Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all, I really hope you like it. Thanks so much for reading, I can't wait to hear what you think.
Stay safe everyone xx
Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen
Dawson secured her beanie onto her head as Brett drove through the snowy streets of Chicago, their sirens blaring while they made their way to the call that had disrupted her and Matt just moments prior, 61 following truck 81 through the snow as they neared their destination. Luckily, there wasn't much traffic to get through, Dawson not worrying too much about that as she knew Sylvie had it handled, the fire truck in front of them soon slowing down as they arrived at the call. And from first glance, it luckily didn't seem to be anything too bad, though it did appear that at least one person was pinned in.
In the middle of the busy intersection, three cars were all crashed into one another, the one in the middle having the most damage as it had appeared to hit the first one head on, while the third had come in and hit the side. But with all the snow and ice on the road, the vehicles couldn't have been moving all that fast, making this situation a little easier to deal with. Though they knew they still needed to act fast, as even the smallest of accidents could still prove to be dangerous.
Once the rig was in park, Gabby grabbed her gloves before climbing down, heavy snow immediately beginning to pelt her in the face as she and Brett walked around to the back of the rig and opened the door. And to no surprise, Jemma was already standing up, ambo bag in hand, ready to get to work, Gabby flashing her a bright smile before they pulled the gurney out. As they were getting their stuff together, more ambos began to arrive at the scene, Jemma hopping down quickly after handing Brett the bag.
While Casey was barking out orders, 61 pushed their gurney through the slush and ice on the road, everyone surveying the scene as smoke was coming from a few of the cars, Kidd and Mouch quickly getting an extinguisher on it like Matt had told them too, while the paramedics hung back until needed.
"Severide, let's get these first two cars stabilized so we can move the one pinning him in." Casey spoke, Kelly giving him a nod before the Captain glanced back down into the middle car, seeing the man in the driver's seat slowly beginning to regain a sense of his surroundings. "Sir, can you hear me?" He asked as he was bent down towards the car. "You were in a car accident, can you- Hey, don't do that. We're gonna get you at." He changed his train of thought when the man started pushing against his crushed-in door, Casey unable to get to him as the front of the third car was pinning him in. "Sir- Sir, we're working to get you out, just stay calm. We'll get you out soon."
After some convincing, Casey managed to get the guy to settle, though it was clear he didn't want to, the large man seemingly very annoyed by the situation he was in. But that wasn't something that was very high on the Captain's list of priorities, as he continued to work on how to best get everyone out safely.
As members of firehouse 51 continued stabilizing the van and the car caught in the middle, a couple members of squad were getting the driver from the last car out, knowing they needed him clear before they could move the vehicle. And, luckily, he was conscious and wasn't complaining of any pain or numbness in his limbs, and after a few questions from the other paramedics on scene, they'd gotten him out, the man able to walk on his own as they took him over to the ambo.
"Alright, Herrmann- how's the van?"
"We're good, Captain."
"Severide?" Casey asked the man who was supervising the car, Kelly giving him a thumbs up from the other side.
"We're good."
"Alright… Otis, get this car chained up, let's move it back." He ordered, the firefighter nodded before he ran back to the rig to get it into position. And after a few minutes, as well as multiple assurances from both the irritated man in the car, as well as the nervous mother who was in the van with her little girl, they'd managed to get the third vehicle far enough out of the way to give them plenty of room to help these people. "Okay, Severide and squad, you all work on the car, truck over here with me. Let's do this quickly, people." He ordered, everyone listening intently before they got to work.
"Finally! It took you all long enough." The man nearly shouted in relief, Matt sucking in a deep breath as he tried to ignore him, the Captain well aware of how stressful something like this could be for people. And with squad currently working on getting him out, he wasn't Matt's problem at the moment anyway, as he came to stand by the driver's side door of the van.
"Okay Ma'am, we're gonna get you and your little girl out, alright?" He called through the shut door, the woman nodding before Matt began to pull at the door. With most of the damage coming solely to the back of the vehicle, after a few hard yanks he managed to get it open, Matt immediately moving to keep the woman still. "Dawson!"
"Coming!" He heard her voice, Casey keeping his eyes on the woman as she fought to get up. "Just stay still, our paramedics are coming and they're gonna look you over, but you're okay. We're gonna get you out soon."
"My little girl." She cried desperately, Matt nodding in understanding as he peered around to the back, doing what he could to keep them both calm.
"I know, I know… We're gonna get her." He promised, the mother nodding.
"Mommy!" He heard the girl cry, Casey looking back towards her once more, knowing that sound was bound to put the woman on edge once more.
"She's okay, she's fine." He told the older woman while keeping his eyes on the little girl. It was a little hard to get a great look at her, but from what he could see, she didn't appear to be too old, maybe three or four, as she stared at him in what he could only assume to be complete terror, the tears in her eyes only making her look more worried. "It's okay, honey." He tried to assure her, though he was sure he looked a little scary to her in all his gear, especially under the circumstances. "Everything's alright, we're gonna get you out of here. You're fine, I promise." He kept assuring her, his words managing to at least calm the mother down as he kept his focus on the child.
"I'm here." He heard Gabby say, Matt looking back when he lightly felt her hand over his back as she came to stand beside him, the firefighter seeing her, along with Brett and Norris behind her.
"Can you get the collar on her? I wanna try and get the girl out of the back."
"Yeah, I got her." Gabby told him, the two switching places before Casey tried to slide the back door open. But after a few tries, it wasn't budging, Matt watching as Gabby put the C-collar on the woman while going through her routine questions.
"Mouch, can you get that door open?" Casey asked as the man was on the other side of the van, the Captain waiting for a few seconds before he got his answer.
