"Where you going?" Casey asked with genuine curiosity in his voice. He inhaled a breath, and wondered why he smelled the horrible alcohol him and Dawson bought together the year before.
"Chief told me I should get outta here, that I was to emotional to be working."
"Where you gonna go?"
"Probably going to go hit a few at the gym and them head over to Pete's later." Dawson said casually, trying not to look Casey in the eye.
"Well when my shift is over I might see you there. Don't do anything stupid without me." Those little words tugged at Dawson's heart strings, but she pushed it aside.
"Kay." she said, acting unusually quiet. She walked by Casey brushing shoulders briefly. He grabbed her arm and she swung around stopping surprisingly close to him. He looked down at her,
"Are you ok?"
"Ya, I will be fine." She said looking up at him. She looked down, punched him friendly in the shoulder, turned, and walked strongly out the door. He looked after her, watching carefully till she left his view. He turned back to the locker, and promised to himself that he would go by Pete's later and check on her. Right then and there the bell alarm went off, and the woman announcer came on, stringing out an address and Ambulance 61, truck 81 and squad. He let out a sign as he grabbed what he needed and headed towards the front.
Dawson was settled in front of the bar on her 4rd shot. She had just gotten back from the gym, and was more angry then before. She had thrown punches left and right, so many that bruises had begun to form on her knuckles. Downing her drinks was fun, and she had begun to attract the attention of some cute guys in the corner. She glanced up at the blurry clock on the wall in front of her, noticing that Casey's shift would be ending in a half-an-hour.
One of the guys walked up to her and offered to buy her next drink, as he pulled a bar stool up. After ten minutes of talking and alcohol consumption the other guys joined her, and soon enough she was surrounded by four guys as she ranted on about her job. Things had became increasingly unclear as the world began to swim around her. She noticed the guys looking at her chest, and felt some of their hands getting a little more brave, but she was too out of it to care. One of them asked why she was here, and Dawson immediately went off about the abused girl. She rambled on, downing more drinks, her word stringing together, she began dropping off sentences. Then, a familiar face stepped into view. A cute blonde guy walked up, shared a few works with her buddies, and they vanished.
"Gabriela, what are you doing?"
"i don't knooooowww..."
"How many drinks have you had?"
"Welll... A lottt. They took-took my keys. I want them back." Dawson said stuttering. She motioned to reach over the bar and grab the bartender, but Casey grabbed her arms just in time, picking her up and moving towards the door. He wrapped his arms around her waist, supporting her weight. She smelled of lilac's, medicine, and booze. Dawson buried her head into his shoulder, and let out a little sigh. Casey planted a little kiss on her head, and brought her over to the passenger seat of his car. Suddenly she jerked away from his hold, she stumbled a little, when she had to support her own weight, but miraculously didn't fall over.
"Go awayyy Casey," She shouted, sounding out his name, "your dating Hallie..."
"Not anymore, "Casey said quietly, so Dawson could barely hear, "we ended things, she doesn't want kids." Dawson looked at him nervously, then stumbled into his arms. She gave him a little squeeze, then sat down in the passenger seat and blacked out.