Hello there everyone! Welcome back to the next chapter. In this one, we're gonna see a bit more of the aftermath from the call in the last update and how everyone (mostly Matt and Gabby) handle it. It's a bit of an emotional one, but I really like how this chapter turned out and I hope you all enjoy it, too.

Thanks so much for reading, everyone. I hope you have a great week and I'll see you next time!

Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Two

"Matt, there's someone in there." She whispered, Casey nodding before he started to move faster, the Chief breaking the last lock in record time and reaching for the door to pull it open, his movements a bit slower now that he was working against the snow. But eventually he got it open, a sharp gasp escaping Gabby's lips as soon as they looked inside.

"Oh my God…"

They knew something felt off about this place, it had from the moment they got here. But nothing could've prepared them for the painful sight in front of them, as once the door had been opened and they stepped in, they came face to face with two small children sitting in the corner of this shed.

Two children that were currently chained to the ground.

"Oh my God." Casey repeated his wife's words as a look of horror covered their faces, Matt and Gabby's bodies both moving a hesitant step forward into the shed while they got a better look at who they recognized to be two little girls in front of them.

They were young, likely no older than Caitlyn while one of them appeared to be significantly younger than the other as they sat on the cold, unforgiving ground that they've appeared to be on for a while. The girls were covered in dirt, their hair matted while heavy tears fell down their cheeks, their nearly naked forms covered only by ratty t-shirts and a few old blankets doing nothing to keep them warm, as they'd been exposed to these freezing temperatures for God knows how long. Temperatures that could've killed them.

But their horrifying appearances aside, none of that was even the most shocking part as Gabby's eyes moved back over the chains keeping them from being able to move much at all.

Each girl had a chain attached to their ankle, maybe only a yard or two in length insuring they couldn't even attempt to leave this shed, Dawson seeing from her spot a few feet away where the harsh metal had been digging into their skin and causing them to bleed, while the older girl had another chain secured to her waist. It was a little harder to see, but through all the holes in what was left of the shirt covering her they could make out the tight chain digging into her ribcage, the deep bruises from the metal combined with the discoloration from the intense cold causing their hearts to drop into their stomachs.

Because with every second that passed, it was becoming more and more clear to both Gabby and Matt of what had happened here. Of why these girls were here.

And it was a realization that made them sick.

Drawing in a slow breath, Gabby took another cautious step forward, seeing both girls watching her closely through their tears. But when she got within a foot of them, the older child immediately cried out before cowering away from her, Gabby stopping instantly while Matt was just a step behind her.

"It's okay, it's alright." She said softly, her mind fighting between her paramedic instincts and her material ones as all she wanted to do was wrap these girls up in a hug and get them out of here. But logically, she knew it wasn't that simple. "Everything's okay." She repeated while holding her hands up in the air as to appear non-threatening, Gabby hoping she could ease their fears even if just a little bit, while the girls continued to cry on the ground.

"We're here to help you, everything's alright. We want to help." Matt finally spoke up somewhat unsteadily, Gabby feeling his presence beside her as she glanced to see him focused on the two girls. But even though he wasn't looking at her, she could still see what was going through his head right now.

She saw the hurt, fear, and the anger in her husband's eyes. She knew how scared he was for these girls, she saw it with every move he made. And it was something she understood well, because she felt the exact same way.

"My name's Matt, I'm a firefighter… Do you know what that is?" He asked, his gaze never leaving the older girl as she slowly looked up from her arms she'd been hiding behind, before ultimately nodding. "Good, that's good." He spoke, keeping his tone low in hopes that he wouldn't scare her. "And this is Gabby, she's a paramedic. Do you know what a paramedic does?… She helps save people."

They both could see the uncertainty holding in the child's gaze, but with every passing second she seemed to be relaxing more and more while fresh tears continuously fell down her skin.

"We're here to help you, honey." Gabby reminded her, the warm mother-like tone in her voice seeming to finally break through to the young girl as within a second she nodded, before a heavy sob left her throat.

She was shaking from both the cold and her cries, Gabby and Matt quickly moving the rest of the way towards them and dropping to the ground while both children cried out.

