Title: Growing Pains
Chapter 15 – Two Destinies Collide
Severide and Benny just get out of the car when the unthinkable happens.
*BOOM*
The front of the building literally explodes right before their eyes, forcing Severide to stumble backward and a tormented cry to escape his lips as he looks at it in horror.
"MATT!" Severide shouts as he struggles to regain his footing, his mind flashing images of finding Casey's charred corpse and having to explain to two anguished faces what he allowed to happen…the fateful consequences of his heated actions. He hears sirens in the distance and registers his father's voice calling for help and then calling his name. But he doesn't care; he pushes past the fresh throb in his chest and races toward the burning building.
"MATT!"
XXXXXXXX
'Who's gonna save you now….'
It was only mere seconds after Hadley had spoken those words that the world around Casey went from dark, to brilliant orange to a deadly color of yellow. His body had impacted with the explosion, forcing him to jerk to the right and then sail backward and then to the left as he was tossed back and then forth from the ill-timed explosions on either side. But unlike the two men around him, his legs didn't bear the brunt of the superheated air as he was sitting, but his exposed back and vulnerable chest did.
Graham, who had been standing closest to the home made explosive device near the back door, was tossed several meters away from the exit opening, bouncing into the air and then slamming down onto the concrete with an anguished cry before his body went silent.
Hadley, who had been crouching in front of Casey was sent flying backward, slamming onto the concrete, the wind being instantly knocked from his chest and forcing him to remain motionless for a few seconds.
Casey's throbbing brain finally starts to pull him back from his dazed stupor, his senses instantly feeling the heat on his exposed skin and his nose unwillingly taking in the putrid smell of diesel smoke; the ringing in his ears starting to intensify.
FIRE! THE DAMN BUILDING'S ON FIRE! His brain tries to yell; his eyes instantly watering as they flutter open. He rapidly blinks, trying to bring Hadley's slow moving frame into clear focus. He's unable. FOCUS! Casey's mind yells as his lungs instantly constrict and his body buckles. But with his wrists and ankles bound, the process at even thinking about getting himself free is rendered moot.
Kelly! His mind calls out as he thinks he hears approaching sirens in the distance. Help….me….his brain struggles to work past the pounding in his head and focus enough to somehow signal someone outside that he was trapped inside. But that battle is lost as his chest seizes and darkness consumes him once more.
"Kelly, wait!" Benny shouts as he races after his son, having just called 51 for some help and then Antonio to give him an update.
"MATT!" Severide shouts as he busts through the crudely barricaded door, not caring about the fresh throb that starts to ebb in his shoulder or waiting to answer his father. Thick, black, putrid smoke hurls past him, at first nearly smothering him with it's deadly tentacles but then realizing the grasp was weak and the hold broken – Severide disappearing inside the smoky building.
Benny quickly darts to the left and races for the back door, telling himself that if anyone survived maybe another exit might help whoever was left inside. He hears Antonio's police sirens gaining ground but tells himself – times up, he was going in also.
"MATT!" Severide shouts as he squints into the thick darkness before him, his mind instantly wishing he was in full gear and had his equipment with him. Without it…he wasn't able to see a heat signature even if it was lying right at his feet. "MATT!" Severide shouts again as he frantically squints into the darkness surrounding him. At that moment Benny busts through the back door, giving new life to the two hungry devices and forcing orange flames to surge. Despite the fact he instantly curses the added heat bursts and covers his face from the burgeoning flame, it does allow both him and his father to quickly spy all three figures and then take prompt action.
"MATT!" Severide shouts in horror as he races toward his fallen friend. "NO! Matt! Oh god no!" Severide shouts as he looks up at Hadley's frame as it's sluggish to recover. "YOU BASTARD!" Severide yells hoarsely as he pulls at Casey's gag and then leans in to check for breathing.
"Matt! Come on buddy….MATT!" Severide shouts as he concentrates on trying to free Casey of his bonds and get him out of the superheated structure; his father contending with Graham. "Come on Matt…breathe for me," Severide mutters as he finally unties the rope around Casey's ankles. But just before he's able to untie Casey's wrists; Hadley's frame slams into his, forcing him to tumble away from Casey and impede his rescue process.
"This is all your FAULT!" Hadley shouts as he punches Severide in the side.
