Hello dear readers!
As I won't update this week (or maybe at the end of the week), I wanted to give you a nive OS.
SUMMARY: On a call ina two floor building, the top floor exploded suddenly while Kelly Severide was searching any potential victims. With the building ready to collapse and Kelly pinned under a steel beams pile, the firefighters have to act quickly to release him before the worse.
DISCLAIMERS: I don't own any characters appearing on #OneChicago.
Have a very nice reading ^^
Kelly was coughing continuously. The taste of iron in his mouth was giving him the urge to vomit, but he was holding this wave of nausea because of the pain he might feel. His body was hurting so badly already and he didn't want to add any pain. Slowly, he aroused one by one his senses. He still hadn't opened his eyes, but his nose was working perfectly: his mask was broken and he was now breathing this impur, warm and dusty air from the building. He could fell his body pinned to the ground, his face against it, almost. His head was slightly elevated, placed on something hard and sharp lacerating his cheek despite his broken mask. Probably one of those steel beams trailing a few feets away from him somewhere, from what he remembered. He didn't know where he was, but he could tell that less than eighteen seconds had passed since his last move: his PASS device wasn't ringing yet. But he feared its coming. He didn't want to hear its piercing and invading cries, he didn't want any supplemental pain. Not yet, not today. He tried to feel his whole body, to know how he was, to find his position in space, to move, but nothing was working. He was as paralyzed. He then noticed that he was holding his breath since he stopped coughing. He took a deep breath, or he tried to take the risk. Just to end breathless as a new coughing fit hit him, making him agonize slowly. He decided then to open his eyes, to understand what happened. Slowly, his eyelids opened, but Kelly closed them immediately because of the sharp burn felt. He didn't see almost anything around him, but from what he glimpsed, he was indeed pinned to the ground because of some steel beams. He couldn't get himself free, he could do nothing. except quietly waiting his time. His time of death.
"Severide, report! Severide report!"
Boden was screaming on his radio for a few minutes, but Kelly wasn't responding. The second floor of the building in which they had been called just explosed. In his last report, Kelly was at this floor to find potential victims, Casey and his team searching on the main floor and the rest of the squad searching on the first floor.
"Casey, do you copy?"
These few following seconds seemed endless and painful for chief Boden. Until his radio let out a hiss.
"Yeah chief, I hear you. The second floor... Exploded".
"I know Casey. Severide was there".
"What?!"
Boden repeated, knowing that Casey had understood what he'd said and was just sharing his astonishment.
"He isn't answering my calls. Capp, do you copy?"
"Yes chief. I hear you too".
"You lead the search and rescue with Casey. Go up to the second floor and tell me what you see".
"Copy".
Casey turned to his men, still on the ground and in shock because of the explosion.
"Dawson, Herrmann, with me. The others, continue your search and get out. The building is unstable, it can collapse in any moment".
Everyone nodded and followed the orders. Gabby and Herrmann got up and joined Casey to go to the second floor, finding Capp and the squad company. They came upstairs together a few seconds later.
"Stop, stop!"
All froze, an Casey motioned to the team to remain calm and noiseless.
"You hear this?"
Far from them, there was a king of alarm. They recognized it: it was a PASS alarm. Matt's stomach sank. He knew what it meant. Either Kelly was unconscious, or he couldn't move an inch. In both cases, the situation was going to be difficult to manage. He concentrated on finding the origin of the alarm, following his ears by instinct. He climbed the last few steps in a hurry, heading towards the back of the room.
"Over here!"
Capp, Tony, Dawson and Herrmann followed Casey closely, running between what remained from the walls and the supporting beams. A dozen seconds later, after having create a passage, they saw a huge pile of steel bars. Casey was sure that this alarm was coming from this pile. He approached slowly, testing the solidity of the floor to see if it was stable enough to put some extra weight on it while the others were looking at him for any orders. He turned slightly, motioning to his colleagues that they could approach. The lieutenant turned then back to this metal pile and continued his approach carefully. Until seeing something that shocked him: a foot. Without thinking, he fidgeted, kneeling down.
"Sev!"
The others jumped while Matt was throwing himself to the ground.
"I need some light, hurry!"
They came beside him, lightening the small hole left by the fallen steel bars.
"Sev? Sev, you hear me?"
But all Casey could hear was the coughing fit from his best friend.
"Sev, try to stay calm, we'll get you out as soon as possible".
Raising his head toward Capp to have a point about the situation, the latter shook his head from left to right. Something was off, and Casey knew it. He then turned to Gabby and asked her to come closer.
"Keep an eye on him and try to calm him down. You got it?"
"Yeah".
