Dawsey: Raising a Family Part 1

Chapter 354

An Hour Later at Firehouse 71:
Matt's POV: As I walked around the new Firehouse after getting home and getting changed, I smiled when I walked into the first floor office that I was now going to be using as both my "home" office and work office. Grabbing my laptop, I went to set it down and smiled because I already had the external monitors set up as well as the lock to keep my laptop safe. Going to lock it up, I went to connect it to the external monitors when I heard someone come in. "Oh, Chief Casey...I'm sorry." I then turned to look at Deputy Chief Delaney and smiled. "Hey Greg, please Call me Matt. You are my Deputy Chief after all." He agreed and smiled. "Wrong office?"

I nodded and smiled. "This door says Chief Casey on it." He agreed and smiled before looking around and saw the office across the hall from mine. "Aw, this is mine." I nodded and agreed. "Hope you don't mind if the house is going to be digital from the start. I am not doing paper anymore. I am done with that." Delaney shook his head when I said that before going to set up his laptop. "By the way, the new house is amazing." I nodded and agreed with him. "Definitely is. I made sure it was perfect for us. Now, come in here because we need to talk. I want to talk at least." He nodded and agreed. "I'm okay in casual right now right?" I nodded and laughed.

"Yes, I am in casual." He agreed and nodded before coming to sit down. "Listen, I just want to make sure we clear the air just the two of us without anybody around. I get we said we did but...I want to just make sure okay? We are working together permanently now and we are not going to have any place for disagreement in the house." Delaney nodded and agreed with me. "Of course not." I nodded. "I want to be a team Delaney. The only reason you are Deputy Chief and not a Chief is because I was already a Chief at Firehouse 51 when you took over Firehouse 20. So, seniority wins." He nodded and understood. "Of course, that makes complete sense."

I nodded and looked at him. "Listen, here's what I'm proposing okay? For the first few weeks...you are in charge of the original Firehouse 20 staff...and I will take care of the original Firehouse 51 staff. However, if it comes down to a decision that could affect our response as a whole house...my decision is final as the Chief of Firehouse 71. I know it's unconventional and it's a little hard but...that's the best I can do." Delaney then leaned back. "So basically, we work independently until you think it becomes too hard to do so?" I then sighed when he said that. "Okay, that's not going to work." He laughed and agreed. "Let me ask you this, you nervous?"

I sighed when he said that. "Yeah, I am. And I am still grieving for Chief Boden. Delaney, the difference between our seniority levels is weeks. Not years, not months but weeks. But still, I need to know that you are going to have my back. Delaney, put aside your feelings and you not being happy that you aren't Chief. If the situation were reversed and I was Deputy Chief...wouldn't you want my former Firehouse to listen to you without questions?" Delaney nodded when I said that. "Yeah, I would." I then sighed and leaned back. "Then Delaney, I expect the same from you. You are Deputy Chief by order of the commissioner and I am Chief. That's it."

Delaney nodded and smiled. "You know, the reason I didn't like you originally is because of the fact you were the youngest captain in the CFD. I thought you were going to be cocky, like all about you but you aren't Casey. And I'm sorry I never saw the real you. You stick up for your men and you lay down the law. It's black and white here...you are my Chief, I am the Deputy Chief. My apologies for the beginning...I just hope we can start over." I agreed and nodded, getting up before shaking his hand. "Good, because I want a good neighbor too. We both live here." Delaney laughed when I said that before going to sit down.

"Now listen, I want to also tell you this. We are going to be changing the Candidate routines." Delaney was confused when I said that. "Okay, how?" I then sighed. "Our candidates are here to learn how to be a firefighter. They are here to learn how to work as a team. The old way...it was they cooked, they cleaned everywhere and all that. I am not going to make our candidates do that when they have to feed twice as many mouths as before. And I know we have separate quarters at each end of the building but...I expect all my staff to be together when possible." He agreed with me when I said that. "So what are you thinking, firehouse lunches?"

He then went to laugh but I was serious. "Oh, you're serious." I nodded. "Delaney, I know what it's like to loose a guy. And recently, I just learned that his widow is my half-sister." Delaney was shocked when I said that. "Woah." I nodded. "Andy Darden, ever hear of him?" He nodded when I said that. "His widow Heather Darden is my father's child by his mistress. God, I hate saying that because she was my late best friend/brother-in-law's wife. Oh and I just so happen to have kissed her once." Delaney laughed when I said that. "Wow, that's crazy." I nodded.

"Yeah but...it's life. So, I want you to know that I want to know the people who came from Firehouse 20 just as good as I want you to know the people who came from Firehouse 51. If I have to call or tell someone that their loved one died...I want to know them, I want to know who they are as a person. And I expect you to do the same for my men. I am not sure if I am going to be able to tell their loved ones. Delaney, I have guys working under me who have been in the CFD since the 80s, before I was born. Your guys are all shiny new. And you are maybe wait...10 years older then me at the most. Hermann is older than you!" 

He nodded when I said that. "Yet his kids are half your age." I nodded and agreed with him. "Yes. Now listen, when it comes to work...we need to be a team. We need to put the lives of our men first. If that means that we need to fight it out later, then yeah...we will. But out on the field, I am your Chief...you are a Captain. I expect you to respect my rank, follow my orders or...stand down. I am not afraid to take away your Captaincy. I will bench you. You know Severide?" He nodded. "Who doesn't...his dad is Benny Severide!" I nodded and agreed. "Well, he disobeyed my order and I benched my Lieutenant who just so happened to be my best friend. I am not scared."

He then got worried when I said that. "And if you think I am scared of benching my new Deputy Chief, think again. Sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like a threat but...I am serious about this. I hold your life in my hands now and I do not want to be liable for you dying if you don't follow my orders. Regardless of what you think...if you don't follow my orders and go rogue, I have to answer to your wife, the CFD and maybe even the CPD as your superior. So Delaney, don't make me do that and don't you dare put my life on the line. I have twins on the way, I want to meet them. We understood Deputy Chief Delaney?"

Delaney nodded and agreed with me. "God, when you put it that way...I didn't even think of it that way. You do answer to my wife if I die." I nodded. "So do yourself a favor and don't make me have to make the call. And I will do the same so you don't have to answer to both my wife and my brother-in-law. Oh believe me when I saw this...if I die and you are to blame, my brother-in-law...Detective Antonio Dawson will come here with his Golden Gloves hands and beat the crap out of you on the floor." Delaney laughed when I said that when I heard Antonio. "Talking about me Chief Casey?" I then went to get up and nodded. "Sanitize and come up. I want you to meet somebody!" He agreed and nodded before coming to join us upstairs.