Hello everyone! Thank you so much for the feedback on the last chapter, it really helped me. But here's the next chapter for you guys, we're getting closer and closer to Baby Casey! Like, very close. Very, very close. I hope you all enjoy this one, thank you for reading!
Chapter Fifty Seven
"Well, Matt I'm glad to hear your knee is still doing well." Dr. Williams spoke as he looked over Casey's chart, the firefighter smiling softly. "But I am sorry to hear about everything with Gabby. I heard some talk about all that throughout the hospital when it happened, but I didn't realize it was Dawson. That's just awful." The doctor mused, Matt nodding in agreement.
Today Matt had slipped away from Gabby's room long enough to go down a few floors to his six-week follow up with Dr. Williams to check up on his knee. Although it had turned into more of a seven-week one with Matt pushing the appointment back, he was glad to get this out of the way.
"Yeah, it's been hard. But she's doing a lot better, we might actually be able to get out of here soon."
"That would be good, I'm sure you both would be more comfortable at home." He replied, Matt nodding. "But, back to your, originally, I was planning on starting to wean you off the pain management medication. Your knee has healed well, you haven't been having any pain, everything's looking good, but with everything going on with Gabby I'm not sure if that's still a good idea." Dr. Williams explained, Casey's head tilting to the side in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"There's going to be an adjustment period when you quit taking your medication, your body is going to need time to readjust without the medicine, and there can be some side effects to that. And, as much as I hate to say it, there's a good chance that this medication is the only reason you're not feeling any pain. It's kind of a trial and error process, we'd have to take you off the meds to know if that's what is helping, and if they are the sole reason for your improvement, you'd most likely need to stay on them indefinitely." Dr. Williams explained, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he tried to digest what his doctor was saying. "But I'm not sure how comfortable I feel taking you off them when you are having to take care of Gabby. I don't think it's a good idea to start messing with this right now, not when we know it's working."
"Okay. So I need to continue to keep taking them?"
"I think that's the best course of action right now, yes. Obviously, I don't want you taking medication just to take it, but the only reason your pain stopped was because of your meds, and I have a strong feeling those issues will only resurface if we try and take you off of them. I told you from the beginning that chronic pain was probably what we were dealing with, and I still believe that's the case. I think it's in your best interest, as well as Dawson's, for you to remain on the medication."
"Okay." Casey responded simply. "If that's what I need to do, I will. Honestly I'm not so much worried about having to continue to take the pills, Gabby's really my only priority right now, so that's fine." He spoke, the doctor giving him a small, knowing smile.
"Yeah, I get it. And, I know things never really calm down with a newborn, but maybe in a few months we can revisit this, talk about trying to get you off them, but right now I think continuing them is the best thing for you. Chronic pain is tricky, and a lot of times it's not always easy to manage. We've found something that works for you, I think it's important we stick to that, especially with everything else going on." He finished, Casey nodding in agreement. "Alright, well just continue to take your pills as prescribed, I don't have much else to tell you, and I'm sure you want to get back to Gabby."
Matt nodded as he slid down off the table. "Yeah, I do. I mean, our friend, Kelly, is with her right now so she's not by herself." He explained, Dr. Williams handing him his paperwork. "But I'd like to get back if we're good."
"We are." He replied, the two men walking towards the door. "Don't worry about making an appointment for down the line or anything right now. Since everything is still so up in the air with Gabby, whenever things get a little less crazy just call and set something up."
"I will. Thanks Dr. Williams." He spoke, giving the man a nod before heading for the exit.
It only took him a few minutes to get back to Gabby's floor, Matt nodding and smiling at the nurses he'd become quite familiar with over the last few weeks. Gabby was nearing the end of her third week in the hospital, so it was safe to say both her and Matt were well acquainted with everyone who was regularly on this floor.
Once he finally got back to her room, Matt smiled as he caught sight of her through the door, Casey sliding it open, the noise gaining the attention of both Gabby and Kelly. A soft smile fell across Dawson's face when she saw her husband, the paramedic shifting her positioning in bed as Matt walked in.
"Hey baby." She greeted, Casey coming to stand at the foot of her bed.
"Hello." He responded with a grin, rubbing his hand over her blanket-covered shin, Matt glancing to his friend sitting beside the bed, giving the firefighter a quick nod. "Thanks for staying with her."
"It's not a problem, I was just catching up Dawson on the goings on at 51." Severide explained, Matt nodding before he raised his eyebrows, looking towards Gabby.
"Yeah, he's been filling me in on all the fun I've been missing."
Matt smiled as he listened to her talk, glad to see her completely comfortable around other people again. It had taken some time, nearly a week and a half of her being in the hospital before she felt comfortable having others around. And even at first, she only let Severide and Jemma come for some short visits. The accident on shift had left her very on edge, Gabby not really wanting to be around anyone at first other than Matt, her brother, and her dad, but her nervousness slowly began to fade, and eventually she felt comfortable being around people again. With the help of time, her friends, and her anxiety medication, she was slowly getting past everything. But it hadn't been easy.
