And the Band Played On (One Chicago/L&O)

Chapter Three

Casey and Severide plot, Sylvie spirals, Nolan crashes through the State's Attorney's office with all the tact of a mongoose on crack, and Peter wonders if hell is freezing over.

***

As the minutes ticked by, closer and closer to the end of shift, Matt shuffled through the reports he had collected from everyone for the calls each rig responded to. He had all of Engine 51's, courtesy of Herrmann. All of his detailing the calls of Truck 81 were included. He just had one left from Sylvie and -

"Casey?"

Speak of the devil. Matt turned in his chair, surprised to see not just Kelly but the other house paramedic. "Hey," he greeted. "Reports finished?"

"Right here," Kelly handed the papers over.

"Thanks," Matt took the stack. "Shay? Everything good?"

"I'm not sure," Leslie Shay admitted, leaning in the doorway. "Brett was a zombie for our last call."

"A zombie?" Matt repeated in concern.

"OK, not when she was actually in the middle of the call," Shay amended. "But she asked me to be the driver of the ambulance."

Matt blinked. "She asked?"

"Yeah," Shay nodded. "Y'know, we normally do 'first there drives,' right? Nope. She asked me to drive to the call and from the hospital. She was out like a light before I ever threw us into drive."

Matt leaned his forearms on his knees, frowning in concern. "That hasn't happened before?"

"No," Shay shook her head. "I mean, of course, she's been a little tired on calls, but she's always been alert to drive to a call. And when I've gotten to the driver's seat first, she's always found a way to keep herself awake."

"I found her in the kitchen last night," Matt told them. "She was up because of a nightmare. She said the cocoa she made usually helps, but if she couldn't go back to sleep . . . "

"That would explain the exhaustion," Shay nodded.

"She's finishing her report now," Kelly told him. "I initially thought about offering to take her to breakfast, talk to her about it, but she's already got plans with Stone."

"There's a house I'm working at today," Matt suggested. "Demo work, painting, you name it, I don't necessarily have a set schedule. The four of us can tackle anything and see if we can help her."

Kelly nodded, but Shay made a face. "Herrmann, Otis, and I are doing inventory at Molly's," she said. "I can't do it today, but if you bring her to Molly's, I'll gladly help take a crack at her."

"We'll do our best," Matt nodded, standing from his chair. "Shift's over in five. Sev, I'll send you the address and we'll figure out who picks up Sylvie?"

"Copy that," Kelly gave a mock salute.

When Matt had finished in the locker room and returned to his quarters in his civvies, he found Sylvie's missing report on his desk. He finished packing his duffel before picking up the stack of papers and delivering it to the box Boden had outside his office. He passed Herrmann and Ritter in the common area as he headed for the apparatus floor, and Cruz and Otis were jovially conversing as they headed to their ride. He found Sylvie pacing the apron, rolling her head around, her eyes closed as she tilted her face to the sun. "Hey," he called as he approached. "Did the cocoa do the trick?"

Sylvie cracked open an eye, giving him a look. "I know that tone. Shay tattled, didn't she?"

Matt shrugged. "She's worried. We know there are several higher-ups in the CFD who think she should be PIC, even with your superior scoring and she wanting nothing to do with that responsibility. If something is wrong . . . "