Chapter Twenty (Finale Chapter)
Happy Chicago Wednesday! It's hard to believe that tonight is the season finale! What are we all going to do without our Chicago fix this summer? Hopefully, tonight we will get some good Brett and Casey moments!
*Notes from each co-author at the end!
This is the END! Enjoy!
Brett felt like her insides were being shredded into tiny, tiny parts. She held on to the crib in front of her and screamed as if she was being murdered. Brett didn't know what to do. She just froze.
Casey, on the other hand, did anything but freeze. As soon as the rubble was done falling and he heard the elderly man beside him call out, he started wiggling to get free and made as much noise as possible.
"Chief!" Called Severide after he saw the building start to fall right where it stood.
Boden heaved in and out as he thought about his beloved son-like fire captain stuck inside, "Go! Now!"
Everyone who had their gear off threw it on and ran after Severide who led them right into the heart of the catastrophe.
Brett cried as she slid to the floor and cradled her phone in her hands. No one she had tried calling in the last thirty minutes was answering their phone. Casey, Kidd, Foster, Severide, Cruz, and even Boden. No one was answering. Brett didn't know what to do, she just continued to take big deep breaths in and out.
"Casey!" Yelled Severide as he and everyone else they made their way through the rubble.
Everything inside what was left of the building was completely black. If you had just walked in not knowing what happened, you would never believe that it used to be an apartment complex.
"Wait, listen!" Yelled Gallo as he tried to get everyone to halt their movements so he could listen for the slight wheezing noise he heard seconds ago.
Kidd looked at Severide and mouthed, "What is that?"
Severide didn't answer, he just sprung into action. Everyone looked to each other before they followed him in moving the metal piping and carrying off into piles on the floor.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Brett clutched her stomach and winced as another sharp pain made its way across her abdomen and back.
"Whoa, okay babies," Soothed a heaving Brett as she tried to breathe in and out and keep her breathing even.
She sat there for another five minutes thinking that the pain passed when out of nowhere it struck again and caused her to cry out, "Ughh, it's too early!"
"Hey, Sylvie!" Shouted a voice from the bottom of their stairs by the front door.
Brett raised her head up and immediately sent a prayer up to God at hearing Donna Boden's voice. "I'm up here," She cried before trying to catch her breath.
"Hey, sorry to bother you, but I thought I'd bring you some of my old maternity...oh my gosh, Sylvie! Are you okay?! What's wrong?" Urgently asked Donna as she walked into the room and saw a pained and crying Sylvie sprawled out on the floor.
Brett let out a sigh of relief at having someone she knew here with her, "I..I don't know. I was folding baby clothes by the cribs, and I just felt this really sharp pain across my belly and back."
Donna nodded and helped Brett stand up, "Honey, do you think you could be in labor?"
Brett shook her head as more tears started to slide down her face, "No, it's too early. I still have weeks to go."
"Okay, well how about I take you to your doctor and have them take a look at you just to be sure."
Brett was about to respond but before she could form any words, she let out a horrific scream as the pain tried to tear her body into two.
Donna winced as she felt Brett squeeze her arm, "Now we are definitely going to the hospital. Come on."
"No. No. I need Matt. I need him to be here."
Donna nodded and tried to help Brett down the stairs, "Okay, how about we call him from my car?"
Brett shook her head, "I've been trying to call him and everyone from the house when the pain first started, but I haven't been able to get in touch with any of them...Donna, what if something's wrong?"
Donna stopped walking and looked at Brett, "We can't think like that right now. Okay? If I need to I will call headquarters and have them get in touch with Wallace so he can tell Matt. Do you have a bag ready that we need to bring?"
Brett nodded and tried to put on her shoes, "Yes, we have three of them in the closet right there. There's mine, Matt's, and the babies'."
Donna listened to Brett then quickly went to the closet and pulled out the three bags that she hurriedly took to her car.
"Okay, you ready?" Yelled Donna as she ran back into the house to collect Sylvie.
Sylvie looked up and smiled as she tried to get rid of the bad gut feeling she had.
"Casey, man can you hear us?" Yelled Severide as he and the rest of the firefighters around him continued to lift and get rid of rubble.
