Every Breath You Take

Chapter 10

Live Like You Were Dying

**Notes** I am so glad all of you have enjoyed this story. I do believe this is the last chapter, let's see how it ends. I might put an epilogue in if it is needed or requested. Thank you to all of you that have left feedback and kudos. I appreciate every comment even if it is "Good job, please continue."

I have two more stories I am going to be working on. One is my October BFFP story and another one I am going to go full-on angst with, just not sure when I am going to start it.

I wanted this finished by tonight's episode, Season 9, Episode 2, and I was able to deliver. Thank you to my daughter, Annabelle, for helping me accomplish this. Enjoy.**

The emergency room of Chicago Med was bustling with patients from a four-car pile-up on Lake Michigan Drive. Sylvie was rushed into bay four with Dr. Natalie Manning followed behind the paramedics that had picked her up from the park. In the room next to her was Oliver Guthrie, who had lost a lot of blood from the deep gunshot wound in his left shoulder. Dr. Crocket Marcel had followed the paramedics quickly into bay five.

Hailey came into bay four after Sylvie had been transferred into the hospital bed. Hailey knew what had happened, but she had to make sure Sylvie would be okay.

"She has a low heart rate and is unconscious, but her BP is normal. We believe the suspect gave her GHB," the paramedic spoke to Dr. Manning with a serious tone in their voice.

"We will keep monitoring her heart rate until we analyze exactly what she was given. Detective, do you have a sample of what the suspect gave her," Dr. Manning glanced at her as she asked Hailey. "If it's GHB, it dissolves in the body too quickly for testing. So if I had a sample I might be able to find something to wake her up."

Hailey handed a small baggie with the evidence in it. The large syringe was inside of it that Guthrie had used on Sylvie.

"Natalie, we believe he used GHB on one of his previous victims. He gave her an overdose of it through a syringe and kidnapped her, then took her back to his place. Luckily, we were there with Brett or he would have done the same thing to her," Hailey explained as she handed the bag to Natalie.

Hailey took a deep breath as she leaned against the glass door. When Brett had told her the plan she had for catching Oliver Guthrie, Hailey was against it at first. Brett was adamant that nothing would happen to her with two of the finest detective's watching over her. Yet, here was Brett unconscious in the ER.

The ER waiting room was full of people of all ages. Some of those people were waiting for their turn to be seen and others were waiting on news about their loved ones. Stella Kidd sat in one of the hard chairs bouncing her knee nervously. She was worried about her best friend, and what would happen to her if she didn't wake up soon.

She had called Severide on the ride to the hospital since she caught a ride with Hailey. Now she sat in the ER waiting room until Severide and Casey arrived. Casey was going to be upset with her and Brett.

"Kidd," Chief Boden announced his presence as he put his hand on her shoulder. "What happened?"

The last person she figured she would see first at the hospital would be the Battalion Chief of 51. She took a deep breath, blinked a couple of times, and began the speech she had ready.

"It was Brett's idea to catch her stalker. She figured she could lure him out into a public place and we could catch him that way. We didn't think that he would try to drug her with so many people around," Kidd explained. "We had Detective Upton and Burgess with us as a backup. What Brett and I didn't know was Upton and Burgess also called in backup."

"What do the detectives think the guy drugged her with," Boden wondered as he sat down next to her.

"They believe GHB, the date rape drug. He had been known to use it before, but he gave her such a large dose in a syringe that it knocked her out."

Stella's eyes opened up wider and she stood up when she caught a glimpse of Severide walk into the room. Casey was right behind Severide with a serious look of anger across his face.

"Where is she," Casey demanded as he pushed his way past Severide.

"I'm sorry," Kidd apologized. "Brett wanted to get back to normal and stop looking over her shoulder all the time. It was her idea, but we didn't think he would try to drug her."

"Where is she, Kidd," Casey urged her to tell him without wanting to hear the excuses.

"They took her to bay room four," Kidd answered as she lowered her head. Severide put his arm around Kidd's shoulders and she leaned into him.

Casey walked away from them and pushed his way into the ER. He needed to see Sylvie, he needed to make sure she was okay. When he had heard what happened his heart sank at losing her before they even had a chance.

He came up to her doorway, noticed the monitor and wires hooked up to her. Still being the angel that gave him his smile back. Not sure when it happened, but he smiled more with her around. Matt had a reason to smile with her, her angelic, cheerful ways made him feel better about life. Her whole outlook on life even after everything that had happened to her the past year made him a better person. With her around; he could handle anything.

"How is she," Matt asked as he stepped into the room.

"Her heart rate is in the low 50's, and she is still unconscious, but other than that she is okay.

We could give her something to wake her up, but she could be groggy, disoriented, or agitated. When she wakes up she will need to be looked after because she could still have some effects from the drug in her system," Natalie told Casey. "She might be a bit confused and uncoordinated and not remember what happened."

"Can I sit with her," Casey wondered as he touched the end of the hospital bed?

"That's fine," Natalie responded as she entered information into the tablet. "I will check back in a few minutes."

Dr. Natalie Manning left the room, Matt moved to Sylvie's right side and grabbed her hand and that is when he noticed Detective Hailey Upton in the back corner of the room.

"I'm sorry, Casey," Hailey apologized, putting her hands in her jacket pocket. "We didn't think he would drug her."

"Kidd already mentioned it. I just don't know why she didn't tell me what she was planning," Casey said, squeezing her hand.

"I asked Brett that same question after she told Burgess and me, her plan. She told me she didn't want to put you in danger. This guy was after her and jealous of you. He had already killed his last victim and terrorized the last two women," Hailey explained as she shifted her feet. "Now that you are here for Brett, I am going to check on the suspect."

