FORTY SIX
Casey blew out a heavy sigh as he shut the side compartment on the rig, Matt running a tired hand over the side of his face as he tried to shake some of the lingering exhaustion from his system. With shift having barely just started, he knew he needed to wake himself up, and try and get rid of the tiredness he still felt, but that was easier said than done.
It had been a very long night for the truck Lieutenant, sleep not coming easily at all for him, or for Gabby, last night after her unexpected drunken evening at Molly's. It hadn't helped that the firefighter was already exhausted before he had to go and take care of his girlfriend, but her inebriated state had definitely presented more of a challenge than he was expecting.
Once he'd managed to convince her he wasn't leaving last night, which hadn't been easy, Matt had eventually been able to get her back to bed, Gabby stumbling over herself as they tried to get there, Matt practically carrying her by the time they'd gotten to her room. And while it didn't take too much longer to get her into bed, it hadn't exactly been a peaceful night's rest for either of them. They'd maybe been asleep for two hours when Matt woke up to her scrambling out of bed, Gabby running as quickly as she could to the bathroom. Matt had gotten up immediately, his body moving on autopilot before his brain could even register the reasoning for her getting up so abruptly, Matt soon pulled from his sleepy haze when he saw her hunched over the toilet, expelling all the contents of her stomach, which he feared was mostly just alcohol. Matt moved quickly to hold her hair and rub her back, the tired firefighter doing all he could to comfort his girlfriend while she got sick, even though the smell was absolutely nauseating. But he knew for as unsettling as all this was to him, it was much worse for her.
He could tell she felt horrible, the way her body was shaking and how she clutched her stomach once she'd finished throwing up telling him enough of exactly how bad she was feeling, Matt wishing he could do anything to help her feel better. But he couldn't, and it had led to a pretty long night for the both of them. Gabby had a very difficult time getting back to sleep, her nausea nearly debilitating for most of the night.
He'd done what he could to help; he stayed with her in the bathroom when she felt like she was going to be sick again, he rubbed her head when she finally felt okay enough to go back to bed, Matt trying to help alleviate the pressure in her head, and he'd held onto her for most of the night, doing what he could to try and lull her to sleep.
But nothing worked all that well, Gabby near tears at some points during their restless night. He wasn't sure if it was because she felt awful, or because she wanted to sleep and she wasn't able to, or if it had more to do with whatever had been bothering her so deeply lately. He wasn't sure the exact reason, but if he were to guess he figured it was probably a mix of all three, Matt doing what he could to help soothe her.
Eventually, Gabby had managed to fall asleep around four this morning, but it hadn't exactly been a peaceful sleep, neither of them getting much rest before their alarm went off for shift.
It had been a difficult night, one that hadn't been helped by Gabby's distant behavior this morning. For as clingy as she'd been while they were trying to sleep, Gabby practically refusing to let go of him throughout the night, when they woke up this morning she could barely look at him. He knew she was hungover, but it was definitely more than that. He wasn't exactly sure, but it was almost like she was embarrassed. Embarrassed by what had happened last night, even though he wasn't exactly sure how much she remembered. He wouldn't be surprised if she didn't recall much, but something in his gut told him she was very aware of what had happened, if her behavior this morning was indication.
But, whatever the reason, he hated the distance she was putting between them. Because she didn't need to. She didn't need to feel embarrassed with him, or feel like she had to hide because of her near break down the night before, but it felt like that's what she was doing, Gabby barely saying ten words to him this morning as they got ready and came into work together.
While he wouldn't say this morning had been tense, it had definitely been different from what he was expecting, so much so that Matt had been tempted to call Boden last minute and tell him that he and Gabby wouldn't be able to make it into work today, but that thought had quickly gone out the window when Gabby practically ran out of the apartment to head to the firehouse.
Needless to say, it had been a confusing, and concerning, twelve hours for the truck Lieutenant, Matt consumed with nothing but worry for his girlfriend.
He knew she was struggling, that much was obvious, but he didn't know with what. And, aside from Shay's belief that Walker had something to do with it, Casey had no idea what might've been causing her behavior as of late. But what he did know was that it wasn't anything good.
Rubbing his hand over the back of his neck, Casey shook his head as he began walking beside the truck, Matt knowing he desperately needed some coffee if he had any hope of making it through this shift. But he'd only taken a few steps when a familiar face came around the back of the rig, the blonde wearing a pensive look on her face as she moved towards him, Matt soon understanding she'd come here looking for him, the firefighter giving her a soft nod.
"Hey Shay." Casey greeted softly, the blonde shooting him a weak smile as she came to a stop in front of him, the two friends alone in the garage.
"Hey Casey." She responded, the paramedic leaning her body into the the rig, Matt's tongue poking out between his teeth as his eyes traced over her face, the firefighter seeing the same look of worry he'd seen last night at Molly's, Shay still clearly concerned over what had happened. "I, uh-" She cut herself off, shaking her head as she released a heavy breath, Matt's eyebrows furrowing slightly. "I'm sorry, I can't do the whole small talk thing right now, I just… Did Gabby say anything?" She asked bluntly, Casey pursing his lips together before he matched her stance, Matt leaning his side against the truck.
"Shay…"
"If she doesn't want people to know, okay. You don't have to tell me what happened, but I just need to know she's okay." Shay continued, her rambling telling Matt just how upset this entire thing had made her. "How she was last night… I've seen Gabby when she's drunk, but that wasn't just what that was. I don't know if I've ever seen her like that before." Her voice got quiet, Shay drawing in a deep breath. "...I'm worried about her, Casey."
