Hello everyone! Here's another chapter for you guys. I hope you all like it!
Chapter Forty Nine
Gabby huffed out a frustrated breath as she sat on the edge of their bed, her swollen ankles making the process of putting her shift boots on a bit more of a workout than usual. At twenty seven weeks pregnant, her body had seemed to swell up over the last week or so, Gabby finding her bigger extremities not only very unflattering, but incredibly inconvenient. She was already running a bit late, and the last thing she wanted to fight with this morning was her shoes.
As she finished tying up her laces, she released a heavy breath, the once simple task now wearing her out before her day even started. Straightening out her spine, she grimaced as her muscles stretched, her joints cracking as her hands went to her belly, supporting her weight while she moved.
"Here's your smoothie." Matt's voice hit her ears as he walked in through the open doorway, holding an insulated cup in his hand.
"Thank you." She murmured as she reached for the drink, bringing it up to her lips to take a sip.
"You all ready for shift?" He asked as he took a seat next to her, his hand moving to her stomach, wanting to enjoy the last few moments he had with Gabby and their baby before he'd go over twenty four hours without them.
Blowing out a heavy breath, she nodded. "Yeah, I am."
Matt's eyebrows furrowed, stopping his movements as he cradled her bump. "Are you okay?" He questioned, worry creeping up his system as he tried to get a read on her.
"I'm fine, just a little tired. Nothing out of the usual." She assured him, but Matt wasn't convinced.
"You sure?"
"Mhmm. I'm good." She promised, leaning forward to place a soft kiss to his lips before she stood up, Matt's hands moving to her hips to help guide her movements. "You know I'm not big enough to need help up, at least not yet anyway." She joked, Matt smiling as he kept her hands on her hips.
"I'm just preparing." He teased back, Gabby turning to face him.
"How's the knee?" She asked, Matt leaning down to grab her shift bag so she wouldn't have to, placing it on the bed beside him.
"It's feeling pretty good. I know I still have another week on the medication, but I'm feeling better." He told her, Gabby smiling.
"I'm so glad." She responded, placing a kiss to his forehead, Matt placing both his hands on her stomach. "Who knows, this time next week you might be back on shift with me." She spoke, Matt taking a deep breath.
"I sure hope so. It's already been five weeks since the accident… I never imagined it would turn into this."
"I know, but you're getting better, that's all that matters." She ran her hand through his messy hair, her free hand resting on his bare shoulder. "Although I can assure you, everyone is looking forward to you getting back."
"Me too." He responded quickly, his eyes tracing over her face. "You still haven't had any problems with Garcia, have you?"
Gabby heard the concern in Matt's voice, shaking her head as she lightly massaged his scalp. After their impromptu visit to the firehouse last week, as soon as they were in the privacy of his truck, Gabby made Matt explain his obvious shift in behavior. And after hearing what Garcia had said about her, Dawson was less than impressed. She wasn't surprised, per-say, but the fact that he had said those things to Casey certainly didn't sit well with her. And it really didn't sit well with Matt.
"He hasn't done anything, I've barely talked to him. He keeps to himself most of the time."
"Good… You'd tell me, right? If he did anything."
"Of course." She responded, feeling Matt's thumbs rubbing over her stomach. "But he really hasn't done anything. Since he talked to you, he hasn't said a word to me." She spoke, Matt nodding as he focused his attention on her belly. "Why? You gonna go all angry-fiancé on him?"
"Angry husband, maybe. And only if I need to. I don't like the idea of him messing with you."
"He hasn't done anything. And you're not my husband yet, buddy." She corrected, Matt rolling his eyes.
"Close enough. Although, maybe not anymore…" He teased, grabbing her empty left hand. "You've already ditched the ring."
Huffing out a breath in frustration, she tapped her hand against his cheek. "It's the stupid swelling, you practically had to pry the thing off last time I put it on." She complained, an amused grin falling onto his face as she pulled the small chain around her neck out from under her shirt. "But I still have it close, don't you worry." She assured him, Matt sliding his hands from her belly to her hips, carefully pulling her closer to him, Gabby standing in between his legs.
"Speaking of, have you thought anymore of when you want to get married? Pretty soon we're gonna run out of time before she gets here." He spoke, Gabby's smile faltering slightly.
"Oh, uh, no I haven't really." She responded, avoiding his gaze. Matt's head tilted to the side slightly, confusion filling his features. "It's been a little crazy, I haven't really thought about it."
"Are you okay?" He asked, sensing her nerves.
Gabby plastered a smile on her face, glancing quickly to her watch before meeting his eyes. "I'm good, I'm just gonna be late." She responded, kissing him quickly before pulling from his grasp, grabbing her shift bag. "I'll see you in the morning, have a good day, alright?" She spoke, reaching for her smoothie that she sat on the nightstand.
"You too. Love you." He replied, Gabby flashing him a small smile as she moved towards the door.
"I love you, too."
Gabby's breath hitched as she felt her stomach cramp, the paramedic slowly pushing herself up from her bunk, knowing she needed to get up and move around before it got any worse.
