Chapter 6

Flashback

Kat came home after a long day at the bakery and immediately fell asleep on the couch. The bakery had been vandalized about two weeks earlier, and the cops were no closer to finding out who did it, but that didn't stop Kat from working. She was up at dawn, kneading dough and baking. The neighborhood loved her shop, so she wasn't about to let some punks ruin it. Kat had thought about calling Henry Voight, her surrogate father, but she hasn't talked to him in 20 years and she didn't want that to be their first conversation. She then thought about calling his best friend Alvin, but decided to just let things play out.

She woke up coughing, disoriented. The house was full of smoke, and she felt the heat from the flames coming through the walls. She tried to move but couldn't. Paralyzed with fear she made peace that she was going to die. The flames got closer to her, burning her arm, so she protected herself the best she could. That's when she heard a voice. "Fire department call out!"

"Here!" she tried to find the person calling to her but the smoke was too thick. Last thing she thought was at least she would see Camille again, then she collapsed.

Matt Casey and Kelly Severide had heard a faint voice call out to them, so they moved in the general direction of where it had come from. "Casey! Got her!" Kelly found a woman laying on the floor next to the couch. She was breathing but had been injured. He picked her up and the two firemen exited the building . Immediately the paramedics started treating her. The burn was bad but not life threatening. The smoke inhalation though, that was a different story.

Kat woke up for a moment while on the gurney. She removed the oxygen mask and tried to thank the firefighters that saved her life, but her voice came out barely above a whisper. The blond haired paramedic tsked at her, and put the mask back on. "You can thank them after we get you to the hospital. " She squeezed Kats hand and loaded her into the ambulance, heading off to Chicago Med.

Once she arrived at the hospital, the smoke inhalation damage was found to not be as severe as originally thought . She was put on oxygen and had scans done. They cleaned and treated her burn, and she was able to be released within a few hours. Before leaving she got the names of the firemen and their house, so she could thank them in person. She checked herself into a hotel with what clothes she could rescue from her house, and it was then she decided she would have to call Voight.

End flashback

Kat woke up disoriented. She was in the hospital, but she didn't remember why until she tried to move. She looked over at her shoulder and it came rushing back. Molly's, drinking, new friends… Antonio kissed her. She touched her lips thinking back to that moment. She felt the heat rising in her cheeks as she thought back. He was handsome. Rugged, tough, but he had been gentle with her. She saw the way he looked at her before he went to kiss her, the desire was written all over his face. That was until his eyes darkened and had fear in them. Before the shit hit the fan, and she had gotten shot. Kat groaned.

"Kat. You're awake." She heard a voice from the doorway. When she glanced up she was pleasantly surprised it belonged to Antonio. He walked in and sat down next to her. "How are you feeling?" the look of regret and anger on his face almost brought her to tears.

She reached for his hand, interlocking their fingers. "You saved my life Antonio, I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

He shook his head no. "I let you get shot." He let go of her hand, crossing his arms. "I got distracted, and it won't happen again. I wanted to just check in, make sure you were okay." He was cold to her. "I'll check back later. " He got up to leave when she stopped him.

"Antonio, I know what you're doing. You think by brushing me off it'll help? You and I had a connection, still do. I like you, and I'm pretty sure by that kiss last night you like me too. So be mad all you want, but pushing me away isn't going to help anyone. So go find the shooter, do your job. But don't throw away something we might have, I'm begging you."

His face softened , but his resolve didn't waver. "I'll check in later." He reiterated , and left.

Hank had been standing outside the room, listening to the conversation between Kat and Antonio. He wasn't surprised they took a liking to each other, but that needed to take a back seat to finding out who was attacking Kat. When Antonio walked out of the doorway and rounded the corner he jumped seeing Hank staring at him.

"Sarge." He had a cat ate the canary look on his face. "You heard that?"

Hank nodded . "We will discuss that later. Right now I want you at the district , going over every inch of video we have on that street." They saw the fire fighters making their way down the hall towards Kats room. "Talk to the owners of Molly's, see if they have video surveillance. " Antonio nodded and walked to meet the group.

