(Not) Worse For Wear

After a trying case, the Intelligence team heads to Med's ER to get patched up.

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Me: Does anyone else have a problem when two similar names are together swapping the first letters? Literally every time I write 'Kim and Jay' I read it as 'Jim and Kay' and it's really annoying. Just me?

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

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Vanessa scowled. ''This place is loud.''

''Is it the sirens, people rushing to surgery, or patients screaming in pain that annoys you most?'' Adam asked.

''I didn't say I was annoyed. Simply pointing out a fact of our surroundings.''

''Ah huh.''

Truthfully, Adam agreed with her. The sounds and sights of the ER were grating on his nerves, which could be attributed to the fact they all pulled a very, very long shift, or because they were currently waiting on news of their partners.

Most of them hadn't gotten away unscathed from their case, Kim and Jay the worst. Kim had taken a bullet to the arm, and Jay had dislocated his shoulder in an impressive and painful attempt to pull their suspect down from a fire escape. Luckily, it worked, though from the sound it had been a painful price.

Speaking of Kim and Jay, Adam was wondering if anyone had seen them yet. He rubbed a hand over his face. ''Look, how about you start telling Voight everything and I'll help everyone here?''

Vanessa raised an eyebrow. ''You trying to push paperwork on me?''

''No, just trying to wrap this up.''

''I have to explain to Voight about the broken window and rubber duck projectiles?''

''Would you rather explain to the doctors about the TV and the broken bench on 3ed?''

She weighted the options. ''Is the mean red haired doctor on duty tonight?''

''Yep. Jay's brother.''

''Oh no.'' She looked pained. ''I guess I'll… take Voight…''

''Good choice.'' He patted her shoulder and urged her on her way. She disappeared down the hall. Adam, with a weary sigh, went to check on their friends.

Kim and Jay had already been taken out of the waiting room and were now sat on cots awaiting treatment. Adam noticed Kim first, sitting up with her vest off and a bandage wrapped around her arm. Her white t-shirt made for a striking contrast with all the blood. ''Hey, you guys okay?''

Kim gave a pained smiled. ''Yeah, fine.''

''Never better,'' Jay chimed in. He sat across the room, his cot positioned on an incline, leaning against it, eyes half closed. Adam tried not to look at the clearly out of place position his shoulder was in.

''Anyone back here yet?''

Kim shook her head. Her face was nearly as white as her shirt. ''No. Busy night in Chicago…''

''I'm keeping my fingers crossed Will doesn't find us,'' Jay said. ''It's Thursday. He gets very snippy on Thursdays.''

''Why's that?''

''Thursdays the day Jay usually does something stupid,'' Adam explained.

''No,'' Jay protested, holding up a finger. He winced. ''Agh…okay, not really, but kinda…''

''If I had a brother who ended up here as often as you do, I'd probably be a little snippy too,'' Kim commented.

''You're literally sitting across from me. You're lucky you don't have a sibling doctor, cause they would be snippy with you.''

''I would work in a different city than them.''

''He was in New York. Bastard had to go and move…''

They chuckled, and Adam could tell that though the saying said laughter was the best medicine, it wasn't cutting it for them. ''You guys want me to find-''

Too late. The curtain was pulled back and there was Will Halstead. He looked up from the clipboard he was reading. ''What the hell is wrong with you?'' He asked Jay.

''Told ya,'' Jay said to Kim, and they continued their laughter.

Will did not share their amusement. ''Have fun with them,'' Adam said. ''I'll be over here.''

He left the brothers to argue and Kim to witness, heading back towards the waiting room where Kevin and Hailey were.

They were still there, sitting as he had left them, side by side on two uncomfortable chairs. The wait was getting to them. Kevin's posture was slouched, and Hailey had her head on his shoulder, eyes closed.

''Hey,'' Kevin greeted as Adam approached. He gave a Hailey a nudge. ''Look, Adam.''

''I've seen him,'' Hailey muttered in response.

''You two okay?'' Adam asked.

''Bored,'' they replied.

''Kim and Jay okay?'' Kevin asked.

''Yeah, they're still waiting.''

''Ouch,'' Kevin hissed, clearly thinking of their friends and their injuries. He gave Hailey another nudge.

''Will you stop that?'' She complained, raising her head to glare at him.

