Hello hello hello, here's another chapter for you all. But before we get into it, I want to say a quick thank you to everyone reading this. This story just hit 500 reviews and that's honestly mind blowing to me. The never ending support and love you all have shown me and my work, it makes me so happy. I'm so thankful to everyone who takes time out of their day to read my story and to review. It means more to me than you'll ever know.
Now, onto the fun stuff. Settle in, it's a crazy one. Enjoy!
Chapter Twenty Seven
Gabby pushed herself up from the bed having just finished tying up her boots, checking to make sure her white long sleeve shirt was still tucked neatly into her pants before heading out of the bedroom. Moving out into the open layout of their apartment, she saw the heavy snow falling through the window, blanketing the city on this chilly mid-January morning.
"Morning." Matt's tired voice spoke from his spot at the coffee machine, clad in his Captain's attire as he held out a thermos of coffee for her, already prepared just how she liked it.
"Good morning." She responded with a soft smile, walking towards him and grabbing the container, placing a soft kiss to his cheek before whispering a thank you in his ear. She walked past him, coming to a stop by the island and taking a sip of her pseudo-breakfast, the hot liquid warming her from the inside out. "So, I still haven't heard anything back from Dr. Tanner's office." Gabby spoke, Matt turning towards her. A look of hesitation quickly flashed over his face, Gabby waiting patiently for him to speak up.
"With as difficult as it is to even get an appointment, are you sure we shouldn't look somewhere else?" He questioned, Gabby shrugging as she took another sip.
"She's in high demand, apparently. Which makes me think we should wait it out at least a few more days. I think she's our best option." Gabby responded, Matt nodding as he prepared his own coffee. "But if you're tired of waiting…"
"I want us to go to who you feel comfortable seeing." He assured her with a gentle smile. "Even if we have to wait another month, if this doctor is who you want, we'll wait. As long as you're okay with it."
"I'm okay to wait it out a little longer. If I need to, I can start looking around for other options. But we'll give it a few more days." Matt nodded, moving closer to her and placing a kiss on the top of her head.
"Sounds good to me. Just let me know what's going on." He requested, Gabby nodding in response. "You ready to head out?"
"Yeah, just gotta get my stuff." She replied, walking towards the coat rack by the door, pulling on her thick coat as Matt went into the bedroom to get their shift bags. He reappeared within seconds, Gabby zipping up the puffy material as he came to stand in front of her now clad in his Captain's jacket, both his bag and hers were strapped over his shoulder. He held out her gloves and her favorite beanie, Gabby taking the items gratefully as Matt grabbed his coat, slinging to material over his forearm. The couple moved in sync as they gathered the rest of their belongings and got ready to leave for the day, Gabby carrying both their drinks and grabbing their respective keys before they headed for the door. Exiting their home, Matt used his free hand to lock up behind them, Gabby waiting for him to finish the task before they moved towards their vehicles.
They both walked to Gabby's first, following the usual routine they'd set on the days they both worked since Gabby had started her job. Matt would walk her to the car, making sure she got settled in and had everything, staying put until she left. It was a nice regimen they'd perfected, both enjoying their last few moments together before going off in separate directions for the day.
"Got any fun plans tonight after shift?" He asked casually as he placed her bag into the backseat, shutting the door and turning to face her. She'd already put the keys in the ignition but was standing just outside the car.
"Um, well if laundry sounds fun to you, then yes." She spoke with a grin, Matt nodding as she handed him his drink.
"Sounds like a blast." He responded teasingly, leaning forward and placing a soft kiss to her lips. "Stay safe out there." He spoke softly once he pulled back, their faces inches apart.
"You too." She replied, kissing him again before they separated completely, Gabby getting into her car.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning, I love you." He told her, leaning down with his hand on the frame of the door.
"Love you too." Matt maneuvered the tight quarters to steal one more kiss, feeling Gabby smile against him before he pulled back, making sure her body was completely in the car and shutting her car door firmly. He took a few steps back, giving her room to pull out from her parking spot, Gabby giving him a small wave goodbye. He returned the gesture, winking at her with a bright grin before she carefully pulled out into the street, Matt sparing one last glance towards her retreating vehicle as he moved towards his own, going through his similar routine before heading to the firehouse.
Ambulance 12 pulled out into the snowy streets of Chicago, Norris and Dawson having been called out to transport a patient downtown. It was just after eleven in the morning, this being their first call of shift, neither woman complaining about the slow pace to the day so far.
The women were sitting in a comfortable silence, Gabby staring out the passenger side window as Jemma navigated the morning traffic through the city, sirens blaring despite the non-emergent call. Their peaceful quiet was broken by Gabby's ringtone filling the air around them, Jemma glancing towards her partner as Dawson pulled her phone out of her pocket. Seeing the number calling her, Gabby's spine straightened, answering the call quickly knowing they were still far enough away from their destination.
"Hello?"
"Hi, this is Debbie from Dr. Tanner's office, is this Gabriela Dawson?"
"Yes, this is she."
