September 2013
Gabriella Dawson stepped into Chicago O'Hare for the first time in thirteen months. Her uniform cleanly worn, posture straight. But it wasn't necessary. She was now a civilian, but her twelve months in Iraq had taught her otherwise. There was no such thing as a civilian when it came to war, everyone was affected. She glanced around at everyone passing by, having their own careers and families to go back to. All she had was Antonio, who she could see rushing through the crowd. She'd never seen her brother running towards her, not since…
"Antonio!" she called out, walking towards his running frame. When they met, he embraced her like he never had before. She could feel his body shaking, could tell he was crying. "I'm okay, 'tonio," she assured him. "I'm home." They stood like that for a few minutes, not many people paying attention to the embrace in front of them.
"You ready? The place is all set up and read for you," he told her. When she'd been deployed, she'd ended her apartment lease, but when it came close, Antonio got her a new place. Hell, he'd even helped her get a new job - Paramedic In Charge at Firehouse 51. She nodded, his arm wrapping around her shoulders and hers around his waist.
When they stepped out of the airport to his car, Gabby was bombarded by the sounds of the city. She was used to bombs and guns and yelling and quiet. She wasn't used to cars and horns and the sounds of city life. She'd been in Iraq for twelve months for God's sake! When she got back in, she was glad for the quietness.
"It'll take readjustment," she reminded herself before Antonio got in the car. She tossed her bag in the backseat and placed her hat on her lap. A part of her was terrified of the readjustment. She'd seen so much, been through so much while she was over there. She'd seen men and women whose limbs had been blown off due to an IED, or those whose gunshot wounds mangled their bodies. And now she was back in Chicago where there really weren't any dangers. But just being in a car going down the highway made her feel like at any moment they could hit an IED.
"So, what do you want to do first?" Antonio asked. "We can go out to dinner, or eat in? See a movie?" Gabby just looked out the window. Everything appealed to her. She was out, she was free. No commands or orders to follow. She made her own choices now, and doing so wouldn't end with her or someone else's death.
"I just want to chill for a little while, readjust. I'm not really ready to go out in the world yet," she admitted. Being in her apartment for a few days would probably help, and then she'd ease herself back into a normal routine. Antonio nodded, understanding.
Within twenty minutes, Antonio had pulled up outside of her new apartment building. She looked at the towering building. It loomed over her, over them like a monster. And it was to her. It meant moving on, being her own person again, trying to forget the nightmares she saw.
"Thanks, 'tonio," she said, leaning over the seat and grabbing her bag out of the back. When she leaned back up, she turned to him with a smile.
"I'm glad you're back, Gabby," he told her again, leaning over and hugging his little sister again. When they pulled away, Gabby looked at Antonio and then back out the window, the city looming over her. Fear may have engulfed her, but at the same time, happiness did too.