Hello there everyone! I'm back with the next chapter for you all. In this one we're gonna see more into how things with Sofia are going, as well as some more work-related storylines coming, so I hope you all like it!
Thank you so much for reading! I can't wait to hear your alls thoughts, and I'll see you next time.
Have a great week, everybody!
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Five
Dawson stretched her arms out behind her back while she walked through the common room towards the kitchen, the paramedic going in search of something to eat after her and Jemma returned from their long morning of calls, 61 having been slammed with back to back emergencies ever since they rolled out of the garage a few minutes after shift change. But now as it was nearing the afternoon things seemed to be slowing down a bit, Gabby taking the opportunity while she had it to get some food in her system as she passed a few of her friends along the way.
"Have you guys been out yet?"
Dawson picked up on what had to have been the middle of a conversation between Norris and Severide as they talked together at the back counter, her partner sitting up on the countertop while Kelly was standing next to her. Jemma had only been in here for maybe five minutes or so, while Gabby had stayed back in the rig to give Becca a call and check in on Sof, but in that time she'd managed to make herself comfortable and get some lunch.
"Squad hasn't, no." Severide replied as he reached around his friend to grab an apple off the counter, the man rubbing it over the front of his shirt to clean it off. "Engine went out once, and 81 responded to a car accident but that's been about it… Not anything near what you all have done."
Norris nodded while taking another bite of her food, Gabby sparing a quick glance at the two of them before continuing towards the fridge.
"There's some subs in there Dawson, if you want." Severide spoke up, Gabby looking back his way while she pulled the door open. "We ordered in for lunch, but made sure to save you two some."
"Thanks Sev." Gabby replied, the woman looking over her options before pulling out one of the sandwiches and heading towards Severide and Norris.
"Were your calls okay?" Kelly continued his and Jemma's previous conversation while Gabby came to a stop beside her partner.
"They were fine, pretty standard." The younger paramedic answered first, before taking another bite of her meal.
"Mostly just house calls." Dawson added on, Severide looking between them while he listened. "There were no serious injuries or anything, a few people didn't even need to go to the hospital… It's been a rather uneventful morning, just busy."
"Yeah, seems that way." He mused, his attention focusing on Gabby for a second longer before he went back to eating his snack. But there wasn't much silence between them for very long, as soon after Jemma spoke up once more.
"How was Sof, Gabby?" Norris asked her while she lightly swung her legs back and forth off the counter, Dawson meeting her eyes before grinning softly.
"She was good." Gabby responded. "I didn't get to talk to her, but Becca said she's been doing well. Just playing most of the morning… She's taking a nap right now, though. Has been for a little over an hour, I guess. But she's alright." She filled in her partner, Jemma hanging on her every word before she offered her a sturdy nod.
"Is she adjusting any better to the new bed?" She pressed, Dawson pursing her lips together before Severide let out a lone chuckle, the look on Gabby's face amusing them both as the woman shifted her body weight between her feet.
"Adjustment is a good word for it, yeah." Dawson settled on, Kelly laughing once more while Norris gave her a somewhat sad smile.
"So I take it things aren't getting any better?" Severide chimed in, knowing well enough about the situation as Sofia's sleeping habits had been a hot topic between the best friends lately.
"No, they are." She clarified while leaning her weight into the countertop. "Sof's doing better, but it hasn't even been a week so she's not really used to everything yet." Dawson explained to them. "She does okay during her naps, but it's nighttime where I think she's still just confused sometimes. But we're getting there." She finished with a gentle smile, Severide and Jemma both nodding before the latter spoke up.
"Has Casey had to bunk out in there anymore since those first few nights?" She questioned, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek to hold back her grin before she nodded.
"Yeah, a couple times." Dawson answered, fighting off the slight wince that began to appear across her features before drawing in a deep breath. "We would always start off by leaving her once she fell asleep, but every time she'd wake up Matt just decided to stay with her. Especially because Sof's new favorite thing is to keep getting out of bed at night." She explained to them, earning a knowing smile from Jemma. "And then with Matt, he doesn't want to leave her until she feels more comfortable… So he's been camped out with Sofia most nights. And poor Becca, she's had to stay with her when we've been on shift."
