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Kelly didn't see the balled up fist until it was too late. It landed on his upper cheekbone catching him off guard, flashing his vision to a blinding white for a couple of seconds. He flew across the bench, shaking his head a couple times before popping back up. The guy was wiry, not lookin' like much, but he was fast as hell. Severide steadied himself knowing what to expect now. He spied a flash of gold in the kid's hand, looked like little chains, jewelry or somethin. It clicked why that fist packed such a wallop. God only knew where he stashed the chains to avoid detection.
Skinny got up, not wanting his friend to have all the fun.
"You want some?" yelled Kelly. He'd been in his share of fights and knew intimidation was half the battle.
"Yeah, I want some… and I'm gonna get some," Skinny answered, the two young men rushing at the fireman.
Kelly sidestepped Tat face, sending him head first into the metal bench. Skinny launched onto Severide, pushing him against a wall, both men with fists flying. The blows being divvied out evenly… one for you, one for me.
Well-dressed was up now, screaming… "Officer! Officer! We need you in here!" He was jumping up and down, hands on the bars, sweat stains expanding from his pits across his back.
Officer Camarillo had her hands full up front. A hyped up, drugged up felon had nearly gotten a gun away from the cop who brought him in. Camarillo wrestled the man to the ground, the three of them rolling around in a game of stay alive. The cops won. They were working on getting the guy in leg restraints when she glanced at the monitor showing the Battle Royale underway in her cell.
"Oh my God!" The officer took off in a sprint, right hand on her weapon, left hand holding her keys. The other officer radioed for reinforcements, still shaken up by the near gun heist from his holster.
Kelly was being held from behind by Skinny while Tat face punched him in the ribs once, twice … he grunted loudly on the third one looking up, relieved to see Camarillo unlocking the cell.
"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar…" the homeless man droned on like he had all during the fight.
"Shut up!" the officer barked at him. "You two, back off now!" Her voice had the weight of a strict high school teacher, but the gun she was pointing at the men carried a weight of its own.
The cell was silent. The Bible verse cut short, well-dressed guy in the farthest corner, Skinny and Tat face staring at the officer weighing their options. They dropped Kelly and backed away.
Severide got up quickly, Camarillo grabbing his arm, pulling him out of the cell, locking it quickly. "You okay?" she asked looking at the shiner he was sporting, his arm holding his stomach.
"Yeah, yeah. Nothin' broken," he answered, being led to the front as two cops ran to the cell.
"You're leaving me in here with these animals?!" yelled well-dressed, hands back on the bars. The reinforcement cops unlocked the cage again, grabbing the two criminals roughly, shoving them to the cell next door. Their fun over for the night.
Officer Camarillo was almost in tears, apologizing profusely, repeatedly. She had Severide upstairs now, deciding a call to Detective Lindsay was mandatory. She'd sent for a bag of ice not sure what else she was supposed to do. There wasn't any protocol for "how to handle the husband of a detective getting beaten up under your watch." Camarillo was realizing this police work was more improvise than by the book.
Halstead and Ruzek strolled in laughing about the last college student they interviewed… takin' bets on whether he wet himself under Jay's barrage of questions.
Adam saw Kelly first… "Aw, crap," he said also glimpsing his law enforcement career swirling away down a toilet.
"Wha…" began Halstead. He didn't say anything, the tightening in his chest making it hard to breathe.
"What the hell happened?" he questioned the young officer, sitting by Kelly, tapping her foot nervously watching the fireman like he might spontaneously combust or turn into a pumpkin.
"You don't gotta answer that. He's the one that threw me in there," Kelly spit out, holding the ice pack to his swelling cheek and eye.
"Yeah, you do gotta answer that. What the hell happened?" asked Jay again.
Before Officer Camarillo could answer, Casey walked in, phone in hand, spying Kelly immediately.
"What the hell happened?" he asked Halstead and Ruzek. "You okay?" he turned to his friend.
Before Kelly could answer Clarke came rushing in, followed closely by Hank Voight.
The sergeant pushed in front of Clarke.
"What the hell happened?!" he yelled to Halstead and Ruzek, Officer Camarillo figuring it was a what the hell kind of day.
Cailin got news of the big Kelly bust first. Why, Jeff, why, do you have to put this on me to tell Erin, she thought bitterly. When the text came in, she knew something was up. It was a three parter and Clarke never sent that much in a text.
