Y'all ready to see what happened after that cliffhanger from the last chapter? Well, I hope so cause here we go.
Happy reading!
THIRTY THREE
A groan escaped Dawson's lips as she slowly came into consciousness, her entire body screaming in pain as her confused thoughts ran rampant. She didn't know where she was, or what was going on, or why she was in so much pain. And she couldn't understand why she couldn't move, her heart racing as she tried to piece together what was happening.
It took her a few seconds before she registered the oxygen mask covering her face, Gabby's vision impeded by a few spots of blood on the inside of the mask, another groan escaping her lips as a sharp pain moved through her leg, stopping at her pelvis. Releasing a heavy, ragged breath, Gabby tried to push herself up as she felt a bit of blood trickling down the side of her face, pressing her hand into the ground beneath her as she tried to get up. She felt an intense pain shoot through her arm when she first moved, the unexpected feeling stunning her momentarily as a soft cry escaped her lips, but she did what she could to ignore it, knowing she needed to move.
But when her hand pressed into what she thought was the ground, and the surface she pressed into had some give to it, her eyebrows furrowed, Gabby finally glancing to the side. When she caught sight of what she was pressing against, seeing the unconscious man partially underneath her, her breath caught in her throat, memories of how her and Casey got here flooding her mind.
She remembered speaking to Matt at the firehouse.
She remembered the call to the warehouse fire, and getting sent in by Boden.
She remembered trying to help the man who didn't make it, the ceiling falling around them while she worked.
And she remembered the ground suddenly collapsing beneath them, Matt grabbing ahold of her, using his body as a shield as he took the majority of the impact.
All these memories hit her at once, Gabby blinking back the tears in her eyes as she did what she could to get up, a gasp of pain escaping her lips as her arm hung limply by her side.
Something was definitely wrong with her shoulder, it didn't feel right at all, and the shooting pain moving down to her fingertips every few seconds only solidified that fact. But she didn't have time to focus on that, not with them both being trapped.
"Matt…" She whimpered, but her voice was barely audible, Gabby finally registering the sound of his pass alarm sounding off as he lay on top of some debris, the ringing in her ears slowly dying down enough for her to hear other noises going on around her. The building was still creaking, thick smoke filling the air around them as she got a better look at their surroundings. She didn't know how much time had passed since they fell through the floor, but as far as she knew, Matt had been unconscious the entire time, and that didn't sit well with her. "Matt." She tried again, but between her raspy voice and the mask covering her face, she knew that even if he was awake, he probably wouldn't have been able to hear her.
She needed to get a better look at him, but with the way they were positioned that was nearly impossible, Gabby's eyes moving down towards her legs, a grimace immediately covering her face when she saw what was causing the pressure she felt when she first woke up. One of the beams in the ceiling had fallen down on top of her legs, the heavy wood pressing down into her left thigh, digging into her skin and keeping her in place. Even with her distorted view through the mask, she could see blood, but she could also feel her legs, which was a good sign.
"Casey!... -son!.. Dawson!."
Distorted voices were coming through the radio, Gabby wincing as the loud noise filled her ears, the pounding in her head having yet to let up.
"Casey!"
"Chief." Dawson coughed out, holding down the button on the radio. "Chief."
"Dawson!" She heard the relief in his voice, Gabby wincing when a bit of blood trickling down her face reached her lips, the sharp metallic taste overwhelming her. "Are you guys okay?"
"I- I'm okay, I think… My shoulder, it's dislocated I think, or something-" She responded unsteadily. "I don't- I don't know, but Casey's unconscious."
"We're trying to find a way to get to you, Severide, Walker, and Herrmann are on the way."
"We hear the alarm, Dawson." Kelly's voice cut in, Gabby pressing into the side of her head as she listened. "We've gotta be careful, but we're getting close. Are you able to move?"
"My leg is pinned under part of the ceiling… Casey's not trapped under anything, as far as I can tell but he hasn't woken up." She rambled out, stumbling over her words. "But I-I think I can get the beam off my leg, I'm gonna try and move it."
"No Dawson, don't." Shay's voice came through, Gabby shaking her head even though no one could see her. "Wait until they get there, there's no telling what kind of injuries you have from the fall."
"I can't wait, I need to check on Casey, and I can't do that until I'm out from under this thing." She fought back, dropping the radio against her jacket before leaning forward, a sharp hiss escaping her lips at the movement as another jolt of pain shot through her arm.
"Dawson!" Shay tried again, but she ignored it, focusing on the task in front of her. She knew her right arm was practically useless, so with all the strength she had, she used her left arm to try and lift the heavy beam. A loud cry of pain escaped her lips as the wood shifted slightly, only to dig further into her leg when she couldn't get it off.
"Come on." She groaned, tears clouding her vision as she tried again, Gabby biting back a sob as pain flooded her entire body. But she kept on trying, even though it was useless.
A loud groan of frustration left her lips as she slowly started to understand she really was trapped. That, until Severide and the rest of them got here, she wasn't going anywhere.
Knowing she still needed to do whatever she could for Casey, she twisted her upper body towards him as much as possible, the movement jarring her beaten body as she bit down on her tongue, trying not to focus on the pain. It was nearly impossible to keep weight off her right arm as she leaned on her side to face Matt, but she knew she had no choice as she managed to get her left hand up to his neck, his mask making things difficult. It took a few seconds, but when she finally felt his pulse beating underneath her fingertips, a cry of relief escaped her lips. It was steady, and strong, and it was the confirmation she needed that he was at least alive.
