Hey guys I am so sorry this has taken me so long to update. I'm alternating between this story and my other one Saving Stella, and had both chapters almost ready to go last week. I managed to finish Saving Stella's and get it uploaded before getting into a bit of a row (ok it was a huge row) with my Dom, as you can imagine that didn't end well and well here we are a week later and I've only just been given back access to my devices. It was completely my fault and I'm sorry you've all had to wait because of it
It's been a long week, but it give me a lot of time to think and reflect on the way I acted and even helped me with ideas for both my story directions.
Someone asked me a few chapters ago if I'd thought about doing a story like this one but based around Stella and Severide, I'm pleased to say that I have some ideas in the works and will be putting them into action soon. I don't want to swamp myself therefore I'm not sure when that'll be but keep your eyes peeled and of course I'll let you know when I'm ready with it.
So yeah I'm sorry again and here is the next chapter. :)
"I think my waters just broke"
Matt jumped out of bed the man insistently panicked by her words, "what? But you're only! No it's too early..."
"Matt I need you to calm down please" Gabby urged, the pain in her stomach getting worse by the minute.
"Calm down..." he began, the frantic tone to his voice telling her he was in no fit state to do that. That was until he laid eyes on her, the husband seeing the fear is his wife's eyes immediately, the sight forcing him to take deep breaths. He moved slowly towards the bed, sitting down next to her and stroking her back, the action comforting in equal amounts to them both.
"What do you need me to do?" He asked more calmly, "do we need to get you to the hospital? What about Eva?" The panic he was feeling beginning to creep back into his words as he thought about their niece down the hall.
"I need you to try and stay calm, yes we need to go to the hospital and Eva... call Antonio." She said calmly, her paramedic training helping her see more clearly and calmly in the moment than her husband was appearing to be doing. Casey nodded his head in response as he reached across the bed to his phone. Gabby taking slow breaths next to him as another pain took over her body.
"Matt" she shouted doubling over as another pain ripped through her stomach, the sudden scared tone to her voice only worrying him more. "I think I'm having contractions.."
"It's going to be ok baby, everything's going to be ok." He reassured bringing his phone up to his ear. "Antonio"
"Matt what's wrong is Eva ok?" Gabby heard her brothers voice come through the phone, Matt having put him on speaker while he tried to get himself dressed.
"Eva fine, but Gabby she's.. we think her water broke."
"What she's only twenty eight weeks. It's too early."
"We know Antonio" Casey spat, earning him a harsh glare from his wife. "Sorry, sorry, I don't mean to snap. We've got to go to the hospital but we didn't know what to do with Eva."
"Go! You and Gabs go and I'll come get her. Don't worry about her right now. I'll be there as soon as I can."
"I'm sorry" Gabby said, tears streaming down her cheeks "I know we said we'd have her but..."
"Gabs just get to the hospital ok. Don't worry about anything else, you and those babies are all you need to focus on at the minute."
"Thanks Tonio. We'll keep you updated."
"Matt!" Antonio said, a firmness to his voice "you drive safely, get my sister there safely."
"I will Antonio. Bye" Matt clicked the phone off, the man grabbing the hospital bags and helping Gabby up.
"Do you want to change?" He asked unsure if she was comfortable leaving the house in her current state.
"I don't care what I look like at the moment" she shot back, a slight hiss escaping as she clenched her jaw tightly. "Sorry."
"It's ok, are you good to walk?"
"I.." she bent double another pain over taking her body as she tried to move. "Just give me a minute."
"Uncle Matt" Eva had appeared in their doorway, the young teens eyes darting between the soaked bed sheets, her aunt and uncle and the bags in Matt's hands. "What's going on?"
"Your Aunt's water's just broke, I've got to take her to the hospital. Your dad's on his way."
"Oh my god, can I do anything?" The young teen said her face morphed into panic and fear.
"I just need to be able to trust you at the moment ok?" Matt said, the man looking at her over his shoulder, "I need you to stay here and wait for your dad and when he gets here I need you to do exactly what he tells you to do."
"Ok Uncle Matt I can do that."
"Good girl. Now can you help me get your Aunt and the bags to the truck?" He asked handing her the two small bags that had the babies stuff in it.
"Sure" she said taking them and running down the stairs to hold the front door open. Within five minutes Eva was waving them off, the teen stood at the front door by herself, almost frozen in fear for her Aunt and baby cousins. She knew that it wasn't time for them to come yet, that if her Aunt was in labor and the babies were born today the complications that could have for them all could be life changing.
"Eva" Antonio shouted as he pulled up to the curb, the man shocked to see his daughter on the doorstep.
"Dad" she called back the teen running at him and crying into his shoulder.
"Hey it's ok, she's going to be ok. They all will." He told her wrapping his arms around her back, his hand stroking up and down in a calming nature.
"But dad, what if there not."
