Title: Rescue the Fallen
Summary: Severide brushes off Casey's concern over his injury. But what happens when the next life on the line is Casey's? What happens when his arm fails him when his friend and fellow 51 Lieutenant's needs him most? Casey/Severide OS Based on eppy 1.09 It Ain't Easy 'contains some spoilers'
Disclaimer: Chicago Fire and its characters are the property of Dick Wolfe, NBC and….well sadly not me lol if so I'd be Lt. Severide's love interest hehe
Note: "Words in italics and double quotes taken directly from episode"
"Did you see a doctor? You shoulder. You think no one's noticed?"
"It's my neck and I saw a doctor. She said there's nothing to worry about so I'm not worried about it."
Not worried about it? He had wanted in that moment to call him a liar, to just hold his ground and force the real truth from his friend and fellow 51 Lieutenant; thinking that maybe with the truth out in the open, it would force Severide to get the real help he suspects he needs. But after seeing Vargas at such a low after the devastating and career ending news that he helped deliver, how could he push?
But what exactly was he downplaying? Was there an actual injury? Something more serious than just a strong muscle strain? There had been a small hint of panic in Severide's eyes when Casey called him on his injury. But could he go to the Chief over a concerned hunch? Should he just take him at face value? After what they just witnessed Vargas go through how could he press? What if it was career ending? What it if was life ending? Damn it Kelly what are you hiding from me?
"It's your business but if it's an issue for you, there's an issue for all of us."
"Then we're good."
"What if something happens on the job…to one of us and…"
"Look I'm fine Matt okay? Let's just…look I'm a man down and I don't want to talk about his right now," Severide huffs seconds before the call alarm is heard; shattering the silence with a call to arms.
"We'll talk later," Casey mutters under his breath before he hurries out of the men's locker room and heads for truck 81. But on the ride to the call his mind now plays out various scenarios in which one of the team's lives was in Severide's grasp and the unthinkable happens. I just pray it doesn't come to that.
But the day hadn't quite turned out the way they had expected; Chief Boden telling them it was now their job to both "keep an eye on Vargas," in the wake of his career ending news. Despite each having their plans for the evening as soon as got the page from Severide, Casey had to hurriedly remove himself from a promising evening with Gabby and help a fellow brother in need. Only when he had gotten Severide's simple page he wasn't quite sure what to expect. All he knew was Vargas was in a bad emotional state but he had surmised it was something to do with a little too much to drink and was out of control; he hadn't expected to round the corner and see Vargas's well sized frame perched precariously on the edge of a multi-story building, looking like he wanted to jump.
What the hell? Casey's mind races with sheer panic as he locks eyes with Severide and then slowly approaches.
"This is so messed up…" they both hear Vargas utter in torment. But it wasn't time to get lost in emotional misery; it was time to step up to the plate and quickly, both Casey's and Severide's mind racing as they try to offer comforting anecdotes about Vargas and his contribution to House 51 and how he'd always be a part of the team no matter what.
"51 will always be your home."
And it was true…it was in Vargas's blood as much as theirs and each of them traded a knowing glance in that moment because it was true; if the situation were reversed they'd never want to be left pondering future options when the only future they had ever known and wanted was ripped away from them too soon and against their will.
"Did you get a hold of his brother?" Casey asks as Severide joins him in Vargas's living room about half hour later; their former team member passed out in his bedroom.
"Left another message," Severide huffs as he slumps down into a chair opposite Casey and looks away. A few seconds later, however, he glances back to see Casey watching him intently. "What?" He asks with a huff, breaking the mounting silence.
"I hope his brother calls back," Casey answers as he looks down at the phone in his hands; feeling Severide's eyes boring into the top of his short blond locks.
"Yeah," Severide mumbles as Casey looks back up. "Whatever you wanna say…just say it."
"Vargas knew too. About your…neck."
"I said…look I'm fine okay."
"Kelly…"
"Mind your own damn business Matt!" Severide snaps before he pushes himself up out of the chair and then heads back to the kitchen; placing the empty coffee cup into the sink and then turning back to see Casey still seated in the large chair in the living room. "I don't want to end up like that…out on some damn ledge after…"
"Thought you said it wasn't serious?" Casey gently prompts as he slowly stands up, his hands in his pockets; his stance inoffensive.
"That's not gonna be me okay?"
"Okay," Casey nods more than questions; instantly seeing the same small look of panic flashing in Severide's eyes as he had seen earlier in the day when he first called him on his injury and why he had kept it to himself for so long. "Did you um…get a second opinion?"