In the roughly week and a half since she'd started being open to the idea of visitors, she'd practically had a line out the door of people wanting to see her. It started with Brett and Foster, the paramedics having been keeping in close contact with Casey until they were able to visit, wanting updates on their friend. They both felt terrible for what happened to her, and were eager to come and see for themselves that she was alright. Along with the paramedics who had visited multiple times, everyone from 51 had been by at least once, if not twice, only staying for quick visits to come check in on Dawson.
Casey was grateful to see 51 come and visit Gabby whenever they could, and he was especially thankful they only came in small groups. He wasn't sure how she would react to having so many people around her at once, but with how anxious she'd been as of late, he was glad they'd come to see her separately. He figured it wasn't something they'd done on purpose, that it wasn't a conscious decision on their part, but he was thankful nonetheless. Although he knew there was a good chance Gabby would've been fine, knowing it was people she was comfortable with, he'd been with her in those moments where she couldn't handle having people around, and it wasn't something he enjoyed seeing. He'd seen her tense up when an unfamiliar nurse or orderly came into the room, even if it was just for a second. Or when there were too many nurses in the room at once. Earlier on especially, she had times where she got overwhelmed easily, and those moments usually ended in tears; partially from her anxiousness, but also from the unsettling reality that she didn't really know what was going on in her own head. He knew that was part of what was making this more difficult, that she didn't understand her own feelings a lot of the time, and it had led to her fair share of tough moments. Gabby being stuck in a hospital bed, along with the typical struggles of pregnancy, her mental state had taken a bit of a hit lately. Emotionally, she'd been up and down a lot over the last three weeks; Gabby sometimes crying out of the blue, or getting upset without any real cause. Matt did what he could to help her through it, and she'd eventually snap out of it, but with each visit from her friends, she seemed to feel a little better. He knew this was all just part of the process, but she was slowly getting back to feeling like herself again.
On top of Matt appreciating everyone from the firehouse coming to see her and distract her from everything for a little bit, it was in times like these where Casey felt so thankful that Jemma had come into their lives, and was someone they could both turn to when they needed help. The second Matt had called her and let her know what had happened, she was there for whatever they needed without question. She made multiple trips to the apartment for Matt so he wouldn't have to leave Gabby's side, and she was the first person Gabby wanted to see. The second Jemma showed up to visit, Matt could see a visible change in Gabby's demeanor. Jemma never treated her like a victim, like someone who needed her pity. She hadn't even reacted to the physical state Gabby was in, she simply treated her like she always did, and that alone instantly put Gabby at ease. With every visit, Jemma was able to lift Gabby's spirits significantly. Her struggles with her anxiety aside, Gabby had handled living in the hospital relatively well, but Jemma had definitely made the situation easier. She was able to take Gabby's mind off of things, and give her a sense of normalcy. Jemma's near daily visits had made things so much easier on the both of them, and Casey would never stop being grateful for that.
"Yeah, Kelly told me something I thought was interesting," Gabby's voice brought Matt's mind back into focus, Casey realizing there was a portion of this conversation that he'd definitely missed, but he let her continue anyway. "You never mentioned that Garcia was the one covering for you." She spoke, Matt raising his eyebrows sheepishly.
"Didn't I?" He questioned, the tone in his voice telling all of them that Matt knew he had in fact never told her. It wasn't long after the first shift he missed that Kelly called him, telling the Captain how headquarters sent Garcia back to 51. While Casey was sorry that his friends had to deal with him, it wasn't something he was too focused on. He had no say in who covered for him, and his only focus right now was his family.
"No, you sure didn't." She responded, shaking her head.
Casey hadn't really thought about Garcia covering for him all that much, he hadn't made the conscious decision not to tell her, it just wasn't anything he thought was important. Especially considering how much Gabby disliked the man, he didn't think it was anything worth mentioning.
"Must've slipped my mind." He shrugged, Gabby chuckling.
"I'm sure." She said, turning back to Kelly. "If I had known you were dealing with Garcia all this time, I would've kicked Matt out of here weeks ago."
"Funny, that's funny." Casey responded dryly, unable to fight the smile that fell to his face when he saw Gabby laugh.
"Yeah, we definitely miss you at the house. We miss both of you." Kelly said, earning knowing nods from both Matt and Gabby. "But, we know you can't work anymore Dawson, and Casey, this is where you need to be. Although I wouldn't be opposed to you coming back for at least one shift here and there." Kelly prodded, Matt drawing in a deep breath as his eyes found Gabby's.
"Oh, before I forget, how'd your appointment go?" She steered the subject in a different direction, earning a shrug from her husband.
"It was fine, went about as I expected." He answered, rubbing soft patterns over her leg. "Everything with my knee is still looking good, there's nothing to be concerned about there."
"Does he still want you on the medication?" She asked, Matt giving her a nod.
