Matt and Gabby walked hand in hand up the path of the firehouse towards the Common room where all of their colleagues were waiting eagerly. As their reached the trucks, Casey stopped and Gabby turned round to see what was wrong. "Is everything ok baby?" she asked squeezing his hand gently making him smile.
"I miss him already." he admitted, a he looked at his hand as it was held carefully in Gabby's.
She moved her hands up so they where rested lightly on his chest as she looked deep into his eyes. She could see every emotion that was burning brightly behind them and she could tell that being away from Jamie was hurting him, just as it was her. But they had a job to do and Jamie was fine now, safe with her brother at home. A few days after he had woken up the doctors had given them the test results before they gave them the green light for him to be able to go home. Today was the day that the firehouse were able to find out exactly what had happened and how their little Monkey was going to be in the future.
"Matt, I know exactly how you are feeling right now. The place I want to be right now is with him at home with you and Antonio." she took a deep breath. "As soon as I told him the whole situation he jumped on the first plane back to Chicago from Florida. He wants to be here for Jamie and he had put his training on hold for him, surely that proves something." she explained.
"I'm not saying that having Antonio at home with him was a bad idea, because it wasn't, what I was trying to say was that after everything our son has been through, it just tears me apart being away from him. It always has."
"I know that hunny, but you heard him, he wanted you to go back to work. He knew that it would bring you some normality after that whole experience. He is right, being at work is what you need." she finished as she rolled up onto the balls of her feet and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm starting to think that maybe Jamie knows us better than we know ourselves." she said over her shoulder with a smile as she slowly made her way towards the common room, Casey rolling his eyes playfully before jogging to catch up with her.
"Hey, look who it is!" Herrmann called stuffing the last bit of toast into his mouth as Dawson and Casey walked through the door, distant expressions on their faces making everyone feel a 'We have bad news' atmosphere.
"How is he?" Kelly asked standing up from the table, a coffee mug in his hand.
Gabby grasped her fiancé's hand as she took a deep, wavering breath. "After April came and gave us the all clear to take him home she gave us some news..." she started as she looked up to Casey to try and cover a smile that was fighting to spread across her face. It seemed strange having to fight to keep a smile off her face, she was used to biting back the tears that stung her eyes.
"News?" Cruz asked looking around the room at everyone's worried expressions.
"Yeah," Casey continued, he looked down at Gabby and met her gaze. He could see the corners of her mouth twitching as she tried to hide her happiness from the rest of the team. He turned back to the team and let his smile shine out, it was feeling that he hadn't felt in a while but it was nice to have it spreading through his body once again. "April gave us two bits of news."
As soon as she saw Casey's mouth begin to curve she couldn't hold it back anymore, the excitement, anticipation and shire joy was way to much for her heart to handle. "Jamie is going to make a full recovery!" she shouted, a slightly delayed cheer followed close behind as the news finally sunk in.
"Woah, whoa, I take it you don't want to hear the other part then?" he joked slightly raising his voice to be heard over the happy chatter as he tried to continue. "The other news is..." Matt left a long dramatic pause to really make their minds think of what the thing he was about to say could be. Then, just as Gabby had felt, he couldn't hold it back anymore, so with a proud smile he gave the news. "Jamie's is clear of cancer, the test results came back clean, the chemo worked!" he exclaimed wrapping an arm around Gabby's shoulder and pulling her close.
"I'm so happy he's going to be ok!" Brett called as she make her way around the table to meet them. When she arrived she wrapped her arms around her friend and held her tight. "Gabby this is the best news you cold have given us, I'm so happy that he's gunna live without this!" she said into the fur of Gabby's jacket. Gabby could feel the shake in her breath as Sylvie's body was pressed against hers, she pulled away and saw that she was crying.
"Brett, hunny why you crying?" she asked with a laugh.
"I'm just so happy that Jamie's going to be ok, I don't know what I would have done if anything would have happened to him." she exclaimed trying to calm herself down but it wasn't working.
