Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination and Abbey.
Thanks to everyone who left a review on last chapter, I really apreciate it. I'm really sorry it took me so much time to post this chapter. I started writing it a while ago and then I was behind on my reading (which I'm all caught up now) and life happens in between all of that so I write when I can and now it's 30C outside plus humidex which is way too much for me without a pool or A/C so I'm hiding in my basement to be able to finish this chapter. I hope you'll enjoy it.
Abbey's POV
After hearing Matt talk for the last time, I willed myself with everything I had to move, even if it was just a little bit. My eyes slowly fluttered open and Matt's voice sounded a little bit distorted but when my eyes locked with his, she shed a single tear and his smile that I missed so much appeared on his face. I tried taking a breath from my mouth only to be met with objection. Something was blocking my airway and suddenly it felt like I was choking.
"I need you to calm down for me miss Mitchell, take slow breaths." The nurse instructed me while she went to get a doctor. As the doctor arrived, I had managed to calm down and use my nose to breathe. The doctor told me what was going to happen so he could remove the tube and it only took a few seconds after i managed to relax my throat that the tube was gone and that I was able to breathe by myself.
"Matt." My voice was hoarse and sounded weak. Matt gave me a glass of water and put the straw between my lips and the cool liquid felt good against the harshness of my throat.
"Welcome back baby." He smiled and pressed a tender kiss to my lips. I never thought I would love to hear those words coming out of his mouth so much as I did now. Tears fell down my cheeks, I was finally back. The doctor promised to come back as soon as my mother would return. The nurse stayed a while longer and took my vitals before writing them down on my chart and leaving us alone.
"How long was I out?" I caughed and Matt gave me more water.
"Two weeks. You scared us." He pressed his forehead to mine and lingered there for a few seconds. I closed my eyes and relished in the feel of his skin against mine.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean too." I said weakly. I tried shifting my body but I was too weak to do it but Matt saw my discomfort and helped me in a better position. "What happened?" maybe it was the meds I was on but my memory seemed fuzzy.
"The driver of an eighteen wheeler fell asleep at the wheel and ran the red light, straight into your side of the rig." Then Sylvie's voice rang in my ears ABBEY LOOK OUT
"What about Brett? Is she ok?"
"Yeah. Apart from a hairline fracture to her leg and a few scratches she's ok."
"Was anybody else hurt?"
"No. 61 was already gone from the scene and we were behind you when it happened. I couldn't do anything but watch you get blindsighted." A few tears escaped his eyes.
"It's ok, I'm ok." I wiped them away with my thumb.
"I was so scared that I'd lose you."
"I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere."
"We'll be ok." He smiled at me. "I'll step outside a few minutes to call a few people, tell them you're awake."
"Can we just stay here a little bit longer, just you and me?"
"Sure, anything for you."
"Kiss me then." he raised from his chair and pressed his lips to mine. My heart rate went up and I licked his lips to ask permission, which he gladly gave and we shared a passionate kiss, full of love. God I had missed this man in the last two weeks but the road ahead wouldn't be so easy either but I just hoped that I would recover quickly to go back to 51. Matt spent a few more minutes with me before he left to call first my mother and then the rest of the house.
Matt's POV
I stepped out of her room to call everyone, tell them that she was finally awake. Her mother sighed, relieved and promised to be there within the next hour with things Abbey might need. Then I called chief Boden at 51 and told him the news that he would relay to everyone else because it was a shift day. I returned about ten minutes later and she had fallen asleep.
I lifted the sheet higher up on her chest and took her hand in mine, watching her sleep. She looked peaceful, as if she was only resting instead of having woken up from a two week long coma. Michelle came in about half an hour later.
"How is she?"
"She's been asleep for the past fourty minutes i'd say."
"And what did the doctor say?"
"He took her vitals and asked her a few questions and he said he'd be back once you'd arrive." She put a bag full of things next to her bed and sat on the edge of it.
"I was so scared that she wouldn't come back to us. I couldn't lose her too." She sobbed quietly.
"I prayed every day that she would. I love her and I don't know what I would have done without her."
"You're a good man Matthew, I couldn't have wished a better man for my daughter."
