Okay so I figured as the comments where coming in slower and I got a lot of Dawsey questions that you guys really want to have some Dawsey RIGHT NOW and not wait any longer...did I get that right? So I thought about it and figured out a way to get you some Dawsey without interrupting the storyline that's so nicely placed in my head ;o) Hope you have fun with this chapter and of course I hope to read from all of you :o)
Chapter 7 - Hey
"You know that you need to talk to her, right?" Severide asked after the firehouse crew had finally left.
"I know but it's complicated."
"Yeah she keeps telling me the same. You are both complicated but one of you has to start."
"Can we talk about that later?" Casey asked, getting Severide to look at him closely.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Yeah just...I am tired." Casey admitted leaning back in his bed now. His voice had getting weaker and weaker and now it was just a whisper left.
"Okay. Rest up." Severide said before getting back into the chair beside Casey's bed.
"Sev, go home. Really. I am fine and you really need to rest too!" Casey pointed out.
"Ah I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
"Really?" Casey said giving Severide a look and they both had to laugh.
"Okay maybe you got a point with that."
"Go home. I promise I will let you know if I need anything or get board, okay?"
"You promise?"
"Of course."
As Severide got back to the hospital the next morning Casey was sitting in his bed, a magazine in his hands.
"So you are not board at all, right?" Severide said joking as he spotted the woman's magazine in Casey's hand.
"It's driving me..." Casey started but he had to stop as his voice trailed of completely.
"...crazy in here. Yeah I know. Glad your old friend Severide is here to get you all entertained." Severide filled his sentence.
"Mister Casey?" A voice interrupted their chat getting Severide to turn around to face Dr. Friedmann.
"I want to look at the wound on your neck to give you a proper update when we can release you and of course when you can get back to full duty."
Casey sat up completely in his bed while Dr. Friedmann and a nurse slowly got the thick bandage away from his throat.
Severide was standing directly near Casey, just in case his friend would need anything.
"Can you lean your head back a little? Slow and careful. It's going to hurt." Casey got his head back slowly while he could feel Severide's eyes on his face, searching for any kind of pain.
"Oh yes, it's healing really really good here. How is the pain?"
"Okay." Casey said not lying. He really felt okay.
"You can lower your head again." Dr. Friedmann ordered.
"So I want to be honest. It's like a small cut in a finger that always opens up when you move it and takes ages to heal. Same goes to that wound as you are normally constantly moving your head. We got this thick bandage around and I can just imagine the pain in your neck and your shoulders right now."
"Yes it's bad." Casey admitted feeling Severide's gaze on him. He had never told him that he was in pain constantly.
"I will just get some patches and then we will get a neck brace to get the pressure away from the wound and immobilize your head for a while longer. It's not going to be easy with your neck and your shoulders but it's the best we can do to get your wound to heal fast."
"When can I get out of here?" Casey asked, really not looking forward to the neck brace.
"Do you have someone around constantly?"
"Yeah me." Severide jumped in immediately.
"Then you can go home today after we get the neck brace on you and patched you up completely."
"Today?" Casey asked, his face lightening up immediately.
"Yes. And I think you should be back on full duty about two weeks from now. It's just the cut that needs some more healing but it's really looking good."
With the neck brace around his neck Casey was glad as he could finally sit down on his own couch as soon as they entered the apartment. His eyes fell on the pictures of Dawson and him, on their things...
Severide noticed the change in Casey's mood immediately.
"Why don't you give her a call and tell her you are home?"
"Because this was all her decision. She could have visited me in the hospital, we could have talked...She made her decision Kelly."
"You think so? I am pretty sure she is waiting for you to give her a call."
"Can we talk about that later?"
"You keep asking me that a lot when the subject comes to Dawson."
"Maybe I don't want to talk about it."
"But it's slowly eating you up from the inside Matt. I am not to blind to see that."
"Yeah whatever. We got a beer here? Could use one to celebrate coming home after getting my throat cut."
"Pretty sure about that."
Severide raised his eyebrows before hurrying towards Matt as he spotted him getting out of his living room with blankets and pillows on his arms.
"Hey. Let me take this. What are you doing?" He asked, taking the blankets and pillows out of Matt's struggling arms.
"I just...I can't sleep in there."
"So you decided to sleep on the couch? You are seriously injured...can I just remind you of that little fact?"
"I can't sleep in there." Casey said again.
"Fine than take my bed or better YOUR bed as it's still your guestroom."
"Couch is fine."
"No! Couch is not fine. Don't be so stubborn." Casey exhaled deeply following Severide into the guestroom.
"You want to sleep like that?" Severide asked after walking into the room to get some of belongings.
"It's pretty hard to get changed with this thing on. I can barely move." Casey admitted, laying down fully dressed.
