Chapter 4
Slowly but surely life started getting back to normal.
Hermann finally got out of the hospital…and the men and women at Station 51 were holding their collective breath to see whether or not they'd get him back.
Casey was cleared to return to work…and he and Severide strode into the house that first day ready for battle.
"Hey! Look who's back!" Dawson called out as she came to hug Matt.
The team gathered around the two Lieutenants…they slapped Casey on the back and welcomed him home…
"Thanks guys…" he said. "It's good to be back."
"You…uh…look like you put on a few pounds there, Lieutenant…" Otis kidded.
They all knew Casey had spent almost three weeks staying at Severide's.
"Yeah…" Casey agreed, rubbing his hand across his gut. "Alyssa was doin' her best to fatten me up."
"Now you know why I gotta work out two or three hours every day…" Severide threw in.
Casey just shot him a look…and Kelly met his stare.
That was their little secret…
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Matt had seen Kelly after a few of those workouts…he had seen Alyssa help her husband to the couch…elevate his knee…ice it…wrap it.
They'd joked about it…as they lay at opposite ends of the huge sectional sofa in the living room…a couple of broken down old firefighters.
Twenty plus years in the department was tough on a man. Both of them had been injured time and time again…yet somehow they kept going.
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"Engine 51…Truck 81…Ambulance 61…Squad 3…"
The call came out for a traffic accident on the Edens.
"Welcome back, Lieutenant!" Cruz said as they ran for the apparatus room.
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Kelly pulled his t-shirt over his head and ran his fingers through his still wet hair. He reached down to grab the towel off the bench and dried his hands before he stuffed it into his gym bag with his sweat soaked workout clothes.
He took his watch off the shelf in his locker and looked at it before he slapped it on his left wrist.
He was running late. He was supposed to meet Alyssa in about half an hour. They were gonna grab a bite to eat before they had to be over at St. Pasqual's for parent-teacher conferences.
"Hey, Severide…"
Kelly turned at the sound of his name. And he smiled when he saw Darren Chesnick opening a locker a few away from his.
He'd been thinking about the guy and had hoped he'd run into him again. He decided to take Alyssa's suggestion and reach out. Maybe a friend was what the guy needed right now.
"Hey Darren…good to see you, man!"
"Right back at ya…" Chesnick said. "You comin' or goin'?"
"Goin'…I gotta meet up with my wife. We've got somethin' at my kids' school tonight."
Chesnick looked disappointed.
"Too bad…I thought maybe we could work out."
"Definitely…another time…" Kelly said. "Let me get your number…maybe you come have dinner one night…hang out, whatever?"
Chesnick shrugged.
"Sure…or we could just grab a beer."
Kelly took out his phone and entered his password. Then he handed it to Chesnick who entered his number.
"Thanks…"Severide said after he handed the device back. "I'll give you call tomorrow or the next day and we can set somethin' up."
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He and Alyssa met at a little pub near the house…so near, in fact, Alyssa had walked over in the early fall evening.
She was already waiting at a table and she'd already ordered him a beer.
He leaned down to kiss her before he slid into the booth across from his beautiful wife.
"Sorry I'm late…" he said.
"No problem…I ordered some calamari. It should be up soon."
No sooner had the words left her mouth than the waitress appeared with a platter piled high with golden fried calamari.
They ordered their burgers and fries…and when the waitress left to put in the order they dug in.
"I ran into Chesnick again…" Kelly said as he dipped a bite into the sauce. "I got his number…and I figure I'd invite him over one night next week."
"Sounds good…it'll be nice to meet him." Alyssa replied with a smile.
And when she did, Kelly couldn't help but smile himself.
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The night Chesnick came to dinner started out like any other.
Alyssa was preparing a feast…upping the game from the usual weeknight fare…which was a gourmet meal to most people anyway.
Kelly helped Andy and Jesse with their homework and he was on the floor with Maggie stacking pink and purple Legos when the doorbell rang.
He reached out to the baby and tweaked her little nose before he stood up and headed for the door.
Maggie giggled as he pretended to tuck it in his pocket…and she popped up and ran after him.
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The boys were already clamoring to undo the locks when Kelly kind of shooed them aside.
He slipped the chain and opened the front door.
Andy and Jesse took a step back when they saw the mountain of a man who filled the whole door frame. Chesnick was huge! Way bigger than their dad…way bigger than any of their uncles.
He had a shaved head like Capp or Uncle Jose…but that's where any similarity ended. He didn't have a friendly smile…or a warm twinkle in his eyes. Everything about this man looked hard and cold.