"Mrs Mitchell. I'm glad you're back. So far, Abbey is doing great. She responded well when we spoke with her earlier and her vitals are stable but I'd like to run a few tests to make sure there is no neurological or lasting physical damage." The doctor explained to her.
"Will she be able to go back to work?" I asked because I knew it was the first question she would ask once she would wake up.
"She will have some physical therapy to undergo to return proper mobility to her legs and restore some of the body strength she lost while in the coma but I don't see any reason why she wouldn't be able to return to full active duty on ambulance 44."
"That's good to hear." Abbey mumbled, waking up and making us laugh.
"I doubt you're the kind of woman to quit when she's down."
"Exactly." She smiled. "So when can I start PT?"
"Well we'd like to keep you under observation for the next couple of days so we can make further tests to make sure everything is ok but if the results all come back negative, we can start you on some light physical therapy and see how that goes."
"Thank you doctor." Michelle said.
"I'll order those tests for tomorrow morning and I'll be out of your hair. The nurse will bring you some food soon so rest up."
"Thanks." She croaked. Her voice was still hoarse from the ventilator. The doctor wrote a few things on her chart and left the room. "Can I have some water please?" The glass was on the table next to me so I handed it to her and she drank slowly.
"How are you feeling sweetie?"
"Like I got hit by a truck." Her mother scowled while a chuckle left my throat, earning me the same scowl as Abbey from her mother. "I'm fine mom really, just sore."
"I took some things from your place that you might need." She showed her the bag she had put on the floor next to the bed.
"Speaking of my place, have you been there?"
"I've been spending some nights there." I confessed. "I cleaned out your fridge of things I knew would go bad and cleaned up a little bit."
"Thanks." She linked her fingers with mine since I was already holding her hand while she was asleep. The nurse came a few minutes later with a platter of food since she hadn't eaten real food in the past two weeks. She reluctantly took a bite of the jell-o that was in her plate before throwing it back into a napkin. "They call this food?" She gagged. "No wonder the patients are sick."
"I think they just want you to eat soft foods to get your body used to eating again."
"Well you can make tons of soft foods for me to get used to eating again." She countered easily, making her mother laugh.
"Alright. I'll go make some food for you but I will be back before diner." She promissed as she kissed her forehead and squeazed my shoulder before leaving.
"Thanks Ma." She rested her head against the pillow and she wiggled her hand that was in mine and went straight for the edge of the cast, scratching the skin there.
"Itchy?" I knew what a cast did and since she had been in the coma in the first weeks, the only phase left right now was the itching part.
"Like hell." She grumbled.
"You still have a few more weeks with it, better get used to it and stop scratching." I placed my hand on hers to stop her movement.
"I hate hospitals." She complained, making me laugh.
"You do get the irony in that don't you?"
"Yes, I do but bringing in a patient and BEING the patient isn't the same thing." I brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes.
"You look exhausted." I noticed the dark circles under her eyes for the first time.
"Being awake is hard." She turned her head to the side to look at me.
"Get some sleep baby, I'll go shower and be back in a few minutes." She closed her eyes without protesting and I grabbed my things to take a shower. I did as I had done in the past two weeks and went to the staff room to get cleaned off before returning twenty minutes later to her room. Her body was slightly moving and her eyes were closed, making me believe she was dreaming. She wasn't thrashing so I simply let her dream and just watched her, exactly like I had done before but I knew she'd wake up at some point.
"Daddy?" She mumbled before her speech stoped and she stayed in her dream world. "Andrew." She mumbled again before suddenly waking up. I got closer to her and took her in my arms.
"It's ok baby I'm here." She wrapped her arms around my waist and breathed in and out, trying to even it out.
"Sorry about that." She looked away.
"Want to talk about it?" I didn't want to press the issue but I wanted her to know that she could talk to me.
"I had visions of my father while I was in the coma." She said, looking at her fingers.
"What do you remember about them? Were you having one just now?"
"I remember everything I saw while I was out and I think I was having one now too but it's fuzzy."
"Tell me?" I only knew Frank Mitchell, firefighter but I knew nothing about Frank Mitchell, the man and father and I secretly wanted to know more.
"I think it was the first day of school. I was sitting at the kitchen table and he made special waffles for the big day. I think they were strawberry waffles with some whip cream." She smiled at the memory. "Those were good times." She smiled at me.