"Yeah, I was wondering how Sof was handling everything while you're here." Norris added on, before Gabby started to nod her head back and forth.
"She does okay, but that's only because of Becca… I swear, that woman is a godsend." Gabby told them. "She has been from the beginning. But luckily we haven't had many issues while we're on shift, because Sof knows her so well and feels safe with her. She just does the same thing she does to us, for the most part… I mean, there may be a little crying for me or Matt, but overall she does okay. And Becca's been amazing while Sofia figures all this out."
"Well, that's not too surprising." Severide spoke up, soon catching Gabby's gaze. "Since Becca's been a part of Sof's life basically since she was born, she's always been a great nanny for you all." He said, as he'd seen more than most just how well Becca truly fit in with the Casey family.
"Yeah, she really has… I swear, we'd be lost without her some days. And this new bed thing is no different, but I'm hoping it'll start to get easier here soon, for all of us. Sof's starting to get more and more comfortable, and she was actually able to make it through the night on her own last night. So I hope that'll continue." She said, seeing Jemma's eyebrows raise as an elated look crossed her features.
"She was able to sleep by herself?"
"Mhmm, she was. We got her to sleep, and then she didn't wake up until this morning."
"That's really great, Dawson."
"I knew the little squirt could do it." Severide said after her, Gabby laughing softly at the nickname he'd used for his goddaughter since she was born.
"Yeah, it was a big moment, for sure. Matt and I are both so proud of her." Dawson spoke with a gentle tone to her voice, before her nose crinkled up a bit. "Even though I think a part of Matt was a little disappointed, because he missed Sof needing him." She admitted, her words causing a few chuckles to come from her friends. "But he was the proudest dad this morning, and it's been so sweet seeing him be there for her through all of this."
"I can imagine, that man loves your girls so much." Jemma replied, the two friends looking at one another before the smile on Dawson's face grew. "I don't know if I've ever seen a better dad than Casey, it's like he was born to be a father."
"Yeah, he was." Gabby agreed as a rush of warmth flowed through her chest at the thought of her family. "He's the best dad in the world, Sof and Caity are so lucky. He's been absolutely amazing through all of this with Sofia, being there for whatever she needs, whenever she needs it… Then the photos of the two of them sleeping are just an added bonus." She finished lightly, Jemma and Severide both laughing once more.
"Okay, well those I have to see." She responded without a thought, Dawson matching their laughter before she set her nearly finished food down and reached into her pocket for her phone, the paramedic quickly finding the first photo before turning the screen towards them.
A bright smile appeared over Jemma's face as she and Severide took in the picture in front of them, both first responders grinning wide while looking at the image of Casey sleeping in a bed that was a little too small for him, with Sofia nestled up to his side. The small girl was latched onto him, her tiny fist holding onto his shirt while she slept as her head was hidden away against him.
"Oh my God, look at them." Jemma voiced lightly, like she was completely enamored by the sight in front of her. "They're so adorable."
"Aren't they?" Gabby replied proudly before swiping to the next photo, this one being similar to the first but just on a different night. "This is how I'd find them every morning."
"Yeah, he sounds like he's still being a Super-Dad… But you definitely need to save those for the next CFD picnic." Severide joked, Dawson's own smile starting to widen as she moved to the next picture, one that showed Casey resting on his side while Sofia was curled up to his chest, his arms wrapped securely around her as they were fast asleep. "I'm sure everyone would love to see how big of a softy our mighty Chief is." He said with a wide smirk, Gabby gnawing on her bottom lip to try and suppress her laughter while she pulled her phone away from the two of them, before returning it to her pocket.
"Please, everyone already knows that Sev." Jemma countered with a gleam in her eye. "The second he's around those girls, he's like an entirely different person… And around Dawson, too." She added while nudging Gabby's arm. "But I think everyone already knows how much of a softy he is."
"Yeah, good point… But it would still be hilarious." He pressed, Gabby scoffing lightly with an easy grin resting on her face before she spoke up.
