Casey lay flat on his back the man knowing he was on limited time until his alarm went off, the man setting it for earlier than usual knowing they had to deal with Gabby's confession last night. He told her what to expect last night and now the blonde was lay waiting for those last few minutes to roll by before she'd wake up, his heart feeling heavy at the concept of punishing her again so soon after her last session. It wasn't something he enjoyed doing, knowing that he was going to be the cause of an uncomfortable day for her, knowing that her new role at the firehouse would mean she'd be sitting a lot more than usual and knowing exactly how rough that was after a hard session like this was going to be. Not only had she lied to him about how much she'd spent, she'd actively gone out of her way to try and keep it from him, the woman knowing exactly what she was doing and what would happen when he found out. He should have realized sooner that something was going on, but with the move, the hospital trip and all the news about Maddie, he hadn't really thought about it until Sev had mentioned it. But now he was realizing the signs were there, Shay's off handed comment about closing his eyes and not looking at the statement, Gabby telling him she'd deal with the change of address, everything it all added up. He just didn't understand why she felt the need to hide it from him, it wasn't like she'd brought stuff just for the sake of it, in fact she'd actually been quite productive, getting enough clothes to last the twins for the first year of their lives, along with bedding, blankets, bibs, bowls, bottles just in case they needed to bottle fed for any reason, in fact she'd pretty much thought of everything and if she'd just told him straight away he would have been fine. Well he may have been a little mifted at so much money going out in one go but she wouldn't have been in trouble, not for spending money on their children, that's something he'd never get mad at her for. But the hiding, the lying, the sneaking, that, that caused his blood to boil and she was very lucky he didn't pull her pants down in the stock room last night. The husband having to refrain from allowing his anger boil over, not wanting to completely taint what was an otherwise lovely evening. All of their friends had been so generous, the couple having to make several trips from the truck to the house to get them all inside last night, their living room resembling a donation center the amount of packages there were.
Looking to his right he saw his wife sleeping softly still, the woman's exhaustion clearly etched on her face even during her slumber. He wished he could get her to give up working for now, Matt wishing she'd just take it easy and stay home for a bit. He knew she'd said thirty weeks was where she wanted to take her maternity but that was before everything with the cyst, that whole ordeal taking a lot out of her. He knew it was something they needed to talk about, and that it wouldn't be a easy discussion, Gabby always having been busy and full on from the moment he met her, and from stories he'd heard from Antonio and her parents she had always been the same, he knew that it wouldn't be an easy task for her to step back. But this wasn't just about her, she was growing two babies, his two babies, and he wouldn't sit by while she pushed herself beyond her own limits. No, it was a conversation he was going to have with her, and soon. But first he needed to take care of the matter at hand first.
Looking towards the clock he saw the numbers tick over to six thirty, the alarm blaring beside him. Gabby pressing herself deeper into her pillow desperately trying to stay asleep. A soft smile coming to rest on his face as he watched her, the sight warming his heart, there was nothing better than watching his wife sleep and there was no cuter sight than watching her wake up in the morning, the woman beside him always groggy first thing.
"Good morning babe" Matt said kissing her head gently.
"What time is it?" she mumbled, the sleep evident in her croaky voice.
"Six thirty, I told you we were getting up early this morning."
"Do we have to?"
"Yup" he said popping the world as he swung his legs off the bed, Gabby moaning as the cold air blew under the warmth of the covers, the woman wrapping herself up into them more. "Come on, I believe I told you where you needed to go this morning?" he said pulling the covers away from her. Dawson sat up glaring at her husband, the woman's mood already that of annoyance and tiredness. "Let's go Gabriela!" Matt said more firmly.
"I really don't like you some days, you know that.." she groaned heading towards the bathroom.
"You don't have to like me all the time, but you do need to check your attitude before I rethink your punishment."
Rolling her eyes at him she stormed through the bathroom door, the woman slamming it shut behind her, making it very clear she didn't want him to follow. Casey sighed as he slumped down on to the stool at the end of their bed, the firefighter sensing already that it was going to be one of those days. One of those days he could really do without.
