Kelly parked in front of the condo where Matt and Gabby lived. After weeks, he and Matt would finally be able to go on a fishing trip. He knew that with the long recovery, Matt's mental state wasn't great and he hoped that it would at least be a little easier for him
He didn't have to wait long before the door opened and Matt came walking outside, Gabby walked beside him with her arm around his back. He walked a little unstable, but knowing the state he was in before being lifted into the helicopter, he was just glad to see his friend back on his feet.
Gabby walked with him, as the ground was very uneven towards the street. He was giddy, going out with Kelly and staying in the cabin overnight. It was a welcome change after the endless slew of therapy and hospital appointments ever since his accident.
Careful not to wall over, he made it to the car. Walking unaided had been a little easier, but on the uneven ground here was a lot harder.
Gabby let go of him as he got to the car.
''Hey, you're back on your feet!'' Kelly smiled, although he had texted with Matt and knew he was starting walk more and more, it was great to see his friend back on his feet.
''Only barely-'' Matt admitted as he leaned against the car, Gabby opening the door for him and he sat down, the sports car causing him to nearly fall in. Kelly got out to help Gabby with putting his bag and crutches in the trunk of the car.
''Don't let him walk too much, I know he wants to – but he still falls a lot,'' he heard Gabby say.
''It's fine!'', Matt yelled towards them.
Kelly winked at Gabby, knew how stubborn his friend was. Closing the trunk, he walked to the driver seat while Gabby walked to the side to say goodbye to Matt.
''Sorry I am taking so much stuff,'' Matt said as he felt a little helpless having them do it.
''Might need to weight it Case, make you pay for it, like an airline.'' Kelly teased him.
''Alright, you two take care – please shower.''
Laughing, Matt nodded, glad for her as well that she got a night off from worrying about him and taking care of him. He knew it would be good for her to meet up with her friends.
''Take care,'' Gabby told him, seemingly a little worried.
''I will be fine, really!'' He assured her once again. Sharing another kiss, he waved as they drove out of the street.
''Alright, grab a donut, beer is in the trunk, it's going to be good,'' Kelly said as he pointed at the plastic bag on top of the dashboard.
''Thank you for taking me, I know it will be good for Gabby to have a night off of worrying.''
''Hey, I love spending time with you too… and she had a right to be worried,'' Kelly said, not wanting to think of the scene of the accident, but he images still popped up in his head.
''Will be good for her though,'' Matt said as he took one of the donuts, ''she won't stop worrying about me, no matter if it is work or every hospital appointment.''
''She loved you, ofcourse she worries,'' Kelly said as they drove onto the highway to drive to the cabin.
''I know – I just, I wish she wouldn't worry as much as she does,'' Matt said as he started eating the donut.
''I told Stella to make sure it would be a fun night – you don't to worry as much either,''
Nodding, Matt was just excited to spend some time with his best friend as well.
Kelly parked by the cabin and walking around the car, helping Matt up. Although he was fine getting out of Gabby's corolla, the sports car Kelly drove was much harder to get out of.
Kelly let him walk on his own but was clearly still worried about him falling, not leaving his side as they walked to the cabin. Inside, Matt sat down again as the ground had been very uneven and he was worried about falling. As much as he wanted to act like it was fine, he knew he shouldn't be falling as it could easily damage the hardware as some the fractures were still healing.
''Want to go fishing?'' Kelly said as they had put most of the stuff away.
''Soounds good to me, it's what we came here for,'' Matt smiled.
The dock where Kelly kept his boat wasn't far from the cabin. Kelly had opted to take the wheelchair, but Matt didn't want to leave it on the dock while they were out on the water.
''Careful now,'' Kelly warned him as they stood up
''Kelly, it's fine, really!''
''Fine then,'' Kelly told him, not wanting to upset his friend any further. As they were almost a the dock, Kelly moved past Matt and walked towards the dock to get ready to help Matt into the boat.