"Nope, it's jammed pretty tight." He answered, Casey giving him a signal that he understood before turning back towards his wife, just as her and Jemma were slowly helping her down out of the vehicle.
"You're gonna get my girl?" The woman asked, Gabby nodding softly as they slowly led her to the gurney that was only feet away from them.
"We are… They're working on getting her out right now, she's gonna be fine." Dawson responded as they moved slowly over the slush beneath their feet.
"Gabby…" Casey spoke up, Gabby pausing her movements to glance back towards him, Matt nodding her back to him.
"Alright… Brett, you got her?"
"Mhmm." She responded, the two trading off places before Gabby walked the few steps back to her husband.
"Everything okay?"
"We can't get the doors open, you think you could climb in through the front and help get her out?" He questioned, Gabby nodding immediately. "Since you're smaller, it would be easier… And I don't want to bust out any windows, that would just scare her."
"Yeah, no, that's fine. I got her." She replied, Matt nodding before she stepped towards the driver's side door, the man standing behind her as carefully climbed into the van. He kept his hand on her for as long as he could, Casey feeling better being close to her even though he knew she wasn't in any real danger.
"Casey, the second car is clear." Matt heard Severide's voice hit his ears, the Captain turning to give him a quick nod before he refocused his attention to Gabby and the child.
"Hi honey." Gabby spoke softly as she looked at the little girl, her wide eyes darting around before focusing on Dawson. "My name's Gabby… I'm gonna help get you out of here, alright? And we'll get you back to your mom." She kept her voice as calm as she could, Gabby acting as she would if she were trying to calm Caitlyn down as the little girl nodded slowly, telling the paramedic she was at least understanding some of what was being said to her. "Okay, I'm gonna unbuckle you, then we're gonna get out of here." She continued on, Gabby getting into the middle row of seats before she began to undo the straps keeping the little girl secured into her seat.
"Casey, hand me the kid's C-collar." She called back, Gabby only left waiting for maybe a minute before Matt handed it to her, the paramedic smiling warmly at the child before she spoke to her. "Alright, now this is gonna go around your neck, alright? To keep you safe. But it doesn't hurt, I promise. It won't hurt." She said softly, the little girl's eyes moving back and forth between Gabby and the object she was holding, before she ultimately nodded.
Within seconds, Gabby managed to get the collar on her and get her free from her carseat, the paramedic gently lifting her up and into her arms as she was crouched on the ground. In the tight space, it was kind of hard to move, but based on the way the little girl was holding onto her, she could only assume the child felt a little more safe now that she was around someone, Gabby running her back gently before turning to look back towards Casey.
"She alright?" He asked, Gabby giving him a soft nod before looking down to her, finding the girl's bright green eyes watching her.
"Yeah, she's fine… You're alright, huh? We're fine." She said gently, her soft voice earning a slight smile from the child despite the situation they were in, Matt watching on in awe as his wife took care of the scared little girl. "Do you think you can get her?"
"Yeah, of course." He responded.
And with some careful maneuvering, they managed to get the girl up into the front and into Matt's arms, her tight grip transferring from Dawson to Casey the second he had a hold on her. While Matt secured her in his arms, Gabby was able to get herself back up front, Casey helping her when he could until she was eventually back on solid ground, the parents sharing small smiles before taking her over to her mom.
"Oh, baby!" The woman cried out, her child all but lunging into her arms once they were close enough.
"Mommy!"
Gabby and Matt watched on as the mother hugged her child, the woman pressing soft kisses over her head while Jemma got them both wrapped up in warming blankets. Thankfully the snow had eased up a bit, but it was still freezing out here, so the blankets were a necessity as they still needed to check out the family.
"Thank you." The woman spoke after a few moments as she held onto her daughter, her eyes bouncing back and forth between Casey and Dawson as they stood at the end of the gurney. "Thank you for getting her."
"Of course." Gabby responded, Matt nodding in agreement.
"We're happy to help… You have such a sweet little girl." He added, his words causing the mother to grin proudly before she looked down towards her daughter, the two sharing a quick moment before she looked back up at him.
"Thank you." She repeated, Matt smiling softly before he nodded once more. "...Do you have kids?" She questioned, Casey raising his eyebrows slightly as he felt Gabby glance up at him. "Sorry, if I'm overstepping… You're just really good with them, you seem like a dad." She finished, Gabby smiling softly as Matt was unable to hide his own grin from widening.
"Oh. Well, yeah, I am… To two little girls." He answered, the woman's eyes lighting up before she nodded.
"Yeah, I had a feeling." She told them, Matt glancing towards his wife who had never lost that small grin on her face.
"Dawson!"
The couple turned when they heard Gabby's name being called, the first responders finding one of the paramedics from ambulance 15 calling for her, her colleagues currently taking care of the annoyed man that had been pulled from one of the other cars.
"Can we get some help over here?"
"Yeah, I'm coming!" She called back before taking a slight step in that direction. "Brett, are you and Jemma good here?"
"We're good, go ahead." Brett told her as she started to check the little girl's breathing, Gabby nodding before she continued towards ambulance 51, her hand reaching up to rub over Matt's shoulder and run along his back as she walked away, Casey watching her go for a few moments before returning his attention the woman in front of him.
And when he did, he found her watching him with a small smile, her eyes moving towards Gabby before looking back to him with a knowing gleam in her eye, Matt chuckling lightly before he spoke up. "That's, uh.. my wife, Gabby." He said proudly, the woman giving him a nod.
"The mother of your children, I'm assuming?" She asked, Jemma smirking softly as she glanced up towards Matt, the man nodding once more, all three women not missing the way his face lit up, like he couldn't stop it even if he wanted to.
