Title: Never Give Up
Chapter 29 – Surviving the Abyss?


His brain didn't even have time to realize what was happening until it was too late. His arms fling out, trying to grab onto anything to keep him above ground but all his fingers come away with is loose and sticky mud; clawing at the air as his flailing frame sails toward the darkened chasm below. His mind races. His heart races. His body races. The racing suddenly stops the moment his body slams into the few feet of dirty tepid water; the air being sucked from his chest as his world instantly stops – darkness consuming him for a few tormented seconds.

Casey doesn't fare much better as he too finds himself falling down the horrible rabbit hole as it were, tumbling into dark oblivion; clawing at the air around him as his brain races to find something….anything to hold onto. He doesn't. Severide slams into the water on his back; Casey, however, ends up landing on all fours, ripping open some skin on his knees and palms before he tumbles head first, taking in a few mouthfuls of the dirty water before rolling to one side and landing in a painful, choking heap.

Silence ensues as they remain in place for what seems like a painful eternity.

Finally one of them stirs.

"Ahhh…oh…god…ahhhh," Severide's lips start to painfully wheeze and gasp as his watery eyes slowly flutter open. His brain floods with distorted images of himself and Casey being swallowed by the earth and then tumbling down into the darkness. He feels the pain in his back from where he fell and for a few split seconds ponders the horrible reality that his back is broken and he'd be sidelined longer than Casey – or worse maybe for good.

"Oh…what the…hell…" Severide gasps as he twists his throbbing head and looks over to see Casey's unmoving frame a few meters away. "Ma…tt," he tries before his lungs violently heave and his body buckles. Despite the fact his whole body wants to rebel, the fact that he's feeling his whole body rebelling is very comforting as that means nothing major is broken and he won't be paralyzed or sidelined for very long. He feels a pain in his side and is sure he's sprained his back and possibly his hip or ankle but surviving that fall without breaking a major bone is something that settles part of his anxious mind.

"Matt!" Severide tries again as he tries to roll onto his side and get up. "Matt!" He calls out as he coughs up some dirt and a bit of the water he had ingested. "Hey…man…" Severide clears his throat as he slowly rocks himself onto his hands and knees and tries to get to Casey. But in moving so fast, he feels the world around him starting gain momentum and he crashes back down to the churned up water on his belly.

Casey's world in the meantime finally starts to return to him, his pounding head recalling the tormented images of him and Severide racing toward the large industrial liquid container, flipped on its side and not thinking about anything bad happening. He blinks rapidly, wanting to clear the water from his eyes; his right hand lifting to face to try to brush the dirty water away faster.

But in doing so he feels something warm and thick brush against his cheek and knows it's from a cut that the landing produced.

"Kel…ly…" Casey's lips try to reply to his friend as his brain is finally aware of the somewhat coppery taste in his mouth. Blood…but what else? If it was just his own blood from a cut lip that's swishing around with his saliva that didn't trouble him as much as the thought of him taking in even a single mouthful of the water that he landed in face first. Men don't get kidney infections compared to women, but if you do take in something foreign, your transplanted kidney will have to filter it out and there is a chance you could get a painful infection. Fatal? I don't know… Dr. Tennyson's words die out.

"Yeah," Severide grunts as he rolls back onto his side and looks up with a painful wince.

"What's…hurt?" Casey asks softly as he slowly tries to get himself to a seated position. "I took…in some…water…"he coughs as he tries to crawl over to Severide. "You?"

"Think…I broke…my back. Damn…Anything broken?" Severide growls as he looks down at an ugly scrape on his leg and then up at Casey who was giving himself a brief inspection. "Matt."

"Yeah?" Casey answers as he looks up in misery. "I don't think so. I jarred my knee…pretty good and my shoulder hurts but then I landed on all fours before flopping on my face in…this," Casey pats the water as his eyes squint into the darkness around them. "I took in some water," he manages in a ragged breath as he tries to spit out some bloody saliva.

"Let's call for help…and then…ah…oh no! Oh damn no!"