"It's okay, you're gonna be okay." Gabby assured them again, the younger girl reaching out for her the second she was within reach. "You're okay now." She promised, the smaller child clinging to Gabby with all the strength she had, while Matt focused his attention on the oldest now that they had gained their trust.

"I want my Mommy and Daddy." She sobbed, Gabby feeling her jaw start to tremble while a few unshed tears sat in Casey's eyes, both of them sharing a heartbroken look before returning their attention to the children who needed them.

"I know you do, I know.. We're going to find them, okay? Everything's alright." He continued to promise, before she finally reached out for him, Matt not hesitating to wrap her up in his arms as he knew not only did she need the comfort, but the warmth from him as well.

Glancing over, he saw the smaller girl now sitting in his wife's lap, Gabby doing everything in her power to warm her up while the child held onto her like her life depended on it.

Which technically, he figured it did, that thought making him sick all over again as he and Dawson did everything they could to help these girls who had been through hell.

"I wanna go home." The older one continued to cry, Matt giving her a nod as she wrapped her arms around him. As much as she could manage anyway, Casey holding onto her while she hid her head away in his chest. He was almost scared to hurt her, given how thin her and her sister both were, their emaciated frames telling him that they'd likely been locked away out here for a while. "I want me and sissy to go home."

"We'll get you home, sweetheart. I promise." He assured her, knowing those words were ones she needed to hear right now.

"Matt, she's freezing." Gabby spoke up, prompting him to look her way while she was rubbing her hand quickly over the smaller girl's back.

"Yeah, we need to get them out of here." He replied, saying what they both already knew before he reached down to grab ahold of his radio. But the movement seemed to be jarring to the child in his hold, as the girl whimpered immediately when he had to let go of her. "Hey, it's okay. I'm right here, I'm not leaving… I've just gotta talk to my friend for a second. I'm gonna ask him to come back here and help us." He promised her, while resting back on his heels.

"...Okay." She replied, her teeth chattering together before she clung tighter to Casey, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he turned on his radio.

"Severide?" He spoke, hearing a bit of feedback before his Lieutenant answered him.

"Yeah Casey?... Wait, where are you?"

Confusion was evident in his voice, Matt meeting Gabby's tear-filled gaze before he spoke. "I need you in the back.. Now." He told him, Casey keeping his tone as steady as he could, though he knew he wasn't doing a very good job.

"Back where?"

"At the shed in the backyard. I need your help breaking chains."

"And bring Jemma with you." Gabby added through her own radio, while cradling the small girl against her chest.

"Wait, what? What's going on?" Norris' voice came through.

"What chains are you talking about?" Severide prodded, Casey forcing himself to take another breath before answering.

"There are two girls back here chained to the ground." He said, the other end of the line going completely silent as he knew the entire house was listening to them. And they all had to have been just as shocked as he and Gabby were.

"...What?" Severide breathed out in disbelief, his words barely audible as there was some other commotion now going on around Kelly. Likely the other firefighters' reactions to what was happening, but Casey pushed it out of his mind.

"We've got two girls back here, we need help. Bring the saw with you." Matt instructed, hoping his firm directions would help Kelly snap out of his haze.

"Jemma, bring warming blankets when you come too." Gabby continued before Severide could get another word in. "And we'll need to get fluids ready."

"On it, Dawson." She responded, though even through the radio they could hear her unsteady voice.

"Yeah, we're coming." Severide replied a second later after clearing his throat.

"Alright… Now 51. Someone else, I don't care who- I need someone to get the cops here. Right now." Casey ordered, waiting until he heard a hesitant confirmation from Herrmann before he kept on. "And Severide… make sure it's just you and Jemma coming back here." He said firmly, earning an agreeing nod from Gabby before she looked down to the girl holding onto him. What was happening to these children was bad enough, they didn't need people surrounding them while he and Gabby tried to get them out of here. Especially not with the state they were in. "We don't need a crowd."

"Understood, Chief." He said before the line went dead, Casey's jaw tightening for just a moment before he dropped his radio and refocused his attention on the terrified children in their arms.

"Mama…" The younger one began to cry, Gabby feeling like her heart was breaking in her chest while she held her a bit closer.

