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Chapter Text

Severide's heart dropped as he realized that he and Kannell wouldn't be able to move the forklift out of the way. It was too heavy and with just the two of them, they'd blow their backs out before it even moved an inch. And with the fire almost fully engulfing the building, there was no other way for them to get through and rescue the trapped 81 members. Mouch and Hermann would be the hardest since they were down on the ground floor and the building had collapsed in so many areas, but Casey… he was on the floor with them. If he and Kannell were only able to get through they could help clear a path so the lieutenant could escape.

Regardless of how futile it was, Severide kept going, counting with Kannell as they pushed together, muscles screaming in protest as sweat beaded down Severide's was no way he was going to leave his brother to die, especially not when they were this close.

The sound of voices crackled through the radio, cutting through the tense silence over the line. Chief was talking and Severide heard Casey respond but couldn't make out what was said over the roar of fire on Casey's end and the banging as he and Kannell kept trying to push their way through the only entrance to the rest of the wing.

"Gabby…" Casey's voice crackled through, much clearer than before. Shit. He had taken his mask off. He had given up hope of getting out. Severide held out a hand and Kannell paused. He needed to hear what Casey was about to say.

"... You're my miracle Gabby. I love you… goodbye."

Severide's heart plummeted further into his chest. Casey was letting them know he was a lost cause- to abandon him and do what they needed to do.

"Chief, we can't leave him to die! We're only a few rooms away, there has to be something we can do to save him!" Severide yelled over the radio, frantic.

"I'm sorry Severide. There's nothing we can do. The fire has blocked all the exits. I'm… I'm going to fire the cannons. Get yourself somewhere safe and ride it out until we can come in."

Severide froze and locked gazes with Kannell. They would be fine; the room they were in was at the far corner and not as heavily on fire. The steam would be minimal. But Casey… he was in the middle of it all. He would get cooked. Not to mention Mouch, already in critical condition, and Hermann down below. But he also knew that Chief wouldn't make this decision lightly. If he said it was the only way, it was the only way. He just had to hope that his brothers could find a spot to ride it out.

Severide closed his eyes and tilted his head back as he grabbed his radio. "Copy, chief. Me and Kannell are clear on the far side of the building. Do what you have to do."

Severide and Kannell drew back from the flames and got low, making sure that no area of skin was exposed. They practically held their breath as Boden counted down and the building gave a shuddering groan as multiple water hoses rained down upon it.

Time became a blur. Severide had no idea how long they crouched there as the room filled with steam, their breath fogging on their masks as the room hearted up. But when the thunderous roar of the water ebbed away until only steady trips could be heard, Severide knew things had only just begun. Now they needed to save their family.

With the eerie silence, Severide stood and listened for any sound, something to tell him his brothers were alive, but only the steady drips of water reached his ears.

"Severide, report!" Boden yelled over the radio, panic clear in his normally calm voice.

"I'm good chief, Kannell too. We need some gear up here so we can get to Casey! A forklift is blocking the only entrance"

"Thank god," Boden said and Severide could hear relieved murmurs in the background. "We're on our way to you. Hold tight."

A few minutes later Severide heard thuds as someone came up the stairs, moving debris out of their path. A heartbeat later Boden arrived, ropes and anchors points in hand.

"Mouch?" Severide asked as he took the rope from Boden and started hooking it to the forklift while Kannell secured their anchors to give them more leverage.

"Cruz just got to him. Hermann was still doing CPR on him. Hermann's okay for the most part, just some burns. But Mouch wasn't breathing when Cruze got there. He's being brought to an ambulance as we speak."

Severide secured the last knot and handed Boden one of the ropes. "Chief, this is bad. Casey's part of the warehouse was fully engulfed."

"I know," Boden said, stopping briefly to look Severide in the eyes. They both knew what that meant. The amount of steam wouldn't have been survivable.

Kannell joined them, grabbing the last rope and all three men pulled in tandem. It took a lot of effort, but finally the forklift budges, shifting just enough to the left that they could squeeze through.

"Kannell, go back!" Boden said as he dropped his rope, Severide following suit as he rushed to climb through the opening. "Me and Severide got this. Get me two backboards and bring some more men with you. Casey said he found someone before he got trapped."

Kannell nodded and hurried down the stairs. Wordlessly, Boden followed Severide through the opening and they began making their way through the maze of debris. The air was thick with smoke and steam, their mask fogging up from the heat, which made it difficult to see anything in front of them. As they cleared more fallen beans and burned furniture, Severide paused as a new sound caught his attention.

"Wait, Chief, do you hear that?"

Boden stopped and looked in the same direction as Severide. In the distance there was the faint wail of a PASS alarm.

"It's Casey, let's go!"

They picked up the pace, throwing aside debris carelessly, fuelled by the growing volume of Casey's alarm. When they reached the room Casey had said he was in, they heard the alarm but it took them a moment to figure out where it was coming from since the haze was even thicker in this part of the building and Casey was nowhere in sight.

Severide scanned the floor and jumped forward when he spotted the flashing red light connected to Casey's PASS device.

"There!" He said as he knelt next to a large metal case, and Boden followed suit. They each grabbed a side, lifting the heavy case that Casey had used as shelter from the steam. That had been smart of Casey and Severide could only hope that it had helped him survive.

They hefted the case off to the side and Severide's breath caught as he saw Casey laying there, face down and not moving.

"Casey!" He shouted as he reached over and rolled the man onto his back. There were no burns on him, but his face was bright red, sweat covering every inch of him. His SCBA was missing but it only took one glance to see where it had gone. Casey had placed it over the victim to give them air while they were trapped.

Severide leaned down and released a shaky breath as he touched his fingers to Casey's neck. He had a pulse. It was weak, but there.

"He's alive!" Severide said as he turned to Boden. "Victim's alive too. We need to get them out of here ASAP."

"Chief!" A voice called and Kannell walked into the room, backboards in hand and more men behind him. Together they wasted no time in loading Casey and the victim before carefully hauling them out.

As soon as they were back out in the sun, Severide ripped his SCBA off, keeping one hand firmly grasped on Casey's backboard, as they rushed him over to where Brett and Dawson were anxiously waiting.

"Oh my god," Dawson said as she rushed forward, her eyes red and face tear-streaked.

"He's alive," Severide reassured them as they placed Casey on the stretcher.

"Where did you find him?" Dawson asked as she rushed over, already beginning to check Casey's vitals. "Is he burned anywhere?"

"He used a large metal cabinet as cover. He and the civilian were under there. I don't think he's burned anywhere, but it definitely got hot under there and he was stuck for a good while. Plus he's probably suffering from smoke inhalation since he took his mask off and put it on the civilian."

Dawson nodded, placing the stethoscope in her ears as she listened to his chest. "Pulse is good, but his breathing is a bit wheezy. He's also burning up, we need to get him cooled down. Now."

Brett nodded. "I'll drive," she said, already rushing toward the driver's side of the ambulance.

"We'll meet you there," Severide said as he helped her load the stretcher into the ambulance.

Dawson shot him a quick look before he shut the door. "Thank you," she said and then the doors were shut and the ambulance was off.

Severide paced across the waiting room floor as the rest of 51 sat silently. They were waiting on news about both Mouch and Casey. The last they had heard, Mouch had been revived and Casey was still unconscious.

Hermann sat with the rest of the group. His gear had protected him. Beside the burns on his neck from the steam, which had been treated and covered, he was fine. Exhausted from the CPR and the trauma of watching his friend have a heart attack in front of him, but alive.

A doctor approached the group and Dawson shot out of her seat from where she had been resting with her head in her hands.

"Is Matt okay?"

The doctor gave a small smile. "Matt is recovering well. We gave him a cooled IV and his temperature is almost back to normal. He's on oxygen for the smoke inhalation, but after a night here I think it's safe to say he'll make a full recovery."

Dawson sagged in relief and Severide placed an arm around her shoulders. Matt was going to be okay.

"What about Mouch?" Chief asked as he stepped forward.

"Prognosis is looking good. It turned out to be a minor block in his heart. We're monitoring him carefully, but with lots of rest he should also make a full recovery."

The tension in the air seemed to dissipate like fog in the sun. Their men would be okay. They had gotten everyone out alive.

"Can we see them?" Dawson asked.

"Mr. McHolland needs rest right now and his wife is with him, but I can allow you to see your husband for a little bit."

"Can I come?" Severide asked, needing to see Matt for himself.

The doctor hesitated for a moment but when she saw the look on both of their faces, she agreed. "Alright, but just you two."

Severide turned toward Boden. "Go," Their Chief said, a small smile on his face. Let me know how he is. We'll all be here."

Severide nodded and turned, jogging to catch up to Dawson and the doctor. They walked down the busy hall and stopped as the doctor gestured to a door on her left. "Just in here. Visiting hours end in an hour so you'll have to leave then." And then she was gone, leaving them to visit with Casey alone.

Severide opened the door and Dawson rushed in.

"Matt!" She cried, rushing to his side where she grabbed his hand. Casey's head turned toward her before he opened his eyes and a smile broke out onto his face.

"Gabby," he said, his voice hoarse.

While he had an IV in one arm and an oxygen cannula in his nose, Casey looked good. The redness in his face had gone down and Severide could see that breathing was easier for the lieutenant.

"I thought I lost you," Dawson sobbed as she grabbed Casey in a tight hug, mindful of the tubes and wires attached to him.

"I thought I was a goner," Matt whispered and Severide saw tears run down the man's face.

"Don't ever do that to me again, you hear me Matthew Casey?" Dawson said as she pulled back, staring intently into his eyes.

Casey reached up and brushed a few tears off her cheek. "I promise I'll do my best."

Dawson gave a wobbly smile and sat in the chair next to the bed before she turned to look at Severide, wiping a few more tears from her face. "Oh, I forgot! Someone's here to see you."

Casey turned toward the door and smiled a bit wider when he saw Severide standing there.

"Sev, you okay?"

Severide closed the distance between him and Casey, reaching down to give him a quick hug before standing on the man's other side.

"Me? I'm fine. You're the one who cooked himself like a turkey."

Casey chuckled but it turned into a cough. Luckily it didn't last long and he brushed off Dawson's concern with a small wave.

"Close one, huh?" Casey said softly, eyes bright with emotion as he stared at Severide.

Severide felt his eyes get hot as he thought back to the moment he had heard that Casey was trapped. "Man, I was only a few rooms over. Me and Kannell tried everything, but we couldn't get through. I didn't know what would happen if I got out and you didn't. When you said goodbye…" He cleared his throat as emotion choked him. He had been so close to Casey yet he couldn't do a thing to help him.

"But it all worked out," Casey said, ever the optimist.

"Yes it did," Severide said and clapped Casey softly on the shoulder. This time, they had all gotten out.

Chapter Text

Late August was always a war zone when it came to the outdoors. Each shift, 51 had to battle the wasps on calls and as they did drills in front of the fire house. It was at the point in the season where the wasps were getting dopey, anticipating the approaching fall, and this caused many instances of the buzzing creatures to hover and fly right into you instead of avoiding you like they normally did.

Casey waved a hand around his head, shooing away the third wasp in the last half an hour as he set up the ropes for the next drill he was running with 81. With the amount of wasps they were seeing, there had to be a nest somewhere on the roof. He'd make sure to check that out later in the evening when it cooled down and the wasps were less busy.

"Ready Kidd? You're going up against Otis next," Casey said as he grabbed the ropes he had prepared and stepped onto the truck's ladder to the aerial.

"Ready Captain!" She replied as she suited up, pulling her helmet onto her head.

Casey climbed up the steps and started up the aerial when Otis asked, "Come on, Captain. Do we really have to be out here running drills? I'm sweating through my bunker gear here."

Pausing, Casey turned and shot a look at Otis who promptly closed his mouth. Even with the distance between them, Casey's no-nonsense face was hard to miss.

"Right. Sorry, Captain. Ready to go."

Casey nodded and turned, chuckling a little once his face was out of sight. While funny, it really was hot out. Casey was sweating just as much, his back damp as the sun beat heavily on their backs, but drills were important to keep their skills sharp and being uncomfortable was part of the job. If anything, it added an extra element to help hone their skills while working through less than desirable conditions.

81's current drill was to test their speed. Each firefighter was paired with someone and they would each take a turn running the course. The first part was to climb the aerial where they would then repel down from the top of the ladder. Once on the ground, they had to unfasten themselves and run through a small obstacle course Casey had set up. It would make them crawl, jump, and maneuver in different ways, judging how well they could navigate tough terrain. Whether it was a crumbling building, debris from a wreck, or any other possibility from the daily accidents they responded to, they needed to be prepared for anything.

Casey was almost finished securing the top anchor points for the repelling portion when a high pitch buzzing in his right ear caused him to jump. Once again, a wasp had made its annoying presence known. He brushed at it absentmindedly as he focused on securing the last knots. The safety of his team was of most importance. He needed to make sure these ropes would hold as they did their drills.

Just as he stood, preparing to turn around and head back down the aerial ladder, a sharp hot sensation at the back of his neck made him gasp, jerking upright as he instinctively palmed his neck. His hand hit something small and he felt it drop further down his back, trapped somewhere in his gear.

"Damn it," he muttered, tentatively feeling his neck. He winced when his fingers came in contact with a small bump. The wasp had stung him! He was so going to look for that nest now. But first he needed-

His thoughts were cut short when another flair of hot pain rippled across his back, lower this time.

He groaned, his arms flailing to try and dislodge the insect from his bunker gear. His movements only seemed to make the wasp angrier, however, as it began to sting him again and again. With each sting, his back became hotter with the pain, the venom flowing through his skin.

Casey flung his arms out, desperately trying to get his coat off, but each time he moved he got stung.

"You okay up there Captain?" He heard Kidd call from below.

"There's a wasp in my gear!" Casey grunted. His back felt like it was actually on fire now.

Finally, he was able to slip one arm free and slide his coat off, shrugging it off the other arm where it fell to the ground below. The sharp pain of new stings stopped, the intense burning remaining, stopped as Casey assumed the wasp flew away and he finally thought he was in the clear. He took a step back, wanting nothing more than to get off this ladder, but stopped when the world swam around him. He blinked, shaking his head to clear it, but the dizziness only got worse. His back was humming with pain, but the rest of his body felt disconnected, his legs weak as they threatened to buckle beneath him.

"Captain?" He heard someone call, but his brain couldn't process who had said it. Their voice sounded distorted and echoey, like he was at the bottom of a well and they were calling him from above.

He took another step, or tried to at least, but his vision danced with black spots and his right leg crumpled, sending him sprawling.

"Casey!"

His body crashed into the ladder hard. He tried to catch himself, but it was like his body had stopped listening to his commands. His right side hit first, his head catching on the right side of the ladder, and then his body angled down, the steep slope of the aerial propelling his body towards the ground. He was barely aware as he descended head first on his back, each rung sending rippling waves of pain through him. Halfway down the ladder he came to an abrupt stop and a wavering face came into view. Casey could hardly make out who it was. The world was warping around him, those black spots still dancing in his eyes.

"Hang on, Captain. We're going to get you down." Otis.

"I'm getting Kelly!" Someone else yelled, Kidd maybe, and Casey's chest clenched. Severide would help. He'd made it all better. And then the world went dark.

Severide rubbed the bridge of his nose as he chucked his pen onto his desk. He was only halfway through his report for this morning's squad call and he was already over it. He thought about taking a break, maybe smoking a cigar with Casey since it was a nice day and they hadn't had the chance to hang out much over the last couple shifts. Sure, they hung out all the time on their off days, they were dating after all, but it was nice to get some downtime between calls.

"Kelly!" Kidd's voice yelled and Severide swiveled in his chair to see her running into the bunk room. Something was wrong. He was up in a heartbeat, emergency responder training kicking into gear. "What happened?"

"Casey-" she started, but that was enough. Severide was already moving. "He was setting up a drill," she explained as they moved quickly through the firehouse. "He started flailing at the top of the aerial and said something about a wasp. We didn't know what was happening and then he just dropped, started sliding down the ladder."

Severide burst through the doors leading to the apparatus floor and broke out into a full run as he saw Casey's prone form on the ground, Otis hovering above him.

"Casey!" He called, skidding to a stop and kneeling next to his boyfriend. "Kidd, get the jump bag!" She didn't need to be told twice. She turned, running toward the medical cabinet on the apparatus floor.

"I radioed for an ambulance. 61 is on a call so they're sending the nearest unit. They said ten minutes," Otis said, face stricken. "I don't know what's wrong. He doesn't seem to have any injuries."

Severide leaned down, pressing his fingers to Casey's neck as he listened to the blonde breathe.

"Breathing is shallow and rapid, pulse is strong but it's fast."

Kidd came running into the driveway, jump bag in hand.

"You said something about a wasp?" Severide asked as she knelt on Casey's other side.

"Casey said something about a wasp in his gear and he was palming at his back."

"Let's turn him over."

Kidd nodded and grabbed Casey on her side. Together they moved him into recovery position to protect his airway but have full access to his back.

Severide scanned his boyfriend's back, not seeing anything at first, but then he noticed a large welt on his neck.

"Cut his shirt. We need to see what's going on beneath it," Severide said as he gently palmed the sting. It was huge, larger than he'd ever seen from a wasp.

Kidd grabbed the scissors from the kit and cut his shirt in one swift motion.

"Oh my god," she gasped when Casey's back was exposed. His back was a mess of welts, swollen and red. There was almost no welt-free space on his boyfriend's back.

"Shit," Severide cursed, looking to Kidd for help. Casey had to have been stung over 20 times. That couldn't be good.

"That many stings creates a toxic reaction. He's going into severe anaphylactic shock," she said, rifling through the kit.

A noise drew Severide's attention away from her as he swiveled to look at Casey.

Casey's face scrunched and he groaned, his back arching slightly as he moved his legs.

"Hey, no, Case, stay still," Severide said, lowering his face so it was closer to Casey's.

"Sev-?" Casey slurred, eyes cracking open.

