Disclaimer: I don't own Chicago Fire or any affiliated shows, or the characters thereof. This is just for fun.

I hope that you like the latest chapter of An Occupational Hazard.

Thank you for each and every one of your reviews, they truly mean the world to me!

Chapter Four

Wallace Boden was sorting through his paperwork when Kelly knocked at his door. He waved the lieutenant in. He could tell from Kelly's expression that the news wasn't good. "Come take a seat."

"Thanks, Chief," Kelly said, gratefully sinking into the available seat. "Stage four lung cancer," Kelly told his Chief numbly. "The doctor said it's terminal."

Boden scrubbed his face with his calloused hands, suppressing the urge to start throwing the meaningless items from his desk. "There aren't any treatment options?"

"There are, but they'll only buy me some more time. The doctor reckons I've got maybe a year." Kelly paused, "I just wanted you to hear it firsthand. I won't be coming back to work."

Boden spent the longest time staring blankly at a request form on his desk, his hand still clutching a pen, before he finally looked up at his lieutenant. "I don't know what to say, Kelly. This is... I mean..."

"I drew the short straw, I know. I just have to make it work for as long as I can."

Kelly could see the tears building in his Chief's eyes, and decided to spare him the emotional scene by saying, "I've got to get going. I'll stop by next shift to talk to the guys."

Back at his apartment, Severide had little to do other than to think. Kelly even tried to clean the apartment, but he quickly became too out of breath to even do that, and soon he found himself wallowing on the couch, a cold beer in hand.

Without truly thinking about it, Kelly put an old DVD in the player. The words "The Contract" were scrawled across the DVD.

Kelly smiled as he watched his late best friend on the recording, and soon he fell into a deep sleep.

And that was how Stella found her boyfriend early the next morning. The screen of the television was frozen on a frame of Leslie Shay's face. Stella's heart sank, it was never a good sign when this particular recording was brought out.

Stella knelt down beside Kelly, who was sleeping soundly on the couch, and for a moment she hesitated to wake him. Kelly didn't look sick, a tad pale maybe, but his external appearance certainly didn't reflect his actual condition. It was hard for Stella to imagine how things would change as he deteriorated. Absently Stella ran her fingers through Kelly's peppered grey hair, then she remembered that once the chemotherapy started, Kelly would lose his hair, and she abruptly jerked her hand away.

Kelly stirred slightly in response.

"Come on, Kelly. Time to get you to bed," Stella said, breaking herself out of her self pity. It wasn't the time for it, Kelly needed to be able to rely on her now more than ever.

Stella half carried Kelly to the bedroom, and helped him climb under the blankets, before pulling off her boots and laying down beside him.

"You're going to be alright, you know?" Kelly mumbled as he settled back to sleep.

And in that moment Stella couldn't help herself, she began to cry. Of course she blamed her pregnancy hormones, but the truth was that Kelly's words had struck her deeply. She was going to be left to raise their baby alone, as far as Stella could see, nothing would ever be alright.

The day passed all too quickly, and early the next morning Kelly and Stella set off towards Med for Kelly's first chemotherapy treatment.

Like most hospitals, Med was a maze of assorted buildings built over many years. The chemotherapy unit was located near the back of the campus. It was only a short walk, but by the time they reached the reception desk, Kelly was struggling to catch his breath.

Stella checked in on Kelly's behalf as he took the nearest available seat. As she spoke to the receptionist, Stella asked whether they could bring a wheelchair when they came to get Kelly, to which they smiled sympathetically and agreed.

After only a few minutes, a young nurse came into the waiting room pushing a wheelchair. "Kelly Severide?" She called out.

Stella stood to acknowledge the nurse, whilst gently pushing Kelly back into his seat. "Please Kelly, just let them help you."

Kelly sighed heavily, but complied. He moved from the seat to the wheelchair, and allowed Stella to lower the footplates for him.

The chemotherapy unit was a hive of activity, as nurses bustled around between patients. To one end of the room there were several hospital beds, and to the other end there were recliner chairs, and even at just after eight in the morning, more than half of the spaces were already occupied.

The nurse, Emma, took Kelly over to one of the beds. "You'll probably do most of your chemo treatments over in chairs, we just need to keep a closer eye on you this time, because it is your first round." Emma pulled back the sheets on the bed neatly. She also subtly moved to connect nasal oxygen tubing to the socket in the wall behind the bed. Once Kelly had situated himself in the bed, she handed him the nasal prongs.

Kelly looked at the item in disgust. "I'm not using those."

"You are obviously struggling to breathe, the oxygen will help. Honestly, I'm a bit surprised that your doctor hasn't requested that you receive an oxygen concentrator for home use." Emma mentally shook herself off. "So, first things first, we need to give you some intravenous fluids to help prevent kidney damage from the chemotherapy. once this bag has run through, then I'll start the first chemotherapy medication."

"How long will I have to be here for?"

"You should make yourself comfortable, you'll be here for at least five hours. Okay?"

"Okay," Kelly replied, watching with trepidation as he was connected to the infusion. There would be no denying his reality now.

To Kelly's credit, and the nurses who ensured that he was properly medicated, he and Stella were just a block away from the apartment before the nausea began to truly set in.

Kelly abruptly grabbed one of the plastic emesis bags that the nurses had provided for this purpose, and proceeded to vomit the small amount he'd eaten that day.

Stella hastily pulled the car to the side of the road to check on him. Despite the overwhelming nausea, Kelly was adamant that he was fine. So Stella pulled her Jeep back onto the road, and continued towards their apartment.

And even as Kelly struggled up the stairs to their apartment, he barely allowed Stella to help him, once again Kelly insisted that he was fine.

Stella saw straight through the act though, she knew that he was hurting, and most likely scared too, but she also knew that it was better to let him process everything in his own time.

To be continued...