"Yeah mine," Severide retorts back. "I'm fine okay? I forget to take an Ibuprofen and…I'm fine."
"We wouldn't let that…"
"It won't ever come to that!"
"Okay," Casey utters once more, his tone this time bordering on question more than acceptance.
"If I thought I'd be a danger…"
"Kelly, Vargas called you on it today…he said you should bot…"
"Yeah I remember…I was there okay? He said it…"
"He's on…was," Casey's face offers a fleeting since as he now is forced to use the past tense, "your team most recently and he saw you up close the most. If there's a…"
"I won't end up like that you hear me? I won't…I can't…this…this is my life and…"
"It's mine too. It's all I ever wanted; we both share that. But you won't end up like…Kelly, look at me…you won't…"
"Everything's okay," Severide insists with a small glare before he heads for Vargas's front door. "Just lock up when you leave."
"Yeah," Casey whispers as he watches Severide disappear through the door and out of view; his body leaning against the wall; his eyes lingering on the last spot Severide had been. Could his injury really be career ending? It is that serious? Or is he just hinting at something in a panic because of the emotionally charged events of the night?
Whatever it is, Casey knows that if Severide is just downplaying something more serious and something does happen…how could he live with that guilt? Checking one more time on Vargas, Casey turns off all the lights and lets himself out of the quiet apartment, locking the door and slowly heading for the elevator; his mind now a whirlwind of inner thoughts and questions.
XXXXXXXX
Severide arrives early the following morning, staring at Casey's name on the opposite locker and frowning. After such an emotional moment with Vargas he hadn't expected to end the night at odds with his friend and fellow 51 Lieutenant but he also isn't about to get the career ending surgery just to put his own nagging mind at ease. What happens if…was the constant small voice in his head that he was continually trying to silence; the voice of reason that would dare him to ponder a fateful what if scenario involving a fellow firefighter that he failed to help or save because at that moment his arm would choose to give out.
Casey enters the locker room just as Severide swallows; the two of them locking eyes once more and Casey's lips slightly pursing but no words coming forth. Before Casey can even ask if Severide had heard from Vargas after last night, the overhead call to action is heard, sending both of them hurrying for the large bays to join the rest of their teams.
"Squad 3…engine 51…2 story House fire…"
"Hey man you okay?" Cruz asks Casey as he briefly glances over on the way to the call. "You seem…agitated."
"Saw Vargas last night."
"How is he?"
"Hurting."
"Can't imagine how that would play with a guy you know? Ending his career so soon and all? Would freak the hell outta me."
"But his life isn't over…he still has so much…"
"Not everyone has your voice of reason inside their head Casey," Cruz correctly notes, earning a small frown in return from his team leader. "I don't know what I'd do."
"Adapt," Casey half whispers as they near the site of their call.
"Think it'd be that easy?"
"No," Casey is forced to admit as the truck comes to a stop.
"Casey I want you and…." Boden's instructions start as Casey hurries into action; directly his men to start to bathe the front of the brick and wood house with streams of water.
"Severide, take your team around the back and…"
Dawson and Shay jump into action, taking the small boy that is first to emerge from the thick smoke; his parents and sister still somewhere inside.
"Hermann you and Mouch take the right side. Cruz you and Mills take the left…I'll take the front," Casey shouts his orders as he readies his axe, busting through the front door; Severide's team in the back, already searching for the trapped parents and sister.
"Capp what do you see?"
"Dark in here…Hadley open that window."
For a few moments no one spoke as the two teams worked on the inside and out to contain and put out the flames and rescue the three missing family members; the little boy who had crawled out the back door still being tended to.
"Found the mother!" Hadley shouts as he locates her in the small room near the back door where the boy had exited. "She's alive but not awake. I'm coming out."
"Capp, we move on!"
"I'll check the front Severide!" Casey calls into his headset as he enters the smoky front living room, pulling open the heavy wooden slats and allowing some extra light to come in. "Found the daughter!"
"I got her!" Capp comes to Casey's side and gestures to take the unconscious daughter; allowing Casey to hurry for the stairs to go up and help Severide search for the father.
"I bet he went back up to get her and didn't know she was downstairs!" Severide calls out to Casey as they head for the first two rooms.
"Clear!"
"Clear!"
They near the front of the house where the fire had started and the most extensive damage is. But just as they near another room, Severide's headset cracks to life with new information.
"Hadley, say again?" Severide's hand stops Casey from continuing. "A grandmother up here too? Hurry back. We have two up here."