"Yeah, he does. He thinks I'll probably just have to stay on them, considering they were the only thing that worked." He carefully replied. Matt knew he was leaving a few things out, but he didn't want her to know that the only reason they weren't going to see if he was able to get off the medication was because of her accident. He knew she'd only feel guilty, and he didn't want her worrying about that. It didn't matter, not with everything else going on.
"I'm sorry." She responded with a slight frown, Matt shaking his head.
"It's fine, I don't really care at this point. I'm just glad my knee isn't a problem anymore." He
replied, Gabby nodding as her eyes traced over his face, Matt flashing her a soft smile.
"So… not to shift subjects again, but there was something Kelly and I were talking about." Gabby prefaced, Casey raising his eyebrows as he glanced in between his wife and his best friend.
"That's never good." He joked, Gabby rolling her eyes before continuing.
"I think it would be good for you to go to work next shift."
Casey's face remained blank for a moment, his hand ceasing its movements over her leg. "Next shift as in tomorrow?" He asked, searching for confirmation, which he soon got in the form of a nod from Gabby.
"Yup."
"What? You're sick of me already?" He questioned lightly, Gabby scoffing lightly as she rolled her eyes.
"Oh, absolutely." She played along, Matt shaking his head in amusement before her voice turned serious. "But no, I love you for being here with me, you know that. But you've been cooped up in here with me for weeks, and I know it's killing you just as much as it's killing me. But, unlike me, you're allowed to leave, and get some time away from here."
"I don't mind being here." He reminded her, Gabby nodding.
"I know you don't. Believe me, I would've known weeks ago if you did. But that doesn't mean I want you being forced to stay here." She told him, Matt's tongue running over his bottom lip. They had talked about this a few times, mostly over the last week, but each time Casey shot her down pretty quickly. "I want you to go to shift tomorrow. It'd be good for you to go and see everyone, and work off some of this nervous energy you've had for the last three weeks." She spoke, Casey eyeing her carefully for a few moments.
"I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone for that long." He admitted, Gabby's gaze flickering to Severide before landing back on him.
"I'm in a hospital full of doctors and nurses, this is the best place for you to leave me for that long." She reasoned, Matt's lips pursing together.
"Gabby…" That wasn't what he was talking about, and they both knew it. But Gabby didn't want to get into all that with Kelly sitting right here.
"I've already talked to Jemma." Dawson told him, Matt's eyebrows raising. "She's gonna come and hang out with me tomorrow, and Antonio already said he'd stay the night with me."
Gabby knew she'd given him every reason to worry about leaving her, and if not for Jemma and her brother, she probably would've never suggested it. But she wanted him to be able to get out of this hospital. She saw what spending all his time here was doing to him, she wanted him to be able to get away from that. And shift was the perfect opportunity to do so.
"If you won't do it for you, do it for me." She spoke when he hadn't said anything. "I want you to do this for me. It would make me happy, you getting to go to work and see everyone. It would be good for both of us."
Matt sighed deeply, squeezing her shin before nodding, watching a soft grin fall to her face.
"Fine." He agreed reluctantly, her smile widening. "I'll go. But, Gabby, if you need me, I want you to call me. I don't care if it's only an hour into shift, I don't care if it's three in the morning, if you need me to come back here, I will." He said quickly, Gabby able to feel his nervousness at the thought of leaving her for that long. "Promise me you'll tell me if you need me to come back."
"I will." She assured him, reaching out for his hand. "I promise, I will. But really, I'm gonna be fine."
"Okay… I'll go call Boden, let him know I'll be there." He replied slowly, Gabby giving him an encouraging nod before Matt turned to Severide, the man having stayed quiet while letting the couple work everything out. "Can you stay a few more minutes?" He asked, Kelly nodding as he settled into his seat.
"Yeah, I'm good. Go ahead and talk to Boden." Severide replied crossing his legs as Casey stood up from the bed.
"I'll be back in a few minutes." He spoke to Gabby, moving to kiss her quickly before heading out of the room, sliding the door closed behind him as he dialed Boden's number, the firefighter walking down the hall.
"Hello?"
"Hey Chief."
"Casey, it's good to hear from you. How's Dawson doing?"
"She's alright, she's feeling pretty good." Matt responded, the man on the other line taking a breath before replying.
"That's good to hear. Any word on if she'll be able to go home soon?"
"No, nothing yet. We're trying not to get our hopes up with that, cause we're not sure if we can even leave at all, but as long as there's no drastic changes, there's a chance we might be able to get her home for a little while. But it's ultimately up to her doctor." Matt explained, smacking his lips together. "But I was actually calling to tell you, or run by you I guess, that I'll be coming to shift tomorrow."
"That's great, Casey. Are you back-back, or just for this shift?"
"Honestly, I don't know. It wasn't even my choice, Gabby's pretty much forcing me." He replied with a light chuckle. "She wants me to get out of the hospital for a bit."
"That's not a bad idea…" Boden mused.
