Chapter 11
Maggie sat down on the kitchen floor and burst into tears.
Casey spun around from whatever he was doing at the counter and crossed the room in just a few steps.
"What's the matter, Maggie?" he asked as he scooped the sobbing toddler into his arms.
"Daddy!" she cried. "Want Daddy!"
Casey held the baby close and tried to soothe her.
"Shhh…I know you want your daddy." He whispered. "But daddy can't come home right now."
That only made Maggie cry harder.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The past week had been a never ending nightmare for everyone…ever since the call out to the tire shop.
Kelly's condition hadn't really changed any. The doctors were still keeping him sedated because of his chest injuries. But there was a Catch 22…the longer he stayed on the vent…the greater risk he had of developing pneumonia or atelectasis, a collapsed lung, on top of what he already had. His temperature had gone up a couple tenths of a degree and everyone was on pins and needles. Alyssa had spent the night at the hospital.
The family…both the biological and the firehouse had been pitching in to cover the childcare and keep things running at the Severide house. But everyone was on edge. Andy and Jesse had been very quiet…not at all like themselves. Jesse had become nervous and sometimes tearful. Casey had had to run over to St. Pasqual's twice already when Jesse got so upset he had to be sent out of class.
Andy was frightening them even more. The usual take-charge, lead-from-the-front kid had become angry and sullen. He wasn't buying the story about the victim freaking out in the middle of a rescue. He was pretty sure there was something else. He thought that victim might have tried to hurt his dad on purpose. But that didn't make sense either. Dad was the greatest…he was one of the best firefighters in the city…and he was the most awesome dad in the world. Everybody said so.
So why the heck would someone want to hurt him?
He didn't share his thoughts about this with anyone though. He tried to tell Jesse…but Jesse just started crying and ran away.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Casey was still trying to get Maggie to stop crying…and doing a pretty crappy job of it.
Maybe the next shift would have better luck.
That might be part of the problem. You had to consult a calendar to find out who was coming to take over. The Severide house might as well have a revolving door. Casey, Leslie, Gabby and Mills, and Vargas were rotating sleeping over and taking care of Maggie.
If it was confusing for a grown-up…how must it be for a two year old?
The back door opened.
"Relief is here!" Morgan called out. "Sorry I'm…"
He stopped short at the scene in the kitchen.
"Late…what's the matter, Maggie?" he asked as her reached out to take the sobbing baby from Matt.
"She wants her daddy." Casey said over the screaming.
Morgan gave Casey a look…a look of understanding.
He rocked Maggie in his arms…
"Get her some milk…" he mouthed to Casey.
Then he whispered quietly to Maggie.
"Shhh…it's okay Sweetie…"
He was careful not to call her Baby Girl or Princess…Kelly's special names for her.
"I know…I know…" he said as he paced back and forth while Casey got the sippy cup and filled it up. "It's okay…it's okay…"
Casey handed over the pink princess sippy cup and Maggie grabbed it and stuck it in her mouth.
And it was quiet.
Morgan carried the little girl into the front room and sank down onto the sectional sofa.
Casey followed him.
"What are we gonna do?" he asked. "I barely know who's coming and going…she's gotta be confused as hell…"
"I'm sure." Morgan answered. "Let me think about it…I'll try and come up with something."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
He finally got a chance to think about the problem after he put Maggie down in her crib. All the crying had tired the little girl out to the point of exhaustion.
On the calendar in the kitchen everybody had written in which days they were taking…but Maggie couldn't read. Not to mention it was way above her eye level.
The idea came to him when he was wandering through the house. He'd been to Severide's a thousand times before…but now he just paused to take it all in.
There were photographs everywhere. In frames on the book shelves…on the entertainment console…on the buffet in the dining room…pictures of the kids, pictures of Alyssa and Kelly with the kids, pictures of the firefighters with the kids.
He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts.
"Casey…" he said when the call went through. "No…everything's fine. Maggie's out like a light. Listen I know what we can do for her and I need a favor…"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Soon he was getting text after text with photo after photo and he pulled out his laptop and started downloading them.
When Maggie woke up he put her coat and hat on…grabbed the car seat that they just left in the four season's room and put her in Kelly's car.
The Lieutenant wouldn't mind if Hollywood borrowed his ride. After all…it was for a good cause.
It took two stops…at CVS at the photo counter…and a teacher's supply store he'd found on line.
