Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all, I hope you enjoy it. Thanks so much for reading, for all the feedback you all gave me on the last chapter.
Stay safe, everyone.
Chapter Eighty Nine
"Otis, Goddammit drive faster!"
Casey's frantic voice filled the rig while they drove through the busy streets of Chicago, sirens blaring loudly as Otis did what he could to navigate the traffic around them.
"I'm trying, Cap." He replied, although Matt barely registered his voice as he continued staring out the window, his leg bouncing anxiously while Otis laid on the horn. The Captain's eyes darted around outside the windshield, Matt smacking his hand against the dashboard in frustration as Otis had to hit the brakes, the nervous energy in the rig growing with each passing second.
"Captain, what happened to Sofia?" Kidd asked the question they'd all had since the second he ushered them out of the firehouse in a hurry, the same question they'd asked him a few times since they left the station, but he still hadn't given them an answer. And that left them all a little anxious.
"Otis!" Matt barked.
"I'm sorry, Casey."
"Casey, what happened?" Mouch tried, Matt sucking in a deep breath as he kept his eyes peeled on the road.
"I… I don't know." He spoke quickly. "Becca said they were at med, that she fell, I don't-" He cut himself off, his words jumbled as he ran a hand over his mouth, the firefighters in the back sparing worried glances as they saw how unsettled their Captain was.
It wasn't the first time they'd seen him this rattled, but it didn't happen often. No call, or case, or victim could ever get him this upset; nothing could get him this upset. Nothing except his family. Gabby and Sofia were the only two people in this world who could have their usually steady leader so uneasy, and everyone in the rig knew it.
"I'm sure everything's fine, Casey." Herrmann spoke up when they neared the hospital, his words falling on deaf ears as Matt couldn't be bothered to focus on anything happening around him, the firefighter looking out the window as Otis turned into the parking lot.
He had the door open before the truck was at their destination, Matt practically jumping out of 81 before Otis could even the rig stopped, the Captain holding onto his radio to keep it from bouncing as he ran inside the hospital. His mind was only focused on one thing as he hurried into the familiar building, Matt's eyes bouncing around the emergency room as he looked for any recognizable face he could find, but he was coming up empty. Not wanting to waste any more time without knowing what was going on with his daughter, the firefighter came to an abrupt stop in front of the nurses station as he saw a woman he'd seen around here before, but didn't know very well.
"Where's Sofia Casey?"
The nurse looked up quickly, clearly surprised by his sudden appearance in front of her, her eyes darting around before looking back towards the stressed man.
"Sofia Casey, where is she?" He asked again, his frantic voice filling the room as the nurse remained calm, holding up her hand in front of her.
"Okay sir, you said Casey?" She questioned, Matt drawing in a short breath, his impatient nature getting the better of him as he nodded quickly.
"Yes, Sofia Casey. She's my daughter, she's ten months old." He replied shortly, his gaze bouncing around the busy room as he tried to find anything that could help her figure out where his little girl was. "I don't know what happened, I got a call from her nanny that said they were here, and I need to see her."
"Alright, Mr. Casey, let me just take a look and find out where she is-"
"Shouldn't you know that already?" He asked exasperatedly, the woman looking up from her tablet.
"Sir-"
"How many 10 month old babies could you possibly have in the ER?!" He continued firmly, Matt shaking his head as he quickly ran his hand over his mouth.
"Mr. Casey, this isn't my usual department, just give me a second-"
"My baby girl is on this floor somewhere, and if you don't tell me where she is, I'm about to go to each room until I find her, now goddammit, what room is she in?!"
"Casey!"
Matt turned towards the voice calling him, his eyes widening slightly as he locked gazes with Maggie across the room, the firefighter quickly abandoning his position at the desk and running towards his friend, his body rigid with worry as he jogged towards her.
"Where's Sof? Is she alright? Becca didn't say much on the phone, I don't-"
"Matt, she's okay." She interrupted his concerned rambling, Matt sucking in a deep breath before nodding, Maggie placing a comforting hand on his arm. "I'll take you to her, but she's fine, alright? She's okay." Maggie spoke calmly, Matt nodding before they began walking down the hallway.
Within seconds, they'd gotten to the room Matt could only assume his daughter was in, the distressed father soon hearing the familiar sound of his daughter's cries as they got closer. Quickly stepping around Maggie, Matt roughly slid the door open, pushing aside the curtain before he came face to face with his crying baby. With one glance, he could see that Sofia was inconsolable, Matt's eyes raking over his daughter's form as she was being cradled by a clearly unsettled Becca, the little girl stripped down to her diaper as her nanny rocked her back and forth.
The second she registered a new presence in the room, Becca's head snapped up, seeing Matt hurrying towards her side with his eyes focused on his daughter.
"What happened? Is she okay?" He asked hurriedly, Matt reaching out for his daughter the second she was within reach, Becca carefully handing Sofia to her father. Cradling her against his chest, Matt's eyes moved over his daughter's face as loud cries escaped her lips, Casey looking for any signs of distress. "Sshh, Sof, it's okay. You're okay." He murmured, rubbing his hand over the top of her head. "It's alright, baby. Daddy's here."
He continued doing what he could to soothe her, even though he had no idea what had happened to his baby. From what he could tell, there were no physical signs of trauma. But between Sofia's crying, and how shaken Becca looked, it was clear something was the matter, and he couldn't go another second without knowing what that something was.
