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15 days later ...
Casey could ask anyone of his subordinates to do the checklist of rescue equipment and other tools that were in the truck's compartment, but he needed the distraction. Since the day at the hospital, where Gabby asked him to leave her alone, he has sent a message to Gabby every morning, he decided to do that until she agrees to talk to him. Matt had tried everything to get her to hear him out, including him going to Chicago Fire Department, but she denied him entering her office.
The last time he had been in Gabby's presence was at the formal service to honor Cordova, where firefighters, friends, and family members were present. After the Chief Fire giving a small eulogy, Gabby had the opportunity to say a few words and while watching her standing there Casey felt ashamed of what he had before, at her apartment. It wasn't his business Gabby and Cordova's agreement. Actually, he wasn't in position to judge Gabby while he was dating one of her best friends.
Seeking for advice, Stella told Matt to give Gabby some time to herself, she was dealing with Cordova's death, in addition to the personal problems between them. Bothering her at her job had been a terrible idea, got her angrier. The right thing would be waiting until she gave him a sign that she wanted to talk to him. However, Matt didn't believe Gabby would give him another chance, to fix things between them, otherwise, Matt was determined not to give up, he would wait as long as it would take to be able to talk to her. He believed that wasn't the end of their story, at least he hoped that Gabby could forgive him, he has prayed for it every day.
Matt closed the truck door's compartment, he had finished his first task of the day. As looking over the checklist again, Brett found him leaning against the squad.
"Good morning ...", she said before approaching him, folding her arms, "... I looked around and didn't see you at breakfast".
He looked at her briefly, turning his eyes back to the paper in her hands, "Morning, I had my coffee at home...".
Getting closer to him, she leaned against the truck, "How are you? You seem distracted since you came back from Puerto Rico ... Is everything okay between you and Gabby?"
Matt stopped what he was doing and stared at her, "All good, thank you for asking... and yes, Gabby and I are fine...". Even if that wasn't true, he wasn't going to admit it to her.
"I was at the ceremony ... and I didn't see you two talking to each other at any time ...", she shrugged.
"Brett, Gabby has been the only one on my mind,... I don't want to be rude to you, but I think I need to make it clear that I won't change my mind about breaking up with you".
She laughed lightly as raised her hands in the air, "... there is no need to be so defensive, I just wanted to say that I'm here for you as a friend, that's all ...".
He nodded, not believing her words.
"It's important for me we have a good relationship, after all, we work together, and believe me, I even thought about asking for a transfer to another firehouse-".
Matt looked at her incredulously.
"... I would be willing to do that if my presence here bothers you."
Brett's proposal was a bait to find out how he would feel if she left firehouse 51, if he would be against her decision, it might mean that he still had some feeling for her, that what she has been wondering.
"It's your decision... I'm fine about having you working here, but if you want to go to another firehouse it is on you, if it will be good for your career, I support- ".
"Casey", Stella called him, Severide was beside her.
Brett and Casey looked up in their direction.
"Sorry to interrupt you two, can we talk? Please" Stella asked.
Sighing, "... Thanks for your honest opinion," Brett said trying to hide her disappointment.
Brett passed by Stella and Severide, then they got closer to Casey.
"What happened? She looks like she's going to throw up," Stella said curiously.
Ignoring her question, "What did you want to tell me?" Matt crossed his arms over his chest.
Stella rubbed her own ear as she looked at Severide.
"Tell him what we saw last night," Severide encouraged her. "... I mean what has been happening... we don't know since when...".
Matt frowned, worried about what they had to reveal to him.
"Listen to me first", yoking her hands together, touching palms to each other, "... before you say anything and make a rash decision," Stella asked looking into Matt's eyes.
Matt looked at Severide and looked back at Stella, nodding, she started narrating what was going on...
"... I think it was the third time since the ceremony that I got voice message from Gabby late at night, every time she is drunk... The first two times, she called me the next day apologizing, and reassuring me that everything was fine... so, last night, Severide and I went to her apartment... ".
Stella gazed at Severide, he continued "... her front door wasn't locked, she was lying on the couch, sleeping, and there were empty beer cans over the center table,... in the kitchen we found some liquor bottles... ".
Casey ran his hand over his mouth a few times, feeling awful about what he had just heard. It was wrong to give her space or not insist to speak up his mind about his feelings.
"We stayed with her, and took care of her...", Stella said.
"You guys should have called me, ...," Casey declared disappointed.
"We didn't think it would come to that, I would say to you if that were the case...", Stella was quite upset.
"I need to do something ...", Casey said.
"Her last voice message, last night, she asked me and Severide to take care of you, she repeated this several times, before saying that her time was coming...".
"What does it mean?" Matt was confused.
"There is more... we found out that she is no longer working at the Fire's headquarter, she is working as a firefighter in Firehouse 105...", Severide revealed.
Matt was still astonished by everything he had heard from his friends.
"We don't understand what was going on, we spent hours thinking over her words, but we didn't get anywhere ...", Stella said while observing Matt thinking over.
"I know what it can be...,", he shook his head, "... I don't want to believe it, but-", Casey stopped closing his eyes for a second. "Where is she now?"
"She is at 105, we tried to convince her to call sick today, ... you know Gabby, she didn't listen to us...", Stella stated frustrated.
"I won't stay here waiting for her to do something stupid... Please, Severide tells Chief Boden that we are going to fill up the truck, and Kidd, call the guys...".