Dawson took place where Casey was while he got up and asked Capp to explain the situation.
"These three steel beams are pinning him down. A fourth one is beneath his head and his neck is twisted. Two beams lead to a compound fracture of his right leg, and we don't know whether the third on his back is compressing his spine or not".
"We must check if there is no damage before attempting the rescue".
Capp slightly nodded while Matt bit his lower lip then looked down.
"If there is damage?"
"Then we'll try to get him out without aggravating his injuries".
"And if there's not?"
"We'll free him without creating any injuries".
Capp and Casey agreed on one thing: they had to get him out as soon as possible without making things worse.
"I trust you then. Get Kelly free, Dawson and I will keep him as calm as possible".
"Copy".
Capp gave his orders to his team while Matt headed again toward Dawson. He kneeled, placing a hand over her shoulder.
"How is he?"
"He's barely conscious, but responsive. We have to get him out soon".
"Capp iw working on it. We need to know if there is damage".
"D-damage?" Gabby questionned.
She heard Matt sigh, and saw him lower his head.
"One of the beams is possibly compressing his spine. We have to know", he finally managed to expain in a whisper.
"Ok, I get it".
Gabby gazed then at the hole, putting herself on her stomach to see Kelly and talk to him.
"Kelly? Can you move your fingers? From your left hand?"
In a desperate effort and agonizing, he tried to move his hand, but he couldn't. Nothing was working, nothing was going as planned. The other firefighters were looking at each other, their eyes filled with concern for their firend, but they said nothing. They didn't want to give him false informations and make him panic. If he began to fuss, then he would aggravate his injuries or kill himself.
"Kelly, stay calm okay? Take some slow, deep breaths", Casey advised.
But nothing was working to keep him calm. Kelly could feel the fear rising slowly and gradually in him. He couldn't help, it was stronger than him. Seeing this, Casey turned to Dawson to understand what was happening.
"He's in shock", she murmured into his ear. "He can't control his body, but we need to keep him calm".
Several seconds later, Matt nodded, understanding that his best friend was in critical condition.
"He needs oxygen", Dawson affirmed.
She grabbed her radio and turned it on.
"Borrelli? We need an oxygen mask and something to start a filling. Severide is in shoc and we don't know how much time is necessary to get him out".
"Got it Dawson. I'm coming up".
Jimmy immediately took the oxygen and a mask while Boden was still giving his orders and was still waiting for news from Casey and Herrmann.
"How is Severide?"
"Barely conscious. Three beams are preventing him from moving and breathing properly. His spine may be affected and a fourth one is twisting his neck".
The chief sighed while closing his eyes. Time was running out and he knew it. He turned to Brett.
"Brett, prepare everything so that Severide can be treated as soon as they get him out the building".
"Copy".
She hurried to prepare the stretcher, the monitor and all the necesaary equipment, including a splint: as she understood on the radio, Kelly had at least a broken leg, and it had to be secured. When Jimmy arrived to the second floor, he was guided by the lights placed on the way to reach Kelly and others. Capp and the squad were sawing off as they could one of the two beams blocking his leg, in vain so far. He continued to move forward Gabby and Casey. Seeing his approach, Casey rose and came to meet him.
"How is it going?"
"Not well", Matt admitted. "He had trouble breathing, he's barely conscious and in shock. We're trying to keep him calm he could worsen his injuries".
"I have oxygen, what to set up an IV and a dose of haldol, just in case".
Casey nodded, understanding that this slight sedative could help in keeping Kelly as calm as possible. He approached the hole, passing the non-rebreather mask to Gabby so that she could place him on Kelly's face. He pushed the oxygen to fifteen liters to give him the most fresh air he could the time for his team to free him. Then Jimmy tried to find the best place to hook Kelly to an IV: he took his radial pulse, but was surprised to not find one.
"No radial pulse", he confirmed in a whisper.
"There is another way to set up an IV?" Matt asked.
"There is the jugular way, but in his condition it wouldn't be optimal. And an IO is also out of question".
"What do we do then?!" Matt said impatiently.
Several seconds passed without any answer.
"I may have an idea", Gabby stated then, breaking the heavy silence. "We can set up an IO at his shoulder, in the head of the humerus".
"And you already did this Dawson?"
"No, but I know how to do this".
"And what if we fail?"
Gabby gazed at Borrelli.
"I won't fail", she affirmed.
Some seconds passed, the silence was just punctuated by noises from different machines asued to release Kelly.
"I will go find the kit".
"Bring a backboard. Once free, we must act quickly".