"Becca…" He spoke, Matt keeping his voice steady as he felt Sofia grip onto his shirt, the baby desperately clinging to her dad for comfort. "What happened?" He questioned again, Becca taking a deep breath before she opened her mouth.
"We, uh- we were at home, and we were playing in the living room. Sof was using the couch to pull herself up, like she's been doing-" Becca started, Matt nodding in understanding. While she still wasn't very sturdy, Sofia had been continuing to work on mastering the task of pulling herself up off the ground, and Matt knew better than anyone had often the overzealous baby would push her limits. "And I… I don't know, I looked away for a second, and she fell backwards and hit the back of her head against the side of the coffee table."
Matt grimaced at the information, the firefighter shaking his head before he looked back towards his daughter. Her crying had quietened down slightly, the baby clearly still upset but feeling better now that she was in the safety of her father's arms.
"I know there's the bumpers on the corners, and you and Gabby had been talking about putting them around the entire thing now that she's moving more… But I should've been watching her, this is completely my fault and I'm so sorry, Matt."
"It's okay, Becca." He replied softly, shaking his head slightly. Despite it happening while the young nanny was watching Sofia, Matt didn't blame Becca for this. Sofia had been a force lately, and it was hard enough for both him and Gabby to keep up with her, he could only imagine how difficult it was for Becca on her own. "...So she hit her head?"
"Yeah, I saw her just as she was falling. She hit right here." Becca told him, lifting her shaky hand up towards the back of Matt's neck before she tapped her fingers against his hair, just over the bottom of his skull to show where Sofia had hurt herself. "At first she was fine…" Becca continued as she pulled her hand away. "She was crying, but she settled pretty quickly. And I thought she was okay. I was about to call Gabby, and let her know what happened, tell her that I thought Sofia was alright, but I wanted to see what you all wanted me to do. If you wanted me to bring her here, or have Gabby come look at her… But before I could do that, Sofia started screaming, and then she began throwing up and I just- I panicked." Becca breathed out, her hand coming up to run over the side of her face as Matt focused on Sofia.
"So I brought her straight here. I know babies fall a lot, that Sofia has fallen before, but with her getting sick, I didn't want to chance anything, or leave it alone just in case something was wrong. So we came here, and once she got into a room is when I called you… I tried calling Gabby, but she didn't answer. And I know I should've called sooner, but I- I was so focused on Sof, and making sure I got her here, I'm sorry-"
"Becca, it's okay." He interjected, effectively cutting her off, Matt giving her a strong nod. "It's fine, I'm glad you brought her straight here. You don't need to keep apologizing." He continued, Matt rubbing his hand over Sofia's bare chest as a source of comfort. "Gabby and I both trust you with Sofia, we know you'd never do anything to hurt her, and trust me, I'm glad you were more focused on getting her here than worried about us. It's okay." He repeated, Matt sensing just how much this entire thing had shaken the nanny. "I promise, it's okay." Casey assured her, Becca giving him a slight nod before he looked back towards his daughter, her teary blue eyes shining up at him. "Have any doctors looked at her yet?"
"Um, yeah-" She started, Becca clearing her throat before continuing, "they had just left before you got here… They ran a few motor skills tests on her, checked her reflexes and everything, and all of that went fine. The doctor said she looked alright, that if anything she'll probably just have some bruising and swelling, and her head might be a little sore for a few days. As far as he could tell, she's completely fine. But they said they want to do an MRI, just to be safe." She told him, Matt sucking in a deep breath before nodding.
"When are they doing that?" He questioned, Matt stroking the back of his hand over Sofia's cheek, the baby nuzzling her face against his chest as occasional whimpers still escaped her lips.
"Here any minute." She answered, Matt giving her a nod before he slowly began walking around the room, doing what he could to continue soothing his little girl. "She does, uh… the back of her head's a little swollen, from where she hit the table. They gave her some medicine when we got here- it wasn't anything stronger than tylenol, I think. But she hasn't thrown up again since we've gotten here, though I wasn't able to clean up all of it before we left the apartment, so there's a bit of a mess back at home." She continued, Becca trying to give the father as much information as she could.
"It's fine, that doesn't matter." He replied softly, before leaning down to press a gentle kiss to Sofia's forehead. As he pulled back, he felt his daughter's grip on his shirt tighten, the baby never taking her eyes off her father as a soft smile fell to his lips. "Yeah, it's okay, baby. You're safe, you're fine." He murmured, rubbing his hand over the top of her head before kissing her again.
"Should I try to call Gabby again?" Becca interrupted the moment between the father and daughter, Matt pursing his lips together before he released a heavy breath.
"No, no, I'll call her." Matt responded, knowing the second his wife found out about them being at the hospital, she'd freak out. And he knew he needed to be the one to tell her. "Do you mind taking her for a second?"
"No, of course not." Becca replied immediately, the woman coming up to his side as Matt refocused his attention on his daughter. He was hesitant to move her from his arms, especially since she'd just gotten calmed down, but he needed to call Gabby now. Honestly, he knew he should've called her the second Becca contacted him, but he had no idea what he was walking into, and he figured it best to wait until he had some more information before calling her. The call he had to make would be hard enough, he didn't want to talk to her when he had no idea what was going on.
"Okay Sof, you're gonna be with Becca for a minute, okay baby?" He murmured, even though the little girl had no idea what he was saying to her, Matt slowly pulling her away from his chest before handing her over to the nanny. Sofia didn't like the movement at first, the little girl fussing when she was taken away from her dad, but when she realized who's arms she'd been placed in, the baby soon settled as Becca cradled her to her chest. "Yeah, it's okay." He spoke softly, reaching out to rub his hand over the top of her head carefully. Though he knew she'd hurt the back of her head, he wasn't sure if the medicine she'd been given had ended whatever pain she might've been in from her fall, and the last thing he wanted to do was make anything worse for his daughter.