"She is… Our girls, Caitlyn and Sofia. I couldn't do it without her." He breathed out, his eyes moving back towards his wife as she got to the other paramedics, Matt's smile growing as he took her in for a few moments, before he knew he needed to get back to work.
Across the road, Gabby got to the other paramedics, the woman adjusting her jacket as she looked at them, before glancing down towards the man. "What's up?" She asked as the man glanced at her, the paramedic not missing how his eyes moved up and down her as she stood there. But she did her best to ignore it, knowing here soon she'd never have to see this man again.
"He's refusing treatment." One of the paramedics, Reynolds, spoke, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before looking back towards him. "But he's got this cut on his arm that we should really look at." She added, Dawson nodding in response.
"Can you tell me what you're refusing treatment?" She asked, the man smirking as his head tilted to the side, Gabby keeping her face blank as she waited for him to answer.
"Well, I didn't think I needed it sweetheart." He started, Gabby resisting the urge to roll her eyes as he smiled up at her. "But now that you're the one looking after me, it couldn't hurt to get checked out."
"Alright, well I'm not the one giving you treatment, but you have two qualified paramedics here." She spoke quickly, the man's face faltering slightly before he let out a sigh.
"I don't think I need it, then." He countered, Dawson's eyes narrowing slightly as she spared a quick glance to the two other paramedics.
"Are you saying you won't get treated unless I'm the one who does it?" She questioned in half annoyance, half disbelief, as Gabby had no idea what this man's deal was.
"Yes ma'am." He replied with a grin, Gabby biting her tongue before reaching out for the gauze Reynolds was holding.
"You sure, Dawson?" She asked softly, Gabby giving her a nod.
"It's fine… Let's just get him fixed up so you can get him to the hospital." She replied, Gabby ignoring the way he was looking at her as she focused on her colleague. "The cut's on his arm?"
"Yeah, under here." She replied, Gabby nodding before she began unwrapping the gauze.
"Alright… Sir, can you extend your arm out so I can get this covered?" She questioned, though her voice certainly wasn't as warm and inviting as it normally was, the man nodding before he held his arm out, his hand angled towards the ground while still giving her enough room to work. "Do we even know how he got this?" She asked Reynolds, the woman shaking her head as she began to wrap his exposed arm, Gabby wanting to get this done not only because of this man who creeped her out, but also because despite her personal feelings towards him, it was cold out. And the last thing she wanted was for that to cause more issues.
"I don't, I just saw the blood through his shirt."
"Alright, well I'll get this cleaned up and bandaged, then you all can- Hey." She cut herself off when she felt this man's hand rest on her hip, Gabby stepping away from him immediately as her eyes narrowed into a tight glare. The man still had a smug grin on his face, Gabby's back straightening before he held his free hand up in the air.
"Sorry, my arm's a little sore, and my hand fell a bit, my apologies." He spoke, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she got back to work. She didn't say anything in response, the paramedic staying as far away from him as she possibly could while also tending to his cut. And that seemed to work well enough, until a few moments later when Gabby turned to grab more gauze, and she suddenly felt a hand grope her over the back of her pants, her eyes widening immediately before she turned back around.
"Hey!" She snapped, her loud voice likely being heard all throughout the street. "Get your hands off me."
Over by 61, Casey turned when he heard his wife first speak, the man instantly on high alert as he recognized that tone in her voice, Matt turning towards her. But then when he heard what she'd said after, his body immediately went rigid, anger starting to course through him as he watched that man grab his wife for what had to be the second time.
"Casey…" Jemma told him, like she was trying to make sure he was aware of what was going on. But he didn't even hear her, the firefighter marching over towards the other ambulance as quickly as he could, Casey already gone as Brett radioed for police backup, as none of them knew how this would go.
"I told you, honey, my hand slipped." He spoke again, Gabby's eyes narrowing even more.
"Bullshit." She fired back before she could stop herself, the man raising his eyebrows before a smirk formed over his lips.
"Oh, so you've got a mouth on you… I knew I liked you." He spoke, the disgusting man reaching out around her waist once again, but Gabby immediately smacked his hand away.
"Hey, leave her alone, man." The other paramedic tried, but Dawson's burning eyes stayed focused on the guy, neither of them paying much attention to the medic as the large man pushed himself up from the gurney, now towering on Gabby.
"Do not touch her." Casey's rough voice hit Gabby's ears as her husband was suddenly standing in between them. She wasn't sure how he'd gotten here so quickly, or how much he'd heard, and while she couldn't see his face, based on his body language alone she knew he was furious, Gabby taking a slight step back as the man shook his head. Completely ignoring Casey, he refocused his attention on Gabby, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched her.
"I wouldn't hit me like that again if I were you, darlin'."
"Or what?" Matt cut in once more, not even giving this man the chance to speak to Gabby as he looked to Casey once more. "What are you gonna do?" He asked again, Matt's voice dripping in rage as his darkened eyes stayed focused on the man in front of him. He was a little taller than Casey, and definitely heavier than him, but Matt didn't care. He didn't care who it was, no one was going to do something like that to his wife and get away with it.
The man released a heavy scoff, shaking his head roughly as his eyes flashed back towards Gabby, finding that same blinding look of anger waiting for him. "I was just giving her a compliment. Showing her my appreciation." He huffed out, Gabby feeling someone come up behind her as she turned to find Severide standing there, the man's worried eyes flashing over her, telling her that most everyone had seen at least part of the interaction between them.
"You okay?" He asked her softly as he gave her shoulder a slight squeeze, Gabby nodding in response just as Casey spoke up again.
"Yeah, you touching a woman unnecessarily is not a compliment." He fired back, Casey doing his best to stay as level-headed as possible. But when it came to his family, that wasn't always the easiest task. "That's assault."
