Well, here is another one for you guys. I absolutely loved reading your reactions to the last chapter, I'm so glad you all liked the wedding.
I hope you all enjoy this chapter as well, although I do feel the need to apologize in advance.. Just remember as you're reading this that, as far as I know, I haven't let you guys down yet. But yeah, I'm sorry for this.
Happy reading.
Chapter Fifty Four
Gabby stretched her arms above her head as she waited for the water to get to her desired temperature, pulling Matt's shirt from her body and letting it drop to the floor before stepping in, closing the door behind her as quietly as possible. She knew showers themselves weren't typically the quietest thing in the world, but she was trying her hardest to not wake Matt. It was still early, they had shift in a few hours and she wanted him to get as much rest as possible.
As she began her shower, Gabby couldn't help but think over the last few days. It had been a week since their wedding, and it had been one of the best weeks of her life. There was an indescribable feeling that arose in her chest every time she thought about how her and Matt were finally married again, and it made her feel like the luckiest woman in the world.
Nothing within their relationship had changed really; Matt was still Matt, he was still the same loving and attentive man he had been before the ceremony, but still, something about it felt different. It felt like things were finally back to normal, like they had finally fixed what had been broken over a year ago when they stood in their kitchen and had the worst fight of their lives. Gabby remembers the hopelessness she felt that day, how she feared they had done irreparable damage to one another and their relationship. And, for awhile, it seemed like they had. They had ruined not only themselves, but one another. Yet they managed to overcome it. They got through it, they came out the other side stronger, and now that they were married again, everything finally felt like it was back in place. Everything felt right, and she'd always be grateful for that.
Gabby was pulled from her thoughts as she felt the all too familiar tightening in her lower stomach, a soft groan escaping her lips as her muscles clenched uncomfortably, Gabby bracing her hand against the shower wall.
Over the last few days, Gabby had started feeling Braxton Hicks contractions quite frequently, and they were incredibly uncomfortable. They didn't hurt, thankfully, but she didn't love them. The first time it happened, she was freaked out, understandably so. But after a call to Dr. Tanner, her worries were quickly alleviated, though unfortunately the tightness hadn't been.
She knew this was normal, that it was all part of her body preparing itself for having this baby, but it didn't mean she had to like it. Thankfully, the contractions usually stopped soon after they started.
But what wasn't normal was the tensing that suddenly started in her back, Gabby frowning as her back tightened uncomfortably, gasping in part shock and part pain as her muscles started spasming. Releasing a long groan, Gabby turned towards the shower wall, resting her head against her forearm as she tried to stretch out the muscles in her back. But her movements were only making the spasm worse, Gabby wincing as she pressed her hand into her back.
She tried to focus on her breathing, knowing there wasn't much else she could do except wait it out. But as the tensing continued to get worse, she wasn't sure how much longer she could handle it. And the second her Braxton Hicks contractions started up again, she knew she needed to get the spasming to stop or it would become unbearable.
Blowing out a frustrated sigh, she turned her head back, looking towards the half open door out into their bedroom.
"Matt…" She called, unsure if she was loud enough to wake him up. He was a light sleeper most of the time, and in this moment she was thankful for that, Gabby hoping it wouldn't take much to pull him from his slumber. But after thirty seconds passed and he hadn't appeared, she tried again. "Matt!"
In the bedroom, Matt's eyebrows furrowed as he shot up in bed, shaking his head as he tried to clear the fog his brain was in. He wasn't sure what happened, but while he was dreaming he suddenly heard Gabby yelling his name in the midst of his sleep. He initially hadn't thought it was real, that it had just happened in his dream, but when his vision cleared and he turned to see her side of the bed empty, he knew it might've been more real than he initially thought.
"Gabby?" He called, registering the sound of the shower running.
"Matt!" He heard from the bathroom, Casey scrambling out of the bed the second the sound of her voice hit his ears, his legs nearly getting caught in the sheets as he hurried to his feet, rushing to the bathroom. Pushing the door open quickly, he saw her standing in the shower, her back to him as she leaned up against the wall.
"What's wrong?" He asked immediately, pulling open the shower door, Gabby shivering as she felt a rush of cold. His eyes ran over her body, looking for any clear signs of distress, but he couldn't notice anything.
"My back- it's spasming or something… I'm sorry for waking you up, but it hurts." She groaned, Matt frowning as his eyes moved to her lower back. His frown deepened when he faintly saw the muscles in her back twitching, Matt shedding his boxers before stepping in with her, closing the door behind him.
"Where does it hurt?" He asked, wanting to make sure he got the right spot. Gabby blindly brought her arm down, reaching for his hand and guiding it to her back. Without another word, Matt began to carefully work over her muscles, Gabby intaking a sharp breath. He pulled his hands away instantly, looking up at her in worry. "Did that hurt?"
