Opening his eyes, he wanted to fall back asleep, but he couldn't. Reality came back to him and he realized he was still in the same hell he was in yesterday. His shoulder was hurting, probably from spending the whole night on his side. His back also hurt way more than yesterday and he wondered if they had reduced the morphine. He closed his eyes again, thinking about everything that had happened, although he still was unable to believe it. What if he didn't regain feeling in his legs? He would never be a fire fighter again. The door opened and he peeked through his eyelashes. Severide put down a bag in the corner of the room, ready to walk out again.
''Hey'' Severide turned around, surprised.
''hey, sorry, I didn't want to wake you this early.
''Don't worry, I was awake.'' Severide sat down next to his bedside again.
''How are you feeling today?'' Severide said, a little awkward.
''A little better.'' Casey lied, hoping to make Severide a bit more comfortable, to make him stay with him a little longer.
''That is great to hear.'' He smiled, not sure if he should believe what Casey said. ''I hope you aren't mad at Boden for giving me and Shay the spare key of your House, the one from your office, he didn't know who else could get your things for you. I also hope we took the right things.'' Only when he had to devide what was important to take for Casey, he had realized that he didn't even know his colleague so well at all.
''Thank you very much.''
Severide gave him a nervous smile. ''No problem.'' He stood up. ''I should go to the station, I hadn't expected you to be awake, sorry.''
Casey nodded. ''It is fine, please tell everybody I said hi.'' Severide nodded. For a second, Casey doubted if he could ask Severide if he could come again tonight, but he didn't dare to.
''Bye.'' Severide raised his hand, walked out.
…
''Severide!'' He had just walked into the station when Boden walked after him. ''Did you bring Casey his stuff this morning?'' Severide nodded. ''He was awake, felt a little better, at least that was what he said, he still seemed very gloomy.''
Boden nodded. ''Was there anybody else with him?'' Severide shook his head. ''I don't think so.''
Boden nodded, deep lines around his mouth. ''Poor boy, he shouldn't be alone right now.''
''I was thinking of visiting him tonight again.'' No, he hadn't, but Boden was right, he shouldn't be alone in his situation. Boden nodded. ''I know you are loyal. Thank you, Severide.''
Honestly, he had no idea who else would go to visit Casey. Sure, Shay would come with him if he asked her, Dawson maybe, Hermann and Otis maybe, but Casey didn't have best friends in the station, like he had Shay. Somehow, Casey had always been the guy that everybody liked, but didn't have real best friends. Sure, people liked him, when they went out for a beer, he never stood alone and people liked to talk with him, but it were always shallow conversations about sports and the news, but as soon as everybody went home, nobody really wondered what he would be doing when he got home, they would see him on the job again. He was never the person to pull the attention to him; he even tried to avoid it. It had been five months before they had known he was also a contractor in his free time, when somebody had noticed it was on his pick-up. He would have never told them himself, just because he never told something about himself and everybody knew him that way. Only when he had entered his house yesterday, he found out that Casey was really into music. At least, there were several posters hanging around his house, even though they were in less striking corners and when he had been packing in shirts for Casey, he had seen the large pile of T-shirts with bands on them and it had surprised him, since Casey always seemed to be walking around in plain t-shirts. The biggest surprise had been the bass-guitar standing in the small gap between his closet and the bedroom wall.
His thoughts were suddenly intermittent by the alarm and he rushed towards his squad when he heard the call.
…..
It seemed so strange, Hermann leading the group instead of Casey. He looked at the family to whom the house on fire and was so glad they got them all out. Shay and Dawson tookt he son with them to the hospital, just to make sure he was fine, since he had been breathing a lot of smoke before they got him out.
After Shay and Severide finished their shift they went to the hospital. After buying the biggest bunch of flowers they could find, they walked through the corridor.
''How do you think he is?''
Severide shrugged. ''He didn't say very much, except it doesn't look very roseate for him.'' Shay swallowed loud next to him. Carefully, they peeked in the room, afraid to startle or wake Casey.
''Shay?'' He seemed surprised to see her when she walked in first, but also happy. ''What are you doing here?''
''Making sure you got the hi returned to you from this morning.'' Shay smiled, trying to stay positive. Severide followed him inside. ''Making sure they dressed you up in your own clothes instead of the hospital dress.'' He said, pointing at the Led Zeppelin T-shirt that was around his upper body now, which could be well seen now he was laying on back.
''Can you manage lying on your back? Doesn't it hurt?'' Casey smiled. ''Not really, they give me enough morphine to manage.'' Severide sat down at the chair he had been sitting this morning as well, while Shay grabbed the other chair of the corner.
''Did you regain any feeling?'' Severide finally asked after a few silent seconds.
Casey shook his head, looking at his own legs under the blanket. ''No, but they also told me..'' He bit his lip. '''That I shouldn't really hope to be walking again.'' He said, looking at Severide, his blue eyes slowly filling with tears. ''Don't give up hope yet.'' Shay said, laying her hand on his. ''I am sure it will all be fine.''
