Title: Plan B
Chapter 17 – Within Striking Distance
Definition of Striking Distance: a distance from which something can be easily reached or attained
"Hey Kelly…what's going on?" Casey inquires in a low tone as Severide turns and looks at him with a strained expression. "You know this guy?"
"I…" Severide pauses as he turns to see Erin talking to Boden.
"Hey, what is it?" Casey asks as he takes off his thick glove and touches his friend's shoulder.
"I don't…" Severide starts as Boden approaches with a grave expression. "Chief…what's going on?" He dares to ask as Detective Erin Lindsay stands behind Boden; Casey behind Severide.
"Along with the drugs they found um…some pictures of…children."
"Oh no…no not…was it Aurora? I thought I saw her but…tell me that's wrong…tell me it wasn't her. Tell me!" Severide starts with a stammer and then finishes with a curt hiss.
"Some pictures of her and others taken at the park, grocery store other places that…" Erin's voice trails off as Severide turns, heated anger flashing in his sapphire orbs as he looks for the medics tending to Mr. Llewellyn.
"Where is he?" Severide asks in an undertone.
"Kelly…" Boden starts as Severide turns back in contempt.
"Where is that son of a bitch? WHERE!" His voice bellows out the curse; all eyes turning to him.
"I th…"
But Severide isn't listening anymore; instead he pulls away and goes in search of the ambulance that was treating the man that had taken pictures of his daughter. They were in the park but it didn't matter – they were a violation of her privacy and he was going to do something about it.
"Casey…" Boden nods to his truck Lieutenant.
"I'll get him," Casey replies as he turns and hurries after Severide.
"This is bad," Boden states as he turns back to Erin with a heavy frown.
"As bad as it gets. I'll check this guy out but I don't think anyone's going to like what I find."
"Keep me posted."
"I will. Keep an eye on Kelly," Erin tells his superior in concern before she takes her head and heads for Antonio.
Casey's concerned gaze starts to scan the area in search of his friend, his mind racing at what Severide would be thinking about right now in relation to the man that had pictures of his daughter and other children in his possession.
"Capp…you seen Kelly?"
"Yeah he was…" the squad member replies as he turns and then stops. "Oh…well he was here."
"Where's Severide?" Boden asks in haste as Casey turns to him with arched brows. "Severide…report," Boden calls over his radio. "Severide!"
Nothing but static is returned.
"Chief…you don't think he went…"
"Yeah I think he hopped a cab and is heading for the hospital with a head full of steam. I know what this guy did was wrong, but if he gets there first he could make things worse for the CPD and their case and himself."
"Cruz! I need a lift to Lakeshore!"
Cruz looks at Boden in wonder – in fact all of truck 81 looks at their commander in Chief for an answer.
"Go!" Boden directs; all members of truck 81 scrambling to get into the big red truck before it pulls away; Squad 3 leaving the scene a few minutes later after they were fully packed up.
"What's going on Lieutenant?" Cruz asks in haste.
"That guy had pictures of kids…including Aurora…taken in the park."
"What?"
"Son of a bitch!" Hermann curses under his breath as Cruz looks at Casey in shock.
"We need to get to Severide. I have a feeling if he gets there first he'll tear that guy apart."
"And that's a bad thing?" Hermann retorts in sarcasm.
"I agree but it could be if he lives and files a harassment charge against Severide and it messes with the CPD investigation."
"Can't imagine what he's thinking right now," Mouch adds with a small huff.
"I can. Get to him and kill him. I would," Hermann states with a growl as Cruz and Casey exchange worried but knowing glances. With those fateful words, Cruz flips on the lights and sirens, applying a bit more pressure to the gas pedal but not using top speed as they normally would.
He had pictures of my daughter! Dirty rotten…SON OF A BITCH! Pictures of my….Severide's mind trails off into heated darkness as he shakes his head. This can't be…not my daughter…not…NOT MY DAUGHTER! His mind continues to spiral out of control. His fists tighten and one inadvertently hits the side of the door of the cab, prompting the driver to look up in haste and Severide to mutter a fumbled apology.
Just as they near Lakeshore, Severide spies the ambulance pulling up with Llewellyn in the back. He tosses his fare to the cabbie and then gets out, storming toward the existing stretcher with a head full of steam.
He has pictures of my daughter…my innocent baby girl…he…DAMN THIS BASTARD!
Mills looks up just as Severide nears and offers the squad lieutenant a wondering glance. "What's going on?" He asks in confusion.
But Severide doesn't answer, instead he eyes the injured man on the stretcher a few meters away and makes a direct path for him; his head full of steam.