"This place is on fire! This fight…is POINTLESS!" Severide shouts back as his lips gasp from the blow but returns one to Hadley without missing a second. Having already been winded from the explosion, Hadley's frame easily falters, allowing Severide to bring up his knee and clip Hadley in the groin; forcing him to yelp in pain and pull back.
Severide twists around onto his belly and eyes Casey's unmoving frame in sheer panic before he starts to crawl back toward his friend. "Matt!" Severide shouts; Casey's expression remaining placid despite the frantic commotion going on around him. "Matt!"
But just before Severide can grab Casey and get him outside to the fresh air, Hadley once again pounces, grabbing his boots and yanking him backward. "NO!" Severide shouts as he tries to find something on the ground to use. He finally is able to grasp a small piece of wood and twist himself around enough to attack Hadley on the legs; smashing the wood onto his right kneecap and forcing him to yell out in pain.
Hadley's hands drop Severide's feet, allowing him to pull away and quickly push himself upright.
"This is…pointless!" Severide calls out with a hoarse cough as Hadley charges. Severide offers a firm punch to the jaw, snapping Hadley's head back and making his steps falter.
But Hadley doesn't listen, he simply picks up the warmed piece of wood and lunges once more, Severide's efforts to get Casey to safety – once again thwarted!
Hadley punches Severide in the jaw, snapping his head back; Severide returning the favor and punching Hadley, giving him a firm shove in the stomach at the same time. He finally wrestles away the piece of wood and slams it into his side before hitting him in the jaw, forcing Hadley to step back and cry out in pain.
With his chest heaving and eyes burning, Severide turns and hurries back to Casey's unmoving frame. "Matt!" Severide shouts as he carefully gathers him up in his grasp and bolts for the back door, the front already engulfed and impassible.
"Kelly!" Benny shouts in horror as he watches his son emerge from the smoky dwelling with Casey cradled in his grasp.
"Dad!...he's not…breathing…" Severide states breathlessly as he watches Antonio pull away from trying to perform CPR on Graham and come help Casey. He pulls a knife and quickly cuts Casey's wrists free of the harsh rope; Severide's teeth gritting as he gazes in misery upon the chewed up flesh.
"MATT!" Severide shouts as he leans down and listens for a breath, looking up at his father and then toward the entrance of the warehouse. "Matt!" He looks back down as he leans in close, praying for a sign…any kind of sign his friend had indeed made it out of there alive. "Come on…you have to breathe!"
"Kelly…" Antonio starts.
"BREATHE DAMN IT!" Severide shouts as he pinches Casey's nose closed and offers a warm breath….and then a second; Casey's chest moving up but his lips not offering a breath yet of their own, his lungs refusing to cooperate at the moment. "BREATHE MATT!" Severide shouts as he tries once more, pumping down on Casey's winded chest in a frantic effort to get him breathing again. But as he hears a faint call for help he knows….his conscience would not allow him to leave a man alive inside to burn to death…not one calling for help.
"Take over!" He barks to Antonio.
"Kelly!"
"Dad, Hadley's still alive in there. I can't…let him burn to death," Severide gasps in remorse.
"Stay here and help Matt. I'll go!"
Severide looks at his father with a small frown and nods mechanically as Benny pulls away and disappears into the burning building, Engine 51 pulling up with Ambulance 61 right beside it.
"Kelly!" Shay calls out in horror as she races toward them with Dawson in tow.
"I have a pulse…but it's weak," Severide looks up in misery. "Help him."
And before she can say another word, Severide pushes himself up, turns and races back into the building to help his father; Shay's frantic call lost in the howling wind. Boden hurries to her side, the teams already having their orders and watches as her and Dawson frantically work to stabilize Casey and get his breathing back to normal.
"Chief he's taken in a lot of smoke," Shay stammers as she affixes the mask over Casey's soot stained mouth and nose.
"Where's Kelly?"
"He went back inside."
"Oh what the hell…"
"Chief, Benny's in there too. They went after Hadley," Antonio informs Boden as Boden turns back with an angry hiss. Just another superheated fireball shoots through the heavily damaged roof, Benny and Kelly reemerge with an unconscious and slightly burnt Hadley in their grasp.
The other set of medics that just arrived on scene, rush to take over; Shay and Dawson already packing Casey up for the ride to Lakeshore.