It had been a pretty easy start to shift, 61 only having been called out once throughout the entire morning, which had given Gabby plenty of time to relax. The only issue was that she was having a hard time getting comfortable. For the last couple of hours, she'd been getting cramps in her stomach. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, and considering her stomach seemed to only keep getting bigger, she knew it was just her body adjusting to the growth, but it didn't make it any less uncomfortable.
Rubbing her hand over her stomach, Gabby began walking back and forth in the bunk room, stretching out her legs as she hoped the movement would settle the cramping in her stomach.
"Hey Dawson."
Gabby looked up at the sound of her name, seeing Brett walking towards her with a grin on her face.
"Hey." She responded lightly, pressing her fingers into her hip, a small wince covering her face.
"You okay?" Brett's demeanor immediately shifted into one of concern, Gabby giving her a nod.
"I'm fine, just cramping a bit."
"Do you need anything?"
"No, I'm okay, thanks though." She responded as she felt another cramp in her abdomen, Brett's face contorted in worry.
"Are you sure? Do we need to take you to med?"
"No no, it's fine. I think I was just lying down in the same spot for too long." Gabby explained, the blonde nodding reluctantly.
"Alright, well if you need anything, let me know." She offered, Gabby nodding. Brett opened her mouth, clearly intending to say something else, but was cut off by the bells, 61 being called to help with victims from a house fire. A grimace covered Gabby's face, Brett seeing it immediately. "How about you sit this one out." She spoke, Dawson looking towards her.
"Are you sure?" She asked, Sylvie nodding with a smile.
"Of course. I don't want you pushing yourself, you just stay here and rest."
"Alright.. Thanks Brett." Dawson spoke, not having the energy to put up any fight as Brett gave her a nod before hurrying out of the bunk room. Gabby was never fond of having to sit out on calls, and so far since her pregnancy, she'd only had to hang back on a handful of calls, but each time she hated doing so. It was usually more of a struggle to get her to stay back, but today she was glad Brett had suggested it, because she wasn't sure if she could get through a call right now. The cramping in her abdomen had yet to ease up, and Gabby knew from experience that her trying to work through them only made them worse.
Taking deep breaths, Gabby kept up her slow pace as she moved back and forth in the room, soothingly rubbing over her stomach, a small smile resting on her face when she felt her girl moving around.
"You're energetic today, aren't you?" She whispered as she looked down. "It's a shame your Daddy isn't here, he always loves it when you're up and moving. But we'll see him again in the morning."
Gabby stopped talking as she heard movement behind her, seeing Garcia standing in the now open doorway to Matt's office, his eyebrows raised. She could tell just from his demeanor that he heard her talking to her stomach, but she didn't care, Gabby looking away from him as quickly as she had glanced towards him.
She continued moving around the bunk room, one hand digging into her back as she blew out a sigh of relief, feeling her cramping start to lessen.
"Didn't 61 get called out?" He questioned after watching her for a few moments, Gabby turning to look at him.
"They did, Brett told me to stay back."
"Why? Can you not work?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"No, I can." She responded shortly, Garcia smirking at her.
"Then why aren't you?"
"I don't think that's really any of your business." She spoke, grimacing as she started cramping again.
"You really are feisty, aren't you?" He questioned, Gabby rolling her eyes. "...You don't seem to like me very much, Dawson."
"Well, I don't take too kindly to people who walk in here gunning for someone else's job." She bit out, earning a chuckle from him.
"I won't lie, it's a good house here, and this job would be great.. But I think it's more whose job I'm filling in for that has you upset. No need to hate me just because you miss your boyfriend."
"Fiancé." She snapped, Garcia's smug grin widening. "And believe me, my issues with you aren't because of Casey… Although I did hear what you said to him last week."
"What I said- Oh," He smirked knowingly, pushing himself off the doorframe, walking towards her. "That was just me paying you a compliment." He responded, Gabby scoffing.
"I feel sorry for any woman who's ever been on the receiving end of your compliments, if that's what you think might win someone over." She responded harshly.
"Well, I thought it might work on you. I mean, you seem to have a thing for Captains." He spoke surely, Gabby's eyes narrowing.
"Excuse me?"
"I'm just saying, it's interesting that you went after the highest ranking firefighter in the place. Well, aside from the Chief. But still, good for you."
"Not that it's any of your business, but Matt and I were together long before he became a Captain. I don't know what point you think you're making, but quit acting like you have any idea what you're talking about." She spoke roughly, turning away from him, heading for the exit.
"It's always a pleasure, Dawson." He spoke lightly as she whipped open the door, leaving the room before things escalated any further. Between her exhaustion and her hormones taking a toll on her, she couldn't tell if she wanted to go and scream at Garcia, or if she was about to burst into tears. But she still didn't want to stay long enough to find out, Gabby walking through the hallway, heading for the common room.
Matt stood in the kitchen as he finished drying off his plate, the sound of the TV in the living room the only thing that could be heard throughout the apartment. He had just finished up his dinner, Matt taking to eating some leftover pasta out on the couch, figuring it was the easiest since it was just him tonight.