"Uh huh, I'm sure you'd think so." She replied, reaching across Jemma to pat him on the arm before her eyes started to move around the common room, seeing everyone still in the same place they'd been since 61 returned. "But since we're talking about him, where is my husband anyway?" She questioned, it not lost on Gabby how he was nowhere in sight.
She'd noticed his lack of presence the moment she got back, though that was to be expected as of late, given how busy his job kept him. But still, she was hoping he would've made an appearance by now, as there was one very important person missing from the room. One person she would like to see before she got called out again.
"The Dad of the year is in his office." Severide answered with a grin, while nodding over towards the hallway. "He's been on the phone all morning."
"Still?" Gabby pressed before she could stop herself, Severide giving her another nod.
"As far as I know." He replied, Gabby taking a slow breath before she glanced back in that direction. "He wasn't even able to come out for lunch, I ended up taking him his food… He was still on the phone then, but he might be done now. I'm not sure."
"Alright, I'm gonna go check in with him while we have a minute." She said, Jemma nodding before Gabby met Kelly's gaze. "And thank you, for making sure he ate." She added, Severide matching Norris' nod.
"Yeah, well I knew you'd be mad if I didn't." He joked, Gabby laughing softly as she gave him a knowing glance, before heading out of the common room towards her husband.
The walk was second nature by now, after all these years of going to speak with Boden and now with these last few weeks with Matt as Chief, she knew the path well. Meaning she was able to get there rather quickly as within seconds she was almost to his office, the closed door telling her that he was likely still busy. But that didn't deter her path, Gabby continuing on to him until she came to a stop in front of the door, the paramedic peering in through the windows before slowly letting herself in.
Casey was still on the phone when she poked her head in, the sound gaining his attention as he turned to see who had come in, no doubt ready to give them an earful for interrupting him. But when he saw that it was his wife standing there his features immediately softened, Matt shooting her a gentle smile before he used his free hand to wave her in, Gabby accepting the invitation as she opened the door enough to step inside.
"Yeah, yeah. I agree… Alright, that sounds fine." Casey continued his conversation over the phone as Dawson shut the door behind her, the paramedic walking the short distance to his desk before he turned in his chair a bit. "Uh huh- I could do that, yeah."
While he finished up his call Gabby moved around his desk before coming to a stop beside him, the woman sitting down on the edge of the furniture as she watched him, Matt giving her that same easy grin before he reached out to give her thigh a soft squeeze.
"Okay, yeah.. Yeah- I'll be there… Alright, bye." He said before hanging up the phone, Casey instinctively letting out a heavy sigh as he turned his complete attention towards his wife. "Hey baby." He greeted, the tone in his voice completely different than a moment ago while he rubbed his palm along her leg.
"Hi." Gabby murmured in response, bringing her hand up to run her fingers through his hair before settling over his cheek. "I thought I was about to have to pull you away from that phone." She joked, Matt letting out a dry chuckle as he turned his head to place a kiss over her palm.
"I would've let you if that went on any longer, these phone calls today have been something else." He breathed out as his body relaxed back into his seat, while staying close enough to maintain contact with his wife. "How are you doing? I know you all were out most of the morning."
"I'm good." She replied softly, as she felt him squeeze her thigh once more. "The morning was busy, but the calls weren't too bad… Seems like I was about as busy as you were."
Casey let out another heavy breath before he nodded. "Yeah, you might be right about that."
"Is everything okay?" She asked him, the two locking gazes before she continued. "Just with all the phone calls, sometimes that means something's wrong."
"Everything's fine, babe." He assured her, while rubbing lightly against the inside of her thigh. "I've just been dealing with some top secret, important Chief stuff." He teased, Gabby scoffing in return before shaking her head.
"Yeah, I'm sure." She joked back, the two sharing a smile until he spoke up once more.
"Uh huh… But no, it's just the same stuff it always is. And apparently the phone calls weren't enough, because they want me over at headquarters in about half an hour or so. So I'm gonna head out of here in a couple minutes." Casey told her, seeing her eyebrows raise curiously while her head fell to the side.
"You're not in trouble, are you?" She continued to prod, Matt chuckling back at her as he slid his chair closer.
"No, I'm not… Not this time, at least." He answered dryly, Gabby doing her best to hide her smile before he continued. "It's not about me, it's about Kidd."