Antonio pulled back slightly from his daughter the man wanting complete eye contact when he spoke to her. "We just have to believe that everything is going to be ok. Do you want to go to the hospital?" He asked although he already knew the answer, the young girl was very close to her aunt and if there was anywhere she was going to want to be right now it was next to her and doing everything she could to help them through this.
"Yes, Aunt Gabby and Uncle Matt have been good to me. And I haven't made it easy, I need to be there for them."
"Ok, well let's get you dressed and then we can go ok?"
Eva nodded her head, the young girl allowing her dad to maneuver her back towards the house without any fight. Once inside she headed straight to her room, pulling on some shorts and a vest top, covered by an over sized jumper to finish it off. It was comfortable and loose enough that she'd be warm in the cooler evening air but not too hot once the day broke in a few hours. Checking her appearance as she passed the mirror, she run back downstairs to meet her father who was still stood where she'd left him not even five minutes previously.
"You ready?"
"Yeah let's go." she said, grabbing her keys that she'd been given only twenty four hours previously from the bowl and locking up. The two Dawson's making their way to Antonio's car.
The journey to the hospital was quick, the late hour meaning the streets were almost deserted, making it much easier for Antonio to get to med as quickly as he could safely.
Eva was out of the car before he could stop her, his daughter practically running into the hospital in front of him. Antonio climbed out making sure to grab his phone and wallet before locking up and following the path she'd just taken, meeting her just inside the double doors, he pulled her into his side the action comforting for them both as the set out to find where Gabby and Matt were.
"Matt" he said as they turn the corner into the ER waiting room, the older Dawson immediately spotting his brother in law pacing up and down the small area. "What's happening?"
Casey swung round shocked but not overly surprised to find his brother in law and niece stood in front of him. "They took her into a room and made me leave, Dr Manning is on her way, but I don't know what's happening no-ones updated me yet."
Antonio placed his hand firmly on the younger mans shoulder, "They're going to be ok" he said, repeating the same sentence he'd told his daughter all the way here, his words seeming foreign to him the more he said them. He knew he had to believe that, he knew he had to put faith in the doctors here, the doctors that had saved his own life several times over but this was different, this was three different lives. The lives of his baby sister and her children. His niece already predicated a rough start to life and not needing any more complications added into the mix.
"I hope you're right" Matt said, his own voice barely above a whisper.
Silence fell between them all, none of them sure exactly what to say to each other and with no news about what was happening they all felt like their words were pointless anyway. So the three of them sat in the waiting room, Matt shuffling around in his seat the man finding it more and more difficult to remain still. The longer they waited the more nervous he got.
"Casey?" Dr Manning spoke, the woman entering the room and making her way towards him.
"What's happening?"
"Gabby's got what we call PPROM, it means that she has had a premature rupture of the membranes. Her water broke early and although we've managed to stop the contractions she was having when she arrived I don't think it will be long until they start up again. And when they do I'm not sure I can stop them."
"What does that all mean?" Matt asked the man bouncing on the balls of his feet nervously, "if her waters broken what does that mean for the babies?"
"For now we are starting her on a course of steroids to help improve the babies lung function, so if labor does start again or we have to take her into the OR both babies will have a better chance. There are two shots, she's already had the first and we will give the second in twenty four hours but the next forty eight hours are critical for the babies. They need to stay put until the steroids have had time to do the job they are meant for because if they don't we could be looking at a lot of potential issues for them. Including lung disease. Now she's only just twenty eight weeks, so obviously we want to try and keep them in there for as long as possible, the longer they stay put the better for everyone but the next forty eight is our original aim, passed that would be a bonus. As you know twenty eight weeks would mean that the babies are classed as very premature and with that comes certain health risks. Obviously we want to avoid any more complications for both Gabby and the babies, your daughter especially."
"So you're admitting her?" Antonio asked, the man stood next to his brother in law suddenly speaking up, his voice croaky from the lack of use.
"Yes. We've already moved her up to a room, she'll be here until the babies are born now. Usually after the first forty eight hours we can allow mothers to go home and just keep them on bed rest but with twin one already having some complications I feel it would be safer to keep her here. That way if anything happens I can deal with it straight away. Because Gabby's waters have already gone she is at risk of infection and if that happens we will need to deliver as soon as we can. Having to get her from home to here will only make things go slower and this is a situation where we can't risk that happening. Timing here is key."
"Can we see her?" Antonio asked, his eyes moving to his brother in law, who had yet to say anything. The weight of everything appearing to have rendered him mute.
"You can, but not for long she needs to get some rest and some quiet. Matt you can stay over night with her but everyone else will have to leave in a bit. I want her in that bed from now until the birth, from this moment forward she is officially on full bed rest."
Matt only nodded in response, the young firefighter in a battle with his own emotions. He wasn't sure he could speak, he wasn't sure what would happen if he opened his mouth to response. So instead he opted for a non verbal response.
"Ok, thank you Dr Manning." Antonio responded for him again, the mans eyes never leaving Matt's face.