"Dawson, are you still there?"
Gabby focused in on the voice coming through their radios, realizing they'd probably been trying to get a response from her for awhile, but she had been so focused on Matt she didn't hear it. "I'm here, I'm here." She responded, her voice breathy. "I wasn't able to move it, I'm still stuck.. But Casey's pulse is strong, and I can't see any major damage, at least externally."
"We're almost there Dawson." Severide spoke, Gabby nodding, her eyes widening when she heard groaning by her side.
"Matt! Matt!" She spoke loudly, contorting her body as much as she could, ignoring the pain as she got a good look at him, seeing his head beginning to move slightly side to side. "Hey, hey, don't move. Don't move." She instructed, placing her hand over his chest.
"Gabby?" He choked out, sucking in air as he tried to gain a sense of his surroundings. Unlike Gabby, he remembered exactly what happened the second he woke up, and he needed to know she was alright.
"Dawson!" Gabby vaguely heard Severide's voice, telling her they were close as Matt lifted his arm up, placing his hand over hers that was resting on his chest.
"Over here!" She called, before looking back to Matt.
"Are you okay?" He asked immediately, worry laced in his raspy voice as he squeezed her hand, Matt blinking quickly.
"I'm fine, I'm fine- Quit moving." She ordered, but Matt ignored her as slowly he pushed himself up into a sitting position, Gabby hissing in pain when his body bumped into her shoulder, Dawson grimacing as she used her left hand to grab her right arm, slowly pulling it to rest in her lap, Matt wincing as he saw her actions.
"What happened to your shoulder?" He asked, coughing loudly and shaking his head as he tried to get rid of the haze his mind was in. He was definitely in pain, and a lot of it, but he didn't care about himself right now. "...There's blood on your mask." He breathed out, gingerly wrapping his arm around her back, placing his hand on her hip to keep her supported while he tried to keep pressure off her right side, the task being nearly impossible with the position they were in.
"You were just unconscious, you don't need to worry about me." She deflected, Matt releasing a heavy breath, his mind slowly clearly.
"I think the worst thing wrong with me is a concussion, I'm okay." He replied, grimacing as he looked her over. He was doing what he could to ignore the flames around them, trying only to focus on her. Luckily, the fire was far enough away, for now at least, that they should have enough time to get out of here. He knew something with her arm, or shoulder, was messed up, that was obvious based on the way she was cradling it against her body. But when he saw the beam pinning her leg in place, he knew getting them both out of here just became all the more difficult, Casey realizing he wouldn't be able to get them out until help arrived.
Matt wasn't sure how she'd managed to get pinned, and he didn't. The beam was laying across him, but he could easily slide out from under it; he couldn't even feel it touching him. But Gabby, he could see from here that it was digging into her skin, blood soaking her pants and the wood, and the sight made his heart sink, Casey unsure of just how much damage had been caused.
He tried to protect her, he tried to keep her safe after he was the one who brought her in here, but he didn't. If anything, he only caused her more injuries. He was fine, at most he had a few bruised ribs and a concussion, but Gabby… she was hurt. And it was his fault.
"You don't know that." Gabby's frantic voice pulled him from his thoughts, Matt's gaze moving back to her face. "You could have internal bleeding, or you could've hurt your back, or-"
"Gabby." He spoke gently, effectively stopping her rambling as they locked eyes. "I'm okay. I promise."
His calm voice filled her eyes, Gabby taking a deep breath before she nodded.
"...Why did you do you that?"
Her words were barely audible, confusion filling his features as he vaguely heard firefighters in the distance, Casey able to hear Severide barking orders as they tried to get to them.
"Why'd I do what?" He asked, just as he felt a flashlight shining on him, Matt turning to see three firefighters force their way through the debris.
"Casey! Dawson!" Severide called, but Gabby kept her eyes locked on Matt, not even registering their presence.
"Why did you grab me?" She asked, Casey's eyes flashing back towards her. "You could've gotten yourself killed… why did you do that?"
Casey opened his mouth, but he didn't get a chance to answer as the three firefighters surrounded them.
"Are you guys okay?" Walker asked as he came to stand behind them, placing a soft hand on Gabby's shoulder. But the second he did, Dawson cried out in pain, Bryan immediately backing off as all eyes moved to Gabby. "I'm sorry-"
"Gabby, what's wrong?" Severide asked, ignoring Walker entirely as Matt rubbed over her hip gently.
"My shoulder, it- I think it's dislocated." She answered, Casey's eyes falling closed as he heard the words leave her lips, guilt flooding his entire body. He figured it had been something like that, but hearing it from her directly caused his chest to tighten, Matt knowing he'd failed at the one thing he promised to do when she came in here; he was supposed to protect her, and he didn't. But they didn't have much time to dwell on it as more of the ceiling from across the room started to fall down, stray pieces of fiery wood hitting the ground.
"We need to get you guys out of here." Severide spoke, Matt nodding as he glanced back to them.
"Get her out first." He ordered, Kelly's gaze flickering towards the beam. From his angle above them, Severide could clearly see that Matt wasn't trapped. That if he slid to his right about six inches, he could easily get out from under it.