"Yes, but it was helping." She responded, Matt nodding before going back to work, feeling the resistance under his fingertips.
He could feel her slowly starting to relax as he continued massaging her back, Gabby breathing deeply as her muscles became less tense. Matt wasn't sure how long he spent rubbing over her back, but when he felt no more spasming under his touch, he moved around to massage other parts of her body, doing what he could to help relieve the tension.
Gabby released a moan of appreciation as he hit a particularly sore muscle, his movements soon dulling the ache. Matt had always been good with his hands, Gabby knew that better than anyone, but what she had come to appreciate over the last few months was just how good he was at giving massages. Matt was always able to hit a sore spot better than she ever could, and it had proven to be useful multiple times during her pregnancy.
"Feeling better?" He asked as he slowly moved his way up her back, beginning to rub away the tension from her shoulders.
"I am." She breathed out, another moan escaping her lips as he dug his thumb into the base of her neck.
Matt soon finished massaging her back, ducking his head to press a soft kiss to her shoulder, Gabby pushing herself off the wall, carefully turning to face him.
"Thank you." She murmured, Matt smiling as his hands moved to her waist, Gabby's hands coming to rest against his wet chest.
"Of course."
"I am sorry about waking you up, though." She repeated, Matt shaking his head. "I tried to just let it pass, but it got too uncomfortable."
"I'm glad you woke me up, I don't want you to be in pain." He responded, rubbing his thumb over her hip. "Besides, it gave me an excuse to shower with you, which is never something I'd turn down." He spoke with a grin, Gabby biting her bottom lip as she shook her head.
"Yeah, I know you wouldn't." She replied, watching as his eyes moved down to her bare chest, Gabby chuckling before gripping his chin, lifting his head back to meet her gaze. "But I also know I woke you up a lot during the night, I was trying to let you sleep."
"You did seem pretty restless." He agreed, sliding his hands up and down her sides, the warm water falling down on them.
"Your child kept moving around a lot," She responded, Matt grinning in amusement. "And I woke up to those contractions a few times, and then, you know, there was the usual having to pee every hour." She breathed out, Matt frowning as he leaned forward, placing a kiss between her eyebrows.
"I can't even imagine how hard this has all been, but you're amazing. You know that, right?"
"You've told me once or twice." She replied, Matt's hands continuing to move over her slick body, transitioning from resting on her sides to roaming around her back.
"Well, I haven't told you enough." He responded, Gabby pressing a kiss to his collarbone. "You're absolutely incredible, and I'm so thankful for everything you're doing for our baby girl."
"She's more than worth it." Gabby whispered against his skin, Matt leaning his head against hers, the couple enjoying their intimate, quiet moment together.
Eventually she pulled herself from his grasp, the two shifting so Gabby could be under the water, rinsing through her hair as she inadvertently gave Matt quite the good view.
"I still need to shower, I didn't get very far earlier." She spoke, Matt's eyes roaming her body, a small smile tugging on his lips.
"Do you mind if I stay awhile?" He asked, finding her gaze again, Gabby chuckling as she shook her head.
"Of course not, as long as you actually let me shower." She spoke pointedly, Matt shrugging with a smirk.
"I can do that." He replied, extending his arm out to rest his hand over her stomach while she began washing her hair, Matt doing his best to not distract her too much while they prepared for the day ahead.
Gabby laced her fingers with Matt's as they began walking up the driveway towards the firehouse, Casey carrying both their shift bags as he always does. As they slowly moved up the driveway, Gabby couldn't help but smile as she felt Matt's wedding band resting in between her fingers.
He'd been wearing it for weeks, in fact he'd rarely taken it off since she placed it back on his finger after her proposed, but she loved the reminder that they were now legally married again, and it made her happy that he was wearing it on shift this time around. After their first wedding a few years back, Matt had made the decision to not wear his ring on shift. He'd asked her about it, to make sure she was fine with it, saying he didn't want to risk losing it, or it getting messed up. Gabby, of course, told him it was fine. She understood, and she'd never force him into wearing it, but she'd be lying if she said it didn't sting a little. Gabby never told him, she didn't want it to become a big deal when it didn't need to be, but she was so excited he'd decided to wear it to shift this time. Every time she caught a glimpse of the ring of his finger, it made her heart swell with pride. It made her feel so incredibly grateful that they'd gotten to where there are right now, that they'd overcome everything life had thrown at them.
"Your back hasn't hurt you anymore, has it?" Matt asked as he looked down towards her, Gabby staring blankly ahead while they walked, Matt grinning as he saw the soft smile on her face, clearly lost in her own thoughts. "Baby." He prompted, squeezing her hand, snapping her from her thoughts. Gabby blinked a few times before turning towards him, a sheepish look covering her face as she saw him watching her expectantly.