"Oh please." He spoke with a chuckle. "Don't be ridiculous. And besides, I didn't even want treatment. She's the one who came over here." He tried to defend himself, Casey shaking his head in anger as he took a slight step back, knowing he needed to get away from this man before he didn't something he shouldn't.
"If you didn't want treatment, then what are you still doing here?" He spat, the man narrowing his eyes at Casey. "You can't treat the people trying to help you with respect, just go. Get out of here, before I call the cops."
Without another word, Matt turned around to face Gabby for the first time, their eyes immediately locking on one another. And the second they did, his face softened, Gabby seeing all his anger and rage disappear, his eyes saying more than words ever could as his gaze traced over her, Gabby giving him a quick nod to tell him she was fine.
And while they both wanted nothing more than to get away from this man, Matt reaching out to place his hand over her back before beginning to lead her back to their own ambo, they barely got a few steps before they heard the man speak up again; though based on the way he was muttering, they were sure they weren't meant to hear him.
"Whatever, she's not worth it… Nothing but a fucking cunt."
Dawson and Casey both stopped dead in their tracks when they heard him, Gabby's entire body tightening before she whipped her head around, Matt just as furious as he did the same.
"Excuse me?" Gabby snapped, Matt seething as he stomped back over to him, while Dawson stayed back near Severide.
"What did you just call her?" Casey shouted, the man scoffing as he crossed his arms over his chest, clearly not fazed by Matt's anger.
"Casey…" Severide tried, knowing his friend needed to keep his cool, even though all Kelly wanted to do was deck this asshole. Before Matt said a word, sirens could be heard in the distance, telling them cops were arriving as Kelly released a soft sigh. But Casey didn't seem to register it.
"What did you say?" He repeated again, his body rigid as he stared this man down.
"You heard me… I called her a fucking c-"
He wasn't able finish his sentence as Matt threw a punch before he could, his glove-covered fister landing directly against his jaw, sending him tumbling back into the gurney.
"Casey!" Severide yelled, but Matt wasn't listening as the man quickly regained his balance, Casey seeing an anger in his eyes as he took a quick swing as well. But Matt was able to dodge it, the man opting to lunge towards him as the two men quickly tumbled towards the ground.
Everything after that felt like it was happening in slow motion, Gabby staying back in shock as Severide, Herrmann, and Cruz jumped in to pull the two men apart, the man landing a punch against Matt's cheek before they were separated. Severide managed to get Casey away, the men covered in slush and snow a Kelly got him up off the ground, while Herrmann and Cruz kept the other man pinned down, the cops hurrying over as they had just arrived.
"What do we got?"
"That firefighter punched me!" The man yelled from the ground, the cops sharing a look before glancing towards Casey, as Severide was brushing as much snow off of him as possible.
"He assaulted one of our medics." Casey huffed out, the Captain ignoring the stinging pain he felt in his cheek and in his hand as Gabby was still partially behind him.
"Bullshit-"
"He kept grabbing at her." Casey cut him off as if he wasn't even talking, the cops nodding before they walked towards the man who was still on the ground.
"Alright tough guy, we're gonna have a little chat." One of them spoke, Cruz and Herrmann getting out of the way as they knew they were no longer needed, everyone beginning to disperse as Matt finally turned back around to face Gabby, finding an unreadable expression shining back at him.
Her eyes were tracing over his face, Gabby releasing a soft sigh before she nodded back towards 61. "Come on." She murmured, Matt giving her a nod before he glanced back towards Herrmann.
"Herrmann, will you…"
"I've got the rest of the scene covered, let Dawson look you over." He replied, Casey shooting him a grateful look before he followed after Gabby, no one saying a word as they made their way back to the ambulance. Neither Jemma nor Brett said anything to Gabby about what had happened, knowing now wasn't the time or the place, especially when Casey was here with her as the married couple came to a stop at the side of the rig.
"Take your helmet off." She instructed, Matt nodding before he moved the gear out of the way and held it against his side underneath his arm, Gabby taking a step closer to him before she began to inspect his cheek. Her eyes were focused on the already-red skin, her fingers pressing gently around the area to check for any further damage, Matt hissing slightly when she got closer to when he'd gotten hit. The second he shied away from her touch, she pulled back, her eyebrows furrowing before she met his gaze. "Sorry." She murmured, Matt flashing her a soft smile before shaking his head.
"It's fine, just a little sore." He responded, Gabby nodding once more before she went back to checking his face quickly.
"He really landed one on you." She spoke underneath her breath, as her worried eyes were focused on his face.
"Well, I think I got the better shot in." He countered with a soft grin, his words earning a small smile from Gabby even though she tried to mask it, the woman shaking her head lightly before she took a slight step back.
"Mhmm… Well, you'll have a pretty nasty bruise, and some swelling, but other than that it's fine." She told him, Matt nodding in response before she looked down towards his waist. "Can I see your hand?"
Silently, he lifted his arm up, Gabby slowly removing his glove and holding onto it before she began to inspect his hand. Despite the slight redness from how cold it was, it looked the same, Gabby having him move it around a bit while also feeling around his knuckles. She could tell he was in a little bit of discomfort every so often, but nothing felt out of place or broken, Gabby sighing softly before she met his gaze once more.
"How bad does it hurt?"
"Not that much." He replied honestly, Gabby glancing back down towards his hand before she nodded. "I think the glove helped."
"Yeah, I'm sure it did." She responded as she helped him get his glove back on, Matt giving her an appreciative smile. "But, as far as I can tell, you're good… Just take it easy with that hand."
"I will." He assured her, Gabby nodding before she took another step back, her eyes moving out towards the scene where 51's firefighters were still working on getting things cleaned up. While he had the moment, his eyes stayed focused on her, Gabby not aware of his stares as he tried to get a read on her. "...Are you alright?" He finally voiced the question he'd been wanting to ask her since this first happened, Gabby's head turning back to look at him as she immediately saw the concern in his gaze.