"What?" Casey asks as he watches Severide frantically looking around for something and then up at Casey in dread. "What is going on?"

"Phone's busted…do you have yours?"

"I uh…" Casey starts as his hands frantically search for his phone; their only means to call for help to the outside world. "Oh no," Casey states gruffly as he grasps his phone from the water. "I think I fell on it. Not broken but water damaged. Can you get up?"

"Yeah, I'll um…hold on a second," Severide tells Casey as he tries to stand up; both of the anxious to get up and get out of their dark and somewhat watery resting place. "I'll just…ahhhh!" Severide's lips cry out as Casey looks up in haste. "Back…knee…ah hell…what happened!" Severide shouts as he looks up at the hole they had fallen through; the ripped dirt opening that hungrily swallowed them up whole. Literally.

"I think the combination of the chemicals that seeped out of the turned over tank and…the…" Casey's voice trails off as he looks up to see Severide watching in wonder. "Was that rhetorical?"

"Kinda," Severide replies with a small huff; his face trying to offer a smile but displaying a wince instead. "I think I twisted my knee. Hurts like a damn. Can you get up?"

"Think…so," Casey lightly pants as tries to push himself upright. He looks at his bloody and scuffed knees and knows they'll hurt when straightened but tells himself it has to be done and just do it – now. So with a deep breath he rocks back onto his side and tries to straighten up. His lips too, offer a painful cry as the dirty water mixes with the cut skin, teasing the tender area and forcing shooting pains to be felt all the way up to his tightly clenched jaw.

He tries to take a step toward the opening but simply slogs through a few feet of water and then stops as he feels a pain in his stomach and starts to cough.

"That water…I think that um…"

"How much did you take in?" Severide asks as Casey nears him; Severide trying to pick himself up. He holds up his hand, prompting Casey take it and help him get upright.

"You sure nothing's broken?" Casey inquires in haste after Severide's lips offer a very painful wince. "Kelly…"

"I fell…on my back…damn it just hurts and…" Severide starts as Casey motions for him to turn around so he could see if he damaged anything. "What do you see?"

"A big bruise and you have…yeah there's a cut on your back but not near the kidney."

"Okay good. Turn around."

"It's fine," Casey insists as he slightly raises his wet sweatshirt so that Severide could see his back. "Well?"

"Yeah…it's okay. You'll have bruising but it looks intact. I guess…damn I can't tell like this."

"It should be fine. I'm uh…more worried about the water I took in. Dr. Tennyson said that there is the possibility I could get a kidney infection by taking in contaminated water. At the time I told him it wouldn't ever be an issue because I wouldn't willingly drink contaminated water but now…should I try to barf it back up?"

"Might be better than just letting it digest further into your system," Severide replies with some hesitation as he reaches out and slowly touches Casey's forehead. "Just um…I don't know but it could make you feel sicker."

"I'll risk it. You call and I'll barf," Casey suggests as Severide's lips offer a small smirk.

"Sounds like a country western song," Severide retorts as some fresh blood escapes the corner of Casey's lips and travels down his chin. But two worried frowns reappear within seconds as they both support each other toward one end of the earthen tomb they were now partially enclosed in. "So uh…"

"I guess I should…" Casey nods as he turns around and tries to make himself throw up. He cleans his two first fingers as best he can and then slowly puts them into his mouth. As soon as he does that his lungs constrict and his body starts to convulse. He feels Severide's hand on his back, offering a supportive grasp as he bends over and tries to spew forth as much of the water as he had taken in.

Despite the throbbing in frame to get some rest, he knows he can't leave Casey's side until he's done; fearing that his friend might double over and injure himself further.

"Ok-ay…" Casey wheezes as small dark circles form before his watery eyes and he has to close them tightly to keep the area he's in from spinning faster. "Oh…damn…" he whispers as he thrusts his hands out and tries to find something solid to brace them against. "Dizzy."

