Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all! I hope you all enjoy it, I can't wait to hear what you think. Happy reading!
FORTY EIGHT
Gabby watched the door slam closed as her father stomped out of the room in anger, fresh tears clouding her vision as she pulled back from her mother's embrace.
"He's gonna do something stupid." She spoke to no one in particular, the paramedic beginning to move down off the bed, but her mom stopped her, Camila keeping firm, yet gentle hands on Gabby's shoulders.
"You're not going out there." She said firmly. "I'll go and make sure he doesn't do anything to get himself arrested. You just stay here." Camila told her, Gabby taking a deep breath as she watched her mom begin to move towards the door.
"Mama-"
"Stay here, Gabriela." Her tone left no room for argument as she pulled open the large door. "I don't want you anywhere near Bryan. Just stay here with Matthew." She ordered, Camila's eyes moving towards the man lying in the bed, shooting him a pointed look, one Casey picked up on instantly as he gave her a slight nod.
"I got her." He assured Camila, the woman giving him one last nod before exiting the hospital room, closing the door behind her.
Casey could see how tense Gabby was as her head stayed turned towards the door, Matt continuing to rub his hand over her back before he slid it around her side, giving her body a gentle squeeze. The action was enough to get her to look at him, Casey's frown deepening when he saw the fresh tears welling in her eyes.
"It's okay, baby." He murmured, Gabby blinking quickly as she shifted closer to him, needing the comfort his presence always provided her. "Your mom won't let him kill Walker- although he deserves it."
"Matt…"
"No." He interjected, shaking his head defiantly. "Nothing could excuse what he's done to you… everything he's done to you." Matt clarified, even though he didn't have the details as to what all had happened. But he didn't need to know the specifics to know Bryan should've never laid a hand on her. "He should be in jail. And your mom's right, you shouldn't be anywhere near him." Matt spoke strongly, Gabby sniffling as she looked down in between them, her jaw shaking slightly as she tried to take a deep breath.
"I just…" Her voice was hoarse, Gabby shaking her head before continuing. "I wish none of this ever happened… I wish Bryan would've just left me alone after he broke up with me, I wish he never-" She cut herself off, bringing her hands up to cradle the sides of her face, Matt's lips turning down into a frown as he did his best to comfort her from the confines of his hospital bed. "I wish he never did any of, and that I left him after the first time it happened-"
"This isn't your fault." Casey cut in firmly, not liking the direction this conversation was heading. She was placing blame on herself, when she was the last person who deserved any. There's nothing she could've done that would excuse Walker hurting her, and he didn't like how she was thinking otherwise.
"I know it's not, but now everyone out there is gonna know he was-... they're gonna know what he did." She rephrased, wincing slightly as she couldn't get the words out, Matt drawing in as deep of a breath as he could with his injured ribs before responding.
"He's a monster, Gabby." He said softly, Gabby blinking back the tears in her eyes. "He's an abusive piece of shit. He hurt you, he's been hurting you, and everyone deserves to know what kind of despicable person he is." Gabby could hear the anger in his voice as a lone tear slid down her cheek, Matt lifting his hand up to wipe it away. "I know this is your business, I know this happened to you, and only you get to decide how, or if, people find out how he treated you… but he's a terrible person, and they at least need to know that much."
Slowly, she nodded, Gabby leaning into his hand that was still resting gently against her cheek, Matt feeling more tears hit his skin as her resolve continued to crumble.
"I'm here for you, Gabby. With however much of this you want to share, whatever you feel comfortable talking about, or if you don't want to talk about it at all, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere… I promise, okay?" He assured her, Gabby giving him a slight nod, Matt still seeing flashes of hesitation in her eyes. But he knew that wasn't so much because of him, as it was because of Bryan. "However much they find out, however much you want to share, I'll be right by your side the entire way. You're not alone in this."
More tears began sliding down her cheeks, Matt stroking his thumb over her skin as she tried to take steady breaths. But she wasn't having much luck, the heavy emotions of the day finally catching up with her as her body leaned further into him.
"Come here." He murmured, slowly guiding her to lie back down with him, Gabby falling into place against his chest as she lifted her legs up onto the bed, Matt helping her adjust so she'd be comfortable as her head came to rest just under his chin. He ignored the discomfort he felt in his ribs, Matt tightening his hold on her as he felt her trembling underneath his touch. "It's alright." He whispered as he ran his hand up and down her arm, Matt wincing slightly as she shifted on top of him, the pressure of her body causing some pain to radiate through his chest. But he didn't say anything, the firefighter knowing a little discomfort was nothing if he could help her feel better, Matt continuing to rub soothing patterns over her side and her back, doing anything he could to help calm her down.
Ramon stormed with a purpose through the hallways of the hospital, the father ignoring all the confused glances from the people he passed along the way as he stomped back towards the waiting room.
If he'd been thinking clearly, he would've stopped for a moment. He would've stopped and taken a breath, tried to calm himself down before he went and had what he knew was sure to be a combative conversation. But he couldn't stop. He couldn't think of anything other than Bryan putting his hands on his daughter, of Bryan choking her. Every time he tried to talk himself into pausing and calming down, he saw an image of that man wrapping his hands around his daughter's throat, and that alone kept him from slowing down.
As Ramon turned the corner, he saw everyone from Firehouse 51 exactly where he had left them moments prior, the older Dawson's steps slowing just enough for him to find the man he was looking for. Within seconds, he saw Walker sitting in a chair away from everyone else, the man hunched over, his elbows resting on his knees as he looked towards the floor, paying no attention to those around him.
The second he saw him, it was like his anger only intensified, Ramon picking up speed as he walked towards the group.
"Ramon, hey, is everything…" Shay trailed off when she saw the tension in his body, everyone watching in confusion as he stomped past them towards the back of the room. "Ramon?"
