Hello hello! Here's another chapter for you all. I know you guys are anxious to see what happened to Matt, so here we go. I hope you enjoy!
Oh, and also I want to thank you all so much for 900 reviews on this story. That is absolutely insane to me, I'm still at a loss for words over how much support and love I've gotten on this story. I appreciate each and every one of you who have stuck around with me. You all are the best. Thank you thank you thank you.
Chapter Forty Six
"What happened?"
"He's in the hospital, Dawson." Boden responded softly, Gabby's breath catching in her throat, more tears filling her eyes as she felt her legs start to tremble. Boden was quick to grab her, seeing her body was unsteady, Chief wrapping his arm around her back to keep her up. "But he's gonna be okay. He'll be fine." He added quickly, though his words did nothing to ease her fears.
"But he's not right now?" She questioned, slow tears trailing down her skin as Boden and Brett led her to the car, keeping a firm hold on her.
"Casey's a little banged up, but it's nothing that won't heal. He'll be as good as new. I can tell you exactly what happened, but let's just get you in the car, okay?" Boden prompted softly, Gabby nodding as she tried to control her breathing. It felt like there was something crushing her chest, making it nearly impossible to breathe. But she had to fight through it, for the sake of her little girl she had to try.
Brett opened the passenger side door to Boden's vehicle, the Chief carefully helping Dawson inside, Gabby's hands holding her stomach as she got settled.
"Can I have your keys, Gabby?" Brett asked gently, Dawson's gaze shifting towards the blonde, trying to work through the haze that had fogged her mind.
"Brett's gonna drive your car to the hospital, so you don't have to come back here." Boden elaborated, Gabby nodding slowly as she blindly began feeling around in her purse, handing the keys to Brett.
"We'll see you there, thanks Brett."
"Of course." She responded, glancing back towards Gabby.
"I'm uh, I'm in the parking garage about a block away, on the second level." She stuttered out, her brain having a hard time forming a coherent thought.
"I'll find it, don't worry." Sylvie assured her with a soft grin, the blonde glancing towards Boden. "I'll meet you back in the waiting room." She told him before heading off down the sidewalk.
Turning back towards Dawson, Boden made sure she was completely settled in the car before shutting her door, the man jogging around to his side and climbing in.
"What happened to him?" Her quiet voice broke through the sound of him starting up the car, Boden taking a deep breath as he looked to her, seeing her teary eyes staring back at him.
"They were finishing up their sweep and the steps collapsed with Casey on them." He told her, Gabby's breath hitching as she furiously blinked back the tears in her eyes, the action proving useless as they spilled down her cheeks. Her hands moved closer together as she held onto her belly, her movements providing her with a sense of comfort through all the uncertainty. "Get buckled up, so I can get you there." Boden spoke, Gabby nodding slowly as she complied, Chief pulling away from the curb once she was fastened in.
"Is he…" She swallowed the lump in her throat, not even bothering to wipe away her tears as Boden drove down the street. "Is he conscious?"
"He is." Boden replied, Gabby's eyes falling closed in relief. "He got knocked out during the fall, but in the ambulance, he regained consciousness. As far as I know, he's been alert ever since." He told her, pulling off onto the next road, trying to take the quickest route possible. "I'm not sure the extent of his injuries, Severide's the only person who's talked to him since he got there. Kelly said something about Matt's knee being a little banged up, but as far as I know it's nothing that will require surgery."
She nodded slowly, forcing herself to take a few deep breaths, trying to settle the fear in her gut.
"Why didn't anyone call me?" She questioned, unable to hide the frustration growing in her voice. But Boden wasn't phased by her tone, the man answering without missing a beat.
"Severide told us not to." Boden responded, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing. "Casey told him not to." He explained further, but his words cleared up nothing. "He told Kelly he didn't want you finding out over the phone, that'd he feel better knowing someone was there with you when you heard what happened. So I offered to come get you, and Brett said she'd come as well, to get your car."
Gabby sighed deeply, her gaze moving out the window. She understood Matt's reasoning, and she couldn't blame him for it, but she would've much rather found out over the phone and gotten to him immediately, than spent the last two hours in a panic not knowing where he was.
But it didn't matter now, all that mattered was her getting to him and being able to see him with her own eyes. Because until she did, she knew this feeling wouldn't go away. This crushing feeling of uncertainty. No matter how much reassurance she got, she wouldn't believe he was alright until she laid her eyes on him.
"Is he still in the ER?" Gabby asked as Boden pulled into the parking lot, driving up towards the entrance.
"As far as I know, he is." Chief responded, coming to a stop. "Do you need me to walk in with you?" He questioned, knowing how unsteady she'd been minutes ago.
"I'm okay. Thanks for bringing me." She replied quickly, moving as fast as she could to get out of the car, which admittedly wasn't all that fast. She hurried inside, her eyes bouncing around her surroundings, looking for any familiar face that could tell her where to go.
"Dawson!" Gabby's head snapped towards the voice, seeing members of 51 huddled up in the corner of the waiting room, Herrmann breaking away from the group to walk towards her. "He's okay, kid." Herrmann spoke before he even got to her, Gabby blinking tightly as she nodded. "He's a little worse for wear, but he'll be just fine." Gabby bit down harshly on the inside of her cheek, more tears falling down her skin.
"Where is he?" She questioned, her eyes moving back towards the busy ER, unsure of which room to go to.
"Come on, I'll take you." He replied softly, leading her through the chaos towards Casey's room. She had to force herself to remember to breathe, even though her breaths were shallow. "You feeling alright?" He questioned, hearing her short breaths, worry flooding his voice.
"I'm fine." She replied, Herrmann watching her for an extra second before nodding, stopping them in front of a glass door.
Looking inside, Gabby's eyes flooded with fresh tears as she caught her first glimpse of him. He was definitely banged up, his body looked like it had taken a beating. But he was okay. He was awake, and talking with Kelly, smiles covering both the men's faces.
