Hello there everyone! I'm here with the next chapter for you all, where we're gonna get a little bit into Gabby's recovery and how that's going for her and Matt. And I hope you all enjoy it.

Before we get into this one though, I wanted to let you all know that there won't be an update for this story next week. I mentioned it in the update for I Won't Let You Go, but I'm going out of town at the end of this week and won't have time to get any chapters out to you all next week. So I just wanted to let you all know now, that way you're not waiting on me next Monday and Thursday. But I should be back with my usual updates the week after next!

I think that's all I've got, thank you so much for reading everyone! I hope you enjoy, and I'll see you next time.

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FOUR

Gabby focused on the feeling of Matt's hand clasped tightly in hers while the nurse in front of her continued to check over her, the woman having gone through a number of tests ever since she got in here a little while ago. Everything from checking her vitals, to her breathing, to now checking her vision as she shined a bright light in Dawson's eyes, that caused her to wince; the nurse was thorough in making sure all her faculties were intact. And while there was still a bit of a fog in Gabby's brain from the sedation, the rest of her family appreciated how thorough this woman was being.

Especially Matt, as he hadn't left her side once since she'd woken up. He hadn't even let go of her until he had to, Casey reluctantly stepping aside when the nurse finally arrived at her room, while Camila and Ramon moved back as well. But they didn't go far either, Gabby's parents standing up against the wall as Matt stayed put in his chair.

"You okay?" Casey asked her after a moment, taking notice of the way she was reacting to the light being shone in her eyes.

"I'm okay." She repeated, her voice a bit hoarse from lack of use, as well as exhaustion, before he squeezed her hand once more, Gabby turning to face him at the contact.

She noticed his smile widen when they locked gazes, but there was something missing. His smile didn't reach his eyes, not in the way it typically would around her, as for the first time Gabby was able to really take in the sight of him.

And the man staring back at her nearly broke her heart.

He looked exhausted- beyond it, actually, his eyes swollen and red from what she could only assume to be crying. Which she guessed wasn't too surprising, as she knew he'd been crying. She'd felt the tears hit her neck when he was holding onto her after she woke up, her husband clearly relieved that she was awake. But there was also more to it, the look on his face was from more than just a few happy cries at their reunion.

This was from hours of tears, and a lack of sleep. This was from excruciating worry and fear, about her.

And even though she was still in a bit of a haze, that knowledge nearly killed her. Because she never wanted to be the reason her husband was in pain, even when it wasn't her fault.

"You sure?" Matt pressed, seeing her mind go elsewhere just then before her shining eyes snapped into focus, Gabby then slowly nodding as his thumb ran along the back of her hand.

"I'm sure." She promised after clearing her throat, while Casey gently lifted her hand up to press a kiss to her skin. "...Are you okay?" She pushed on, Gabby not exactly aware of the other eyes in the room watching them as Matt then gave her a sturdy, yet somewhat unconvincing, nod.

"I'm fine now that you're awake." He told her, truth seeping through his words as he brought his free hand up to wipe underneath his eyes.

"Matt…"

"I'm okay." He assured her, while lacing his fingers through hers. "I promise."

She was hesitant to believe him, they all could see it, but with her still being a little out of it she didn't have the energy to push him on it, so she just nodded nonetheless before slowly turning her neck back towards her nurse.

"Alright, well so far everything I'm seeing looks good." She spoke, while annotating a few things in Dawson's chart, Camila releasing a grateful breath from over by the wall while Ramon wrapped her up in a tight hug.

Gabby looked over to her parents, the watery smile on her face evident before she started to nod once or twice, silently telling them both that she was okay.

"I know your doctor will want to come look and take a look at you, as well as explain more to you about your condition… But since she's not here right now, I just want to do a few baseline questions, to kind of get a sense of where you're at. If that's something you feel up for? I know you're probably pretty tired."

Dawson nodded slowly, never letting go of Matt's hand before she spoke up. "I am, but it's fine." She told her, her voice still not sounding quite like her own. But it was getting there.

