Title: Lockdown
Summary: Severide goes with Casey to visit his mother in jail but nearing the end of their visit a riot breaks out injuring one of them and trapping them both inside a lockdown with a vengeful mob all around. Will they get out in time? Or will they be among the casualties?
Disclaimer: Chicago Fire and its characters are the property of Dick Wolfe, NBC and….well sadly not me
A/N: Okay so I know his mother is out (cue Casey family drama time *yikes*) but I had wanted to get this done before she got out of jail and ran out of time lol so hope you all still like this idea.
"You sure you don't mind?" Casey asks Severide as they head for the women's correctional facility; Casey on the way to visit his mother and Severide along for the ride on a shared day off.
"You promised free beer," Severide tosses back with a snicker as they near the entrance to the prison facility; Severide slowly meandering the pathway toward the parking lot. "Nah don't mind. But these places do give me the creeps."
"Better than going to an all-male prison," Casey reminds him casually."
"Much better," Severide agrees in haste as he looks over at Casey who casts a stony gaze out the window as they approach the prison.
"Fifteen years…"
"That she's been in there?"
"That I've wondered her reasons for killing him."
"She's never told you?" Severide inquires in surprise.
"Always gets upset or just brushes it off as something I should have remembered and then we get into a heated discussion, the guards look over and I drop it," Casey admits with a small sigh as Severide gives him a sympathetic frown. "Today…is just a confirmation of a few things and that's it."
"That's it?"
"Routine. Trust me nothing exciting happens here," Casey utters fatefully. "So yup…that's it."
"Then the free beer," Severide tosses out with a serious expression as Casey nods and smirks as the car comes to a final stop. The two of them get out and slowly head toward the entrance, casually talking about their teams and the past few days; things that were uneventful and some rather close calls in the field.
"Want me to come in?" Severide asks as they both sign in for ID and then step through the metal detector, depositing their phones, keys and wallets into the provided holding bins to wait in a secure location upon their arrival.
"Sure. You can be the ref if I forget and ask the stupid question," Casey mildly jokes.
The two of them are buzzed into the secure visiting area; armed guards casually milling around; Casey spying his mother waiting at one of the tables and heads toward her, Severide in silent tow.
"Hey mom."
"Matthew. Who's your friend?"
"Mom this is Kelly…we work together at the house. He's helping me with some car stuff. Kelly…my mom Nancy Casey."
"Hey nice to meet you," Severide offers a brief handshake before the three of them sit down at the small table; Casey leaning in a bit closer but Severide hanging back to offer mother and son a bit more privacy.
"So have you spoken to your sister?" Nancy asks Casey as Severide's eyes casually drift around the room, curiously wondering what the backstory was behind the various sorts of couples seated at the tables around them. But his attention is instantly diverted back to a sharp outburst as Nancy stands up and offers her son a small scowl before she turns and heads back to the door that would lead her to her cell; Casey muttering something under his breath as he looks over at Severide with a heavy frown.
"What happened?" Severide asks in wonder.
"She mentioned wanting her freedom and I…" Casey huffs as he leans back and looks at Severide with a somewhat defeated expression, "told her she should have thought about that before she killed dad. Damn it," he huffs as he rests his head in his hands and then lightly rubs his face. "And then I…"
"Asked the stupid question," Severide interjects and Casey nods.
"I did. I have a right to know but she…she pushes back and then I feel guilty and drop it…until next time. And then it starts all over again."
"She'll get over it…she's a Casey," Severide smirks as Casey looks up in wonder. "You don't stew about things. At least you don't seem to."
"Ah we hide it well," Casey sighs as he looks back at the door his mother disappeared through.
"Did she…" Severide starts and then stops as his eyes follow two large men to a table past them; one of them offering a small nod to one of the guards before they sit down at a table with an equally formidable looking woman.
"What's going on?"
"Nah it's just…just a feeling. It's nothing," Severide shrugs as he turns back with an uneasy expression. "You wanna get out of here?"
