Okay, so I kind of lied about this chapter introducing the new plot, but this had to happen so when Gabby returned to work she'd be like 'OMG.'
And yeah, then that's where the plot continues.
So I hope you enjoy this chapter!
oxoxoxo
(GABBY POV)
"Ambulance 61, 30 year old beaten male. Apartments on Western Avenue."
Shay rolls her eyes, this was our third call in two hours, "It's definitely one of those days Dawson."
We clamber in the van and Shay starts the sirens and we we're whizzing away, "It's been ten months already Shay."
Her brows burrow and she throws me a look like she's contemplating whether or not I'm crazy, "Come again?"
"Matt and I... we've been together for ten months Shay," and I felt crazy for saying it. Ten months already? It all felt like an amazing dream.
"What? Ten months already?" Her jaw drops and I can tell she's thinking 'where has the time gone?' The blonde bombshell turns to look at me and she smiles softly, "I'm so happy for you hunny."
I bite my lip back, "I'm the happiest I've ever been."
She smirks slyly, "Well, why wouldn't you be? From what I've heard girl, you both can't seem to keep your hands off each other. The showers Dawson? Really?!"
My mouth drops open and then I smirk back, "How did you find out about that?!"
"Kelly was going to take a shower, and well, he heard you in particular. And he couldn't help but tell me!"
I burst out laughing, "Awe, poor Kelly. I'll have to tell Matt about this..."
Shay laughs again and her bright blue eyes are twinkling with humor, "Kelly beat you to it!"
"So how long have you known then?"
"A while. We've all been watching you, prancing around all innocently like you haven't been a dirty girl in the showers!"
I groan and place my face in my hands, "You're so humiliating."
"Oh, man up Dawson! So, tell me all about it!"
My eyebrow raises, "I thought you were gay?"
"Exactly!"
We head into the block of apartments carrying our equipment, and an old lady points us to the right apartment. The door was already on its hinges and when we went inside the place was a mess, and a unconcious male was laying on floor covered in blood.
I checked his breathing first while Shay attended to his head wound, "Breathing is steady but too slow for my liking, we're gonna have to move him quick."
"Got it," Shay nods, and places a C-Collar around his neck.
The wardrobe door slams open and a big tall guy stalked out, looking ready to murder someone, "You ain't going nowhere."
"This is Ambulance 61, we need police backup on Western Ave," Shay whispers into her radio as I put myself between this guy and our patient.
"Ambulance 61, backup en route to your location."
I put my hands up in surrender to this guy, but this only makes his expression more angrier, "Look, I'm just doing my job. Back off."
He snarls and lunges forward, grabbing my neck and slamming me against the wall, "Who do you think you're talking to woman?!"
Shay is staring in horror and I can tell she is contemplating attacking this guy, "Shay, run!" I order, my voice high and desperate as I struggle for air.
I hear the sirens in the background so Shay must hear them too, she glances out of the window and then runs out to get the police, "Get off me!" I gasp and uselessly try to fight against his strong body.
My eyes flutter closed as he laughs darkly, my body not getting enough oxygen, and he slams my head against the wall and drops my limp body on the floor.
I gasp for air, but now I feel unconsciousness taking me as a sharp pain shoots through my head and I realise I'm screaming when he kicks me in my stomach.
That's when I hear a gunshot and he drops to the floor next too me, his eyes lifeless. I then feel Shay's shaky hands on me, begging me to stay with her.
"You're gonna be okay hunny. Just keep you're eyes open, okay? Stay with me!" She cries, as she puts an oxygen mask on my face.
I only feel Shay pulling me onto a board before I can no longer keep my eyes open and darkness becomes me, unconsciousness taking over.
(CASEY POV)
Squad and Truck were mixed together on sofas and chairs as we watch the Blackhawks on Tv. Our shouts of frustration at the players all muffled into one large noise. I hear Mills behind us cooking, the sweet smell of pork filling the air as he too, curses at the screen.
"Oh, come on! That is not a penalty!" Severide shouts, his glass of orange juice in hand that tips on the floor.
"Where the hell did they get this ref? My crazy old aunt could do better than this!" Herrmann yells, his rusty voice filled with annoyance.
And then the screen went blank.
"Casey?" Chief calls from behind us. We all turn to him, remote in hand, and attempt to argue, but we're are stifled by the look on his face. Chief was worried.
"Yes Chief?" I ask tentatively, as I move to stand before him.
At that moment Kelly's phone rings and he answers it, his face twisted with worry, "Shay? What? Calm down...I can't understand you...What? Dawson?"
My heart stops and a fear rips through me like nothing I have felt before. Gabby.
I vaguely feel Chief's hands on my arms to steady me and he roughly gruffs my name to catch my attention, "Casey. Look at me. She was attacked, but Lakeshore said she's stable. Do you understand?"
I shake my head at him, "Gabby?"
"Matt, we're gonna take you to the hospital okay? And when we finish shift we're gonna head over too."
Chief drives Kelly and I to Lakeshore, and all the while I sit and stare out the window. Scared and frightened, I can't help but let tears fall.