"Casey, if you can get out, you should go ahead. We don't know what we're dealing with here…" He spoke, his eyes flashing to the beam pressing into Gabby's leg. They could all see the blood, they just weren't sure how bad the injury was.
"I'm not moving until she can." He responded firmly, Kelly pursing his lips together.
"Matt… Please, get out of here." Gabby pleaded, but he shook his head, turning to face her.
"Not without you." He replied without hesitation, before glancing back to Severide, Kelly giving him a nod.
"Okay guys, let's get this beam off of her. Dawson, you gotta let us know if we need to stop. We're gonna have to slide you out from under there… I know with your shoulder, it's gonna hurt. There's no way it won't, but we don't have any other choice." He breathed out, Gabby nodding as she bit down on her lip. "Herrmann, get behind Dawson and get ready to pull her out. Casey, you get ready to move too because once she's out, they'll be nothing keeping this beam off of you."
"Severide, what's happening in there?" Chief asked, Casey picking up the radio.
"Chief-"
"Casey, thank God."
"I'm okay, Chief. We've just gotta get Gabby out and then we're headed out." He responded, giving Gabby's hip a reassuring squeeze before he dropped his arm from around her, knowing he'd just slow things down. He did what he could to distance himself from her, knowing they needed the space to get her out, but he could only do so much as Herrmann positioned himself behind her, the older firefighter shaking his head.
"I'm really sorry, kid. I know this is gonna hurt." He told her, Gabby shaking her head.
"It's okay, Herrmann. I'm alright." She assured him, despite the nerves coursing through her. No matter how much pain she was in right now, she knew it was about to get a lot worse before it got better. But she could handle a little pain, as long as her and Matt got out of here.
"Keep your radio live, Casey. Just in case."
"Got it, Chief." He responded, clicking the button before dropping the radio down against his jacket.
"Okay Dawson, we're gonna do this alright?" Severide told her, Gabby nodding as she felt Herrmann slowly slide his hands underneath her arms. A hiss of pain left her lips as her right shoulder moved, followed by a slight whimper as she bit down harshly on the inside of her cheek.
"I'm sorry, Dawson." Herrmann murmured again as Severide and Walker got positioned by the beam, making sure their feet were planted firmly on the ground before they grabbed onto it.
"Alright, on three, Walker and I are gonna lift and you two get out, okay?" Severide made sure everyone was on the same page, earning nods from the first responders before he continued. "Okay… one.. two.. three."
As they lifted the beam from her leg, a scream of pain left Gabby's mouth, the unsettling sound filling the ears of not just the firefighters inside, but all the first responders outside as they heard her cries through the radio.
"Get her out!" Severide ordered, Herrmann pulling her back as quickly as he could, another cry coming from her as her shoulder got jolted around, Gabby being pulled out from under the beam while Casey slid his way out, Severide and Walker dropping it as soon as they were clear. Herrmann released his hold on her as quickly as he could, whimpers leaving Gabby's lips as her arm hung limply against her body, her entire body feeling as if it was on fire.
"Gabby, Gabby, hey look at me." Casey spoke as soon as they were free, crawling to his knees as Gabby took deep breaths, trying to focus on anything other than the blinding pain coursing through her system. For just a second, she felt relief when she was no longer being crushed, her body thankful for the pressure being relieved from her leg. But that feeling was quickly replaced with an almost debilitating pain, her leg throbbing as her wound hit the open air. "We gotta get her out now- hey, Gabby, open your eyes. Look at me." Casey pleaded, Dawson doing what she could to keep her eyes open, fighting every instinct she had telling her to just go to sleep. Her body was trying to protect itself, trying to protect her from the immense pain she felt throughout her entire body, but she knew she needed to stay awake. Or at least try to, Gabby's eyes snapping open. "Yeah, there you are. Come on, I need you to stay awake, Gabby." Casey continued, doing what the could to keep a level head. "Guys, let's get her up." He spoke, scrambling to his feet.
"We got her, Casey. You need to take it easy." Severide tried, but Matt shook his head.
"I'm fine, we just need to get her out of here." He replied quickly, ignoring the stinging pain he felt in his lower back as he hunched beside her. He wasn't sure if it was the adrenaline, or maybe he just got incredibly lucky and didn't end up with that many injuries, but his pain felt like nothing right now. All he cared about was Gabby. "Okay Gabby, we're gonna get you out of here." He spoke softly, Dawson nodding as she brought her left arm across the front of her body, clutching onto his turnout coat with a near death-grip. "I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere." He promised, wrapping his arm around her back, Gabby giving him another nod as Matt gingerly lifted her right arm, securing it in her lap. Severide took up the position on her left side, being mindful of her leg as he grabbed ahold of her body.
"Shay, can you hear me?" Severide questioned.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm here. Is she okay?"
They could all hear the frantic tone in her voice, Kelly blowing out a sigh before responding. "I think she's in shock, but she's awake. We're headed out. She has a nasty cut on her leg from the beam, it might need stitches but we don't have anything to put pressure on it in here."
"Got it. I'm ready out here… Just get her out of there, Kelly."
"Working on it, Shay." He responded before looking back to Matt. "You sure you're okay to do this?"
"I'm fine, let's go." Casey replied without hesitation, Kelly nodding before they slowly lifted Gabby up, Matt hearing more whimpers of pain as she moved. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry." He murmured, biting back a groan as his sore body moved. "Chief, we're coming out." He spoke towards his radio, even though he knew everyone had been able to hear every word he said.