Matt gave her a nod, his face softening as he heard the concern laced in her words, the firefighter understanding the feeling well. "I know you are, Shay. And so am I." He responded softly, Shay gnawing on her bottom lip. "But I don't know what happened… She didn't say much. She was just…" Matt trailed off, knowing he had to be careful of how much he divulged to the paramedic. It had nothing to do with her, but the last thing Matt wanted to do was say too much when Gabby might not want him to. If he was right, and Gabby had been as embarrassed as she seemed this morning with just him, he was sure she wouldn't want anyone else knowing what had happened when they got home last night, even though it was only Shay. "She was drunk, and didn't have much to say." He settled on, Shay giving him a slight nod.
"She's really worrying me, Matt." The blonde repeated, Matt nodding in agreement. "Something's going on, and I have a very strong feeling it has everything to do with Walker." She added, her voice turning rigid at the mention of the firefighter, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.
"...I don't know what's going on." He replied, Shay hearing the slight edge of frustration in his voice. But she knew it wasn't so much directed towards Gabby as it was him just wanting to be able to help her. "I don't know if this is something to do with Walker, or something else entirely, I don't know. All I do know is that something's wrong, but she won't talk to me." He breathed out, Shay letting him vent. She could tell this had been bothering him, and considering this definitely was not a conversation he could be having with Dawson, at least not right now, she was more than willing to let him get this off his chest. "Then after what happened last night, I just-... I really don't know what to do to help her. I'm trying to be supportive, and give her time, but I can't stand seeing her like this." He admitted softly, Shay's lips turning down into a frown. "She's not okay, and it kills me not being able to help her."
"I know." She agreed sadly, reaching out to place her hand over his arm, Matt sighing heavily as his words hung in the air for a moment. "I don't know what's going on, I know when things get hard, or something's going on, she's shut down in the past… Usually when something was going on with Bryan, is when she'd get like this." Shay continued, Matt swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, waiting for her to continue. "It had never been this bad before, to the point where she drank so much she could hardly walk, but this reminds me a lot of how she'd get when they'd have problems… And him talking to her last night, I can't help but feel like he's the cause of this."
Matt pursed his lips together, the firefighter remaining quiet for a moment as he thought over Shay's words, the blonde giving his arm a squeeze before she dropped her hand back to her side, Casey meeting her gaze. "...What exactly happened last night?"
While his question was somewhat vague, Shay knew exactly what he was referring to, the paramedic knowing he wanted the details as to what had happened between Dawson and Walker. The only issue was that Shay didn't know most of it.
"I don't know what they were talking about, but when I got back there… I don't know if I've ever seen Gabby look that… small." Shay admitted, Matt's neck tensing involuntarily. "She looked so scared. I don't know what he was doing, but he did something to cause her to drop like, ten beer glasses. When I got in there, there was broken glass all over the floor, and he had her cornered against the wall." She continued, Casey feeling his entire body tighten with anger as he listened to the paramedic. "I didn't hear much, but he was definitely messing with her. And, well if his intentions were to upset her, it worked." She spoke quietly, Matt running his hand over his mouth as he released a heavy sigh. "I mean, Gabby never drinks like that. Never… He had to have done something, because she was fine before she went back to the stockroom."
Casey gave a slow nod, the firefighter digesting Shay's words as they stood in the garage, Matt biting down on the inside of his cheek as he tried to process everything. "I… I don't know what to do here, if this is because of Walker, we've got more problems than just trying to help Gabby." Casey huffed out, the paramedic waiting for him to elaborate. "He's been told time and time again to leave her alone, and clearly he can't… If he can't listen, he can't be at this house anymore."
Her eyes widened slightly as the firm words left Matt's lips, Shay meeting his gaze before she spoke up. "What are you gonna do?"
"I don't know- I need to figure out what's been going on first, but if all this is because of him, he's gotta go. Boden has given him chance after chance, and it's been made very clear if he does anything else, he's gone."
"So you're gonna go talk to the Chief?" She asked, Matt nodding slowly.
"I am… But I need to talk to Gabby first. And Walker, too. I don't wanna force her into talking about this, but if Walker is the reason for this, he can't stay here." He spoke, Shay gnawing on her bottom lip before her eyes moved to the ground, Matt catching a look of something he couldn't read flash over her face, the paramedic having gone uncharacteristically quiet. "...What is it?"
"Huh?" She asked as she looked back up, seeing a hesitant look covering his features.
"That look on your face… Do you not think I should go to Boden?" He questioned, Shay's eyebrows furrowing before she immediately shook her head, Matt pushing himself up off the rig as he waited for her to respond.
"No, no, it's not that. I do think you should." She was quick to reply, Matt raising his eyebrows slightly. "I think Walker needs to be dealt with, because clearly he's at least doing something to her. And, even if he's not the only reason she's been upset lately, she shouldn't have to be dealing with his bullshit." She spoke, Matt nodding in agreement.
"Then what's the problem?" He asked, Shay releasing a heavy sigh before she glanced around the garage, needing to make sure they were still alone as she took a step closer to Casey, Matt's eyebrows furrowing in confusion, unsure of where this was headed.
"It was something Walker said to her last night… Something he said before they realized I was there." She started, Matt trying to brace himself for what she was about to say. "And I don't know if I should be bringing this up to you, or if you even know, but I don't want to go to Gabby because I just-... I don't want to make things worse for her right now."