"Anyone else in there?" Boden asks Severide in haste.
"No. If there are…they're dead. It's too hot to go back in now and that roof is…" is all Severide manages before the roof finally gives way and rains down heavy bits of debris into the area the four men just were. "About to give way. I gotta get to Matt."
"Go."
Not caring about the fate of either Graham or Hadley, Severide pushes past Boden and Mills and rushes toward the stretcher.
"Is he awake yet?" Severide asks Shay in haste.
"No. But we have a faint pulse and we'll go with that."
Severide falls into a numb trance as he silently follows after Shay, not even caring about her questions over the burn marks to his hands, cheeks or neck. Come on buddy…you gotta pull through…damn I' m sorry I was late…I did this…
"Hey," Shay mentions as Severide sits beside Casey's unmoving frame in the back of the ambulance as it races toward Lakeshore. "Let me see your hands."
"This is my fault."
"Kelly…"
"No Shay…I went to see Hadley…Matt he…I left them alone…I did this," he looks up with a soft teary gaze.
"Casey is strong and stubborn…he'll be fine."
Severide's tormented gaze switches from Shay's almost docile expression down to Casey's seemingly lifeless one. His eyes closed, the skin around his chin, mouth and his cheeks, all redder than usual; showing telltale signs of being kissed by the beast. Soot covers other areas of skin and dried blood decorates the spaces between his mouth and nose and the corners of his lips.
"Should have let him burn," Severide's lips utter in a low hiss as Shay looks up in shock.
"What?"
"DAMN BASTARD SHOULD HAVE BURNED!" Severide yells, causing Shay to slightly jump back and Dawson to turn around in haste. "Sorry…Shay…"
"You knew he was alive Kelly…you couldn't just watch him burn to death."
"And if Matt dies?"
"He has a pulse…he'll be…fine. He's just taken in smoke and see here….a nasty bump to the head. I'm sure he'll pull through just fine."
"Shay…."
"Kelly, he needs you to believe that right now," she tells him firmly as Severide looks down with a helpless glance. "Now…let me see your left hand first."
Severide slowly extends his left hand, his right making sure the mask was affixed to Casey's face so he could get the proper oxygen intake without the fear of any precious life-giving air escaping. "Come on buddy…wake up Matt…wake up."
Severide closes his eyes for a few seconds, his brain hearing Casey calling out to him for help through the smoke and fire and then watching in horror as he's too late and the roof collapses on him. His body gently jumps, his hand jerking in Shay's grasp as he tries to push past the grisly image; his eyes looking down at Casey in haste.
"Come on Matt…you can't go out like this…not like this," he begs in remorse as they near lakeshore.
"Hermann is bringing the boys to you," Shay tells Severide in truth as she works to bandage his other hand.
"Okay," he numbly agrees as the ambulance starts to slow. He looks back down at Casey's face and feels his stomach tighten. "Come on Matt…come back to us," Severide implores in misery as Shay's hand rests on his forearm. "He has to pull through. We need him."
"He will," she tries to assure him as the ambulance finally stops; Dawson heading around to the back and helping Shay to carefully unload their precious cargo.
Severide hops out and follows, watching helplessly as Casey is rushed into an empty trauma bay to be assessed and then appropriately treated. He hangs back, his eyes frantically darting up to the clock and then back down to the doors as they swing open; Shay emerging with a tense expression.
"He's in good hands. You should get yours looked at."
"I'm fine."
"Kelly…"
"I'M FINE!" Severide snaps; drawing a few curious glances in their direction as Shay arches her brows and nods.
"Ok-ay."
"Shay, I'm sorry. I…I was so bent on bringing Hadley down and we…damn we had evidence and Matt told me not to go…"
"He knows how well you listen," she retorts in sarcasm.
Severide merely offers a grumble under his breath as he pulls away to call his father for an update on Hadley and Graham.
"Graham suffered only some minor cuts and bruises, mostly smoke inhalation. Hadley…he took a bit more. Part of his face, hands and neck were burned; some second and um…some third. He'll be scared for life. Smoke inhalation and some cuts and bruises also. But it's over now Kelly. We caught him in the act and I have a warrant in my hands right now to go and check both Graham's address and the one you gave me for Hadley. How's Matt?"