"I know, honey.. I know you want your Momma." She murmured, Casey watching on with nothing but pain in his eyes before he looked back at the other child in his lap.

"Hey sweetheart?" He asked softly, prompting the older girl to reluctantly pull away from him far enough to meet his gaze. "Can you tell me your name?"

"...Morgan." She replied after a moment, Casey offering her a small smile while he rubbed a light hand over her back, being mindful of the chain fastened over her skin.

"That's a really pretty name.. What about your sister? Can you tell me her name?"

"Macy." Morgan answered with a sniffle.

"How old are you and your sister, Morgan?" Gabby pressed gently, both her and Matt waiting a few seconds for her to respond.

"I'm seven, and Macy is three." She said, Casey's eyebrows furrowing just for a moment as he couldn't believe Morgan was seven years old. Not with how small she was. Though he figured depending on how long her and Macy had been here, that might have not always been the case.

"That's great, Morgan. Thank you." Matt encouraged her, Gabby nodding softly in agreement as the girl looked back and forth between them. "Now, I know we've asked you a lot and all of this is really scary, but can you tell me… Do you know the man who kept you here?" He asked cautiously, Morgan blinking quickly before shaking her head.

"Do you know where you are, honey?" Gabby added, Morgan's bottom lip quivering noticeable before shaking her head once more. "Alright, that's okay… It's all okay. You and your sister are safe now, alright?"

"Okay." She repeated quietly, tucking her head back against Matt's body just as they heard the shed door be pulled open a bit further, signaling that Severide and Norris had finally gotten here.

Glancing back, Gabby saw their friends standing in the doorway, the shock and hurt written deep into their features as they looked back and forth between Morgan and Macy.

"Holy shit…" Severide breathed out, bringing his hand up to run over his mouth while Jemma looked to be on the verge of tears. But she quickly willed them away.

"Jemma, I need those blankets." Gabby spoke up first, pulling them from their trance as they pushed down everything they were feeling and refocused on what mattered, which was saving these little girls. "We need to get them covered."

"Here you go, Dawson." She spoke after clearing her throat, handing one of blankets to her partner before stepping over towards Casey.

"Yeah, this is better… Come here Macy, we're gonna get you warmed up." Gabby spoke to the three year old, Macy pulling away from her chest so Dawson could wrap her up in the large, warm material, the movement giving Severide and Jemma both a better look at the chain attached to her ankle.

"Are they the same on both girls?" Kelly asked as he squatted down onto the ground with the saw in his grasp, his eyes lingering on the marks around Macy's ankle.

"On their legs, yeah. But then Morgan has another one around her torso." He said, helping the seven year old move back a bit so he could get the blanket around her freezing form.

But in doing so, it gave everyone a clearer view of the unforgiving chain secured just under her chest, so tight that they weren't sure how she was able to breathe.

"That's… Christ, man." Severide spoke quietly, Casey nodding in agreement before securing the blanket around her as much as he could. "What the hell happened here?"

"That man we got out of the fire, he took them." Matt replied with a wince, Kelly matching his look before they glanced back down at Morgan, silently trying to figure out the best course of action in getting her free.

"I'm gonna go back to the rig, get the fluids ready and some more blankets for them… I also called another ambulance." Norris told Dawson once it was clear her presence wasn't needed at this moment.

"Alright, thank you Jemma." Gabby replied, earning a nod from her partner before the paramedic left the shed and jogged back across the yard.

"How do you wanna do this, Casey?" Severide spoke up again, causing Gabby and Matt both to look at him.

"I- I don't know, the chains are really tight, I'm not sure if we can safely get them off the girls here…" Matt answered him, his lips pursing together while he returned his attention to the child sitting in his lap. "Morgan, honey, is that hurting you?" He questioned while gesturing towards the metal, knowing the best place for them to start was to understand where Morgan was at before going any further.

"...I can't feel it." She replied with a slight whimper, the color soon starting to drain from Matt's face a bit as the severity of the situation hit him all over again. "The bad man put it on me, because I kept trying to leave." She continued on, pointing to the chain that was tightened around her torso, causing varying looks of horror to cross the faces of the first responders.