"What is it, Shay?" Casey asked, urging her to say whatever it was, the firefighter having a feeling he wasn't going to like whatever Walker had said to his girlfriend, Shay eyeing him cautiously before she spoke up.
"...He said something about her having a miscarriage."
Casey's entire body tightened, his eyes moving to ground as Shay's words washed over him, his reaction giving her the answer to her question that she hadn't yet asked, Shay shaking her head sadly as her lips turned down into a frown, Matt still avoiding her gaze.
"Gabby was pregnant, wasn't she?" Shay asked quietly, Casey swallowing the thick lump that had formed in his throat, Matt knowing he didn't need to give her a verbal answer as he slowly met her gaze. Shay clenched her eyes shut, the blonde paramedic bringing her hand up to rub over the side of her face as a hundred different emotions flooded her body, though she didn't know which one to follow. "I… I don't even know- When was this?"
"Shay…"
"Casey, please." She responded before he could even get the words out, Matt wincing slightly. "Walker said enough for me to know she lost the baby, but I just… I had no idea she was ever pregnant."
"No one did." Matt breathed out reluctantly, the firefighter knowing Shay wouldn't stop until he told her what he knew, even though that wasn't much. "Only her family, and Walker, knew… I don't know a lot about it- really, I don't." He spoke when he caught the look of doubt that flashed in her eyes. "I don't even know when it happened, just that it was earlier on in their relationship, and she wasn't very far along when she-" He cut himself off, Matt shaking his head as he took a deep breath. "I don't know how it happened, or what caused it, but she lost the baby."
"Oh my God…" Shay breathed out, the paramedic trying to digest what she was hearing, her heart breaking for her best friend. "I… I had no idea, I didn't know."
"She didn't want you to." Matt responded quietly, Shay turning so her back was resting against the truck, a look of disbelief still covering her face. "She didn't want anyone to know."
Shay gave him a slow nod, their heavy conversation feeling almost suffocating as they fell into a tense quiet, Matt pursing his lips together as he straightened his back, the Lieutenant watching his friend closely, trying to gauge when he should ask his next question. He knew this was a shock to her, for Shay to learn that her best friend and partner had gone through this, and she had no idea. That even though Shay had found out last night, getting the confirmation from him was probably like finding out for the first time all over again. He knew it was jarring, to say the least, because it had been for him, too. So he was trying to give her a second to digest all this, but there was something else he needed to know.
"...What did Walker say to her?" Casey asked after a few long moments, Shay lifting her head to look up at the firefighter, blowing out a heavy breath to clear her mind before answering him.
"I couldn't hear much. It was loud, and they weren't exactly yelling, but I heard him say something about a miscarriage… And, uh- how he was grateful that she lost the baby." Matt's entire body tensed, rage coursing through him as Shay spoke, the Lieutenant doing what he could to keep his anger under control. "How he couldn't imagine having to raise a kid with her…"
Casey's fists clenched at his sides, Shay turning to look at him as she saw the way his entire body tightened, Matt clearly beyond angry at this point. And she couldn't blame him, Shay feeling that same sense of rage, mixed with hurt, at how Walker had spoken to Dawson. At what Gabby had gone through, presumably on her own.
Before either of them could say anything else, the bells rang loudly throughout the house, calling engine and ambo out to a fire, Shay pushing herself off the truck as Matt stayed rooted in his spot, both blondes locking eyes for a moment as the paramedic began to move towards 61.
"Can you…" Casey started, clearing his throat as Shay slowed her steps. "Will you watch out for her?"
"Always… I got her, Casey." Shay assured him, Matt giving her a small, appreciative smile before she continued to the rig, Casey beginning to walk towards the firehouse.
As he walked around the back of the rig, his steps slowed when he saw Gabby walking towards him, Matt flashing her a warm smile when she noticed his presence. To his surprise, she reciprocated the gesture almost immediately, her exhaustion evident as he took her in.
"Stay safe out there." He told her as she got closer, Gabby giving him a quick nod. But as she was about to pass him, Matt stopped her, confusion evident across her face before he wrapped his arms around her, Casey pulling her against his chest in a tight hug. He felt her relax almost immediately, Gabby quickly wrapping her arms around his waist, both of them knowing they didn't have much time. "I love you." He murmured against her head, pressing a kiss over her hair as Gabby snuggled into him for a fleeting moment before reluctantly pulling back.
"I love you, too." She told him, Dawson leaning up to place a quick kiss on his cheek, her hand cradling the side of his face as she lingered there for a moment.
Knowing they were out of time, she pulled back, continuing her walk towards the ambulance, Gabby flashing him one last smile before she disappeared behind truck 81. Matt kept his eyes in that direction momentarily, despite not being able to see her, a heavy weight settling in his gut as he tried to figure out what he was feeling.
He was worried. Beyond it, actually, knowing Gabby was going through something and he couldn't help her. Knowing that Walker most likely had something to do with that. And that's where the anger set in, Matt's body overflowing with rage at the thought of what Walker had been saying to her as of late, the Lieutenant knowing that most likely, there was more that had been said that he had no idea about.
The thought was unnerving, Casey doing what he could to keep his emotions under control as he continued towards the firehouse, trying to figure out the best way to handle this. There were many conversations that needed to be had, he just didn't know which one to have first. But when he walked in through the double doors, and saw Walker's smug grin while he was laughing along with some of their firefighters, Matt knew the answer.
He may not know exactly what all had been said, but he knew enough. Enough to know that Walker needed to be talked to.
