Well, here it is. Another chapter I know you all are eager to read. I hope you like it, thank you for sticking with me.
Chapter Fifty Five
Casey practically fell out of the rig as soon as they arrived at med, the Captain not even remembering to shut his door as he raced towards the entrance, only slowing down as much as necessary to get through the sliding doors before hurrying into the ER.
"Casey!" Matt's head darted around the busy room, soon landing on Brett, Foster, and April all standing by the nurse's station, Casey rushing towards them.
"Where is she?" He questioned as soon as he got close enough, his heart pounding in his chest while his eyes bounced between the three women, feeling a stabbing pain in his gut when he saw how shaken Brett and Foster were. "Where is she?" He asked again when he hadn't gotten an answer quickly enough.
"She's in four, but we don't- Casey, wait." Brett tried, but her words fell on deaf ears as he hurried past them, Matt jogging towards her room.
He could hear his blood pumping in his ears, Matt quickly sliding to door to her room open, ripping the curtain back, his eyes instantly landing on her still form in the hospital bed. His throat bobbed up and down when he looked over her, tears filling his eyes as he saw her stripped down to her bra with the sheets pulled up under her belly, Matt shallowing the sob in his throat as he took in the sight of her beaten body.
"Sir, you need to leave. Maggie, get him out of here."
"Dr. Reynolds, that's-"
"Gabby." Matt choked out, forcing his way to her bed, seeing her eyebrows furrowed as she laid limply on the bed. The closer he got, he could see on her face how much pain she was in, Matt immediately noticing the tears streaming down her face. "I'm right here, I'm here." He told her, sliding past one of the nurses to get to her head.
"Matt…" She whimpered, her head lulling towards the sound of his voice, Matt swallowing the lump in his throat as he looked at her. She was clearly out of it, Foster hadn't been lying about that when she said she wasn't sure how aware Gabby was, and Matt couldn't help but feel that it was probably for the best.
"Sir, I won't tell you again, you need to get out."
Matt's watery eyes snapped up towards the voice, his gaze landing on the doctor he didn't recognize.
"I'm not leaving her." He protested, his hand stroking the top of her head, Casey blinking back the tears sitting in his eyes.
"We need to be able to work on her, and you being here will only hinder that. Now please, get out so we can help her." Dr. Reynolds spoke firmly, Matt's eyes narrowing.
"Don't leave." Gabby pleaded through her haze, Matt shaking his head as he looked down at her, seeing her eyes opening and closing, almost as if she was forcing herself to stay conscious.
"I'm not going anywhere, I promise." He assured her, rubbing his thumb over her forehead before looking back towards the doctor, Matt straightening his spine. "Have you all paged Dr. Tanner?"
"Who?" The doctor asked, Matt's glare hardening.
"Dr. Linda Tanner, she's Gabby's doctor and she needs to be the one to take care of her." Casey replied frustratedly, knowing all this information was already in Gabby's chart. "She needs to be here."
"Who are you, exactly?" The doctor asked with narrowed eyes.
"Gabby's husband." He bit out. "Now have you paged Dr. Tanner yet?"
"Casey-" Maggie tried, but was soon interrupted by Dr. Reynolds.
"Sir, I can guarantee you that I'm more than capable of looking after your wife. I-"
"My wife has an aneurysm in her right iliac artery." Casey cut him off, feeling Gabby haphazardly reaching for his hand, Matt grasping it tightly in his. By the look of surprise that covered the doctor's face, Matt knew he hadn't seen that in her file, if he'd even looked. "I don't care how good of a doctor you are, this is an extremely high-risk pregnancy for Gabby, and you don't know anything about her or this pregnancy. She needs Dr. Tanner, so quit focusing on your ego for a second and go page her damn doctor!" He shouted angrily, feeling Gabby squeeze his hand.
"Casey, we've paged her." Maggie cut in, Matt sucking in a deep breath, peeling his eyes off of the unfamiliar doctor to look towards Maggie. "She's on her way, she should be here any minute." She explained, Matt nodding thankful.
"Okay, thank you." He responded, focusing his attention back on Gabby.
"Dr. Reynolds, she's stable, she should be fine to just wait for her doctor." Maggie prompted, the doctor huffing out a breath before stomping from the room, Matt ignoring him completely.
Casey's eyes traced over Gabby's face, Matt grimacing as he took in the sight of her injuries. The entire left side of her face was scraped, like she'd slid across pavement, Matt seeing dried blood covering most of her skin. There was a huge welt on her right cheek, her face already beginning to swell. After getting a better look at only the injuries on her face, he was terrified to hear what else was wrong.
And he was beyond worried for their daughter.
"It hurts, Matt." She moaned, tears pricking the edges of his eyes as he nodded, Matt leaning down to place a kiss on her forehead.
"I know, baby. I know, I'm sorry." He murmured against her skin, doing what he could to comfort her. Glancing further down her body, there was hardly an inch of skin that wasn't red and angry, Gabby's body covered in scrapes and cuts, Casey knowing here soon the redness covering her body would turn into bruising. He noticed a bandage across her neck, and one on her stomach, both of which covering injuries he couldn't see.
His eyes caught sight of what he could only figure to be a fetal monitor strapped around her belly, Matt sucking in a deep breath as his eyes found Maggie's.
"Is the baby-... is our daughter okay?" He asked, feeling a bit lightheaded.