Placing the dish on the rack, Matt headed out of the kitchen, moving through the living room to get to the guest room. He had slowly been working on the crib the last few days, finally feeling good enough to be able to maneuver around and do the work necessary to get it built.
As much as he hated to admit it, the new medication he'd gotten put on had seemed to work wonders in helping him manage his pain. That, along with his new brace and the exercises, the pain in his knee was nowhere near what it had been a week ago, and he could feel the progress he was making. He'd even been able to walk and stand for longer periods of time without needing crutches. He knew it was getting better. And even though he still didn't feel comfortable being reliant on pain medication for the rest of his life, he knew it was something he at least had to do for right now. For him, and Gabby, and their little girl, he needed to be on them.
Walking into the soon-to-be nursery, Matt moved towards the nearly completed crib, smiling at his handiwork. It was something that, in his usual state, would've taken him maybe an hour to complete, but even though it had taken him a few days, he was proud of himself for being almost done with it. All he needed to do now was get the bottom frame in place and put in the mattress. He had been fighting with this crib for weeks, and now that it was nearly done, he felt a sense of accomplishment. And he also felt excited, knowing this was something for their baby girl.
It took all of ten minutes for him to get it finished, Matt sliding it into place against the wall, his palms resting on the wood as he took a second to appreciate his work. His moment was cut short, however, when he heard his phone ringing from the living room.
Moving as quickly as his knee would allow, Matt hurried to the couch, picking up his phone from the end table, seeing Gabby's name and photo on his screen. Without hesitation he answered the call, putting his phone up to his ear.
"Hey baby." He spoke with a smile, his lips turning down into a frown when he heard her release a heavy breath. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
"I'm alright... I just wanted to hear your voice."
Matt's eyebrows furrowed as he sat down on the couch. "What's going on?"
"Nothing. It's just been a long day, and I miss you."
"Well, I'm right here. And I miss you too." He replied, leaning back into the couch, unable to shake the confusion and concern he was feeling. He gave her a few seconds, listening to her breathing on the other end of the line before speaking up again. "Did something happen?" He questioned softly.
"No, not really. I mean, Garcia was running his mouth this afternoon but that's not unusual."
"I thought you said he was leaving you alone?" He asked, his neck clenching.
"He was, until today. It wasn't anything, really. Just him making comments."
"About what?"
"You and me. About why we got together."
Matt blew out a sigh, shaking his head. "What the fuck is his problem..." He muttered under his breath, rubbing his hand over his mouth.
"I don't know. Any other time I would've smacked the smirk right off his face, but this kid is really taking it out of me. I swear, even when I'm angry, I just feel like I'm gonna start crying. I'm a mess."
Matt's focus moved from Garcia back to Gabby, hating that he wasn't with her right now. "You're not a mess, you're pregnant. But I'm sorry, babe." He murmured gently. Since she left in a hurry this morning, he'd been a little worried about her. Something was off with her, and hearing her now only made him more concerned. He could hear how upset she was, and it worried him. "Are you sure you're okay? Nothing else happened?"
"I'm fine. I don't even think this whole thing with Garcia is what's bothering me, it's just been a long day. It's one of those days where everything's been upsetting me. And our girl is making things a little harder on me right now. I've had those cramps all day and I can't get comfortable. And then if I do, she starts moving around to ensure I don't stay comfortable." She rambled, Matt sighing deeply. "I'm sorry, I know I'm complaining-"
"No, you can complain all you want. I'm just sorry it's been such a hard day for you, I wish I was there… I'm not even sure what I could do, but I'm sorry." He responded, practically able to feel the smile on her face.
"You being here is enough." She spoke softly.
"Do you want me to come to the firehouse?" He questioned after a few silent moments.
"No, it's okay. I just wanted to hear your voice."
"Are you sure? I don't mind at all. I can be there in like twenty minutes."
"I'm positive. I'm already feeling better, although I still miss you."
Matt let out a soft chuckle, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. "I miss you, too." He told her, giving her a second before he spoke again. "Is everyone out on call? It sounds quiet."
"No, everyone's here. They're in the common room, I think. I'm in Kelly's office."
"Oh, does he know that?" He asked with a grin, hearing her scoff.
"I asked before I came here. I think he's been able to tell I've been a mess most of the day because he didn't even question it."
All his previous concern came flooding back, Matt drawing in a deep breath. "Are you sure nothing's going on? You've got me worried over here. I mean, you seemed a little off this morning, and then everything today, are you sure you're alright?"
"It's nothing, really. Your daughter's just been wreaking havoc on my emotions lately. And I'm really tired, that's not helping anything."
"I like how she's only my daughter when something's wrong." Matt spoke lightly, thankful when he got a chuckle out of her. "But maybe it might be time to think about you slowing down some." He spoke carefully, knowing this wasn't a topic that was bound to go over well when they really got into it.
"Yeah, maybe… I don't know." She breathed out. Matt could tell she didn't really want to talk about it, and knowing how rough of a day she'd had, he had no intention of pushing the topic. "But what about you, how's your day going?" Matt shook his head lightly, knowing she was deflecting.
