Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination.
A/N: I know that I've been MIA from this story lately and I'm sorry about that. I'm not sure where I'm heading lately in this story but I'm going to try to map out the rest of it ahead oh this chapter to help me out. My goal is to make it to a landmark number of 100 without the story being redundant. If I feel I made it to the end before that with a satisfying ending than that'll be it. We're in the final stages of meeting baby Casey so I hope you guys enjoy this one.
"Ah Shit, I'm going to be late." Matt stumbled out of bed and made a b-line for the en-suite.
"What's wrong baby?" Gabby was still groggy, she was off today and kids had nowhere to be either. All she heard was incoherent talking from the bathroom and she turned to her side and fell back asleep. Matt wasn't exactly quiet on his way out and it jolted Gabby awake. "Matt, what's going on?"
"Either my alarm didn't go off or I shut it but I have ten minutes to make it to the firehouse." He stuffed some clothes in his duffle bag and kissed her quickly before heading out, leaving her dumbfounded by herself.
Matt was in much need of some caffeine and hoped that he'd be able to grab himself a cup before a call came in. He stepped in and the bells immediately rang.
"Shit." Everyone came running to the apparatus floor as the door closed behind Matt.
"Glad you could join us Captain." Matt could hear the irritation in Boden's voice.
"Won't happen again Chief." Matt slipped his turnout pants on as everyone else did, trying not to butt in the reprimand. Matt simply looked in front of him, figuring that he'd just get to the scene to find out what the call was about.
"It's a house fire Captain, three stories." Matt turned around at the sound of Herrmann's voice.
"Thanks Herrmann." Matt smiled at him.
"Don't sweat it, I know what it's like with five kids."
"If only that was the problem." He chuckled. "Faulty alarm, hasn't happened often in my career. I really wish the kids had woken me up cuz they're a real alarm clock." He laughed, returning his gaze to the front.
"Wait till the baby comes."
"I can't wait." Matt couldn't contain his grin as the truck stopped in front of the burning building. "Alright guys, look alive." Matt hopped out of the truck and waited for Boden to dispatch the whole team.
"Truck 81, do a primary search on the two top floors, Squad 3 main and basement, go."
"Alright, everyone mask up, the smoke is going to be thick in there." He kneeled on the concrete and slipped his mask on before the rest of of the house moved inside.
"Fire Department call out." He called once he made it to the first floor. Kidd was right behind him, taking the first door on the right, Matt going farther down the hall, trying to find some victims. After checking two rooms and acknowledging Kidd going back out with a victim, he opened the door to the last door, only to have a flash over knock him on the floor. "Fire Department CALL OUT! He yelled as he pushed his way through the flames. It was hot as hell but a noise gained his attention in the far left of the room and he crawled towards the noise until he found a ten year old boy hidden in the closet.
The smoke is turning black, I want everyone out of there. Matt received Boden's instructions loud and clear and he pulled his radio closer to reply.
"Tender age victim, I'm going to need an ambo to check him out" He replied before giving his attention back to the boy. "My name is Matt Casey. How about we get out of here." The boy nodded out of fear and Matt pulled him in his arms, shielding him from the flames as much as he could. The made it down the hall and half way down the stirs, Matt handed him to Otis, a coughing fit taking him over. He saw the meter on his tank and saw it was getting dangerously low but as he made it to the landing, the floor under his feet gave way and he found himself on his back in the basement, a shot of pain running through it. "I need some help down here." He groaned as he slipped out of consciousness, his pass alarm emitting a screeching noise.
"Chief." Kelly came out just as Casey radioed his call for help.
"Do what you gotta do but make it quick."
"Capp, Tony you're with me. Mouch, I need some pressure in that hose." Severide called and the four of them went to work. Kelly knew their window was closing quickly but he was going to get his best friend out of there no matter what. The guys lowered Kelly down with the equipment needed to bring Matt and himself back up. "Casey, come on buddy, wake up." Kelly shook Matt and it was only a matter of time that he came to, no doubt the shock against the concrete floor knocking the wind out of him in the fall.
"Kelly what the hell are you doing down here?"
"Gotta get your sorry ass out of here and back to your wife and the kids. Plus Chris would never forgive me if I didn't bring you back in one piece." He chuckled. "Now let`s get us back up." Matt helped Kelly harness him and with the help of the boys from Squad, the two of them were out and the water cannon's were opened, trying to salvage what they could of the structure.
"Come on Casey, let's get you checked out." Shay put a hand on his shoulder.
"Shay, I'm fine."
"Don't even think about it Matt, you're getting checked out and I'm calling Gabby."
"Fine I'll get checked out but don't call Gabby because she's just going to rush to Med and I don't want her to have to take care of all five kids plus the stress of the whole thing."
"Fine, I won't call her but you better cal her when you get cleared okay?" She really didn't want Matt to hide this from Gabby.
