Gabby didn't walk out of Kelly's room. She pulled up a chair and watched the sleeping lieutenant studying his face, watching his chest rise and fall, keeping an eye on the monitors. Casey joined the paramedics after sending Boden home. He had a quizzical look on his face.
"Hey, you can go home now, Gabby. You don't have to stay anymore. We appreciate it, but..." Casey cocked his head to the side shrugging his shoulders as if to say, "what gives?"
"You sure you're okay?" Dawson asked Matt, getting up to give him a hug. She was genuinely concerned for Casey. That weary look on his face, those clear blue eyes clouded with worry...he had the haggard look of someone completely worn out, desperately needing sleep.
Shay looked the same, curled up in a ball in the small chair. Closing her eyes for a few minutes then jumping up the second she heard a monitor go off.
Her friends needed her, Dawson told herself. She was staying. The fact that Severide sent her away didn't sit well with the brunette either. He basically said go to Casey, be with Casey, forget about me...at least that's what she heard. And that made her want to do the exact opposite.
Kelly was the same way. Seeing Gabby at his bedside, doing what? Rubbing his head? Comforting him? All that after she said he meant nothing to her, he was a huge mistake...at least that's what he heard.
It made him want to send her away straight into Casey's waiting arms. Yes, pot meet kettle.
Gabby hugged Matt tightly hooking her arms around his waist, all the while looking at Kelly over Casey's shoulder. His chest seemed to be rising and falling more rapidly. Up and down, up and down quicker and quicker.
Shit, he's in distress thought Dawson just as one of his monitors began beeping loudly. Shay was up at his side calling for a nurse. Dr. Franks must have been doing rounds because he was in the room immediately.
"Get me a chest tube!" he barked at a nurse. "There's air in the chest cavity, lung's fully collapsed. C'mon, c'mon!"
Kelly couldn't catch his breath, couldn't breathe. The more he sucked in air, the more desperate he became, his chest panting at such a fast pace. His eyes searching the room for someone to help him. He would have screamed out if that were possible, but he didn't even have enough breath to make a sound.
Shay was at one side holding his hand whispering in his ear, telling him he was going to be okay, to try to calm down. Casey and Dawson stood behind her watching helplessly, torn apart by the pleading in Kelly's eyes to do something, anything to help him.
The doctor moved at a frenzied pace pulling Kelly's gown off his shoulders exposing his chest. He pulled part of the heavy bandaging away revealing a raw line of stitches across part of his patient's chest. Gabby winced knowing the pain that went along with the injuries on Kelly. Doctor Franks rubbed some betadine to the side of the surgery site and quickly inserted the chest tube.
Instant relief. Kelly's lungs could fill with oxygen again. They were burning like hell, but he could breathe. His body went slack as the tension in his muscles somewhat released. He saw his three friends gathered around his bed, all looking like hell. He tried to tell them he was fine, to go home, to get some sleep. Nothing came out, breathing so labored, words impossible. The doctor gave him an extra shot of morphine allowing Kelly to go completely limp.
"This is not unexpected," explained Dr. Franks. "The chest tube's going to help things along. We'll take it out in a day or two. You all can get those looks off your faces. Your friend's prognosis hasn't changed. He's going to be okay. It's just slow going." The doctor gave Casey a pat on the back as he left.
"That was scary," said Shay slumping back in her chair not taking her eyes off her roommate.
"Damn scary," agreed Casey. "Get back up. I'm taking you home, Shay. You need to shower, sleep a little. We'll be back tomorrow."
Shay didn't want to leave, but she knew Casey was right. She looked at Dawson and had the strangest feeling that she was leaving Kelly in good hands. The look on Gabby's face was pretty transparent. She obviously cared for the man in the bed. Where that would lead, Shay had no idea. She still didn't see this ending well for Kelly, but she would help him deal with the fallout later. In the right here and now, Shay was going to leave the two for the night.