"Hi Miss Dawson, I'm sorry it's taken so long to get back to you, we've had quite the busy new year. But I wanted to let you know we've had a cancellation, and there's an open appointment with Dr. Tanner at the end of the month, in about two weeks on Tuesday the 29th. Is that something that you could do?"
"Yes, yes absolutely." She responded quickly. Despite not knowing her and Matt's schedule for that day off the top of her head, she knew both of them were willing to move around whatever they needed to go to this appointment.
"Wonderful. I'll put you down for that day. The appointment starts at 11, but if you could arrive thirty minutes before, you'll need to fill out some paperwork and we'll have you meet with a nurse before seeing the doctor. And whatever past medical paperwork you have, if you could get that sent over to us as soon as possible."
"Of course, I'll have them sent in the next few days." Gabby replied, feeling Jemma's curious eyes glancing towards her every few minutes. She was sure Jemma could hear both sides of the conversation in the quiet rig, but she wasn't focused on that right now.
"That would be great. We'll see you in a few weeks, Miss Dawson."
"Thank you, see you then." She spoke, hanging up the call and immediately opening her messages, clicking on Matt's name. She typed out a quick message to him, not able to wipe the content smile from her face.
'Just heard from Dr. Tanner's office, they have an appointment on the 29th at 11, I told her that was fine. I'm not sure what your schedule is, but hopefully we can make it work?'
She saw him read the message immediately, the three dots appearing as he began typing a response.
"Everything okay?" Jemma asked softly, worry having filled her body when she heard it was a doctor's office Gabby was talking to. But the woman's happy demeanor was confusing, Jemma sensing whatever the call was about was something good.
"Yeah, everything's great." Gabby responded, glancing to her quickly before moving her attention back to her phone when she felt it buzz in her hands, seeing Matt's response.
'That's great. I'm not sure if I'm on shift that day or not, but if I am I'll talk to Boden, tell him I need to step out for a few hours. This is important, we'll be there.'
Warmth settled in the pit of her stomach, typing a quick thank you and goodbye before shoving her phone back into her pocket, Jemma having just pulled up to the apartment building. The paramedics hopped down from the rig, Jemma unloading the gurney and Gabby grabbing their bag before they went inside.
"Patient's on the fifth floor." Norris reminded as they headed for the elevator, Gabby pressing the button, the doors opening immediately as the paramedics navigated themselves and the gurney inside.
During the ride, Jemma could feel the jittery excitement radiating from Dawson's body, and despite not wanting to pry, she was very curious as to what had her friend's mood so elevated. Seeing wondering eyes on her, Gabby's smile widened, the action causing Jemma to raise her eyebrows.
"That call, it was from a doctor I've been waiting to hear from." She started, Jemma listening intently. "Matt and I, we're, uh- we're trying to have a baby." She spoke softly, Jemma's eyes lighting up as a similar wide smile fell onto her face. Not wanting to get into the painful details of it all, Gabby left her words vague. "And, it's complicated, but this doctor should be able to help us."
"Gabby, that's so exciting." The enthusiasm in Jemma's voice was genuine, the partners exiting the elevator as they got to their floor. "I'm so happy for you guys, you two will make amazing parents." She commented with a smile.
"Thank you." Gabby nearly whispered in response, their conversation halting as they got to the apartment where they were needed.
Matt walked through the hallways of 51, intent on returning back to his office now that he'd retrieved a snack from the kitchen. He'd been cooped up in his office all morning trying to work through the seemingly never ending pile of paperwork, when he eventually decided he needed a break, taking to doing a once over through the house to check in with everyone and get some food. With the bowl of orange slices in his grip, he turned the corner into the bunkroom, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked to his office and saw Kelly leaning against his desk.
"Need something Sev?" He asked once he was in the doorway, the other firefighter's head darting up to look at him.
"Just wanted to check in." The man responded with a shrug, a look of confusion settling across Casey's face.
"Uh, alright. Well I'm good." He told his friend, stepping around him to sit down in his chair, pulling himself up against his desk, placing his food off to the side.
"And Dawson? How's she doing?"
Narrowing his gaze, Matt turned to look at his friend. "She's good... but I have a feeling this isn't why you're here."
Blowing out a sigh, Kelly's tongue ran over his bottom lip as his eyes glanced out towards the empty bunk room before settling back on Casey.
"When are you gonna do something with that ring, man?" Kelly blurted out suddenly, Matt's eyes widening as he quickly got up from his chair and stepped around Severide to shut his office door, not wanting to make the same mistake he and Gabby had during her shift a few weeks ago.
"Would you keep your voice down?" He said through his teeth, settling himself back into his seat.
"I'm sorry, but you know how many times I've almost let it slip to Stella that we went ring shopping for Dawson?" He questioned exasperatedly. "I'm not trying to rush you or anything, but are you any closer to giving that thing to her? Before I say something I shouldn't?"
"Okay well, I'm sorry. You haven't really been a thought in all this." Matt replied sarcastically, Kelly rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"But really, where are you with all this? Do you still want to give it to her?"
