that he was, for the most part, fine. "No, I'm good. I'm fine. Thanks."

"Okay. I've gotta call Voight. But first we need to get to a safe place; I don't like being out in the open like this." says Jay as he peers down the empty streets.

"Yeah, okay, okay."

Jay goes to stand up, but a sharp pain radiating from his side stops him short. He gasps and leads back against the wall, a sheen of sweat begins to coat his brow. He groans, pushing his hand against his chest.

Will is by his brother's side right away. When he sees how Jay is favoring his right side, he pulls back Jay's jacket and reveals a growing dark red spot.

"Oh my god," he gasps. He didn't have anything to press against the wound, instead told Jay to keep his hand where it was. It was when he goes to pull out his phone that he looks at the ground and notices the small specks of blood that form a trail behind them.

"It won't be long before she finds us." his wounded brother says with a shaky breath.

Will went back to tending to Jay's injury, shaking his head as the bleeding still has yet to slow. It was on the right side of his abdominal cavity. The bullet could have broken some ribs. And those ribs could have punctured his liver. Maybe something worse. But he couldn't be sure of anything other than the fact that there was so much blood. "Something's not right."

"You mean... other than having a bullet in me?" Jay tries to joke, but it comes out half hearted; the blood loss is beginning to take its toll.

"Now's not the time for jokes. I'm going to have to look and see what's going on."

Knowing what his brother was referring to, Jay shakes his head and tries to stand up. "We can't stay here, Will."

"And I can't have my brother dying! Not on my watch!" with no other options, Will pulls Jay to his feet, as gently as he could manage, and they slowly walk down the back alley's as a means to keep out of sight of a broken Mrs. Waters. Will didn't like the option of moving his brother, but saw the point that the detective made. They were sitting (and bleeding) ducks if they stayed in the open. Will knew that it had been only two, maybe three minutes since the shooting. There was no telling if CPD had even been called. He also realized that the woman responsible was hurting and not in her right mind, and that her pain was his fault.

"There's a corner shop about four blocks ahead. I know the owner. We can hole up there until CPD arrives." Will's statement was met with silence. "Jay?"

"-um?"

"C'mon, buddy. Let's get moving."

"'m coming."

"So, how're things with Erin?" Will tries to get his brother to talk, but his question is met with a gruff, followed by a coughing fit.

"It's... c-complicated."

"Ha, what relationship isn't, man?" Will says, thinking of his own problems and feelings. He peers around the corner, looking both ways before all but dragging his wounded brother into the Mom and Pop shop across the way.

"Doctor Halstead! What a pleasent surprise!" says an elderly man as he walks towards the two men.

"Not too pleasent, I'm afraid. I need your help, Mr. Wo." It was then that the elder noticed the slumped man next to the doctor. "We need your help."

"Yes, yes, of course, of course!"

Mr. Wo began to usher the Halstead brothers to the back storage room. Will leads Jay to a metal table and gently lays him down. "Jay?" Will rolled his brother onto his back, where he was able to see the still seeping bullet wound. "Jay, c'mon don't sleep on me now. Keep your eyes open, dammit!"

"Do'n yell. 'm awake."

"Yeah, okay. Let's keep it that way." Will asked Mr. Wo to close up shop early and to call CPD while he would grab what he could to treat Jay's wound.

"Jay, you still awake?"

The detective managed a small smile. "What c-choice do I 'ave?"

"None, I'm afraid." Will places a gentle hand on Jay's shoulder. "I'm going to grab a few items, but I'll be right back."

"Will-" Jay grabs his brothers arm before he was too far away. "Did you... did you call Voight?"

"Don't worry. I have everything covered." the doctor says with a forced smile. He leaves his brothers side in search of what he needed to keep Jay alive until he could get to a hospital. He grabs gloves, hand towels, a bottle of vodka, and other odds and ends he figured he could use.

Will made his way back to Jay and set everything on the table. He pulled on the gloves and presses a handful of towels to Jay's wound, causing him to scream in pain. Jay arches his back in an attempt to get away from the pain but his efforts are slow and weak. It takes everything he had to not black out.

Sorrow appears in Will's eyes. "I know, Jay, I'm sorry. But I've gotta stop the bleeding."

"Was'n too b-bad."

Will holds up the bottle of vodka. "Grab the table and bit on this; it'll be over before you can say 'the Cubs finally won the World Series'."

Will removes his jacket and places it under Jay's head while Jay takes the towel in his mouth and bits down on it as he grips both sides on the cold, metal table. He tries not to tense up as Will used a pair of scissors to cut away his shirt. Jay shivers, unsure if it were because of the temperature or the blood loss.

"On three, okay?" at Jay's nod, Will begins. "One-" he quickly pours the alcohol on the bullet wound. He watches the clear liquid covers the hole, and spills over onto the table. As his brother grips the table with his weakening strength. And as his brother passes out from the pain and blood loss.

