Title: Every Second Counts

Summary: AU Severide ignores Casey's warning to go down into the building collpase and lingers longer than he should. But when the scene caves in around him can Casey get Severide out in time? Or will Severide be the next fatality? Based parts from eppy 1.02 Mon Amour

Disclaimer: Chicago Fire and its characters are the property of Dick Wolfe, NBC and….well sadly not me if so then my boys would have wonderful broments every single eppy!

A/N: Ah who doesn't love a little bit of Hurt!Severide and worried!Casey Dedicated to my friend Bluejay - hope you like and hope everyone else enjoys this little angsty piece as well!

Note: Words in "double quotes and italics taken from the eppy"

"Engine 51, Truck 81, Squad 3, Ambulance 61. Multiple injuries. Multi-level building…3 men trapped under a collapses building foundation…"

All of them rush toward their waiting first response vehicles, Casey looking at Severide in concern and knowing that his fellow Lieutenant's mind is elsewhere; possibly struggling with the aftermath of Andy Darden's death and Heather's visible disdain toward Andy's long time childhood friend – the 51 Squad Lieutenant.

As soon as they arrive on the scene, Severide's mind is anxious and restless and frustrated and…and just wanting to barge past everyone and get the job done; his mind pushing past the dull ache in his shoulder. He slides down the empty but charged fire hose, reaching the accident scene and quickly surveying the damage.

But when he pauses for a few seconds, Casey's hand rests on his shoulder and he looks at his fellow Lieutenant with a heavy frown.

"You okay?" Casey asks in a low tone.

"Yeah…let's just get this done," Severide replies with a small shrug as he pulls away and heads toward the first victim; Casey heading for the second and then leaning down and looking at the third victim trapped in the construction sink hole. He calls for the tools a few seconds later and that instantly draws Severide's attention and then his frame races over to Casey's side.

"He's trapped," Casey looks up and tells Severide in concern.

"I'm going in," Severide tells Casey in a somewhat flippant tone as he taps Casey on the chest with his gloves.

Casey looks at Severide again, this time in shock and gives his strained friend a brief head-shake. "It's unstable."

But Severide doesn't seem to care about the fore boarding danger. "Aren't we all," he tosses back with a slight smirk. Casey's voice utters a low growl followed by a small, almost incoherent curse as he watches Severide turn around and slowly climb down the rebar; Casey telling the teams to be ready in case "the debris were to shift," trapping Severide inside.

"Careful," Casey mutters as Severide slowly climbs down toward the last man trapped in the construction debris; both of them with same line of thought – get him out as fast and safely as possible.

That plan however is about to be put on hold – indefinitely.

Severide hears Casey's concerned comments but turns a somewhat deaf ear…his mind still hearing Andy's laughter a few seconds before a bang…a shout and then silence. He pauses on the way down and then tells himself to push through the mental anguish and keep going. Get the guy out and go home…

He tells himself that it's just some guy who winded himself…broke his leg or hit his head and needs some help in getting himself orientated and then back up into daylight. However…that wasn't about to happen either. As soon as he gets to the bottom of the hole, he instantly realizes that the situation is a lot worse than he anticipated. A huge piece of concrete had dislodged from overhead and landed right on the victim's leg. There was no way he was moving it on his own.

"Not so bad right?" The man named Peter, offers in slight sarcasm; Severide's mind racing as his jaw grits. He does a few seconds visual survey before he rushes forward and tries to push against the large piece of jagged concrete and free the trapped man. Nothing. He tries again…summoning all his strength – whatever his body will afford him. Nothing. He radios up for some additional tools and then looks at the man with a grim expression.

"Can you move your foot Peter?" Severide asks in concern.

"Haven't felt it…for a half hour now."

"Okay uh…how about the rest of you?" Severide asks as he moves in closer.

"Can't…breathe too good," Peter replies with a heavy wheeze.

Severide leans in closer, on his knees and starts to do a quick search, Peter crying out in agony when Severide's gloved hands gently press down on his lower ribs; Severide pulling back in haste. "Okay…we're gonna get you outta here."

"Do me a favor…no…lies," Peter gasps as he looks at Severide with a serious expression; Severide's heart racing at top speed.

"Fair enough. I think you're bleeding on the inside so your foot is the least of your problems," Severide tells Peter straight up.

"Casey! We need this hole opened up!" Severide shouts up to Casey in a panic. "We'll have you back to your wife in no time."

"Yeah…sure," Peter tosses back with a smirk.

But just as Severide goes to say something else, the ground around them starts to shake and move; Severide's hands gripping a nearby piece of rebar while Casey looks down in horror.

"Severide!" Casey shouts as he leans back over the hole.