"You took pictures of my daughter you disgusting bastard!" Severide's voice bellows angrily forcing every single pair of eyes to turn and instantly fixate on the agitated firefighter; Llewellyn looking up in painful wonder.
Mills and Brett trade horrified glances but wait to see what happens; right now it was only heated words being uttered. However, as soon as Severide's balled fists latch onto the frayed edges of Llewellyn's shirt and yank him forward they react; Severide shaking him vigorously.
"Hey!" Mills shouts as he rushes for Severide.
"You disgusting piece of trash! Taking pictures of my daughter! Other children! I should have let you burn!" He shouts; his face inches from Llewellyn's.
Just as Mills latches onto Severide's thick forearms and try to pry him free, Casey and truck 81 enter the ER.
"Severide!"
"You're nothing but a…"
"Kelly!" Casey shouts as he tries to help Mills get Severide off Llewellyn's convulsing frame.
"You're worth nothing! NOTHING!" Severide shouts as Casey succeeds in pulling his friend free. "Don't help that scum!" Severide shouts to the medical staff.
"Kelly…"
"Get off me!" Severide growls to Casey as Erin and Antonio hurry into the ER. "He took pictures of my four year old daughter! We should have left his worthless ass in that damn fire! BASTARD!"
Casey pulls Severide's agitated frame back once more, Hermann and Cruz blocking the way and letting the medical staff pull Llewellyn into a treatment bay to be looked at.
"Kelly…"
"Get off me!" Severide hisses as he jerks his arm free of Casey's grasp and pulls away. But just as he tries to grab Llewellyn once more Casey pulls him back.
"NO!" Casey states firmly.
"He deserves…"
"He'll get prosecuted to…"
"Ah he'll get a slap on the wrist!" Severide retorts gruffly to Erin who had stepped up to try to diffuse some of the tension. "Can't do anything…" Severide mutters as he turns away and mutters something under his breath. "Shoulda let that worthless bastard burn…shoulda left him there…"
Casey looks at Erin in remorse and then both watch as Severide turns and mechanically heads toward the ER entrance; both in tow.
"Kelly…"
"He had pictures of my baby girl," he turns back to Erin with tears welling in his eyes. "He was so close to her…so close. She's…only four. What did…he had pictures..." he rambles somewhat incoherently.
"We found out he's in parole violation and…"
"BIG SURPRISE!" Severide shouts before he recants, Casey looking at him with a concerned glance. "Sorry," he offers as Antonio Dawson nears.
"I get it Kelly, trust me I do," Antonio chimes in as he comes and stands beside Erin. "But those pictures are proof that he violated his parole restrictions and along with the drug possession charges he's going back to jail for a long time."
"Never long enough. I shoulda let him burn!" Severide states with a small hiss as he pushes past his concerned friends and storms outside and disappears from view.
"I'll get him," Casey volunteers as he goes in search of his friend. He exits the ER and rounds the corner, looking at Severide standing a few feet away with his back to him.
"Part of me is glad Shay isn't here…" Severide's voice cracks as his jaw hardens. "The other part wishes she was and I left him alone with her in that ambulance. He deserves to die!"
"He does," Casey agrees quietly as Severide turns to him.
"You saw all the pictures?"
"I did. Only a few of her."
"A few…lots…whatever! We put pictures of our kids on social media pages and have them up where the whole damn world and see and who the hell knows what kind of perverts are out there jacking off to them!" Severide states with an angry shout; Casey holding his ground to show some quiet solidarity. "We just…"
"He'll never hurt…"
"They give those damn inmates access to a computer Matt! Think that just because he's in jail he'll be stopped from doing this again? No!"
Casey shuffles from one boot to another as his brain races for something to say that would help his friend feel better. But there are no words. He knows if it was his child that a convicted pedophile had in his possession he'd want revenge just as bad as Severide.
"Shoulda let him burn."
"Come on…"
"No!" Severide jerks his arm free of Casey's grasp. "I want to be there when that scum wakes up!"
"It'll only hurt you more. You know the truth, what do you want him to say? Why? You know why. He enjoys it. Hearing him say that will only make it worse for you," Casey tries to reason. "Don't do that to yourself. It's not worth it."
"He's right Kelly."
Severide turns to see Erin and Antonio walking up to them. "I just…I don't know…"
"We're going to wait here and talk to him but you shouldn't stay. Its only going to cause you more pain."
"More…" he shakes his head as he looks away. "Can't be more…" he mutters as he pulls away and numbly walks a few feet.