Once Sofia was clearly content in Becca's arms, or as content as she was going to be with anyone other than her parents, Matt carefully stepped away, doing his best to make sure Sofia didn't see him leaving before he slowly slipped out of the room, pulling his phone out of his pocket as he went. Drawing in a deep breath, he dialed his wife's number before putting the phone up to his ear, Matt grazing his teeth over his bottom lip as he quickly tried to work through what he was going to tell her.
But as her phone continued to ring, Matt blew out a sharp breath, the firefighter bringing his hand up to his face as he paced the hallway outside his daughter's room. When he got her voicemail, Casey shook his head before ending the call and sliding his phone back in his pocket, Matt knowing he had to use the next best way of communicating with his paramedic.
Reaching his hand up to the radio strapped over his chest, Matt made sure he was on the right channel before he spoke up.
"61?" He asked, clearing his throat as he moved around the corner, Matt trying to get away from the busy emergency room. "Ambulance 61?... Gabby?"
"Matt?"
Gabby's voice flooded in through his radio, Casey drawing in a deep breath before responding.
"Hey, sorry- are you still on your call?" He questioned, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck. "I tried calling your cell, but I couldn't reach you."
"We're about to head to the hospital, what's wrong?"
He could hear the worry in her voice, and he couldn't say he was surprised it was there. Matt needing to get in contact with her while she was out on a call was something very out of the ordinary, and Gabby knew there were only a few reasons he'd need to get a hold of her that urgently. And none of those reasons were for anything good.
"Okay, well, uh, when you get to med, let Foster and Brett handle the drop off…"
"Matt, what's going on?" She asked quickly. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine." He answered, Matt shaking his head before releasing a heavy breath, knowing he just needed to get the words out. "...But Sofia's here."
"What?!" His wife's panicked voice came through the radio, Matt pulling it back slightly as a grimace covered his face. "What happened?! Is she okay?"
"She's fine, she's alright." He was quick to assure her, as he heard a few muffled words from Gabby, Matt assuming she was saying something to one, or both, of her partners. "...She was trying to stand up by the couch at home, and she fell and hit her head against the coffee table-"
"Oh my God."
"Baby, she's okay." Matt responded, pressing his hand against the back of his neck. "Becca brought her in just to be safe, but they said she looks fine... They want to do an MRI-"
"I thought you said everything was fine?"
"Gabby-"
"If they're wanting to do a scan, that means something could be wrong, she could-"
"Gabby, hey, hey- it's okay." He did his best to calm her down, though without being with her, the task was a little more challenging. "It's just precautionary. Becca said she was throwing up-"
"She was throwing up?!"
Matt released a soft sigh as she cut him off, the husband wishing more than anything in this moment that he could be having this conversation with Gabby in person.
"She was at home after it happened, but Becca said she hasn't gotten sick since they've been here." He explained, doing his best to remain as calm as he could. Despite his concern for his daughter, he knew he needed to remain as steady as possible, or that would only freak out Gabby more. "She was crying a lot when I got here, I was able to get her calmed down, but Becca said they just want to do a scan, to double check and make sure everything's alright before they send her home. I haven't seen her doctor yet, but I'm gonna talk with them, to hear from them what's going on... But I was just with her, and I'm about to go back in there with her, but she's doing fine. She's upset, and I think a little scared because she doesn't know what's going on, but she's okay."
His wife went silent for a moment, Matt hearing her draw in shaky breath as he slowly began walking towards his daughter's room. He could hear people shuffling around through the muffled noise from the radio, accompanied by the sound of a door slamming, and sirens blaring.
"Gabby?"
"We're on our way now… I'll be there as soon as I can." Her voice sounded unsteady, Matt only able to imagine how worried she was right now.
"Okay. I'll see you in a bit." He told her, hearing her release another heavy breath. "She's alright, baby. I promise." He did what he could to comfort her, but he knew Gabby; until she was here, with their little girl, she wouldn't truly believe anything he was saying. And he couldn't fault her for that, because he was the exact same way.
"Stay with her until I get there." Gabby requested, Matt running his tongue along the inside of his cheek. "I don't want her to be alone, I want you with her."
"She's not alone, babe. I won't leave her, I promise."
"Okay… I'll be there soon."
After a few quick goodbyes, Matt dropped his radio back down to his chest while he continued towards Sofia's room, the father moving quickly as to not be away from his daughter any longer than he had been already. As he came back around the corner, he was surprised to see the door to Sofia's room open, and the curtain around the bed pushed back, Matt quickly noticing that it was no longer just his daughter and Becca in the room anymore.
"Oh, there he is." Becca spoke up when she saw him come in, Matt looking back and forth between the doctor standing next to the bed and his little girl, Sofia still fussing in Becca's arms. It wasn't anything near the wailing she'd been doing when Matt first got here, but she was still clearly in some discomfort, and he hated it.
"You must be Sofia's father?" The doctor asked, Matt nodding as he reached out to shake the man's hand.
"Matt Casey, yeah." He replied, before moving towards Sofia, Matt instantly taking her back in his arms. Her cries got louder when she was moved, but the second she recognized it was her dad holding her, she calmed considerably, Sofia holding onto him with a death grip as he cradled her body against his chest. "How is she doing?" He asked once Sofia had gotten situated, Matt rubbing his hand over the top of her head as she was tucked into his neck.