"Alright, perfect… Now to start, can you tell me your name?" The nurse asked her, while glancing between Gabby and her chart.

"Gabriela Casey." She spoke easily, those words bringing the biggest smile to Casey's face, while Ramon and Camila wore a similarly happy look across the room.

"That's right. Do you know where you are?" She moved onto her next question, Matt seeing Gabby's eyebrows furrow a bit before she eventually responded, no one around her missing how it took her a little longer this time to come to an answer.

"Uh, a hospital… In Chicago. I'm not sure which one, though." She responded truthfully, earning a sympathetic look from the nurse before she nodded.

"You're at Lakeshore, baby." Matt spoke up, Gabby nodding slowly while offering him an exhausted smile.

"You are, but you got the part we care about right. I know you don't spend too much time up here in our rooms." The nurse replied with a gentle look, before continuing on. "Now, this one might be a little more difficult, which is totally understandable.. But do you remember what happened? And why you're here?"

Gabby grimaced almost immediately at the question, those few words causing the terrible memories from that call to come rushing back, which affected Dawson more than she would've liked. So much so that her heart rate started to go up just a little bit, Matt's eyes widening while Camila took a protective step forward.

"Gabriela." She murmured comfortingly, Matt tightening his grip on her hand with both of his before Gabby slowly started to shake her head, the movement causing her injured shoulder to pinch. "It's alright if you don't want to talk about it."

"No, it's okay." She spoke, though her voice wasn't much higher than a whisper as she forced those thoughts from her mind. As much as she could, anyway. "I'm fine."

"We can do this later, Gabby." The nurse reminded her, the sweet tone to her voice making Casey a bit frustrated as while the rational part of him knew she was just doing her job, he hated that she'd brought this up to begin with.

"It's fine." She repeated, grimacing once more as another stinging pain moved through her shoulder, before disappearing. "But, um.. To answer your question, I was shot. On a call yesterday- Or, was it yesterday? I don't know." She rambled out, her eyes narrowing in thought while she tried to make sense of all the jumbled memories in her brain. "But I got shot on a call at the recreational center."

"That's right, and that was yesterday." The woman told her, while Gabby drew in a slow breath.

"So I wasn't…" Gabby started once more, her eyes falling closed for a second or two while she figured out how to voice what was going on in her mind. "I wasn't asleep for very long?"

"You weren't." She replied softly. "You were brought in yesterday afternoon, and it's only a little after five in the morning now… So not too long."

"Good." She breathed out, while Matt kissed her hand once more. "I, uh.. I don't remember that. Getting here, or even getting out of the building." She continued on, focusing her complete attention on her husband while his bright blue eyes locked on hers. "But we… we got out." She stated, the relief evident in her voice while a few fresh tears filled his eyes.

"We got out." He repeated, rubbing his hand along her arm as gratitude washed over them both, given how there was a point yesterday where neither of them were sure they'd make it out of that building alive. "We're okay." He promised her, Gabby's eyes now welling with a couple tears of her own before she nodded.

"And everyone else?" She was quick to ask. "Shay, and the rest of the house, they're all okay?"

"They are, they're fine babe." He responded just as swiftly, before she released another grateful sigh. "They've all been worried about you, but they're fine. We're all fine."

He continued to rub over her arm, Gabby nodding back at him while blinking back the tears sitting in her eyes, the couple continuing to watch one another for a lingering moment before her nurse spoke up once more.

"I know this has been a lot," She started, gaining Gabby's attention once more while Matt shifted closer to her. "And I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but there are just a few more things I need to go over with you…"

"Okay." She replied, swallowing thickly as the varying emotions from the last day were certainly taking their toll on Dawson. Especially with the overwhelming amount of exhaustion she felt creeping up in her system.

"Alright… You know you were shot in the shoulder." She stated, earning another nod from her patient. "How does it feel? Is it hurting you at all?"