"What'd you say?" She asked him, Matt grinning.
"I asked you if your back was hurting you anymore." He repeated, Gabby shaking her head as she pressed her lips together.
"No, it's not." She responded as they stepped into the garage, the couple walking in between the rigs.
"What were you thinking about?" He questioned, Gabby smiling shyly, Matt looking at her in curiosity.
"Nothing much." She replied, scrunching her nose up. "Just thinking about some guy." Matt's grin widened as he stopped them beside 81, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.
"Oh yeah, what's he like?"
"Well, he's this amazing firefighter, a great Captain." She spoke, Matt cocking his head to the side.
"So you're thinking about Garcia, huh?" Matt joked, Gabby's eyes narrowing in disgust as she pushed against his chest, Matt chuckling.
"Absolutely not." She replied instantly. "The guy I'm thinking of is a much better man than that prick." Gabby spoke, Matt biting back a smirk as they continued walking. "And the guy I'm talking about also happens to be my husband."
"Lucky bastard." Matt breathed out, Gabby looking at him with an amused expression, shaking her head.
"There are the newlyweds!" Kelly shouted as the couple walked around the front of 81, Gabby rolling her eyes.
"Sev, that's the first thing you've said to us the last two shifts. How much longer is that going to last?" Dawson asked as they continued their walk towards the firehouse, Severide coming up to walk alongside them.
"I don't know, how long are you guys considered newlyweds?" Severide questioned, Matt shrugging. "Oh come on, you should know this. You've done this twice now."
"Not funny." Matt responded as Gabby glared at the squad Lieutenant, Severide holding open the door for them.
"It was a little funny." Kelly muttered under his breath, Gabby shooting him another glare as they headed for the locker room, Severide trailing behind the couple, Matt keeping his tight grip on her hand while they moved. "So, Dawson, how's the little nugget doing?" Severide asked as they got into the room, Gabby flashing smiles to Brett, Foster, and Kidd who were all huddled together.
"She's doing good, she's definitely running out of room in there though." Gabby told him, moving to her locker. "But she looked good last week, we have our next appointment tomorrow so we'll get to see her again then."
"How has that been, having so many appointments?" Kidd questioned, Gabby glancing towards her friend.
"It's been a lot, I won't lie. But it's been really exciting getting to see all her development week to week."
"I'm glad we do them." Matt chimed in, everyone glancing towards him. "With what we're dealing with, going to all these appointments gives us some reassurance, and if anything with her changes," Matt nodded towards Gabby while he spoke, "we know right away." His words earned some understanding nods from around the room, Gabby flashing him a small smile.
"Is everything still okay with you, Gabby?" Brett asked, Dawson nodding.
"Yeah, I'm doing alright." She responded, Matt watching her closely. "My aneurysm has gotten a little bigger, though…" She told them, Brett's eyebrows furrowing in concern.
"So what does that mean for you?" The blonde asked.
"Well, right now, not much. We're just keeping an eye on it. My doctor has been great, she has plans in place for essentially every possible outcome, but right now all we can do is monitor it. And I just have to make sure I'm careful and that I take it easy." She told them.
"Do you know how much longer you'll be able to work?" Kidd asked, Gabby shaking her head.
"I don't. It won't surprise me if she tells me tomorrow that I need to stop, but it depends. I feel good, but I know I haven't been much help the last few weeks anyway." Gabby spoke with a chuckle.
"That's not true." Foster cut in, shaking her head. "You've been doing what you can, and plus we like having you here."
Matt grinned at Emily's words, glancing to Gabby, seeing a thankful smile on her face.
"Yeah, and plus your experience is just as much help as you physically being able to help. Trust us, we've loved having you back on 61." Brett told her, Gabby ducking her head.
"It's been great being back, I missed it."
"We're gonna miss you here. Obviously, we want what's best for you and the baby, we don't want you working past when you should, but we're gonna miss you."
"I'm gonna miss you guys, too." She replied, putting her bag into her locker, feeling Matt's eyes on her. "But maybe I'll get lucky and she'll allow me to work another week."
"Yeah, hopefully." Brett smiled, Gabby closing her locker and turning towards her friends. "You do seem like you've been feeling good, considering you're very pregnant." The blonde joked, Gabby nodding.
"Oh, I am definitely very pregnant. I can't do anything without something hurting. And those Braxton Hicks contractions are no joke." She breathed out, Foster shaking her head.
"God, I can't even imagine." Emily spoke with a grimace.
"How painful are they?" Kidd asked, Gabby shrugging.
"They're not too bad, most of the time, but they're definitely uncomfortable. I know they're just part of it, but I could do without them."
