Drops of Jupiter (Chicago Fire/Otis Fanfic)

17. Not Leaving You

I stood in the living room, playing with Ximena. She had gotten so big recently. She was five years old and Otis would always mention that she looked so much like me. Ximena had a large smile and an infectious laugh.

Otis and I dropped Ximena off at school before going to work. I held onto his hand as we went inside and met everyone in the locker room. We got dressed before going to the meeting room for the briefing. After that was done, we went to go to whatever we needed to get done. I was doing the engine with Joe, casually joking around with him as we did so. Joe and I were really close friends and I wouldn't trade him for the world.

After we did the rig checks, I went to get a cup of coffee. Half the cup was creamer but it was still nice to have coffee. I leaned against the counter, sipping my coffee as I looked around the common room. There weren't that many people in the room as most were helping clean the station or were somewhere else.

I went to find Otis to see what he was doing. I found him sitting on the front bumper of the engine with Joe, chatting. I joined them without saying a word and Otis wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I put my head on his shoulder, enjoying the brief moment.

That moment was cut short when the tones went off for a fire at a mattress factory. We loaded up and were on our way. My heart started racing the closer we got. I was getting a bad feeling about the fire with every second we got closer. I didn't know how to explain it but something bad was going to happen.

We got out and I was tasked with being the engineer on the truck. I was standing outside when a group of others, including Otis, went inside the factory. It didn't take long before things started to go south. I heard the others start yelling over the radio to evacuate the building. A second later, there was an explosion. I turned away from the pump, my heart racing. Otis was in there and I hadn't heard his voice yet. 

As everyone was getting out from under the rubble and away from the debris, I called over the radio for Otis. I ran for the entrance, packing up as I moved. Not only was my husband in there but my fellow firefighters were in there too. I ran towards the building but was stopped by another firefighter. Tears were streaming down my face, only made worse when I saw some of the firefighters from Firehouse 51 carrying a body.

"Otis!" I screamed. "Otis!"

They carried him to an ambulance, which I climbed on without a second thought. My tears were streaming down my face as I gripped Otis's hand. He wasn't breathing and he was badly burnt. I was shaking and crying, too focused on the love of my life to realize we had gotten at the hospital. We were ushered into a room but I was left at the doorway as the doctors and nurses were working to bring him back.

Everything was a blur as I stood there with my whole body feeling numb. I barely saw what was happening until a doctor placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you with this patient?" The doctor asked.

I nodded. "Yes, I am. He's my husband."

"His wounds are very extensive. We're not expecting him to pull through," the doctor said. "You should prepare for the worst."

I let out a cry, covering my mouth as more tears streamed down my face. I stepped into the room and went to Otis's side. I sat on the edge of the bed, taking his hand in mine. His eyes were closed and his chest was moving.

"Otis, come back to us," I whispered. "Please, come back to Ximena and I. We need you more than anything."

He didn't respond but I felt him grip my hand. I sobbed and leaned down to lay against his chest. My head was over his heart and my arms were holding him as I tried to hold him as close as possible. I cried and cried, hating how Otis was being taken away from Ximena and I. 

"Lupe?"

I knew that voice from anywhere. "He's dying, Joe."

"That's what they told me," Joe said. "His injuries are too extensive."

I felt his hand on my back. "I don't want him to go."

"Me neither. But, Otis, you better keep a spot open for us up there in heaven," Joe said. "We'll make it there eventually, so you better keep it open for us."

Otis's voice surprised us. I sat up to look at him and he said something in Russian, keeping eye contact with Joe and I, before the heart monitor went flat. He had finally passed. I screamed out in pain and hurt as everything hit me. The love of my life, the man of my dreams, had died. The father of my child would never see her major life moments.

Joe had to pull me off of Otis's body so they could move him. I held onto him, trying to feel the only solid presence at the time. The tears had finally stopped but the pain wouldn't leave for a long time. We left to join the rest of the firefighters in the lobby. Multiple hands were placed on my shoulders and back as I joined my crew. Everyone stood around me, praying over me for a few minutes. It wasn't going to lessen the pain for a long time, but the praying helped in the moment. I wouldn't have my husband with me anymore but I had to stay strong for my little girl.