Little Shay
Chapter One
Everyone was sitting in the waiting area of Lakeshore Hospital waiting for an update on their friend and co-worker Christopher Herman. They had been through so much losing Andy Darden and they couldn't lose another friend so soon after. Everyone was in their own little world but was quickly brought out of it when Leslie Shay's phone rang. She looked down at the caller ID to see the name Mackenzie flash across the screen. She excused herself to leave the small waiting area and answer the call.
Mackenzie was Shay's 16 year old little sister. 8 years separated the two girls and they were the only family each had left. Their father had been in the army and killed when Mackenzie was 3 and Shay 11. Then it had just been the girls and their mom but she had died of breast cancer when Mackenzie was 12 and Shay 20. Being the only family they had left Shay had stepped up and taken Mackenzie on and became her guardian and since then, they have been thicker than thieves and would do anything for each other.
"Mac," Shay answered.
"Where are you?" Mackenzie answered angrily. If there was one thing that Shay knew it was not to piss her baby sister off because she could hold a grudge for years.
"You said you were going to be here. I compete in 5 minutes and you're not here. This is the first competition that has been in Chicago and that you have actually been off shift for in 2 years and you're not here. You promised you would be and yet you're not," Mackenzie said with more disappointment in her voice than anger now.
Shay ran a hand over her tired face and ran a hand through her hair. With everything that was going she had completely forgotten about the gymnastics competition that Mackenzie had been training so hard for and she had promised that she would be there.
"Mac I am so sorry. I will be there in 15 and I will explain everything when I get there," Shay said as she began walking back to the waiting area where her things were.
"Don't bother. You won't make it in time and you would only distract me. I'll see you at home later," Mackenzie said before hanging up the phone. Shay swore as she threw her phone onto the seat she had been sitting on, gaining the attention of everyone sitting in the emergency waiting room.
"Shay what's wrong?" Gabriela Dawson asked taking in the frustration and anger radiating from her best friend.
"Mackenzie hates me and I am the worst sister and guardian in the world," Shay said as she angrily sat down.
"What? Mackenzie doesn't hate you and you are the best possible guardian for her," Kelly said as he stood up and bobbed down and made Shay look at him. "Why would Mackenzie hate you?"
"Her gymnastics competition is today here in Chicago and I promised I would be there. She'll be competing now and with everything going on I completely forgot about it. I said I would be there in 15 and she said not to worry about it and I would only be a distraction to her. I screwed up," Shay said sadly dropping her head. Mackenzie meant the world to her. She was the only biological family she had left and she couldn't stand it if this caused a big rift between the usually tight nit sisters.
"Just explain to her what happened. She will understand and everything will be okay," Gabby said as she placed a hand on Shay's knee. Everyone knew that the two sisters couldn't stay mad at each other for longer than 24hrs. Shay could only nod her head and hope that everything was going to be okay.
CHICAGO FIRE
Mackenzie Shay angrily stuffed her phone back into her bag before walking out of the change room, fully dressed in her team leotard with her hair pulled back in her usual braid and bun. She approached where her team mates and coach were standing ready for the competition to begin.
The competition had been going smoothly for Mackenzie who was sitting at the top of the table after winning the floor, the vault and the beam. She was preparing the bars and her coach Sasha could easily tell that her emotions were beginning to get the better of her. Mackenzie had been his gymnast since she was 6 and had been around her long enough to be able to tell her emotions and right now, he could tell that they were all over the place and he was surprised that she had managed to keep her emotions in check for so long.
"Mac, focus. You can't let your emotions get the better of you now," Sasha said as he pulled her aside. "I know that you are angry at Shay for not being here but go out there and make it a clean sweep and win this and then the overall and show her that she should have been there." Mackenzie nodded her head before preparing for her routine.
She began her routine and it was flawless. She was hitting every movement perfectly but Sasha could that as she got closer to the end something wasn't right. Then it happened. Her arms weakened and she crashed head first into the high bar before wrapping herself around the low bar and crumbling to the floor.
"MACKENZIE!" Sasha said as he rushed forward. Mackenzie was still conscious but Sasha could see that she was slipping fast. Sasha placed a hand lightly on her cheek in the aims of getting her unfocused eyes to focus on him.
"Mac. You're okay. You're going to be okay," Sasha said as the people in the crowd called for the competition medics and 911. Mackenzie looked up at Sasha with scared eyes and shallow breathing.
"My legs…I can't…I can't…move them…Sasha…" Mackenzie rasped out before her eyes began closing.
"No, no, no. Mackenzie. Come on sweetie. Open your eyes." Sasha pleaded with Mackenzie who had now loss consciousness.