"Wait, so you're just, like…" Kelly started, Gabby glancing back towards him to see him clenching his hands in front of his waist repeatedly, visualizing his words. "Contracting right now?" He asked, Gabby chuckling as Matt scoffed.
"Sev…" Casey spoke, shaking his head.
"What? It's just a question."
"I'm not right now, no. But, when I'm having them, yes." She responded, Kelly's eyes moving to her stomach, the man shaking his head as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"That's messed up." He replied, stretching out his back, Gabby shaking her head in amusement. "Can you like… see the kid in your stomach?" He asked, glancing back and forth between Dawson and Casey, Matt nodding.
"Yeah, sometimes." He responded, Kelly grimacing. "If she's kicking a lot, depending on how she's positioned, we can see her moving under Gabby's skin." Matt spoke, Kelly shaking his head with a look of disgust on his face.
"That's so gross, I'm sorry but just… No." He replied, the women laughing as Matt narrowed his eyes at his friend.
"Really Kelly?" Matt questioned, Severide putting his hands up in defense.
"You've felt her move before." Gabby added.
"I know, but I couldn't actually see her in there. I'm sorry, I get it's the miracle of life, yada yada yada, but that's so weird. It's like an alien in there." He replied, shaking his head. "I'm happy for you, and you know I love that kid, but I'll love her a lot more when she's, you know, out of you."
The bells rang throughout the house before anyone could respond to Severide, signaling all companies to a structure fire a few blocks away.
Blowing out a sigh, Casey closed his locker, shaking his head at Kelly as they began heading for the garage, the firefighters and paramedics of 51 preparing themselves for their first call of the day.
Gabby sat in the back of the ambo, her feet resting on the pavement beneath her as she watched on at the scene in front of her. They had gotten called to the fire around half an hour ago, and, luckily, there was no one here, so ambo's services weren't needed, the three paramedics only staying on the off-chance something happened to one of their firefighters while they put out the fire.
They had just finished up, engine doing one last check as Casey came over to the ambo, Gabby smiling up at him.
"Hello." She spoke, holding up her hand to block the sun from her eyes, Matt moving around until his head blocked the bright light from blinding her, Gabby flashing him a thankful grin.
"Hey there. Is your back feeling better?" He asked, Gabby giving him a nod.
A few minutes after they'd gotten to the call, Gabby's back had started acting up again, the paramedic doing what she could to get the spasming to stop. With Casey in Captain mode, he wasn't in any position to try and help her, so she just had to ride it out. Luckily, it wasn't nearly as intense as it had been this morning, and it passed rather quickly.
"I'm fine." She replied, eyeing him curiously, unsure of how he knew, Matt smiling sheepishly.
"Foster told me." He answered her silent question, Gabby nodding understandingly. "Does it still hurt?"
"No, I'm okay. I am tired, though." She responded honestly, Matt giving her a sympathetic smile.
"You can just take it easy the rest of the day, you know no one will mind."
"I know, but I'm okay right now. Although, I know it's not the most professional thing, but I might need you to give me a back rub later, if we have time." She spoke, Matt grinning as he gave her a nod.
"Of course. We'll find time." He assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You sure you don't want to take off the rest of shift?"
"It's only the first call of the day, Matt." She responded lightly, earning a shrug from her husband.
"Doesn't matter, you're what matters." He replied simply, Gabby smiling softly.
"I appreciate the concern, and I love you, but I'm alright." She told him, Matt nodding. "But it might be something to talk to Dr. Tanner about tomorrow," She started, Matt waiting for her to elaborate. "I do feel good, and part of me does think I still am okay to work, but I have noticed each call is taking it out of me more than it used to." She told him. "I don't know, I don't want to quit working, and I know I'm gonna be bored out of my mind when I'm stuck at home all the time, but, thinking about her," Gabby's hand moved over her stomach, rubbing gently, "it might be something to consider, going ahead and pulling myself out."
Matt tried to hide the smile on his face, Gabby cocking her head to the side.
"What?" She questioned, Matt shaking his head.
"I'm not smiling because you might have to quit working, but I am proud of you for knowing your own limitations." He responded, Gabby rolling her eyes with a playful smile on her face.
"Oh please, I've always been aware of my own limitations, I just ignore them." She replied, Matt chuckling as he leaned down to place a soft kiss against the top of her head.
"Yes, I know." He spoke, Gabby smiling as he pulled back, Matt cradling the side of her face for a few seconds before dropping his hand.
Their conversation was interrupted by Main coming through 61's radios, Gabby and Matt both listening as Brett spoke with the woman, asking ambo to respond to a stabbing victim, Brett agreeing.