"It was alright, I actually just got the crib finished."
"Really?" She asked excitedly, Matt's smile growing.
"Mhmm. It's all done. Finally." He replied.
"I'm so excited to see it." She murmured.
"Tomorrow morning, you can stare at it all you want. It's a pretty great crib, if I do say so myself." He told her, his smile widening as he heard her laugh.
"I'm sure you did great." She complimented, Matt bringing his legs up to rest on the coffee table.
"Well, you can be the judge of that." He spoke lightly.
Their conversation was soon interrupted by the bells ringing throughout the firehouse, Matt unable to hear who was being called.
"Do you need to go?"
"No, it's not me. Squad's being called out." She answered softly. "Do you need to do something, or can you stay a little longer?"
"I'm all yours." He responded quickly. "What do you want to talk about?"
"I don't know…" She breathed out. "Can we just sit here for a few minutes?"
"We can sit here as long as you want." He replied, hearing her release a content sigh, the two falling into a comfortable quiet as she focused on the sound of his breathing.
Matt grunted into consciousness as he felt fingers running through his hair, a soft smile falling onto his face as his head moved towards the warmth. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel her beside him, Matt slowly opening his eyes to find Gabby sitting on the edge of the bed, her hand lightly scratching his head.
"Good morning." He murmured, stretching his arms above his head, shaking the exhaustion from his muscles.
"Morning." She responded, his eyes coming into focus, locking on hers. He tried to get a read on her, his eyes tracing over her face. Even after their near hour phone call last night, he was still worried about her, and he wanted to know if she was alright. But aside from the clear fatigue covering her features, she seemed okay.
"How are you feeling?" He questioned, reaching his hand out towards her stomach, his warm palm cupping her skin.
"Better." She responded, rubbing her thumb across his temple. "I could definitely use a nap, but I'm okay."
"Well, there's plenty of room in here." He spoke encouragingly, patting her side of the bed.
"Maybe in a minute. I wanna see the crib, first." She spoke excitedly, Matt nodding as he propped himself up on his elbow. Without a word, he reached up, pressing a passionate kiss to her lips, feeling her smile against him before she reciprocated his gesture, her other hand moving to rest on his arm.
"Good official morning." He spoke against her lips, giving her another kiss before pulling back, moving his attention to her stomach. "And good morning to you, little one." He murmured, placing kisses against her covered belly.
After spending a few minutes of his attention on her bump, he pulled back, flashing her a smile.
"So, you wanna see the crib?"
"Yeah, just let me change first." She responded, rubbing his head before slowly standing up. Matt collapsed back onto the bed, keeping his eyes on her as she moved around the room, slowly stripping from her shift clothes and changing into one of his t-shirts and a pair of shorts, his eyes focused on her growing stomach. "Alright, get up lazy. Let's go see this crib." She spoke with a grin, Matt smiling back as he tossed the covers off of himself, slowly climbing out of bed. "Don't you need your brace?" She questioned, Matt shaking his head.
"No, I'm good."
"Matt…"
"I'm fine, promise. My knee doesn't hurt, and we're just going to the guest room. Now walk." He prompted, lightly tapping her butt, Gabby shooting him a playful glare before they walked through the house.
When they walked into the room, a wide grin broke out across her face, Gabby turning to look at him with joy shining in her eyes. "I love it, Matt." She murmured, pressing a kiss to his lips before she walked towards the crib. Not only had he moved the crib in place, he'd also gotten the glider positioned in the corner. It was slow, but the room was coming together. And with a few more items, it would be complete.
Gabby stood in front of the crib for a few minutes before moving to the chair, sitting down slowly, releasing a content sigh as she relaxed into it.
"Still comfortable?" Matt questioned as he came to sit on the footrest in front of her, placing his hands on her knees.
"Very." She responded, slowly moving back and forth. Matt began pressing his fingertips into her thighs, lightly massaging her skin, smirking as she moaned in satisfaction. "That feels nice." She commented softly, her eyes falling closed. With the grin still on his face, Matt continued his movements, the two enjoying the quiet they found themselves in.
Once finishing his actions, he slid the footrest back, picking up her left foot, placing it in his lap as he began to massage it, Gabby's content moans getting louder. He knew she was sore most days, especially in her feet and her legs, and her swollen ankles weren't helping matters. But a massage from him always seemed to help her.
"So, Sev's been pestering me about something for the last few weeks." Matt spoke up as he pressed into her foot, Gabby opening her eyes, her head tilting to the side in question. "He's wondering when we're gonna tell him he's the godfather."
Scoffing lightly, Gabby shook her head, closing her eyes again as she focused on her massage. "I can't say I'm surprised." She spoke lightly, Matt grinning.
"Yeah, he's not exactly subtle. But it did get me thinking, it's something we'll need to figure out." He continued, Gabby nodding. "And I know we have a few options, but how would you feel about Severide?" He questioned, a small grin resting on her face as she looked towards him.