Casey nodded, didn't really seem to believe it. ''Thank you for picking up my stuff, by the way. I am really happy you did.'' He said then.
''I took this for you, before I forget. I am not sure if you like the music on here, but I figured you would be bored in here.'' Shay handed him her IPod. Casey carefully smiled; knowing his own hadn't survived the snow and the fall.
''I saw the posters in your house and I guess there are at least a few songs on there you like.'' Shay said, hoping he would find some comfort in the music.
''I love the Scorpions!'' He smiled. ''Thank you very much Shay.''
Severide smiled, glad Shay had thought about it, since they had just found out that he liked music.
''Did anybody else visit you yet?'' Severide asked, hoping somebody else already had. Just like Boden, he really didn't like the idea of Casey having to deal alone with all of this.
''Not yet, but somebody is coming to visit me tomorrow.''
''Who?''
His face got a little red. ''Hallie. She asked if she could come and I figured it would be nice to have somebody over. ''
Severide nodded. ''Sure.'' But honestly, he wasn't so sure, somehow he got the itches when people suddenly met up with their exes again, while he had actually done that before too.
''I am going to get something to drink. Do you want something?'' Shay said, looking up to the boys.
Casey shook his head. ''A coffee.'' Severide smiled. ''Why do I even asked.'' Shay rolled with her eyes and walked away.
''Severide?''
''You can say Kelly, remember?''
Casey nodded, not really reacting to what Severide said. ''The doctors told me today that my spinal cord is damaged. I just didn't want to tell you with Shay here. I am not going to walk again.'' He said, not looking at Severide, but at his own fingers, which was were nervously plucking the blanket. '' I mean, I tried to say it very subtle, but I don't want to shatter her hopes, but I shouldn't have any hope left.'' He said, gloomy, but not crying this time. Kelly figured he had been crying the whole afternoon.
''I am sorry. I know I should tell you to keep hope, but I know you like to be realistic. I am sorry, Matthew.''
Casey nodded, still looking at the blankets. ''Thank you.''
''Do you want me to tell the station? Or do you want Boden to tell?''
''I prefer them not knowing at all yet. I already called Boden right before you came. I just don't want the rest the know yet.''
Severide nodded. ''Promised. But promise me that you will call me if you need somebody to talk to, or even somebody to yell to.''
Casey finally looked up to him. ''Are you sure?''
''Of course, why shouldn't I want you to call me?''
Casey shrugged his face immediately in pain as it hurt the wound on his back. . ''Don't know, guess I always have been looking up to you.''
Severide opened his mouth. ''Tell me that that was a joke. Why would you look up to me?''
''I don't know exactly why, I just always have been. ''
''Never do that again. We are equal, you are even a damn lot smarter than me.''
''And you are a damn lot better at social life….and girls.''
''But you have been engaged and I have one night stands.''
''But we broke u and she still was my high school sweetheart. When a girl talks to me I nearly crap in my pants.'' He chuckled.
''And when a girl says the word 'relationship' I run away, screaming with my arms up in the air.'' Severide said with a big smile. At least, with most girls that was the truth.
''But still we don't fear running into burning, collapsing buildings.'' Casey said with an actual smile on his face.
''Aren't we fire fighters a strange bunch.''
''I can't even imagine that I don't belong in fire house 51 anymore.'' Casey mumbled, his smile disappearing instantly.
''Don't imagine, you will always belong in fire house 51. You will always remain a fire fighter.'' Severide laid his hand on Casey's shoulder, hoping his words would reach him.
Casey looked down at his legs again, silent. ''Thank you'' he mumbled then, slowly.
''For what?''
''For being here for me. ''
Shay came walking in, realized she wandered into a conversation the two men wanted to have on their own. ''I will wait in the car. Hope to see you soon again, Matt!'' She handed Kelly his coffee, kissed Casey on his cheek and walked out.
''Matt, I just hope you realize you will always stay a fire fighter for station 51. You saved Boden's life! I know it must sound very crappy at this moment, but you are a hero, even if you might nog feel like one.''
Casey was silent again, still only moving his fingers.
''Do you want me to come back tomorrow? I guess you are tired.'' Severide asked, standing up. Casey nodded. When Kelly walked to door he finally looked up again. ''Thank you, Kelly.''
Severide turned around, smiled at Casey. ''See you tomorrow.''
….
NOTE: The start of their real friendship?
Awwww I am sorry that I didn't keep my promise of 2500 words. The chapter was 1950 words. Please have mercy, I only slept 1 hour last night and after that I had a 9 hour long work day, please have mercy! I already spend an hour sleeping on my keyboard, but I was so happy with the reviews I just wanted to finish the chapter. I hope it didn't make my already bad english even more worse.
So, I hope you like this chapter! Thanks again for all the reviews. I hope you can keep the reviews coming; they really encourage me and make me really really happy, especially when I read them at work! I try to respond to them as much as I can, but I haven't really had time for it yet, but I promise I will, because I really appreciate that you take the effort to review!
The next chapters will of course also give more information and so about his injury and the actual shooting, what will happen to the shooters, what is happening in fire house 51 etc, so I hope you keep on reading!
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