The competition medics had arrived and gently pushed Sasha away from Mackenzie so that they could look her over and see what was happening. Sasha got to his feet and watched as they placed a c-collar around her neck and started to take her vitals.
It hadn't taken long for the ambulance to arrive and the paramedics came running towards where she lay. They started talking to the medics about what happened and what they had already discovered. Sasha didn't understand a thing they were saying but then remembered what Mackenzie had told him.
"Uh, before she black out, she uh, she said she couldn't move her legs," Sasha said aloud letting the medics and paramedics know. They thanked him before beginning to talk about spinal injuries and Sasha felt tears in his eyes and he prayed that Mackenzie would make it.
Chicago Fire
Shay was almost asleep as she waited for an update on Herman. Just when she closed her eyes, her shoulder leaning against Dawson, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw that it was a message from Sasha.
YOU NEED TO GET TO LAKESHORE ASAP. MACKENZIE FELL. IT'S BAD – SASHA.
Shay quickly sat up straight re-reading the message. Gabby looked up at her and Shay turned her phone so she could read the message. They heard the siren and saw the flashing lights and Shay quickly stood walking towards the door while Gabby filled everyone in on what the message had said. Kelly quickly stood and walked to where Shay was standing just outside the emergency doors waiting for the ambulance to pull up and unload.
"Shay," Kelly said as he touched her shoulder. She turned and he could see the fear and heartbreak in her eyes.
"I should have been there Kelly. I should have gone," Shay said as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"This isn't your fault Shay. You can't blame yourself," Kelly said as the ambulance opened the doors and Mackenzie was unloaded. If Shay was fearful and heartbroken before seeing her baby sister pale, unmoving, blood covering half her face and an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose. Kelly had to hold her up to stop her from collapsing.
"Oh my god," Shay said when Kelly pulled her close into his arms and held her tighter as they walked into the hospital after the gurney. Sasha was standing beside the pair and they followed right through to where they were told they had to wait.
"Sasha, what happened?" Kelly asked looking at Sasha.
"She was doing her bars routine and it was flawless and then her arms gave way and she fell. Her head hit the first bar and then her chest wrapped around the second and she fell awkwardly. She was awake at first but she said she couldn't move her legs," Sasha recounted as he ran a hand over his face.
"Spinal injury," Shay said quietly as she moved away from Kelly and took a deep breath. "This is my fault. I got her angry."
"She was emotional before she started yes but you and I both know how she can turn that off when she competes. There was something more to it. Her arms just collapsed under her and she just fell. It wasn't like she lost concentration and fell. This wasn't because of you Shay," Sasha said as he placed a hand on Shay's shoulder before the doctor arrived to talk to them.
"We need to do some tests but straight after the tests we will need to operate. We suspect there is a bleed on the brain, some broken ribs, punctured lung and quiet easily a fracture in her spin if not some more serious damage seeing as she couldn't move her legs. We have some forms we need you to fill out and we need to know…" the doctor was saying but Shay cut her off not wanting to hear the rest of that statement.
"Do whatever you have to do to save her life," Shay said, tears rolling down her cheeks. Kelly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight as the doctor got a nurse to collect the paperwork that was needed to be filled out. Kelly, Shay and Sasha headed back towards the waiting room where everyone was waiting.
"How is she?" Gabby asked.
"She ah, she has a head injury with suspected bleed on the brain. She has some broken ribs a punctured lung. They've taken her for some test to fully see the extent but ah, she was briefly conscious after the accident and she told Sasha that she couldn't move her legs," Shay said with a shaky breath. Gabby quickly moved forward and wrapped her arms around her best friend.
Mackenzie was a part of their family. She was invested in all of their lives and they all loved her like she was their own little sister. They were fiercely protective of her and to hear that she couldn't feel her legs and could have a bleed on the brain broke all of their hearts. Not only were they worried about losing Herman, they were now worried about losing Mackenzie, something that none of them could ever bare to think about.
End Chapter 1
A/N: Okay so I recently started watching season 1 again because I already miss Shay so I decided that I was going to write this after thinking about how there was only ever talk of her parents. It's AU because in this her only biological family is Mackenzie but I just wanted to get this written down. I know it's pretty crappy but if you would like another chapter, let me know because I don't want to keep writing this unless people want it.
P.S. I'm watching season 3 online and I am telling you, 3 episodes in and they've killed 1 possibly 2 and nearly killed 1. MY HEART CANNOT TAKE THIS! My heart cannot take the way Kelly is acting and the emotions that Gaby is feeling and I just ARGH! My heart, non-existent when it comes to this show anymore.
Hope you enjoyed. Let me know if you want more.