Bryan looked up just as Ramon got to him, his eyebrows raising slightly when he saw the absolute rage burning in his eyes, eyes that matched his daughter's, Walker straightening his spine as the angry man got closer.
"Ramon-"
Ramon grabbing Walker by the shirt cut him off, the father yanking him up roughly from his chair before slamming his back into the wall, Ramon holding on tightly as he pinned Bryan against the hard surface.
"Ramon!"
"This doesn't feel so good, does it?" He bit out between his teeth, Ramon pressing his forearm into Bryan's chest, knocking the air from the firefighter's lungs. He was so angry, he could barely think straight, Ramon ignoring the pleads of the people around him to stop as he focused his attention on the scum he was holding to the wall.
"Ramon!"
The older Dawson shrugged off whoever was trying to pull him away, Ramon tightening his grip on the man who he, at one point in time, thought would be family, Bryan choking out a breath as Ramon shoved against him harder, Walker surprised at how strong he was for his age.
"Yeah, is this what you did to her? Is this how you made her feel?!" He shouted, Walker fighting against him as Severide and Boden pulled Ramon back, the father blind with rage as Bryan started coughing once he finally was able to suck air into his lungs. "You nearly killed Matthew, then you hurt my little girl! You grabbed her by the throat until she couldn't breathe," all eyes fell on Walker as the words left Ramon's lips, everyone stunned at what they were hearing, "she had to scratch and claw at you to get you to let her go! What kind of man are you, putting your hands on my daughter?!" His voice was getting louder and louder, no one knowing what to say as Kelly held Ramon back, Bryan still trying to breathe as he slowly looked up, finding the confused and angry stares of his coworkers on him, Shay looking ready to kill him.
"I didn't do anything!" Walker fired back, his voice hoarse from his throat being constricted, his words angering the father as Ramon tried to lunge at him, Severide, Boden, and Herrmann all holding him back.
"Ramon, Ramon- stop." Kelly tried, Ramon shoving against him until he was let go.
"Did you know?!" He yelled, looking around at his daughter's coworkers, finding all of them looking back and forth between him and Bryan, Severide standing in between the two, blocking Ramon's path back towards the man who deserved to be in a hospital bed. "Did you all know?!"
The group was silent as an indignant Ramon looked at everyone, seeing the same looks of confusion and anger that Bryan had seen.
"You all had to have known something?! She has bruises on her neck! Did you know?!" He shouted, turning to face Boden, Ramon's narrow eyes landing on his daughter's boss. "Did you know he's been harassing her? That he'd been messing with her? Did you really not know, or did you just ignore it?" He asked in frustration, Boden shaking his head slightly.
"Ramon-"
"He put his hands on her!" Ramon yelled, turning back towards Bryan, pointing his finger at him. "He choked her! He choked her so hard she has bruises around her neck, how did you all not know?!"
"Ramon."
Camila's voice filled the room, Ramon taking a deep breath to calm himself down before looking towards his wife, seeing a less than pleased look on her face.
"Let's go back to Matthew's room."
Drawing in a deep breath, Ramon reluctantly nodded, running his hand over his mouth before looking back towards the group, finding varying looks covering their faces. He saw a lot of anger in their eyes, their glances telling him they truly didn't know what had been going on, or at least the extent to which it had been happening, but the protective father had a hard time believing no one had at least some idea as to what had been happening to his daughter. He didn't believe no one knew something was wrong, and that thought didn't sit well with him.
"How was this allowed to happen..." He spoke up softly, shaking his head in disbelief as he looked between his daughter's coworkers before his gaze landed on Boden. "How was this man even allowed to be working at that firehouse? When he's harassing and abusing Gabriela?" He asked, gesturing towards Bryan as his eyes stayed locked on the Chief.
"We didn't know." Boden replied firmly, shaking his head. "I don't think anyone here knew, I didn't know… Had we known, he would've never still been in that house." He continued, Ramon shaking his head as he started walking towards his wife. "This will be dealt with, we-"
"It should've never happened." He interjected, stopping when he got to Camila, turning back around towards the group. "None of this should've ever happened…" He repeated, his narrow eyes landing on Bryan, the man holding his hand over his neck as they locked gazes, Ramon seething as his chest moved up and down rapidly, the father trying to keep as composed as he possibly could. "If you ever lay your hands on my daughter again, I will kill you." Fury was dripping from Ramon's voice, Bryan's jaw clenching tightly. "You stay the hell away from her, do you understand me? If you go near her again, Matthew won't be the only person in a hospital bed."
"Ramon." Camila said again, Ramon releasing a sharp breath before turning towards her, Camila grabbing his hand as the two began heading back towards Casey's room, Ramon sure the gesture was for comfort as much as it was to make sure he didn't run back and knock Bryan out.
The second Ramon was gone, all the focus in the room fell to Bryan, the firefighter drawing in a slow, deep breath, as multiple sets of furious eyes landed on him.
"Guys-"
"I'm going to kill you."
Shay's venomous voice cut him off, Bryan's narrow gaze landing on the paramedic as she began walking towards him.
"God, you're like the third person to tell that to me today." He snapped back, his words causing more anger to flood through the room, Severide clenching his fists at his sides as Shay continued walking towards him.
"It's not like you don't deserve it, you fucking choked her?!" Shay nearly shouted, coming to stop less than a foot in front of him. "That's what you did to her, isn't it? When we found her in the locker room- you choked her!"
"I didn't do-"
His words were cut off by the sharp sound of Shay's palm colliding with his cheek, the paramedic smacking him as hard as she could, the sudden action causing him to stumble back slightly, fire burning in his eyes as his skin began stinging.
"You son a bitch, you choked her! What the fuck is wrong with you?! What else did you do to her?!"
"Watch it, Shay." He growled, but the paramedic didn't back down.