Jimmy nodded, running off and taking care to not fall because the building was still ready to collapse. Exiting the building, he went immediately to the ambulance, took one of the aid kits and the backboard, explaining nothing to Brett. She decided to stop him but she didn't: it was urgent and hse could see that. She said nothing, simply watching her coworker going back in the building as quickly as he had come to the ambulance. He climbed the stairs, hurry to reach the second floor and help. He continued to run, careful
He climbed the stairs two, hurry up to the second floor to help. He continued to run, paying attention to the many debris littering the ground, making his way toward Kelly and the other was still sewing off the first beam with his K12 with Tony while the others were trying to keep the floor stable, Matt and Gabby maintaining contact with Kelly to keep him calm. Jimmy threw the backboard to the ground, kneeled and opened the aid kit. He got out the IO kit and some bags of fluid for the filling. He passed then scissors to Gabby so that she could cut his shirt and reach his right humerus.
"Jimmy, the drill".
Within seconds, he passed it to her and took in hand the bags, ready to connect them to the cap asap. Gabby cleaned the area, palpating as she could to find the head of his humerus. Once done, she drilled until the cap was in place.
"I'm in!" she confirmed.
Borelli was quick to connect the bags and allow the precious liquid to flow inside his body. They waited a few minutes, Capp and Tony still harping on the first hardly begun beam. Gabby decided then to check any possible injuries to understand why he was already in shock. She removed her firefighter helmet and passed her hand in the hole to reach Kelly and palpated carefully his body. After several minutes, she straightened again and faced the parademic and her belove.
"So?" Matt asked, worry.
"Possible broken ribs, dislcoated left shoulder. That's why he can't move his left hand and why you didn't felt his ridal pulse. And the beam under his head is lacerating his cheek and is twisting his neck".
"If you pull out the steel beams, it will remove some weight on his neck and he could breathe better".
Jimmy and Gabby confirmed and looked Matt approach Capp and Tony.
"Tony! Can you sew off the beam on his back?" he screamed. "It will remove enough pressure and weight to see any damage to his spine and his neck!"
He nodded, stopped sawing the first beam with the K12 and came in position to sew the second one. He first changed the disc, then went back to work. Wanting to reassure his friend, Casey went back on his stomach to face Kelly. His blue eyes were set on him, filled with anxiety.
"Don't worry Sev. We'll get you out soon", he tried to reassure him.
He was still providing some reassuring words when Capp eventually shear the metal beam, asking the entire crew to come and help to lift the two pieces. Once done, Jimmy put a tourniquet on his leg to stop any bleeding, applied some gauze on the area of the open wound and banded it so that the wound wasn't in the air. Capp then came help Tony to cut the beam on Kelly's back while the others were clearing the rest of his body to turn him on his back once the beam removed. Ten minutes later, the beam was gave way under the assault of the two K12, and Capp asked some help from his colleagues. When it was done, it remained the beam under his broken leg and the one lacerating slowly his cheek. Borrelli secured then his leg to avoid any false move while everne waited Gabby to give the signal and turn Kelly. Kelly had still his eyes open, completely lost in the vacuum.
"Kelly? Kelly, look at me".
After a couple unfocussed seconds, he gazed at her.
"Can you move your right hand?"
With difficulty, Kelly complied. Finally. A huge sigh of relief invaded the room, Matt exhaling deeply.
"And you left foot?"
He took more time to move, but he did it. Gabby confirmed that there were no damage to his spine, relieving the other firefighters and chief Boden. She gave the signal to turn him, asking to be careful with his neck. During the process, Kelly cried in pain a few times, worrying his colleagues but hurting Matt's dignity: his cries were making him sick, but he held this wave of nausea to appear strong in the eye of everyone, including the eye of the woman he loved. Finally lying on the ground, they put him on the backboard and put on a necklace, secured him and went down the stairs carefully. Once out, Brett apporached them with the stretcher and the firefighters placed the backboard on it. She tore the rest of his shirt to take his vitals and check if he was stable enough to be transported.
"Pulse at 120, pressure at 10 over 6. He's stable".
Placing him in the ambulance, Matt watched them anxiously. He turned his head toward his chief, asking him something without talking. Boden nodded and Matt removed his SCBA and climbed into the ambulance with Brett, closing the door behind him. It was only upon his arrival in the ER, waiting for any news of his brother that Matt began to feel all the stress accumulated in this awful hour. He was tired, exhausted by this call, usual for him but so oppressive when the victim was a family member. He felt goose bump on his arms, his eyes were dangerously closing. A few minutes later, he came back to reality when all the firefighters arrived in the waiting room, as support. This second family around him had always been there for one of their own. It was heartwarming him. Gabby kissed him, caressing his arms to warm him as she could.
"Any news?"
