AnnaBeth had always dreamt of travelling more. She loved Bluebell but she had always wanted something more. Ending things with Lavon had been the push that she needed to really do something with her life. She had done her EMT training a few years before. Bluebell was so small and remote she had done it in case they ever needed to volunteer. What she really wanted to do though was to go to nursing school She had started but she hadn't finished. She was thirty years old and divorced with another failed relationship under her belt. The pitying looks alone were enough to send her over the edge. She was sick of holding it all together. So, when Jonah Breeland had suggested she move out to Chicago she didn't even stop to think about it. It was a little out of character for her, but she didn't want to be stuck in a rut. Jonah worked for a hospital in Chicago and had connections with the colleges. He suggested she work as a paramedic and finish nursing school there part time. She wasn't sure she could keep up with both but she decided to figure that out later and just try. So, she had sold Jake's houseboat, rented out her house, packed up her car and left.
She had been to other cities before but Auburn for college and shopping in Mobile for the day was nothing like Chicago. The furthest she has travelled was to Louisiana. She had been there for a little over a month and was really starting to get a feel for it. It wasn't Bluebell but she was getting used to it.
She was being transferred to a new firehouse and felt a little nervous. She put on her uniform and pinned back some of her curls, so it was back from her face. She looked in the mirror on the way out.
"You've got this" She told herself "You're talking to yourself like a crazy person, but you've got this"
She picked up her bag and car keys and walked out to her car. She saw the homeless man who hung out around the alleyway of her building. She pulled out a hot breakfast sandwich and a travel mug of coffee she had made.
"Good morning Bill" She said handing them to him.
"Thanks AB" He said taking them and resting the mug on top of his shopping cart.
"You have a good day" She said getting into her car and putting the address into the GPS.
She had been getting to know her way around. Jonah had been helping her from time to time, but she didn't want to risk being late on her first day. She'd already been warned they had lost a member of their team she didn't want to start off by making a bad impression.
She parked up outside of firehouse 51 and grabbed her duffel bag from the back seat. She took a deep breath and placed a smile on her face before heading inside.
She walked across the apron floor and into the main building. She found the common room easily enough. There was a dark-haired woman in a paramedic's uniform drinking coffee.
"Gabriella Dawson?" She asked.
"Hi" Gabby said turning around her brows furrowed in confusion.
"I'm AnnaBeth Nass" She explained "Your new partner"
"I didn't know I was getting a new partner" Gabby said as a tall authoritative man approached "Chief?"
"Dawson I was just coming to talk to you" He said, "Can we talk in my office?"
"Sure" Gabby nodded before turning back to AnnaBeth "Welcome"
"AnnaBeth" She said softly as Gabby walked off with the Chief.
It wasn't the warm welcome she was hoping for, but she completely understood. A firehouse was a family. She didn't have much experience with that, but it was like Bluebell. That whole town was family, a weird and wonderful family. Protective of their own and wary of outsiders.
"You look lost"
"It's my first day" She explained "Gabriella was called into a meeting"
"I'm sure Dawson won't be long" He said putting his hand out to shake hers "I'm Peter Mills"
"It's nice to meet you Peter" She said shaking his hand "AnnaBeth Nass"
"Just Mills is fine" He told her "Come on we'll find you a locker"
"So last names if a thing?" She asked following him through the bunk room towards the changing room.
"Yeah I guess it is" He replied "Nass"
"Well you see that's my ex husbands name and I don't really go by Thibodaux because people mess it up" She explained "But my friends call me AB so maybe that works if it can't be AnnaBeth"
"Do you always talk so much AB?" He laughed
"Only when I'm nervous" She replied "Usually I'd go for a cruller but if there's not pastries…sorry"
"It's ok" He told her opening an empty locker "Just work hard and you'll get to know everyone, I was the new guy not too long ago"
"Maybe just cut down on the rambling" She nodded
"Maybe" He agreed as she put her bag away and put on her combination padlock.
The bells went off for the first call of her shift, a house fire. She made her way quickly over to the ambulance. She had only been working for a month, but she was already getting used to the extreme accidents and fires she saw in Chicago. She wasn't sure she had even seen a fire in Bluebell. Not outside the kitchen of the Rammer Jammer. Gabby was quiet but she knew she would have to give it time.
The firefighters brought a man out on a backboard who was struggling to breath as they lifted him onto the stretcher.
"Hand me the kit" Gabby told her "Do you know how to intubate a burn victim?"
"I know how but I haven't done it" She replied handing her the kit.
"Fire victims have a lot of swelling in the trachea, so we knock them out with midazolam to secure the airway" Gabby explained "Pushing now, hand me a tube"
AnnaBeth handed it to her watching intently.
"You have to push past the swollen vocal cords, you can't be gentle, and you can't be afraid" Gabby continued "Bag him, check for breath sounds"
AnnaBeth grabbed her stethoscope and checked for breaths on each side.
"You're in" she confirmed.
The firefighters helped them load the patient into the back of the ambulance. AnnaBeth was in the back with the patient while Gabby drove to Chicago Med.
AnnaBeth filled in the paperwork while Gabby went to get some more supplies for the ambulance.
"AnnaBeth Nass you are looking lovely as always"
AnnaBeth rolled her eyes and looked up from her paperwork.
"Jonah Breeland don't you have any work to be doing?" She asked.
"I can't stop to say hi to you and your partner?" He countered "Hi I'm Dr Breeland, Jonah"
AnnaBeth turned to give Gabby an apologetic smile.