Matt was alright. And that's all that mattered.
He saw her through the glass before she could come in, his smile widening, more tears spilling over as her body relaxed. She cautiously slid the door open and stepped inside, Matt's smile falling when he saw her distressed state.
"I'm okay, Gabby." His voice was soft, the sound like music to her ears. But from her position across from him, she had the perfect view to see just how hurt he was.
He was sitting up, his gown bunched at his waist, giving her a clear view of all the scratches, cuts, and welts across his chest. There were a few small bandages over his chest, something Gabby figured to be covering the more gruesome gashes over his skin. Most of the skin she could see was red and blotchy, Gabby knowing that soon those marks would turn into bruises. Her eyes moved to his side, where she could see a white bandage peeking out from behind his back, covering some of the skin she could see. But what she didn't know was how much of his back the bandage was covering. Gabby caught a quick glimpse of IV in his arm as she trailed her eyes over the rest of his body. He had a similar bandage on his neck, and she could see part of a bandage covering the back of his shoulder. And it was nearly impossible to miss the wrap on his left knee, his leg elevated on a stack of pillows, an ice pack secured against the injury.
"Baby." His voice snapped her from her headspace, her eyes landing on his face, seeing him watching her with sad eyes. He had more scratches covering his face, some rougher than others, and his right eye was slightly swollen. It almost looked like he had gotten punched, but she knew that wasn't the case, she just wasn't sure what caused it. "Come here." Matt spoke gently, Gabby taking slow steps towards the bed.
Severide stood up from his chair, moving to stand behind it, pushing it closer to the bed knowing that Gabby would want to be as close to him as possible. Kelly kept his grip on the back of the chair until Gabby was seated, flashing Casey a sympathetic smile before heading for the door, him and Herrmann leaving the room, sliding the door closed to give them privacy.
Matt held his hand out towards her, frowning as he saw her hands shaking in her lap.
"Gabby." He spoke, pulling her eyes from his bandaged knee to his face, Matt waving his hand, prompting her to grab ahold of it. "I'm alright, I'm gonna be fine." He told her again, Gabby squeezing his hand tightly, her eyes catching a glimpse of more scratches on his arm. Her free hand moved towards his face, her eyes focusing on his gaze, stroking her thumb softly over his swollen skin.
"Does it hurt?" She questioned softly, Matt slowly shaking his head.
"The eye, not so much. My body in general, yeah. But I've got some great pain meds helping me out." He responded with a small grin, Gabby nodding.
"Why didn't you answer my calls?" She asked, more tears filling her eyes. "I was freaking out, Matt."
"I'm sorry." He replied instantly, squeezing her hand. "My phone's at the station, it's in my office. I'm sorry for not calling you, but I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn't want you finding out through a phone call, but I'm sorry. I should've thought it through more, I never meant to worry you." He spoke, Gabby shaking her head, slowly lifting herself up to lean towards him, placing a longing kiss to his lips. She was mindful of his eye, not wanting to hurt him, but Matt encouraged her movements, deepening the kiss as he felt her tears against his skin.
"It's okay." She murmured as she pulled back, unable to stay in the position too long without her back hurting. Gabby placed herself back in her seat, her arms resting on the edge of his bed as she kept her hold on his hand. "You're gonna be alright, that's all that matters." Her voice was soft, Matt giving her hand another tight squeeze. "Can you tell me what happened?"
Matt nodded, slowly shifting himself in the bed, a grimace covering his face as his sore body moved, Gabby frowning as he looked to her. "We were just finishing our sweep of the building. It was time to get out of there, so I started to send everyone out. I let them all go before me and then I was heading down. The next thing I knew, I was falling." He told her, Gabby placing a hand on his forearm, rubbing his skin comfortingly. "I'm not entirely sure what happened, but I landed pretty rough, my knee got twisted when I fell, it's sprained. My gear got torn up and left me a little exposed, I have a few burns and a scrape on my side." Fear flashed in her eyes, but Matt quick to assure her. "It's nothing too serious, the burns are on my neck and back. They'll heal fine. The scrape, I think I got cut by some wood, I'm not entirely sure. I passed out pretty soon after it happened, but a bunch of debris landed on top of me. I remember my mask and helmet got dislodged when I hit the ground, I think that's what gave me the swollen eye. But most of it I don't really remember, I just know when I woke up I was in the back of the ambulance."
Gabby's eyes fell closed, her heart feeling heavy as she listened to him speak. She could hear how scared he'd been, but he was here. He'd be okay. They both just had to hold onto that.
"I'm so sorry, Matt." She responded, opening her eyes. He nodded, blinking back the tears in his own eyes, Gabby bringing up their conjoined hands to her lips, placing a kiss against his skin. "I know how scary that must've been, but you're alright." Matt smiled softly at her, Gabby placing another kiss to his hand before standing up. He watched her with curious eyes as she moved around his bed, coming to stand on the opposite side, carefully sitting herself down on the edge of his mattress.
"What are you doing? You'll be much more comfortable in the chair." He told her, Gabby shrugging.
"I know, but I couldn't sit on that side of the bed because of your knee, and you can't really reach baby from there." She replied, carefully grabbing ahold of the hand closest to her, being mindful of the IV in his arm as she placed his hand on her stomach. A content smile immediately fell onto his face, Matt's eyes falling closed as he gently pressed his palm against her.
Even though he still hadn't been able to feel their daughter yet, after the day he'd had, being able to just hold onto her was more than enough, Matt feeling his body relax as they sat there.
After a few minutes of them sitting in a comfortable quiet, Matt opened his eyes again, finding Gabby watching him closely.
"You can move back to the chair, I don't want you to be uncomfortable." He spoke softly.
"I'm good right now." She responded, Matt smiling with a nod, rubbing his thumb over her belly. His hand moved down to her lower stomach, his fingers playing with the end of her shirt.
