It's Forever…

The Family Album, Volume 2

Chapter 1-Maggie Grace

Kelly couldn't shake the nervous feeling he had that something was going to happen. He wasn't usually like this…he didn't get premonitions or anything like that. But today? Today just felt weird.

So many things had gone on over the past few months that he felt like he barely had time to take a breath. They had finally…finally…moved back into their house after living in a two bedroom, one bathroom apartment for seven months. It was pretty remarkable, actually. Seven months was actually really quick for having to renovate an entire home after it had been gutted by a fire. But his buddy and fellow firefighter Matt Casey had worked his ass off to get things done…even doing a lot of the work himself to make certain it was done right. That and he had great insurance.

The twins, Andy and Jesse, were in first grade and they were looking ahead to starting t-ball again in another month or so. And they were bugging him to sign them up for Pee-Wee football in the fall. He and Alyssa were still discussing (arguing) that.

He had just wrapped up a consulting gig on the pilot episode of "Chicago Fire" a TV show about the men and women of the CFD that the producers and everyone else attached to the project were hoping to get in the fall line-up. Kelly had spent what was supposed to be just a couple of weeks…but turned into almost six months…working with an actor who was supposed to play the lieutenant in charge of the Rescue Squad on the show. But the more Morgan Craddock, "Hollywood", learned about being a firefighter…the more he wanted to know. There was the on-the-job stuff at the firehouse, and the Academy, but a lot of it was on his own time…hanging out with the guy, having him over to dinner, to play with the twins, whatever.

And it seemed to have paid off. Kelly had watched the dailies with the director and the rest of the production staff…and he was pretty sure that the general public would believe that Hollywood was the real deal.

Alyssa and her sister-in-law Kathy had started a not-for-profit…a thrift shop that they operated in partnership with their parish to help pay forward some of the kindness and good will people had shared with their families when they really needed it.

But the biggest event was yet to come. They were counting down the days till their daughter arrived.

Kelly couldn't believe he was going to be a daddy again. There was a time in his life when he would have laughed in the face of anyone who even suggested it…but then he met Alyssa…and the twins came along…and now he couldn't imagine life without them.

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He poured himself a cup of coffee and grabbed one of the St. Patrick's Day cookies left over from Andy and Jesse's class party. As usual…Lyssa had made way too many. Or maybe it was on purpose…whenever he brought in something she'd made the entire team acted like they hadn't seen food for a month.

He took his coffee mug and his cookie and straddled a chair at the end of the table. He'd barely gotten settled when Casey took the seat next to him.

"How'd the boys' school thing go yesterday?" he asked.

Kelly nodded.

"It was fine…I just had to take the cookies and stuff over. Lyssa wasn't feeling good."

"I can imagine…what are we? Two weeks out? Three?"

"T minus twelve days and counting. She's scheduled for a C-section on the thirtieth."

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At home, Alyssa pulled herself out of bed. Lying down didn't help. She just wished the nagging ache in her back would go away…instead it was getting worse. And to make matters worse…she had to pee again.

She couldn't wait to have this baby.

Downstairs in the kitchen she fixed herself a cup of tea and a piece of toast. She had no appetite at all. She set the cup down on the table and as she went to pull the chair out she was seized by a terrible pain in the small of her back. She straightened up quickly…and she felt something wet in her panties.

She rolled her eyes in exasperation and waddled off toward the bathroom again.

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The bells went off for the third time.

"Engine 51, Truck 81, Ambulance 61, Squad 3…"

The team rolled out the door…

"What'd they say this is again?" Mills asked.

They'd been so busy…it was all starting to run together.

"Guess we'll find out when we get there…" Severide replied.

He just couldn't shake that uneasy feeling.

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They pulled up on the scene…

"Oh my God…" Kelly groaned.

A charter bus…crashed into the concrete support of a viaduct…spun around…and took about a half dozen other vehicles with it. One mini-van was torn in two…and its contents strewn all over the highway.

This was gonna be a long one.

The firefighters started checking on the victims…trying to figure out where they were needed first.

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Alyssa couldn't get comfortable…her back was killing her.

She reached for her phone and hit number one on her speed dial.

It went straight to voicemail. She didn't bother to leave a message…and she hit number two.

This time she did leave a message.

Then she hit number three.

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Back at the house, Kelly climbed wearily off the Squad and shrugged off his gear.

What a mess…he just went from one vehicle to another with the Jaws…he might as well have been carrying a can opener…that's what it felt like anyway…like he was opening tin cans left and right.

More than twenty victims…eight critical.

He just wanted to shower, change and grab a bite to eat.

Then he'd call and check on Lyssa.

"Severide!" Chief called.

Kelly looked up.

"Message for you in dispatch…Alyssa went into labor! She's down at Lakeshore!"

He quickly got out of his turnouts and boots…and ran to grab his keys.

There was no way in hell he was going to miss this baby being born!

"We'll be there as soon as we can!" Shay called out to him as he ran for his car.

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He ran down the hall to Labor and Delivery…and skidded to a halt at the nurse's station.

"My wife…" he gasped as he tried to get his breath. "Alyssa Severide?"

"Room three…" the nurse told him.

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He burst into the room…

"Lyssa!"

Alyssa was in the middle of a contraction and the nurse who was checking the monitor looked up.

"You must be Kelly…" she said.

Kelly nodded…too out of breath to answer.