Gabby waited a moment, giving herself time to really focus on what she was feeling as she noticed a deep throbbing within her shoulder and part of her arm. The same feeling she'd done her best to not focus on since waking up. "It's… uncomfortable." She managed to settle on, while the nurse nodded. "It's not unbearable, I'm not in a lot of pain right now, but I can feel it."

"Okay, thank you." She told her, marking a few more things down on her chart. "That's good to hear, that you're not in much pain… You were given some pretty heavy pain medication when you came in, and again after surgery. So odds are some of that is still in your system." She explained to her, not noticing how Gabby's eyes were beginning to fade, the paramedic having a difficult time fighting off her exhaustion while she forced herself to refocus.

But while her nurse may not have noticed, Matt certainly did, his eyebrows knitting together while he watched her. It almost came on suddenly, but he knew she was bound to be tired, as the fatigue she was feeling hit her head on while the events of the past day caught up to her.

"Now that you're awake, we'll be able to help manage your pain a little better. Get you on some medication that helps you best, but your doctor will be able to go over all of that with you." She continued on, Gabby giving her a slow nod before she yawned. "But other than you're shoulder, are you experiencing any other discomfort? Does anything else hurt?"

Dawson shook her head, another yawn escaping her lips. "Not that I can tell."

"Good, that's great to hear." The nurse replied, typing out more on Dawson's chart while a calm quiet started to fill the air around them. One that made Gabby more and more aware of just how tired she truly was.

"Can we, uh… Can we stop?" Matt requested somewhat suddenly while he kept his attention on his wife, though from his tone everyone in the room knew he wasn't necessarily asking. "She's getting tired."

The woman's face softened, Gabby giving her husband a grateful look while she relaxed back into the bed.

"Of course, absolutely.. I know it's early, and you're bound to be exhausted after everything. I'm sorry for keeping you up so long." She began to apologize profusely, Gabby soon shaking her head.

"It's fine, really. It just kind of hit me." She explained, earning an understanding nod from the woman before she exited out of her chart.

"You can go ahead and get as much rest as you need. It'll likely be awhile before your doctor is in, she had a late night here. So you'll have some time to sleep before she'll want to come talk to you." She explained, while Matt and Gabby both nodded. "But I'll relay all of this to her, and tell her how you're doing… I'll also see if it's alright to give you another dose of pain medication, just to keep the discomfort at bay." She told them, Gabby nodding once more before Matt spoke up for her.

"That would be great, thank you."

"It's no problem. I'll get out of here, you try and rest Gabby." She instructed, Dawson responding with a weak smile before the nurse quietly excused herself from the room, leaving Gabby alone with just her husband and her parents.

"You sure you're feeling alright, mija?" Ramon asked, as he and Camila returned to her bedside.

"I am, just sleepy." She responded, earning a small smile from her father.

"Alright, well like the nurse said try and rest, honey. I think your mom and I are gonna step out, and call your brother. And your Chief, he asked to be kept in the loop." The older man told her. "But we'll be back soon."

"Okay, thank you." Gabby replied, wishing she could reach out towards her parents. But with the sling holding her injured arm, she wasn't able to. "And thank you for being here."

"Oh, sweetheart." Camila breathed out, shaking her head a bit before she leaned down to give her a gentle hug. "There's no other place we'd be." She reminded her, Gabby nodding slowly before her mom kissed her head, the two women staying there for a moment or two until Camila reluctantly pulled back.

Then it only took seconds for Ramon to replace her, the father leaning down and carefully holding onto his daughter while making sure not to hurt her. "We're so glad you're okay, Gabriela." The father murmured, Gabby swallowing down the emotion in her throat as he lifted back up, before reaching down to wipe away a few of her tears. "I love you."

"I love you too, Papa." She spoke softly, more tears leaking from her eyes while Ramon continued to wipe them away. "And I love you, Mama."

"We love you, mija." She responded lovingly, the parents sharing one last sentimental moment with their daughter before slowly leaving the room as well, closing the door behind them while Matt and Gabby stayed in the same place they'd been since yesterday.