That place had cost him a fortune…besides what he needed for his special project…he bought books, flash cards, games, manipulatives…all kinds of things they could use to distract Maggie in a moment of trouble.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
He stopped at the diner for a snack…and Ingrid Mills fussed over the little girl while Pete made her a treat.
He came out of the kitchen with a piece of sponge cake cut into layers…with slices of strawberry and banana in between.
"Maggie…look what Uncle Pete's got for you. Strawberry 'Nanna cake!"
Ingrid brought the little girl to the counter.
"She likes to sit here…" Ingrid told Morgan. "You have to hold her on your lap."
"Sounds like torture…" Morgan said with a grin.
He took Maggie into his lap and she grabbed a spoon and attacked her cake.
While she made a mess…and managed to get some of it into her mouth…Pete and his mom watched the whole scene with sad eyes.
"You know Friday's her birthday, right?" Mills asked.
In all the chaos Morgan had forgotten.
"That's right." He said. "We gotta do somethin'…we gotta make a party."
"We can do it here." Mills said. "Right, Ma?"
"Absolutely. How's Sunday?"
Second watch was working Saturday to Sunday.
"Perfect." Mills said. "I'll spread the word to the rest of the team."
"Great. I'll get a hold of Lyssa's brothers." Morgan said. "It's gotta be huge…"
"We can do huge." Mills said with a decisive nod of his head.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
When Morgan and Maggie got home he set her down on the kitchen floor and set up his plan.
He got the calendar down from the wall to consult…then he took everything out of the plastic bags.
On the refrigerator, down at Maggie's eye level he hung a laminated calendar. It had the days of the week filled in across the top, but you had to set it up with the numbers…just like the teachers did in grade school. But he wasn't concerned about the numbers or the months or anything like that.
He stuck a little Velcro button in the center of each square and then he took out the pictures he had printed and had laminated. He found his picture…and he stuck another Velcro piece on the back. Then he placed his picture on the Saturday square.
"Look Maggie." He said. "This is your very own calendar…so you always know who's gonna take care of you."
He pointed to the picture.
"Who's that?" he asked.
"Mo-gan…" she said.
"That's right. I'm taking care of you today."
Then he consulted the grown-up calendar. Shay was up next. He found the picture of Leslie and he put a sticky on the back…then he put the picture in the next square.
"Who's that?"
"Aunt Wes-wee."
"That's right. Aunt Leslie will be here tomorrow."
They went through the whole thing again…with Vargas's picture, Dawson, Mills, Casey…then when Morgan left, he'd put his picture on the next spot when he'd be back…
Hopefully it would work. But at least for today…Maggie had something special, all her very own…and she seemed happy about it. At least as happy as she was gonna get right now.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Later that day he had another idea.
He went into the backpack they used as a diaper bag to get something…and he found a bunch of white paper placemats folded up. He saw they had Maggie's name written in the middle…and everybody else's names written all around it.
When Alyssa came home to shower and change and spend a little time with the kids he asked her about it.
Tears came to her eyes as she looked over the papers.
"That's a game…Kelly plays with her." She said, wiping the tear that had escaped and left a trail down her cheek. "He asks 'who loves Maggie' and they name everyone we know. She can actually recognize a lot of the names on sight already."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
That set Hollywood's wheels spinning…and when he went home that night he emailed everyone in his address book for the firehouse…some of the guys on the show…and the one or two of Alyssa's brothers he had contact info for.
He wrote the email…and he described Kelly's game he played with Maggie, and what he wanted to do. He asked everybody to send him back ASAP a little piece…it could be just a few lines…telling some things they loved about the little girl. He also asked that everybody send a few pictures…preferably ones of them with Maggie. Lastly he asked that they forward the email to anyone he didn't have an address for.
And the response was huge…and instantaneous.
And Morgan was up all night printing and arranging…and in the morning he was back at CVS at the photo counter putting everything together in a little bound book.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Saturday Kelly's fever shot up to a hundred and two…and the doctors were giving him broad spectrum antibiotics to kill everything in their path while they tried to isolate the specific pathogen. They changed every tube and needle and cultured them all.
Alyssa hadn't left the hospital since Friday when all this started happening. There were test messages flying all over Chicago as everyone was trying to get the most updated information.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Sunday morning, Shay relieved Vargas…and she took the kids to Mass. Even though she wasn't Catholic…the boys kinda needed to go for school…and Father Joe made a special request that everyone keep Kelly and Alyssa and the children in their prayers.