"Yeah. She's not…I just want to know you know? I think I'm entitled…he was my dad," Casey's sad admission forces a small frown of remorse from his friend.
"Come on, let's go drown your sorrows in that beer you owe me," Severide teases, making Casey lightly laugh as they both start to stand up. But at the same time a small commotion is heard to their right and both of them look over to see the two rather gruff looking men starting to scuffle with each other.
Both Casey and Severide hang back as a few guards rush in to break up the ensuing fight, the two 51 lieutenants watching but not guessing that in mere seconds their current situation is about to change – drastically.
"Everybody remain wh…" is all one of the guard manages before one of the thugs charges him, manages to grab his gun and then shoot the guard nearest. But before anyone else can react, a very well paid insider, flips off the lights and opens certain doors; everyone in the small visiting area bathed in darkness for a few brief seconds before the emergency floodlights snap on.
Eerie shadows dance on the walls as people scramble in all directions; no one wanting to tangle with the angry scuffle that how has four men embroiled in a fight to the death.
"Casey!" Severide calls out as he ducks behind the table as someone rushes past him and shot rings out overhead.
"Severide!" Casey shouts as he struggles to get back to his friend, his frame caught up in the first stampede; causing the two friends to be separated and panic in the room to skyrocket. Casey, on his knees tries to get to Severide's voice; following the familiar call in the dimly lit madness.
"LET HER GO!" Severide hears someone shout as a hand grabs the back of his jacket and gives it a firm tug backward, forcing him off his feet just as Casey reaches him.
"I'm not invol…" Severide growls as he tries to yank himself free.
"Hey…back off!" Casey shouts as he tries to tackle the man mistakenly attacking his friend. He grabs one of the thugs from behind, hoping to pull him off Severide when he feels a heavy hand clamp down on his arm and try to spin him around; the rest of the people around him all scrambling for various locked exits as the alarms sound and panic mounts; especially when they find the main door locked and they're all trapped inside.
Just as Casey lets go of the one who was attacking Severide his body twists around to face his new attacker, his lips ready to explain that he's just trying to help his friend, Severide's body shoots up, pushing Casey forward into the large snarling man facing him as he tries to pull the other one off.
"Casey!" Severide calls out as he watches Casey's frame slightly falter to the left; his arm reaching out and pulling Casey back before he can sustain a stiff punch to the jaw. "You okay?"
"We need to get…" Casey replies a bit breathlessly.
"There…I see an open door!" Severide mentions as he feels Casey's frame starting to slightly sag in his grasp. "Are you…."
"Just get…my side…" Casey grunts as his right hand clamps down, mayhem starting to ensure behind them. With the alarms still ringing behind them, loud angry shouting around them, sirens in the distance and cursing overhead, the two innocent fire fighters finally make it to the entrance, through the door only to be met with two angry guards.
"Guys we're not part o…" is all Severide manages before he sustains a firm punch to the jaw; Casey's expression instantly morphing from pain to surprise as Severide's head snaps back.
"What the he…" Casey tries as he pulls Severide away from one of the angry guards; about to deliver his own blow when the two raise their weapons. "Hey we're no part of this," Casey stammers in haste as one of them pushes them aside before storming toward the door.
"Damn," Severide curses as he pulls away from Casey, his eyes frantically scanning their dimly lit surroundings and looking back at Casey with a bleak expression. "We're trapped."
"That's okay we can…just wai…t her…e," his voice falters as his hand comes away from his right side, a glint of light catching his sticky palm and both his and Severide's eyes widening in horror.
"What the hell? Were you shot?" Severide gasps as he rushes in to help Casey as his friend's body crumples in his grasp.
"Stabbed…by one of…them," his speech rattles off as both of them try to find the exit doors the guards came in from. "I'm okay…"
"Damn, just hold on," Severide mentions as he helps Casey ease himself down to the floor and goes in search of an exit. "HEY! OPEN UP!" Severide bangs on the door, pushing his ear against it and praying for someone friendly to come up on the other side.