"Yeah…fine," Severide answers with a slight huff; looking up at Casey with panic flashing in his sapphire orbs. He then calls for a trauma surgeon and looks back at Peter with a heavy frown.

"What's the surgeon gonna do?"

"Remove your foot."

Peter nods and then asks Severide for his first name. "You married Kelly?" Peter asks; Severide nodding no a few seconds later. "Don't wait…too long," he advises with a pained tone. "My wife Georgie…Kelly…we don't have time for a surgeon…you do it…take off my foot…get me home."

Casey hears Severide's panicked tone once again and feels his stomach tighten almost to the point of pain. And then…the ground shifts again. "Severide! We're running out of time."

"He's…right," Peter huffs…his life force leaving him; Severide looking back in anguish.

"Casey! I need a saw!" Severide shouts to Casey and then looks back at Peter. "Tell me about Georgie." A few minutes later Casey lowers the saw and Severide tests the saw; turning it off just as Peter looks at him in pain, a small trickle of blood escaping the side of his mouth. "Do you have…a phone?" He asks in agony.

"Yeah…course," Severide replies as he takes off his work gloves, leaving only his liners. At Peter's request Severide cleans off as much of the blood and dust as possible and then holds up his phone to record Peter's final message to his beloved wife.

This can't be…Severide's mind laments over and over as his eyes water; Peter wanting to be strong for his wife, his words deliberate and heartfelt. I can't…this can't be…"don't wait…to long…"….

Severide looks at Peter, his phone still recording; the older man finally drawing his last breath, his eyes peacefully closing. He bows his head…his mind always hating to lose someone during a rescue as he takes it as a personal professional failure. Get out…deliver the message to his wife Georgie and just…AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH his mind inwardly yells as he rocks back on his booted heels and then looks around with watery eyes.

"Time to go," he whispers to himself as he slowly stands upright and prepares to exit. But his plan is instantly put on hold when the already unstable area, starts to cave-in around him.

"CASEY! HELP!"

XXXXXXXX

Casey's agitated frame paces a few feet bath and forth by the mouth of the opening; the trauma surgeon still en route and the teams anxiously awaiting an update from Severide still in the belly of the unstable hole.

"It's a rescue operation now."

Casey hears the grumbled confession and then looks up one level to Boden and frowns.

"Severide get out of there now!" Boden's voice booms over the radio; Casey looking back into the darkened hole, ready to help his friend emerge. But just as he's about to call out, the ground starts to shift…shake….growl and Severide's startled cry for help slams into him with full force.

A plume of dusty air shoots upward, forcing Casey to pull back, tripping on some bits of concrete and stumbling backward onto his butt. He quickly recovers and then crawls toward the mouth

"SEVERIDE!" Casey's shouts in horror as he watches bits of rocky debris and rebar rain down into the hole where his friend and fellow Lieutenant is trapped.

"CASEY! PULL BACK!" Boden's voice booms over the radio. "SEVERIDE REPORT!"

"Chief I can't see him!" Casey calls back as he tries to maneuver the crude rebar ladder that Severide had used to craw down into the hole. But his lips can only utter a horrified gasp when one side literally falls away in his grasp and his brain races to find another way down to his trapped friend. We couldn't even get a ladder down to the two injured above ground!

"Severide! Kelly! Can you hear me?" Casey calls out once more, his eyes squinting into the dusty darkness below him, hoping that his friend will call out…curse…cough…whisper…something to let them know where he is and what his status is. Kelly has to be okay…can't bring up two victims…has to be at least one survivor…

"Peter's dead…Kelly…he has to be okay," Casey's voice states frantically as he pulls at the other piece of rebar in an attempt to make something for him to slide down into the hole on. "Chief I'm going down!"

"Negative!" Boden's voice angrily resounds as Casey's lips emit a frustrated growl.

"We can't wait to make it stable Chief! Send down a ladder!"

As much as Boden wants to argue about the stability of the area and Casey's safety he knows that time isn't on their side and so right away orders a ladder be sent down; Capp and Otis already waiting for the ladder to come down and then hand it off to Casey.

"Kelly! Can you hear me! KELLY"

XXXXXXXX

Somewhere in the back of his pounding head, Severide becomes aware of his current predicament and his lips utter a painful gasp. He hears Casey's voice calling his name as his mind flashes back images of his world collapsing around him.

Peter…recorded his last words…to his wife…Georgie…Casey called down…hole's collapsing…ground's shaking…move…MOVE! GET OUT NOW!

His eyes slowly flutter open, his face wincing heavily and his body screaming at him to push past the biting pain and MOVE! But he can't. Stuck…trapped. My leg?...no not like Peter…his mind cries out as he tries to sit up. But he can't.