Gabby stood at the sink brushing her teeth as she got ready for the day ahead, she knew Matt was about to deal with her lying and if she was honest she knew she deserved it, her husband had as she expected confiscated her phone and laptop as soon as they returned home last night, telling her she was now grounded for the next week at least which meant she was going to be having a lot of early nights and she knew he had no issue increasing it if her sour attitude continued but she couldn't help it, she was tired and hormonal and she was about to get her ass handed to her, she couldn't help being stroppy this morning. The mixture of all three things making the bad mood she'd woken up in hard to shake but she knew she needed to try, if anything for her own dignity, for her own comfort she needed to try and squash the annoyance burning down deep inside her, it was tough though especially when she knew just outside the closed bathroom door her husband was waiting for her, waiting to bend her over and spank the hell out of her behind. She shook her head, the woman gripping on to the sink as she stared at her tired reflection looking back at her, she knew she'd said she wanted to continue working but it was mornings like this that had been making her reconsider that decision. She was already tired, beyond it actually, and it was going to be a long day at the firehouse. Gabby having told Connie last shift that she'd be finishing up the blue office organization before end of shift today something she was now wishing she hadn't knowing that sitting for long periods of time wasn't exactly going to be the most comfortable position to be in. At least when she was on ambo she could stand in the kitchen chatting with people, or in the back of the ambo doing inventory or cleaning through the apartments. But being in the ball pen meant a lot of sitting, and the thought alone made her flinch, especially since she was still a little tender from the spanking for not eating.
"Gabby" his voice floated in from the bedroom, the questioning tone telling her he was wondering what was taking so long.
"I'm coming" she snapped, the woman sighing deeply at her own tone, she knew it wouldn't be appreciated and she knew the penalty for it.
Pushing the door open she was met by a concerned husband, his face morphing into a contorted, worried look when he saw the frown she was wearing. "What's wrong?" he asked, the man sensing that something was on her mind.
"Nothing, can we just do this and get on with the day?"
"If you want to, but Gabby if you need to talk..."
"I don't!" she snapped, "Do I need to stand in the corner?"
Matt rubbed his hand across his brow the man sighing to himself as he steeled his heart to see this through, "yea" was all he managed to say, he'd told her that last night he wasn't sure why he was having to confirm it again now. Gabby gave him a short nod before heading to the corner of their room, the woman positioning herself there with her hands on her head.
He sat watching her, taking in her appearance, the woman in front of him holding on to far more tension than he ever liked to see on her. He could sense something was wrong, something more than the anticipation of what was about to happen, she was tired he knew that but it felt like there was something more going on with her, something she was holding back saying. Casey knew better than to push her when she wasn't ready but it was worrying him, ever since she'd admitted what she'd been doing last night she was off with him and he didn't understand why. It wasn't unusual for her to be quiet and subdued when awaiting punishment, he knew that, but it was more than just her readying herself to submit, it was almost like she wasn't wanting to, almost like she was resenting the fact she was about to have to go through this again.
"Gabby" he said softly after a few minutes, his wife turning to face him slowly. The look on her face telling him more than her words ever could.
"What?" she asked crossing her arms across her chest, the action cutting her off from him as he watched her put walls up around herself, Dawson effectively shutting herself off to him. The woman knowing his soft tone was him trying to get her to talk, problem was she couldn't focus her own thoughts enough to even attempt articulating them to him.
"I think we need to talk don't we?"
"No!" she spat, "just do what we're here for and then we can get on with getting ready for shift."
"Gabby..."
"No Matt just get on with it, I don't want to talk." Her choice of words only confirming for him that something was going on. Before he had a chance to say anything she'd pulled the chair to the center of the room and was removing her sleep shorts and underwear, the man watching as she bent over the chair and waited, waited for him to get on with the punishment he'd promised her, the punishment he wasn't sure he wanted to give when she obviously wasn't in the right mood for it.
"Babe please, can we..." he tried again, her intense stare cutting him off. The woman glaring at him from her position, Matt took a deep breath before moving behind her, his hand resting against her bare skin. "Are you sure about this? You don't seem in the right frame of mind?" He asked once more.
"I'm fine."
"Ok then" he said raising his hand and bringing it down firmly on her bare butt, repeating the action over and over until her ass turned a pale pink, his hits at a medium strength as he continued to pepper her backside for the next ten minutes, the woman in front of him making little noise in the form of reaction. Matt breathing deeply as he landed a much harder SMACK against her skin. A small gasp escaping her lips from the sudden change of pressure, Matt sensing that she needed this for more reasons than just correction, her tense body relaxing slightly more each time his hand would make contact. Ten more hits at the harder pressure and she was sobbing, his wife's tears soaking the chair seat beneath her.
"Why are we here Gabriela?" he asked landing another sharp swat, the man pausing to give her chance to answer.
"Because I lied to you."