"Casey?" Screamed Herrmann as he and everyone around him started to get anxious from not hearing any noises in the last twenty minutes.
"I'm here," Called a tired Matthew Casey from a small hole the size of a basketball.
"Thank God!" Shouted Mouch as everyone sighed with relief.
"I'm okay. So is the victim I was rescuing. I think it just knocked him unconscious, but under all of the rubble there is a metal beam that fell and protected us from everything."
Severide smiled at hearing that his friend's nine lives had kicked in again. "We'll have you out here in a few minutes, just hold tight."
It took about eleven minutes before they had him and the elderly man, he was trapped with, out.
"Oh, man it's good to see you." Called Herrmann as she walked over and patted Casey on the back.
Foster walked over and practically dragged Casey over to the ambulance, "Hey, Brett would kill me if she knew what had just happened and I didn't check you out."
Casey nodded and sat down so Foster could check his vitals and make sure there were no serious injuries.
Boden, who was in his buggy almost ready to leave the scene and head back to the firehouse, set down his radio, stepped out of his buggy and walked over to where Casey and Foster were with the ambulance.
"Casey," Called Boden as he stood in front of the two.
Casey looked up and immediately sighed, "I know, Chief."
Boden looked at Casey and raised his eyebrows, "You do?"
Casey nodded, "Yeah, I know I should have tried to make my way out to the back of the building with the vic, but I thought we had plenty of time before it collapsed on us. Don't worry it won't happen again."
"Casey, that's not what I want to talk to you about. I just spoke to HQ, and they told me that Donna and Sylvie have been trying to get in touch with us the whole time we were here. Apparently, Donna stopped by to check on Sylvie today and she found her in labor."
"What!?" Screamed Casey as he immediately stood up and pushed Foster slightly out of the way.
Boden nodded, "Donna took her to Chicago Med. She's been there for about two hours. I suggest that you take my buggy and we'll all meet you there as soon as we're done here. I've already told HQ to take the house out of ongoing duty until the next shift arrives."
Casey was already running to truck eighty-one before Boden finished what he had to say and yelled for everyone to pack up and head to the hospital.
Casey was almost a hundred percent sure that he had never driven that fast in his life. It was honestly a miracle that he made it there in one piece. He quickly parked the buggy and sprinted into the hospital.
He ran to the nurses' station and immediately started asking where he could find Sylvie.
"Room 434, sir." Answered the young blonde nurse who looked startled by Casey's disheveled appearance.
Casey nodded thanks before he found the way and ran to the room.
"Oh, thank God!" Cried Brett when she saw her husband swing the door open and rush inside her room.
Casey smiled before he walked over and kissed his wife who was hooked up to all kinds of machines, monitors, and IVs.
"I'm here." Whispered Casey as he took his left hand and placed it on her stomach.
"Well, I'm gonna leave you two alone." Said Donna as she stood up from her chair and made her way over to Brett to give her a kiss on the cheek.
"Oh, Donna. Thank you so much for everything. I don't know how I could have gotten here without you."
Donna smiled and gave Casey a quick hug, "Hey, thank me when you have three, little screaming babies."
Brett and Casey smiled before they thanked her again.
"How are you feeling, babe?" Asked Casey as he sat down next to Brett on her bed.
"I'm okay, pretty nervous. Dr. James said the contractions I was having were pretty strong. He gave me something to stop them a little while ago."
Casey nodded, "He still wants you to have a c-section, right?"
"Yeah, he said he still thinks that it's the safest option for all four of us."
"Good," Smiled Casey as he tried to calm his nerves as well as his wife's.
"What happened to you?" Questioned Brett as she looked at her husband and noticed for the first time since seeing him that he was covered in soot and sweat.
Casey smiled, "Nothing that you need to worry about right now."
Brett nodded and sighed before she grabbed Casey's hand and squeezed it, "Matt, it's too early for them to be coming today."
Casey gently grabbed Brett's head and kissed her forehead, "Babe, you and I both know that we've had to deliver babies that have come much sooner than this and they were perfectly fine."
Brett nodded, "I need you to promise me something."
Casey bobbed his head knowing that agreeing would be the only way to calm his wife's nerves right now, "Okay, what is it?"