"Oh…God…" Severide utters in a tormented whisper as he slumps back down. Move….MOVE! His lungs take in some dust hanging in the air and he coughs; something that hurts his chest but gives Casey at the top of the hole something to utter a sigh of relief over.

"Chief! I hear Severide! He's alive!" Casey calls out as the ladder is finally lowered the rubble covered plateau. "Kelly! Hold on!"

"Matt!" Severide huffs as he lifts his head and then visually seek out the main source of his pain. "I…" he stops as his right hand tries to feel along his side; his left arm trying to tug itself free. "Okay so…" he talks to himself as he reaches his leg and then cries out once more; Casey's actions hovering around the top of the hole pausing for a few seconds – his mind urging him that literally every second counts – Severide's life on the line.

He looks over and sees Peter's lifeless corpse fixated in place and his heart shatters as he quickly recalls Peter's heartfelt recording to his wife – his last words ever spoken. "Peter…I'm sorry….so sorry," Severide whispers as his eyes water. "Phone…get the…phone…"

He pauses, his heart beating heavily, his lungs gasping and his head pounding. You have to get out of here NOW!

"Leg…rebar…feels like…" Severide's lips mumble as his heart starts to beat heavily in his chest. "Still alert…talking…good sign," he tells himself as he hears frantic voices shouting overhead. "Help is here…Casey…help's coming…" he tries to swallow; his head starting to pound again and little black spots forming before his eyes. "Stay awake…help's….CASEY!" He finally manages, his eyes squeezing shut as pain wracks his frame.

He feels the rebar but then realizes that it's not the cut on his leg that is causing the majority of his pain; it's his left side and as soon as he pulls his left arm free, the piece of cement that had been wedged against it, slices through the rest of his jacket and opens the vulnerable skin underneath.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Severide's lips cry out just as a large breath of darkness consumes him; his frame slumping back in quiet pain.

Just as Severide loses consciousness, Casey reaches the bottom of the hole, Boden ordering the rest of the squad team to be on alert to hoist Severide out of the hole if he was unable to exit on his own; the rest of the Truck team pulled back to prevent further extraction complications.

"Kelly!" Casey calls outs as he stumbles toward his friend, his boots tripping on something and his eyes looking up to see Peter's unmoving frame a few meters away. "Sir!" Casey shouts as he hurries over toward Peter, leaning in closer and checking his carotid artery. No pulse. No life. Casey curses under his breath as he shines his small flashlight around the confined space, finally resting on Severide's unmoving frame.

"Kelly! Chief…I found Severide!" Casey informs the teams atop the surface as he crawls over to his friend. "Oh damn…" he whispers as he quickly feels for Severide's artery. "He's alive…thank God he's alive," Casey states in a low tone as he starts to examine Severide's frame with his flashlight. He spies the rebar that appears to be jabbed into his leg and rips the hole in his pants open.

"Severide's leg has been cut by some rebar but it's missed anything major," Casey reports back as he quickly fishes around in his pockets for something to temporarily bandage up the wound. "I think that…" he pauses as Severide's eyes slightly flutter. "Kelly…"

"Matt…my…leg…side…" Severide mutters somewhat incoherently as Casey's flashlight looks further down Severide's legs. At first he doesn't see the gaping wound in Severide's left side but when he goes to move him; the pain instantly courses through Severide's frame – forcing his eyes to instantly snap open.

"AHH!" Severide's lips gasp as his right hand shoots up and grips Casey's jacket, jerking him closer as a reaction to his pain.

"Where…Kelly tell me where!"

"Side…left side…left…side," Severide stammers as Casey's hands quickly fly to the area in question. "My phone…Casey…"

"I'll get the phone later I just need…"

"NO!" Severide's voice; his body jerking upward and then slumping back down. "Casey…please…the phone. Was in my…right hand."

"Okay…hold on. Chief…I need a first aid kit down here. Severide's side is hurt pretty bad!"

"It's on it's way! Casey…"

"Just get ready Chief. I'm gonna bandage the wound and then bring Severide to the ladder. We'll need a line down here. The other guy…he didn't make it."

"Understood."

"Matt…"

Casey pivots on his knees, looking for his friend's phone and then finally spying it; grasping it and tucking it into his pocket. "Got the phone. Okay…I'm going to roughly patch up your leg and then…" he pauses as he uses the piece of concrete debris to keep his gloves pressed up against Severide's side. "Just stay with me."

"Peter….he said life…is too short…don't wait…to long," Severide once again mutters somewhat incoherently. "Said…every second…counts…his wife…ahhhhh!"