"And who's Andrew?" Her eyes grew a size wider and a blush crept on her face. "It's ok if it's an old boyfriend." I chuckled. "I can handle it."
"Not an old boyfriend." She stopped talking and looked like she was pondering wether to tell me this or not.
"You know you can tell me anything." I reassured her.
"Promise me you won't think I'm totally crazy and that I'll need a psyck evaluation." She was playing with my fingers, she was nervous.
"I promise." I smiled at her, trying to spur her on.
"Andrew James Casey." She paused. "I saw him in my coma, we were a family." I couldn't quite get a handle on what had just happened. "I know this is crazy and it's freaking me out too and that would totally be assuming way too much and besides it's only a vision." I placed a kiss to her lips, effectively silencing her.
"I wouldn't mind an Andrew James Casey in our future if that's what our love gives us." I pressed my forehead to hers and smiled. "Tell me more about that vision."
"Only if you cuddle with me on this bed." I smiled at her and moved around to the other side so I wouldn't touch the iv's in her left arm and the cast on her leg.
"Ok so about that vision?" I asked once she was pressed to my side.
"You were baking a chocolate cake with him in the kitchen and his fingers were full of batter but he was happy." I didn't want to interrupt her story so I left her talk some more about it. "I walked in to the two of you talking while you were mixing. You asked him if he thought I'd like it and he replied that I would love it. You wanted to get him cleaned up before I arrived but I had seen the interraction."
"What did he look like?"
"He was a smaller version of you, except with my darker hair. He even had the famous Casey smirk." She pulled on my shirt and looked up at me. "That smirk."
I was so caught up in her story that I was smiling and didn't really notice. "Something wrong with my smirk?" I leaned down and kissed her.
"No, it's perfect. The way the skin crinkles around your eyes. It's when I know you're truly happy."
"Get used to it then, it's not going to leave for a long while." I gently pulled her closer to me and we stayed like that, silent, until her mother came back.
"I come baring gifts." She lifted a bag full of food. Abbey smelled what was radiating from the bag and smiled.
"You are totally the best." I moved aside a little bit so she could move but I stayed on her bed. "What did you bring me in the other bag earlier?"
"Thought you might want some of your things and that you could use a shower."
"You are God sent. Please tell me I'm aloud to take a shower?"
"I asked the nurse on my way in and she said that the cast is waterproof so you are good to go." Abbey made an attempt to swing her legs over the bed but failed.
"What do you think you're doing?" I asked her.
"Trying to get off this bed."
"You need to let us help you until you're cleared for PT." I started but she gave me an aggravated look. "I know you don't like this but it's only for a few days. Remember what the doc said."
"Two more days and if everything is negative I'm cleared for PT." She scoffed, making her mom laugh and turn around in search of a wheelchair.
A nurse came in right after and checked Abbey's vitals and gave her some good news.
"Doc says we can get you off these Iv's." She gently removed the needle that was on the inside of her elbow and the one she had in a vein of her hand.
"Thanks." The nurse turned around and left. "Finally I'm almost free." She ran her fingers along her hand and arm that were sticky from the tape.
"Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Her mom returned with the wheelchair. I took Abbey bridal style and helped her in it before Michelle wheeled her out of the room so I grabbed my phone and texted Peter.
Abbey's POV
I was finally free of the iv's on my arm and could take a shower, this day couldn't go any better. There were benches in the showers so my mom helped me sit in it before she helped me out of the hospital gown. I normally wouldn't be comfortable doing this in front of her but I needed her help with my hair. She helped wash it twice since it was so dirty from the last two weeks. She had told me that an orderly had some everyday to wash me with soap and a cloth but a real shower made me feel more like myself. Then She put the conditioner in and left me to wash my body. It was a very slow process since I had lost enough mass in the past week even though I had a feeding tube until I woke up. I carefully washed the sticky left behind from the iv's away from my arm and hand before washing the rest of my body, leaving my casted leg for the end. I washed around the top area of it, relieving the itch at the same time. Then I rinced myself and let my mom helped me get the conditioner out of my hair.
"Please tell me you took some clothes with you." I begged. "There's no way I'm going back into that gown."
"Yes. I brought you some sweatpants and a few t-shirts along with some proper underwear."
"Have I told you how much I love you lately?" I was getting rid of some water in my hair.