"Promise." He hoped it was nothing but his back was killing him and it hurt when he took deep long breaths.
"Come on, let's go." Chilli took the wheel while Shay checked Matt in the back. "So how's the nursery coming?"
"Taking it slow, trying not to tire myself out too much, Gabby doesn't need that on top of everything else."
"And the baby naming?"
"We haven't gotten to that just yet, the baby won't even show what it is on the ultrasound." He had really hoped to find out but baby Casey had other ideas in mind.
"It'll just be a really cool surprise, I can't wait." The ambo jolted to a stop and Chilli opened the door, Matt getting out on his two feet. Maggie sent him to treatment four and sent Dr Choi to check him out.
"What happened?" Maggie had given little information, giving Shay all the space to give her own version.
"He fell though the landing at the fire we just came from." Shay cut Matt off, knowing he wouldn't tell the truth.
"I'm perfectly fine." Matt huffed.
"Let's take a look then." Ethan pulled Matt's shirt up and listened to his lungs. "Does it hurt anywhere?"
"No." Shay was livid when she saw the pained look on Matt's face but he begged her not to say a word.
"Alright well I'm going to go ahead and order some chest x-rays to make sure nothing is broken. I'll see you as soon as it's done."
"Thanks doc." Shay waited until Dr Choi was out of the room to rip Matt a new one.
"What the HELL Matt?"
"I'm fine Shay, nothing I haven't handled before." He got off the exam table.
"You're not fine. I saw the look you had when he made you take bigs breaths."
"Just let it go." He grabbed the paper and headed down to radiology, Shay still fuming behind him. He came back about twenty minutes later and Dr Choi was practically on his heels.
"Got some bad new for you Matt." He put the imaged of the x-rays on the I-pad and showed him what he saw. "Right here, it's barely visible but there's a crack in your rib so it's probably one of the reasons that it hurts when you breathe deeply." Shay was now sporting a smirk on her lips, glad Dr Choi had seen through his bullshit.
"As long as I can go back on shift, it's not bad news." Matt shrugged through the pain.
"That's the thing. I'm sending you home for the rest of shift and for the next week to give yourself a chance to heal."
"Ah come on doc, it can't be that bad."
"It's not but you don't get it treated now, it can get worst. So here's something for the pain and no driving when you take those."
"I'll make sure he takes them." Shay took the paper from him. "And I'll drive him back home." She assured the doc.
"Spend some time with that little family of yours Matt." He patted him on the shoulder.
"Thanks doc."
"Anytime." Choi gave Shay a nod and he was out of the treatment room.
"Come on Casey, we'll bring you to the firehouse for your things and I'll drive you back home with your truck." Matt gave up on trying to fight her over it so he followed her back to the ambo and back to 51 where Boden was waiting for them.
"So, what's the verdict?" Boden had his hands on his hips.
"They're sending me home with a cracked rib and painkillers."
"Do we see you next shift?" Kelly walked into the room from the apparatus floor.
"Gave me a whole week off."
"We can manage without you Captain." Herrmann assured him. "Get some rest."
"Thanks Chief."
"I'm going to bring him back home, he's not aloud to drive."
"We'll keep our radio's on." Chilli added.
"Alright. Herrmann, you're acting officer until he's back."
"No problem Chief." Matt took his leave without another word and Shay waited for him by his truck to take him home.
"You know, Dr Choi is right." Shay looked sideways at Matt as the silence became too much. "You won't have that many chances to get some quiet time with Gabby and the kids."
"Yeah I know." He sighed. "Thanks for bringing me home."
"Anytime." Shay hugged him over the middle console and gave him his keys.
"Tell Gabby that I'll swing by Lakeshore after shift tomorrow."
"Will do. Careful out there."
"Always am." Matt waited until she was back in the ambo before he climbed the stairs to the house. He was surprised when he walked in to a dead quiet house and wondered where everyone could be. He held onto his sides as he peaked in the basement and couldn't hear a thing and there was no sign of life in the back yard either so he made his way up the stairs and into the master bedroom to find the light on in their en-suite. He could hear soft music coming from there along with apple and cinnamon smell and he figured Gabby was in the bath. He knocked gently on the doorframe not to startled her.
"Hey baby."
"Matt, what are you doing here?" She was surprised to see her husband in the house at this hour.
"Forced time off." He leaned down and kissed her.
"What happened?" He looked okay at first sight and she wondered what was going on.
"Fell through the floor, got a cracked rib."
"Are you okay?" She sat up in the tub.
"It hurts when I take deep breaths but other than that I feel fine. Where are the kids?"
"Christie took them for the night and she and Violet are taking them to the Zoo tomorrow."
"So it's just you and me?"
"Yeah." She smiled at him. "Baby Casey has been moving up a storm." She ran her hand against her bump.