"Yeah, it's me Case, I'm here."

"H'rts," Casey whined, squeezing his eyes shut as his body shuddered.

"I know, I'm sorry, but we're going to make you better, okay?"

Casey didn't respond, his body jerking again instead. Without warning, Casey's whole body began to seize, arms and legs jerking as his head rolled back. Severide lunged forward, supporting his boyfriend's head before it hit the ground.

Panic seizing him, he looked to Kidd as she surged forward, jabbing an epipen in Casey's thigh. With paramedic calm, she grabbed the oxygen tank and mask and rushed over to Severide, securing the mask over Casey's face just as the blonde stopped shaking and went still.

Kidd leaned down, grabbing his wrist and counting before she dropped it, placing the stethoscope around her neck in her ears as she listened to Casey's chest.

"Pulse is rapid and I can hear stridor when he breathes. The epipen will help, but he needs to get to the hospital now."

As if on cue, sirens filled the air as the ambulance finally arrived.

"You're going to be okay, Case. Help is here. You hang in there, you hear me?" He whispered to the unconscious blonde, pressing his forehead into Casey's hot one before he stepped back, letting the paramedics do their job.

"He was stung over 20 times by a wasp, passed out, and had a seizure. I gave him one dose of epi and that helped but he's going to need more," Kidd explained as they lifted Casey onto the stretcher.

"We'll take it from here," the female paramedic said as her partner rushed Casey to the back of the ambulance. "We're taking him to med."

"Can I come? I'm his boyfriend," Severide said, glancing frantically at where Casey had disappeared into the ambulance.

"Get in," she said and Severide rushed to the back, pulling the doors shut as he got in.

They rushed through the busy streets of Chicago, sirens blaring, but all Severide could focus on was Casey. The medic, Ian, had hooked him up to the ambulance's oxygen and put an IV in, administering more epinephrine that had Casey breathing a bit easier, but the blonde was still unconscious. His face was pale, breaths fast and shallow, and Severide could see that his heart was still racing from the cardiac monitor.

In a blur they were at the hospital and Severide found himself standing in the waiting room alone, staring at the doors Casey had been rushed through.

He wasn't sure how long he stood there before a hand gently squeezed his shoulder.

"How is he?" Severide turned, his body numb, as his gaze met Kidd's. His eyes roamed behind her and he saw the rest of 51, everyone settling into their seats as they waited to hear their Captain's condition.

"Um," Severide started, shifting his weight to his right leg, his mind trying to find the words. "His breathing got a bit better in the ambulance but he was still unconscious. That was the last I saw of him before they wheeled him away."

He inhaled a shaky breath, clenching his hands into fists as he tried to get his emotions in control.

"He'll be okay," she said softly, bringing him in for a quick hug. "The best doctors in Chicago are treating him.

Severide hugged her tightly, needing the contact. Casey would be alright. He had to be.

An hour later Will walked into the waiting room, a neutral expression on his face.

Severide jumped up, closing the distance between him and Will quickly. "Is he okay?"

"We have him on a few different drips right now. We gave him some more epinephrine and now he's getting antihistamines and cortisone to help with the severe reaction to the stings. We also have him on oxygen, but he's responding nicely to all the treatments. With rest and a week of steroid cream to make sure the stings reduce, he should be fine."

Severide blew out a breath, tipping his head back as he rubbed his hands over his face, tears threatening to spill as everything came crashing down on him. Casey was okay.

"Can I see him?"

Will nodded. "He woke up a few minutes ago and was asking for you. His room is right down the hall, fourth door on the right."

Severide nodded his thanks and rushed down the hall, breath held in his chest as he anxiously waited to see his boyfriend for himself.

His steps faltered for a second as he cleared the door. Casey was on his side, his back toward Severide, fully exposed and slathered in white cream. There were two IV bags hooked up to his arm and an oxygen mask strapped to his face. Despite that the sight of Casey hurt made Severide want to vomit, the fact that Casey's back was already less red and swollen had him breathing a bit easier.

"Case?" He asked gently as he walked around to Casey's front. The blonde stirred and his eyes fluttered open halfway. It was clear he was exhausted, but that didn't stop a huge smile from stretching across his face.

"Sev," He said, voice quiet and a bit hoarse.

Severide pulled a chair right next to the bed and he sat, reaching out and taking Casey's hand in his own. "How are you feeling baby?"

"M'okay. Tired and my back still stings, but it's a lot better."

Severide nodded, searching Casey's face for any hint that he was lying, but the blonde looked to be telling the truth. He was still pale, his eyes puffy with exhaustion, but he didn't seem to be in any discomfort.

"You had us scared, Case. What happened?"

"Stupid wasp. Got caught in my gear and stung me a lot. Think I made him mad."

Severide couldn't help but chuckle at the expression on Casey's face. He seemed to be genuinely pondering the wasp's feelings toward him.

"I'd say. It stung you almost 20 times."

Casey's eyes widened and Severide grabbed his face gently with his other hand, rubbing his thumb gently across Casey's cheek. "But you're okay now. You had a massive allergic reaction, but they've got you on lots of meds. You're going to be fine."

Severide smiled softly as Casey nudged his face into his hand. "Good. Need to kill the nest."

"Oh no you don't! You'll be lucky if I ever even let you outside again."

Casey rolled his eyes and they stayed shut for a moment before he opened them again, clearly struggling against his body's need for rest.

"Sleep Case. I'll be here when you wake up."

Casey nodded and closed his eyes, asleep within seconds. Severide lowered his face to Casey's hand, still intertwined with his own, and kissed it softly before he pulled out his phone and sent Boden a message.

Casey's okay. He'll need rest and steroids for a bit, but will be back to 100% soon.

It only took a moment for the Chief to respond.

Good to hear. All of us are wishing him a speedy recovery. I've taken you off shift, you just take care of Casey.

Severide smiled as he sent a text back.

Thanks Chief. Also, could you get rid of the wasp nest before Casey returns?

Already on it.

Severide felt his chest warm as he put his phone back in his pocket, turning his attention back to his sleeping boyfriend. Everything was going to be alright.

Chapter Text

Casey's heart thundered in his chest, blood roaring in his ears, blocking out the sounds of the outside world around him. He had just been about to open the basement's electrical panel when the rapid-fire shots rang out, echoing off the empty walls.

The shots increased in tempo and Casey clutched his radio, eyes wide as he scanned his surroundings.

"Mayday, Mayday!" Otis' voice crackled over the radio. "We have an active shooter. Need rescue!"

Frozen in shock, Casey's mind reeled as he tried to figure out what he could do to get his team out alive. They were scattered around the building and there was no telling how many shooters there were.

He jumped as his radio came to life once more, Chief's gruff tone panicked. "We have an outside shooter. Hold your positions until further notice!"

Picking his halligan off the ground, Casey grabbed his radio once more. There was no way he was going to stay put. He was in charge of his team. He needed to make sure they were safe.

"81, do you copy?"

Silence answered him. He was about to send a call to 61, but another round of rapid firing cut him off. It was louder this time, meaning the shooter was getting closer to him and potentially his team.

Casey switched his radio off so it wouldn't give away his location and crept to the edge of the wall where the opening to the hallway was. He grabbed his helmet, holding it to his side so he could get flush with the wall, leaning slightly outside its safety to take a peek down the hallway.

A guy dressed in all black, a large gun in his hands, was walking down the hallway, pausing every so often to shoot at something he saw in the many rooms that lined the hall. Casey ducked each time, body jerking with each reverberation as the lieutenant heard people scream out before falling silent. He needed to do something and he needed to do it fast.

The shooter ducked into a door just down the hall, giving him an opening. Casey was just about to move when he heard soft thunks down the metal staircase to his left. He paused, lowering himself as he raised his halligan, ready to swing at whoever came around the corner. Before the figure could fully descend the stairs, Casey had to duck back as the shooter reappeared, having heard the noise.

Almost immediately the guy began shooting again, sending a spray of bullets toward the staircase without thought. Casey heard the steps retreat back up the stairs. There had been no shouts of pain, so the person, whoever it was, hadn't been hurt.

They weren't in the clear, however, as the shooter started forward, ready to follow the person up the stairs and finish what they started. Casey couldn't let that happen. It could have been one of his team and there could be more hiding up there. No. This ended here.

"Hey!" Casey shouted, not really thinking his plan through as he got the shooter's attention. The man swung toward him, a brief look of surprise crossing his face before it morphed into a twisted smile. Then he started shooting.

Casey dove blindly, crashing into a pile of boxes stored on the side of the electrical room. Before he even stopped sliding, he used his momentum to carry him forward, kicking with his legs so he slid behind a workbench. With only seconds before the shooter found him, he needed to come up with a plan to escape.

His head whipped around violently as he scoured the area for anything he could use. There wasn't anything around. He cursed inwardly as the shooter entered the room, his heavy boots kicking the boxes Casey had just crashed through. He was almost right on him.

Doing the only thing that popped into his mind, Casey pulled off a boot and crawled forward as silently as he could. He rounded the workbench and froze as he saw the shooter's back. The man was at the far end of the table, his gaze focused in the opposite direction. Casey used this to his advantage, tracking the man's movements as he laid his boot so the heel was facing up and it stuck out from behind the bench, making it look as if he was on his hands and knees.

The shooter turned and Casey moved, crawling to the other side of the work bench as the man rounded the table where Casey had been first hiding.

There was a moment of pause before the shooter said, "Ha! I got you now. You're dead, fireman." He jumped forward, toward the boot Casey had placed, and began firing wildly. There was no thought to this man's actions. He was out for blood, plain and simple.

Using the brief distraction as cover, Casey stood and rounded the table so he was directly behind the shooter. He must have heard Casey as he started to turn. Without a moment to spare, Casey brought his arms up and cracked the man on the head with his halligan. The metal met the man's soft flesh with a sickening crack and he crumpled. The shooter's finger was still on the trigger as he fell, his body turning with his previous momentum and bullets sprayed. Casey crashed to the floor as dove once again, his halligan falling from his grip as he brought his arms up to shield his face. It was over in a second, the basement eerily quiet after so many shots had been echoing off the walls. It was in this quiet moment that the pain registered. Casey grabbed his leg, clutching his thigh as hot white pain rushed through him, blood pouring through a hole in his turnout pants. He had been shot and now he was stuck as the other active shooters still roamed the building.

Hands slick with his own blood, Casey scooted backwards until he connected with the far wall, five feet from where he had been shot and ten from the downed shooter. He left a trail of blood in his wake and his stomach clenched. That wasn't good. Gunshots bled a lot of course, but this was too much. The bullet must have hit an artery. If he didn't get out of here soon, he was going to bleed out.

A few more shots rang out in the building, but the sound was faint. The shooter must be on the top floor of the building. The one Casey had taken out must have been the only one on the bottom floor with him. Feeling that it was as safe as it could be, Casey reached up and grabbed his radio's switch. It took a few tries to twist the knob, his fingers slippery with blood, and he groaned in relief when he heard the radio's familiar chime.

He took a moment to make sure that the radio's volume was on low before he pressed the talk button.

"Chief, this is Casey. I'm trapped in the basement, not sure where the rest of 81 is." He released the button and pressed his head against the wall as he clutched his thigh with his left hand. Blood was still pouring from the wound.

"Chief," A voice said, and relief poured through Casey as he realized it was Otis. "I'm with the rest of 81. We're in a secure spot with some civilians. BC corner. I tried to reach Casey but the shooter saw and open-fired. I'm fine, but there were a hell of a lot of shots down there."

"Otis, thank god. Casey, report your status."

Casey opened his eyes. Huh. When had he closed them? He reached for his radio with shaking fingers. "I got hit in the leg. S'blood everywhere." He frowned at his slurred speech. Everything was beginning to become numb and a chill had set in even under his thick turnout gear.

"Chief, this is Dawson. It sounds like the bullet hit his femoral artery. He could bleed out if he doesn't get out of here fast. We're going to have to go radio silent, but I'll talk him through making a tourniquet to buy him some time"

"Hang tight," Boden replied, worry evident in his voice but still emanating his Chief-trained calmness on them. "SWAT is on the way."

His line went dead and then 81's direct line crackled to life.

"Matt, we need to do this quickly; we can't talk long. You need to tie a tourniquet above the wound to try and slow the bleeding. Grab whatever you can and tie it as tightly as possible okay?"

Casey nodded and it took him a moment to realize that she couldn't see him.

"Kay," he slurred as he looked around, bleary eyes hardly focusing on his surroundings. Somehow he managed to spot a loose cable that had coiled on the floor. With effort, he leaned to his right but stopped as his leg screamed in agony. He panted as what felt like lava shot through his leg, the pain making his toes tingle. It took a moment of deep breathing until he was able to move again, snatching the cable and sitting back upright where he slouched against the wall, sweat dripping down his face as he breathed hard. Before his strength failed completely, he pulled the cable under his leg, above the wound, and wrapped it tightly. He grit his teeth as he pulled hard, ensuring there was enough pressure before he tied the cable off. Casey watched as the blood flow slowed. The tourniquet had worked.

"Done," he panted into the radio, exhausted.

"Great job Matt. Now I need you to keep pressure on that until we can get you out of here, okay?"

"Copy," he said before turning his radio back to silent. Now it was just him, alone, bleeding in this basement as he waited for SWAT to rescue them.

A loud bang resonated from somewhere inside the building and Casey jerked, crying out as his left leg screamed in agony. His breath came in short pants as he gripped above the wound, desperately trying to get the pain to stop.

It took a few moments of slow breaths, but eventually the pain died down to an intense throb and Casey was able to think again. He must have fallen asleep- or passed out most likely- from the blood loss. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but it was clear that the shooters were still in the building.

He took a moment to listen to his surroundings and found that his floor was still clear. Making the executive decision, Casey reached down and switched his radio back on, volume still on low. If he didn't get out of here soon he could bleed out so he might as well use the radio to try and save his life.

"Chief…" he said and coughed, his voice hoarse and throat extremely dry. He also found the effort to talk hard, as if his lips didn't want to move. "S'Casey. N'd h'lp."

His plea hung in the air for a moment before Boden's voice rang through the line. "Shooters are still active in the basement, Casey, we can't make it down there. How bad is it?"

His eyes roamed sluggishly over the puddle of blood encasing his left leg. "Bad."

Boden cursed over the line and Casey knew he was desperately trying to figure out how to get to him. The lieutenant didn't ever admit things were bad, so to do it now spoke volumes on his current state.

"Chief!" Severide's voice cut in, "me and Cruz got the victim out of the window. I have access to the building. Send me in alone. I'll make my way to him and do what I can until SWAT can get in."

"I don't like it."

"Casey's in bad shape. I can help him! Just let me go in."

The radio crackled for a moment before Boden replied, "Okay, but be careful. One sign of trouble and you get out of there, you hear me?"

"Copy Chief."

Casey reached down with numb fingers and turned his radio off once more. He was only vaguely aware as his heat tilted back, resting against the wall as his body went lax. Everything was pleasantly numb and Severide was coming. He would be okay.

"-ase. Casey!" The gruff voice along with a rough shake of his shoulders roused Casey, his eyes cracking open as his blurry surroundings came into view. There was a shape in front of him. It took a couple of blinks to clear his vision, but eventually the shape took form and Severide came into view. He was kneeling on Casey's right side, away from the puddle of blood, and his face was close to the lieutenants as he examined Casey's condition.

"Sev?" He slurred, tilting his head to get a better look.

"Yeah, it's me bud. I'm going to help you out. You're in rough shape."

Casey frowned. His leg didn't even hurt anymore, how bad could it be?

"S'not painful."

Severide's ice blue eyes roamed over his face, his brows creased in concern.

"You're going into shock. You've lost too much blood. The bullet hit an artery. I need you to stay awake for me, okay?" He said as he gently patted Casey's face. "No sleeping on the job."

Casey blinked his eyes open in surprise. How did his eyes keep closing without him realizing?

In one fluid motion, Severide unzipped his jacket and slid it off before reaching over and draping it over Casey's front, tucking in the edges so it would stay in place. Then he shifted so he could better see the wound, hissing when he got his first close look. His fingers skimmed over the tourniquet and then he pulled the cable, tightening it further. This elicited a reaction from Casey as the wound shot pain through his leg. It was duller than it had been, but still there.

"Sorry," Severide said as Casey groaned, shifting uncomfortably on the wall. "I know you're not supposed to keep this too tight for too long, but the wound is still bleeding a bit and you can't afford to lose any more blood."

With a lot of effort, Casey managed to meet Severide's eyes. "S'kay."

"I'm going to get you out of here, Case. You're not dying on me today."

If Casey had the energy to smile he would have. Instead, he just kept eye contact with Severide trying to let him know he trusted him with his life completely.

Severide returned the stare for a moment before he reached down and switched his radio on.

"Chief, I found Casey. He's even worse off than he thought. SWAT needs to get in here now. We'll need a backboard and an IV brought down here as soon as it's clear."

"Copy. SWAT is gearing up to go in now. Hold on until help arrives."

"You're going to be okay, Case. Just hold on a bit longer."

Casey tried his best, but his body was so exhausted his eyes slipped shut, his mind wandering between awake and darkness. He heard snippets of noise, loud bangs, doors splintering, shouts, and he could feel Severide next to him, one hand on his leg to stem the flow of blood and the other gripping his lifeless hand. He heard when things changed, too. The loud noises quieted before Severide shouted out, "Here! We're in here!"

The blackness took over again and then he was being moved, his body lowered and rolled before something hard was slid behind his back.

"-Casey. Hang on!" Severide. He was still here.

A sharp scratch barely registered in his arm and then he was moving.

"-ive blood loss… Med…"

And then the darkness swallowed him completely, leaving him floating in pain-free bliss.

