Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all. Let me start off by apologizing for not getting this up last week, I didn't mean to leave you all waiting the way I did. I'm just not in the best place with this show/writing Dawsey right now, so I gave myself a little break from it. But I am really sorry I kept you waiting, I didn't plan on that or I would've let you all know.
But all that aside, I do hope you all enjoy this chapter. I know some of you are eager to see what happens, hopefully it doesn't disappoint.
Thank you so much for reading, I'll see you next time.
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Four
But just as they got out into the road, it was like everything began to happen in slow motion, Matt's eyes widening in horror as a truck blaring on their horn came flying through the intersection, the vehicle coming into view out of nowhere through the blind turn before slamming into the driver's side door of the ambulance. The sound of crushing metal was loud enough to be heard through the sirens, Otis slamming on his brakes as Casey watched the scene unfold in front of him, the Captain barely able to process what he was seeing as 61 tumbled across the street. The truck did what it could to swerve out of the way, but it wasn't enough as the ambulance smacked the ground harshly on the passenger side before the force of impact flipped it onto its top and began skidding through the icy road, the sound of screeching metal filling the air as the rig spun around on the ground.
The whole thing happened in a matter of seconds, but felt like an eternity as the destroyed rig sat upside down in the middle of the intersection, glass and metal laying everywhere over the road as smoke began to bellow out from the crushed vehicle.
The same vehicle that had their paramedics trapped inside.
"Holy shit." Otis muttered underneath his breath while Casey's eyes widened in horror, the ambulance finally coming to a stop in the middle of the intersection as the entirety of truck 81 was stunned silent. But that only lasted for a split second before Matt was out of the rig, the Captain jumping down from the stopped truck as quickly as he could before running through the snow and ice covered street to get to the ambulance.
"Otis, go!" Kidd urged him as the man was frozen in his seat before he snapped out of it and began to move forward to get closer to the accident.
"Mayday, Mayday! Main, Ambulance 61 was involved in an accident, head on collision with another vehicle. I don't know how many people are in the truck, but we need paramedics, we need- We need lots of paramedics." Otis spoke hurriedly into the radio as he continued forward.
Out on the road, Casey was running as fast as he could, his body moving faster than his brain as he had only one thought on his mind. And that was getting to his wife, the man sliding on the ice as he got closer, Matt ignoring the twinge of pain he felt in his knee as he had to catch himself before falling.
"Gabby!" He shouted into the frigid air, Casey completely oblivious to everything around him as people began to get out of the cars and watch on, while truck 81 and squad 3 pulled up to the accident, the firefighter immediately going to the back of the upside down rig before doing what he could to pry open the doors.
But he wasn't having much luck as the metal was dented in and crushed to the point where he couldn't even see in if he tried, the back windows broken out while supplies inside were already strewn across the ground. And that wasn't a comforting thought at all, as if the locked up supplies had been thrown around like this, he could only imagine what had happened to Gabby.
"Gabby, I'm here! I'm here baby, I'm coming." He called quickly before he began kicking the jammed door that didn't even look like a door at this point, Matt willing to do anything to get inside this rig. But his efforts weren't working, and he wasn't far off from getting the jaws and ripping the ambulance apart.
As he struggled with the doors, he didn't notice the way all of 51's other firefighters gathered around the rig, while a couple of them went to the truck driver. But everyone was only focused on their paramedics, and there was no hiding it, as most of his firefighters went up to the front of the rig to check on Brett and Foster, Casey not noticing Severide and Cruz coming up behind him as he was still focused on getting these doors open.
"Dammit!" He yelled in frustration, the seconds that ticked by feeling like hours as he was desperate to get to Gabby, it not lost on Matt how he hadn't heard a word from Gabby since he got over here.
"Casey! Casey, let me-" Kelly tried as he reached out towards him, Matt shrugging him off out of pure instinct as his friend was behind him. "Casey-"
"I need to get her out!" He huffed out angrily, Matt pulling and kicking relentlessly on the ambulance. "I need to… I have to get her, she was back here, I need to-"
"I know." Severide assured him as Kidd moved towards the passenger side of the ambulance and crouched down on the ground beside the busted window, while Otis and Herrmann moved to the driver's side. "I know man, and we're gonna get her, but let me help." Kelly spoke, keeping his voice as calm and reassuring as he could in a situation like this, Casey finally tearing his eyes away from the ambulance before locking gazes with his friend. "Let me help." He repeated, Matt pausing for a moment before he nodded frantically, the Captain stepping back out of the way so Severide and Cruz could move in, the tools in their hands much more useful than Matt on his own as they were all desperate to get Dawson out.
But Severide had just barely stepped forward before a loud, ear-piercing scream filled the air around them, Casey's head snapping towards the front of the rig where the noise was coming from. It was harsh, and Matt could tell the scream was coming from someone in a tremendous amount of pain, but within a second he could tell one thing for sure, and that was that it wasn't Gabby. If it were Gabby, he would've recognized it immediately, but it wasn't, the man shaking his head before he turned back to Severide.
