I've had a fair amount of time to write this week, so I've managed to get you three chapters to you :)
Hope you enjoy it! Remember to let me know what you think.
Neither of them had the best nights sleep, between the nurses doing their rounds and them being squished in the tiny hospital bed it was restless at best.
Matt's body was sore, the burns having began to heal over under his dressings, and some bruising appearing on his side, although he couldn't work out where it had come from.
Gabby refusing to leave his side even for a minute, needing the reassurance of his touch to make sure he was definitely still here.
"You ok?" She asked watching him from her position on his chest.
"Yea" he smiled down at her, "I'm good. Just ready to get home you know."
"Yea I do."
It was something they both had in common about hospitals, it made them nervous and uncomfortable. Both having lost friends and family here at one time or another.
"Hopefully it won't be long" she said kissing him. "Do you want me to see if I can flag a nurse down?"
"No it's ok" he sighed, "let's just watch something on the tv while we wait ok."
"Ok" she said settling back into his side. Matt wincing as she pushed against one of his deeper burns. "Sorry" she said noticing his pained gasp, "are you ok?"
"Yea I'm ok. Just a little sore in places."
They settled down as comfortably as possible and started flicking through the channels, the silence around them thick with unspoken thoughts and feelings. Both aware a conversation needed to be had but unsure where to even start. Both lost in their own thoughts, and each other as they lay on the bed.
A little after midday the doctor came in to say they were finally discharging Matt. Giving him some cream and fresh bandages before getting him to sign his discharge papers. Gabby saying she'd go fetch her car that Shay and Severide had dropped off earlier.
The nurse wheeled Matt round to the entrance just as Gabby pulled up to the curb.
"Ready to go?" She smiled as she climbed out to open the passenger door for him.
"Yea" he replied smiling up at her.
The drive home was quiet, an awkward feeling in the air between them, Matt glancing towards his wife occasionally to make sure she was ok before settling on watching the houses pass.
Once home Gabby settled him on the sofa before heading for a shower. Matt pouting at the fact he wasn't allowed to take one for at least a couple of days.
"I stink" he said as he'd pulled on fresh clothes.
"Sorry babe, doctors orders. No shower or getting those burns wet."
Once showered Gabby grabbed them both some food from the kitchen before settling down next to him.
"You ok?" He asked looking across to her.
"Yea I'm fine"
Matt raised his eyebrows at the word 'fine', it wasn't a word Gabby used to describe herself usually and that worried him.
"Gabby?" He questioned his gaze piercing through her.
She sighed before saying "don't ever say goodbye to me again." Her voice laced with fear, heartbreak and sadness.
"I'm sorry" Matt said reaching out for her hand "I just.. I didn't want the last thing I said to you to have been about you being cranky."
"So you said goodbye!" She near shouted, frustrated tears rapacity down her cheeks "It felt like you'd given up."
"Never" he said looking at her "even until my last breath I would have fought to get out."
"But why did you say bye then?" Gabby was confused if he was still trying to get out why did he give his dying speech.
"Because I wanted you to hear me say I loved you one more time if I couldn't have got out."
Gabby nodded, thinking about what she would have done in that situation. "It broke me Matt, hearing you say those words. Knowing that I couldn't get to you. Thinking that our babies would never ever meet you. I couldn't breath, it felt like someone had taken every tiny bit of oxygen out of my body. Don't ever make me feel like that again."
"I'm sorry Gabby. I shouldn't have said it, in the moment I wasn't thinking clearly. I didn't think how hard that must have been for you outside that building."
"No I don't think you did!" She was upset he could tell that, she had every right to be. He'd have been upset if the roles had been reversed and she'd said goodbye to him over the radios. "Everyone kept looking at me like I was going to break, even at the hospital. And part of me was falling apart, part of me was angry and part of me was trying desperately to keep it all together."
"I'm sorry" Matt whispered a lone tear rolling down his cheek.
"Hey!" Gabby's voice was firm as she gripped his hands tightly "just promise me you'll always come home? No matter what."
Matt sighed "I can't promise that." He saw Gabby's face fall "you know I can't, just like you can't. But I can promise I will do everything in my power to always come home."
"I'll take it" she said leaning in for a kiss.
Matt ended up taking a full week off before returning to work, Gabby took one shift before returning herself saying she needed some normality in her life and watching Matt mope around the apartment was just making it difficult for her to forget the whole thing. Matt was worried about her reaction, she'd been quiet and mad and had cried but she hadn't got it all out he knew that. He knew Gabby better than she even knew herself and if one thing was clear it was that this wasn't over yet. There was another shoe waiting to drop he just wasn't sure when or how that was going to happen but he got his answer when his phone rang a few days into his medical leave.