"I suppose its better that you aren't awake for this next part." he murmurs to himself.

Will was preparing a few things when he realized that he needed a few more items. He removes the gloves and heads back into the store, grabbing more towels and bottles of vodka.

"Doctor Halstead. I've been looking forward to this meeting." Will felt chills go down his spine at the sound of Mrs. Waters broken and strained voice. He looked over his shoulder and came face to face with the barrel of a gun. "Now, now you'll finally feel the pain that I feel."

"Mrs. Waters-"

"Don't!" the woman yells, causing the gun to shake in her grasp. "You do not get to talk. Not now. Not after what you did to my baby."

Will holds out his hands and presses on. "Mrs. Waters, I am truly sorry about Devon. I am. But there was nothing more I could do. I really am sorry for your loss." He could see Mr. Wo still standing behind the cash register, phone on the counter. Maybe he was able to call the cops. Will felt bad that he had brought this upon the old man. He would find a way to make it up to him.

He just had to survive the night.

"No. I did not lose my baby. When you lose something, its implied that you'll find it again." she takes a step closer to Will. "My baby is not coming back. Not after what you did to him."

"Mrs. Waters. Your son had an enlarged heart that went undiagnosed for years." Will tries anyway. "By the time he came to the hospital, it was too late. I'm sorry."

"Your a doctor! It was your job to save him!" Mrs. Waters fires the gun and the glass bottles of alcohol to the left of his head shatter. He is sprayed with liquid and sharp shards of glass. "And you didn't! You failed!"

Suddenly, the store was engulfed with flashing red and blue lights. Tires screeched to a halt as CPD arrived on the scene. Reacting to the change, Mrs. Waters steps behind Will and presses the gun against his left temple.

"Angela Waters! This is the Chicago Police Department! Drop your weapon and come out with your hands up!"

"No, no, this isn't how its suppose to happen." Angela murmurs. "Get down on your knees!" she hits the back of Will's head with the gun and he falls to the ground, the items in his hand scatter across the floor.

"This is your fault. Its your fault!"

"Mrs. Waters, please just listen to the police. You can still walk away from this." Will holds his head, sighing as he feels an open cut and a trickle of blood. "Just put down the gun."

"No. No, your going to pay for killing my boy." she waves the gun in from of him. "This is the justice he deserves."

"What else can I say? I'm sorry, but I can't bring your son back. I just can't."

"You don't need to say anything." tears run down the woman's face. The gun tips forward slight in her grasp. "Your death is all the payment I need. This, this is justice for Devon."

Unknown to the grieving mother, Jay heard her enter the store. He heard the gunshot go off. He heard his brother being struck. And he heard CPD arrive on scene. He had also, somehow, managed to get off of the back table and behind the sales counter unseen where, thankfully, Mr. Wo had a shotgun sitting. Jay told the older man to get down behind the counter, where it was safer, and he would, hopefully, walk out unharmed.

The detective gritted his teeth, checked to make sure that the safety was off and a bullet in the chamber before he aimed at the armed woman standing over his brother.

"Drop your weapon." he says as forcefully as he could manage. His voice is shaky and it was taking a lot to just hold the weapon still. "I won't ask again."

Mrs. Waters roughly pulls Will to his feet, using him as a human shield. "You don't understand. He killed my son. He murdered him!" she presses the gun against Will's head, causing the doctor to wince in pain. "He has to pay!"

Jay didn't have a clear shot. Not only because his vision was darkening around the edges, but because Mrs. Waters was a small woman compared to Will. He wouldn't risk injuring his brother. He couldn't.

When Jay looked at Will, he noticed that the doctor was trying to communicate something to him. It was but a small nod, but he understood.

Will had a plan.

Jay trusted his brother.

"Mrs. Waters, please. Don't make this mistake."

"No! There's nothing left for me now." she stifles a sob. "I was fired from my job. My husband left me. He took the house, my car, my life savings! I have nothing!" her finger begins to press against the trigger ever so slowly. "And its all because of you!"

A swift backwards swipe with his right hand caused Mrs. Waters to scream out in pain. Will, having the opportunity to duck out of the way, covered his head as Jay fired one shot at the woman. She fell to the ground clutching her left shoulder, the gun having skidded beneath a shelf. A shard of glass was embedded in her upper thigh, its end shining bright red from where Will had cut himself when he first grabbed it.

As soon as the woman had fallen, CPD breeched the store and took control of the situation. Will barely registered the cops and medics racing towards him because he pushed them all aside as he made his way back to Jay.

The detective had dropped the shotgun and was now seated on the floor, one leg straight out and the other bent beneath him. A puddle of blood was slowly taking shape on the floor. He was slumped against the wall. His breathing harsh and uneven. He didn't appear to notice all the bodies crowding around him until he saw his brother come into view.

"Hey, brother." he speaks so softly, Will wasn't sure he had even heard the words.