"And when you cornered her last night in Molly's, did you hurt her then, too? You abusive asshole!"
"What did you do?" Herrmann asked after hearing Shay's words, the older firefighter taking a step forward, his rage just as present as Shay's. "You choked her today in a firehouse full of people, what did you do to her at Molly's?" He asked, Bryan rolling his eyes as he caught more harsh looks from his coworkers, Boden eyeing him with an unreadable expression.
"Herrmann-"
"What did you do to her?" Herrmann asked again, Bryan shaking his head as a light scoff escaped his lips.
"How long have you been messing with her?" Shay questioned shortly after Herrmann spoke, the blonde fighting the urge to smack the man in front of her again. "I'm sure you're the reason she's been acting strange lately, what else did you do?"
"Shay-"
"What else did you do?!" She yelled, Bryan's eyes darkening in rage.
"I didn't do anything! God, why do you people always just believe every sad story she tells you?" He shouted, shaking his head quickly as his anger took over.
"There are bruises on her neck, you think she just made that up?!" Severide countered, coming to stand slightly behind Shay, the circle of firefighters closing in around Bryan as he stood by the wall.
"Oh please, she's fine." He huffed out, Boden bringing his hand up to run over his mouth, shaking his head in disbelief as he listened to Walker. "I swear, she cries once and you all fall to her feet and believe anything she says. You don't need to feel sorry for her, she's doing just fine… her and her boyfriend are fine." He said, Shay scoffing as she shook her head in disbelief.
"That's what it always comes back to… You self-obsessed prick, you tried to kill Matt because of Gabby? And you choked her because… what? She's dating your boss?" Shay responded without missing a beat, Walker rolling his eyes.
"I'd say fucking is the better term for it." He bit back, Shay narrowing her gaze. "She gave that sob story today, she was crying at the house, crying when we got here, whatever, she's fucking fine. Her boyfriend's fine, she doesn't have to go find some other poor bastard to fuck, Gabby's got exactly what she wanted, just like always." He replied exasperatedly. "She doesn't need your pity, she got enough of that after I dumped her, even though she was never really even that upset over it, considering she started spreading her legs the second she could-"
"You broke up with her, Walker!" Severide shouted. "How many times do we have to have this conversation before you understand it? You dumped her, she didn't owe you anything!"
"As many times as it takes for you all to understand she wasn't innocent in all this!" He fought back quickly, his anger getting the best of him as his mouth moved faster than his brain. "She caused so many problems between us, I wouldn't have had to break up with her if she'd just fucking listen! But she never did! She never listened to anything I told her! She's not some victim here, she's a selfish bitch… one who's now screwing my boss just to get back at me!" He spat, Shay's eyes narrowing as Bryan continued on his tirade. "She made my life hell for years! And then I finally did something about it, and I'm the bad guy?! I swear, every day was the same damn fight with her. She'd never listen to reason, she always had to go against what I told her to do. I tried so damn hard with her, I tried to make it work, but she was impossible! And you all act like she's some fucking victim! I wasted three years of my life on her, and not a day goes by where I don't regret it because she made my life miserable! She made everything so fucking difficult, I swear to God I wished I dumped her years ago, but I thought maybe if I just stuck it out, she'd change. That I could get it through her thick head that not everything was about her, but damn if that wasn't a mistake. She was awful, and clearly I should've dumped her ass a long time ago considering the second I told her to get out, she went and fucked Casey!" He ranted, Walker unable to stop himself as he continued. "I mean, my God, who does that? You get out of a three year relationship, and you just go whore yourself out to whoever is nearby?" He scoffed, shaking his head angrily. "I swear, her fucking the first guy to look her way just proves she wasn't worth it. She was never worth it, she was nothing but selfish and impossible to deal with. Everything I did to that bitch was justified, she had it coming." He snapped, closing the distance between himself and Shay as his words filled the air around them. "Jesus, if anything, I should've tried harder to beat it out of her-"
Walker stopped short when he realized what he'd said, his words flying from his mouth before he could even comprehend them, the room falling into a stunned silence as they stared at him, a million different emotions playing over their faces.
He said too much. He knew it the second he stopped himself that he'd gone too far, Bryan swallowing the thick lump in his throat as he caught Boden's eye, watching his disbelief morph into an intense anger.
"I didn't-" Walker cleared his throat, shaking his head as his eyes widened slightly, seeing nothing but rage staring back at him from all of his coworkers as the implications of his words washed over them. "I didn't mean it like that, I just-"
"You son of a bitch." Shay cut him off, his furious voice low as her eyes darkened, the paramedic looking ready to murder him as a few of the firefighters stepped closer.
"Shay-"
"You hit her, you fucking asshole!" She nearly screamed, raising her hand up to smack him again, but Bryan stopped her, the firefighter grabbing her wrist tightly before she could make contact with his cheek. In one swift motion, he yanked her arm down, twisting it awkwardly as a gasp of pain escaped Shay's lips.
"Hit me again, see what happens." He growled under his breath, Shay seeing a hatred and anger in him she'd never seen before, a sense of dread building in her stomach when she realized this was probably something Gabby had experienced often.
"Let her go!" Severide barked, pushing himself in between the two of them, Kelly grabbing a fistful of his shirt, Walker reluctantly dropping the tight grip he had on the paramedic's arm asa Shay stumbled backwards slightly, right into Herrmann's side. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Don't fucking touch her! You've been hurting Dawson, now you're trying to hurt Shay?"
"Back off, Severide." He spat, pushing Kelly's hand away from his chest, the Lieutenant seeing nothing but red as their voices got louder.