"Do you mind?" He questioned, Gabby shaking her head, knowing it would help calm him down. With a gentle grin, his slid his hand under her shirt, his chest filling with warmth at the feeling of her skin against his, a content sigh leaving his lips. In any other situation, he wouldn't have really bothered asking, knowing Gabby enjoyed him holding her bump just as much as he did. But he knew they weren't in the privacy of their own home, so he wanted to make sure it was okay with her. He was just glad she didn't mind, the feeling of his warm palm against her bare stomach calming him in a way he couldn't explain.
"How bad is the scrape on your side?" She asked quietly, her eyes moving to the bandage before looking back to his face.
"It's not that bad, I didn't need stitches or anything. They gave me some antibiotics, just in case, but it should heal fine."
"And the burns?" Her voice was much less steady than before, Gabby knowing dealing with burns was always tricky, especially since she didn't know how long he'd been exposed.
"They're both second degree, but they should be fine. I guess Severide was the one they sent down to get me, but everyone got me out pretty quickly, according to Kelly. It could've been a lot worse." He told her, Gabby's tongue running over her bottom lip. "They'll definitely be some scarring though, especially on my back. That one's pretty big. But it'll just give me more scars to add to my collection." He spoke lightly, Gabby's eyes moving towards the small scar on his forearm. The scar left from his accident on shift last year right before she came back. It had healed surprisingly well, leaving only a tiny patch of rough skin on his arm, but she wasn't sure these wounds would heal as nicely. "I doubt they'll be pretty, though."
"I don't care about that." She responded quickly, Matt nodding with a smile.
"I know. You weren't just after me for my handsome looks, they were just a bonus." He teased, Gabby scoffing as she rolled her eyes playfully. "But, in all seriousness, the burns should heal fine. They already got them all cleaned up and bandaged. I was on some pretty heavy pain killers when I first came in, which helped because I didn't feel a damn thing." He spoke, Gabby shaking her head in amusement. "But as long as we keep them clean and change the dressings, they should be fine. I'm not worried, though. I have one incredibly beautiful woman helping me." He replied with a charming grin, Gabby cocking her head to the side.
"You're in fine form this afternoon." She spoke, Matt smirking. "But you know, I think you already succeeded in winning me over, there was no need to do all this." Gabby joked. "There are easier ways to get me to give you a little more attention, if that's what this was about." Her teasing tone made him chuckle, Matt shaking his head.
"I'll keep that in mind for next time."
"There will be no next time." She replied with a stern look, the teasing tone in her voice long gone.
"As long as I can help it." He responded softly, rubbing his hand against her stomach. "I know I scared you, I'm sorry. And I hate that I missed your appointment, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."
"It's not your fault, Matt." She spoke, resting her hand over his thigh.
"I know, but this was the first time you had to go alone… and I absolutely hated being here, knowing you were there by yourself. Well, I hated it for the times I wasn't drugged out of my mind." He spoke, Gabby chuckling softly. "I wish I could've been there, I hate that I didn't get to see our baby girl."
Wordlessly, Gabby slid down off the bed, Matt frowning as his hand fell out from under her shirt, immediately missing the warmth of holding onto her belly. He watched as she walked back to the chair, pulling something from her purse, a smile falling onto his face as he realized what she was holding.
"You really think I wouldn't get lots of pictures?" She questioned, walking back to the other side of the bed, returning to her spot perched beside his leg, Matt moving to give her as much room as possible. He instantly returned his hand back to her stomach, rubbing his thumb against her skin as Gabby held out the pictures to him. With his free hand, he grabbed them, a teary smile forming on his face.
"She's getting so big." He murmured, his gaze completely focused on the images.
"She is." Gabby agreed with a warm smile.
"Did your appointment go okay?" He asked once he was finally able to tear his eyes away from the ultrasound, meeting her gaze.
"It did. Everything with our little girl is good. She's growing exactly like she should. She's a little on the smaller side, but Dr. Tanner said she looks perfect."
"And you?"
"I'm okay, too. My weight, vitals, everything was good. My blood pressure was a little high, but I think that's just because I was anxious. But I'm alright."
Matt nodded slowly, taking a slow breath as he felt guilt spread throughout his body. He knew missing her appointment wasn't his fault, but he should've called her. He hadn't meant to stress her out, he was trying to do the exact opposite.
"So, what about your knee?" She asked, pulling him from his thoughts. "What'd the doctor say about that?"
"Just that it's sprained. I got lucky, I guess, that I didn't tear any ligaments, but it's really sore and swollen. I have to wear a brace for a while. They want me on crutches for a few days, which I think is ridiculous, but they said with the amount of swelling in my knee that I need to be careful."
"How long are you off shift?"
"At least the next two, maybe more. It just depends on my knee. The burns aren't so much the problem, I can work with those. But they don't want me going back until most of the swelling goes down. But the brace, I'll have that for at least a couple of weeks I guess." He explained, blowing out a heavy breath. "The brace won't keep me from working though, it'll mostly be just waiting until the swelling and pain goes away. It sounds like I just have to take it day by day." He explained, Gabby nodding.
"Well, I know you don't love the idea, but I think the crutches will be good. Especially considering I can't really help you get around." She responded, Matt tapping his finger against her stomach.
"Yeah, I know if anything, the brace and crutches will help you out. I know that-" Matt cut himself off without warning, his eyes widening instantly, a look of pure shock covering his face.
"What? What happened?" Gabby questioned, Matt's eyes moving towards her stomach. "Matt?"
"I felt her…" He murmured, tears filling his eyes as a wide grin spread across his face. Gabby felt water gathering in her own eyes, seeing the look of pure joy over his features. She wasn't sure she had ever seen him happier than he was in this moment. "I can feel her." He choked out, tears falling freely down his cheeks.
