2. Chapter 2
Trigger Warning for mentions of child abuse
Jay handed Erin a coffee cup in a waiting room in Chicago Med. "Thanks." She murmured, taking a grateful sip of the hospital coffee. The little girl had been rushed into surgery shortly after arriving to the hospital. They had been waiting about four hours for an update on Kate, but Dr. Halstead assured his brother that the procedure was relatively straightforward and only required a few sutures to fix the vaginal and anal tearing the child had suffered. She was now subject to a variety of tests, x-rays and scans to locate any other traumas that may have been inflicted upon her.
"Poor kid." Halstead muttered, settling into a chair beside his partner. "The amount of abuse she endured…"
Erin shook her head. "It breaks my heart." She said honestly. "And the fact that those bastards are in the wind-"
"We'll get them." Jay reassured her, rubbing his girl's shoulder gently. "And-"
"Detectives." Dr. Connor Rhodes emerged from the double doors, accompanied by Dr. Natalie Manning. Jay and Erin rose from their seats and looked expectantly at the doctors.
"She's been through hell, but she's a fighter." Dr. Manning confirmed, offering a small smile. "She's going to be okay."
The detectives let out a collective breath. "Kate sustained repeated anal and vaginal trauma in addition to a few improperly healed broken ribs." Dr. Rhodes informed them. "She also has considerable bruising and is definitely underdeveloped, likely a result of the repeated abuse."
Erin nodded, Rhodes' statement confirming what she already assumed. "Can we see her?"
"A sedative had to be administered because she was in distress after waking up." Dr. Manning said, "We don't know the extent of her mental state but the trauma suggests that her agitation is a direct result of the prolonged abuse."
"But, like we said, she's a fighter." Rhodes stressed, "The fact that she survived the abuse indicates that she'll survive the recovery." Erin and Jay nodded at his statement. "Nat, do you want to show them to her room?"
"Come with me." Natalie headed down the hallway, indicating for Jay and Erin to follow suit.
"Thanks for your help man." Jay said to Rhodes before following Erin and Natalie to where Kate was recovering.
"I hope you get the guys who did this." Rhodes replied.
"Why is my patient in restraints?" Natalie hissed at the nurse who was exiting Kate's room. "She's a rape victim."
The nurse's eyes went wide. "I-I'm sorry Doctor, I didn't know. She hid in the corner and when Bill tried to bring her back to bed she wouldn't stop thrashing. She almost bit him."
"She's terrified of men." Erin informed the nurse, glancing into the hospital room. Kate was lying listlessly on the bed with her arms and legs clamped down, occasionally pulling at the restraints but ultimately giving up the struggle.
"I'll undo the restraints, right away." The nurse said, turning to enter the room.
"Don't. You've done enough." Dr. Manning said. "I'll do it." She cautiously walked into the room. "Hi Kate, my name is Doctor Manning and I'm here to help you, okay?"
Kate let out a squeak and tugged desperately at the restraints, screwing her eyes shut. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she emitted another whimper when the woman approached her bedside. "It's okay, sweetheart. I'm going to undo these but you have to promise to be still, okay?" Dr. Manning carefully undid the restraints to Kate's ankles. The child didn't move, paralyzed in fear. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm so sorry someone did this, but it won't happen again."
The little girl sniveled softly. "This is my friend Erin." Natalie said soothingly, undoing one of the arm restraints. "She's a detective with the police and she's here to help you."
Kate's eyes snapped open as the last restraint was undone. She scrambled back in the bed, pressing her body against the headboard, cowering in fear. "Hi Kate, do you remember me?" Erin walked closer to the bed, giving the little girl a smile. She sniffed and nodded as Erin took another step closer to the bed, regarding Erin with wet, swollen eyes. "Doctor Manning got you all fixed up."
Jay stood in the doorway, like he had been at the house earlier that day. He watched as Erin extended her hand to the quivering child and how the little girl instantly launched herself into Erin's lap, immediately bursting into tears. "Oh, sweetheart." Erin cooed, gently running her hand up and down Kate's shaking form. "It's okay. It's all going to be okay."