"She's alright, Mr. Casey… Little Sofia here has a pretty nasty bump on the back of her head, but there was no cut or anything." He spoke, Matt giving him a nod. "With a child Sofia's age, I'm sure you know that falls happen. But from all the tests we've done already, like I told your nanny here, Sofia seems fine. We gave her some medicine, just to help with any pain, and we'll give you a prescription to take home of, essentially liquid tylenol, to give her later, but there will be instructions with all that." He explained, Matt nodding again as he rested his cheek against the top of Sofia's head, hearing soft whines still coming from his daughter.
"Becca, can you hand me her blanket?" Matt asked, interrupting the doctor for a moment as he turned towards their nanny. "She's a little cold."
Without a word, Becca complied with the request as she moved towards the little girl's diaper bag, pulling out Sofia's blanket that they took with them everywhere and handing it over to Casey, the father adjusting her in his arms as he got her covered by the comforting material.
"Sorry…" Matt spoke, the man waving him off.
"Nothing to apologize for, I know it's a little cold in here." The doctor responded, his eyes moving down towards Sofia before looking back to Casey. "I'm not sure if Becca here told you, but we're still wanting to do an MRI on little Sofia here."
"She did… It's just a precaution?" He questioned carefully, catching the older man's gaze. "There's not anything you're not telling me, you're just wanting to be sure?"
"Yes, Mr. Casey." He replied. "It's completely precautionary. All her reflex tests went well, and her motor skills seem fine. I'm confident that she's alright, but for peace of mind, I'd rather have 100% certainty. For as young as she is, I don't want to take any risks. So, with her symptoms, the vomiting and everything, we just want to be sure before we send her home." The doctor explained. "I think with her getting sick, since it hasn't happened again, it probably had more to do with her being upset, and because she's in pain with her head hurting, than anything neurologically wrong. But, like I said, I'd rather be safe in this situation before we send her home."
"I appreciate that, thank you."
"Of course… We're gonna go ahead and get Sofia ready to take for her scan. Since she is still a baby, to get the images we need, we're gonna have to sedate her." Matt felt his stomach drop the moment those words left the doctor's mouth, his secure grip around his daughter tightening slightly. "I know this probably isn't at all what you were expecting today, but it's completely safe. She'll be fine. We will need your signature, just to say you approved of her getting the scan, and taking the sedation. But she gets it orally, we won't need to stick her with a needle or anything. She'll just get a little tired, and then fall asleep. And then she'll wake up in an hour or two, which'll give us some time to look over everything. With the nature of what happened, I'm gonna look at them as soon as I can, and get back to you, let you know what's going on. But that's pretty much how this is gonna go. Our nurses here will get everything taken care of, Sofia's in great hands." He finished explaining, Matt nodding as he digested all the information.
"Okay… Can someone be with her? While she's getting the scan?" He asked, clearing his throat as the doctor looked towards him. "I mean, I know she'll be sedated, but I… I'd rather my wife or I be with her, if possible."
"Someone can be with her, Mr. Casey." He replied with an understanding smile. "I know this is all kind of scary, for you and Sofia, but you, or your wife when she gets here, can go with her. You can be with her the entire time."
"Thank you." Matt responded, earning a nod from the man before he moved towards the door.
"We'll get that paperwork for you to sign, then start prepping her for her scan. Then I'll be back in a little bit when I have the results for you all." The doctor explained, Matt giving him a slight nod before he left the room, Casey moving his attention back to his daughter.
The next few minutes went by quickly, Matt having read over the paperwork they wanted him to sign as Sofia was cuddled against his body, the firefighter sitting down on the bed so he could keep his daughter calm while they gave her the medicine. Once he'd signed all he needed to, they gave Sofia the sedative, his little girl taking the medication as they used a syringe to feed it to her. He couldn't be sure what it tasted like, but by the strong smell of grape that he got when it was close to Sofia, he imagined it wasn't too terrible, and Sofia had taken it pretty well. She put up a little bit of resistance, as she did with most things, but eventually they got her to take it, and now they were just waiting.
Casey continued to sit quietly on the bed, Becca having moved out into the hallway while Matt gently rocked his baby to sleep, the sedative working rather quickly on her little body as Sofia fought against her exhaustion. But even in her tired state, Matt could tell his daughter still wasn't quite herself. The events of the day had very obviously taken their toll on Sofia, and despite how nervous he felt for her needing to be sedated, he could only hope her getting some sleep would help her feel better, because it was clear she didn't feel well right now.
Just as Sofia's eyes fell closed, Matt looked up when he heard a familiar, frantic voice flooding into the room, the husband catching a glimpse of his wife through the glass doors as she spoke with Becca, Casey hearing the young nanny explaining what she could to Gabby before his wife rushed into the room, her eyes shining as she looked between him and their baby.
"She's okay." He spoke first before she could get a word out, Gabby sucking in a deep breath before she nodded, Matt seeing the amount of tension his wife was holding onto as she stepped closer to the bed. "She's alright, babe… They're about to take her for her scan."
"Is she asleep?" Gabby asked softly as she came to a stop beside the bed, Matt taking a second to look over her face while she was focused on their daughter, the husband seeing tears threatening to fall that were hiding in her eyes. It was obvious his wife was upset, that hearing their daughter had been hurt and was in the hospital had rattled her. But, thankfully, with each passing second, he could see her calming down a bit.
