Hello everyone. So, it's been like three years since I wrote a line in fanfiction, let alone a story. What can I say? I got hooked on CF from the pilot on and it only took me a few days to get up to speed to this year's fall hiatus...

It's a short chapter, but it'll get better. I'm always open to suggestions!

Enjoy

November 5, 1992

Necker Hospital

Paris, France

5:00 pm local time

Life was bursting inside the children's hospital. Daytime made the place buzzing with energy, people in plain clothes and in doctor's coats or nurse's scrubs coming and going all around. Some were clearly in a hurry, others took their time. Some looked lost. Anna Dawson probably had looked like that the first time he had brought her daughter in the maze-like hospital. She had gone through the ER, maternity ward and even the Paris EMS headquarters all the way in the back. But today, she knew were they were going. Laennec pavilion, door 1, neurosciences division.

The third story was a consultations unit in neurology and neurosurgery. Two nurses were manning the desk which stood in the middle of the waiting area. All around were a good dozen of doctor's offices.

Leaving her daughter to sit, she went to the desk, greeted the nurse and announced herself. Getting a greeting in return, she was also told that Dr Francis was only about twenty minutes late on his schedule, so the wait wouldn't be too long. Armed with patience and the information, she thanked the nurse and sat beside her daughter.

Ten year old Gabriela Dawson didn't like hospitals. She only knew this one, but that was enough for her. She didn't like the bright colors of the unit, and the noise other children made playing around with the child-sized chairs and tables and toys and books and crayons. These days, she preferred the calm of her home. Or in the school's library during recess. Today she was especially nervous. She knew something was coming. She also knew she was babbling, but her mother didn't seem to mind.

5:35 had just passed when they entered the neurosurgeon's office after what had seemed like an endless wait. They were greeted by beige walls contrasting with a mock-wood desk and tree black chairs. Files were sitting on a white table at the other end, and a special light panel had been built on the wall for X-rays, CT scan and MRIs. A few pictures obviously made by children were the only reminders that this was the pediatric unit. Sitting in his chair after greeting his patients, the surgeon waited for his patients attention.

Time had come.

They would get answers.

And the day of the surgery.

Half an hour later, Anna and Gabby exited the office, both lost in their thoughts. Nothing the surgeons had said had really registered into ten year old's head. Shock had rendered her silent, and another part of her brain was trying to make out the big medical terms pronounced by the the middle aged man.

Nothing Gabby had ever read about medicine and the human body - that had been a lot, since she had always been interested in the subject and in dire need of diverting - had been about neurosurgery. She hadn't gotten to it yet. It was so complex... She didn't know about craniectomies, or laminectomies. Or her condition... Did the name start by a C? She couldn't remember. She knew she could and would remedy that, especially given the fact that it concerned her. And her operation.

Because she was the patient. Because she was sick. Because she was sick...

A few minutes later shout shattered the relative silence of the darkened hospital's streets.

"Non! Je ne suis pas malade! Je ne suis pas malade!"

Chicago, Illinois

Same time

Mrs Goldberg's eight grade English class was like doing penitence for most of her students. The 50-something teacher drawled on a book nobody cared about with her monotonous voice. The principal result from her lack of presence was that mist of her class slept. She didn't mind, since that kept her silent. Still, only the most gregarious of students managed to stay awake and be interested.

Thirteen year old Matthew Casey wasn't one of them. Like his best friend Kelly Severide and most of the class, he wasn't paying attention. Sleeping wasn't a habit of his though, he thought if disrespectful. Instead, he read, wrote, communicated by notes with awakened friends, did homework... Anything but English. It worked for him since he had less to do at home and maintained good grades. And it worked for his teacher since he kept quiet. Today was like any other day. He was only waiting for the class to end.

Twenty minutes into the hour, class life got interesting.

A shout woke everyone up.

"Non! Je ne suis pas malade! Je ne suis pas malade!"

Like everyone else, Kelly looked at the scene. His best friends eyes were unfocused, and he had stood up, sending everything on his table crashing down on the floor. He had no idea what had just happened, and seeing the slowly returning focus into his friends eyes, Matt didn't either.

Mrs. Goldberg immediately intervened, coming closer to their corner.

"Mr. Casey. Mr. Casey. Mr. Casey."

It took a few tries, but Kelly finally saw the light coming back.

"Yes, Mrs. Goldberg?"

"Are you alright? What happened? Would you like to go to the infirmary?"

Three questions were clearly too much to handle. "Yes, I'd like to go."

"Mr. Severide. Accompany your friend, since you're not doing anything else in my class."

Kelly wouldn't touch this one, but he was glad for the get-out-of-jail-free card.

"Sure." Taking Matt by the shoulder, he spurred them on. "Come on, Matt. Let's go."

Once he was sure no one would hear the conversation, Kelly began talking.

"Hey, man, you scared me."

"Yeah, that makes two of us."

"So, since when do you speak French?"

Incomprehension showed in his friends face.

"I don't."

"Remember yelling?"

"Yeah. Vaguely."

"Well, that was French. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks man for accompanying me."

"Anytime."

Kelly knew his friend wasn't saying the whole truth, but he let it go. It had been the first time, he was sure of it. Matt would have never hidden something like that. Instead, he chose to let his friend deal with it and didn't insist. The questions could come later.

They had just reached the infirmary when Matt spoke again.

"Go back, okay? I'll see you later."

Kelly waited for his friend to enter, then went back to English class with a last look at his friend.

Should I continue?