"Gabby Dawson" Gabby said "Come on we have to go"
AnnaBeth groaned inwardly, Jonah was making her look unprofessional in front of her supervisor.
"I'm sorry it's my fault" Jonah apologized "AnnaBeth, Lemon has been calling asking if you're here"
"So, lie" She hissed following Gabby out to the ambulance.
Gabby felt a little bad as AnnaBeth climbed into the passenger side. She knew AnnaBeth was just assigned to a new house. She appreciated that it must be hard going into a house with such a heavy atmosphere. Shay was gone, Severide had left. It was all such a mess.
"So, is that your boyfriend?" Gabby asked her
"Oh, good lord no" She replied shaking her head "He's my best friend's cousin"
"Lemon?" Gabby asked and AnnaBeth nodded "Your best friend is named after a fruit?"
"A flower actually" She corrected.
Gabby just shook her head resisting asking more questions and drove back to 51. When they got back AnnaBeth kept herself busy checking stock on the ambulance and filling in paperwork. She went back into the common room to get a glass of water. She was used to talking and fitting in anywhere, but she felt a little unsure of herself here.
"So, how was the first call AB?" Peter asked looking up from his lunch.
"I mean good isn't the right word" She replied "But I think I'm going to learn a lot more here"
"I'm Herrmann" a shorter man said introducing himself and started pointing around the room "That's Mouch, you'll always find him on that spot, that's Otis with the mustache, Joe Cruz and Lieutenant Casey. I'm sorry we couldn't give you a real 51 welcome this morning"
"AnnaBeth" She said introducing herself "It's really nice to meet you all"
"Or AB" Peter added with a smile "No last name nicknames"
"Where are you from AnnaBeth?" Herrmann asked catching the accent as Gabby came and sat down with Casey.
"I'm from Bluebell Alabama" She replied "It's a really small town, population the size of sesame street, just less talking puppets"
"So, what was it like working in a firehouse there?" Otis asked.
"Well we don't have one" She admitted "We have two doctors in town, everything else is just volunteers, sound an alarm and everyone come's running to pitch in, we're too far out from the nearest big town"
"So, you're new at this?" Gabby asked.
"Well I did my EMT training" She replied "And finished my first year of nursing school so I did a hospital placement and I worked in the doctor's office. I know it doesn't sound much and it's true not a lot happens in Bluebell, but we've been through some things, the nearest hospital is 30 minutes out so a lot of the time it's not possible to wait for an ambulance and then make it there, I worked with a doctor who showed me a lot with no resources"
Zoe Hart was one of the few people she had told about her dream and she had really supported her and shown her a lot while she was training. Just like Zoe had been there to help her build her confidence and learn how to stand up for herself.
"What made you leave and choose Chicago?" Otis asked
"Well" She said not wanting to go into the full story "It was time for a change and a Doctor I know here recommended it to me, but I would much rather hear about you all"
AnnaBeth listened to Herrmann and Otis talk about the bar they owned with Gabby called Molly's. Apparently, it was a firefighter's bar. Herrmann told her that she should stop by some time. She was introduced to the rest of squad 3, Tony, Capp and Newhouse. There were a lot of names and a lot to take in, but she was happy to listen.
Later, in the bunk room when she was alone with Gabby she decided to try talking to her again.
"I heard about your partner Leslie Shay" She said softly "I know you were close, but I just want you to know I'm not trying to wear her shoes"
"Of course," Gabby said with a half-smile.
Gabby stood up and walked into Lieutenant Casey's office.
AnnaBeth decided to go outside and get some fresh air. As she walked past the squad table Peter stood up and followed her out.
"So how did you end up here AB?" He asked "I noticed you kind of avoided the question"
AnnaBeth sighed before putting a smile back on her face. She knew the only real way to make friends was to be open and let people really get to know her.
"Well" She said "I was in a relationship that I realized wasn't right, so I ended it and I didn't just want to be a small-town receptionist my whole life. That was why I started training to be a nurse, but I never used any of what I learnt because I didn't go anywhere"
"So, you were a receptionist trained as an EMT who was in nursing school?" He asked "That's a lot"
"And co-head of the Belle's and head Memory Matron" She added "We all wear many hats in Bluebell, it's a part of small-town life. Sal the owner of the Dixie Stop runs a PI service out of his shop between 2 and 4 every day"
"I have no idea what any of those things are" He laughed "What's a Belle?
"Well Sir I'll have you know" She joked "The Belle's are an elite group of young women chose to keep our history alive, it's not a town event unless the Belle's are involved"
"Ah I see" He nodded with a smile "And a Memory matron?"
"Basically, the same thing but with some older members" She shrugged "I also had a catering business"
"You like to cook?" He asked "My Mom had a diner, I used to cook there, part time"
"I love it" she replied "But I'm new here so there's been no dinner parties to throw"
"Maybe you can cook for the house some time" He suggested "Quickest way into their hearts in through their stomachs, especially when we've been suffering with Cruz's cooking"
"You know Peter Mills that is not a bad plan" She said heading back inside.
The rest of her first shift wasn't so bad. She had proved herself on the next call at a single car accident. The patient had suffered too much trauma to intubate and they didn't have a cric kit. Out at a farm accident when she had ridden along with Zoe there had been a similar situation, so she knew what to do with some tubing and a pair of scissors. It had been enough to impress Gabby. She ended her shift feeling a lot more positive than how she had felt the morning before. She had been worried that she had made the wrong choice in coming to Chicago but slowly as things were turning around she was starting to feel like maybe it was the best choice.