Blame Twitter for putting this idea into my head. I couldn't get it out of my head, so this has happened.
Will see some of what was actually said in the first episode of the season. (Out of order though. Sorry if it's weird.)
Chapter One
Andy was back in Jack's hospital room after her first call out as captain. It hadn't gone as smoothly as she would have liked but everyone was safe, and the team got to count that as a win even though she was slightly disappointed in herself for nearly freezing when they had to change course from the original plan.
Andy looked down, staring at her hand in Jack's and wishing he would wake up. "God, Jack. I am so sorry. I should've gotten you to a doctor sooner. Maybe this could've been avoided but I need you to wake up, Jack. I need you to get better. I cannot lose anyone else. I can't lose my brother." Andy felt her eyes well up and she was about to let the tears fall.
"I really hope you do a better job looking out for the team than you did me." Andy heard so she looked up around the room only to be faced with Jack's ghost or whatever the fuck her imagination was making her see. "You really should've seen this coming."
Andy closed her eyes. "You think they're going to trust you?" Andy opened her eyes and looked at Jack. "I mean, you couldn't even keep me safe, your best friend."
Andy couldn't take it anymore. "Stop. Stop it, stop it." Andy looked away and closed the curtains in the room. "You're not gonna pin it on me or use it to make me doubt myself. I worked my ass off to get to where I am. I've given my life to this station. I've tried to support every single one of the people when they got promoted over me." Andy teared up. "I'm sorry you won't be a firefighter again. I really am. But what happened to you is not my fault and I'm sure as hell not gonna give up everything I've ever wanted because of it. I deserve to be captain, and I am going to be better at it than Bishop, and Beckett, and Ruiz and Sullivan." Andy looks Jack dead in the eyes. "Better than my dad. I'm gonna be the best damn captain this station has ever seen." Andy said, tearing up, once again.
"Now you get it," Jack said. Andy sniffled and fell onto the chair near Jack's bed.
It was silent for a couple of moments when Maya walked in.
"Hey, I heard it went well. That's positive."
Andy looked at Jack, lying in the bed. "Yeah. If he would just wake up" Andy inhaled deeply.
"He will," Maya told her and continued after a beat of silence. "Can I say something as your friend?"
Jack's ghost chuckles. "Oh, this ought to be good."
"it's natural to be stressed in this situation. First shift in charge. Jack.. The last day and a half of chaos. Emotions can rise and get the best of you."
"She's saying you can't cry," Jack told her.
"Hmm" was all Andy was able to get out. "I'm not gonna cry." She said, more to Jack than to Maya.
"It's not fair, I know. But as a woman in charge, you have the weight of every woman in the department on your shoulders."
"That's what you said to her when she was captain," Jack quipped.
"It's different now." Andy stammered. "We have a woman as chief."
"Yeah, but for how much longer?" Maya was quick to reply. "If Osman fires her, a thousand bucks says he appoints a good ole boy and we're back to the way it was." Maya looks at Andy, yet to notice that her eyes are showing more emotion than her face is. "It's not enough to be strong. You have to be tough. We don't have the luxury of screwing up, not even once."
"Hate to admit it, but she's right," Jack said, and Andy looked down.
"I'm just down the hall if you need me." Maya offered.
"Thank you," Andy mumbled, Maya already halfway out of the room. Andy turned and looked at Jack. I should've noticed that he wasn't okay sooner. He's right. How can I keep a whole station safe when I couldn't even recognize one of my own wasn't physically okay? Andy thought to herself.
Andy stood up, wiped her sweaty palms on her pants, opened the curtains and then walked out. Keeping her head down as she did. She hadn't realized she walked past some of 19 until Vic called out and when Andy didn't respond she got up and walked to Andy.
"Andy!" Vic tried again but when Andy didn't respond she ran to catch her and turn her around. "What's going on? Is Jack okay?"
Andy sighed, trying to keep her emotions in check. "He's alive. He's going to wake up." Andy told Vic and she sighed, and Vic saw the look of devastation on Andy's face.
"There's something else, isn't there?" Vic asked, trying to hold one of Andy's hands but Andy pulled back. "Andy?"
"He's never going to be a firefighter again. He's at risk of developing a CTE and Dr. Shepherd said that he's done. That no doctor would clear him, nor would the department." Andy told her in one breath. Not wanting to talk about it any longer than needed.
"Shit," Vic said and looked down and Andy took the chance to escape and rush to the exit of the hospital.
She got to the exit and ran the rest of the way to her car and just broke down once she was inside. What the fuck do I do now?
This is going to be an emotional story. For both Andy and Vic. And possibly some others but right now I only have ideas for those two.