"Yeah, I know. I just wish we could both get out of here. But she talked me into working tomorrow, so I wanted you to know I'll be there. I'm not sure if I'm completely back, everything with Gabby is still so up in the air. We have to take things a day at a time, so I can't really say one way or the other, but I do know I'll be there tomorrow, if that's alright."
"Of course, we're glad to have you back, even if it's only for a shift." Boden replied, Matt stopping by the waiting room on this floor, leaning his weight into the wall.
"Yeah, it'll be nice to get back out there. But, uh, I do want you to know that there is a chance I might not be able to work the entire shift."
"Is something wrong?"
"No, I mean- not really. But Gabby, she's been having some struggles with being alone, or I guess it's more she doesn't really feel safe if I'm not there, or Antonio, or someone she trusts, if that makes sense." He rambled, taking a breath before continuing. "But, anyway, I told her that if she needed me, I'd leave shift, so I need to be able to do that."
"I understand, Casey. You do whatever you need to do."
"Thank you, Chief. I guess Gabby got this all worked out already, it seems like she never really gave me a choice to not work tomorrow, but Jemma is gonna be here with her during the day, and Antonio is spending the night with her, so I don't think they'll be any problems, but just in case, I wanted you to know."
"It's fine, Casey. Dawson is our priority here. If you need to leave, you can." Boden replied, Matt nodding despite the man not being able to see him. "But, I do think I'm going to still have Garcia come in tomorrow." Chief told him, Matt breathing deeply. "You'll be in charge, it'll be the same thing it was when you two worked together when you got back from your injury. But since we're not entirely sure what you're doing, I think it'd be best to keep him around."
"Understood Chief." He responded, his throat clenching. "I, uh, need to get back to Gabby, but I'll see you tomorrow."
"See you then, Casey. Tell Gabby we're thinking of her."
"I will, bye Chief." He spoke, blowing out a sigh as he hung up the phone.
Casey still wasn't sure how he felt about going into work tomorrow. Even though Gabby had been doing a lot better as of late, he hadn't really left her side for any long periods of time, and if he left her longer than an hour, he made sure someone was always with her. The longest he'd been away from her was a couple of hours, and those were only the times he'd go home to do their laundry.
But if she wanted him to do this, he would. And he'd be lying if he said it wouldn't be nice to get back to work, even just for a shift. Sitting in the hospital day after day was hard, and Gabby was right when she said it'd be good for him to get out for awhile. He just wished she could leave with him.
Casey blew out a heavy sigh as he hopped down from truck 81, his body feeling the effects of the long call they'd just gotten back from. It being his first day back on shift in over three weeks, he definitely wasn't in his usual fighting shape, especially considering he'd spent the majority of his time sitting at Gabby's bedside. From a physical standpoint alone, it was definitely an adjustment for him to be back at work, but despite his fatigue, he was happy to be here. It was nice to be back at work with everyone.
Aside from having to spend more time with Garcia than he ever wanted to.
Casey knew, logistically, it was the right call to have the other Captain be here. If Matt needed to make a quick getaway back to the hospital, it made the most sense to keep the man who'd been here recently on shift, but Matt still didn't like the man.
Severide had filled Matt in on what the Captain said about Dawson during Garcia's first shift back, and Casey was less than pleased. He knew the temporary Captain had a mouth on him, and usually spoke before he thought over his own words, but him trying to place blame on Gabby for this was taking it too far. For all the bullshit he'd said during his time at 51, that was by far the most out of line, and if not for Matt having three weeks to digest what the man had said, Matt was sure he would've confronted him about it. But he knew there was no point now. Unless something was said directly to him, Matt knew it best to leave it alone. Especially considering if he did bring it up, Casey couldn't promise things wouldn't turn ugly, and then Gabby would find out. If she found out, he'd have to tell her what caused the fight between the two Captains, and the last thing Matt ever wanted was for her to know what Garcia had said. She was already holding onto enough guilt that she was still struggling with, he wouldn't pile onto that.
Thankfully, Garcia had left him alone. Aside from welcoming him back, the other Captain hadn't said a word to him that wasn't work-related, which was for the best.
"How'd the first call go?"
Matt looked up to see Severide leaning against the front of squad's rig, his legs crossed at the ankles. With a soft smile, Casey hung up his jacket before walking towards his friend, placing his body against the rig as well.
"Long. But it feels good to be back." He responded, rolling his neck to stretch out his sore muscles.
"Feeling it already?" Severide asked jokingly, Matt huffing out a breath as he nodded.
"A little bit." He responded, pulling his phone out of his pants pocket, glancing to the screen.
"Anything from Dawson?" Kelly questioned, Matt looking back up towards his friend. It didn't need to be said what Casey was doing. Before 81's first call of the day, Matt had spent most of his time in the common room, but the entire time he'd had his phone practically glued to his hand. It wasn't even noon yet, but Kelly knew Matt was feeling uneasy about being away from Gabby this long.