"Be careful, you guys. The Southeast exit is clear, but I'm not sure how much more time you have. The fire on the top floor is getting worse."
"Got it." Casey responded, hissing as he placed all his weight on his right leg, just now registering the searing pain coming from that area.
"You okay?" Severide asked, Gabby tiredly glancing towards Matt.
"I'm fine, yeah. Let's keep going." He responded before he and Kelly maneuvered through the debris, the two firefighters supporting all of Gabby's weight as Herrmann and Walker walked close behind, ready to help if need be.
The more they walked, the more Casey could feel his body slowing down, the Lieutenant ignoring what he knew to be blood trickling down his leg. He must've been more injured in the fall than he realized, but it wasn't anything that mattered right now. Gabby was what mattered, and getting her out of here and to the hospital was more important than a little cut on his leg.
With the exit in sight, the firefighters maneuvered around the flames, Walker having jumped ahead of them to clear a path as they slowly saw more and more daylight, Herrmann keeping his hands on Gabby's back as she was carried from the building.
"Shay!" Boden yelled when the five of them appeared through the doorway, Casey limping noticeably at this point as they continued away from the burning building.
With help from another ambulance, Shay raced towards the firefighters, pulling the gurney alongside her as they met them halfway, the blonde swallowing the lump in her throat as she got a closer look at Gabby. Severide and Casey placed her on the bed as gingerly as they could, another groan escaping her lips. "Gabby, honey, you're okay." Shay spoke, immediately eyeing the wound on her leg, shaking her head in horror. It wasn't terribly deep, but it was deep enough, and covered most of the width of her thigh. It would definitely need stitches, but Shay's main focus was to get it cleaned and covered, the paramedic knowing that's all she could do. "What all's hurting?"
"My shoulder…" Dawson responded weakly, Shay eyeing her right arm that was currently resting across her stomach, realizing she hadn't moved it much at all, if any. Gabby lifted her left hand, bringing it up towards the mask covering her face, pushing against it as she tried to remove it.
"Gabby, Gabby stop." Matt spoke, gently pushing her hand away. "I got it." He told her, Gabby nodding before he carefully removed the blood-covered mask, Dawson sucking in the fresh air as soon as she could, Casey handing the mask to Kelly.
Finally getting a closer look at her face, Matt grimaced, seeing multiple cuts and scratches covering her skin. He could see the outline of where her mask had been, a ring of soot covering her face, as well as a slight abrasion where the mask had seemingly been pressed into her skin too roughly. None of the injuries to her face were too bad, they wouldn't scar or anything, but they'd definitely need some time to heal.
"Shay…" Gabby spoke, the blonde ceasing work on her leg to move up towards Dawson's head.
"What is it?"
"Make sure Matt gets checked out." She spoke slowly, her voice tired as the paramedic eyed Casey. "He grabbed me and took most of the impact when we fell."
"Gabby, I'm fine-"
"Please, Shay." Dawson cut him off, coughing out the words as her throat felt very dry, Shay nodding before glancing to Boden, who was currently standing a few feet away, watching on in concern.
"We're gonna take Casey with us, Chief." Shay spoke, Boden immediately giving her a nod.
"Good."
"Chief, I'm alright." He tried again, but the older man shook his head.
"You fell through the floor, you're getting checked out. End of a discussion." Boden ordered, Casey reluctantly nodding as he handed his helmet and his mask over to Walker.
"Put these in the truck."
"Yes, Lieutenant." Walker responded, sparing one last glance to Dawson before heading towards 81.
"Alright, we need to get her to the hospital, get both of you there, actually." Shay spoke, Casey reluctantly nodding as they got Dawson loaded up into one of the ambulances, Shay climbing into the back with her before Casey got in as well.
"I'll drive your rig to the hospital, where are we taking them?" One of the paramedics asked as she stood at the back of the ambulance.
"Lakeshore, thank you." Shay responded gratefully, the woman nodding before closing up the doors, Shay hearing the sirens blaring before they pulled away from the scene. "Okay honey, besides your leg and your shoulder, does anything else hurt?" Shay asked, Gabby wincing slightly.
"Everything kind of hurts."
"Yeah, that's what I figured." Shay breathed out, shaking her head as she ran her tongue over her bottom lip, pushing herself up over the bed, searching around the drawers until she found what she was looking for. "Falling through a floor will do that, but I'm gonna get you on an IV, hopefully that'll help"
"Thanks Shay." She murmured, taking slow breaths as she felt her blood pumping through her ears.
"And you, mister," Shay started, eyeing Casey before going to work on the IV, "let me hear it, what's hurting you?"
"Nothing, I'm fine."
"Bullshit." She responded, taping the IV to Gabby's arm before turning towards Casey. "You were unconscious, that's not fine."
"I think I hit my head… I probably just have a concussion, but really, compared to her, I'm completely fine. Don't worry about me." He pressed, Shay sucking in a deep breath as she glanced to Dawson, seeing her PIC's eyes shining as her gaze was locked on Casey.
"Yeah you say that now…" Shay spoke up after a few seconds. "But you're running on adrenaline. Once that wears off, you're gonna be feeling a lot different."