"HELLO?" He hears.
"HEY OPEN THE DOORS! MY FRIEND'S BEEN STABBED! HELP US!" Severide shouts back. "WE'RE NOT PART OF THIS!"
"WHO ARE YOU?"
But his shouting had attracted some unwanted attention and just before he could give his name to be checked in the system, he turns to see two large men appear in the door and head toward Casey on the floor. "Matt!"
"We're not part…of…this…" Casey desperately tries to explain as his throbbing frame is dragged away from Severide's.
"Hey! Leave him alone!" Severide growls as he charges, his body slamming into one of them and forcing Casey and the other one to stagger to the left. A guard rushes in to help them but ends up on the wrong side of a two sided fight as the two large men turn on him. Unable to just leave the guard to his own defenses, Severide steps in to help; Casey also throwing in a punch with his left despite his throbbing side.
"Okay…we need a place…to rest…wait," Casey manages as two others join in the melee and they are quickly outnumbered, the guard taken down and the two of them next if they didn't leave.
"There…" Severide lightly pants as he feels Casey's left arm sling over his shoulder and they bolt for an exit kitty-corner to the hallway they had tried earlier that was now blocked by a few angry unfriendlies.
The two of them head toward a door that would lead into a corridor between the area where the other inmates were being kept; namely Casey's mother and the rest of the female prisoners and the area they just escaped – the main visiting area. Behind them the chaos resumes, but all they want is to find a quiet corner and ride out the unfortunate storm they now find themselves trapped in.
Severide pulls the door open only to come face to face with another snarling expression. "Damn…" he whispers quietly. "My friend has been stabbed…look we're Chicago fire fighters and…no part of this and…" is all the man will allow before he takes action. Surprisingly, Severide's jaw doesn't experience another blow, instead the large man steps aside and allows them to pass; the two of them not taking the gesture for granted and quickly slipping past into another inner hallway; the door into the actual prison area where his mother is being kept still on lockdown.
"What the hell…is going on?" Casey pants, his face morphing into a heavy wince as he sags back down to the floor in a semi-seated position.
"I can't tell who's good or bad or who started the damn thing. Saw two guards beating up a regular guy trying to get to the front exit doors so am some are in on it…and some not."
"But why…ahhh…hold on a sec," Casey's lips offer a strained gasp as Severide's hand pulls out a piece of his shirt that was wedged into the wound from the knife.
"Sorry. Got anything I can use as a bandage?" Severide inquires as he checks his pockets.
"No…here…rip some of the lining."
As much as he wants to offer a protest, Severide refrains and rips off a piece of the lining from his friend's jacket to use as a crude bandage. The soft painful gasps from Casey that manage to slip into his head past the sounds of the alarms tell him that he needs to tend to him first and worry about ruined clothing later. "Okay…you gotta apply pressure to stop the bleeding."
"I know…" Casey agrees with a sharp intake of air. "Is that door…open?"
"Hold on," Severide mentions as he leaves Casey's side and heads for the door into the actual prison facility. "No it's…" he turns back, instantly freezing in place as he hears a distinct 'click' and then pivots back to see the door slightly open. He looks back at Casey who wastes no time in uttering "go". Severide hurries to Casey's side and helps him to his feet; the two of them reaching the door and passing through seconds before two of the guards come through; Severide and Casey having ducked into a darkened alcove at the last moment and were unseen.
However, their freedom is short lived when they are instantly spotted as soon as they emerge from the shadows.
"HEY YOU TWO!" Someone shouts, forcing both to turn and see two new guards barreling down on them from inside the lockdown area.
Knowing that to go back into the tense commotion of the common area would only do more harm than good, Severide merely grabs Casey by the left arm and drags him down the dimly lit hallway; the emergency flood lighting doing little to help or hinder their frantic escape to a place less volatile.
"You two! Wait!" A gruff voice shouts as two guards give chase. Severide and Casey try to pick up the pace but their attempt is short lived as the two are soon pounced on, Severide being hit in the back by a baton and Casey in the legs, the painful blows forcing both to stumble.