He came to slowly, his body rebooting in sections. At first there was nothing, just a general sense of floating, his mind without a body, but gradually things started to form around him as the soft sensation of a blanket on his skin prickled through as well as the cold air flowing freely into his nose, tickling his top lip. He pulled toward these sensations and felt himself slide back into the present. There was a fluffy pillow behind his head and a soft beeping filled the air. It was confusing- where was he? Why did his body feel numb? He racked his brain for a moment and shot upright, eyes popping open as his system flooded with adrenaline. The shooter. Where was the shooter? Was his team okay? Was Sev-?"

"Easy, easy, Case," A voice soothed, gentle hands pushing him back against the bed. Casey turned his head and saw Severide standing next to him, an empty chair behind him where he had presumably been sitting before Casey had woken up.

"Everything's okay," Severide reassured. "You're safe."

"Everyone okay?" He rasped and winced, his throat gritty like sandpaper.

Severide reached over and grabbed a cup of water, a straw already in it, and held it up to Casey's mouth. The lieutenant drank greedily, sighing when the cool water soothed his aching throat.

"Everyone's okay," Severide said as he set the cup down. "You were the only one hurt. What were you thinking going after a guy with a gun like that? You could have died. Hell, you almost did!"

Severide ran a hand through his hair and Casey saw how worried the other lieutenant had been. His clothes were wrinkled and there were shadows under his eyes.

"How bad?" He asked quietly.

Severide looked at him for a moment before he turned and pulled his chair so it was next to the bed. He sat in it heavily, leaning back as he crossed his arms over his chest, his tired eyes roaming over Casey's face.

"Bad enough. The bullet hit your femoral artery and was lodged there, rubbing against the bone. Every time you moved, even a little, it shifted the bullet making it bleed even more. The tourniquet saved your life, but you lost a lot of blood. When I got to the basement and saw you up against the wall, the pool of blood under your leg…" He tilted his head back and rubbed his hands over his face. "Man, I thought you were dead. You scared the shit out of me- out of all of us. The rest of 51 is in the waiting room right now."

Casey bit his lip and eyed Severide guilty. He hadn't meant for any of this to happen. He never wanted to cause any of them pain.

"I'm sorry."

The lieutenant's head snapped down to look at him. "What are you sorry for? You saved your team. What you did was brave as hell. Just don't make it a pattern. My back can't handle sitting in these chairs for so long."

Casey chuckled and felt the tension in his chest release. His team had his back, they were all family, and they always would be.

"How long was I out?"

"About 7 hours. You were rushed into surgery and were in the OR for two and then you were out for an additional five. Your body needed the rest after the trauma you went through. You lost almost 40% of your blood volume."

Casey nodded, trying to process this information. "What's my recovery time?"

Severide gave him a knowing look as he smirked. "Just woke up from major surgery to remove a bullet in your leg and you're already jumping to go back to work, huh?"

Casey smiled sheepishly. "Nothing beats being a firefighter."

Severide's smile softened. "Agreed. Doctors are hopeful for a full recovery after a couple of months. In 6 weeks you'll start physical therapy and they'll go from there. But don't worry, you'll be crawling hallways again in no time. And know that all of us at 51 are here for you, don't forget that."

A tear ran down Casey's face as his tired brain processed everything that had happened. He brushed it away, a smile on his face. He was so damn lucky to have such supportive friends.

Severide clapped a hand on his shoulder and stood. "Now, you ready for some visitors? There's some anxious people out there waiting to see your ugly face."

Casey rolled his eyes. "Bring them in."

Casey couldn't help but smile as the 51 crew squeezed into the room. Each of them had a relieved smile on their face, but he could see how much stress his injury had caused them.

"I just wanted to thank all of you," Casey started as Boden walked into the room, the last person of the group to enter. "You guys stayed calm under an extreme circumstance and worked together to not only save your lives, but the lives of the civilians in the building as well. I know not everyone made it, but you guys did damn good work and I'm proud of you."

The group stared at him silently and Casey shrunk back an inch. He looked over at Severide in panic. What had he said wrong? But Severide only rolled his eyes gently, a grin on his face.

"Leave it to the lieutenant to almost die and the first thing he says after waking up from surgery is giving us a thanks," Herrmann said and the group laughed.

Dawson sniffed and wiped a tear that had escaped, though a smile still graced her lips. "Don't ever play the hero again, Matt. You stick to firefighting, not policing you hear me? Leave the taking down the bad guys for the CPD."

Casey chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, heat rising in his face. "I guess I didn't think that one all the way through," he admitted, earning another chuckle from the group.

"It's why we love you, lieutenant," Joe said and everyone nodded in agreement.

"You did good in there, Casey," Boden said as he stepped forward, resting a hand on Casey's blanketed leg.

"Thanks Chief."

There was a moment of pause and then Herrmann said, "Okay, enough with the sappy stuff. You think they're serving pudding in the cafeteria?"

"I could go for some pudding," Mouch piped up and Otis nodded his head rapidly in agreement.

"Now that we know Casey's okay, I'm starving."

The group started bickering back and forth, Capp insisting that the pudding was for hospital patients only while Mouch and Otis argued back, the rest of 51 joining in on the antics. Casey just sat back and smiled, watching his family in front of him. As he looked around at everyone, he couldn't help but feel grateful for all he had and the amount of support that radiated through the room. He would be okay and his family would be there every step of the way.

Chapter Text

Casey stared at his boyfriend, eyes wide as his brain fired at a mile a minute trying to figure out a way he could get both he and Severide off the roof safely. Boden had just cleared the building meaning that they could let go of the valve, but with how much gas had been building, the second they let go it was going to explode. 

“So what now?” Severide asked, adjusting his stance as his fingers slipped a bit. “Soon as we leave this thing, it’s gonna blow.”

Casey grunted as he pulled harder, head swivelling to try and glance any escape route that wouldn’t end in them being blown up.  He stopped short when he saw the river just beyond the roof. It was crazy but it just might work…

“How many steps do you think it is to the edge of the building?” 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw his boyfriend look sharply toward him before turning his head to match where Casey’s line of sight was. 

“To do what? Jump?”

“Sure,” Casey replied, trying to sound calmer than he felt. One wrong move, one misstep, and they’d hit the parking lot instead of the river. But if they stayed, the explosion would kill them. It was their only chance to get off the roof alive. 

“We let go, make a break for it, jump into the water.”

He met Severide’s eyes, the lieutenant's face unsure. It was a testament to how crazy the plan was. Severide was never unsure. 

“Come on, get ready,” he pushed, not giving Severide any time to disagree with the plan. He’d pull rank if he had to, even though he hated doing that to Severide, but this was life or death and Casey chose life- for the both of them. 

Without waiting for a response, the Captain shrugged off his air tank and turned. “Count of three.”

Severide shook his head. “This is insane!”

As his heart began pounding in his chest, Casey blocked everything else out around him. He focused only on his boyfriend in front of him. His ocean-blue eyes, the scruff lining his jaw, the way his lips were perfectly shaped… and he forced himself to move. 

“Let’s go! One, two…”

“Damn it Casey!” Severide said, but he saw the way his boyfriend prepared to run. They were doing this. 

“Three!” And they were off, ducking as an explosion sounded behind them, the heat pounding their backs as the rush of air propelled them forward. Casey only had a second to register that Severide was next to him before he was airborne, arms flailing for purchase they wouldn’t find, before his body hit the water, hard, and it swallowed him whole.

For a moment, there was no up or down, only murky darkness as bubbles rushed around his body, tickling his face and obscuring his view. Water forced its way up his nose the second he plunged into the icy river and he tried not to choke, knowing that the second he gave in to his body's desperate plea to cough, he was doomed. With stiff legs, Casey kicked blindly, arms scrambling through the water as he tried to push himself up. It felt like he was trying to swim through setting concrete. His turnout gear had soaked up all the water, pulling him toward the bottom of the river like fishing weights on a line. Casey could feel his legs begin to get tired, a deep ache settling in them from hitting the water from so high up. Desperate, he gave one last push with his legs, his arms working overtime, and finally felt his head break the choppy surface. 

As soon as his nose and mouth were clear, he began coughing uncontrollably, body rejecting the water that had rushed up his nose with the force from the jump. This only made things worse. His lungs gasped for air they didn’t have and he immediately swallowed a huge gulp of water, gagging on the taste as well as from his body’s desperation to still suck in air. He began coughing again, taking in more water as his lungs forced him to suck in air. He was barely keeping his head above water, his limbs growing heavy and his head beginning to spin from the lack of air he was receiving. He was taking in more water than air at this point. 

Hands suddenly grabbed him from behind, pulling his body up further from the water so that when he sucked in, no water came with it. 

“Breathe Casey,” Severide said, breath warm against his neck. If Casey had the energy he would have sagged in relief. Severide was okay. Instead, his body did the only thing that it could do at the moment which was cough and raggedly suck in oxygen to his burning lungs.

Movement underneath him made him realize that Severide was keeping them both afloat and Casey immediately started to kick his legs, not even having realized he had stopped, but Severide just drew him closer. 

“Don’t worry about keeping us upright. I was able to get my turnout gear off, so I’m good. You just focus on breathing. It sounds like you took on a lot of water.”

Casey gagged on a particularly rough cough and felt Severide pat his back. “You’ll be okay, Case. Help is coming.”

As if on cue, Casey heard the sounds of the ladder extending and Kidd’s voice as she yelled, “Kelly! We’re coming, just keep holding on to Casey!”

“I’m not letting go!” Severide yelled back and tightened his grip around Casey’s chest. Casey wanted to say thank you, to say so many other things about how much he loved the man behind him and was so grateful they were alive, but he could only wheeze as he focused on his breathing. 

“Almost there!” Kidd yelled and Severide began to move them, supposedly angling them to make it easier for her to reach. 

“How you two doing?”

“I’m fine,” Severide said, shifting Casey again so he was now floating on his back. “Casey took on a lot of water and his breathing’s bad. Grab him and I’ll swim over to the ladder.”

Through blurry eyes Casey saw Kidd start descending over them, slowly being lowered by the pulley system truck had set up. 

“You sure?” She asked, almost right next to them now. “I can clip Casey on and help bring you over to the ladder as well.” 

Casey felt Severide shake his head behind him. “No, Casey needs help. I got my turnout gear off, I can make it.”

Kidd didn’t say anything, but Casey assumed she nodded. He had placed his head back so it was floating in the water, his body going lax with exhaustion. 

Then there were hands on his front, pulling him forward until something was clicked into place. Then the hands shifted, grabbing his arms and anchoring him so he wouldn’t slip.

“I’ll see you on the other side,” Severide whispered, placing a hand briefly on Casey’s head before it was gone and he was being pulled up.

“Don’t worry Captain, we’ll get you checked out and you’ll be good as new in no time,” Kidd reassured as they swung in the breeze. He could only nod, coughing again as his lungs seized. 

Halfway to the parking lot, Casey’s body was wracked with chills as the cold wind met his equally cold body. The water temperature had been frigid, but his body was only registering that now since he could breathe a bit easier. 

As soon as their feet touched the ground, people began to rush around them. He was unbuckled, his body on its side, his sodden turnout gear dragging it down since it was so much heavier out of the water, and Kidd disappeared. Casey barely had a moment to wonder where she went when two hands began to work on the front of his turnout coat, quickly pulling it off, before he was hoisted up into a sitting position and a soft blanket was draped around his shoulders. Arms smoothed the blanket out, making sure it was wrapped all the way to the front with no gaps, before they disappeared and a body pressed against his back, familiar arms wrapping around his shoulders. 

“Sev?” He managed to rasp, throat raw. 

“Yeah, it’s me Case. I’m okay. But you’re shaking like a leaf.”

Casey blinked. He was shaking, body trembling as the wind cut through his wet clothes like a blade made of ice. 

“You okay?”

“Yes, I promise I’m fine. You’re the one who thought it would be a good idea to drink half of the Chicago River.”

Casey chuckled but it immediately turned into a cough, his body jerking as pain shot through his chest. 

“Easy, easy, babe. Don’t talk, just breathe.”

Kidd suddenly reappeared and in the next moment an oxygen mask was placed on his face. Casey sucked in deep lungfuls of the cool, sweet air, his body tingling as it drew in the oxygen it so badly demanded. 

“We called an ambulance foe him. It should be here soon,” Kidd said as she secured the oxygen mask in place before she grabbed another blanket and draped it over the one Severide had given him.

“No,” the blonde said weakly, shaking his head. “I don’t want to go to the hospital.”

“Case…” Severide chastised, running a soothing hand through his wet hair. “You should go get checked out, you could have water in your lungs.”

Casey drew in a deep breath and was relieved when he didn’t immediately break out into a coughing fit.

“I’m okay. Swallowed more water than I breathed in.”

Severide gave a humourless laugh. “Like that’s any better.”

“Let me at least take a listen before you make any decisions,” Kidd said, meeting his gaze and he nodded. 

There was silence for a moment as she listened to him breath, instructing him to take long deep breaths. She moved the stethoscope around his chest, pausing each time as she listened. Finally she pulled the stethoscope from her ears, looking at Severide as she said, “Overall his breathing doesn’t sound too bad. There’s a bit of congestion, but nothing too serious.” 

Then she looked at Casey. “If you really don’t want to go to the hospital, I won’t make you, but I’d like you to finish this breathing treatment and get warmed up before you go anywhere.”

Casey nodded, relief flowing through his body. He didn’t want to be stuck in the hospital for who knows how long. All he wanted to do was go home, take a hot shower, and cuddle with Severide in bed. 

Severide helped him to his feet slowly, supporting him the whole way up. It took a lot of effort, but Casey managed to lock his knees so he didn’t go crashing back to the ground. 

“Oh, one more thing,” Kidd said to Severide as she paused from where she was putting away the stethoscope. “If his breathing gets worse, he develops a fever, anything like that, you take him in, you hear me?”

“I will. I promise.”

She nodded, satisfied, and turned back to the jump bag. 

After they made it to the squad truck, Severide having directed them there since the back had open space for Casey to be more comfortable, it took about half an hour before Kidd told them they could go home since Casey’s breathing had improved further and the violent shivering had stopped. 

Exhausted beyond belief, Casey was barely conscious as Severide helped him into Boden’s car. They were both, understandably, excused from the rest of their shift and Boden was taking them back to their place. They would just have to grab their stuff from their lockers next shift. 

Everything was a blur as they somehow made it back to their apartment. As they made their way down the hall, Casey made a noise of protest when Severide turned into the bathroom instead of their bedroom door. 

“I know you’d love nothing more than to sleep right now,” Severide said as he gently placed Casey so he was sitting on the toilet lid. “But we both just took in the infested waters of the Chicago River and I know you’ll feel better after a hot shower. So we’re going to get clean and then we can go to bed. That sound okay to you?”

Casey thought this over for a moment, wanting nothing more than to sleep, but then he focused on his body and how it felt. His skin was grimy, grit crevassed in his neck and hair, and for the first time he realized that both he and Severide smelt… bad. 

“I think that’s a good idea,” he mumbled, nose wrinkling in distaste. 

Severide laughed, the sound bringing a smile to Casey’s face, and said, “atta boy.”

The shower was quick but heavenly. Severide had turned it to the hottest setting and the heat sunk into Casey’s sore body deliciously, the chill that was still present in his bones fading away as the steam hugged every part of him. He groaned as he felt his boyfriend rub shampoo onto his head, massaging the soap until it lathered into a thick foam. 

“That feel good?” Severide asked, the smile on his face evident in his words. 

“S’great,” he breathed, leaning back into Severide’s warm, well-muscled chest. “Thank you.”

“Anytime, Case. I’ll always take care of you.”

“If I could lift my arms I would return the favour, but they don’t seem to want to work right now,” he said and suddenly stiffened before turning, with effort, to face his boyfriend who looked at him with concern. 

“Are you okay? You must be hurting too. I’m sorry I’m making you take care of me. I should be taking care of you too.”

Sev’s face softened and he rinsed his hands under the spray before he gently cupped Casey’s face. 

“I promise, I’m okay. Sure I’m a bit stiff, but you swam the whole time with your gear on. That added serious weight. As soon as I broke the surface I was able to get mine off. So let me take care of you. I like to do it and it’ll make me feel better.”

Casey closed his eyes and leaned into Severide’s touch. “I love you.”

Severide pulled him toward him in return, ducking down so their lips met in a gentle kiss, as if Severide was afraid Casey would shatter if he kissed him any harder, before he pulled back and said, “I love you too. Now let's get rinsed off so we can cuddle in bed.”

Casey sighed in great relief as his body sank into their mattress. A moment later the bed dipped as Severide got in and then an arm wedged itself under Casey’s back before it pulled him back against his warm chest, his boyfriend crossing his leg over Casey’s as he always did when they were cuddling. 

“You’re warm,” Casey breathed as he settled against Severide’s front, his boyfriend’s body heat leaching into him in a way that had sleep pulling at the corners of his mind. 

“You’re still a bit cold,” Severide said, tracing his finger gently across Casey’s forehead before he trailed it down his jaw. “You just sleep. I’ll keep you warm.”

And with that, Casey’s body took the invitation greedily and the wave of sleep pulled him under. 

Casey woke with a start, his head foggy as he looked around the dark room. It took him a moment to decipher where he was and what was happening. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was just after 11pm. A warm body next to him roused his memory further. The river. He and Severide jumping. Then they had crashed in bed. 

He supposed they had fallen asleep sometime around 6 since their call had started in the late afternoon. He had felt kind of lousy as they had fallen asleep. His throat still hurt a bit, his body ached, and he was still a bit chilled. But now, he felt marginally worse. His body was slick with sweat, now overheated instead of the chill that plagued him before, and he almost gasped as a cramp shot through his abdomen, sharp as a knife but thankfully only lasting for a few seconds. He supposed that’s what had woken him since the apartment around him, and a still sleeping Severide, was quiet. 