"Copy," Casey nods as they both part ways and head for the last four small rooms.
"Found the father!" Severide calls out just as Capp and Hadley reach the top of the stairs. "Second to last door on the left!"
"We got him…" Hadley tells Capp just as Casey's voice comes to life.
"Found the grandmother!" Casey's anxious voice is heard. "She's got a small illegal suite here and…oh man look at the gas burner and…" is all he manages before a small explosion is heard and felt at the same time; Hadley with the father nearly stumbling down the stairs and Capp and Severide holding onto the charred wall to steady themselves.
"Hadley go!" Severide orders as he and Capp rush to help Casey. "Oh damn! Casey!" Severide shouts as he enters the room and gasps at the site before him, Casey holding onto the unconscious older woman; half the floor missing and his body about to tumble one story down.
"Casey!" Severide shouts as he literally dives onto the floor and grabs Casey's arm; Capp at his side in seconds. "We need another man in here!" Severide demands on his headset as Capp struggles to pull the older woman free of the flames from the main floor below.
"She's…slipping…" Casey growls as he tries to keep himself and the older woman from falling into the heated darkness below. "Grab her!"
"Casey I got her!" Capp calls out as he finally gets a good grasp on the older woman and is able to pull her free. Severide quickly rushes in and grabs Casey's free arm; inadvertently swinging Casey a bit too much and causing the sudden momentum to make his weight shift.
"Casey hold on!"
"I'm…slipping!" Casey exclaims excitedly as his right arm tries to claw onto the charred floorboards.
"Casey…stop moving…hold…on…" Severide grunts as he tries to grab Casey's flailing arm. "Guys I need help up here!" Severide shouts in a panic.
"Severide…my…" Casey huffs as his gloved hand pulls away a piece of wood and he falls slightly out of Severide's grasp. Then without warning the floor beneath both of them starts to creak and groan under their weight.
"Damn the floor is going!" Severide shouts as he is forced to let go with his left arm; leaving only his injured right arm to hold Casey one story above the smoldering mass below.
"Pull…me up," Casey groans as his legs dangle; his body starting to feel the weight on him getting heavier thanks to the thick sweat from the heated furnace they're in and making his clothing seem even heavier.
"Seconds away!" Hadley calls out as he races toward the last door of the house where the fire was the most intense.
"Hurry Hadley!" Severide shouts as he locks eyes with Casey. "Don't…just don't let go."
"Slipping…"
"I know but…Matt…Matt…hold on…"
"Kelly grab…my…"
"Trying…"
"Okay I'm gonna…Matt…NO!"
Just as Hadley rounds the corner into the room and is about to dive onto Severide's feet to hold him in place so he could pull up Kelly, the wooden flooring beneath them finally decides to give way; pulling Casey from Severide's grasp. Hadley pulling Severide back seconds before he too is swallowed up.
"MATT! No…oh damn no…" Severide shouts as he crawls toward the edge and peers over.
"Severide…what happened?" Boden's voice is heard over his headset as Kelly's eyes fix into the darkness below.
"Matt!" He shouts once more, hearing only a small whimper on the other end of his headset; the soft noise drowning out the Chief's incessant pleas. A few seconds Hadley had him cleared of the floor enough for him to roll onto his side and push past his other team member; racing into the hallway and down the stairs, Hadley's voice calling out to him; drowning in the distance. Capp and Hermann appear at the front door just as Severide races past, heading for the living room to see what had happened to Casey.
You dropped him…this is your fault! His brain instantly condemns.
"Matt!" Severide exclaims as he spies Casey's unmoving frame a few feet ahead. "Get a hose in here!"
"How's Casey?" Boden's voice asks in Severide's headset.
"He's…oh damn Matt…" Severide curses as he drops to his knees as quickly feels for a pulse. But as his hand brushes the side of Casey's heavy jacket his fingers feel something sticky and his stomach instantly tightens. "Casey's injured! We need a cart in here."
"Stairs are not good!"
"Guys we gotta get him out now! Matt…just hold on. Careful now…I felt blood but I can't see in here where's hurt. Go easy."
"Got it."
"Kelly…"
"Yeah hold on…."
"On two."
"Okay move!"
Casey's lips utter a painful gasp as his body is lifted up; the tear in his side instantly widening and forcing the trio of firefighters to slightly halt.
"Keep going," Severide directs as he leads the charge; Capp, Hadley and Hermann carrying Casey's slightly moving frame out of the still burning House and allowing the rest of the two teams to work on putting out the remaining blaze that nearly took another of their own.