"Come on, Kelly." He prompted quickly, Matt blocking out the sound of who he realized to be Brett screaming as Otis tried to calm her down, the man not having it in him to care about anything or anyone else right now. Maybe it was selfish, maybe it was wrong, and it made him a bad Captain, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. He wanted his friends to be okay, but his firefighters were helping them, and he couldn't focus on what was happening with the other paramedics as Gabby was his only priority right now. And right now, Kelly wasn't moving fast enough. "Severide!"
"I'm trying, Casey." He groaned as he worked on prying the door open, Cruz standing by his side as the chaos around them continued, the sound of sirens being heard faintly in the distance.
"Brett, Brett- we're gonna get you out, it's okay." Herrmann spoke as calmly as he could, the woman's screams lessening as she was clearly in pain. "We're gonna get you out, you'll be fine."
"I- what happened?" She coughed out, Herrmann noticing some blood coming from a cut on her head as they hung upside down, the seatbelt keeping her up off the ground.
"There was an accident, some guy hit you… But it's fine, we're gonna get you out."
"Dammit!" Kidd cursed from the other side of the rig as she was crouched down onto the ground, Herrmann looking past Brett through the ambulance towards Stella, seeing the look of anguish written across her face.
"What is it?"
"Foster, she's- she's unconscious, she must've hit her head, but she doesn't-"
"What?" Brett pressed as her mind cleared, her body screaming in pain as she turned to look over towards her partner for the first time, Sylvie seeing Emily's limp body hanging there as blood was pouring from her head.
"...She doesn't have a pulse."
Outside, Casey watched as Severide finally got the crushed door open, Cruz moving out of the way the second it was mobile as Matt hurried forward and all but ripped it open, giving him a view into the ambulance. But the sight waiting for him caused his stomach to turn as the back of the rig was completely destroyed, their supplies thrown everywhere while the gurney was lying diagonally across the ambulance.
And pinned underneath it was Gabby, the woman seemingly unconscious on what was the roof of the rig, while the gurney was covering more than half her body. And from what he could tell, it was nearly crushing her, Matt scrambling to get inside as he had no idea if she was even alive or not.
"Oh my God." Kelly spoke underneath his breath, shock flooding his body as he looked at Gabby and that state she was in, the man knowing she had to have gotten thrown around the back of this ambulance. And he was sure Matt was aware of that.
"Gabby!" The Captain cried out as he hurried over the frame to get into the back of the rig, Matt having to duck down as the ambulance was so crushed he couldn't stand up straight before moving as quickly as he could to get to her.
"Casey, be careful!" Severide's voice hit his ears as he stepped into the rig, but that wasn't something Matt needed to be told. Of course he was going to be careful, of course he was going to follow protocols; he wouldn't do anything to harm his wife, no matter how desperate he was to get to her.
"Baby, can you hear me? I'm here, I'm here." He told her over and over as he maneuvered his way around the supplies beneath his feet, Matt getting as close as he could without moving the gurney off of her, the man pulling his glove off his hand before reaching out towards her neck to check for a pulse. And it was in that moment he was finally able to get a good look at her, tears burning in the edges of his eyes as he saw her covered in blood. He couldn't even tell where all it was coming from, but he could feel it against his skin as he checked her pulse, blood covering her neck and her face as she laid there motionless. "Come on baby, come on." He murmured desperately as he was yet to feel any sign of life coming from her. "Dammit Gabby, come on!"
"Matt…" Severide spoke quietly from behind him, the Lieutenant staring on helplessly as a strangled sob left Casey's lips.
"I've got a pulse!" He choked out suddenly, Kelly releasing a grateful breath as his body flooded with relief, Matt shaking his head as he pulled his now blood-covered hand away from his wife. "I've got a pulse, I've got a- she's alive. She's alive." He breathed out, Casey using his sleeve to wipe away the tears falling down his skin, Severide reaching out to clasp his shoulder as Matt released a few heavy breaths.
"More paramedics are here!" They heard Otis yell from outside the rig.
"They need to take Foster first!" Kidd shouted back, Matt tuning them out as he refocused his attention in on Gabby.
"How do you wanna do this, Casey?" Severide questioned, the Captain forcing himself to clear his mind as he tried his best to take in the situation. He had to think rationally here, he had to think like a Captain, not a husband, even though it was nearly impossible every time he took in the sight of his blood-covered, unconscious wife. But he did what he could to push his feelings aside, knowing Gabby needed him focused, as he couldn't afford to let his emotions win out. Not when he had no idea the extent of her injuries.
"I, uh-" He stuttered over himself as he looked over Gabby, his mind running rampant as he tried to figure out where best to start, Matt repeatedly wiping over his eyes as his vision was clouded with tears. "We need to get her out of here, we need to get her out." He spoke softly, Severide nodding from beside him just as they heard Brett scream in pain once more, the Lieutenant grimacing while Casey did what he could to tune her out.
"We got you Brett, we're gonna get you to the hospital." They heard an unfamiliar voice, Severide assuming that to be one of the other paramedics that had been called to the scene.