"No, I haven't heard from her. I texted Jemma, she said everything was going well, but nothing from Gabby."
"That's good, right?" Severide responded, Matt raising an eyebrow. "That you haven't heard from her, that means she's good."
"Yeah, it is… I'm just worried, it was kind of a long night last night." Casey breathed out, Severide's eyebrows furrowing in concern.
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah... Gabby had a nightmare last night and it kind of made it hard for her to get back to sleep." Matt responded softly, not sure of who all was within ear shot. Normally, he wouldn't even be talking to Kelly about this, but he was stressed out, and he knew it would probably do him some good to get everything off his chest.
"About the guy?" Severide questioned. Although he didn't know Gabby had been having nightmares, or at least one nightmare, he wasn't exactly surprised.
"Kinda, yeah. She's been… she's struggling with being reminded of what happened to her in Puerto Rico because of all this." Casey nearly whispered, Severide's lips turning down into a soft frown. "It was really bad at first, and she's gotten better with it, but sometimes she still has nightmares about everything."
"Shit man." Severide breathed out, shaking his head. "I didn't realize it was that bad."
"It hadn't been, for awhile. When she first got back from Puerto Rico, she had a really hard time, and she'd have nightmares and she'd panic over little things, but she'd gotten a lot better. I mean, it's not something you can get over, but she'd gotten past it. But now, that guy grabbing her and pinning her against him… it reminded her of everything, and she's been having a hard time." Casey explained, blowing out a heavy breath. "And that's part of why it took her so long to wanna see people, this entire thing kind of set her back a bit… But we're getting through it."
"I'm surprised you still came in today…" Severide replied honestly, Matt shrugging.
"She wanted me to. I told her this morning I'd stay, but Gabby- the best way for her to deal with things is to try and accept it and move on… She doesn't like to dwell on things, if she can help it. So she wanted me to come, but she promised she'd call if something happened, so I'm just waiting to see if I hear from her."
"You could always call her, you know." Severide reminded him.
"Yeah, I know. But I'm trying not to be too overbearing."
"So you're just checking in on her through Jemma instead?"
"Exactly." Matt responded, Severide chuckling softly before straightening his back.
"Well, I don't know if this means much, but whenever I've seen her, she's definitely seemed to be in better spirits."
"Yeah, she does well with people around, well a few people that she trusts, but it's when she has time to get caught up in her own head, she's still struggling a bit. But, despite what happened last night, she's doing a lot better. We're just taking it day by day."
"And how's the baby?" Severide shifted the topic, seeing a soft smile fall onto Casey's face.
"She's perfect." Matt replied with a grin. "We saw Dr. Tanner yesterday, and everything is still looking really good, for both Gabby and our girl."
"That's great." Kelly responded, clasping Matt's shoulder. "She'll be here in, what, just a few weeks?"
"Yeah…" Matt breathed out, shaking his head. "If we don't have to deliver her early, in about three weeks she'll be here."
"That's insane." Kelly spoke, giving his friend's arm a squeeze before bringing his hand back down to his side. "It doesn't feel like all that long ago you were telling everyone Gabby was pregnant."
"I know, it's crazy. But I'm so excited to meet her." Casey spoke softly, his eyes lighting up. "Seeing her on the ultrasound is incredible, but I just know once she's here, the first time I see her… I don't even know, I'm gonna be a mess. But I can't wait for her to be here."
"She is one loved little girl." Severide mused, glancing back towards his friend. "Speaking of her being here, do you know how long you'll be gone with all that?"
"What do you mean?"
"Once she's born, do you know how much time you'll be taking off?" Kelly clarified, Matt bringing his bottom lip in between his teeth as his gaze moved out towards the driveway. "What is it?" Severide questioned, seeing the pensive look covering his friend's face.
"...I might be leaving indefinitely." Casey admitted after a few long moments, Severide's eyes widening.
"What?" He questioned in near disbelief, unsure if he heard his best friend correctly.
"I might not be coming back to the firehouse." He said again, Kelly blinking furiously.
"I… I don't get it, why would you not come back to 51?" Severide questioned, crossing his arms over his chest as Matt released a heavy sigh.
"Because I can't commit to coming back here if something happens to Gabby." He spoke, Kelly's eyes falling closed in understanding.
"Casey… She's going to be fine."
"You don't know that." Matt responded quickly, shaking his head. "No one does. And I have to be prepared for the fact that something might happen to her, that she might not survive this pregnancy." He told him, his voice soft but firm.
"So what does that mean exactly? You're just done?"
"If I lose Gabby, I'm done as a firefighter." He replied bluntly, Severide's gaze falling to the ground. "I might see if I can get a job at headquarters, or maybe teach at the academy. But if it comes down to it, I'm done at 51."
"You're serious about this."
"I am. Trust me, I've thought about this. A lot."
"Since when?" Kelly interjected, Matt running his hand over his mouth.
