Title: Against All Odds
Summary: AU Casey goes against the order to clear out to find Anna but Severide can only watch in horror as part of a nearby tanker blows, taking with it the rail car Casey just went into. Against all odds Casey fights to survive while Severide races to get his friend out in time. Based on eppy 2.07 'No Regrets' Contains some spoilers MAJOR hurt/comfort
Disclaimer: Chicago Fire and its characters are the property of Dick Wolfe, NBC and….well sadly not me
Note: "Words in double quotes and italics taken directly from the eppy"
"This is Battalion 25, I want all firefighters and police personnel to evacuate the area…"
It was an order none of them wanted to hear and one none of them were going to obey – with very good reason. You never leave a man down, especially when that man has risked everything for his men. Boden was coming out or they weren't going home.
"We still have a job to do," Casey states as he looks at Severide; their eyes locking for a few seconds in silent understanding. Boden is rescued or they die trying.
"Okay let's…" Severide's voice starts to shout orders alongside Casey's as both teams swiftly move into action.
But as much as Casey is a man on a mission, he knows he has to help rescue his Chief first and foremost. "Let's go!" Casey states as he grabs his gear, prompting Mouch and Hermann to do the same; Severide and his team racing back to the tanker to help divert the gas flow before it blows and takes them all with it. But as they work to free Boden and set up a secondary gas flow, all of them fail to notice the small trickle of fire slowly eating its way along a fuel trail toward a modest sized propane tank. Normally it wouldn't be too much to worry about if the tank was intact. However…it too had been damaged in the blast and the small amount of gas it was leaking was being drowned out in comparison to the big one that had captured everyone's attention.
"Hermann, you good here?" Casey asks as they all head inside and find a way to extract Boden and Mills with relative safety.
"Yeah go find Anna," Hermann refers to the little girl that Casey had commissioned himself with finding earlier. Casey pulls away and stands in the middle of the mild chaos for a few moments before he starts to look around at all the cars he thought he had inspected for the missing child. What…am I missing…his mind races before he turns and heads back toward the girl's father.
Severide looks up from his task of trying to close down the main valve while at the same time make sure his team had the diversion all set up and ready to go. He notices Casey talking to the frantic father and frowns. He had heard Casey's earlier confession when the father asked him "are you a father," and although a slight pause Casey's affirmative ,"yes I am," rang loud and clear for all and it was what was currently driving his desperate search. However, they still weren't in the clear yet and it was dangerous for anyone to be going off on their own.
"Casey!" Severide shouts as he watches Casey heading toward the last car; the already crippled rail car that was in the direct path of the leaking propane tank. "Matt, can you hear me?" He asks over his head set.
"Yeah I just gotta…Anna might be in here."
"Casey this thing isn't contained yet! It could still blow."
"I need to find her Severide," his voice cuts off as he disappears inside.
"Damn it Matt, Boden told us to wait until this was taken care of," Severide growls as Casey disappears from view.
"You always listen to orders?" Casey counters with a small snap in his tone. "I have to find her Kelly. I have no choice. I'll be okay."
"Just…hurry," he adds as he looks back down at the valve in haste. "This has to work…Mills! How good's your aim?"
Severide watches Mills take the flare and head for the area to ignite the flow; taking the pressure away from the busted tanker. However, once again he fails to realize the impending danger about to strike and surprise them all.
"Anna!" Casey calls out as he quickly looks over the quiet contents of the busted rail passenger car; the green lighting casting an eerie glow around him and enhancing the glow of deathly remains. He spies her back pack and about a foot below that – a hand. "Anna!" He exclaims as he carefully heads toward the body.
But as soon as he pulls back some debris his heart literally skips a beat as the face of a dead female passenger looks up with a hunting expression. He feels himself shudder a little before he leans in closer to see if perhaps the young girl was trapped by or underneath the dead body.
"Anna!"
"Did you find her?" Severide asks as he squints in the direction of the quiet car; the teams behind him now packing up to head back; Casey the last man out. "Casey!" Severide shouts as Boden turns and looks at his squad lieutenant.
"Not yet," Casey tells him back. "I just need…"
"Severide!" Boden calls out as Severide pulls away from the tanker and slowly heads toward the final car with Casey still inside.
"Sir, Casey's still in…" is all he would get out before the sky around him lights up; the powerful blast sending him flying through the air a few feet, hurling backward and then forcing him to slam to the ground on his back with a painful gasp. He looks up in horror as the rail car starts to teeter on its side before rolling…."CASEY!"