"Alright, okay. I…" Casey trailed off, trying to gather his thoughts as he let his eyes fall closed for a second, Matt doing all he could to stay focused as a firefighter. "This is what we're gonna do; we can't get the chains off from their ankles or her chest without hurting them, so we're gonna cut the chains a few inches from their body. They'll still be on them, but they won't be tied down to the floor anymore, and we'll be able to get them to the hospital."

"Okay Casey." Severide agreed, before Gabby nodded as well.

"We'll use the saw, I'm gonna need you to do this Kelly." He instructed, watching the Lieutenant take a steadying breath before he nodded. "We should get Macy out first, since it's just her leg… That way we can get her to the ambo and start getting some fluids in her." He reasoned, seeing the knowing look from his wife before she reached back to her radio.

"Jemma, we need you back here."

"Coming, Dawson." Norris called back, while Matt looked down to Morgan.

"Hey Morgan.. Look at me for a second, sweetheart." He prompted, Casey having to wait a few long moments before she met his eyes. "I know there's a lot going on right now, and that it's all really scary. But we're about to get you and your sister out of here, alright? It might be loud in here for a few minutes, and it's okay if that scares you… But everything's fine, I'm right here. And Gabby over there, she's got Macy, okay? You both are okay, everything's okay." He told her, keeping his tone as soft and assuring as he possibly could knowing that's what Morgan needed from him right now.

And thankfully, it seemed to work, as the young girl gave him a very weak smile before she began to nod.

"Okay." She said, Matt rubbing over her back comfortingly one last time before he turned to Severide, who was now positioned by Gabby getting ready to cut the first chain.

"Alright Kelly, on my count.. One…Two… Three."

Casey rubbed his hands over his eyes as he sat in the uncomfortable hospital room chair, rhythmic beeping coming from both sides of the room filling his head as he refocused his attention on the girls fast asleep in their hospital beds. Like they had been for the past hour or so ever since they'd gotten here to Chicago med.

It hadn't been the easiest journey to get Morgan and Macy here, as back at that shed getting them out of those chains and to the hospital had been more of a challenge than they anticipated. The girls were scared, with good reason, and once they'd freed them from the shed it was like that fear had hit them all over again. To the point where they were inconsolable. The entire time they were getting them checked out, and transporting them to med, they hadn't stopped crying for their parents. And that only continued once they arrived here, too.

With all the new people around, in this unfamiliar place it only caused them to become more anxious. To the point where not even Matt nor Gabby could get them calmed down, Morgan especially as she'd had a better understanding of what had happened to them than her sister did. It all caused a lot of big feelings she didn't know how to deal with, making it nearly impossible for anyone here to assess her or her sister. Which then left the doctors with no other choice but to sedate them.

Casey hated it, him and Gabby both did as seeing kids that terrified was like a knife to the heart. And witnessing them having to be sedated wasn't any easier, either. But it was necessary. For their own safety, and everyone else's, they had to, as that was the only way they were able to run the tests they needed to run, as well as get the girls cleaned up and warmed up as best they could. And it was certainly the only way they were able to safely get those chains off the girls, the rational part of Casey's brain constantly reminding him that all of this was for the best. Though that logic didn't make any of this easier to stomach.

But if there was one thing that did make this nightmare just a little bit better, is that while Gabby and Matt had given their account of everything to the police, the cops had been able to identify the girls. And more importantly, where they came from.

Their names were Morgan and Macy Whittaker, and they were from a small town in Missouri. Where apparently, they had been abducted five months ago from their own front yard, that one piece of information nearly making Casey sick. But the good news was that in all that time, their parents had never stopped looking for them. According to the police, they never gave up on their girls. They spent these last five months looking for them every day, they just hadn't expected them to be all the way here in Chicago.

But they never gave up hope that their girls were alive, and now, from what Casey had heard, they'd dropped everything and were on their way here to get them. Which, after the hell these girls and this family had gone through, Matt couldn't have been more grateful for that.

The sound of the sliding glass door opening pulled him from his thoughts, Matt glancing over to see his wife standing there with a coffee in her hand and a soft smile on her face, before she walked past the cop standing guard outside and into the girls' room, Dawson quietly closing the door behind her.

