Summary: In 4x04, Hermann tells Gabby that he has a family he never dreamed possible, including a bonus daughter who came to him already grown. Flashback to Gabby's time as Candidate at Truck 81, when she kept leaving the door to the side compartments on the truck open to try to test Hermann- what really happened after she came clean to prove her point? Warning: contains disciplinary spanking of an adult by another adult
Author's Note: I own no part of Chicago Fire, or anything else mentioned in this fic. This fic does contain parental disciplinary spanking of an adult by another adult, so if that's not your thing, just don't read it. This assumes the same verse as my story "Candidate!" where corporal punishment is standard at Firehouse 51.
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Still overcome with the emotions of the day, with Antonio and Matt beside her hospital bed, Gabby pressed the play button on the phone Matt offered to her, and listened to Hermann's message for her. "I've got a family I never imagined," he said, "Including one more girl that I didn't expect, and she came to me full grown. She's strong and brave..." Hermann's voice continued, and for a moment, Gabby was lost in thought, back to the first time Hermann really showed her that she was his kid.
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Gabby had left the compartment door of the truck open once more, and then disappeared inside. She heard vaguely discontent grumbling from Hermann from the apparatus bay, and fought to hide her smile. Her plan was working perfectly. "Something funny, Candidate?" Matt's voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she smiled at him,
"No Lieutenant," she said, continuing to chop the carrots she was using for that day's lunch.
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Finally, Hermann couldn't take it anymore. She was leaving those damn compartment doors open every time she stepped near the truck. Did she not understand how dangerous that could be?! There was a reason those things were kept closed, did they not teach that at the Fire Academy anymore? He couldn't believe what a careless firefighter she was shaping up to be. It'd reflect back poorly on the house, and finally- he snapped.
"CANDIDATE!" He yelled, "You cannot leave those doors open-" He was ready to go on a tirade but she interrupted him first.
"I know," she said simply. Hermann was astounded. Usually when a senior firefighter starts laying into a candidate they at least have the respect to look ashamed of themselves. Gabby, though, she was smiling.
"You know?" He asked incredulously.
"Yes, Hermann, I know not to leave those doors open. And this proves my point exactly- I knew you guys were treating me differently!" she crowed, "Hermann, I want to be treated like every other candidate who comes through this house, and if Casey can't do that, and clearly he can't," Gabby took a breath, "Hermann, will you take me on as a candidate?" She asked.
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After being very nearly dragged by the ear to Casey's office, Hermann pounded on the door. Casey, not pleased at the racket outside his door, swung it open, "What do you want, Hermann?" He asked. He had had enough of Hermann questioning his ability to train his candidate.
Hermann pulled Gabby by the arm into view of the lieutenant, and pushed her forward into his office. Matt sensed something was up, and stepped back, allowing the two other firefighters in before closing the door. "What's going on?" he asked, a little gentler now that Gabby was in the picture. Which only riled her up more.
"Go on Candidate," Hermann said, "Tell your Lieutenant what you just told me."
Matt resisted the urge to roll his eyes, he was fed up with Hermann questioning his every move. But he listened as Gabby ranted and explained that the guys were treating her differently because she was the Lieutenant's girl, and listened as she asked him if Hermann could take her on as his candidate. Matt was a little frustrated with her lack of respectful tone, but let it slide since he wanted to hear Hermann's side of the story. Hermann swore up and down that he'd treat her the same as every other candidate who had passed through the house, and finally Casey nodded.
"Alright, if you're both okay with that arrangement, I'm okay with it too," Casey said.
"Lieutenant, If I'm going to treat her like any other candidate, then do you mind if we borrow your office for a bit? We have something we need to take care of." Based on Gabby's sudden interest in the floor, Matt knew what Hermann was alluding to, and he knew Gabby did as well. He jerked his head sideways towards the door, and Hermann headed in that direction, followed by Casey.
Once they were in the main bunkroom, Casey sighed, "What did she do?" He asked.
Hermann recounted the story and Matt's jaw dropped, "She did what?!" He couldn't help but exclaim. It was one thing to try to prove a hunch, but she had endangered not only the other firefighters, but civilians, and what if something had fallen out of the side of the truck that they'd need to rescue someone on a call. "Go on, use my office, I'll make myself scarce." As Hermann went to reach for the doorknob, Casey spoke again, "And Hermann," he sighed, "Give her 5 with the belt, from her Lieutenant. You know where everything is." At that, Hermann gave a curt nod and headed back into the Lieutenant's office.