"We need to- We gotta be careful, I don't… I don't know if she has any damage to her spine." Casey continued on as he shook his head, his eyes beginning to dart around the small, confined space. "We gotta be as careful as we can be, we need to get this off her. But we need- Dammit, where it is." His words moved quickly while Kelly did all he could to follow his train of thought.
"Casey…"
"We need to get a collar on her, where is it?" He muttered to himself, Kelly looking around as well as they tried to find what Matt was looking for, but it wasn't easy with the state the rig was in. "We need to get her out."
"Where is she?!"
Severide's head snapped up when he heard the familiar voice, the one he'd recognize anywhere as he registered the sound of desperation flooding into the air, Matt not reacting as Kelly looked out of the rig.
"Jemma, she's-" Kidd tried, the sound of his girlfriend's voice telling Severide that they must've gotten Foster off to the hospital already. But she wasn't able to talk much before Norris cut her off once more.
"Where is she?!" He heard again, Jemma's voice getting louder as Severide took a slight step back from Gabby. "We got the call over the radio, is she- Oh my God." Jemma choked out as she came around the back of the ambulance, her body stopping abruptly as she'd clearly been moving fast to get here, the paramedic taking in the brutal sight in front of her as her partner hurried around the corner as well. "Gabby…"
"Jemma, we need your help." Severide told her, the woman snapping out of her shocked state as she forced all her feelings aside, Norris nodding before she stepped into the back.
"We need a collar!" Casey yelled desperately to no one in particular, his eyes never leaving Gabby as he crouched back down beside her, his hand reaching out to cradle the side of her bloody head, Jemma's eyes darting around before she looked to Severide.
"Does she have a pulse?" She asked quickly, the paramedic sniffling as she stepped around the gurney to get as close to her friend as possible, Matt still having yet to register her presence as he was focused on Gabby and what he could do to help her.
"She does, she's alive, breathing… We just need to get her out." Kelly responded with just as much urgency, Jemma nodding quickly before she reached out towards Gabby.
But she was stopped immediately by Casey shoving her hands away, the man not even looking up towards her as his frantic voice filled her ears. "Don't touch her! We can't move her yet!" He nearly shouted, his worry evident as he was still frantically looking around. And while Norris was a little startled by his outburst, she didn't fault him for it, as she knew better than almost anyone
"Casey…" Jemma spoke carefully, Matt shaking his head as he continued looking around. "Matt, look at me."
"We need a collar, we have to get her out! We-"
"Matt!" She shouted, her loud voice forcing him to stop as his head snapped up to her, Jemma seeing the exact moment he realized who exactly it was in front of him, his eyes softening for a split second as she saw just how much fear and concern he was holding onto. And it only continued to break her heart.
"Jemma…" He breathed out now that he knew she was here, his tone desperate as she gave him another nod.
"We're gonna get her out, okay?" She told him, the cracking of her voice combined with the tears in her eyes giving her away as Matt gave her a slight nod, the firefighter having all the faith in the world in his friend. Even in his worried haze, he knew Jemma was the best person to be here with him right now, as the paramedic would work just as hard as he would to make sure Gabby got out of this okay. "We're gonna get her out, but I need your help, and I need Kelly's help." She continued on, Jemma regaining some of her strength as she pushed down the worry bubbling within her, her feelings something that could be dealt with later as both men nodded.
Before saying another word, Jemma turned back to her partner, the woman standing back beside their gurney as she waited for instruction, not wanting to overcrowd the rig in a situation like this. Especially with the way Gabby was pinned in.
"I need the c-collar, and make sure our backboard is ready, once we get this gurney off her, I want to get her out of here as soon as possible." Jemma instructed, her PIC not questioning her as it was clear from the moment they heard the call that Norris would be running this, her partner reaching out to hand her the collar quickly before Jemma turned back to Gabby. "Alright… alright." She spoke to herself as her eyes moved around quickly, her gaze landing on her best friend's beaten face for a split second before she continued to look over the rest of her.
"Jemma…" Matt spoke up again, his near pleading voice causing her to draw in a deep breath.
"I know, I know." She replied, her tongue darting out to wet her dry lips before she nodded. "Okay, um- we need to get the collar on her before we move her, but I can't get it on with this gurney on her."
"We can't move it." Matt cut in quickly, Jemma looking towards him as he immediately shook his head. "We can't- we can't move it, not until we've secured her spine. Any movement at all could be dangerous, we don't know her injuries, we don't-"
"I know, Casey." She interjected as well, Matt pursing his lips together as his tear-filled eyes looked back down to Gabby. "But we don't have another choice, I have no way to get this on her without moving the gurney. And I'd rather have you all lift it up, then me try to maneuver my way around it and jostle her more." She explained to him as steadily as she could, the cold air around them thick as Matt wiped away a few stray tears before nodding. "...You know I'd never do anything to hurt her."
"I know, I know." He told her without hesitation, the man choking on his breath as his eyes moved back to Gabby, Matt unable to push away how unsettling he found it that she'd been unconscious this entire time. "I just- We need to get her out, but I don't want to hurt her."
"I know."