Gabby's tears began to spill over as well, sliding her hand under her shirt, resting it over his.
"I… it's just like a little flutter, but I can feel her." Matt was completely enamored, Gabby watching him laugh happily through his tears, his only source of frustration coming from him being confined to this bed. He would give anything to be able to move to her stomach, but that would have to wait. "That's our baby girl." More tears slid down his cheeks, Matt's gaze moving up to look at Gabby, seeing her eyes shining with love.
"That's our girl." She agreed, releasing a watery chuckle, Gabby leaning forward to press a kiss to his lips, Matt dropping the ultrasound pictures on his lap as he brought his hand up to cradle her face.
The two stayed connected for a few moments, Gabby feeling his smile widen against her lips, knowing he most likely felt their baby again.
"She's moving around so much." He spoke once they pulled back, Matt moving his free hand to rest on her stomach with his other one.
"Like I told you, she moves a lot when you're here. She knows when her Daddy's around." Gabby replied, Matt's smile widening more than Gabby thought possible. The look of elation on his face made her entire body fill with warmth, and now she was sure she'd never seen him look happier.
"I can't believe I can feel her…" He whispered, looking back to her stomach.
"Just wait until we can feel her really kicking." Gabby's words made his eyes light up, excitement filling his features.
"I can't wait." He responded, rubbing his thumb over her skin. Matt slowly lifted her shirt up over her stomach, staring at her smooth skin as he cradled her bump. "Daddy loves you so much, little one." He spoke with a soft grin. "I'm so excited to meet you."
The two sat in a joyful silence, Matt's watery eyes focused on her exposed stomach, his smile never fading. It wasn't until they heard the door slide open did they break from their intimate trance, Matt's gaze snapping towards the sound.
"Sorry, I hope I'm not interrupting." The doctor spoke, Gabby quickly adjusting her shirt as Matt dropped his hands from her stomach, shaking his head.
"No, it's fine." Matt responded, wiping the tears from his eyes as his doctor stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "Dr. Williams, this is Gabby."
"Ah yes, the wife. I saw your information in his file." Dr. Williams spoke, Gabby nodding, not bothering to correct him. "You're a paramedic, right?" He questioned with a soft grin.
"Yeah, I am." She responded, shaking the man's hand. While she'd never had any personal run-ins with Williams, she'd worked with him a few times since she'd gotten back from her relief work, and anytime anyone had mentioned him, she'd heard nothing but great things.
"I didn't realize you and Mr. Casey here were together. I saw you as his emergency contact but I didn't put it together that you were Dawson, the paramedic... And it looks like congratulations are in order." He spoke, Gabby's hands resting over her stomach. "Is this your first?"
"Thank you. And yeah, it is." She responded, Dr. Williams smiling before pulling up Matt's chart.
"Well, that's very wonderful news." He spoke, Gabby slowly moving around the bed towards her chair, carefully sitting down.
"You okay?" Matt questioned, Gabby nodding, flashing him an assuring smile.
"I'm good, just needed to sit down." She answered, Matt's eyes flickering over her face before he ultimately nodded, both Gabby and Matt turning their attention back to the doctor.
"Now Dawson, I know you weren't here during our initial evaluation, but I trust Mr. Casey has filled you in on everything?"
"Just Gabby and Matt is fine, but yeah. He told about the burns, and sprained knee."
"Yes. His burns are definitely extensive, but nothing that won't eventually heal. They'll most likely be some scarring, but considering the alternative, that's a small price to pay. Now, in most cases with burns like Matt's here, I would want him to stay overnight, just to make sure everything's being watched and treated properly, but I trust you've had your fair share of caring for burns." Dr. Williams spoke.
"Oh, absolutely. Between dealing with this one, all the fires we've responded to, and then a firehouse full of firefighters, I've handled plenty of burns in my day." Gabby responded, Matt grinning at her.
"As long as you're good to help tend to his burns, I'm fine sending him home. We'll send you with plenty of dressings, just to get you started, and the guide to cleaning and tending to burn wounds, even though I'm sure you don't need it."
"Okay, that sounds good."
"And with his knee, I definitely need him to be careful. Matt, you got very lucky there wasn't more intensive damage, I don't want you doing anything to make it worse. I'm serious about keeping the weight off of it for at least the next couple days. After that, it's more so your body telling you what you can and can't do. There's gonna be some pain when you first start walking on it, but it shouldn't be unbearable. Just don't push yourself too hard. I want that brace on all the time except for when you're sleeping, showering, or sitting for long periods of time. And you've got to keep icing it, that's the only way to help with the swelling."
"I know, I won't rush anything." Matt assured him, Dr. Williams nodding.
"Good. Now, Gabby, we did do a concussion test because he lost consciousness, and everything came back clear. But, I did see all his history with head injuries in the past, so just keep an eye on him. If anything raises any red flags, come back and we'll check him out. But, as far as I can tell, everything there is fine."
"I'll be watching him."
"Alright. And Matt, I went ahead and got your prescriptions filled at our pharmacy here, a nurse should be by soon with them. It'll be your burn cream and then your pain medication. Just take the pills as needed, but I do recommend taking one as soon as you get home. I'm sure you're feeling pretty good right now with all the morphine, but once that wears off you're going to start feeling the effects of what you've gone through. Try to stay on top of it, it'll only help."
"I can do that." Matt responded, Dr. Williams nodding.
"Well, as long as you're feeling up for it, I'm fine with sending you home in an hour or two. I'm gonna have our nurses change your dressings one last time before you go home, to make it a little easier on you and Gabby. The first few times are always the hardest. And we'll get a brace and some crutches in here soon. But, as long as you don't have any questions or concerns, I'll get your discharge paperwork started."
"I think we're good." Casey spoke, glancing to Gabby who nodded.
"We're good."