"Of course I do." He responded incredulously. "I'm just… waiting for the right moment."
"...Which is?" Severide prodded, Matt glaring towards his friend once more.
"I don't know, Sev. I'm still trying to figure it all out." He blew out a frustrated breath, rubbing his hand over his mouth before continuing. "I mean, we've talked about the, uh, issue we'd been avoiding. We're now moving forward, getting past everything, but- I don't know, now part of me thinks it might be too soon."
Raising his eyebrows in disbelief, Kelly spoke up. "Too soon? This coming from the guy who bought the ring a month ago with every intention of proposing?"
"And weren't you the guy telling me I should wait? I believe your exact words were 'what's the rush?'." Matt countered, Severide blowing out a sigh.
"Fair point. But also, when have you and Dawson ever waited for anything? What's stopping you?" He challenged, to which Matt simply shrugged.
"I just- I don't want to screw this up again. I can't. I want to be married to her again, more than anything else I want her to be my wife. But she's only been back for a little over two months." He started, his voice soft. "It's been like nine weeks, and yeah in that time we've made a lot of progress. We've dealt with every big issue that broke us apart, but we also spent the majority of that time avoiding the biggest problem we had. We've talked and we're working on it, yeah, but those discussions only started a couple of weeks ago. I don't want to pile on too much too soon. With everything she's dealing with, I'm hesitant to add more on top of it." Matt voiced his fears, Kelly nodding understandingly with a sympathetic smile. "I can't mess this up again, I can't let it get messed up. She's too important to me, I don't want to rush back into this if we're not ready, or if it's not what she wants right now."
His words hung in the air for a few moments, Kelly giving him a minute to breathe before speaking. "Has she given you any indication she doesn't want to get married again?"
"No… the opposite, actually. We talked about it awhile ago. We said we both still see each other as husband and wife, and she said she wants to be married to me again." Saying the words out loud squashed a few of his worries, but the whole thing still made him feel uneasy.
"Okay, listen. It sounds to me like you're overthinking this." Kelly told him bluntly, Matt eyeing him closely. "I don't think you should do this if you're unsure about Gabby or your relationship, but I know that's not the issue here. You two are like the most married divorced couple I've ever seen." He spoke, Matt chuckling softly, dissolving some of the tension in the room. "Just from what I've seen of you two since she's gotten back, you're in a much better place than you were even before all this Puerto Rico stuff happened. Whatever this 'moving forward' thing means, you two are clearly doing it together. All I'm saying is that if you're both sure of your relationship together and the future you want, which I know you are, why wait?" Matt nodded slowly, waiting a moment before speaking.
"You really have completely changed your stance on this, haven't you?" Matt asked lightly, Kelly rolling his eyes despite being glad to see his friend in better spirits.
"Things change… You and Dawson have never done things the conventional way anyway, why start now. And me knowing about this ring and Gabby not, it's like you're asking me to slip up about it." He commented, Matt shooting him a glare. "I can't keep waiting around for you to propose to her again, it's exhausting. You love Gabby, she loves you. You both want to be married again. I'm not saying you have to run out of here tomorrow and go propose to her, but don't make it complicated. When you feel like it's the right time for the both of you, do it. She's said yes to you like, what, three times already? I'm pretty sure she'll say yes again."
"Yeah, you're right." Matt breathed out.
"Of course I am." He replied smugly, Matt ignoring his comment.
"I know we're basically married, we act like we are. All that's missing is the paperwork and the rings. I just can't help but overthink things now, with everything going on."
"I know it's not simple anymore." Kelly started. "I know there's a lot that has to be considered now, especially where Gabby's concerned. But this is something you know you both want, and if anything, don't you think it would make her happier?" He questioned, his words sinking in as Matt listened intently. "I know there's been a lot of hard stuff you two have had to deal with, but this isn't one of them. This is a good thing. And yeah, when you first told me it took me by surprise and my first instinct was that it might be a little soon, but this is you and Gabby, man. You two are destined to be together for the rest of your very long and probably boring lives." He spoke genuinely.
"Thanks, Kelly." Matt replied softly, Severide clasping his hand over Casey's shoulder as a smug grin settled across his face.
"Although determined might be a better word for it. Both of you are stubborn as hell." He joked, Matt huffing out a breath at his friend's teasing. "But really, I can't tell you what's best for your relationship, all I can do is kick your ass in the right direction when you're making things harder than they need to be."
"Thanks Sev. I appreciate... well, most of what you said." Matt replied, Kelly flashing a grin.
The bells sounded throughout the house before either man could say another word, both of their heads tilting upward to listen to the call.
"Truck 81. Squad 3. Ambulance 61. Persons trapped in an elevator." They both moved out of the office as the address was rattled out, shuffling being heard throughout the firehouse as everyone headed to their rigs, the fireman pulling on their gear in seconds before jumping in and speeding off through the snowy streets.