"I didn't mean to be bad," Kate choked out as Erin wiped tears from her cheeks, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
"Shh baby, you have nothing to be sorry for." Erin swallowed the lump in her throat. Kate shivered, pressing her body closer to Erin's, hungry for comfort that had been denied to her for so long. "Maybe we could get you another blanket?" She turned to Dr. Manning, who was standing beside Jay. She nodded and turned to find a nurse.
Erin continued to hold the little girl and motioned for Jay to come closer. "Kate, do you remember that I told you about my friend Jay?" Kate sniffed and nodded, and Erin felt her heart rate accelerate as she held her against her chest. "Well, he and I are going to make sure that the men who did this to you can never touch you again, but that means we have to ask you a few questions. Are you okay with that?"
Kate nodded slowly, raising her head to look over at Jay. "Hi Kate, I'm Jay," He said gently. "I'm here to keep you safe, okay?" She nodded again, heart hammering in her chest.
"You don't need to be afraid of Jay," Erin reassured her, "He's my partner and he just wants to make sure you're safe." Kate nodded again, seeming to relax a bit in Erin's arms. Dr. Manning passed Jay a warm blanket and retreated from the room.
"Is it okay if I put this blanket over you?" Jay asked, taking another cautious step toward the bed where Erin was perched. The little girl didn't protest as Jay carefully placed the blanket over her hospital gown clad body. She relaxed again, settling into Erin's arms.
"Do you know where you are?" Jay asked, taking a seat on the swivel doctor's stool at the foot of the bed, keeping distance between the petrified child and himself. Kate stared at him with red-rimmed hazel eyes, unsure if she was allowed to speak.
"The h-hospital." She whispered finally, looking directly at Jay.
"That's right. And do you know where you were before this?" He asked tentatively, observing how Erin was gently threading her fingers through Kate's tangled hair.
"I was hiding because Uncle Bobby was mad," Kate looked up at Erin and then to Jay again. "But when you found me he was gone."
"Was Uncle Bobby the only person in the house with you?" Jay scrawled down a few things on his notepad to send to the team afterwards.
Kate shook her head. "No, Mr. P and some of his friends were there too. And there was a lot of yelling. And I heard screaming." Her voice got even lower. "And when Uncle Bobby made me come out of the room there was a lady and Mr. P hit me and then he killed her." She shuddered, "Big Joe was supposed to put me in the car but I hid and then the tall man found me."
"And then what happened?" Jay found Erin's eyes that were wet with unshed tears.
"He said I was safe and then I met you." Kate looked up at Erin and then to Jay. "Are you guys gonna get Mr. P?"
Jay nodded. "We're gonna get him," He said confidently, "You're safe now. Nobody's going to hit you ever again, okay?"
Kate rubbed her eyes and let out a small yawn, unable to believe Jay's promise. She had been told before that nobody was going to hit her, but that hadn't been true. Erin cleared her throat and looked down at the tired little girl in her lap. "How about we tuck you into bed so you can get some rest? It's very late."
"O-okay." Kate stammered, shifting out of Erin's lap and back into the corner of the bed. "But the bad men can't get me, right?"
"That's right." Erin pulled the covers back and helped her underneath, stroking her hair back. "And I'm going to be right over here." She motioned to the visitor's chair that was closer to the window. "I'm just going to talk to the doctor and Jay outside for a bit, but I'll be right back, sound good?" Kate nodded and watched as the detectives quietly left the room to speak.
Erin let out a deep breath as they exited. Jay brought her in for a hug, soaking in the scent of her coconut shampoo and memorizing the warmth of her body entangling with his. "You were amazing in there, babe." He pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. Usually Jay and Erin left their relationship and PDA for when they were outside of work, but with the toll that the day had taken on both of them, Jay knew that it was needed.
"Every time I think I had it rough growing up, we get one of these cases that make growing up on the street look like a walk in the park." Erin scoffed, leaning away from her partner. "She's got no family, nobody."
"We'll find a relative or someone," Jay promised, "And in the meantime, if you want to go home and grab a shower, I can stay here."