"Okay…let's get you over...hey Matt…Matt!" Severide exclaims as Casey, who wasn't in his grasp, stumbles forward and lands back on his knees; Severide grabbing his arms before he can fall back in face first and take in more of the water he just purposely vomited out.

"I'm just…dizzy…need…ah damn…I'm dizzy," Casey huffs as Severide leads him over to the cold dirt wall and helps him rest against it. Then he turns and slowly trudges back toward the opening and looks up.

"HELP US! SOMEONE…ANYONE! HELP US!" Severide shouts, having to stop as falling dirt particles start to attack his throat and force his lungs once more to constrict. This time it's his body's turn to double over and cough as his back seizes and Casey tries to get to him. "I'm…ok..ay…." Severide tries Casey looks up at the hole, turning away to blink out a few particles of dirt that continue to fall from the gaping wound in the earth several unclimbable meters above them.

"HELP US! HELLO! ANYONE!" Casey tries next; his lungs also constricting but his brain urging him to keep going in his friend's place. "Don't remember…seeing anyone," Casey tells Severide as they both slowly trudge away from the opening of the hole and duck back into the darkness where they don't have to squint.

"Okay so…we can't call for help and…and we can't climb out…or…do you wanna try standing on my shoulders?"

"Kelly you can barely stand. Should I offer?"

"Point taken," Severide retorts in sarcasm. "Okay we need…another way out."

"You…need to rest."

"I'm fine."

"Then stop holding your back."

"You look like you're about to fall over also. Or barf at any minute. How are you feeling?"

"Stomach is sore and tight but um…I'm okay. I'm sure it's just a combination of taking in the blood and then vomiting everything back out. But I can't…do nothing."

"Let's see…if we can find a way out."

"Okay," Casey agrees with a slight swallow as he pulls away and slowly starts to look in the opposite direction from Severide. His forehead is flushed and his back and neck hot and sweaty but despite his dizziness and his whole body throbbing, he knows he can't just let his injured friend to all the work while he tries to rest. But his mind can't push past the fact that he did take in water that wasn't expelled when he vomited and the only place for the remaining toxins to be expelled would be through his one transplanted kidney.

Severide's hands slowly but carefully feels along the cold dirt wall, hoping, praying for a quick way out. But as he hears Casey in the near distance he knows the two of them could possibly be trapped in their current confined location until help arrives. But Casey was right, when they had raced into the abandoned construction yard, no one was around; no one to see them fall, and no one to hear them call.

"Matt?" Severide halts his exploring when he hears Casey throwing up and quickly pulls away from the far wall and limps toward his friend's side; his brain biting back the resounding pain in his back and leg.

"Trying to get…the rest of the water…out," Casey wheezes as he slowly sags down to sit on a nearby rock. "Find…anything?"

"No. You?"

"Just a dead end," Casey replies as he wipes his mouth; his head throbbing and his stomach wanting to rebel once more. The trouble was all that came out last time was watery bile. But was water stomach acid only? Or did more of the contaminated water come up with the bile?

"Yeah…same here," Severide huffs as he slides down to a seated position beside Casey; his lips offering a painful gasp as Casey looks down in haste. "Glad…Shay can't see us…now."

"Course if she were here…we'd be out already," Casey reminds Severide with small hiss as he bites back a bout of nausea; Severide looking at him in concern. "Need…some clean water."

"Damn…I have none. Sorry man, just close your eyes okay? I'll um…"

"You need to rest your leg. I saw you limping."

"Your knees look like a school boys," Severide tosses back as Casey looks up and nods and then winces. "Okay so we both need to just rest a bit and then try again."

"Calling for help? Or praying?" Casey retorts sourly as Severide's lips purse. "I know we have to keep trying. You sure both phones are busted?"

"I think…let's see yours. Mine is finished."

"Mine is…wet," Casey groans as he pulls his phone and hands it to his friend who looks at the waterlogged electronic device and outwardly groans. "Wish I could say the same…for the inside of my mouth."

"Yeah mine is pretty dry also. But damn we gotta get outta here," Severide grunts as he tries to push himself back up. This time, however, he's unable to bite back his cry and quickly slumps back down. "Maybe…in a bit."