51 arrived to the apartment complex in minutes, the building not far from the firehouse, everyone climbing down from their rigs as they gathered the usual components they'd need for an elevator rescue. Casey hurried inside, Severide hot on his trail as they got into the lobby, seeing a man standing there waiting for them.
"What's the situation?" Kelly asked, Casey letting him take the lead considering the nature of this call.
"Three people are trapped in our third elevator, two paramedics and the guy they came here to treat. They're stuck just above the first floor. One of the cables snapped, caused them to fall but the fail safe brakes stopped them from a complete free fall. I'm not sure how much longer it'll hold, though." He breathed out in a panic.
"Squad, up to the third floor. We're gonna go in from the top, get a look at exactly what we're dealing with. Otis, come get the elevator open for us." Severide ordered, his firefighters following him as they moved towards the stairs.
"So you've spoken to them?" Casey asked following the man towards the elevators, truck following close behind him, Brett and Foster coming as well but staying back, knowing they weren't needed yet.
"Yeah, I think they're pretty close to the first floor but I can't tell. I was just yelling at them." Matt nodded, knowing he'd have to wait for Otis to get back to get the doors open.
"This is Captain Casey from Firehouse 51, everyone okay in there?" Casey yelled as he stood close to the doors, removing his helmet and placing it on the ground out of the way.
"Matt?" A voice called back, Matt feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand up as he recognized the voice.
"Jemma?!" He called back quickly, "you and Gabby are in there? Are you okay?" He tried to keep his panic from seeping into his words, but he was sure he wasn't doing a good job.
"Yeah, we're here. Uh, any chance you could get us out of here soon?" She called back, Matt hearing a similar nervousness in her voice. His hand ran over his mouth, Matt pulling his radio towards his lips, forcing himself to keep a level head.
"Otis, where are you? Severide, how close are you to getting down there?"
"Coming Captain." Otis' voice broke through, Kelly's soon following.
"I'm getting strapped up, I'm about to go down there, why?"
"Gabby's in there."
"Shit." His muttered voice came through the radio. "I'm about to head down and get a better look. At first glance it seems like only one cable snapped, so we might be able to get them out down there if there's enough space."
"Okay." Matt replied anxiously as Otis reappeared, shoving the key into the top of the elevator doors, Matt helping him prop them open, pushing them apart until they were completely open.
"Gabby? Jemma?" He called again, getting a better look at the situation.
"Yeah?" Norris replied.
"You guys are stuck about halfway down the door. We could probably get you out down here, once Kelly does a once over." He explained. "How are you guys, how's the patient?" It wasn't lost on him that he hadn't heard Gabby say anything, and it was worrying him.
"Uh, I'm okay. Our patients fine, a little shaken up but he's okay. But, uh, Gabby, she's-"
"She's what? What's wrong?" He called back frantically, wishing more than anything he could just pry open the doors to the elevator car. But he knew he couldn't, not until Severide gave the all clear.
"She's having a hard time breathing, I think she's having a panic attack." She called back, Matt hearing Jemma's voice continue to speak after she replied to him, but it was muffled. He could only make out a few words, but it sounded like she was trying to calm Gabby down.
"God dammit." Matt spoke, his worry and frustration kicking into overdrive. The next sound heard was a loud noise from the top of the elevator, the car shifting for a moment before settling, Matt knowing Kelly was now down to them. "Severide, Gabby's having a panic attack, you got eyes on them yet?" He called over the radio, a nervous energy filling the lobby as all the firefighters waited for some opportunity to be able to help.
"Almost." He grunted back, Matt able to hear him working on getting the emergency hatch open.
Casey felt powerless, standing on the opposite side of the wall unable to help her. He was sure screaming comforting words would have less of an affect when he wasn't even sure if she could hear him. All he knew to do was wait, but it was killing him.
Up on top of the elevator, Kelly steadily lifted to the door, doing what he could to keep the weight even as he came face to face with the scene in front of him. His eyes first locked on the gurney, seeing their patient seemingly okay. He was a little shook up, but seemed fine. He found Jemma next, which ultimately had his gaze land on Gabby, a frown forming on his face as he saw his friend huddled in the corner, her head resting in her palms. Jemma was trying to comfort and help her, but from what Kelly could tell, nothing was working.
"Norris, Dawson, you guys okay?" He asked them, getting Jemma's attention as the woman stood up from her squatted position next to Gabby.
"We need to get her out of here, Severide." He nodded, moving back to his radio.
"Severide, what's going on?" Casey's frantic voice came through the radio.
"Just got down here, Casey. Gabby's having a hard time."
"Can she hear me?" He asked back, Kelly looking down to Dawson who was trying to suck in deep breaths, her head lifting up from its downward position, giving Severide his first look at her face. His frown deepened as he saw a bleeding cut across her cheek, tears shining in her eyes as she tried to breathe.
"I think so, yeah." He responded, Gabby giving a single nod in response to Kelly, not able to muster up more than that as her head fell against the wall behind her.
