Sevasey Drabbles

AU post 3.23 Spartacus

WARNING: CHARACTER DEATH

Why Do I Care?

"Kelly, it's Voight. We've got Casey, taking him to Med to get checked out," Voight explained through the phone.

Severide breathed a sigh of relief. He'd not left the apartment since he had found Katya's body and called it in, he'd wanted to go with Voight but had been forced to remain at home whilst the coroner came to collect the body and police had scoured the place for any evidence if it turned out that they'd disposed of Casey's phone.

Grimly he asked, "Have you told him?"

"No. He's already in shock, don't know exactly what happened in there but he's going to need a friend and with…" Voight said.

"Yeah… I'll meet you there," Severide said before hanging up, grabbing his coat and driving over to Chicago Med.

When Severide arrived at the hospital he spotted Voight and a uniformed police officer. "Where is he?" he demanded as he walked up to them, "How is he?"

"He's in with the doctor at the moment," Voight replied and indicated to the far end of the ER. Severide strolled straight past Voight, ignoring his protests, he went to the end of the ER to the curtained off area he assumed his friend was behind.

"Casey?" he questioned as he stood at the closed curtain. A doctor appeared and let him in. Casey was sat on the edge of the gurney in just his jeans, his chest was heavily bruised and he was holding an ice pack up to the right hand side of his face. He looked at him with his eyes wide and watery. His friend was in pain. "Oh God Matt…" the words slipped out Severide's mouth as he took in his appearance.

Casey cleared his throat. "I'm all right," he said gruffly. "Looks worse than it is. Really," he said indicating to the doctor.

"We're just waiting for the MRI to rule out any skull fractures," the doctor explained and Severide shared a concerned glance with Casey, knowing how fragile his skull already was. "But I think he just has a minor concussion. No broken ribs but he'll be sore for the next few days. I'd like to keep him overnight for observation because of his previous medical history."

"I just want to go home," Casey stated.

"You should stay Matt, just in case… and the apartment's a bit of a mess right now…" Severide said carefully.

"A porter will come and get you for your MRI and we'll talk afterwards," the doctor said before he left.

Severide couldn't help but notice Casey wince in pain even as he was sitting still. "They give you something for the pain?" he asked.

"He offered but I'm ok. And Voight said something about giving a statement, probably best if I'm not high on painkillers," he grinned, trying to hide his pain. "Is Antonio coming?" he sighed and admitted, "I can't deal with Voight right now."

"Erm… he's tied up with something at the moment," Severide said softly.

"Great," Casey replied unenthusiastically.

Severide sat down on the edge of the bed next to him. "Listen, Matt…" he began cautiously but the curtain was drawn open and a porter was revealed.

"Lieutenant Casey?" he questioned, he was standing behind a wheelchair that Casey eyed with distaste.

"Yeah," Casey replied.

"Time to go up for your MRI," the porter explained and Casey slowly put his shirt back on, grimacing as he brought it down over his head.

Glumly Casey sat in the wheelchair and was taken for his MRI. Severide followed and waited in the corridor for twenty minutes or so before Casey appeared again.

"You're lucky we've managed to get you a private room, it's been a busy day," the porter chatted away as Casey was taken to his room for overnight observation and given a hospital gown to change into.

The doctor came and reassured both Casey and Severide that the MRI came back clean, but they still wanted to keep him overnight because of his previous injury and because of the ordeal he had just been through, although Casey was his usual stoic self, insisting that he was perfectly fine.

When Severide was finally alone with Casey in the room he pulled up a chair closer to the bed and sat down. "Matt…" he began slowly and quietly, he didn't want to say it but he knew Casey needed to know and he was the best person to tell him even if he didn't want to believe the situation himself.

"Mmm?" Casey mumbled as he turned his head to face him. He looked into Severide's eyes and frowned with worry. "Sev? What's wrong?"

"… It's Gabby," Severide replied softly, carefully watching Casey's facial expression, "I'm sorry, Matt, but…" Casey was looking at him with a blank expression, "... There was an incident at a call, a warehouse fire. She… she didn't make it… I'm so sor…"

"What?" Casey questioned disbelievingly.

"She…" Severide could barely say the words himself, they had lost another and saying it made it so much more real. "… She died, Matt. I'm sorry."

Casey wasn't saying anything. His expression hadn't changed. He remained sat on the bed looking directly at Severide, barely blinking. His breathing had slowed. His heart felt like it had dropped into his stomach. The world had shattered around him. He didn't know how long he had remained silent and unmoving before he opened his mouth and uttered, "No," he shook his head.

"I'm so sorry," Severide spoke softly and moved to put his hand on Casey's shoulder to comfort him, but he shrugged it off.

"Can I be on my own?" Casey asked. He was no longer looking at Severide; he was staring down at the bed cover slowly retreating into his own world.

"Matt…" Severide began, he knew Casey shouldn't be on his own now, not after this news and not after everything he'd been through with Nesbitt.

"Please," he said simply, still staring down at the bed covers. Severide didn't leave. "Just go," Casey insisted.

"Matt you…" Severide started.

"Just go!" Casey yelled, slamming his fist down onto the bed in anger. He was breathing heavily and tears were threatening to fall from his eyes, like a dam about to break.

Severide leant down and grabbed him, he wrapped his arms around him and felt Casey shuddering underneath his strong vice like grip as he broke down and cried.

"I shouldn't care, she didn't love me enough to... why do I care?"

"Because you're a good person. I'm so sorry, Matt," Severide uttered, he didn't know what else he could say or do except be there for him.