Carefully, Casey sat up, gently grabbing Severide’s arm that was resting on his stomach and moving it to the empty space on the bed next to his boyfriend. Severide didn’t even stir and despite how horrible he felt, Casey smiled softly. He could only see part of Sev’s face, the rest obscured by the pillow, but he looked so peaceful as he slept, the lines on his face from their job as well as being a lieutenant smoothed out, leaving nothing but soft tan skin that Casey loved to plaster with kisses. He’d usually do it now, waking Severide up as he kissed his face. Severide would just smile, rolling on his back and pulling Casey close. But another cramp had him hunching, so he left the confines of the bed and walked to the bathroom so as to not disturb his boyfriend. He’d grab some medicine and hopefully that would help enough that he could get back in bed. Casey was still exhausted, his body craving nothing more than sleep. But with the pain in his abdomen, he knew that wouldn’t be possible. 

He rifled through their medicine cabinet, scanning each bottle and reading the labels until he found the ones he was looking for. Casey grabbed the Pepto Bismol and the Gravol and walked into the kitchen. Reading the labels more closely under the dim light of their stove, he figured the Pepto would work best for his symptoms. The stomach cramps were not accompanied by slight nausea, curling deep in his stomach and leaving an unpleasant taste in his mouth. As he lifted the bottle to read the dose, he thought about having to swallow the pink liquid, how chalky and thick it was, and almost gagged. There was no way he was going to be able to take that. He placed it on the counter, pushing it out of his view, and grabbed the Gravol. The thought of drinking anything at that moment, even water, made him want to throw up right there, so he chose to dry swallow the pill instead. It was unpleasant as the dry pill made its way down his throat, but it didn’t set off his gag reflex like he knew any liquid would. All Casey could think about was the water he had accidentally ingested earlier from the river, how dirty it must have been and how much he had actually drank, the water filling his stomach… This time he did gag softly and he immediately brushed the thoughts from his mind. All he needed to do was sit on the couch and breathe, relaxing his body and not thinking about anything to do with drinking.

The couch squeaked as he sat heavily, leaning forward so his chest was almost to his knees, his arms scrunched beneath him as he rested his face in his hands. He could do this. Everything was going to be fine. He just needed to take deep breaths. 

The plan worked for a solid ten minutes. Things settled down and Casey was able to relax somewhat. But then his body decided it had other plans. The pains had become more frequent, the nausea more intense. He tried to breath through it but then a taste hit the back of his throat, reminding him of the river water as it had flooded his mouth and the damn gates broke. Casey gagged, hard this time, and immediately stood knowing he lost the battle against his stomach. He walked quickly toward the bathroom and didn’t even bother turning on the light as he stumbled toward the toilet, knees cracking on the floor as he lifted the lid and gagged again. He barely had time to take a breath before his stomach lurched and he heaved, the Gravol that hadn’t even had time to dissolve completely reappearing in a gush of what was, disgustingly, mostly water- river water. 

Once his body started, it didn’t want to seem to stop. He heaved again, vomiting up another rush and panted when he was done, waiting for the next round. It didn’t take long before he gagged again, stomach lurching and bringing up more stomach contents. It was after this bout, however, that a warm hand was placed on his back as a familiar presence, one that brought him so much comfort just being next to him, appeared. 

“Hey, Case,” Severide said softly, voice thick with sleep as he rubbed gentle circles on the blonde’s back. “Not feeling too good I see.”

Casey answered him by lurching forward again, Body heaving but barely bringing anything up. He fell into cyclical hell, his body insistent on purging everything even though he was totally empty now. At last his body relaxed and he groaned as he fell back, not falling far before he met Severide’s chest. His boyfriend wrapped one arm around his chest, his thumb rubbing soothingly under the base of his throat, as he reached over and flushed the toilet for Casey. Then he moved back and wrapped his other arm around Casey’s front, pulling him closer to his chest. 

“When did you start feeling sick?” He asked casually, as if sitting on the bathroom floor in the dark was something they did often. 

“Woke up and felt bad,” he admitted, snuggling deeper into Severide, his boyfriend’s scent washing over him in a soothing wave. 

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“Thought I could ride it out, but you see how that turned out.”

Severide snorted. “Do you feel any better after that? Or do you still feel like you’re going to throw up?”

“I feel better than before, but my stomach still doesn’t feel great.”

Severide didn’t reply as he kept rubbing gentle circles with his thumb. 

Casey groaned and sank back, feeling Sev shift to support him better. “This sucks. After the day we had, why did I have to get sick on top of it?”

A chuckle rumbled through Severide’s chest, vibrating into Casey’s back. “I don’t mean to laugh when you don’t feel well, but did you stop to consider that today’s events are the reason you’re sick? I mean you took a couple good gulps of Chicago’s finest river water. No telling what was in it.”

 He couldn’t stop from gagging softly and he shifted in his boyfriend’s embrace. “Don’t even talk about that right now. I want to throw up just thinking of it.”

A gentle kiss was planted on top of his head. “Got it.” Severide shifted so he could duck down, resting his head on Casey’s shoulder as he looked at the blonde. “You ready to move? This bathroom isn’t all that comfortable.” 

Casey whined but didn’t resist as Severide helped him to his feet, making sure to go slow in case his boyfriend got dizzy. Then he helped Casey back into bed, pulling the covers so Casey could slide in and then tucking them around his body. A rough but warm hand came to rest on his forehead, sitting there a moment before sliding through his hair, brushing back a few unruly locks that hung over his forehead.

“Now you’re a bit warm instead of cold,” Severide said as he walked over to the corner of their bedroom, picking up a small trash can before he walked back over and set it down right next to Casey’s side of the bed. “Seems like you can’t win today, hey bud?”

“Next time I suggest jumping into the river off a roof, just let me blow up instead.”

His boyfriend smiled as he sat on the edge of the bed, resting one of his hands on Casey’s leg.

“How about we try not to get stuck on a roof in the first place. That sound like a deal?”

“Yeah,” he murmured sleepily, blinking slowly as the warmth of the bed began lulling him toward sleep. 

“Okay, get some more sleep. The trash can’s there in case you need it. I’m going to do a quick run to the store down the street to get you some supplies. I don’t want you getting dehydrated on top of everything else.” 

“Might be good for me. I’ve had enough water for a lifetime.”

Severide snorted. “Sleep Case. I’ll be back soon.”

Casey sank further into the bed, pulling the covers up till they met his chin. He felt Severide move, his weight lifting from the mattress before a kiss was planted on his forehead and then his boyfriend was gone. As Severide left for the supplies, Casey couldn’t stop the warm feeling in his chest knowing that he was in safe hands with Severide. With him by his side, Casey knew they could get through any obstacle that came their way.

Chapter Text

Severide's planning had never come in handy as much as it was now, Casey face first into the trash can as he body tried to rid itself of something that wasn't even there. He had woken feeling like he hadn't even fallen asleep at all and practically fallen out of the bed, legs twisted in the sheets as he scrambled for the bin.

He had landed on his side, one leg still trapped and pulled onward the mattress by the sheet, but he was barely aware of his situation as he heaved again, a meager amount of bile and saliva coming up since he was still empty from his previous vomiting session.

Panting, Casey tried to breath through the relentless waves of nausea but failed, lurching forward with a stomach-clenching heave that caused his abdomen to ache further than it already did. The lieutenant didn't even realize that Severide had returned until his boyfriend came into view, crouching next to him as he placed a hand on his back.

"I was hoping you'd just sleep while I was gone. I guess you weren't that lucky," he said, bringing his hand up to Casey's neck where he squeezed gently.

Casey coughed and sighed, his body finally relaxing. "Ugh, make it stop," he groaned and tried to lay on his back, his arms hurting from how they held him up and frowned when he realized his leg couldn't move.

Severide gave him a pitying look. "You're a mess Matty. How'd you end up tangled in the sheets?" he said as he moved the bin aside before reaching over and pulling the sheet until Casey's leg was freed.

Casey rolled over, burying his head in his arms. "No idea."

"Hey, you can't sleep here. The bed is right next to you. Wouldn't that be more comfortable?"

Casey didn't move. "Watch me."

He heard Severide sigh, but Casey knew he wasn't annoyed. It was more amused than anything.

"Lieutenant Casey, always so stubborn." Then there were hands on his shoulders, lifting him and Casey groaned in protest. Knowing that Severide wouldn't let him sleep on the floor though, he moved his aching body and did what he could to help his boyfriend as he hauled him back in the bed.

As soon as he hit the plush mattress, he moved to curl on his side, planning to bury himself in the blankets and sleep for a week, but, once again, Severide's hands were on him.

"No sleep yet, Case. You need fluids and medicine. I think your fevers gone up- you're shaking."

Casey paused where he was laying on his back and found that he was indeed shaking, chills skittering along his spine causing goosebumps to break out across his body.

Severide reached down and helped pull Casey into a sitting position before he said, "I'll be right back with the stuff I bought. No sleeping, you hear me?"

Casey frowned but nodded when Severide stood there, waiting for the blonde to give a response. He nodded, satisfied and then left the room. Casey's eyelids grew heavy, daring him to shut them but he used the rest of his strength to keep them open. The second he shut them he'd be dozing. Thankfully Severide returned quickly, red gatorade and a box in his hands.

"I got your favourite," he said as he walked over, placing the gatorade on the table so he could open the box. Casey smiled. As much as he didn't want to drink anything at that moment, his boyfriend's actions made his chest swell.

"I also got you some tablets of pepto bismol. I think that'll help with your symptoms better than the Gravol I noticed you took earlier. I didn't think you'd want to drink the pepto right now and I saw these so…" he trailed off as he looked up and saw Casey staring at him.

"What?"

"You're cute when you're worried. Makes you ramble."

Severide smiled and his dimples showed.

"Anyway," he continued, a smile still on his face, "I was talking to the pharmacist and she said that as long as your fever isn't at 104 or above that I shouldn't give you anything to reduce it. Something about the fever is doing its job, so we'll leave that for now. But she did stress the importance of staying hydrated so you're going to drink this whole bottle of gatorade with your pill."

Casey's nose wrinkled in distaste.

"I know, I know," Severide said, "but it's important. If you get dehydrated I'm going to have to take you to the hospital and you don't want that right? I'm already disobeying Kidd since she told me to take you if anything changed."

He had a point. It wasn't a point that made Casey happy, but he'd hate it even more if he had to go to the hospital. Sighing, he sat up a bit straighter and swallowed thickly. The nausea was at bay for now, but the thought of drinking anything gave him anxiety.

"What if I just throw it right back up?"

His boyfriend picked up the trash can that was still next to the bed. "That's what this is for." When Casey didn't move he sat down on the bed and grabbed the blonde's right hand. "It'll be okay, Case. If you throw it back up, we'll deal with it. But you need to try and stay hydrated. Just take it nice and slow." He squeezed Casey's hand and Casey squeezed back.

"Okay." He nodded. "Hand me the gatorade."

Severide motioned for him to hold out his hand. When Casey did, he placed a small pink pill in his palm, handing him the gatorade in his other hand. Without giving him time to work himself up, Casey popped the pill in his mouth and washed it down with a small gulp of gatorade.

They both waited in silence for a tense moment and when Casey didn't speak, Severide asked, "You okay?"

Casey let out a breath. That first sip hadn't stirred any nausea. If anything, it had shown him how thirsty he actually was.

"I'm good," he said as he took another small sip.

"Good. I'm going to go clean the trash can and put the other stuff I bought away. You keep drinking that nice and slow and then when I'm back we can cuddle in bed, alright?"

"Alright," Casey echoed and took another sip, stopping himself from chugging the whole bottle right there. Now that he was drinking, his body was screaming for more. But he knew that if he let in and chugged it, it would be making a reappearance all over the bed.

It took a few moments and a lot of willpower, but the lieutenant managed to finish the whole bottle. He was just scooting down in the bed when Sev reappeared. His boyfriend smiled softly at him as he walked over to his dresser, pulling off the shirt and pants he had put on to go out before pulling on a pair of gray sweats and a blue longsleeve shirt. Then he was in the bed, rolling on his right so that he was facing Casey. He pulled the blankets up so they were up to their chins, making sure to tuck them so Casey was completely covered.

Casey blinked sleepily as Severide reached over and cupped his face with his hand. "You drank the whole bottle. That's good, Case."

"Knew you'd just threaten me if I didn't," he murmured, pushing his face into Severide's rough hand.

Sev chuckled, brushing his thumb over Casey's eyebrow before he trailed it down the blonde's face, hooking it under his jaw.

"How do you feel now? Do you still feel sick?"

The blonde gave a half shrug. "My body hurts mostly, but my stomach still doesn't feel right. I'll probably throw up again at some point."

Severide brought his hand back up to cup his cheek. "Hey, no need to worry about that now. If it happens, it happens. But you just focus on the present and getting better."

Casey nodded as his eyes slipped shut.

"Just sleep. I'll be here when you wake up," Severide said as he continued rubbing soothing circles on Casey's face, moving his hand so it ran through his hair just the way Sev knew he liked it.

Casey was getting really tired of waking up this way. He had woken up with a gasp, sweat coating his forehead as he looked at the clock and saw that it was quarter after two, only a bit over an hour since he had fallen asleep.

He sat up and groaned as nausea pooled deep in his stomach, saliva flooding his mouth.

Severide woke up with a start, either feeling Casey move or hearing him groan.

"You okay?" he asked, voice thick with sleep as he already began to sit up.

"I'm going to be sick again," Casey answered, already moving to get out of bed.

"Shit, okay, one sec." The bed creaked as Severide got up, quickly rounding the end of the bed before he was at his boyfriend's side. Wasting no time, Severide helped Casey stand before they shuffled to the bathroom. He placed Casey in front of the toilet gently before he lifted the lid and took up his position behind the blonde.

Casey leaned forward, gripping the toilet rim so tight his knuckles turned white as he swallowed but kept his mouth clamped shut.

"Come on, Case, don't do that. Just let it happen babe," Severide chastised, knowing what his boyfriend was doing.

"I'm just so tired of throwing up," Casey said, voice low as he barely opened his mouth, not trusting what would happen if he did.

Severide rubbed his hands up and down Casey's back. "I know, it sucks. But the only way to get through this is to get whatever the hell it is you swallowed in the river out."

A gag shot through him and he jerked. "Don't even talk about that…"

"Talk about what? How you swallowed multiple mouthfuls of that brown water that smelled like trash and-"

The rest of his sentence was cut off as Casey lurched forward, vomiting forcefully.

"There you go. Just let it out…"

Casey heaved again, a waterfall of bright red puke gushing out of his mouth. He might just have to change his favourite gatorade flavour after this. Each heave sent another gush of red into the toilet, making for a grizzly sight.

Severide supported him the whole time, one hand on his back and the other on his head as Casey lurched forward with each heave, his head coming close to hitting the porcelain rim of the toilet.

"Breathe Casey. Relax," he soothed.

If he could he would, but his body was determined to try and kill him as it got rid of everything he had even thought about eating in his life.

He coughed as he choked, his body trying to inhale as it heaved and then that turned into a gag, spinning him into a cycle of choked breaths as his stomach clenched, but nothing was coming up anymore.

"Hey, hey, easy," Severide said, concern taking hold of his voice. "In and out, nice and slow bud. You're empty."

Casey inhaled a shaky breath and held it for a second before he released it. He coughed a few times but his breathing got easier as he repeated the process. When his breathing was once again calm, his stomach settled once more, he collapsed against Severide's warm body, utterly spent.

Mirroring his earlier actions, Severide reached over and flushed the toilet before he pulled Casey closer. A rough hand slid over his forehead.

"You don't feel any warmer than before. I guess the meds aren't helping with the nausea though."

"My body's trying to kill me."

His boyfriend sighed and leaned down so his chin rested gently on top of the blonde's head. "I wish there was more I could do for you."

"You're here for me. That means a lot."

The strong arms around him squeezed gently before a kiss was placed on the top of his head.

"Do you want to go back to bed?"

Casey shook his head. His stomach still felt unsettled and with the pattern of events so far, he'd only end up back here in an hour.

"Still feel like you're going to throw up?"

He just nodded again, too tired to do anything else.

"Okay, bathroom it is then. I'll be right back, I just need to get some supplies."

Casey sat forward as the warm body behind him left. He shivered from the lack of body heat. As usual, Severide was back within minutes. This time, however, he was carrying a thick fuzzy blanket along with their duvet, two pillows, and a can of ginger ale. He placed the pile of bedding on the ground before he walked over and handed Casey the pop. I shook a few cans and opened them before I put them in the fridge so they'd be flat. I figured carbonation wasn't the best thing for you right now.

Casey took the can and stared, confused when his chest ached and hot tears burned the back of his eyes and throat. He tried to blink them away, but his emotions bubbled over and a few tears fell, spilling down his cheeks.

"Hey," Severide said softly, kneeling in front of his boyfriend. "What's the matter?"

Casey wanted to say something, tell Severide how much he appreciated being looked after, how honoured he felt having a boyfriend as caring as Sev was, but the emotions clogged his throat, overwhelming him in his sick state. He could only shrug, more tears trailing down his face.

Severide pulled him into a gentle hug, burying Casey's face in his shoulder.

"It's okay, Case. You're just overwhelmed from the fever and lack of sleep. You'll be okay, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

Casey nodded and sniffed, sinking into the hug until Severide pulled away and looked at him in the eyes. He smiled sadly as he wiped the tear tracks on his boyfriend's cheeks. "You drink some of that ginger ale and I'm going to get us set up nice and cozy okay?"

"Okay," he rasped, throat still tight with emotion. He watched as Severide laid the fuzzy blanket on the floor, smoothing it out before he placed the pillows on one end. Casey sipped on the drink as he watched his boyfriend putter around, finishing half of it before Severide turned back to face him. Casey held out the can and his boyfriend took it, placing it on the sink before he sat on the far side of the blanket, motioning for Casey to come lay down. He got Casey settled first, making sure the pillow was just right before he laid down next to him, the right side of his body pressed against the blonde's before he pulled the duvet over them.

With a sigh, he turned his head toward his boyfriend. "You comfy?"

"Yes. Thank you, Sev."

"Always, Case."