"It doesn't matter." He responded softly, his bright blue eyes finding Gabby's warm brown ones. "I'm okay." He assured her, Gabby nodding slightly before relaxing back into the pillow, doing what she could to distract herself from the pain. Carefully, Matt reached for her hand, clasping it in his tightly, feeling her squeeze his immediately, both of them trying to come to terms with what happened today.
The ride to Lakeshore was short, but to Casey it felt like an eternity, the firefighter desperate to have Gabby looked at by doctors, needing to know that she was okay. Of course he trusted Shay, but he also knew there were things that could be wrong with her that the paramedic wouldn't be able to see. He just needed to know that, aside from the gash in her leg and her shoulder, she was okay. He needed to know he hadn't hurt her anymore than he had already, that his choice hadn't caused any more damage.
Casey stayed out of the way as Shay and the other paramedic got Gabby unloaded, Matt limping behind the stretcher as they got inside the emergency room. Everything that happened next went by in a blur, Gabby getting whisked away behind a curtain, while Shay and a rather large nurse had to practically force him into a bed, Shay relaying the information of what had happened, making it known he needed to be checked over.
Once they had finally got him settled and into a gown, and time began to tick by slowly, it was apparent to Matt that his injuries were more than he initially realized. He knew he'd hurt his back, the injury from beam falling on him before the collapse only being worsened by his fall through the floor. After spending the last few hours getting multiple scans done, it was confirmed that he had no internal bleeding or broken ribs, but he had bruised a few of them. And there was a pretty nasty cut on his leg that had been stitched up. There had been no muscle damage, but something had sliced him either during the fall or after, leaving him with a large, jagged slash on the side of his right calf. He did have a concussion, and he had sprained his shoulder in the fall, the doctor saying that between the force of the fall, and the added weight of Gabby landing on top of him, it had caused some damage to his shoulder, but he was lucky it was only sprained.
On top of all that, he was covered in scratches and scrapes, and he knew ugly bruises were sure to follow here in the next day or so, but he didn't care about that. He didn't care about any of it, he just wanted to know how Gabby was. He hadn't heard a word about her condition since they took her away, and that was closing in on three hours ago now. He just needed to know what was going on; this was his fault, he did this to her… He needed to know she'd be okay.
The rustling of his curtain caught this attention, Matt's ears perking up when he saw Boden and Shay walk into his room in the ER, Casey not having seen anyone from 51 since he got brought in here.
"Hey guys." He spoke, clearing his dry throat as they came to a stop beside his bed.
"Hello Casey."
"How are you feeling?" Shay asked, her hands shoved into her pockets as she looked him over. Without the turnout gear, his injuries were much more obvious as she took in the sight of his battered body.
"Not too bad, all things considered. They've got me on some pretty serious pain meds at the moment, and I know they're sending me home with some, too." He replied, earning nods from both of them.
"I talked a little with you doctor, he said you have a sprained shoulder and some bruised ribs? And a concussion..."
"Yeah, yeah I do… But it's nothing too bad, it could've been a lot worse." He spoke, a slight grimace covering his face as his thoughts immediately shifted to Gabby. "...How's Dawson doing?"
The second he saw it was them and not another nurse or doctor coming in to see him, he immediately wanted to ask about Gabby, but he had tried to let them get a word in first. But he couldn't wait any longer.
"She's alright." Shay responded, Matt's body visibly relaxing as he nodded slowly. "She did have a dislocated shoulder, but they got it popped back in there. And she needed stitches for her leg… It didn't get down to the muscle, which is good. But she's supposed to keep it easy for a few weeks. They said she'll probably be able to go home tonight, but they're not sure. They're mostly worried about her leg getting infected… but they flushed it with antibiotics, and they have her on medication just in case, so she should be alright."
"Was there anything else?" He asked quickly, Shay shrugging slightly.
"Mostly just cuts and scrapes. Her right ankle is a little swollen, she probably landed on it when you guys fell. But she's okay, she's sleeping right now." The paramedic responded, Matt giving a slight nod.
"Good, that's good…" He murmured in response, taking a deep breath, Boden and Shay sharing knowing glances before the Chief spoke up.
"Do you know when you can get out of here?"
"Uh, they want to monitor me for a few more hours, I think…" He started, Boden crossing his arms over his chest. "Because I was unconscious, and the concussion and everything, they just want to make sure I'm good before they let me leave." Matt finished, glancing down to the wires poking out from beneath his hospital gown. "...I kind of think it's unnecessary, but they already told me that, unless something changes, I'll be able to leave today, so that's good I guess… I don't really have a say, so."
"No, it's good they're keeping you here a little while longer. Best to be cautious in this situation." Boden replied, Matt giving him a slight nod. "But, when you are able to get out out of here, I'm gonna have Severide, or maybe Shay, take you home."
"Chief, I'm okay-"
"You're done this shift, and the next few as well." He continued, Casey opening his mouth to protest, but Boden spoke before he could. "It isn't up for discussion. I know you're feeling alright now, but you said yourself, they've got you on some pretty heavy pain medication… Here pretty soon you're going to be feeling the trauma your body went through. Your leg needs to heal, your shoulder needs to heal… you need to heal." He spoke firmly, his voice leaving no room for any arguments. "You're taking at least the next two shifts off, maybe more."
"Understood, Chief."
"Good… I'm gonna go let everyone know how you're doing." He spoke, Matt giving him a nod. "I'm glad you're okay, Casey."