She went to Kelly's side and kissed him on the forehead. Rubbing his temple, she whispered an "I love you" in his ear. She hugged Gabby on the way out and whispered, "Call me if anything changes. Anything at all. Please take care of him."
"You got it," answered Dawson painfully aware of the confused stare from truck's lieutenant. She decided at that exact moment that Casey deserved better, that he would have to be told. Later. Definitely later.
After the two left, Gabby settled in for the night in Shay's chair. She closed her eyes and tried to let her body relax a little. No luck. She heard every sound he made, a fitful night, in pain, in and out of consciousness. Dawson ended up at Kelly's side more than in the chair.
She tried the washcloth trick he seemed to take comfort in the last time she'd tended to him. She smiled a little thinking of how pissed he'd be that she'd come through again even after he tried to send her away. Cold washcloth on the forehead always felt good. Kelly opened his eyes a little, looked confused, closed them again.
The next time he opened them he scanned the room not satisfied with Gabby's face being the only one in the room. He kind of turtled his head around the paramedic obviously looking for someone else.
"Shay?" he whispered.
Asshole, thought Dawson. Where was she last time you were hurt, she thought bitterly. At her sister's. I was the one givin' you the damn IV, wiping your face, giving you a few other things. Jesus, Gabby, get your head out of the gutter.
She'd been thinking about those Severide lips really all night, those kisses after the barbecue, after the Heather Darden smack down. She had to admit it...Kelly'd been right. It would've been round three if Shay hadn't walked in on them. She shook her head a little to wipe that thought away. Just look at his forehead, avoid eye contact and those damn lips.
"Casey made her go home to shower, try to sleep a little. She'll be right back." The softness in Dawson's voice surprised even herself. That scowl in his forehead made her lose the anger of a few seconds ago. Her eyes venturing to his, seeing the frightened look, tugged at her heart.
She put the washcloth back on his forehead watching his chest exhale deeply, relaxing a little. He opened his eyes again.
"You should go too. Sleep. Look like hell." Kelly's voice came out a hoarse whisper.
"You're such a charmer. You'll get rid of me when Shay gets here. You sleep now." She was back at rubbing his head softly, stroking his temples, his cheek. Seemed to relax him, scowl fading.
Back at the apartment, Shay and Casey fell asleep almost the instant their heads touched a pillow. Casey slept on Kelly's bed figuring his friend wouldn't mind. He was awake now hearing the sound of Shay in the bathroom.
Casey looked around the room, eyes turning to the pictures on his dresser. Andy, Severide, and himself... all looking back at him smiling, sitting around a table at the station. Matt remembered that day well. They'd been playing cards, poker. Andy had a way of uniting squad and truck, everyone all in. Kelly ended up bluffing every bit of change out of Andy's pocket, every last penny.
Darden stared in disbelief as Kelly swept all the money into squad's drinking fund laughing. "Like takin' candy from a baby," Severide had teased. Casey also remembered that night going out for drinks and Kelly refusing to let Andy pay for one drink. "You got two kids, Darden," he told his friend in a hushed tone. "I got this."
Casey heard Shay in the hallway and rushed out to meet her.
"You okay?" he asked glad to see she looked more like herself.
"Much better. Why don't you shower before we head back? Borrow Kelly's clothes, he won't mind."
"That sounds good," said Matt turning back to Kelly's room. "Hey, Shay," he called.
"Yes?" said Shay dreading what she thought was coming next. Casey was not stupid.
"Dawson's really come through for us, don't you think? I just wonder what's going on is all?"
"What do you think's going on?" asked Shay looking down wishing she could sink into some black hole.
"I was hoping you could help me out with that," answered Matt.
"I think you have all the answers you need," said Shay taking off for downstairs leaving Casey with just what he needed.
The pleasure of the shower was fading fast for Shay. Casey knew. Not all of it, but he knew something was going on. Dammit Gabby, Leslie cursed under her breath.
At the hospital, Dawson must've dozed off in the chair awaking to the sounds of Kelly. More like yelling, cursing.