"Gabby, listen to me." Matt started, Kelly angling his radio down towards the elevator car. Her eyes fell closed as his voice washed over her, focusing on his words as she tried to steady herself. "We're gonna get you out of there, everything's okay. I'm right out here." His soothing voice flowed through the radio, everyone's movements stopping momentarily as 51 listened to him try and calm her down. "You're okay, baby. Just breathe. Take deep, slow breaths. We're coming."
Once he finished, Kelly spoke into the radio. "Okay Casey, I think you can try and get those doors open. If there's room, it'd be a lot better to get them out down there. We need to work fast though." He finished, seeing Gabby's head fall back down into her hands as she tried to breathe.
"On it."
Downstairs on the first floor, Casey, Kidd, and Otis began prying the elevator car doors open, being careful of their foot placement knowing the open elevator shaft was just below them. With some forceful movements, they slowly got the doors pried open, able to open them most of the way, enough to get everyone out.
Matt's eyes landed on Gabby's collapsed form in the corner, seeing Jemma's comforting hand placed on her shoulder. He felt relief wash over him for a split second, having her in his sight, but seeing her shaking body only increased the concern he had for her.
"Gabby." He called gently, the noise of the doors having not been enough for her to look up.
Slowly, she lifted her head from her hands, his frown deepening as he saw her cut cheek, Matt hearing the sharp, short breaths she was inhaling. He'd seen her like this before, he'd managed to help her through it before, and he knew he had to do it now.
"You're okay, everything's fine." He murmured softly. He knew they needed to get everyone out, but he couldn't help but take a moment to comfort her. He wanted to just jump in there, grab her, and pull her to safety, but he knew he couldn't. That kind of shift in the weight might cause the safety breaks to fail, and he wouldn't risk it. Not when she was still stuck in there.
Gabby nodded slowly, her emotions running rampant as she felt more tears sting her eyes, the gravity of the situation hitting her all over again. Her choppy breaths became shorter, her eyes darting around the confined space they were in, the pain in her cheek washing over her. He saw himself losing her, he could tell any progress he'd made in consoling her was slowly being wiped away.
"Jemma, can you collapse the gurney, let my guys get him out first." Matt ordered, the woman nodding as she reluctantly stepped away from Gabby.
"Gabby, hey." Matt spoke gently, trying to get her attention. "Baby, look at me." His voice was a touch louder, not wanting to startle her but he needed to get through to her. Luckily her darting eyes landed on his face, Matt seeing the fear and confusion in her gaze. "We're about to get you out. Everything's okay." He kept his voice calm as he continued to reassure her, but he was only able to do so much without actually being able to touch her.
"Matt…" Her voice came out as a whimper, his heart breaking hearing her fear as he had to move to the side, giving Otis and Herrmann room to begin removing the patient from the elevator. But he made sure to stay in her line of sight, knowing things would only get worse if she lost a visual on him.
"I'm right here, you're alright." He spoke again, his voice unwavering. "I know you're scared, you have every right to be scared. But it's okay. I'm gonna get you out of there. I love you, I'd never let anything happen to you, you know that right?"
Despite her panicked condition, she nodded, the fog that had consumed her mind clearing slightly. Her breaths were getting deeper, the crushing weight slowly beginning to lift from her chest as she kept her eyes focused on Matt. She saw him staring back at her with a gentle, reassuring smile, occasionally glancing to the side to see how much progress had been made with removing the patient.
Once the gurney was in the clear, Matt's gaze moved to Jemma. "Get on out, slowly."
"Casey…"
"It's fine, come on." He told her, knowing it'd be easier for the other woman to get out first before coaxing Gabby from the corner. "See, Jemma's getting out, and then you. And then it's all over." He spoke to Gabby, the woman's eyes never leaving him as she nodded slowly. He could see in her gaze that he was slowly getting her back, that she was coming out of her panicked state. But he also knew her fear wouldn't dissolve completely until she was out of that elevator.
The elevator shifted slightly, settling against the emergency brakes as Jemma was helped down onto solid ground. When the movement happened, Gabby's eyes widened slightly, her hand coming out to brace against the wall.
"You're fine, everything's okay. I promise." Matt spoke immediately, receiving another nod from Gabby as he stepped closer to the open elevator doors. "Now I need you to come away from the corner, and I'm gonna pull you out, alright?" He asked her, reaching his arm inside as far as he could, his head ducking into the elevator.
"Casey…" Herrmann warned, but Matt ignored him. He knew what he was doing was against protocol, he just didn't care.
"Just reach for my hand, I've got you." He assured her, holding his arm out. Gabby carefully moved towards him, grasping onto his hand as quickly as she could. She felt herself coming further out of her haze at the contact, shifting her body weight slowly to the exit. True to his word, as soon as she was close enough, Matt grabbed onto her body and lifted her down from the elevator. A sigh of relief left her lips as soon as she felt her feet hit the ground, her mind exhausted from what she'd just gone through.
In seconds, she was wrapped up in Matt's embrace, him holding her head to his chest as he walked her away from the elevator, feeling her body still trembling slightly. He was sure blood from her cut was seeping into his white shirt, Matt able to feel the change in temperature against his chest, but he didn't care.
