Warning: The story contains spoilers for season 3, 2 and 1
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or the plot of Chicago Fire and Chicago PD. I do not own the lyrics of the songs used. I do not own the text taken directly from the show. This story is intended for fun only and I am not making any money with it!
Chapter 16
By the time Platt unlocked Intelligence's holding cells and Burgess handcuffed Spellman to the metal bench, his nose was already bleeding heavily, Platt and Roman being responsible for the two "accidents" resulting in a broken nose.
"HELP THEM!" Spellman shouted when Burgess walked out of the cell. He wiped the blood on the back of his hand, not taking his eye off them. "YOU HAVE FIND THEM!"
"I don't have to do anything for you!" Platt hissed, stepping aside so Voight, Olinsky and Antonio could get into the cell, Hank extending his arm and grabbing Spellman's shirt's collar, the two women taking it as a sign that their presence was no longer needed.
"Lieutenant Casey!" Voight barked, coming face-to-face with Spellman.
"I want a deal first!"
"START TALKING!" Antonio's voice boomed. He gritted his teeth, grabbing the ex-fireman's chin and squeezing it tightly in the same manner Spellman had done with Matt's. The ex-firefighter couldn't even cry in pain, instead using his free hand to grab the Detective's arm in an attempt to free himself. Olinsky rested his palm on Antonio's hand, making him release his grip.
"Tell me – "
Hank was done playing games. Not with that monster, not when they were running out of time. He grabbed hold of Spellman's hair and smashed his head against the wall, not hard enough to render him unconscious, Spellman letting a silent cry. "I'm gonna count to three, and if I don't get answers, I'm gonna let you live just long enough to attend your kid's funeral!"
"Promise me you'll save them!" Spellman uttered, not daring to break eye contact with Voight.
"Two!" Olinsky spoke instead of his boss.
"You talk – they grow up happy and maybe remember you once in a while. You don't – they suffer as much as the people you've hurt before they die! You think they'll beg Hadley for mercy?" Antonio bellowed.
"One!"...
Voight balled up his fists, muttering a curse when his phone rang. He took the call, his heart tightening. "What's up?"
"He's dying, Hank…" Erin sobbed…no one was allowed to make his girl cry. With the phone still pressed against his ear, his hands landed on Spellman's throat…
"Zero." Antonio snarled, having heard Lindsay's words…
Xxx
Casey's eyes snapped open, his brain screaming at him to stay still and not hurt himself any further. He looked around in confusion, forcing his brain to remember when he had been moved to the attic room of a house he had never seen before. "Ahhh!" He bellowed in frustration, sharp pain moving from his head all the way down to his toes, his skin and eyes burning, his vision blurry. Matt had no idea how long it had been, eternity being the only word coming to mind. He turned his head around slowly, his eyes falling on the unconscious frames of a CPD officer and two girls chained to a radiator on the opposite wall.
Hadley was gone, Casey not able to remember when and why Kevin had disappeared.
The image of Kelly's badly injured body was stuck in his mind, refusing to go away, the last words Hadley had uttered before delivering the blow to the head that had sent him unconscious for hours haunting Matt – "You know him, you know he blames himself for everything, and it's his fault… you think he's even gonna fight?"
"You…fight!" Matt managed to get those two words out of his dry, swollen throat, as if they were going to revive his friend. Because they were all he could offer…because he'd come to the end of himself…because he was going to let Hadley win the battle…
Casey bend his knee and slowly released it, in a pointless attempt to kick the camera taping his every movement, the simple action draining all the strength he had left. He turned his head and fixed his eyes on the red dot, his lips moving, trying to tell Gabby one last "Love you" before his heavy eyelids fell, his world getting darker…
Xxx
Hadley made his way to the basement Spellman's house, mixture of anger and disappointment on his face. His plan had been ruined…he wanted Kelly to see the destruction, feel the pain from losing another good friend, a brother, and a child, live with the guilt, beg him to take his life. Instead, he was going to die and never get the chance to appreciate Kevin's work…
"Can't trust anyone." Hadley muttered to himself, grabbing two bottles of the brake fluid. Yeah, he didn't trust anyone anymore. That's why the officer who had been helping them was now his prisoner, together with two of Spellman's daughters.
But he was sure Spellman had ran to PD for help…damn coward. So he could not waste any more time…he could not postpone what he had in mind, waiting to see if Kelly was going to make it, could not wait for Boden's men's next shift…At least Casey was going to burn to death. A small victory. And he was taping it, the video going straight to his computer. Just in case Kelly did make it…he was going to show it to the world.
The evil grin returned on his face and Hadley uncapped one of the bottles. "Goodbye Lieutenant."
