QUICK VISIT
AUTHOR'S NOTE/DISCLAIMER
My idea for Kelly seeing someone other than Shay during the surgery in the ep "I Am The Apocalypse" as I'm keeping Shay alive and relates to my fic "Like Jericho, I Fall". Chicago Fire belongs to Dick Wolf and NBC. I only own Chelsea.
Kelly looked around. Where was he? He didn't recognize it.
"Hey, Stranger," a voice with a Georgia accent greeted and he turned around, inhaling sharply when he saw the dark-haired woman with brown eyes who was about five-nine wearing a cowgirl shirt, blue jeans, and black cowgirl boots.
"Hey Firecracker," he said thickly, his voice catching. Oh damn, he thought to himself. He couldn't believe it. Chelsea. He was seeing Chelsea. Damn, he missed her. "Am I dead?" he wondered and she laughed the small laugh the firefighter remembered all too well.
"No Baby, you're not dead," she replied. "You're in surgery because you forgot that you weren't indestructible," she laughed. "What were you thinking, jumping on a guy with a grenade?"
"I was thinking that there were people that needed to be protected," he answered.
"And so you decided to play Superman?"
"Okay, so it wasn't the smartest move I've ever made, but I did what I had to do."
"My City Cowboy." The firefighter chuckled at the familiar nickname. Oh how he missed her! It had only been a couple of years, but he still missed her more than anything in the world. She was the only who could ever make him really laugh. Not that anyone knew that. No, he had kept Chelsea to himself. He had been planning to introduce her to them after shift the day Andy died. After that, he had just been a wreck and he had needed to be alone with her. And then he had lost her too. That had hurt more than anything else. "Well, I'd love to chat more, but you need to wake up."
"No Babe, don't say that. I've finally got you back." He didn't want to lose her again. He couldn't bear it if he was forced to live without her again. For an answer, she placed a hand on his cheek and looked at him sympathetically.
"I'm gone, Baby. Dead and gone." He swallowed the lump in his throat and he clasped her hand.
"I need you. I miss you."
"And I miss you. But you can't keep doing this to yourself. You need to love again. You need to open yourself up to it." Hearing this, he shook his head. He didn't want to listen to this. He had his Firecracker back and he didn't want to leave. Why would she make him leave? Didn't she want him anymore. Almost as if she knew what he was thinking, she pulled him close. "I love you and I want you to stop beating yourself up. There was nothing you could've done. I had cancer. I was sick," she reminded him.
"I never got the chance to introduce you to everybody. They would've really liked you," he commented.
"I've been watching you. And you're amazing, just like always. I know what you're thinking, but you're wrong. You deserve to fall in love again. Open yourself up. Don't shut everyone out. Let your friends in," she advised and he nodded. She was right. He needed to let his friends in. But he didn't know how to explain Chelsea to the others. And now she was saying that he needed to wake up. "Go back, Baby. Be happy." He nodded and fell silent.
"I love you. I'll never forget you."
"Good." Then, before he knew it, the woman was fading and a few moments later, Kelly blinked, trying to get his bearings as his eyes adjusted to the light. Wha-? Am I alive? he wondered as he glanced over to see Shay and April glancing at him and without a word, he gave them a smile and a small wave.
"You scared me," April admitted softly. She had just reconnected with him and the last thing she wanted was to lose him again.
"I don't remember any of it," he said. And that was a lie. He remembered the guy with the grenade, saying that he had something worse than the Ebola Virus, but he also remembered the dream he had just had with Chelsea.
"Nothing?" Shay queried in concern. While he was coming out of the anesthesia, she could've sworn she had heard him mutter the name Chelsea. She didn't know who that was and she had to admit, she was curious as to who her friend had been talking about. For a moment, Kelly was silent, as if trying to remember, and then he shook his head.
"Nothin'," he replied. Truth was, he just didn't want to talk about it. He missed Chelsea more than anything and he had just gone through that again.
"Well, we should let you get your rest," Shay commented. April stepped forward and kissed Kelly on the forehead before heading out, followed by Shay, who turned off the light. The firefighter then carefully rolled over onto his side, his eyes clouding in pain. He had seen her again. He had spent some time with his wife. And even though it hadn't been for as long as he would've liked, he was grateful for the quick visit he had received.
THE END