''Stay awake. You could have a concussion.''

''And who's fault is that, guy-who-chucked-the-evidence-at-me?''

''Little long, don't you think?''

''I'll think of a better name later. You know, when I decide if there are two or three of you…'' she frowned at his face in contemplation.

''How's you foot?'' Adam inquired, looking at Kevin's leg.

Kevin outstretched his left leg, considering the injury. ''Not broken, I think,'' he admitted. ''But man, I tell you, next time, I'm driving, and you can run into the ravine.''

Hailey, who again had her eyes closed on Kevin's shoulder, put her hand up. ''Shotgun.''

''I'll let Rojas know,'' Adam agreed, ''but honestly, I think you guys are either very uncoordinated, or just have the worst luck.''

''No, no,'' Kevin said dismissively, ''That's just Kim.''

''What's just Kim?''

''Kim has the worst luck. We've decided that.''

''Who's we?''

''All of us.'' At Adam's confused looked, Kevin explained. ''See, Kim has the worst luck, Jay gets hurt the most, Hailey's blunt to a fault-'' Hailey gave a grunt, ''-Rojas is a pessimist, and you have anger issues.''

Adam was beginning to wonder if Kevin had been the one hit on the head. ''Really? You've just… decided all this?''

''We've talked it over.''

''I noticed you left yourself out?''

''Me? I'm perfect,'' Kevin replied without a trace of modesty. Next to him, Hailey pointed and mouthed 'Jumps to conclusions'.

Adam laughed, too tired to comment on this criteria. ''Well, thanks for letting me know.''

A nurse approached them. ''Detectives Atwater and Upton? We have a place for you back here.''

''Need help?'' Adam asked as Kevin struggled to get to his feet.

''Nah, I'm good.'' He got up, pulling Hailey with him. ''Cmon, I-can't-think-of-a-long-name-at-the-moment.''

''Well, that wasn't clever at all…'' Hailey reluctantly got up. They made an interesting pair limping after the nurse, Kevin leaning on Hailey to avoid putting weight on his bad foot, and Hailey letting Kevin guide her as she frowned in pain from the light of the hallways.

It was Adam's turn now to sit and wait, the only entertainment being the low volume, boring channel that was on the TV in the waiting room. The only interruptions were the occasional questions posited to him by the nurses treating his partners. He once caught a glimpse of Will walking past, looking none too happy and muttering something about his 'thoughtless brother'.

He wasn't sure how much time ticked by before Vanessa flopped into the chair next to him. ''What's happening?''

''Nothing,'' Adam said honestly.

''A nice change.'' She sighed, shifting in her chair. ''Paperwork tomorrow is going to be brutal.''

''Maybe we should take a sick day?''

''We all call out, Voight and Platt might notice that.''

Adam sniffed. ''What are they? Detectives or something?''

Hailey found her way back into the waiting room, joined by Kevin soon after. It was decided Vanessa would see them home, and Adam would wait for news on Kim and Jay.

When they did finally appear, he got to his feet. ''Ah, Bad Luck and Worse For Wear?'' He greeted.

''Did Kevin make up the charts?'' Kim inquired.

''Worse For Wear?'' Jay scoffed. ''I have issues with that name.''

''You guys good?''

''Nothing a few stitches, magnets and painkillers can't cure.''

''That should be the ER motto,'' Kim said.

''What is with the whole negative trait stuff?'' Adam asked curiously as they began walking out.

''I don't remember. It just came up.''

''What's Voight's?''

Jay shook his head. ''Actually, we decided the one positive trait we all had was knowing what not to say about the boss.''

''Sure, you won't say anything about him—''

''Oh,'' said Kim sympathetically. ''You're sounding a little angry.''

''You too?''

''I'm the one that pointed it out.''

Adam nodded. ''Huh. You know what? Why don't you three find your own way home?''

''Now, now,'' Jay said, swinging his good arm over Adam's shoulder. ''Don't be mad…''

They began laughing anew. Adam shook his head. ''I'm not kidding.''

But he was, and they knew it, and took advantage with good natured ribs all the way out of the ER. Adam maintained an annoyance about it, but secretly reveled in it, for it was a sign that they'd gotten away not much worse for wear.

This time, at least.

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Me: Had this sitting in my docs for weeks. Decided to finish it up and share.

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