BOOM!
Casey hears Severide's panicked call as he turns around, realizing the small girl was not inside the last rail car. Maybe she was thrown clear from the impact? Did anyone check outside or behind? But the answers to those questions would have to wait as the air around him instantly superheats and he's flung backward; the dead body dislodging and hurling toward him. The metal box lurches….it twists…it turns…Casey's last cries are muffled by twisting metal and a loud bang filling his ears; smoke and hot air choking his lungs and stifling his cry. He hears Severide calling his name just before darkness consumes him.
Silence.
"Oh god NO!" Severide shouts as he tries in haste to pick himself up. He hears shouting behind him, his eyes blinking furiously as he utters an angry cry and gets to his feet; Boden reaching him just as he does. "MATT!"
"Severide we need to put that fire out first!"
Severide turns to Boden with an angry glare. "That's engine's job!" He hisses as he pulls away and races toward the resting and smoking metal box. "CASEY!"
Static…
"No…no this can't be…Casey answer me!" Severide barks as he nears the back door to the rail car now lying on its side. "Casey!"
Inside the still car two frames were partially seen, a woman's frame that was already pronounced dead; and beneath her a selfless firefighter soon to be fighting for his life. His lungs still fight for air…his heart…still slowly beating…his eyes tightly closed…his chest…his legs…his arms…his head…all vulnerable to attack. All in pain.
"CASEY!"
Severide hears Capp and Clarke calling out to him from behind saying he needs his gear; Boden already directing some of Casey's team to check around the back of the food car for the little girl as the rest work to get the newest flammable threat under control.
He reaches the back of the car and can only curse as he looks at the mass of metal blocking the back door entrance. His eyes raise and he looks at a way up and instantly starts to climb.
"Severide! It's not stable!" Boden shouts.
"I don't care, I'm going up!" Severide shouts back as he looks at the busted entrance way. "Find another way in! Casey!"
Casey…Casey…can you hear me…Casey…
"Wh…I u…ahh…." Casey's words slur as his eyes try to open; his lungs instantly seizing from the hot, smoky atmosphere around him. "AHHHHH!" He tries to call out as something presses down on his chest. With his left arm pinned by one of the seats, Casey's right hand tries to lift and then push his dented helmet off his face so he could see better.
"Ah damn!" Casey curses as he opens his eyes and comes face to face with the dead woman's expression. As much as he hates to think of what killed her, he notices a large piece of metal sticking out of her back, the end of which had gone right through and firmly impaled his own left side. If she hadn't fallen on top it would have speared him right through, killing him instantly. She saved his life. But the other problem was, he was stuck looking at her until she was purposely pulled off him.
"Kel…" Casey tries to call out, as his lungs constrict and he coughs, his eyes instantly watering as his chest burns. He tries to move his body to switch to a better position, but as soon as he does a few pieces of loose metal start to rain down on him. Casey quickly raises his right hand to shield his face; the thick fabric of his coat saving his face. But as his arm is pushed back, it scuffs the skin and he soon feels the error of his ways. Another burst of pain starts to course through his body, his lungs gasping for air as the weight continues to apply pressure to his chest. And then darkness consumes once more.
However, not all is lost by his rash actions.
"Wait!" Severide stops just as he reaches the top.
"I heard it too," Capp agrees.
"It's Casey! He's alive!" Severide shouts as he gestures for Capp to toss him a tool to try pry one of the windows open. "Casey! Talk to me buddy…say something….you disobeyed Boden and now it's my turn…something…ah open up damn it!" Severide shouts as Capp and Clarke continue to work away at the debris blocking the entrance. Even if Severide got the windows open, if Casey was badly injured they'd need something wider to get him through – the door.
"Severide…anything?" Boden asks as he watches the engine team working to contain the last of the propane blaze and make sure there were on stray trails of fuel waiting to suddenly ignite and create more havoc.
"I heard something…sir he's down there."
"Just go carefully…might not be…"
"He's alive!" Severide hisses in return as he pounds at the window, yelling at it to open. "Casey!" He shouts one more as the end of the window finally pries loose. "Okay if you can hear me…I'm gonna bust open…ah damn it won't…" Severide mumbles to himself as he frantically picks away at the window, the busted frame finally springing loose. A few pieces of jagged glass, break away from the rest and sail to the floor, hitting a piece of metal before resting on one of the torn up seat pads.