"Oh yeah?" She asked back, Casey matching the look on her face as he nodded.
"Mhmm, and I think we're almost there… That I'm finally about to get an answer on who the next permanent Lieutenant on 81 will be." He said, the two knowing they were dancing around one certain subject. But until they knew for sure, they didn't want to jinx anything for their friend.
"Well, keep me posted."
"Always." He said without a thought while he began to push himself up out of his seat, Matt stopping to press a couple soft kisses to her cheek before he stood up straight. "I'm probably gonna go here in a second, so I'm not late."
"Are you saying this is my cue to leave?" She asked lightly, Casey letting another chuckle escape the back of his throat as he slid his hand around to her waist, effectively pulling her a bit closer while his eyes met hers.
"You can stay in here as long as you want."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah… Just like in my old office, you get special privileges." He told her after that goofy grin returned to his features, Gabby matching his smile while she watched him.
"Well, I like the sound of that." She responded lightheartedly, as Matt rubbed light patterns over her waist.
"I knew you would. But it's all just part of the perks in being my wife." He continued on, Gabby laughing softly as his grin widened. "So that means you can stay in here as long as you'd like, maybe take a nap on the couch if you want… I can pull the blinds on the way out."
"This is sounding better and better by the second." Gabby teased, only moments before the bells rang out above them.
A heavy groan soon left the back of her throat, Casey stifling a laugh as he ran his palm up and down her side. "Looks like that nap will have to wait." He said, before they heard the companies beginning to be rattled off as to who all was needed at the structure fire, the list ending with Battalion 25 as Gabby raised her eyebrows at him.
"Looks like headquarters will have to wait, too." She countered, Casey sucking in a deep breath as he took a step back to give her room to stand up.
"Yeah, they will." He agreed, the couple sharing one last soft smile before they hurried from the office, knowing their busy day was about to continue at this call as they headed out towards the garage.
Casey adjusted his helmet over his head as he stepped down out of his vehicle, the Chief grimacing almost instantly while he took in the bright, bellowing flames coming from the large building. The fire was bad, worse than Casey really felt comfortable with. But with the smoke still a dark gray he knew they had a window of time to get in there and help as many people as they possibly could.
But that wouldn't last for very long.
"Truck, Squad get in there and start searching." He yelled through the crowds of people rushing from the fiery building. "Severide, you all take the top floor, truck stay on the bottom. Make this a quick sweep, we don't have much time."
"Got it, Chief." Severide replied before relaying the orders to his men, Herrmann following similarly before the firefighters rushed into the building, disappearing into the smoke.
"Engine, you all get your hoses ready… And help 61 coordinate triage. We've got more ambos on the way, but for now help who you can." He ordered, the firefighters and 61 nodding before they got to work on helping who they could outside of the burning building, while Casey returned his attention to the flames.
With each minute that passed, he felt a little more unsure about the fire consuming the structure, Matt gripping his radio tightly ready to give orders as he watched his firefighters come and go from the building with multiple victims, the first responders moving quickly to help everyone.
And despite the heaviness in his gut, it was all going fine, the somewhat routine call not having any issues while they evacuated the two story building.
That was until Severide's voice filtered through the radio.
"Chief, we have a situation in here…"
"What's wrong, Severide?"
"There's a guy underneath a bit of debris, he's unconscious… Looks like he got knocked out when part of the ceiling fell down." He started, Casey drawing in a deep breath as he waited for more of an explanation. "We've got a pulse, but it's weak. We need to get him out of here, but I'm afraid to move him before we get him collared and on a board." He continued on, Matt feeling a familiar tightness in his core as he was beginning to understand what Severide was asking him.
He was wanting a paramedic to come inside, and Casey didn't like that one bit.
"Can you send in Dawson?... We need Dawson."
Matt instinctively shook his head as his eyes moved over the fire, even though Kelly had no way of seeing him, his jaw clenching repeatedly before he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye a couple moments later. Turning to the side, his entire body tensed when he saw his wife hurrying over towards him, with her gear in hand as it was clear she'd heard Severide over the radio.
But before she could even slide her jacket on, Casey began to shake his head once more, the movement prompting Gabby to stop.