"Okay just hold on."

"Casey! The bag's on its way down!" Capp's voice shouts into the hole.

"Be right back."

Severide's mind bites back the pain and he lifts his head to watch Casey's frame take it's leave, his eyes rapidly blinking in a fervent attempt to focus. "Georgie…get her…the recording," he mutters as Casey hurries back to his friend.

"Okay…I gotta patch up that wound and then…we gotta get you…up to the surface."

"You…can't carry…me," Severide states as the little black circles return as his head slumps back down.

"I'm all you got."

"Matt…AHHHH!"

"Okay just take…a deep breath for me," Casey instructs as he pushes against Severide's open left side. "This wound…damn it's deep. Kelly…Kelly!"

"Wha…t…Matt…" Severide's voice mumbles as Casey taps his cheek.

"Stay with me okay! Kelly!"

"Ye…ah…here…"

"Good, tell me about the recording. What's that about?"

"It's…AHHH! DAMN!" Severide curses as his eyes snap open.

"I gotta pack it…sorry if I'm too rough."

"Ju…st…hurry."

Casey's hands stop the bleeding as best they can; his eyes darting between Severide's wincing and what progress he's making. "Okay now…"

"IT'S SHIFTING AGAIN!" Capp's voice yells into the hole as Casey instinctively leans over Severide's vulnerable frame.

"We gotta…hurry!" Casey tells Severide who slips in and out of consciousness. A few bits of concrete debris bounce off Casey's back but not enough to do any damage, his mind begging the ground to stop shaking. It finally does. As soon as it's stable enough for him to move, Casey radios up that he's bringing Severide to the mouth of the hole and to be ready.

"Here we go!" Casey tells Severide as he offers a grunt and then tries to get his friend's frame onto his shoulder. Severide's lips gasp as his wounded side strains a bit more but knows there's nothing else that can be done; his steps would be too slow and every second counted in their making it out alive.

"COMING NOW!" Casey shouts as he slowly staggers toward the mouth of the hole; Capp and Tony along with Cruz and Otis ready to assist. Casey roughly gets the rope under Severide's arm pits and then orders the teams to pull, his hands steadying his legs and Severide crying out as his weary frame gets battered on the jagged concrete and rebar.

"HE'S OUT!" Capp shouts as Casey scrambles up the ladder. He reaches the top just as Severide finally passes out. The ladder is left behind in favor of getting Severide up to the next level and then of course the rest of Firehouse 51 out of the danger zone.

A construction crew was already en route to help secure the area and then extract Peter's body as in tact as possible.

"Kelly!" Shay's voice calls out frantically as he's finally placed on the stretcher within her grasp. "Oh God…no…"

"Just focus," Dawson orders her friend; Shay looking at her with a nod and then back down at Severide's placid face; dotted with debris, dust, sweat and blood.

It takes no time to get Severide bundled into the ambulance, Boden slamming the doors shut and Dawson pulling away; Shay at Severide's side and Casey on the bench, opposite Shay and watching her in concern.

"He…" Shay starts as her fingers start to tremble. "He'll be fine," she quickly recovers and swallows; Casey looking at her in misery.

"He's lost a lot of blood," Casey states in a strained tone as she offers a tight lipped smile. "He um…Shay…"

"Why did he stay down there so long!" She hisses as her fingers tighten around a piece of tubing and then slowly uncurl. She shakes her head but says nothing; the ambulance pulling up to the ER doors a few minutes later and Casey hanging back as Severide is rushed into emergency surgery.

XXXXXXXX

My wife Georgie…record my final words…ground is unstable…hole is collapsing…move…MOVE NOW! Severide's body jerks, his mind trying to bring him from his sleepy stupor and his eyes fluttering open. "Geor…gie," he mutters in a soft whisper as Casey looks at him in concern.

Make sure I look okay…Georgie….

"NO!"

Severide jerks awake, his heart still racing and his mouth feeling like dry cotton, his body sluggish to respond to his mental commands.

"Kelly?"

He hears his name and then looks over to see Casey to the right and Shay to the left.

"Welcome back," Shay whispers as he gives her a nod and then closes his eyes briefly and tries to swallow.

"Georgie."

"You said that a few times, who is that?" Shay inquires softly.

"Peter…his wife. My phone…where?"

"I have it," Casey replies in truth.

"Please…call her."

"But…" Shay tries to protest as he looks at her in misery. "Boden went and told her."

"Peter…recorded her a message…his last words," Severide finally tells her. "Hafta…play it for her."

"Okay but you just came through an ordeal yourself."

"How bad?"