"No need to thank me, we are in this together and I will do everything in my power to get them all through this. Now I'll take you to see her, she's just down here."
They all followed behind the doctor a tense silence between them, Matt didn't know much about babies but he did know that those that were born so premature were almost always left with long term health issues and that was something that scared him half to death.
"I can give you twenty minutes before I'll ask you to leave." Dr Manning told them as they approached Gabby's room. The door was closed and curtain pulled round, Matt assuming they'd done that when examining her and had left it that way to give her some privacy to rest.
When they entered the room Gabby looked as if she was sleeping, the small brunette hooked up to several different monitors, three heart rates steadily beeping away on the one screen. Two straps wrapping around her body, Matt knowing that those machines were showing the heart rates of their babies. He walked slowly towards the bed, sitting down in the chair next to her head, his hand reaching for hers as he watched her slowly breath, her eyes closed. He could see she'd been crying, the red streaks down her cheeks giving her away. He wished they'd let him into the room with her, he could only imagine how scared she must have felt when they had separated them.
"Matt" her small voice hit his ears, his head snapping up to see her brown eyes fixed on him.
"Hey" he said his voice barely audible.
"Hi." She reached her hand out towards him, the man instantly closing the small distance between them so that he was perched on the edge of the bed. Her hand still locked with his, Casey pulling it up towards his lips and placing soft kisses to her palm.
"How you feeling?" He asked.
"I'm scared" she admitted quietly, "Dr Manning she said I've got something called PPROM."
Matt nodded sadly, "Yeah Premature rupture of the membranes. She told us" he said tilting his head to the side to indicate the presence of her brother and niece to her. Casey was positive she hadn't realized they were here at first, the shock on her face as she turned to see them only confirming it for him.
"You didn't have to come" Gabby said smiling at her brother.
"We kinda did. Eva was worried, I was worried."
Gabby looked towards her niece, the young girl still standing in the doorway. Her face twisted into a frown, the worry in her eyes telling the aunt that she needed some reassurance. "Eva come here" she said reaching her hand out to her.
The young teen stepped slowly into the room, her eyes fixed on her aunts belly. Antonio moved out of her way so that she could sit down next to her but not far enough to not be able to offer his daughter some comfort his hand resting on her shoulder.
"I'm ok" Gabby said keeping her gaze on her niece.
Eva nodded her head "I.. the doctor said the babies... please don't have them yet aunt Gabby." she begged, tears flowing down her own cheeks.
"Hey it's ok, you're scared. I am too. But Dr Manning she knows what she's doing I trust her and you have to trust her."
"Ok" she said, although Gabby could tell she was still unsure.
"Eva, I'm sorry that we're breaking our promise to you.. With me in here.."
"It's ok Aunt Gabby, I know I can't stay with you at the moment and I'm sorry how I've been behaving recently, how I've been these past couple of days. Maybe if I hadn't brought all this stress to your door you wouldn't have... your water wouldn't have broken and maybe..." her words trailed off the teen averting her eyes as thick tears fell from her eyes.
"Eva" Matt said, her uncle waiting for her to look at him but when she didn't he shook his head. The man sighing deeply, "Eva look at me please." Again he waited and again the teen refused to meet his eyes.
"Sweetheart look at us" Gabby said, her voice soft and filled with love.
Slowly the teen moved her head back towards her aunt and uncle, her eyes still not meeting theirs but she was looking towards them at least.
"None of this is your fault" Matt said firmly, the man wanting to make it very clear to his niece that she hadn't caused this. That no one had caused this, it was just one of those things.
"But if I hadn't.."
"Eva no" Matt said his voice strong and controlled, "Look at me" he said again. The teen reluctantly looking up to meet his eye for the first time since they'd got to the hospital, Matt assumed that she'd been feeling this way since he told her what was happening. "You didn't do this, nothing anyone did, did this. It's just one of those things. The babies they are a little like your aunt, impatient." he continued, his tone getting lighter as he saw her chuckle a little. "We are happy that you felt safe enough to come to us. And although I've been hard on you, we've all been hard on you it's only because we love you and want to keep you safe. But none of that, none of what has happened in the past two days caused this."
"I just feel so bad. Yesterday when we were out... the way I've acted...the way I spoke to you. I'm sorry."
"We know sweetheart, we know you are."
Matt let go of Gabby's hand the man moving around the bed quickly, his arms wrapping tightly around the back of his niece. "We love you."
"I love you too" she murmured into his shoulder. "Thank you for everything the past couple of days."
"You're welcome" Matt said pulling back from her and placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "Just promise me you'll carry on working on those grades, I was very impressed by your school work last night. Just keep that up ok?"
"I will Uncle Matt, I promise" she said letting go of him and moving towards her father, the teen immediately wrapping herself around his waist. Antonio's arm coming up to rest around her shoulders. "I promise I'm going to change the way I've been recently, I'm going to be a good example for my baby cousins. And I'm sorry I haven't been behaving like I should. I'm sorry dad." She said looking up at him.