"Hey Walker." Matt called, keeping his voice very steady as all the heads in the common room looked up towards the entrance, seeing the truck Lieutenant standing there with his hands shoved into his pockets, an unreadable expression covering his face. "I need to see you for a moment."
Without another word, Casey turned to walk down the hallway, Bryan releasing a sigh before pushing himself up from his seat, ignoring the stares from his coworkers as he followed the path Casey had taken, Walker seeing him come to a stop at the end of the hall by the far set of double doors.
He couldn't be sure what this was about, but Casey didn't look too angry or anything, so Walker didn't really know what to expect, the firefighter coming to stop a few feet away from his boss.
"What's up, Lieutenant?" He asked, Matt pursing his lips together as he crossed his arms over his chest, taking a step closer to Walker before responding.
"Whatever you're doing to Dawson, stop it."
His voice was low, Walker's body tensing momentarily as the Lieutenant's words registered in his brain, Bryan straightening his back as Casey's eyes darkened.
"What?" Walker asked once he found his voice, Matt shaking his head.
"You've been messing with Dawson, and it needs to stop."
"I don't know-"
"Whatever lie you're about to tell me, I don't want to hear it." Casey interjected, his words getting firmer by the second, Walker sensing how upset the man across from him was. "You've been told time and time again to leave Gabby alone, yet you can't seem to accept that she wants nothing to do with you." Bryan's shoulders tensed in anger as Matt spoke, the Lieutenant taking another step forward. "You're out of chances, Walker. Leave her alone." He finished, Walker swallowing down the words he so desperately wanted to say, Bryan forcing himself to remain calm.
"Lieutenant, I don't know what you're talking about, I haven't done anything-"
"'Thank God you had a miscarriage'." Casey spoke roughly, Walker's eyes widening slightly as his boss repeated the words he'd said to Dawson the night prior, anger flooding Bryan's system. "You telling Dawson you're glad she lost the baby is 'not doing anything'?"
"...She told you about that?" Walker's voice was barely audible, Matt running his tongue along the inside of his cheek as he nodded.
"About her being pregnant? Yeah, she did. And then you go and throw her losing the baby back in her face as a way to… what?" Casey questioned, Walker remaining silent as his neck clenched tightly. "Exactly. You're messing with her, and it stops now. I don't know what your problem is, aside from the fact you can't accept she's happy without you, but leave her alone."
Casey turned to walk away without another word, Bryan fuming as he turned to look at his Lieutenant, his mouth moving faster than his brain as he spoke up, his rough words immediately causing Matt to stop.
"Yeah, and are you saying this as my Lieutenant or as the guy that's fucking her?"
Casey's back tightened as he stood in the hallway, Matt turning around quickly, seeing an angry look covering Walker's face as Matt stomped back towards him, neither man backing down.
"I'm saying this as the guy who will destroy you if you hurt her again." Casey spat, his words firm and honest as they stood toe to toe, anger radiating off the both of them as they glared at one another. "Now leave her alone." He said one last time before marching down the hallway, leaving an infuriated Walker behind in the hallway.
Dawson pulled open her locker, grimacing as the pounding in her head continued, the paramedic searching around the top shelf of her locker as she looked for her bottle of aspirin, Gabby desperate for some relief. She hadn't been feeling that well all morning, thanks to the obscene amount of alcohol she'd consumed the night before, but while her nausea had passed, the pounding headache was one thing she couldn't shake, Gabby's entire body feeling as if she'd gotten hit by a truck. And ambo's last call hadn't helped matters.
It had been a typical house fire, nothing out of the ordinary, but the usual chaos that accompanied that type of call had done nothing to help the pounding in her head. The loud rigs, along with the sirens and all the shouting had only worsened the pressure behind her eyes, and in this moment she wanted nothing more to crawl into bed, preferably in the dark, and sleep off this insane headache. But she knew that wasn't an option right now, Dawson popping a few pills into her mouth before replacing the lid on the bottle, the paramedic wincing as she swallowed the medicine.
Releasing a heavy sigh, Gabby pressed firmly against her forehead, the pressure distracting her from the pain in her head momentarily before she dropped her hand, knowing she should probably try and get some fluids in her before her next call. Closing the metal door, Gabby began walking away from the row of lockers, her headache only seemingly getting worse the more she moved, but she had to push through it. She had no other choice.
"Hey!"
Dawson jumped as the angry voice startled her, Gabby looking up to see Walker stomping towards her, his rage evident as he got closer to her. She immediately stepped back, Gabby moving backwards quickly until she ran into the wall, Walker seeing red as he came up to her.
"What the fuck did you tell him?!"
"What?"
"Casey! What did you tell Casey?!" He all but shouted, the firefighter towering over her as Gabby shrunk against the wall, the lack of distance between them causing her heart rate to skyrocket.
"I didn't tell him anything-"
"Bullshit." He spat, the blinding pain in Gabby's head only getting worse as his loud voice hit her ears. "He knew about what happened last night, he came and threatened me, telling me not to hurt you again. You had to have told him something."
"I didn't say anything." She tried again, Walker scoffing as he closed the distance between them, Gabby's eyes darting around nervously as she experienced what felt like a thousand pound weight sitting on her chest, her anxiety through the roof.
"I made it very clear you weren't to tell him anything."
"I didn't-"
"Quit fucking lying!" He shouted, shoving her shoulders back against the wall, Gabby crying out in pain at the force of his movements. "You told him after I told you not to!"