"You buy breakfast," Casey states with a small smirk as Severide looks up and just shakes his head as he feels a small trickle of something warm just above his eyebrow. "It's bleeding," Casey states as he tries to find something dry to wipe it with.

"Ah to hell with it," Severide utters as he wipes his forehead with his dampened sleeve, not caring if he smears part of it over his dirt encrusted brow. "Better?"

"Much," Casey replies with some sarcasm as another wave of nausea washes over him.

"Matt?"

"Yeah I just need…to close my eyes a bit."

"Okay. I will to," Severide agrees as he leans against Casey, the sides of their frames where they are huddled together start to generate a bit of extra body heat.

About fifteen minutes pass when both are rudely jolted awake by what sounds like a honking horn coming in through the opening in the ground above them.

"Ma…tt…wake up!" Severide gently gasps as he tries to push himself upright; Casey's mind pulling him his sleepy stupor.

"Wha…" he manages as his mouth tries to swallow. He forces his eyes open, watching Severide stumble toward the opening in the ground that they had fallen through almost an hour ago.

"HEY!" Severide shouts as he stands right beneath the gaping hole. "HELLO! SOMEONE HELP US! WE'RE TRAPPED DOWN HERE! HELP US!"

Knowing he's just as hurt and his body begging for just as much rest, Casey pushes past that, telling himself he has help his friend in getting them some help.

"HELP US! SOMEONE! WE'RE DOWN HERE!"

"HELP US! ANYONE HELP US!" Both shout at once before they stop to listen to see if their pleas were heard.

Silence.

"Damn I thought…" Severide curses as he looks at Casey in defeat. "I thought they were closer."

"Someone has to come by here," Casey replies, trying to reassure his friend and himself. "I need water," he sighs as his stomach starts to seize and his frame bends over to try to vomit once more.

"Matt!" Severide exclaims as his hand rests on his back as his friend's already weary frame heaves.

"Nothing…left inside. Just…dry heaves. Damn they hurt," Casey wheezes as he tries to stand back up. "I hope that means…nothing will pass through the kidney."

"Hope so. We gotta try to make it out. We can't stay down here much longer," Severide states what both of them know to be true.

"Okay," Casey nods in agreement as they both turn back to the opening of the hole in the ground above them. "We need…something to brace ourselves on," he mutters as he quickly looks around for something he can use to help get them out of their watery prison.

"Okay there has to be something down here," Severide adds as his legs start to slightly falter; a pang of dizziness starting to wash over him. "They cleared out down here…for a reason."

"Kelly…"

"I just gotta push past it. We gotta get outta here like now."

Casey knows he can't argue so once again he slowly starts to head in the direction opposite Severide, both of the searching in their dimly lit surroundings for a piece of leverage. Casey's hands feel around in the murky waters for something; quickly resting on something that feels like a piece of rebar.

"Anything?" Severide calls out loudly.

"Just some rebar…and if we fall on it, we could do more damage," Casey huffs as he tosses it away. "Plus, it's not very long. We need an inflatable ladder."

"Oh yeah I have one in my back pocket, hold on," Severide replies in sarcasm before he utters a low growl. "SOMEONE HELP US! HELLO! CAN ANYONE HEAR US!"

Casey's mind races with another horrible thought; more rain forecasted for that night and the possibility of them enduring more hours in their current unpleasant predicament. "What if it rains tonight?"

"We're trying to be positive here."

"Just stating the obvious."

"Thanks," Severide replies as his teeth grit.

Casey leans against the wall as his stomach tightens once more; his hand bracing himself as his body starts to slightly shiver. But he knows he can recover from chills, fever and a few scrapes and bruises; it's the water that is now working through his system, slowly heading toward his precious transplanted kidney that worries him the most. He looks at his watch and inwardly screams; they'd been down there a few hours now and unless help wasn't any closer to arriving than it was when they first were swallowed up.