"It's not a good idea, Severide. There's not enough time… Just help who you can." He spoke firmly into the radio, Dawson meeting his gaze before she continued to put the gear on.
"I can help, Casey." She tried, seeing the almost rigid look on his face. "I'd just need a minute."
"It would take 3 minutes tops, Casey." Severide echoed, his words matching Dawson's despite the fact that he couldn't hear her. "We can save him, but we need her help… Dawson knows her way around a fire, we'll be in and out."
"Matt, I can do it." Gabby continued on, seeing her husband's uncertain eyes moving between her and the building, as Capp rushed out with another victim. "I know it's been a while, but I was a firefighter for a long time… I can handle this." She assured him, Matt pursing his lips together while trying to fight off the hesitation bubbling in his gut.
"...You'll be in and out?" He repeated Kelly's words, like he needed that assurance from the woman standing in front of him.
"In and out." She promised, Casey wincing once more before he reluctantly nodded.
"Alright, but make it quick… Capp!" Casey yelled across the mass of bodies, the firefighter instantly looking over towards his Chief before rushing over. "I need you to take Dawson inside, to Severide." He ordered, the man nodding in understanding. "Do not leave her side."
His last few words were rough, almost threatening as everyone knew this wasn't as simple as Casey just sending a paramedic into a fire.
"Got it, Chief." Capp promised, before reaching down to help Dawson with the spine board.
"Severide, did you hear that?" Casey asked into the radio.
"Yeah, I did… We'll be watching for them." Severide responded back in just a few seconds, Matt tightening his grip on the radio in his hands as he watched his wife mask up before heading into the smoke, the unsettling feeling in his stomach only getting worse when she walked into the burning building.
The second Dawson stepped inside, she was overwhelmed by heat and flames. But it was a familiar sensation, one she'd gotten used to a lot over the years as she felt herself falling back into that firefighter role, the woman following closely behind Capp as he led her upstairs to the victim.
The fire was intense, and only getting worse by the second as Gabby was beginning to understand why Matt had been so hesitant to send her inside. But she couldn't worry about that right now, her complete focus moving towards the man lying unconscious on the ground as Severide, Tony, and Cruz moved the debris around him.
"Dawson, hey." Kelly spoke gratefully, Gabby nodding through her mask before she dropped down to the ground.
"Let's get this guy collared, and we'll get out of here." She replied quickly, the flames around them enough of a sign that they didn't have much time to waste as she began tending to the unconscious man.
"Severide, how's it going?" Casey's crackly voice came in through the radio, the hint of uneasiness in her words hard to miss as Cruz kneeled down to help Dawson.
"Dawson's with us, she's working on him right now… We should be out in a minute."
"Alright, good… The smoke's turning black out here so you help him, then get out."
"Got it, Casey." Severide responded before dropping his radio back down towards his chest, the heat around them becoming almost unbearable as the four first responders began to get the man onto the backboard.
It was a little difficult with the position he was in, and them doing their best to limit any possible damage, but soon enough they'd managed to get him strapped into place.
"Alright, let's get out of here." Severide spoke as he and Cruz stood on one side of the board, Capp and Tony on the other while they lifted the man up off the ground, Dawson standing behind them while they began to move towards the stairs.
With all the thick smoke around them, it was hard to see much, the maze-like building not making their jobs any easier as they navigated through all the fallen debris and flames, Gabby doing her best to stay close to them while they headed for the exit.
Though that became harder and harder by the second, especially when Dawson heard the faint sound of someone calling for help.
She stopped abruptly, her head swinging back around to where they came from as she listened for the noise again, like she was trying to make sure her mind wasn't playing tricks on her. Though when seconds passed and she didn't hear anything else, she could only assume it had all been in her head as she huffed out a breath before turning back around to follow her coworkers.
But when she faced forward once more, they were gone. Severide, Cruz, all of them, they were completely out of sight as she darted her head around, in hopes that she'd somehow find them.
"Severide?" She called, though it was useless as she could hardly even make out her own voice through all the heavy smoke and fire. There was no way Kelly would be able to hear her. "Severide!" She tried once more, shouting loudly while continuing forward.
