A/N 1: So here is the last chapter to this shameless story. The feedback on this story has been amazing and quite near shocking. So many of you all have reached out to me in all forms and told me so many great things that I will ever be able to thank anyone enough for. So thank you!

I won't waste too much time on the words you don't want to read and rather let you go ahead and read the words you haven't yet!

ENJOY!

CHAPTER 3

Everyone's heart jumped to their throats as they watched the medics intubate, than work on getting his heart restarted. Two tense minutes later, everyone had an internal celebration as the monitor that he somehow got hooked to during the process, began to beep slowly.

After piling blankets on him, the medics shoved him into the ambulance, allowing Antonio to jump in as well as he got himself warm.

The detectives left at the scene quickly, making their way to the hospital where they sat waiting for any word on their ailing team mate. It was over three hours later when a weary doctor walked out of the trauma room with a weary expression on his face.

"Family of Jay Halstead?"

"That would be us." Erin croaked from her position next to the wall.

She along with every cop in the room stood up, watching the doctor expectantly.

"Well, Jay is certainly not out of any danger yet, and we have him situated in the ICU, but we have finally gotten his temperature stabilized, and his vitals stabilized as well." The doctor watched some of the faces around the room take a deep breath, then continued. "Jay was brought in with severe stages of hypothermia as many of you probably know. Because of that, we had to take many measures to bring his body temperature of - " The doctor looked down to his notes that back up again and continued. " - 87 degrees back up. He is lucky to even be alive. Anyways, at the moment he is hooked up to a hemodialysis machine and a heart bypass machine, both of which are taking his blood, taking it out of his body, warming it, then sending it back into him."

"We are also irrigating his lungs, which is hopefully helping his airways as well, seeing as he still cannot breathe by his self. Lastly, we have him hooked up to IV's which are feeding him warm fluids. Besides what I just said, the warm temperature in his room, and the blankets, both warming and not, that we have on him are all helping. Right now, his temperature is up to a 93. Not where is should be, but a definite improvement."

Everyone in the room seemed overwhelmed by the information, but Erin still looked at the doctor as if analyzing him.

"Anything else?" Voight stepped up and asked.

"Yes, not only does Jay have signs of Pneumonia, Jay's heart stopped beating twice after we got him here, but we were able to bring him back both times. Because of the stress on the body, and the pure fact that he just brushed death, I don't expect Detective Halstead to wake up soon, so I do suggest everyone goes home and gets some much deserved sleep." The doctor finished, then walked forwards and shook his Erin's hand. "Plus, visiting hours are over."

With that the doctor left. A few moments later, Antonio walked over to Erin and yawned.

"You heard him, for now Jay is fine, let's go to the precinct, get some of his stuff, finish paperwork, and go. OK?"

Erin nodded slowly, and with that, the detectives walked out of the hospital waiting room, and out of the hospital.

The next day, Erin was at the hospital by nine, and was immediately escorted to Jay's room. Once inside Erin could only hold back a cry at the sight before her.

Jay was wrapped in blankets, and the room alone was easily 10 degrees hotter than other areas of the hospital. His heartbeat was slow and he was as pale as a ghost and he wasn't breathing without the help of the tube down his throat, but he was still alive, and it was the little mercies that she asked for.

The machine breathed once again for him and his eyes remained still, no movement on the other sides of those beauties. She reached underneath the blanket and was taken aback at how hot it was, and then she she felt Halstead himself.

He was cool to the touch, and Erin knew that that shouldn't surprise her, but it did. Feelig her partner at at least a two degree difference was startling.

"Woah man. Doctor's said you would be cooler to the touch, but not that cool." Erin croaked. She looked at the man once again, and noticed only now that band that wrapped around his lower head, keeping the tube that led into his mouth and down his throat straight.

Then she finally acknowledged the sound of the ventilator as it pressed another breath into his lungs. She finally found a freckle on Jay's face and stared at it.

Erin must have fallen into a stupor, because the next time she looked up it was nearly noon again, and someone had knocked on the door. With a slight clearing of the throat, the door opened and Olinksy and Ruzek popped in.

"Voight figured you would be here." Olinsky said as he sat down in the chair beside Erin.

"Yea, well, I have a duty to my partner like you have a duty to yours." Erin responded back. She was slightly confused at why her voice sounded as gravelly as it did, but she didn't put any thought into it.

"Nah, I don't blame you. Neither does he. He did however just want you to know that Jennifer was released today, and her parents are going to stop by and say thanks to Jay as soon as he gets better." Olinsky said smiling encouragingly at Erin.

""You mean if he wakes up?" Erin sighed a little dramatically to cover the fear in her words.

"Her parent's wouldn't take any other answer. He's going to be good. Just you wait." Ruzek finally butt in from the opposite side of the bed.

And wait they did.

Jay woke up two days after nearly dying by drowning. He was alone at the time, Erin having slipped out for a coffee break, and Olinsky had to go to the john. He still wasn't letting anyone let it down. Not even four days later, now that he was off the ventilator and in a private room.

"You ass holes left me here to wake up alone, and you won't even bring me coffee?" Jay scoffed, pulling his jacket closer around his self.

Erin rolled her eyes at her partners dramatics, but let him continue to whine to Ruzek, while she dozed off. A knock on the door startled her awake and she looked up to see Jennifer and her adoptive parents behind her, tears of joy in their eyes.

Erin shot up and walked to the parents, shaking their hands. The parents grabbed her hand and pulled her in for a hug, thanking her for saving their daughter as Jennifer made her way slowly to the bed.

"Officer Halstead?" She asked tentatively.

Jay straightened up in his hospital bed, wincing as he pulled at his still healing arm. "Detective actually, but you can call me Jay."

Jennifer giggled as he smiled his dazzling smile at the little girl as she stood next to his bedside. She turned to her parents before she turned back to Jay and smiled a watery smile of her own. She pulled out a stuffed polar bear with a necklace wrapped around its neck, Jennifer's locket with a picture of herself in it showing clearly against the white fur. She handed it to Jay.

"I got you a polar bear, because the water was really cold that night, and polar bears like the cold, and I got you a picture of me in a necklace so that you will never forget me." Jennifer said, tears rolling down her face slowly.

Jay smiled a broad smile, than leaned forwards further, wrapping the small, frail girl in a hug.

"I love them." Jay whispered in her ear.

"Thank you for saving me." Jennifer whispered back.

FIN

A/N: So, I don't know. I did do a considerable amount of research, and I did have to fudge stuff a little to make it more appealing to us readers, but besides that, I am very proud of this story. It was originally a one shot that was too large, so I split it up and have gotten so much response to this. So I want to continue saying that this wouldn't be nearly as great if it weren't for my beta, Journalism13. It wouldn't be nearly as awesome if it weren't for Belle.0416 either.

So thank you all.

Last but not least, I am finally going to post the one shot I have been talking about. There have been computer issues that haven't allowed me to do so. Also, with When It Goes South I changed a massive plotline so I am currently back to the drawing board but I would expect chapter 3 sooner or later here!

Love you all!