"Almost, yeah… They gave her a sedative for the scan, to keep her from moving around." Matt told her, Gabby giving him a quick nod, the paramedic clearly not surprised by that like he had been. "They said one of us could go with her… be there while she was getting the scan done." He spoke up, Gabby's teary brown eyes pulling away from her daughter to look towards her husband, Matt seeing the near desperate look shining back at him. "...I was thinking that you could go with her, and I'd go talk to the guys, maybe try and get ahold of Boden and let him know what's going on." He told her, seeing the look of relief that flashed in her eyes.
"...Thank you." She murmured, both of them well aware that until this moment, he hadn't thought about not going with her for a second. But after getting one look at his wife, Matt wanted her to be the one with their daughter. Gabby needed it, and he knew this wouldn't take too long.
Before either of them could speak up, a few nurses came in, both Matt and Gabby glancing up at them as they came to a stop at the foot of the bed. "Hi… we're all ready to take Miss Sofia to get her scan." One of them spoke, Matt nodding before he slowly got himself up off the bed, the father making sure to not jostle his daughter. Although he didn't really have to worry about waking her, he still didn't want to move her around too much, Matt patiently waiting for them to get the bed flat before he gently laid Sofia down onto it. The second his little girl was down, the nurses moved in, Matt and Gabby both getting out of the way while they got her situated comfortably and securely in the bed that was much too big for her.
"Alright, we're ready to take her… Are one of you coming with us?"
"I am, yeah." Gabby spoke up, her voice hoarse as Matt ran a supportive hand along her lower back, pressing a kiss to the side of her head while they watched them push the bed out of the room. Gabby spared a glance at her husband before following their daughter, Matt giving her a supportive nod as she walked towards the door. "Will you be here when we get back?"
"Of course… Now go be with our girl." He encouraged her, Gabby nodding quickly before she turned and left the room, Matt stepping out into the hallway as he watched her hurry towards their daughter.
Matt waited until they were out of sight before bringing his hand up to his head, the tired and worried father pressing his palm harshly against the side of his skull, doing what he could to alleviate the headache that had been present since before he arrived, Casey shaking his head slightly before heading towards the waiting room. His legs felt heavy as he moved, the firefighter unsure of who all was still even here, if anyone from 51 was at all, Matt rubbing his hand along the back of his neck as he maneuvered around the busy ER. As he turned the corner at the nurses station, his steps slowed when he caught sight of the waiting room filled with their firehouse family, Matt seeing not only his firefighters from 81 waiting around, but Brett and Foster were here, along with Boden, and everyone from squad, Becca completing the group as well. The entire firehouse had showed up for them, the Captain unable to hide the look of surprise from his face as he got closer.
"Casey, hey-" Herrmann spoke up, the older man seeing him first as his words gained the attention of the entire group, a few of them standing up as he walked closer. "How's Sofia?"
"She's, uh- she's doing okay." Matt spoke once he found his voice, the man coming to a stop as the group huddled around him, concern and worry radiating off of them as he had their complete attention. "Gabby's with her, they're gonna do an MRI, just to make sure there's no damage or anything."
"The little rascal must've hit her head pretty hard, huh." Herrmann continued with a grimace, Matt nodding slightly.
"From the looks of it, yeah. But she's okay… She'd calmed down, and they gave her some medicine to sedate her, so I'm hoping her getting some rest will help."
"Good, that's good."
"Yeah, I, uh… I'm just glad she's okay." Matt spoke, his eyes quickly finding Boden's in the crowd before the Captain nodded towards the hallway, the Chief understanding his silent request. "But thank you all, for coming here. Gabby and I, and Sof, we all appreciate it."
"Of course, Captain."
"Yeah, we wouldn't be anywhere else. Thankfully, she's alright."
Matt gave them a few nods, Herrmann clasping him on the shoulder before Casey slowly pulled away from the group, Boden following him to a more quiet part of the waiting room, the strong look of concern never leaving the Chief's face.
"So they're doing an MRI?" He spoke up first, Matt nodding as he crossed his arms over his chest, Boden giving his Captain a once over, seeing how shaken his firefighter was over this whole thing.
"Yeah, um, they just want to be sure they don't miss anything. Sofia didn't get cut or anything, but the back of her head is swollen. And she had been throwing up, she was practically screaming when I got here… so they just want to check and make sure there's no other issues before we leave." He explained, Boden giving him a nod as the older man kept his eyes on Casey. It was clear Matt was on edge, the Chief watching as Matt leaned his body weight back into the wall, his Captain shaking his head angrily before running his hand over his mouth. "God, this- it never should've happened."
"Casey…"
"Gabby and I were just talking about putting covers around that entire table." Matt cut him off, guilt sweeping through the father's body as he caught Boden's gaze. "When Sof started crawling, we made sure to put those bumpers on the corner, because we didn't want her to get hurt. And now that she's been trying to walk... we should've been more careful, we should've just covered the entire thing."
"Casey, these things happen." Boden spoke softly, Matt drawing in a deep breath.
"...She could've seriously gotten hurt."
"She could've. But she didn't." The Chief replied, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Sofia's fine. She's gonna get those scans, they'll come back clear, and everything will be fine. Your little girl is alright, Casey."