"I think he's cut on the side or something…" Severide frowns as he shows the two waiting medics the patch of sticky blood on his hand. "I couldn't find it."
"We'll check him en route," the male medic replies; Dawson and Shay already having taken the mother and boy to the hospital.
"I'll do my report later," Severide tells Boden as he hops into the back of the ambulance before it speeds away. Severide's anxious expression fixes on Casey's soot covered face, his own face wincing as the medics finally find the spot on the right that had been ripped open by a jagged piece of wood.
"Okay I found the cut; looks pretty deep and there could be some splinters and such in there. I can only temporarily cover but he'll hafta get it cleaned by the doctor and stitched up properly," the medic talks to Severide; Casey's eyes merely fluttering at the contact of the bandage; his lungs greedily drinking in the fresh oxygen via the mask. He slowly opens his watery blue eyes and looks up at Severide watching him in concern.
"Sorry," Severide offers with a heavy frown; the medic looking up in wonder but Casey's eyes closing without so much as a nod; a just penance for his unwilling actions. The rest of the ride to the hospital is spent in silence; the small pangs of guilt in Severide's stomach starting to morph into stronger feelings of anguish and remorse as he looks at his friends darkened face with a heavy frown.
"You'll hafta wait out here," the medics tell Severide as Casey's body, still strapped to the stretcher is whisked past into the next available ER surgical bay.
"Kelly what happened to Matt?" Dawson asks in haste as he turns back with a small, angry curse.
"Took a fell…he's ok…"
"What?"
"He's okay!" Severide snaps before he quickly pulls back with a heavy groan. "He took a fall and cut his side but he's fine…he's fine," he huffs as he pulls away; catching Shay's wondering glance seconds before he blocks that out also. He heads back to the ER doors, pacing in front and not noticing when the two female paramedics took their leave.
"Damn it…" Severide curses to himself. "What if he had been worse…what if…" and suddenly the dreaded what if scenario's that he had tried to push aside and ignore for so long were now flooding his mind with real world situations and questions; one of them being answered a few moments earlier. What if something happened to one of the team and it was his fault? What if one of the team's lives were in his hands and in that moment he failed them? What if they…died…and he was to blame?
"Lieutenant Severide?"
"Where is he?"
"Resting….bed 23. I was told to tell you he's okay. He's got a pretty nasty cut on his right side that will take a few days to heal. Was worse than it looked so it'll healer faster than expected. Some cuts and bruises but nothing is broken. But he asked not to be disturbed."
"Right…thanks," Severide nods as he watches the nurse walk away; his head shaking in anger and his lips muttering another miserable curse. He waits until the nurse disappears behind the two swinging doors to make his move, slowly heading toward the right and slipping in through the staff entrance; giving a friendly nod to the security guard as he heads toward the patient recovery beds.
"Doctor, can I get…" Casey tries to sit up and then bites back a wince from his heavily bandaged side and slumps back down; looking at the person coming in past the curtain with a somewhat cross expression. "Where's the doctor?" Casey asks with a dry swallow; his brow slightly furrowing and taking with it a few small pieces of soot and dried blood from a bandaged cut about an inch to the right.
"Two beds down. Matt look…"
"I'm fine okay? You wanted to see how I was to appease your guilt…"
"Okay I feel guilty…is that what you wanted to hear?" Kelly asks sharply and then backs down; his eyes looking at the defeated expression on Casey's face and feeling instant remorse taking over.
"Where's the doctor?"
"He's busy," Severide replies meekly as he looks down at his boots and then back up. "I came to see how you are."
"I asked not to be…"
"Yeah well I ignore that."
"I'm sore," Casey's head slumps back on the pillow as he looks at Severide eyeing the thick bandage on his chest. "Tore my right side…on the fall…when I slipped."
"Slipped? We both know I couldn't hold you. So just say it now and be done with it."
"Fine I told you the other day about you having a problem with it and us all having a problem with it and you dropped me and I'm damn well lucky I only tore my side and didn't die. You wanted to hear that?"
"I went to…"
"Then get a second opinion!" Casey snaps as he slightly coughs, his right side pulling as his body tries to twist for the small blanket as he feels a shiver starting to consume him.
"I will!" Severide snaps back as they both stare at each other in a small heated showdown; both of them dropping their voices as they are reminded of their less than private surroundings. "I'm sorry okay…I'm sorry…"
"What if it had been the grandmother…or the child…an innocent person could have died. You want to deal with this on your own and cover it up then fine…do that…but not on my watch. What happens next time when it's more than one story? And the fall isn't…."