"He's uh…he's with the doc…I don't know," Severide's voice stammers in trite agitation. "Dad…"
"It's over Kelly. It's over."
Severide mumbles a thanks in return as he hangs up and then turns back to the doors; his beloved friend on the other side in the doctor's care. He's sure that Casey will have to spend some time in the oxygen tank but as long as he was alive and on the mend that's what would matter most.
"Severide."
He hears his name and turns to see Hermann approaching with Griffin and Ben on either side. But instead of having both boys rush up to him and receive a warm embrace, both remain at Hermann's side with rather stoic expressions.
"Where's Uncle Matt?" Ben asks solemnly as they finally stop a few feet away.
"He's with the doctor's right now. He got a little bit…hurt…in a fight."
"Did that stranger hurt him?" Griffin interjects as Hermann offers a heavy frown of concern.
"He's going to be okay," Severide offers; almost for mostly his benefit, needing to hear the words slip past his lips in an effort to believe them.
"We tried to call you! Where were you?" Ben asks somewhat angrily.
"I had to take care of something."
"Uncle Matt promised us this wouldn't happen," Griffin looks at Severide in anger.
"What?"
"You two argued and now he's going to die! I hate you!" Griffin shouts as he breaks free of Hermann's grasp and bolts back toward the exit.
"I got this," Hermann tells Severide as he pulls away and hurries after Griffin; Ben looking up at Severide in wonder.
"Come here," Severide entreats as he takes Ben by the hand and leads him over to a nearby bench and sits down so he's eye level with the small boy.
"What happened to your hands?"
"Just burnt them a little. They'll be okay. Are you two okay?"
"Yeah."
"Uncle Hermann told me what you both did. That was very brave."
"Do you hate Uncle Matt?"
"What? No…hey no okay. I care for Uncle Matt very much and it hurts me to see him like this. Ben when you get older you and Griffin will fight and argue and sometimes say things to each other that you don't mean. But deep inside you'll still care for each other….that bond will still be strong. Uncle Matt knows we're still close friends…he knows that okay?"
"Is he gonna die?"
"No," Severide replies with a soft whisper as his eyes threaten to flood. "He was injured in the fire but he's alive and he just needs some special care right now okay?"
"Why didn't you answer when we called?"
"I honestly didn't have my phone with me."
"Why not? Where was it?"
"It was with the man I was trying to help my father bring down. Someone who both Uncle Matt and I used to work with and who tried to hurt us and has already hurt a lot of other people."
"Did he hurt Uncle Matt?"
"Yes he did," Severide answers softly as he looks up to see Hermann and Griffin approaching. "But Uncle Matt's going to be okay. Hey Griffin."
But Griffin merely nods as he silently plunks himself down on the other side of Ben and casts a stony gaze toward the wall; Hermann offering Severide a look of sympathy.
"How is he?" Hermann asks in an undertone as Severide stands up to talk to him.
"He wasn't breathing when I first got to him," Severide replies in a soft whisper. "But we got a pulse back and…and I think it's just a lot of smoke he took in. I uh…"
"Kelly," Hermann's kind but firm voice calls back.
"Yeah. I…I don't know."
"Casey will be fine."
"Thanks for staying with the boys."
"They tried to call."
"Yeah my phone was taped to Hadley's car. It was the only way to track him and catch him in the act."
"Just tell me this whole mess is over now," Hermann gently begs in frustration.
"It is. Hadley was injured in the fire but dad has his arrest warrant and Antonio will serve it. They also have search warrants for his and Graham's apartment and I'm sure they'll find the materials for the devices. It's over."
"Was too close," Hermann states gravely as Severide can only nod in agreement.
"I know," Severide answers weakly as he turns and looks at the closed doors.
"You want me to hang around here for a bit longer?" Hermann inquires as his hand rests on Severide's shoulder.
"No I uh…" he turns and looks back at both boys huddled together on the bench and then back at Hermann with a frown. "I need to make this right between all of us. They hate me. Damn Hermann…I don't blame them right now."
"Kids will come around. They don't hold grudges as long as adults do," Hermann tells him in truth. "Just the other day my youngest announced he's running away from home."
"Yeah? How far'd he get?"