"I'm okay." She responded, his eyebrows furrowing as he traced over her face.
"Gabby…"
"I'm fine, babe." She promised, Matt drawing in a deep breath as she gave him a small smile.
"Okay." He replied, Gabby nodding before she reached up to rest her palm over his chest, her hand rubbing over the area gently.
"But I probably should get going, so we can get that mom and her little girl to the hospital." She told him, Matt nodding understandingly before he reached up to hold onto the back of her hand. "As long as you're okay?" She questioned, Matt nodding immediately as he gave her a soft smile.
"I'm good." He responded, Gabby nodding in response before she patted his chest.
"Alright… I'll see you back at the house."
"Okay. Be safe." He told her as she began to walk away from him, Gabby nodding with a small smile.
"You too." She replied, Matt watching her until she disappeared around the back of the ambulance, the firefighter drawing in a deep breath before he pushed himself up off the rig. Putting his helmet back on his head, Casey couldn't help but notice the snow was beginning to pick up again, his body a little colder from his roll around on the ground moments prior as he began to walk back towards the wreckage to help his firefighters finish up their job.
When he got to them, he said nothing as he began to work with them, Casey feeling a few pairs of eyes on him as they all did their jobs. But no one said anything to him, not until Severide broke away from the group and moved towards him, his eyes focused on Matt as they continued to work.
"...She alright?" He asked softly, Casey swallowing thickly before he met his eyes, the Captain nodding slowly.
"I think so." He replied, Severide clasping his shoulder for a moment before a scoff left his lips, Matt looking up at him with an uncertain look covering his face.
"How exactly are you gonna explain this one to Boden?" He questioned with a slightly amused look, Casey huffing out a breath before he jokingly shrugged his friend off, the men going back to work so they could get back to the firehouse as soon as possible.
"Hey there you guys are." Herrmann spoke up as 51's paramedics walked in through the double doors, Brett coming in first along with Jemma, Dawson coming in behind them. "I was wondering how much longer you were gonna be gone."
"Yeah, we got hung up at the hospital for a little bit." Brett responded as her and Jemma took a few steps into the common room, while Gabby hung back by the door.
"Everything go okay?" Severide asked as he stood back at the counter, Gabby taking a few steps further into the room as she felt a few pairs of eyes on her.
"Everything was fine, Dawson just stayed to sit with that little girl for a bit."
"From the van?"
"Mhmm." Gabby finally spoke up as she shoved her hands into her pockets. "Lily, is her name. But her mom ended up needing a few tests, and it's just the two of them, so I offered to stay and sit with her." She explained, Kelly giving her a soft nod as everyone in the room listened intently.
"Yeah, she loved Dawson." Jemma added, a small smile forming over Gabby's face as they looked to her. "When she couldn't be with her mom, she wouldn't settle down unless Gabby was with her."
"Oh yeah?" Herrmann asked with a soft smile. "Well, I guess that's not surprising… Kids always gravitate towards you."
"I think it's just because I was the one who got her out after the accident." Dawson cut in softly. "I was more familiar to her than the nurses, but she is a sweet little girl."
"The sweetest, she was so cute." Jemma continued, Gabby nodding in agreement.
"But the mom's okay?" Stella asked as the paramedics looked towards her. "You said it was just her and her mom, her mom's gonna be alright?"
"Yeah, they're both fine. Should be allowed to go home later tonight." She answered, her words earning a few nods from around the room as she was beginning to realize that Casey wasn't anywhere in sight. "Everything went smoothly, and Lily's alright, too. Not a scratch on her."
"That's great, I'm glad everyone's fine." Herrmann replied, Gabby nodding in response before her eyes moved around the room once more.
"Yeah, me too… Do, uh, you know where Casey is?" She asked, Dawson knowing that while normally he'd likely be in his office, at the call this afternoon, she wouldn't be surprised to find out he'd been with Boden either, Severide nodding off towards the hallway.
"He's in his office, last I checked." Kelly replied, Gabby nodding thankfully as she walked back towards the hallway, the paramedic murmuring a quick 'be right back' before heading off down the hallway similarly to how she'd done earlier in the day, Dawson heading for Casey's office while the rest of the house stayed in the common room.
Everyone was quiet for a moment, Severide watching her through the windows as she walked down the hallway until she was out of sight, the Lieutenant drawing in a deep breath before he looked towards Jemma.
"Is she doing okay?" He asked softly, Severide voicing the question every one of them had ever since the call earlier in the day, Jemma drawing sighing softly before she nodded.
"Yeah, that at the call today… That was rough." Herrmann cut in, Jemma and Brett both glancing towards him. "I mean, I don't know the specifics. But I have a pretty good idea of what happened."
"Yeah." Jemma breathed out, the woman glancing towards Brett before she continued. "We didn't talk about it too much, but I did check in with her, she said she was fine."
"Was it a Dawson 'fine', or is she actually fine?" Stella asked, everyone knowing it was a valid question as Gabby had the tendency to keep things to herself, even when something was bothering her.
"She's alright." Jemma assured them with a soft smile, her words putting them at ease as they knew if anyone here could get a straight answer out of the paramedic, it was Norris. "I mean, she's Dawson… She's fine."
"Yeah, not much rattles her." Herrmann continued on, a few of the first responders nodding in agreement.
"Definitely not."
"Do you all know what happened to him, anyway?" Jemma asked as she crossed her arms over her chest, her body weight leaning into the table as she looked around the room.
"He was still with the cops when we left." Severide responded, Cruz nodding in agreement.