"I get it. I don't need to hear…"
"Another lecture about how I could have died?" Casey challenges directly; the two of them squaring off once again with tight words and glaring gazes.
"Fine you want me to quit is that it?"
"I want you to get help! Is that too much to ask?" Casey retorts.
"Getting help is quitting! So yes maybe it is!"
"What happens next time if…" is all Casey manages before Severide's head nods in agreement and his hands come up to stop Casey's next few words from being uttered.
"Someone dies."
"Exactly. There could be other altern…"
"I'm sorry," Severide utters once more as the doctor finally comes through the other side of the curtain. Casey watches Severide disappear behind the other side; leaving him and the doctor alone in the small recovery room.
"Okay here are your…" the doctor stars to explain about the care for the surgical dressing; to take it easy for the next week at least – no heavy lifting, straining or pulling until the stitches were removed and then he'd have to make sure the fresh skin wasn't reinjured.
Casey takes the small packet from the doctor and waits for him to leave before slowly removing himself from the bed and reaching for his sweater, wanting to get home, take a shower and then do as little as possible. As he sits in the back of the cab on the ride home, his mind now thinks back to his tense discussion with Severide. He was angry over the whole incident but once again saw the same fear as earlier when he reminded his friend that he could have been the one to die at his hands. An alternative….there are always alternatives…he recalls wanting to tell Severide that before he left in a heated huff.
"Thanks," Casey remarks as he hands the cab driver some bills and then heads for the door to his darkened home; his body yelling at him to just get inside and collapse on the couch. After he washes the soot from his face and downs a glass of water, when he gets in that's exactly what he does; the shower on hold. He heads into the living room, turns up the dial on the gas fire place to keep the nervous shivers at bay and then slumps down into the nearest easy chair.
"Ahhh…" Casey's lips groan as his right side brushes up against the firm arm; the bandaging pressing into the fresh stitching and sending shooting pains all the way down to his feet. Just take a deep breath and relax his brain commands as he leans toward his left side and then reaches for the remote.
He looks at the time and frowns; his stomach urging him to get something to eat but his limbs too tired to actually find the motivation to get into the kitchen and cook. He flips aimlessly for about the next half hour until a soft knock is heard at the door; prompting him to utter a heavy sigh as he slowly gets up and goes to open it.
But as he pulls open the door, he stares at the last person he ever expected to see tonight.
"I couldn't find any cooked ass so I brought Chinese instead," Severide lightly jokes as he holds up a small takeout bag. "Peace offering?"
"Come in," Casey slightly smirks as he turns and heads back inside; skipping the living room and wandering back toward his kitchen, opening the fridge and reaching for two beers. But when he turns back he sees Severide hovering in the doorway not moving. "You are staying right?"
"I'm sorry…Matt what you said and then when you fell…I was angry earlier…but at myself. When you fell…I couldn't live with myself if you had died or one of the family had died and it was my fault. I just didn't…I'm sorry. You were right. If there is an issue for one of us…there's an issue for all of us."
"You left before I could ask about alternatives," Casey holds out the beer and then gestures for Severide to put the food on the table.
"I wasn't wanting to listen."
"And now?"
"You want me to stay?"
"I'm not angry…"
"Yes you are."
"Fine I'm angry and a bit disappointed. We both love this job and our teams but we need to be up front with each other because we can't have a repeat of today. We just can't. So you can take your coat off…sit and eat…this," Casey smirks. "And we can just…talk. The choice is yours now."
"Well I did just get here."
"Yes you did."
"And there's no hockey on right?"
"No there's not," Casey smirks as he heads for the cupboard and pulls out two plates and then some cutlery; slowly sitting down opposite Severide. "So…alternatives?"
Severide looks at him with a heavy frown. He hadn't expected to be drawn into a conversation with anyone other than Shay about his injury; much less sit and talk alternatives with a caring and concerned friend. But Casey's right. What affects him; affects them all on the job. And in light of his actions that nearly got Casey really injured or worse, he knows he owes him a little bit more than just a hearing ear. A discussion was in order. It was time to let it all out into the open; get a new and fresh perspective on things. He thinks back to the night before with him and Casey rescuing Vargas; but tonight…tonight he knows it's Casey who's going to rescue him.
"Alternatives…yeah. Okay so here's the real story…"
THE END!