"What the hell is this shit!" he screamed yanking at the tubing in his chest. "Aaahh!" he yelled out at the piercing pain, his own doing.
"Stop it!" Dawson commanded jumping to Kelly's side pinning his arms down. "That's helping you breathe! Stop it!" She held his struggling arms firmly, marveling at how easy it was. He quit struggling letting the words sink in.
His face had the frustrated look of a two year old pinned down to get that shot he was fighting against. Gabby slowly loosened her grip, studying Severide's face.
"Kelly, Dr. Franks is probably on his way right now to take this thing out. You just can't rip it out. You'll hurt yourself. Okay?"
He didn't say anything.
"So now you're not talking to me?"
Silence.
"Pouting. Okay, that'll help everything," she said plopping in the chair glaring at the lieutenant.
"Not pouting," he whispered. "Just pissed, don't wanna be here."
"I don't want you here either," she said from the chair. "You do look cute when you pout though," she teased realizing the silence was because it probably hurt too damn much to talk.
Kelly smiled and closed his eyes tightly. The awareness of what had happened was dawning on him. The "oh crap I was actually shot" realization was setting in. With it came a panic about how close he came to death and a sadness. Sadness with the thought of how long the recovery would be. Yeah, the "I'm glad I survived" feelings were so quickly replaced with the "I've got a long road ahead" thoughts. Human nature.
Gabby got back up for the hundredth time and rubbed Kelly's arm trying to reassure him that he would be okay, be back as the leader of squad.
She also knew how lucky he'd been. How many calls had her and Shay been on where a gunshot victim was dead before he hit the ground? Too many.
Dr. Franks entered the room, chart in hand, smile on his face.
"Mr. Severide, how are you feeling?" he asked his patient, nodding at Gabby.
"Just great," said Kelly in barely a whisper.
The doctor checked all around the chest tube, listened to his breathing, had him breathe in and out forcefully. Dr. Franks had given up asking for some privacy in examining his patient...blonde, brunette, didn't matter, neither one would get out. He'd also given up trying to figure out the relationship situation.
"How about we get this thing out?" the doctor asked casually, touching the chest tube.
"Hell yeah," croaked out Kelly.
Shay came in about thirty minutes later relieved to find her roommate looking a little better, tube gone. He looked human again.
Gabby rose to meet her outside the room to talk. Kelly had finally dozed off, so she didn't want to rouse him so soon, nurses would be in making noise in no time.
"He looks better," said Shay brightly.
"He had a rough night," Dawson said barely getting the words out. Tears were threatening to come pouring out of her brown eyes. What are you doing, she thought. Keep it together. The tears were streaming now threatening to turn into sobs. Shay brought her into a tight hug and that's when Gabby lost it.
"What happened?" asked Shay concern growing in her stomach.
"He's o- okay. It, it w- was just a bad night," Dawson had been holding so much in, pretending to be such a good friend to Casey and Shay. What a joke, she thought. Pretending not to care about Severide. Also a joke. She was admitting to herself for the first time that she thought about the man lying in the bed quite a bit. More than a bit. All the time.
Shay called Antonio to pick up Gabby and take her home. She needed her brother right now. She needed much more, thought Shay, but brother would have to do.
Kelly was released after three more long, torturous days in the hospital. Torturous for all those around him. He wanted to leave the day after the chest tube was removed and didn't take the news well that he'd be staying. He wasn't blatantly rude to the nurses or to Dr. Franks. Instead he decided to show everyone he was fine by doing everything for himself. He got up, unhooked his IVs, hopped in the shower just to prove he was ready to go home. The nurses, Shay, Gabby dragged his ass back to bed too many times to count. He was even in the cafeteria drinking coffee with a new friend, an elderly heart patient, telling stories when Shay finally tracked him down. That was the point where Dr. Franks gave up.
"I'd like to keep you a few more days, but you win. I'm releasing you to your home, to Shay. Maybe then you'll quit running around and rest. I'm serious."