"Bryan-" She shoved her hands against his chest as he got closer, Gabby desperate to get him away from her. But her movements only angered him further, Bryan gripping her wrists tightly, yanking them down out of the way, a stinging pain radiating through her arm at the abrupt action. "Walker, you're hurting me." She nearly cried, but it was like he couldn't even hear her, Bryan fighting against her every movement, his grip on her arms tightening. "Please, stop- please." She begged, a lone tear sliding down her cheek as she tried to get away from him. But he was persistent, Walker pinning her to the wall as she tried to break free.
She wasn't sure how far he was going to take this, but she didn't want to wait too much longer to find out, Gabby seeing her window closing to be able to get away, his grip tightening more and more by the second. Without a thought, she began shoving against him, doing anything she could to get him to let her go, but within seconds she knew she wasn't having much luck. He wasn't giving up, Bryan seemingly only getting more and more angry as she fought him.
He wasn't letting her go, the pain in her wrists beginning to move up her arms, fresh tears sliding down her cheeks as he slammed her into the wall. She didn't know what to do, she didn't know how to get him to stop as he was overtaken by rage, her attempts to claw and scratch at him not doing much of anything to deter his efforts. Nothing she was doing was working, so she did the one last thing she could think of.
She screamed.
"Help!" Her loud voice echoed through the locker room, Gabby praying someone was within earshot, the paramedic opening her mouth to yell again.
But she never got the chance to. Not when Walker clasped his hand around her throat, pressing her into the wall until she was unable to speak. Her eyes widened in panic as she registered what was happening, her airway getting cut off as Bryan tightened his grip around her neck.
She immediately began fighting him, Gabby doing what she could to suck in any air possible as she hit, smacked, and clawed at any part of him that she could, Bryan's eyes dark with nothing but rage as he tightened his grip.
Gabby felt herself being cut off from her air supply as she began to feel lightheaded, the paramedic continuing to fight against him.
"Bryan-" She choked out, smacking any part of him she could. "I can't- Stop. Please." She tried, Gabby barely able to get the words out as she nearly ran out of air, but he said nothing, the man only continuing to hold her tighter by the throat.
It wasn't until she clawed across his cheek, her nails breaking the skin, that the look in his eyes softened, like the pain from the fresh scratches marking his face made him realize what he'd done. And when that realization hit him, Bryan immediately let go of her.
Her body crumbled to the ground as she began sucking in air, Bryan stepping away from her slowly, Gabby coughing loudly as she did anything she could to get air into her system. But it's like her own lungs were fighting against her, the task not as easy as one may think as she did everything she could to breathe, her mind in such a haze she didn't notice Bryan stumbling backwards until he ran into the lockers. She didn't notice the wide-eyed look covering his face. And she definitely didn't notice him practically sprint from the locker room when the weight of his actions hit him, Walker leaving her alone on the ground without another word.
She didn't notice any of that, Gabby too focused on breathing in the oxygen her brain was starved of, Dawson trying to keep her tears at bay as she scrambled to the corner, her body pressed up against the side of the lockers as she breathed in frantically.
She wasn't able to focus on much, not until her coughing subsided, and she was able to get deep breaths in. But when her mind cleared, it was like the reality of what had happened hit her full force, Gabby's entire body beginning to shake as she pulled her knees up to her chest, the paramedic completely shutting down.
Shay walked into the common room, her eyes bouncing around the nearly vacant area before her gaze landed on her best friend, the blonde walking towards the table he was seated at. As she walked behind him, her hand ran along his back, Severide looking up from his phone as she came to stand beside him.
"Hey Shay." He greeted, placing his phone down as she tapped his shoulder. "Where'd you come from?"
"The garage. Just finished up some inventory." She replied, placing herself down in the chair beside him, Kelly wincing slightly in disgust as he turned towards her.
"Sounds like fun." He replied dryly. "Was Casey still out there?"
"Mhmm." She hummed, reaching to take a sip of his water. "He had taken up residence in your seat at the squad table." She added with a grin, Kelly shaking his head before glancing back towards the door.
"...Dawson not with you?" He asked, Shay shaking her head.
"She came in a little bit ago to get some aspirin… Her head was still killing her."
"Ah yes, the hangover." Severide replied, Shay narrowing her eyes before smacking his arm and giving him a pointed look, both of them knowing they weren't exactly alone in the common room. When she had gotten home from her shift at Molly's last night, and confided in her roommate about how worried she was for her partner, she hadn't intended for him to bring up the conversation with other people around. But it was too late to do anything to change that now, Shay seeing Herrmann turn around from his seat on the couch, the older firefighter wearing a clear look of concern.
"You guys talking about Dawson?" He asked carefully, Shay pursing her lips together, giving Severide one last glare before returning her attention to Herrmann. "Is she doing alright?"
"She's fine, Herrmann." Shay replied, knowing this was not a conversation they should be having. But, in typical Herrmann fashion, he wouldn't drop it.
"Are you sure?... The way she was last night, I don't think I've ever seen her like that."
"She's fine." Shay replied a little more forcefully. "And I don't really think she'd like us talking about her behind her back. She's alright." She added, Herrmann giving her a slow nod, both of them knowing he didn't really believe her.
"Why didn't she just get something from the rig?" Severide asked, slightly shifting the subject away from Herrmann's line of questioning.
"Huh?"
"For her headache." Severide elaborated. "Why didn't she just get something from the ambo? You guys have all sorts of medication in there."
"Yeah, but it all has to be cataloged and inventoried. So we usually just take our own stuff." Shay replied, Severide giving her a nod.