"Well, that's my cue." Gabby spoke, standing up slowly, Matt grabbing her arms, helping her up.
"Are you sure you don't wanna sit this one out?" He asked, seeing Brett and Foster coming towards the ambulance, Gabby shaking her head.
"I'm good."
"You sure? You can just ride back to the house with us. I'll even let you sit in my seat." Casey offered, Gabby chuckling as he walked with her towards the passenger side door.
"I'm fine, Matt. I promise." She assured him, Matt nodding as he held open the door for her, Gabby climbing in.
"Alright, just be careful." He responded, Gabby nodding as he shut her door, tapping against the frame before heading around to the back. "Watch out for her, please." He asked Foster as she jumped into the back of the ambo, Emily nodding.
"I will, Casey." She responded, Matt closing up the doors, stepping back as they drove away.
Ambo 61 pulled up to the scene, Brett glancing to Gabby as they started getting out.
"You sure you're up for this? You know we don't mind if you need to stay back." She offered, Gabby shaking her head.
"I'm good to go." She responded, the three paramedics heading up to the front door of the home, all of them looking at one another as they saw the door slightly ajar.
"Hello?" Brett called, giving one last glance to her coworkers before slowly pushing the door open. "Chicago Fire Department, did someone call an ambulance?" Brett called, the three listening closely but they heard nothing in response.
"This is creepy." Foster commented, the three of them taking in the scene through the open door. The room was mostly intact, aside from a broken lamp on the ground, a few pieces of mail thrown across the floor. "I've got a bad feeling about this."
"Yeah, I agree." Brett responded, putting her head on her radio. "Main, this is 61. Can we get some police backup on our call?"
"Contacting dispatch now. What's going on?"
"We're not sure, but the door was open when we got here, and some stuff is broken inside. It might've been a break-in." Brett responded.
"Okay. CPD is on the way, wait until they arrive before proceeding."
"Got it." Brett responded, the paramedics taking a step away from the door, Brett dropping her hand from her radio. "I guess we wait." She told them.
But as soon as the words left her lips, they heard a noise come from inside the apartment.
"What was that?" Foster asked, the other two women glancing to each other, all of them falling silent to try and see if they heard it again. And they did.
"That sounds like someone." Dawson spoke, hearing what she could only describe as someone moaning in pain. It was faint, but it was there.
"I'm gonna go in." Foster spoke.
"Emily-"
"Someone's in there, probably injured. I know we were told to wait, but I'm sure CPD will be here soon. We need to try and help." Foster replied firmly, Brett sucking in a deep breath before nodding.
"Fine."
"Dawson, you should stay out here." Emily told her, Gabby clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Actually, you should probably got back to the ambulance."
"I agree." Brett added, Gabby sighing. "We don't know what we're dealing with, or if it's dangerous. I don't want to risk anything." The blonde spoke, Gabby seeing her gaze flicker to her stomach.
"Alright." Dawson gave in. "I'll stay out here. But keep your radios live, and be careful." She warned them, both women nodding before slowly stepping inside.
Gabby didn't care to stay outside, but she didn't think it was a good idea to go all the way back to the ambo. If they needed help inside, she didn't want to be too far away, and she figured she'd be safe out here, even though they weren't sure what they were dealing with.
"See anything, Foster?" Gabby heard Brett ask, but the woman didn't get a response. "Foster?"
"I found her! It's not looking good, Brett."
"Oh my God." Gabby heard Brett say, Dawson furrowing her eyebrows, wishing she had some idea of what they were seeing.
"God dammit." Foster muttered, Gabby able to hear that they were working quickly, hearing their heavy breathing.
"Foster…"
"Just let me try to-"
"She's gone, Emily. There's nothing we can do."
"What happened?" Gabby finally asked, knowing if there was nothing left to be done, she couldn't distract them from their work.
"She had multiple stab wounds, whoever did this tore her apart…" Brett told her, Gabby grimacing, suddenly feeling grateful that she hadn't gone in. "I don't think she ever stood a chance, but- hey!"
Gabby heard shuffling through the radio, as well as the sound of something breaking inside the house, Gabby's eyes moving to the doorway.
"Brett?"
"Dawson, he's coming out, don't leave the rig!"
Gabby's eyebrows furrowed from Brett's words, not understanding what she meant until a presence in the doorway startled her, the man stopping as soon as he saw her. Gabby took in the sight of the clearly distressed man, her eyes widening as she saw blood staining his shirt and his hands, the man gripping a bloody knife.
Gabby took a step back, unable to move much farther as she stood on the ledge, knowing there was a drop of at least five steps behind her.
The man was breathing heavily, Gabby unsure if he even knew what was happening, but when he registered her pregnant belly, a small smirk rose to his face.