For a makeshift bed on the bathroom floor, it was surprisingly comfy. Casey found himself falling asleep quickly, Severide's presence next to him soothing and secure. Of course this only lasted so long. Both of their sleeps were interrupted as Casey woke sometime later, the night still dark, already gagging. Thankfully he only had to stumble a few feet to the toilet where he took up his too-familiar position. Severide was quick to follow, whispering soothing nonsense as he rubbed Casey's back. Thankfully for both of them, the vomiting didn't last as long this time and soon they were stumbling back to their makeshift bed.

This vomiting routine happened a few more times throughout the night. After the next few rounds, Severide would always push more fluids into his boyfriend so he wouldn't get dehydrated. It was a grueling routine and Casey was exhausted as he finished vomiting for the seventh time that night. He knew Sev was just as tired since he had been up with him each time, but his boyfriend never complained.

This time, however, once Casey fell back asleep he actually slept without disruptions. The next time he cracked open his eyes, the sun was streaming into their apartment. He had finally made it through the night. And upon waking this time, he wasn't nauseous for once.

Casey rolled onto his side, turning to face his boyfriend. Severide was still fast asleep, face smoothed out and peaceful. He didn't want to disturb his boyfriend since he had kept him up most of the night, but he couldn't help but reach a hand out, cupping Sev's face, feeling the scratch of his slight beard, before he rubbed his thumb gently over his bottom lip.

Severide inhaled slightly and his eyes fluttered open. He blinked a few times and then smiled when he saw that Casey was awake.

"Everything okay?" He asked, stretching his body under the duvet that still covered the both of them.

Casey hummed in confirmation. "We actually managed to get a few hours of sleep."

"That's good, you needed the rest. How do you feel now?"

"For once I didn't wake up nauseous, so there's that."

His boyfriend chuckled. "That's quite the milestone given the night we had."

Casey flopped down against his pillow. "Ugh, that sucked."

Severide grabbed Casey's hand and pulled it to his mouth, kissing it softly. "At least you seem to be on the mend now. I even think your fevers gone down. Do you think you could handle some breakfast? Something plain like dry toast."

Casey winced. While he wasn't currently nauseous, he didn't want to tempt fate. He was just happy not to be vomiting.

"I don't know…"

Severide shifted and smiled knowingly. "You haven't even moved from the bathroom floor and you're already worried about throwing up food that isn't even made yet?"

Casey shot his boyfriend a dark look. "Have you been the one throwing up every hour all night? You try it sometime and tell me how fast you jump to eat food. My body's trying to throw up things that aren't even there."

"Well I was the one who was up with you every time," Severide said but raised his hands in surrender when Casey's eyes narrowed. "Alright, not the same thing. I get it. But seriously Case, you won't get any better unless you fuel your body. Just try one piece. For me?"

Casey sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. He knew Severide would just keep hounding him until he gave in. "Fine. One piece."

A grin split his boyfriend's face. "Good. Now how about we get you changed into clean clothes and then I'll make us some breakfast. It is breakfast right? I have no idea what time it is," he admitted.

"Why don't you look at your watch?" Casey suggested and Severide paused before he looked comically at his wrist.

"Right. This is why you're the brains of the relationship."

Casey laughed and started to move, but Severide stopped him with an outstretched arm.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To change like you said? This shirt is disgusting after last night."

"I said we were going to change."

Casey frowned as he glanced at Severide's puke-free shirt. "You're not even dirty."

"You've been throwing up all night. You're probably dehydrated. I'm not letting you get dressed on your own. You could fall and crack your head open."

"You make it sound like I'm ninety," Casey grumbled, but accepted Severide's outstretched hand. His boyfriend helped him up slowly and Casey was remiss to say that Sev had been right. As soon as he was vertical a wave of dizziness caused him to stumble, but Severide's strong arms around him kept him rooted in place.

"Shut up," Casey said. He didn't even need to look at Severide's face to know what look he was sporting.

"Didn't say anything," his boyfriend replied nonchalantly as he helped Casey into their bedroom.

"I could hear the words tumbling in that big head of yours."

Severide snorted and even Casey cracked a smile.

After Casey was changed into fresh clothes, feeling and smelling a lot better than he had before, Severide helped him sit on one of their bar stools as he made Casey his toast. True to his word, he only made one and left it dry since he didn't want to make things harder on Casey's stomach with butter.

Casey eyed the toast with distaste, letting the edges crumble onto the plate.

"You know, eating usually involves putting the food in your mouth and chewing," Severide joked as he spread peanut butter on the toast he had made for himself.

Pointedly, Casey brought the toast to his mouth and took a big bite, chewing aggressively. Severide only shook his head, a smile on his face.

"Stubborn."

As he swallowed the first bite, his body didn't immediately reject it, so he took another, and then another, until the whole piece was gone.

Severide had devoured both his pieces in the time it took Casey to eat one and he was now washing the plate, watching his boyfriend carefully.

"You want another one?"

"No. I feel okay, but I don't want to risk it."

Severide nodded and turned off the tap, placing the plate in the frying rack before he wiped his hands on a nearby towel.

"I'm happy with that for now, but you will be eating more later. But for now, you want to watch some TV? Or are you tired?"

"I'm not tired. We can watch some TV."

While Casey knew his body wanted more sleep, it was also deciding what to do with the sudden food in his system. He didn't feel nauseous, but his stomach was churning and he didn't think laying down was going to help. Hopefully sitting and watching some tv would allow it to settle and he'd be able to sleep the rest of whatever the hell this was off.

His plan worked for the first twenty minutes. He and Severide sat side by side, Casey pulled into Sev's left, a blanket spread across both their laps. Severide had put on Storage Wars, a show they both enjoyed watching whenever it was on tv, but Casey was barely watching now. His stomach hadn't settled down. Instead, it had increased its protest. The nausea had come flooding back in in the last five minutes, but Casey hadn't moved, nor had he said anything. He really didn't want to throw up again. He was so tired of being sick. But as his stomach gave a particularly sharp lurch, he realized he might not have a choice.

"Sev," he said, voice barely above a whisper. He tried not to gag as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Sev," he repeated louder this time and he felt his boyfriend shift.

"You say something Case?"

"M'gonna be sick," he choked out and gagged, hand rushing to his mouth.

"Shit. Hold on!" his boyfriend said as he jumped up, first responder reflexes in full force, and rushed over to the kitchen where he grabbed a small garbage can from under the sink. He had just rushed back over and thrust the bin under the blonde's chin when Casey gagged again and then heaved, the toast he had eaten not even half an hour ago making a reappearance. His boyfriend held the garbage steady as Casey lurched forward again, vomiting harshly. The toast scratched his throat making it burn more than it already did from all the vomiting.

His body gave a couple more heaves, these ones motley empty, and then he was done, falling back onto the couch. Severide walked the bin over to the kitchen, far from sight, and walked back to the couch, kneeling in front of the sick blonde.

"Aw, man. I'm sorry, Case. I was really hoping you'd be okay now."

"S'okay. I thought so too."

Severide stood and reached his hand up to press against Casey's forehead. He felt it for a second before he brushed a few unruly locks of hair back from Casey's sweaty forehead.

"The good news is you don't feel any warmer. Your fever's still down. The food was probably just a bit too much for you to handle." A guilty look crossed Sev's face and Casey reached out and took his hand.

"It's not your fault. You're just trying to make sure I get better. And I love you for that."

Severide bit his lip, considering this and then he smiled slightly. "I love you too. I'd kiss you, but you kinda just threw up so…"

Casey rolled his eyes.

Severide chuckled and then sobered, his face serious. "You want to go back to bed, see if you can sleep this off? Are you still nauseous?"

Casey shook his head. "No, I'm not nauseous. I'd rather just sleep right here, cuddled up with you."

"I can do that."

Severide moved to the right and sat at the far end of the couch. He shifted so his legs were on the couch and then positioned the pillows behind his back. Then he motioned for Casey to lay down. Casey fit his body in the crook of the couch, wedged between the back cushions and Severide's side. His boyfriend pulled the blanket over them so it was up to Casey's shoulder and then rested his arm around Casey's side, pulling him impossible closer. Snuggled up next to Severide, Casey was asleep in minutes.

A smell permeated the fog of sleep Casey was in and he stirred, instinctively turning to where the smell was coming from. He stretched, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and realized that Severide was no longer next to him. He sat up, confused as to where he went, but smiled when he saw him in the kitchen, stirring something in a large pot. Whatever was bubbling on the stove smelt delicious and Casey's eyes widened as his stomach grumbled. Actually grumbled, telling him it wanted food.

Tentatively he stood up, making sure to go slow, and then shuffled over to the kitchen. Severide must have heard him because he turned and grinned as soon as he saw his boyfriend.

"Hey Case. Feeling better? You look better. There's actually colour in your face."

Casey sat on one of the bar stools. "My stomach is actually grumbling for the first time in 24 hours."

"Really? That's great, babe. Just in time too. I made soup."

Casey's eyebrows rose. "You made soup?"

"Don't look so surprised. I can cook. I just don't do it often."

Casey watched in amazement as Severide ladled out two portions of steaming soup before he slid one over to Casey.

He inhaled deeply, his stomach growling again at the savoury smell. It was chicken noodle, but the noodles were the bigger spiral ones that Casey liked better than the long, thin ones, and he could see chunks of actual chicken along with celery, carrot, and even turnip. While turnip wasn't traditionally in chicken noodle soup, it was one of Casey's favourite things to add to any soup he made so Severide had made sure to put it in.

"There's turnips in here," Casey said softly.

"It's your favourite right? I figured you deserved a good meal after everything you've been through these last 24 hours."

Casey spooned some soup up and blew on it softly before he took a bite and groaned. After not eating for so long and being sick, the flavours were life-changing. His stomach grumbled happily as he swallowed the first spoonful. It warmed him from the inside out in the best way.

"This is amazing. Thank you, Sev. Thank you for staying up with me all night. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Severide walked over and wrapped his arms around Casey's neck before he bent down and gave him a soft kiss. Casey could taste the salty broth on his lips.

"I will always be here for you, Case. I love you."

"I love you too," Casey whispered and Severide ducked down again, kissing him harder, more passionately, before he drew back.

"I was enjoying that." Casey pouted and Severide smirked.

"Finish your soup and maybe we can take this back to the bedroom, yeah?" He teased, raising his own spoon to his mouth and taking a bite, never breaking eye contact.

"Deal."

Chapter Text

Severide knew there was more to what happened on Casey's call than the Captain was letting on. As Matt had raced past them on the apparatus floor not only had he been short with Brett, but he had also been pale, a wild look in his eyes that Severide had never seen on him throughout his career in the CFD. Then Mouch and Kidd had told them the story, how Casey had been alone in the house after they were cleared from the call and then ambushed by a guy with a gun. Apparently he had shot at Casey but missed.

Kidd had also mentioned briefly that Casey had hit his head in the scuffle and a brief flare of panic caused Severide's chest to get tight. Head injuries would be dangerous for the Captain after his brain injury a few years back and subsequent surgery. If he was hiding a head injury, that could be fatal for him. But something told Severide that that wasn't it. The look on Casey's face as he rushed by was stuck in Severide's head. There was more to the story than just a missed shot. Besides, Casey had been actually shot before and hadn't had any lingering troubles with the situation other than the physical healing of his arm.

Grissom pulled Severide's attention away from where Casey had disappeared and his concern dropped into a corner of his mind. It was only at the end of shift that he remembered he was going to check in as he spotted Casey walking down the hall to the apparatus floor.

"Yo!" He said as he hurried through the door, hitting Casey gently on the arm to get him to slow down. "You okay?"

The Captain had continued his shift as usual, but Severide could still see that look in his eyes, and the blonde was still pale.

Casey kept walking, his head facing forward as he answered. "Have a headache."

"Yeah, I heard you caught a bad one," Severide said, hoping to get Casey to open up about what was going on in his head.

"Not more than usual."

Severide kept up the quick pace to stay next to Casey. He was being unusually short with his answers, another telltale sign that something bigger was at play here. It was time for a different tactic.

"Hey, so I was gonna hook up with Sullivan and Allen from 85. You know them?"

He stood back as Casey placed his charged radio in Truck for the next lieutenant. Maybe this would get Casey to talk, break him out of whatever stupor he was in.

"Nope."

"Well, they're both union reps now. Just trying to get insight into this whole task force thing."

He looked over at Casey and frowned as he noticed the blonde was still avoiding eye contact.

Then he started pulling on his gloves as he answered, giving him another excuse to not look Severide in the eyes. "You think Griss is really on his way out?"

Well, at least he answered with more words than Severide had heard all shift.

"Sounds like it."

Finally, Casey spared a quick glance toward Severide, but looked away in a blink. "That a bad thing?"

"No, that's why I was, you know, trying to get a handle on it. See if you wanted to come with."

The political side of the situation was to draw Casey in, but the real reason Severide wanted him to come was so he could keep an eye on him.

"Can't," Casey replied, still looking pointedly ahead. "I'm going to put a wet towel on my head, turn off the lights in my room, close my eyes."

He turned again toward Severide but then kept walking toward the door, not even stopping when Severide didn't follow him.

"Yeah, I get it," he replied, but Casey was already gone. He could only stare at where the blonde had slipped through the door into the chilly morning air. Something was definitely going on with their Captain.

Severide thanked Sullivan and Allen and made his way toward the bar.

"Hey Severide. The usual?" Hermann asked, already reaching for a beer. The lieutenant paused, placing the slip of paper in his jacket pocket. Normally he'd have a few beers and relax a bit before he went home for the night, but something was nagging at him to get home.

"Actually I'm alright. I'm going to head home."

Herrmann shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Severide found himself driving a bit faster than usual to his apartment. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to hurry, but it was like an itch he couldn't scratch. He just needed to get home.

A bit of the tension eased as he slid the key into the lock, opening the door, but it slammed fully back into him when he noticed the apartment was almost completely dark. The only light was coming from the streetlights outside flooding through the large windows.

"Casey?" He called, placing his keys on the kitchen island. He supposed the blonde could be asleep in his room, he had said he was going to do as much, but there was always some light left on. To come home to a dark apartment set Severide on edge.

He walked more into the living room, his eyes only starting to adjust. "Hey, Casey you-" he stopped short, jumping slightly as he finally noticed an outline of someone on the couch.

"Jesus, Case, what are you doing sitting on the couch in the dark?"

Casey didn't respond but then he heard a quiet sniff, muffled, and his concern grew even more.

"Hey, man, you okay?" He inched toward the couch, reaching to turn the light on but Casey finally spoke.

"Don't," he croaked, his voice rough.

"Don't what? Turn on the light?"

"Yes," he whispered and this time his voice cracked.

Severide sat on the chair next to the couch. He was close enough to Casey that their legs almost touched.

"What's going on bud?" He asked softly, putting on the voice he saved for victims that were in distress. Casey was in need of that right now. Whatever was going on with him seemed to have taken over.

Another sniff broke the silence, this time followed by a choked off sob. Casey was crying.

"Case…" he reached over and touched his hand to Casey's knee, letting him know he was there. The blonde flinched but didn't pull away so Severide kept his hand there.

"Matt, tell me what's going on. I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong."

His eyes had finally adjusted to the dark and now he could see Casey much more clearly. The Captain was hunched over, hands pressed to his face and his body was shaking slightly.

Just when he thought Casey was going to stay silent, the blonde sat back and rubbed his hands over his face before he crossed them over his chest. Even in the dark it was obvious Casey had been crying for a while. There were wet tear marks on his face and Severide could see his eyes were puffy and most likely red.

"The call," the blonde started, voice wavering and quiet. "I didn't tell the whole truth."

Severide stayed quiet, knowing that Casey needed to get this out without interruption. He did, however, move a bit closer, squeezing Casey's knee gently to ground him and let him know he was safe to keep speaking.

"I heard a noise. It was stupid, but I went to check it out." He took a deep breath, the air catching in his chest before he let it out and continued. "I just walked over to where the living room met the kitchen when all of a sudden this guy came flying at me. He knocked me to the ground and I hit my head so I didn't see it at first. But then I looked…" his voice caught and Severide could see his lips were trembling, a few tears spilling down his face. "He had a gun and it was pointed right at my face. Before I could do anything, he-" Casey cut himself off as a sob tore through him, but the blonde swallowed it, running his hands through his hair before he finally looked Severide directly in the eyes. "He pulled the trigger, Sev. I was staring down the barrel of the gun and he pulled the trigger! The gun jammed! I should be dead!" His voice raised in pitch as anger flowed from the blonde. Tears raced down his cheeks as he shook his head, hands fidgeting in his lap.

"I should be dead! The only reason I'm not is because of a 1 in 1000 chance. How am I supposed to wrap my head around that? Why am I alive? Why wouldn't the gun go off? How am I supposed to go on knowing that my life should have ended right there?"

"Hey…" Severide soothed, moving so he was kneeling on the ground next to where Casey was sitting, angling himself to better see the blonde in the dark.

"You can't think like that, Case. Life is full of moments that don't make sense. I could be hit by a bus tomorrow. Any one of us could be killed on the job. One decision can change your life, but that doesn't mean they're always a reason for why things happen. Every shift we put our lives on the line to help save people, but each choice we make, which path we choose, what tool we hold, that all affects how the day ends. But we can't linger on that. If we do, we're dead for sure."

Casey sobbed again and Severide reached up and grabbed his hand. "I know it's hard, but you can't focus on the small details, why something did or didn't happen. If we did, we wouldn't be able to do our job. Sometimes shit happens, but what you need to focus on is the fact that you're still alive, still here, and put that into your work, how many lives you can help save. And know that you have me and everyone else at 51 that has your back."

Casey sniffed and rubbed his hands over his face again, leaving them there for a moment before he let them drop.

"You're right," he said softly and Severide smiled. "I don't know why I got so stuck on this. I just couldn't stop replaying that moment in my head."

"It was a traumatic moment, Case. I think that's normal. But next time, come to me and we can talk it out. That's what I'm there for. I know you'd do the same for me."