Neither of them said anything at first, Matt content enough to just sit here with her and focus on how relieved he was for her to be awake. While also knowing well enough that Gabby needed some time to clear her thoughts, his finger continuing to stroke the back of her hand while his eyes stayed on her, as she continued to relax more and more into the hospital bed. Or, at least as much as she could given the state of her arm.

For a minute he thought she might've already fallen asleep, but when she opened her eyes seconds later he knew she was still awake, Matt watching as she squinted a bit before closing her eyes, Gabby then repeating the process a couple more times before turning to look at him.

"You okay, baby?" He asked, his voice as soft and gentle as ever. Enough to bring a smile to her face while he reached up to stroke the side of her head.

"Yeah." She responded after a moment. "Just can't get comfortable."

He frowned a bit, Casey wishing there was anything he could do to make this easier for her as he gave her hand a firm squeeze. "I know, I'm sorry… Want me to get the light, that might help?" He suggested, Gabby mulling over his offer before she nodded.

"If you don't mind."

"Of course not." He told her, Matt pressing another kiss to her hand before slowly started to get up, Gabby continuing to smile at him.

That was, until she saw him move, her face soon falling when she registered how he was unable to put much of any weight on his leg.

She hadn't noticed anything wrong before, her mind in too much of a haze to understand what was happening around her when she first woke up. And even afterwards, Matt had been in that same seat ever since the nurse came in, she didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. But now that he was up and trying to move, she was seeing it clear as day; that something was wrong with her husband.

And that scared her.

For as tired as she'd been moments prior, that feeling soon went away and was replaced with nothing but worry. Worry that only deepened when she saw him reaching for the crutches that she just now noticed leaning up against the wall.

"Matt…" She spoke, the tone in her voice immediately concerning him as he turned around soon after getting balanced on his crutches, Casey wanting to know what was wrong.

But the second he looked at her, he knew, his face softening as he watched her wide eyes move between the crutches he was using and his leg that was lifted up off the ground.

"Gabby-"

"What happened?" She cut him off, Casey forcing in a deep breath once Gabby met his eyes. "Did you get hurt?"

"I'm okay." He sidestepped the question, feeling it more important to let her know he was fine before anything else, given how worried she was. "I'm alright, it's okay."

"How did you get hurt? You told me you were okay." She continued on, almost like she hadn't heard him, Gabby wracking her brain to try and remember any instance of when he could've gotten injured yesterday.

But she couldn't. She knew he was fine when he found her in that closet, and for what little she could remember afterwards, nothing had happened to where he could've been injured. Nothing except the spray of bullets she remembered hearing while Matt shielded her body with his.

That thought nearly made her sick to her stomach, Gabby slowly starting to shake her head while Matt reached out towards her.

"Did you… Were you shot?" She asked, like she was afraid of the question as fresh tears gathered in her eyes, Casey pursing his lips together before he slowly moved to sit down on the edge of her bed.

Before he said anything, he grabbed ahold of her hand once more, Gabby giving it willingly while her distressed eyes looked over him.

"Matt, did you get shot?" She asked again when he had yet to respond, her husband wincing just for a moment before giving her the slightest nod.

"I did."

A few of the tears sitting in her eyes instantly fell, like she couldn't stop them even if she wanted to as he began to roughly shake his head.

"I did get shot, but I'm okay. I swear to you I am." He said over and over, hoping that at some point she'd believe it. Though he couldn't blame her for what she was feeling now, as he'd been even more of a mess when he found out she was hurt.

"How did you get shot, was it in the closet? Did he find us?" She rushed out quickly, clearly needing to know whatever details he could give as her mind was racing.

And though Matt knew she needed the rest, he gave in and told her what went on, as she deserved to know. So, as slowly as he could, he began to tell her what all happened in that building after she lost consciousness. From him and Shay deciding to what to do, to him choosing to leave with her, to him running into the gunman and getting shot, he told her everything. All he could remember, he told her, the look on her face paining him the entire time as he could tell she was upset, and scared for him.