"I don't want to hurt her." He repeated, Jemma's eyebrows furrowing before she looked up towards Severide, seeing the same uncertainty breaking through the worry that was permanently etched into his skin. "I don't… We can't hurt her." He repeated, his voice breaking as he cradled her head.
"We're not gonna hurt her, man." Severide stepped in, Jemma blinking back her tears before she looked down at Dawson, the sight no less unsettling than it had been when she arrived. "We're gonna do all we can to help her, but Jemma's right… We can't do anything until we get this off of her."
"We need to get her out." Casey told him as he tore his eyes away from his wife, Kelly's look of confusion only deepening as he met Matt's gaze. "I… I don't want to hurt her, but we have to get this off of her." He continued on like Kelly hadn't just said that to him, Severide nodding in agreement as Jemma leaned over to check for a pulse once more, the paramedic thankful when she felt the faint thumping beneath her hand.
"I know, Casey."
"It's… it's crushing her, we have to get this off of her. I don't know if she can breathe, we need to get her out." He continued repeating himself, Severide nodding in response as his eyes flashed back to Jemma, the woman nodding as well.
Both of them could tell Matt was having a hard time processing this, as he was all over the place right now, but under the circumstances it was warranted, Severide pulling back on his shoulder slightly to get him to stand up.
"We're going to… Cruz, get in here! Get Capp!" Severide ordered as Jemma pushed herself up and climbed her way to the back of the rig to get out of the way, but staying close enough to jump in if needed, Joe stepping his way in as carefully as he could in the space that wasn't big enough for all of them. But they needed as many hands as possible to get this gurney off of Gabby, Capp getting in the rig as well as they all stood around their crushed paramedic.
"Alright, on my count we're gonna lift straight up and get out of here as quickly as possible… Are there any more people from 51 out there?" Severide shouted, it only taking a second or two before Herrmann and Otis came into view, their immediate shock evident. But Kelly didn't bother to dwell on it, as he knew they'd already wasted too much time. "We're gonna need your help… Casey and I don't have room to move much, not with Gabby here, so we're gonna lift this up and I'll need you all to help us get it out."
"Got it, Lieutenant."
"Okay… Everyone, grab a side. We need to do this quick… But be careful." Severide told them, the man taking point as Matt was in no state to be telling anyone what to do. All his focus right now was on Gabby, and that's the way it should be. "On my count, we lift up and move."
"We're getting you out of here, baby." Matt murmured as he was crouched down close to her head, his hands gripping the edge of the gurney tightly while everyone else got in position, Casey grimacing as he looked at how tightly the metal was pressed into her skin, the brunt of the weight of the gurney resting over her collarbone as the entire thing was putting pressure on her body.
It was a gruesome thing to see, especially when it was his wife, and he couldn't wait to get her out of here.
"Alright, on three, let's get this off of her… Ready-"
Matt tuned him out when he heard what he could've sworn was a faint groan beneath him, the Captain's eyes widening as he looked down at her.
"Gabby?" He asked frantically, Kelly stopping his words once Matt spoke, everyone in the rig looking at Dawson just as another groan left her lips. "Gabby? Baby, can you hear me?" He questioned again, his desperate tone filling the air as his wife had yet to respond to him. All she did was groan once more, the sound quickly morphing into a whimper, one Casey would recognize anywhere as he could immediately tell that she was in pain.
She was in a lot of pain.
"Hey, hey, Gabby- baby, it's okay. We're gonna get you out of here, you'll be okay." He spoke as confidently as he could, despite the fresh tears welling in his eyes as he continued to hear her groan and whimper, Gabby not reacting to him at all as he reached out to cup her cheek. "I know it hurts, but we're getting you out of here, you're gonna be fine." He continued to assure her, though he needed the assurance just as much as she did before he turned back to Severide. "Now, Kelly!" He barked, Severide nodding as they all got back in position.
"On my count, alright?" Severide started once more, Matt clenching his eyes shut for a split second to clear away some of the tears residing there before he regained his grip on the gurney.
While all this was going on, Gabby could barely register any of the chaos around her, the woman having no sense of her surroundings as she wasn't even sure where she was. She didn't know what happened, or why everyone was yelling around her, she couldn't remember any of what went on before this moment. All she did know was her entire body was in pain, and the more conscious she became, the more she felt it. An excruciating, blinding pain that was overtaking her entire body.
A pain that only got worse when they started lifting the gurney off of her.
"Three!" Severide spoke before the firefighters pulled the object that was crushing Dawson up off of her.
But they only got it maybe a few inches before Gabby screamed, the ear-piercing sound causing them all to stop abruptly as Matt's eyes flew down to her.
"Wait, wait!" He shouted just as another scream left Gabby's lips, the sound making him nauseous as he saw tears streaming down her blood-covered face. "Gabby, what's wrong? What hurts?" He tried, Matt wishing more than anything he could do something to comfort her in this moment. But he couldn't, not with his hands holding onto the gurney that was hovering above her, Matt knowing he couldn't put it back down as he'd risk hurting her even more. "Baby- baby, talk to me, what is it?" He tried again, but Gabby didn't react to him as she continued to cry out, the sound gut wrenching to everyone in the rig.