"Alright. Well, Matt, I'm glad to see you're feeling better. You got very lucky today, but as long as you take care of yourself you'll heal up quickly. It was nice to officially meet you, Gabby."
"You too." She responded, Dr. Williams flashing them a smile before exiting the room, leaving the couple alone. "He seems like a nice guy."
"He is, yeah." He spoke, Gabby slowly reaching down into her purse, pulling out her phone. She began silently tapping on the screen, Matt eyeing her curiously. "Whatcha doing?"
"Calling Antonio, I'm gonna see if he can come and help me get you home." She answered, Matt nodding as she put the phone up to her ear.
Gabby stood at the nurses station, pressing her hand into her back as she finished up looking over Matt's discharge paperwork. He'd been told he could go home about twenty minutes ago, Gabby having stepped out to talk with his doctor one last time while everyone from 51 stopped in to say goodbye.
Their visit was cut short by a call, Gabby having to say goodbye to them in passing as they headed out of the ER, Severide stopping by her quickly to let her know he'd get Matt's truck and belongings to her in the morning. But even though all of 51 had left, she wasn't too concerned about getting straight back to Matt, knowing Antonio was in there to keep him company.
Antonio had showed up a little less than an hour ago, her big brother leaving the district as soon as he heard what happened to Matt. It took him awhile to get here, Antonio stopping by the apartment to get Matt some clothes to wear home, before arriving at the hospital.
And now he was in there with Matt, keeping him company while Gabby took care of making sure Matt was alright to leave. They had already gotten his prescriptions, as well as his brace and his set of crutches, Gabby thankful they'd been able to get those things here. She knew Matt was eager to get home, and considering Antonio had left work to come help them out, she didn't want to keep him away longer than she had to.
Blowing out a soft breath, she handed the necessary papers back to the nurse, keeping the ones she needed before heading back towards Matt's room. As she got closer, she noticed his door was shut, along with the curtain around his bed being closed, blocking him from her view. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, Gabby pulling the door open.
"Matt?"
"Hey." He called back from behind the curtain, Gabby sliding the door closed before walking around the curtain. An unimpressed look immediately covered her face as she saw him clad in his boxers and the pair of basketball shorts that Antonio had brought him, her arms crossing over her chest.
"You weren't supposed to get dressed without help." She spoke, glancing back and forth between Antonio and Matt.
"He didn't, believe me." Antonio breathed out, Gabby stifling a laugh as she looked to Matt, watching as he shook his head.
"Your brother and I are a lot closer now." He responded, Gabby unable to stop the chuckle that escaped through her lips as she walked towards his bed, coming to stop in front of him while Antonio stepped towards the wall.
"I told you I'd help you." She replied, reaching for the t-shirt beside him, carefully pulling apart the material and sliding it over his head.
"Yeah, but I didn't want you to have to bend over and all that stuff, and Antonio offered to help." Matt spoke as his head popped out of the shirt, Gabby holding out the clothing as he slowly put his arms through it, grimacing at the movements.
"I wouldn't have done it for anyone else." Antonio laughed from behind them, Gabby flashing him a grin before carefully resting the shirt against his body, checking that it wasn't pulling against his bandages.
"I definitely appreciate your help." Matt commented, Antonio waving him off.
"It's fine, really. The last thing either of you need is for you to hurt yourself more. I'm just glad you're alright." Antonio replied, Matt smiling softly.
"This is sweet and all, but you do realize you're gonna have to let me help you at home, right? At least for the next couple of days until you can move around more… Unless you would rather Antonio move in so he can help." She teased, Matt rolling his eyes.
"Haha." He responded dryly, shaking his head. "The doctor said I should be able to move my knee around more once the swelling goes down in a few days, so don't get too excited." He laughed out, Gabby moving to grab his crutches that were against the wall. "You and I are quite the pair, though, aren't we?" He asked with a grin, Gabby shaking her head in amusement as she held out the crutches in front of him.
"We sure are... Does the brace feel okay?" Gabby asked, her gaze moving down to the black brace covering his knee.
"Feels as good as it can."
"Alright. You ready to get out of here?"
"Absolutely. Let's get home." He spoke, pushing himself up slowly, grabbing ahold of the crutches. Antonio stood close by, ready to steady him in need be, Matt taking a few seconds to get balanced. Once comfortable, he gave them both a nod, signaling he was ready to go.
The process of getting outside was a slow one, Gabby walking beside Matt as he crutched through the ER, Antonio following closely behind him just in case. It took them some time to get out front, Matt having a harder time adjusting to the crutches than he expected. And by the time he'd gotten the hang of it, they had made it the car.
Antonio had brought Gabby's car up front, Gabby going to the driver's side while Antonio slowly helped Matt into the vehicle. Each movement was slow and careful, Matt releasing a few involuntary groans and gasps of pain as he got settled into the seat.
"Alright, I'll meet you guys at the apartment. Don't try and go inside until I get there." He advised them both, earning a nod from Casey.
"Thanks Antonio." Matt responded before Antonio shut the door, tapping against their window before he headed towards the parking lot.
It took almost an hour for Matt to be settled in at the apartment, Gabby having just let Antonio out after thanking him yet again for all his help. Standing in the kitchen, she got Matt a glass of water and one of his pain pills before walking back into the living room, smiling at Matt as he sat on the couch. His leg was propped up under some pillows on the coffee table, Antonio having moved it closer to the couch to make him more comfortable, before Gabby secured an ice pack around his knee with a bandage. They had removed his brace after he got settled, the item now sitting on the table in front of him.
"Here you go." She spoke as she sat down next to him, holding out the pill and the water. Matt graciously took both, downing the medication with a few sips of water before placing it on the end table.
"Thank you." He responded, Gabby smiling softly as she handed him the remote.
"You need anything else?"
"No, but I need you to eat something."