"Hey Shay, everything ok?"
"Casey, you need to get to med now!"
"What why? What happened?"
Gabby had left for shift that morning leaving him at home binge watching old reruns of hockey matches. At Shay's panicked voice his heart sped up, beating against his chest so hard.
"It's Dawson, she passed out ."
"What?" Matt breathed out, his heart pounding harder. "What happened?"
"I.. I don't know. She went to the bathroom and when she didn't come back for ages I went looking for her, I'm not sure what happened."
It took Matt a few minutes to register her words. "I'm on my way" he said hanging up. Rushing to pull some jeans on and grabbing his keys he raced across the city towards med, his brain working at a million miles an hour thinking of all the reasons she could have passed out.
Running into the hospital he was met by Shay and a worried looking Stella.
"Where is she?" He asked panting for breath.
"They took her through as soon as we got here, Matt I think she hit her head as she went, there's a huge gash to her left side."
"Was she, is she awake?" He asked, scared of the answer.
"No" Stella replied shaking her head "that's the other reason we think she hit her head."
Shay placed her hand on Matt's arm gently, squeezing lightly as she spoke, "did she eat before coming in this morning?"
"Yea, I made her have a smoothie and some eggs. Why?"
"Did you see her eat them?"
"Erm no" Matt was beginning to get concerned at her questioning, not liking where this could possibly be going.
"We took her blood sugars on the way over here and they were rock bottom. Only way that would happen is if she hadn't eat for a while."
Matt sighed "I've been struggling to get her to eat." He shook his head "god damn it!"
"Mr Casey?" A doctor asked intruppting them.
"Yes that's me" he said turning to face him, "is my wife ok?"
"She is, she is awake and asking for you."
"And the babies?"
"Fine, they're all fine." He reassured "come on I'll take you through."
He turned towards the two girls "I'll update you later ok?"
"Yea no worries Casey" Stella said, "tell her to rest up we've got this."
"Tell her to feel better." Shay said nodding at him.
"Thanks." He turned and followed the doctor through to the room where Gabby was laying. Seeing her hooked up to machines made his heart skip again. "What's all this for?" He asked the doctor concerned.
"We just want to monitor mother and babies for a short while, nothing to be worried about."
Turning to Gabby he smiled weakly, the sight of her in the bed scaring him more than he wanted to let her see. "Are you ok?" He asked walking over to her.
"My head hurts and my side is bruised but I'm ok." She confirmed.
"How long will you be monitoring her for?" Matt asked.
"A few hours at least, you can stay."
"Thanks."
"I'll leave you to it, we're just outside if you need anything."
Matt turned to Gabby, his eyes scanning her body and injuries. "Are you sure your ok?"
"I'm fine Matt" she said firmly, "I just, my Erm.." she sighed knowing she had to admit to him why she'd passed out "I didn't eat that's all."
"Gabriela" Matt growled his gaze hardening "we've spoken about this, have we not?" She nodded her head, dropping her gaze downwards, finding it much too difficult to hold eye contact when she knew a lecture was coming. "Verbal Gabriela" he demanded.
"Yes sir."
"Then why did you skip meals?"
"The smell of the eggs made me heave, and the smoothies only settle my stomach for so long. They don't taste nice coming back up the other way."
He sighed again, rubbing his hand over his brow. "I think we're going to have to look at that list of rules again aren't we?" Not waiting for a response before continuing his lecture, "it is vital that you eat, you can't just skip meals. You have two babies in you that need the food as much as you do. It's dangerous!" His voice began to rise "look where we are?" He threw his hands around the room for dramatic effect "this can't happen again!"
"It won't" she whispered.
"Too right it won't, I'll be making sure of that" he said pulling her chin up so she was looking at him. "This is not a conversation I'm going to repeat Gabriela, do you understand me?"
"Yes sir."
"What you did today put yourself in danger, it put our babies in danger."
Gabby swallowed thickly as she listen to the words he'd chosen, she hoped he didn't view this as a breech of their new agreement. Matt saw the panic flash across her face, realizing what she must be thinking he spoke softly "this isn't the same as putting your life in danger by going into a scene you shouldn't" she sighed in relief "but" she groaned "you did still put your life in danger, that has consequences and you know that don't you?"
"Yes sir"
"Come here" he said pulling her in close, the tension he'd been feeling leaving his body and they both relaxed into the others body. "Don't scare me like this again." He whispered into her hair.
"I won't, I'm sorry."
"I know."