"Hey." She spoke in an almost whisper, Casey giving her a small, yet genuine smile while leaning back into his chair.

"Hey baby." He greeted, watching as she came towards him and handed him the cup of coffee, Matt then giving her a grateful look in response. "Thank you."

"You're welcome… How are the girls' doing?" She questioned, her eyes moving over towards their beds for a moment.

"They're alright, still sleeping… The nurse said they would be for a while."

Dawson nodded in response, drawing in a deep breath before taking another step towards his chair and letting her hand rest on top of it.

"Did everyone get back to the house?" Matt questioned after a sip of his coffee.

"They did. 81 and Squad left a while ago, Jemma's still downstairs… I figured we'd just hang around here until we got a call." She told him, the strength of her words telling Casey that she truly had no desire to be away from these girls right now unless she had to. "Since you're gonna be here, too."

"Yeah, that's a good idea." He agreed, Gabby smiling softly before she leaned down to press a kiss to the top of his head, her lips lingering against his hair until she slowly pulled back. "What about, uh… have you heard anything about the guy who did this?"

His voice was cautious, Dawson's face falling slightly as the mood in the room began to shift.

Casey knew the man that did this was also being treated at this hospital, and that the cops and hospital staff all knew that he'd abused these girls, as Herrmann had done well earlier in explaining the situation to everyone who needed to know. But other than that, Matt hadn't heard much about what was happening to him as he'd promised himself that he'd keep his focus on these girls. Not only because he didn't want them to be alone, but because if he ever saw that man again, Casey couldn't promise he wouldn't kill him for what he did.

"Yeah, I um.. I've talked to the cops a little bit. The 21st sent Valdez and Murphy here- my brother knows them pretty well, and he's talked highly of them before. They're good cops from what I know, but they told me a little bit of what was going on." She started, Casey drawing in a slow breath while he waited for her to continue. "I guess the guy's name is Jason Vaughn. He's gotten into a lot of trouble in the past, but nothing anywhere near what this is." She told him, Matt grimacing a bit before shaking his head.

"So he did abduct them?" He asked, meeting his wife's gaze. "He was the one who took them, he didn't just… get them, from someone else?"

The words made him feel sick, Gabby frowning for a moment before responding. "I don't know, baby. The cops think he's the one who took them, but I don't know for sure. And even if they did, they wouldn't have told me." She explained to him, watching him mull over her words before ultimately nodding. "But they've taken him into custody, he's down at the district… All he had was some smoke inhalation and a few cuts, so once he was discharged they took him in for questioning."

"Good." Casey spoke quickly, the venom in his voice noticeable. "Hopefully he gets charged and thrown into jail."

"Well, knowing how everyone feels about people who hurt children, I have a good feeling he will." She responded, seeing Matt's hand clench down his lap before he nodded back at her, his gaze then moving over towards the beds once more.

Morgan and Macy were both still sleeping peacefully, their little bodies already looking much better than they did when they found them. But still, the scars were still there. The physical ones and the emotional ones, they wouldn't just go away. And Matt couldn't help but fear for what would happen to them now, in trying to deal with all of this.

"...Are you okay, babe?" Gabby asked him while her hand ran along his shoulders, Casey clenching his jaw while he thought over how to best answer her.

"Honestly, no." He told her, missing the frown that now seemed to be permanently etched into her skin. "...Are you?" He questioned back, looking up at her just as she began to shake her head.

"No, I'm not." She replied softly, Matt drawing in a slow breath before he set his drink down and then held his arm out to her, prompting her to come to him.

And she did, Gabby carefully sitting herself down in his lap while he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her as close to him as he could while she settled comfortably against him.

Before either of them said a word he pressed his lips to her temple while rubbing a soothing hand over her hip, those movements helping to ease some of the pain she was feeling as this entire day had been hard to deal with.

"What are you thinking about?" He murmured against her, not wanting her to bottle any of this up and work through it on her own. And truthfully, he didn't want to either.

"I… I don't know, I guess I just can't wrap my mind around this." She started after releasing a heavy breath, the close proximity of her husband helping to get through the thoughts racing around her mind. "How anyone could do that to children. To take them from their homes, and treat them like this. It makes me sick."