"I know exactly what you mean but I'm not even thing about that anymore. He is ok and alive and that's how he's going to stay, besides don't you have some news you wanted to share with he rest of us?" Gabby suggested pointing to the barely visible baby bump under her baggy hoodie, a trick she had mentioned to her, it brought he mind back to when she was pregnant with Jamie, she wouldn't change her life for the world.
Sylvie leaned closer so no one could hear apart from Gabby. "I don't want to take the good news away from you guys. She looked over and saw Matt laughing at something one of the guys had said, he looks happy, she thought with a smile.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Gabby exclaimed. "Your news is just as just, if not more important, girl you gotta go for it!"
"Ok." she answered after a long pause. She turned to face the rest of the team and cleared her throat. As she did so she made eye contact with Jago, who gave an approving nod softened by a half smile, one of the ones that made her heart melt every time she gave her one. She cleared her throat just as everyone began to turn and look at her. "Guys I have some news to..."
So the plan was basically failing at the moment, the goddamned kid was ill so it was gunna be a little more difficult to get her on her own. The snow had begun to fall quickly from the sky and after sitting in front of a dinner for an hour and a half while the person he was waiting for was sitting down having a good chat with an older man, about twice age. Strange things go on in this city, he thought as he took one small mouthful of what was left in his coffee cup. Not being able to go anywhere was proving to be more of a problem than he had first thought, but he was committed now and he had to find out who these two men were...
"I'm Pregnant!" she exclaimed as everyone erupted into cheers, but something didn't quite add up in Herrmann's mind.
"Sylvie, how long are you?" he asked as he slowly walked towards her, her happy expression now becoming a little embarrassed. She felt her cheeks get warmer and warmer with every step he took, the room was now quiet, everyone focused on them.
"Herrmann." Gabby started as she tried to defend one of her paramedics, but instead all she got was Herrmann's hand that he had raised to keep her quiet.
"Herrmann, do you really think that...!" she started as he stood in front of her.
"It was him wasn't it." he grumbled in a deep voice. "It was that bastard that kidnapped you wasn't it!?"
"Herrmann please!" she said but before she could say anything more Casey was standing between them.
"Herrmann back off ok, if she doesn't want to tell you then you should respect that." he felt a hand run softly over the curve of his muscles in his upper arm, he knew who it was and the feeling brought his anger down a little. "Herrmann, you don't want to know what happened in that warehouse where we were kidnapped and tortured."
"Lieutenant, with all due respect, you weren't kidnapped." Herrmann pointed out.
Gabby came out from behind Casey and stood between them, Casey and Herrmann not losing eye contact. "Guys drop it, what happened, happened. There is nothing anyone can do about it and there's no point arguing about it. We just need to be here for Brett." Gabby said alternating her gaze between Herrmann and her fiancé.
"Dawson's right, it's all over now." Brett agreed, her voice shaking a little.
Danny walked over to join her company, "Anyone up for heading out?" she asked as she reached Gabby's side.
"I think that's a real good idea." Gabby said as she began to start after Sylvie and Danny. "See you guys later!" she called over her shoulder.
"Stay safe!" Casey called after them before the door closed. He turned to Herrmann as soon as the door had closed. "What was that?!" he asked, his voice raised.
"What was what?" Chris replied, his tome matching Matt's.
"You know exactly what I am talking about, you had no right to ask that!"
"Well either Jeff raped her or he made you do it!"
"That did not just come out if your mouth!" Casey shouted angrily.
"You didn't deny it Lieutenant." Herrmann stated in a mocking tone.
Casey took a deep breath and thought about what he was going say before he could cause a full on argument. "I did not rape Sylvie! I would never dream about doing whatever you're accusing me to do. Brett was in need of help and I took it upon myself to go and help her." Casey said slowly making sure Herrmann understood everything he was saying.
"I wasn't accusing you of anything Lieutenant, it was just a theory."
"Herrmann, if you're trying to start and argument please don't start it with me. I am your lieutenant and I would hate to take this down to HQ." Casey explained. "You know I'm not like that."
"Yeah." Herrmann agreed. He had finally realized the severity of what he had said to Matt and the guilt was beginning to bubble up.
"I'm just happy Danny suggested that Ambo should leave, if she was here, Gabby would have made you settle this out by the dumpsters Chris. We all know who would win." Kelly said as he began to walk towards the bunk room.
