"You're my miracle Gabby…. I love you…."
The words rang in her ears as she held back the urge to lose her stomach and tears flowed in waterfalls down her cheeks. Gabby Dawson stepped closer to the blaze and stared as the flames erupted from every aperture of the warehouse and formed a wall blockading the entrance. Her family is in there and Her husband is trapped. Even if by some miracle he could free himself of the room, the entrance was completely enveloped. Standing 50 feet from the building the heat was a scorching desert, she could only imagine how hot it was inside, unsurvivable. The chief had ordered them all from the building, but only few made it out. Mouch was down and maybe already dead and Herman was stuck with him. Severide and Stella fought tirelessly to get to Matt but with little success. Matt was trapped for real this time and they all knew it. He'd been stuck before, they all had. But before he got out, before someone rescued him, and before he came home to her. But this time... this time he took off his mask in surrender, so his wife could hear his voice one last time. So he had the opportunity to say goodbye to the woman he could not bare to leave behind. Gabby had been there for what seemed like forever. She was his friend when his relationship with Hallie fell apart, she pulled him out of his blackness when his fiance died, she helped him when he took in the Darden kids, and she was there every single time he broke and celebrated him each time he succeeded. Gabby Dawson was always there loving him unconditionally even when he didn't deserve such a fierce and immense love.
Matt realized that he wasn't getting out of that room. And even during his impending death, his love for Gabby Dawson would keep his fears at bay. Matt took off his mask so she could really hear him. So even though they would never touch again, never kiss or make sweet love, never have the family they so desperately wanted; Gabby Dawson, his wife and his world would know and would really hear him when he told her how much he ferociously loved her. Because she truly is his miracle.
"I love you baby, I'm sorry," Matt choked barely audibly into the walkie. He laid on his back letting his head roll to the floor in surrender. He stared into the flames not really seeing them and as he uttered those last words Matt Casey smiled. Though his life certainly wasn't ending in the way he hopped, he got his miracle and that would be enough for him. His only regret was leaving her behind to get through life without him and without the family he promised her. And in his final moment of consciousness he could have been consumed by fear but he chose to think about this amazing life with Gabby Dawson and it brought him comfort until his world went to black.
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Kelly pushed with all he had to move the large machine that imprisoned Matt Casey. Stella refused to leave him, and Kelly refused to leave behind one more of his friends. He had already lost so much. First Darden, then his best friend Leslie was murdered, and only a few short weeks ago his sweet Anna was taken. The only women he had ever loved had been ripped from his life and he was not about to let Matt join them. Matt was all he had left and without him Kelly Severide was sure he hadn't much left to live for. So he beared down and he fought the monster that separated him from his friend. His lack of progress slowly chipped away at his remaining hope. He told himself he would give it one more big heave before he sent Stella from the building. If he was to go down, and without Matt he would, he sure as hell was not taking her with him. Kelly took one deep, soul searching breath and with the help of Stella pushed.
It barely moved. He slid down the wall in defeat, looked up at Stella with tears threatening sternly said "Go." Kidd squatted down next to him and matter of factly retorted "not a chance in hell."
"Go, Stella… Get out of here," he was yelling now. "Go! Go Stella. That's an order." Stella stared into his eyes and then turned away from him to leave. She disappeared behind the flames in the doorway. Kelly pushed again. And again. And again. "God, AHHHH." he screamed at the machine. He picked up his halligan and tried to find leverage to pry it from the door. "You have taken everything from me!" he yelled at fire. But it was no use. How did he get here? How did he end up living a life where everything that mattered was taken away in an instant? He felt helpless and hopeless as he again sat down next to the machine this time unable to keep the tears from spilling over. "Two minutes tops" he thought to himself. If he was going to stay here, at least his life would be over in just a short time. While Kelly drowned in self pity, waiting for his own certain death, he heard a noise coming from hall. Suddenly through the same door she had disappeared behind, Stella walked back into the room and she was not alone. Cruz was with her determined to help move the monster machine and reach Casey. The three of them heaved with every ounce of strength they had and slowly the machine inched away from the door. "Heave" Cruze yelled, and the team moved the machine away from the door just enough for Kelly to sneak behind it. Kelly kicked in the door with adrenalin filled strength and gained access to a completely encapsulated room. "Stay back" he yelled to Stella and Cruz. "Go, Go I got him." he yelled when they didn't show signs of leaving. He would never order nor allow fellow men into a room so engrossed. He ran in, as low as possible and listened. If it weren't for Casey's pass alarm Severide would never have found him among the smoke and flame filled room. "Casey!" he yelled when he felt his body at his own feet. But there was no response. His body laid there lifeless. He reached for Casey's Mask, resecuring it to his face and then his used his remaining strength to sling the man over his shoulders. He wasn't even sure how badly he was burned and he honestly didn't even know if he was even alive but there was no time for that. Kelly ran with Casey's dead weight from the room as quickly as he could. He knew they were on borrowed time before that building came down on top them.
Through the flames he ran, as he heard the building crumble. Beams and walls fell all around him as he moved in the direction he could only assume was the exit. Finally he saw it. He saw the flame ridden opening to the warehouse. He knew his only way out was through it. Even if it burned them, even if it took their life, through was the only way out and he had to at least try. He had to try for his only remaining friend. He had to try for Gabby, who may be the only other person he knew who had suffered such great losses as he had. So Kelly ran. He ran as fast as his body would let him through the wall of flames. He made it only 15ft from the flames before he collapsed from exhaustion. He was alive he knew… But he cared very little of that.