"For a few months, pretty much since my accident." He admitted. "Yeah, I ended up being fine, but it could've easily turned out a lot worse. If I had landed differently, or been stuck down there longer, it could've killed me. If Gabby's gone, and something happens to me on the job, that leaves my daughter with no one… I won't do that to her."
"Casey, you know things like that are rare."
"I do. But I also know how many lives have been lost because of this job… How many of our own friends we've lost." He replied, turning to look towards Kelly. "In a split second, I could be gone. And then what?" He spoke, Kelly pursing his lips together. "If something happens to Gabby, I'm all our daughter has… I won't willingly put myself in danger and risk leaving her without both her parents. I won't do it. I won't take the chance of something happening to me, this job isn't worth it. Nothing is worth the risk of leaving her alone."
Severide stayed quiet for a moment, thinking over Matt's words, letting them sink in before he responded.
"You're not going to change your mind about this, are you?"
"No." Casey responded, shaking his head.
"What does Gabby think?"
"I haven't told her…" He spoke, Kelly's head tilting to the side.
"Are you going to?"
"Probably not. I'm hoping it won't even matter. I'm praying and believing that she'll be fine, and I won't be left to raise our daughter alone." He breathed out, Kelly nodding as he stared back out towards the driveway. "But, you know, there's no way to know what's going to happen. I won't continuously put my life on the line, not when my daughter needs me."
"That's a good thing you're doing, man. It is." Kelly responded softly, shaking his head. "But let's hope it won't come to that."
"Yeah… I hope." He spoke softly, swallowing the lump forming in his throat as he pushed himself up from the front of the rig. "But, I guess that's the answer to your question… I might not be coming back."
Before Severide could say anything else, Matt felt his phone buzzing in his hand, the Captain glancing down quickly to see Gabby's contact photo lighting up his screen, Casey immediately putting the phone up to his ear.
"Gabby?"
Severide couldn't make out what was being said on the other end of the call, but he saw Matt's body visibly relax after a few seconds, a soft smile falling onto his face. Clearly, whatever had caused Gabby to call him wasn't anything bad, Matt glancing to Kelly, giving him a quick nod before walking across the garage over towards the ambo.
Severide kept his eyes on Casey for a few seconds as his friend spoke to Gabby, not seeing the other firefighter come to stand beside him, Kelly jumping slightly when the man spoke.
"So, did I hear that right?"
Severide's head snapped over, seeing Garcia standing to his left, the man wearing a smug grin on his face, his arms crossed over his chest.
"What?"
"Casey said he might not be coming back. Is he not working after Dawson has the baby?" He elaborated, Severide not missing the excited gleam in his eye.
Kelly pushed down the anger building in his gut, knowing Garcia didn't know the details of this pregnancy, more specifically how dangerous it was for Gabby, but regardless, the man's attitude toward the entire situation was pissing him off.
"He's not sure what he's doing." Severide responded shortly, pushing himself up from the rig, turning to face the man, Garcia's head cocked to the side.
"But if he didn't come back, that would mean there's a spot here… I could stay here permanently. Wouldn't that be nice." He spoke, chuckling softly as Severide's jaw clenched.
"I don't think that's something you should be wishing for, Garcia." Kelly spoke forcefully, the man shrugging.
"It's his choice if he decides to come back, all I'm saying is it would be nice to get to stay here, it's a great house. Gotta say, I'm surprised though, I didn't take Casey for the type to be a stay at home dad."
"Well, Casey doesn't feel like he has much of a choice." Severide bit out frustratedly.
"What are you talking about?"
"If Casey doesn't come back, that means something happened to Gabby. He'd only not come back if Gabby died during-" Kelly cut himself off, Garcia's eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
"...Why is Casey planning on something like that? I mean, I know they had a close call, but that's a little morbid." He spoke calmly, Severide's eyes narrowing.
"Because he has to. Because this pregnancy could kill Dawson." Severide spoke before he could stop himself, Garcia's eyes widening.
"What?" He asked softly, glancing back towards Casey, who was unaware of the conversation happening across the room. Blowing out a heavy sigh, Severide clenched his teeth together, shaking his head.
"This is a high risk pregnancy, Gabby could die having this baby, that's why Matt might not be coming back. If Dawson dies, he doesn't want to do anything that could take him from his daughter. That's why he's planning for the possibility of not coming back to work." Kelly spoke roughly. "So I would wipe that stupid smirk off your face."
Severide brushed past the man without another word, leaving a stunned Garcia in the garage, the Captain needing a moment to digest everything he'd just been told.
Matt stepped out of the elevator with his shift bag slung over his shoulder, making his way down the familiar corridor towards Gabby's hospital room, a soft smile on his face as he said various greetings to Gabby's nurses, his long stride getting him to his destination quickly. When he got to her door, he was unable to see much, the closed curtain shielding her from view. Knowing it was still early, Casey slid her door open as slowly as possible, trying to limit the amount of noise he was making as he stepped inside. Placing his bag down on the ground, Matt slowly stepped around the curtain, smiling softly as he saw Gabby sleeping peacefully in bed, the firefighter catching Antonio's gaze from his spot in the chair.