"I know baby, I know. And I'm sorry for what happened the other morning, I was mad and I didn't... I'm not proud of what I did." He admitted, the past two days having seemingly given the eldest Dawson time to reflect too.
"You did what you had to" she said shrugging slightly, a small sad smile resting on her lips. "And I guess Abuelo was right one time was all I needed."
Everyone chuckled slightly at that, "Yeah we won't tell him that ok?" Antonio joked, nudging her with his hip.
"Deal."
The family all sat in a comfortable silence, Gabby's eyes fluttering shut several times as she fought against the exhaustion her body was feeling. Her hand gripping tightly around her husbands, her niece and brother sat together in the chairs while Matt perched on her bed.
"We're going to get going, let you two get some rest ok?" Antonio said watching his sister force her eyes open for what had to be the tenth time in the past five minutes.
"Thanks for coming" Matt said, holding his hand out to shake his brother in laws. The older Dawson patting it away and bringing him into a hug.
"No problem, you let us know if you need anything ok. Eva here has a few free days." He said, the teen groaning slightly at his words, everyone understanding that to mean Antonio was going to continue the grounding her uncle had placed upon her. "So she can help me sort anything out at home, grab you whatever you need ok?"
"Thanks Tonio" Gabby said, exhaustion filling her voice as she let out a huge yawn.
After a few more hugs and goodbyes the father and daughter left the room, Matt closing the curtain completely around them before settling into the chair next to his wife's bed. His hand resting on hers as he watched her fade quickly.
Sleep however didn't come too easy for the truck captain, his head swirling with all the information he'd received tonight. The night replying over and over in his head. He didn't know what was going to happen in the next few days or what the next few weeks held, he didn't know how long they'd be able to keep Gabby from going into full labor again but he knew he would be beside her every step of the way. And he knew that until all three of them were out of the danger zone he wasn't going to be able to rest easy.
Sitting watching her sleep he couldn't help but think over how rough this pregnancy had been for her, the swollen ankles, the burst cyst, the aches and pains, the relentless morning sickness, everything she'd endured so far and through it all she hadn't complained. Not once had she put herself before the babies, even now in her asleep state her free hand was cradling her bump, the mother already doing everything she could to protect the two tiny lives inside of her. She was going to be an amazing mother, the best there was. He could tell already that she was going to be such a good mum, her natural caring and selfless personality only going towards what would lead her there. This woman in front of him, she was everything to him. She was his entire world and right now she needed someone to take care of her, when all her focus was on the babies, he needed to focus on her.
Matt had never been a religious man, not in the same sense his wife was anyway. He believed, he had even grown up attending church but he wasn't as faithful as his wife, the woman having such a strong belief and such a strong sense of worship that he admired her even more for it. It wasn't that he didn't want to, he did, but something inside him, something logically had always nagged at him and that meant his faith was questioned a lot. He wasn't sure if it was his line of work, or just his life in general but he struggled to believe in this higher power, because if a god really existed surely he wouldn't have let so many bad things happen to him and his family. Ever since he was a kid bad things had happened to him and the people he loved, each one of them having more than their fair share of pain and loss. But even with all of the doubts he had he couldn't help but send up a little prayer, that if anyone was there listening, if there really was a higher power in all this that they helped them through this. That his family got through this safely and healthily.
"You're thinking so loudly." Her soft voice snapped him out of his head, the man blinking his eyes several times as her face came back into focus.
"I thought you were sleeping." He smiled back at her.
"It's kinda hard to sleep when I can hear your brain working at a million miles an hour."
"Sorry I was just..." his words trailed off, Matt moving towards the bed and resuming the position he'd occupied earlier. The feel of her head against his chest, her hand in his calming him. "I was just thinking about everything you've endured for us, for these two. Everything you've done, that you are doing to give me children."
"Matt I would go through this a million times if it meant we could have a family."
"I know you would" he replied kissing her head softly, "and I love you for it. I just hate that there's nothing I can do to make it any easier."
"You make it easier by just being here baby."
"I love you."
"I love you too" she said smiling up at him, her eyes locking with his as their lips connected. The two pulling away when absolutely necessary.
"We should try and sleep" Matt told her, his hand stroking through her hair softly, the action already making her heavy eyes droop again. A gentle contented sigh leaving her lips, her mind completely blank apart from the feeling of her husband and his beating heart. "Night Gabby."
"Night Matt" she murmured barely awake.
"How are you feeling?" Shay asked through the phone.
"I'm ok, it's not much fun being stuck here but I know it's for the best." Gabby answered honestly.