"Casey, we need to get this off of her." Severide spoke again, the weight of the gurney becoming heavier and heavier by the second as it was being held just inches above Gabby's body.
"I know, I know." He spoke through his wife's cries, fresh tears filling his eyes as his throat clenched. He had no idea what was wrong with Gabby, or what was suddenly causing her to be in so much more pain, but they couldn't do anything to help her until the gurney was out of the way. And they all knew. But the sound of her crying in pain didn't make any of this easier as he couldn't help but feel like he was hurting her more than helping. "Again, on three, let's get this off, then we can-"
"Wait!" Jemma stopped them, the woman having stayed silent up until this point as she was trying to stay out of the way, Matt glancing back behind him when he heard her voice to find the paramedic crouched down on the ground.
"What?" Severide asked, his grip slipping slightly on the heavy weight in his hands. "Jemma, we need to move this."
"Her leg, Severide." She spoke, her eyes focused underneath the gurney as she'd tried to figure out from afar was what causing her best friend's pain. And, apparently, she had. "Look at her leg, she's bleeding."
Matt's eyes widened at her words before he quickly looked down towards her legs. But with the gurney in the way, he wasn't able to see whatever Jemma saw, not when he was forced to stay in this spot while Gabby cried beneath them.
"Jesus." Severide breathed out once he angled his head down, the Lieutenant clearly able to see what Matt couldn't.
"What is it?" Casey asked as Jemma moved in, the woman getting down on the ground beside Matt before she reached underneath the gurney. "What's wrong?"
"She's got a pretty bad cut on her leg." Jemma spoke through her teeth, the small space feeling even more cramped as they all waited for her go-ahead. "I don't know if the gurney cut her, or if it happened during the crash, but the metal from the leg of the gurney is cutting into her. It's pressing into the wound on her leg." She explained as best she could through all the chaos, Matt's throat going dry as he forced himself to keep a clear head. "But it's not- You can get it off of her, we'll deal with it once the gurney's out of here. We gotta get this off of her, we don't have any more time."
"Jemma-"
"Now Casey!" She ordered, the desperation in her voice doing nothing to ease his fears as he nodded, Matt's teary eyes looking back towards Severide who gave him a knowing look before he spoke up.
"Alright, let's go again… On my count, one, two, three."
The men began lifting the gurney off her once more, Jemma still reached underneath it to help guide the metal that was cutting into her leg away from Gabby, but as soon as they started moving the paramedic began screaming in pain once more, the sound unbearable.
"We have to stop!" Casey tried, tears flooding down his cheeks as he stopped his movements, the action causing the rest of them to as well as he couldn't take hearing his wife in so much pain.
"Keep going!" Jemma shouted, Matt shaking his head roughly.
"We can't, we're hurting her, we have to-"
"We'll hurt her more if we don't get her out of this ambulance, now keep going!" She all but screamed at him, the hostile tone to her voice breaking through Gabby's pain-filled cries as Matt reluctantly nodded, before they began lifting once more.
As they moved, pain continued to flood Gabby's entire body, the shock hitting her before she suddenly felt numb, her mind going completely blank as nothing but pain overwhelmed her senses.
And it was then the screaming stopped, Matt's head snapping down just as Herrmann and Otis helped get the gurney out of the back of the rig to find Gabby barely conscious.
"Jemma!" He spoke frantically as he dropped down to his knees beside his wife, Matt ignoring the sudden stinging pain that shot through his leg as he was completely focused on Gabby.
"Is she breathing?" Norris asked as she moved away from Gabby's leg and came up to her head, Jemma's partner hurrying inside the rig and coming to crouch down on the opposite side of Dawson.
"I don't- I don't know, I think." Casey stuttered out as Jemma checked her pulse once more, before she checked for breath sounds, Matt not missing the way his friend grimaced as she pulled back.
"Gabby! Gabby, can you hear me?" Jemma asked loudly, the paramedic that had just been crying out moments earlier now completely unresponsive as she showed no signs of life. "Dammit… We need to intubate." She spoke strongly before she began rooting around in their ambo bag, while her partner had started dressing the deep wound on Dawson's leg, the one Matt still hadn't gotten the chance to look at as his focus was elsewhere.
"You need to intubate? Is she- She's not breathing?" He asked hurriedly, his voice barely sounding like his own as Jemma quickly continued with her work, the paramedic pulling out the tube and everything she'd need to help her friend. But while doing all this she had yet to answer him, Matt's eyes darting frantically between Gabby's still frame back up to Norris. "Jemma!"
"She's not getting in enough oxygen, and her pulse is weak." She told him as her eyes focused down on Gabby, Jemma working quickly as she got Gabby into the correct position before beginning to intubate her, Matt grimacing as he watched the tube being slid down into his wife's throat. "I… I don't know what injuries she has, or what all's going on, but I know she's not getting enough oxygen." She repeated as she connected the bag used to pump air into her lungs to the tube, before looking down towards her partner. "How's her leg?"
"It's a pretty nasty laceration, will probably need stitches at least, but I got it covered… She's good to go, we just need to get her collared and on the board." She responded, Jemma breathing in deeply before she nodded, the paramedic reaching for the collar before moving back towards Dawson's head.