Casey huffed a small laugh. "Trying to get you to talk about anything is as easy as pulling teeth."

"Hey, I'm not that bad."

Casey shot him a look and he laughed. "Okay, maybe just a little."

The blonde rolled his eyes and then sat back against the couch, rubbing his temples.

"Ugh my head is pounding."

"You take something earlier?"

"I did at the end of shift but nothing since then."

Severide got up from his crouched position, knees protesting, and made his way over to the island where they kept a bottle of Advil. "Is that why all the lights are out in here?" He asked as he shook out two pills and filled a glass of water before he brought it over to the blonde.

Casey took the pills and water and downed them, draining the glass before placing it on the coffee table.

"Maybe," he said sheepishly.

"What happened to the wet towel and bed idea?" Severide asked as he helped Casey to his feet, supporting him lightly as they made his way to their bedroom.

"I tried but every time I shut my eyes all I could see was the gun so I got up and sat on the couch."

He helped Casey down onto the bed and made his way over to the connected bathroom where he soaked a washcloth in cold water. He squeezed the excess water out and walked back into the bedroom where Casey had already slid under the blankets.

"Thanks," the blonde said as he took the towel, laying back and spreading it across his forehead. He sighed in relief and Severide watched some of the tension leave his face.

"Will you be okay now?"

Casey peeled back half of the towel so he could look at Severide. "Yeah, I think I will be. Thanks Sev, for everything."

"Of course, Case. If you need anything I'll be in my bedroom. Don't hesitate to ask."

Casey gave a slight nod and placed the towel back over his eyes. Severide squeezed the blonde's arm gently and then left the room, closing the door most of the way but leaving it open a crack. He'd do the same with his bedroom door just so he could make sure everything was good with Casey in the night. His brother was hurting right now, but with some time, he'd be okay.

Chapter Text

Casey hefted the large granite counter onto the striped sink cupboard, Severide on his right helping him lift. They placed it down and stepped back quickly, making sure their fingers got clear so they weren't squished.

"Looks good," Severide commented as he wiped his arm across his brow.

"Told you it would." Casey grinned at his boyfriend. He and Severide had been living together for almost a year now and Casey had been begging the lieutenant to let him remodel his, now their, kitchen. The kitchen counter had been outdated and full of scuff marks, even a few burn spots where the previous tenant had carelessly placed hot pots on top. Severide had always waved him off saying it was fine, but it killed the contractor part of Casey for it to be the first thing he saw each morning as he made his coffee. After much pleading and assurances that Casey would make it look 100 times better than it currently did, Severide had finally caved and let Casey have full control. So far the blonde had completed the cabinets, sanding them down and painting them a lighter colour to brighten the kitchen since the rest of the loft was dark, replaced the sink to a more modern style, one that had a touch feature that Severide had even admitted was cool, and redid the backsplash. All that was left was to put in the new granite countertops, putty the edges, and install the under cabinet lights and he'd be done. Today's mission was the countertops, hence why he had Severide lugging the heavy stone slab up the stairs even though it was one of the hottest days of the summer so far.

"Alright, I'll let you have this one. I'm going out to grab those steaks for dinner. You got the rest handled right?"

"Yup. I just need to cut down the edges so they fit properly and then secure the granite in place and I'm good. I'll probably be done by the time you get back."

Severide walked over and gave him a quick kiss before he grabbed his keys and headed to the door.

"I expect to see an intact counter when I get back!" He called and then he was gone.

Casey chuckled and shook his head as he pushed the granite so it touched the wall. Then he took out his white pencil for marking and began drawing small lines where he needed to make cuts so the granite would fit. When he was done, he tucked the pencil behind his ear and grabbed his hand held wet circular saw as he prepared to cut. He made sure to slip on a mask first. While the wet saw cut down on the dust significantly, he inhaled enough smoke and other things on the job that he always took the utmost precautions when doing his contractor work.

The first cut went smoothly. The saw cut through the granite like it was nothing, sliding with ease in one precise movement. The next few cuts went just as well. Casey was happy with the results. The granite would fit perfectly and he'd be able to rub it in Severide's face that he was right, as always.

The last cut is where the Captain ran into difficulties. For some reason, the granite kept wanting to shift on him and he couldn't line up the saw properly. He knew it was a risk, but since it was the last cut he decided to hold the granite with his left hand toward the end of where he needed to make his cut. With that stabilized, he could cut with his right hand and then be done. Normally he wouldn't even consider that, but he wanted to get this done for his boyfriend before he got home so he could see it finished and the cut he needed to make was only about 6 inches long. The diamond blade was sharp. As long as he kept a firm grip with his right hand, he'd be fine.

Adjusting his stance, Casey made sure he was in a stable position before he turned on the saw and began cutting. Everything was fine for the first few inches. He was going slow, careful to keep his hand out of the way while also ensuring the saw stayed perfectly upright to keep the cut straight. Just as he was nearing the end, the blade caught on something. He wasn't sure what it was, an imperfection in the granite, a crack that had formed in the blade, he'd never know. In that instance, the saw jumped in his hand and he lost control, jutting forward faster than Casey could even blink. His right hand lost its grip and the saw shut off as soon as the button on the handle was released, one of the saw's safety features. Casey's heart thundered as he stared at the saw, now lying at the very back where the counter met the wall. Then pain sent lightning skittering across the nerves on Casey's left hand, travelling all the way up his arm and into his shoulder. Instinctively, he yanked his hand toward his chest and felt a quick wave of dizziness as he saw his hand. The saw had cut a slice into the side of his palm, right under his pinky. Casey couldn't see how deep the cut went under all the blood that was bubbling out of the cut at an alarming rate. He cursed, not only at the pain, but at the fact that he was dripping blood all over the floor.

He raced over to the sink, his right hand gripping the left tightly and held it over the basin so that the blood dripped in there instead of the floor. Casey looked around wildly, a bit panicked, and spotted a dish towel hanging on the cupboard door. He snatched it and pressed it to his left hand, not even bothering to look at the wound. From the amount of blood and how badly it hurt, he knew it was deep.

Keeping the towel pressed tight even though it caused shockwaves of pain to lace through his hand and into his arm, Casey wasn't sure how long he stood there. Suddenly he heard a key in their lock and breathed a sigh of relief. Sev was home.

"Hey Case, I'm back!" Severide announced and Casey heard him tow his boots off, his keys clanking as he placed them on the table by the door. "I got the steaks. I also got-" His boyfriend's voice cut off and then something thunked against the floor, presumably the groceries he had been carrying.

"Shit, is that blood? You bleeding?" He asked as he hurried over to the kitchen, making sure to step over the blood splattered on the tile.

"Jesus, what happened?" Severide immediately took over, his first responder training switching on in an instant. He grabbed Casey's towel wrapped hand and put more pressure on it and Casey hissed.

"Sorry," he said, but didn't loosen his grip. Severide's wide blue eyes met Casey's as he looked his boyfriend over.

"You cut yourself with the saw? Did you lose any fingers? If so we need to go to the hospital now, there's only a certain amount of time until they can reattach those."

Casey raised his bloodied right hand and shook his head, stumbling just a bit when he got dizzy again briefly. The thought sent a wave of nausea through him. He very well could have sawed his fingers off.

"No, my fingers are fine. Cut my palm pretty badly though."

Severide nodded, still staying calm. "Okay, let's go sit on the couch for a second. Your face just went completely white."

Keeping one hand gripped tightly on the towel, Severide helped guide Casey over to the couch with his free hand. As soon as Casey was seated, he gently pushed the blonde's head between his knees, keeping his injured hand raised in the air.

"Slow breaths, Case. We don't need you going into shock. Just relax, slow your heart rate and your breathing."

Casey stayed that way for a few minutes, breathing slowly through his nose and then exhaling through his mouth. After a few cycles, he felt his heart stop hammering in his chest and his breathing got easier. When he felt better, he sat back up, resting his back against the cushions.

"Sorry…" he breathed, heat flaming his neck and cheeks not that he felt better. "I don't know why I freaked out like that. I'm a first responder, I should be able to handle something like this."

Severide quirked an eyebrow. "You don't need to apologize. Anyone would freak out after something like that. It gets the adrenaline going. We see it every day. Just cause we're used to giving aid doesn't mean we can't be affected when it happens to us."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I just feel so stupid. I know better than to get myself into a situation where I can get hurt."

Severide shrugged. "Mistakes happen. All we have to do is learn from them and move on."

Casey shot his boyfriend a small smile but it quickly turned into a wince as Severide adjusted his grip.

"I know it hurts, I'm sorry, but I'm just trying to get the bleeding under control. You okay if I take a look to see how deep it is?"

Casey drew in a deep breath and nodded.

Carefully, Severide pulled back the towel and hissed as he spotted the wound. He rotated Casey's hand slightly to get a better angle and Casey grit his teeth, doing everything he could to not snatch his hand from his boyfriend's grip.

"Okay. All done," Severide said as he put the towel back in place. "It's definitely deep. I didn't see bone but I think the blade got close. You're going to need stitches regardless so it's a hospital trip for us, bud."

He groaned even though he knew that from the second he saw the blood.

"No way around it, Case. I know you hate having to go, but you need to get checked out."

"Yeah, I know."

Severide brought Casey's hand down to the Captain's chest. "Keep pressure on that. I'm going to put the groceries in the fridge quickly and then we can go."

Casey snorted as Severide walked over to the fallen grocery bag and made his way toward the fridge.

"I'm currently bleeding out and you're worried about the steaks?" But Casey smiled, not actually mad.

"First of all," Severide started, face in the fridge as he found a spot to put the steaks, "you're hardly bleeding out. And secondly," he shut the door and spun around, waiving a receipt in the air, "I paid good money for these steaks. They're quality cuts of meat. I'm not letting them go to waste just because you decided to do self-surgery."

Casey stood up from the couch, his hand clutched to his chest, and walked over to where Severide was now at the door.

"You're right. I was prioritizing the wrong things. Thank you for saving those steaks, I don't know what I was thinking."

Severide grinned and leaned forward to give Casey a quick kiss on the lips. "You're welcome."

Casey rolled his eyes and grinned. He knew what Severide ws doing. He was trying to make the situation light, help Casey take his mind off of what happened and stop blaming himself for what was only an accident. Severide knew him too well.

Their couch had never felt so good. Casey sank into the cushions with a content sigh, his newly bandaged hand on his chest. The hospital had done an X-ray and confirmed that Casey had indeed missed the bone with the saw. That was good news, shaving time off his recovery, and so the hospital had only needed to flush the wound, making sure everything was clean, before they stitched him up, bandaged him, and sent him home. He ended up needing twenty two stitches, but the cut had been clean and the doctors were optimistic that he would make a full recovery, his hand no worse for wear except for a new scar. He was also still pleasantly numb and so he was soaking up all the time he had before the throbbing ache settled in again.

"Time for some steaks?" Severide called over the running tap. His boyfriend had just finished cleaning up the blood from the floor and the countertop, something Casey needed to thank him, thoroughly, later for.

Casey's eyes popped open as he sat up quickly, totally forgetting about their planned meal for the night.

"Oh man, that sounds so good right now. I'm starving."

Severide smirked as he opened the fridge. "You're also still a bit high from the morphine they gave you at the hospital, huh?"

Casey grinned. "Yup," he said, popping the 'p'. 

Severide laughed. "Alright you just rest and I'll cook these up." He started chopping something by the sink when he paused and turned back to face his boyfriend. "Oh, I totally forgot. Look what else I got!"

Casey watched his boyfriend open the fridge and grab something before he turned around and held it up, a satisfied look on his face.

"Oh my god, is that caramel cheesecake?" Casey's mouth started watering just looking at it.

"Yup. I saw it in the store and thought I'd grab one to celebrate your hard work since it's your favourite. But I think it's warranted now as a celebration that you still have your hand," His boyfriend teased and Casey snorted.

"If it gets me cheesecake, maybe I should hurt myself more often."

"I don't think so. I prefer my boyfriend in one piece, thank you."

"Well, I guess I'll have to find another way to get cheesecake then. Maybe I'll start a new trend of cheesecake worthy emergencies where I don't end up in the hospital."

Severide laughed, his true laugh that Casey didn't get to hear as often as he would like and he found himself laughing along with him.

"Whatever you say, Matty."

Chapter Text

"Quiet down back there, guys! You're going to make Otis crash the truck."

Casey received a chorus of "sorry Captains" in response, each in varying degrees of apologetic. Truck was rowdier than normal today. They had just finished a huge job with Engine, Squad, and 61 where they had completed a huge save. With the help of everyone at 51, they had been able to rescue a whole family, including their two small children, from where they had been trapped in a collapsed basement. It had been an inferno down there, debris making things difficult and the smoke making visibility almost zero, but they had worked together and got the family out. The parents had been burned, but it seemed like they would all be okay.

It had helped that the rain was coming down in sheets, the weather torrential all day. The roads had turned into small rivers and the firehouse was caked in mud from their coming and going on calls making the apparatus floor seem like it was part of the earth instead of concrete. Chief had them trying to maintain some form of cleanliness, but every time one of their trucks came back the floor was covered with more water, mud, and debris. It was this kind of weather and the calls they were getting that got everyone riled up more than usual. Casey was going to have to get his team to run drills indoors to blow off some more steam.

They were the last ones back to the firehouse, except 61 of course who had taken the victims to the hospital. Casey could see that Severide had just jumped out of Squad and was hanging his turnout coat on the door. He smiled as he watched his boyfriend work, his form getting closer as Otis slowly backed onto the apparatus floor. It was these moments that Casey liked to cherish, the ones where Severide didn't know he was looking, focused on doing his job.

The breaks hisses as Otis put the truck in park and his team jumped out, shrugging off their soaked turnout gear and heading toward the kitchen to see what was for lunch. He was about to join them, his door swung open, but he realized he didn't have his radio strapped across his chest. He let out a soft curse, remembering that he had taken it off at the end of the call to inspect it as it had been spitting static, most likely from all the rain. Hopefully it was just between or under the seat. If not, he was going to have to file a report that he had misplaced it and he did not want to have to do that. If the rest of 51 found out that he, a Captain, had lost his radio of all things, he would never hear the end of it.

"Hey Case, you coming?" He heard Severide call from somewhere behind him. Casey had his back turned, facing toward the truck's cabin, as he stepped down so he was on the lower step to get a better angle of his seat space.

"Yeah, just one sec!" He called back and heard Severide grunt in conformation before his boots thunked as he walked away.

Peering down, Casey's chest was flush to the ground as his left leg jutted out, trying to propel himself a bit further to look deeper under the seat. When he didn't see the radio there, he pushed himself back up, intent on looking between the seat and the center console to see if it had dropped in between there. Unfortunately, the universe had other plans. His left leg, still hovering in the air from his stretched position to get a better vantage point, missed the bottom step as he brought it back down to step back into the rig. This caused a chain reaction as his right leg had already been pushing forward, his left hand on the butt of the seat and his right holding the door in a loose grip. With only his right foot on the step, as he pushed, the mud that slicked over all the surfaces lessened the traction of his boot and it slipped. With no time to move his hands in front of him, gravity pulled Casey toward the floor. It happened so fast that he had no time to react as his legs hit the ground, crumpling on impact, and then his chin smashed into the bottom step.

The world erupted in a burst of white hot flame, sizzling zaps of electricity racing across his face, down his jaw and neck and up into his head. His vision whited out as his teeth gnashed, reverberating in his skull. Casey barely felt the rest of the impact on the ground, legs splayed beneath him. He had landed awkwardly, his upper body hovering over the ground, left arm holding him up, as he instinctively grabbed at his chin and mouth with his right hand, holding it there like it was the only thing keeping his face together as waves of deep, pulsating pain blocked out the rest of his senses.

His chest heaved as his body tried to process what had just happened. It took a few gulping breaths before the pain lessened and the Captain realized that his face was spurting blood. It collected in his hand, hot and thick, and ran down his neck in small streams. He moaned as he shifted his jaw slightly and it screamed in protest. It felt tight and the whole bottom of his face was hot, like there was fire smouldering under his skin.

"Case?" A voice called and a rush of cool relief flooded Casey's veins, briefly combating the fire blazing through him. "Hey, where'd you go? I thought you said you'd be right in?" Severide asked and Casey heard the doors to the common room swing shut.

He wanted to shout that he was over here, that he had been an idiot and now he was paying the price, that he wanted Severide to make everything better, but he couldn't move his jaw.

"Seriously, Casey. Where-?" Severide's question cut off as Casey saw him round the back of Engine from the corner of his eye.

"Casey!" Severide rushed over, sliding on his knees as he rushed to get on Casey's level and check him out.

"Jesus, what happened?" The lieutenant's hands were then on his face, probing gently.

Casey flinched on reflex and groaned, knowing that any investigation would hurt more than he already did.

"I know, I know," Severide soothed, "but I need to look at your face, see what's wrong. Can you lower your hand?"

Casey's wild gaze locked with Severide's. He could see the fear that edged Severide's eyes, but the amount of calm that his ice-blue eyes radiated helped slow the Captain's pounding heart. This was his boyfriend, the person he loved more than anyone else. He would help him.

Slowly, Casey removed his hand from his mouth, a fresh spurt of blood following, and placed it in his lap, not knowing what else to do with it. It was coated in blood.

The change in Severide's face was immediate. His features hardened, his eyes crinkling, as he sucked in air through his teeth. "That looks like it hurts, bud," he said gently as he tipped Casey's head back slightly, fingers gently prodding his boyfriend's face. Casey flinched as Severide got close to a particularly sore spot, but didn't pull away, letting Severide finish his exam. His boyfriend's warm fingers started at his temple, applying light pressure as he went down Casey's face. His thumbs pushed his cheekbone next, then his nose, and he nodded when Casey didn't react. Next came the upper lip. It was a bit tender, but was barely noticed over the pain in Casey's bottom lip and jaw. Satisfied with everything so far, Severide's fingers finally moved to where Casey knew the real damage was. His thumbs traced over his jaw, much gentler than he had been with the top portion of the Captain's face. When his thumb brushed over the spot that had impacted the step, Casey couldn't help but jerk back as lightning flashed through his jaw. Severide frowned but didn't let go of Casey's jaw. He prodded it a bit more, ushering apologies each time Casey flinched, and then his fingers were gone.