They spent the next few hours in the quietness of each other's company, Matt trying to work out what to do about Gabby's problem with food. And Gabby thinking about just what he had in store for her at home, knowing for a fact that she wasn't going to enjoy the consequences for this lack of judgement.
At last they were signing the discharge papers and heading home, Gabby had been given some anti sickness medication to take everyday that the doctor had said would help with the morning sickness and was under strict instructions to eat little and often.
Entering the apartment Gabby rushed to change out of her work gear, while Matt moved towards the kitchen to make her some food, that he'd told her he was going to watch her eat as it seemed he couldn't trust her to eat it herself.
"So what we having?" She asked appearing in the kitchen in some sleep shorts and his CFD sweatshirt.
"I'm just reheating some of the honey chicken stuff, Shay made extra and popped them in the freezer. It's almost done, why don't you set the table?"
"Can't we just eat here?" She asked indicating to the breakfast bar.
"No." Matt said, "we need to discuss some things and I want you looking at me while we do."
"Ok" she murmured while moving to get the bits she needed to set up. Her phone buzzed on the counter, Matt seeing it was Shay answered and put her on speaker.
"Hey Shay, you've got us both." He said.
"Hey, I was just checking in. Everything ok? How's my girl?"
"We're good, just going to have some food, and discuss Gabriela's eating habits. She's ok, a couple of bruises but nothing too bad. Doctor gave her some meds to help combat the sickness."
"Good, good that's good." Shay paused "Erm can I talk to Dawson off speaker?"
Matt raised an eyebrow wondering what she could possibly need to speak to her about without him "sure Shay, five minutes ok. And then I'll be taking her phone."
Gabby groaned as she heard him speak, knowing that she was about to find herself grounded again. Matt smiled at her as she picked her phone up and moved towards the couches.
"Hey" she said clicking the phone off speaker.
"Hey" Shay replied. "Are you ok?"
"Yea I'm good."
"Are you going to tell him?"
"What?"
"About the call this morning, you know the blow you took."
"No!" Gabby said firmly "I think I'm in enough trouble don't you?"
"I do but Gabs if you don't tell him and he finds out."
"He won't Shay."
"But if he does you know it'll be worse don't you."
"Technically when we went in we had no idea it was dangerous, so technically I didn't break any rules."
Shay sighed, "I know but it's in the after action report, that the guy swung at you and pointed a gun at your head. You don't think chief is going to tell him, or Severide, or Antonio?"
"If they do they do. But I didn't deliberately put myself in that position." Gabby argued.
"Gabs!" Shay sighed loudly. "I don't want to force you about this but..."
"Then don't" Gabby snapped. "I'm not telling him, it was no big deal."
"It will be to him."
"Exactly why I'm not telling him. He's already mad at me, I'm pretty sure I'm about to get grounded for the stunt I've pulled with not eating. I'm not going to willingly give him more reason to punish me."
"Well be it on your head" Shay said annoyed "I want no part in this cover up."
"Then don't!" Gabby snapped again.
Matt put his head round the door shocked at her tone, eyeing her suspiciously he indicated for her to finish up.
"I've got to go Shay. I'll see you next shift ok."
"Ok, but I still think you should tell him."
"Bye Shay."
"Bye."
Hanging up she noticed Matt still watching her. "What was that all about?" He asked.
"Nothing, she was just getting her point across about me not eating enough." She lied.
"You sure that was all?"
"Yea, why would it be anything else." She snapped slightly.
"Gabriela!" Matt said firmly "I seriously hope your not lying to me."
"No" she said just as firmly. "Can we eat now please?" She was desperate to change the subject, for fear of crumbling under his gaze. She knew Shay was right if he found out what happened this morning from someone else it would be worse, but that's why she'd got a plan for him not to find out. Her only issue was he was taking her phone, and Severide. There was no way he'd help her cover this up. But if she didn't mention it maybe he wouldn't either, yes that's what she'd do, he'd assume she'd told him if she didn't say otherwise.
He eyed her suspiciously for a few moments before nodding "yea come on."
They sat in an awkward silence for a little while, only the sound of their forks against the plates to break it.
Gabby put her fork down and looked up "Matt?"
"Yes"
"How much trouble am I in?"
He shook his head "I don't know Gabriela", she flinched at the use of her full name. "I'm still trying to decide what to do."
She groaned, he never usually had to think this much about her punishment, the fact he was made her flinch. She could be sure that it didn't mean he was going to go easy.
"Can't you just ground me." She offered hopefully.
He shook his head again "I don't think that's enough do you?"
"No" she whispered.
"Sorry What was that?"
"No sir."
"That's better. Now eat up."
Gabby turned her attention back to her food eating as much as she can before pushing her plate away. Matt looked between the half eaten plate and his wife. "Is that all your going to eat?"