"Back off? You want me to back off?! After you just admitted to being abusive, God, how fucking pathetic are you?!" He shouted, the scene getting the attention of the entire lobby at this point, Severide shoving Bryan's chest, the man hitting the wall behind him. "Is that what you'd do to her? Would you shove her into the wall? Or would you choke her like you did today? Did that make you feel good about yourself, hurting Dawson?"
"You don't know what happened!" Walker fired back, ignoring the furious stares he was getting from his coworkers. "None of you have any idea what all happened between me and her. She-"
"You're right, we don't." Herrmann cut in, his voice dripping in anger as he took a step forward, dropping his arm from around Shay before he moved. "Clearly we had no idea, because you'd been abusing Dawson and we didn't see it." He snapped, his body trembling in rage. "None of us saw it. Because she loved you, and you took advantage of that- of her, you sorry piece of shit."
"Careful, Herrmann." Walker warned, the older firefighter narrowing his eyes as he came to a stop beside Severide.
"Or what? You'll hit me like you hit Dawson?" He questioned, watching Bryan's gaze falter for a split second before he recovered. "Or you'd choke me? Whatever your go-to was when you felt the need to hurt the person you supposedly loved… God, Casey was right. Your ass belongs in a jail cell. And when Antonio finds out what all you did to her, I'm sure that's exactly where you'll be."
"You think I'm afraid of Antonio?" Walker scoffed, a soft grin tugging on his lips, disbelief covering the faces of those around him at the lack of remorse Bryan had. "That's funny, considering Antonio was nowhere to be found when Gabby and I were together…" He continued, Herrmann's entire body clenching in anger, his reaction mimicked by those around him. "I'm not scared of him. He can't do anything to me, because I didn't do anything to her… and she'll say the same thing."
"Why? Because you'll hurt her if she doesn't?" Severide spat, his eyes narrowing when he saw Walker raise his eyebrows, like he was almost amused by the comment. And Kelly could hardly believe it. He couldn't believe he'd been friends with this man, that Walker had not only fooled him, but all of them, into thinking he was a good guy. He couldn't believe he'd been so blind as to what was going on, and that Gabby had so clearly suffered because of it.
"Well… she never said anything before, did she?" He asked with that same proud smirk on his face, Kelly's neck clenching in anger, those words being the last straw as the entire group was stunned silent, none of them really able to believe what they were hearing.
This man, this man they'd called a friend for so long, one they'd trusted, one they'd tried to help when him and Dawson broke up, was nothing more than an abuser. He'd hurt the person he vowed to protect, over and over again he hurt her, and they never knew. He hurt the woman who was family to all of them, who was like a daughter to some, and they had no idea. She'd been hurting, for God knows how long, and they were oblivious.
And that didn't sit well with any of them.
"You fucking bastard." Herrmann growled, the firefighter cocking his fist and swinging, landing one solid punch on Bryan's jaw before Boden, Cruz, and Severide got them separated, Herrmann fighting against the Chief as he tried to get back to Walker. "How could you?! How could you do that to her?!"
"Herrmann-" Cruz tried, pulling him back away from the firefighter as Herrmann continued struggling to get out of his grip. "Herrmann, stop."
"Let me go, he hurt Dawson!"
"I know, I know, but you gotta stop, man." Cruz tried, pushing him back out towards the hallway, ignoring the stares from the hospital staff. "You know Boden's gonna deal with it, going after him won't help anything." Cruz tried to reason despite the similar feeling of anger he felt coursing through his body.
"Herrmann, take a walk." Boden ordered, the Chief doing what he could to get this situation under control. He felt the same way as Herrmann, and Severide, and probably every other member of 51, but they couldn't keep swinging punches at each other. No matter how badly Boden wanted to.
"Chief-"
"Go." He ordered, the older firefighter clenching his fists at his sides before nodding, shaking his head in disgust as he caught Walker's gaze.
"I hope you rot in jail." Herrmann spat before taking off down the hallway, Cruz following after him to make sure the firefighter didn't do anything stupid.
Once Herrmann was out of sight, the Chief turned back towards Walker, his expression unreadable as an eerie quiet settled over the waiting room, no one entirely sure what to do or how to react. They knew how they wanted to react. They wanted to do what Herrmann had done, and what Casey did earlier, but they knew they couldn't.
Walker's chest heaved up and down as he ignored the stinging pain radiating from around his mouth, Bryan bringing his hand up to his lip, feeling a little bit of blood hit his fingertips, alerting him to the fact that Herrmann, just as Casey had, had broken skin when he punched him.
"Shay." The Chief spoke up, keeping his eyes locked on Walker. Severide's angry glare softened when he glanced back towards the paramedic, seeing her teary eyes looking towards the back of Boden's head. But his anger resurfaced when he noticed her favoring her right arm, the arm Walker had grabbed and twisted, Kelly understanding Bryan had, on top of everything else, hurt Shay. "You spoke with Antonio, do you know if he's coming?"
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Shay took a slight step forward, the blonde catching Kelly's concerned gaze before she responded. "I, uh- I don't know, Chief." Shay did her best to keep her voice steady and under control, but she was having a difficult time, and Severide couldn't blame her.
Her best friend had been abused. To what extent, they didn't know. But what they did know was that Walker had hurt Dawson. The man who had promised to love and protect her had been the one to break her, and learning that was difficult for all of them to stomach. But Shay… this was her best friend, her partner, and she didn't know. Severide didn't blame her at all for being a little rattled.
"He just told me to keep him updated on what was going on." She added after taking a breath, Boden's back tightening as he straightened his spine, his eyes never leaving Walker's.
"Can you call him, get him down here. Tell him we may have a domestic abuse case that needs to be dealt with-"
"Chief, come on!" Walker groaned, his anger building as he took a step towards Boden. "I didn't do anything to her, you can't be serious! I-"
"If I were you, I would think very carefully about the next words that come out of your mouth." Boden interrupted, his voice low and rough, leaving no room for argument as Walker battled against his every instinct to fight back as the Chief continued to address Shay. "Normally we'd just call the cops, but with this situation, I think Antonio is best to deal with this. Can you call him, Shay?" He asked, Walker huffing out a breath, doing his best to hide his panic as he was slowly starting to understand the severity of the situation he was in.