"There was some internal injuries and they had to remove part of your uh….liver and spleen," Shay answers softly as his eyes lift and lock with hers. "Sorry. So you need rest right now."

"I…promised," Severide manages in a hoarse whisper.

"She'll understand," Casey assures his friend further. "Boden told her and you can show her the recording when you get out of here."

"But you need to rest so you can get out of here," Shay reminds him with a small huff.

"Sure," Severide nods and then closes his eyes, his throat finally swallowing. "Gotta…get outta here…" he whispers, his eyes still closed.

A few hours later, Severide awakens to a dimly lit room, his eyes glancing at a figure slumped over in the corner, the rest of the room quiet and still. He tries to move his right arm, hitting the IV pole and then lightly cursing when it clangs against the side of the bed; instantly awakening the person in the room with him.

"Kelly…you okay?" Casey asks in concern.

"Yeah I just…when I was down there…saw Peter and…when he was dead…saw myself," Severide huffs as he finally rubs his face and then looks at Casey in misery. "His family…Matt I have to see his wife," Severide manages in one tormented breath. "Please…"

"Just rest okay? Your body sustained a lot of damage."

"What was um…broken? Anything…major?"

"Luckily no. Just a few minor breaks," Casey replies in truth as Severide tries to sit up. "But…that doesn't mean you can't strain anything."

"Right," he groans as he slumps back down. "How long…in here?"

"A few days and then you'll go home and finish off the rest of your recovery," Casey answers correctly. "Boden told her what you did. It'll be okay. Trust me."

"Trust…okay," Severide whispers as his eyes close and his body sags back into darkness.

The next time Severide's eyes awaken, the room is empty and the buzzing in his head had finally subsided; the pounding a little less but more so in his chest than anything. His left hand slowly slides down to the thick padding on his left side, pausing as he gently presses down and then uttering a small gasp as little pains shoot out in all directions.

He lifts his head and then starts to survey the damage to the rest of his frame, a few stitched up cuts here and there, bruises…wrapped ribs, stitched up leg and a bandage on his wrist where a piece of rebar had sliced through when he tried to roll to safety; doing himself a bit more harm than good.

He's thankful that in the coming weeks he'll have Shay there to help out and knows Casey will be over more than he could question and with the support from this two closest friends as well as the family from 51, his recovery should go by without further complication.

But just before he can push the call button to get an update on when he could get up and go for a walk, he hears a small knock on the door and looks up to see a strange face peering in; not knowing that Casey was aware of who the woman was and had directed her, promising himself not to enter the room until the older woman exited on her own.

"Kelly Severide?"

"Yeah…sorry…who are you?"

"I'm Georgie," the older woman replies with a strained smile.

"Georgie! Hey…come in…sorry I wanted to call or…" Severide's voice trails off anxiously as he pushes the button for the bed to sit upright.

"Your Chief told me you were with my Peter when um…well when he passed."

"I was.

"I have something for you…from him," Kelly tells her with a strained smile as she looks at him in wonder. "I was going to show you as soon as I was out but um…can you get me my phone. It's over there on the table."

"Sure."

"It's a message so…please…is it okay?"

"Of course," she replies as she settles into the chair beside the bed. Severide's heart starts to beat faster as he presses play on the little video clip; Georgie's hand sliding toward his free hand and gripping it tightly. "Oh Peter," she laments sadly as Severide's eyes water once more.

"Georgie my love…I've made so many promises…some are harder to keep..." during Peter's heartfelt final words to his beloved wife, Kelly Severide's eyes gently glisten and his heart rate starts to rise. But he's heard this part already and even still…by the time Georgie hears Peter's words and looks at him, his eyes are heavily watered.

"I know I know what you're thinking about Kelly here…he's the kind of son we both wanted…and if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have had this chance to say goodbye...always promised I'd die before you…so thank you my love…because I couldn't live a day in this world without you."

The two of them sit in silence, listening to the recording; Casey and Shay outside, peering through the crack in the door and watching the tormented scene with heavy hearts.

As Peter's last words come to a close with Georgie sagging into Severide's recovering frame and the two of them softly crying; their hands tightly clutched.

"Thank you," Georgie tells Severide in a loving tone before she hugs him tightly. "Thank you."

Severide promises the older woman that he would be there for her no matter what, all she'd have to do is call him, it would never be any trouble.

"Don't…wait…"

As the recording fades to black, Peter's last words force them all to appreciate how precious the time they are given – with their job, with their friends…with their family and to always remember – with everything, every second counts.

THE END!

A/N: Ah a little angsty one shot *sigh* these always make me miss Shay *weeps* and that ending *sniff sniff* but hope you all liked this one and please do review before you go and thanks so much!