"Those other paramedics were still trying to work on him, but he really wasn't cooperating. And the officers stayed close by. I'm not sure what happened once we left, but we tried to stay away from him while we were there… With Casey and everything." Joe breathed out, everyone nodding knowingly.
"Yeah, he was not happy." Brett commented, Herrmann smacking his lips together as he looked back towards Kelly.
"Well, it's Dawson..." Severide spoke up once more, his few words explaining all they needed to know as to what he meant. But he continued on anyway. "When it comes to her, and the girls…"
"Yeah." Jemma agreed softly. "He'd do anything to protect them." She added, earning a few nods of agreement from around the room.
"He would… But luckily, Dawson's fine."
Across the firehouse, Gabby stepped into the bunk room, the woman taking that familiar path towards her husband's office as she saw him sitting at his desk, Dawson having flashbacks of her making this same exact walk earlier in the day. When she got to his door, she pulled it open and stepped inside, Matt turning to look at her with a soft smile on his face.
"Hey baby." He greeted as he turned around in his chair, Gabby immediately noticing the ice pack he had resting on top of his hand, before her eyes moved to welt that had formed over his cheek, the raised skin accompanied by a pretty harsh bruise; one she knew would only get worse as the day went on.
"Hey… How's the hand feeling?" She asked, Matt nodding with a soft smile before he stood up from his desk, leaving the ice pack behind as he came to stand in front of her.
"It's alright." He responded with a shrug, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing slightly as her eyes moved back down towards his hand.
"You sure about that?" She questioned, clearly unconvinced.
"Mhmm, I'm sure. It feels fine… Still a little sore, but nothing too bad." He assured her, Gabby pausing for a moment before she nodded, Matt reaching out to rub over her arm as she smiled up at him. "How did things go at the hospital? Was that little girl okay?" He questioned, Dawson giving him a soft nod. When she'd decided to stay at the hospital with Lily, one of the first things she'd done was text Matt and let him know it would be awhile before she got back to the firehouse. But, since those first few messages, he hadn't heard much from her.
"Everything's fine, they're both good… Perfectly healthy."
"That's good." He replied, giving her arm a squeeze as his eyes traced over her, Gabby watching him closely until he eventually met her gaze once more. "...And you?" He asked, her head tilting to the side slightly. "You still okay?"
Breathing in slowly, she nodded, Gabby responding first with a small smile before she spoke up. "I'm fine, Matt. I'd tell you if I wasn't." She promised, Matt matching her grin before he nodded as well, the man watching as her face softened slightly as she scrunched up her nose. "And, you know, you don't have to keep asking me…" She continued on, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth before shaking his head. "I think by now you're pretty much able to tell when I'm alright and when I'm not."
"Fair enough." He agreed quickly, giving her arm another gentle squeeze. "But we both know I'm going to keep checking in on you… Especially after something like that." Casey added, Gabby sighing softly before she nodded. "I think you know that, too."
That small grin reappeared over her face as he repeated her words, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip before shrugging. "Yeah, I guess I do… But I promise you, I'm fine. Stuff like this has happened before, if you recall." She reminded him, Matt wincing slightly as he knew her words held a lot of truth. "And I'm sure it'll happen again. I'm fine, baby."
Casey nodded, the man bringing his other hand up to hold onto her as they stood in his office, though his touch was much lighter with this sore hand. "Just because it's happened before doesn't mean you should ever have to deal with it." He countered softly, Gabby running her tongue along the inside of her cheek before she nodded. "And usually when that stuff happens, it's drunk idiots, not this… This guy seemed more… persistent. And you should never have to deal with that."
As he spoke, Gabby could sense just how angry he still was about this whole thing, and she completely understood the feeling, as she was too. She hated that that man thought it was okay to touch her, but she also knew things like this happened. It was a casualty of the job, unfortunately. But with Matt there, everything was fine, so Dawson wasn't exactly getting hung up on it. Though the same clearly couldn't be said for her husband.
"So, even though you're alright, I'm still gonna ask you to make sure… It would make me feel better, just to keep an eye on you." He continued, Gabby pausing for a moment before she nodded. "And I know you sometimes hate that, but it's just part of one of the many annoying aspects of being married to me." He added lightly, Gabby shaking her head a soft chuckle escaped her lips, her body moving closer to his as she pressed her hips against him.
"Oh, I know." She teased him, Matt grinning proudly before she leaned in to kiss him, her arms wrapping around his waist to secure herself to him as his hand slid around to her back. Their movements were soft, and slow, Casey gripping her back tightly while his free hand came up to cup her cheek.
"And I think as part of me keeping an eye on you," He started once they pulled back the slightest bit, Gabby still practically able to feel his lips on hers. "You should sleep in here with me tonight."
Her eyes opened to find him already watching her, Gabby pulling back slightly as a soft grin appeared over his face, her head cocking to the side slightly as his palm moved down to gently cup her neck. "Would that make you feel better?" She asked softly, Matt nodding slightly as his hand ran along her back.
"It would." He replied with a gleam in his eye, Gabby knowing he was still joking around a bit, but she was also aware he meant it.
"Alright, I'll stay in here with you tonight." She told him, Casey grinning wide. "But you do believe me when I tell you I'm fine, right?" She continued on, Matt's face softening as he nodded. "Cause, yeah, this guy was an asshole, but it's over now… And thanks to my amazing husband, nothing more came of it." She added, her arms tightening around his waist as he looked down in between them.
"Yeah, well… I'm not just gonna let some prick put his hands on my wife, and him saying what he did… He's lucky one punch is all he got." Casey huffed out, Gabby nodding slowly as she stroked her thumb over his lower back, just above his belt.