"Casey!" Severide shouts as a few trails of smoke are allowed to clear the air before he pokes his head in. What he sees literally stops his heart cold. "Matt….oh god no!" Severide shouts as all heads snap up and look at the top of the rail car now turned on its side; the lone squad figure perched on top and hunched over. "MATT!"
"Severide, talk to me," Boden instructs as he hears Hermann shouting they found the little girl behind the last car; her body still clinging to life but begging for immediate medical attention.
"He's um…Matt!" Severide shouts as he looks at the beam that has impaled the dead female's body and appears to have run Casey through as well. Adding to Severide's visual misery is the fact that he can't see Casey's face to see if he's in fact dead or alive.
"Severide what do you see!"
"It's Casey, Sir he uh...it's not good…I'm going down!" Severide tells his team as he frantically clears away the rest of the bits of jagged glass around the edge of the window he bust open and then looks down at Capp and Clarke.
"Severide…if he…"
"I'm bringing Casey out!"
"We'll have this door cleared shortly!" Clarke tells Severide with a firm nod. "No one else dies today."
"Right!"
"Casey…hey man if you can hear me…I'm coming in!" Severide talks loudly as he carefully threads his legs through the window opening and then lets himself drop; his body landing with a sharp thud before he rolls onto the fallen seats, sending loose debris in all directions.
"Severide!" Clarke calls out.
"I'm…okay. I'm okay!" Severide coughs as he wipes his face with his glove and then looks over at the mass that has entangled his friend. "CASEY!" He shouts loudly as he struggles to stand up.
Somewhere in the black haze of his throbbing head, Casey hears his name…Casey…answer me buddy…Casey!
"Ke…" he starts in a soft whisper. But his lungs taking in a bit more of the putrid air are actually a relief sound to Severide.
"Casey! I hear you…sir, Matt's alive! Okay…just hold on a sec now," Severide talks as he stumbles once more; finding it hard to walk on the sideways tangled seats of the overturned rail car.
"Kelly…" Casey whispers as he hears the commotion getting louder; his brain trying to get the ringing in his ears to quiet for just a few more seconds.
"Okay…I'm here now…hold on…just hold on…" Severide huffs as he pulls away a stray seat and then looks at the impaled figure before him. He kneels down as best he can, clearing away any sharp debris from around Casey's helmet and face before he carefully removes Casey's helmet.
"Bout…time," Casey whispers hoarsely as he looks up with a painful, pleading expression; his watery eyes begging for some relief.
"Did that thing…did it…damn did that beam go into you?" Severide asks in dread; Boden hearing the now one sided conversation and holding his breath, praying the answer would be no.
"A little…my left side it…I feel it…hurts Kelly. Just…get the damn thing out."
"Okay just hold on a sec, I uh…" he pauses as he looks up at the body and how it was positioned. "Which hand is free?"
"My right…might not be able…"
"Hey! MATT!" Severide shouts; his loud tone booming off the panels around him and forcing Casey's eyes to flutter open. "That's it…stay with me okay? Can you get your left hand free?"
"Seat's…on my sleeve."
"Okay… I uh…think Kelly think…" he growls at himself as he looks down at Casey's placid expression. "Should I scold you now or later for disobeying an order and doing this to me?"
"Now," Casey tries to smirk. "More…pathetic."
"Got that right. Okay…I'll just mov…"
"AHHHHHH!" Casey screams, forcing Severide to stop his actions and Capp and Clarke to look at each other in dread.
"Okay, okay I'm stopping…I'm stopping. What's going on?"
"My side…the beam…damn that hurt when you moved it."
"Okay I know it hurts but if I don't remove it I can't get you out. You're wedged between the seats and the wall and it'll take too much time to remove all that away. This is the only way."
"I…trust you," Casey tells him in truth.
"Okay. This is what we're gonna do. Clarke! I need you on top of the car."
"On my way up!"
"Okay I'm going to get him to open the window and when he's got a clear path, he'll pull out the beam and...and it's gonna hurt like hell."
"Just do it…getting tired."
"Okay. Okay just stay with me okay? Clarke, come to the window I'm thumping on!" Severide climbs up on to the row of mangled seats and raises his crowbar and knocks the window a few times.
"Got it!" Clarke tells him over the headset; Boden already sending the rest of the teams to help Capp clear a path to bring Casey out the sideways door on a stretcher.
"I'm not leaving until you're out, got it?" Severide tells Casey as he checks his neck and then gently pats his cheek. "So…asked her her name yet?" Severide gently teases as he tries to free the piece of metal snagging the upper part of Casey's left arm.
"She's…too quiet…for me," Casey replies with a small huff as he coughs once more, his face morphing into a painful wheeze.