"Honestly? I just assumed Kelly was gonna be our girl's godfather. I'm not sure we could get away with picking anyone else." She teased, Matt chuckling. "But in all seriousness, I think he should be her godfather. He already loves this kid so much, and, I mean I'm already expecting her and her Uncle Sev to have an unbreakable bond, but I think he's the right choice." She told him, Matt nodding in agreement.
"Yeah, I do too. Obviously no one's gonna love her more than we do, but Kelly's gonna love her a hell of a lot." He spoke, Gabby nodding. "What about the godmother? Have you thought about it at all?"
"I have actually." She replied, Matt raising his eyebrows as he waited for her to elaborate. "I was thinking of asking Jemma." She spoke shyly, Matt's grin widening. "Would that be okay with you?"
"Jemma would be the perfect choice, of course it's okay with me." He responded, seeing her release a breath of relief.
"You think so?"
"I do."
"Good. I mean, there's a few different people we could choose, but Jemma just feels right. I know we haven't known her all that long, but I know how much she already loves this baby, and us. She feels like the right choice."
"Yeah, maybe we haven't known her very long, but she's your best friend. Like you said, she loves us, and our girl. I don't think there's a better choice." He assured her, Gabby nodding softly.
"Well, that was easy." She breathed out, Matt chuckling as he continued rubbing her foot.
"Definitely not one of our harder decisions, no." He agreed, seeing a yawn escape through her lips. "Alright, I think it's time to get you and our girl into bed." He spoke, carefully placing her foot back on the ground.
"Yeah, I think you might be right." She responded as she yawned again. Standing up from his seat, Matt held his hands out to help her up, Gabby flashing him an appreciative smile as she stood.
The two walked back to the bedroom quietly, Gabby succumbing to her exhaustion nearly as soon as her head hit the pillow. Matt curled up behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist as he held onto her bump, it not taking him long to follow her lead, the expectant parents soon sound asleep.
Matt sat on the exam table, his palms resting on the edge as they waited for Dr. Williams. Gabby was by his side, sitting in the chair a few feet to his right, her body resting against the back of the seat, her hands cradling her bump.
"Remind me again why we did this?" He asked, Gabby tilting her head to the side in confusion. "Why did we think it was a good idea to have both of our appointments on the same day?" He questioned, Gabby scoffing lightly as she shrugged her shoulders.
"I couldn't tell ya. I think we thought it was a good idea at the time." She responded lightly, Matt shaking his head with a grin. In theory, having both Matt's appointment for his knee and her appointment with Dr. Tanner seemed like a good idea, but now that they were here, knowing the long day they had ahead for them, Matt was having second thoughts about their decision.
"You feeling okay?" He asked, watching as she ran her hand over her stomach. It had been a long week for the couple, to say the least. Gabby had been a little all over the place lately, her emotions overwhelming her most days. For lack of a better word, the only way Matt knew how to describe her was an emotional wreck. He knew it was normal, that will all the hormones flowing through her system, it was expected, but what had him worried was that it had seemingly come out of nowhere. And he never knew what might upset her. They hadn't really gotten into any fights, or at least none that lasted very long, but he knew things had been hard on her lately. He could tell she was frustrated, because she didn't really understand her own emotions either, so Matt just tried to let her feel whatever she needed to feel. When she got mad at him, he didn't take it personally. When she got so upset that she would start crying, he held her and let her cry. He knew her emotions were taking their toll on her, so he tried to do all he could.
But there was something in the back of his mind, a thought he couldn't quite shake, that there was more going on than she was telling him. Every time he tried to find out the reason for her behavior, she would always brush it off as hormones, but he couldn't help but feel like there was more to it. A few times he got her to admit that she was just exhausted, and that she was a little stressed out because of his slow recovery, but other than that she only blamed it on her emotions being out of whack. Even though he wasn't sure she was giving him the whole story, he never pushed it, because he knew that was bound to start a real argument. And he didn't want either of them to have to deal with that.
"I'm alright, just feeling like an absolute giant." She spoke, Matt shaking his head.
"You're twenty eight weeks pregnant, baby. There's nothing wrong with how you look, you're beautiful." He assured her, just as he'd done multiple times over the last few days. That was another thing that had seemed to be upsetting her lately, Gabby having a hard time feeling confident in herself. She'd definitely gotten bigger, her belly rounding out more and there was some extra weight on her where she would've preferred it not to be, but she was still gorgeous. She was always gorgeous to him, and he'd made a point to continuously remind her of that.
His grin widened when he saw a smile come to her face, Gabby ducking her head in embarrassment.
"Yeah, well you have to say that. You're the one who did this." She responded teasingly, patting her stomach lightly.
"No, I don't have to say anything. But I am saying it, because it's true." He spoke, smiling at her.
"Such a sweet talker." She murmured, shaking her head.
"Well, yeah. That's how she's even here in the first place." He joked, his eyes flickering to her stomach as Gabby chuckled.
"You're not wrong." She replied, the two having to put their teasing conversation on pause when they heard the door open, Dr. Williams stepping inside.
"Hello Matt, Gabby." He greeted, the two smiling at him as he came to sit down.