"I'll let you know what happens," Erin promises Casey as she gives him a worried expression. "Look after him."
"I will."
"We'll be in touch."
"Okay thanks," Casey agrees before he slowly heads toward his friend; the rest of truck 81 and squad 3 slowly filing toward the ER entrance and waiting for further direction; Boden already en route to Lakeshore.
"How can we really protect our kids? There are so many monsters out there that…damn. You know there were times I felt we were being watched but figured maybe it was just me…or that woman that reminded me of Shay and I was just losing it…maybe someone we wronged because of a fire or something but this…I just…Matt when I think of him thinking sick things when watching her or others or…if I go back in there, I will kill him," Severide vows; his hardened gaze kept fixed on the distant horizon.
"There's nothing you can do and I don't want you to go back in there only to have him shove it in your face or say he's not sorry or whatever…let CPD do their thing and we'll go back to work."
Just as Casey finishes speaking, Boden arrives and offers Casey a sympathetic glance.
"We're good Chief. CPD Is with Llewellyn now."
"You saw the pictures?" Severide asks Boden as Boden's lips purse.
"Let CPD handle this."
"How the hell will I be able to concentrate on anything else today?"
"I don't expect you to. Go…"
"Home? I can't…"
"Your dad needs a hand with a case. I'll drive. No discussion."
"I'll see you tonight," Casey tells Severide as Severide offers him a soft glance and then looks past him to the wondering faces of Firehouse 51. "They always have your back, no matter what."
"Okay."
Severide watches Casey take his leave and then looks at the firm glances from the truck and squad members and then turns back to Boden with a heavy frown.
"Squad understood. How are you handling this?"
"I'm not…Chief…I swear if it wasn't for Mills and then Casey…I would have choked Llewellyn to death. To know he took those pictures and just…I hate feeling helpless and vulnerable."
"I know you do and I can't blame you in this. But I'm glad you didn't go that far. Aurora needs her father in her life, not rotting in jail over a man not worth the dirt he came from. Let's go."
"Chief…"
"It's better than sitting around home doing nothing and I know if you come back to the House, you'll just be watching the clock or calling CPD every few minutes and driving them and me crazy," Boden ends on a lighter note as they walk toward his truck.
"I hope they toss his ass in jail for the rest of his life!"
"I hope so too."
XXXXXXXX
Benny Severide looks up as his Boden's truck stops and his son gets out, still partially dressed in gear and heads toward him.
"Guess you're my babysitter now?" Severide asks sourly as Benny tosses him a small smirk.
"Oh come on, I'm not that bad."
"Boden called you already?"
"He did and maybe it's good he dropped you here to keep me from going there and kicking that son of a bitch's ass. At least you got to throttle him a little."
"I can't help much," Severide huffs as he looks at the burnt structure a few meters away.
"You're still dressed, so might as well put those boots to good use," Benny suggests with a slight head gesture. Benny looks at his son's distressed expression and much like Casey earlier, finds himself at a loss for words. What could he say to put his son's mind at ease? It was all a mistake? Boden said he saw the pictures so he knows he can't just say maybe it wasn't her. But he knows, if it had been pictures of his son taken at a young age by someone like Llewellyn he'd have been unstoppable.
"Dad…"
"I don't have the words Kelly. Part of me wants to drive you back there and let you have at that bastard for what he did but there is protocol and as much as we both know it sucks we have to play by the rules this time. Sorry. Wish it was more comfort."
"What did you want me to look at?" Severide asks after giving his father a nod. His mind tries to concentrate on what his father's asking and part of him knows that he probably can't do much good and was just there to keep out of trouble and for that he's grateful. But the other part hopes that Erin and Antonio don't go easy on him in fact he hopes, they make his time with them as miserable as possible.
He remains with his father for a few hours before he tells him he's okay to go back to 51, clean up and then go pick up Aurora and head home.
"Kelly…you're here early," Pauline Shay comments as she lets him in. "How was work?"
Severide looks at Aurora's grandmother and wonders how much he should share. It would crush her heart to know her precious little granddaughter was the object of a sick man's desires but at the same time what if it comes out and they find out he knew but didn't tell them? Shay would want you to tell them. Do it for her.
And so he does. It's painful and the two of them are thankful that Aurora is down for her afternoon nap so that she wasn't able to see her father and grandmother so sad and upset. But when she wakes up, Severide takes his daughter in his arms and holds her close; not ever wanting to let her go.
"I made this for you, daddy."
"You did? It's pretty amazing!" Severide praises as Aurora beams under her father's love. She kisses his cheek and once again his heart melts. But as he thinks about Llewellyn in his dingy little basement suit looking at her picture in a twisted way, his fists tighten.