"We've still got a heartbeat." She answered, Matt releasing the breath he was holding, relief flooding his body. He followed Maggie's hand towards one of the many monitors Gabby was hooked up to, the nurse pointing out their daughter's heart rate. "We don't know much more than that, her heart rate is a little higher than normal, but with everything that happened, and the pain Gabby's in, that's not surprising. Dr. Tanner will be able to tell you more, but right now as far as we can tell she's okay."
"They said Gabby was bleeding?" Matt asked quietly, trying to keep himself as composed as possible.
"She was, but she stopped bleeding on her own, which is encouraging. Without doing an exam, there's not much more I can tell you, but Dr. Tanner should be here soon." Maggie answered, Matt biting down on the inside of his cheek as he nodded, turning his attention back to Gabby.
She was still out of it, her eyes closed as she leaned into his hand, Matt sucking in a deep breath as he tried to calm himself down. His eyes instinctively moved back towards her stomach, a grimace forming over his face when he glanced back to the bandage covering the side of her belly, Matt seeing a small patch of red staining the center of it.
"What happened?" He asked, more so to Maggie, knowing Gabby wasn't really in any condition to tell him much.
Maggie followed his gaze, the nurse releasing a sigh as she took a step towards the bed. "We weren't able to get much out of her, she hasn't been very coherent since she got here, but Brett said she was pushed down the stairs. I guess Gabby told her that her stomach hit the edge of one of the stairs as she was rolling, and she got cut."
Matt nodded his head slowly, anger coursing through his system at the thought of someone doing that to her, his jaw clenching tightly. Someone hurting her regardless was enough to make him furious, but the fact that this person clearly not only had no regard for Gabby's life, but also her baby's life, made him angrier than he'd ever been in his life. Anyone who got one look at her knew she was pregnant, and for someone to make the conscious decision to endanger her and their child made his blood boil.
Matt wasn't sure what happened to whoever did this, but all he did know was had he been there, that guy would've gotten thrown to the ground and Casey would've made sure he never got up again.
"Matt…" Gabby's soft voice pulled him from his enraged thoughts, his gaze coming into focus as he saw her brown eyes watching him. She was still out of it, that much he did know, but she looked a little more focused than she had a few minutes ago.
"What is it, baby?" He asked, continuously rubbing his hand against the top of her head while he leaned over the bed, needing to be as close to her as possible.
"I'm sorry." She spoke slowly, her voice raspy as his eyebrows furrowed.
"What do you mean, for what?" He asked, frowning as he saw her body trembling on the bed.
"I-I should've gone back to the h-house." She stuttered out, Matt's face falling as she spoke. "I… I should've listened to you."
"Gabby, stop." He responded gently, shaking his head as another tear fell down her cheek. "This isn't your fault, you didn't cause this, alright?" He said instantly, clearing his throat.
"But the baby-"
"Is perfectly fine, as far as we know." He told her, squeezing her hand. "There was no way you could've known what was going to happen, this isn't your fault." His kept his voice as steady as he could, seeing her nod slowly before her eyes fell closed, Matt releasing a shaky breath.
He was scared, he was beyond terrified, and he knew that feeling wouldn't pass until they saw Dr. Tanner, but he had to try and be strong for her. Matt knew Gabby needed him right now, he couldn't sit here and think over everything that could possibly be wrong, or he'd fall apart. He knew they really knew nothing about how their daughter was, that there was still plenty that could be wrong with both the baby and Gabby, but sitting here and focusing on the unknowns wouldn't help her. He had to keep himself together until they knew exactly what they were dealing with.
Matt barely registered the sound of the door opening, turning away from Gabby to see who was coming in, the Captain seeing the immediate look of shock on Dr. Tanner's face as she got inside the curtain. She tried to mask it, but Matt saw how uneasy she looked at first glance, and he couldn't blame her. Gabby's appearance was jarring, to say the least.
Drawing in a deep breath, Dr. Tanner walked towards the bed, Maggie slipping out of the room knowing her presence wasn't needed anymore, closing the curtain to give them privacy as she left.
"Hi Gabby." Dr. Tanner spoke softly, Gabby's eyes opening slowly, turning towards the voice. As soon as she saw her doctor, tears flooded her eyes again, Gabby shaking her head sadly.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, Dr. Tanner flashing her a sympathetic smile, placing her hand over Gabby's forearm, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"It's okay, it's alright." She spoke soothingly. "Just walk me through what happened, can you do that?" Her voice stayed calm, knowing Gabby was emotionally unstable, to say the least, and she didn't want to do anything to upset her further. Dr. Tanner had briefly glanced at the ER doctor's notes before coming in here, but, from their own account, Gabby hadn't been very alert when she was first brought in. Though Dr. Tanner could tell she wasn't completely herself, Gabby seemed to have a better grasp of what was happening, and she wanted to know what the paramedic remembered.
"It's still a little fuzzy," She started, her eyebrows furrowing as she stared up at the ceiling, Matt continuing to stroke the top of her head as he noticed how unsteady her voice sounded. "But we- we got called to a stabbing victim, it looked like a break-in… I think." She spoke with a grimace, her free hand moving towards her stomach.
"What's going on, does something hurt?" Dr. Tanner's focus shifted as Gabby groaned.
"Cramp." She spoke through gritted teeth, Dr. Tanner frowning as she placed her tablet down, grabbing a pair of gloves before moving to the end of the bed.
"I'm gonna take a look at you, alright Gabby?" She spoke, Dawson nodding. "Does it feel like contractions or something else?" Dr. Tanner asked, lifting the sheet up over her knees, adjusting Gabby's legs to give her the access she needed.