"Let's take them back with the others."
"Kelly….go!" Casey urges as he tries to hold onto the man that was trying to get him to go forcibly with him. Severide's mind rapidly races to find the correct decision; if he leaves Casey, he'd still be trapped and Casey would be alone, or if he manages to escape these two, where would he end up? And Casey would still be alone – and injured.
"He's injured and needs he…" Severide manages before he's struck on the side with the baton. Not caring about the consequences, Severide tosses a punch at one of the guards and then tackles the other trying to drag Casey back to general population. "Stop! He's…injured…" Severide coughs as Casey cries out; his side sustaining another wicked blow from the baton; forcing him to his knees, his right arm clutching his side, his left bracing him on the floor – his posture utterly defenseless.
But just before he can break free from his own struggles they hear heavy footsteps heading in their direction; the small group watching as a large man storms toward them. Then without warning, the large man pulls a set of brass knuckles and strikes the guard about to take Casey down for good in the temple; his body crumpling instantly.
"Who the hell…" the other guard charges, Severide using the distraction to pull Casey free.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend…." Severide utters in quiet sarcasm as the large man takes down the second guard and looks at them with a set expression. "Thanks," Severide offers weakly.
"Which one of you is Casey?"
"I am…" Casey wheezes as he looks up; Severide helping him fully upright. "I'm sorry I don't…know you."
"You saved my brother from his burning car last week. Saw you on the news…I owe you."
"Thank you," Casey nods. "Do you know what's going on out there?"
"Good intentions gone bad. Just stay here and use the batons if you have to. It's safer here than in there. They're roughing up anyo…" is all the large man manages before the three of them quickly turn to see two others heading their way; as they get closer, Casey and Severide see they're the two who had been at the table beside them when they were visiting Casey's mother.
"Damn," Severide curses as he watches the large man pull away but remain fixed in place a few feet away from them; Casey's throbbing frame resting on Severide's right side.
"Who the hell are they?" One of them demands.
"They're no threat."
"That one punched me!" One of them points to Severide, who merely glares back in anger.
"It was an accident."
"I said…they're nobody," the large man offers an angry snarl from one to the other. "You leave them alone."
"They're calling in reinforcements! We gotta get outta here. You know the way."
The large man turns and looks at them.
"We'll wait here," Severide assures them in a firm tone, Casey nodding in agreement, both his body and mind begging him to just lie down and rest.
"You come after us and I'll kill you!" The other warns as the big man utters a low curse at them and the three turn and race the opposite direction and disappear through another locked door; Severide helping Casey over to the far wall and then heading back to the guards and trying to find keys, or a phone…anything they could use to secure their freedom. Nothing.
"Nothing here…can't call for help. Okay you keep this…" Severide hands Casey a baton. "I'm going to try banging on that exit door again."
"Hurry," Casey utters with a small gasp as he tries to get himself back down to a seated position. He watches Severide race for the door, the angry commotion in the other area behind and to his left, getting louder, threatening to spill out into their quiet vestige of relief.
"HEY!" Severide shouts as he too hears the shouting and voices heading closer and closer to the doorway into the hall where they are now seeking refuge.
"Who ar…" is all the voice on the other side of the door manages before the area behind Severide explodes with angry shouting; bodies emerging into the once quiet area, threatening to swallow up his friend. Then a few seconds later…that is exactly what happens.
"Kelly!"
"Matt!" Severide shouts as he watches Casey being relieved of the baton and his flailing frame dragged back into the darkened masses. "No!"
"Let…go…" Casey grunts as he tries to pull himself free of the strong arms pulling him away from the fallen guards; the other three already on their way toward their planned escape route.