Kelly was ready to go back on shift in less than a week. In his mind he was ready. Boden had other ideas.
"Call me in a week, Severide. Then we'll talk about a return date," Chief laughed hanging up the phone before his lieutenant could argue.
"Damn shot and he wants to come back already," chuckled Boden to himself.
Things at the firehouse were no laughing matter. Things had gotten a little frigid between Dawson and Casey. Both knew the reason but neither was ready to talk about it. Their solution? Avoid each other.
Casey was getting angrier and angrier. Why the hell am I so mad? He couldn't explain it. Not like Dawson and him had anything exclusive. They'd barely started dating. He just expected more...from her and especially from Kelly. Severide knew the deal. Yet he still couldn't back off. Matt didn't understand.
He'd visited his friend a couple of times but didn't say much, leaving Kelly puzzled. Gabby came by one time only. She brought a carload of food, all delicious, all cooked to perfection, must've taken hours. Then she left and didn't come back. Kelly told himself it didn't matter, he didn't care. Shay tried to talk to him, but he just said Dawson meant nothing to him, better off without her, confusing as hell.
Dawson wasn't confused at all. She knew things couldn't keep going this way.
"Casey, you gotta second?" she asked the first moment he was alone. They were in the locker area right by the showers. Those showers where she ran into Severide. That smack that sent her body into some crazy, out of control, losing your damn mind frenzy. She was thinking about the second time she saw Kelly naked when Casey repeated, "What's up?" Dawson hadn't even heard the first time.
"Matt, I wanted to talk about us and, well, things have been so awkward, and..."
"That kinda happens when you sleep with my best friend. After we've started dating."
Gabby felt like she'd been verbally slapped and was at a loss for words. Casey didn't mince any words. Part of why she liked him so much. No bullshit.
"Matt, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, and I really want us to still have a chance. It was just a crazy, drunken mistake. A huge mistake." Tears were forming in Dawson's eyes. She felt terrible about what she'd done, terrible for hurting Matt...and she had to admit, terrible for calling Kelly a mistake.
"Hey, Gabby. Don't cry. Come here." Matthew Casey was a perfect gentleman. Another reason Gabby liked him so much. He couldn't watch her cry and keep up the cold shoulder. He had her in a tight embrace, rubbing her back, letting her wipe her tears on his shirt.
"Yes, we can still give it a go. It's okay. Everyone's done something stupid, something they regret."
"I don't know why. I'm so dumb."
"You're not dumb. I'm sure you're not the first one with Severide regrets. You were drunk, didn't know what you were doing," Casey rationalized.
"Casey, you know I've wanted you for a long time. Severide was just there. I only want you. Just you."
Kelly stood at the end of the lockers completely dumbfounded. He'd come to the station and gotten the warmest welcome ever, everyone so happy he'd survived, was coming back. Hugs all around, Boden reminding him it was paperwork only, no runs for another two weeks. Mouch sending him to the lockers to find Casey.
He'd found Casey alright. He'd heard enough. Severide regrets. Too drunk to know what you were doing. He was just there.
Kelly felt like he was shot again. This time straight through the heart. He had it right when he said Shay was the only one he could trust. Sure as hell not these two.
He cleared his throat loudly. The pair separated immediately, guilty looks on their faces.
"So I have to get a woman drunk to get any? And I was 'just there?' Anyone there would've done the trick? Mouch? Jesus, you two deserve each other." Kelly rushed out, telling Boden he'd see him in a week, maybe. Shay tried to catch him but only saw his car peel out and barrel down the street. Casey and Dawson ran after Kelly, but only found a pair of piercing blue eyes waiting for them. And they weren't Severide's. Leslie Shay had kept her mouth shut for long enough.
I had to create tension between the lieutenants... I like it when they're fighting and then when they makeup...just like brothers. Haha! Oooh, and Gabby made a choice, sort of. And who would want to be on the bad side of Shay? We'll see what happens next. Leave a review, please. Fun to read!