It had been three days since her waters had broken and she was truly going a little stir crazy, even going to the bathroom involved having to take someone with her, and although that person was almost always her husband she was becoming tired of the constant having to rely on people. It wasn't who she was, who she'd ever been and being on full bed rest was honestly her idea of hell. But in spite of all that she knew it was what was best for the lives of her unborn children so she was sucking it up and trying not to complain too much. Something that had become increasingly difficult as the days had worn on.
"And how are the two littlest Casey's doing?"
"They are good, Dr Manning did a scan this morning, she said everything still looked good with them. They don't have much fluid around them so I'm not feeling as much movement so that's a little weird and it concerned me at first. But I'm almost always hooked up to these machines, and that has given me a little peace of mind. How are things at the station?"
"Good everything's good. We've had a few busy ones, nothing too crazy but ambo has been out a lot!"
"I thought you liked it that way?" Gabby teased.
"Usually yea, but it's so hot out there at the moment. I'd much rather be in the air conditioned firehouse, or better still lounging in my garden. I'd even take sitting with you in that hospital over sweating my bollocks off."
"You know you love it really, and plus you can always visit me when dropping patients off. You know I would never complain about seeing you."
"No that's true although I think Casey and Dr Manning would have something to say if I start dropping by all the time. You're supposed to be resting remember!" There was a playfulness to Shay's voice, the same playfulness that somehow always got her and Gabby into trouble. "And as much as I'd love to break you out of there and go do something more fun I think Casey would quite literally kill me before he dealt with you. I'm not sure bed rest would stop him from beating that ass of yours black and blue if we did anything so.. Shay and Dawson."
Gabby laughed loudly, the conversation with her best friend ringing very true to her, as much as she'd love nothing more than a day outside of these walls, she was sure her husband would have a serve aneurism if she even attempted to step foot outside the glass doors . "So what if they do" she teased back.
"I miss you Dawson! Damn.." Shay said recognizing the same playful tone to Gabby's voice.
"I miss you too Shay. Truthfully I'm going a little crazy in here. And although you can't break me out, I could do with some girl time."
"Why don't you kick Casey out tomorrow and me and Stella will come by? We can do whatever you want to do, as long it involves you lying in that bed and us making you laugh."
Gabby opened her mouth to answer just as Matt returned from the bathroom, her eye line moving towards him. "Hey baby" she said cheerfully moving the phone away from her mouth slightly.
"Hey, who you talking to?" he asked kissing her on the forehead.
"Shay" she responded, the man giving her a short nod before speaking into her phone.
"Hey Shay."
"Hey Casey" He heard her reply. "So Gab's what do you think? Sounds good right?"
"It does, let me ask Matt." She turned to look at him again, Casey recognizing the look in her eyes. "Baby?" she said softly.
"Yes" he replied drawing the word out, his tone and facial expressions telling her to continue.
"Tomorrow could you go spend some time with Kelly or at the house. Let the girls come keep me company?"
"Gabby.."
"Please Matt, please.." she pleaded, it wasn't that she wanted to be away from him, she loved that he hadn't left her side but she also knew that he was holding in all his emotions, all his fears and putting on a brave face for her. It would do them both some good to spend some time with their friends and just be them for a little while, even if Gabby had to do it from this hospital bed.
"I'm not sure baby.. what if something happens?"
"I'm in the hospital babe, it's literally the safest place for me to be."
"We won't let her get out of the bed" Shay said, Gabby's phone now on speaker so she could hear the conversation between the young couple.
"Shay.." Matt started, but the look his wife gave him stopped him in his tracks. The husbands eyes narrowing in on her, "Gabriela, drop that death stare or I'll not even consider it!" he warned, Gabby immediately did as she was told, if her husband was about to consider it there was no way she was going to let her attitude deter him. "Shay, what are you planning?"
"I was just going to bring a movie over, and some snacks. Maybe bring some magazines or something, it wouldn't be anything that would require her moving and we wouldn't stay for too long. We know she's got to rest, we'd only stay a few hours. Come on Casey please, I promise to call you if she so much as looks a funny way."
Matt thought for a moment, it was against his better judgement. He knew what Stella, Gabby and Shay could be like together but he also knew what they were saying was true. Gabby was in hospital on complete bed rest, what could go wrong really? "Ok" he said finally after several tense minutes, his wife's face lighting up immediately "but... I have some ground rules."
Gabby sighed "don't you always" she murmured not nearly quietly enough.
"Gabriela" he growled "last chance."
"Sorry" she whispered, her eyes darting down to her hands.
"Yeah you will be, you may be in that bed but I can still ground you" he threatened and she knew he was serious, just because she was already confined to this room didn't mean he couldn't or wouldn't ground her if he felt it necessary, meaning she'd lose all electronics and contact with the outside world, and that in itself would make this whole situation ten times worse than it already was. "As I was saying I have some ground rules. Gabby isn't to leave her bed for anything other than the bathroom, and she has to have someone with her at all times. You and Stella only, Gabby needs her rest and too many people at once will only hinder that. If she starts to look tired or like she needs to sleep you call me and I'll come straight back at which point you will leave so she can rest."