"Matt, I'm fine." She responded, leaning back into the couch, resting her hand on his leg as she looked at him. Even though many hours had passed, it was still jarring to see him covered in scratches and marks, his beautiful face having taken a beating. She knew the bruises that would appear over the next couple of days would be brutal, and she still hadn't quite gotten used to his temporary change in appearance.
"Yeah, but you also spent the majority of the afternoon with me in the hospital, and all I've seen you eat is a granola bar, and you had a little bit of my water earlier. Definitely not enough for what you or our little girl need."
"I'll make myself a sandwich here soon, I promise… I just want to sit for a minute. It's been a crazy day." She breathed out, Matt nodding in agreement.
"I know…" He agreed quietly, reaching out to rest his hand over her stomach. "But it wasn't all bad." He responded with a soft smile, rubbing his hand across her belly.
But Gabby didn't respond to him, her gaze focused across the room as she breathed deeply, his eyebrows furrowing while he watched her.
He gave her a few minutes to see if her mood would shift, but if anything she had fallen even more into her own head, Matt sighing heavily, tapping his finger against her bump until he gained her attention. Her head slowly turned towards him, her eyes glazed over with unshed tears, a frown forming on his face as they locked eyes.
"What's going on in there?" He questioned, Gabby blinking furiously, her head turning to the ground.
"I just… I thought I'd lost you today." She murmured, her voice shaking as she spoke. Matt gently brought his hand up to her chin, lifting her head to look at him, his frown deepening as he saw her tears begin to spill over. "When I saw Boden waiting for me, I thought- I thought you were gone."
His chest felt heavy, Matt shaking his head as he ran his thumb over her jaw. "Baby, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."
"You can't, Matt." She nearly cried, his worry only increasing as he heard the force of her words. "I mean it, you can't do this to me again. I can't lose you."
"Gabby, listen to me." He spoke immediately, wiping away her tears as they fell. "I am right here. And I promise to do everything I can to always be right here with you. I know I can't guarantee it, but you know I always do everything in my power to make it home to you. All I can do is promise you I'll be careful."
"I can't lose you… We can't lose you." She cried, his heart dropping. He couldn't say he was surprised by her outburst; she'd held herself together pretty well for most of the day, he was almost expecting this to happen at some point. But it didn't make it any easier. "You can't leave us, because I might not be here." Tears were continuously streaming down her face, a few escaping down Matt's cheeks as well as he heard the pain in her voice. "You can't leave our baby alone, you can't. She needs you."
The more she spoke, the more she worked herself up, Gabby's breathing becoming shallow as she choked out choppy breaths, his eyes widening in slight panic.
"Gabby, breathe. Just breathe for me, alright? It's okay. I'm right here." Matt spoke, grabbing ahold of her hand tightly, her red eyes locked on him. "I need you to breathe, just watch me." Matt took as deep of breaths as he could, ignoring the discomfort in his back every time he moved.
It had been a while since he'd seen her like this, since he had to help her through a panic attack, his heart breaking at the sight of her clear distress. He knew he scared her today, that it was just another reminder of how quickly everything could change for them, but he knew he needed to get her calmed down. It wasn't good for her, and it definitely wasn't good for their baby.
"Everything's alright, we're all fine. The three of us are fine." Matt murmured, Gabby nodding as she continued to take deep breaths, her grip on his hand tightening. "I know you're scared, you have every right to be. We know something could happen to me, just like something could happen to you. But I promise you that I will fight every day to come back to you and our daughter. Everything's gonna be okay." He kept his words quiet, watching as a few more tears slid down her cheeks.
Her eyes fell closed as she focused on her breathing, feeling the tightness in her chest easing up, Matt's free hand coming to rest over her leg, softly stroking her thigh for a few moments. She eventually opened her eyes, finding his worried gaze on her.
"You okay?" He questioned softly, Gabby nodding as she took another deep breath, clearing her throat.
"I'm okay…" She responded, Matt wearing an understanding smile as he leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry." She murmured, his eyebrows furrowing as he pulled back.
"For what?"
"For… this. You're the one who's hurt, you shouldn't have to be taking care of me, this is about you and I-"
"Hey hey hey, none of that." Matt interjected, shaking his head. He squeezed her hand, bringing it up to his lips to kiss her skin softly. "I know today was just as hard for you as it was for me, if not more so. You never have to apologize for this." He assured her, Gabby nodding softly. "I know I'm a little banged up, but this will all heal. I'm more concerned about you right now than anything with me. All that matters is that you and our little girl are okay."
"We're okay." She whispered, blinking back the tears in her eyes. "I'm okay." Matt nodded at her words, bringing his hand up to pat against his shoulder, encouraging her to lean against him. She looked apprehensive, but Matt simply smiled, Gabby leaning down, resting her head against his shoulder. "Am I hurting you?"
"Never." He responded, placing a kiss to the top of her head, squeezing her thigh gently as the two sat in a calm silence, Matt giving her all the time she needed to try and feel a little better about everything that happened today.
"Are you sure I don't need to do anything?" Matt called from his position on the bed, his legs hanging over the side, his eyes on the bathroom door.
"You really think I need help turning on the shower?" She asked with a raised brow as she came into his view, her towel tied around her body, the material raised slightly over her bump.
"No, but I just hate that you're having to do everything for me."
"Matt, yesterday you fell through a set of stairs, you're gonna need some help. And I'm not the injured one here." She responded as she walked towards him, stopping to grab his crutches from against the wall.
"I can get to the bathroom, I don't need-" He stopped himself when he caught a glimpse of the unamused look on her face, her eyes narrowed as she balanced the crutches in front of him. "Yes ma'am." He responded, smiling when her stern demeanor faltered slightly, a smile pulling on her lips.
Slowly, Matt used the crutches to pull himself up, wincing occasionally as the burned skin on his back pulled, Gabby standing there for support as he slowly got up. Once he was balanced, she carefully slid his boxers down his body, crouching to the ground slowly.