"Alright, alright… We're gonna get you out of here, Gabby." Jemma murmured as she continued the process of getting her friend secured while Kelly brought in the back board, Norris blinking back her tears as she tried to tune out the sounds of Matt crying next to her, as he was clearly beside himself. And she understood it, as Jemma knew for as awful as she felt right now, it was nothing compared to what Matt was feeling.
And the unknowns of this situation were only making it worse.
"We got you, Gabby." Jemma continued on as they got into position to get her on the spinal board, the paramedic's eyes tracing over her body before they started to adjust her. And it was then Norris noticed something she hadn't seen yet, Jemma grimacing when she saw the way Gabby's left arm was twisted up underneath her own body. Though it was hard to tell with all the layers her friend was wearing, it was clear her arm was still bent in a way it typically wouldn't go, fresh tears filling Jemma's eyes as she carefully reached down to get it out from underneath her as Severide spoke up again.
"Alright guys, I need you back in here!" Kelly shouted as the paramedics got the last of the straps secured around Gabby's beaten body, everyone moving quickly as they were painfully aware of the fact that they'd already been in here too long. They'd had no other choice, but regardless, they needed to get her out of here and to the hospital sooner rather than later, as there was no way for them to know the extent of her injuries until they got her there. But from what they could see, it wasn't good.
Once Dawson was secured to the backboard, the next few minutes seemed to go by in a blur, Matt staying attached to her side as they loaded her up onto the gurney and raced her off towards Jemma's ambulance. Casey followed as closely as he could, the husband hating every second he was away from her as Severide helped them get her into the back of the ambulance, Jemma already getting to work before Casey climbed in as well.
"We'll meet you at med." Severide told them while Matt got down beside the bed and instantly reached for Gabby's hand, Jemma up by her head as she was working on getting Gabby attached to the monitor, his words falling on deaf ears as neither of them were in any state to pay attention to what he was saying.
"We got you baby, you'll be okay." Casey murmured as he squeezed Gabby's hand tighter, the lack of response from her causing his stomach to sink further as fresh tears clouded his vision. "Everything's gonna be okay. I promise."
"Come on, let's go!" Jemma shouted up towards the front where her partner was just as Matt finished speaking, Severide slamming the doors closed before tapping the back of the rig. And within seconds, the rig's sirens started blaring through the open road before they pulled away from the scene, leaving behind all of the firefighters behind to clean up the wreckage that had nearly cost them the lives of their friends.
Casey paced the confines of the waiting room in Chicago med nervously as the entirety of Firehouse 51 was gathered around, the small space not necessarily big enough for all of them while there were other people waiting for updates on their loved ones as well, but they made the best of what they had, everyone wanting to stay here in this room as they knew that whenever there was any news on their paramedics, this is where they'd come first.
But it didn't make the waiting any easier, as they'd been here for nearly an hour now, and they hadn't heard anything. And it was making Casey sick, the Captain not sure of the state his wife was in right now, as Gabby had taken a turn for the worse during the drive here.
It had happened suddenly when they were nearing the hospital. She'd been stable, still unconscious but stable, but then all of the sudden, she wasn't. Her heart had stopped abruptly, sending both him and Jemma into a tailspin as Matt had been forced to give her CPR until they arrived, Gabby barely hanging on by the time they got her here. And while they had managed to get her pulse back just as they pulled up to the hospital and she was whisked away into the ER, she'd been down for a substantial amount of time, and Matt had no idea how that would affect her in the long run. Or, God forbid, if it had happened again. He just didn't know.
Because he didn't know anything at all.
It had been an hour, and no one could tell him anything about his wife. And that enraged him just as much as it terrified him, Matt sure tears hadn't stopped filling his eyes ever since they arrived.
And on top of everything with Gabby, they hadn't gotten many updates on the other paramedics either. With Brett, all they knew was that she was being taken to surgery, her shoulder having been completely shattered on impact from the crash, leaving her with a long surgery ahead of her, and an even longer recovery, Then with Foster, they were completely in the dark. Though they weren't able to find a pulse before they pulled her from the rig, they'd still fought like hell to save her, and so far they'd gotten no updates on how she was doing. Which they all liked to believe was a good thing, as everyone in the room needed their paramedics to be okay. All their paramedics.
Though, admittedly, Casey was only focused on one.
"Casey."
Matt looked up towards the sound when he heard Severide's voice, the man walking back into the room from the hallway he'd been in for the last five minutes or so, worry etched deep into his skin as he came to stand beside his friend.
"Any updates?" He asked first, Matt immediately shaking his head as Severide took in the sight of the tear tracks down Casey's face, before Kelly looked over the rest of him.
In all the chaos he hadn't had too much of a chance to really get a good look at his best friend yet, but now that he was, what he saw was alarming. Not only was Matt's emotional state cause for concern, but the amount of blood covering his gear was unsettling, to say the least. Because it all belonged to Gabby.