What if I get there and she's gone? What if I lose her? I can't lose her. I wouldn't be able to live. She's my life. I should have been there, should have protected her. Lakeshore says she's stable, but who's to say that doesn't change? What if I don't get to say goodbye? I don't want to say goodbye! I love her, my angel. I can't lose her, and I won't. Gabby's strong, a fighter, she always says that she's not going anywhere without me. But, just what if? What if nothing, Gabby would knock me senseless for dwelling on what if's. I'm not going to do that to her, to myself. Gabby's going to be fine.
Chief drops us off, but he doesn't stay. He has to get back to the House, to reassure the guys and to watch over Truck and Squad. Shift finished in 2 hours.
Kelly has trouble keeping up with me and I roboticly find Shay, shaky and crying in the waiting room. I don't hesitate but to take her into my arms, to comfort both her and myself.
"What happened Shay?" I stutter, as we shake in each others arms. Kelly places his hand on the small of Shay's back, but he doesn't cry, he just stares at us, his eyes filled with fear and sorrow.
"He just came out of nowhere and he attacked her. She made me leave, I shouldn't have left her alone! The police shot him, and when I got hold of her again she was losing conciousness. When I got her here she was stable, but unconscious and I had to tube her. Her neck was swollen!"
"Swollen?" I stammer, my voice trembling with every breath, "How?"
"He strangled her Matt," Shay squeezes me tighter now, with the rare use of my first name she felt the need to comfort me more now and she could tell I was falling apart in her arms.
"I'm going to kill him," and they way they both looked at me told me that they believed me. Kelly guides me to a chair.
"Uniforms shot him dead Matt."
We wait in silence. Kelly tucks Shay under his arms as her sobs subside and I get up and pace, until Kelly tells me to sit back down.
"What do I do if...?" I whisper, a lost tone in my voice, Shay doesn't let me finish.
"Don't you dare Matt. She's going to be fine. She's alive," she hisses furiously at me, but something in her eyes told me that she had considered the same thing.
"I can't lose her Shay, never." I cry, my cheeks dampening once again, and this time Kelly came to hug me.
"Matt, man, this is Gabby we're talking about. You're not going to lose her, she's not going anywhere. Now, look at me. You have to be strong for her okay? You hear me?"
He says this in a way of absolute resolution and I don't have it in me to doubt him.
"Where's Antonio? Gabby's parents?" I then ask, turning to Shay.
"He's in Indiana with work, he's getting the next flight out. Her parents are in Detroit visiting friends, they're on their way."
"Family of Gabriela Dawson?" A tired voice asks, standing in the doorway watching us.
"I'm her boyfriend." I say and step towards him. My eyes burn holes in the file he's carrying.
The middle-aged man with greying hair and crinkles around his eyes, sighs and opens the file, "Gabriela has suffered a serious concussion, so we don't expect her to be awake for the next few hours, and her airways are swollen, although that is nothing to worry about. She does have two broken ribs and internal bruising, but we expect that to heal very quickly. I know it sounds bad, but she's doing very well. She's certainly a fighter."
He smiles softly and places his hand on my shoulder, "Can I see her?"
"Yes, I can take you now if you like?"
I turn to Shay and Kelly, and they both nod, urging me to go with the doctor, "Just come and tell us how she's doing soon, okay?" Shay asks, clutching Kelly's hand.
I nod and the doctor leads me down the hall, and with each step my feet get heavier. And when he stops in front of a door, I stop just short of it. I was a little afraid of what I would find on the other side of this door.
"Just remember it looks worse than it is Mr...?"
"Casey," I whisper, my eyes never moving from the cloudy glass windows in the doors. He pats my shoulder once more and then heads back down the hall.
I stand outside for a moment taking deep breaths, composing myself, but then I realise I would never be ready to see her like this, so I open the door and rush inside.
My rushed stride is halted when I lay eyes on her.
She was pale against the white sheets. The creamy caramel skin that I adored gone. Even from the distance that I stood away from her bed, I could still see the dark purple bruising on her neck. My hands clenched in anger. She had an IV in her hand, connected to a drip. Thin wires escaped her gown and lead to the heart rate monitor, beeping continuously with every beat of her strong little heart. I was somewhat glad she was asleep, because I knew the pain from her broken ribs and internal bruising would be very painful for her.
I only wished to see her eyes.
I sat in the chair beside her bed, clutching her hand and stroking her curly hair fanned out around her. Her skin was warm against mine, a silent comfort.
I didn't care about how much time passed, I just sat and watched her, protecting her.
"Gabby, baby," I mumble, kissing her hand in my own, "I love you baby."
My attempt at waking her didn't work, so I continued to sit and stroke her cheek, and hoped that she would wake in her own time. When I bother to look at the clock I realised it was 11.05pm, nearly two hours since I'd last seen Kelly and Shay. The rest of the House would have been here ages ago then.
Someone clears their throat in the doorway and when I look up, a little old nurse is smiling softly at me, "I've got a blonde bombshell nagging me to come find you."