Silently, the detective got up, stretching out his stiff muscles, nodding towards the hallway as the two men stepped through the still open door, not wanting to talk while she was asleep.
"How'd she do?" Casey asked softly, knowing her door was still open.
"She slept through the night, as far as I know." Antonio responded, Casey releasing a thankful breath. "I woke up every few hours, and every time she was still asleep. She passed out a little after ten last night, I don't think she's woken up since."
"Good, that's good." Matt spoke. "Thank you, for staying with her."
"No thanks necessary, Casey." He replied, clasping the man on his shoulder. "But, if you're good, I'm gonna head out. I need to go home before I go into work."
"I'm good, if there are any changes I'll call you."
"Thanks man."
After a quick hug, the two men walked back into Gabby's room, Casey hanging back while Antonio quietly gathered his things, the detective giving him a nod before leaving the room, Matt taking up residence in the chair beside Gabby's bed.
He wasn't sure how long he sat there until she woke up, Casey occupying himself with the paper he'd brought from the firehouse while she slept, the firefighter not even realizing she'd woken up until he saw her body shifting in bed.
"Good morning sleepyhead." Matt spoke lightly as Gabby blinked furiously, her sleepy eyes glancing towards him as she adjusted to the light in the room.
"What time is it?" She asked, her voice thick with sleep, Gabby digging herself under the blanket, pulling it up under her chin.
"Uh… a little after nine." He replied once checking his watch, Gabby nodding slowly before her eyes fell closed again.
Matt stayed quiet but kept his eyes on her, unsure if she was going to go back to sleep or if she was just needing more time to wake up. He was a little surprised she'd been sleeping this long, especially after hearing what time she'd fallen asleep, but Matt was all for her resting, and if she wanted to sleep more, he had no objections.
But apparently Gabby had slept all she was capable of, the paramedic stretching out her limbs as much as she could while lying down before she opened her eyes again, finding his gaze already on her.
"Hi." She spoke, Matt grinning softly as he pushed himself up, placing a quick kiss on her lips before he sat back down.
"Hi." He repeated, Gabby adjusting the angle of her bed so she could sit up more.
"How was your shift?" She asked, clearing her throat.
"It went pretty well, everyone kept asking about you." He told her, Gabby nodding as a yawn escaped her lips. "It took me a few calls to get back in the swing of things, but it was nice to be back." He admitted, Gabby smiling softly.
"I knew it." She murmured, Matt chuckling lightly as he reached out towards her, resting his hand over her belly.
"Yeah, you were right, no one's surprised." He played along, rubbing his hand against her stomach. "How'd you sleep?"
"Pretty good, actually." She answered, Matt giving her a nod.
"And how was Jemma?"
"She was great, we had a good time. Although I know you know that already, considering you were texting her all day yesterday." Gabby replied with a raised brow, Casey smiling sheepishly.
"She told you that, did she?"
"She sure did." Gabby chuckled, Matt's smile widening when Gabby placed her hand over his.
"Well, I was worried." He replied, Gabby squeezing his hand.
"I know, but I'm okay. And Jemma wanted me to remind you that if we need her to do anything for us, to just let her know. She even offered to go get us any baby stuff we still might need."
"I might take her up on that." Casey murmured, Gabby nodding in agreement.
"Yeah, she said she'd do whatever, just to let her know." She responded, Matt nodding as they heard the door slide open. They couldn't see who it was at first, the curtain hindering their view, but soon Dr. Tanner came into view, the woman smiling softly at the couple.
"Good morning, you guys." She greeted, Matt eyeing her curiously.
"Good morning." He responded, glancing to Gabby. "I'm sorry, my days have kind of been all over the place since we've been here, but we were expecting you this early?" Matt asked, Dr. Tanner grinning as she pulled the ultrasound machine in behind her.
"No, you weren't. I told you I'd either be by later today or tomorrow, but I had an unexpected break in my schedule, so I decided to come and stop by, since I knew you'd be here." She explained, both Matt and Gabby nodding.
"Have you still been feeling okay, Gabby?" She asked, Matt removing his hand from Gabby's stomach as she nodded.
"I am. And I got a lot of sleep last night, so I'm feeling a little extra good right now." She responded, Dr. Tanner chuckling as she began getting the machine ready.
"That's what I like to hear." She spoke, Gabby pulling her blankets down and pulling her t-shirt up over her round belly, Dr. Tanner positioning the doppler in place. From the beginning of her pregnancy, Gabby had more than her fair share of ultrasounds; it was a process she knew well by now. But since her stint in the hospital, it was second nature to her now, the paramedic having at least three ultrasounds a week in the time she'd been here. There was no need for any of the verbal preparation from Dr. Tanner at this point, which admittedly Gabby didn't mind because it made the process begin quicker.