"We told him the TV and his PS3 had to stay and he got about as far as the front door," Hermann snickers. "Just offer them pizza and they'll be back to normal."
"I hope it's that easy. Is it that easy with your clan?"
"Hell no. Hermann's are tough little bastards," Hermann snickers as Severide's face slightly relaxes. "But we always talk things through and make sure it doesn't last very long."
"I've told them all I could."
"And they'll probably be a bit miserable until Casey wakes up and can tell them himself that he's okay."
"I hope so," Severide huffs as he rubs his weary face. "I also need him to be okay. I need to make this right. We argued and he…"
"He knows how stubborn you are."
"Yeah."
"You okay?"
"This?" Severide gestures to his bandaged hands as Hermann nods. "Yeah the tops got a bit singed but I'm fine. Thanks again man, I really do appreciate it."
"Anytime."
With that, Hermann turns and heads back to the boys, telling them that everything will be okay and that he'd see them at the firehouse very soon if they so wanted to come for a visit. Severide watches Hermann leave, almost fearful that his buffer was leaving him utterly defenseless against an emotional onslaught. He heads back to the bench and slumps down between them in silence.
The minutes slowly tick by as each boy remains rigidly at his side, neither offering too much in the way of distracting conversation and forcing his entire frame to remain on edge. Finally….some news.
Severide watches the doctor emerge from behind the swinging doors and quickly stands up; Shay and Dawson milling around in the waiting area for news as well, Boden also with them.
"Family of Matt Casey?"
"That's us," Severide replies, including both boys as they hurry to hear what the doctor has to say.
"Did Uncle Matt die?" Ben pipes up in haste.
"No, your Uncle Matt got very lucky. He suffered some first degree burns to part of cheeks, neck and the stops of his hands. A few minor cuts and scrapes but it's the amount of smoke he ingested that has us worried. I've sent him to the oxygen chamber for the next few hours to help his lungs clear."
"Will he be okay?" Griffin asks sadly.
"Does he smoke?" The doctor asks.
"The occasional cigar but uh…that's about it."
"Normally if he was a smoker I'd be more worried but if he can put off any cigar related celebrations for a few weeks and is careful on the job with his breathing apparatus he should be fine. The tissue damage is minimal and should also heal completely in a few weeks."
"Can we see him?" Griffin interjects in haste.
"I can show you the room he's in but the chamber itself is sealed and I'm sorry no one is allowed inside while the oxygen is dispensing. I know this is going to be tough until he's awake and talking to you, but he's going to pull through this with only a few minor setbacks. He'll be fine."
"I wanna see him Uncle Kelly," Ben looks up at Severide in misery.
"In a few hours he'll be set up in a small room for the night."
"He has to stay here?" Griffin wonders.
"We want to keep him overnight just to make sure there are no lingering side effects from the smoke inhalation. We'll keep him on fresh oxygen and fluids. He'll be okay to leave in the morning."
"Thanks doc, really appreciate it."
"I wanna see Uncle Matt," Griffin tells Severide this time as Ben nods in agreement.
"I just need to tell the others and then I'll show you where the chamber is. But we're not allowed inside until he's done okay?"
Two silent nods are returned, further adding to Severide's emotional anxiety as he directs them to the waiting area to inform the few members of House 51 that their lieutenant would be okay.
"If you need anything, let me know," Shay whispers as she pulls back from a hug; Boden talking to the two boys.
"I will," Severide tells her, accepting a supportive hug from Dawson next and then looking at the Chief.
"Casey's going to pull through this," Boden tells him firmly.
"The boys blame me," Severide groans as he looks over at the boys talking to Shay and Dawson.
"They'll come around."
"Hermann said the same thing."
"Well he is the authority on all things children," Boden replies with a small smile. "Casey is strong…he'll pull through this. You okay?"
"Yeah…just tired and…damn Hadley…Sir I went there to see if I could talk some sense into him and he…I didn't want this."
"Casey knows that."
"And he still bore the brunt of my actions. It's not right."
"Tell him that when he wakes up."
"I will. Thanks Chief."
Severide pulls away from Boden, telling the boys he'd take them to see where Uncle Matt was and then see what would happen for the rest of the night.
"Does that hurt him?" Ben asks as they stare through the window to the oxygen chamber that Casey was situated in.