I smile softly, that's how Gabby describes Shay, "I'll go see her now, thank you."
"Are you Matt?" She asks, stepping to the end of Gabby's bed.
I nod and her smile widens. Her face was dull with age and wrinkling, but her eyes were young and free, "When we first got her into the bed she was conscious for a few moments, and she didn't say anything but your name hunny."
I eyes set back on the beautiful woman in front of me, "She loves you son."
"I love her too."
She then nods her head to the door, "Go on. Go see your friends, I'll watch her while your gone."
I mumble a 'thank you' as I leave, not taking my eyes off Gabby until the door closes in front of them.
As I walk down the hall, Shay appears in the doorway of the waiting room, watching me tentatively.
"She's okay?" She asks hopefully, letting the door close behind her as she comes towards me.
"She's okay," I repeat, but with no question in my voice, and it felt good to hear the words aloud. That she was going to be okay.
Shay throws herself into my arms and a happy squeal leaves her mouth as I feel my shirt dampen with her joyful tears. I lead her into the waiting room, where I'm greeted by every worried face of Firehouse 51 in one tiny room.
Their worried eyes follow me, before I smile, "Gabby's doing fine," and then the tension is released and every smiles and claps.
"She's battered and bruised, but she'll be out hospital within a couple of days," I tell the Chief, who then pats my shoulder. He nods and smiles softly, before Kelly wraps his arms around me.
"See man, nothing to worried about. Our Dawson's a fighter!" He comforts me with one arm and Shay with the other, a relieved tone in his voice.
As I passed around the room to be hugged Herrmann then calls it quits with his rusty voice, "Aah, come on guys. Let the Lt. get back to his girl."
Catcalls then fill the room and as I'm pushed to the door, I grab Shay's hand, "You wanna come and see her?"
She nods her head and follows me away from the catcalls and cheers. When I open the door for her to go inside she rushes to Gabby's side and hugs her, "Oh hun, I'm so sorry."
The nurse smiles and nods as she leaves the room, and I resume my position beside Gabby. Shay pulls up a seat on the other side of the bed and holds Gabby's hand, "It wasn't your fault Shay."
She smiles somberly, her eyes fixed on the monitors checking Gabby's vitals, her training kicking in, "I know, I just... maybe things would have turned out differently if I stayed."
"If you had, then both of you would be laying in a hospital bed."
We then wait in silence and after a while Shay falls asleep holding Gabby's hand, now knowing that she was fine and I watch over them both as the night ever darkens.
It was two in the morning when the wild beeping broke me from staring at Gabby, this woke Shay too and when she noticed my worried expression, she looked at the monitors, "She's waking up."
I then watch as Gabby's brown eyes flutter open and her brow creases, "Matt, Matt," she mumbles, her voice stifled.
"Sssh, baby I'm here. Don't speak, I'm here," I sooth, running my hand over her hair and gazing down at her with a smile.
"Matt, come here," she whispers and lean closer to her, to which she responds by pressing her lips to my own.
"I'm sorry," she cries, droplets of tears escaping her eyes and running down her cheeks as she tightens her grasp on my hand.
"Sssh, you have nothing to be sorry about baby, let's just get you better."
"I love you," Gabby stutters and then clutches her throat as the pain got to much for her. I kiss her neck, "I love you too baby, now don't speak, let your throat heal."
Her head turns to face Shay, "Hey you," she mouths.
"You scared us all for moment then girl," Shay sighs before pulling Gabby into a tight hug.
"Thank you," Gabby mouths when Shay pulls away.
Shay only smiles before tears escape her eyes, "I was only returning the favour," she says, referring to the Ambulance crash.
I then stand and kiss Gabby's head, and she frowns, "Where are you going?"
I chuckle, "I'm gonna go tell the guys that you're awake and call your parents, okay?"
She nods and then mouths "Hurry," before Shay laughs as I leave room.
I head back down the hall and slip into the waiting room, where most of the guys were either sleeping or falling asleep.
"She's awake," I say and the Chief's shoulders relax with relief.
"That's great," Kelly smiles.
"Thank you guys for staying, but I think you should all head home now and get some sleep."
They all refused to go until they've seen an awake Gabby for themselves so I lead the sleepy herd down the corridor and bustle them into the room, without any nurses noticing.
"Oh, hey," Gabby squeaks as we all trample into her room and one by one, they all give her a hug.
"You gave us quite a scare there kiddo," Herrmann states as Gabby wraps her arms around him, "Won't happen again," she mumbles quietly.
"Come here girl," Mouch exhales as he hugs her, and Otis hugs both Mouch and Gabby. I chuckled at that scene.
"Just get better Gabriela," Chief instructs as he kisses her head, and then begins to shuffle the herd out of the hospital.
Kelly stayed and stepped in to hug Gabby before pulling a seat up beside Shay.
"So," Gabby mumbles, "That was an eventful day, wasn't it?"
I only chuckle nervously and pull her into my arms, "I love you and I want you to know that I need you forever. That I can't lose you."
"You're not gonna lose me."