Matt shook his head from left to right, looking down and sighing deeply. He never noticed that he hated this long wait before having news of a relative. They waited about another hour before seeing a doctor in a blue gown landing in the waiting room. Most of the firefighters just raised their head.
"You're here for Kelly Severide?"
"Yes", they answered almost at the same time.
"I see", the doctor said, smiling. "Can I talk to... Matthew Casey?"
Matt jumped slightly, surprised.
"yeah?"
The firefighters moved aside so that Matt could face the surgeon.
"Can we talk in a... A more suitable place?"
Matt looked around him, every firefighters. He turned again to the doctor and forced a smile.
"You're at the perfect place. My colleagues have also the right to know how is Kelly".
Both firm and calm, Matt was thanked by them. The physician finally gave up and sighed.
"Alright".
He took a deep breath.
"Your colleague got very lucky. He has a broken right leg, a dislocated left shoulder, some cracked ribs, a deep laceration on his left cheek and his muscles on his neck are slightly torn, but not much more".
A sigh of relief invaded each firefighter.
"And uh... And his back?"
"His back will be sore these next few days, but there is no damage to his spine or his spinal cord. If that's what you feared".
"And... We can go see him?"
"He just came out of surgery and he's still in the PACU, but I can bring one of you beside him".
Matt turned to the group, and all nodded slightly. He was the one who should go. Kelly was trusting him, and being beside him when he would wake up could only be beneficial.
"Go ahead Matt", affirmed Boden.
Matt turned back to the surgon and followed him. He brought him near a bed, the one in which Kelly would wake up soon. He sat, looking at his best friend's pale face. He still had an oxygen mask on his face, the nurses had wrapped his arm in a sling after having made sure that his shoulder was back at its place, his right leg was slightly elevated and surrounded by an external fixation to reduce the fracture. A thick bandage was covering the wound to avoid any contact with the air and any infection. His cheeks had been meticulously cleaned and sutured, a nurse had put a necklace because of his torn muscles and she just changed his IV bags.
"We're giving him some antibiotics because of his compound fracture. The bone had been in contact with the air and an infection can occur. He has a slight fever but I'm not even worried after what he went through. Please call for a nurse when he will wake up to provide him some care".
"No problem. Thanks doctor".
The doctor smiled, explaining to the fireman that there was no need to thank him and he was just doing his job. He then left him alone with Kelly. A few minutes later, he began to stir in bed. At least he tried. Matt sat up, placing his left hand on his right forearm and stroking it slightly.
"Kelly, don't move", he recommanded in a whisper.
Soon, he stopped his movements, listening to the voice. He frowned, and soon after, he opened his blue eyes. Everything was in fog and completely blurred, staring unfocussed.
"Sev? You hear me?"
Kelly then turned his attention to that voice, to the presence he could feel next to him, to his right. He tried again to turn his head, in vain: a sharp pain exploded at the base of his neck and he winced, gritting his teeth.
"Don't force", Casey murmured after he noticed the pain on his brother's face. "Don't worry, you're fine".
Matt raised his head, signing to the nurse. After thirty seconds, she approached and noticed Kelly's open eyes.
"Hello Mr. Severide, how are you feeling?"
Matt gave her the look. How she could ask how he was feeling in those conditions?
"Good", he finally managed to answer through the oxygen mask.
"Meaning in pain", Matt explained then in a forced smile.
"The next dose of painkiller will arrive within a few minutes", the nurse assured.
Matt found her very young, probably inexperienced. He didn't really like her and wanted the best for his brother. The nurse checked Kelly's vitals and his fever, then explained to Matt that the latter was stable. Then she took a small vial on a cart and came back near him.
"Waht is it?" Casye asked, both puzzled and worried.
"Eye drops. They're used to keep the cornea hydrated after trauma. His eyes had been in contact with dust and debris, it also can help to dislodge some tiny foreign bodies and lessen his blurry vision".
After a few seconds, Matt nodded while keeping an eye on Kelly and the nurse. He tightened his grip on his arm, continually murmuring soothing words so he let the nurse providing his care, which was not his style. The nurse finally left after his eye drops, and Matt could focus again exclusively on Kelly.
"You scared me, you know that?"
Matt smiled as he saw that Kelly's eyes were dangerously closing and he was struggling.
"Rest, you need this. I'll be there", he assured.
Slowly and with his eyes closed, Kelly managed to reach his little brother's hand, the one on his arm. Matt let him do it, gently and tenderly squeezing his. He smiled, watching him fall asleep peacefully again. He had once again one of the biggest fears of his life. But he was still there, still alive. Despite all they had been through, despite all the problems and injuries they'd faced. Andy and Shay were really watching over them. Always.