He wanders back to the hole and looks up, calling out once more and frowning at the darkening sky's overhead. "Don't like the look of those clouds," Casey states as he turns to see Severide digging at something in the far corner. "What did you find?"

"An…opening…" he grunts as Casey's brows arch and he rushes in his direction.

"What?"

He hurries to Severide's side and sure enough sees the outline of what appears to be a metal barred doorway.

"It's…damn it's welded shut!" Severide grunts as he and Casey try to find a way to get the doorway open. "HELLO! SOMEONE! ANYONE!"

"CAN YOU HEAR US!" Casey shouts as well as he suddenly turns and leaves Severide's side.

"Matt?"

"Yeah…hold on," he pants as he staggers back toward the area he had tossed the piece of rebar. "Here…you can use…ahhhhh," Casey stops suddenly as his stomach constricts and his body doubles forward. "Hit it…with this," he wheezes as his body offers up another painful bout of the dry heaves and he finds himself wanting to fall forward.

"I got you!" Severide quickly states as he grabs Casey by the arm and helps him back to the large stone he had been resting on earlier. "Matt…"

"Yeah I just…" Casey's chest heaves as he leans forward, putting his head between his knees and praying for the nausea to pass. "Hit…the gate."

Severide regrettably pulls away and heads back toward the metal open bar door; resembling a large gate but welded to the walls on either side and unable for them to move it. "Maybe…I can pry…it open," Severide's voice strains as he tries to take a swing at the door to make some added noise. But the swinging motion only makes him dizzier and he has to quickly grab onto the sludge coated bar, his body faltering as Casey looks up in horror.

"Kelly!"

"Yeah I just…whoa…" Severide whispers as he tries to hold on to keep himself from collapsing. But instead of feeling better by stopping his actions, small dark circles start so form and he feels his grip coming loose and his body falling.

"I…got you," Casey winces as he tries to grab onto Severide before he crashes back to the dirty ground. But Casey's strength is rapidly leaving and instead of being able to hold Severide upright, the two of them tumble to the ground and land in a gasp heap of arms and legs.

Casey twists himself onto his side and then feels Severide's forehead and frowns.

"Fever," Severide whispers as Casey looks at him and nods. "We share a lot of things now."

Casey's lips can only offer a small smirk but the two of them remain lying on the cold dirt floor; the piece of rebar to their right. "You took in water too right?"

"I landed on my back," Severide huffs as he looks over at Casey in misery. "Think…I punctured it?" He asks in fear.

"Let me check. Can you roll over? I'll try to look closer."

"Sure…hold on," Severide replies slowly as he brings himself to a semi-sitting position before he slowly twists onto his left side; Casey slowly pulling up his soggy sweatshirt and then squinting down at his back. "Well?"

"You sure hit it hard. Does this hurt?"

"YES!" Severide instinctively shouts when Casey's fingers press down on the large, ugly bruise overtop his kidney.

"Sorry," Casey whispers in haste as his fingers pull back.

"No…it's okay. You gotta…keep going," Severide insists with a painful wheeze as he squeezes his watery eyes shut. "Is this…how you felt?"

"Yeah, a few times," Casey answers softly as his fingers continue to look for any fresh blood or puncture wounds. "Nothing. But there could be internal damage."

"And that can be fatal."

"Just don't…" Casey pauses as he pulls away from Severide and hurries as best he can toward the opening of the hole. "HELLO!" Casey shouts as Severide picks up the piece of rebar and tries to hit the side of the gate. Once Casey stops, Severide continues to bang the rod against the gate in the hopes of attracting attention. Any kind of attention.

Nothing.

"Let…me try," Casey volunteers with a small pant as he walks back to the gate, takes the piece of rebar from Severide's grasp and starts to hit the gate as Severide crawls back to the area they had been seated on earlier. Despite his waning strength, Casey hits the gate while Severide calls out, then they take turns and then again in unison until both are once again covered with a light film of sweat and feeling dizzy.

Still nothing.