Brett took a breath before she grabbed her husband's hand and placed it on her belly, "I need you to promise me that if it came to it and you had to choose to save the babies or me that you would choose to save them."
"What?" Asked a shocked Casey as he got up off the bed and turned to face his wife, who was looking anywhere but at him, "What did you just say?"
"Matt," Sniffled Brett as she felt tears start to gather in her eyes.
"Sylvie, I'm not doing that."
"You have to. Matt, these are our children."
"No. Sylvie, you're my wife. I'm not losing you."
"Matt," Cried Sylvie before she was quickly interrupted by her husband.
"No, I don't want to hear you say that again. You said it the night we were in bed together, and I don't want to hear it again. Sylvie, I can not live without you. You are my everything. Without you, there's no point in living for me. Okay?"
Sylvie nodded and reached out for her husband's hand, "Okay."
"Good," Whispered Casey before he got back on the bed with Sylvie and held her in his arms while they continued to wait for Dr. James to come in and tell them it was time for Sylvie's c-section.
An hour passed before Dr. James came in and told them that it was time and that the nurses were going to start preparing them. Everyone from the firehouse arrived not much later after Casey did. A few had been up at a time to see how Brett and the babies were doing.
Foster and Kidd were the first two to come up and see them. Both girls were bouncing up and down with excitement.
"Okay, it's time." Announced a middle-aged nurse as she came in started getting Brett ready to be transported down to the OR.
Brett grabbed Casey's hand and squeezed as much as she could.
The journey to the OR seemed to happen in slow motion for both Brett and Casey. Both were extremely nervous and anxious to hold and see their babies.
Dr. James came in while they were finishing getting Brett ready and explained to both she and Casey what all he would be doing.
"Alright, Sylvie you ready?" Asked Dr. James as he came out ready to perform the procedure.
Brett nodded and sent a quick prayer up to God, "Yep, I'm ready."
"Good, let's get started." Smiled Dr. James before he turned and spoke to his scrub nurse.
Casey leaned down next to his wife and kissed her head, "It's gonna be okay, babe."
"Okay, Sylvie you're going to feel a bit of pressure. Let us know if you start to feel different, okay."
Brett nodded and muttered, "Okay," before she felt Casey grab her hand and hold it.
It took about ten to fifteen minutes before they heard a single cry rip through the room.
"Okay, we have baby A, and it's a boy."
Both Brett and Casey looked at each other and immediately felt a pinch of relief wash over them.
"Mr. Casey, do you want to cut your baby's umbilical cord?"
Casey quickly looked at Brett to make sure she was okay with him leaving her side for a second.
"Go ahead," Encouraged Brett as she gave her husband a huge smile.
Casey moved so he was right next to the baby and gently followed the nurse's instructions.
Matthew Casey automatically declared right then and there that there was nothing like seeing your child for the first time. It was the most beautiful and humbling thing he would ever experience.
"Let me see him," Softly called Brett as she craned her neck trying to get a look at her firstborn.
The nurse quickly took the baby in her arms and walked over and leaned down next to Brett's head.
"Oh my God, Matt. He's so beautiful." Cried Sylvie.
"He is," Whispered a misty-eyed Matt.
"Baby B is another boy!" Yelled Dr. James as he picked their second baby boy up and motioned for Matt to come over and cut the second umbilical cord.
"Matt, what does he look like?" Asked Brett as loud as she could manage.
Casey looked over at his wife and smiled so big you would think his face was going to break right in half, "He's beautiful just like his brother."
Sylvie smiled and closed her eyes for a second, "I want to see him."
Casey slowly walked him over and brought him close to her face.
"He's gorgeous," Whispered Sylvie as she put her hand out and gently touched his leg.
"Sylvie, how are you feeling? We're almost done."
Sylvie heard Dr. James' voice and let out a soft moan, "I'm really sleepy."
Matt was staring at his two beautiful boys, but he whipped his head up and immediately turned his attention to his wife at hearing that.
"Sylvie, we're almost done, just stay with us. Nurse Adkins is gonna put an oxygen mask on you right now."
Brett nodded and smiled when she felt Casey come over and grip her hand.
"Come on, babe you're almost done."