She read each part, eyes widening… Kelly arrested … helping out some paramedic at 51 with an asshole problem … halligan to a car door … HE DID NOT TOUCH THE GUY.
All caps? Jeff did not use all caps. Then the last part … roughed up … in CPD now …will call when I know more … you better head home.
Shit. Cailin surveyed the room, Dawson and Shay sprawled on the couch, both sleep wrestling for control of the Snuggie. Erin lay on the floor atop a sleeping bag, hair covering her entire face.
I'm a detective. A detective in one of the most elite units of the CPD. I can do this, Cally thought, slowly bending down to Erin, brushing her friend's hair out of her face.
"Erin," she said softly, rubbing the brunette's shoulder.
"Mmmm," Lindsay groaned, reaching out to touch Kelly's face. Only it wasn't Kelly.
"Callahan," she rasped out smiling at her mistake.
"You feel okay?"
"Yes," Erin thought she might still be drunk. "Good." She tried to push up and her head disagreed with her vehemently. "Ooooh," she moaned, grabbing her forehead.
"Let me get you some water." Cally poured a tall glass, dumping two ibuprofens in her hand. She offered them to the cop, putting off the inevitable for a few more minutes.
Erin emptied the glass, grateful for the pills, but knowing she'd need much more than that to stop the throbbing and spinning in her head.
"What gives Callahan?" she asked, the detective in Lindsay kicking in. They were on no schedule.
"Don't freak," Cailin began.
"Whenever someone tells me don't freak, it's a definite freak out situation. Spill it," Erin commanded, sobering up quick.
"Kelly's fine, but there's been a little incident."
Erin reached for her phone, her dead phone that had rested silently in her pocket all night. Her thoughts dared to race to those dark corners of her mind where she never wanted to travel. The images of Kelly hurt in some fire, injured so badly he wasn't coming home that night, or worse… those were the things that could keep her up at night, the things that she pressed far, far away. She'd lived through those things. Thank God, he had too.
"He's at CPD. Jeff's there, Casey, Voight, uh, Halstead."
"Cailin, you're speaking in code. What the hell happened?"
Kelly was at home nursing his shiner, flanked by Clarke and Casey.
"Can't we take you in? Make sure nothin's broken?" asked Matt, concern seen in his knitted brow.
"I'm good, this is hurtin' more than my ribs," replied Kelly pointing at his eye, covered with a bag of frozen peas.
"They're almost here," relayed Jeff, reading another text from Cailin. "Severide, why don't we get you checked out, before Erin gets here," he added agreeing with Casey.
"I've been hit harder in 7th grade, Clarke," Kelly said with his usual bravado. "What'll they do for me? Wrap 'em. Shay'll do that." He put his feet up on the coffee table, grunting with the stirring of his midsection, Matt and Jeff looking at each other.
"Go home. It ain't gonna be pretty here. Erin's gonna have my ass," Severide commented, both eyes shut, not seeing the nods of agreement from his friends.
"All the girls are headin' here," Jeff answered, retrieving some beers from the fridge. "This'll make you feel better," he said, placing the bottles on the coffee table by Kelly's feet.
They didn't wait long for the sound of the door opening, bags dropping in the front, and a rush of women jockeying for position on the couch next to the newly sprung lieutenant.
"Oh God," said Erin lifting the peas off her husband's face. "Are you really okay?" she asked looking for the tell-tale hesitation that would say he wasn't.
"I'm good." No hitch in his response.
Shay moved in to get a closer look. "Where'd they hit you?"
Kelly pointed to his eye.
"I can see that. Where else?" she nudged Erin over a bit, disregarding the look she got.
He lifted up his T-shirt wanting to get it over with.
Erin swore she felt it in her ribs, seeing the blue on Kelly's.
Shay pushed in, feeling all around, made him breathe in, hold it before she was satisfied.
"He'll live," she said rustling his hair as she got up to get more ice.
"Can you wrap 'em before you leave?" Kelly asked.
"Sorry, bud. The new protocol is no wrapping broken ribs. It makes you feel better, but can lead to higher risk of pneumonia or collapsed lung." She gave him a kiss on the head, aware of the look on Erin's face. "Probably not even cracked, but don't wanna take any chances," she called out from the freezer.
"If you're good, we're gonna clear out," said Casey, putting a hand on Kelly's shoulder.