"Not in the past two weeks." I heard the slight quiver in her voice and turned my body in the chair.
"I'm sorry I scared you mom." She was desperately trying not to let the tears fall.
"I was so scared you wouldn't come back, that I'd lost you too."
"Not a chance." I smiled. "You are so not getting rid of my that easily." I tried to get up so I could hug her but she caught me before I fell.
"You're stubborn but I'm proud of you."
"Thanks mom." She sat me back down in the wheelchair and then helped me to get dressed and got my hair up in a bun before wheeling me back to my room.
"Matt was worried about you too. He refused to leave your side."
"I know." I smiled to myself. "I could feel his presence constantly. And I'm pretty sure you left him fed."
"I knew you'd want for him to take care of himself too."
"Yeah. Thanks again mom." We got to my room and Matt was talking with Mills, I could recognize him anywhere. "What are you doing here?" He was still dressed in his turnout pants, his red suspenders on each side of his frame. He turned around at the sound of my voice.
"Chief said that you were awake and we got called to a fire but I asked Severide if we could stop by. I'm glad you're awake, I missed you." He leaned down and hugged me. I returned the hug as much as my sore arms would let me.
"I've missed you too. Is everyone there?"
"Pretty much." He chuckled. "When Truck knew where we were going, they wanted to come along. I hope you're up for visitors."
"Absolutely." I smiled at him. I was glad to have more visitors.
"I'll bring them one company at a time."
"Thanks." The three girls from ambo came first, Sylvie lingering in a hug longer than Gabby and Shay.
"I'm so glad you're ok." She was still in my arms.
"I was worried about my mermaid too." I smiled at her as she pulled away. "You working on ambo with that boot?" I pointed to the grey boot still attached to her leg.
"I am playing third wheel to these two." she pointed to Shay and Dawson who laughed. "I can't wait for you to be back."
"Right there with you, I miss my partner."
"You need to focus on getting better." She leaned against the wall and smiled. "51 is a four girl house, it's not the same without you."
"Plus Peter has been slacking on cooking." Gabby poked fun at Mills. They stayed for a few more minutes before it was truck's turn. All four of them acknowledged Matt and I could see a new guy, staying behind, not really feeling like he belonged here. The guys joked a bit and left to give Squad their turn. Severide kept me in his arms a little longer than the others.
"I'm glad you're ok."
"Thanks. And thanks for taking care of Matt because I know he wouldn't have done it by himself."
"Yeah, he was pretty stubborn these past two weeks. He wouldn't leave your side."
"I know." I smiled in Matt's direction and he smiled back before Severide hugged me again and they left, leaving only chief Boden.
"Lieutenant." He smiled at Matt and Matt nodded back.
"Chief."
"I'm happy you're awake. I was so relieved when Casey gave me that call. The house isn't the same without you."
"I'll be back as soon as I can. I miss the house too."
"I don't want to see you in that house until you are all cleared and DON'T try to sneak one past me. Your progress is being reported directly to me by Lakeshore."
"Copy that chief." He smiled and patted my leg before leaving the three of us alone again. A nurse came in again to check up on me and explained everything for the tests. I had to have an empty stomach starting at midnight because I was scheduled for a complete body x-ray with a head MRI and complete blood work. Mom disappeared for a few minutes while the nurse gave her explanations and then came back with a small bowl of soup and little buns with butter, it was lunch time.
"Dad's soup." I whispered.
"Your father used to make it for you when you were sick to make you feel better so I figured it could help now."
"Thanks mom. So now the two of you need to get out of here and get some real food."
"We have been getting good food." Matt smiled at me.
"I'm serious Matt, you need to see outside for a few hours at least."
"It's fine." He argued. This was not going to be easy.
"Come on baby. I love you but you need to go home, pop open a beer and have proper food. Invite the guys over, it'll be good for you."
"What'll be good for me is being with my girl." He smiled, not letting the argument go.
"Well your girl, as you say, will probably sleep all afternoon and her mom will keep her company for diner while you go and HAVE FUNNN."
"Fine." He finally caved in. "But I am coming back later tonight, to spend the night right here." He pointed to the cot at the far end of the room.
"Deal." I smiled at him before he came to kiss me. "Drink a beer for me." I pulled him by the shirt and kissed him again.