"Okay…just relax now…I'll talk but you listen," Severide states as he starts to clear away the debris; wanting to make it as easy as possible to then extract Casey once the beam was pulled clear. "Boden! Make sure Arata is waiting. We're not losing Casey! When I pull this thing out, he'll have to act fast to make sure Casey doesn't bleed out."
"Severide..."
"Chief we can't chance cutting it away. We're out of time and have to get Casey out of here fast. Either way it's a risk but this is the shortest."
"Do it! Arata is standing by," Boden assures him firmly.
"Okay…I gotta remove some of your girlfriend's stuff here," Severide continues to talk to Casey, glancing down every few seconds as he continues to remove as much debris as possible off the dead woman's frame; clearing a path but also alleviating some of the pressure off Casey's chest.
"She's…very chat…"
"MATT!" Severide shouts as Casey's watery eyes snap open. "Hey man…it's too quiet in here…you gotta stay with me."
"Tired."
"Yeah I know but…okay…can you move your feet?" Severide asks as he removes a seat block off Casey's legs.
"Yes," Casey replies in truth as he moves is boots back and forth.
"Thank God," Severide whispers in relief as he pulls a few more pieces of twisted metal away, Clarke about to bust through the window. He removes everything that was impeding his right hand; his left still buried by the woman's body and the other seat block; neither of which could be moved yet.
"Okay! Window's coming out!"
"I got you," Severide states as he leans over Casey as best he can, sheltering his face and head from any stray bits of glassy shards that might chance to break away and cause some unnecessary damage.
"READY!" Severide shouts as he looks down at Casey who looks up and nods.
"Good…job."
"You starving for attention as of late or what?" Severide snickers as Casey's lips try to twist upward to make a small smirk. But with his chest throbbing and head pounding, once again it comes across as a grimace and Severide can only frown.
"Okay…I know it hurts but just a bit longer okay? Matt?"
"Okay."
The window busts open, a few pieces of thick glass bouncing off his back, but not enough to worry about doing any damage.
"We're clear!" Clarke shouts just as Capp and Cruz prepare to remove the last of the largest debris pieces that was blocking the askew entrance.
"Okay…wait on my signal. Capp, get up there and help Clarke!"
"On my way up!"
"Casey!"
"Yeah…still here…hurry. "
"Damn you're bossy," Severide offers lightly as he looks at the beam and then reaches for it, looking down at Casey in regret. "This…is gonna hurt…it's gonna hurt like hell, but I have to move this beam so that Clarke can pull it out okay? Just…brace yourself."
Severide looks up and offers a weak look at Clarke who looks down in sympathy. "He'll be okay," Clarke replies in a light tone, trying to ease some of his leaders justified concerns for his best friend's safety. "You tell us when."
"Okay…on my two," Severide states as he looks back down at Casey. "We'll move it first and then I'll give the order to pull," he tells Clarke and then looks down at Casey."
"Ready," Casey replies weakly.
"Clarke!"
"Ready!"
"Move!"
"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Casey's yells as his eyes instantly flood with painful tears and his heart rate shoots up and this was just from the movement. His body twists to the right, his left hand still stuck and Severide looking down in horror as blood starts to rapidly flow.
"CASEY!"
"Severide talk to me."
"Sir, we're out of time!" Severide gasps as he leans in closer, his left hand instantly clamping down on Casey's wound, putting pressure around the base of the beam as his right tries to steady Casey's entire frame; his left hand slightly impeding his progress. "Sir, Casey's losing…oh damn…"
"Severide, you can do this," Boden calmly reminds him.
"Right…okay, okay."
"Kelly…hurts."
"I know. Clarke!"
"We're ready!"
"ONE!" Severide shouts as Casey looks up in near defeat. "Casey…"
"Do it," Casey begs in misery.
"Come on Kelly…" Boden whispers as the two teams look at each other in panic.
"TWO!"
In that instant Clarke gives the beam a good tug, Capp already standing up and ready to pull the beam free, Mills and Cruz now on top ready to assist if necessary. The entrance way had been cleared and Hermann was able to make his way inside to assist.
Clarke pulls the beam, yanking it free of Casey's side; Casey's lips offering a blood-curdling scream.
The bloody beam pulls free of the dead woman's corpse.
Hermann rushes in to pull the poor victim's body off Casey's trapped frame; Cruz and Mills already on their way in to assist with the extraction.
Severide instantly leans in and clamps both hands down on Casey's open wound, the pressure forcing Casey to cry out once more.