"Twenty four weeks. Time just flies." He ran his fingers lovingly over her bump.
"We still haven't talked about names." She placed her hand over his.
"Maybe we can do that tonight while it's quiet in here." He offered.
"That's a date."
"I'll go get some food going, just relax and Don't think about a thing."
"I love you."
"Love you too." He kissed her and then put a kiss on her hump. "I love you too kiddo." Gabby's eyes misted over and Matt winked at her before he left her alone again. God she was lucky to have him.
Matt took another pain pill as he made it to the kitchen and started taking some things out to make dinner, knowing they'd get an early dinner to be able to relax later. He heard her come down as he put the dish in the oven, the chicken drumsticks taking a lot of time to slow cook.
"What's for dinner?" She wrapped her arms around his waist, baby Casey preventing her from circling him properly.
"That drumstick recipe you love with sweet potato fries." He ran a hand against her forearm.
"Did you do that spicy dip I like?" She asked as he turned around in her arms.
"I did but you know that excited our baby right?" Gabby was always having trouble after she ate it but this was her recent craving and she took the bad that came with the good.
"I know." She chuckled. "Want a water?" She knew very well he probably couldn't drink with the kind of med he was probably given for his ribs.
"Later." He pulled her gently towards the back porch and pulled her to him on the swing. "I just want to sit here with you."
"Guess what I bought earlier today?"
"What?" He laughed at her excitement.
"I'll go get it." She pushed herself up with a bit of help from Matt and she handed into the living room where she had set it down. She came back and sat down at the other end of the swing, placing her feet on Matt's lap.
"A baby naming book?" He smirked as she held it up for him to see.
"Yeah. I kind of went overboard with it." He could see little bookmarks all over so he reached for it and slowly started going through the pages.
"These are all boys names." He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"There's a few girl names in there too." She defended herself.
"Barely." He laughed out loud. "How about I go through all of these and see which ones we like more than the others?" He suggested.
"I put red tabs on the ones I really liked."
"Okay." Matt was quick to remove some of the tabs she put in and Gabby couldn't help but bite her nails the more he removed some. "I really love Aiden too." He looked at her when he made it to one of the red tabs.
"That's my favourite." She smiled at him.
"Than maybe we shouldn't give the rest too much thought."
"Just look at the other ones?" She didn't want him to be forced into considering just the ones she chose.
"Sure." He went through the rest of the pages and stopped at a few other ones, considering them but quickly moving on to another one. "Hunter?" He looked at Gabby again.
"Yeah?" She wasn't quite sure why she liked it the way she did but she had put a red tab to the name.
"I'll keep mulling it over. Jay?"
"I thought about that one too but thought it sounded, weird, when I put it with Casey?"
"Jay Casey...Yeah, no." He chuckled. "Next." He left a few blue tabs but the more he looked the more Aiden kept popping back in his head. "I can't keep looking. I think Aiden is the right one." He finally said.
"Okay. And what about a middle name?" She questioned. Matt thought about it a few seconds but didn't know how she'd feel about it.
"What about Alberto?" He treaded lightly.
"No." Now he had done it. He was sure he had crossed a line this time. "I love you for this Matt Casey but this baby needs his own name, not living with the shadow of a ghost. Alberto lives right here and that'll never change." She pointed to her heart. "But he needs his own identity." She argues gently.
"Okay." He smiled at her, running a hand against her leg. "What about Antonio?" He didn't have a strong male role model in his life and Antonio had been there for his sister from the beginning and he would be more than happy to give his son his name.
"Aiden Antonio Casey? I love it."
"That's decided. Let's try to find a girl name now." He laughed, seeing how little tabs he found in the second part of the book.
"I don't know." Gabby was convinced she was carrying a boy but she knew Matt was right. They needed to find a girl name in case she was mistaken.
"What about Sophia?" Matt didn't even need look through the book for that one, it had just popped up in his mind.
"I love it. And I think that Christine would be a great middle name." She winked at him. His sister Christie had been at his side from the jump and she was wonderful to her kids too.
"I'm sure she'd love it." He knew why she was doing it and he liked the idea as much as she did.
"So Aiden Antonio Casey and Sophia Christine Casey. That sounds perfect to me."
"See, It wasn't so hard." Matt was glad to be home right now and the oven dinged, interrupting their moment.
"I think we make a great team." She threw her legs over the side of the swing and stood up.
"The best team." Matt wrapped his arms around her from behind and they made it to the kitchen to get their dinner ready. They enjoyed it on the porch as the sun slowly started to set, another big step taken before the arrival of their new child.
A/N: Alright so this chapter is longer than i expected but once I was on a roll, I had to see it through. I know that I've been very inconsistent in updating this story but I'm hoping that it'll change and that I'll be able to get my groove back. I really hope you guys liked it and please take a few seconds to leave a review before you go, your thoughts mean the world - Sarra