He opened his mouth to respond, Shay unsure of what he was going to say next, but he never got the chance to when the sound of a distant scream filled the air around them, the few first responders in the common room immediately going silent.
Severide's eyebrows furrowed when he heard the noise, the squad Lieutenant trying to figure out what was going on, his confusion only growing when he saw the color drain from Shay's face, his friend looking absolutely mortified.
"What was that?" He asked just as Shay pushed herself up from her chair, her quick movements causing him to stand as well.
"That was Gabby." She replied without hesitation, the air in the room turning thick as the words left Shay's lips, the blonde paramedic running from the room without another word, going in search of her distressed friend. Severide, Herrmann, and Mouch followed after her, everyone wanting to help however they could as they tried to find Gabby.
They knew there were only so many places to look, the sound coming in the general direction of the bathrooms, but it was faint enough to where they couldn't be exactly sure where to go, Shay becoming more and more frantic when she couldn't find her.
But soon they did, Shay abruptly halting in her tracks when she caught sight of her friend, Severide nearly running into her as the first responders stopped walking, all of them taking in the image of Gabby curled up against the side of the lockers. It was unnerving, to say the least, to see her huddled on the ground, her body shaking as her head was buried against her knees, cowering almost like she was protecting herself, the usually strong PIC reduced to a crumbled mess on the floor.
Taking slow steps forward, Shay's eyes glazed over with concern as she cautiously approached her partner, knowing she had to play this carefully. She'd had enough experience on the job to know what she was dealing with; this was someone who had just gone through something traumatic. This wasn't just Gabby right now, this wasn't just her friend who was upset about something, and she couldn't approach her like she normally would. From the second she laid eyes on her, Shay knew something was seriously wrong. But if she mishandled this, she'd only make it worse.
"Dawson…" Shay spoke quietly, squatting down on the ground beside her friend, the few firefighters watching on with immense worry as Shay tried to get her to talk. "Honey, what happened?"
Her soft voice wasn't enough to get Gabby to look up, Shay pursing her lips together before carefully reaching out to place a gentle hand on Dawson's arm. But she immediately pulled back when Gabby shied away from her, Shay holding her hands up as a soft whimper left Dawson's lips.
"Okay, okay… It's okay." Shay spoke softly, doing what she could to stay level-headed. She couldn't think of this as her best friend right now, she had to think of her as a patient. As someone who needed help.
"Guys, give them some space." Severide said, lightly pushing against Herrmann's chest, all of the firefighters' clearly concerned for one of their own, but Kelly knew the last thing Dawson needed right now was an audience.
"Kelly." Shay spoke up, Severide turning to find his friend staring at him, his sad eyes flashing to Gabby before looking back to Shay. "Go get Casey… Now." She told him, Kelly nodding before hurrying from the room. "Matt's coming, Gabby… It's okay, alright? You're okay." She whispered comforting words to her friend, Shay continuing to keep her distance, knowing there was only one person who could help Dawson right now.
As he ran through the hallways, Severide's pace picked up, Kelly running as quickly as he could, only slowing down when he got to the double doors, the firefighter all but ripping it open as he hurried outside.
"Casey!" He called, all of the firefighters looking up from the squad table at the sound of Kelly's frantic voice, Matt's spine straightening instantly, sensing something was wrong the second he saw him. "I need you to come with me."
"What's going on?" Matt asked as he pushed himself up from his seat, Kelly beginning to walk backwards towards the door.
"It's Dawson."
Casey's face fell the second those few words left his lips, Matt not needing any more of an explanation before following after his friend, the two men running through the firehouse as Casey let Severide take him where he needed to go.
"Kelly? What happened, what's-" He cut himself off when they came around the corner, Matt's steps stopping instantly when he saw his Gabby huddled on the floor, her head buried in her arms as her body trembled slightly. His heart sank into his stomach the second he laid eyes on her, Shay standing up and getting out of the way, knowing the best thing she could do right now was let Casey step in. The paramedic placed her hand on Matt's shoulder, Casey not tearing his gaze from Gabby, nothing but an overwhelming amount of worry shining in his eyes. "...Guys, get out of here." Matt spoke firmly, Shay squeezing his arm before walking past him.
"Lieutenant-"
"Out." Casey cut off Herrmann, his head snapping back towards the small group of firefighters. "Now."
His voice left no room for argument, Severide gently pushing against Herrmann's shoulder, encouraging him to move, which he reluctantly did, Kelly and Shay waiting around to make sure everyone cleared out before leaving as well. When he knew they were alone, Casey slowly approached his terrified girlfriend, Matt crouching down beside her.
"Gabby…" He spoke softly, clearing the emotion from his voice, the woman having yet to look his way. "...Baby."
Slowly, Gabby lifted her head, Matt's heart breaking all over again when he saw the tear tracks down her cheeks, her eyes filled with what he could only describe as fear. But he saw the exact moment she registered it was him, more tears filling her eyes as they locked gazes, Matt noticing her relax slightly, her body not nearly as tense as it had been seconds prior.
"Baby, what happened?" He questioned, his voice barely audible as she drew in a shaky breath, Gabby haphazardly wiping the tears off her cheeks as she looked away from him, Matt carefully reaching out to place his hand on top of her knee. When she felt his warmth, she cautiously looked back towards him, seeing nothing but compassion and worry staring back at her. A few more tears escaped her eyes, Matt slowly reaching out to wipe them away, Gabby trembling slightly underneath his touch. She reached out to grab his leg, Matt shuffling closer to her now that he was sure she was okay with him being near her, Gabby gripping him tightly as she leaned into his hand that was now cradling her cheek. "...What happened?" He asked her again, Gabby's jaw beginning to shake as a look of panic flashed in her eyes, Matt's concern for her only growing.
