Okay, firstly, sorry about the long wait. Secondly Casey and Severide may seem a little out of character but then Casey was not very well when he last saw him and we all know how emotional Severide can get. My beta Reader the awesome Callisto-HK thinks i've been mean with this one but alas I have to listen to the muse ! Enjoy!

Chapter 7

The earlier hope of a swift escape quickly got encompassed by the darkness.

And that darkness lingered longer than Kelly Severide remembered on the way in, and while it wasn't warm by any means he had started sweating something fierce, the moisture irritating the bottom hem of his shirt. Slowing for a moment he tried to calm his breaths, this was taking him too long, the limp friend is his arms keeping him pushing forwards was also slowing him down, Casey wasn't heavy, in fact he was probably one of the lightest in both teams but then Severide hadn't been resting well over the last week or so and his body was taxed with all the worry, hope and frustration that had been borne out of necessity to find the person who was now safely in his grasp.

His feet dragging, he almost tripped, only him twisting so that his back hit the wall saved them both from hitting the ground hard. Kelly shook his head at the bizarre situation, one which he would never have thought would happen as they were just fire fighters and things like that just didn't happen to the good guys, right?

Marching onwards, placing one foot in front of the other to get them both out, he realised his mistake, one that could doom them both if someone was still out to get Matt. In his haste to find Matt he hadn't waited for help, and even worse, he'd been that relieved to find Matt alive that when Matt had tried to turn away, Kelly had lost the way that he'd come and had no idea where the exit was.

Sighing, he gently place Casey on the ground and sat alongside him for a few moments trying to get his bearings and cursing himself again for not even bringing any water with him, he could feel Casey burning up next to him, even through the jacket he had warped around him, could feel the shivers that indicated the fever was high and as he looked sideways at his friend he was amazed to find his eyes open. The joy was short lived though when Matt's eyes darted around, confused, trying to find something, his arms and legs shooting out in different directions uncoordinated in their weakness .

"Matt." Severide tried.

Casey's movements slowed but Kelly was under the impression that it was because Casey's body was exhausted more than he'd actually heard Kelly so he tried again to ground his friend. Kelly, as gently but as firmly as he dared grabbed Casey's arms and locked them to his sides.

The flinch he felt beneath his own hands and the raw fear he saw for a split second before recognition returned to his friend's eyes, tore at his adrenaline fuelled heart. Voight and his cronies had done this, and for what, revenge, fun.

"Damn it!" Kelly banged his hands on either side of Matt, his anger at what had been done to his friend bursting from his chest.

Taking calming breaths he looked up into his friends face and realised what he'd done because Matt was still, motionless and watching his every move like a scared child.

And it was ten times worse than the flinch from being touched unexpectedly when there was a fever raging through you body.

Worse because the fear was of him.

But the hope that that was the worst thing was dashed the second Matt spoke, his voice rough, stuttering and powerless and the way he looked away from Kelly as if Matt was the worst person in the world for making him angry.

"I'm sorry."

Severide was at a loss, he knew Casey was confused and feverish but this, it was something different, something he hadn't seen before, not from Casey anyway.

"Matt, you've got nothing to be sorry for, " Matt tensed as if he could sense that Severide was moving closer again, "Matt, look at me, please." The dirty blonde hair that had grown longer than normal didn't move a muscle.

The stillness was disturbing, as if Matt was frozen in place, trapped and Severide had no idea why and no idea if help was coming or if Voight would show up. He was sorry but they didn't have time for this, he needed to get Casey moving, they had already spent too much time resting as it were.

Kelly placed his hands on either side of Casey's face and gently forced him to look up, he could feel Casey tense further than he thought possible. "Matt, I'm sorry, we have to go, I have to get you out of here." Casey was too pale, too injured and too sick to hang around this damp place any longer...if only he could find the way out, distracted by trying to form a plan he almost missed what Casey said and if he hadn't felt his jaw move beneath his fingers he wouldn't have thought Casey had said it at all. It didn't escape his notice either that the voice was more strained and the body right in front of him had given up its tense stance a moment ago against the wishes of its owner.

"You should go," It was Kelly's turn to be still, the words like ice being driven into his very core. "I..." Casey started to say but a coughing fit erupted. A fit that sent blood dribbling down his chin and on to Kelly's shirt. Severide tried to help but Casey managed to push him away with whatever strength he had left, leaving him on his hands and knees coughing for all he had left with Severide attempting to sit him upright after the fit had passed.