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"Darren…c'mon in." Kelly greeted him.
He took a step back and nearly tripped over Maggie…who was hanging on his leg…starring up at their guest.
Chesnick looked down at the three kids…and Maggie hid behind Kelly.
"Guys…this is Darren. He's a friend of mine…" Kelly told the boys.
Andy and Jesse both swallowed hard as they looked up…and up…
"Darren…meet my boys…Andy…"
Andy slowly held out his hand…just like Dad had taught him.
"And Jesse…"
Jesse copied his brother…and the boys shook the huge man's hand.
Meanwhile Kelly scooped Maggie into his arms.
"And this is my Baby Girl…Maggie Grace."
But Maggie just put her head on Kelly's shoulder and burrowed into him…grabbing a fist full of t-shirt for good measure.
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He was trying to coax her out when Alyssa came out of the kitchen.
"Darren…meet my wife." Kelly said, as he gave up on getting Maggie to look at their guest. "Alyssa…this is Darren Chesnick."
Alyssa held out her hand…there was something…menacing…about the man in front of her, and she wondered if she had made a mistake suggesting Kelly befriend this guy. She almost shuddered at the chill that went down her spine.
But she managed to hold it together.
"I'm glad to meet you." She said.
Her hand in Chesnick's looked like a child's.
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Dinner was so quiet…it was unnatural.
Maggie didn't want to let go of Kelly to sit in her booster seat at the table…but they finally managed to put her in her place. The twins sat almost completely silent across from Chesnick. None of the kids wanted to sit next to this huge man with the angry face…and usually when any other firefighter came to dinner they were fighting over who got to sit next to Uncle Matt or Uncle Pete or Chief…
Chesnick didn't seem to notice that he had the whole side of the table to himself. Either that or her didn't care. He didn't even speak to Alyssa or the kids…instead he addressed Kelly exclusively. And all he wanted to do was bitch about the department and how unfairly he was being treated. He gave seventeen years…seventeen years of putting his life on the line and this is how they repay him?
Andy and Jesse asked to be excused…they didn't like this man. He was nothing like any of their uncles. He didn't laugh or smile or joke…and he didn't want to play with them.
Maggie had to leave the table as well…and Alyssa took her and the boys upstairs to get ready for bed. It didn't matter that it was way too early…the kids were all too happy to get away.
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Kelly stood up to clear the table for his wife…and he knew inviting Chesnick had been a huge mistake. The guy wanted a buddy, sure…he wanted someone to work out with or have a beer…but he didn't want to be part of the family.
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After Chesnick left, Kelly went upstairs to find Alyssa in their room with all three kids. The boys were asleep on the queen size bed…and Maggie was cuddled in her mommy's arms.
He carried the twins one by one into their room and tucked them into their own beds…and then he went back to get his daughter. She stirred in his arms…then she seemed to realize who had her, and she snuggled in. And Kelly felt guilty for bringing someone who upset his kids so badly into their home.
He laid Maggie in her crib and tucked her blanket around her. He took another minute to stroke her silky baby curls and then to just feel her little chest rise and fall underneath his fingers.
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He went back downstairs…and Alyssa was already in the kitchen putting up the leftovers. Kelly pushed up his sleeves and began to rinse the plates and silverware and load them into the dishwasher.
"I'm sorry about tonight, Babe…" he said. "I had no idea the guy'd be such an ass."
Alyssa sighed.
"It's not your fault, Kelly. But he was…something else." She said with a shudder…the one she had been holding in all evening.
She couldn't figure out why the man was sooo…angry. It was sad that he'd gotten sick…but his behavior seemed unnatural…way, way, way over the top. Even when he was sitting at the table…eating his dinner…he had one hand resting beside his place…clenched into a tight fist.
"Do you think maybe he's on something?" she wondered out loud.
"What?" Kelly asked. "What're you talkin' about?"
"He's so huge…his muscles…and he seemed so aggressive…I'm just wondering if he's doping or something."
"You think he's taking steroids?"
The thought had never even crossed his mind.
"What's to stop him?" Alyssa said. "I mean…he doesn't have to worry about peeing in cup anymore."
Kelly turned off the water and dried his hands on the towel beside the sink. Then he crossed the kitchen to take his wife in his arms.
As Alyssa slid her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest, he leaned down to place a tender kiss against her hair.
And he thought to himself that if he was going to continue to try and reach out to Chesnick…he was going to have to do it in a way that kept his family out of it.
