Chapter 14

After giving Gabby a few hours alone to herself, Matt slowly crept back into her hospital room. As he moved closer to her still form on the bed, he noticed that her body slowly moved up and down with each breath that she took and that she made no attempt to acknowledge his presence in the room. To his relieve, she was a sleep. He continued to move around to the other side of the bed to sit in the chair that he once occupied. Before taking his seat, he noticed the streak marks that lined her beautiful face. It broke his heart to know that those tears were ones of great loss and pain.

Once Matt was seated in the semi-soft chair, his eyes never left Gabby. He did his best not to fall a sleep, but his eyes grew heavy with each passing second and before he knew what was happening he was fast a sleep.

Gabby's eyes fluttered open and a smile graced her face as she remembered her dream. She was sitting in a rocking chair, signing a song to the little baby in her arms. She couldn't help but think how much her son looked like Matt; even his jaw line matched the one of his father's. She placed a light kiss on the little one's forehead as she continued to hum a lullaby. She watched in awe as he drifted off to sleep, but before she could enjoy the feeling of motherhood, she was awoken from her slumber. Even though it was just a dream, Gabby ached for that feeling of absolute love. Tears pricked her eyes at the thought of missing out on the experience that she most desperately wanted.

As Gabby wiped her eyes with the back of her hand she turned her head to find Matt a sleep in the chair placed next to her bed. Guilt instantly flooded her senses as she looked at how his body was uncomfortable positioned. She knew why he was there and it panged her to know that everything he was doing was completely out of guilt. Matt had nothing to feel guilty about; he wasn't the one to blame in any of this. There was only one person to blame and it was her. If she hadn't been so selfish about becoming a firefighter then she would have stayed at 51, stayed with Matt and the whole accident wouldn't have happened. They would be at home right now, getting ready for their baby. At the thought of what her future could have been, Gabby felt like she couldn't breathe. She began to gasp for air, but it felt like there wasn't any in the room. She could feel herself beginning to panic as tears soaked her cheeks and she began to sit up.

Matt sprang to his feet as he heard a strange noise coming from the spot next to him. His eyes grew wide as he found Gabby sitting on the bed trying to breath. Matt immediately hit the call button for the nurse and then went to Gabby's side. "Breathe Gabby; everything is going to be okay. Just breathe, take long deep breaths," he soothed her as he rubbed small circles on her back. Before he could say anything else, the room's door burst home and in came the nurse.

"What happened?" She asked as she moved to side of the bed and began to look at the monitor.

"I don't know," Matt answers with his eyes never leaving Gabby's. He continues to sooth her and if on cue, Gabby's breathing begins to even, but she never loses contact with Matt.

Matt didn't even notice that the nurse had messed with the line for Gabby's IV; it wasn't until Gabby's eyes started to close as she leaned back into the bed, and that his eyes moved from her to the nurse. "What are you doing?" Matt asked alarmed by her actions.

"I'm afraid that if she didn't clam down, that she would rupture something or worse. She needs rest if she wants to get out of here soon."

Matt didn't say anything, as he turned his attention back to Gabby. He brushed the stray hairs out of her face. He wasn't sure what just happened, but he did know that whatever it was, he was going to help her through it. They were going to get through this together and anything else that came their way.

Two Days Later

"So the doctors said you're going to be released tomorrow," Matt stated as he placed the jacket on the back side of the chair.

"Yeah," Gabby said with a nod of head. She was extremely relieved to be leaving this place and be back in her own bed and with all of her things. "Who told you?" Gabby asked with a raised eyebrow already knowing the answer.

"Shay," he replied with a smile. "I called her to let her know that I was on my way here and that is when she told me the great news. I bet you are excited to get out of here."

"I don't know if I would use the word excited, but I'm ready to get back to normal," she replied moving her attention away from him. "Speaking of normal," she stated with a slight awkward tone as she turned her stare back to him, "when are you getting back to shift?"

"I am supposed to be back tomorrow, but I was going to call Chief and ask him for a relief to fill in for me."

"You shouldn't do that," Gabby stated immediately.

Matt was taken back by Gabby's response and confusion flooded his face, his mouth bobbed up and down before speaking, but before he could get a sound out Gabby spoke first.

"It's not that I'm not thankful for everything you have done for me, because I am, but I really need everything to go back to normal."

Matt flinched at Gabby's words and then his borrows squinted together as he began to realize what she was saying, "You mean us before the accident?"

"Yes," Gabby with replied quietly. She could read the hurt on Matt's face like an open book, but she knew that both of them were only trying to comfort one another because of the loss they shared. Gabby cleared her throat before she spoke again, "I think we both need to think about things and get back to some sort of solid ground. Matt I'm so thankful that you have been here and I owe you…"

Matt quickly cut her off, "You think that I'm here because I want you to owe me something?"

"That is not what I meant," she said with a break in her voice.

"Then tell me what you really mean," he said crossing his arms as his voice began to rise in volume.

Gabby knew that right now she had to tell Matt how she was feeling as tears began to build in her brown eyes, "The only thing that has changed between us is the fact that we lost our child and we both feel guilty about it, but at the end of the day we are still the same people that ended our relationship because we wanted two different things."

"I know what I want and that is you," Matt said looking directly in her eyes.

"You're grieving Matt and so I am, it is natural for us to seek comfort with each other."

"What I feel for you has nothing to do with grief," he said as he ran his hands over his face with for more force then he intended. He needed to make her see that his feelings were real, that they always have been. He took a deep breath, before speaking again, "We can talk about this later."

"No," Gabby said shaking her head no. "We need to be honest with our selves right now and now I need you to stop coming here. I need you to go back to everything before the accident and everything else."

"Gabby," he spoke her name trying to get through to her.

"Please go," she pleaded with him.

Without saying anything else, Matt grabbed his jacket and did as she asked.

Author's Note:

Thank you for all the wonderful reviews for this story, it is so great to see that a lot of you are enjoying it. I would also like to say, I'm so happy to see so many stories from all of you great writers. I love reading everyone's story just as much as I love writing my own. I hope everyone is able to update soon and I promise that I will do the same. Thanks again!