"I, uh- yeah." She stuttered, Severide frowning when he saw her hand shake slightly. Kelly had rarely ever seen Shay so unsettled, and it was something he'd be fine never seeing again, Severide shaking his head slightly. "I can, I'll-"
"I'll call him, Chief." Severide cut in, Boden glancing to him for a split second. "I'll get him down here, as long as you've got this." He added, his dark eyes flashing towards Bryan, finding nothing but a harsh stare waiting for him.
Once he'd gotten a slight nod from his boss, Severide shot one last deathly glare towards his former friend before he walked towards Shay, carefully leading her away from the group. It was clear she was upset, anyone would be in her situation, but this was a reaction he hadn't seen from Shay in awhile, and he was concerned.
"Is your arm okay?" He questioned once they'd gotten some space from the group, Shay blinking quickly as they stopped around the corner.
"Huh?" She asked, like she hadn't heard him speak as she looked up to him, Kelly seeing the tears hiding in her eyes.
"I asked if your arm was okay…"
"Oh, yeah, yeah I'm fine." She waved him off, her bottom lip falling between her teeth as she leaned back against the wall, Severide standing in front of her as her hand came up to run across the side of her face. Kelly's gaze softened as he saw his friend slowly start to crack, Shay shaking her head as she met his eyes, the paramedic pursing her lips together as she drew in a deep breath.
"Shay…"
"I asked her, Kelly." She spoke up, Severide's eyes narrowing in slight confusion as he crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for her to elaborate. "I asked her if he'd been hurting her- if he ever hurt her, and she said no."
"What?" He asked, Shay giving him a nod.
"Remember when you and I talked about it, after that thing in the locker room with Bryan… Where he kind of said the same thing he did today, that she had it coming." She said, seeing realization cover his face. "After that happened, I asked her about it… She told me he hadn't done anything. She looked me in the eye and said nothing. And I- God, why didn't she tell me?!"
"Shay-"
"How long had he been hurting her and I didn't know? No one fucking knew, Lord knows what all he did to her, and she just… she said nothing." She breathed out, her worry and frustration evident as she shook her head. "Why didn't she tell anyone, we could've helped her!"
"Shay, breathe." Severide instructed calmly, knowing her continuing to work herself up would only make this harder. "Just breathe, okay?" He repeated, Shay nodding as she sucked in slow, deep breaths, fresh tears forming in her eyes as she found his gaze again.
"I failed her, Kelly." She murmured, Severide's eyebrows furrowing quickly.
"What?"
"How could I have not known something that serious was going on?" She continued, Kelly shaking his head. "She was in pain, she was being hurt, and I did nothing."
"Shay, this isn't on you." He replied quickly. "None of us knew what was going on, we had no idea he was-"
"She's my best friend, and I didn't see it." She cut in angrily, tears forming in her eyes. "I wasn't there for her, she was being abused and she didn't feel like she could come to me. I failed her."
"Shay-"
"Why didn't she tell me?!" She snapped, her emotions getting the better of her as she shook her head, the paramedic taking a deep breath before continuing. "...How did none of us see what was happening?"
She sounded so lost, and confused, and upset, that it broke his heart. But there was also the voice in his head reminding him that no matter how hard they both were taking this right now, it was nothing compared to what Gabby had gone through. This had happened to Gabby, and both of them knew it was impossible to know how victims of abuse would handle something like this. All their training had told them that every case was different, and all their experience with abuse victims had proven that fact to them over and over again. It was impossible to gage how a victim would react in this situation, and they both knew it.
But that was the problem, was that Gabby wasn't just a victim to them. She was their friend. She was Shay's best friend, and they hadn't been able to help her.
"I… I don't know how we didn't see something was going on. Gabby probably didn't want us to… But there's no way for us to know why she didn't say anything. We all know there's no way to know how someone will react to something like this." He murmured, the blonde gnawing on her bottom lip as she nodded slowly. "You especially, you see this all the time in your patients who are victims of abuse… we have no idea what's going on in their head. This isn't on Dawson, or you. Or anyone but Walker."
"...I know that." Shay responded softly, shaking her head. "This is Bryan's fault, and no one else's. And I know you're right, I just-... I wish I could've helped her." She admitted, wiping away the single tear that had fallen down her cheek. "I wish I had known so I could've done something."
"You can still help her." Severide responded, Shay looking up to meet his gaze. "We both know this isn't something she'll just get over… Because clearly the abuse didn't stop once he broke up with her, if it was even happening when they were together. There's a lot to this we don't know. But just because we don't have the details, that doesn't mean you can't help her. Because she's going to need our help, Shay." He spoke firmly, the blonde giving him a nod. "She needs to know that she has us, that we've got her back… There's no way Walker won't be gone from 51 after this, if he doesn't end up in a jail cell first. But she needs to know we're here for her."
"I know." Shay murmured, sniffling as she wiped under her eyes, Kelly placing his hand on her shoulder. "I just… I'm so worried about her. The person I saw today in the locker room, that wasn't-" She cut herself off, her tongue poking out between her teeth to wet her lips before she spoke up again. "I can't get that out of my head… and I can't stop thinking about how many times he might've done that. How many times he might've hurt her." She spoke, her voice unsteady as she shook her head. "...How could he have hurt her?"