"Pardon?"
"Because I lied to you sir" she corrected her tone still filled with that stubborn personality of hers, the one that so often got her in trouble for being to sassy, to argumentative. Casey landing another sharp slap, this one catching the tender sit spot that was now glowing bright red.
SWAT
"That's one of the reasons"
SWAT
"Why else are we here?"
SWAT SWAT SWAT
"Ouch because... OUCH" she was beginning to struggle now, the more intense pressure warming her butt up quickly, the force of each smack causing a burning sting. "Ouch"
"Gabriela why else are we here?" he asked again pausing slightly to allow her time to gather her thoughts.
"Because, because... erm... I hid the statements?"
SWAT SWAT SWAT SWAT SWAT
"Yes but that's not completely why is it?"
"No sir"
"Then tell me why else are we here?" he asked for a third time, the man landing the hardest swats yet as he waited for her to answer, his hand focusing purely on her sensitive sit spots, the man knowing they were almost done, her body completely submitted to him as he pounded away against her.
"I went behind your back, I lied, I hid stuff from you, I was dishonest, I..." her sobbing took, her body overcome with emotion, the burning pain in her butt intensifying the more swats hit, the woman knowing it wouldn't finish until she'd listed all the reasons she was in this position, her brain foggy as she stood there, struggling not to scream as the onslaught continued. "I'm sorry sir, I don't know if that's everything but I can't think, I'm sorry" she managed to breath out between her sobs and gasps.
SWAT SWAT SWAT SWAT SWAT "That's everything, good girl" he praised, sensing that his message had been received loud and clear. "You did well, I'm proud of you." His hand was rubbing soothing circles on her back now, the man doing what he could to help comfort her as she expelled all the emotions she needed too, Dawson balling as apologizes flowed from her lips. "Come here" he said wrapping his arms around her, Gabby instinctively resting her head against his chest, the sound of his heart beating soothing her.
"I'm so sorry Matt, I... it won't ever happen again, I promise."
"I know, it's over, you've been dealt with. You're forgiven" he whispered his low voice calming her even more, his words electing a small smile to rest on her face. As hard as a spanking always was, there was always something very comforting and refreshing about the forgiveness at the end, the warm embrace wrapped around her as he did everything to make her feel better. The sense of being safe and secure overwhelming, all her earlier attitude and annoyance gone, as she sobbed against his bare chest.
Gabby sat in the most cushioned chair she could find at the small round table the woman lost in a magazine she was reading with Kidd, Shay and Brett, the four woman engrossed in it for the past half an hour, the quieter day giving them all some much needed down time. Things had been a little busy at fifty one recently, the shifts long and tiring and as much as Casey and Dawson were thankfully that she wasn't out there in the field with them, the amount that truck was out had meant they hadn't seen each other much despite working in the same building. Ambo especially had been busy with a high increase in drug overdoses sweeping through the city, the two paramedics experiencing their fair share of loses of the course of the weeks past.
"You ok?" he asked, brushing his hand along her shoulder.
"I'm good" she smiled up at him, his blue eyes locking with her tired ones.
It hadn't been very long after they'd finished lunch that Connie had insisted that she go take a break, the woman worrying that the pregnant lady looked pale and like she could do with taking it easy. Dawson insisting she wanted to get the blue office finished today but Connie all but dismissed her for the day, Matt had suggested she headed home and got some rest when she'd told him. But Dawson being Dawson had declined saying she'd rather be here, and if it got too much she'd just take up residency in his office. The husband taking to checking in with her regularly instead of fighting her on the matter.
"You sure? You look tired?"
"I'm good babe" she smiled. Her soft grin catching as a similar one spread across his face. The man having to refrain from sweeping her out of the chair and crushing her lips with his.
Engine 51, Truck 81, Squad 3, Ambo 61, Battalion 25 house fire.
The bells cut their conversation off, as the two paramedics and Kidd jumped to their feet. Matt placing a soft kiss to her forehead before joining the rest of the house in racing out towards the trucks and suiting up. Sirens blaring as they pulled out of the garage and raced through the streets to get to the scene. Kidd expertly driving the truck while Otis was away.
Pulling up to the scene Matt started giving out orders to his truck, "Kidd, Mouch, Hermann you're with me.
"Squad three with me" Severide shouted.
They all masked up and headed into the building chief shouting instructions through the radio.
"Casey, Severide we've got two confirmed missing, maybe still inside. The mother and a young girl."