"Yeah, don't you -"
"Truck 81, Squad 3, Ambulance 61, Battalion 25 - RTA at 24th and State Bridge."
"Suite up boys, we have a job to do!" Casey said as he turned and began to jog towards the trucks.
"Ok, fire number three, done." he said under his breath as he made his way down the sidewalk towards his bashed up truck. The woman that had lived in the house before was one of many trades. She moved to the city after seven years of living in Los Angeles as an Estate agent; then later moved to New York to try out for the police department. She tried at the job for over three years but it was no use, so she moved to Chicago and fell upon the wrong people accidently. Four years on and the alleys and the nightclubs where her home. She spent her nights in a disused church surrounded by drug addicts and rapists; that was until he found her and lured her into his life.
"You're home later than usually hunny." she said as he walked through the door.
What she didn't know was that he was at home prepping himself for a night he would never forget.
Now sitting in the car, the heater turned up to full blast because of the winter weather, he said and took a deep breath to try and stop his hands from shaking.
"I got held up at work. Justin wasn't in so I had to cover for him." he said placing his bag down by the door, the way he did every night he stayed with the bitch.
"I've been thinking about you all day." she said walking up, grasping his collar and pulling him towards her making their lips touch. He pulled way quickly, this shouldn't be happening, he thought.
As he sat alone in the dark cab of his car his hands could still remember the feeling as the muscles tense as he pressed his thumbs against her throat as she pleaded breathlessly for him to let go.
The rush he felt when he felt her body go limp was a feeling like no other. As soon as he knew that she was dead he ripped the cloths off of her and grabbed the bag that was left by the door. As he pulled back the zipper on the duffel bag the contents was now on show. Inside was a jerry can, a lighter and some accelerant. He pulled them out and placed them neatly beside the body of the woman of whom he didn't know the name. The lid of the jerry can slid off easily and the contents was now spilling out soaking the body of the woman. After placing the accelerant in a neat line from the body to the exit door he lit the lighter and watched as it fell towards the white powder that lay on the wood paneled floor. He stood and watched as the house began to bellow with smoke and the orange flames licking up the side of the house towards the upper floors. He pulled out his old cell phone and punched in the numbers: 9-1-1 into the keypad. He moved the phone up to his ear. "I would like to report a fire..."
Flying down the streets of the city, the trucks swerved in between the traffic. Just as the light switched to green 61 pulled out in front of 81 and lead the way to the call location. In the Ambo, Gabby smiled as she saw 81 and squad pull out behind her company, she brought the mic up to her mouth. "Where are you guys speeding off to?" she joked.
"You're funny Dawson!" Kelly exclaimed through laughter. She could her giggles in the background.
"Oh don't I know it!" she laughed. "All I can see in the mirror is your bloody lights 81, your blinding me!" she joked.
"Look the other way then Dawson, our lights ain't going anywhere!" Casey chuckled, his voice crackling through the radio.
"Yeah, yeah lieutenant. Main, Ambo 61, Truck 81 and Squad 3 all just arrived on scene." Gabby said as Brett slowed down the Ambo to a controlled stop just outside the burning building.
"61, 81, 3 all clear. Request if in need of backup."
"Over and out." Gabby finished as she climbed out of the cab of the Ambo quickly joined by Santiago and Brett. Over to their right the familiar voices of Lieutenant Casey and Severide were all to familiar.
"Mouch, Cruz up the aerial. Candidate, Herrmann your with me. Lets go!" Casey shouted running towards the building, Severide and his team following shortly after.
Inside the building the visibility was hopeless. The team stayed low and crawled across the floor, halligans dragging out in front of them. Jago was following Herrmann and Casey as they searched the living room. He had come apart from the rest of his team and went over to the east side if the room, that was when his halligan hit something. He reached fro his radio without thinking about it, "Lieutenant I have something!" he called over the raw of the fire. Within seconds Casey and Herrmann were at his side, "What is it Jago?" Casey shouted to be heard.
"I think I've found a body!"
Casey leant forward and reached to feel in front of him and sure enough Jago was right, it was a body.