As Kelly walked to the boat, he suddenly heard Matt fall behind him. Worried he turned around, Matt on the ground, struggling to get up.
''Are you okay?'' He asked concerned, helping his friend up. Matt was soon back on his feet, his hip that had seized up finally cooperating again.
''Yeah, yeah,'' Matt said, although his hip throbbed a little, he knew he hadn't hurt himself.
''Sure?''
''Don't worry, I am fine.'' Matt assured Kelly, wiping the sand from his jeans as he leaned against Kelly, worried to fall again.
''Sure, no pain?'' Kelly asked concerned.
''It's fine. Don't tell Gabby though, she worries about me so much.''
Helping him to the boat, Kelly made sure Matt sat down, worried that he would fall again.
Sitting down in the boat, he stretched his leg, grimacing for a second as Kelly loaded their gear and food on the boat. Pulling out onto the lake, they got their fishing roads ready, Matt glad to finally be out of the house as well. He knew he couldn't complain after what had happened but it was nice to have a change of scenery.
Enjoying the sun, he was just so happy to be here with his best friend, after everything that had happened.
Gabby grabbed her last stuff and stuffed it in her handbag as she got ready to head to the Uber. With Matt off with Kelly and not coming home for the night, she had planned a night out with Sylvie and Stella.
Checking her hair and makeup one more time in the mirror by the door, she headed out.
Arriving at the bar, Brett was already at the bar at a table by the window.
''You look great!'', she smiled as she got up to hug Gabby.
Smiling, Gabby sat down as it was something she hadn't really been thought about with her work inn Puerto Rico and everything going on with Matt, which made it even nicer to hear.
''How are you doing, how is Matt doing?''
''He is fine, out with Kelly so who knows in what state he will be returned tomorrow,'' Gabby joked as she took the first sip of her cocktail. As happy as she had been in Puerto Rico, she did realize that she had missed these nights out. Although they had gone to molly's a few weeks ago, the night had been short because of Matt not being able to stay much longer.
Nowadays, the pain had gotten better and they had talked about going soon again now he would be able to stay longer as well.
''What about you?''
''Fine, really'' Gabby smiled, happy to be here with her friends.
Stella soon joined them, also ready for a girls night out on the town. She had spent all of her time with Matt since she had come back from Puerto Rico, when she hadn't been working. Just like she knew Matt needed some time with Kelly, she needed some time with her friends as well after the hard times they had been through. Although she had seen them at molly's, it was nice to finally catch up with them much longer.
''Don't worry, Kelly was so excited but at the same time wanted to make sure that Matt is okay,'' Stella told her.
''I do worry,'' Gabby admitted. Although Matt was recovering and there weren't any reason to be concerned, but being so far away it did worry her. She knew Kelly would be so careful with him, but at the same time she was worried.
''Don't worry about him, he is in good hands – we should probably be most concerned about Kelly,'' Kidd calmed her worries.
Laughing, they ordered another round.
''So when are going back to Puerto Rico? When Matt is doing better?''
''I am staying in Chicago,'' she smiled. Although she had not been sure about telling everybody, being here with the friends and wanting to stay with Matt, it only made the decision easier for her. Jas much as she wanted to go back to Puerto Rico and she loved doing the volunteering, she also realized that she did enjoy many parts of her life here.
Sylvie and Stella immediately burst out in excitement, just so happy to hear that their friend was going to stay. They had missed her in the months that she had been in Puerto Rico and it was good to hear that Matt and she were doing so well that she was staying now.
''So you two are doing better?''
''Much better – I don't want to be without him anymore, we are looking at starting a family.''
''That is so good, I am so happy for you both!'' Brett sighed, so happy they were doing well after everything they had been through.
As excited as she was and how good it was to be here, she was still concerned about Matt. She knew reception was not great at the cabin but it did worry her since she hadn't heard much from him yet.
Going to the bathroom, she doubted about texting him. She knew she should worry as much and enjoy her night, but she couldn't help but worry.