"Or two." He leaned his forehead to mine and smiled.
"Get out of here you tease." I shoved him gently on the chest. I wanted nothing more to join them for diner at his place, beer and junk food included but it wasn't as easy. I had a long road ahead of me and starting tomorrow, things wouldn't be so easy. He left laughing and after I was done with lunch, my eyes were starting to be heavy, I was exhausted. My mom promised she'd be back with more food for diner and cards before leaving and I instantly fell asleep.
Matt's POV
I reluctantly left Abbey at the hospital and went back to my place. I opened my fridge and the only thing in there was beer and left-over pizza from the last day I had been home which was two days ago. Her mother had managed to kick me out and I had ordered pizza, showered and ate and went back to the hospital. I figured I needed to do a grocery run but my thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell. I closed the fridge door and walked towards the front of the house to open the door.
"Kelly? What are you doing here?"
"Abbey gave me a call. Said you needed some company so I figured I'd gather Truck and Squad and we'd have a little bit of fun." He raised a bag full of food.
"And what's in there?" I moved aside to let him in.
"Burgers, dogs and beer. We're having a barbecue." He made his way to the kitchen and placed everything in my fridge, making it look like someone was actually living here.
"You didn't have to come."
"Well, from Abbey's call I did." He leaned against the counter. "Look, I know you're worried but she's awake now, everything is looking up."
"For the past two weeks, I watched her in that coma, hoping that stay safe out there wasn't the last words I had heard coming out of her mouth. Things won't be looking up until she's out of that place with a clean bill of health." I huffed, taking the beer Kelly was offering.
"That'll be soon enough. Now let's get this ready. The guys will be there in two hours." I proceeded in tidying the place up even if it wasn't really that dirty. For the past two weeks, if I wasn't at the hospital, I was spending time at Abbey's place. It was the only place that I felt close to her in those long weeks and maybe both Kelly and her were right about me needing some fresh air. The guys came a few hours later as promised and Severide manned the grill with Herrmann and fun was had, genuine fun. The both of them stayed behind to help clean up.
"So how's our girl?"
"She's good considering. She's the one who kicked me out to pop open a beer and have proper food." I air quoted her earlier words.
"Well she's right. Those walls can drive a man crazy."
"I just wanted her to be ok." I finished the can of beer I had in my hands.
"She's a tough kid, she'll pull through. Now get out of here, we'll finish clearing this place and lock up on our way out.
"Thank you guys, for everything." Both had been great friends while Abbey was in a coma and without them and her mother, I'm not sure if I would have been able to hold it together.
"That's what we're here for. Now out." Severide pointed towards the front door, smiling. I hugged them both and left, laughing. I sat in my truck a few minutes, my mind on Abbey and the past two weeks. I had come so close to losing her and until that accident happened, I hadn't fully understood what that girl meant to me. I smiled at myself and what came to my mind. Once she was out of the hospital and feeling better, I would ask her to move in with me. I put my truck in park and drove back to the hospital.
Abbey's POV
I woke up groggy from my nap and as I looked outside, I realized I had slept longer than I originally thought. The sun was already starting to set outside, my guess was that diner time had already passed and my mom was sitting in the chair next to my bed, reading a book.
"Why didn't you wake me sooner?" My voice was still full of sleep as I ran my hands over my face.
"You were so tired and you looked peaceful so I decided to let you sleep."
"Is Matt back?"
"Not yet but I'm pretty sure it won't be long. Do you want me to get you some food?"
"Yes. I better eat now before I'm not aloud anymore." She smiled at me and closed her book before going to get me something, leaving me to my thoughts. They took me back to earlier in the day when everyone visited and they stuck on the brief interaction between chief Boden and Matt. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Matt missed being at work, doing what he loved and was good at. I kept in mind to talk to him about it when we were alone tonight.
"Penny for your thoughts." Matt smiled as he walked into my room.
"They're not worth that much. Did you have fun?"
"Yeah, thanks babe." He leaned down and kissed me before sitting on my bed. "Thanks for kicking me out. The guys made barbecue and pretty much every guy from 51 was there."
"I'm glad you had fun. Help me sit?" He moved higher up on the bed and helped me in a more seated position.
"How was your nap?"
"Good. Slept longer than I thought. I've been up for maybe twenty minutes. Feeling a bit hungry though."