"Copy that chief"
"Severide truck will take upstairs, you clear down here and the basement." Matt shouted.
Severide nodding in agreement as the smoke impaired their vision.
"Kidd you're with me" Casey shouted, "Hermann, Mouch you clear that side of the hall" he waved his hand towards the left side of the building, Kidd following him to the right.
"Fire department call out." They shouted over and over. Kidd put her finger to her lips
"You hear that captain?" She asked. Casey stopped and listened, he too could hear the faint sound of a child's voice. Kidd padding carefully towards the closet, opening it slowly. "I've got one" she shouted.
The child couldn't have been older than five, her little body curled into a tight ball against the back wall. Kidd knelt down in front of her, the woman reaching out to place her gloved hand against her knee, the action causing the little girls head to snap upwards.
"It's ok" Stella soothed gently, "My names Stella, I'm a firefighter, you're ok."
The little girl looked absolutely petrified, her tiny body shrinking backwards as she scurried away from Kidd, "Hey, it's ok. Come on we're going to get you out of here. What's your name little miss?"
"Bella" she whispered.
"Bella, you've got to come out of there and I'll take you outside ok?"
"I want my mummy" she cried.
"I know sweetheart, my friends they are working on getting her out too ok? But I know she'd be more willing to leave if you were already out."
The little girl nodded, extending her hand slowly, her body moving slightly towards the door as Kidd scooped her up into her arms, the firefighter whispering comforting words as she turned to face her captain. The man giving her a nod before he helped her out of the room with the child.
Casey entered the next two rooms by himself, the captain finishing up the search of his allocated area. The man careful as to where he was walking when he felt the floorboards beginning to bow underneath him. His feet shifting sideways as he began to retreat from the last room, the man reaching for his radio to call his men out.
"That's it truck, everyone out, the structures giving way" he said.
"Mouch anything?"
"Nothing"
Both the men silently agreeing that the room was clear as they made there way down the hallway to the next door.
"Fire department call out?" The shouted, the smoke around them intensifying the longer they were inside.
"That's it truck, everyone out, the structures giving way" came Casey's voice through the radio.
"Copy that Captain, we're just finishing the sweep of the last room. There's no one else up here." Hermann responded, the man turning to Mouch, "Mouch lets go."
There steps were halted by a loud crashing noise, the ground underneath them shaking. Both men hearing the unmistakable sound of the house crumbling around them, mixed with someone crying out. Someone who sounded a lot like...
"Captain" Hermann shouted, the sudden realization of what had happened sweeping over him.
The two men ran out of the room they were currently in and around to the ones they knew their boss had been in. The men being met with nothing but silence, before hearing the noise they never wanted to hear, the noise that told them one of them was down, that one of them was in trouble. The pass alarm blaring out into the otherwise silent house, in front of them a huge hole consumed the middle of the room, furniture hanging dangerously over the edge. Entering slowly and carefully they looked down at Casey laying broken on the floor. "Chief! Casey's down." He shouted into his radio, "he's fallen through to the basement from the first floor. He's not moving."
"Severide can you get to Casey?" Chief asked.
"Negative chief the stairway to the basement has collapsed we're cut off. We'll have to do a rope rescue."
"Cruz, Kidd go assist" chief said turning to the two firefighters outside. Both of them already heading towards the building, the flames around them getting stronger the longer they took.
Rushing in with the equipment needed they quickly found the squad team around the hole in the second floor, Severide putting the harness on while shouting orders to the firefighters around him. Cruz and Capp anchoring his line while Kidd guided him down. Hermann and Mouch being tasked with the job of clearing any item that could fall any injury the fallen firefighter anymore.
All he could feel was immense pain, his body hurting all over as he tried to push himself upwards. A sharp gasp leaving his lips as he put pressure on his right arm, the man feeling a weight against his legs pinning him in position. He could feel the fire around him licking at his face, the exposed skin feeling warm as the flames got closer and closer to him. The firefighter doing all he could to protect himself now his mask was broken, the man knowing that without it his oxygen levels were limited.
He could hear shouting above him, what sounded like Severide's voice reaching his ears as he blinked his eyes into focus, his vision blurry, the ringing in his ears not helping the pounding in his skull. The smoke around him thick, his breathing becoming labored the longer he lay trapped.
"Casey? Can you hear me?" Severide shouted, although his voice sounded like it was a million miles away. Matt having to refocus himself to remember where he was and what had just happened.
