WOW!

Thanks to each and everyone of you for your nice reviews. I am totally amazed and so I decided to give you more than only this chapter...if you are interested? :o)
Haven't decided how deep I will sink into the story and create a big background. Maybe one more chapter...maybe two or maybe a lot more...I will think about it.

Please let me know what you think. Again THANK YOU to all of you! Hope to hear from you!

Chapter 2 – How to save a life

The two teams emerged out of the trucks as soon as they came to a hold at the Henry Scott building. Smoke was escaping through the big front entrance doors. People where running out of the building in what felt like every possible direction.

"Due to the house mechanics the fire started in the engine room and is mostly located in the basement. The evacuating is in progress as you can see. All four elevators are stuck. Reports say that there was an alarm in elevator 4.", Chief instructed while Severide nodded slowly.

"Casey where are you?", he cursed while looking around. There where still dozens of people storming out of the building. He knew Casey. If he was still in there he would try his best to get everyone out save and to locate the fire.

"Okay, so here is what I need..." Severide started his instructions. "Otis, Herrmann, Mills, Cruz, Shay with me. Let's take a look if there is still anyone in this elevators."

"Anyone in here? This is the Chicago Fire Department!", Severide called out into the first elevator shaft while Otis was working on the second one. He knew that he had to make sure by climbing down that no one was still inside but for now he just called out to look out if anyone was in immediate assistance for help.

"Anyone, seen Casey yet?" Severide asked into his radio.

"No nothing." several reviews came back while Severide stopped in his movements. Something was really off. He would have at least let them know that he was in this building if he was able too.
He knew that they had big problems since Dardens death but all these things couldn't wash away the deep bound that they always had and right now he knew that something must have happened to his best friend for years. It made him sick immediately. He couldn't loose Casey. They had to find him. They had to make sure that he was okay.

Inside the elevator Dawson nearly panicked as she got her hand back wet after feeling for Casey's pulse. She smelled at her hand not able to see if it was blood or sweat. As she recognized it was blood she breathed out to calm herself down before touching Casey's head lightly to see where the bleeding came from. He must have banged his head as they had crashed to the floor of the elevator. She hadn't recognized it earlier. Hopefully it wasn't affecting his condition in a bad way even more.

After evacuating two people from elevator two and clearing elevator three Severide continued to open the doors to the shaft of elevator four.
"This is the Chicago Fire Department. Is there anyone down there?", Severide called out with his strong voice.

Inside the elevator Dawson widened her eyes as she heard the screaming of metal somewhere in the elevator shaft. She knew that it was a good sign. It had to be because Caseys condition wasn't getting any better. He was still unconscious.

Dawson knew that she had never been this glad to hear Severide voice before.

"Severide!", she called out while Severide eyes widened as well.

"Dawson is that you?"

"Yes! We need help!"

"Is Casey with you."

"Yes. You need to hurry. He is in pretty bad shape."

"What?", Severide asked shocked. He wasn't prepared for anything like that. He couldn't loose another friend. Not Casey.

"I need Shay to stay ready for us."

"Dawson I can barley hear you. I am coming down.", Severide calls before getting to his radio.

"We found Casey and Dawson. Casey is in bad shape. I need every available hand up here right now.", Severide orders while nodding at Herrmann before slipping down into the completely dark elevator shaft.

He knew that he had to keep it together. As a Lieutenant the rest of the team needed him. Normally he always had Casey for backup if he was losing it. He knew that the other Lieutenant was able to run the Squad if he would lose it but for now it was on him and only on him. With Casey in need he had to keep calm.

Severide lost no time as he got his hold on the elevator and opened the small entry shining his flashlight into the little cabin shocked to see Casey laying there motionless with Dawson keeping his legs up.
"I need Shay to get oxygen over a mask down here now. She needs to keep the defibrillator ready just in case his condition drops when we get him up."
Severide could feel his heart beat rising even more as he let Dawsons words sink in just for a second. This was bad.

"Shay I need oxygen down here now. Get the defibrillator ready.", Severide orders while he could hear the muffled sounds of cursing from the remaining firefighters.

"I need a neck brace too. He banged his head pretty badly."
"Shay neck brace. Hurry.", Severide ordered while he waited for the stuff to come down to his position.
"Dawson tell me what's going on. I need to know if he is going to be okay." Severide pleads during the short waiting time shining the flashlight into Caseys unresponsive face.

"He got a bad panic attack and drifted into shock. He should be fine if we get his blood pressure, breathing and heart rate back under control soon."

"A panic attack?" Severide asked surprised.
"Severide sending the oxygen down first. Neck brace following. Do you need me to come down there?"
"No we got it covered. Get prepared when he gets up."

Severide holds his hands up as the oxygen tank is nearing him handing it down inside the elevator ASAP before getting the neck brace.

"Do you need my help?"

"No. I got him. We can bring him up there. Tell the guys not to waste any time."

"Okay. I will send the rescue harness down now. Will you get him secured?" Severide asked again while Daswon looked up to him.

"I got him, okay?"

"Sure."
After getting the neck brace around Caseys neck and fixating the oxygen tank, Dawson attached Matt to the rescue harness carefully.

"Ready. Get him up."

"Get him up!", Severide called out while the man started to heave on the rescue harness. Together with Dawson Severide made sure that Casey made it save out of the little exit on the top of the elevator. As he got higher Severide grabbed him carefully while looking straight into Caseys face fighting back the urge to shack him, to scream at him. He wanted to talk to him. To make sure that he was okay. Instead he just stared into Caseys ghost white face, half covered by the oxygen mask and a mixture of sweat and blood.

Severide led go of Casey while watching him being pulled closer to the open elevator doors.

"He is coming up. Careful now. Slow down. I got him." Hermann called while grabbing for his fallen friend.

"Lieutenant." he said clearly troubled while Cruz and Mills gave him a hand to lay Casey down on the prepared stretcher. Hermann knew that he had to continued doing his job but he had to swallow hard. Their Lieutenant was always there for them. Making sure they stay save. Seeing him like this was nearly more than he could take.

"Hermann. Get the line back down here!", he heard Severide call out and hurried towards the shaft again.

Shay breathed out as they got Casey onto the stretcher. Even if she didn't know what had happened she ripped of his shirt attaching Casey to a monitor immediately. His heart rate and blood pressure made her look up in shock. She needed to stabilize him and get his completely messed up vitals under control right now.

As soon as Dawson could feel her feet touch the ground again she hurried towards Caseys unconscious frame. While Shay took care of his vitals Dawson grabbed the flashlight to control Caseys pupils to make completely sure he hadn't suffered a head trauma too.
"We need to get him to the hospital. He is pretty unstable."

"I know." Dawson answered while meeting with Shays worried eyes for a second. She couldn't break down now. Not here. Not now. Not before Matt was save again.

Severide rushed over to them as soon as his boots touched the ground again hurrying watching helplessly as Casey was treated.
"He will be okay. I am sure he will be." Hermann offered while clapping on his back lightly.

While Shay was driving Dawson's didn't let go of Matt's hand. She knew that Matt would be alright now that they had all the medical equipment to help him through this.

At the hospital.

"Ambulance on the way. 2 minutes. Male firefighter, problems with heart rate, blood pressure, head wound, shock." small information's where giving as Haley headed towards the ER doors.

"What ambulance?", Haley asked. She was always afraid even if she and Matt had fallen apart and where over now. She was still worried that some day would be the day her former worst nightmare became the truth.

"Truck 61."

Haley closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.

It wouldn't be Matt.

….to be continued! :o)

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