Erin shook her head. "Is that your way of telling me I smell, Halstead?" She joked, giving him a slight nudge. "But I promised her I'd sit next to her, and with everything that she's been through, I don't really want to be another broken promise or make her feel unsafe."
Jay nodded in understanding. "Well she's supposed to be in protective custody, and I think we can take the first shift, how about that?"
She smiled, leaning back into her boyfriend's embrace. "I love you, you know that?" Jay's continuous understanding and support of what could sometimes be "over-empathic" never ceased to amaze her.
He leaned down and planted a kiss on her lips. "Mm-hm, I do. And I love you too." He glanced through the window in the door back at Kate. "I'll give Voight a call with an update, see where they're at on finding those guys and if there's any relatives in the area, maybe grandparents or something. DCFS will be here in the morning. You wanna head back in?" She nodded and gave his arm a squeeze before creeping back into Kate's darkened hospital room.
At the sound of the door closing, Kate bolted upright in bed and scrambled backwards like she had done earlier. "Hey, hey, it's just me, Erin." Erin called out softly, raising her hands in front of her, "It's okay Kate."
After a moment, realizing where she was and that she was safe, the child let out a breath and scooted back to the center of the bed, allowing Erin to adjust the covers around her. "You and Jay are gonna keep me safe?" Kate asked faintly as Erin tucked some of her tangled brown hair behind her ears, "And get the bad men?"
"That's right." Erin replied, "Jay and I are going to be here all night with you and our friends are working real hard to get those bad guys."
Jay quietly reentered the room and Kate's eyes snapped open. "It's just Jay." Erin murmured, attempting to coax the little girl into sleep by continually running her fingers through her hair. "He's going to stay here with me, help keep you safe."
"Okay," Kate said sleepily, "And they won't get in here and hurt me?"
Erin felt her heart shatter for another time that day. "No, baby, they won't even get in the building. Don't you worry, just close your eyes. I'll be here when you wake up."
"Thank you." Kate breathed, closing her eyes and slowly succumbing to sleep.
Erin stirred awake, her body pressed against Jay's. He was asleep, his head resting against the worn fabric on the back of the chair. She was sitting horizontally, legs draped over Jay's lap and over the armrest, body cuddled into Jay's chest. His arm wound around her back, the other resting lightly on her thighs. Despite being in an old hospital chair, Erin was quite comfortable and didn't know what had woken her up until she heard a whimper coming from the quivering form in the corner of the room. "Kate?" Erin called out, carefully untangling herself from the cozy embrace of her partner. "Where are you sweetheart?"
A muffled whimper came again and Erin slowly approached the shaking child who had wedged herself into the corner of the room, in between the wall and a small table. Kate's knees were drawn to her chest like they had been when she was hiding in the closet, her posture radiating fear. "It's okay, baby, it's me, Erin," Erin whispered, taking a tentative step toward the little girl. Another sniff followed by a squeak left Kate's lips. She looked up at Erin, tears glistening on her cheeks.
Erin sank down in front of her as Kate buried her face in her knees, pressing her body further into the corner and using the small table that was next to the bed as a barrier. "Do you know where you are?" Erin asked her, gently placing her hand on Kate's knee and rubbing it softly.
She shook her head and let out a choked sob. "We're in the hospital. You're safe." Erin switched the lamp that was on the table. "You're okay. Take a deep breath."
Kate lifted her head off her knees, catching Erin's eyes. Erin reached out and brushed the tears off her cheeks. "I'm here, baby. You just had a bad dream." Kate shifted closer to Erin, letting out another whimper. "Come here, sweetheart." Erin took Kate in her arms, allowing the petrified child to lean into her and bury her face in her neck. "Do you want to tell me about it?" Erin attempted, tucking the soft brown hair behind her ear.
Again, Kate shook her head. After a few moments, she stopped crying and she began to take shuddery breaths. "There you go." Erin continued to rub her back, making a circular motion with gentle hands. "Everything's fine."
"Er?" Jay whispered sleepily, glancing around the hospital room that was bathed in a soft light from the lamp. "Everything okay?"