"Hi."
"So, how have you been the last two weeks?" He asked, placing his tablet on the table.
"I'm feeling really good, actually." He spoke with a small smile. "I haven't felt any sharp or unbearable pain in almost a week, and whenever I do feel any pain, it's not anything nearly as bad as it had been."
"That's great. You've still been taking your medication? No issues with that?"
"Yeah, I have. There's been no problems." He responded.
"He's done great with them." Gabby interjected, Dr. Williams glancing towards her. "He's been taking them religiously."
"That's what I like to hear. Are you still wearing your brace? And doing your exercises?"
"I have been, yeah. And I haven't been needing my crutches either. I've been going on some walks, too. I'm feeling really good."
"That's great, Matt." Dr. Williams spoke, sliding towards the table. "May I?" He asked, holding his hands out towards his knee, earning a nod from Matt. Dr. Williams began doing different things to his knee, testing its strength and stability. "Any pain?"
"No." He responded, earning a nod from his doctor.
"Well, everything feels good. I want to see you up and doing a few things for me, I've got some different strength tests, and I'm gonna have you climb a few stairs. I just want to see how your knees holds up before giving you the green light to return to work. But as long as those go okay, I have no problem with you getting back to shift."
Matt's face lit up at Dr. Williams words, turning towards Gabby to see her smile matching his.
"That's great." Casey replied, breathing out a sigh of relief.
"I know you've been itching to get back. Nearly six weeks off the job isn't what any of us planned for, but I'm just glad you're getting better. Now, Matt I'm gonna take you out in the hallway so we can do some of those tests with your knee. Gabby, feel free to stay here, we won't be gone long."
Matt slid down off the table, sending her a soft grin as he headed for the door, Gabby responding with a supportive smile before Matt and Dr. Williams left the room, leaving her alone.
They were gone for about fifteen minutes, Gabby taking to focusing on the movements of their daughter as she waited for Matt to return. When they finally came walking in, Gabby's eyes traced over his face, seeing a gentle smile resting there, Matt nodding slowly.
"How'd it go?"
"It went very well. I told him that as long as he eases back into it, I'm fine with him returning next shift." Dr. Williams spoke, Gabby grinning widely as Matt climbed back up on the table.
"That's great, baby." She spoke excitedly, reaching out for his hand, Matt instantly taking it.
"But, I do have some very important guidelines for you to follow, especially with you returning to work."
"Alright."
"First, you've got to stay wearing the brace. On days off, you can keep wearing it like you have been, but on shift it stays on the entire time. And I also want you to continue doing those exercises, at least once a day, maybe twice on the days you're not working. They've helped with your recovery, and I think they'll only continue to help you. So I want you to keep those going."
"I can do that."
"And I'm also going to prescribe you more of your medication. I know you're almost done with the one you have, so I'll get you more of those. It'll be a 30-day supply, and I'll set it up for you to be able to get it refilled without needing to come back and see me." He spoke, Matt's face falling slightly.
"So I'll have to keep taking them?"
"For the time being, yes. The exercises and the brace, and time, all those things have helped in your recovery. But the medication is what's helping you the most. You need to stay on them, at least for now."
"Okay."
"I know it's not what you want, but it's necessary." He spoke with a sympathetic smile.
"I know, I guess I was just hoping I could get off them. But if you say I need to stay on them, I will."
"It's for the best. At least for right now, especially with you going back to work. I know I prepared you for this, that long-term pain management was what we were working towards. And, luckily, we've found something that works and is helping you. So it's crucial that we continue it like you have been; staying consistent in taking your meds, and working on your strength."
"Alright." Matt responded, giving him a nod as he squeezed Gabby's hand.
"Here's your prescription." Dr. Williams said, handing him the slip of paper. "As long as nothing changes, I don't need to see you again for awhile. I want you back in about six weeks, just to make sure everything's still going well. At that point, we'll talk again about maybe seeing if we could wean you off of the meds, but that'll be a discussion for then. So, we'll get that appointment set up, and as long as you're doing well, I'll see you then."
"Sounds good. Thank you, Dr. Williams."
The doctor left, leaving the couple in there as Matt glanced towards Gabby, seeing her sitting on the edge of her chair.
"How are you feeling?" She asked, swinging her bag over her shoulder before slowly standing up.
"I'm good. I'm excited to get back to work." He replied, sliding down off the table, Gabby moving to stand in front of him.
"I'm looking forward to you being back, it hasn't been the same without you." She spoke with a grin, Matt bringing his hand up to cradle the side of her face. Leaning forward, he placed a soft kiss to her lips, Gabby smiling against him before reciprocating the action, bringing her free hand to rest on his waist.
When they pulled back, Matt rubbed his thumb over her cheek, Gabby smiling softly before she glanced at her watch.
"If we leave now, we should have time to stop by the pharmacy before my appointment." She told him, Matt nodding, pressing another quick kiss to her lips before moving towards the door.
"Alright, let's get out of here." He spoke, holding open the door for her, Gabby flashing him an appreciative smile as they left the room.