Glancing down towards the ground, Matt gave him a slight nod, the father thinking over the man's words before glancing back up towards his boss. "Thanks Chief." He responded softly, Boden giving him a tight squeeze on his shoulder before dropping his hand back down towards his side. "And, uh- I'm sorry I just ran out of shift." Casey continued, Boden furrowing his eyebrows as Matt looked up. "When I got that call, I panicked, and I didn't really think about anything other than getting here."
"It's fine, Matt." Boden replied. "You have nothing to apologize for, not where your family's concerned." He continued, Matt responding with a thankful nod. "As soon as you left, Severide came and told me something had happened to Sofia, and we all came here as soon as we could. But you don't need to be sorry for leaving. This is where you need to be."
"I appreciate that, Chief." Matt said, Boden nodding strongly.
"Which is why whenever Sofia's been cleared to leave, I want you and Dawson to just go home. And be with your baby." Boden told him, Matt running his tongue along the inside of his cheek. "The only place you two need to be right now is with your daughter."
"Thank you." Casey replied, Boden flashing him a comforting smile before they slowly began to walk towards the group, Matt trying to shake this nervous feeling that had been settling in his gut since he found out his daughter had been hurt.
Gabby laid on her side on the edge of the uncomfortable hospital bed, her arm propping her head up while her free hand was resting over her daughter's stomach, the sleeping baby nestled protectively into her side. It was the same position they'd been in for over an hour, ever since Gabby and Sofia got back from their daughter's scan, and the little girl had yet to wake up from her sedation, Gabby focusing on the steady rise and fall of her baby's chest while she slept peacefully. It had been a long day for all of them, Sofia especially, and they wanted their little girl to get as much rest as she could while they sat quietly in the ER room, the door shut and the curtain drawn, successfully isolating them from the world going on around them as both parents kept their focus on their daughter.
While Gabby was snuggled up with their little girl, Matt was sitting on the opposite side of the bed, his legs hanging over the side as he faced his girls, his hand resting on top of Gabby's thigh as a way to keep himself close.
"How much longer do you think it'll be?" Gabby asked softly, tearing her eyes away from her daughter to look towards her husband, Matt giving her a soft shrug as he met her gaze.
"I'm not sure, babe… They said it might take a few hours." He reminded her, Gabby giving him a slight nod before refocusing her attention on Sofia, the wife feeling her husband squeeze her leg gently after he spoke.
"Hopefully it'll be here soon… I just want to get her home." She murmured, Matt nodding in agreement.
But before he could respond, Sofia started shifting around beside her mother, both parents watching her closely as they recognized the signs of their daughter waking up, her little arms stretching out above her head as she quietly began to fuss. But the more awake she became, the louder her cries got, Sofia crying out the second she was fully conscious.
"Sshh, sshh, baby it's okay." Gabby murmured, rubbing her hand over her daughter's bare chest, the baby turning towards the sound of her mother's voice. "You're okay, Sof." She continued to soothe her, Matt inching closer towards his distressed daughter as Gabby placed a kiss to her forehead, the baby's cries continuing.
"Do you think it's her head?" Matt asked as Gabby slowly sat up in bed, Sofia's wailing getting louder when she couldn't feel her mom next to her anymore.
"I'm not sure, she might just be a little scared." Gabby responded. "A lot's happened today, she could just be overwhelmed… Come here, Sof. It's okay." She spoke softly, Gabby standing up before carefully picking up her daughter.
Matt watched intently as she moved around the small space with their crying baby, the father unsure of what to do while Gabby continued to try and soothe her. If this were any other situation, Matt would know how to help his distressed daughter when she got like this. There were only a few things that could be causing her constant crying, those reasons usually involving her either being hungry, needing to be changed, or she wanted to sleep. But in this instance, he didn't know whether to follow his instincts or not. It could easily be one of those things, or it could be something more, something having to do with her fall earlier today, because despite the constant assurances that his baby girl was alright, they still hadn't gotten her MRI results back yet. And until they did, Matt wasn't sure he'd be able to completely believe that she was alright, and he knew his wife felt the same way.
But the longer Gabby walked around cradling Sofia, the calmer their daughter became, much like she'd done earlier when Matt arrived at the hospital. They knew their little girl was upset, Sofia needing more than her usual amount of comfort from her parents as Matt adjusted his positioning on the bed, the father wanting to have a better view of his wife and daughter.
"Yeah, you're okay, Sof. We've got you, Momma and Daddy are right here." Gabby murmured before pressing a kiss to the top of her head, Matt seeing his wife grimace as she pulled back.
"What is it?" He asked quickly, Gabby shaking her head slightly.
"Nothing, it's just- her head… It really is swollen." She replied with a wince, Matt frowning before he stood up and walked towards her, his hand reaching out to gently rest over the back of his daughters head. It was a little difficult to see with her curly hair, but he could definitely feel the swelling underneath his palm as he cradled the back of his daughter's head.
"Oh, Sof…" He breathed out, Matt shaking his head before leaning down and pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head, Sofia calming down considerably in the warm embrace of her parents. "I'm so sorry, baby." He practically whispered, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip as she heard her husband's voice crack, Matt pressing another kiss to the top of Sofia's head before standing up straight, his worried eyes finding Gabby's teary ones. "...You alright?" He questioned, Matt's focus shifting to his wife momentarily as he reached out to place his hand on her arm, Gabby nodding slowly.
"I'm fine, I just… I can't remember the last time I was ever as scared as I was when you called me." She spoke quietly, sadness shining in his eyes as he gave her arm a firm squeeze. "In fact, I'm sure the only other times I've been that scared are when you've been hurt." She added, Gabby shaking her head before glancing down to the baby in her arms. "And I guess- I don't know, I just hate that this happened. I don't blame Becca or anything, this could've just as easily happened with us, but I hate that our little girl got hurt, and we weren't there."