"Bad dream." Erin murmured, continuing to rub Kate's back. "We got you baby." Erin pressed a soft kiss upon Kate's forehead. "How about we get you back into bed?"
Kate tightened her grip on Erin's shirt, more tears leaking into the crook of her neck. "Will you sit with me?" She choked out, her face still buried in Erin's neck.
"Of course." Erin looked up at Jay, who had moved from the chair to squatting on the floor a few feet away from Kate and Erin. "Is it okay if Jay puts you into bed so I can stand up?"
Kate leaned back and glanced at Jay, then back to Erin. After carefully considering it, she nodded. "He's very gentle." Erin told her, motioning for Jay to come pick up the child.
"Hi there Squirt." Jay whispered, taking the little girl into his embrace, "We got you." Kate wrapped her thin arms around Jay's neck as he held her close. Erin stood, marveling at the little girl's acceptance of Jay. He carefully set her down on the bed before moving the chair closer. He settled into the chair and watched as Erin tucked Kate into bed again.
"Do you want to try to go back to sleep?" She asked, gently rubbing her back. The child shook her head.
"I can't." she muttered, "I'm scared." Erin looked over at Jay, eyes wet with tears.
"It's okay. We're right here. Nothing's going to happen." Jay told her, taking Erin's hand. "Erin and I are going to sit right here." Erin sat down on the chair, squeezing in next to Jay and extending her arm so that she was holding Kate's hand. Jay ran his fingers through Erin's hair and watched as she slowly fell asleep, hand in hand with the little girl.
Later that morning, Kate met with a DCFS caseworker and one of the psychiatrists at the hospital. In the meantime, Jay and Erin returned to their apartment for a change of clothes and headed back to the district to touch base with Hank. Unfortunately, there had been no new developments in locating the men who had taken Kate, but chatter between people on the websites where the screengrabs were from indicated that they were searching to get her back.
"So it doesn't look like she has any living relatives," the DCFS director, Susan Perkins, reported to Intelligence. "The caseworker that spoke to her said that she never met anyone from her family, doesn't remember her mother or father for that matter. We've got a DNA test in the works and are trying to get her birth certificate sent over from New York, as that appears to be where she was born." She paused and looked at the group. "Any other information turn up?"
"Jay, you knew the woman." Hank said, leaning against Lindsay's desk.
"I mean, barely." Jay replied, "It was a one night stand, years ago and I hardly remember it." He glanced at Erin and back to Hank, "It was a rough time in my life. I was a mess after I got back, had just graduated the academy, didn't know which way was up."
"Got it." Susan said, looking up from her blackberry. "Detectives Halstead and Lindsay, it appears that the two of you have earned her trust?"
They nodded. "Well, if you don't mind coming down to the hospital with me, I just got word that the poor thing is in distress. Looks like the meeting with the psychiatrist didn't go well."
"Go." Hank instructed after they looked at him for approval. "But keep the patrol unit there. She's in protective custody and judging by the intercepted communications we shouldn't be careless."
"Dr. Manning." Susan called as she entered the hospital wing where Kate was staying, "What's going on?"
Natalie looked up from the chart she was examining. "Jay, Erin." She nodded at them, "The psychiatrist suggested cleaning her up to make her feel a bit more in control. One of the nurses convinced her to take a bath and was trying to wash her hair. She got shampoo in her eyes and panicked. Everything just fell apart. She was screaming in the tub for a half hour before we had to administer a sedative. Don't worry, I didn't let anyone tie her down, but she responded so well to the two of you I thought it would be best to call you."
Erin sighed. "Alright. What did the therapist say?"
"She's apparently brilliant." Natalie informed them, "Even though she's around four years old, it looks like she can even read a little, write and even do some simple math. Kate also doesn't wear diapers or anything and is quite independent, likely a result of being alone a lot."
"Does she know what happened to her?" Jay asked, glancing into the hospital room where Kate was sedated.
Dr. Manning nodded sadly, "Dr. Handel did say that Kate recognized the fact that she lived through a very traumatic experience and will likely suffer from PTSD and anxiety. She repeatedly mentioned throughout the session that she was afraid they were going to come back to get her. Dr. Handel also believes that Kate didn't interact with many women and that her only experience with men was negative, so her reactions are not out of character with what she went through."