"It feels like… spasming? I don't know." Gabby replied, wincing when she felt Dr. Tanner begin her exam, Gabby's head falling back against the pillow as she took slow breaths. Matt stood by her side, rubbing gently over her head, placing occasional kisses against her forehead as he whispered comforting words to her.
"You okay?" He asked quietly, Gabby nodding slowly as a tear slid down the side of her face, Gabby hissing slightly as Dr. Tanner checked her.
"I'm sorry, I'm almost done." She apologized, Gabby blinking tightly as Matt pressed another kiss to her forehead, wiping away the tears on her cheek gently. He did his best to avoid any of the scraped skin on the left side of her face, not wanting to risk hurting her further.
"Is it still spasming, Gabby?" Dr. Tanner asked after a few moments, Gabby shaking her head.
"It stopped."
"Is she okay?" Matt asked, leaning up from his position over the bed, needing to stretch out his back.
"Well, she's not in labor or anything, which is good." Dr. Tanner replied, pulling back, Matt grimacing when he saw a bit a blood on her glove.
"Is she bleeding again? I thought Maggie said it had stopped?" Casey asked as calmly as he could, not wanting to upset Gabby.
Dr. Tanner shook her head as she discarded her gloves, adjusting the sheets back over Gabby's legs to cover her up, coming back around to the side of her bed, finding both Gabby's and Matt's panicked eyes waiting for her. "No, you're not actively bleeding, Gabby." She assured them, Matt releasing a sigh of relief, Gabby squeezing his hand tightly.
"Is our baby okay?" She asked quietly, like she was afraid of her own words.
"I still need to do an ultrasound, which I'll do here shortly, but so far, from what I can see, she'll be okay." A heavy sigh of relief escaped Gabby's lips, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks as Matt cradled her head, Dr. Tanner watching the expectant parents sadly. "Has she still been moving around, Gabby?"
"She has." Gabby replied, Dr. Tanner nodding as she glanced towards the fetal monitor. "Not as much as usual, though, but I've felt her since it happened."
"Well, it's been quite a day for the both of you." She replied, moving over towards the wall, grabbing the ultrasound machine they'd brought in earlier. "Now, let's take a look at her and see what's going on, alright?"
Gabby and Matt both nodded, Dawson doing her best to relax as Dr. Tanner began preparing the machine. "So, can you try again to tell me what happened?" She asked softly, Gabby nodding slowly while Dr. Tanner removed the fetal monitor around her belly.
"We got there, and called it in because we weren't sure it was safe to go in, and were told to wait for police backup. But we heard someone in there, so Foster and Brett went in." Gabby's words were slow, much slower than she normally spoke, but Matt knew she was trying to piece together the events of today, and that her memories were still a little hazy. "I remember they told me to stay back, just in case. Well, they told me to go to the rig, but I didn't cause I wanted to be there if they needed help but I should've- I should've just gone like they told me, then this wouldn't have happened and our girl would be okay-"
"Gabby, it's okay." Matt cut her off, his voice beginning to soothe her. She was getting herself worked up, and that was the last thing they needed. "It's alright, everything's gonna be fine. You did what you thought was best, there was no way for you to know this was going to happen. It's okay." He repeated, hoping if he said it enough she'd start to believe it.
"He's right, Gabby." Dr. Tanner added, not liking how high Gabby's heart rate was getting. "You never would've stayed in that position had you known you'd get hurt, there's nothing any of us can do to change what happened, I just need to know what you remember." Dr. Tanner said calmly, Gabby taking a deep breath before continuing.
"The guy who killed that woman was still there, I guess he saw Brett and Foster first and tried to run, but he ran right into me. I remember talking to him… I think I tried to tell him he could just go, that I wouldn't do anything, but then he heard the cops and freaked out. He grabbed me, pinned me against him and held a knife to my throat." Matt's entire body tensed as she spoke, Casey frowning when he saw the fear in her eyes as she recanted the memory, his body trembling in anger. "The cops and him were all talking back and forth, I don't remember what they were saying, but then he just let me go and shoved me down the stairs. I think I hit my face on something, and I remember my stomach hitting the edge of one of the steps, but then everything just felt numb… And I remember being face down on the sidewalk. I don't remember a lot after that… then I was just here." She spoke quietly, clearing her throat as Dr. Tanner nodded sadly.
"I'm so sorry that happened, Gabby. I can't imagine what that was like, but I promise I'm gonna do what I can to get you and your baby through this." She told her, Gabby nodding. "Now, before we talk about anything else, let's just take a look alright?"
Dr. Tanner began the ultrasound, Gabby and Matt both watching the screen intently, feeling a little bit better the longer they saw their baby girl. She looked exactly as she had last week, which they both found comforting.
When Dr. Tanner gave them a moment to hear the heartbeat, tears filled both of their eyes as they listened to the methodical thumping. It was still a little faster than normal, but their girl was alive. And that's all that mattered.
"Yeah, she's definitely a little stressed out." Dr. Tanner muttered, moving the doppler around Gabby's belly. "But after everything that happened to her Mom today, that's not surprising. Once you get a little more calmed down, Gabby, I'm sure she will too." Dr. Tanner spoke, Gabby nodding as she blinked back the tears in her eyes. "But, everything I'm seeing here, your girl looks just fine."
A sob escaped Gabby's lips the second Dr. Tanner finished speaking, Matt watching her sadly as he leaned back down towards her, resting his head gently against hers. Even though Dr. Tanner had said she thought their baby was okay, getting the confirmation through the ultrasound was what Gabby needed to really believe it.
