Chapter Text
“Is everybody alright?”
Alvin gave a nod in response as Hank’s eyes landed on him. The simple arrest had turned into a pretty brutal shooting, and it was a miracle nobody had been shot.
Or so he thought.
Alvin and Kim had been partway to his car when Al froze as sudden pain hit his thigh. The pants he had on were black so no blood stain was visible but the presence of an injury was confirmed when Al pressed his hand to his leg and found it wet with blood.
“Al?” He looked up as Kim said his name from where she was now standing at the car.
“Here you can drive”. Alvin handed the keys to her without another word as he climbed into the passenger seat.
“Are you okay?” Kim asked hesitantly, partway through the drive back to the district.
“I’m fine”. He knew she was going to ask. Alvin was the one who did most of the driving so him randomly letting her drive was definitely going to bring up some questions.
Kim looked like she was going to say something else, but Al was thankful she didn’t.
He hadn’t even realized he had been shot thanks to the adrenaline but now that he thought about it he remembered when it happened. He should say something, Alvin knew that but he didn’t want to worry anyone. Al had hid injuries before and knew Hank and Trudy were going to be pissed.
He was limping once they arrived at the district and barely made it up the stairs. His leg threatened to give out after every step he took.
He could feel Trudy and Kim’s eyes on him and slowly limped over to the bench, he knew he wasn’t making it upstairs no matter how hard he tried.
“Al, you're bleeding”. Alvin looked down and sure enough saw the blood trail he left behind. It did make sense why he was getting lightheaded.
“Damnit. Burgess call an ambulance now”. Al lifted his head back up as Trudy headed over to him.
“I’m fine”. The pile of blood only grew bigger as more blood dripped down his leg and onto the floor.
“I need towels”. Trudy demanded of a cop who was passing by, sending the man and his friend into the locker room to get what she needed.
“Alvin”. Al turned to see Hank and Antonio entering the district, Jay and Erin right behind them.
“We should get him on the floor, it will be easier to keep pressure on the wound. An ambulance is on their way”. Trudy said as Hank knelt beside her.
“Yeah. Come on Love”. Hank carefully eased Al onto the floor having his husband rest his head in Hank’s lap. The towels were handed to Trudy who pressed them to Al’s leg.
“Is it just the one wound?” Antonio asked as he came over.
“I think so”. Al muttered, making sure he kept his eyes open even if he started feeling the effects of the blood loss.
“Just keep your eyes open. That’s all we need of you right now, Darling”. Hank whispered as he cupped Als cheek.
“The rest of you can head upstairs and continue running the case. No need to crowd him right now”. Hank instructed and most of Intelligence reluctantly left. The only ones who stayed were him, Trudy and Antonio.
“I didn’t want to worry anyone”. Al rasped and Trudy could only shake her head as she looked at her bleeding friend.
“Well, we're worried now”. Trudy replied as she put more pressure on the towel causing Alvin to wince.
“Just a bit longer”. Hank reassured as Gabby and Sylvie headed over to them.
“Antonio?” Gabby asked as the two paramedics knelt down next to the detectives and sergeants.
“Hey, I’m good. Alvin over here was shot”. Antonio said as he saw the look in his sister's eyes.
“How’s the pain Al?” Sylvie asked as Gabby took a look at his wound.
“Sweetheart? Are you still with us?” Hank asked as they didn’t get an answer.
“Mhm”. Al hummed, focusing on his husband's worried face.
“The pain? Scale of 1-10”.
“8”. Al mumbled as he wheezed.
“Will get you something for that. Just gotta get you out to the ambo”. Gabby said as she finished looking at the wound.
Before long Al was in the back of the ambulance with Gabby and Hank. Gabby was finishing cutting off his pants so she had better access to the wound. He had already been connected to a nasal cannula and monitors as well as an IV had been started.
“You're doing so good”. Hank praised as he squeezed Al’s hand reassuringly.
“Hurts”. Al muttered. He hated admitting that but he knew him and Hank were past the point where Al could hide how he felt or the pain he was in from his husband.
The ride felt shorter than Al knew it actually was. Soon enough they arrived at Med and he was wheeled inside.
“Alvin Olinsky, fifty four year old male, bullet wound to the left thigh bullet still inside”. Gabby called out. Al heard her call out the rest of his stats but he wasn’t paying attention anymore. The pain was getting worse and he blinked rapidly trying to stay awake.
Several pairs of hands were on him moving him to a bed, placing more monitors and Al was trying hard not to flinch away. He had never been a fan of touch, especially from people he didn’t know. Alvin thought all his time in the hospital would make him use to this, but it didn’t.
Breathing started getting harder and he knew he was gasping. An oxygen mask was slipped on his face and he made eye contact with a nurse before his eyes started closing.
Lots of voices were talking as his consciousness started fading.
“Bullet still in will need to wheel him into surgery”.
