Gabby was up with her alarm at six am. She had left Logan in his room that night so she could get ready without worrying about waking him up. After she checked on him and saw he was still soundly asleep she went back to her room to get ready for her first shift back at work.
An hour later she stood at the sink brushing her teeth as she checked her phone for the millionth time. It had been nearly 24 hours since she had heard from Matt and the last thing she heard was the fire had spread. Every free moment she had she was checking her phone and trying to assure herself that if anything had happened Boden or someone would have called her.
She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Logan softly whining through the baby monitor. Gabby quickly went to get him and once he saw his mom he stopped whining and grinned at her.
"Good morning baby boy." She said happily and lifted him out of the crib. "Are you ready for an exciting day with Grandma?" She asked energetically and changed his diaper before she took him downstairs where she already had a bottle warmed for him.
After Gabby fed Logan she changed him out of his pajamas and put him in his car seat. It was close to 7:30 now and she had to hurry to get him to her parent's house. She grabbed his heavily stocked, overnight diaper bag and her own bag before she took him out to the car and jumped in.
When she made it to the house her mom was waiting. She pulled open the door with a smile and welcomed Gabby inside. "Morning you two." She grinned.
"Morning mom," Gabby replied, "thank you so much for doing this." She sighed.
"No problem, it'll be nice having a baby around again." She smiled and gave her daughter a hug. "Have you heard from Matt?" She asked softly.
"Nope, not since yesterday morning when they got the call for the spreading fire." She sighed. "Okay so I brought everything he might need, if there aren't enough diapers just call me or you know where the key is hidden." Gabby said preparing her mom for taking care of Logan. "Call me if you need anything." She stressed.
"Gabby I raised you and your brother," She said putting stress on the and, "We'll be fine." She offered her a reassuring smile and Gabby nodded.
Gabby sighed and pulled Logan out of his seat. "Be good for Grandma okay buddy." She cooed softly and pulled him into her neck. "I love you, I'll see you soon." She sniffled, a few tears coming to her eyes. This was going to be the first time she left the baby overnight and she didn't even have Matt to lean on.
"We're going to be fine." Her mom reassured her. "The first time is always the hardest." She smiled and rubbed her back.
"I better get going." Gabby sighed. She kissed the top of Logan's little head and hugged him to her before passing him off to her mom. "Call me if you need anything." She reminded her as she forced herself to leave.
"I will don't worry." She said as she watched her daughter walk out to her car. Gabby looked back as she started the car and she gave a small wave as Gabby drove away.
That morning at 51 it was quiet. With truck and squad gone and Boden working an investigation there were only the 6 engine guys and the 3 paramedics. Gabby walked in five minutes before shift started and went to go put her things away.
Once she had most of her things put away her phone started to vibrate in her pocket and she quickly answered it.
"Morning beautiful," Matt's voice came through clear and chipper. Gabby let out an audible sigh of relief.
"Hi." She finally sighed out.
"You okay?" he asked sensing the stress in her voice.
"Yeah just it's been a bad morning." She said shaking her head, "It's nothing how are you?" She asked changing the subject.
"Gabby, what's wrong?" He asked softly.
"It's just, it was hard to leave Logan with my mom and I hadn't heard from you since yesterday morning when you said the fire was spreading." She sighed.
"I'm sorry about that, we got the fire back under control but I was out as soon as we got home and didn't get up again until nearly midnight and I didn't want to wake you. Good news is the fire is starting to shrink." Matt said trying to put a happier spin on the situation.
"That's great; do you think you'll be coming home soon?" Gabby asked curiously as she wondered out of the locker room and into the sleeping quarters.
"Getting closer for sure." Matt smiled into the phone.
"Good," Gabby laughed, "a few phone calls is not good enough." She complained with a hint of humor in her voice.
"I know how you feel. I can't wait to see you, Logan, and my own bed." He laughed. "These are less comfortable than the old ones at 51." He said referring to the ratty old bunks they had up until a few years ago when the city replaced them.
"Yeah and Logan is not big enough to property cuddle up to so tell those idiots in Indianapolis to put out their own damn fires and send my man home." She laughed.
"Let me get right on that." He said sarcastically causing Gabby to laugh.
Next thing Gabby knew the bells were ringing, calling Ambo to a heart attack victim. "Looks like you're not the only one with bells disturbing their phone calls." Gabby sighed.
"Welcome back." Matt said glumly. "Be safe I love you." He said quickly.
"I love you too and back at you." She grinned as she made her way downstairs. "Bye." Gabby said quickly.
"Bye babe." He replied and ended the call.
As she came out onto the apparatus floor she saw Brett hanging up her own cell phone and hopping into the back of the rig. "Sounds like we might be getting our boys home soon." Gabby said and looked back at her in the back of the ambo.
"Hopefully," she sighed as Shay put the Ambo in drive and took off.
The girls got back to the house an hour later and had an uneventful rest of the day. At dinner Shay sat down next to Gabby and Brett followed later. "So any news on when the guys get to come home?" She asked.
"Fire is dying down according to Matt so hopefully soon." Gabby answered and Shay nodded happily.
"That's good they deserve a break."
"Can you believe they've only been gone three days, it feels like so much longer." Brett added from across the table.
"You're telling me." Gabby chuckled. "I can't wait for them to get home and not just Matt, I've had to schedule so much extra help at Molly's since I couldn't leave Logan alone and Hermann and Otis are MIA." She shook her head as the last words rolled off her tongue sarcastically.
"That must have been extra work just piled on." Brett added, and Shay nodded in agreement.
"It definitely was." She sighed and tried to stifle a yawn. "Okay guys not to cut our conversation short but I'm going to try to get some sleep." Gabby said and stood up to take her plate into the kitchen before walking to the bunk room.
"Goodnight." Shay called after her as she disappeared down the hallway.
Gabby sat on her bed to call and check on Logan for the hundredth time before she settled down to sleep. She was only interrupted a couple of times by calls for the Ambo and one calling engine to assist at a fire in the next district over.
The next morning she walked into the kitchen and saw Sylvie standing behind the stove. "Morning." She greeted as she got a cup of coffee.
"Morning," Sylvie said back.
"What do we got here?" Gabby questioned, looking at the dish she was preparing.
"Breakfast casserole," She said as she set that and a large platter of bacon out on the counter for the hungry men sitting around the common room. "I mean Kelly will be mad when he finds out, he loves this stuff, but it just sounded good." She laughed as everyone grabbed a plate.
They were sitting around the table eating happily and talking like usual. "Brett this is amazing!" Gabby laughed. "Can you give me the recipe?"
"Sure it's easy." She smiled and took another bite. "It's just-" She started but was cut off by the sound of the garage doors coming up and the alarms going off.
"Smoke eaters in the house!" The voice called enthusiastically and everyone stood up from their spots at the table.
No way. Gabby thought as she rushed out the doors with everyone else.