"Please be careful." He told her, earning a challenging look from her which he simply raised his eyebrows at. He didn't care to let her be in charge when it came to himself, but one thing he wasn't okay with was her doing too much. They both had to be mindful of their limitations.
With some maneuvering, they managed to get Matt stepped out of his boxers, the man slowly hobbling towards the bathroom on his crutches. Gabby walked behind him, her hands ghosting over his hips in case he lost balance.
"You're sure it's okay that I shower?" He questioned one last time as they stood outside the glass door, Gabby lightly smacking his bare butt before coming to stand in front of him. "Hey, watch it lady." He teased, Gabby smirking as she reached her hand inside the shower, checking the temperature.
"Yes, it's perfectly fine. In fact, it's encouraged. You have to keep your wounds clean... What, you don't trust me or something?" She asked with an amused grin, Matt scoffing.
"Of course I trust you, it's the water I don't trust. I've been burned enough to know this is gonna hurt." He nearly whined, Gabby chuckling.
"You handled falling through a house better than you're handling this." She teased as she undid her towel, hanging it up next to his.
"Yeah, well I had morphine then." He muttered, his eyes roaming her body as she stepped inside their spacious shower, his gaze lingering on her expanding stomach before trailing up to her full breasts.
"Hey, eyes up here." She spoke, snapping him out of his trance, Matt knowing his stares had been caught as he found her gaze, a sheepish grin forming over his face. "Is that all you ever think about?"
"Can you blame me? You're gorgeous." He replied, his smile widening as he saw her get flustered from his words, Matt using his crutches to get as close to the entrance as possible.
"You already knocked me up, you can stop being such a sweet talker." She joked, Matt smirking as he balanced himself on his good leg before resting his crutches against the side of the glass, Gabby holding out her forearms for him to grab onto. "Just move slow, we're in no hurry." She reminded him, his grip tight on her arms.
"Like I'd ever want to hurry through a shower with you." He spoke lightly, Gabby shaking her head.
"Focus, Matt." She chastised gently as he began to slowly step inside the shower. His steps were small, Matt grimacing when he put weight on his injured leg. It took some time, but they both managed to get him in the shower, Matt's body out from under the stream of water. He rested his weight on his good leg, Matt blowing out a breath as he settled. "Alright, you just stand there, and try not to hurt yourself." She spoke, handing him his soap. "You can wash yourself, just don't move too much, and don't touch your back. I'll wash your hair for you."
"Whatever you say." He complied as Gabby began washing herself. She quickly went through the process, not wanting to keep Matt standing up any longer than needed. As she was finishing washing her hair, she looked over, seeing Matt standing there watching her with a soft grin on his face.
"Enjoying the view?"
"Absolutely." He responded without missing a beat, Gabby stepping out from under the water as she reached for his shampoo, putting a little in her palm. She stepped closer to him, Matt placing his palms on her shoulders as she began running her soapy hands through his hair, a content smile falling onto his face.
"You doing alright?"
"My legs are sore, but I'm fine." He answered, Gabby massaging his head lightly.
"We're almost done." She responded, pulling the shower head down as she carefully began getting the shampoo out of his hair. She heard him hiss and groan, a frown forming on her face, knowing the water running over his burns wasn't pleasant. "Alright, I'm gonna clean your burns now. It's not going to feel great, but I've got to do it." She told him, Matt nodding as she reached for the fresh washcloth she'd gotten from linen closet, Gabby putting a generous amount of soap on it before carefully stepping around him.
Gabby slowly began the process, listening as Matt groaned and his muscles clenched. She was as cautious as she could be, but there wasn't much she could do to help with the pain as she cleaned his wounds.
"I'm sorry." She murmured from behind him, frowning as she looked over the large burns across his back. Just from the looks of it, she knew some of them wouldn't leave terrible scars, but a few of them would.
"It's okay." He assured her. "I appreciate you doing this for me. And also you can expect some compensation for helping me once I'm not hobbled." He spoke lightly, trying to distract himself from the pain, Gabby chuckling behind him as she finished up his back.
"Oh, I'm definitely looking forward to that." She responded, rubbing her thumb over his hip before coming to stand back in front of him. "Alright, let me clean your neck and the scrape on your side and then we're done."
"Good, cause I need to sit down." He breathed out, Gabby nodding understandingly as she began cleaning the burn on his neck with the same precision, Matt's hand resting on her bump as they stood in the now cool water.
Within a few minutes, Gabby had finished up her job, turning off the water before getting out first. She wrapped her towel around herself before turning to Matt, slowly helping him out of the shower. She could tell he was in pain, Gabby wincing every time he had to put pressure on his swollen leg. Eventually she got him out, handing him his crutches as he stood there, breathing heavily.
"You okay?" She asked as she wrapped his towel around his waist, tying it in place.
"Yeah, yeah…" He panted. "It just wore me out."
"Can you make it to the bed?" Matt nodded before they slowly started to walk back into the bedroom, Gabby keeping a close eye on him as they carefully got to the bed. Matt barely made it to the edge of the bed before he had to sit down, his body practically collapsing down onto the mattress, Matt hissing as he moved faster than his should of.
"You gotta be careful, Matt." She warned, taking his crutches from him as he sat on the edge of the bed, Matt trying to catch his breath.
"I know, I just- my leg started shaking, it felt like it was about to give out."
Gabby nodded slowly before moving back into the bathroom to get another towel. Once she placed it on the bed next to him, she headed out into the main part of the apartment, grabbing some fresh dressings and his burn cream before walking back into the bedroom.
"Maybe you should've stayed another day at the hospital…" She mused as she climbed up onto the bed, resting on her shins behind him as she began drying his back. She knew the first few days of his recovery were going to be rough, but she hated seeing him having so much trouble.