"Hey yourself." replies Will. "You ready to blow this popsicle stand?"

"I thought we were... going to get... ice cream?"

"No, I was getting ice cream." Will takes a deep breath, trying to compose himself as the medics worked. "After tonight, I think I'll share with you."

"O-kay."

The medics loaded Jay into the waiting ambulance and sped towards Med. Will managed to keep out of their way while they kept the detective stable. He didn't trust himself enough to be of any help as a doctor, so he focused on being there for Jay as a brother.

"His stats are dropping."

"Call ahead, tell them to have all the O-neg they got on hand!"

"Jay?" Will grabs his brothers hand, trying to keep him talking. "C'mon, you gotta stay awake."

"T-tired." his voice is muffled by the oxygen mask.

"I know, buddy. But we're almost there. We'll get you patched up and you'll be good as new in no time."

"Sr'ry... can't."

"Hey, no no no. Don't fall asleep. Keep talking."

A huff of frustration. Typical of him. "I'm... c-cold."

"I know. You've lost a lot of blood and you're going into shock. But you can't fall asleep. And to keep you awake, you have to keep talking."

"Can't."

"Yes you can. You have to."

"I'm s-sorry 'bout all t-this."

"Don't talk like that-"

"You're the best brother I could-" a sharp cough. Blood spills out of his mouth. "I could have ever asked for." A smile.

"No, don't say goodbye." tears ran down Will's face.

"Love you, bro." the hand he was holding goes limp.

"No no no no." he checks for a pulse. He can't find one. "No! Come back! No, please, no!"

Will and the Intelligence Unit sat spread out around the Med waiting room. It had been four hours since they first heard about Will and Jay, and another three since they were given an update on the detectives condition. Ninety minutes more had passed before Dr. Rhodes greeted them with another update on Jay.

"Connor, how is he?" Will was the first to stand up. His hand was heavily bandaged and he had an ice pack for his head wound. His clothes were stained with Jay's blood as well as his own, but no one could convince him to change. He wasn't going to leave, not without hearing about Jay.

"I'm not going to lie, it was bad. The bullet broke one rib before it broke into four pieces. The majority of the damaged was to his liver and stomach. It took a long time to get the bleeding under control; we lost him two times on the table." explains Doctor Rhodes. "Three of the bullet fragments damaged the lining of his large intestine. We recovered those well enough. The forth traveled towards his spleen. His body couldn't handle our retrieving it now, so we're going to wait until he is stronger. Right now, he's in the ICU. These next 48 hours will tell us a lot. I suggest you all go home and get some rest. Your no good to him if you pass out from exhaustion."

Doctor Rhodes goes to leave but Will stops him before he could get too far.

"Connor?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I see him? Please?" asks Will. He just had to see his brother. He had to see with his own eyes.

"Will, you need to get some rest. You know we'll keep you updated on Jay's condition."

Will nods, but presses on. "Please, Rhodes? I'm begging you."

Connor could see the hurt in Will's eyes, and he understood the love that was shared between the brothers. "You can have two minutes. Then I want you to get some rest. Okay?"

"Yeah. Okay, thanks."

Doctor Rhodes led Will to Jay's ICU room. As a doctor, the sight of a patient was far from new. But seeing Jay pale, covered in blankets, with tubes and wires and monitors keeping him alive was enough of a shock for him. Connor gave him the two minutes before he and another nurse gently ushered him out so they could work.

As promised, Will did clean up. He knew he had a spare change of clothes in his locker, so he took a shower and was right back beside his brother. When he arrived to Jay's room, he noticed a cot, blankets and a pillow and some bottled water waiting for him. Across the hall, he saw Rhodes nod before he disappeared behind a set of doors.

Will absentmindedly checked the monitors before the toll of the events finally caught up with him. He settled down into the cot, gave one more look at Jay, before he fell into a light slumber beside his brother.

Two days later Doctor Rhodes deemed Jay strong enough to endure a second surgery to remove the final bullet fragment. The procedure went well, as there was not too much damage to Jay's spleen. Will kept the Intelligence unit up to date and they stopped by with flowers and well wishes. Jay's recovery was progressing in the right direction.

Five days after the shooting, Jay finally woke up.

It was the dim lights of the hospital room, followed by the sound of someone eating next to him, that greeted Jay as he left the darkness.

"Hey, brother." Will greeted with a smile.

"Hey yourself." Jay rasps. Will offers him a cup of water and a straw, which the detective gratefully accepts. "Thanks."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you." Will sets the cup down. "You saved my life."

"And I'd do it again." Jay tries to shift his position on the bed, but stops when the pain becomes too much. "But, maybe if its a water gun. Or a snow ball." he looks over and sees a sight that makes him smile. "Did you save me any?"

Will picks up the now empty carton of cookies 'n cream and shrugs. "You should've woken up an hour ago."