And that afternoon, she dressed Maggie in the pink jumper and hot pink turtleneck with the white tights and the little pink Mary-Jane's that Alyssa had bought on sale at Macy's last month before all this had happened.
She carefully brushed the silky soft, fine baby curls into little pigtails and found the little heart necklace that Kelly had bought for his baby girl…so she had one just like her mommy. She did the clasp and carried the baby down the stairs.
Andy and Jesse were already dressed…and Andy grumbled something about how it wasn't right to have a party without Dad.
Shay put Maggie down and took Andy off to the side. She sat down on the steps and brought him to stand in front of her.
"Andy…look at me." She said. "I know how you feel…but we need to try to keep things normal…especially for your sister. She's doesn't understand anything that's going on…and you know that your mom and dad had already planned a big party."
"But Dad would want to be there!" Andy protested.
"I know he would…but I've known your dad for…a really long time. And I also know he'd want Maggie to have her birthday and for everyone to celebrate even if he couldn't be there." She said as she placed her hands lightly on the little boy's shoulders. "Just the same way he'd want you and Jesse to go to school…and to basketball…and scouts. He wouldn't want any of us to put everything on hold just because of him."
She took one hand and placed one finger under Andy's chin, gently forcing it up, making her godson look at her.
"Can you work with me on this, Buddy?"
Andy nodded.
He knew Aunt Leslie was right…Dad would want Maggie to have her birthday.
Besides…he knew his family. They'd have another party as soon as Dad was better.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The diner was packed.
When Leslie brought the kids in the boys looked around at all the pink balloons and streamers…the pink confetti scattered on all the tables, the pink table cloths on the tables that had been pushed together for the presents.
They saw people drinking from pink paper cups and pink princess cutouts dangled from the ceiling on fishing line.
"Great…" Andy said. "More Pepto Bismol…"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
There must have been close to a hundred people there.
"Jeez…I hope nobody calls the Fire Marshall…" Hermann observed.
"Did somebody think to invite him?" Casey quipped. "I think he's the only one not here…"
All the family…the firehouse family…the Michelotti's from across the street…the Donovan's from down the block…even the Riordan's drove in from Homewood. Everyone was there.
Hollywood was there…along with his mom and his grandma…and a bunch of the actors from the show. He also had the camera crew…and they were walking around taping the whole party.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
They filmed the cake with the pink and purple icing…and the Disney Princess figures on the top…and Maggie blowing out two candles. They filmed the kids playing pin the tail on the donkey…but this one was pin the tail on the unicorn. They shot the Bozo buckets…and the clothespin drop.
And they filmed the crowd…the grown-ups were trying to keep it fun and upbeat for the kids…all of whom seemed to be having a really good time, even Andy and Jesse. But everybody knew who was missing.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Opening all the presents was a real production.
Aunt Leslie and Aunt Gabby sat on cross legged on the floor. Leslie held Maggie in her lap and she and Dawson helped the little girl open the mountain of presents.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
There were books, including a very special one from Morgan.
He had used all the pictures and emails he had gotten to create his own story "Who Loves Maggie?". He had arranged everything so each person has their own page…or in some cases pages…with their pictures and all the reasons they loved Maggie.
"Who loves Maggie? Uncle Matt loves to hear her giggle…it always makes him smile…Aunt Leslie loves to watch Maggie dance…Miss Ingrid loves Maggie's pretty red curls…Uncle Pete loves how Maggie always makes 'all gone' with her Mac 'n cheese…"
And so on and so forth…till they got to the last few pages…where it said:
"And who loves Maggie most of all?"
And there was a collage of pictures of Maggie with her big brothers, and Mommy and Daddy.
The very last page was a picture of the five of them taken at Christmas in front of the firefighter tree.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
There were puzzles…and new clothes…and dollies and a little kitchen set complete with play food, pots and pans, and pink dishes.
There was a pink play house that Uncle Matt could set up out in the back yard when the weather got warmer…and a little pink tricycle.
"Why does everything have to be pink?" Andy groaned. "There's like…a million other colors...I'm tired of pink!"
Everybody got a good laugh and Uncle Matt grabbed Andy and swung him around as much as he dared in the capacity crowd.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
They worked their way through the massive pile…and true to tradition…Casey rounded up a bunch of the guys and went to get his present.
And everybody gasped as he and Vargas set down the two story dollhouse…but this one was a pink princess castle. It came complete with furniture…and bendable dolls…and Casey had gone back to the doll maker he had used when he built the firehouse for the twins…and had the little princess done up to resemble Maggie.