"I promise Casey." Shay assured him while Gabby tried her hardest not to smart mouth him. She thought he was being way over protective and she was annoyed and usually she would let him just what she thought but she also knew if she snapped at him now that she wouldn't be able to see her friends at all and that would be so much worse than her just being given rules.
"Gabby?" he said expectantly. "Will you follow the rules?"
"Yes sir" she responded.
"Good because if I find out you haven't and I will find out.. the consequences will not be to your liking... for either of you, and that includes Stella. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes sir" Gabby replied again, her response being echoed by her friend on the phone.
"Good, now finish up your conversation please, Gabby needs to rest."
"Thanks Casey, you won't regret this I promise. Gabs try and get lots of rest and I'll see you tomorrow, I'll text you the details."
"Bye Shay. Stay safe out there."
Laughter drifted out of the small hospital room, the three women thoroughly enjoying their time together since Shay and Stella had arrived a little over an hour ago. The noise from the room only increasing the more the time the woman spent together. Gabby was thoroughly enjoying having them here and listening to all the stories they brought with them, fifty one being the focal point of the conversation, Shay was currently in the middle of describing an incident at the firehouse from the end of shift this morning.
"What did Otis say?"
"Well you know Otis." Shay laughed.
"Yeah he jumped out from behind the door and told me to explain myself. Then he told me I was sweet."
Gabby laughed even louder, "He really stood there waiting to see who he was playing against?"
"Yup"
"Are you going to continue playing now?"
"Nah" Stella said shaking her head, "the fun's gone from it now, he knows it's me."
"You know you promised him a rematch right" Shay said raising her eyebrow.
"Yeah but that's a timed game! It won't be the same. It was made more fun watching him try to guess who it was he now playing with."
"I don't even understand this competitiveness that Otis and you have gotten into" Gabby said, her hand rubbing across her belly.
"It's just.. I don't even know, it started with who drove the truck better and now it's just become a habit between us."
"Gabs are you ok?" Shay asked watching her friend take a huge in take of breath for the second time in as many minutes, the pregnant mother still clutching her side slightly.
"I'm fine" she said waving her off, "just some cramp, nothing to worry about."
"You sure, you heard Casey?"
"It's nothing I'm ... ouch."
"Gabby" Shay shouted, the woman before her flopping backwards against the pillows her face suddenly pale, as her heart rate monitor went crazy. "Stella get someone quick." she ordered, Stella rushing out of the door before the words had even finished coming out of the blondes mouth.
"Gabs, Dawson.. Shit Dawson look at me" Shay said frantically, the paramedic watching as her friend slipped into a state of unconsciousness. Panic filled her body as she reached for her phone, the woman quickly finding the mans name in her contacts and setting it on to speaker as it rang out.
"Shay!" Matt said, the fear in his voice already present.
"Matt you need to get here now, I don't know what happened. She was fine, we were laughing and then... Hurry get here." Her words were all jumbled together the fear of what just happened making it difficult for her to think clearly. Casey had to concentrate to work out what she was trying to say. Shay took huge gulps of unsteady breaths as she was ushered out of the way as Gabby's bed was surrounded by several doctors and nurses.
"Shay calm down and tell me what happened?"
"Just get here" She shouted.
"I'm coming, we're just getting in the car but Shay come on tell me.."
"She was fine we were laughing and joking and then she grabbed her stomach. I asked her if she was ok, and she said it was cramp, I was just about to argue that I needed to call you and she passed out. I don't know why but Casey her heart rate was sky rocketing."
"Do not move, I'm on my way. Severide drive faster." She heard him shout as the line went dead.
Shay stood frozen outside the sliding door, the thick piece of glass separating her from the woman she was here to visit. Stella stood close to her, both woman fixated on the room in front of them and although they couldn't see anything the air around the room was tense, and one of dire anticipation.
"What happened?" Stella asked her own voice shaking, her eyes moving between the room in front of them and the blonde next to her.
"I don't know..." Shay said "I don't know. She was fine, Matt's going to kill me.. shit how did this happen."
"Shay this isn't your fault, we don't even know what caused her to pass out. It could be anything."
"If something..." she cut herself off her thoughts too painful to say out loud because if she said them out loud that meant they were real, and if they were real then that meant whatever had just happened could have serve consequences for her best friend and her unborn children. "God!" She cried out, fresh tears streaming down her face.
"Shay, Stella" Matt's loud voice came down the hallway, his panic stricken features only increasing the flow of tears Shay was struggling to stop. "What happened?"
"We don't know. I swear she hasn't been out of bed, we didn't do anything we shouldn't have been doing. I promise Matt!" The blonde paramedic spat out, her words tumbling out of her mouth before her brain had time to catch up.