"I…" She started, her voice barely audible as she tightened her hold on his leg. "I need to tell you something."
Walker gripped the back of his neck tightly as he paced outside the firehouse, the man still trying to grasp what exactly had just happened back in the locker room. The second he realized what he'd done, he bolted. He ran as quickly as he could to get out of the firehouse, not wanting anyone to see him anywhere near Dawson. He had no idea if anyone had heard her yell, or if she would say anything, but he didn't want to be there to find out. He didn't want to stick around long enough to be caught near Dawson when she was like that.
Blowing out a heavy sigh, he continued walking back and forth, doing what he could to shake the fear from his system. He wasn't sure if Gabby would say anything, if she was in any state to say anything, but something in his gut was telling him she wouldn't. While he hadn't gone in there with the intention of doing that, he knew that should be enough to keep her quiet.
She wouldn't say anything, not after what just happened. She wasn't stupid enough to run her mouth again. Hell, they wouldn't even be in this mess had she not opened her mouth at all. What happened back there, that wasn't his fault. And he knew Gabby knew that. She caused that to happen; by running her mouth to Casey, she had it coming. And while he never meant for it to go that far, at least she was reminded that there were consequences to her actions. And hopefully now she wouldn't forget it again.
Knowing he couldn't hide out much longer without raising suspicion, Bryan swallowed the lump in his throat before he walked back towards the firehouse, trying to shake the nerves from his body, the firefighter constantly reminding himself that no one knew what happened. Gabby wouldn't tell anyone, no one was going to find out, he was sure of that.
Rolling out his neck, Walker continued towards the common room, making himself as relaxed as possible before he walked inside, his eyebrows furrowing slightly when he saw everyone talking in hushed tones. Every single first responder in the room seemed concerned, Bryan clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he stepped further inside.
"...What's going on?" He asked, his words gaining the attention of the room as everyone glanced towards him. His eyes locked on Shay first, seeing nothing but concern shining back at him, Bryan noticing the same look in pretty much everyone else's eyes.
Herrmann pursed his lips together, the man glancing around the room, waiting to see if anyone was going to answer Walker. But no one made any move to, the older firefighter releasing a soft sigh before stepping away from the counter next to Shay. "...Something's happened to Dawson."
Walker's neck tightened involuntarily, the man giving a slow nod before stepping further into the common room. "Is she alright?" He questioned, keeping his voice steady as his eyes landed back on Shay, the woman's previous look of worry now replaced with a narrow glare.
"What happened to your face?" Shay asked before anyone could answer him, crossing her arms over her chest.
"What?"
"Your face." She repeated, coming up to stand beside Herrmann. "It looks like you got scratched or something. What happened?" She questioned again, her voice firm as all eyes in the room were on him.
But Bryan never answered the question, the firefighter unsure of how to respond to her as everyone continued looking at him.
"I…"
"Walker!"
Casey's loud voice filtered into the common room as he stormed down the hallway, the man sounding angrier than they'd ever heard him before, Bryan turning around just as Matt came around the corner, no one able to get a word in before the truck Lieutenant punched him square in the jaw.
The force of the blow caused Bryan to stumble back, everyone seemingly frozen in their spot as they watched the scene unfold in front of them, shock coursing through their bodies.
But as soon as Matt landed a second punch, that snapped a few of them out of it, Severide and Herrmann hurrying over to try and break them up.
"Casey, man- stop. Stop." Severide tried, but Matt shrugged him off, his rage taking over as he landed another hit on Walker's cheek, Bryan swinging back as he connected a blow to Matt's face.
"I'm gonna kill you!" Casey shouted, his anger taking over as the two men kept swinging, both of them eventually getting pulled apart.
"Casey. Casey, calm down." Severide tried again, pinning Matt's arms back behind his body, Herrmann helping keep Casey back while Cruz and Capp held onto Walker, pushing the men towards different sides of the room, a few of the members of 51 noticing Gabby appear in the entrance to the common room.
"I swear to God, I'll kill you!" Matt repeated, his tone telling everyone he was completely serious, Walker shaking his head before wiping the blood from his lip, Bryan's eyes flashing behind his Lieutenant to see Gabby standing by the wall, her eyes shining. A proud smirk formed over his face, Matt's chest heaving as his glare focused on Walker.
"You better watch that anger, Lieutenant." Bryan spat, looking back towards his boss as a soft chuckle escaped his lips. "Wouldn't want to scare Dawson, now would you?" He continued, Casey's blood boiling when he mentioned Gabby, Matt feeling Kelly's grip on him tighten to keep him back. "I know from experience, she spooks easy."
Casey lunged at him again, but Severide and Herrmann were able to keep him back, Walker chuckling as everyone looked to him in disgust.
It was clear between the state Gabby was in, Casey's behavior now, and what Walker had been saying, that Bryan was the one responsible for whatever had been done to Gabby. They just didn't exactly know what that was. But if the Lieutenant's reaction was any indication, it wasn't good.
"You're done at this house, Walker." Casey growled, continuing to fight against the men holding him back as Bryan's face faltered slightly. "You're fucking done here. Hell, you're done working anywhere. Your ass belongs in a jail cell."
Before anyone could get a word in, the bells rang throughout the house, calling all companies to a warehouse fire, Matt drawing in a deep breath before shrugging out of Severide's grip.