The nurse quickly left the room. A few moments later she came back with a set of scrubs.

"Put these on…we need to get your wife to the OR…she insisted we had to wait for you."

She grabbed Kelly by the shoulders and shoved him toward the bathroom.

As the door closed behind him, Kelly thought to himself that this woman had all the charm of Nurse Ratched in that movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest".

He quickly changed into the scrubs and stuffed his dirty shirt and pants into a plastic bag that was hanging on the back of the door. He washed his face and hands as fast as he could…getting some of the sweat and grime off his body…before he headed back into the room.

He hurried to his wife's side and took her hand in his…feeling the crush of her grip as another contraction grabbed her.

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A doctor came in to place her epidural.

He handed Kelly a clipboard with a form on it…and Kelly scribbled his name. Alyssa was a little preoccupied.

Now what was he supposed to do?

Nurse Ratched came back and shoved a wheeled stool toward him and motioned for him to take a seat. She helped Alyssa into a sitting position and directed Kelly to move directly in front of her.

Alyssa draped her arms around him and rested her head on his strong shoulder. The doctor spread the gown she wore open in the back and Nurse Ratched began to paint the red/orange Betadine scrub onto her skin.

"It's okay, Baby…" Kelly whispered into Lyssa's ear. "Just a little while longer and we get to meet our little girl…"

Alyssa caught her breath as the needle went into her back…then once it was in place they nurse helped her to lie down again. Kelly reached for the damp washcloth on the bedside table and gently dabbed the sweat from her forehead.

"How's that Alyssa?" the doctor asked.

"Okay…" she answered.

He made one last adjustment on the rate of the medication flowing into her spine.

Then the door opened and three more nurses came in to take her to the OR.

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Kelly held his wife's hand as they went down the hall. Another nurse stopped him right before they took Alyssa in…and led him to another room.

This nurse was considerably nicer than Nurse Ratched…as she handed him a cap and a pair of shoe covers…and instructed him to wash his hands again, up past his elbows. Then when he was done she helped him into a gown.

Once he was reasonably sterile she led Kelly into the operating room to a stool right next to Alyssa's head.

They had set up a surgical drape so he couldn't see her tummy. He wanted to see his daughter come into the world…but he wasn't so sure about watching Dr. Mabis cut into his wife…

He sat down and just stroked Lyssa's hair…which was gathered into a French braid.

"You ready, Baby?" he asked.

Lyssa nodded.

"Are you?"

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It didn't take long at all…just a few minutes really from the time he sat down till he heard a loud, healthy sounding cry.

"Here's your little girl…" Dr. Mabis said.

The nurses and the neonatologist took the baby over to the warmer and started to check her over and clean her off.

Lyssa nodded to Kelly…and he walked over to the table and looked over the nurses' shoulders at his baby girl.

She was kicking and screaming…not at all happy with whatever they were doing to her.

"Six pounds, one ounce…eighteen and a half inches long…" one nurse said.

"Does she have a name?" another nurse asked.

"Yeah…" Kelly answered. "Margaret Grace."

The nurse wrote it down on the delivery record.

Once the doctor had completed his exam…the first nurse wrapped Margaret Grace into a blanket…and placed her in her Daddy's arms.

Kelly carried the teeny, tiny bundle back over to Lyssa and sat back down on his stool.

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He showed Lyssa their daughter.

"Hi Maggie…" Lyssa whispered with tears in her eyes.

Kelly teared up a little himself…

"Say hi to Mommy, Baby Girl…"

At the sound of his voice, Maggie opened her eyes…

"Blue eyes…" he whispered. "Beautiful blue eyes…"

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When they took Lyssa and the baby to Recovery, Kelly reluctantly tore himself from her side and went out to the waiting room.

Benny was there with the boys…and the team from the firehouse.

He took his dad and the twins back.

"Guys…wanna see your sister?" he asked.

They ran for the bed.

Kelly picked up Andy…and Benny picked up Jesse so they could see the tiny bundle cradled in Alyssa's arms.

"What's her name?" Andy asked…in awe of the little girl.

"Yeah…what's her name?" Jesse asked…equally enamored.

"Maggie…" Kelly told them. "Maggie Grace…"

He looked up at Benny.

"Your mother's name…" Benny whispered as the tears welled up.

Kelly nodded.

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Hours later…once they were settled in a room upstairs…Alyssa finally drifted off to sleep.

And Kelly sat in the recliner beside her bed, unable to tear his eyes from the baby girl snuggled in his arms.

"Hey, Baby Girl…" he whispered.

Baby Maggie opened her eyes to the sound of his voice.

"Daddy's been waitin' a long time to see you. Such a beautiful girl…and you've got so many people to love you and take care of you. You've got Mommy and Daddy…and two big brothers. You've got your Grandpa…and your aunts and your uncles…and all your cousins. Everybody can't wait to watch you grow…"

He stroked one finger lightly along her baby soft, pink cheek. She was absolutely perfect.

"I can't wait to watch you grow…we're gonna do so many things together. We're gonna go to the park…and the zoo…and the beach. Daddy's gonna teach you to ride a bike…and to swim…and we're gonna play…we're gonna have fun…"

Baby Maggie opened her mouth in a great big yawn…

"But right now I think we should just take a little nap…whaddya say, Baby Girl?"

He kissed Maggie on the top of her head…and lifted her onto his shoulder. And he contentedly rubbed her little back as he listened to her soft little breaths.