"It's okay." Matt soothed, Gabby leaning her head into his as she cried, Dr. Tanner remaining silent while she gave Gabby a moment, the doctor beginning to take a look at her aneurysm while Dawson was distracted. "She's fine, baby."
Gabby nodded, bringing her hand up to grip his neck, holding him against her as she tried to calm herself down, her body flooded with relief. Matt pressed continuous kisses against the top of her head, feeling her body slowly relaxing underneath him, Gabby resting their conjoined hands over her chest.
"She's okay." She murmured, Matt kissing her again, blinking back the tears in his eyes before they turned their attention back to Dr. Tanner, seeing a look of surprise covering her face.
"Is everything alright?" Matt asked quickly, Dr. Tanner snapping out of her trance on the screen, nodding slowly.
"Everything's fine, I was just taking a look at Gabby's aneurysm. Based on what I'm seeing, everything looks the same as it had last week." She told them.
"That's good, right?" Gabby questioned.
"It's great, I just wasn't expecting it." She admitted, her eyes focused on the monitor. "With the pressure and stress on your system today, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but it seems like the trauma from today didn't affect your aneurysm, which is great. I'm very glad to see that." She spoke, both Matt and Gabby nodding.
Dr. Tanner began shutting down the machine, Gabby resting her head back on the pillow, letting her eyes fall closed as she felt like she could finally relax.
"Are you feeling okay?" He asked her, stroking his thumb lightly over her right cheek, Gabby barely registering his touch. Her cheek was definitely swollen, and he was sure it would only get bigger as the day went on.
"I'm tired." She croaked out, Matt nodding sympathetically.
"I know you are, hopefully here soon you can get some sleep. Are you comfortable? You're not cold or anything, are you?" He asked, his eyes flickering over her nearly bare form. He understood that when she was first brought, getting her in a gown wasn't exactly a priority, but now that things had settled down, he was sure she didn't feel the most comfortable lying here half naked.
He was met by a gentle shrug by Gabby, her eyes falling closed as Matt leaned down, placing a kiss on her forehead. "I'll go ask Maggie if we can get you in a gown, are you okay if I leave for a second?" He questioned, Gabby nodding.
"We'll talk about everything once you get back, Matt." Dr. Tanner spoke as she grabbed her tablet, pulling up Gabby's chart.
Matt nodded, glancing back towards Gabby, seeing her eyes still closed. Slowly, he leaned down, placing a soft kiss to her lips, being mindful of the injuries on her face. Gabby relaxed into him, her hand coming up to cup his cheek, the two relishing in the feeling of one another for a moment.
"I love you." He whispered against her, Gabby nodding before kissing him again, Matt feeling fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.
"I love you, too."
With one last kiss, Matt pulled back, squeezing her hand firmly before stepping away from the bed.
Moving around the curtain, he made sure it was still closed before he left her room, seeing Brett and Foster standing on the opposite side of the nurses station, clearly wanting to be close but not wanting to overcrowd them.
"How is she, Casey?" Brett asked as they approached him, Matt rubbing his hand over his mouth, blowing out a heavy sigh.
"She's okay, considering."
"And the baby?" Foster asked.
"Dr. Tanner said she was fine." He could see them both physically relax, Brett nodding thankfully.
"I'm so glad. Is Dawson gonna have to be here long?"
"I'm not sure, we haven't gotten that far." Matt replied, glancing over to see Maggie at the front of the room. "I gotta go, but thank you guys for getting her here, and taking care of her. We both appreciate it."
"Of course, Casey. I just wish it never happened." Foster replied, breathing deeply. "We didn't know she was still by the door, or we would've tried harder to keep him inside, or gave her more of a warning, or something."
"It's not your fault, there wasn't anything you two could've done. I'm just glad nothing worse happened." He breathed out, shaking his head before catching the paramedics' looks. "But luckily, they both should be fine."
"That's great to hear, Casey." Brett responded, Matt nodding as he began to walk past them, but he didn't get very far before he stopped himself.
"What happened to him, anyway?" Matt asked, Foster and Brett eyeing one another curiously. "The bastard who did this to her?"
They could both hear the anger dripping in his voice, Foster sighing before responding.
"He's dead." She told him, Matt's face unchanging. "The cops shot him."
"Good." Matt said sharply before walking towards the front of the room. "Hey Maggie." He got the nurse's attention, seeing her smile softly. "Can you guys get Gabby changed into a gown, when you get a chance?"
"Yeah, of course. We'll do it right now."
"Thanks." He told her, flashing her a soft smile before heading back to Gabby's room.
When he stepped inside, he saw her in pretty much the same state as when he left, Gabby resting with her eyes closed. But as he got closer he saw the discomfort covering her face, his eyebrows furrowing.
"What's wrong?" He asked, Dr. Tanner looking up from Gabby's chart, seeing the same look Casey saw. "Gabby, are you okay?" He questioned when he'd gotten no answer, Matt coming to stand beside her bed.
"I don't feel good…" She groaned, Casey's eyes flickering towards her doctor in worry.
"What's wrong, Gabby? What hurts?" Dr. Tanner asked, her voice calm yet strong.
"Nothing, I just-" She cut herself off, lifting her head up as a grimace covered her face.
"Gabby?"
She didn't have time to answer as she felt a burning in her throat, Gabby gagging before she began to throw up. Matt moved as quickly as he could to grab the basin on her table, but he was a little too late as she got sick not only all over herself, but partially on him. He held the tub in front of her while she continued to vomit, Matt doing what he could to comfort her as he rubbed her back.
"It's okay, you're okay." He kept repeating, hating to see her like this.