In the next moment, Severide drew back, pulling his shirt off in one swift motion. Casey's brow furrowed as he watched, not understanding what his boyfriend was doing, but then the short was pressed against his lip and Casey hissed, opening his jaw for the first time since he had hit it. It hurt like hell, his jaw stiff like it had been wired shut for a month, but he was pleased to know that he was able to open and close it.

"How bad?" He croaked softly, barely opening his mouth but winced when the motions pulled at his lip.

"Hey, don't talk," Severide chastised as he pushed the shirt a bit tighter to Casey's face. "The good news is that I don't think your jaw is broken. There's a huge lump and bruise where you smacked it, since I'm assuming you slipped and went face first into the step, am I right?"

Sometimes Casey cursed Severide's ability to read a scene. He nodded slightly.

"You could have a hairline fracture where it impacted so you'll need x-rays. Your lip, on the other hand, is an entirely different problem. You split the bottom one pretty good. I think your tooth dug in as your chin impacted the step."

Casey shut his eyes and sighed through his nose heavily. This was exactly what he needed. A possibly fractured jaw and a badly split lip.

He opened his eyes to see Severide's face had softened. "How the hell do you get yourself into situations like this, Matty?"

"My luck," he whispered, making sure to keep his jaw as stable as possible.

"Can you keep pressure on this for a sec? I need to go tell Boden what's going on and then I'm driving you to the hospital."

He took the shirt in response, Severide making sure he was good before he stood and jogged out of sight.

The short haired man was only gone for a minute before he was back, still shirtless much to Casey's amusement.

"Boden's going to call in replacements for us and then he's going to drive us to the hospital. I told him you could hold out for a few more minutes," Severide said, a small smile on his face as he knelt before his boyfriend again, taking the shirt and resuming pressure on Casey's lip.

Casey rolled his eyes but was relieved that Severide had made it seem like it wasn't a big deal. The last thing he needed was people rushing to come to his aide. While it hurt like hell, he'd be fine and wanted to keep his idiotic moment as quiet as he could.

"Can you check my teeth?"

Severide raised a brow. "Your lip is split open and still bleeding freely and you're concerned with your teeth?"

Casey just shrugged. He wanted to make sure that none of them had been knocked loose. Severide laughed softly but did as Casey asked. He removed the shirt and then lifted Casey's top gum gently, pushing slightly on his top teeth. After a minute of playing dentist, Severide returned the blood-soaked shirt to Casey's face.

"Teeth look to be intact. You'll live to smile another day."

The doors to the common room swung open and footsteps sounded, more than just Boden. Herrmann, Otis, Cruz, Mouch, and Kidd joined their Chief on the apparatus floor as they came to investigate what was going on.

"Oh man, Captain. What happened?" Cruz asked as his face scrunched in sympathy, similar looks crossing the rest of the 51 team who had followed.

"Yeesh, that looks painful," Herrmann commented, his eyes on the blood all over Casey's front.

Severide took over since Casey couldn't really speak with his injuries and the shirt over his face.

"Casey here took a bit of a tumble. I'll let him tell you exactly how after he gets fixed up."

The group could see how Severide was shielding Casey, his protective nature coming out and they all nodded, knowing not to cross the lieutenant when he was like this.

"I'll back the car out of the garage. Just one sec," Boden said as he walked over to his suv and unlocked it.

While he did that, Severide helped Casey to his feet, steadying him as the Captain's head rushed. They turned to leave when Kidd suddenly spoke up. "Oh wait, I brought this for you," she said, handing Severide a folded up shirt.

His boyfriend took it, sparing a look at Casey to make sure he was still okay, before he pulled it on.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

As they turned, they heard Herrmann say, "You know Captain, there were easier ways to get Severide shirtless while on duty."

Casey glanced at the group and smiled slightly even though it pulled at his lip.

"Although, it's like I always said," he continued, "Severide's the kind of guy to give you the shirt off his back when it's needed."

"Really?" Cruz asked, turning to the Engine lieutenant with his hands raised. "You choose now to bring that back up?"

Herrmann said something in response but Severide was pulling him along toward where Boden was waiting, the back door already open for them.

Leave it to 51 to always find something to argue about, no matter the situation and Casey wouldn't have it any other way.

Chapter Text

Severide descended down the steep embankment, watching carefully as he was propelled further down so he didn't bump into anyone in the chain and send the kid, or anyone else, into the icy river below.

"Down on yellow!" He heard Casey yell from above and saw the Captain start descending as well.

Severide reached the young boy quickly, moving to secure him before his grip could slip from the man's hands, the only thing keeping him from plunging into the river.

"Alright, hang on. I got you," he reassured the small boy.

"Hold on yellow!" Casey said and immediately moved to secure the man holding the boy. If any of them fell, it would be bad for everyone involved. The faster they were secured, the better their chances.

The boy wiggled in his grasp, letting out scared whines. "All right, I got you." Severide finished tying the rope around the kid's waist and immediately lifted him so he was in front. "All right, we're in line!" 51 didn't need to be told twice. He felt the line tug as they pulled and Severide moved with it, keeping one hand firm on the kid while he used the other to balance himself as he half-walked, half got dragged up the hill. In no time, both he and the kid were at the top of the hill, the paramedics waiting as Severide wasted no time in handing the kid off so he could be seen. Casey followed with the guy he had rescued, Herrmann halfway down the hill to get the next person, and then Severide was repelling back down. With Herrmann being pulled back up, Severide made quick work securing the next victim. They were almost done. Only a few more people and everyone would be safe.

Severide had just handed his victim off when Casey went down again. There were only three people left and one was at the very top, not needing rescue, just for the people he was holding to be secured. This made it so Casey didn't have to go too far down to get the guy who was furthest away, but it also meant that the drop was a lot higher now.

A yell caught Severide's attention and he whipped his head to see Casey fully dangling above the embankment, struggling to keep the guy he was trying to secure from slipping. Before Casey had been able to hook him on the line, the man had slipped.

"Casey!" Severide called, ready to go down and help. Boden lifted a hand, stopping him. "Hold Severide. Kidd, give him more slack. Casey, position yourself under him! Get leverage so you can secure him."

"Got it!" Casey grunted and fell back as Kidd gave more slack, now positioned beneath him so that Casey would stop him if he slipped again. Unfortunately the victim was now panicking. Casey was struggling to get the rope around him as the guy squirmed, grappling for purchase that he would never find.

"Hey, man, cut it out!" Severide yelled, but it was no use. The man wasn't listening to anyone as he continued to panic. Severide watched as Casey hooked the rope around the man's waist. He was so close to having him strapped. But then, the man made an attempt to jump further up and his legs flew out behind him, his right foot kicking Casey square in the face. Severide and the rest of 51 could only watch on in horror as the next events unfolded.

As expected, Casey's head snapped back and with that motion, all of his weight shifted down, pulling completely on the rope. Under normal circumstances, the rope would keep Casey secure with Kidd holding it locked in place. This time, however, there was a loud snapping sound followed by Kidd's horrified yell and then Casey was free falling, his rope's anchor point no longer connected. Severide's heart sank as he watched the man and Casey fall. They rolled down the cliff, Casey falling faster with all of his gear. What felt like minutes actually unfolded in seconds. The man's momentum had sent him off to the side where he rolled until he hit the concrete barrier, stopping his fall. Casey, on the other hand, was sent straight down the embankment. Tumbling fast, Casey was propelled into the edge of the concrete barrier, his head striking it hard, before his lax body tumbled into the river below.

"Casey!" Severide screamed, but it was too late. The blonde was nowhere in sight. The Squad lieutenant scanned every inch of the water in the area Casey had disappeared. If Casey had been snagged by something, holding him down...Then, as if by a miracle, Casey popped up from beneath the water. Severide's relief was only brief as horror seized his chest. Casey wasn't moving.

Severide body began to move without thought. Still hooked up to his rope, he began propelling down, barking orders to anyone that would listen.

"I need a stokes basket and c-collar down here now!" He vaguely heard the commotion above as 51 rushed to get the things needed to rescue Casey.

"Hold on, Case! I'm coming!" He wasn't even sure that Casey could hear him, but he needed to let him know that help was coming.

As he reached the bottom, he thanked whoever was listening above that Casey's rope hadn't been pulled fully into the water. It gave him the perfect tool to pull Casey in since he was still strapped to it. Severide would have jumped in the water in a heartbeat, but not only would that subject him to the freezing water, but he would also have to untether himself and Casey needed him to be able to pull him back up the steep hill.

When his boots hit the dirt at the bottom, Severide repelled to the right and swung his body around as he dove for the rope, grabbing it before it slipped off the edge of the embankment. Severide took that moment to look out at where Casey was still floating lifelessly. He felt his chest ease slightly as he noticed that the Captain was floating on his back. If he had been face down… Severide shook the thought off. He wasn't going there, not while Casey was still in danger.

It took a lot of effort, Severide using all of his leg strength as leverage to pull Casey back to shore, his soaked turnout gear adding even more weight. Just as Casey was close enough to reach, Herrmann appeared next to him, c-collar in one hand and stokes basket tethered on a new line to his right. They didn't have to say a word to one another, knowing what they needed to do. In sync, they both reached down, grabbing a part of Casey's turnout coat and hauling him out of the water. There was a shallow flat portion here at the bottom of the embankment and Severide and Herrmann laid Casey flat on it. Severide took the c-collar from Herrmann and immediately strapped it around Casey's neck, taking a brief moment to access Casey. It was obvious that Casey had head trauma. Not only was he still not moving, but there was a large gash on the left side that was bleeding sluggishly on the side his head where it had impacted the concrete.

They would have to deal with that later. As Severide leaned down, placing his fingers to Casey's neck as he listened to the blonde's chest, more pressing issues made themselves known.

"He's not breathing!" He said to Herrmann who was watching with wide eyes, stokes basket at the ready. Severide ripped open Casey's turnout coat, exposing as much as his chest as he could from his uniform layers without the medical shears they had on their trucks and the ambulance. He would need to start CPR before they could move him. The priority was getting Casey breathing again before they could complete the rescue.

"Severide, Herrmann, report!" Chief Boden called over the radio. Severide didn't answer, already moving in position to start compressions, but he heard Herrmann say, "Casey's out of the water, but he's not breathing. Severide's starting CPR."

A hushed silence fell over the hill, everyone at the top going silent as they realized how bad the situation was. If they didn't act fast, they could lose their Captain.

Severide wasn't going to let that happen. He pumped Casey's chest, desperately pleading for the blonde to open his eyes. "Come on, Case. Come on man! Don't do this!"

Time seemed to slow as Severide continued compressions, the gurgle of the river, the wind in the trees fading until all Severide could hear was his own pounding heart as he pounded Casey's for him.

"Damnit, Casey, breathe!" he ordered the unresponsive Captain. He continued compressions, more desperate than he had ever been, and could have collapsed himself when all of a sudden Casey lurched forward, water spraying from his mouth as he started to cough, deep, wracking coughs. While it sounded more than painful, it meant that Casey was breathing that he was alive. Quickly, Severide and Herrmann grabbed Casey, making sure to support his head and spine since he had a head injury and who knew what else, as they tipped Casey on his side to help clear the water from his lungs.

They stayed there for a few moments, Severide whispering encouraging words to the blonde as he patted his back gently. When the coughing and retching faded, Casey's breath still raspy but coming clearer than before, they rolled him onto his back again. Severide shared a look with Herrmann, the relief he was feeling plastered over Herrmann's face.

"We got him back, Chief," Herrmann said into his radio, voice shaking. "He's breathing. We're loading him in the stokes basket now."

"Thank god," Boden replied and Severide heard quiet cheers as Boden must have told 51 the good news. Casey wasn't out of the woods yet, but his chances of recovery were a lot better now that he was breathing again.

They loaded the unconscious, but still breathing, Captain into the basket and then they were hauling him up, Severide keeping a firm grip on the basket the whole way up. As soon as the basket reached the top, it was whisked away and Casey was loaded into a second ambulance that Boden must have called the second he fell. 61 was already gone, the man that had caused Casey to fall rescued and loaded up as they were rescuing Casey. By the time Severide was hauled up and unhooked, Casey had already been whisked away too. One look at Boden told Severide they were thinking the same thing. It was time for a 51 trip to Med.

Severide paced the floor of the waiting room, surprised the floor wasn't worn out from how many times he had done exactly this over the years. The rest of 51 sat in the chairs around the room, slumped in their seats, solemn looks on their faces. Casey had been rushed into the back two hours ago and they hadn't heard anything since. All they knew was that he was still breathing when he arrived.

Footsteps walking toward them had Severide freezing mid-step. He turned and saw Will Halstead approaching. Severide met him halfway. "Casey?"

"Casey's okay," he started and the whole room sighed in relief, tension melting in the air. "Sorry it took so long. We did a few different tests since he hit his head, but they came back clear. While he has a concussion and had to get stitches to close the gash, there was no significant brain damage that you need to worry about."

Severide let out a long breath and rubbed a hand over his tired eyes. "What about his breathing? I had to do CPR after I rescued him."

"Overall, his lungs sound good despite what happened. He's on oxygen and we're monitoring him closely for any signs of pneumonia or anything like that. We want him to stay a few days just to make sure everything is good, but we're optimistic. Once the few days are up, as long as no further issues arise, he can go home."

"That's great news," Boden said, appearing to Severide's right.

"Can I see him?" Severide asked.

Will nodded. "Room 117, down the hall to your right."

Severide gave a quick nod of thanks before he set off down the hall. When he spotted the right door, he wasted no time in walking inside. Casey was laying in the bed, IV in one arm, oxygen cannula strapped to his face, and a large bandage taped to his pale face where the gash had been.

As Severide walked closer, Casey must have heard him since his eyes fluttered open. The Captain smiled when he saw it was Severide.

"Hey, Sev," he said softly, voice a little hoarse.

"Hey, man," he said back as he pulled up a chair and sat in it so he was close to Casey's left side. "You scared us."

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize, it wasn't your fault. Just an unfortunate circumstance with that guy you were trying to save."

Casey sat up straighter, eyes flashing in panic. "How's the guy? He fell with me right? Is he okay?"

Severide held out his arms. "Woah, easy. It's okay. The guy has some cuts and bruises but he's fine. I think he's even been discharged already."

Casey sagged back into the bed. "Good. That's good."

"You, on the other hand, decided to take the hard route down. You hit your head pretty good and took a dip in the river. I had to go down there and pull your ass out."

Severide was trying to keep things light, not only for him, but for Casey's sake, but his wavering voice gave him away.

Casey turned his head to look at him, his eyes serious. "I heard you did CPR on me. Saved my life."

Severide sat back and rubbed his neck. "Yeah, but it was no big-"

"Kelly," Casey cut him off and Severide's gaze snapped back to the blonde. "It was a big deal. You saved my life. Thank you. I don't know how I'm going to repay you."

Severide nodded, knowing that it was important to Casey that he knew how much Severide's actions meant to him. But then he tried to brush it off, not used to so many emotions.

"A box of cigars and a promise that you'll do the same for me if my ass ever needs saving."

Casey remained serious though, his gaze still locked intently on Severide. "Deal. I'll always watch you back, that goes unsaid. Whenever you need a hand, I'll be there."

There was silence for a moment as they shared that promise, but then Severide leaned back, striking a more casual pose.

"I'm not talking about any cigars here, either. They better be those fancy imported ones that you can only get at the specialty shops."

Casey laughed as the mood in the room lightened. While they had almost lost Casey, things would be okay as long as they had each other to rely on.

"I think I can manage that."

Chapter Text

The victims on the roof continued to wave their arms frantically, calling out as Kidd positioned the truck so Mouch could get the aerial aligned.

"Just hold on! We're coming!" Casey called up and saw them all nod, huddling together as the smoke curled thickly around them. The fire inside the shop was cooking, Cruz and Severide already inside.

Casey secured his helmet as he walked toward the back of Truck. "I'll go and get the victims down."

Gallo ran up, ropes in hand. "I'll come with you!"

Casey reached out to take the ropes. "No, I'll go alone. With how hot that fire's rolling the roof won't last long. I'll minimize the risk of collapse if I'm alone. I'll get the victims off and then follow them down the ladder."

Gallo hesitated a moment, clearly disappointed, but he nodded and handed over the rescue ropes.

"Alright, I'm going up!"

"Copy that, Captain!" Kidd yelled back as she positioned herself under the aerial to watch the rescue, ready to intervene if anything went wrong.

As Casey began to climb the aerial ladder, a cloud of smoke caught his eye as the shop doors opened and Cruz and Severide came out, a victim slung over their shoulders. They deposited him on a gurney and took off their masks before Severide reached for his radio. Casey breathed a small sigh of relief knowing that his boyfriend was out and no longer in any danger.

"Shops clear, Casey."

"Copy that Sev. I'm getting the victims off the roof and then Herrmann can hit it with the cannons."

He dropped his radio and kept climbing, holding the rails as he climbed higher. Suddenly the ladder jerked slightly beneath him and he stopped, looking down. When nothing happened and no one said anything, Casey shook it off and continued to make his way up, his focus back on the victims.

When he was almost at the top, the ladder jerked again, harder this time, and Casey turned and looked down at Mouch, raising his arms in a what the hell? gesture. Mouch seemed puzzled as he scanned the controls frantically. He didn't have time for this; he needed to get those victims down before the roof collapsed.