Casey nodded back at her as she spoke, while continuously tightening his hold on her. "I know what you mean, I don't get it either." He confided in her, while they both looked over to the girls. "To take them away from their parents, only to chain them up like animals… Do God knows what else to them, it's awful." Matt spoke, as he felt Gabby grip onto his shirt a little tighter. "And I know there's no trying to find any reasoning in the actions of someone who abducted two children, but just thinking about what all these girls went through kills me. Because they don't deserve that, no one does."

"I know, baby." She murmured, lifting her hand up to wipe away a few of the tears sitting underneath her eyes before she looked back at her husband.

"Then another thing that's bothering me- and a part of me hates to even say this because I know they're fine, and these girls aren't… But when we found them today chained up in that shed, there was a moment where all I could think about was Caity and Sof… And what if something happened to them." He admitted, Gabby's breath soon hitching in her throat as he spoke. But by the look in her eyes, he knew she'd been feeling the exact same way. "I tried not to think about it too much, but the thought of it, that's-... It's paralyzing. The idea of something happening to our girls is too much to even think about."

Things went quiet between them, the only sound in the room coming from the girls' monitors while Gabby tried to figure out what to say to him. Anything she could say to help get rid of this fear he was holding onto, but it wasn't that easy. Not when she held onto that same uncertainty.

"Matt, I… Baby, I know today was hard. Believe me, I do. But our girls are okay." She reminded her husband, both for him and herself before he gave her a nod. "They're at home with my parents, they're safe. And now so are Morgan and Macy."

"Yeah, I know that." He responded softly, forcing in a steadying breath before glancing back to the girls. "I know Caity and Sof are okay, and we do everything in our power to keep them safe, but today just proves that sometimes that's not enough." He spoke shakily, causing an uncomfortable feeling to settle in Gabby's gut. "I mean, look at what happened to Morgan, and Macy. They were just playing at home and in the blink of an eye, everything changed. That entire family was put through hell, and knowing that could happen to anyone.. To our girls, it's terrifying."

"I know." Gabby murmured as more tears gathered in her eyes, Matt meeting her gaze before he reached up to wipe a few more of her tears away. "It is scary, I can't imagine what those girls and their parents have gone through… But baby, we can't live in fear of something happening to Caity or Sof. All we can do our best to keep them safe."

"I know." He said again, keeping his voice soft while running his other hand along her side. "Logically, I know you're right and that our girls are fine. I just hate that this happened." He breathed out, Gabby's lips turning down while she listened to him. "And I wish I could protect our girls from everything." He added on with a sad sigh, his tone nearly making her heart break. "There's already so much we haven't been able to protect Caitlyn from, and one day there might be something we won't be able to keep her or Sof from either, and I just… I wish I could always protect them, and you."

He barely finished getting the words out by the time he was done, Gabby feeling more and more tears begin to cloud her vision while she lifted her hand up to cradle his cheek, Matt leaning into her touch before she started to stroke her thumb over his skin, both of them falling contently into the silence surrounding them.

Gabby wished she could make this better for him, for the both of them. But right now, there was nothing she could say. Not when she knew he was right. So instead, she chose to just be here for him, Gabby rubbing over his cheek for a few more seconds before she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him in a secure hug. One that Matt reciprocated almost instantly, his wife's presence more than enough for him right now as they continued holding onto one another with everything they had, while trying to move past this day and all the worries it brought to the surface.

"Oh my God! Oh my god, Mark… Our girls, oh my God!"

The sound of a sobbing mother abruptly pulled Casey from his sleep, his eyes shooting open before he started to blink hastily in an attempt to gain some focus. Then once he got it, he found exactly where the cries were coming from as he saw two people rushing into the hospital room and run towards the beds where the sleeping children were.

Morgan and Macy's parents he silently thought to himself as he sat up a little straighter in his seat in the back corner of the room, while the woman got to Morgan's bed first.

"Oh my God, Morgan." She sobbed, while their father went to Macy. "What happened to them, Mark our girls."