While Severide applies firm pressure to Casey's side, Hermann, now assisted by Cruz, help to pull the rest of Casey's trapped frame clear of the remaining debris, Arata already ready to assist in saving Casey's precious life.
"MOVE OUT NOW!" Severide shouts as the four 51 firefighters band together to help pull one of their own free of danger; lifting Casey's battered frame into the air and gently guiding him through the entranceway. Clarke and Capp quickly take Casey from the others and rush him a few feet to a makeshift operating pad; Arata dropping to his knees as both Dawson and Shay help to remove Casey's tattered jacket, allowing the skilled trauma surgeon to do his work.
Severide looks down, refusing to give Arata the space the rest allowed him; not wanting to leave his friend's side in his moment of need. He knows that Casey would never give up on him…ever and he wasn't about to do the same now.
"He's…"
"CASEY!" Severide shouts, startling even Arata but making Casey's eyes flutter open. "That's right Lieutenant, you better wake up."
Casey's right hand gently lifts to give Severide the thumbs up, Arata moving in to help stem the flow of precious life blood.
"Medivac is on its way," Boden tells them as Severide looks up with a nod.
Casey's eyes try to focus on Severide, his lips uttering a painful gasp as Arata applies pressure to the wound, life saving pressure to close the opening and pack it for transport; the surgical physician already on standby at Lakeshore to operate.
"Stay with me new Lieutenant Casey!" Arata firmly barks as Casey's eyes gently flutter open once more. "Your friends tell me you're too stubborn to die."
"They're…right."
"Good. Let's keep it that way," Arata states as he applies another abdominal bandage and then starts to tightly wrap. "If you feel the pain, that's good."
"Sad…ist," Casey whispers as Arata cracks a small smirk.
"I have been called that before," he replies with a proud tone as the medivac helicopter starts to set down on the opposite side of the wreck, away from the propane tanks.
"Okay…let's get him up!"
Severide leads the charge of men who lift the backboard into the air, the oxygen mask and fluid pouch being held by Mills as they all carefully race toward the waiting medivac helicopter; praying Casey will make it to Lakeshore in time. Boden doesn't even wait for Severide to tell him that he's going with Casey, after all that, it was nearly a given.
"Careful with him!" Severide barks as the stretcher jars and Casey utters a soft moan under the oxygen mask. Severide watches them stow Casey's frame in the holding area and then gets into the back of the chopper; the rest of the teams watching as two of their own are lifted into the air.
"Okay…let's clean up here!" Boden calls out to his men, helping them clean up their gear and then get back to the Firehouse to await news of Casey's fate.
Severide looks back into the holding area as best he can, cursing the fact that he can't be at Casey's side to assure him that he was going to be fine; the helicopter's layout different from the regular belly of an ambulance. He hears Casey utter a painful cry as the helicopter bounces with a bit of turbulence but knows he can't do much to control the weather patterns and it was faster than taking an ambulance.
They finally reach the top of Lakeshore, a trauma team standing by to receive their patient and then whisk him away into surgery. As soon as Casey's loaded onto the stretcher, Severide looks down at his still frame and instantly panics.
"Casey!" He snaps as one of the nurses looks up in surprise.
"Sir, he's gone into shock."
"He has to be okay."
"Are you family?"
"Yeah…" Severide mentions softly. "He's my brother."
"We'll find you in the waiting area as soon as the surgery is over."
Severide can only stand back in helpless suspense watching as Casey is whisked through two large swinging doors; taken in to an area marked 'do not enter'. He looks at a few wondering faces in the waiting area and gives them a small nod before he heads to a lone bank of chairs and slumps down in weary defeat, rubbing his face with his hands and letting his body sag into the seat.
"Here you go Mr. Firefighter," a small voice pipes up as Severide opens his weary eyes and looks at a little blond hair boy before him, holding up a facial wipe. He looks up at the boy's mother and offers a weak smile.
"Thank you."
"What's your name?"
"It's uh…it's Kelly. What's yours?"
"Matthew."
Severide's eyes instantly flood as he tries to keep his smile in tact, the boys mother offering a sympathetic I'm sorry before Severide shakes his head and gives her a small wave of 'it's no big deal'.
"My daddy is getting his leg opertated on," the boy offers with a small verbal fumble, making Severide's lips actually break into a small smile. "Why are you here?"
"Matthew," his mother gently scolds as he looks back at her with wide blue eyes. "I'm sorry if he's prying."