"Severide, I got her. We're good." Matt called through the radio.
"Thank God." He called back. "Okay, we'll be down soon."
Casey shifted his focus back to Gabby, thankful to no longer feel the shaking against him, and her breaths felt steady. But she kept her firm grip around him, her hands locked around his waist as the events of the past half hour flooded her system.
"Thank you." She whispered against his neck, Matt smiling softly as he pressed a kiss to the side of her head.
"No thanks necessary." He whispered back, rubbing his hands over her back. "You would've done the same for me."
They stood in the comfort of one another for a few more moments, before Gabby finally realized exactly where she was, or rather she realized exactly who was here with them. Pulling back slightly from his grip, her eyes moved around the room. She saw Jemma standing close by, but keeping her distance. She saw most of truck pretending not to be staring at them, but Herrmann hadn't bothered to pretend, the older man wearing a look of concern. She gave him a small smile, hoping to ease some of his worries before her gaze moved to Brett and Foster, the paramedics doing a once over of the patient, but Foster kept looking over at her, her face wearing a sad expression.
"How are you feeling?" Matt asked gently, gaining her attention back.
"Tired, mostly. But I'm okay. The whole thing just..." She trailed off, unable to put into words exactly what had happened. Matt could see the exhaustion in her eyes, knowing this entire thing had taken a toll on her in a way she didn't know how to voice. Thankfully, he understood exactly what she meant, a soft, sympathetic smile appearing on his face.
"I know. That wasn't an easy thing to go through." The last thing Matt wanted was for Gabby to feel ashamed over what just happened. He knew with her progress came setbacks, but he didn't want this to derail everything. "But I'm proud of you. You got through it." She nodded slowly, Matt watching her closely for another moment before his concern shifted to her physical injury.
"How'd this happen?" He asked, looking between Gabby and Jemma.
"I hit my head against the edge of the gurney." Gabby spoke, Matt looking to Norris for confirmation.
"When the elevator fell, the jolt sent her forward and it smacked her against the bed."
"It looks pretty bad, do you think she needs stitches?" Casey asked quickly, Jemma stepping towards them to get a closer look.
"Yeah, it might."
"You should go to med, just to be safe." He spoke to Gabby, who wasn't thrilled at the idea. "Just in case you do need stitches, they can patch you up."
"Matt, I'm fine." She responded, Matt leaning in closer to her.
"Gabby, please." He pleaded softly. After realizing he wouldn't budge, she agreed, Matt turning to face 51 as he saw squad begin to filter in from the stairwell.
"Brett and Foster, transport Norris and Dawson's patient to med. Dawson needs to go and get checked out." The paramedics complied easily, taking their cue to leave as they headed for the exit. "Truck, we're gonna go to med. I'm gonna ride with Gabby-"
"You don't have to go." Gabby interrupted, but Matt continued speaking.
"If we get a call during the ride, Herrmann you're in charge." He told them, everyone nodding before truck and squad began to move for the exit.
"You really don't need to go." She tried again, Matt keeping his arm around her as they walked towards the door.
"I know I don't, but I want to." He said, leaving no more room for debate as they got outside. Jemma quickly helped 61 unload their empty bed and move it into their ambulance, knowing they couldn't transfer the patient out in the snow, and they could just switch back at the hospital. Once that task was complete, Gabby climbed in the back, Matt keeping at least one hand on her at all times, getting in behind her and sitting next to her on the bed.
Before they left, Jemma cleaned up what she could of the cut, cleaning the excess blood from her face and giving her gauze to hold against it. Once her work was done, the woman hopped down into the cold, closing the doors and moving towards the driver's seat, taking off towards the hospital.
In the back, the couple sat in relative silence, Matt keeping a firm arm around her as they moved together with the motions of the rig, Gabby's free hand gripping his thigh.
"That really scared me." She breathed out, Matt releasing a gentle sigh as she turned to look at him.
"I know it did. And when I found out it was you in there- I was terrified." He admitted, feeling Gabby squeeze his leg gently. He hoped that by letting her know how scared he was too, that would help her come to terms with what happened. "But you're okay now, everything's alright. We're gonna get you checked out, then go from there. But you're fine." He reassured her.
"I know." She agreed quietly, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm just glad you were there."
"Me too." His eyes moved towards the front seat, seeing Jemma focused on the road, seemingly not paying attention to the two in the back. Turning his attention back to Gabby, he lowered his voice considerably, making sure she was the only person who would hear him. "Was it like the other ones?" Her head lifted from his shoulder, a look of confusion spreading across her face. "Did you have flashbacks to the attack?"
"No, nothing like that." She assured him, placing her head back against his body. "I just got freaked out, being trapped in there and not knowing what happened or how long it would be until people got there. Right after it first happened, I was okay. But then I started to get really anxious, and it became hard to breathe. Everything just sort of spiraled, I felt a little confused, like I knew where I was and that help was coming but for some reason my mind was telling me we'd never get out. The combination of everything caused me to panic… but no, it wasn't like the other ones." Gabby explained, knowing Matt would be curious as to exactly what happened.