"Thanks Chief." He responded, Boden flashing him a small smile before exiting the small space, leaving Casey and Shay alone.
"So how are you really?" She asked, Matt eyeing her closely.
"How many times do I have to tell you I'm fine."
"However many it takes before you stop giving me bullshit. Now, how are you?" She asked, stepping closer to him as he blew out a heavy sigh.
"...It hurts like hell, is that what you wanted to hear?"
"No, of course not. But you lying wasn't getting us anywhere. You sure nothing more serious is wrong? You didn't like, break a rib or anything did you?" She questioned, pursing her lips together tightly.
"Not unless the doctors missed it, then no. I just fell through a fucking building." He breathed out in frustration, Shay placing a gentle hand on his arm.
"Yeah, but you might've saved Dawson's life in the process." She responded, Matt scoffing as he shook his head, Shay's eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "...What?"
"I didn't save her, I almost got her killed." He spoke bitterly, the words leaving a grimace on his face as he looked down to his lap.
"Casey…" She spoke softly, Matt shaking his head.
"It's my fault, Shay." He replied, blinking quickly. "I'm the reason she was in there, I never should've called any paramedic inside. I should've known we couldn't help that man, I should've never brought her into that warehouse."
"Boden sent her inside, not you." She tried, but Matt shook his head again.
"Yeah, and no paramedic would've even gone in had it not been for me. Face it, she's in this hospital because of me. She should've never gone inside that building… And then I couldn't even keep her safe once we were in there." He spoke defeatedly, Shay hearing an anger in his voice she hadn't heard in a while. She knew he'd be worried, that until he saw Dawson, he probably wouldn't stop worrying, but she didn't expect him to be holding onto so much guilt; and she knew Gabby wouldn't want him to, either.
"You're not God, Casey." Shay replied, Matt lifting his head up to meet her gaze. "You were trying to save that guy, and you knew you needed a paramedic. Then, with Gabby, you did everything you could. You grabbed her as you two were falling through the damn floor, you took most of the impact-"
"Yeah, and she fucking dislocated her shoulder and was pinned under a beam." He spat, Shay knowing his anger wasn't directed at her, but at himself. "I hurt her, Shay. I'm the reason she got hurt."
"And imagine how much worse it would have been had she not had you there to break her fall." Shay replied without hesitation, Matt sucking in a deep breath as she continued. "She could've broken her neck, she could've hurt her spine, hell she'd could've died had she not had you there… You could've died, too. But you weren't thinking about that. You were thinking about her… and you did everything you could to keep her safe."
Casey drew in a deep breath, Shay squeezing his arm comfortingly.
"I know you're blaming yourself, but this wasn't your fault, Casey. You had no idea this was going to happen."
"Yeah, I guess you're right…" He breathed out, Shay lifting her hand up, patting against his cheek gently, being mindful of the cuts on his face.
"I'm always right."
"You probably shouldn't do that when I have a concussion." He responded, Shay rolling her eyes before she began to walk towards the exit.
"Oh, you're fine." She teased, Matt chuckling softly as she stopped at the curtain. "You good?"
"Yeah, I'm good." He assured her, Shay nodding before beginning to leave. "Are you, uh-" His voice stopped her, the paramedic turning back around. "Are you going to see Gabby again?" He asked, Shay nodding.
"I can go check on her, yeah." She responded, Matt swallowing thickly before speaking up again.
"...Can you tell her that I'm sorry?" He requested, Shay drawing in a deep breath.
"Matt-"
"Please." He cut her off, Shay releasing a heavy sigh. "I keep trying to get them to let me go see her, but they won't… I'm gonna talk to her about all this later, but can you please just tell her?"
"Fine." She agreed, Matt giving her a thankful nod. "I'll go tell her… But you know she doesn't blame you for this." She added, cocking her head to the side. "In fact, all she cared about was knowing you were okay." Shay smirked when she saw Matt duck his head, heat rising to his cheeks, his reaction causing her to laugh. "...So, I take it me kicking you in the ass at Molly's paid off." She spoke smugly, Matt rolling his eyes.
"Goodbye Shay." He prompted, the blonde emitting another laugh as she pulled back the curtain.
"Uh huh." She replied, flashing him a knowing smile before leaving the small room, walking back towards the waiting room.
When she got there, it didn't take her long to find everyone from the firehouse, the firefighters sitting exactly where they had been the last few hours, aside from when they'd been called away once earlier in the day. She gave a small smile to her coworkers who looked up at her, the paramedic assuming they had all already been filled in on Casey's condition, Shay heading straight for Severide who was seated towards the back, Walker a few seats to his left.
"Hey, how is he?" Kelly asked when she got to him, Shay crossing her arms over her chest.
"He's in some pain, but he's fine." She replied, her gaze flickering to Walker, seeing the firefighter watching her closely. "Didn't Boden talk to you guys?"
"He did." Severide responded. "But you know Casey, I figured he was putting on a front for Boden."
"Yeah, that was a good assumption." She breathed out, shaking her head. "But he's alright… gonna need some time off to heal, but he'll be fine."
"Good, that's good." He spoke, Shay giving him a nod, her eyes flashing to Walker again before speaking to Kelly.
"I'm gonna go check on Dawson, make sure she's still doing alright." She told her friend, Kelly giving her a nod before she began walking away, heading back into the ER.