"I… I don't know, Shay." He replied sadly, the blonde blinking back the tears in her eyes. "I really don't know how someone could do that to anyone, let alone how he could've done it to Dawson… But she'll be okay. Gabby's as strong as they come, stronger than any of us ever realized." He added, Shay giving him a slow nod. "And she has us, and her family… She has Casey. She'll be okay." He promised, Shay biting down on her bottom lip before giving him another nod, her eyes filling with fresh tears as she fought to compose herself, Severide releasing a soft sigh before he slid his hand from her shoulder around to her back. "Come here." He murmured, pulling her into a hug against his side, Shay relaxing into him as she held onto her friend, Severide running his hand up and down her back.
As he did his best to comfort her, Kelly used his free hand to pull his phone out of his pocket, knowing he still needed to make one very important phone call, the firefighter going to his contacts and finding the number he didn't reach out to too often. Once it began ringing, he put the phone up to his ear, continuing to rub his hand over Shay's back as he waited for the man to pick up.
"Hey Severide, how's everything there? Any update on Casey?"
"Hey Antonio. Yeah, um- he's doing fine. He'll be fine." Severide responded, the sound of the detective's relieved breath reminding Kelly that he hadn't gotten an update since before they found out Matt would be alright.
"That's great news."
"It is, yeah… but uh- you need to get here as soon as you can."
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, Severide waiting for him to say something.
"What's going on? Is everyone alright?"
"It's, uh- It's about Gabby." He replied, hearing Antonio's breath catch slightly through the phone. "You need to get down here."
Matt laid in bed with his eye closed as he listened to the rhythmic sound of his heart monitor beeping, the firefighter feeling Gabby's body rise and fall underneath the weight of his arm as she slept soundly in his hospital bed with him. They were in the same position they'd been in after her parents left Matt's room in a hurry, Gabby having fallen asleep shortly there after curled up against his chest. And that had been nearly an hour ago now, and she hadn't woken up since. He was glad for it, Matt knowing better than anyone that she hadn't been sleeping lately, he just didn't know until today the reason behind it, but nonetheless he was glad she was able to rest. Arguably, she needed rest just as much as he did, and even though it was definitely a little uncomfortable for him, he'd rather experience some pain and get to hold onto her, then have her sleep in an uncomfortable hospital chair.
The room was comfortingly quiet, despite the multiple bodies still present in here with him, Matt sparing occasional glances to Gabby's mom and dad as they sat at his bedside, both of them keeping quiet so the couple could get some rest, even though Matt hadn't really been able to completely fall asleep. He wasn't entirely sure why, considering his body was screaming at him to get any rest he could, but since her parents had been here, he hadn't really been able to completely fall asleep. But Gabby was resting, and that's all that mattered to him right now.
"Do you need something, Matthew?"
Camila's soft voice hit his ears, Matt not even realizing she knew he was awake as he turned towards her, finding a weak smile waiting for him. He shook his head slightly, being mindful not to move too much, Matt not wanting to risk disturbing Gabby as he gave her a small smile of his own.
"I'm fine." He replied, Camila nodding before her gaze moved back down to her lap, Matt's eyes bouncing back and forth between the quiet parents sitting a few feet from him.
He'd tried to tell them they didn't need to stay for his benefit, that he was fine, and that he knew spending the long hours at the hospital probably wasn't how they envisioned their day going. But every time he said they didn't need to stay, they insisted on being here, one or both of them saying how they wanted to be here in case they needed something.
It was a sweet gesture, and while he very much appreciated it, he had a feeling they were staying more so to keep an eye on their daughter than on him. And he understood it, if it were him in that situation, he would've done the same thing after the day Gabby'd had. In fact he was doing the same thing, Matt not wanting Gabby out of his sight.
He completely understood them wanting to be close by for their daughter, and he'd never ask them to leave, but he felt bad, them being stuck at the hospital all day because of him. He didn't want any of them to be here, he especially didn't want to be here, but he didn't really have a choice. And though he knew Gabby was going to put up a fight and insist she stay with him, he was hoping that, when the time came later tonight, between him and her parents they could convince her to go home and rest, and come back in the morning. But even now, he knew that was a battle they'd probably all lose.
Taking a deep breath, Matt looked back down at Gabby, the firefighter unable to see much of her face at the position they were at, but he could tell she was still fast asleep. She hadn't moved much at all, Gabby not even waking when her parents came back a little while ago, or when her mother had placed a blanket over her, Gabby simply snuggling into it before falling back into her deep sleep. She had hardly moved since he pulled her down to lay with him an hour ago, her body exhausted as Matt lightly ran his hand up and down her back, the movement barely visible underneath the blanket now covering both of them.
As he laid here in this moment, feeling her chest moving against his while she slept peacefully, he couldn't help but be filled with an overwhelming sense of anger. He was trying to ignore it, he was trying not to let it consume him, but it was a fight he was losing. He was just angry, and nothing he did was making that feeling go away.
He tried to focus on Gabby, he tried to focus on the fact that he was alright, and, with time and a little help, Gabby would be fine, too. But every time he thought back to what had been done to her, and how much she'd been hurt by Walker, he became furious. He was so angry at the thought of what Bryan had done to her today, at what he'd done to her in the past, that he couldn't help but be filled with rage.
He didn't care about what Walker had done to him, he didn't care about what happened on that call, at least not right now. None of that mattered to him. But what did matter was Gabby, and right now he knew she wasn't okay. She wasn't okay after what had happened at the firehouse, she wasn't okay after what happened on that call, and she wasn't okay after having to confront things Matt was sure she'd done her best to forget.
She wasn't alright, at least not right now, and that absolutely destroyed him as much as it angered him.
Walker deserved to get his ass beat for what he did, that much Matt knew. He wasn't sure of everything that had been done to the woman resting on top of him, but he knew enough to know that Walker deserved to be put through a wall. For what he did to Gabby today alone, he should be arrested, but there was a sinking feeling in his gut that the abuse she suffered at the hands of Walker today at the firehouse wasn't even the tip of the iceberg in terms of how she'd been treated by him. He didn't know the details, but if Walker wasn't able to stop himself from choking her in the locker room, where any number of people could walk in at any time, Matt could only imagine what had been done behind closed doors. And that thought made him absolutely sick.