"I'm good," he replied wanting to get up.
"Sit your ass down," Dawson ordered, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Call me if you need anything."
"I'm staying the night, so I've got this," Shay piped in, Erin shaking her head yes.
Cailin was getting the 411 from Clarke at the dining room table, the whispers becoming loud.
"And what made you think a halligan would be the answer?" she whisper yelled.
"I didn't touch the thing," Jeff defended himself.
"Hey! Callahan. Clarke had my six, that's all. This is on me," Kelly called wishing the whole damn apartment would clear out.
"Had your six, huh?" she snorted figuring he'd heard that from Erin before. "Well, try not to get into any more trouble tonight, okay?" She walked over to the detective, squeezing her hand tightly.
"Call me if you need anything. Anything," Cally leaned down giving Kelly a quick touch on the shoulder.
She grabbed Jeff's hand, cursing under her breath. She made a mental date to talk to one Jay Halstead first thing in the morning.
"Boden's lettin' me go in for desk duty," Kelly informed Erin in the morning. He was moving slower than a 70-year-old man, everything taking three times as long to accomplish.
"He's letting you?! I do not want you going in, Kelly. I know you say you have no sick days, but I want you to rest. Please." Erin was getting ready herself, having to get herself to the CPD for an important meet.
"I'm not goin' on calls, probably lay down all day and pretend to do paperwork. It's good. I'm good. Shay's goin' in too."
"And that is the only reason I'm not calling your chief to give him a piece of my mind," she kissed him on the forehead, grabbing one of his boots.
Kelly laughed at his girl, regretting it instantly with a jarring of his sore midsection… recalling the Cindy Hermann call to Boden about a "list of concerns" she had with 51. She wanted to know what "precautions" were being taken to ensure that Christopher did not get hurt again, didn't chief know that he was the father of five young boys who needed their father. Boden played nice, giving the Mrs. all the answers she wanted, needed to hear. "Hermann!" he yelled to the common room once he'd hung up. Everyone heard the ripping of something that chief gave his older statesman about wives being kept in check, about not wasting his time. Yes, that was all before Donna came prancing into his heart. Boy, things had changed. With all of them.
"I'm checking on you today. Coming by, okay?" asked Erin, the distress evident in her eyes.
"Lookin' forward to it." Kelly smiled, putting his other boot on himself. "See, I can function," he added.
Erin was out the door, speeding down the streets of her city, deep in thought. Kelly remained in the forefront, but somewhere in the outskirts of her brain, another man entered… Jay Halstead. She, like Cailin, made a vow to talk to her partner. It could wait no longer.
Shay helped Kelly hobble into 51 and into the waiting office of Chief Boden.
"How you feelin' Severide?" asked chief, smiling, not bothering to get up.
"I'm good, chief," Kelly replied.
"Glad to hear it because I'm not doing so well. No, not good at all," Boden explained, shaking his head back and forth.
The yells of disappointment could be heard all the way back in the locker room, maybe the locker room of the next firehouse over. Boden was tearing into his lieutenant about reputation, about malicious destruction of property, about the good of the house.
"If you ever end up in jail again, you better pray for the death penalty because there will be nothing waiting for you here. Do I make myself clear?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," Kelly responded getting up to slink back to his office.
He shut his door softly hoping Shay was on a run, somewhere far away. He couldn't deal with her right now.
There was a soft knock. "Come in," Kelly called out.
It was another blonde… Sylvie Brett with a plate of cupcakes in an array of colors, all decorated with little sprinkles.
"Lieutenant, I wanted to say I am so sorry about what happened to you. I should've never called you, gotten you involved." Brett's eyes were welling over as Kelly got up to take the plate from her hands.
"This is unnecessary. We take care of our own here. You're part of the family," Severide began, taking a chocolate cupcake and peeling the paper down. "You didn't have nothin' to do with the halligan part, that was on me," he added stuffing his face with half the treat.
Sylvie made a mental note that chocolate seemed to be his favorite. She smiled watching him devour the little dessert and grab for another. Someone who appreciated her baking. Nothing wrong with a little cupcake for her hero. They were family after all.
So, the moment we've all been waiting for is coming… Erin "talking" to Halstead. Haha! Surprised Kelly didn't get into more trouble with wifey? At least not yet…
Let me know what you think. Thank you for sharing in my little Linserideland and letting my creative juices go crazy.