Casey clearing his throat snapped Severide from his train of thought, the Lieutenant regaining his focus before Matt spoke up. "Uh, no… Nothing yet. On Gabby, or anyone else. We're still waiting." He said, his voice hoarse as Severide gave him a nod.
"Alright. Well, I called Antonio." Kelly told him, Matt vaguely remembering their conversation about this moments prior before he nodded slightly. "He's on his way… He was out on a case, but he's coming straight here. And he said he'd call his parents, let them know what's going on."
"Thanks Kelly." He told him before he continued to pace back and forth, his nervous energy keeping him from staying in one spot for too long as he brought his hand up to rub against the side of his head, Matt willing away the harsh pounding in his head that had been there since they got to the hospital.
But as he moved around the room, Kelly couldn't help but notice something off with him, the firefighter's head falling to the side as his eyebrows furrowed in slight concern.
"What's wrong with you?" Severide asked after a brief pause, his tone causing Casey to be more confused than anything else as he turned back to look at his friend.
"What?"
"Your leg." He elaborated, his eyes focused downward as Matt looked down in that direction as well. "You're limping."
Matt waved him off before he continued moving back and forth, the Captain having not even noticed the pain in his knee every time he took a step until Severide pointed it out. "It's nothing."
"Casey-"
"I must've just pulled something when I was in the back of the rig, or when I got down from the truck- I don't know." He responded quickly, his words sharp as it was clear Matt wasn't necessarily interested in talking about this, Casey glancing to the side when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye, finding Jemma walking towards them from her seat over by the wall. "It doesn't matter, I'm fine."
Severide's eyes flashed towards Jemma as the woman came to a stop a few steps away from where Casey was still moving, the look on her face telling him she'd noticed the way he was favoring his leg as well. But when she shook her head slightly, he knew now was the time to drop it, Jemma breathing in a slow, shaky breath as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Do you want a drink? Or a snack or something, Casey?" Jemma tried, Matt immediately shaking his head before giving her as weak of a smile as he could muster.
"I'm okay." He replied, his words earning a nod before Matt looked past her slightly, the man pausing for a moment before speaking up. "Are you, um… Are you staying?" He questioned, their teary eyes locking on one another. "Do you need to get back to work? Or can you stay?"
"I'm staying." She answered without hesitation, neither Jemma nor Severide missing the relief that flickered across Casey's face. "I've already talked to my Chief, we got taken out of service… I'm not going anywhere."
"Good, good… Gabby would want you here." He responded, his words barely audible as Jemma nodded once more, the woman blinking back the fresh tears in her eyes. "And I want you here."
"I'm here." She promised, Matt forcing himself to take a deep breath before he nodded, his hands coming up to cover his face once more as he did all he could to keep himself together.
While their friend continued to pace beside them, Kelly and Jemma shared one more look, Severide releasing a soft sigh before he glanced back at Casey, seeing his best friend was barely keeping himself upright at this point.
"Casey," He started, Matt turning back around to face him before he continued. "Is there anyone else you need me to call? … Have you talked to Becca?" He questioned, Matt soon shaking his head as Kelly saw his face fall at the mention of the nanny. "Do you want me to? I mean, I wasn't sure what you wanted to do about the girls…"
"I don't want them here." He responded without missing a beat, Casey nearly cutting him off as he shook his head once more in desperation. "I don't… I don't want to bring them here, not right now. Gabby, she- I don't want them to see her like this, not until I at least know what's going on." He spoke with as much determination as he'd had since before the accident, Severide and Jemma both nodding understandingly, as they didn't necessarily want the girls to see Gabby like this either.
But they also knew that once they found out, that once Caitlyn found out, they wouldn't be able to keep them away forever.
"I, uh- I know I'll need to tell them, or tell Caitlyn… Sofia won't understand, but Caitlyn will." He continued on, his words turning helpless before he shook his head once more. "I just… I want to wait till I know more, until I figure out what to tell them." He said, the two nodding once more. "Because this…" He trailed off, Matt breathing deeply once more before he shook his head, the man clearly unable to say whatever was on his mind.
"Alright man." Severide replied as calmly as he could for Casey's sake. "Well, hopefully we'll find out something on Gabby soon. But you've got some time, the girls won't be expecting you until tomorrow morning anyway." He added, Matt nodding slightly after a moment before Kelly continued. "...But still, do you want me to call Becca and tell her what happened?" He questioned, Matt breathing in deeply as he thought over his words.
"Uh, yeah, actually, if you don't mind." Casey replied, Severide immediately shaking his head in response.
"Not at all."
"Cause Becca needs to know, and then I'll need to call the school, tell them Caitlyn won't be there tomorrow." He began to speak under his breath, like he was talking more to himself as Jemma nodded. But his next words were louder, Matt looking up towards Severide before he continued. "Just… Make sure Becca knows not to tell the girls." He said strongly, Kelly nodding once more in agreement. "It needs to be me."
"Okay. I'll make sure she knows." Severide responded before he took a slight step away, like he was going back towards the hallway to make the call. But he didn't get very far before Casey spoke up once more.