"Like I've told you… You being all protective can be hot." She spoke lightly, Gabby continuing to diffuse some of the heaviness in the air as Matt chuckled softly, the man shaking his head before he leaned in for another kiss, his hold around her back tightening as he wanted her as close as possible. "Though I do wish you hadn't gotten hurt in the process." She spoke once they stopped to breathe, Matt shaking his head slightly.
"I'm fine." He assured her. "In fact, I'm sure whatever reprimand headquarters hands down will be worse than the bruise." He continued on, Gabby wincing slightly as she locked her fingers together behind his back.
"Have you talked to Boden yet?" She asked, Matt shrugging slightly as he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.
"In passing… He didn't seem too pleased." He answered her, his words earning a small frown from Gabby. "He said he wanted to talk, but that he'd just wait until a few people from headquarters get here in the morning… Apparently word of what happened has already made its way around. So I guess we'll see what punishment they come up with."
Gabby's frown deepened, the woman shaking her head softly as she gave his body another squeeze. "I'm sorry." She told him, Casey's eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "That you're gonna get in trouble because of me."
"I wouldn't be getting in trouble because of you." He was quick to respond as the two locked gazes. "Nothing that happened today was your fault. Like you said, that guy was an ass, and he wasn't gonna stop. So I stepped in and made him." Matt spoke, his thumb brushing over her jaw lightly. "And whatever happens, it's fine… I don't regret what I did."
Her chest flooded with warmth as his warm blue eyes focused on her, Gabby smiling softly before she nodded in response, the woman using her hold around him to pull herself closer to him. Her head fell delicately against his chest, Matt wrapping her up in his arms as they stood there in the seclusion of his office, his forearms holding her to him as he felt her take a deep breath.
"Thank you." She murmured, her voice barely audible as she tightened her grip on him, Matt nodding gently as he rubbed her back.
"You don't need to thank me." He replied back just as softly, Gabby breathing in slowly as she focused on the sound of his steady heartbeat in her ear, the two of them standing there together for a few extra moments as they helped each other decompress after the crazy day they'd had.
Gabby checked her watch as she walked out of the locker room, the woman taking a deep breath as she followed Matt out into the hallway now that shift was over, the couple beyond ready to get home and see their girls. Even though they were completely exhausted, as neither one of them were able to get nearly as much sleep as they wanted with all the calls coming in during the night, that didn't matter to them so much right now as they were just looking forward to getting home and spending a nice Sunday morning with their daughters.
But their trip home would have to wait for a little while longer, as Matt and Gabby knew there were some people waiting to speak to Casey before they left the firehouse. Though they'd been here for a while, they'd instructed the Captain to wait for shift change before coming to speak with them. And now that time had come, as they had maybe a minute or two before the official change to third shift, meaning Gabby would be left waiting around some more before they could leave.
As they walked through the hallways of 51, their steps slowed down when they got towards the common room, while Jemma was standing there against the wall, looking down at her phone as the Casey's got closer.
"Hey guys." She greeted when she noticed their presence, both Matt and Gabby flashing her a warm smile before Matt turned back to look at Gabby.
"I'm gonna go ahead to Boden's office, you mind waiting here?"
"No, that's fine… Want me to keep your bag?" She offered, Matt giving her a nod before he slid his shift bag down off his shoulder and handed it to her, the Captain kissing her cheek quickly before he headed past the paramedics.
"I'll see you later, Jemma." He called back, Norris nodding with a soft smile before she refocused her attention on her best friend.
"So… Getting sent to the principal's office, huh?" She asked jokingly, Gabby releasing a light scoff before she shook her head.
"That's kind of what it feels like." She breathed out, Jemma nodding before her tone became a bit more serious.
"I'm sure everything will be fine… I mean, I'm not entirely sure how things work around here, but everyone knows Casey was just looking out for you. He wouldn't have hit the guy unless it was warranted."
"Yeah, but I don't know if headquarters will see it that way… But hopefully whatever it is, it's just a slap on the wrist." She replied, Jemma nodding once more as Gabby looked off down the hallway. "And it's not like Casey has some long list of write-ups or issues on the job, so that's not really a factor here… But with him being a Captain, they take stuff like this seriously." She spoke, a heavy sigh escaping her lips before she shook her head. "But, I guess we'll just see what happens… What about you? How are you feeling after a shift here?" She changed the course of their discussion, Jemma smiling wide as Gabby came to stand beside her against the wall.
"I loved it." She spoke without hesitation, Dawson's grin widening as she raised her eyebrows.
"Yeah?"
"Absolutely… I haven't had this much fun on the job in a long time." She told her, Gabby nodding in understanding. "I mean, what happened yesterday aside."
"I get what you mean." She assured her, Jemma flashing her a gentle smile before she continued.
"But yeah, I don't know, something about the pace, and the types of calls you all get… It was a crazy shift, but I loved it. I might want to do another ride along or two, just to really get the feel for everything, but I think the CFD is where I want to work."
The second those words left her lips, Gabby couldn't help but feel overcome with an abundant feeling of happiness, that genuine feeling stemming from the elation radiating off her friend as Dawson was sure she hadn't seen Jemma this excited in a while.
Pushing herself up off the wall, Gabby wrapped her best friend up in a tight hug, Jemma reciprocating the action as Dawson knew how much she'd been struggling with all of this. Since quitting at the SAS, Jemma had seemed a little lost, as she didn't know which career path she wanted to take. So to see her like this now, so sure of herself and excited for what the future may hold, Gabby was just as ecstatic as she was as the two friends continued to hug in the hallway.
"I'm so glad." Dawson murmured, Jemma smiling wide before tightening her grip on her friend.
"Me too… And I couldn't have done it with you."