"She's still looking great." Dr. Tanner spoke after a few silent moments, Gabby and Matt more focused on the image of their daughter than anything else. "She's getting ready to come on out of there, but she still looks perfectly fine in there right now."
"And how's Gabby?" Casey asked, Dr. Tanner smiling softly.
"You're still looking good, Gabby. Nothing with your condition had worsened, and your aneurysm is still measuring at the same size. As far as I can tell, everything is okay, considering where we're at."
"So you don't think we'll have to deliver early?" Gabby asked, Dr. Tanner shaking her head.
"No, I don't. I think we'll make it to our original mark of just before 39 weeks." She spoke, Gabby releasing a relieved breath. "But not only that, I think I can get you out of here."
Gabby's eyebrows raised when Dr. Tanner's words hit her ears, a soft smile falling onto her face as Matt glanced to her.
"What?"
"I'm sending you home, Gabby." She repeated, Gabby's grin widening before she looked up to Matt, seeing a much more apprehensive look covering his face.
"It's safe for her to go home?" He questioned, Dr. Tanner nodding as she began to put away the machine.
"It is."
"You're sure?"
"Matt…" Gabby spoke, gaining his attention.
"It's fine, Gabby." Dr. Tanner assured her. "Yes, I'm sure. I wouldn't even think of sending her home if I didn't think it was safe. Gabby, you've been here for three weeks, and everything has gone, honestly, extraordinarily well. You've had no re-bleeding, no signs of labor, and both you and your daughter are doing great. All your numbers look great. I still want to keep you for a few more days, but as long as nothing changes I'd feel comfortable sending you home for a bit."
"That would be great." Gabby breathed out, Matt nodding slowly as she looked towards him.
"Of course, yeah. I'd love for you to be home, as long as it's safe for the both of you."
"I understand your worries, Matt. Especially with how serious her condition was when she first got here, and I know I told you to prepare to be here until the baby, but I don't want to keep her here if I don't have to, and I know neither of you want that either." She spoke, earning nods of confirmation from both of them. "I know you'd be much more comfortable at home, in your own bed. But, you going home would mean there are very strict rules you need to follow, Gabby." She prefaced, the woman nodding in understanding. "Unless you're going to the bathroom, or showering, I want you in bed at all times."
"Okay."
"And, the same as here, I don't want you doing anything without someone there. You're not allowed to get up without help, or shower without help. Basically, as I said, the same as the guidelines here." She said, Gabby nodding as she spoke. "You need to have someone with you at all times, or at least the majority of the time. If there is a time where you are by yourself, you need to make sure you have your phone with you. But, it's best if you just have someone with you all the time. Though I know sometimes that's not necessarily possible."
"We'll make sure she's not by herself." Casey assured the doctor.
"Good. I know none of this has been easy on you, and I know how much you want to be home. And I want you to be home as well. As long as you can promise to do nothing but stay in bed."
"I promise."
"Alright. Well, we can go over the specifics of everything in a few days. As I said, I want to keep you for a little bit longer, just to make sure there's no significant changes, then hopefully we can get you out of here. Let you be home for at least a couple of weeks before you have your girl."
"Thank you, Dr. Tanner. For everything." Gabby spoke, the woman smiling softly, rubbing Gabby's leg gently.
"You don't need to thank me, Gabby. You're the one doing all the hard stuff. I'm just here helping you through it." She spoke, Gabby nodding as she reached for Matt's hand, the firefighter giving it willingly. "Now, I'll get out of here, let you rest a little bit. I'm glad to see you doing so much better, Gabby. You're as strong as they come."
"Yeah, she is." Matt echoed, Gabby ducking her head in embarrassment as Dr. Tanner headed for the door, leaving the couple alone once more. Matt gave her hand a squeeze, prompting her to look at him before he spoke up again. "So… we're going home."
"It looks like it." She breathed out, flashing him a smile. "I can't tell you how excited that makes me."
"I have a pretty good idea." He replied, bringing their conjoined hands to his lips, pressing a kiss against her skin. "So, I guess it was good you got me to work a shift yesterday, because I'm gonna be by your side 24/7 until our baby comes." He spoke lightly, Gabby shaking her head in amusement.
"Yeah, I don't think so." She responded, Matt tilting his head to the side. "We'll do exactly what we did yesterday, having Jemma and my brother trade off. You're not getting out of work for the next three weeks, sorry pal."
"Pal?" He questioned with a chuckle, Gabby shrugging as she squeezed his hand.
"Yes." She responded shortly, before going back to their original subject. "We'll figure it out somehow, but I want you to be able to at least work a few more shifts before the baby comes. It's good for you, and it helps me not get sick of you." She spoke teasingly, Matt shaking his head before nodding.
"Whatever you say, baby. I'm just glad you two are okay." He spoke, placing his free hand on her bare stomach, rubbing her skin softly.
"Me too." She agreed, resting her head back onto the pillow, letting herself enjoy this quiet moment with her husband as her body flooded with excitement at the thought of being home in just a few short days.