Once she'd emptied her stomach, she coughed a few times before leaning back slightly, Matt grimacing as he placed the surprisingly full bin back on the table.
"Oh, no, what happened here?" Maggie asked with a frown as another nurse followed her in, Gabby groaning as her head fell against Matt's arm.
"She got sick." Matt responded, even though he knew it was more of a rhetorical question.
"We'll get you cleaned up, Dawson. It's okay." Maggie spoke, Matt glancing towards Dr. Tanner who was watching Gabby with a sympathetic look.
"There's a lot we need to talk about, Gabby. But I'm gonna go ahead and have them admit you, then once you're settled I'll come and we can talk. That way it'll be less hectic, alright?" Dr. Tanner told her, Gabby nodding against Matt's arm, taking slow breaths as her doctor left to give the nurses some space.
"Are you gonna be sick again?" Matt asked, seeing that similar uneasy look on her face.
"I… I don't know, I-"
Maggie quickly held out a new basin, Matt grabbing it and holding it under her mouth just in time as Gabby threw up again, Casey wincing as he listened to her hack and cough. He wasn't sure how she even had anything left to throw up, but he could only hope she'd feel better once this passed.
"It's okay." He murmured, Gabby sniffling as she sat back up, Matt handing the bin to the other nurse in the room.
"I'm sorry." Gabby apologized, Matt shaking his head.
"You're sick, Gabby, it's not your fault."
"Here you go, Casey." Maggie spoke, handing Matt a towel to try and clean himself up a bit. Gabby glanced to him, noticing that she'd not only gotten the contents of her stomach all over her chest and her stomach, she'd stained part of his shirt, and he had vomit covering part of his arm.
"Thanks Maggie." He responded, beginning to wipe off his arm, Gabby grimacing.
"I'm sorry." She said again, but Matt simply smiled.
"You don't need to apologize, it's fine." He assured her, stepping out of the way as Maggie came to her side. "Here soon once we have our little girl, I'm gonna be getting thrown up on all the time, this was just a practice run." He joked, glad to see a soft smile come to her face.
"You've got a point." She mumbled, Matt smirking.
"I know." He replied, glancing down to his shirt, knowing for now it was a lost cause. He was sure it'd be fine once it got washed, but until then there wasn't much he could do.
"I can give you some scrubs, Casey, so you don't have to stay in that." Maggie offered, Matt nodding.
"I'd appreciate that, thanks." He replied before Maggie turned her attention back to Gabby.
"Dawson, we were gonna wait until we got you transported to get you cleaned up from everything today, but I might just go ahead and have them do it now, is that okay?" Maggie asked, Gabby nodding. "Alright, I'll have someone in here in a few minutes, then we'll get you upstairs." She explained as she wiped off Gabby's stomach.
"Okay." She responded quietly, relaxing back into the bed. Matt had left to go wash off his arm and his hands, but he returned a few moments later, Maggie waiting to leave until Casey had returned, not wanting to leave Dawson alone.
A few minutes after Maggie had left, an older woman came in, carrying everything she needed to freshen Gabby up. After getting reassurance from Gabby that she wanted Matt to stay, the woman began cleaning her chest and stomach, Casey doing what he could to remain a comforting presence while also staying out of the way. Matt tried not to think about it too much while the woman was cleaning the blood off of Gabby's thighs, knowing Dr. Tanner still hadn't explained much to them as to what actually caused the bleeding. All she said was that they had a lot to talk about, and that didn't really sit well with him. He knew their baby was okay, but he needed Gabby to be okay, too.
Soon enough, Gabby was resting in bed, feeling a little better now that she had been cleaned up and put into a gown, Matt having changed out of his soiled shirt into the scrub top Maggie left for him. They had only been alone for all of a minute when the transport nurses came in to get Gabby, Matt staying out of the way.
As they got her into the hallway, Casey saw Boden and Severide standing close by, Matt catching the looks of horror that flashed over both their faces when they saw the visible injuries covering Gabby, Matt squeezing her hand before walking over to them.
"How is she?"
"She's hanging in there."
"Maggie told us the baby's okay." Boden stated.
"She is, she's perfectly healthy. I… I don't know how, but the baby's fine."
"That's great, Casey." Boden replied, Matt nodding in agreement.
"What happened to you?" Severide asked, eyeing his attire, Matt following his gaze before releasing a sigh.
"Gabby got sick, I was in the line of fire." He replied, Kelly grimacing.
"So they're admitting her?"
"They are. I'm not sure how long, but I don't think she's gonna be out of here anytime soon." Matt replied, glancing back to see Gabby waiting on him. "I need to go, but Chief, I don't know much about what's going on with Gabby right now, but as long as she's here-"
"I know, Casey." Boden cut him off. "She's what's important. I'll talk to headquarters, get someone to cover for you until she's doing better."
"Thanks Chief." Matt replied as he began to walk away. "Oh, and can someone get in touch with Antonio and let him know what happened, I don't have my phone." He requested, Boden nodding.
"We'll take care of it." Chief promised, Matt nodding in thanks before heading back to Gabby, smiling softly at her as they continued to the elevator.
It took about ten minutes for them to get her settled, Matt and Gabby now sitting alone in her room, Matt having made himself comfortable in the chair by her bed, pulling it as close to her as possible. He was leaned forward, resting against her bed as he held onto her hand, Gabby gripping his palm tightly in her grasp, her head turned towards him as she laid there with her eyes closed.