"No, I'm okay. I promise." He spoke, wincing as Gabby worked on covering his burns. He caught a glimpse of the towel as she placed it back on the bed, his eyebrows furrowing as he saw red staining the material. "Am I bleeding?"
"Yeah, just a little." She responded, her voice telling him she was clearly focused on the task at hand. "But that's normal. Your skin is raw, a little bleeding is normal." Matt just nodded, remaining quiet as she finished up.
Within ten minutes she had gotten all his burns covered, as well as put some ointment over the scrape on his side, covering it with a bandage.
"You want to get dressed or you need a second?" She asked as she slowly stood back up, Matt shaking his head.
"You go ahead and change, I'm just gonna sit here for a minute." He told her, Gabby nodding as she moved to the dresser. He watched her as she walked around the room, slowly getting changed into a pair of his boxers and t-shirt, not bothering to get dressed up since they weren't planning on going anywhere today.
Once she had finished getting dressed, her hair up in a bun on the top of her head, they began the slow process of getting Matt ready. It took about fifteen minutes, but she'd managed to get him dressed in a t-shirt and boxers, and moved out into the living room, Gabby elevating his leg.
"Alright, you need ice and your pill, are you hungry?"
"A little, but Gabby please take care of yourself before you do anything else for me. You're stressing me out." He pleaded, Gabby shaking her head with a soft smile.
"Matt, I'm fine. I've already had like two meals this morning, considering it took you hours to get your lazy butt out of bed. You didn't even wake up when Severide came to drop off your stuff, and he was stomping around all over the place… But I'm feeling great, you don't need to worry about me."
"I always worry about you… You're sure you're feeling alright? You're not dealing with those pains or anything are you?" She could hear the concern in her voice, Gabby shaking her head.
"No, I'm feeling good. I promise." She reassured him, Matt watching her closely for a moment before ultimately nodding. "Now, do you want something to eat?" She asked again.
"...If you don't mind, I'd love a sandwich." He spoke with a shy grin, Gabby chuckling as she nodded.
"I could go for a sandwich, too. I'll get the ice and medicine first though." She replied, slowly standing up from the couch. She got halfway to the kitchen before she heard Matt's phone ringing from the bedroom, Gabby changing her path to go grab it.
"Oh, you can just leave it." He tried, but she shook her head before disappearing into the bedroom.
Picking up his phone, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion when she saw the caller ID, Gabby stepping back out of bedroom, Matt watching her curiously as she put his phone up to her ear.
"Hey Jemma." Gabby spoke, Matt's eyes widening.
"Gabby? Oh- hey." Jemma stuttered on the other end, Dawson's eyebrows raising in curiosity at her friend's strange tone.
"Hey." Gabby greeted again, walking towards the couch, not missing the wary look on Matt's face. "Did you mean to call Matt?" She asked, keeping her gaze on him while waiting for an answer.
"Oh, uh no. I was looking for you, actually."
"Oh, sorry." Gabby responded, Matt's body relaxing as he listened to their conversation. "It's been crazy around here, I'm not even sure where my phone is… What's up?"
"Are you guys okay?" Jemma sidestepped the question as Gabby sighed, leaning back into the couch.
"Matt was in an accident on shift yesterday."
"Oh my God, is he okay?"
"He will be. He has a few burns, and he messed up his knee. But I've got him home. We're doing okay." She answered, Matt giving her a soft smile.
"Let me know if you two need anything, I'm happy to help with whatever. I'm so sorry he got hurt, but I'm glad he's okay."
"Me too. Thanks Jemma." Gabby responded lightly, resting her hand on Matt's thigh. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
"Oh, it's nothing. I was just- wanting to see if you maybe wanted to get lunch or something, but you've got your hands full." Gabby's eyebrows furrowed as she listened to Jemma talk, sensing a nervousness in her voice.
"You sure you're okay?" Gabby asked.
"Yup, I'm good. Text me if you guys need anything."
"Alright, I will. See you later, Jemma." Gabby spoke, waiting for the goodbye from her friend before hanging up. She turned towards Matt, seeing him watching her closely.
"What did Jemma want?" He questioned, Gabby cocking her head to the side.
"I'm not sure, she was acting really weird… there's a lot of that going around lately." She spoke knowingly, Matt flashing her a wide grin.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Uh huh, sure." She responded, shaking her head before getting up from the couch. "Don't think I've forgotten that secret you're so terribly hiding."
"Well, even though there is no secret, if there was, clearly I'm hiding it well considering you haven't figured it out…" He spoke, Gabby stopping, facing him with a challengingly look on her face. "Hypothetically, of course." He added lamely, Gabby chuckling.
"Mhmm. Whatever you say, Matt." She spoke before continuing her way into the kitchen.
Once she was out of sight, Matt grabbed his phone that Gabby left on the couch, quickly typing out a text to Jemma
'Hey, I should've texted you earlier but with everything it just slipped my mind. My plans are definitely getting postponed, I can't do it tonight now. But I'll keep you posted.'
Blowing out a breath, Matt dropped his phone in his lap, running his hand over his mouth.
He knew he needed to propose soon, there were only so many more times he could get away with her not finding out, and she was obviously suspicious already. He wanted it to be a complete surprise, he wanted it to be perfect. And just when he thought he'd gotten everything in order, this happens. Matt knew it couldn't be helped, that there was no way to know this could've happened, but he was hoping this would be one thing that would go through without any problems. Although that proved not to be the case.
Matt knew she wouldn't care how he proposed, he could do it right here and now and she'd love it just as much, but he was determined to stick to his plan of proposing to her again at the firehouse.
He just hoped she didn't find out before he could make it happen.
Well, there's another chapter for you guys! Luckily, it looks like Matt's gonna be okay. Unfortunately, he's not able to propose to Gabby when he had planned. But, knowing Matt, he'll figure it out.
I can't wait to hear what you all thought of this chapter! We're getting closer and closer to baby Casey! Thanks so much for reading.