A teeny little wrap up chapter to finally put this one to bed. Thank you Tsvety for inspiring me (with your epic review) to add this chapter.
The salty water splashed Kelly in the face, his eyes stinging, a bitter taste in his mouth. And he'd never felt so alive.
They'd set the date for six months, but Kelly was a little late as usual.
Kiki promised that North Shore would be magnificent, would be unforgettable. He was right. This was just what the doctor ordered.
Severide paddled out farther, his two days of surf lessons showing he was a natural.
"You sure you're not part Hawaiian?" asked Kiki, half teasing, half serious.
"Must be all that time walking Navy Pier," the fireman laughed. A fireman who hadn't been at the job in a year, a fireman who was taking the PAT one more time. He had one more chance to prove he could make it back to 51.
The waves rolling over Kelly's back had no knowledge of this history. The water ebbed back giving way to calm before another wave crescendoed over the man on the board, washing away the last remnants of pain and guilt. All that remained was the memory of a fire, of the men who became family in such a short time.
Kelly closed his eyes, resting his face against his board, letting the ocean reach up and touch his cheek. He thought of the day back on that mountain, the visit to honor those whose lives slipped away on that ledge.
"This might be stupid, so just tell me if it is," Shay rambled, a small burlap sack hanging from her fingers. She opened it, pulling out a handful of small stones. "They're remembrance stones. Each of the guys paid for one."
It was perfect. His family at 51 helping him remember his family of Hotshots. Kelly reached a shaky hand out to take the sack, avoiding the blonde's teary eyes. When he finally looked up, he almost broke. Casey suggested they rappel down the precipice. "I got you," he said with his eyes. And Kelly knew his brother would have him every step of the way.
At the bottom, Matt hung back as his friend headed to a clearing of leaves. He watched as Severide took one stone out at a time, placing each in a particular spot. Casey glanced up, seeing Shay hanging over the side trying to see what was going on.
No one spoke as they loaded back on the chopper, their words left unsaid as Shay took Kelly's hand in hers first, then Matt's. She squeezed tightly as the helicopter whizzed off, the final resting place growing smaller and smaller until it could no longer be seen.
Kelly couldn't see the little clearing, but he could feel it. He'd always feel it, the whispers of the men who didn't make it out, his brothers who he'd hold inside for the rest of his life.
He was paddling furiously, his strong arms rippling with the wave becoming one. Kelly snapped up on his board, popping straight up just the way Kiki had shown him. He rode the rolling ocean water, stretching it out, extending the wave until it settled back into itself.
He did this for hours, the watchful eye of a doctor and friend on him every minute. Kelly was spent as the sun rested on the horizon, balancing on the edge of the water. He headed to shore, Kiki waiting for him.
"Did you feel it? The mana?" Kiki asked, as Kelly planted his board straight up in the sand.
"Yeah, I felt it," Severide answered, experiencing the magic of the island, a magic that healed souls, that helped put broken hearts back together.
Kelly walked into the familiar building, board in hand. It felt almost as comfortable as a hose or halligan. He walked to the back, unaware of the questioning stares directed his way. He opened the door to his old office, smiling at the brackets already on the wall, Casey mounted brackets.
He placed the board on the wall. He was home.