Matt gave her an understanding nod, Gabby snuggling into his embrace as he placed a kiss to her forehead. "I'm so glad you're okay." He murmured against her skin, speaking more than just from a mental standpoint. They both knew how differently today's call could've gone. Had another one of the cables snapped, or the fail safe brakes hadn't worked like they were supposed to, it could've been a much different ending. He knew she was lucky to only have minimal physical injuries, and, despite the panic attack, things could've been much worse.
Gabby simply hummed in response, neither one saying anything else as they pulled up to med. She pulled from his embrace slightly once Jemma opened the back door, Matt getting out first to be able to help her down.
Once inside, the second Maggie saw Dawson's banged up face, she got her into a room, Jemma hanging back to trade off the gurneys with 61 as Matt walked back with her, his warm hand placed firmly on her lower back.
Matt watched from the side of the room as the nurse examined Gabby, and cleaned and stitched up the cut across her cheek. He hadn't said much, remaining a strong, silent presence by her side as Norris waited out in the hallway, making sure to flash her a supportive smile every time she looked his way.
The couple waited for the all clear to leave after the nurse left, Matt having moved to her bedside as she sat there, both of them hoping they could get out of here soon, the minutes ticking by slowly. While they talked, he couldn't help but notice she seemed in better spirits since he first found her, and if not for the obvious signs of trauma across her face, he probably never would've been able to tell something terrifying happened to her an hour ago. He also made a point not to focus on her cheek as they waited, not wanting to make her feel self conscious about the stitches, bruising, and slight swelling that had all blemished the side of her face.
After what felt like hours, but had probably been only twenty minutes, they heard the glass door slide open, Matt turning to look as they saw Dr. Rhodes come in, Casey's eyebrows furrowing slightly.
"Hey Dawson, Casey." He greeted, come to her bedside.
"Hey Dr. Rhodes." Gabby responded with a small smile.
"I heard about what happened today, just wanted to come check on you." He replied, a slight hint of confusion filling his features as he got a closer look at Gabby's face.
"Is everything okay?" Gabby asked curiously, unable to determine what had him so stunned.
"Yeah, just- is that bruising only from today?" He asked inquisitively, Matt glancing towards the prominent purple coloring over her cheek, the mark trailing up under her eye. He knew it wasn't pretty, and it had to hurt like hell, but with how hard the impact must've been, Casey wasn't surprised to see the discoloration.
"Yeah… why?"
"Do you always bruise that easily?" He questioned, ignoring hers.
"Lately, she has." Matt spoke up from beside her, Connor looking at him expectantly. "She had a really nasty bruise from a call, and she's had a few little bruises on her." He recalled, Dr. Rhodes nodding as he started typing on his iPad. "Is something wrong?" Matt asked after a few moments of silence, Dr. Rhodes shaking his head.
"No, I don't think so. In fact I'm sure it's nothing at all, but I just want to do some routine bloodwork to double check, make sure everything's okay. Since you're already here." He told them, Gabby nodding slowly.
"Okay." She agreed, Connor heading for the door.
"I'll get a nurse to draw your blood, and it shouldn't take long to get those results. You alright to sit tight for a bit?" Gabby simply nodded, Dr. Rhodes saying a quick goodbye to the couple before disappearing through the door.
"I wonder what all that's about…" Matt mused, Gabby shrugging as she relaxed into the bed.
"Who knows, but I guess I can nap for a bit." She spoke, a grimace suddenly falling to her face as she looked at him.
"What is it?"
"You really need to change your shirt." She commented, Matt glancing down to see the red stain from her blood across his chest.
"I can get another one when I get back to the house." He replied with a shrug, Gabby opening her mouth to respond but she got cut off by Herrmann's voice over the radio.
"We got a call, Casey. High-rise fire downtown, seems pretty bad. You coming or staying here?"
Blowing out a sigh, Matt looked to Gabby who was wearing a soft smile over her face. "Go." She told him.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm positive. There's no telling how long I'll be waiting around here, and I'm fine. Plus, I've got company." Gabby spoke, nodding towards Jemma who was still hanging around outside the room.
"Okay." He responded, before turning back to the radio. "I'm coming, Herrmann." As he spoke, he waved Jemma in, the woman following direction immediately. "I've got a call, can you stay with her?"
"Of course."
"Thank you." Matt spoke quickly, placing a kiss on Gabby's forehead before heading for the door. "Please let me know what's going on, whenever they get the results back." He asked, Gabby nodding in compliance.
"I will, now go. People need help." She urged him, Matt nodding before running off down the hallway.
Firehouse 51 drug their feet as they stumbled back into the firehouse, their energy wearing thin as they returned from the apartment fire. They spent all of their afternoon and well into their evening rescuing victims and getting the fire out, truck and squad not pulling back up to the house until well after seven.