"Coming right up." She placed a bowl of chili in front of me.
"You have the best way to bring a girl back to a healthy weight. That smells amazing." I ate while we talked about the barbecue Kelly had done at Matt' house and all the goofy things Cruz and Otis did before my mom left us to be alone. "I'm really happy you had fun AND you managed to get out of this place."
"Walls are closing in?"
"Yeah. I just hope tomorrow test results will be in my favour. I want to go home as soon as possible."
"Aww come on, I know you love this place." He chuckled as I scooted over and he laid down next tome, taking me in his arms.
"I'll love it even more when I don't have to be a patient anymore."
"You're looking better today so I'm sure everything will be ok tomorrow."
"I hope so." I played with the base of his shirt, not sure if I should broach the subject of him going back on shift or not but I decided that ripping off the band-aid would be better than beating around the bush. "Matt, we need to talk." I looked up at him with a serious face to find his very confused.
"Is something wrong?"
"Yes. You need to go back on shift." He was taken aback but it didn't last long.
"No." There wasn't room for discussion on it but I decided to make some.
"Yes Matt. You need to get back on shift. I know it's killing you not to be on Truck, you need to go back."
"No, I still have some furlough left, chief said it was fine."
"I know that but you don't think I saw the look you shared with him when he stopped by with the rest of the house?"
"It was nothing, I need to be here with you."
"No, you need to be back on the job. You love it and I know you miss it, what's really holding you back?" I knew he wasn't telling me everything.
"The fact that I almost lost you, that's what." He slightly pulled away from me. "Don't you think I was terrified of losing you because I was. If it wasn't for your mom and Severide and Herrmann, I would have been a mess." He argued. "I am not going anywhere until you get cleared to get out of this place."
"Fine." I abandoned the argument. "But as soon as the doctor says I'm good to go home, I need you to go back on shift and be great at what you do. I'll be there and I won't go anywhere, I promise."
"Good, because I don't know what I would do without you." He pulled me back to him and we laid down together.
"Let's not find out." I finally let a smile form on my lips.
"I love you Abbey Mitchell." He suddenly said after a few minutes of silence. I looked up at him and smiled before answering.
"I love you too Matt Casey." I giggled and he leaned down and captured my lips in a soft kiss. We kissed for a few minutes until air became an issue. "I could kiss you like this all day." I mumbled, my lips inches from his.
"Tell me about it."He placed another soft kiss to my lips before lying down with me and we talked some more before we fell asleep hours later, wrapped in each other's arms.
The next morning, Matt's POV
The nurse coming in to check Abbey's vitals is what woke up me. We were in the same position as the night before, the small bed not providing enough space to move much. The nurse left again and Abbey started to stir.
"Morning gorgeous." I smiled down at her.
"Morning." She mumbled, clearly not appreciating the fact that it was already morning. She had slept a lot since she had woken up, her body catching up to what it had endured in the past two weeks.
"Wake up baby, the nurse said the doc was on his way to check on you before you get your tests done."
"Wake me when he gets here." He complained, burying her head in my chest.
"He's here." I whispered as Dr Taylor came in with a smile.
"Are you ready to get your tests done?" She finally turned around and faced him.
"Yes, let's get this over with." She sat up as good as her sore muscles would let her.
"Jessica will come in to do the blood work and I will see you once the results of your tests are in."
"Thanks Dr Taylor." She smiled at him as he left.
"Let's get you ready." I helped her sit up as the nurse came and took some of her blood and then helped her in a hospital gown before they came to bring her to the x-ray.
Abbey's POV
As soon as Dr Taylor left, the nurse took some of my blood and Matt helped me out of my clothes and into a hospital gown.
"I'll call your mom and tell her your getting the tests done and I will be waiting right here for you to come back."
"Wish me luck." I kissed him before I was wheeled away for the tests that would hopefully get me out of here.
"Good luck and I love you." He smiled once we ended our kiss.
"Love you too." The porter took me to the full body x-ray first. He helped me position myself on the table and the technician took a lot of different pictures, even some where I had to be in very uncomfortable positions. then, I was wheeled towards the MRI section of radiology where I waited about twenty minutes, on my back, before it was my turn. I wasn't claustrophobic but to say I hated MRI machines was pretty accurate. Having to stay there, lying on your back, not moving for what was the longest time was not my idea of fun. The clock in front of me said that it had been an extra thirty minutes before another porter came back to bring me to my room. When my bed was placed in its original place, I noticed my mom was there and so was Brett and Mills.