"I'm glad the Lieutenant and Dawson are okay."
Severide looked over from the direction Shay went, glancing towards Walker, finding the firefighter already watching him.
"That was rough, the call today." He continued, Kelly giving him a nod.
"Yeah… it was. But luckily they'll be okay." Severide responded, Walker running his tongue over his bottom lip.
"Yeah, and uh-" Kelly raised his eyebrows, waiting for Bryan to continue. "Do you know what all that in the warehouse was about?" He asked, Severide's face filled with confusion. "...With Casey and Dawson."
"What are you talking about?" Severide asked, straightening his spine, Walker clenching his neck.
"Just the way Casey was acting, he seemed really upset. And him and Dawson, I don't know, they just seemed… close." He spoke, Severide letting out a dry scoff.
"Are you seriously doing this now?" Kelly asked, Walker narrowing his eyes.
"I'm just asking, Kelly." He responded firmly, Severide shaking his head.
"No, you're not just asking." He spoke sharply, Bryan's glare never lifting. "You know exactly what you're doing, but it doesn't matter. Dawson got hurt because she was inside that building, and Casey was the reason she was in there, of course he's upset about that." Severide replied with a pointed stare, Walker shrugging his shoulders before he collapsed back into his seat.
Even though Severide's explanation made sense, it still didn't sit well with him. When he'd confronted Gabby about the Lieutenant awhile ago, he didn't actually believe anything was going on there. He figured they were friends, but despite what he said, he never actually thought there was anything going on there. But the way they were both acting on that call, Bryan couldn't help but think there was something between them, and he didn't like that.
He didn't like that one bit.
"Doc, please tell me I can get out of here." Casey breathed out when his doctor walked into the room, Matt glancing to the clock on the wall, seeing it was nearly 8PM. The rest of his afternoon had not gone according to plan, not at all, Casey being stuck in this hospital bed for much longer than he wanted. After speaking with Shay way earlier in the day, Casey had hoped that he wouldn't be around in the hospital for much longer, but when they got back unusual readings on his heart monitor, they forced him to stay for further testing. Casey thought it was unnecessary, and he put up quite the fight about it, but eventually he gave in once he was told he couldn't be cleared to return to work unless they ran the tests.
As a surprise to no one, everything came back clear, and Casey could only figure there had been a malfunction in the machine that caused the unusual readings. But it had turned what should've been just the early afternoon spent in the hospital into an all day affair, and Casey was not happy.
He just wanted to get out of here. He hadn't been able to see Gabby all day, or anyone really, and he hated it. He hated being in this hospital bed, especially when he was fine.
"Yes Mr. Casey, you're officially discharged." The doctor spoke, Matt blowing out a heavy breath.
"Thank God." He murmured, earning a laugh from the older man.
"I know, I know. Today definitely wasn't what you had planned on, but as far as all our tests show, you're fine. You'll need to take it easy, as I've told you, but you're fine to go home. You're gonna need rest, not only for your shoulder and your leg, but also your head. You have a pretty nasty bump already, just remember, if you have any persistent headaches, or any dizziness or blurry vision, either come in or call an ambulance. I'm not expecting there to be any issues, but concussions can be tricky and you'll need to be careful. And make sure you keep up with your pain medication, and finish out those antibiotics. I don't foresee any problems with your leg, but since we're not exactly sure what cut you, it's just a precaution."
"Understood, Doc."
"Alright, well, you're free Mr. Casey." He spoke, handing over his discharge papers. "I hope you have a good rest of your evening, and by that I mean go home and rest." He told him, Matt chuckling before giving him a nod.
"I will."
"Good. Goodbye, Mr. Casey." He said before heading out of the small room, Matt slowly standing up, the scrubs the hospital had given him to wear home rubbing uncomfortably against his skin.
"Wow, cute outfit Case."
Matt looked up to see Severide standing beside the ajar curtain, his arms crossed over his chest as he wore a smug grin on his face.
"What are you doing here?" Casey asked, ignoring his friend's comment as he slowly walked towards him, his sore body limiting his movement.
"I'm here to drop you off at home. We need to hurry, though. Cruz is currently in charge of squad and we all know that's not gonna go well." Severide spoke, taking the prescriptions and paperwork from Matt's hands.
"Okay, well you're relieved of your duties." Matt responded, Kelly furrowing his eyebrows. "I'm not going anyway until Gabby's discharged, so you can go."
"Dawson's not here." Severide replied quickly, Casey tilting his head to the side in confusion.
"What?" He questioned, "What do you mean, where is she?"
"She got discharged, Shay took her home." Kelly explained, Matt's face falling slightly.
"...Oh." He breathed out, Kelly shaking his head in amusement as he saw the immediate shift in Casey's demeanor.
"Easy there, lover boy." He chuckled, shaking his head. "She tried to stay, but she got discharged right after they took you for that last test about an hour ago, and Boden made her leave… Which she was not thrilled about." Kelly told him, Matt wincing slightly.
"Did you tell her I was alright?" He asked immediately, knowing from Shay's words earlier, Gabby had spent the majority of the afternoon worried about him, and then her finding out he was getting more tests done couldn't have made her feel much better.
"Yeah, I kept Shay updated, she was with Dawson until about half an hour ago, got her settled in at home and everything. But yeah, she knows you're alright."
