The first shift of the week usually started at 7 o'clock in the morning. After two days off and two days away from the firehouse, Casey had made it a habit to start early. Arriving at 6 o'clock leaves him an hour to finish his paperwork in silence as no one would bother him.
At that particular morning, it was a cold day in the midst of autumn, and the early fog still closed around the houses and cars, muffling earth's sounds and colours, Casey took his car to go to work. Even though, it was early, the streets were already full of other cars as he drove the few kilometres to the station. Casey was relaxed, enjoying the music from the radio. It felt like the start of a good day.
Humming one of the radio songs, he parked his car one block from the fire station away. It was a habit that was born out of his inner wish to leave room for the other cars that usually arrived after him. He knew that Severide or Gabby had a knack of arriving just on time, thus often lacking crucial minutes of finding a parking space one or two blocks away.
As he parked his car, the sun had already walked up to the middle of the sky, resting on the various city roofs and blinding everybody who dared to look. Matt enjoyed those early mornings, but his inner peace was disturbed by the ringing of his cell phone. It was a message from Walter. Matt sighed, closed the car door and started reading the text. Walter was one of his clients, who needed new windows, and, according to Walter, Casey should be working on them at that particular moment.
Casey shook his head. Annoyed at Walter, he started typing a response while walking to the fire station as a sudden movement to his left let him look up.
But it was too late.
A young man on a black bicycle was riding fast on the otherwise empty sidewalk. Casey heard the breaks as the young man slammed into them, but he slipped on the wet autumn ground and knocked Casey over. With an audible thud, Casey fell to the ground, smacking his head on the asphalt. The phone slipped out of his fingers onto the ground.
The kid was mortified. With wide eyes, he looked at Casey, who groaned and tried to sit up slowly. The moment, Casey started moving, the kid took off.
Casey opened his eyes slowly. His head hurt like hell, his vision swam. Slowly he brought himself into a sitting position. Dazed, he looked at his hands which were red and raw. Blood and dirt of the road mixed into an image of pain. He sighed inaudibly, blinking and trying to set his focus straight. He looked at the station which was unusually blurred. But he was sure that he could reach it. He stood up carefully and picked up his phone from the ground, registering only marginally that the screen was now split before he put it back into his pocket. For a moment, Casey stood in the middle of the pavement and wondered what he did there. But the pain radiating from his head reminded him of the things that had happened just seconds before. With cold fingertips, he reached to his pounding head. To his surprise, they came back wet, covered with blood. Not much, just on his fingertips. Casey sighed again, wondering why he was still outside and why the station seemed so far away.
When he finally started walking, he was surprised how uncertain his steps felt. The ground seemed to tilt slightly to the left every now and then, making it difficult for him to walk in a straight line. As Casey reached the entrance area, he felt his stomach clench. Before he could register what was happening, he started throwing up his breakfast; a coffee with too much milk and four eggs with bacon. Casey groaned and clutched his stomach. After the feeling of nausea stopped, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve clean and straightened up. He gathered his strength and continued his journey to the fire station. To somebody who could help him.
Unconsciously, he went straight to Severide's office. At that moment he didn't question his need for the other lieutenant as it was a natural feeling, a natural decision to turn to Severide for help, because Severide was his friend. But if Severide was his friend, then why was his office empty? Casey frowned. He could feel both his frustration and his headache increasing. Why wasn't Severide there? Severide was always on shift with him. Casey was sure about that, and yet he had the nagging feeling that he had forgotten something important, that he actually should know where Severide was. Casey closed his eyes in frustration.
As he opened his eyes again, he spotted the freshly made bed. And before he decided to do so, he shuffled to the bed, sat down and laid his head on the pillow, giving his heavy body the rest it had been demanding. His feet, however, remained on the ground. A dirty bed was the last thing Severide needed and with this thought, he drifted into a sleep that resembled unconsciousness.
"What an idiot," Hermann scoffed. "He should have stopped and helped you."
Casey nodding, his eyes still focused on his shirt.
"Yeah, he should have."
Silence covered the room.
"Okay, my duty is done," said Shay suddenly, standing up, "Let's give the Casey some rest." She made eye contact with Herman, who nodded.
"Sure. I'll go and tell the others that you're alright, Lieutenant. You are alright, aren't you?"
Casey smiled. "I'm fine, Herman."
Herman smiled before he and Shay left the room. The silence that followed their departure was friendly and comforting and Casey felt how his eyelids became heavy once again. He would have fallen asleep if Severide's voice hadn't startled him.
"Need some help?" Severide asked, pointing to the shirt in Casey's hand.
"No," Casey said, defensively. "Let me try first." He pulled the shirt he was wearing up, but soon it became stuck around his head. Casey mumbled in frustrations as he struggled to keep his heavy arms above his head to free him from the shirt.
"Some help?" Casey finally mumbled and with a swift motion, Severide pulled the old shirt from his head.
"Thanks," Casey said. "I thought, I could manage this on my own."
Severide snorted in response. "Of course you did." He grabbed the fresh shirt.
"Arms up," he said and to his surprise, Casey obeyed.
"So all set," Severide said. "You feel up for a ride?"
"Yes. Could you please call a cab?"
"Are you kidding? Let's just take your truck and I'll bring you home."
Casey looked up, wide-eyed, trying to process the information.
"Really?"
"Yeah, just let me talk to Boden first. Alright?"
"Alright."
Of course, Boden agreed that Severide brought Casey home. He was relieved to hear that the other Lieutenant was safe and sound.
The ride in the car was silent. Casey still pressed a cold pack to his head, but his face seemed relaxed, no traces of pain and that, in return, satisfied Severide.
"We're there," Severide said after a while. When Casey opened his eyes, the car was already parked in front of his home.
"Thanks, Kelly. Really," he said in earnest.
"No problem," Severide smiled and removed his seatbelt. "Now let's get you inside and my job is done."
"No, you don't need—," Casey said, raising his hands defensively.
"Yes, I do. Let's go."
Severide accompanied Casey not only to his house, but also made sure that the other man was safely settled on his own bed, wrapped in a blanket with water and some crackers on the bedside table. As all was set, Severide wanted to leave but hesitated for a moment near the door frame.
"Why did you go to my room?" he finally asked. "After all what happened between us."
Casey shrugged. "I don't know," he said after a pause, "I think you still are my best friend. Even though you behave like a prick at the moment." He looked him into the eyes, before he continued. "And I knew that you would help me." Severide bit the inside of his cheek, unsure of what to say next.
"I'm glad you're okay," he said finally, reaching for the door, but then he stopped. He turned around and took his phone out of his pocket.
"Since yours is broken," he stretched out his hand, offering his phone to Casey, who accepted it with surprise. "Take mine for the day. I'll call you every two hours to see how you are. Or you can call me. Or anybody else. Whatever." Severide shrugged his shoulders.
"I'll collect it tomorrow morning after the shift. Okay?"
Casey nodded tiredly. Severide turned around to leave.
"Kelly?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks. You can be a good friend, you know?"
Severide laughed, despite the cold knot his stomach suddenly turned into.
"See you tomorrow, Matt." He closed the door. Maybe it was time to finally sort things out.