Brett smiled again when she heard Dr. James shout that Baby C was out and a girl.
Casey has visible tears in his eyes when he cut an umbilical cord for the last time. Casey had just walked the baby girl over to Brett and was telling her how beautiful she looked when he noticed that Brett's eyes weren't open.
"Sylvie?"
But she didn't move.
Matt's heart started to race at seeing his wife laying there not moving, "Sylvie? Answer me!"
"Mr. Casey, we need you to leave right now!"
Matt gently gave his baby girl to the nurse and cast a glance at his three newborns before he tried to walk back over to his wife and was physically pushed out of the room by one of the male surgical nurses.
"Sylvie!" Screamed Matt before the doors were closed in his face.
He didn't know what to do so he started pacing. Just pacing. Pacing in front of the delivery room like it was going to float away at any moment. His eyes started to water just thinking about his wife. This wasn't supposed to happen.
He had been in the hallway for about twenty minutes before he put his head in his hands and slid down to the ground. He went to lay his hands on his knees, but his wedding band quickly caught his attention by sparkling in the light. He slowly put his hand in front of his face and sweetly smiled at the memory of his wife sliding it onto his finger why the waves came up on the beach and kissed their feet. He couldn't help but wonder, what if she had never returned to Chicago? Would he be getting the chance to be the father and husband he always dreamed of?
He was still in half of his fire suit with the pants, the suspenders, and his boots on, so all the doctors and nurses that walked by gave him a sympathetic look thinking he was there as a fire captain and not a husband and now...father.
He didn't know what to do so he prayed. He prayed like he never had before.
'Dear, God please let her be okay. I can't live without her. Please. Please just let her be okay. I'll do anything. I need her. She's another part of me and I need her. Please, God. I can't live without her. Please. Please just let her be okay. She's my everything. We're supposed to be parents. I need her. Our babies need her. She's their mother. I can't do this without her. Please.'
Matt had his head down praying so he didn't notice the nurse that was standing by his feet waiting for him to finish.
"Mr. Casey…" She apprehensively whispered not really wanting to disturb him.
Matt whipped his head like lighting and quickly jumped to his feet, "Is she okay? Where is she?"
The older woman gave Matt a small, sad smile he prayed he would never have to see again, "I'm sorry, Mr. Casey, I don't know anything about your wife's condition, but I was one of the nurses that took your babies out. I have them in the private nursery we use for babies that may need an extra looking after if you'd like to see them."
Matt quickly threw his eyes over the door he had been kicked out of minutes ago.
"I promise that if anything changes, the nurses will know where you are and come and tell us."
Matt nodded and followed the nurse down the hallway. He stopped as soon as he walked through the sliding door. All three of his beautiful children were laying in the hospital bassinets wiggling around and cooing to each other it seemed. He smiled seeing each bed marked with 'Casey'.
"Your babies are all cleaned up and healthy if you'd like to hold them and give them a bottle." Smiled the nurse as she walked to one of the bassinets and peaked at the bundle of joy.
Matt didn't say anything he just stood there frozen. The nurse finally picked up the oldest little boy out of his bassinet and walked him over to Matt.
"Here," She whispered as she gently set him in his father's arms. "This will most definitely help take your mind off of everything going on for a few minutes."
Matt nodded and walked like he was holding a bomb, to the nearest rocking chair. He gently sat down and looked at the baby in his arms. He looked just like Matt with a hint of Sylvie. Anyone would swear that he was only from Matt.
The baby looked up at Matt and wrinkled his little nose.
"Hey, buddy," Smiled Matt as he looked down at his baby boy. "I'm so happy to meet you and your siblings. Your mommy will be so happy to meet you all."
Tears started to glide down Matt's face after he mentioned Sylvie.
"Do you have names picked out?" Asked the nurse as she walked over and gently took the baby boy from his arms so she could let him hold another.
Matt looked up and sadly shook his head, "No...I mean...yes, but I want to wait to talk to my wife before I name them by myself."
"I understand," Smiled the nurse before she placed the baby girl in his arms.
"Wow," Gasped Matt as he looked at his little girl in his arms. "She looks just like her mother."