The black smoke made it impossible to see more than a few steps in front of her, Gabby reaching her glove-covered hand out to try and help guide her way back towards the steps. But even through the thick material, she could feel the heat coming off the walls, the boiling temperatures keeping her from resting her hand there for too long as she took slow steps forward.
"Kelly! Cruz!" She pushed on while the ceiling creaked above her, but her calls were in vain as a sudden rush of thick smoke filled the already black air, Gabby's eyes widening as she dove towards the ground just as a loud boom exploded through the room. The force of the flames helped her to the floor, Gabby able to reach out and break her fall as more of the structure collapsed down in front of her, effectively cutting her off from her exit as fire consumed the air around her.
She managed to distance herself from the burning debris, Gabby coughing a bit as her mask did it's best to protect her from all the smoke, the paramedic moving as far away as she could get from the flames as the severity of the situation began to dawn on her.
She was trapped. With no visible way out, she was trapped inside this building. Alone.
Or that was what she thought, until she heard that voice calling out for help once more.
Casey stood anxiously outside the burning building as his eyes stayed focused on the smoke, his body instinctively taking a few steps back when he heard the loud explosion of fire come from inside the structure, that noise followed by more flames shooting out through the roof as he desperately clung to his radio.
"Dawson!" He all but shouted, Casey getting nothing but feedback in return. "Dawson! Severide, report!"
Worried first responders watched on as their Chief continued to try and get anyone to answer him, but no one ever did, that knowledge causing Casey to move closer to the building as he tried to figure out what to do.
He didn't know where they were in the building, or what was going on inside. But they needed to get out of there, now. And if they couldn't, he'd go in there and get them.
"Squad 3, report!" He tried again as he moved closer, his firefighters outside helping who they could as everyone had evacuated the building except for squad, and Dawson. "Severide, Cruz, Dawson… Anyone, report. You all need to get out of that building, now!"
"Chief, look!" Herrmann pointed, Matt's eyes flashing over towards the front door just as shadows began to emerge through the smoke and flames, Casey swallowing thickly before he saw his firefighters come into view.
They were struggling to hold onto the backboard, but they were there, Matt letting out a sigh of relief as he watched them exit the building and make it onto the sidewalk where they were immediately met by other members of 51 to help.
But once they'd cleared the smoke and Casey began to do a headcount, that sour taste slowly started to return to his mouth when he realized they were one person short. That no one else had left the building with the firefighters.
And it took not even a second for him to realize who that person was.
"Severide, where's Dawson?" Casey shouted through the chaos as he ran over towards his men, Kelly ripping the mask from his face to suck in fresh oxygen while some of the guys on truck helped get the victim to an ambulance. "Sev!"
"What, Casey?" He asked roughly, his voice hoarse before letting out a few coughs.
"Where's Gabby?" He repeated himself while his eyes moved back and forth from Kelly towards the door, the man saying silent prayers that she'd appear in the next few seconds as an unsure look appeared across Severide's face. "Where is she?"
"She was right behind us, I don't-" A fit of coughs cut him off, Jemma hurrying over to him to begin checking him out for any signs of injury as Matt frantically looked back at the building. "We told her to follow us, but then there was an explosion or something, I don't- We barely made it down the stairs." He coughed out, Casey having to force himself to listen to everything he was saying. "I was in the front, I didn't know she wasn't there.. I thought she was with us." He finished, a look of pure panic covering Matt's face as the severity of the situation hit him like a train.
"Dawson!" Matt called into his radio once more, but he still was getting no answer.
"We'll go back in there Chief, we'll get her." Cruz spoke up, Casey shooting him a deep glare before his gaze refocused on Severide.
"You all don't know where you lost her?" He questioned roughly, Severide sucking in a breath before he shook his head. "After I told all of you, repeatedly, to make sure she was with you… you left her alone in there?"
All four of the men could tell Casey was trying to keep his cool, that it was taking everything in him to not scream at them right now as his wife was still somewhere inside that building, Matt's angry gaze piercing through Severide.
"It all happened so fast Chief." He tried, but Matt shook his head. "We were up on the second floor, but I don't know when we got separated." Severide continued to explain, but Casey wanted none of it.