"Go...please...all i do...is get...people killed." Casey was gasping now, if they had more light Severide would have seen the blue tinge to Casey's lips but Severide was having none of it.

"No!" Casey flinched again, confusion clear in his eyes, there was definitely something else going on here. "I won't leave you." Severide grabbed for Casey again, he moved away but it was at a cost, his strength was failing and he was panting heavily at the exertion.

"It's my...fault..their dead."

"Who?" Severide's eyes were darting around but still watching Matt, trying to look for a way to go where they hadn't been yet, who knew these buildings were like mazes.

"Killed my dad..." Casey was weakening fast and it was scaring Kelly but he couldn't touch him without causing more harm and it was killing him to have to watch this. He vowed to make sure they got all the people responsible for doing this to Casey.

Wait...does he really think..."You didn't kill him, your mom did."

"Said...did...for me."Casey's voice was quieter, as if distant or behind a wall.

Rage welled up for his friend at the mother who would do this to the child that had given her her freedom. He crept closer, they were mere feet away when Casey next spoke and Severide wished he hadn't.

"Killed your friend." And just like that Casey had dismissed his own feelings about it and had focused on him, and all he'd done was be a world class jerk about it and because he knew as much as Hallie had; that Casey would forgo his own feelings and accept anything from them even if it wasn't the best for him as long as they felt better about it.

"Nobody blamed you, Casey."

"You...did..." Casey stopped, he eyes rolling back, his body falling but never to hit the ground because Kelly stopped his head from hitting the slick floor.

And that was a crux of it, for all the world could see, their fights, their arguments, their heated words and the tension that filled the house was because they blamed each other for something that they hadn't caused. And at the end of it all not once does he actually remember Casey directly blaming him yet he can remember distinct moments where he'd turned his back on Casey, blaming him when all Casey had been trying to do was be a friend.

That's when he picked Casey up, his breaths coming in short gasps, the shivering returning ten-fold and ran.

Ran for all he was worth, hoping the exit was near.

His gut would have to lead him out because his soul was focused on him running

Ran because Casey's life, Casey's friendship was worth more than the burning lungs and the aching muscles.

More than he had professed it to be worth and he had to tell Casey that, Casey couldn't die thinking that he was to blame because the people around him took advantage of his forgiving nature, took advantage of his good heart.

He was so focused on saving Matt that he didn't realise he'd reached the outside until someone shouted his name.

"Severide!" He knew the voice of his chief anywhere and looked up.

Everyone was there, it looked like they'd just arrived. Shay and Dawson were moving towards him, shock clear on their faces, he was breathing heavily from the strain of running with his friend in his arms.

"Kelly, are you ok?"Shay tried to move closer only for Severide to step back.

Everything was coming into focus slowly and they all looked like they needed him to do something, but he couldn't for the life of him think of what.

"Severide, you need to let him go so they can help him."

He frowned, they were talking to him as if they didn't want him to break or find out the truth.

Re-arranging Casey in his arms he noticed what they had been trying to tell him, the ice that had gnawed at his soul earlier buckled his knees, but he lay Casey down gently.

Oh god, I waited too long.

Now it was his turn to shiver, the ice leeching any hope or warmth he had gain from his run.

Shay and Dawson worked with horror in their eyes, for Casey and for him.

"Kelly!" Shay's voice was dulled, the blood rushing through his head muffling the sound.

He looked at her through the haze his mind was creating, "Kelly, how long has he not been breathing for, Kelly, please we need to know."

"I'm not...I just ran...I don't." And it was the worst feeling in the world to know that he hadn't noticed that Matt had even stopped breathing. His chest was constricting at the fact he hadn't noticed. Trying to grab at his chest he noticed a sticky residue on his shirt and looked down.

He'd thought it was just sweat earlier...but this was...

"Kelly are you hurt, where is all this blood from," He felt his shoulders being shaken, "Kelly?"

He looked to where Dawson was working on a very pale Casey, a white gauze pad having been strapped with tape to Casey's side.

"Casey..." That was all Kelly could manage and Shay went to help Dawson who was trying to hide a few tears as they worked on their friend.

Everyone was waiting in anticipation.

Through the haze of what had happened Kelly didn't know what else to think other than...

He'd waited too long to get him out.

TBC

Please don't kill me...? I'm working on the next chapter now!