"Shay calm down ok, it's alright. You did the right thing you called me." Casey tried to keep his voice steady, the man knowing that all of them panicking right now wouldn't help Gabby. "So you were just talking and she went?" he asked, directing his question more towards Stella than anyone else. The truck captain sensing that Shay was struggling to even think straight let alone form coherent sentences.
"Yeah, we were laughing about something Otis said and she just grabbed her side. We were just asking her if she was ok before she flopped backwards, I went to get help and Shay called you. We don't know anymore, they threw us out before we had chance to ask anything and we've been out here ever since." Stella told him, Casey nodding at her words before stepping round them and pulling the door open.
"Sir you can't..."
"That's my wife" Casey spat as he side stepped the man separating him from her.
"Sir they are... you can't.."
Matt ignored him, ripping open the curtain and running towards the bed. "Dr Manning what's happening?"
"Casey, I'm not sure. Her heart rate is very high, and her blood pressure bottomed out. I'm doing everything I can."
"The girls.. they said she clutched her side before going, are the babies ok?"
"They are both fine from what I can tell, their heart rates are slightly higher than I'd like but that's to be expected. They will be reacting to the speed of Gabby's heart. I need to take some bloods and do some tests but I think she may have developed an infection, how has she been today?"
"She was ok, sleeping lots earlier and she was sick after lunch but we just assumed it was morning sickness. Could that have been caused by whatever this is?"
"Maybe, until I get her bloods back I won't know for sure." She told him, pulling another vile of blood away from Gabby's arm and labeling it. "Max"
"Yes Doctor." The man who had tried to stop Matt earlier stepped back round the curtain, his eyes darting between Matt and the doctor. "I tried to stop him..."
Dr Manning waved him off "It's fine, this is Matt, he's Gabby's husband, Matt this is Max he is my intern."
"Nice to meet you and err sorry about that."
"It's fine don't worry, I could see you were worried."
Matt gave the man a short nod, his hand reaching for his wife's again, his spare hand running through her hair as he heard Dr Manning ask Max to take the bloods to the lab and have them put a rush on them. "Why isn't she waking up?" Matt asked, the man concerned that his wife had been unconscious from the moment he'd got here.
"We gave her some gentle sedatives to help her sleep and to calm her heart rate." Casey gave the doctor another short nod, his next question not even leaving his lips before she'd answered it for him, "It's perfectly safe for both the babies and Gabby. She'll probably be asleep for a little while, you can stay with her." She assured him packing up her equipment and moving towards the door.
"Can the others come in?" He asked unsure if they'd be allowed to considering the circumstances but also acutely aware that Shay especially wouldn't relax until she'd got to see her.
"They can but not for long. Now more than ever she needs her rest."
"Thank you."
And with that Dr Manning left the room, Matt's focus returning to his wife. She looked so small in the bed, the wires surrounding her a stark reminder of the situation they were in and how dangerous it was becoming. Although no one could immediately say why she'd passed out and her heart rate had rocketed it was pretty apparent to him that the doctors thought she had an infection and if she had an infection Dr Manning had already told them that would mean bringing the babies into the world earlier than anticipated.
"Oh Gabby, I should have been here." he whispered into her head, the man feeling increasingly guilty about not being beside her when it all happened. "I'm not leaving you again, you can beg and plead all you like but until you and the babies can come home I am staying right here." He said sitting down next to her and pulling her unconscious body into his arms. The weight of her against his chest grounding him, the man taking in everything about her as she lay asleep on him, his hand tightly wrapped around hers.
"Case?" Kelly's voice floated through the curtain the man popping his head round slightly. "We ok to come in?"
"Yeah, Dr Manning said it was fine but not for long. Gabby, they gave her something to help her sleep and she needs to rest."
"We won't stay long" Severide assured him, "just want to make sure she's ok, that you're ok?"
"I... God I don't even know Kel. This is supposed to be a time of enjoyment and love but all it's been these past few weeks is constant worry and pain."
Kelly could tell his best friend was losing it, that the stress of everything that had happened so far was weighing heavily on him and he wished he knew what to say, what to do to make it any easier but in reality he knew there was nothing he could do, nothing he could say would make this situation any easier for either of them. All he could do at the moment was be there for them, to support them and help them with anything they needed.
"She's going to get through this Case, she's strong. I've never met anyone as strong or stubborn as Gabby Dawson, she's going to get through this and she's going to be one kick ass mother."
Matt smiled slightly, the blonde knowing his friend was right if anyone was made to get through this it was his wife, she'd beaten everything thrown at her the past couple of years, the anxiety, the attack, the PTSD, everything that had happened between them, she'd got through it all and each time she'd come out stronger and more determined. He knew Kelly was right, he knew that everything happened for a reason and he knew that Gabby would say 'God only gives us what he thinks we are strong enough to handle.' But that was where he faltered, where the doubts crept back in again, that was what brought him back to the argument he had with his faith. If there was really a god, if he did exist why did he keep throwing so much at them? Why were they constantly battling against demons and negative odds? Surely they deserved a break now? Surely they hadn't done anything that bad that they deserved all this? Had they?