Xxx
The tension in the hospital waiting room was so thick one could cut it with a knife…it'd been over six hours since Kelly had gone in respiratory distress, nobody able to tell whether the man they all cared so deeply about was dead or alive.
Benny Severide had arrived three hours earlier, taking a seat opposite Chief. Since then, he had been staring at Boden, millions of unspoken words crossing his mind.
"How did you let this happen, Wallace?" Benny hissed through greeted teeth, not able to keep his emotions in check anymore.
Uncovering his face, Chief used his hands to push himself upright. "You're his father!" He grumbled, his body still as a statue.
"And you're their leader! You were Hadley's leader!"
"Hey!" Herrmann jumped from his chair, but he did not have the chance to say anything else as Doctor Andreas walked in, Erin getting up off the floor, using her right hand to wipe the tears away.
"Don't - " Lindsay commanded, Brett grabbing her hand, for support, for…for her own reassurance and comfort.
"He's alive." Doctor Andreas said the words they all needed to hear, but he wasn't done yet. "Unfortunately, it got from bad to worse."
Erin sobbed silently, taking a step back. She sat on one of the chairs, Brett following her, wrapping her in a hug…no matter they had never even talked before…they were all there for Kelly Severide…it was all that mattered.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Boden barked, Benny unable to speak.
"It's called Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, ARDS…it's what I was afraid of. In short, his lungs are filling up with fluid and can't provide enough oxygen for the rest of the body. The alveoli are damaged and his immune system's attacking his lungs - "
"So?" Otis was staring at the Doctor with arched brows, as if expecting to get a simple solution, hear a name of a pill that was going to cure his friend.
Doctor Andreas allowed himself to take a deep breath, because there wasn't an easy way to answer the question. "Forget about the percentages I mentioned earlier. I've seen people in a lot better physical shape die from multiple organ failure resulting from the oxygen stress and - "
"And I've seen him run into burning buildings to save kids and come out unharmed!" Clarke cut the Doctor off.
"I'm not giving up on him!" Andreas clarified sharply. Yeah, he wasn't one of those Doctors who could stand talking to the relatives of their patients. "We've put him on a different mode of ventilation, prone position, stronger antibiotics, corticosteroids. Just…be prepared." The Doctor moved his eyes from Clarke to Benny. "Are you his father?"
Severide Senior nodded once, swallowing the lump in his throat.
"The corticosteroids are suppressing his immune system to prevent any more lung damage. It means that there are very high chances the antibiotics won't be enough to suppress an infection due to the second degree burns on his legs. There's no way we can fight a head wound infection, or pneumonia, but the legs we can amputate and hope - "
"No." Erin mumbled, refusing to believe it was true, refusing to accept the possibly of losing her hero.
"Think about it." The Doctor added. "If it comes to that, we'd need your decision."
"I…want to stay with him." There was determination in Lindsay's husky voice…determination to not allow Kelly to leave their world.
"I fear that's impossible. Can't risk anyone transmitting an infection."
"So you're leave him alone in there?" Benny raised his voice, his eyes widening in frustration.
"There are a couple of seats outside his room…"
Erin didn't get the chance to protest, to ask if she could wear some sort of special clothes and stay with her fireman, her phone buzzing in her hand.
"We've got an address…" Voight's voice could be heard by the people standing close to the detective.
Boden let out a breath, allowing his lungs to take in some oxygen before making a step toward Lindsay so Voight would hear him over the phone. "I want my man safe and sound!"
Xxx
Erin neared Kelly's ICU room, Benny having gone somewhere with a nurse to fill in paperwork, Chief staying in the waiting room, trying to convince his men to go home and get some rest. Catching a glimpse of the woman in the room adjacent to Severide's, she stopped dead in her tracks, seized with fear, head spinning, her legs not cooperating anymore. She hadn't felt so powerless and vulnerable since the day Voight had taken her under his wing…she couldn't allow the fear to control her, no. Erin forced herself to take another three steps forward, stopping in front of the window of Kelly's room…
"Kelly…" She uttered, her palm landing on the glass, spreading her fingers as if the cold glass could transmit her gentle touch to the man inside. She finally understood what the prone position the Doctor had mentioned really meant…Kelly was lying face down, his head resting on a slotted head positioner, a feeding tube going into his nose, the ventilator covering half of his face, the other half buried under the bandages, arms were bent at the elbows and padded with armboards positioned forward, a soft collar restraining him to the bed. An IV line was stuck in his arm, electrodes measuring his pulse, hear heart and blood pressure.
Her feet gave out, two strong hands grabbing her from behind and leading her to one of the chairs opposite the room. Benny hadn't noticed the hospital grown on Erin up until that point, his mind reminding him that she had suffered a blow to the head as well. He helped her sit down and rushed to the nurse's station, returning seconds later with a cup of water. Lindsay took it gratefully, the cold liquid bringing her back to reality.