But just before his thick palm can do some harm to the glass he's holding, Severide feels Pauline's hand on his shoulder and instantly his agitation starts to subside. About an hour later, Don arrives home and the four of them enjoy some snacks and good company.
"I found this the other day," Pauline tells Severide just as he and Aurora pack up to go. "You might want to watch it with Aurora one day. It's of Leslie and…give it back when you want."
Severide takes the homemade movie and then heads toward his car where Don has just strapped his granddaughter into her car seat and. He gives the older man a hug and then heads for home, thankful for the chatter from the backseat to help keep his mind occupied on anything other than Andrew Llewellyn and the horrible things he's done.
As soon as they get home, Severide turns on the TV for Aurora and then tries to do something…anything to keep his mind occupied on anything other than looking at the clock. It doesn't work. Every ten minutes he looks up and wonders why Casey or Boden or Erin or Antonio haven't called with an update on Llewellyn's status or confession or….SOMETHING!
"Damn bastard," Severide curses as he looks at his precious daughter playing so contentedly on the living room floor, looking up at her father with an endearing expression of trust and innocence. Then she blows him a kiss and his mind spirals. My baby girl….his mind inwardly laments as his eyes threaten to water. If anyone ever hurt her…I'd kill them!
He turns to the news in the hopes of getting the top story highlights of the day but instead he stumbles across a news report that doesn't help to calm his inner agitation – if anything it forces it to skyrocket. And he does something…rather rash.
XXXXXXXX
"That was a close one," Hermann slaps Casey on the back as they return to Firehouse 51 after a small but intense call.
"I need a drink after that one."
"I need a new undershirt," Mouch pipes up dryly, making all around him chuckle as they go about removing their professional gear.
Casey looks at his watch and tells himself to just stop by the hospital and get an update on Llewellyn before heading home as he's sure Severide will ask. His mind ponders his friend's agitated state and wonders how he made out trying to keep himself busy the rest of the day after being sent home. Probably wasn't easy.
But as Casey pulls into the parking lot at Lakeshore Hospital, his eyes instantly zoom in on a vehicle that shouldn't be there. Severide's car!
"Oh no…" Casey mutters under his breath as he slams on the breaks and then rushes into the hospital, his eyes frantically searching for his friend. He hears Severide's voice and then hurries toward a curtained off area in the ER triage area.
"Kelly?" Casey asks in surprise as he looks at Severide talking to Erin. "What's going on?"
"Kelly's tormenting himself," Erin replies with a small sigh.
"That bastard is still alive!" Severide replies with a small huff.
"Where's Aurora?"
"With Darcy," Severide answers, referring to one of the female nurses Shay had tried to date but then ended up just being friends with. "I just wanted to…"
"Torment yourself," Erin interjects as Severide's lips purse.
"What happened?" Casey asks in concern.
"Llewellyn knows the game and he's…"
"Let me alone in there with him and he'll talk!" Severide growls as Casey looks at him in concern.
"So what happens to him now? Is there any chance he could…walk?" Casey asks weakly.
"Not with what we found on him. He could claim he was holding them for someone else but the fact they are in his possession is a direct violation of his parole and…"
But Erin doesn't get to finish telling them as the alarms in the curtained off area behind them start to wail and a team of nurses rush toward them, pulling back the curtains and allowing them to gaze upon Llewellyn's convulsing frame. Severide's jaw grits as he watches the team starting to frantically call out the code and try to save his life.
"No…no no Don't save him," Severide whispers as Casey looks at him with a distressed expression. "What? I hope he dies!"
Just as he says that, Llewellyn's frame slumps down and the distinct sound of a flat line is heard; Casey and Erin exchanging surprised glances. Severide, however, keeps his stony gazed fixed on Llewellyn's unmoving frame, his jaw tight.
However, just as Severide takes a step toward the hub of activity, he's stopped short in his tracks by a very gruff voice.
"Are you the one that wanted to let my brother burn?"
Severide quickly turns and looks at the scowling face in surprise. Would his earlier words have current repercussions?
A/N: Ah you know I love to put our boys through the emotional wringer and Severide is no different. Angry Sev. Sad Sev. Angry Sev….and now? so not too many details but enough to help you all experience Severide's helpless anxiety and then of course his justified anger. But what happens now? Is Llewellyn going to pull through? If not does it all die with him? And what will his brother have to say? As always you know I'm tossing in as much Casey support as I can and a few bits of Erin in there for our single father. So please do review before you go and thanks so much!