"I'm ok" he shouted back, his voice thick with exhaustion, every once of his being telling his body to sleep, the man battling against his natural instincts, "I'm pinned, somethings on my legs.."
"It's ok, I'm coming to get you."
Seconds later Severide was crouched down next to his fellow officer, the man giving his friend a quick once over. "Capp, Cruz?"
"Luientant?"
"I'm going to need more hands down here, let Hermann and Mouch take over the anchor and get down here. Part of the ceiling beam is pinning his leg." He shouted up to the, the men giving him a nod in response. "Chief?"
"Go ahead Severide."
"It's not looking great, I think we're dealing with a head injury, and it looks like part of the ceiling has all but shredded his left leg, there's a lot of blood."
"Copy that" chief said, the man turning to his paramedics, "Sixty one be ready, we've got one of our own in bad shape."
"Copy that chief."
Taking deep breaths Boden turned his attention back to the house, the man waiting to hear anything from the firefighters trapped inside, the man knowing that soon he was going to have to break the news to his friend and colleague back at the house. Gabby needing to know what had happened, but the chief deciding it wasn't a conversation to be had on the phone, the man quickly deciding he would go pick her up after he had seen Casey off to the hospital, there was nothing she could do here. The woman too heavily pregnant for this to be a safe environment for her or their babies at the moment. No the best course of action would be to wait and go and collect her, she may not like that he hadn't immediately called her, and she may not like that she wasn't there when it happened but right now what she liked and what was best for her wasn't his concern. His concern, his only concern was getting her husband out of the fiery inferno this house was quickly becoming.
"Severide, I need an update?"
"We're working on it chief, once the beam is off we can get him out."
"And what's his condition?"
"His awake, but pale, and losing a lot of blood... Casey.. Casey, Matt come on keeping talking to me.."
"Connie, I'm just going to finish up in here" Gabby said walking back into the ball pen, the woman having had a nice nap for the past hour. The whole house still being out at their call.
"You sure?"
"Yeah I feel loads better, I think I just did too much this morning."
"Ok, but take it easy ok?"
"I will." She smiled making her way into the now much more organized blue office. Grabbing the lasted the boxes and tipping them out over the table in front of her. There wasn't much left to do now, these two boxes being the last ones left that hadn't be sorted through and relabelled. Although it had taken her weeks, she was feeling a huge sense of pride in finally being at this point, the woman unsure of what she'd do to fill her time once she'd made her way through these final call logs.
Pulling out the first file and flicking it open she began to read, she remembered this call it was a factory fire from a few years back. She remembered it as clear as yesterday, every single detail sticking in her head, the moment the explosion had taken over and everyone held their breath knowing that Matt and Kelly were still on top of the building. She remembered the fear, and the way her heart beat had sped up as they all moved to the back of the building. The sight of the two officers in the water, Kelly unconscious from the jump, the two man barely getting out of the way of the blast as they'd taken the leapt of faith into the river. It had been a rough call, the guys having a tough time getting everyone out before the safety valve exploded.
"Dawson" her head snapped up at his voice, the man standing in front of her with an unreadable expression.
"What happened chief?" She said, her voice unsteady. The chiefs presence told her something had happened, he never usually returned to the house before the rest of the team, and she knew if her husband had been back he would have come in to check on her like he had after every call eighty one had responded to recently.
"It's Casey, there was an accident."
Her body felt like someone had just knocked all the breath out of it, her throat going dry as his words swept over her. This couldn't be happening, not again. "Is he... is he alive?" She asked fearing the answer she might get. Usually if one of them was hurt they'd call the spouse, turning up in person was reserved for those times a firefighter wasn't coming home, for those rare and heartbreaking moments they had responded to their final call. And the chiefs presence in the doorway of the blue office was making her think the worst had happened, that her husband had gone but wouldn't be returning, that he had been killed in the line of duty.
"He is, but he's in a bad way. They've taken him to med, I'm going to drive you."
She nodded her head, her brain whirling, the paramedic unable to form any words. Her legs giving way underneath her as she attempted to stand up from her position at the table, the ringing in her ears deafening her.
"You alright?" Boden asked, concern laced in his voice.
"I'm good" she confirmed, trying again to push herself upwards.