“Oxygen levels decreasing……. flo…”.
“Bloo…los…”
“He….fad…g…”
The rails were put up on the hospital bed and he could feel the bed start moving before he fully fell unconscious and the pain faded.
xxxxxx
Hank was pacing the waiting room and had been for the last hour. They had taken Alvin into surgery to remove the bullet. He knew this wasn’t the worst surgery Al had ever been through but he also knew every surgery came with risks and Al had lost quite a bit of blood already.
“Hank come sit down”. Trudy said quietly as she stood up and headed over to her friend.
“Why did he not tell us? Has he honestly learned nothing from the past times he hid injuries”. Hank ranted as he sat down next to Trudy.
They were in the more private waiting room Intelligence was usually brought to whenever one of their own was in the hospital. They were the only two left in the room, the others having gone to grab dinner. Despite his attempts from earlier none of them were able to focus on the case. They had handed it off to another unit and were waiting for news on their friend before they did anything else.
“I stopped trying to fully figure Alvin out a long long time ago. The reasons he does or doesn’t do things are a mystery to me. I’m grateful we found out before the outcome was way worse. The length Alvin will go to hide something is something we know all too well”.
They didn’t talk about that time. It was something that still haunted Hank and Trudy to this day. Not realizing how bad it had gotten until it was almost too late. Trudy still felt the blood sometimes. She had scrubbed her hands for weeks following the incident. Her scream haunted her nightmares on particularly bad nights.
Alvin had hid injuries than as well. For years. And none of them ever noticed until it was almost too late. On days like these when they waited once again for news on Al’s condition, reminded them of how close they had been to losing him that night. Trudy knew if she hadn’t forgotten her water bottle Alvin would’ve been dead. And sometimes when they found themselves back on uncomfortable chairs they wondered Al’s true motive behind hiding injuries.
Both were interrupted out of there thoughts as the door opened and the unit filtered back in. Jay and Erin handed Trudy and Hank a bag of food from the nearby burger joint and both nodded their thanks. They fell back in silence again.
“Owen, how is he?” Hank asked as Doctor Owen Parker entered the waiting room and everyone stood up.
“Alvin is alright all things considered. Surgery went well and they successfully removed the bullet and transferred him to the ICU. He’ll need some physical therapy but should make a full recovery. Since Alvin is in the ICU we have to limit visitors to two at a time”. Owen explained and everyone let out a sigh of relief. There was no debate on who was going to see Al and soon enough Hank and Trudy were standing outside of his hospital room.
“Oh Darling”. Hank pulled a chair up next to Al’s bed as he grabbed his husband's hand.
Trudy didn’t say anything, just pulled a chair up to the other side of the bed and grabbed Al’s other hand.
“Fuck, nobody called Lexi and Michelle yet”. Hank swore suddenly forgetting he never contacted them. He felt horrible. He hadn’t noticed his husband hiding injuries or contacted his daughters.
“I got that Hank. You stay with him”. Trudy said as she stood up. Hank didn’t feel like arguing and only nodded as he settled in for the upcoming conversation and long night ahead of them.
xxxxxx
Monitors beeping was the first thing Alvin heard as he regained consciousness. His dark eyes slowly opened and then closed just as fast as the bright lights sent a wave of pain through his aching head.
“Sorry Darling”. Alvin heard and then footsteps. The next time he opened his eyes the lights weren’t as bright and he could keep them open.
“Hal?” Al rasped as he adjusted to his surroundings and saw his husband's worried face.
“I’m here and you're okay”. Hank reassured as Al’s eyes focused on him.
“Hospital?” Al’s memories were slowly coming back to him as he looked around the hospital room.
“Yeah. You were shot but they removed the bullet and you're healing up now”. Hank kept the explanation simple, not wanting to overwhelm Al with too much information right when he woke up.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I had been shot until I was heading back to my car”. Alvin knew Hank didn’t believe him. He could tell in Hank’s hesitant nod and immediate change of subject.
“Lexi and Michelle went down to get something to eat and Trudy went home to get some sleep so just us right now, but I’m sure somebody from the unit will arrive in the next twenty minutes”. Hank commented with a small smile.
“I didn’t want to worry you guys”.
“Alvin, you were shot. There was no way in that scenario that we weren’t going to be worried. Nothing you did would have made us worry less than we are. It’s just something that happens when someone you love is hurt”.
“I guess”. Al knew that no matter what Hank said now, he once again hiding an injury was going to be brought up at a later date. Alvin knew he scared everyone and probably reminded Hank and Trudy of a day they all wished never happened.
Hank started talking about the latest antics of the stray cat that roamed around their neighborhood and for a moment everything was okay. For a moment they weren’t in the hospital as Alvin recovered from getting shot and surgery. Memories of the past weren’t lurking around the corner and conversations weren’t being avoided. For a moment everything was okay.