"Let him go!" Severide shouts as Casey's left arm suddenly springs free; Severide's body hurling itself into one of the two pulling Casey away; Casey using the opportunity to try to impede the other man still holding onto his right arm. Biting back a painful gasp from his side, he tries to curl himself around the man on his right, his side instantly screaming in agony as the cut folds in on itself when his frame bends in half. With some help from Severide he's able to spring completely free, Severide pulling him free of the jumble of arms and legs, the two of them making it back into the general visiting area.
"This…has to end soon…" Severide gasps as the two of them limp toward one of the tables, a few unconscious bodies lying motionless and a few frightened females and their visiting companions cowering in other corners. Casey offers a painful yelp as he presses down on his freshly bleeding wound and then gives Severide a heavy frown. "How bad?"
"Opened it…again," Casey replies with a heavy frown. "Think this will end soon?"
"Not sure but…" Severide glances to the left; a body slamming through the door and landing in an unconscious heap a few meters away, leaving the door propped open and a snarling face glancing at them through the window before pulling back to join the rest of the fighting. "Hope it's soon. Wanna lie…what is it?" Severide asks in haste as he hears Casey's lips offer a sharp intake of air.
"Just…yeah I gotta…I'm okay…" Casey's lungs gasp again as he twists to the right. "Who's banging on the door?"
"I don't know but…" Severide's body moves back to give Casey some room to lie down when a new face appears in the doorway; a small gathering of cops now waiting on the other side of the locked doors to enter. "Here just rest and…"
"Who the hell are you guys?" The stranger pushes through the door and storms toward them; Severide quickly standing up and placing his weary frame between Casey and the stranger's. "We cleared this room!" The angry voice bellows as he marches up to them and without warning, wraps his fingers around Severide's sweater and jerks him closer.
"Hey back off!" Severide growls as he tries to pull himself free. "My friend's been stabbed!"
"Cops are…coming," Casey manages, looking up with a worried expression, hoping the angry man would take the hint from the shouting in the not so distance and let Severide go as he knows he's no longer in a condition to join in the fight and offer some viable aid.
"My friend…needs help," Severide hisses as he puts his arms on the large man's chest and gives him a good shove backward. The attacker, however, pulls out one of the batons and offers Severide's arm a mild blow, forcing the squad 3 lieutenant to pull back his left limb with a painful yelp.
"Leave him alone!" Casey shouts as he struggles to get back up; Severide's frame tensing for the next hit just as the stranger raises the baton to strike at him again. But luckily for both beleaguered Firehouse 51 lieutenant's the space to their right is instantly punctuated by shouts from the armed police officers as they storm toward them with their shields and weapons raised.
"DOWN ON THE GROUND!"
"DROP THE WEAPON!"
"SHOW US YOUR HANDS!"
Four guards stop at their side; second's later full power being restored and the entire room flooding with overhead fluorescents, showing the officers exactly what was unfolding before them. The man attacking Severide with the baton is quickly hauled to the right, Severide turning to see how Casey had fared.
"We're fire fighters with Firehouse 51 visiting a family member," Severide offers in haste as his hands remain raised. "My partner here has been stabbed."
"Do you have any weapons?" One of the officers asks as two of them keep their guns trained on Casey and Severide.
"No, nothing. Can you help him?"
"Hold on."
Severide waits as the officer radio's their names and then finally nods to his partner to help Casey.
"Okay they're clear, let's get him up," the officer instructs as he gestures for Severide to help get Casey upright and then escorts them back to the main door; the medics not allowed in just yet. They wait as another officer escorts another visitor out; the female prisoners that had been in the room now escorted back to their cells.
"Where's he hurt?"
"Right side. Knife wound. But I can walk to t…"
"Please lie down sir," the medic instructs as Casey looks at Severide who shrugs and nods in agreement.
"I could have walked," Casey utters in sarcasm as he frowns and then allows the medic to help lower him down to the stretcher. "Nice shiner."
"Took one for the team," Severide retorts in sarcasm as his right hand gingerly touches his left eye and his face winces. "Damn. Good thing I don't have a date tomorrow night," he chuckles as he follows the stretcher to the waiting ambulance. He shuffles into the back behind Casey; handing him his phone and wallet, stuffing his keys into his pocket. "What's your excuse for the fat lip?"