He couldn't imagine anyone hurting her, anyone putting their hands on her and causing her pain; he couldn't picture anyone wanting to do those things to her, but he knew it had happened. It had happened more than just today. And that wasn't something he couldn't get past. This was something that had happened more than once, and that wasn't okay.
Walker was a lot of things, and he had a lot of issues professionally that had made Casey dislike him. But this? There was no excuse for this. There was no explaining why he'd put her hands on her, why he'd hurt her throughout their relationship… Nothing could excuse that, and all Matt knew was that if he got the opportunity, the next time he saw Waker, it would play out a lot like it had earlier at the firehouse. He would start swinging, and he couldn't promise he'd stop. Because not only had he hurt the last person in the world he deserved that kind of abuse, he'd done it more than once. For how long, and what all he'd done, Matt didn't know, at least not yet, but what he did know was that today wasn't the first time something like that had happened to her because of him, and that was unforgivable.
Bryan Walker was abusive. He'd abused Gabby, and Lord knows how many other women before, and after, her. And nothing he said or did could change that. There was nothing that could redeem him after this, all that could be done now was getting him out of the house, and ensuring he never got a chance to get near Gabby again. Matt would make sure he never got near Gabby again, and the firefighter knew he wasn't alone in that.
The sound of the door opening pulled Casey from his less than pleasant thoughts, Matt opening his eyes just as Antonio and Halstead slowly walked into the room, Camila getting up to greet them. From first glance, Casey could see the concern in Antonio's gaze as his eyes focused on his little sister. Matt wasn't sure what all he knew, but from that look alone, he had to have known something.
"Hey." The detective greeted his mother quietly, Camila bringing him in for a tight hug, the woman doing the same with Detective Halstead as well. "Hey Casey." Antonio added, Matt assuming because he felt like he should, even though it was clear Gabby was really his only concern right now; rightfully so. "You doing alright?"
"I'm fine." Matt replied as softly as possible, not wanting to disturb Gabby's rest, his words earning a nod from the older Dawson sibling before he turned back towards his mom.
"What happened?" He asked, Matt barely able to hear him as he lowered his voice even more, Antonio having the same concern about waking his sister. "Severide told me I needed to get down here, that something happened with Gabby?" He continued, sparing another glance towards the sleeping paramedic, his eyebrows furrowed in worry. "He wouldn't say much, and neither would Boden or Shay when I got here… just told me to come here. What happened?"
Antonio's gaze bounced around the room as he spoke, his concern only growing when he took in the looks of the people around him. His mother looked like she was about to cry, like she had been crying. Casey looked upset, and what could be described as filled with anger. But his father is what worried him the most, the elder Dawson sitting there silently in the hospital chair, his entire body rigid as he looked at his daughter, Ramon not having moved a muscle since Antonio walked in, his face blank with rage. It wasn't something he saw all that often from his father, not unless something serious had happened, but how he looked right now, that was an anger he wasn't sure he'd ever seen from his dad, and Antonio didn't know what to make of it.
"What's going on? Is she okay?" He asked again when no one answered him, Camila opening her mouth to respond before she slammed it shut, the mother trying to keep herself composed.
The conversation was halted when Gabby began shifting around on Casey's chest, Matt wincing slightly as she put pressure on his ribs, the firefighter waiting to see if she was waking up, as was everyone else in the room. But within seconds, she settled again, Gabby subconsciously burying her head under his chin as she fell back asleep curled up against her boyfriend, Matt continuing to rub soothing patterns over her side as she held onto him in her sleep.
Seeing that they may have been disturbing Gabby's rest, Camila nodded towards the door, signaling Antonio and his partner to head outside. "Let's talk out in the hallway, I don't want to wake her." She practically whispered, Antonio nodding as he and Halstead followed his mother outside, the detective sparing one last glance towards Casey and his sister before leaving the room, quietly closing the door behind him.
"Is 51 still here?" Camila asked before he could get a word out, Antonio's eyebrows furrowing slightly before he shook his head.
"Shay is, and Boden's here with Walker, but everyone else was gone. I guess they got a call." He replied, Camila nodding as she ran her hand through her hair. "What's wrong?" He asked once they'd gotten a few steps away from the door, Antonio crossing his arms over his chest as he and Halstead stood opposite his mother.
"Your sister… Something happened." Camila started, Antonio's spine straightening as he heard the tone in her voice, Halstead sparing a concerned look towards Dawson before looking back to the older woman who seemed close to tears.
"What's going on?" He asked again, swallowing the lump in his throat as he watched his mom take a deep breath.
"Bryan, he-" She cut herself off, Antonio's eyes narrowing as he waited for her to say more. Hearing the name alone made his blood boil, but considering how everyone was acting in regards to his baby sister, Antonio could only imagine he'd done something. And that it hadn't been good. "He hurt Gabriela."
Antonio's neck clenched tightly, feeling Jay's eyes on him as his face remained rigid. "What?"
"Bryan hurt her, today on shift, at the firehouse. Before the call happened, he hurt her."
"What did he do?" His voice was full of venom, Antonio's entire body feeling as if it were on fire, his dark eyes staying locked on his mom.
"...He choked her."
Antonio's eyes widened in shock, his entire body going numb as his mom's words washed over him, the man nearly stumbling back as he tried to process what was being told to him. At first he wasn't sure he heard her right, that he had to have misunderstood what she said, but the look on her face was enough to assure him he had in fact heard her correctly. And he'd never felt so angry in his life.