"No…it's okay," Severide assures her as he looks back at the boy. "My friend is um…he was hurt on the job today."
"Is he a Firefighter too?"
"Yeah he is and um…yeah."
"Is he going to be okay?"
"I hope so."
"Okay," the boy lightly shrugs before he hurries back to his mother.
Severide looks down at his hands, using the wipe to gently clean away Casey's blood and feeling his breath catch in his throat, a small thudding coming inside his core instead of smooth, steady beats. He has to be okay, his mind chants over and over. Finally an hour later, the surgeon appears.
"Family of Matthew Casey?" The doctor asks as both Severide and the mother and her son look up.
"Yeah…that's me," Severide quickly stands up and hurries to the doctor. "Is he okay?"
"A few broken ribs, torn tissue and his stomach was slightly punctured. It was a slow leak but if he had lingered much longer he could have died from toxemia. He's going to be fine."
"Thank you," Severide utters as he looks at the little boy who gives him a thumbs up; Severide's lips offering a small smirk as he gives it back and then looks at the doctor. "Can I see him?"
"They're just putting him into a recovery room now. Come with me."
Severide enters the quiet room just as Casey looks up with a pained expression, the nurse attaching the last of the tubing.
"I'll be back in an hour to check on these," she tells him as she gives Severide a nod and takes her leave.
"Hey buddy…" Severide approaches the bed as Casey looks up with a weak smile. "You look like hell," he offers lightly.
"Feel it. But…I'm alive…thanks to you."
"How are you feeling?" Severide asks almost lamely, his mind racing as to what to ask as he tries to take it all in.
"Super…terrific," Casey lightly smirks as Severide looks down in concern. "What?"
"Well…" Severide pauses as he reaches for a soft cloth. "You can't…flirt with the nurses…looking like this," he mutters as he starts to gently wipe away the blood and dirt from Casey's flushed skin; quickly swallowing back his own wave of emotion as Casey looks up with a look of silent gratitude.
"Did they find…Anna?"
"Yeah. She was thrown out the back but she'll be fine. You never gave up and Hermann found her."
"He's…on a roll."
"Bragging about it too," Severide smiles as Casey tries and then offers a small grimace. "Hey just um…just rest okay?"
"Stomach…was punctured."
"Yup only soup for the next few days."
"Soup?"
"You…"
"I…"
"Hate soup," they both offer in unison as Casey finally offers Severide a genuine smile. "Was worried today…" Severide huffs. "When I opened that window and saw that beam…you weren't moving…damn I thought you were gone."
"Thought so to…woke up to her…the dead woman's face…"
"Next time you'll listen right?"
Casey gives Severide a thumbs up, forcing Severide's mind to see the boys face in Casey's place and his eyes to lightly water. "What?" Casey asks in shock.
"Nothing," Severide shakes his head. "Can you at least have Jell-O?"
"Think so."
"You…"
"I…"
"Don't like Jell-O," they both offer again as Casey's eyes struggle to stay open.
"You need your rest. And when you wake up…soup and Jell-O," Severide grins as Casey offers a small pout. "In a tube…mmmmm," he snickers as he gestures to the beige colored bag waiting to be hung up next. Casey makes a face that basically says 'gross, get me outta here' but knows he has to just take it easy.
"Remember the time I had that stomach reaction to…what was it?"
"Raw…oyster," Casey reminds him softly.
"Oyster! Damn…it was Shay's fault I had to eat that thing raw."
"She…was drunk…it was a dare."
"I was drunk and it was…yeah damn it was bad," Severide offers lightly as he watches Casey's eye struggling to stay open. "Just sleep now okay? Everything's going to be just fine."
"Promise?" Casey asks lightly as Severide gives him a firm nod and a thumbs up.
"Promise."
By the time Boden arrives both his lieutenants are fast asleep. He gently covers Severide with a blanket, not daring to ask him to move or go home and get some rest; this was the place he was needed – at Casey's side, just like he was before at the scene of the train wreck, not leaving until he was sure everything was going to be alright with someone close to him. It was the creed they lived by; it was the bond that united them and it was the intense loyalty to each other that he had instilled in them. He had only himself to blame for them risking their lives for his and each other's. But as he hears Casey offer a soft groan and Severide awaken in haste to tend to him, he knows…in that moment he'd proudly take full blame. Family came first. You never left a man down. At the end of the day…even if against all odds…everyone comes home.
THE END!
A/N: Okay soo….a wee bit more angst than the eppy! Haha but I hope you all liked it and please do review before you go and thanks so much!