Matt stayed in the nursery for what felt like hours going back and forth between his three children. They all looked different; one had dark hair, blue eyes, another had light hair and green eyes, and the last, the girl, had light hair with blue eyes. They were all so gorgeous.
"Mr. Casey," Whispered Dr. James as he made his way into the small, private NICU nursery.
Matt slowly raised his head up to meet the doctor's eyes and almost gasped out loud at the amount of blood that covered the doctor's scrubs. "Is she...is she?"
Dr. James walked closer and shook his head, "No. Mr. Casey, your wife is fine. She suffered from a case of postpartum hemorrhaging. Luckily, we were able to get the bleeding under control and your wife is being moved to recovery as we speak."
Matt put his head down and immediately thanked God. "Can I see her? I really just need to see her."
Dr. James nodded, "Of course. Nurse Grace behind me will lead you to her room, and I have Nurse Brown, who lead you down here, bring the babies up in a few minutes."
Matt smiled and handed the baby in his arms to Nurse Brown. "Thank you." He whispered before he raced down the hall and followed Nurse Grace to Sylvie's room.
Matt wanted to fall to the floor as soon as he saw her. She was so beautiful. He didn't know what to do. He was so scared that he would never get to see her or hold her again.
"Hi, handsome." She whispered as she slowly opened her eyes and caught a glance at his by the door with the majority of his fire gear still on, soot all over his face, and helmet hair going in every direction.
"Oh my God, Sylvie."
"Come here," Smiled Sylvie.
Matt smiled back at her and slowly picked his feet up until he was right next to her bed.
"Matt, where are my babies? Dr. James said they were fine but they haven't let me see them yet. Where are they?"
Matt had tears in his eyes as he answered his wife, "They're fine, babe. They're beautiful. They all look just like us."
"I love you," Whispered Sylvie, who was still really pale and weak from the loss of blood.
Matt smiled and leaned down to kiss her lips and hold her hand, "I love you too. Promise me that you'll never do that again."
"Now you know how I feel when you run into burning buildings." Giggled Sylvie before she was interrupted by two nurses who walked into the room with three mobile bassinets.
"Oh my gosh!" Gasped Sylvie before she tried to sit up and gasped.
Matt saw her in pain and quickly jumped into action and helped her sit back and move her bed up. "Here, babe. Don't move, we'll bring them to you."
Sylvie nodded and sat there impatiently as she watched one of the nurses lift up one of their tiny little boys and place him in Matt's arms.
Matt grinned like a kid on Christmas morning before he walked over and carefully put the baby in Sylvie's awaiting arms.
"He's perfect," She cried.
Matt slid on the bed next to her, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her head. "We need to pick a name out."
Sylvie smiled and started counting all of his fingers and toes. "Was he the firstborn?" She asked still a little groggy from the whole thing.
Matt nodded and went to grab the other small little boy who was starting to get a little fussy, "Yep, then this one followed."
"Wow, he's perfect too." Cried Sylvie as she stared at her other perfect little boy.
"How about this, since we have two perfect little boys why don't we each name one then on our princess we can each pick a name."
"Princess, hun?" Asked Sylvie with a smirk as she craned her neck trying to steal a glance at their angel sleeping in her bassinet.
"What can I say? I think all three of them already have me wrapped around their teeny, tiny little fingers.
Sylvie gazed at the little boy in her arms like he was the only thing in the world, "What do you think about Braxton?"
Matt looked up and smiled, "I like that. Braxton what? We need a middle name."
Sylvie nodded and thought about it for a minute, "What do you think about Braxton Keith?"
"Braxton Keith Casey? I like it!" Exclaimed Matt, careful not to wake up their sleeping little girl.
"What about our other little boy in your arms, Matt?" Questioned Sylvie as the nurse came to take Braxton out of her arms so Sylvie could hold their baby girl who had to be woken up for her first bottle from mommy.
"Well, I was thinking about it in the nursery. What do you think about the name, Daniel Wallace Casey?"
Sylvie sweetly nodded a tear slid down her face, "I love it. Now, what about this perfect one? You pick a name and I pick one."
"Yeah, let's do that."
"Okay, what about Fionna?"
Matt quickly shook his head no, "Sorry, babe. Don't think I can call my daughter that. Kelly had this stalker girl when we first graduated from the academy and her name was Fiona."
