Hello everyone! It's been a while I haven't updated this story, huh? Well, I am kind of busy right now, so I apologize.
And I also want to tell you that the next chapter (after this one) will be the last of the story. Yes, I have no longer inspiration and I don't like seeing stories on hiatus so I will end this one (a happy end, don't worry).
Have a good reading ^^
Chapter 29: A loony idea
Today, it was the day of every test for Gabby, when she would know which part of her vestibular system is the most injured, and it was only possible while conscious. Therefore, they had had to wait her awakening before anything, which was the case now. It highly worried Matt, but he said nothing and didn't show it either. About ten in the morning, Gabby had been brought out of the room for the exams, leaving Matt and Kelly alone, Leslie taking care of Diam the time for the two lovers to get out of the hospital.
"You sure you okay, Matt? You seem… Distracted", Kelly worried though.
Jumping slightly, he turned his head toward this voice and sighed. He couldn't really hide his emotions and feelings, no longer after this accident.
"I feel… I don't know, I have this pit in my s-stomach, preventing me from being… Me."
"A… A pit in your stomach? You're worried? Stressed?"
"Uh… We can say that."
Matt didn't want to go further, but he understood this unasked question coming from his best friend.
"Gabby", he simply said.
"Ah. I get it. You're worried about the final diagnosis."
He slightly nodded, the, turning his head to the other side. Something was missing, or rather someone. He felt empty, he wanted to be with her, close to the being who was giving him the strength to fight and move forward. He sank a long sigh.
"You already miss her?" Severide laughed.
But Matt couldn't answer. Because he didn't understand either. A big part of his memory was back now, but he still didn't understand why Gabby was making such an effect on him. He felt complete near her, he felt stronger, he was happy. But when she wasn't around, it was the entire opposite. He was sad and felt weak, as depressed.
"She will come back in no time, Matt. You want to change your mind? Sacha told you to walk a bit. You want to try?"
If Matt didn't accept, then Kelly would insist or do anything else to distract him. And he needed to move from this bed.
"Okay. But… It scares me though. To walk without assistance."
"Matt. Your leg is healed, your pelvis is getting gradually stronger. Plus, if he put this awful thing over there", he said, pointing the wheeled walker placed in the corner of the room, "it is for a good reason: training and therapy by yourself as well. And I am here", Kelly assured.
After several seconds of reflection, Matt nodded, pulling out the covers and swinging his body to the right while breathing deeply to sit. Kelly took the rollator and placed it in front of Matt, who gripped the handles and stood up, supported in the back by his best friend.
"Here, that's it. Not painful so far?"
"Not yet, no", Matt assured to his big surprise.
"Don't be mister doom and gloom, Matt. Everything is gonna be alright, you'll see."
Matt still remembered this sharp pain having gone throughout his body the first time he got on his feet during the last PT session with Sacha. It had frozen him so much, he had fallen backward and had been supported by the physiotherapist. It was in some ways blocked him.
"Come on, one step at the time okay?"
He nodded, starting then to move his foot.
In another room of the hospital, the staff was preparing Gabby for some tests to assess the damage caused by the accident in her inner ear. The neurologist, Dr. Riley was here and was smiling at her.
"So, do you know what to expect?"
"Absolutely not", she said, distracted.
She was also thinking about Matt. She had remained in a coma for a month, and she could see that something had changed in Matt. Not physically, but mentally.
"Gabby?"
She startled, facing the physician who was talking to her.
"Sorry, what?"
"I said that we were going to assess the damage caused in your inner ear."
"Okay. And… What do we do?"
"We need you to a standing position, eyes closed and you will tell us what you are feeling."
"Meaning? I am not sure to understand well."
"Your vestibular system had been damaged by the hit with the car. We need to know which pathway had been damaged to afford us to help you the best we can. There are four pathways and we can know which one is damaged with your symptoms while up. For the vestibulo-ocular pathway, it's a nystagmus. As you don't have one, your VOP is intact."
"Okay, so depending on my reactions, we'll know which pathway is damaged."
"Indeed. And for that, we need you in a standing position. You will tell us what are your feelings, whether dizziness, nausea or headaches, everything. It will help us a lot."
"Okay."
The nursing staff came to help her to get up. She winced more than once during the process and closed her eyes, as asked by Dr. Riley. Soon, she felt invaded by a strong discomfort. She thought it was the fact of being up after such a long time in a coma, but the doctor had required to report any strange things.
"I… Don't feel good."
"Dizziness? Nausea?"
"It's… More a discomfort, but I think it's…"
She thought, for fear of saying something stupid. She felt like tossing around, as if she was on a ship.
"I feel weird, like… swung from one side to the other."