"Oh come on. You can not sleep in that shirt and with jeans on. I will give you a hand." Severide said moving towards Casey.
"You don't need to do that."
"I know but that's what friends are for right? Okay we will start with the pants. I will just get it out of your room." Severide said returning just seconds after. He helped Casey change his trousers before making eye contact again.
"Okay I will get that neck brace away now. Don't move your head. I will do all the work just hold it perfectly still. I don't need you bleeding out on me alright?"
"Okay." Casey said trying his best not to move. Severide worked quickly and carefully and soon he was dressed in a T-Shirt, the neck brace perfectly in place again.
"So how did we do that huh?" Severide said smiling like a little child on Christmas eve.
"Thank you."
"You are welcome."
"No I really mean it Kelly. Thank you for everything you are doing for me."
"I am glad I can pay you back a bit." Severide said before slapping Casey's back lightly but receiving a wince from his friend.
"How bad is the pain?" He asked immediately.
"Bad."Casey answered truthfully.
"Anything I can do about it?"
"No. But I think it's a good idea to stay in this bed."
"Yeah I think it is."
"See you tomorrow."
"Alright. If you need anything just call. I will be here in an instant."
"Thanks."
As Matt woke up the next morning he had problems to focus on his surroundings, feeling that his blood pressure was way to low. He sat up in his bed and tried to ignore the lack of sleep he had gotten due to the undeniable pain in his shoulders and his neck. He tried to stretch himself a bit, failing miserably.
Slowly he hung his legs out of the bed, waiting for his blood pressure to stabilize so he could make his way to the kitchen without breaking down. He knew that he should call for Kelly but he was pretty sure that he was out for his morning run at this time of the day.
Matt climbed out of his bed slowly, carefully paying attention to the signals his body was sending him. Small sparks began to dance in front of his eyes so he sat back down onto the bed, cursing. His arms felt heavy, almost as if they wouldn't belong to his body anymore and still his vision was dizzy. The doctor had told him that it could happen that he would probably feel dizzy as a reaction from his body to the blood loss and as a reaction of his head being immobilized for such a long period of time.
He could hear someone in the living room and didn't hesitate to call out for Kelly. He knew that he would probably double over when he tried to get up again. He just felt miserable.
"Kelly!" Matt called again while the door opened slowly.
"It's me." He could hear Gabby's voice before he could see her.
"Kelly is out for his run I think. I heard you call, you okay?" Gabby asked taking in the image of her Lieutenant, of her fiancee. Matt tried desperately to think but he couldn't shake her off and keep sitting here until Severide would return.
"No." He said truthfully while Gabby now got into the room.
"You look pale." She said, her hand reaching out to touch his face but stopping halfway, lowering it again.
"Got into trouble with my blood pressure." Matt said, squeezing his eyes shot as another wave of dizziness hit him.
"Hey, keep looking at me." Gabby said now grabbing Matt's arm.
"Come on, lay back down slowly. I will get our first aid kid and take your blood pressure, okay?" Gabby said before helping Matt to lay back down.
She returned just seconds after with their first aid kid.
"You still with me?" She asked, getting Matt to open his eyes.
"Yeah." Gabby took his blood pressure looking down at the numbers the monitor was showing her before touching Matt's wrist, searching for a pulse.
"It's not your blood pressure. It's stable." Gabby said before touching Matt's forehead. He was covered in cold sweat but she couldn't find any signs of a fever.
"Are you in pain?" She asked trying to find out what was going on with Matt.
"I can't move with this damn neck brace." He said.
"Can you get back up for me?" She asked, helping Matt to sit back up. Dizzy spots where immediately starting to dance in front of his eyes.
"Matt? Keep talking to me." Gabby said, listening as Matt mumbled something she couldn't understand. She touched his shoulders, getting him to wince. They where hard like stones.
"Your muscles are sore. Wait a second." She said before hurrying outside of the room, grabbing a chair from the kitchen and placing it in front of a wall in the guest room before getting back to Casey's side.
"Come on I will help you back up slowly." She helped Matt to his feet who was holding onto her to not collide to the floor.
"I got you. I got you." She said pressing against him with her whole body.
"Keep talking to me." She begged.
"I'm good." Matt said after a few seconds and Gabby could feel that he was holding himself upright again. She guided him towards the nearby wall, placing him onto the chair and leaning him with his head against the wall.
"I want you to press your head against the wall, I will get that neck brace off of you but I need you not to move."
"Do it." He said while he could feel Gabby removing the neck brace.
"Do not move even if it's painful, you hear me?" Gabby said, brushing her hand over Matt's neck, getting him to nearly scream.
He was clearly in a lot of pain and Gabby exhaled deeply, trying to think what was going on with Matt.
….to be continued!
So I hope you like this little idea :o)