"Damn," Casey curses as he gingerly touches the left side of his jaw.
"Prison riot," the medic muses. "You boys got off lucky from what I heard."
"Did they say the cause of the whole thing?" Casey inquires before he offers a small gasp; the medic gently pulling another piece of trapped fabric from the bloody wound and then pushing a protective bandage over it; the rest would be properly treated at the hospital by a doctor.
"The gist is one of the guards sister's was a prisoner and he transferred there under an assumed name and was going to help break her out with the help of two others he paid off and they…" his voice trails off as Casey looks up at Severide; his friends eyes closed as he leans back against the side of the vast moving ambulance.
They arrive at the ER and Casey is whisked into the examination room to have his side properly treated and stitched; Severide in the waiting area on the phone to Shay.
"Yeah we're okay," Severide tells her with a small yawn. "Casey's okay too. The wound wasn't that bad…only looked worse."
"I'll be home in about an hour…anything I can pick up?"
"Nah we'll just get…takeout or something. He was gonna spot for dinner but um…well I can't make him after all that right? I'll just…we can have water or something," he smirks.
"Oh come on you big baby," Shay teases. "Both of you. What do you want?"
"Beer," Severide states flatly, not expecting Casey to provide beer as he had promised after what he had endured the past few hours.
"Beer? Just beer?"
"Beer's a great meal."
"You can't have just beer. I'll get some real food. See you later."
"Okay," Severide offers as he hangs up and then leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees and rubbing his face; that is until his hand rests on his throbbing eye and he pulls back with a small curse and then looks at his watch.
"Yes it really is that time," Casey's voice is heard, prompting Severide to look up in concern.
"You okay?"
"Few stitches…tetanus shot."
"What? Really, a shot?"
"Well apparently…I missed mine last time," Casey admits with a small sheepish chuckle. "Don't tell the chief."
"So…interesting day."
"Yeah so much for a routine visit," Casey sighs as he rubs his face. "My mom left a message saying she was sorry and asked if I was okay."
"Maybe she'll feel so bad she'll tell you the truth next time your there."
"Ah the guilty card," Casey smirks.
"If it works for you."
"It works for you?"
"Everytime."
"I'll hafta remember that if you ever need anything," Casey tosses out the tease as Severide replies with a small laugh, the two of them taking a cab back to the jail so they could get Severide's car and then head for home. "So I know I owe you beer…"
"Yes you do," Severide replies with a firm tone as Casey looks over with a surprised expression. "What? You said it yourself it was just a scratch."
"Okay…you can stop by…" he rattles off as Severide chuckles under his breath.
"Shay's picking up beer."
"Really?"
"And pizza."
"Really?" Casey echoes a second time. "How'd you manage that?"
"The guilty card," they both smirk at once. "And she fell for it?"
"I have my moments," Severide states seriously.
"How many has she fallen for?"
"Not many," he groans as Casey tosses him a knowing 'ah'. "But this time I put it on you."
"Me?"
"Well you were stabbed. That is a tad more pathetic than my black eye," Severide states matter-of-factly.
"Can't argue with that," Casey agrees as they near Severide's apartment block.
"But you still owe me the free beer."
"Next time."
"What?"
"Next jail visit," Casey jokes.
"Not on your life," Severide looks at him with a serious expression as he brings the car to a stop. "And that guilty expression…won't work on me."
"Okay so I need to work on my guilty expression for…" Casey's voice trails off as they head for the front door to the building; heading inside and discussing who among their teams was the best at milking their guilty expression and what else about the lockdown scared the hell out of them.
THE END!
A/N: Okay so since we were missing some real (as in more than 5 real seconds of screen time) broments between our boys this week I just had to let the muse create something angsty with some whump and peril for us all to enjoy! So hope you like what she came up with and please to review before you go and thanks so much!
PS: angsty broments alert – Hidden Agenda updates next