"But they got him, he's gone… And you and I both got out of there, everything's fine." He finished, Gabby taking in a slow, albeit shaking breath before she replied.

"I… I don't even know what to say, I hate that you got hurt because of me." She told him, earning nothing but a quick shake of his head.

"That doesn't matter."

"Yes it does matter, Matt." She pushed back, the tears still visible in her eyes.

"No, it doesn't." He fought gently, while reaching up to cradle her cheek. "It doesn't, because nothing matters more than you… Not to me, at least." He told her honestly, his words sending a rush of different emotions through her body. "And if protecting you means getting hurt, that's a risk I'm always willing to take. A thousand times, I'd choose you no matter what happened to me. As long as it means you're safe."

Her bottom lip trembled before she slowly nodded, as no matter how hard it was to hear that her husband had been hurt, she knew he meant every word he was saying. There wasn't a doubt in her mind about that.

Because she'd do the exact same for him.

"But I'm fine, and you're fine… We're both okay." He repeated, getting the sense she needed to hear it as she breathed in deeply, before nodding once more.

"...Are you sure your leg is okay?" She asked him, while he ran his thumb along her cheekbone.

"I am." He promised, his voice sounding as sure as she'd heard maybe all day. "I got checked out while you were in surgery, they got the bullet out." He explained, not missing the way she winced at his statement. But she needed to know. "There was no extensive damage, I just have a few stitches. And I'll need to keep the weight off it for a few days or so, but I'm fine."

She took in all he was saying, Gabby letting her eyes fall closed while it sunk in, the woman needing an extra moment or two to really grasp all of this before she eventually nodded.

"Okay." She spoke in a whisper after opening her eyes, Matt giving her a reassuring smile before he carefully leaned forward and placed his lips on hers.

He could feel her relaxing beneath his touch, both of them needing this moment more than they realized as they slowly moved together before pulling back. But he never went too far, as he rested his forehead down against hers.

"I love you… And I'm so glad you're alright." She murmured, Matt's smile widening slightly before he leaned forward for another soft, yet quick kiss.

"I love you, too."

Casey was leaned back the slightest bit in his chair by Gabby's bedside, the couple's hands still intertwined while they were focused on the television across the room, where a random house hunting show had been playing for most of the afternoon. Though Gabby had only caught bits and pieces of it, as she'd spent the entire day getting as much rest as she could.

After her and Matt's talk early this morning, she'd ended up sleeping until almost noon, the rest certainly good for her as taking it easy was a big part of her recovery. Then once she'd woken up, she really only stayed awake long enough to try and eat a little bit, as well as giving time for her doctor to come by and see her.

The visit was rather short, which Matt took as a good thing, Dr. Lewis merely explaining to Gabby about the condition of her shoulder and what they did to repair it, as well as talk through some of the other issues she'd come in with, like blood loss. Before finishing up their talk with what comes next, and what she should expect in the upcoming days and weeks; which was a lot of rest, getting her on a new pain medication, and possibly some rehab depending on how she healed.

But other than that, they hadn't discussed much else, Dr. Lewis wishing her well before making her way out of the room and leaving them be.

And ever since then, no one had really come by and bothered them. There had been a few visits from various nurses, to either administer drugs or just do a quick check. But other than that, the only people in and out of here had been Gabby's parents, and her brother. And, truthfully, Matt was a little grateful for it, as he knew Gabby needed as much rest as possible.

Which is exactly why he was glad to see her still dozing in and out now, Matt and her parents staying as quiet as possible the entire day so she could relax, the husband content to sit here and keep his leg elevated, while Ramon and Camila stayed in their usual chairs on the opposite side of the bed.