A bit concerned about how he was doing, she texted him, quickly moving her phone back into her purse as she left the bathroom, worried about him still. She knew that Kelly would do everything to make sure he was okay, but after all these weeks of worrying about him, she wasn't able to easily shake off her worries about him.
Before she was back at the table, she heard a message come in, sitting down she checked her phone, Sylvie and Stella looking a bit concerned.
Seeing the text from Matt she smiled, the worries that had been bothering her swept away by his calming words.
''Next round is on me!'' She smiled as she sat down by the table again, her friends happy to see her so cheerful after looking at her phone.
Sat by the fire, Matt stared into the flames after messaging Gabby. Matt took his phone out of his pocket. Although reception was spotty, he was glad to see his text to Gabby had finally send. The last thing he wanted was her to be worried about him while she had a night out she deserved so much.
Weeks ago, he had no expectation of being out here in the cabin, still being the hospital, barely clinging on to life.
Kelly joined him again, sitting down beside him as they sat close the flames, warming up. It had been nice today in the sun, but now it was quickly cooling down.
''You have any idea when you are returning to active duty?' Kelly asked as he sunk down in the chair beside Matt. They had just had dinner, having fried up one of the fish they had caught on the fire with some potatoes.
''Months, a lot of the hardware needs to be removed before I can even think of returning and that takes months,'' Matt admitted.
''I am sorry to hear that.''
''Strangely enough, I am fine with that timeline,'' Matt admitted, Kelly looking aside, surprised.
''Me and Gabby are looking into surrogacy, with that going on, working in arson during the day might be for the best.''
''That's fantastic Matt!'' Kelly said excited, so happy to hear of their plans as he knew how much Matt and Gabby wanted a family.
''Cheers to that,'' Kelly said as they hit their bottles together. He was so happy to hear about them being so serious of starting a family, knowing how much it meant to them.
''Alright, time to get another round,'' Kelly said. But before he could get up, Matt tried to do the same.
''Sit down, I can get it,'' Kelly assured him.
''I can do it too, need to walk from my therapist.''
''You hardly make it during the day Case,'' Kelly said concerned to him, thinking about the fall that he had had earlier.
''That's fair,'' Matt admitted.
Kelly took the empty bottle from him.
''Want another?''
''No, painkillers, still,'' Matt said as he handed the empty bottle to Kelly.
''No worries, I brought some nonalcoholic as well,'' Kelly said as he walked off. Looking over the lake, the stars were out and he felt even more excited about going somewhere like this with Gabby.
Kelly handed him another bottle and smiled at his friend.
''it is really nice to be out here with you, it was really scary seeing what happened on the call.''
Matt just nodded, the view memories he had of that fateful call in his head.
''Do you remember anything?''
''A few things,'' Matt admitted. Although the call wasn't so clear anymore in his head, he did remember some snippets of being down there. The darkness, the pressure, the pain.
Kelly saw it bothered his friend and decided not to ask any further.
''The worst thing was thinking of never seeing Gabby again. We had a fight right before the call about our future – It doesn't matter though, she is staying now…'' Matt trailed off as he looked into the flames.
''When I woke up in the hospital, seeing Gabby by my bedside just meant everything to me…seeing her, it felt like it was all going to be okay.''
Kelly was quiet, just listening to his friend.
''Just hope I can make her happy now – that we can have a family. She has left Puerto Rico behind for me but I want her to be happy.''
''Seeing how you almost lost Gabby when she left – and then she almost lost you. It made me realize I cant take life for granted. I am going to ask Stella to marry me soon,'' Kelly said.
''No way, I am so happy for you!'' Matt smiled. It wasn't something he would ever expect his friend to be doing if he had been asked years ago, but it was nice to see them both having found love and Matt knew for sure, he was never letting Gabby go again.
Thank you so much for still reading the story! I hope you are still interested! Please let me know what you thought and I can't wait to hear what you think!