"Antonio…"
Wordlessly he shook his head, running his hand over his mouth before he started walking past his mom.
"Antonio." She said again, grabbing his arm but he shrugged her off. "Antonio, don't."
Camila wasn't able to stop him, but Halstead was, Jay jogging to catch up with him, cutting him off before he could turn the corner to head back towards the waiting room, Halstead pushing against his chest.
"Antonio-"
"Get out of my way, Halstead." His voice was dangerously low, Jay shaking his head as he pushed him backwards, not shoving enough to hurt him, but enough to keep him back.
"Antonio, just take a second." He continued, pushing him back until they were next to his mom, Camila placing her hand on her son's back, trying to get him to calm down, just as she'd had to do with her husband earlier in the day. "I know what you want to do, and I don't blame you for that. But you going out there and bashing his head in isn't gonna help anything." Jay continued to reason, Antonio sucking in a deep breath as he stepped back towards the wall, shaking his head.
"Jay's right, Antonio." Camila echoed, walking towards her son, placing a soft hand over his chest. "Hurting him won't change anything. Besides, your father already did that… and from what I hear, Casey landed a few good punches as well." She told him, Antonio clenching his jaw tightly as he took a few slow breaths. "So please just calm down, and don't do anything stupid… Gabriela doesn't need anything else to deal with right now." She reasoned, Antonio giving her a slight nod.
"...Is she okay?" He asked quietly, his voice laced in worry as Camila's eyes softened, the mother shaking her head slightly.
"She's… she's being Gabby." Camila answered with a sigh, Antonio knowing exactly what she meant before she elaborated. "We haven't gotten the chance to talk about it much, she's been asleep most of the time we've been here… But she's trying to act like she's alright, even though she's not." She sighed, shooting her son a knowing look. "And I don't think this thing with Matthew helped anything, either. It really scared her." She added, earning a nod from her son. "But she's just… she's different. And I think that's because of Bryan. She said he's been messing with her…" She trailed off when she saw her son's face harden, Camila shaking her head. "I don't know exactly what that means. I don't know what else he's done, or how long it's been going on, but I don't think what happened today was the first time he's done something."
Antonio took a deep breath, pursing his lips together as his eyes flashed towards Halstead, seeing a similar look of concern in his partner's gaze before he looked back at his mother. He'd seen his mom upset before, it wasn't something that happened all that often, but he knew what it looked like when she was bothered by something. But what he was seeing from her now, she looked broken in a way he'd never seen before, and if what had happened to his baby sister wasn't bad enough, seeing how it affected his mom only made it worse.
"Did she give any other specifics of what he did?" Antonio asked after clearing his throat, forcing himself to try and focus on this as if it was just another case he was working on, and not his little sister being abused by her ex. "Anything he'd done aside from- from choking her?" He asked, shaking his head slightly as he tried to keep calm.
"No, she didn't." Camila answered sadly. "There wasn't really time… When we got here, as soon as she told us what he'd done, your father went and confronted him. Then by the time we got back, Gabriela was asleep." She told him, Antonio nodding slightly as he blew out a sharp sigh.
"Alright… I need to talk to Gabby, get the exact story of what happened today, and then we'll go from there." He spoke, glancing to Halstead who gave him a nod. "We'll also need to get a statement from Walker-"
"I'll do that one." Halstead cut in, Antonio shooting him a look, but Jay held his ground. "This is your sister, Antonio. Depending on how far this goes, if she decides to press charges, you really want it on the record that you're the one who took this guy's statement? It's better if I do it, and we both know it." Jay told him firmly, Antonio biting his tongue before nodding, knowing the detective had a point.
Antonio knew he had no business going anywhere near that man, not professionally at least, and that if he did get alone in a room with him, it probably wouldn't end well. Jay was right, the best thing he could do was stay away, but that felt nearly impossible knowing that Walker had put his hands around his sister's throat.
"Okay." He gave in. "Go and take his statement, I'll talk to Gabby." Antonio replied as Jay nodded, the man giving his shoulder a supportive squeeze before turning and heading back for the waiting room, leaving Antonio alone with his mom.
"I know you need to speak with Gabriela… but can we let her rest for a little while longer?" Camila requested, Antonio biting down on the inside of his cheek. "She's just-" She cut herself off, shaking her head sadly as Antonio placed a supportive hand on his mom's shoulder. "She needs to sleep. I know you haven't really seen her, but she looked like she hadn't gotten any rest in weeks. She looked exhausted… mentally and physically exhausted."
"That's fine, Ma." He replied, Camila shooting him an appreciative smile. "We can let her sleep for now. I'm just gonna call Voight, let him know what's going on, then I'll be in there."
"Okay." She replied softly, giving her son's hand a squeeze before stepping away from him, Antonio pulling his phone from his pocket, getting ready to call his boss. "But, um, Antonio…" She spoke up as she stood in front of Gabby's door, the detective lifting his head to look at his mom with expectant eyes. "You should know, before you see her, that there are-... she's bruised. From where he grabbed her."
Antonio's entire body went rigid as the words left his mother's mouth, Camila watching him with a sad look as she took in her son's anger.
"There's what looks like a handprint… around her throat." She continued when he hadn't said anything, Antonio having to remind himself to breathe as the weight of this hit him all over again. "I just didn't want you caught off guard when you first saw her, because they're visible, and also I don't want Gabriela feeling uncomfortable, if you were to see them and not know they were there… I just wanted you to know." She told him, Antonio blinking quickly before he gave her a slight nod, signaling that he'd heard her. "I'll see you in there." She finished, flashing him a weak smile before stepping inside the dim room, leaving the door slightly ajar behind her as she left Antonio alone in the hallway, the detective's body weight collapsing back into the wall behind him as his hands shook slightly, the older brother still trying to come to terms with everything that had happened to his baby sister.