"Hello you two." Dr. Tanner spoke as she walked into her office, the expectant parents flashing her a smile as she came to sit across from them, placing her tablet down on her desk. "How are you guys doing?"
"We're doing good. Matt got cleared to return to work today." Gabby spoke, her smile beaming as she glanced at him, Matt's grin widening when he saw her excitement.
"That's great, Matt. So you're feeling better?" She asked, Casey nodding as he placed his hand on Gabby's thigh.
"I am."
"That's good to hear. And what about you, how are you feeling Gabby?" She asked, resting her hands against her desk.
"I've been alright." She breathed out, Dr. Tanner's eyes narrowing in slight concern.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, it's just been kind of an emotional week. My hormones are going a little crazy." She responded with a slight chuckle, Dr. Tanner nodding understandingly.
"Ah yes, I remember that well. But physically you're feeling alright? I saw in Amanda's notes you've been having some dizziness and cramping."
"I'm okay. The dizziness doesn't happen often, usually just when I get up too fast and it goes away pretty quickly."
"That's normal, especially for where you are in your pregnancy." She assured her, Gabby nodding before continuing.
"And the cramping isn't anything unusual, I don't think. It was mostly just happening when I stayed in the same position for too long."
"Did it go away pretty quickly?"
"For the most part, yeah. When I would get moving around, it usually helped." Gabby responded, Dr. Tanner nodding.
"Well, neither of those things are out of the normal during pregnancy, I don't see any causes for concern for that." She responded, pulling up some images on her tablet. "Your ultrasound looks good, your baby is still on the smaller side, but that's nothing to be worried about. She's still within the target growth for 28 weeks." Dr. Tanner spoke, Matt and Gabby nodding. "But she's looking great. Is she still moving around a lot?"
"All the time." Gabby spoke with a grin. "Especially when this one's around." Gabby joked as she gestured towards Matt, his smile widening. "But she seems to love moving around the most right when I've managed to get comfortable." She finished, Dr. Tanner chuckling.
"I'm afraid to say that'll only continue until she's born. But, it's times like that where her being a little smaller works in your favor, because she has more room in there." She spoke. "But, looking at your ultrasound, I'm very pleased with how she's looking. And all your numbers and everything look great. Your weight is good, your blood pressure and everything was decent. Both of you seem to be doing very well."
"Good." Gabby responded with a smile, Dr. Tanner moving her tablet aside as she leaned forward on her desk, clasping her hands together.
"Now, there is something I want to talk to you about today." Dr. Tanner prefaced, Gabby nodding slowly, feeling Matt squeeze her thigh. "You're starting your third trimester, which means we're now entering the most important part of your pregnancy. With your situation, it is vital that you take care of yourself, and pay attention to what your body is telling you. More so than before, we have to vigilant with you, for both your health and your baby." She told them, Matt swallowing the lump in his throat. "We did take a look at your aneurysm today, and I'm happy to tell you that it's still the same size as it was when you first came here. Which is good, the smaller the better. And the fact that there's been no change is encouraging. But the more you grow, the more pressure that gets put on your system, is when your condition starts to become dangerous... This is when we have to really start watching you."
Gabby nodded, able to feel the tension radiating from Matt's body the second her aneurysm was mentioned.
"Here soon, maybe after your next appointment in two weeks, is when we'll be starting those weekly appointments. If there's any change in your aneurysm, I need to know as soon as possible. So I'll have you in weekly for new images."
"Whatever we need to do." Gabby responded, placing her hand over top of Matt's, Casey flashing her a supportive smile.
"Well, I'm glad you said that because there is another thing I need you to do for me." Dr. Tanner spoke, Gabby waiting for her to elaborate. "I need you to start slowing down. I know you've been careful, and you've been good about knowing your limits. But remember when I told you how we've got to focus on the things we can control? Well, I think it's time for you to cut back on work." Dr. Tanner spoke, Gabby taking a deep breath.
She wasn't completely surprised by this, but that didn't mean she liked it. Gabby trusted that Dr. Tanner knew was she was doing, that she wouldn't suggest it unless she thought it necessary, but it wasn't in Gabby's nature to slow down. Especially when she still felt really good most days.
"Alright… So am I allowed to work at all? Or am I done?"
"No, I'm not saying you can't work anymore, at least not yet. But prepare yourself, that will be coming. We need to be careful here, you need to be careful, so I'd feel more comfortable if you cut back to only working at one place, instead of continuing working both jobs."
"Okay." Gabby responded. "Do I get to choose with job I take my leave?"
"Of course. That decision is up to you. Obviously, I'd prefer you to do your leave at the firehouse, just because your shifts are shorter and less frequent at that private company, but it's up to you. I know you're careful, and you have people looking out for you both places. But I also know both of you would probably prefer Gabby continuing to work at the firehouse, since you can keep an eye on her, Matt. But really, it's up to you. I just need you to cut back to one."
"I can do that." Gabby assured her, Dr. Tanner nodding.