"You're done Walker. When we get back, we're talking to Boden and you are done." Casey spoke roughly, turning around without another word.
His face immediately softened when he caught sight of Gabby, his girlfriend gnawing on her bottom lip nervously as unshed tears sat in her eyes, her arms wrapped around herself protectively. Matt moved to her immediately, gently guiding her down the hallway as the stunned firefighters began heading towards the garage, knowing they had no time to dwell on what had just happened.
Gabby ignored the stares she was getting from her coworkers as they passed through the hallway, the PIC focusing on Matt as he gently placed his hands on her shoulders, Casey wincing when he saw the redness covering her throat.
"You don't have to do this." Matt told her softly, Gabby catching a glimpse of Shay behind her boyfriend, her partner clearly waiting on her. "We can get another ambo, you don't have to go."
"It's okay." Gabby responded, her voice a little raspy.
"You're sure?" He asked, Gabby giving him a nod, Matt sighing softly before pressing a quick kiss on her forehead.
"Okay." He replied before the three moved towards the garage, knowing they didn't have anymore time to waste, Shay and Dawson heading for 61 while Casey moved towards his rig.
The drive to the scene was tense, Casey seething as he sat in his seat, the air around them thick with uncertainty as the rest of the firefighters occasionally glanced back and forth between their Lieutenant and Walker. No one really knew what to make of what had just happened back at the firehouse, but clearly it was something serious. Something Walker could get fired for, and that left an uneasy feeling in the air around the firefighters of 51 as they sat in the back with Bryan.
Soon enough, they pulled up to the scene, all the men and women from 51 unloading from their respective rigs as they took in the sight of the blaze in front of them. It was definitely a bad one, one where Casey immediately knew they didn't have much time.
"81, with me… We need to be quick." Casey shouted orders over the chaos of the scene, Matt's narrow eyes landing on Walker as they moved towards the fire. He didn't want to send Bryan in at all. He didn't trust him, and it was taking everything in him to not slam him to the ground and do to him what he had done to Gabby. But Matt knew he couldn't. He couldn't deal with Walker right now, not when there were people who needed help. And while the last thing Matt wanted to do was go into this building with Walker, Casey knew they needed as many hands as possible. "Walker, you stay on my hip. You don't do anything without my say so." He spat, leaving no room for argument as Bryan stayed silent, the man simply giving him a nod despite the complete and utter rage coursing through his system.
All the companies of 51 went inside the fire, Boden taking point from outside while Dawson and Shay, along with the other six or seven ambulances called, helped the people who had managed to get out. The scene was rough, to say the least, and everyone knew there were bound to be many casualties. But that wasn't something any of them could focus on, everyone knowing they just had to help who they could.
"Casey? Severide? How's it looking?"
"Pretty hard to see in here, Chief." Severide's voice filtered through first, quickly followed by Casey's.
"The smoke's pretty thick."
"Alright, the smoke out here is getting black. I'd say maybe another minute- two tops. Everyone keep your radios live."
"Understood, Chief."
While she tended to someone with a few minor burns, Gabby could hear the various sounds of the firefighters making their way through the building, Dawson occasionally hearing her coworkers voices' as they maneuvered through the flames. She did what she could to focus, but the stinging pain in her arm, and the burning she felt in her throat were harsh reminders of what had happened maybe half an hour earlier, and it was hard to completely push that from her mind. But she was trying. She was trying so hard, though Shay's constant worried stares and glances weren't helping matters.
"Severide? Time to head out." Boden spoke, Gabby snapping from her thoughts when she heard his voice.
"Got it, Chief. Squad, let's roll out."
"Casey?"
"Copy, Chief. Everyone from truck is headed out, Walker and I are just coming down no-"
Casey's words got cut off abruptly, Gabby's head snapping towards the fire when she heard what sounded like wood breaking, and the sounds of Matt calling out and gasping in what she could only assume to be pain.
"Casey?!"
"They floor gave out, I'm- Walker!" Casey called, Gabby's throat tightening as her gaze stayed trained on the fiery building, her hand holding on tightly to her radio.
"Casey, where are you? Where's Walker?"
"Walker, please- Come on-"
"Walker!" Boden yelled through the radio, everyone trying to understand what was going on.
"Bryan, please, I can't- I can't hold on, please-"
Every single member of 51 could hear Casey's pleading, Matt's near cries for help only continuing, telling everyone what they already knew; that Casey needed someone to help him, and Walker wasn't.
"Casey, where are you?" Severide's voice came through the radio, thick tears clouding Gabby's vision as she felt Shay place a comforting hand on her back.
"Walker!" Boden shouted again, a lone tear sliding down Gabby's cheek as she stared helplessly at the building.
"We're on the second floor, east side stairwell- I can't- Walker, please-"
The heard Casey's grunts, like he was using all the strength he had to keep himself up, Matt calling out for help one more time.
But then it went quiet for a moment, the sound of the creaking building the only noise to be heard through their radios, until Casey's piercing scream filled the air around them, soon accompanied by a loud, bone-crushing thud, that debilitating sound followed by nothing but silence.
Absolutely nothing.
Well… how do we feel? There's a lot to unpack there, but hopefully this chapter didn't disappoint. Matt finally knows what's been going on (don't worry, you all will see the conversation between them, I wouldn't not include that), and, probably to no one's surprise, Casey didn't take it too well. And then clearly something went down in that warehouse fire… Lot's going on, that's for sure.
I hope you guys liked this one, thanks for reading. I'm eager to hear your thoughts on everything.
Until next time.