"I see. More to the left or the right?"
"Right."
"Any other symptoms?"
"No."
"Nothing like vomiting, no nausea?"
"Not at all."
"Okay. I will run one more scan to be sure of my diagnosis, and then we'll talk", Dr. Riley said, smiling.
An hour later, the doctor came back in the room and sat in front of Gabby.
"I have a diagnosis. I have asked some other specialists to be sure, and they agreed. Your vestibular system is indeed damaged. I told you about four pathways, do you remember?"
"Yes. Which way is damaged?"
The anxiety grew in Gabby. She was scared of the diagnosis, of a really bad one.
"Your vestibulo-spinal pathway. It comes from your spinal cord and goes up to your cerebellum. It's from this pathway we control our body's balance in a standing position, whether walking or running."
"I… I have no longer balance?" she hesitated to say.
"This pathway keeps your head straight with your shoulders, and it allows the gaze stability when your body is moving. To make it simple and in your case, your head will lean to the right and will give you the sensation of being tossed. Hence your swinging sensation. But we'll fix this."
"It's… It's possible?"
"Yes, and I know how! I have the same problem with my left inner hear. I will talk to Sacha and Emma about it, but I am able to help."
It was enough for her to be reassured. She told herself that when she would be fully healed, she could be a paramedic again, or even redo the exams to become a firefighter.
"You… You're working with Matt as well, aren't you?"
Surprised by the sudden question, the doctor leaned his head back, slightly frowning for a second.
"Indeed."
"He… He suffers a lot. Am I right?"
Hesitating, he knew that sooner or later she would know what he did to Matt.
"Yes, and I have something to do with this, unfortunately. I intend to make it right now."
"What did you do?"
"We are testing a kind of a… A cerebral defibrillator. It's not really ready yet, and your friend Kelly gave us his consent. But I didn't tell him everything."
"So, he's blaming you."
"Yes, and I get it. I should have told him everything. Matt is the first patient on whom it was tested at full capacity. And I have to say that I am impressed. Most of the patients we have tested are struggling to regain full function of their body this quickly."
"Meaning?"
Dr. Riley took a deep breath and continued. It was hard for him to explain this to a patient, even though it wasn't a secret.
"Matt had to relearn everything: walk, write, talk. Everything. And in a month, he has made huge progress. More than all my previous patients."
"You mean that… Matt is like your ideal patient?"
"There is no ideal patient, everyone reacts differently. Matt is the first one treated with such injuries. I honestly thought he couldn't make it."
"You don't know the man who shares my life apparently. Matt is a fighter, from day one. He never gives up."
"That's what I understand."
"He will get there. He will recover. He will come back at work and I will come back as a paramedic. And if everything goes as planned, I will fight to the end to become a firefighter."
After having turned around the ICU, Kelly and Matt entered the room again, the latter completely exhausted from the trip. Just lying, he was closing his eyes and Kelly had to act fast to connect him to the breathing machine. He had to leave his brother to rest and see the ophthalmologist. So, he got out, heading to his office. Fortunately, he was here this time. He knocked and entered when the doctor said so.
"Mr. Severide! What a surprise! Your brother changed his mind?"
"No. Well, I don't think he won't."
"Oh", Dr. Bradigan said, disappointed. "You came here to tell me this?"
"To tell you the truth… I don't know if he will change his mind after that, but I have an idea."
The doctor sat down again, telling Kelly that he could as well.
"I don't think it's something possible at the time, and it's a completely crazy idea."
"Go on."
Kelly then explained what he had in mind for over five minutes.
"Indeed. Your idea is completely loony!" the doctor laughed. "But I am ready to face this challenge. It will give him hope, I guess, and I need all the authorizations to start this."
"I will put my relationships on. Matt deserves this."
"I am totally with you on this one. But does he want it?"
Kelly was wondering as well. It was Matt's dream, but he had already given up because of the accident.
"It will give him hope for sure, for not only him. And you can understand why: if it works…"
"I completely get it, don't worry. I hope I will do it. For him."
Once back in the room, Kelly remained quiet, staring at the two lovers asleep in each other's arms. The walk had exhausted Matt, and Gabby also was because of the lack of PT session. Seeing them reunited like this, it warmed his heart, and it gave him the urge to hug strongly the woman he loved: Shay. He called Antonio to make him come and stay with Matt and his sister and then ran to his car to come back home and join Leslie. Once arrived and warmly greeted by Diam, he took her into his arms and kissed her as he never did before. It was this something missing in his life for years, since he met her at the firehouse 51. He fell in love with her at the first sight, and now, she felt the same for him. Their two friends were out of the wood, they finally confessed their feeling for each other. Their life could resume their journey.