"I hope he rots in jail for what he did to Brett and those other women," Casey admitted looking over at Hailey.

"Well, first, we have to make sure he is still alive. Jay shot him in the shoulder after he injected Brett, and I know Jay would have liked to have killed him," Hailey responded, nodding her head towards Brett. "He was upset when he found out what he was doing to Brett. I think he is fond of our paramedic here. Not as fond as you are, more like a little sister sort of thing."

"Thank you for looking out for her," Casey told Hailey, "and tell the rest of Intelligence that I said thanks. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to her."

"Tell her that when she wakes up. Remind her of that every day, Casey. This was a close call," Hailey implied. She left the room leaving Captain Matt Casey standing over Brett.

Casey took Hailey's words seriously. He had a plan, he needed to tell Brett the truth. It was their time, he wasn't going to settle with "What if's" anymore. He was in love with her, her beauty, her self-assurance, and her energy. He couldn't take being away from her anymore and being worried about what if they didn't work out and he lost his best friend.

"Oh, Sylvie. No more 'what-if's', it's our time," he sighed, kneeling over and kissed her forehead. "I am so in love with you."

He stood there watching over her. His hand swept a piece of hair behind her ear and held trailed his hands across her cheek. She had a rough year and he had tried to make it easier on her, by standing by her side every chance he could.

"You're in love with her," Severide stated from the doorway. "Why are the two of you not together?"

"I really don't know anymore. I tried to ask her out last year before the Chaplain showed up and proposed. Then she came back and she went through so much that I thought I would be just adding on another complication. Now I don't know why I waited," Casey explained, looking over at Severide then back at Brett.

He trailed his fingers slowly down her arm and to her hand. Finally, he stepped away from the bed and walked towards Severide.

"She had this crazy plan on catching this Guthrie character without me. I don't know if I should be proud that she asked for help from Kidd, Burgess, and Upton. Or if I should be upset that she left me out."

"I told them that if you asked that I wasn't going to lie to you," Severide admitted, leaning against the doorway.

"I keep thinking of Gabby," Casey declared, as he turned to look at Brett.

Severide shook his head at Casey. This was one time Gabby didn't need to be included. She made her choice when she left Chicago, left 51, and left Casey.

"You have to be kidding," Severide sighed as he tensed up.

Casey noticed the sting in his friend's voice. He needed to explain himself.

"It's not what you think, Sev. Brett did something without consulting me, it is something Gabby would do. Not think of my feelings before putting her life into danger or how it would affect me," Casey explained.

Severide put his hand up to stop his friend. He couldn't let Casey go down that road.

"The difference is Brett had back-up. She didn't go try to catch this guy by herself, she included the police and Kidd. And another thing, the two of you are not even together, officially," he questioned. "I mean I know you're in love with her and I am sure she is crazy about you, but you haven't even gone out on a date."

"Matt," Brett mumbled as her eyes opened slightly. "I'm sorry."

Casey rushed back to her side, grabbed the chair from the corner, and sat next to her. He took her hand into his.

"I'm here, Sylvie," Casey responded, taking a deep breath. "I'm right here."

"I'm sorry," she repeated quietly and slowly, blinking a few times and breathlessly. "I should have told you."

"Told me what?"

"I love you, too," she whispered as she closed her eyes again and fell back asleep.

Casey sat there in shock. She loved him; they had been through so much together in the past few months. She felt the same way.

"I love you too," he whispered as he kissed her hand.

He let go of her hand and stood up. Natalie came back into the room at that time.

"She woke up for a moment, said a few words, then fell back to sleep," Casey told Natalie, moving the chair back to the corner.

Natalie checked on Brett's vitals then typed the information in the 8-inch dark tablet she held. Brett was still asleep, her blond hair spread out around the pillow. She looked so peaceful, but Casey and Natalie knew that the past few days were very troublesome for Brett.

"I can understand what she had gone through the past few days," Natalie told Casey. "She probably felt so helpless. Yet, I bet you were a constant presence in her life that wouldn't let her fall."

"I tried," Casey stated a bit agitated as he ran his hand through his golden locks.

"Does she know how you feel about her?"

"She knows. I told her a couple of days ago before this madman showed up. But we haven't even gone on a date together," Casey had said, he had a slight tone of sadness in his voice.

"Fix that when she wakes up. Don't lose your chance at a happy ending," Natalie told him. "I see patients every day that don't get that second chance of a happy ever after. I lost my chance a couple of times and I regretted it for so long. Don't lose your's."

Natalie left the room leaving Casey standing before Sylvie. Severide was standing in the doorway listening to everything. Casey looked over at his best friend for advice.

"She is right," Severide stated, "Brett is an amazing woman, don't blow it because you are afraid of "What If."

Suddenly Brett had mumbled a bit, but it was gibberish. Opening her light bright blue eyes and looking over at Casey, she slightly smiled at him "Matt?"

Casey quickly got up rushing over to her, holding her hand tightly but not too tight where it hurts her, but just enough. A smile went across his face "I'm here Sylvie, I came as soon as I heard."

"Where is he?" she whispered, seeming kind of afraid, "I need to tell him something," Brett looked up at Casey, her smile was gone, she was more serious than anything. Attempting to get up to find him.

Casey quickly tried getting her to lay back down, "Hey, stay in bed you need to relax."

"I need to tell him, I won. He didn't kill me like the others."

"No, he didn't. You won," Matt stated as he leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips.

"We won," she whispered as she pulled him closer into the kiss.

Suddenly Matt knew that everything would be okay. He knew Sylvie loved him and that they would get their chance together. He knew that they had their chance to be together and no one could stop them from moving forward in their relationship. Every breath he took would be to make Sylvie Brett a happy, loved, and cherished woman.