"I don't want any trouble." She spoke as his dark eyes focused on her, Gabby doing what she could to mask her fear. "You can go, I won't stop you."
"Dawson…" She heard Brett's voice come from inside the house, the blonde clearly not having realized Gabby hadn't gone to the rig like they told her.
"Guys stay in there." She called back, seeing the man watching her intently.
The sirens in the distance became closer, Gabby seeing the exact moment he heard the sound, his face hardening, holding the knife up at her, Gabby jumping in her skin.
"Did you call the cops?" He questioned.
"I-"
"Did you call the cops?!" He nearly screamed, waving the knife around in front of her face, Gabby shaking her head.
"We called them before we knew you were here, it's protocol, we just responded to a call." She told him, keeping her voice as steady as possible, the man's eyes narrowing on her.
Although her back was to the road, Gabby heard the police car pull up, sirens blaring. Before she could even react, the man grabbed her roughly, turning her around, holding his forearm across her chest, pinning her against his body as he pressed the knife to her neck.
Whimpers left her lips as she saw two cops approaching, drawing their weapons, Gabby feeling the blade press deeper into her skin, the sting she felt telling her he had drawn blood.
"Drop the weapon!"
"Put the knife down!"
"Drop it!"
Gabby could feel him panicking, her eyes slamming closed as she tried to keep herself as calm as possible, ignoring the pain she felt in her neck, and the feeling of being held by this man. She tried to not let fear consume her, but it was a battle she was losing. The feeling of his heavy breath on her skin, and his arm constricting her chest, it sent her thoughts back to that night in Puerto Rico, to the night of her attack. She was reminded of the terror she felt, how she wasn't sure she'd make it out alive. How she'd never been so scared in her entire life, it was all coming back. But Gabby shook her head, trying to force her mind elsewhere as she focused on the sound of her heart beating in her ears.
This wasn't Puerto Rico. She wasn't there, she was here, in Chicago, with Matt. Once this was all over, she'd be able to be back in Matt's arms. This wasn't what happened to her all those months ago. There was help here, she had people looking out for her. This wasn't the same thing, and she knew she'd be fine.
But as much as she tried to tell herself that, as the seconds passed with this man tightening his grip on her, it became harder and harder to believe it.
"Back up right now, or I'll kill her!" The man screamed, Gabby's ears beginning to ring from his proximity to her head, forcing herself to ignore the words he was saying. Even though she hadn't seen what he'd done to the woman inside, from Foster's reaction alone, Gabby knew it was bad, and she was sure he'd have no problem doing something similar to her. "I'll kill her and her baby, now back up!"
Gabby felt the knife moving against her throat as the man argued with the cops, his movements not deep enough to cause significant damage, at least not yet. But they were enough to leave jagged, superficial cuts across her skin, Gabby feeling blood trickling down her neck as she struggled in his grasp.
His hold around her upper chest tightened, Gabby coughing as he was pushing the air from her lungs, her actions causing him to become more agitated.
Everything that happened next was a blur, Gabby unsure of this man's plan as he made the decision to fight two guns with a knife, but all she registered was the feeling of him dropping his arm from around her, Gabby feeling a moment of relief, hoping this was over. But the moment was fleeting, Dawson feeling his hands press into her back as he shoved her roughly forward. She instinctively reached out for the rail to try and do anything to stop her fall, but it proved useless. Gabby's cheek hit the railing hard as she fell, a scream of pain escaping her lips as her stomach connected painfully with the edge of the steps. Dawson tumbled roughly down the stairs, her body taking a beating until her momentum stopped when she landed face down on the sidewalk.
Her body went numb for a few seconds, her mind in a haze as whimpers escaped her lips, laying unmoving on the concrete, Gabby unsure of what exactly had happened as pain suddenly flooded her entire body.
"Gabby!"
She vaguely made out Brett's voice, Gabby feeling someone place their hands on her neck, stabilizing her spine as her face pressed into the ground. Everything sounded muffled, like she was underwater, and she could barely make out anything being said to or around her.
"Gabby, can you hear me?!"
A groan escaped her lips, blinding pain radiating from her abdomen, something she could only explain as feeling like she'd been stabbed, tears filling her eyes as she felt hands roaming different parts of her body, Brett and Foster working on her quickly. She'd never been in this much pain before, Gabby feeling as if her body was slowly shutting down to protect herself. Her eyes were getting heavier, and her mind was feeling weaker. She felt like she was going to lose consciousness at any moment, her body unable to withstand the pain.
"We need to get the stretcher, we've gotta get her to med now." Brett breathed out from her spot at Gabby's head, Emily running to the back of the ambulance. "Gabby, are you still with me?" Brett asked, trying to keep a level head, her eyebrows furrowing when she saw Gabby start to shift on the ground. "Whoa, whoa don't move. Don't move." Sylvie spoke quickly, Gabby not even realizing she was moving until Brett told her to stop. Dawson tried to cease her body's movements, which proved difficult when she hadn't even realized they were happening.