"I'm full" she moaned.
"Try and eat a little more for me please" he asked pushing her plate back towards her.
Gabby sighed but managed a few more mouthfuls before shaking her head "please Matt I'm really full."
"Ok" he said happy that she'd at least tried, "go get the contract."
"Yes sir" she said pushing up from the table and walking towards their room, she pulled out the printed version of their agreement and grabbed her laptop knowing that she'd be editing the document soon.
"Here" she said rather sullenly.
"You need to check your attitude Gabriela" Matt said firmly, taking the document from her. "Go to the corner until you can speak to me respectfully." He pointed to the empty corner across from the table.
She walked over stomach sinking and cheeks blushing at the memory of her last time in this corner. She could kick herself, he'd told her time and time again that she needed to eat, he'd made it perfectly clear he wouldn't accept anything less than three meals a day.
Matt sat watching his wife for a while, her shoulders slumped and hands on her head as she stood facing the corner, nose to the wall. He knew she was struggling with the sickness but that was no excuse, she needed to eat and he was going to make sure of it. And as for her sudden attitude problem well he was less than impressed about that too. Sighing deeply he began to read over their contract.
Our agreement!
Gabriela must always try to abide by the following rules:-
• Speak in a respectful tone to Matt and anyone else.
• No shouting at people.
• No rolling of the eyes or giving attitude.
• Always tell the truth, even if it's going to get you in trouble.
• Follow all orders.
• No Excessive drinking.
• No putting your life in more danger than is required for the job.
The consequences:-
Giving unnecessary attitude to anyone - 10 strokes of the paddle or belt
Shouting at people - 10 strokes of the paddle or belt
Maintenance spanking - hand and fifiteen with the brush
Rolling eyes - 20 brush
Lying - 10 cane
Disobeying an order - 20 with the belt
Excessive drinking - 15 with the whip
Risking life - 30 strokes of the cane
Repeat offences will incur double the amount to be added to punishment, unless maximum strokes have been received in which case multiple spankings will incur until the number is reached.
Maximum strokes:
-100 brush or 10 minutes
-100 paddle or 10 minutes
-100 belt or 10 minutes
-50 whip
-30 cane
-15 switch
In extreme behavioural issues multiple implements can be used.
If Gabriela finds herself grounded then her phone and laptop must remain in the drawer when in the house, the only time these can be used are for work related issues and if out running.
By the time he got to the end he had come to a decision about what he was going to do. He called her back to the table.
"Have you lost the attitude now?" He asked.
"Yes sir" she nodded.
"Good." He pointed to the seat she'd occupied for dinner "sit"
Gabby did as instructed her eyes downcast.
"I'm really disappointed Gabriela." He started "we've spoken about the importance of you eating haven't we?"
"Yes sir"
"So why did you not eat?"
"I told you already" came her sassy reply, the courage to look up at him coming alongside it.
"Gabriela!" He barked, he eyes quickly diverting back downwards. "I know you said why you didn't eat the breakfast I made you. What I want to know is even if you didn't want eggs and the smoothie you knew you should have had something else, correct?"
"Yes sir."
"So why didn't you?"
Gabby sighed knowing there was no point in telling him anything but the truth, "I didn't think anyone would know, as far as you knew I'd eaten and you weren't at the house to see if I ate at lunch or not."
"Ok so not only did you lie to me."
"I didn't lie" she snapped.
Matt's eyebrows raising at her continued tone "You did. You lead me to believe you'd eaten this morning when you hadn't. That is the definition of lying. So that's one rule broken right there."
She nodded "Yes sir"
"So not only did you lie to me about breakfast, you skipped lunch as well. Is that what your saying?"
"Yes sir"
Matt nodded, "Then the tone in which you have repeatedly spoken to me since getting home." He said staring her down, "Is that how I expect you to speak to people?"
"No sir."
"Ok, so another broken rule yes?"
She nodded as he continued to list her offences, putting her health at risk by not eating, and sneaking around. "I think we need to add a few more rules don't you?"
"Yes sir."
"Good. Well first off it is now compulsory that you eat three meals a day."
Gabby listened as she wrote down what he was saying knowing that she was soon going to be tasked with typing it all up. "And if you don't eat three meals you will be punished, do you understand?" She nodded her head again, "I think thirty strokes of the brush, ten for each life you'd be risking."
They continued to discuss some new rules and adjust old ones for a little while, before Matt told her to get on with typing it up. "Once it's printed I want you with your nose in the corner in the bedroom, you will be receiving a spanking for today, and you've made it worse by giving me attitude so don't expect to be able to sit anytime soon."