His thoughts were driving him crazy, the man flicking through a series of emotions that came with each doubt, each negative memory. The tension in his body building as he thought about how unfair it was that they seemed to be, being served all these bad hands. That Gabby, his sweet and kind and caring Gabby had suffered so much over the past couple of years. That she just couldn't seem to catch a break, that every time something good happened to them it was matched with three bad things. The numbers outweighing themselves, he could count on his one hand the amount of time they'd been able to be completely care free over the past two years alone.
"Matt", Shay's voice broke through his scattered thoughts, the mans eyes snapping back into focus as he realized they were all looking at him. A wetness to his face telling him he must have been crying. "Are you ok?"
"Huh?" he said not registering the words she spoken, her voice only coming through as noise.
"I asked if you were ok?" she repeated, the look of concern never leaving her eyes.
"I'm fine" he responded wiping away the wetness with the back of his hand. "I.. I was just kinda lost there for a bit."
"We could see." Kelly said, his words laced with a understanding tone. "Are you sure you're ok? Because if you're not that would be ok... you don't have to put on this front for our benefit we know that all this can't be easy on you."
"Honestly I'm good. It's not easy no, but it's easier on me than it is her." he said indicating towards his wife, "and she is all that matters at the moment."
Shay shared a look with Severide the two communicating without words before she spoke up, "Casey, you've got to look after yourself too. Focusing on Gabby may seem like the right thing to do..."
"Because it is" Matt spat cutting her off.
"We know you think that, but it isn't healthy for you to shut off your own feelings." She was met with an unimpressed look from her best friends husband, the young blonde's stare cutting right through her. "Look all I'm saying is we are all here for you." There were sounds of agreement from all around him, all three of them agreeing to what Shay had just said as being the truth.
"Thanks Shay, honestly thank you, all of you. I know you're all here for us both, and it really does mean so much. But I'm fine."
They could all see they weren't going to get through the protective walls he'd put around himself, the mans few tears earlier being the only indication that he wasn't keeping it completely together. But as much as they wanted him to open up to them and let them help him, they also knew that he was an expert at compartmentalizing and if he really didn't want to face his fears at the moment nothing any of them could do would change that, the only person that had ever been able to get him to really open up was Gabby and she was in no fit state to be having that battle at the moment. So instead of fighting him on it any further the three friends dropped it, opting to be silent supporters instead until that time he willing let them in.
An hour later and it was just Matt and Gabby left in the small hospital room, the others not long having made their exit when they saw his eyes drooping. He was exhausted they could all tell that, they also knew that if they didn't leave that he would continue to fight against his bodies natural instincts. But since they'd left he'd struggled to shut off, the man laying in the same position he had been since he got back to the hospital, his hands lazily tracing patterns on his wife's back as he watched her sleep.
The door opening snapped him back to the world around him, his mind focusing back on the doctor moving towards the bed.
"Sorry I didn't mean to disturb you."
"No it's ok, I was just watching her sleep. Have you got her results?"
"I do." Dr Manning nodded, the woman's face only scaring him as his eyes traced over the concern it was carrying.
"What is it?"
"Gabby has contracted something called Choroiamnionitis, it's an infection that affects the membranes and the placenta. It travels up from the vagina into the uterus and if we don't treat it immediately it can have dire consequences for the babies." She saw the look of fear flash across the mans face before quickly adding "We aren't there yet. We are going to start her on some antibiotics and keep a very close eye on her, but if we can't get it under control we will have no choice but to deliver."
"Is that why her water broke?" Matt asked, "Was the infection already there? Did it cause this?"
"It's difficult to say for sure, but it is extremely likely that the infection is what caused her waters to break."
"So now what? You start her on antibiotics and hope for the best?"
"I'm afraid that's all we can do at the moment, we're going to hook her up to an IV, and give her some medication to keep her temperature down but I need to warn you Matt, it is likely you will be parents by the end of the week."
Her words washed over the young father, his hand coming up to rub across his mouth as he thought what this meant. "What are the risks? Could she... could I.. is she..."
"No, she isn't at risk of death." She said firmly, the doctor sensing what he was trying to ask. "But if we can't control the infection, the babies could end up with a number of disabilities or even be born still born. Which is why I'm starting her on the IV right now and why I will be checking her infection levels religiously over the next few days. If anything changes you will be the first to know and we will get them all down to the operating room."
"Ok. Thank you doctor." Matt said, his usual steady demeanor faltering slightly, but he soon gathered himself the mans years of training and working as a firefighter helping him keep a firm grip on himself for the time being.
"I'll let you get some rest." Dr Manning said retreating out the door, "A nurse will be in shortly to start the IV, and I'll come by in the morning to explain it all to Gabby."
"Thank you" He said again, as she dimmed the lights. The room basking into darkness, the only flicker of remaining light being from the corridor behind the closed door.