"And, uh- I… I don't know what's gonna happen." He spoke unsteadily, his shaky words causing the reality of the situation to crash back down around them as Matt shook his head slightly. "With Gabby, or how long her recovery will take or anything, but… I need help." He told them, his tear-filled eyes looking back and forth between his two best friends, finding equally sad looks waiting for him. "With the girls, I'm gonna need help."
"You got it." Severide replied without a thought, Jemma nodding in immediate agreement.
"Whatever you and Gabby need, Matt." She echoed, Casey's eyes falling closed before he nodded, Severide reaching out to clasp his shoulder comfortingly.
"She's gonna be fine. This is Dawson we're talking about… But any help you and her need, anything you need us to do, we're here. For you and the girls."
"Thank you." He murmured, Severide giving his arm another squeeze before dropping his hand. "Really, thank you."
"You don't need to thank us." Kelly replied, Jemma nodding once more before Severide looked back towards the hallway. "I'm gonna go call Becca, let her know what's going on." He repeated, Matt giving him a nod before the man walked away and soon disappeared around the corner, Casey drawing in a deep breath before he continued his pacing, Jemma keeping a close eye on him while a few other members of firehouse 51 watched on as well.
"She's gonna be alright, Matt." Jemma told him once more, her words causing him to stop before he looked at her, the paramedic nodding with as strong of a reassuring smile as she could. "She'll be fine."
"Mr. Casey?"
Matt's head snapped across the room when he heard his name, the firefighter soon finding a man he didn't know that well heading towards him, Casey's spine straightening before he moved to meet up with him in the middle of the room.
"Are you Mr. Casey? Gabriela Dawson's husband…"
"I am, is she okay?" He asked quickly, Jemma coming up behind him as the rest of the firehouse began listening intently as well, some moving closer as they were desperate to know how their paramedic wsa doing.
"She is stable right now…" He spoke first, Casey releasing a heavy breath before the man continued. "I'm Dr. Jennings, Gabriela's doctor, and I'm sorry I don't have more time to be a little more tactful about this, but we need to take your wife to surgery." He spoke, Matt blinking quickly as he lightly felt Jemma place her hand on his back, any relief he felt seconds ago long gone.
"What?" He questioned, the Captain not entirely sure he was understanding what was being told to him.
"We need to take her to surgery, now. She has some internal bleeding from the accident. It's nothing too severe, but it's there. And our scans show it is getting worse the longer we wait, so we need to take her to surgery and fix it." He spoke as slowly as he could, Matt's eyebrows furrowing before he nodded slightly, the man across from him looking around the room for a moment before landing back on Casey. "I know you're worried, and you want to know what's going on, and I can go over the extent of her injuries with you later, but this right now is pressing. I need to get in there and fix the bleeding before it gets worse, or causes other issues. So I'd like to go ahead and get that taken care of, then we can talk."
"Yeah, yeah… Go." Casey found his voice, the man nodding quickly before he took a slight step back. "Do whatever you need to to fix what's wrong, I don't care. Just please help my wife." He nearly begged, Dr. Jenning's face softening before he nodded.
"We'll do everything we can for her." He told him, Matt running his tongue along his bottom lip before he nodded, fresh tears beginning to fill his eyes as the doctor said one last assurance before he left, the quickness of his movements only further proving how pressing this truly was. And that wasn't a comforting thought at all, as a few tears broke through and slid down his cheeks, Jemma rubbing her hand over his back before turning to face him.
"She'll be okay." She repeated, Matt breaking his stare from the direction the doctor had gone to look back at his friend, the tears in her eyes not helping him feel much better as Jemma gave him another strong nod. "She'll be okay, Matt."
Before he could say anything, she pulled him into a tight hug, Matt reciprocating the gesture as tears escaped down both their faces, the first responders unable to shake the feeling that whatever was going on with Gabby was more serious than Dr. Jennings led on.
And that thought made him sick, Jemma giving him one last squeeze before they slowly pulled away from each other, both of them more scared than they'd ever care to admit.
"Are you all here for Emily Foster?"
Casey swallowed thickly as he looked back towards the entrance, finding another doctor now standing there, his eyes darting around between all the first responders as Boden stepped forward.
"We are. How is she?" Boden asked, the doctor breathing in deeply before he responded.
"She… I'm sorry, but she didn't make it."
The room became completely quiet, it feeling like everyone got the wind knocked out of them as they needed a few seconds to process what exactly had been said. And some got there quicker than others, Herrmann's eyes falling closed as different looks of devastation crossed their faces.
"We tried, we did all we could, but we weren't able to help her." He continued on after a brief pause, Cruz shaking his head before it fell forward into his hands with thick tears sliding down his cheeks. "She was gone when she got here… And she probably had been from the moment she hit her head in the accident, I'm sorry. But she's gone."
The doctor continued on with a few other things about what exactly had happened, but no one in the room responded as it was hard to focus as the weight of this, the weight of everything from today continued to crush down on them. It was like a bad dream, one that didn't feel real. Because none of this felt real, to any of them.
And it never should've happened.
The accident, losing Foster, while Brett and Gabby were both in surgery, none of it ever should've happened.
But it did.
And their lives would never be the same because of it.