"He's been a fighter since the day he was born, a preemie…the doctors gave up on him, hell, even me and his mom did…" Benny whispered, pulling Lindsay's frame in his direction and letting her cry on his shoulder. "Shay's not letting him join her yet."
Xxx
"Son of a bitch!" Voight yelled, jumping over the stair railing, landing on top of Antonio, flames already engulfing the room the door to which he had just pried open.
"What's going on?" Ruzek shouted, unable to see them, his nose detecting the smell of burning wood.
"The place's empty!" Antonio grumbled, taking Hanks hand and getting up. They were at the warehouse Shay had lost her life, now completely empty…Before leaving, Kevin had tied a few bottles of the brake fluid to the handle of the inner side of the door leading to the room Casey had been in, Voight pushing it open starting a fire which was quickly making its way to where they were standing, hunting for oxygen and human flesh.
"Let's get the hell out of here!" Hank commanded in frustration, Antonio pulling his phone to call the fire department.
The second they made it out, Voight's mobile vibrated in his pocket. "What?"
"Hadley's in the house. Don't know if there's anyone else inside!" There was a sense of urgency in Halstead voice. "He's going to blow this place up!"
"Stay put! Be there in ten!" Hank ordered, grabbing the car keys from Antonio's hand and heading for Spellman's house.
Xxx
Casey's eyes snapped open, his foggy brain concentrating on the heat wave that had just crawled under the door and the distinct smell of chlorine and freshly started fire. The moonlight was hurting his eyes, light coming through…
"You shouldn't have put Andy through that window!"
"Close…that window!" Matt yelled at the officer chained to the radiator beneath the window, the simple action leaving him breathless. He pressed his eyes shut, shaking the image of his dead friend off his head…damn Hadley, recreating Andy Darden's death…just for fun, for his own entertainment.
Opening his eyes once more, he watched as the man's elbow landed underneath the window handle. The officer grimaced, pulling it toward himself until it reached closed position. It was clear Kevin had been in a hurry, not having enough time to plan everything out in detail, leaving the tall officer too close to the window...
"We'll suffocate!" The officer looked at Matt in despair…he was twenty-seven, too young to die, his ill sister being dependent on him...
Matt didn't reply immediately, finding it hard to put his thoughts into words. He let his eyelids fall down once more, the desired darkness relieving a tiny bit of the headache he had "Fire…hunts…oxygen."
The officer turned his head left, then right, his eyes landing on the two girls staring at him in horror. "I didn't…didn't know they were going to go that far…needed the money…for my sister." He uttered, tears running down his face, his behavior frightening the kids further.
"Hey!" Casey murmured, grimacing when a new wave of pain hit his head and made its way to his chest. "Not - " His voice died out, his ears registered voices coming from downstairs.
Xxx
Olinsky, Halstead and Atwater could not wait any longer, smoke already coming out of the basement. Just before Jay rose his leg, bending his knee, preparing to knock the front door down, Voight arrived.
"DROP IT!" Atwater's voice sounded from the backyard. Hank granted Halstead with a firm nod, the detective's foot connecting with the door, gaining access to the inside of the property. In the mirror in the hallway, they could see Hadley standing in the kitchen, a bottle of brake fluid in one hand, a small packet of what they assumed was chlorine powder in the other, Atwater aiming his gun at Kevin's chest.
"Okay." Hadley shrugged his shoulders, smile dancing on his face even though he was mad in the inside, his plan B having just gone to hell. He released the bottle from his grip, the brake fluid reaching he floor in milliseconds…
"WATCH OUT!" Ruzek yelled from behind his friend, running forward and pushing Atwater out of the way, his sleeves catching fire that was quickly put out. Antonio grabbed the kitchen fire extinguisher, trying to deal with the flames surrounding them, but when the fire from the basement crawled up towards the open doors, he gave up and followed Voight and Olinsky, who had ran after Hadley up the stairs.
Before Casey had the chance to wrap his head around what was going on, Hadley burst into the attic room, stopping in front of the fireman and grabbing his hair, lifting the hand holding the unsealed packet of chlorine powder above Matt's head. "Seems that we both die today…"
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Can't thank you enough for the overwhelming response to the previous chapter, makes my day when I get your comments! :)
So much going on, so many things I wanted to fit into this chapter, had to stop here *ooops*. What happened between Voight and Spellman after "zero" I leave to your imagination, but I'm not done punishing him yet! And now Hadley's going to taste PD's anger…
Casey's in a lot of trouble and all he worries about is Kelly…hope you still enjoy the broments and their angst (well more like Casey's angst right now). Am I going way too far with Erin being so weak/finding it hard to control her emotions?
Would love to hear your opinion so please review before you go :) Thanks!