"Hey Papa?" Gabby spoke after a few quiet moments, her voice thick with sleep as Ramon looked up from his book towards his daughter, with a sweet smile on his face. "Do you mind getting me some water?" She questioned, glancing towards the water cup that was sitting on the tray by her injured shoulder, knowing she couldn't reach it. And with Matt's injury, she was trying to keep him from moving as much as possible.

Luckily, her dad gave her a nod almost immediately before placing his book down, Ramon then getting up out of his chair and taking a few steps towards her water glass.

"Thank you."

"It's no problem, mija." He murmured, filling the cup with fresh water and holding it out to her, Gabby carefully dropping her hand from Matt's so she could take a drink. "Do you need anything else? Are you hungry, I can ask the nurse if you can have something?"

She shook her head once she finished her drink, Gabby handing him back the cup with a grateful smile on her face. "I'm alright, I'm not really hungry." She explained, Ramon giving her a nod as he leaned down to press a quick kiss to her forehead.

"Okay sweetheart, just let us know if that changes."

"I will." She told him, before he started to head back to his seat.

While he moved, the sound of knocking on the door filled the small room, all four of them glancing over just as the door opened and Boden came into view. The man was wearing a small, hesitant smile, their Chief pausing in the doorway before Gabby gave him a welcoming nod.

"Hey Chief." She greeted, after clearing her throat, Matt waving him in. "I wasn't expecting you to stop by, it's great to see you."

"You too, Dawson… And I'm sorry for coming by unaccounted, but you look like you're doing well. A lot better than the last time I saw you." He commented, as Casey turned the volume on the television down.

"I'm hanging in there." She replied honestly, Camila smiling sadly while Boden gave her a strong nod.

"Good. I'm glad to hear it." He said lightly, as just being able to see his PIC awake and alert made him feel better for the first time since yesterday.

"So, what brings you by?" Casey asked, knowing in his few texts with his Chief throughout the day, Boden hadn't mentioned anything about coming to the hospital.

"Well.. I was actually hoping to speak with you for a moment, Casey." He told him, Matt and Gabby wearing a similar look of surprise before the Lieutenant slowly nodded. "Nothing's wrong, I just wanted to chat if you had a second."

"Yeah, um- sure." He responded, before glancing back towards his wife. "As long as you're okay?"

"I'm fine, babe." She promised, Matt giving her a soft smile before he started the slow process of getting up, Boden wincing a bit as he watched his firefighter move unsteadily. "Thanks for coming by, Chief."

"Of course, yeah. I'm glad you're doing better, Gabby." He told her, Dawson offering him a soft smile before he followed Casey out into the hallway, pulling the door closed behind him.

"You sure everything's alright, Chief?" Casey asked once he knew Gabby couldn't hear them, Matt steadying himself on his crutches while Boden gave a strong nod.

"Everything's fine, I promise… I just wanted to talk to you about the call, and wasn't sure I should do it in front of Gabby." He responded, a knowing look beginning to cover Matt's face before he slowly nodded.

"Oh, okay… Yeah, I appreciate you not doing that in there." He replied, as Boden smiled sadly. "I'd rather not bring it up around her, when I don't have to."

"That's understandable." He responded, while Casey leaned some of his weight back into the wall, in an effort to relieve some of the pressure on his good leg. "But she's really doing okay?" He checked, catching Matt's gaze.

"She is." He assured him. "Or, as okay as she can be. But we're fine, just trying to make sense of all this, I guess."

"I get it, Casey… And honestly, that's part of why I'm here." Boden told him, watching as Matt's eyebrows furrowed just a bit, waiting for him to continue. "I, uh… Earlier today I was told why the gunman was there. Why he did what he did." He started, Casey's back straightening a little before Boden continued. "And I wasn't sure if you'd want to know, or if Gabby would want to."

"I do." Matt told him, Wallace drawing in a deep breath.

"I figured you would, that's why I came… But from what I know, that man went in there and shot up the building because of his ex-wife." He explained, Casey's face remaining blank. "I guess she left him, and he couldn't handle it. Their family told the cops that he wanted her back, and she wouldn't budge. She got a restraining order, did everything she could to get away from him… But it wasn't enough. She worked at the recreational center, so he went there to kill her, and then likely kill himself. The cops just got to him before he could."