Casey could tell the woman was all over the place, and given the situation that was understandable. Being reunited with your children that had been missing for months, when they weren't even awake to say anything, it was something he couldn't even imagine.

"What happened to our girls?" She cried out, while the man- Mark, held onto Macy for a few lingering moments before moving towards Morgan, the parents focused on nothing but their children while the girls continued to sleep off the sedation.

Knowing he was likely just in the way at this point, Casey quietly stood up and grabbed his jacket before excusing himself from the room, slowly shutting the door behind him and making his way over towards the nurses station.

Glancing down to his watch, he saw it was nearing ten o'clock, Matt stretching out his tired muscles while he tried to regain a bit of what had happened the last few hours. He knew Gabby had left around seven on a call, and apparently she hadn't come back yet. Or she might've gotten called elsewhere, as Matt realized he had been asleep for at least a couple hours, the Chief staying put in that room all day as he refused to let those girls be alone. But now that their parents were here, he knew his presence wasn't needed anymore and the best thing for him to do was head back to the house.

But before he could go very far, he heard the door to the girls' room open, Matt surprised to see their father leave the room and head towards him to the nurses station. Casey wasn't expecting him to leave their side, not after just being reunited with them, but Matt figured if he'd come all the way out here it had to be for something important.

"Nurse?" The man asked as he stopped a few feet from Matt, gaining the attention of the woman behind the desk.

"Yes sir?"

"Do you know how much longer it'll be before my girls wake up?" Mark pushed on with tears still rolling down his cheeks, earning a sympathetic look from the woman before reaching for their chart. "We were told they'd been sedated earlier, but we didn't know if they would wake up anytime soon…" He trailed off, not even noticing Casey's eyes on him as the firefighter took in this man who seemed so broken.

"It could be anytime, sir. We won't know until they wake up on their own." She responded softly. "They've gone through a lot, but they're little fighters from what we can tell. We lifted the sedation a few hours ago, so now it's just up to them. It's just a matter of how much rest they need." She explained as simply as she could, Mark forcing in a deep breath before ultimately nodding.

"Alright… Thank you." He responded, the nurse offering him a compassionate smile before she walked away, leaving Matt alone with the distressed father.

Casey expected him to go right back to his girls, but he didn't. At least not at first as Mark brought his hands up to his head and pressed harshly against his eyes, like he was trying to work through whatever was going on in his mind. That fear and exhaustion he no doubt was feeling, and how emotionally and physically drained he must've been. While also basking in that elation from finding his girls, Mark seemed to be feeling everything all at once. It was written all over his face.

But just because Matt could sense some of his emotions, that didn't mean this man needed an audience while he worked through them, Casey quickly sliding his jacket on before he began to step away from the desk.

"...You were in my girls' room."

Casey stopped in his tracks when he heard Mark's voice, Matt pursing his lips together before slowly turning back around and finding Morgan and Macy's father now watching him, standing just a foot or two away.

"You were sitting with my girls." He repeated, his voice a bit hoarse as he took another step towards Matt.

"I was." Casey answered after clearing his throat, seeing how this father wanted more of an explanation from him. "I'm, uh.. My name is Matt Casey, I'm a firefighter here in Chicago… I was there today when we found your girls." He explained, seeing fresh tears immediately begin to form in the man's eyes as he stumbled back just a bit. "My wife- One of our paramedics, she found them and our team got them out."

Mark didn't say anything at first as he took in what all Casey had told him, his hand coming up to run over his mouth while taking in a deep breath, like his entire body was still in shock over what happened today.

"You… You found them." He said, maybe more to himself than anything as he met Matt's gaze. "You found my girls."

"My team did, sir." Casey responded, the man across from him nodding before he closed the distance between them and hugged him as tightly as he could.

Matt could feel him shaking while tears escaped his eyes, the firefighter trying to hold back his own emotions before he hugged the father back.

"Thank you." He got out through his cries, while Matt patted over his back. "Thank you so much."

Matt held onto him for a few more moments, sensing how badly the man needed this after the hell his life had been the last few months, Casey staying right there until Mark was ready to let go in an effort to give him at least a little bit of comfort after all they'd been through.

"I'm just glad they're gonna be okay… That you're all gonna be okay."