"Good, good." He murmured, Kelly nodding as he glanced back towards the hallway.
"So… you ready to go home?" Severide questioned, Matt pursing his lips together as he shook his head.
"I need to make a stop somewhere first." He replied, Severide shooting him a knowing grin as he pushed the curtain all the way back.
"Yeah, I know you do." He responded with a smirk, Casey rolling his eyes before following Severide out into the hallway, the pair walking slowly through the ER.
"Matt…"
They had almost gotten to the exit when Casey heard that familiar voice, his body tensing involuntarily before he took a deep breath, slowly turning around, coming face to face with Hallie.
She looked a lot different from the last time he saw her, her baby belly long gone as she stood there a few feet across from him, a soft smile written across her face, one he didn't reciprocate. But her smile soon turned into a grimace when she looked at him, seeing the obvious trauma he'd sustained today.
"I… I heard about what happened to you and Dawson, that's awful." She continued when he hadn't said anything, taking a cautious step forward. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." He replied, his voice rough.
"And Gabby?" Hallie asked, Matt clearing his throat before responding.
"She's fine, she already got discharged… Though I'm sure you know that." He answered, his eyes flashing to the tablet in her hands, knowing that if she'd known about them being here, she'd most definitely been keeping tabs on them throughout the day.
"I just wanted to know you guys were alright, I heard that a building collapsed while you two were in it…"
"The floor did, we fell through... but we're fine." He spoke, Hallie nodding with a small smile.
"Good, I'm glad. I'm glad you guys are alright." She responded genuinely, Matt staring at her blankly, Hallie unsure what else to say.
"Casey." Severide cleared his throat, Matt glancing back to him. "You ready to get to Gabby's?" He asked, Matt nodding immediately.
"Yeah, yeah let's go." He replied without hesitation, not bothering to glance back at Hallie before they continued to the exit, Matt's pace slowing every few steps.
"You good?" Severide asked, Matt giving him a nod.
"My body is just sore, and with my leg I can't move very fast, but I'm good." He responded, Kelly giving him a pointed stare.
"I wasn't really talking about that…" He replied, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.
"Yeah, I know…" He spoke, blowing out a heavy breath. "Honestly? I'm fine. I've moved on with my life, she did what she did, and I can't change it… But just because I've moved on, that doesn't mean I want to make small talk with her."
"That's understandable." Severide replied, Matt nodding as he glanced up, a soft smirk resting over his face when he saw Boden's buggy parked against the curb.
"Does Chief know you have this?" He asked with a chuckle, Kelly waving him off.
"It was either this, or I drop you off at home- excuse me, I drop you off at Dawson's place, in the truck. And considering no one else knows about you and Gabby, that would be a little hard to explain."
"Fair point." Casey responded before they climbed in the rig.
It was a rather short drive, the streets uncharacteristically quiet as Matt gave directions towards Gabby's new apartment, Severide glancing around the road as they pulled down her street.
"So, this is where you and Dawson went apartment shopping." He spoke, Matt rolling his eyes before tapping the dashboard.
"That's hers." He instructed, Kelly nodding as he came to a stop outside her apartment.
"Alright. Do I need to stay just in case she slams the door in your face?" Severide asked with a smug grin, Matt shooting him a glare before slowly climbing out of the car, grimacing at the uncomfortable movement as he got to his feet.
"Goodbye, Severide." Casey spoke, hearing Kelly's laugh until he shut the door, Matt heading for the sidewalk.
It took him about twice as long as it normally would to climb the steps up to her front door, Matt taking in the changes he could see she'd already made to the apartment from when they came and saw it all those weeks ago. From his limited view, he could see she'd put up curtains over all the windows, the drapes drawn to give her privacy, and he could also see she'd put up a fitted curtain inside, covering the glass on her front door. Taking in the few changes, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt flood his system, knowing he should've been here to help her move in. He wanted to be here to help her, but they hadn't exactly been in a good place when she moved in. And truthfully, he still didn't know exactly where they stood.
But he would find out tonight. Whatever it was, they were laying it all out in the open, and deciding how to move forward from there. He was tired of them holding back, he was tired of having to guess about what they were. There'd be no more of that, not after tonight. After everything that happened to them today, he needed to know where they stood, and what they meant to one another.
That was, as long as she'd talk to him.
Blowing out a heavy sigh, Matt brought his hand up to knock on the door, wincing slightly at the movement of his injured shoulder, Matt grasping his few belongings in his other hand.
It took a few minutes until he heard Gabby approaching, Matt able to see the change in brightness of her foyer through the curtain as she undoubtedly turned the light on, Casey not having knocked a second time, knowing she was moving slower than normal.
As he heard her turn the lock, he drew in a deep breath, watching closely as she pulled the door open, an immediate look of surprise covering her face when she saw who was standing outside her apartment.
"Hi." He murmured, Gabby's tongue poking out between her lips, nodding slightly.
"Hi." She repeated, Casey blowing out a sharp breath as he blinked quickly a few times.
"I, uh- I'm sorry for just dropping by like this but… we need to talk."
We're so close… We're almost there, I promise. Honestly, when I first mapped out this chapter, I had every intention of including their talk, but by the time I got to it, it would've been so rushed, and I didn't want that. But you all get ready, because it's coming up in the next chapter.
I hope you guys enjoyed this one, thank you so much for reading! I'm eager to hear what you think!