Matt took the quiet moment to take in her appearance once more, trying to squash the anger that coursed through him every time he thought over how she ended up here. From what he could tell, the scrape over her face was definitely the worst of her visible injuries, but as his eyes moved to her neck he was reminded that he had no idea what that wound from the knife looked like. He knew it couldn't have been good, if it was deep enough to have needed covering, and he couldn't help but want to know just how bad it was. But he wasn't going to ask her, or anyone. He knew he'd see it soon enough, he just hoped they were erring on the side of caution and there wasn't a huge cut on her neck hidden underneath that bandage.
The rest of her injuries were covered by her hospital gown, Matt's eyes focusing on her belly, the fetal monitor lifting her gown slightly.
Gabby's body tensing pulled him from his thoughts, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he looked towards her, seeing her eyes snap open, moving around quickly until she focused on him. The second she registered his presence, Matt saw her relax, confusion filling his body as he squeezed her hand. She looked startled, and he wasn't sure what caused it.
"You okay?" He asked softly, picking up their hands and kissing the back of hers, Gabby nodding slowly as she lifted her free hand up, running over her stomach.
"Yeah." She answered, a yawn escaping her lips. "I just fell asleep for a second, and forgot where I was."
Matt nodded slowly, giving her an understanding smile as he brought his other hand up to her belly, rubbing gently beside hers. He applied barely any pressure to her stomach, not wanting to risk hurting her, but he hoped the action was comforting, Matt seeing a soft smile come to her face.
"You can try and sleep some more, I'm not sure when Dr. Tanner will be back."
"Well, it looks like right now." Gabby responded, Matt turning to see her doctor open the door.
"Hello again." She spoke as she stepped inside, closing the door behind her.
"Hi."
"Are you feeling any better?"
"Yeah, I am." Gabby replied, Dr. Tanner nodding as she came around to the other side of Gabby's bed, pursing her lips together.
"So, you said we have things to talk about?" Matt prompted, Dr. Tanner nodding before she responded.
"Yes, we do. Well, as I told you, I'm confident in the fact that everything with your baby looks great. After the day you've had, your daughter is doing great. I'm not so much worried about her." Dr. Tanner started, Gabby smiling softly. "But I am worried about you."
Both their faces fell, Matt feeling Gabby tense beside him.
"What's wrong?" Casey asked, Dr. Tanner taking a deep breath.
"Well, I have some good news, and some not so great news." She prefaced, Matt's chest tightening. "The good news is that I have a diagnosis for you, Gabby."
"A diagnosis? I thought she was fine? You said everything with the baby was okay."
"And everything is, but we do have some complications on Gabby's end of things." Dr. Tanner responded, Gabby swallowing thickly.
"What's wrong with me?"
"You have what's called placental abruption, Gabby." She told them, seeing a blank look on both of their faces. "After your pelvic exam, I thought that's what we were dealing with, but I needed the ultrasound to be sure. Essentially what that means is that your placenta has started separating from your uterus. That's what caused the bleeding, and while sometimes women can develop the condition on their own, a lot of times it's a result of abdominal trauma." She spoke, Gabby blinking tightly. "It can cause some complications for the mom and the baby. It's not ideal, and we're gonna have to watch you closely. But what you have is a mild, or partial, abruption."
"What does that mean?" Matt asked, trying to grasp what Gabby's doctor was saying, but his mind felt blank.
"It means that, in this situation, that's about the best we could hope for." Dr. Tanner replied, taking a deep breath. "This is a serious condition because your baby needs your placenta in tact, and this complicates things. But, luckily, you didn't have what's called a severe abruption. If your condition had been any worse, we probably would've had to deliver your baby today, do an emergency c-section." Gabby's breath caught in her throat, Matt squeezing her hand tightly. "But, thankfully, it's looking like your baby is fine to stay in there for a while longer, and continue to develop. But we're not in the clear yet." She spoke honestly.
"So we might end up having to deliver her early?" Gabby asked softly, her voice unsteady.
"We might." She responded, Gabby's eyes falling closed. "I won't lie to you and say it won't happen, because I don't know. You seem to be doing okay right now, but this condition is tricky and hard to predict. Things can change very quickly, so while I'll do everything I can to keep her in there for as long as possible, I can't guarantee it. If we have to deliver prematurely, we will. There are medications we can put you on, to help her lungs develop a little quicker, just in case we end up having to deliver. It's not ideal, I know, but we might not have any choice."
"Okay." Matt spoke for them, knowing Gabby was having a hard time digesting this. "But she'll still be okay, right? Even if we have to deliver her early?"
"Thirty two weeks is early, but you two have a very healthy little girl. There is always risk of complications, but we'll only deliver if that's our only option. She'd need some time in the NICU, but there's no reason she can't grow up to be a very happy and healthy child." Dr. Tanner replied. "But, hopefully we won't have to deliver anytime soon. With this being so unpredictable, that does mean there's also the chance we can deliver around thirty eight weeks like we planned. We'll just have to wait and see… But, with all this, that means you're going to be here for awhile."
Gabby's face fell at Dr. Tanner's words, Dawson biting down on her bottom lip roughly. "...How long?"
"I'm not sure about that either, but it's entirely possible that you might not be able to go home until you have this baby." Gabby's eyebrows furrowed, Matt drawing in a deep breath as they tried to grasp Dr. Tanner's words.
"What?" Gabby questioned quietly, Dr. Tanner's face softening.
"You might need to be in the hospital until you have this baby." She repeated. "You need to be monitored, and monitored closely, especially for the next week or so. Everything with this is so unpredictable, we can't risk sending you home and something happening. You need to be here, at least for now."