"Brett…" Gabby croaked out, the blonde barely able to hear her.
"It's okay, we're gonna get you to the hospital." She responded, not sure what Gabby was wanting, but she knew the reassurance couldn't hurt.
"Brett." She spoke again, Sylvie leaning down to be closer to her mouth. "Baby…"
The blonde's wide eyes moved to looked at Gabby's stomach, her view obstructed as Gabby had stopped rolling with her stomach pressed against the ground.
"Gabby…"
"Hit… stomach on the- the steps. I think-" She coughed out, unable to say anymore as she fought off every instinct to let her body shut down, Brett pursing her lips together as she blinked back the tears in her eyes. Keeping her hold on Gabby's neck, Sylvie saw Foster come up to her side, pulling the backboard off the bed.
"We're gonna get you out of here Gabby, we've got you, okay?" Brett spoke through gritted teeth, grabbing the c-collar from Foster, putting it around Gabby's neck. "Alright, let's get her on the board." Brett ordered, the paramedics getting everything into place.
Gabby cried out in pain as they carefully turned her back onto the board, beginning to strap her into it before lifting her onto the stretcher.
"I'm sorry, Gabby. I'm sorry." Brett murmured, doing her best to keep herself together, knowing Dawson needed her at her very best.
Everything quickly turned into a blur, Gabby barely able to stay conscious as pain swept through her entire body, her inability to move not helping matters as her being restrained caused her to panic. She couldn't remember where she was, or what happened, all she knew was how much pain she was in.
"Gabby, Gabby you gotta breathe." Foster spoke, seeing her heart rate on the monitor skyrocket, the paramedic increasing the oxygen going through her mask. "Everything will be fine, alright? Just try and breathe." Emily told her, seeing Gabby's eyes continuously opening and closing, Foster realizing that Dawson wasn't really aware of what was happening, which was probably for the best.
"Foster, we've gotta go now." Brett spoke as they stood with her outside the back of the ambulance, Emily hearing the fear in her partner's voice.
"What's wrong?" Foster asked, turning towards the blonde, seeing Sylvie staring at Gabby's abdomen in horror before looking up to Emily.
"She's bleeding." Sylvie responded, her face paling. Emily felt her heart drop into her stomach, Foster looking down, seeing blood staining the material covering the inside of Gabby's thighs.
Without another word, they got Gabby loaded into the ambulance, Brett jumping in the back with her while Foster hurried to the driver's seat, sirens blaring as she drove quickly to the hospital.
"Try getting in touch with the house." Brett called up to Foster as she worked on Gabby, Emily nodding as she went to the channel that broadcasts to all the radios at 51, knowing that was her best bet.
"Hello? 51?" She spoke frantically through the radio, waiting for a few seconds before continuing. "Please, anyone at 51, respond."
"Foster?" She heard Severide's voice first, followed by Boden's.
"What's going on?"
"Dawson got hurt on our call, the guy, he- he had a knife and grabbed her, and Brett and I were stuck inside and she-"
"Foster, slow down." Boden's voice came through, Emily trying to keep her composure. "Now tell me what happened."
"Gabby got pushed down the stairs by the guy who killed our victim. " She spoke firmly. "She's conscious but she's in a lot of pain. She's… she's bleeding." Emily told them, being met with silence. "You all need to meet us at med. Now."
"We're on our way."
Severide was sitting at the squad table, only half-listening to some bickering between Cruz and Capp, the two men having been going back and forth most of the morning. Kelly wasn't even sure the topic of this very long debate they were having, but he was about over it.
"I'm telling you, Capp, you're wrong." Cruz said, shaking his head.
"Just keep believing that, man."
"Oh, come on, you honestly think that-"
"Guys." Severide breathed out, the two men looking towards their Lieutenant. "Whatever this is, can you please take it somewhere else, or quiet down." He spoke, unable to listen to this any longer.
"Sorry Lieutenant." Capp spoke, Cruz nodding in agreement, the two men standing up.
Severide barely had time to return his attention to the paper he was reading when he heard static come through on the radio sitting in the rig, his gaze moving towards the passenger side door.
"Hello? 51?" Kelly frowned, Cruz and Capp stopping in their tracks as they all heard the panicked tone of what sounded like Foster. Severide dropped his paper, pushing himself up from his seat, walking the few steps to the door and pulling it open. "Please, anyone at 51, respond."
"Foster?" Severide spoke, Boden's voice cutting in right after his.
"What's going on?"