"Good. I know it's gonna be hard to slow down, but it's only going to be more important for you to take it easy the further along we get through this trimester. Everything now is taking it day by day, and more than ever, it's important you listen to your body" She told her, earning an understanding nod from Gabby. "And speaking of taking it easy and listening to your body, there is one last thing I want to talk to you about. Well, both of you actually." Dr. Tanner spoke.
"Okay." Matt spoke up, both he and Gabby waiting for her to continue.
"So far in this pregnancy, I've pretty much given you two free rein when it comes to intercourse, but that's another thing I'm going to need the both of you to be mindful of." She spoke, Matt feeling heat rise to his cheeks. He knew it was an important conversation, considering it was about Gabby's health, but discussing the personal aspects of his and Gabby's relationship wasn't something he was super comfortable with. Gabby, on the other hand, didn't care so much, but seeing Matt's clear discomfort was a little amusing. "I'm not saying you need to stop, at least not yet, but just make sure you're taking it easy. I know this probably goes without saying, but if you're not feeling up for it, Gabby, don't push yourself. You can get creative, there are other things you can do together even if you don't feel up for standard intercourse." She spoke, Gabby biting back a smirk as she saw Matt shift in his seat. "Just listen to your body, and make sure you're communicating with one another about what you feel you can do. I don't think it'll be a problem, but make sure to not do anything too strenuous. The last thing you need is any added stress, even if it's good stress, so just be careful. Keep things simple." Dr. Tanner instructed, Gabby nodding.
"We will." She responded.
"Good. Now, unless you two have any questions, I'll see you both in two weeks."
"I think we're good." Gabby spoke, glancing to Matt who simply nodded.
"Alright, well I'll see you then." She spoke, Gabby and Matt saying their goodbyes before making their way out of the office. After a quick stop at the front desk to schedule her next appointment, the couple walked hand in hand out of the building, beginning the walk down the sidewalk towards Matt's truck.
"So, how are you feeling about everything?" He asked, Gabby dropping his hand to wrap her arm around his waist, Matt resting his over her shoulders, pulling her into his side.
"Well, I think it's unfortunate we've been told to take it easy." She spoke teasingly, Matt shaking his head in amusement. "Because if I remember correctly, you said something about 'just wait until I get my mobility back'. And now that you've finally healed up, we've gotta cool it... It's a shame, because I was really looking forward to seeing what you had in mind."
"Hey, we don't have to stop completely... But I was thinking more along the lines of how you were feeling having to cut back at work." He spoke with a grin. "Although, back to the first thing, I think I've done pretty well, all things considered." He played along, pressing a kiss against the top of her head.
"I have no complaints." She agreed, resting her free hand over her stomach. "And honestly, I'm not too surprised that she wants me to cut down on work. I've kind of just been waiting for it, and now that I'm in my third trimester, I figured if she didn't mention it today, she would've next time."
"And you're okay with it?" He asked, Gabby shrugging in his hold.
"I guess, yeah. I mean, I don't have much of a choice. And I wouldn't try and fight her anyway, not when it's to protect our little girl." She responded, Matt nodding understandingly.
"I know." He replied, rubbing her shoulder. "Do you know where you want to keep working?" He questioned as their steps slowed when they approached his truck.
"Honestly? I think I want to keep working at 51." She spoke, an immediate smile falling onto his face. He tried to mask it quickly, but Gabby saw it, releasing a light scoff as she shook her head. "You can be happy, you know. You don't need to hide it." She told him, patting his stomach.
"I know, but I know this isn't an easy decision for you. And I'm a little surprised, I figured you'd want to keep working with Jemma until the baby. I guess when she said that, I just assumed you'd be leaving 51." He spoke, pulling open the passenger side door.
"Well, if I'm being honest, when she first said it, it didn't take much thinking. I knew I wanted to finish out my work before the baby at 51."
"Why?"
"Because of you." She replied instantly, Matt's eyebrows raising as he took a deep breath.
"Gabby, you don't need to do that for me." He responded, watching as she shook her head.
"I know, but I want to." Her chest filled with warmth when she saw the smile that covered his face. "We only have limited time left being able to work together, and then we missed so much time because of your injury… After this baby, I'm gonna be going back to the SAS, and I don't know if we'll ever be able to work together again. I want to stay at 51 until I have to go on leave. I want to be able to get as much time working with you as I can." She told him, Matt's grin widening.
"I love you so much, did you know that?" He questioned, leaning forward to place a gentle kiss to her lips, cupping her cheeks as they stood by his truck.
"I know." She responded as they pulled back, her grin widening.
Kissing her again quickly, he placed his hand on her back, turning her towards the vehicle. "Now, get in." He spoke lightly, taking her purse from her. "We've gotta get you and our daughter home." He told her, Gabby smiling before she slowly climbed in, Matt making sure she was settled before heading around to his side.
And there's another chapter for you all. Looks like Matt will be back at 51 soon, and Gabby decided to choose to work there for the rest of her pregnancy. Gabby's already in her third trimester, which means we're getting closer and closer to baby Casey!
I really hope you all enjoyed this one, I'm so excited to hear your thoughts! Thank you so much for reading!