"I know… so do I." He agreed, Matt drawing in a deep breath before continuing. "But she's alright. She's gonna be just fine, and here soon we can take her home, and do nothing but hold her and love on her, and we'll spend the rest of the day making sure she doesn't have the chance to hurt herself again." He added lightly, his words bringing a soft smile to her face.
"That's not funny." Gabby replied, though she couldn't hide her grin as Matt rubbed her arm slowly.
"You're right… But she's okay, baby." He repeated, taking a step closer to the two girls that were his entire world, Gabby locking eyes with her husband before nodding slowly.
Before she could respond, Sofia began whining again, both parents looking down at their daughter as she began nuzzling her face against Gabby's chest, the baby opening her mouth against her mother's shirt.
"Are you hungry, Sof?" She asked softly, Gabby adjusting the baby in her arms as Sofia's fussing got louder, the little girl clutching at her mother's chest. "Okay, okay, come on, baby." She murmured as she moved back towards the bed, Matt walking around the other side before he sat down first, the father holding out his arms to take Sofia from Gabby so his wife could get ready to feed her.
The second Sofia was in her dad's arms, the baby immediately moved towards his chest, her wide, blue eyes filled with determination as she tried to understand why her parents weren't feeding her. "It's okay, Sof, Momma just needs a minute." He spoke, stroking his daughter's cheek softly, Gabby untucking her shirt before she sat down on the bed next to her husband.
"Come here, baby." She murmured, the parents completing the familiar tradeoff as Gabby held her little girl in her arms. Moving as quickly as she could, Gabby adjusted her clothes and guided Sofia towards her chest, the baby latching on eagerly as she began to feed. "Yeah, you were hungry, huh?" She breathed out, Gabby leaning back into Matt's side as her husband wrapped his arm around her shoulders, the two settling against the bed while Gabby held onto their daughter. She was very conscious of her grip, Gabby being mindful to not hold the back of Sofia's head as she didn't want to risk hurting her daughter, Sofia gripping onto her mom's necklace while she ate.
"She alright?" Matt asked after a few moments, his eyes locked on his daughter as Gabby nodded, before she wiped away a few of the tears resting on Sofia's cheeks.
"Yeah, she's okay." Gabby responded as Sofia began to wriggle around a bit, clearly trying to get comfortable. It was difficult to feed her the same way she normally would with the injury to the back of their daughter's head, so they were both definitely having to adjust.
"And you?" He questioned, Gabby lifting her head up to meet his gaze. "Are you alright?"
Biting down on her bottom lip, she nodded, Gabby slowly looking back down to her daughter. "I am… I'll just feel better when we have her scans." She told him, Matt nodding in understanding as he rubbed his hand over her shoulder before looking back down to his daughter. His eyebrows furrowed when he saw fresh tears filling Sofia's eyes while she continued to nurse, Gabby slowly wiping them away while the baby held onto her mom as tightly as she could. "It's okay, Sof… Everything's okay." She whispered soothingly as Matt placed his hand gently over Sofia's side, both parents doing whatever they could to make their daughter feel as safe and protected as possible.
Today had been a lot, for all of them, but it was especially hard on Sofia when she was old enough to know things were different from what she was used to, but she couldn't understand why, that alone leaving their baby very stressed and overwhelmed. But Matt and Gabby were doing what they could to alleviate that, knowing their little girl always felt better whenever she could feel both of her parents.
While Sofia continued to nurse, for what the mother could only assume was part-hunger, part-comfort, Gabby began to hum one of her daughter's favorite songs she'd sing to her, the little girl looking up at her mom with wide eyes as she focused on the sounds she was making. Every so often, Gabby would transition between singing softly, and continuing to hum, the gentle noise calming Sofia down. She continued the proven method of relaxing their little girl, Sofia's eyes beginning to droop as she felt comforted by her parents, Matt rubbing his hand along her leg as an extra reminder that he was close by.
Just as Gabby finished the song, they were interrupted by the sound of the door sliding open, Matt looking up as Sofia's doctor stepped around the curtain, the man soon flashing them soft smiles. "Hi, sorry to interrupt… I can come back when she's done nursing, if you'd like?"
"No, no, it's okay." Gabby responded, the man nodding before he completely came into the room, making sure to secure the curtain back in place for privacy before he walked towards the bed. "How are her scans?" Dawson asked before he could get a word in, the mother desperate to know what was going on with her baby.
"Everything was clear." He replied, watching as both parents released heavy sighs of relief. "Little Sofia is just fine."
"Oh, thank God." Matt breathed out before he pressed a kiss to the side of Gabby's head, Gabby releasing a thankful breath of her own.
"All her scans were great, she's completely fine. She'll probably be in some pain for a few days, her head will most likely be a little tender, but she's alright. The medicine we're sending you all home with, which a nurse will be by to give you shortly, should help with a lot of her discomfort. But you're little girl is fine, and you all are free to leave here shortly."
Gabby nodded slowly, her eyes falling closed for a split second before she opened them again, her gaze moving down towards her daughter who was nearly asleep.
"Thank you." She murmured, before looking back up. "Thank you for taking care of her."
"Of course, Mrs. Casey." He replied, as Gabby felt Matt give her shoulder a squeeze. "A nurse will be in here soon, to help get you all get ready to go, but you are free to leave… I'm just glad she's alright."