"I've got a family lined up to take her this evening, two kids, ages six and nine. They're great." Susan Perkins caught sight of Dr. Manning's expression. "What?"
"It's just that I don't think she's interacted with kids her own age before, let alone lived with them." Dr. Manning said, "From what I've seen, it doesn't look like she's ever been to daycare or preschool. Dr. Handel thinks she may have taught herself."
Susan sighed and glanced down at her blackberry. "Alright. I'll see what I can do. Why don't you two," she indicated to Erin and Jay, "see if you can talk to her again. I need to make a call."
Erin nodded and handed Jay a shopping bag that contained some clothes, shoes and a stuffed tiger. "I think I should go in first. Test the water."
"Good plan," Jay agreed, "I'll call Voight, see if he needs us to come back to the district or if we can stay for a bit."
Erin quietly opened the door and entered the hospital room that was bathed in the warm afternoon light. "Erin?" Kate asked groggily, rubbing her eyes and propping herself up on her elbows.
"Hi baby." Erin approached the bed and perched carefully on the side, stroking Kate's pink cheek. "How are you?"
The little girl shrugged, and turned to the side, reaching out to touch Erin's leg. "I was bad again, so they made me go to sleep."
"Oh, no, sweetheart, you weren't bad." Erin assured her, "The doctors just didn't want you to hurt yourself."
"No, I was," Kate insisted, tears welling up in her eyes, "Being scared is being bad." She looked over as the door opened and Jay entered, the tears spilling over. "And when I'm bad, I get hurt."
"It's okay to be scared, I promise. I get scared a lot too." Erin told her, "Sometimes I get scared and Jay gives me a hug and says it's going to be okay. And he's always right."
"That's right, Squirt." Jay piped up, now standing between the bed and the door, "And sometimes I get scared and have bad dreams, and Erin makes me feel better." He offered a smile.
"Really?" Kate sat up and looked at Jay skeptically.
"Oh yeah, being scared is nothing to be ashamed of." He reached into the bag and pulled out the stuffed tiger. "And if you do feel scared, you can always give this guy a hug." Jay held it out to the little girl, who's eyes went wide.
"It's for you, silly." Erin smiled, "There's this really nice lady named Sergeant Platt where we work who thought this tiger would be the perfect cuddle buddy." The little girl sat up and tentatively accepted the plush animal, bringing it to her chest.
"I love him." She whispered, tightening her grip on the stuffed toy. "Tigers are really brave."
"Mm-hm, squirt, just like you." Jay gave her a smile. "You're the bravest girl I know." She blushed and offered a small smile, the first that either Jay or Erin had seen.
A sharp knock on the door caused Kate to jump. Susan poked her head into the hospital room. "Detectives? Can I speak with you for a second?"
"We're going to be right outside, talking to Mrs. Perkins okay?" Erin stood, giving Kate's blanketed leg a pat. She nodded uncertainly. "We'll be right back okay? Why don't you think of something to name the tiger?"
Hank was standing next to Susan Perkins and accompanied by Dr. Manning. All three of them looked perplexed. "Hey," Erin greeted her sergeant, "Did you get a lead?"
Hanks shook his head. "Offenders are still nowhere to be found. No prints at the scene, all we have are some bogus shell corporations that the users behind the website comments are linked to. But we're working on it."
"What's going on?" Jay asked after Erin had closed the door behind him. "Is everything okay?"
"Well, we finally tracked down Kate's birth certificate. She just turned four two weeks ago." Susan Perkins said, actually putting her blackberry into her purse instead of clicking away. "And Detective Halstead, you knew her mother?"
"If you call a one night stand knowing someone." Jay replied, folding his arms across his chest. "And she remembered I was with CPD so when she was finally lucid enough to look for her daughter she came to me."
"You didn't know she listed you as the father on Kate's birth certificate?" Hank asked, handing Jay a piece of paper. It was a photocopy of a New York birth certificate for Katherine Jane Halstead, daughter of Jillian Turner and Jay Halstead.