Sylvie laughed, "Okay, then. What about Charlotte?"
Matt looked at his baby girl and automatically knew that her name was Charlotte. "I love it. That's her name."
"Okay, you pick the middle name. Something that goes with Charlotte."
Matt thought about it for a second, "Elizabeth. Charlotte Elizabeth Casey."
Sylvie had tears in her eyes as she looked at her husband and three babies. "So we have Braxton, Daniel, and Charlotte. Three little Caseys."
"I can't believe it." Whispered Matt as he lifted Daniel and he gazed into his eyes. "Sylvie, you have made me the luckiest man alive."
Sylvie reached over and linked her fingers with Matt's, "We're both very blessed."
"Hey, we need to introduce these guys to the house."
"I'm on it!" Smirked Matt as she got his phone out with one hand and texted Kelly telling him where they were and that now was a good time for everyone to get in a quick visit.
It was about ten minutes before they heard a knock on the door and everyone came barreling in. Matt and Sylvie couldn't help but laugh at Stell and Emily who looked to be racing each other to see the babies first.
"Girls, chill!" Whisper Shouted Kelly making everyone in the room laugh.
Stella and Emily were both smiling and jumping up and down like two kids in a candy store.
"Oh, my gosh! Look how tiny they all are!" Whispered Emily as she took Daniel from his father's arms.
Sylvie handed Stella to Charlotte while Matt grabbed Braxton from his bassinet and gave him a quick snuggle and kiss before he handed him over to Cruz and Chloe.
"Do you all have names picked out?" Questioned Chief Boden as he peeked down at Daniel in Emily's arms.
Matt looked at Sylvie who nodded for him to announce their children's names. "Well, Foster, you're holding Daniel Wallace Casey."
Boden looked up at Matt and Sylvie and immediately smiled.
"Cruz, you and Chloe are holding Braxton Keith Casey. And Kelly you all are holding the youngest Casey by ten minutes and her name is Charlotte Elizabeth Casey."
Everyone in the room had tears in their eyes at hearing the names.
"We also have one more announcement," Smiled Sylvie as she felt Matt come sit and hold her hand next to her on the bed.
"We have decided that we want to ask Cruz and Chloe if you all would be Braxton's godparents."
Chloe and Cruz both looked at Matt and Sylvie with big smiles on their faces, "We would love to!"
Everyone smiled and cheered at hearing that!
"Okay, Kelly, Sylvie and I wanted to ask you and Stella if you would be Charlotte's godparents."
Kelly looked at Stella and they both nodded their heads before Kelly responded for them, "I thought we already were."
The room erupted in laughs at hearing Kelly's response.
Sylvie wiped the tears out of the corner of her eyes before she continued with the last set of godparents, "Okay, last but not least," She smiled, "Chief, Matt and I were wondering if you, Donna, and Emily would be Daniel's godparents?"
"Of course!" Smiled Boden and Donna before Emily agreed and finally let go of the baby in her arms so Herrmann could have a chance in holding one.
Day soon turned to night and it was just Sylvie and Matt holding each other in the big hospital bed while the babies were in the nursery.
"We are parents, can you believe it, Matt?"
Matt turned to look at his wife and shook his head, "To say I am happy would be an understatement. I'm so grateful you decided to come back to Chicago, Sylvie. If you hadn't, we wouldn't have gotten the chance to be married and have our babies."
"I love you, Matthew Casey!"
Matt grabbed his wife and kissed her lips, "I love you too, Sylvie Casey!"
THE END
Thank you all so much for your support! We appreciate all of you! You all have been so amazing to us!
*There might be a few epilogue chapters in the future. No promises.
*Author notes from each author below:
One-chicago-obsessed: Thank you for voting and reading this maybe we will do another brettsey collab.
PurpleNewYorkCity/MSlugAntZ: Hi! Thank you all so much for your support! Writing this story has been amazing! We have been so blessed with the support we received for this story! Also, a quick note to my co-author, One-chicago-obsessed, thank you so much for working with me on this! I know I can be a little demanding sometimes, lol. But thank you so much for your help! Thanks, everyone, hope you all enjoyed the story as much as we did writing it!