There was a heavy, uncomfortable silence surrounding them, Matt unable to pinpoint exactly what he was feeling as he tried to understand what was being told to him, his mind then going back to yesterday, and some of what that man had said to him while he had a gun pointed at him.

"Did he-" Casey stopped himself, clearing his throat a bit before he kept on. "Did he get to her?"

"He did." Boden answered, Matt's face staying unreadable as he stared ahead. "The woman Dawson and Shay were sent in to help, that was her." He added on, before Casey's head fell towards the ground. "From what the police know, it looks like she was the first victim… They don't know why he stayed after that. Probably because he never had any plans to actually get out of there alive."

Matt forced himself to take another breath, his head shaking from side to side before he slowly looked back up. "So he decided to stay and ruin as many lives as he could." He spoke, his voice lacking emotion as Boden's mouth turned down into a frown.

"...It looks that way." He answered, wishing he had a better response for him. But he didn't.

"That's just… I'll never understand how someone could do that." Casey spoke under his breath, gripping onto the handle on his crutches a bit tighter while he worked through his emotions. "Do the police- do they know how many people he killed?" He asked him, though Matt wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know the answer. Especially not with the look that came to Boden's face.

"They, um.. There's a few people still in critical condition, so it might take a while to know for sure. But right now, it's thirteen."

Casey felt like he'd gotten hit in the stomach the second he heard the number, that familiar nauseous feeling taking over his system again before he forced it down as best he could.

"That's… God, I don't even know what to say."

"I know. I felt the same way." Boden replied sympathetically. "But I thought you should know what was going on, since you and Gabby…" He trailed off, not needing to finish his sentence as Matt knew exactly what he was going to say.

"Yeah… Thanks Chief." He said, his voice a little hard to hear as Boden gave him a nod, before clasping him on the shoulder. "I guess I'm gonna go back in there to Gabby... I'd invite you in, but she really needs to rest."

"I understand, Matt." He responded softly, the firefighter offering him a weak look before he started to crutch past him back towards the door. Though he didn't get very far before Boden's voice stopped him. "... Casey?"

Matt slowly turned back around, his eyebrows raising a bit while he silently waited for Boden to continue.

"While I was at the police station today, they told me his name… The gunman." He started, Matt's entire body going rigid while he looked at his boss. "And, I wasn't sure if you wanted to know, but-"

"I don't." Matt cut him off, Boden letting out a soft sigh before he nodded. "I appreciate it, but… No, I don't want to know."

"Okay." He told him, the two men sharing one last understanding look before Casey slowly made his way back inside the room, where Gabby, Camila, and Ramon were all still in the same places he'd left them.

"There you are." Gabby spoke softly, her tired voice enough to bring a smile to Matt's face as he made his way back to his seat, Casey not missing the way Ramon's gaze kept going behind him. "What did Boden want?"

Casey paused for a second, placing his crutches against the wall before slowly sitting down. "It wasn't anything really, just about the call yesterday." He settled on, Gabby taking a slow breath before she nodded.

"Was it something bad?" Ramon asked, Matt looking across the room at them for a moment before glancing back to Gabby, seeing the same questioning look on her face until he began to shake his head.

"No, everything's okay." He told them, Gabby giving him a small smile before she reached for his hand and settled back into the bed, Matt returning to his previous position as well why they watched TV. Though it was hard to focus on much happening in front of him, as his mind was still out in that hallway.

A part of him felt like he should've told Gabby. That he should've let her know what Boden said. But the other part of him couldn't help but fear that it would do more harm than good. That, at least right now, nothing good would come from her finding out how many people had died, and that she was almost one of them. It would do nothing but make this harder, and he refused to do that to her.

She'd likely find out eventually. He knew that. With something like this, there'd be no way to keep it from her.

But that wasn't something that had to be dealt with today.