"Hey. What are you guys doing here?" Matt helped me sit up again.
"Casey texted us, said you were gone to do some tests and since we're not on shift today, we thought we'd come hang out here until the results came back." Sylvie smiled. I was happy they were both there.
"And since it's lunch, I figured I'd bring some over for everyone." She pointed to a rather large container of pasta.
"If you keep cooking so much food mom, my butt will be back to its original state in no time." I teased her, making everyone laugh. After we were done eating and she had cleaned everything away, a nurse came and took my vitals before telling me the results were in and that dr Taylor would be here as soon as he could. Matt resumed his spot on my bed and I absentmindedly took his hand in mine and started playing with it.
"Nervous?" He whispered in my ear, making me stop the movement I was doing with his hand.
"A little bit, I hope the results are good one."
"Lucky for you Miss Mitchell, they are." Dr Taylor walked in with a large brown envelop. "I don't usually do this with my other patients but since you have a some medical background, I'll show you what the exams showed." He placed my x-ray images along with my MRI ones on the lighting board on the wall. "Ok so here is where your leg got crushed from the impact and what we had to do to repair it." He pointed at the bones of my legs on the image. "I'm happy to see that they are healing well and nothing is out of the ordinary on your MRI images so as long as you keep cleaning properly the gash on your forehead to prevent infection, although it's looking pretty good, you'll be ok."
"So that means I can go home?"
"I will sign your release papers for after diner but this afternoon, you'll need to speak with our physical therapist so he can give you exercises to do at home and a schedule for outpatient treatment."
"Good so when can I go back to work?"
"I can't give you a definite timeline but I will get reports from your therapy sessions and then we can go from there."
"Thank you Dr Taylor."
"It's been my pleasure and have a good recovery, I'll see you soon." Everybody smiled at him as he left.
"That's great news." My mom hugged me.
"Great, I cannot wait to get out of this place."
"Soon, let's just get out cleaned and out of that gown." My mom and Matt helped me in a chair and she wheeled me to the showers. It was much easier this time around because I had moved my body the previous day, giving me more mobility today. It took a little bit longer to do it myself but it was only a bigger step to going back home. My mom wheeled me back in my room thirty minutes later and everyone was still there.
"You missed the therapist but he said he'd come back within the hour."
I grunted, not happy to have missed him. "I could of had this over with."
"Oh stop it!" Peter poked me. "You can't leave until after diner anyways." he made a funny face at me, making everyone laugh.
"Haha, very funny. How about you all get out of here and enjoy outside while I'm still locked up in here because you'll be so annoyed once I'm free you won't want to have n e thing to do with me." I poked him back. Peter hugged me before stepping out of the room and Sylvie wrapper her arms around my neck next.
"I'm glad you're ok. I'll be seeing you later mermaid." she whispered.
"Mermaid." I whispered back, closing my eyes before releasing her. They both left and my mom left too, claiming she needed to cook for when I would be back home, leaving Matt and I alone again. He helped me sit in the chair that my mom was in before while we waited for the therapist. He came by about ten minutes later, explaining what I had to do at home between appointments and that he needed to see me once a week and that he'd report my progress to Dr Taylor, who in turn would report it to chief Boden. It was about four when a nurse came back in my room, accompanied by crutches and a wheelchair.
"Ok so Dr Taylor spoke with the therapist and he said that if your vitals were still ok that you could be sent home before diner. There's no use in keeping you here longer than necessary." So I presented her my arm so she could get my blood pressure. "Everything is good, you are free to go Miss Mitchell." She handed me my release papers to sign before she waited for me to gather my things.
"Finally!" This was the best news I had all day. "Let's get out of here." It took everything to stand up but nothing was going to stop me.
"If you'll take a seat you'll be out of here in no time."
"No way." I exclaimed. "I am not getting wheeled out of this place."
"I'm sorry miss you have no choice."
"Damn straight I do. I'm a first responder."
"Sit down you goof." Matt chuckled, earning himself a glare from me. "Just sit down, I'll get you out of here."