Casey ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek as he approached Boden's office, the open door telling him that everyone was waiting on him as he picked up his pace a bit, the firefighter well aware that there were likely some unhappy people in that room wanting to speak with him, and the last thing he wanted to do was make them wait any longer. When he got to the door, he stopped just inside the office, Matt's presence noticed before he even needed to announce himself as Boden waved him in.
"Casey, come on in… Shut the door." He spoke, Matt complying without question as he stepped into the crowded room and closed the door behind him. From first glance alone, he saw a face he recognized, and some he didn't, though admittedly these weren't people he saw often.
"Chief Grissom." He greeted, the older man nodding as Casey decided to stay back by the door, his arms crossing over his chest as he looked between all the men staring at him.
"Captain... This is Chief Gregory, and Chief Pratt, they oversee things up at headquarters with me, I'm not sure if you would've ever crossed paths with them."
"Not to my knowledge, no." He replied before greeting them, all of them exchanging short pleasantries before Grissom spoke up.
"Alright, well I imagine it's best to just cut to the chase here, and deal with what brought us out here today. And what I'm guessing left you with that nasty welt on your face." He said, his voice becoming more and more stern as the words left his lips, Matt giving him little in the form of a reaction as Boden jumped in.
"Casey, why don't you just walk us through what happened." the Chief interjected, Matt's face softening as he looked towards Boden.
"Yes, I think we'd all love to hear it." Grissom continued on. "We'd love to know why a Captain, especially one running the scene, let himself lose his cool and punch a civilian then tackle him to the ground… Though I think we know exactly why he lost his cool out there." He finished pointedly as Casey's face hardened once more.
"Casey." Boden spoke up again. "Just tell us what happened."
Drawing in a deep breath, Matt began to go over every detail from the call yesterday, starting with when they first got there, all the way to him tackling that man to the ground after what he said to Gabby, no one in the room missing how angry Matt was getting as he recanted what had gone on. But regardless, they let him speak, Casey making sure to leave nothing out as he knew they'd ask anyway.
"And then once we were pulled apart, I went with Dawson so she could check out my hand, and my cheek. Then she went to the hospital, while I stayed back with 81 and squad 3 to finish up, before we came back to the house."
"You didn't talk to him again?"
"No sir. I didn't want to talk to him at all, but-"
"But because of Dawson, you inserted yourself into the situation." Chief Pratt said, Matt's eyes narrowing slightly. "Had it not been for her, it likely would've never escalated that far."
"Now I don't know if that's entirely true." Boden spoke up, though Matt barely registered his words.
"I did what I would've done had it happened to any other person in this firehouse." Casey defended himself, though none of the men bought it as Grissom scoffed lightly.
"Something tells me that you wouldn't have punched the guy if it hadn't been your wife that happened to." Grissom replied, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he looked towards Boden, his boss giving him a slight nod. "I'm not saying you wouldn't have protected your own, what happened to Dawson was awful, and I'm sorry for that. But the issue here is that had it been any other paramedic, it would not have escalated the way it did."
His words hung in the air for a few moments, Casey breathing in deeply before he shook his head, his eyes moving between the men in the room before landing back on Grissom. "I… I don't know what you're wanting me to say, here." He started, the older man raising his eyebrows. "I know I probably should've handled myself more professionally. But I don't regret what I did, and if the situation called for it, I'd do it again." He told them honestly, Grissom shaking his head slightly. "Maybe I acted more on instinct because it was Gabby, but I won't apologize for protecting her… Write me up, do whatever you need to, but I'm not sorry for it."
"Yeah, that's what I was expecting." Grissom breathed out, the man bringing his hand up to rub over the back of his neck. "But luckily for you, the man isn't pressing any charges." He spoke, Matt's ears perking up as he glanced to Boden. "So, aside from a small note in your file, we may just be able to forget this incident occurred…"
"I think that would be for the best." Boden replied, Matt staying quiet as he knew better than to say anything right now. "Everyone's fine, Dawson's alright… I'd say we should just move on."
"We will… But Captain, this, right here… This is why we typically discourage spouses from working together. And I know you're aware of that." He told him, Casey nodding understandingly. "And it would be a real shame if we had to rethink our decision to add that spot on ambo for Dawson… So, in the future- though hopefully something like that never happens to Dawson again, but just be mindful of the situations you're injecting yourself into." He warned him, Matt biting his tongue before he nodded once more.
"Yes sir." He responded, Grissom nodding before he took a slight step forward.
"Well, let's hope we can just put all of this behind us, and not have to be back here anytime soon." He replied, Casey nodding as the men began to file out of the room.
As they left, Matt did nothing more than give them a few nods, as he wasn't exactly impressed with the conversation they'd just had; though part of him understood it. But that didn't mean he had to like it, Casey remaining quiet while Boden said his goodbyes to his colleagues, the men exiting the office soon enough as they left Matt and his Chief alone.
Standing beside his desk, Wallace had his hands on his hips, Casey watching him closely as he waited to see what he had to say, the Captain knowing his Chief still wasn't entirely thrilled about what had happened yesterday.
"I'm guessing there's not anything I could tell you that you don't already know…" He started, Matt drawing in a slow, deep breath before shaking his head a few times, Boden sighing softly. "But Dawson's okay?"
"She's fine."
"Alright… Well, you can get out of here." He replied, Matt giving him a grateful smile. "Just… Grissom did have a point. If this becomes a recurring theme, they might have cause to look into transferring Dawson. So just be mindful of that… But I'm glad she's okay."
"I will, Chief." He replied, Boden giving him a nod before he went back towards his desk. "And thank you." He added before leaving the room, Matt taking a few deep breaths before he began the trek back towards his wife. Right now, all he wanted to do was get to her and head out of here, Matt frankly tired of being in this firehouse as he'd much rather be home, a day with his family sounding like exactly what he needed right now.
And he knew Gabby did, too.