"You were supposed to have her back, Severide, and you left her!" He yelled, Kelly soon shaking his head before he reached down for his mask and helmet, while Casey pushed down the bubbling rage inside of him aimed towards his squad Lieutenant.
This wasn't just Severide's fault, he knew that. But whatever happened in there, Gabby was his responsibility. That's what this came down to. As far as Casey was concerned, Kelly was supposed to keep her safe, and he failed.
"I'll go in and get her Casey, I promise-"
"Matt?"
Casey's heart nearly stopped in his chest when he heard his wife's static-y voice come through the radio, the Chief turning away from Severide completely as his eyes locked on the building.
"Gabby? Can you hear me?" He asked, getting some feedback before he heard a few words.
"Kind of- I think… radio is messed up." She replied, Casey able to make out enough of what she was saying as he nodded slowly.
"Can you get out? Do you know where you are?" Matt pushed on, knowing they were running on borrowed time as it was.
"There's a lot of smoke… I'm not sure, I'm- still upstairs." She told him, her words choppy and somewhat hard to make out. "But I can't… I can't leave." She added on, the color slowly beginning to drain from Casey's face before he roughly shook his head.
"Gabby, you need to get out of there now. It's not safe, the building is unstable. Get out of there."
"There's someone in here." She said with a raspy voice, like she wasn't even hearing what he was saying as Casey's head snapped back around towards Severide, who looked just as shocked as he was. "They need help, I can't leave."
"Gabby-"
"I just heard them, I have to help." She spoke defiantly, Casey's instincts taking over as he tightened the grip he had on his radio.
"Dawson, get out of there. Now." He talked as firmly as he could without raising his voice. "That's an order."
"No, I'm not leaving, I'm almost there."
"Gabby…"
"I can't leave anyone in here, I'm not leaving this building." She continued on, Matt bringing his hand up to rub over the side of his face in exasperation. "I'm sorry, but I won't. Not when someone needs help."
"Gabby, this isn't up for discussion." He huffed out, his tone turning more and more serious. "It's dangerous, and as your Chief I am ordering you to get out of there. Turn around, and leave-"
"I'm here!" She cut him off, Casey having to hold his tongue as her words continued to go in and out. "I'm here, I've got him Matt… I'm with him, he's-" Gabby's voice cut out once more, Casey feeling bile starting to rise within his throat as he waited for her to say anything else, but she never did.
His blood pressure kept rising with the more time that passed, while Gabby continued to ignore his orders and stay inside, Casey's frustration at her stubbornness mixing with terror while he stared at the burning structure. This was bad, this was a bad one and they were running out of time. They were down to minutes, if not seconds, before something catastrophic could happen, and Gabby didn't seem to grasp that. Or if she did, she was ignoring it, and that made this feeling so much worse as Casey huffed out another breath, knowing he had to get her out of that building.
"Dawson." He forced through the radio, his voice beginning to rise with each word. "I'm not gonna say it again, get out of that building. Right now!" He all but shouted.
But just as they had before, his words fell on deaf ears as Gabby never responded to him, Casey staring helplessly up at the building while his wife was inside.
"I'm here, I've got him Matt." Gabby spoke into her radio while she collapsed down onto the ground next to the now-unconscious man. Though she knew he couldn't have been that way for long, considering she'd heard his cries for help just moments ago. "I'm with him, he's-"
She cut herself off as she searched for a pulse, her heart sinking into her stomach while desperately trying to find any signs of life.
"No… No, no come on." She cried out, Gabby hastily ripping off her glove before placing her bare hand against his soot-covered skin, in hopes of feeling at least some faint pulse.
But she never found one, Gabby holding out for a few more seconds before she slapped her hand against the ground in frustration.
"Dammit!" She huffed, her head shaking in anger before she pushed herself up off the ground, Gabby trying to ignore the heavy feeling in her gut knowing that not only had she not been able to get here in time to help this man, but she'd gone against orders in the process. And she knew Casey wasn't going to be too happy about that.
But she couldn't focus on that right now, not when she was still inside this building.