"Yes sir" she sighed setting to work on her task.
"Oh and you're grounded for the next week, so your laptop can join your phone in the drawer." He said picking up her phone and putting it in his pocket as he spoke.
Matt busied himself cleaning up the dishes and prepping for their evening meal, as they'd had a larger lunch he was just planning on a salad with some beef steaks he'd brought a few days ago. He could hear typing coming from the table with the occasionally sniffle, he knew he was being hard on her and he knew she was likely going to need a nice relaxing evening after he'd finished with her punishment. Passing the table she smiled weakly at him, he winked at her as he headed into the bedroom, pulling out the paddle and cane, placing them on the bed and heading towards the bathroom where he pulled out some tea lights and the old CD player.
Half hour later Gabby had finished the beginning of her punishment and was stood facing the corner in the bedroom while Matt sat on the bed, he didn't have the heart to leave her there too long today so called her over five minutes later.
"Why are we here?" he asked pushing her shorts down and pulling her over his knee.
"Because I lied about eating and gave you unwarranted attitude."
Matt nodded before bringing his hand down sharply against her bare skin. Each slap was met with a yelp as her butt slowly warmed up, once it was an overall pink color Matt paused, resting his hand against her warm butt. "You're going to get thirty with the brush for not eating, thirty with the paddle for the attitude you've insisted on giving me repeatedly and ten with the cane for lying and then I never want to have this conversation with you again."
"Yes sir"
Matt brought the first stroke of the brush down hard against her left check, hitting the same spot repeatedly before moving to the right side and doing the same, twenty in and her butt was on fire. She swallowed her tears as he brought the last ten down harder than the previous twenty. Switching to the paddle without even pausing he continued to land stinging swats against her now crimson skin. He listened carefully to hear if she was letting her emotions out yet but when he was met with silence, he sighed to himself and stopped.
"Gabriela are you biting your lip to stop yourself crying?" She nodded her head forward "verbal responses please" he said punctuating each words with a stinging swat.
"Yes sir"
SWAT SWAT SWAT SWAT SWAT "You do not hurt yourself to stop your emotions. I can't tell if I'm being too hard on you if you hold in your tears."
"Yes sir" she gasped as he brought down another series of five stinging swats.
"We are starting the paddle again for your stubbornness, if you continue to hold back I'll start again from the beginning. Am I clear?"
"Yes sir"
Matt brought down the first SWAT hard against her backside, she gasped at the force. By the tenth stroke she was sobbing into her arm.
"Over the bed" he instructed when he finally put the paddle down, Count them."
SWOOSH WHACK
"One sir"
WHACK
"Two sir"
WHACK
"Three sir"
WHACK
"Four sir"
WHACK
"Five sir"
WHACK
"Six sir"
WHACK
"Seven sir"
WHACK
"Arggghh, I'm sorry!" she cried "I won't do it again, please"
"Gabby count or we start again" Matt warned, hoping she counted and didn't make him follow through with the threat of starting again.
"Eight sir" She cried "Please no more."
"We're almost there baby, last two" he soothed, trying his hardest to follow through to the end. Punishing his pregnant wife like this was hard, steeling his heart as much as possible he landed the last two diagonally across her butt, crossing on top of the welts.
"Nine and Ten sir" she called out obediently collapsing forwards on to the bed sobbing hard.
Matt scooped her up into his arms and rubbed her back, "It's ok" he soothed.
"I'm Sorry" she whispered as she curled into his embrace.
"I know, it's all forgiven." Matt reassured, moving his hand down and rubbing the sting out of her butt slightly.
When Gabby had finally stopped crying she sat up hissing as her sore butt hit the mattress, "I'm sorry for not eating today" she said looking at him, "I know it wasn't a smart move. I promise I won't skip meals again."
"I know you won't, if anything the memory of how much it hurts to sit right now will help make sure of that." He said smiling at her.
"That I have no doubt about." she admitted, squirming uncomfortably beside him. "Can I have some cream?"
"Not yet" he said sadly, "I need you to go stand in the corner and feel it for a little while longer and then I'll give you some relief ok?"
"Ok" she said, shocked at his new form of torture. She got up and walked sadly over to the corner placing her hands on her head. She didn't have to stand there long but even with the short time she did the burn in her butt was almost unbearable, intensifying the longer she was forbidden to rub. She was thankful when he called her back to him, turning to see him holding the cream and telling her he'd run her a nice bath.
"You go soak in there for a bit I put some special oils in there to help with the pain, when you get out I'll smoother this on for you ok?"
She nodded while stripping out of his sweatshirt, and heading through to the bathroom.