"Don't you think it will make things worse by going there?" Severide questioned him.
"I'll be damned if I let Gabby goes this far from me ... I'm not going to stay here watching her destroy her own life...", he said annoyed.
Firehouse 105
Gabby has vomited twice since starting the shift, cause that she was praying that there wouldn't be a call in the next few hours, because she was pretty sure she would get sick on their way to the scene.
Throwing some water on her face, she hoped that could ease her discomfort.
"I was looking for you, you have a visitor, Captain Casey," paramedic Quaid announced, "Are you okay? You look sick as hell... ".
Looking at him in the mirror, "Don't worry, I just need to lie down for a minute and I'll be brand new ...", smiling weakly at him.
He left and Gabby took a piece of tissue paper and wiped her face... Taking a few seconds to look at herself in the mirror, she looked terrible, there was no way to hide it from anyone, especially Casey.
Gabby walked across the apparatus floor and met Casey talking to Chief Hunter, noticing her, Chief Hunter dismissed said goodbye to Casey.
"You look terrible ...", Casey declared. "You should have stayed home, not coming to work in these conditions...".
"You have no right to tell me anything, I hope you remember that... You left after what happened at my apartment...", Gabby raised her eyebrows and shrugged.
"We're not going anywhere discussing this...," he looked over her shoulder and saw some of the firefighters looking at them from a distance. "Can we talk somewhere else?"
"Do I have another choice?", narrowing her eyes at him, "... I feel like you came to lecture me, but I tell you it won't work, Captain Casey...".
"Let's talk, Gabby...", he asked calmly.
She looked at him closely and turned around, "... come with me...".
...
Gabby led Matt into the conference room, he sat down, while Gabby leaning against the wall next to the border, embracing herself, head down.
"Stella told me about your voice message, in which you ask her and Severide to take care of me... So, I want to know why you said that ... I'm not in jeopardy... what's going on, Gabby?".
"I don't have anything to say to you, I'm sorry... you can think whatever you want...", she lifted her head to look at him.
"I get it... this is going to be your answer to everything I ask?"
Gabby went quiet, she knew that her answers could lead to other questions from Casey.
Pressing his lips together, "Okay... I'll be honest with you. I couldn't tell Stella and Severide what I was thinking about all this stuff you're doing, so my message to you is... I'm not going to let you kill yourself. It won't happen, not on my watch... ", his eyes were fixed on her.
Gabby opened her mouth to say something, not for a moment did she think he would be so straightforward.
"This is what your plan, isn't it? You are giving up, just giving up because you are disappointed with everything that has been happening with you... ".
Gabby dropped her head as she held back tears.
"Shay's death, the way we lost our baby and Louie... your aneurysm... and how that can be a problem for you to get pregnant only a few people would bear what you went through. Gabby, I have never met someone as strong as you, but even strong people think about giving up sometimes... However, I will not let you give up... ", he stood up and walked over to her.
"You don't understand...", she shook her head while looking at the ground, "... I should have died, and not Shay, this aneurysm just confirms that-", he cut her off.
"Walking into a burning building is not the solution, Gabby... your suicide plan,... you ever stopped to think that your co-workers would try to save you, remember we, firefighters, we never left anyone behind... ", Casey put his hands on her shoulders while Gabby cried.
"I just want to disappear ... I don't want to feel the things I'm feeling...", she started to sob.
He pulled her into his arms, "I am not going anywhere, you hear me, I love you, and together we will find a way to help you, okay?" Casey didn't hold back his own tears. "You're too important to me, I'm not letting you go, look at me".
Peering at him, "... remember, all I want you, if you are okay, I'm okay, if you are not, I will fight until you are, that's all I care...".
Gabby rested her head against his chest, finding relief in his arms.
...
Later that day...
Filling up his reports, he took a moment to look behind him and saw that Gabby still sleeping, after dinner she went back to sleep. With Matt's support, Gabby told Chief Hunter that she was not feeling well to work, and he was understandable and let her go home. Still concerned, Casey convinced Gabby to go with him to Firehouse 51, and he was grateful that Chief Boden had no objection. If he hadn't allowed it, he would go home with Gabby, he didn't want to leave her alone.
While she slept, Casey called his sister and asked for a therapist's recommendation so he could take Gabby. He was happy that Gabby had agreed to this while they were still in Firehouse 105, they felt that was the right path for both of them.
...
Next day...
Casey knocked on Boden's office door, which was already open.
"Hey, Chief...", Casey was holding his bag and Gabby's.
While he was showering, Gabby was talking to Chief Boden.
Casey walking into his office, and Gabby got up from her seat, and Boden kept sat down behind his desk.
"I was telling Gabby that she will always have a place here in Firehouse 51, any day she says she wants to come back, I'll pull a few strings..."
Matt smiled at her, and took her hand in his, "Firehouse 51 will always be her home...".
"I know," she smiled at Matt, and looked at Boden, "... thank you Chief, I need some time for myself now, I have to take care of a few things before I think of your propose..."
"We will take care of it...", he winked at her, "... in the right time things will come together...", Casey said.
"Whatever you need count on me...", Boden said.
Gabby nodded, looking at Casey, "... Are we going home?"
Her words warmed his heart, being beside the woman he loved, "How about stopping at Over Easy and get some Dream Pancakes?" Casey suggested.
"I'd love it".
"Bye, Chief ...", Casey said.
"Bye you two ...", he smiled at the couple as they left his office.
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