"So there's a chance I could be stuck in here for the next seven weeks?"
"There is, yes. But you might not be, I can't really say. I'm sorry I can't give you any more definitive answers, I wish I could, but I don't have them. There is the possibility that you can go home in a few weeks, if you haven't had any re-bleeding and your condition hasn't worsened, but, like I said, we have to take this a day at a time. So I would prepare yourself to be here for awhile." She said honestly, Gabby sucking in a deep breath. "You can do whatever you'd like to make yourself comfortable, bring whatever you like. You can wear your own clothes, all that stuff. But you're gonna be here for the time being."
"Okay." Gabby replied, glancing towards Matt, who flashed her a supportive smile.
"Whatever we need to do to keep you both safe, that's what we'll do." Matt told her, Gabby nodding. "You two are what's important here, so if we have to stay here for awhile, we will." He spoke, Gabby not missing how he said 'we' instead of 'you', a soft smile coming to her face.
"And I'm sure this goes without saying, but as your doctor I need to say it anyway. You're on bed rest for the remainder of this pregnancy, whether that is done here or you do get to go back home in a few weeks. But rest is truly the most important thing in this situation, so really all you're permitted to do is what you're doing right now." Dr. Tanner told them, Gabby nodding understandingly. "And, again, I don't really see this being a problem in the hospital, but intercourse is off limits for the rest of this pregnancy as well. I'm sure that wasn't exactly very high on your list of priorities right now, but I need to tell you regardless. We can't risk something happening. Really, Gabby, I need you to avoid all stressful situations, whether good or bad. I know it's hard, but your only job here until you have your little girl is to lie in bed."
Gabby and Matt both nodded, Dr. Tanner smiling sympathetically as she dropped the tablet to her side. "I know this isn't what either of you planned for the rest of this pregnancy, and I'm so sorry this happened. But, as I've told you since the beginning of all this, we can only focus on the things we can control. This happened, and now we're dealing with it. But I'm still confident I can get the both of you through this, okay?"
"Okay."
"And I know we had already started your weekly appointments, but you can expect multiple visits from me a week from now on. We need to keep a close eye on you. But, the one upside to this is you don't need to come to my office multiple times a week, this'll save you the trips." She spoke lightly, Gabby forcing a small smile. "...I know this isn't what you two wanted to happen, but this is our only choice here."
"No, I know. I'm just trying to… digest all this, I guess. This was the last thing I was expecting to happen today." She spoke softly, Matt squeezing her hand reassuringly, bringing his other up to cradle her head.
"I know, none of us were. But it's gonna be okay, Gabby." Dr. Tanner assured her, rubbing over her shoulder gently. "I'm gonna go, and let you get some rest. But I want you in that bed at all times. The only reason I want you up is if you need to go to the bathroom, but even then you need someone with you, okay? Whether it's Matt, or a nurse, it doesn't matter. I just don't want you trying to walk on your own."
"Okay." Gabby nodded understandingly, Dr. Tanner beginning to head for the door.
"As long as nothing changes, I'll be back by tomorrow morning to check in on you. Try and get some rest, Gabby." She reminded her again before leaving the room. As Dr. Tanner walked out, Antonio came into few, his worried expression only deepening when he caught sight of his baby sister.
"Hey sis." He said carefully as he stepped inside, Gabby meeting his gaze, tears welling in her eyes.
"Hi." She whispered, Antonio taking steps closer to the bed. The detective had gotten an overview of what happened from Boden, but nothing could prepare him for the state Gabby was in. He had so many questions, but he didn't want to upset her, especially when it was clear she was having a hard enough time as it was.
"Hey Antonio." Matt greeted, standing up to let him come sit by his sister, giving the man a quick hug as they passed one another.
"How are you feeling?" The older Dawson asked as he sat down beside the bed, Gabby's eyes moving to Matt before she shrugged.
"I've been better."
"Antonio, was 51 still down there when you got here?" Casey asked, the older man nodding.
"Uh, yeah, except for 61 I think. But everyone else was still there."
"Alright." He replied, glancing back towards Gabby. "I'm gonna go talk to Boden and let him know what's going on, are you okay?" Gabby nodded in response, Matt rubbing her leg over the sheet before heading for the door.
"Matt?" Gabby's voice stopped him, Casey turning around in the doorway with a soft smile resting on his face.
"Yeah, baby?"
"I, uh, I don't really want to see anyone… At least not right now." She murmured, Matt nodding understandingly.
"I know, it's been a long day. I wasn't gonna bring anyone up, but I'll let them know you appreciate them being here." He responded, Gabby nodding as he left the room. Once she couldn't see him anymore, Gabby turned her attention back towards Antonio, seeing him watching her closely.
"How's the baby?" Antonio asked apprehensively, his nerves lessening when he saw her smile.
"She's good, she's fine."
"Thank God." He breathed out instinctively, Gabby's jaw trembling as she nodded, Antonio frowning when he saw tears welling in her eyes. "Oh, Gabs I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you…"
"No, no it's okay." She responded, wiping under her eyes. "All of this is just… it's a lot. And I don't think everything has hit me yet, but I know it could've been a lot worse."
"But it wasn't." He reminded her, Gabby biting down on her tongue as she nodded. Antonio gave her a second to gather herself, Gabby fiddling with her hands in her lap as she avoided his eye contact.
"You still have my letter for Matt, right?" Her voice was barely audible, so much so that had he not been paying attention he probably would've missed it. But he heard her.
"Gabby…"
"Please, Antonio."