"I mean…damn it's late afternoon…doesn't anyone come around HERE!" Severide shouts in frustration as Casey trudges back and slumps down beside him. His stomach tightens again but he knows he has to bite back his pain and help his friend; a possible internal rupture is nothing to take lightly. "You need to rest also."

"Think…someone will come looking?" Casey wonders as his frame sags against Severide's as both of them lean against the dirt wall, trying to get warm once again. They knew they couldn't just give up in their attempts at escape but each time they worked themselves up into a sweat, their bodies would cool down faster and they'd start to shiver harder and feel sicker.

"They have to…someone has to…they will…they will," Severide's voice dies out as his head suddenly dips and then instantly jerks back up.

"Kelly?"

"Suddenly tired," he replies with a soft groan as he leans back against the wall. "You are you feeling?"

"Sick. I need water," Casey replies in misery. "My stomach is on fire but I'm more worried about what's going to reach the kidney. Who knows what's in this water. Dirt, wood even animal stuff I could handle but what if there are chemicals from that container that…I don't want to be Fred. Kelly…"

"Hey you won't be Fred okay? He threw his life away, you're not."

"I need some clean water to flush out my system."

"I know…me too," Severide answers softly as he looks at his watch. "Think Shay will try to call tonight? You know just to check up on us?"

"She is usually paranoid but…she's with Clarice so maybe her mind will be occupied?" Casey suggests with a frown as his stomach twists once more and his face distorts.

"Damn Clarice," Severide curses lightly as Casey's head nods in agreement. "I should…try…again," Severide mutters a few moments later. But he misjudges his movements and stands up too fast, the blood instantly rushing to his head and forcing him to sway and falter.

"Kelly!" Casey exclaims as Severide's hands shoot out and he's able to brace himself against the stone wall before crashing into it or the ground face first.

"Maybe…I'll try in a bit," he huffs as he slumps back down to Casey's side. "My back feels strange. I've…oh God I've never felt this before."

"Never?" Casey asks weakly as he looks at Severide in wonder. "I'll…try again," Casey stammers as he tries to push himself back up, taking the piece of rebar in his grasp and hitting it against the welded gate. "HELLO! SOMEONE! CAN YOU HEAR US!"

He pauses to cough, the temperature of his body once again soaring to dangerous levels as he pauses in his actions too look for a way around the gate to try to pry it open. Nothing.

"HELLO! HELP US! SOMEONE! CAN ANYONE HEAR US!"

His lungs constrict and another superheated wave of nausea washes over him forcing him to once again pause and look at Severide in defeat. "It's…getting darker out there," his watery blue eyes glance at the opening and then down at his friend who looks up the opening and then up at him; their eyes locking in a moment of horrible understanding.

A dark and deserted construction site wasn't exactly the place to be at night, injured and unable to call for help. Their situation was growing dire by the second. Added to the fact that they were both had some minor external injuries but were fearing more troublesome internal injuries.

"Think it might start to rain again."

"That would suck but then it might give us some clean water?"

"Yeah, maybe," Casey agrees as he heads back to Severide's side and painfully eases himself back down. "I'll just rest…a minute before…trying again."

With his back in agony, Severide can only nod in agreement as the two of them huddle together to conserve body heat. Fatigue instantly claims them and for a few hours they are able to get a bit of rest. However, that rest is quickly broken by a sound that jolts both Casey and Severide instantly awake.

"Wha…the…" Severide offers with a grunt as his brain tries to force his weary eyes to open. "Matt! Hey Matt wake up. Matt!"

"Yeah…what?" Casey replies as Severide's hand rests on his forehead.

"Damn you're hot."

"I know," Casey retorts somewhat cheekily as Severide's lips purse. "How long…have we been asleep?"

"Few hours…but…" Severide stops as both of them hear a strange sound.

"What was that?" Casey asks in a quiet whisper.

But he soon gets his answer and both of them at each other with widening eyes.

"Uh…oh…"


A/N: Uh oh… how will our boys escape their current hellish predicament? Hope you all liked this please do review before you go and thanks so much!