"Matt?" She asked through the radio while making her way back out into the fiery hallway, the flames seemingly worse than they'd been minutes ago as the walls were covered in flaming orange and black smoke. "Matt?" She tried again when she hadn't gotten a response.
But all she got back was feedback, Gabby letting out another sound of frustration as it became clear to her that her radio had given out, the paramedic slowly starting to realize she was going to have to make it out of here on her own.
And if the sounds the building was making was any indication, she didn't have a whole lot of time left to do so, her experience in many structure fires over the years telling her that this situation was quickly going from bad to worse. Between the growing fire, and her visibility being more limited than before, it was almost impossible for her to see anything. Nothing more than the debris falling around her, the structural integrity of the building continuing to fail as more and more pieces of ceiling hit the ground.
For as bad as it was, all of it was manageable. She was able to make her way down the hall and back towards the stairs- or at least where she thought the stairs were. Under the circumstances, she was handling getting out of here as best she could. But that was until she heard one loud creak from directly above her, that was followed by an intense snapping sound, the noise causing her to look up.
And from there, it was like everything was happening in slow motion, Gabby hearing what sounded like someone calling her name just as a huge chunk of the ceiling collapsed above her, the sky suddenly visible for a split second as she waited for the fiery wood to hit her.
But it never did, as right before anything made contact she felt a strong pair of arms around her, the body pulling her back towards the wall and out of the way before the ceiling made contact on the ground, the two of them crashing to the floor together before Gabby could even register what was happening.
Dawson sat in the back of 61 while the chaos of the scene slowly started to thin out around them, the oxygen mask resting over her face helping to replace some of the air she'd lost as she continued looking around, the events of the past half hour or so slowly starting to sink in. Her body was sore, that much she did know, as she was certainly feeling all the times she'd hit the ground today. But overall, she felt fine. She was maybe a little winded, and shaken up as she knew how close today had been. But she was alright. At least physically anyway.
And that was all because of Matt. Because he had gone into that building to get her, she made it out of the fire okay. And she would never stop being grateful to him for that.
Even if he wasn't necessarily thrilled with her at the moment.
Drawing in another deep breath through the mask, Gabby glanced out the back doors when she noticed movement headed her way, a heavy feeling beginning to settle around her as she saw Casey walking towards the ambulance. There was a look of determination on his face, but other than that he was unreadable to her, much like he had been once they'd made it out of that burning building earlier in the afternoon and he knew she was okay.
His steps slowed as he got to her, Gabby slowly pulling the mask down off her face as he came to a stop in front of her, his foot coming up to rest on the back step while he looked her over.
"...How are you feeling?" He questioned, Dawson offering him a small smile before she nodded.
"I'm alright, thanks to you." She replied lightly, getting a soft grin out of him for just a moment. "Really, thank you Matt… For saving me in there."
"You never need to thank me for that, I'm just glad you're okay." He responded, his protective instincts taking over as the husband in him couldn't help but break through whatever he was feeling as her boss. "And you still don't think you need to go get checked out or anything?"
"No, I don't… I'm alright, Matt." She promised, the hint of worry in his eyes unmistakable as she knew just how badly she'd scared him in there. And it was a feeling she understood, as she'd scared herself too. "I'd tell you if I wasn't." She added on, Casey swallowing thickly before he gave her a slow nod.
"Alright." He told her, the air around them beginning to shift once more as she could almost feel him turning back into her Chief, instead of her husband. "Well, uh… Norris is almost done helping out the other rigs, then you two can head back to the station."
"Okay." She said, Casey's neck tightening for a split second before he gave her another nod, Matt not saying much of anything before he started to walk away. But she didn't let him get very far before her voice stopped her. "And, uh… Matt," She paused, Casey glancing back towards her with that same rigid demeanor she'd seen a lot from him since she got out of that building. "Everything that happened inside, I know you were trying to get me out of there, but I-"
"We'll talk about it back at the house." He interjected, Gabby almost taken aback by the slight edge of hostility in his words.
But she didn't push it, Dawson merely nodding before he continued walking away, the uneasy feeling between the husband and wife hard to ignore as Gabby knew Matt was upset with her for what happened today.
And truthfully, she knew he had every reason to be.