"Of course I have it." He responded softly, Gabby nodding as she drew in a deep breath.
"Good."
"But nothing's gonna happen to you." He added, Gabby's tongue gliding over her bottom lip as she met his gaze. "You're gonna be fine, both of you are."
Gabby nodded slowly, her gaze moving back to her lap as she blinked back the tears welling in her eyes.
"I hope you're right."
Matt stepped out of the elevator as he got down to the first floor, taking a deep breath as he began walking through the ER, making his way to the waiting room. It didn't take Casey long to find everyone, the large group hard to miss as he walked into the room.
Herrmann caught sight of him first, the older firefighter pushing himself up from his seat quickly, his sudden movements gaining the attention of everyone else.
"How is she?" Herrmann questioned as Matt walked towards them, his eyes landing on Boden.
"She's doing okay, she's resting right now."
"And the baby?" Kidd asked.
"The baby's great, right now they're both okay." Matt could feel the tension in the room lift, the Captain seeing a few grateful smiles from his friends. "But we've got to keep a close eye on both of them for the rest of this pregnancy." He told the group, earning nods from the firefighters.
"When can we see her?" Herrmann asked, Matt swallowing thickly.
"They want her to be taking it easy right now, but when she's feeling up for visitors I'll let you guys know. She really appreciates you guys being here, though, it means a lot to both of us." He responded vaguely, earning a few nods from his coworkers.
"Of course, we're just glad her and the little baby are gonna be okay." Herrmann spoke, patting Matt's shoulder, Casey giving him a nod before glancing towards Boden.
"Can we talk?" Matt asked, the Chief nodding before the two broke away from the group, the firefighters ignoring the looks from everyone as Boden followed him down the hallway, Matt stopping when they had a quiet place to talk.
"What's going on?"
"So, uh, Gabby has what's called placental abruption." Matt cleared his throat, Boden wincing at the terminology. Although he didn't know exactly what it meant, it didn't sound good. "Basically, her placenta has started to separate from her uterus, which can cause problems for her and the baby."
"Are they going to have to deliver?"
"No, they're gonna try not to, but Dr. Tanner really isn't sure. We basically have to take this hour by hour at this point. If Gabby starts bleeding again, and she gets worse, we might have to deliver early, but Dr. Tanner is going to do what she can to keep the baby in there as long as possible." Matt explained, Boden nodding slowly. "But Gabby's gonna have to be on bed rest until we have our baby, which could be at any time, there's really no way to know."
"I'm not surprised they're putting her on bed rest." Boden replied, Matt nodding as he ran his hand over his mouth.
"And they're, uh, keeping her here. In the hospital."
"Until the baby?" Chief asked with wide eyes, Casey nodding sadly.
"Most likely." Matt responded, Boden sighing softly. "This condition is really unpredictable, apparently things can go wrong rather quickly, so it's safer for her to be here. Dr. Tanner said in a few weeks, if we haven't had to deliver, and Gabby's doing well, she told us that we might be able to go back home. But it's looking like Gabby and I are gonna be here awhile." Matt spoke, Boden shaking his head sadly as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"I'm sorry, Casey. I know neither of you really want this, but this is probably the best place for the both of them to be."
"No, I know that. But all of this is- it's just hard on her." Matt replied shortly, Boden nodding knowingly.
"I can only imagine, but whatever you guys need, Casey. All of us are here for you two."
"I know, Chief." Matt spoke, Boden drawing in a deep breath before speaking up again.
"So, do you know what you're doing?" He asked pointedly, Matt shaking his head. "I know we talked about you taking some time, but that was before we knew the extent of everything with Dawson… I wasn't sure if you had any idea of what your plans were."
"Honestly, no I don't. I just know I have to be with her right now." He answered, Boden nodding understandingly. "Maybe in a few weeks, if we have a clearer idea of what's going on with her, I can work a couple of shifts, but I'm gonna need some time off for awhile. She can't be alone, and I won't leave her for twenty four hours at a time."
"I'll handle it, Casey." Boden assured his Captain. "I just wanted to check. You focus on taking care of her."
"I will." He responded, Boden clasping him on the shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"I guess we'll head out, give you two some space." Boden spoke, Matt nodding.
"Would you mind waiting for a bit?" Casey questioned, Boden's eyebrows raising curiously. "I need to go back to the house, get mine and Gabby's stuff, and my truck. I wanna go get that done while Antonio's here with her."
"Yeah of course, Casey. But we can get you your things, if you don't want to leave her." Boden offered, Matt shaking his head.
"I appreciate that, but I'm gonna have to go home anyway. Since we're gonna be here awhile, I've gotta get some stuff for us..." He trailed off, Boden giving him a knowing smile.
"Alright, well I'll go ahead and send everyone else out, but I'll wait for you down here."
"Thanks Chief." Matt replied, giving him an appreciative smile before heading back to the elevators, beginning his walk to Gabby's room, Casey wanting to see her before he left.
Well, how are we feeling? I know some of you were thinking they might've been having the baby in this chapter, but that's not happening yet… We'll just have to wait and see what happens.
This was one of those chapters where I had to do a lot of research, like a lot, but it was definitely interesting learning all this stuff. I try to make everything as realistic and close to accurate as possible, but all the medical stuff is not my area of expertise at all. Although it is fun to write about.
I'm anxious to hear your thoughts about everything, and what you think is gonna happen with the baby. Do you all think Gabby will be stuck in the hospital until she gives birth? Or do you think they'll have to deliver early? I'm interested to hear your thoughts.
Thank you for reading!