The two lieutenants of Firehouse 51 their way to where Hank was standing . "Sergeant, can we see her?" Matt and Kelly both had their hands full of flowers.

"Yeah, she would like that. " He gestured to the room and the two of them went inside.

Kat smiled wide when she saw them walk in, flowers in hand. "What in the world is all this?"

"Some get well gifts from all of us at Firehouse 51." Kelly sat his flowers down around the room and came to give her a kiss on the cheek. "How are you feeling this morning?"

Matt did the same thing on her opposite side. "You have a lot of friends Kat, just so you don't think you're going through this alone. "

"Thank you, both of you. This means the world to me. I'm doing better, the pain is… manageable. I think I'll get to go home in the next day or so." She had look of determination on her face. "I have your pie at Hanks house!! Make sure he gets it to you okay? I don't like promising something and not delivering . Otis would never forgive me."

The two men laughed "Don't worry about that. Just get yourself better . "

"We will let you rest but just know we are all here for you Kat. You have a big family with us."

She smiled and nodded at them, her emotions were getting the better of her and she couldn't speak. They each gave her another kiss and left.

And the day went on with more of the same. She received visitor after visitor, and in between Doctor Rhodes came to check on her vitals. Later on Nat and Will stopped by, to check in and bring some real food, they knew the hospital food was worthless. Later on the evening she was given the all clear , and was discharged the next day with strict orders for limited activity for at least a week. By the time she left the hospital , she was overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone that had helped her, she knew it was time to come clean with Hank and his team.

21st district

Hank had brought Kat to the station, under strict instructions by Doctor Rhodes that she be monitored and take it easy. She would be in the sling for another few days, and he didn't want her to tear anything . Kat figured it would be easier to tell everyone at once what she had been keeping a secret, and they deserved to know .

As she sat down at Hanks desk, it started to sink in that she was really going to tell the man who brought her in from the streets what had been going on since she saw him last . She started to feel terrified, not of Hank… the man could scare the toughest criminal but not her. He took her in when she needed help the most… he saved her, and Erin. They had a hard time before he found them, it definitely hadn't been sunshine and roses. Erin had been hooked on drugs that they were pushing for a neighborhood dealer. Kat didn't touch the drugs… but she had been used by the dealer in other ways. Then came along Hank, taking them out of their life of crime and into a family. Her phone buzzed pulling her out of her thoughts. She checked the caller ID and smiled. "Hey Er. Bout time you called me back…"

Hank had the team gather in the bull pen. They had pulled a partial plate off the surveillance footage outside the bar, and were in the process of running it down. Hank looked up from the file he was reading to see Kat leaning against the doorway of his office . "Katie, sit down. You are supposed to be taking it easy." He grabbed a spare chair and brought it to her.

"I got shot in the shoulder dad. My legs are fine." She rolled her eyes but sat down anyway. "I need to tell you all something. " She took a deep breath. "I think I know who has been doing these attacks. I didn't say anything before, because I wasn't sure… But I just got off the phone with Erin, and she agrees it sounds like him."

Hank tried not to glare at her, but he was angry. "Who."

"Kenneth Bowman." The team didn't recognize the name, but Hank did.

"The dealer you two were involved with? That was …"

"Over 20 years ago, I know." Here came the hard part. "I… met up with him about 5 years ago, when I moved back to Chicago." She couldn't meet Hanks stare. "I wasn't doing well, and it just happened. I ended it after he started getting aggressive. Dad…"

Hank couldn't hear anymore . He got up and walked away. Kat tried to follow, but Jay stopped her. "Give him a few minutes, he will say something he regrets if you try and talk to him now. "

"I screwed up, didn't I." she hung her head. "I should have come clean from the beginning. It was just so nice to have him back in my life, I didn't want … this to happen." Jay put his arm around her , pulling her close .

From the other side of the bullpen Antonio watched the pair. He shouldn't have been cold to her in the hospital. That spike of jealousy was running full throttle right now, thinking he should be the one comforting her, not Jay. But there was no time for that now . With a new name they started running down financials and dumping his phone .