"Dawson got hurt on our call." Kelly's heart rate sped up as the words hit his ears. "The guy, he- he had a knife and grabbed her, and Brett and I were stuck inside and she-"
"Foster, slow down." Boden interrupted, Severide nearly ripping the radio from its spot sitting on the dash. "Now tell me what happened." Kelly ran towards the double doors without hesitation, moving quickly into the firehouse with only one destination in mind.
"Gabby got pushed down the stairs by the guy who killed our victim." Severide nearly tripped as he heard Emily's words, Kelly running quickly down the hallway. "She's conscious but she's in a lot of pain. She's… she's bleeding." Severide ripped open the door to the bunk room, seeing Casey in his office with the door shut, hunched over his desk. "You all need to meet us at med. Now."
"We're on our way." Boden responded without a thought, Kelly racing to Matt's door, pulling on the handle and opening it quickly.
Matt jumped at the unexpected intrusion, turning with wide eyes to find an out of breath Kelly standing in his doorway, radio in hand as his face showed the fear filling his body. "Sev, what the-"
"Foster, I've got Casey." Severide panted into the radio, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he stood up. "Tell him what happened."
"Gabby's hurt."
The second the few words filled his ears, panic filled his entire body, Casey roughly grabbing the radio from Kelly's hands, bringing it up to his lips.
"What happened?" He spoke frantically, his hand trembling by his side.
"The stabbing victim we got called to, the guy who did it was still in the house and he tried to run. I don't know exactly what happened, but Gabby was outside and he grabbed her." Matt's eyes fell closed as Foster's words filled his ears, Casey drawing in a shaky breath. "He pushed her down the stairs outside the house… when we got to her, she was face down on the sidewalk."
His jaw bobbed up and down, Matt swallowing the lump in his throat as he tried to form a coherent thought. "Is she… Is the baby- Are they okay?" He stuttered out, dread filling his entire body.
"I… I don't know, Casey." She answered, tears filling his eyes, Matt stumbling backwards, falling against his desk. "She's conscious, but she's in a lot of pain, and I'm not sure how aware she is right now." Emily explained, Matt's chest feeling like it was about to cave in on itself. "And she's…"
"She's what?"
"She's bleeding, Casey."
A dry sob caught in his throat, Severide grasping his shoulder in silent support, Matt trying to gather himself.
"It didn't look like it was a lot, but there was blood around her thighs. I don't know anymore than that, I'm sorry."
Casey shook his head, running his hand roughly over his mouth, blinking tightly as a lone tear slid down the side of his face.
"I… just save her, Foster." He spoke roughly, his voice hoarse.
"Casey…"
"Do not let her die, Emily." Casey repeated, unable to stop the sob this time, his emotion taking control as Kelly squeezed his shoulder.
In his right mind, he knew that wasn't fair. It wasn't fair for him to put this on Foster, or Brett, or anyone other than the man who hurt her. But he wasn't in his right mind. And all he had right now was 51's paramedics taking care of her, and he needed them to save her.
"We're doing everything we can, Casey." She replied, Matt's jaw clenching. "We just got to med, we'll be waiting for you when you get here."
"Thank you." He croaked out, shaking his head as the terror flooding his system morphed into rage, anger filling his body as he clenched the radio in his hands. Before he could even register his own actions, Matt threw the radio across the room violently, the object shattering into pieces as it hit the window.
"Hey, hey, Casey, man, that's not gonna help anything." Severide tried, shaking his shoulder. "Gabby needs you, you can't do this."
Matt nodded up and down, knowing Kelly was right, Severide pulling against his shoulder, getting Casey to stand up off his desk.
"We're gonna get you to the hospital, alright?" Kelly spoke, Matt nodding as Severide led him from the office, the firefighter's quick pace soon turning into running as they got to the garage as quickly as they could, Matt unable to stop the fresh tears filling his eyes as he thought over everything that could possibly be happening to Gabby right now, and how he wasn't there.
I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry. I know a lot of you are probably going to be upset with me (I've been on a roll with that lately), but hopefully this isn't as bad as the cliffhanger from a couple chapters back, because you all at least got to see what happened to Gabby? (Who am I kidding, it's definitely not any better.) But yeah, I know you guys aren't gonna like me for this. But that's okay, that's part of the fun of writing. Just remember, Dawsey is my absolute favorite ship in the world, and I'm writing this story to fix what the show ruined. So… yeah.
But, I am very, very eager to hear your all's thoughts on this chapter. I've had this accident with Gabby planned for awhile, so I'm looking forward to see what you all think. Obviously, the next chapter will pick up right where we left off, so I'm interested to see what you all think might happen.
Thank you all so much for reading! I feel so lucky to still have such a wonderful following on this story, you all are incredible.
Until the next.