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Once Hermann had quietly re-entered the Lieutenant's office, he headed towards Matt's desk and opened the bottom drawer, where he knew Casey kept disciplinary tools. This wasn't something like putting herself in danger, this was something closer- he couldn't help but be reminded of kids who act out for attention. After all, wasn't that what Gabby was basically doing? That sparked an idea in his mind, and he pulled out the belt- the most common implement for discipline out, but also a wooden hairbrush tucked away in the drawer as well.
He caught Gabby sneaking a look, but as soon as she saw the implements being brought out, she returned her gaze to the floor and scuffed her foot around a little. Hermann gathered the two implements and headed over to the bed, sitting down. "Come here Candidate!" He barked, startling her, and she made her way over to the bed, standing in front of him.
"You put people in danger just because you were trying to test us?!" He said, starting strong, "What if none of us had caught one of the times you left it open and a saw had flown out and hit someone?! It could have hurt anyone of us at 51, or a civilian. What if something had fallen out that we needed on a call later, before we noticed it was missing? What if we weren't able to do our jobs properly because of that? I know you can think of several outcomes..." He let the implications hang between them, noticing her gulp. She had never thought of that possibility before, and suddenly she looked a lot more contrite. That was a good first step, Hermann decided, and then without any ceremony to it, pulled her over his lap so her torso was resting on the bed but her legs were dangling off.
Gabby was confused- usually, when this type of discipline was being handed out at the firehouse, the offending party found themselves bent over a desk. Not over another person's lap, like a little kid. She tried to push herself up but Hermann, wiry as he is, was stronger than he looked, and she found herself pinned. "You act like a child, you'll be treated like one," he said before bringing the hairbrush down hard for the first swat. That's why he chose the impromptu paddle- it gave him more control when his candidate was in this position.
Gabby jerked in response, still trying to get up from Hermann's lap. He, however, was expecting this reaction, and brought the hairbrush down hard a number of times until she took the hint to settle down. "You can keep fighting me candidate," he said in between spanks, "I can do this all day." In reality, he didn't like having to do this and, in fact, rarely ever had to. He considered it one of the few perks of his own lieutenentship falling through- he knew how some of the guys at 51 could be, and he knew Matt found himself in this position far more often than any lieutenant would like.
Gabby, meanwhile, had finally accepted that she wasn't going anywhere and knew Hermann could and would make good on his threat of doing this the whole day. She willed the intercom to drop the tones, to give her any reason to get out of this situation, but to no avail- the only sounds in the room were Hermann's lecturing and the sound of the hairbrush striking her bottom.
Like many others, Hermann doesn't keep talking even while he paddled her, though Lord knows he wanted to if only to ease his own nerves. "You wanted to see if we'd treat you like every other candidate, huh?" He asked, bringing the hairbrush down hard and fast, "Does this answer your question, Candidate?"
Gabby, nearly choking on her tears but trying to take the punishment stoically, said, "Yes Sir." From her voice, Hermann could tell she was almost at her breaking point, so he upped the speed and the force.
"If you try to test us again, this will seem like nothing, got that Candidate?" He asked, waiting for her affirmative reply as he continued to paddle her. Once she had given the response he was looking for, he stopped bringing the hairbrush down. Gabby, upon realizing that the blows had subsided, started to stand.
"Over the bed now, Candidate," Hermann said, helping her up and into the correct position.
"But-" Gabby said, confused since she thought Hermann had finished her punishment.
"These five are from your lieutenant," Hermann offered as means of explanation, putting a hand on Gabby's lower back and bringing the belt down hard and fast five times. That was Gabby's breaking point- whether it was the belt or the reference to Matt, Hermann may never know, but he watches as she starts crying in earnest, no longer able to hold back, head resting on the hands that have the sheets balled up in them, her body quaking.
And if this was a candidate Hermann had just met, that would be it. He'd leave, let the candidate compose himself, make it as impersonal as possible. But this wasn't a candidate new to the house, this was Gabby, their Gabby, the spunky paramedic who was perpetually in trouble with the brass and the determined firefighter who would do anything to pursue her dream. This was a young woman who he thought of like family. Hell, given what he had just done, he could even think of her as a daughter.
So instead, he rubbed her back and told her that everything was forgiven, until she had calmed down enough to stand up. Still sniffling, she looked at him, expecting to be dismissed so she could go lick her wounds in private. But instead, Hermann opened his arms for her and she fell into the hug, glad for some comfort.
"You're gonna make a hell of a firefighter, kid," he said, "I'll be sure of that." And Gabby smiled through the last of her tears.
"That's all I ever wanted."
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"And I love her, like my own," that line brought Gabby back from her thoughts and into the present, and she smiled a little, weakly, still with tears down her face. She was worried about what the future held, sure- for her job, for her relationship with Matt- but one thing she knew for certain was that she'd have her family by her side, and she couldn't be more thankful for that.