"No. He's asleep," Severide replies softly. "His body just needs to have the best oxygen coming into it, so it can flush out the bad air from the fire."
"Will he be okay?" Griffin asks sadly.
"Yeah…he'll be fine. Guys, I'm sorry I wasn't able to answer the phone earlier," Severide turns to them and admits with a strained tone. But both merely nod as they look up with sad faces, breaking Severide's heart; adding to the mounting guilt in his already anguished mind.
The three of them sit outside the room where the oxygen chamber is in stony silence; Severide's mind left to ponder his actions and how his rash thinking got his friend needlessly hurt. 'Call your father. Don't do this Kelly…let the law handle it. Don't make things worse…' and on it would go; Severide hearing Casey's voice in his head, the subtle and not so subtle warnings being offered. And now….what if Casey were to suffer some permanent damage? It's Hadley's fault! You left him alone…his brain argues back as he leans forward and rests his head in his hands, his elbows on his knees.
The minutes continue to tick past with silent torment…both boys sharing a computer game on Griffin's small phone. The minutes then slide into an hour…two…three….four….Severide glancing back to see both boys slumped together and sleeping, but not wanting to go home until they were sure Uncle Matt was going to be okay.
Finally…the moment arrives when the technician reenters the room, stops the flow of fresh oxygen and then looks over at Severide and gives him the thumbs up.
"Hey guys…they're gonna move Uncle Matt to his room for the night."
"Mm…kay," Ben mumbles sleepily as they try to awaken themselves for the short walk to his recovery room.
"Uncle Matt! Wake up!" Ben pokes Casey's arm as Severide looks down at Casey's somewhat peaceful expression and feels his breath sharply suck into his chest. His face was still a darker shade than it normally was; the bits of soot, blood and dirt still lingering around the areas the mask hadn't touched and inadvertently cleaned it away. Hair mussed and frame…limp.
"Is he gonna wake up soon?" Griffin asks the nurse who looks down with a small smile.
"He's just sleeping right now. He was put into a medically induced coma so that his body wouldn't fight anything it was being given. He'll be okay when he wakes up in a few hours."
"Okay."
Severide watches them affix the fresh oxygen tubing to Casey's nose and then the hydration tubing to his arm; the nurse telling them they could either stay for the night or come back first thing in the morning.
"Can we stay Uncle Kelly?" Ben inquires.
"You guys wanna stay?"
"I want to see Uncle Matt wake up," Griffin states sadly as he and Ben hang back a bit; still offering angry vibes to the one person they turned to in their dire time of need but wasn't there. "Please?"
"Me too!"
"Sure. I'll uh…I'll get a sleeping bed. Just wait here."
Severide pulls away, allowing both boys to rush to Casey's bedside, hoping their precious Uncle would awaken and tell them everything was going to be okay. But that doesn't happen – at least not yet. In the meantime Boden had come back and helps Severide arrange the sleeping chair with another beside it, a smaller one but one that would at least accommodate him for the night and allow the two boys to share the other.
Severide offers a goodnight to Boden once again and the heads into the room, Boden hanging back to observe. He watches Severide approach Casey's bedside but both boys remain in the chair.
"Hey buddy…" Severide whispers as he finally allows his eyes to water. "I'm…I'm sorry…oh god I'm so sorry." His hands rest on the side rail as his chest heaves and a small sob escapes his lips. In that moment, both boys rush to his side, each taking and arm and holding on tight as the adult male's body shudders from fluid remorse.
"It's okay Uncle Kelly, Uncle Matt will be okay," Ben whispers as a few tears escape Severide's eyes and splash onto the floor.
Severide's arms wrap tightly around the boys for a bit of added moral and literal physical support, his lips still whimpering and Casey still lingering in his dreamlike state as he hangs his head in misery and offers a humble prayer for help.
A/N: Well hope the ending wasn't tooo sappy! But figured after all that some emotional sap was in order right? of course Casey won't die and the four of them will be reunited in the next chapter. I was a bit on the fence about Hadley's overall fate but Alice let him live for the benefit of a future plot detail and hope that's okay. will Matt forgive Kelly? Will any resentment linger between them and the boys? Will Severide confront Hadley? Will Casey tell Heather anything? And who else will they all pay a visit to after this is done? please do review before you go and thanks!