As they all got into the common room, collapsing into the nearest chair they could find, Matt pulled out his phone. When he first left her room in the hospital, he had no idea the call they were taking on would've lasted this long, and he was anxious to see if he had any messages from Gabby. This had been his first opportunity to check since leaving her, and to his surprise he had nothing from her. He was sure that meant everything was fine, and he knew she was off shift by now anyway and had probably just forgot to text him, but that wouldn't stop him from calling just to make sure.
"Gabby doing alright, Casey?" Herrmann's voice broke through the quiet, Matt looking up from his phone to the older man. "That call today… it wasn't easy."
"She's okay, the whole thing just scared her." Matt explained, knowing all of truck and squad were listening. Herrmann stared knowingly at Casey, both men having a silent understanding of the deeper meaning to the panic attack she suffered today.
"Can't blame the girl." Mouch replied. "She's worked enough elevator calls to know how bad that stuff can be, I would've been terrified too." Matt merely nodded, not up for continuing the conversation any longer.
Thankfully he didn't have to as Boden's voice rang through the room, calling Casey towards him. Chief started taking off towards a quiet hallway, Matt following his path wordlessly until they came to a stop. Before the Chief even spoke, Matt knew what this was about, knowing he wasn't quite done talking about what Gabby went through.
"I heard about what happened to Dawson, is she okay?"
"She is... everything just freaked her out and she had a panic attack." Casey explained, knowing all the curiosity in the house was coming from a good place. "It was a rough day, she's a little shaken up but she's alright."
Boden nodded slowly, his hands resting on his hips. "I can understand, what she went through was difficult. But I appreciate you going to work that call today. I know that had to have been hard to leave her, but I respect you doing so."
"Just doing my job, Chief."
"I know. But I think you should call it for the night." He replied, Matt's eyebrows furrowing. "Go home, be with Gabby." He told him.
"Are you sure it's okay?" He asked, trying to hide how ready he was to leave.
"You should be with her, Casey. After what she went through, I don't know how you're managing to focus much on work anyhow, but you should be at home. I would've done the same thing had this happened to her here, just now instead of sending home two people I only need to send home one." He explained, Matt nodding.
"Thank you, Chief. I really appreciate this."
"I know. Now get out of here." Matt released a grateful breath, nodding at the Chief's words before heading for the locker room. He quickly grabbed his things, making a quick pit stop in his office before practically running from the firehouse, his desire to be at home with Gabby outweighing everything else.
Matt pushed open the back door, making a point to close it quickly, trying to keep as much warm air inside as possible. Desperate to shake the cold from his limbs, Matt discarded his boots and his jacket, putting away the items before stepping further inside the quiet apartment. Glancing towards the clock, he saw it was already half past eight, traffic holding him up on his quest to get home.
His eyes moved around the room, surprised to not see Gabby anywhere as he walked towards the living room, knowing that gave him a better view of the entire apartment. He'd sent her a text on the way home, telling her that Boden let him leave shift and he'd be home soon. But he never got a response.
Not seeing her anywhere in the main part of the apartment, he turned his head towards their bedroom, calling out her name softly as he moved towards the open door. "Gabby?"
There was no response, and as he got to the doorway he caught a glimpse of the lower half of her body lying on the bed, Matt assuming she'd fallen asleep. But as he walked all the way into the bedroom, he was proven wrong when he saw her wide awake, facing the middle of the bed with tears falling down her face.
"Gabby." He breathed out in confusion and concern, moving towards the bed quickly and sitting down, his body facing her as she looked to him, more tears spilling over as their eyes met. "What's going on?" His voice was gentle but full of worry as he took in her red stained eyes. Whatever had her this upset, she'd been crying about it for awhile.
She remained silent, her eyes closing for a second as tears continued to fall, feeling Matt place a warm hand over her side.
"Was is something with the bloodwork?" He asked softly when she had yet to say a word, his confusion morphing into fear as he wondered what could possibly be wrong. She had yet to react to his questions, placing her hand on top of his, her eyes shining in the dimly lit room. He stared intently at her as he saw her emotions playing across her face. She was scared, he could see it clearly. But she also looked devastated, and he was terrified to learn the cause behind it.
"Gabby, you're scaring me. What's wrong?" He asked hesitantly, swallowing the lump forming in his throat.
The two sat in silence for a few moments, Gabby having to gather up the courage to open her mouth and speak.
"I'm pregnant."
… So, how are we feeling? This chapter was kind of a doozy, and now… well let's just say there's a lot of decisions to make.
I'm sorry for leaving the cliffhanger like this, and I'm even more sorry because tomorrow I'm leaving for vacation for a week and I'm not sure when I'll be able to give you guys an update. I'm hoping to have time to write while I'm gone, but I don't know what my schedule will be like. I'm sorry to leave you guys hanging like this, but I was determined to get this chapter posted before I left. Hopefully it won't be too long before I can update and you all can see what's coming next. I'm not sure if any of you saw this coming, but let me tell you things are about to get a lot more intense.
I can't wait to hear what you think of this, please leave me a review if you can. Thanks for reading!