"We gotta get out of here now!" They heard come through the radio as they heard footsteps thunder down the stairs. "Guys, now!" Kelly shouted as he ran over to the group of guys beginning the limp body off the ground. The team, now of five, hurried awkwardly down the hallway, the door to the outside now in sight. A rumble above them began to come faster and louder with every footstep they took towards the door. The heat was becoming less and less bearable and the chance of a flashover was becoming greater and greater. As soon as the group; Casey, Severide, Herrmann, Jago, Capp and Tony, were out of the house fire shot out of every window and door in the house. Glass and debris went flying across the road, trucks, cars and anything else that was in the path of the explosion. The guys dived over the body to protect it from anything that may have fallen and caused anymore damage to the woman that maybe or maybe not still be alive.
Gabby, Sylvie and Danny came running over to the group of firemen who were still bundled over the small body of the burnt body. As the firemen began to move off they helped lift the body onto the gurney so that the paramedics could begin their jobs. Gabby had her stethoscope wrapped around her neck and had her blue gloved pulled over her hands, just the same as the rest of her company.
"Ok Santiago you're up. I need a tube started, Jago compressions." she orders as Brett handed her an epi.
Robert threw his gloves off and began to press down desperately on the woman's chest. Gabby had shrugged off her jacket and laid it over the bare chest of the victim before so that Jago could concentrate on the task he had been asked to fulfill. The rest of the team had now began to gather around as the paramedics began to complete their jobs and Engine battled to put out the fire behind them.
"I can't see the chords!" Danny yelled so that Gabby would come over and help her.
Dawson forced the Ambu-bag into Casey's chest, "I need you to bag her!" she demanded, Matt immediately jumping into action. Casey placed the mask over the woman's mouth and squeezed the bag to force the air into the woman's lungs. He removed the mask and Danny went straight back in to try again for the tube. Gabby watched calmly from behind her.
"I still can't see them!" she shouted, desperation and annoyance filling her voice.
"Casey, bag" she said as Matt moved over and squeezed the bag over the woman's mouth again. "Danny take a deep breath, slide the blade in and feed the tube down then push." she reminded as she saw Danny's hands shake slightly.
Danny did exactly as Gabby had said. She slid the blade into the woman's throat and fed the tube down with it then she pushed, the trachea muscles give as she pushed the tube down. "I've got it!" she breathed "I did it!"
Gabby tapped her hand on her candidate's shoulder as she took a brief moment of relaxation before the trauma began to kick back in. "Brett pass me the cardiac machine, she hasn't got a pulse." Gabby said as she moved her fingers away from the woman's badly burnt neck.
"150?" Brett asked as she began to stick the pads to the victims chest.
"You got it!" Gabby said as she moved her finger to the 'charge' button. "Charging. Everybody clear?" she asked as everyone took a step back from the gurney.
"Clear!" Casey replied.
"Shocking!" Dawson shouted as the woman's back arched up off the bed. "Come on!" she said through gritted teeth as she moved closer to the body again. "Pump it up to 200j!"
Brett turned the switch up so it was inline with the '200'. "Shocking!" she shouted as Dawson moved her hand to the 'shock' button.
"Shocking!" Come on start up, start up, she pleaded in her head over and over again. The body arched up off the gurney and slam back down again.
Brett looked over and saw the orange line now begin to flutter in font of them on the machine and the whole team let out a sigh of relief as the woman's heart began to beat on its own in front of them. While Brett and Danny loaded her into the back of the Ambo, Gabby walked round to the drivers side of the cab. "See you all back at the house!" Gabby called from the window before she switched the lights and sirens on as she pulled away and headed towards Chicago Med.
He had the whole accident on camera, again. Beside him was a picture of a young boy and a man that was standing about 50 feet from the location of his car. He reached over and grabbed the map that was folded neatly under the photos and spread it out in front of him. Just outside the red outline was a black cross, the location of his next target. He refolded the map and placed it on the seat beside him; started the engine and pulled away into the dark streets of downtown Chicago, his next victim forming an image in his mind and a toothy smile spreading across his face. This will either blow my cover and get me caught or by me a whole lot of time...