"Fine, but only for you."
"Thanks." He smiled back at me. He wheeled me and my bags along with the crutches to my car before sitting in the driver's seat and sending a text out to someone.
"Who are you texting?" I didn't usually butt in his business but I was curious.
"Aren't you all curious now."
"Sorry." I felt the red creep on my cheeks.
"I'm just letting your mom know that I sprung you out of here. Let's get you home." We made the drive in silence, just enjoying being together outside the walls of Lakeshore. I could feel his eyes on me the whole time but I kept my eyes out the window, looking at the trees. He helped me out of my side and handed me the crutches that I clumsily navigated with and he helped me up the few stairs and opened the door for me. "Watch your step baby." This crutches business would take some getting used to. We walked in my darkened house, the curtains being drawn clothes probably last night by my mom. I got to the light switch and pushed it upwards.
"SURPRISEEEE!" Everyone shouted, making tears of joy cloud my vision. I smiled once I recovered from the original shock.
"Welcome home." Matt's voice whispered in my ear, wrapping his arm around my waist. Everyone took their turn in hugging me and my mom came last.
"Thanks mom, for everything."
"I love you sweetie."
"I love you too." We spent a few hours with members of 51 along with Herrmann's kids who were running around, having fun. They each took turn drawing on my cast, making it look better than it did before. It was around eight when people slowly started to file out, saying they couldn't wait for me to be back at the house and soon there was only Peter, Gabby, my mom, Matt and I left. "Thanks for everything you guys. I'm happy to be home."
"We're glad that you're back." Pete hugged me and then Gabby.
"Nothing is the same without you." She smiled. "They're both not the same without you." She pointed between Matt and Peter.
"You're the glue." Peter whispered in my ear as he hugged me again. "Get better soon, I miss you."
"I miss you too." I patted him on the back before releasing him. "Now come on you two lovebirds, get out of here." I shoved them as best as I could towards the door. They promised that they'd swing by before shift in the morning to see how I was doing before they left. My mom finished cleaning the kitchen up before she said she was leaving.
"You call me if you need anything." She hugged me. "And you too Matthew."
"We will thanks." He answered for us and hugged her before she left. "So, it's just you and me."
"I guess so."
"Let's get you to the couch." He helped me towards the couch and helped me prop my leg up on the coffee table before taking a place next to me, pulling me closer.
"How does it feel to be home?" He kissed my head.
"Amazing and surreal at the same time."
"What's going through your mind?" He ran his left hand in my hair and took mine in his right.
"I'm thinking how close I came to not being here right now." These thoughts were running through my mind since I woke up but I was scared to voice them but now, just sitting here with Matt, it felt like the right time to say something. "When I was in a coma and that I saw visions of my dad and I as a child and you and a little boy that looked just like you, part of me felt like it was my brain making me see those important moments flash before my eyes before I died. That the vision of you and our son was one of a future that I wouldn't get to experience. I thought it was the end for me but looking back at that now, all I saw was hope, hope that what was ahead was only the best to come."
"Having you there, with that ventilator attached to you, I thought I had lost you. I thought that the last words we would ever speak to each other were the ones we shared before going on that call. I was terrified of losing you and only Kelly knows this but the first night, when you were brought in and slipped into a coma, I had nightmares that I was losing you during the whole night. I never thought I would fall in love again after you came to 51 but I did and I don't know what I would do if I had lost you. I love you Abbey. I love you with everything I have in me." He placed two fingers under my chin and made me look at him. "I'm in love with you Abbey Mitchell."
"I'm so in love with you Matt, you have no idea." I leaned up and kissed him with every emotion in my being. I knew that the road to recovery wouldn't be an easy one and that I had a huge hill to climb before I could go back to work but sitting here with Matt, all I had was hope, hope that the future that I saw in my dreams would be a future I would one day share with him. He held onto me for several hours before we were forced to go to sleep.
a/n: Wow ok this is the LONGEST chapter I have written so far (7k+ words). It took a few days to write it and finish it but I think I feel better about it now than when I was struggling to write it. I really hope you enjoyed this and please take a few minutes to review it to tell me how you feel about it.
Next up: Matt goes back to work and Abbey goes through therapy to get her mobility back and Matt asks her an important question.