Of All Ages

Casey opened the front door, returning home from another shift, and was immediately met with the sight of Kelly sitting on the couch with his foot propped up. "Oh good, you didn't do anything stupid while I was gone."

"Like I could," Kelly replied. He'd sprained his ankle so badly on a call last shift that he'd been forced to sit out yesterday's shift. He'd kept it elevated, put ice on it, put an ankle brace on it, and so far none of it was doing him much good.

"You worked with a broken neck, I'm honestly surprised a turned ankle could stop you," Matt said.

"Yeah well even if I tried, I wouldn't get far and we both know it," Kelly responded.

"Did you eat last night?"

"Yeah."

"You had breakfast yet?"

"No," Kelly answered.

"What sounds good?" Matt asked.

"Anything."

"How about pancakes and ham steaks?"

"That'd be great," Kelly answered. "How'd it go?"

"Oh we survived without you," Casey answered sarcastically.

"Funny," Kelly tossed a pillow at him. As Casey set his duffel bag down by the door Kelly saw something sticking out of of a side flap and asked him, "What's that?"

Casey looked, "Oh. That kid that we pulled out of that car wreck two shifts ago?"

"Yeah?"

"His mom stopped by the firehouse today, the hospital sent him home, he's still going to be on bed rest for a couple days but he's doing well. She brought this in from him. I guess as a 'thank you' for getting him out."

Casey pulled out a DVD and all but dropped it in Severide's lap. Kelly picked it up and read the title, "'The Halloween Tree'".

"You ever see it?" Casey asked.

"Mmmm," Kelly thought, "I remember something about it, I think I was about 13, too old for cartoons."

"Says a guy whose favorite movie is 'Space Jam'," Casey pointed out. "Well anyway, she was insistent I take it, I guess he was insistent about giving it to us, so for his sake I told her we'd watch it."

Kelly shrugged, "Why not? I got nothing to do today anyway."

Casey headed to the kitchen and said, "I'll get breakfast going, we can check it out later."

"Yeah, sure, why not?" Kelly leaned back against the couch, "It might be cute."

Cute was the very last word on either firefighter's mind as they sat together on the couch watching the ending credits.

"Wow..." Casey said in awe, not sure what else to say. "That was..."

"Definitely not expecting that in a kids' movie," Kelly threw in.

Casey shook his head, "Nope."

"You couldn't make a movie like that for kids today," Kelly said.

Casey shook his head again, "Probably not."

"Now I'm sorry I didn't see it when I was a kid," Kelly noted, "that was great."

"Oh I anticipate we'll be watching it again before the season's over," Matt commented.

"Probably more than once," Kelly added.

"She said it was her son's favorite movie, now I think I know why," Casey told him as he stood up from the couch.

Kelly yawned and stretched his arms over his head and asked Matt, "What've you got planned for today?"

"Oh I got a laundry list of errands," Casey answered, "I gotta get my truck washed, drop off some bills, pick up groceries, I'll be back in time to start lunch."

Kelly tiredly nodded.

"You sleep last night?" Casey asked.

Kelly grunted and shrugged, "Off and on."

Casey grabbed his jacket, "You just take it easy, and stay off that foot."

"All well and good until I have to get to the bathroom," Kelly replied as he laid down on the couch.

Casey grabbed his wallet and his keys, and when he turned back around it looked like Kelly was about asleep already. But as he headed for the door, Severide said to him, "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what?" Casey turned back to face him.

Kelly's eyes were only half open as he asked him, "Would you give a year of your life to save my life?"

Casey silently walked over to the couch and told Kelly, "I'd give my whole life for you." And in the air hung the unspoken addition, that he had come very close several times over the years on their job.

"I know," Kelly nodded, "But I mean," he pointed to the TV, "if this particular situation was real, you had a choice to sacrifice one year to save me...would you do it?"

With hardly a beat, Casey answered, "Without question."

Kelly wearily nodded and replied, "I would for you too."

"I know you would," Casey told him. "That's the kind of person you are. The kind of friend you are."

Kelly smiled as his eyes closed and his head dropped down to his chest. Casey pulled down the blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over Kelly before turning around and heading out the door.