With another nod, the man left the room, leaving the relieved parents alone with their daughter as Matt leaned his head down to rest on Gabby's, the two taking a moment to decompress after the stressful day they'd had. Sofia was still nursing, but barely as the baby continued to fight off her exhaustion, her need to be comforted by her parents outweighing her fatigue as her bright blue eyes fought to stay open.
"You're okay, Sof." Gabby whispered, blinking back a few tears of relief that had formed in her eyes, the mother feeling like the heavy weight of the day had finally been lifted off her chest. "We're gonna get you home."
The next half hour went by in a blur, Gabby finishing up feeding their daughter while Matt handled everything with the nurses, the father taking care of all the paperwork and getting their daughter's medication, both parents just eager to get their little girl home. While Gabby burped their little girl, Matt stepped out to make a call to Boden, the firefighter having to leave his boss a message as all of 51 were out on a call, Casey relaying the information that Sofia was fine and they were heading home, before he came back into the room and continued helping Gabby and Becca get their girl ready to leave.
With little resistance from the baby, Matt changed her diaper before getting her dressed back into her onesie, Gabby sitting beside her daughter's head while Matt got her ready, Sofia happily focused on her mom. Since she'd been fed, and gotten another dose of medicine a few minutes ago, Sofia seemed to be in much better spirits. She was acting a lot more like herself, which, truthfully, made both the parents' hearts ache, knowing how much pain and discomfort their daughter was in when her medication wore off. But nothing could be done about that now, nothing except them getting their baby girl out of this hospital and back into the comfortable surroundings of her own home.
"Alright, you guys ready?" Matt asked, earning nods from both Becca and Gabby.
"Beyond ready." Gabby breathed out, Matt nodding in agreement as he watched his wife carefully pick up their daughter, being careful to not let her head move around too much as she cradled the little girl against her chest.
With their paperwork and medication in hand, Matt led them out of the room, the husband stepping back so Gabby and Becca could walk ahead of him, his hand resting on his wife's back as they moved through the busy emergency department.
"Matt?... Gabby?"
The parents stopped in their tracks as they were almost to the exit when they heard the familiar voice, both Matt and Gabby turning towards the sound as they watched the woman they knew well approach them, a soft smile forming over her face.
"Tina… Hi." Gabby spoke, surprise laced in her voice as they saw the woman they hadn't seen in a few years. "It's good to see you."
"It's good to see you all, as well." She replied brightly, Matt and Gabby flashing her warm smiles as Dawson adjusted the baby in her arms.
"What are you doing here? Everything alright?" Matt questioned as he continued to rub his hand along his wife's back.
"Oh, yes I'm fine. I'm just here for a case, checking in on a little girl… What about you two? It looks like things have definitely changed since I last saw you both." She replied, eyeing the baby who was tucked into her mother's chest. "Who might this be?" She asked, Sofia lifting her head slightly as Gabby rubbed her back, the baby turning to look at her unfamiliar surroundings before hiding back against her mom's chest.
"This is our daughter, Sofia." Matt replied, Tina smiling softly at the family. "And this is Becca, our nanny." He added, Tina and Becca exchanging pleasantries before the woman looked back towards the baby.
"A daughter, wow… I'm so happy for you both." She told them, the genuine smile on her face bringing grins to theirs as well.
"Thank you… Normally, Sof here would be a little more energetic, but it's been kind of a long day." Matt breathed out, Tina's look of joy morphing into one of worry, her eyes moving back towards the baby.
"Everything alright? Is she why you all are here?"
"She is, but she's okay… She fell and hit her head." Matt explained, Tina's obvious concern growing. "So we've been here for awhile, but she's fine, just a little worn out."
"I'm glad she's okay." She replied softly, Matt and Gabby both nodding in agreement.
"Yeah, so are we." Gabby mused, pressing a kiss to her daughter's head before looking back to Tina. "I know this isn't really a good time for us to catch up, and I know you're very busy, but maybe Matt and I could stop by your office sometime. We could bring Sof, let you get to meet her on a normal day." She suggested, seeing the bright smile return to the woman's face.
"I'd love that." She responded, the woman glancing down towards her watch before taking a slight step away from the family. "I've gotta get going, but we'll definitely do that soon… It was so great to see you all again." She spoke, placing her hand on Gabby's arm as she passed them, Matt echoing her sentiment before she continued into the emergency room, leaving the family alone.
"Well… that was unexpected." Gabby spoke softly, glancing towards her husband who gave her a nod.
"...Who was that?" Becca questioned before they continued towards the exit, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.
"That was Tina, she works at DCFS." Matt replied, Becca raising her eyebrows. "She helped us out a lot… back when we were fostering Louie."
The dots connected in Becca's mind the second she heard that name, the woman giving an understanding nod before they walked outside. While the nanny didn't know much about the situation, she knew enough. When she first started working for the Casey's, it didn't take long for Becca to notice the few pictures around their home with them and a child she didn't recognize, the nanny originally mistaking him to be their nephew. But when she brought it up to them one day, it had led to a brief conversation of who the boy actually was, Becca learning a little about their son and what had happened a few years ago.
"So…" Matt spoke up again as a heavy feeling had settled in the air around them, it never getting any easier to think about the son they lost. "How about we get our girl home?" He said, his eyes landing on Gabby who'd clearly been deep in thought since the run-in with Tina. Drawing in a deep breath, she nodded, Matt wrapping a supportive arm around her shoulders.
"Yeah… let's go home."