Just as he turned back around, the ladder bucked and Casey slipped, scrambling to hold on to the slick metal rails. Then the ladder lurched sharply to the right and a loud crash sounded before Casey saw a blur of bricks falling. That was all he saw before he was thrown into the right rail by the force of the aerial, his face smacking against the metal, disorienting him as he tried to regain his footing. The bounce of the ladder from hitting the object on the roof made it impossible. His momentum from slamming into the rail carried him over and suddenly Casey could only see the ground below as his body tipped over the rail. He grabbed out, trying to grab anything at all to save himself, but it happened too fast. He watched as his helmet fell, landing on the ground with a loud crack and Casey was sure he was about to join it, smacking into the concrete below. Then, his body jerked like a yoyo at the end of its rope and he yelled out as his left leg screamed in pain before he felt something pop in his left foot and lava flooded the joint. His body swung backwards and he found himself upside down, swinging through the air like a pendulum. The only thing keeping him from falling to his death was his right foot that had gotten caught in the metal spacings of the aerial rail. His boot must have wedged itself when he toppled over.

A strangled yell escaped him as his body shifted in the wind. The pain in his foot was excruciating, even worse than the time he had been shot.

"Captain!" Someone yelled from below, Kidd maybe, followed by, "Mouch! Lock the damn stick!"

Casey didn't hear Mouch's response. His blood was pounding in his ears as he hung upside down, the concrete below taunting him. One false move and his boot would dislodge.

"Case!" A new voice yelled and he saw his boyfriend come running over from where the Squad rig was parked. "Hold on, I'm coming!" Casey didn't really have a choice in the matter, but he tried to hold himself as still as possible to minimize the risk that his foot slipped out from where it was wedged.

As Severide grabbed what he needed and made his way to the back end of Truck, Casey watched as Kidd and Herrmann grabbed something from one of the Truck's compartments, pulling it free and then dragging it as fast as they could. They positioned it below where Casey was dangling and he realized that it was their airbag they used for jumpers or other people at risk for falling from high up. They were positioning it in case he slipped before Severide could get to him.

He heard Severide begin his climb up the aerial, his boots thunking on the metal, and then the ladder jerked again and Casey really did scream this time as rippling pain shot through his foot and up his leg into his hip. It felt like lightning was striking his ankle, unbearable heat scorching through the joint.

"I'm coming, Case!" Severide cried, desperation in his usually calm voice.

Casey grit his teeth, breath coming out in short pants as he tried to reel himself in, close off the pain and focus on getting back on the ladder. It was difficult, even more so from the blood that was now pooling in his head from hanging there. It felt like he was underwater, the pressure in his face growing with each second. Then there was a hand on right leg, bringing him back into the moment.

"I got you, I got you Case. You're going to be okay," Severide soothed as he fumbled with Casey's turnout coat. After a moment Casey heard a click followed by a louder metallic bang and he knew that Severide had clipped a line onto his gear and secured it to the ladder. If Casey were to fall now, the rope would stop him.

"Alright, now for the hard part Case. Your foot is wedged in there pretty good. I'm going to reach down and grab you around the waist. I want you to grab onto me and just hold on tight, okay? I'll do all the work. When you're upright you're going to have to pull your foot from your boot and then I'll pull you the rest of the way in."

"Somethings wrong," he grunted, "heard a pop."

"Your foot took all your weight as it stopped your fall. It'll hurt like hell to get you out, but it's the only choice. You ready?"

Casey sucked in a deep breath, trying to prepare himself before he said, "Ready."

Sev wasted no time. Casey still couldn't see him since he could lift his body up on his own without his ankle screaming in protest, but he felt as his body leaned over the edge of the ladder, pressed up on Casey's legs. He continued reaching down and then his arms were on Casey's torso, pulling him closer to him. Casey tried to help, curling forward to give his boyfriend more leverage. He blocked out the pain in his ankle, black spots dancing across his eyes as it shifted in his boot. They needed to do this in one motion. If Casey slipped back down, he wouldn't have the strength to do it again. Severide clasped his arms around Casey's back and Casey did the same so they were locked in position. Then he was being lifted up, the world turning the right way. A wave of dizziness both from the blood rushing out of his head and the pain in his ankle almost sent him flying back again, but Severide kept his tight grip. When they were almost fully upright Severide yelled, "Now! Pull your foot free!"

Casey didn't even stop to think about how much the action would hurt. On his boyfriend's command he yanked his left leg, hard, and felt his foot slip free. The pain increased tenfold, taking over every one of Casey's senses. His vision blacked out as he let out a strangled scream. He didn't even feel Severide pull him the rest of the way and set him down, back first, onto the aerial. It took a moment of ragged breathing before his vision returned and the world appeared before him, his boyfriend hovering over him with a worried look on his face. "You with me?"

Casey nodded. "That sucked," he panted and Severide grimaced. "I bet."

A thought had Casey jerking, craning his head to try and look behind him. "The victims-"

"They're fine," Severide said softly, running a hand through Casey's, now longer, hair. Ever since the Captain had decided to grow it out a bit, Severide had made it a habit to run his hands through the longer strands whenever he got the chance.

"Gallo got them down as I was getting you. He's getting a stokes basket for you now."

Casey groaned. "I don't want to be carried down. It's bad enough I fell."

Severide frowned disapprovingly. "First of all, the ladder crashed into the building and threw you off. You didn't just 'fall'. And secondly, have you seen your ankle? Cause you're not going to be walking on that anytime soon."

Casey glared up at his boyfriend but he knew he was right. If his ankle looked half as bad as it felt, he knew he didn't want to see it.

"Fine. You can be right this time."

Severide's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "How hard did you hit your head before you fell? Matthew Casey telling me I'm right?"

"Shut up."

Gallo suddenly popped up behind Severide, yellow stokes basket in hand. "Uh, is this a good time or should I come back later?"

"Nah, nothing urgent happening here. Why don't you come back in ten minutes?" Casey said and Gallos eyes widened as he looked to Severide for help.

"Don't mind him, he's just mad because I was right. Lighten up, Case, you're scaring the kid."

Casey shot Severide another glare but there was no real heat behind it. He wasn't mad. He was actually glad for the banter. It was distracting him from the fire in his foot.

"It's all good, Gallo. Thanks."

Gallo nodded and handed Severide the basket. "Need any help?"

"I got it."

Gallo headed back down the aerial as Severide stood up and placed the basket so it was behind Casey.

"Lift your body up slightly so I can slide this in behind you. Once you're strapped in I'll slide you down nice and slow. Think you've had enough excitement for one day, huh?"

"More like for the rest of my life," Casey muttered as he did what Severide said and felt the basket slide into place. Severide was quick in bucking him and then Casey was sliding down, Severide going backwards as he pulled the basket as he made sure to take his time. When they reached the bottom, multiple hands grabbed the basket and lowered him onto the ground.

"Please get me out of this," Casey said as Kidd's face popped into view. "I can hop from here."

"Got it Casey," was all she said before he began undoing the straps.

Free from the basket, Casey sat up and saw his ankle for the first time. He quickly looked away as nausea flooded through his body, the pain increasing. His ankle was completely crooked. But thankfully, while the bone was clearing at an angle, it hadn't broken through the skin.

Severide jumped off the truck and made his way to his boyfriend. "Ready for some pain meds?" He asked as Casey heard a stretched roll up behind them.

"God, yes."

Severide laughed and reached down to help Casey stand. His boyfriend held tight as he swayed slightly and then placed him on the cushioned gurney. Within seconds an IV was placed into his arm and his first dose of morphine was administered. A warm buzz encased his body and he sighed as the pain in his ankle faded to a dull buzz.

"Better?"

"Yeah," he sighed and leaned back, closing his eyes.

"Kidd, you're in charge of Truck until you get back to 51 and talk to Boden," Severide delegated as he climbed into the back of the ambulance with Casey since he was in no state to be giving orders. "Cruz, you're in charge of Squad till I get back."

The doors of the ambulance shut and then the vehicle swayed as it started moving. Casey opened his eyes and soared a glance at his boyfriend who was sitting on the bench with a smile on his face.

"What?"

"You said I was right."

Casey groaned. "I'm never going to live that down."

Severide's smile grew into a grin. "Never."

Chapter Text

Hey everyone!! It’s getting to be a Christmas time!! Super exciting! (Sorry for the fake-out chapter lol but I wanted to ask your opinion on my upcoming story) So I asked if you guys would like to see a Christmas version of whumptober where I do a Christmas themed story every day with a prompt. I was just wondering what direction I should go. Do you want to see mainly fluffy stories with some whump? Did you want to see whump in every story but in variations? (So like some stories it would be very minor and others maybe hospital level) I’m good with writing whatever so let me know your thoughts :)

Chapter Text

It was always at the moment of least concern, where spirits were high and guards were low, where the worst happened. Things were going so well. The day was bright and warm, the calls easy and spaced apart, and it was the makings of a great shift. 

It was why they had all been in a good mood as they raced toward the call. Even when 66 had shown parallel to them, red truck glinting in the sun as they appeared and disappeared behind buildings, the thought of Welch wasn’t even enough to get him down. 

Cruz had been ready, eager even, to beat them to the scene, make sure that 51 held control. For a split second, a fraction of a heartbeat, Casey had considered it. Had thought about how much more smoothly things would go with him in charge versus Welch, but then the logical part of him-the firefighter in him- had taken over. It wasn’t worth the risk, the liability. They were here to save lives, not put them at risk. So he had called Cruz off and as much as he saw the disappointment in Cruz’s eyes, Casey knew his men and they followed orders. 

Then 66 had disappeared. Herrmann concluded they had gotten hung up somewhere. Casey smiled. Maybe luck was on their side today too. 

What he didn’t realize was that 66 had branched off on an intersecting side street. They were only 10 blocks from the incident when disaster struck. 

“See?” He said, smiling slightly at the turn of events. For once, his orders had been right when it came to going against the favourable opinion of his team. They took the high road and it felt good. “It all works out in the end-”

He never got to finish his sentence. He never even saw it coming. The sound of a horn blasted through Casey's head and the last thing he saw was fear, intense and unwavering in Cruz’s wide eyes as he stared at something beyond the blonde, before the world exploded around him. 

It was like he had been plunged into water void of sunlight. The world was dark and muffled. His body slack like a rag-doll as it was battered inside the truck, glass shards falling like rain. 

Things wavered in and out- Casey wasn’t even sure what was real anymore. Was he real? What was happening?

His eyes blinked open, but everything was a smoky blur, his eyes unfocused. Snippets of sound shot through his pounding skull.

“Mayday!...Squad…Main! Truck 81…66…collided!” Casey's world fizzled once more, but he knew it was important he stay awake, instincts deep within him urging him on. He caught the tail end of the disjointed voice, in charge but worried. He knew that voice, didn’t he?

“ This is bad!”

The world faded again, images flashing in Casey's brain. Fire. Call. Welch. Cruz terrified. Then what? Nothing.

“Case! Case can you hear me? Open your eyes Case, please!”

Eyelids fluttered and he glanced up, a silhouette blocking the rays of the sun pouring in. He was lying on his side, staring up at the sky. But hadn’t he been in the Truck?

A horn blaring before the world exploded. 

They had been in an accident. 

“There you go, that’s it baby. Open your eyes and look at me.”

Casey swallowed, pain reverberating through his skull as he did what the person asked. The face came into focus, brilliant blue eyes like drops of rain in the sun looked back at him. He knew those eyes, knew that voice on the radio. Severide. His boyfriend. 

“Sev-?” He slurred, voice hoarse.’

Relief coated Severide’s face. “Hey Case. It’s okay. I’ve got you now and I’m not going anywhere.”

Casey tried to respond, but he shifted and pain exploded across his body making him aware of how much he hurt in that moment.

“Don’t talk Case. We’re going to get you out of there.”

Casey shut his eyes and ran his tongue over dry, cracked lips, tasting copper. He looked to Severide who grimaced. 

“Yeah, you’ve got a nasty wound on your head. It’s bleeding a bit. Just keep holding on. Help is almost here.”

It was at that moment that he heard the noise around him. Boots pounding on the pavement, machines crunching metal, shouts and orders all around. His men. What about his team?

He tried to move again, struggling to see the rest of his team, but Severide immediately stopped him. 

“Woah! No moving Case. We don’t know how badly you’re injured. Your team is okay.”

Casey’s eyes settled back on Severide’s face. Somehow his boyfriend had known exactly what he was thinking. 

“Cruz is still below you. We can’t get him out until we get you out, but he’s okay.”

“I’m good Lieutenant,” Casey heard Cruz call from below. He sounded shaken, but he was talking and that’s all that mattered. 

“Herrmann and Otis are good too. Scratches and bruises but they’ll live.”  Severide paused and a sinking feeling settled inside the blonde. “Mouch wasn’t so lucky. For the most part, he’s okay, but he hit his eye. We don’t know how bad it is, but he’s already being taken to the hospital so he’s in good hands.”

A tense breath left Casey. His men were okay for the most part. Mouch was hurt but alive. He wanted to ask about 66 but it was too much right now. He’d make sure to ask about them as soon as he could. 

“Now we just need to get you some help and get Cruz out of there. Speaking of which, here they are.”

Shadows danced across the front of the Truck which, Casey realized, was lying completely on its side. 

“I’m going to drop a blanket on both of you,” Severide said, lowering the dark grey material they used to shield victims of car accidents from debris during extractions. “The guys from 47 here are going to remove the windshield and we’ll get you on the backboard and carried out from there. After that, we’ll help you out Cruz, okay?”

“Got it,” Casey heard Cruz say. Casey didn’t have to say anything. The look in his eye told Severide everything he needed to know without words. 

“Just a few more minutes, Case. You’re doing great.”

Sounds of metal screeching and crunching glass filled the next few minutes. He and Cruz could do nothing but listen, blocked by the blanket Severide had draped over them. But as soon as it had started, the noises stopped and the blanket was removed, allowing sunshine and a fresh breeze to blow on Casey’s face, bringing with it the scent of destruction. Gasoline, ground metal, and exhaust. Severide reappeared, medics with him whom Casey didn’t know. In their hands, they carried their medical supplies and a backboard. 

In no time at all, they had Casey collared and on the backboard, lifting him out of the hole where the windshield had just been with the help of the guys from 47. Then he was on a stretcher, staring at blue sky before Severide repapered, hand gripping Casey bare one since the other was hooked to an IV.

“Hey,” Casey croaked and Severide smiled, but sadness and worry lined his face.

“Hey,” he replied, squeezing the blonde’s hand gently. 

“I love you,” Casey whispered as the medics hooked the stretcher to the ambulance, preparing to lift him into it. 

A single tear rolled down Severide’s cheek. “I love you too.”

Hours later, Casey was finally resting comfortably in his hospital room. He had undergone many tests and a full body MRI to find out he had a moderate concussion, a large laceration on his head from where it had bounced off of the side of the Truck in the collision, a bruised sternum and ribs, and a dislocated shoulder with a fracture to his collarbone, both on the right side, same as where he had hit his head since 66 had collided right where he sat. 

When Severide had come in, he could see that the worry didn’t fade as those blue eyes roamed over every inch of Casey’s body.

“I’m okay, Sev,” he said quietly, tired from all the commotion and the pain meds they had him on. 

“You don’t look okay,” his boyfriend said, voice rough, pulling a chair directly next to Casey and grabbing his good arm, careful of the IV.

“I feel better than I look, I promise.”

Severide raised a skeptical brow and Casey smiled slightly. “Check my IV bag. I’m on the good stuff.”

Severide glanced at the bag and this time both eyebrows rose. “You’re not kidding. I’m surprised you’re even conscious right now you lightweight.” 

Casey chuckled and then winced. “Don’t make me laugh. I had them dose it down for a bit. I wanted to be able to talk to you. See how everyone is.”

Severide’s face turned serious as he raised Casey’s hand to his lips and kissed it gently. “Of course you did. Well, your team is okay for the most part. Like I said earlier, scrapes and bruises. Mouch was the worst off. I heard he’s doing well, though; the doctor thinks his eye will heal. They’re very optimistic.”

“Good, that’s great to hear. How about 66? What even happened?”

Severide sighed. “What do you remember?”

Casey sank back into his pillows and shut his eyes. Images flashed through his mind quickly, snippets of moments standing out against the rest. 

“Most of it is a blur. It happened so fast. But I remember Cruz and the others wanting to beat 66 to the scene so we’d have control. I told them not to. There was no point. Cruz backed off after that but in the next moment, all I heard was a horn blaring before everything exploded.”

Severide nodded, the look in his eyes telling Casey that he was flashing back to the crash had happened too. Squad had been right behind them. They would have seen it all happen.

“We still don’t know what happened. All I saw was 66 come out from the intersecting road right as you guys went through the lights. Then chaos.”

Casey looked to Severide, a bed feeling settling in his gut. “Did you see what colour the light was?”

Severide inhaled deeply, and Casey knew that his boyfriend understood. Had they run the red light? 

“Tony said he couldn’t see from where we were.”

Casey swallowed. “And the driver of 66?”

Sadness crept onto Severide’s face. “He’s in a coma. His legs were crushed in the accident. And Welch isn’t helping. He didn’t see anything either but he’s blaming Cruz. It’s pretty heated right now. The CFD is stepping in and launching a full investigation.”

“Shit,” Casey breathed. “Poor Cruz. I didn’t see the light but there’s no way Cruz runs a red, even in a pissing contest. He’s a good driver.”

“I know Case. We’re all on his side. No one has all of the facts. But for now, you need to focus on your recovery. You took quite the beating.”

Casey sighed but knew Severide was right. The headache that still plagued him was slowly creeping back, exhaustion falling over him in waves. 

“You’re hurting again. I can see it on your face,” Severide said. “I’m going to grab a nurse to up your pain meds. You need rest.”

He turned to leave, but Casey shot out a hand, his body protesting at the sudden movement. 

“Thank you. For being there.”

Severide turned, his eyes a blazing blue. “I will always be there for you Case. No matter what.”

He squeezed Casey’s hand one more time before turning away to find a nurse. Watching him leave, Casey knew he was in good hands and that everything would be cleared up in time. That it would all work out in the end.