The chief offering his hand for support which she readily took. The two of them making their way out to his car. Once he'd helped her in, and he closed the door, he returned to the ball pen to ask Connie to take all the house out of service, the chief wanting his whole team together, knowing that this was going to be a rough afternoon for them all. Casey wasn't just the truck captain, he was family, they all were. But Casey he was like the oldest brother, the one people went to when they needed advice, a comforting shoulder, or a helping hand. He was the kindest, fairest, sometimes strictest and most protective member of the house, aside from Boden. Everyone loved him, everyone looked up to him, and the chief knew that this accident today was going to have shaken them all. But putting that all aside he knew that Dawson was going to need them, Gabby wasn't one to ask for help or support but he knew she was going to need them today, even if she wasn't willing to admit it herself, she needed her friends, her team, her family around her.
"You ok?" He asked her climbing into the drivers seat and pulling out on to the road, the chief of fifty one putting his sirens on in an attempt to get to the hospital quicker. The man wanting to get the panicked wife to her husbands bedside as soon as possible.
"I'm ok" she whispered her voice sounding foreign to her, her gaze completely focused out of the window as they speed through the streets of Chicago.
The chief had said he was in bad shape, what did that mean? Was he caught in the fire, burnt, trapped by falling debris. He hadn't actually told her what had happened just that there had been an accident involving her husband, was he the only one involved? Was anyone else injured? She didn't know, all she knew was that the longer it took them to get there the more her mind was going to come up with scenarios of the worst kind. Her years on the job not leaving much room for imagination when it came to these type of accidents. She didn't know much about the call they had gone on, only that all companies had been called to a house fire and that was a little over two hours ago now, had the accident happened straight away, was it at the end? What type of condition had the house been in, if there had been structural damage then it could have been any number of things that had landed Matt, her Matt, the love of her life, the man who she had allowed herself to depend on all these years, the father of her children, in the hospital. And until she saw him she wouldn't know what the 'bad way' condition the chief had told her he was in meant.
Her hand rested against her bump, the feeling of her babies moving around inside her helping reground her as her eyes focused in on where they were, she knew the route to the hospital well, it was the one they used most out of the two hospitals in Chicago. Med being closest to their call area, each house within the city having certain perimeters they worked within. Sure they used to use lakeshore a lot, but recently it had been med, Gabby comforted by the knowledge of them having the best doctors and nurses around, knowing that their friends here would do absolutely everything in their power to make sure he was ok.
The car stopping caught her off guard the woman's focus having moved from the condition of her husband to trying to keep calm for her babies. The feeling of panic slowly creeping up into her chest when she realised they were here. Her breaths getting chopper as the feeling took over, she could hear his voice in her head, was it in her head? She wasn't sure, but his gruff voice kept talking, the sound seeming miles away when she knew he was sat right next to her, the feel of his hand on her shoulder, gripping it tightly, the feeling calming her slightly. Her chest tightening as she struggled to breath through it, her watery eyes turning to face him, his face clouded by them as she tried to focus. Everything hitting her at once, the chief trying to get her to focus on him, focus on his breathing, the man in front of her knowing exactly what was happening, although he hadn't seen her have one in a while he knew the signs of a panic attack and he could see that Dawson was in a full pelt one at the moment, he knew he needed to get her to breath properly, that the fast pace of her heart beat and the shortness in her breaths weren't good for either her or the babies, but he also knew the one person she needed right now, right in this moment was the one person that couldn't be beside her. The older man doing everything he could to calm her.
"Gabby look at me", he waited for her eyes to connect with his before continuing, "that's it, look right here, right into my eyes, now give me your hand." Gabby slowly reached out her free hand, the chief taking her hand in his, the man resting it against his own chest like he had seen Casey do before. "Do you feel that? Yeah? Ok focus on the beating of my heart, focus on my breaths ok?"
They sat like this for several minutes, Gabby trying her hardest to focus through the fog clouding her mind, the paramedic closing her eyes as she felt the steady rise and fall of his chest underneath her hand, his steady heartbeat being matched by the drum of her fingers, slowly her breaths began to even out, the woman taking deep breaths in through her mouth and out through her nose. The fog in her mind slowly clearing, it was a few minutes after she'd calmed down before she opened her eyes, her brown ones meeting the chiefs as his concern reflected back at her.
"Thank you" she said her voice barely above a whisper. The chief shaking his head.
"There's no thanks needed, are you ok?"
"I am" she confirmed with a nod of her head. "I don't know where that came from, I was just thinking about everything, everything we've been through, all the rough calls, the babies and then it was like I couldn't breath."
"It's ok Dawson, you don't need to explain it to me, all that matters is you're ok." He said smiling at her, the woman before him nodding silently. "You ready to go inside?"